cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anti-Parallel β-Hairpin Structure in Soluble Aβ Oligomers of Aβ40-Dutch and Aβ40-Iowa

The amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides are associated with two prominent diseases in the brain, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Aβ42 is the dominant component of cored parenchymal plaques associated with AD, while Aβ40 is the predominant component of vascular amyloid associated with CAA. There are familial CAA mutations at positions Glu22 and Asp23 that lead to aggressive Aβ aggregation, drive vascular amyloid deposition and result in degradation of vascular membranes. In this study, we compared the transition of the monomeric Aβ40-WT peptide into soluble oligomers and fibrils with the corresponding transitions of the Aβ40-Dutch (E22Q), Aβ40-Iowa (D23N) and Aβ40-Dutch, Iowa (E22Q, D23N) mutants. FTIR measurements show that in a fashion similar to Aβ40-WT, the familial CAA mutants form transient intermediates with anti-parallel β-structure. This structure appears before the formation of cross-β-sheet fibrils as determined by thioflavin T fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy and occurs when AFM images reveal the presence of soluble oligomers and protofibrils. Although the anti-parallel β-hairpin is a common intermediate on the pathway to Aβ fibrils for the four peptides studied, the rate of conversion to cross-β-sheet fibril structure differs for each.
Resting state functional connectivity correlates of rumination and worry in internalizing psychopathologies

Background Rumination and worry are repetitive negative thinking (RNT) tendencies that contribute to the development and maintenance of internalizing psychopathologies. Accruing data suggest rumination and worry represent overlapping and unique transdiagnostic cognitive processes. Yet, prior neuroimaging research has mostly focused on rumination in depression, which points to involvement of resting-state brain activity in default mode, executive, salience, and/or affective networks. Methods The current study examined relations between brain activity during rest and RNT in a transdiagnostic sample. Resting-state fMRI data was analyzed in 80 unmedicated patients with internalizing conditions. Regression analysis, controlling for anxiety and depression symptoms, was performed with seed regions implicated in default mode, executive, salience, and affective networks. Rumination and worry were assessed with standard self-report measures. Results Whole-brain regression results showed more rumination and worry jointly corresponded with greater positive resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the amygdala and prefrontal regions (i.e., middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus). Conversely, more worry (controlling for rumination) corresponded with greater negative rsFC between amygdala and precuneus. No significant results were observed for rumination alone (controlling for worry). Conclusions Findings indicate the affective network plays a role in RNT, and distinct patterns of connectivity between amygdala and regions implicated in the executive and default mode networks were observed across patients with internalizing conditions. Results suggest different mechanisms contribute to RNT as a unitary construct and worry as a unique construct.
Plasma Models and Closure of Maxwell's Equations - The Impact of Electromagnetic Approximations

Modeling the dynamics of plasmas typically involves understanding the dynamics of ions and electrons coupled through collisions and electromagnetic fields. In terrestrial plasmas, the dynamics of the ions and electrons are usually assumed to be slow with respect to the speed of light and as such, the treatment of these species is derived from the non-relativistic form of the Maxwell-Boltzmann equation, either through direct treatment or through a moment hierarchy. The electromagnetic closure is provided through one of a multitude of options, including electrostatics, magnetohydrodynamics, Darwin or full-wave Maxwell. However, of these, only electrostatics and magnetohydrodynamics can be shown to be consistent with the non-relativistic form of the Maxwell-Boltzmann equation at second order, while the Darwin model represents a higher order hybridization of these. In this work, we present the details of these models, discuss consistency with the non-relativistic form of the Maxwell-Boltzmann equation and present the dispersion relation for parallel and transverse electromagnetic waves in a microwave cavity under these assumptions. This shows that the Darwin approximation fully retains the physics of the continuity equation, allowing the formulation to capture full electromagnetic effects in cases with bounded electromagnetic waves, such as those found in klystrons and transit-time oscillators. These results offer insights into the differences between models that assume the static physics, traveling at zero group velocity, and instantaneous models where the wave is assumed to be traveling at infinite velocity.
Deep graph representations embed network information for robust disease marker identification.

Motivation Accurate disease diagnosis and prognosis based on omics data rely on the effective identification of robust prognostic and diagnostic markers that reflect the states of the biological processes underlying the disease pathogenesis and progression. In this paper we present GCNCC, a Graph Convolutional Network-based approach for Clustering and Classification, that can identify highly effective and robust network-based disease markers. Based on a geometric deep learning framework, GCNCC learns deep network representations by integrating gene expression data with protein interaction data to identify highly reproducible markers with consistently accurate prediction performance across independent datasets possibly from different platforms. GCNCC identifies these markers by clustering the nodes in the protein interaction network based on latent similarity measures learned by the deep architecture of a graph convolutional network, followed by a supervised feature selection procedure that extracts clusters that are highly predictive of the disease state. Results By benchmarking GCNCC based on independent datasets from different diseases (psychiatric disorder and cancer) and different platforms (microarray and RNA-seq), we show that GCNCC outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in terms of accuracy and reproducibility. Availability and implementation https://github.com/omarmaddouri/GCNCC. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Examining the role of learner and classroom characteristics in the later language learning of Latinx youth and their classmates

Abstract Sociocultural theories assert that interactions with others foster language learning, including during middle childhood, when students are mastering the language that supports skilled reading and writing in school settings, or ‘academic language’ (AL). Studies also document, however, how linguistically- and culturally-minoritized students, including Latinx youth, are afforded fewer opportunities to participate in classroom interactions that develop these language skills. Inspired by these accounts, we examine the role of classroom (e.g., classroom interactions, classroom composition) and learner characteristics (e.g., levels of AL resources) in AL learning for 1138 Latinx youth and their classmates across one academic year in 60 U.S. classrooms (ages 10–14; grades 4–7). Of great importance for the design of instruction, our results revealed the role of individual language skills as well as of sociocultural mechanisms, including classmates' average levels of AL proficiency, in later language learning for all middle grade students; and, highlighted the importance of some aspects of equitable instruction, namely communal classroom interactions, for the AL learning of a subset of Latinx students with initially more developed AL resources than classmates. We interpret these results to suggest a need to attend to learner and classroom factors in the design of AL instruction for all students and, in particular, for Latinx youth.
Peer Review and Evaluation of R&D Impacts

Peer review is, arguably, the most important evaluation technique used in the sciences. The vast majority of public domain scientific papers are evaluated by peer review. Many government science and technology funding agencies use peer review as a primary means of selecting projects for funding. Peer review is also employed for the evaluation of R&D impacts, though this is a much less common application.
Farm Towns, Mining Towns, and Rural Development in the Potosi Region, Bolivia

In many less developed countries today, policy makers and analysts are increasingly turning their attention to small towns as a critical element in larger strategies to promote rural development and urban deconcentration. It is thought that small towns can play a significant role in spurring agricultural production, raising productivity, and hence rural incomes. Rising rural incomes in turn spur demand for non-farm goods and services, and are believed to create job opportunities for surplus rural labor in small towns. The prospect of new jobs in smaller towns close to those who seek them supposedly eases the pace of urban growth of the largest cities, and hence the problems associated with such growth (see, for example, Jones, 1986; Kenya, 1986; Mathur, 1982; Rondinelli, 1981, 1983; and UN Center for Human Settlements, 1985).
Radiographic and clinical evaluation of free-hand placement of C-2 pedicle screws: Clinical article

Object Stabilization of the cervical spine can be challenging when instrumentation involves the axis. Fixation with C1–2 transarticular screws combined with posterior wiring and bone graft placement has yielded excellent fusion rates, but the technique is technically demanding and places the vertebral arteries (VAs) at risk. Placement of screws in the pars interarticularis of C-2 as described by Harms and Melcher has allowed rigid fixation with greater ease and theoretically decreases the risk to the VA. However, fluoroscopy is suggested to avoid penetration laterally, medially, and superiorly to avoid damage to the VA, spinal cord, and C1–2 joint, respectively. The authors describe how, after meticulous dissection of the C-2 pars interarticularis, such screws can be placed accurately and safely without the use of fluoroscopy. Methods Prospective follow-up was performed in 55 consecutive patients who underwent instrumented fusion of C-2 by a single surgeon. The causes of spinal instability and type and ex...
The role of DNA base excision repair in the pathogenesis of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

The intracellular pathogen, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, is able to proliferate in phagocytes, although reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates are lethal to most phagocytosed bacteria. To determine whether repair of oxidatively damaged DNA is involved in S. typhimurium intramacrophage proliferation, null mutants of the DNA base excision repair (BER) system were generated. These mutants were deficient in discrete enzymes (Deltanth, Deltanei, Deltaxth, Deltanfo) or in the defined glycosylase (Deltanth/nei) and endonuclease (Deltaxth/nfo) steps. In this study, S. typhimurium BER mutants are characterized for the first time. In vitro characterization of the Salmonella BER mutants revealed phenotypes that are mostly consistent with characterized Escherichia coli BER mutants. These strains were used to evaluate the role of BER in the context of Salmonella virulence. S. typhimurium Deltaxth and Deltaxth/nfo were significantly impaired for survival in both cultured and primary macrophages activated with interferon (IFN)-gamma. Survival of Deltaxth and Deltaxth/nfo was improved nearly to wild-type levels in activated primary macrophages lacking both phagocyte oxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase. In the murine typhoid fever model, Deltanth/nei was fivefold attenuated and Deltaxth/nfo was 12-fold attenuated compared with wild type. These data indicate that DNA oxidation is a mechanism that macrophages use to damage intracellular Salmonella, and suggest that BER-mediated repair of this damage may be important in the establishment of Salmonella infection. We speculate that adaptation to a pathogenic lifestyle may influence the acquisition and retention of redundant BER enzymes.
Efficient Detection of Restricted Classes of Global Predicates

We show that the problem of predicate detection in distributed systems is NP-complete. We introduce a class of predicates, linear predicates, such that for any linear predicate B there exists an efficient detection of the least cut satisfying B. The dual of linearity is postlinearity. These properties generalize several known properties of distributed systems, such as the set of consistent cuts forms a lattice, and the WCP and GCP predicate detection results given in earlier work. We define a more general class of predicates, semilinear predicates, for which efficient algorithms are known to detect whether a predicate has occurred during an execution of a distributed program. However, these methods may not identify the least such cut. Any stable predicate is an example of a semi-linear predicate. In addition, we show that certain unstable predicates can also be semi-linear, such as mutual exclusion violation.
OV‐A‐4

BACKGROUND Metabolism of the anticancer agent vinblastine is mediated by CYP3A4. It has been demonstrated that other microtubule stabilizing agents such as paclitaxel are capable of inducing this enzyme via activation of NR1I2 (hPXR). Therefore, we evaluated the CYP3A4 induction potential of vinblastine both clinically and in vitro. METHODS The pharmacokinetics of the CYP3A4 phenotyping probe midazolam (i.v. bolus, 0.0145 mg/kg) were determined in 6 patients with renal cell cancer undergoing treatment with vinblastine (72-h i.v. q4w) at baseline and in cycle 3. Midazolam plasma concentrations were measured by LC/MS and clearance (CL) was derived using non-compartmental analysis. Protein expression of CYP3A4 and activation of hPXR by vinblastine were measured by Western blotting and a transactivation assay using transiently transfected HepG2 cells, respectively (Mani et al, Clin Cancer Res 11:6359, 2005). RESULTS Vinblastine increased midazolam CL on average by 60% (range, 2–317%; P=0.0156, Wilcoxon test). In vitro, vinblastine at clinically-relevant concentrations induced CYP3A4 and the hPXR-ligand binding domain, but had only weak to no effect on full length hPXR, suggesting it is only a weak activator of hPXR. CONCLUSIONS Vinblastine is able to induce CYP3A4 in vivo and thus has the potential to facilitate its own elimination and cause interactions with other CYP3A4 substrates. The mechanism of protein induction is likely to be at the level of RNA stabilization or decreased protein turnover. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 79, P35–P35; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2005.12.125
A Review of “The Aga Khan Case: Religion and Identity in Colonial India”

Teena Purohit's compelling study of the religious practices of Khojas in western India begins with a powerful image of a shrine in Pirana, a village on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The shri...
Test access of TAP'ed and non-TAP'ed cores

Core reuse is an emerging IC design style which enables rapid development of highly complex ICs. Reusable circuit cores come in two basic varieties, hard and soft. Hard cores are optimized for area and performance and are not modifiable by the user, whereas soft cores are user modifiable. If soft cores do not contain testability (i.e. scan/BIST), it can be inserted into the core by the user. Hard cores cannot have test features inserted by the user. Hard core providers should therefore include some means of testing the cores to prevent users from having to add testability external to the core, using pin access or scan/BIST collaring for example. In addition to the hard and soft core varieties, cores will be available for reuse with and without IEEE 1149.1 test access ports (TAPs). Non-TAP'ed cores are circuits that don't have the need for a TAP architecture. They may be scan or BIST testable via a simple, instruction-less test interface. Testable, non-TAP'ed cores could be viewed as 1149.1 test data registers that simply plug into an IC's boundary scan TAP domain to be accessed by TAP instructions. IC providers will face a dilemma when ICs contain two or more TAP domains. Various options for solving this dilemma are discussed.
Female and Male Voices in Social Work

the rift between clinical social work practitioners and social work academicians and researchers has been narrowed by the spate of recent articles suggesting ways to integrate practice and research concerns.1 Kar ger argues that the practitioner ver sus researcher debate is fundamen tally about: the political control of the direction, leadership, and the future of the profession. . . [reflecting] a struggle between the values, beliefs, and
Mapping the H+ (V)-ATPase interactome: identification of proteins involved in trafficking, folding, assembly and phosphorylation

V-ATPases (H+ ATPases) are multisubunit, ATP-dependent proton pumps that regulate pH homeostasis in virtually all eukaryotes. They are involved in key cell biological processes including vesicle trafficking, endosomal pH sensing, membrane fusion and intracellular signaling. They also have critical systemic roles in renal acid excretion and blood pH balance, male fertility, bone remodeling, synaptic transmission, olfaction and hearing. Furthermore, V-ATPase dysfunction either results in or aggravates various other diseases, but little is known about the complex protein interactions that regulate these varied V-ATPase functions. Therefore, we performed a proteomic analysis to identify V-ATPase associated proteins and construct a V-ATPase interactome. Our analysis using kidney tissue revealed V-ATPase-associated protein clusters involved in protein quality control, complex assembly and intracellular trafficking. ARHGEF7, DMXL1, EZR, NCOA7, OXR1, RPS6KA3, SNX27 and 9 subunits of the chaperonin containing TCP1 complex (CCT) were found to interact with V-ATPase for the first time in this study. Knockdown of two interacting proteins, DMXL1 and WDR7, inhibited V-ATPase-mediated intracellular vesicle acidification in a kidney cell line, providing validation for the utility of our interactome as a screen for functionally important novel V-ATPase-regulating proteins. Our data, therefore, provide new insights and directions for the analysis of V-ATPase cell biology and (patho)physiology.
Surface characteristics of polysulfoalkyl methacrylates

Abstract Coated hydroxyethyl methacrylate-sodium sulfoalkyl methacrylate copolymer films were surface characterized. The contact angle hysteresis increases and the receding angle decreases with increasing alkyl side-chain length, while the advancing angle decreases with hydration time. It was found that the buoyancy slopes of the advancing (ra) and receding (rr) process determined by the Wilhelmy plate method were not parallel. The ratio of ra to rr was greater than 1, and increases with the alkyl side-chain length and the hydration time, contrary to that of polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, where r a r r was less than 1. The slope ratio would be suppressed in solution with added salt, revealing that the reorientation and expansion of the polymer chain in water is being suppressed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the surface of these copolymers showed a striking enrichment of the sulfonate groups in the surface. The zeta potential was between −40 and −50 mV as measured by the streaming potential method. During dehydration, along with a decrease in sulfur and sodium concentration in the surface, the carbon 1s peak at the high binding energy decreased and the alkyl carbon main peak increased. The surface tension of aqueous solutions of sulfoalkyl methacrylate monomers and homopolymers decreases with increasing alkyl side-chain length, which may contribute to the decrease in water-polymer film interfacial tension and thus the increase in the slope ratio.
Prediction of carbon dioxide solubility in polymers based on a group-contribution equation of state

Abstract The group-contribution, lattice-fluid equation of state (GCLF-EoS), has been previously shown to predict accurately vapor solubilities in polymers. The method has been extended to the predictions of carbon dioxide–polymer binary systems. Applying the GCLF-EoS to binary systems requires the characterization of all the groups in the system and estimating the molecular binary interaction parameter from the group interaction parameters. The group parameters for pure carbon dioxide and the group interaction parameters of carbon dioxide with other organic groups commonly found in polymers were estimated. A new mixing rule for the calculation of the molecular interaction parameter is proposed and compared with the one developed originally by Lee and Danner. Results show that the new mixing rule as applied to the sorption of carbon dioxide in polymers and copolymers gives good predictions in large ranges of pressure and temperature.
Communities, obligations and health-care.

Abstract This paper examines the notion that, in the modern world, a just community will find it necessary to supply a decent minimum of health-care as well as a decent minimum of other basic needs to its members. The argument that health-care is an obligation of the just community is made by examining concepts of health, and the natural lottery as well as notions of community, justice and rights. If one accepts community as an institution constituted of persons united not only by duties of refraining from harm but likewise by duties of care, one's notions of justice, rights and obligations within such a world-view will incline one to accept a decent minimum of health-care as a basic condition of community. Minimal health-care in this paper refers to procedures which would save life, ameliorate pain, restore the function of vital parts and prevent future problems through public health and immunizations. What constitutes a ‘decent minimum’ within these concerns would vary from community to community and would be determined by an ongoing political process.
Prophylactic antibiotic trends in transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary lesions

Pituitary surgery involves operating in the nasal cavity, which is considered a clean-contaminated wound. In the absence of evidence-based guidelines for preventing surgical site infections in trans-sphenoidal surgery, a survey of current opinion on prophylactic antibiotics might help elucidate the current acceptable practices and identify opportunities for prospective clinical trials that could lead to the development of practice guidelines. An on-line, 10-question, multiple-choice survey was distributed by e-mail link to the membership of the International Society of Pituitary Surgeons. Sixty-nine members responded to the survey. Ninety-one percent indicated that there was no strong evidence supporting antibiotic use, but 81% used them to be safe. Ninety percent of respondents used intravenous prophylactic antibiotics, while only 16% used intranasal antibiotics. The most commonly used antibiotics were cephalosporins (72%) and penicillins (21%). Seventy-six percent used antibiotics for 24 h or less after surgery. The most commonly reported indications for prophylactic antibiotics were prevention of meningitis and sinusitis. The results of the survey describe current acceptable practices for chemoprophylaxis in patients undergoing transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.
Desorption and biodegradation of sorbed styrene in soil and aquifer solids

Approximately 40 and 18% of styrene freshly added to Lima loam and aquifer solids, respectively, was mineralized in 50 d. Although measurements of equilibrium desorption under abiotic conditions showed that only 7.2 and 5.7% of sorbed styrene were present in aqueous solution at 150 h, 61.0 and 66.7% of the compound were desorbed from the soil and aquifer solids, respectively, in 16 d under nonequilibrium conditions. Much of the nondesorbed styrene freshly added to the environmental samples could be extracted with methanol. Approximately 20% of the freshly added styrene not removed from columns of soil that had been repeatedly leached with water was mineralized in 49 d. Styrene freshly added to a muck soil also was extensively mineralized. However, if the compound was in soil for increasingly long periods in the absence of microbial activity, the extent of biodegradation by subsequently added microorganisms became progressively lower until < 3% was mineralized in soils in which the chemical was present for four months. Most of the styrene freshly added to Lima loam and Edwards muck could be extracted with acetonitrile, but < 4% was extracted from soils containing the chemical for 123 d. The biodegradation of styrene that has been inmore » natural environments for some time thus is probably different from the transformations that occur with the freshly added compound.« less
Prevention of hospital-acquired hyponatremia: a case for using isotonic saline.

Objective. The current standard of care in pediatrics is to administer hypotonic saline in maintenance parenteral fluids. The safety of this approach has never been evaluated. Methods. A review of the literature reveals that the administration of hypotonic fluids is potentially dangerous and may not be physiologic for the hospitalized child. Results. There have been >50 reported cases of neurologic morbidity and mortality, including 26 deaths, in the past 10 years resulting from hospital-acquired hyponatremia in children who were receiving hypotonic parenteral fluids. Common childhood conditions requiring parenteral fluids, such as pulmonary and central nervous system infections, dehydration, and the postoperative state, are associated with a nonosmotic stimulus for antidiuretic hormone production, which can lead to free water retention and hyponatremia. Children are at particularly high risk of developing symptomatic hyponatremia as they have a larger brain-to-skull size ratio. Conclusions. The administration of isotonic saline in maintenance parenteral fluids is the most important prophylactic measure that can be taken to prevent the development of hyponatremia in children who receive parenteral fluids.
Induction of heme oxygenase-1 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. A link to endotoxic shock

Endotoxic shock is a life-threatening consequence of severe Gram-negative infection characterized by vascular smooth muscle cell relaxation and severe hypotension. The production of nitric oxide (NO), through the inducible NO synthase pathway, has been implicated as a major contributor in this process. We now demonstrate that heme oxygenase (HO), an enzyme that generates carbon monoxide (CO) in the course of heme metabolism, may also be involved in the hemodynamic compromise of endotoxic shock. Inducible HO (HO-1) mRNA levels are dramatically increased in aortic tissue from rats receiving endotoxin, and this increase in vascular HO-1 message is associated with an 8.9-fold increase in HO enzyme activity in vivo. Immunocytochemical staining localizes an increase in HO-1 protein within smooth muscle cells of both large (aorta) and small (arterioles) blood vessels. Furthermore, zinc protoporphyrin IX, an inhibitor of HO activity, abrogates endotoxin-induced hypotension in rats. Studies performed in rat vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro show that the induction of HO-1 mRNA is regulated at the level of gene transcription, and this induction is independent of NO production. Taken together, these studies suggest that the up-regulation of HO-1, and the subsequent production of CO, contributes to the reduction in vascular tone during endotoxic shock.
Mini, micro, and high-efficiency torches for the ICP - toys or tools?

Abstract Because the inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) is expensive both to purchase and to continue in operation, many workers have sought to reduce both the radiofrequency power and coolant argon ordinarily required to sustain the discharge. In one approach, the ICP has been reduced in size, in the hope that its analytical strengths could be retained but the power and argon required for it reduced. In the second approach, the torch used to support the discharge has been modified extensively. The final and most recent approach utilises alternative torch cooling schemes using, for example, water or high air flows as a coolant. In this paper, these alternative approaches will be reviewed and assessed in terms of their practicability and analytical capability. Prospects for future torch modification and low-flow, low-power ICP instrumentation will be considered and discussed.
THE ACCURACY OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC OBSERVATIONS

This paper investigates measurement errors in generally accepted figures on international transactions that are supplied by national statistical offices to the IMF and the OECD. Implicit minimal measurement errors in bilateral trade data for Germany and the Netherlands appear to be about 1.5–3 per cent. An investigation of foreign direct investment data for 20 OECD countries in the period 1950–89 shows that their accuracy has improved little if at all since the 1970s: in 15–25 per cent of the cases, implied minimal measurement errors are in excess of 10 per cent.
The Personal Endings of the Greek Verb: An Exploration in the Subjectivity and the Non-Arbitrariness of a Paradigm

The notion of arbitrariness of the linguistic sign should not pervade the whole of language study. Language as social interaction involves most naturally, person, number, time and other categories, which often find linguistic expression. The four dimensions of the personal endings of the Greek verb (person, number, tense and voice) can be abstracted from the paradigm and explained as a natural, non-arbitrary result of the subjective centering of language around the speaker.
Theory of the ionization of ethane

Ab initio molecular orbital studies on C2H6 + support an assignment of 2 A 1g (D 3d point group symmetry) for the ground state of this cation. This differs from the prediction of Koopmans' theorem which suggests a 2 Eg state for vertical ionization. Approximate force constants and vibrational frequencies are calculated for the ethane cation in the 2 A 1g state and are found to be consistent with the vibrational progression observed in the experimental photoelectron spectrum.
A general model for criminal justice planning

Criminal justice agencies have fallen under harsh criticism for their seeming inability to expand and adapt at a rate commensurate with the accelerated growth of crime. A general planning model for criminal justice agencies is suggested to help effect the establishment of orderly, systematic, and continuous processes of setting objectives, anticipating the future and bringing these anticipations to bear on critical present decisions.
Chest wall volume receiving >30 Gy predicts risk of severe pain and/or rib fracture after lung stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Purpose To identify the dose–volume parameters that predict the risk of chest wall (CW) pain and/or rib fracture after lung stereotactic body radiotherapy. Methods and Materials From a combined, larger multi-institution experience, 60 consecutive patients treated with three to five fractions of stereotactic body radiotherapy for primary or metastatic peripheral lung lesions were reviewed. CW pain was assessed using the Common Toxicity Criteria for pain. Peripheral lung lesions were defined as those located within 2.5 cm of the CW. A minimal point dose of 20 Gy to the CW was required. The CW volume receiving ≥20, ≥30, ≥40, ≥50, and ≥60 Gy was determined and related to the risk of CW toxicity. Results Of the 60 patients, 17 experienced Grade 3 CW pain and five rib fractures. The median interval to the onset of severe pain and/or fracture was 7.1 months. The risk of CW toxicity was fitted to the median effective concentration dose–response model. The CW volume receiving 30 Gy best predicted the risk of severe CW pain and/or rib fracture (R 2 = 0.9552). A volume threshold of 30 cm 3 was observed before severe pain and/or rib fracture was reported. A 30% risk of developing severe CW toxicity correlated with a CW volume of 35 cm 3 receiving 30 Gy. Conclusion The development of CW toxicity is clinically relevant, and the CW should be considered an organ at risk in treatment planning. The CW volume receiving 30 Gy in three to five fractions should be limited to 3 , if possible, to reduce the risk of toxicity without compromising tumor coverage.
Comparing CART with backpropagation neural networks in vegetation greenness classification

This paper provides a comparison of CART with BNNs for vegetation greenness classification in terms of classification error rate, computational time, and predicator importance. The experiments were conducted on climatic data and NDVI data. The results show the training time of CART is much less than that of BNNs which achieves better prediction accuracy.
The influence of urbanization of sinkhole development in central Pennsylvania

The karsted limestone valleys of central Pennsylvania contain two populations of sinkholes. Solution sinkholes occur in the Champlainian limestone units along the margins of the valleys. Solution sinkholes are permanent parts of the landscape and, although a nuisance to construction, do not present other problems. The second population is the suffosional or soil-piping sinkholes These occur on all carbonate rock units including the Beekmantown and Gatesburg dolomites that comprise the two principal carbonate aquifers in the valley. Suffosional sinkholes are the principal land-use hazard. Suffosional sinkholes are transient phonomena. They occur naturally but are exacerbated by runoff modifications that accompany urbanization Suffosional sinkholes are typically 1.5–2.5 m in diameter depending on soil thickness and soil type. The vertical transport of soil to form the void space and soil arch that are the precursors to sinkhole collapse is through solutionally widened fractures and cross-joints and less often through large vertical openings in the bedrock. The limited solution development on the dolomite bedrock combined with soil thickness, seldom greater than 2 m, limits the size of the sinkholes. All aspects of suffosional sinkhole development are shallow processes: transport, piping, void and arch formation, and subsequent collapse take place usually less than 10 m below the land surface Factors exacerbating sinkhole development include pavement, street, and roof runoff which accelerates soil transport Such seemingly minor activities as replacing high grass and brush with mowed grass is observed to accelerate sinkhole development. Dewatering of the aquifer is not a major factor in this region
On k-stable functions

Abstract We prove that a k -continuous or a k -stable function cannot depend on more than k 4 k −1 variables and related facts.
Slow-light dynamics from electromagnetically-induced-transparency spectra

We show how slow-light pulse delays in realistic electromagnetically-induced-transparency (EIT) media can be determined directly from static transmission spectra. Using only the measured EIT linewidth and off-resonant transmission, the absolute delay of a slow-light pulse in an optically thick, power-broadened medium can be simply and accurately determined, while capturing more complex optical pumping behavior.
Improving parameter estimation for column experiments by multi-model evaluation and comparison.

The equilibrium convection dispersion equation model is often unable to accurately simulate breakthrough curves from column experiments. While the non-equilibrium convection dispersion equation model may match the data well, uncertainty in parameter estimates is often large. In this work we investigate approaches to improve match for the equilibrium model and reduce parameter estimate uncertainty for the non-equilibrium model. Four column experiment data sets are selected from the literature for the illustration. For the equilibrium convection dispersion equation model, we show that measurement error, presence of immobile water, and other mechanisms can cause mismatch between model predictions and observations because the model is sensitive to water content. The mismatch may be overcome by calibrating the effective water content. For the non-equilibrium convection dispersion equation model, simultaneous fitting of multiple tracers with reduced number of calibration parameters (e.g., assuming the dispersivity and mobile water fraction to be identical for different tracers, the mass transfer coefficient to be proportional to tracer molecular diffusion coefficient) can reduce the uncertainty in parameter estimate and better identify/quantify the non-equilibrium processes. By evaluating and comparing the multiple estimates obtained with different choices of calibration parameters (e.g., fixing or estimating water content), parameterizations and models (e.g., equilibrium or non-equilibrium), the reliability of the data interpretation can be improved by quantifying uncertainty in the experiment, considering alternative transport processes, and following the principle of parsimony.
The design of a knowledge based process diagnostic system

This paper describes the need for and the design of, a knowledge based process diagnostic system. A prototype system is implemented using Intellicorp's Knowledge Engineering Environment (KEE). The system is being implemented at a planned new assembly plant.
Dynamics and Structure of Dusty Reacting Flows: Inert Particles in Strained, Laminar, Premixed Flames

A detailed numerical study was conducted on the dynamics and thermal response of inert, spherical particles in strained, laminar, premixed hydrogen/air flames. The modeling included the solution of the steady conservation equations for both the gas and particle phases along and around the stagnation streamline of an opposed-jet configuration, and the use of detailed descriptions of chemical kinetics and molecular transport. For the gas phase, the equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species are considered, while for the particle phase, the model is based on conservation equations of the particle momentum balance in the axial and radial direction, the particle number density, and the particle thermal energy equation. The particle momentum equation includes the forces as induced by drag, thermophoresis, and gravity. The particle thermal energy equation includes the convective/conductive heat exchange between the two phases, as well as radiation emission and absorption by the particle. A one-point continuation method is also included in the code that allows for the description of turning points, typical of ignition and extinction behavior. As expected, results showed that the particle velocity can be substantially different than the gas phase velocity, especially in the presence of large temperature gradients and large strain rates. Large particles were also found to cross the gas stagnation plane, stagnate, and eventually reverse as a result of the opposing gas phase velocity. It was also shown that the particle number density varies substantially throughout the flowfield, as a result of the straining of the flow and the thermal expansion. Finally, for increased values of the particle number density, substantial flame cooling to extinction states and modification of the gas phase fluid mechanics were observed. As also expected, the effect of gravity was shown to be important for low convective velocities and heavy particles. Under such conditions, simulations indicate that the magnitude and direction of the gravitational force can substantially affect the profiles of the particle velocity, number density, mass flux, and temperature.
Condensation heat transfer: Comments on non-equilibrium temperature profiles and the engineering calculation of mass transfer

Abstract Two condensation heat transfer topics of relevance to nuclear reactor safety are critically reviewed. (1) The theory of non-equilibrium phase change developed by Bornhorst and Hatsopoulos is examined, and an anomaly in the vapor phase temperature profile noted. The source of the anomaly is clarified, and it is suggested that the theory is of doubtful validity. (2) The advisability of using simple engineering methods to calculate mass transfer phenomena during condensation from steam-air mixtures is discussed. A review of a suitable method is presented, with emphasis on the calculation of condensation rate, aerosol particle deposition rate and absorption of soluble gaseous species.
The optimal coefficients in Daubechies wavelets

Abstract The construction of wavelets begins with a dilation equation ϕ(x) = Σckϕ(2x-k). The choice of the coefficients ck controls the accuracy and orthogonality of wavelet expansions. We show how the Daubechies coefficients, which give pth order accuracy with 2p coefficients (the minimum number), follow from orthogonality and accuracy conditions applied to the polynomial Σckeikξ.
Growth and optimization of GaInAsP/InP material system for quantum well infrared photodetector applications

Multi-quantum well structures of Ga x In 1-x As y P 1-y were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition for the fabrication of quantum well IR photodetectors. The thickness and composition of the wells was determined by high-resolution x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence experiments. The intersubband absorption spectrum of the Ga 0.47 In 0.53 As/InP, Ga 0.38 In 0.62 As 0.80 P 0.20 (1.55 micrometers )/InP, and Ga 0.27 In 0.73 As 0.57 P 0.43 (1.3 micrometers )/InP quantum wells are found to have cutoff wavelengths of 9.3 micrometers , 10.7 micrometers , and 14.2 micrometers respectively. These wavelengths are consistent with a conduction band offset to bandgap ratio of approximately 0.32. Facet coupled illumination responsivity and detectivity are reported for each composition.
Investment Considerations under the Prudent Investor Act: Part Two: Translation Analysis

In Part Two in a series on fiduciary investment matters, the author focuses on how portfolio choice interacts with trust distribution policies to produce wealth flows to current and future trust beneficiaries. The author first frames the discussion through an examination of portfolio effects on beneficiary wealth during an extended period of historical returns. Next, the author examines whether different distribution choices, from simple income-only choices to more complex unitrust methods, can significantly impact wealth flows to beneficiaries. The author finds that in terms of wealth effects to all parties, portfolio choice dominates distribution policy choice over the period examined, although distribution policy can mitigate year-to-year variations in wealth flows. This conclusion leads to a recommendation that fiduciaries should move beyond the traditional balanced portfolio to incorporate asset classes that have a higher risk-return profile to ensure long-term portfolio performance.
Continuous medium perfusion leads to long-term cell viability and oxygen production in high-density photobioreactors

A light-emitting diode-based photobioreactor (LED-based PBR) operated in a continuous perfusion mode with a perfusion rate of 3 to 6 reactor volumes a day supports high-density algal cultures, of cell concentrations up to 4·109 cells/mL, or 25 g/L. The oxygen production rate at its peak was 13 to 15 mmol/(L·h). Continuous medium perfusion allowed for long-term stable oxygen production, while oxygen production in batch mode ceased when stationary phase was reached.
Voltage-controlled bipolar-MOS (VCBM) ring oscillator

17-stage VCBM ring oscillators have been fabricated. The VCBM device is an SOI device which operates both as a lateral bipolar and as an MOS transistor. Ring oscillators operate at supply voltages as low as 0.7 V and power-delay products per gate as low as 2.9 fJ are observed.
The Diem Experiment: Franco-American Conflict over South Vietnam, July 1954-May 1955

The Diem experiment began on 7 July 1954 when Ngo Dinh Diem took control of the South Vietnamese government. While the Eisenhower administration heralded Diem's rise to power, the war weary Pierre Mendes France government and the French Expedition ary Corps (FEC) did not. The Franco-American relationship had become increasingly fragile during the spring 1954 Dien Bien Phu cri sis and the Geneva Conference as leaders from both countries vehe
The Authority of Democracy

D decision-making has two very different evaluative aspects that sometimes collide and usually complement each other to some degree. On the one hand, we judge democratic decisions from the point of view of the quality of the outcomes. We concern ourselves with whether the outcomes are just or whether they are efficient or protect liberty and promote the common good. This is sometimes called the substantive or outcome dimension of assessment of democratic procedures. On the other hand, we evaluate the decisions from the point of view of how they are made or the quality of the procedure. We are concerned to make the decision in a way that includes everyone who by right ought to be included and that is fair to all the participants. Here we may think that the method by which the decisions are made should be intrinsically fair. In my view these two dimensions of assessment are irreducible. But this is not the way everyone sees it. Some, whom I shall call monists, think that there is only one form of assessment and that other assessments are reducible to it. For example, instrumentalists or best results theorists like Philippe Van Parijs think that the way in which democratic decisions ought to be made is entirely a matter of what will produce the best outcomes. On their view, the only question to be asked in evaluating democratic procedures regards the quality of the outcomes of these procedures. Pure proceduralists, on the other hand, see outcomes as essentially evaluable solely in terms of the procedure that brought them about. There are two versions of this kind of view. One version of the view is attributed to some American legal theorists who wish to justify a rather strong form of judicial restraint with regard to the decisions of the American Congress. They argue that the Supreme Court of the United States ought to defer to virtually all The Journal of Political Philosophy: Volume 11, Number 2, 2003, pp. 000–000
An Electron Microscopic Study of the Effects of Cadmium Chloride on Cryptorchid Testes of the Rat

A histological and ultrastructural study of the effects of subcutaneously injected cadmium chloride (CdCl/sub 2/) on the vasculature of the cryptorchid and scrotal testis of the rat was performed. Edema associated with cadmium injury was visible at 3 h and the damage progressed in both cryptorchid and scrotal testes after 6 h and 24 h. The primary ultrastructural effects consisted of changes in the endothelial cell junctions of intratesticular capillaries which progressed from a decrease in membrane-associated electron density at 3 h to actual separation of endothelial cells 6 h after cadmium injection. These changes were more pronounced at each time period in the cryptorchid than in the scrotal testis. Obvious changes in pinocytotic activity of endothelial and perivascular cells were not seen after CdCl/sub 2/ injection in either group of animals.
Optoelectronic information encryption with phase-shifting interferometry

A technique that combines the high speed and the high security of optical encryption with the advantages of electronic transmission, storage, and decryption is introduced. Digital phase-shifting interferometry is used for efficient recording of phase and amplitude information with an intensity recording device. The encryption is performed by use of two random phase codes, one in the object plane and another in the Fresnel domain, providing high security in the encrypted image and a key with many degrees of freedom. We describe how our technique can be adapted to encrypt either the Fraunhofer or the Fresnel diffraction pattern of the input. Electronic decryption can be performed with a one-step fast Fourier transform reconstruction procedure. Experimental results for both systems including a lensless setup are shown.