cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tolerating Soft Errors in Deep Learning Accelerators with Reliable On-Chip Memory Designs

Deep learning neural network (DNN) accelerators have been increasingly deployed in many fields recently, including safety-critical applications such as autonomous vehicles and unmanned aircrafts. Meanwhile, the vulnerability of DNN accelerators to soft errors (e.g., caused by high-energy particle strikes) rapidly increases as manufacturing technology continues to scale down. A failure in the operation of DNN accelerators may lead to catastrophic consequences. Among the existing reliability techniques that can be applied to DNN accelerators, fully-hardened SRAM cells are more attractive due to their low overhead in terms of area, power and delay. However, current fully-hardened SRAM cells can only tolerate soft errors produced by single-node-upsets (SNUs), and cannot fully resist the soft errors caused by multiple-node-upsets (MNUs). In this paper, a Zero-Biased MNU-Aware SRAM Cell (ZBMA) is proposed for DNN accelerators based on two observations: first, the data (feature maps, weights) in DNNs has a strong bias towards zero; second, data flipping from zero to one is more likely to cause a failure of DNN outputs. The proposed memory cell provides a robust immunity against node upsets, and reduces the leakage current dramatically when zero is stored in the cell. Evaluation results show that when the proposed memory cell is integrated in a DNN accelerator, the total static power of the accelerator is reduced by 2.6X and 1.79X compared with the one based on the conventional and on state-of-the-art full-hardened memory cells, respectively. In terms of reliability, the DNN accelerator based on the proposed memory cell can reduce 99.99% of false outputs caused by soft errors across different DNNs.
JSF and the United Kingdom

Britain is another US ally with a contentious history and political debate involving the JSF. London intends to purchase Air Force and carrier-based versions of the JSF. As of 2018 some of these aircraft are beginning to be deployed. However, the British JSF still experiences cost and technical problems and has to contend with the Eurofighter Typhoon for resources for British jet fighters. British aerospace contractors have received considerable benefit from participating in the JSF program, and having an effective fighter aircraft capability will be important for British national security interests as it and other NATO allies confront an increasingly assertive Russia.
Genome Sequencing and Transcriptome Analysis of the Hop Downy Mildew Pathogen Pseudoperonospora humuli Reveal Species-Specific Genes for Molecular Detection

Pseudoperonospora humuli is an obligate oomycete pathogen of hop (Humulus lupulus) that causes downy mildew, an important disease in most production regions in the Northern Hemisphere. The pathogen...
The Yield of Multimodal Computed Tomography among Emergency Department Patients with Suspected Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke.

Abstract Objectives: Endovascular therapy (EVT) improves outcomes for appropriately selected acute ischemic stroke patients. Guidelines suggest rapid acquisition of noninvasive vascular imaging to screen suspected ischemic stroke patients for large vessel occlusion (LVO) and candidacy for EVT. We sought to quantify the yield of an LVO stroke screening process in an undifferentiated emergency department (ED) suspected stroke population as well as identify predictors of successful EVT. Methods: We identified a cohort of consecutive ED patients who received CT angiography and brain perfusion (CTA/P) imaging to determine candidacy for EVT during 2016. In keeping with the guidelines at that time, hospital protocol directed physicians to obtain CTA/P studies if time from the onset of symptoms was less than or equal to 6 hours, and the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) more than or equal to 6 or if recommended by the consulting stroke neurologist. Final discharge diagnoses, EVT attempts, and successful reperfusion (TICI 2b or better) were recorded. Yield of CTA/P was compared among patients based on NIHSS and duration of symptoms. Results: Over a 12-month period, 406 suspected stroke patients were screened with CTA/P; 273 (67%) received a final diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Among cases screened, 53 (13%) underwent attempted EVT; 35 (9%) achieved successful reperfusion. Only 1 of 113 (1%) patients with an NIHSS less than 6 was successfully treated with EVT compared to 34 of 285 (12%) with higher NIHSS (p = 0.001). The probability of successful EVT declined with increasing symptom duration (p = 0.009 for trend). In multivariable analysis, NIHSS more than or equal to 6 was associated with successful EVT (odds ratio [OR] 4.0 [1.6 to 9.9]) but presentation within 6 hours of onset was not (OR 2.3 [0.8 to 6.7]). Conclusions: EVT candidates were common among suspected stroke patients screened with CTA/P in the ED, however, patients with NIHSS less than 6 rarely received successful EVT.
Experiences of Discrimination Are Associated With Worse Metabolic Syndrome Severity Among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study

BACKGROUND Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Although the development of MetS is attributed to known lifestyle factors, perceived discrimination may also contribute to MetS development and severity. PURPOSE We examined the associations of perceived discrimination with MetS severity among African American adults at baseline and 8-year follow-up. METHODS Three thousand eight hundred and seventy participants (mean age 53.8 ± 13.0; 63.1% female) without diabetes and no missing MetS severity scores at baseline were included. Each self-reported measure of discrimination at baseline (everyday, lifetime, and burden of lifetime) was classified into tertiles (low, medium, high). After adjustment for demographics and MetS risk factors, associations of discrimination were examined with a sex- and race/ethnicity-specific MetS severity Z-score. We employed a mixed model approach that allowed for the assessment of an overall association between reported discrimination at baseline and MetS severity, and for the possible change over time. RESULTS Sex and age differences were observed in experiences with discrimination, such that men reported higher levels of all aspects of discrimination relative to women. Everyday discrimination decreased with age, whereas lifetime discrimination increased with age (p < .05). Independent of lifestyle and demographic factors, everyday and lifetime discrimination were significantly associated with MetS severity (p = .003 and p = .017, respectively) and the associations remained constant over the 8 years (i.e., no interaction with time). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that, in a large community-based sample of African Americans, discrimination is a salient psychosocial risk factor for severity of MetS.
Prediction and observation of intermodulation sidebands from anharmonic phonons in NaBr

A quantum Langevin model, like models from optomechanics, was developed for phonons. It predicts intermodulation phonon sidebands (IPSs) in anharmonic crystals. Ab initio calculations of anharmonic phonons in rock-salt NaBr showed these spectral features as many-body effects. Modern inelastic neutron scattering measurements on a crystal of NaBr at 300 K revealed diffuse intensity at high phonon energy from a predicted upper IPS. The transverse optical (TO) part of the new features originates from phonon intermodulation between the transverse acoustic (TA) and TO phonons. The longitudinal optical spectral features originate from three-phonon coupling between the TA modes and the TO lattice modes. The partner lower IPS proves to be an intrinsic localized mode. Interactions with the thermal bath broaden and redistribute the spectral weight of the IPS pair. These sidebands are a probe of the anharmonicity and quantum noise of phonons in NaBr and suggest novel interactions between photons and phonons.
Seen but Not Heard: Strengthening Nonprofit Advocacy, by Gary D. Bass, David F. Arons, Kay Guinane, Matthew F. Carter, and Susan Rees: Aspen Institute Press. $15.00. Aspen Institute Publications Office: Phone: (410) 820.5433 Fax: (410) 827.5928 (FX) E-mail: publications@aspeninstitute.org.

To many professionals in the nonprofit sector, the word “lobbying” has come to make even the strongest policy advocate cringe. As Bass, Arons, Guinane, Carter, and Rees point out, lobbying has deve...
Payments for Progress: A Hands-Off Approach to Foreign Aid

At the start of the millennium, the international community committed itself to help developing countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including through major increases in foreign aid spending. But there are significant differences of opinion about the merits of additional aid in meeting the MDGs, including whether and how aid should be given in fragile states, whether large amounts of additional aid can be effectively used even in well-managed economies, and whether the aid system, particularly in highly aid-dependent countries, undermines instead of strengthens local institutions. In this CGD working paper, Owen Barder and Nancy Birdsall discuss an approach to scaling up foreign aid aimed at strengthening local capacity and institutions, including in fragile states. Payments for progress would link additional aid to clear evidence of progress already achieved on the ground. It would also give flexibility and autonomy to local institutions, providing an opening for local institutional experimentation, while at the same time ensuring that aid pays only for real, measurable achievements. In this approach, donors would bind themselves as a group to pay a specific amount for clear evidence of progress against one or more agreed goals - increased vaccinations or school completion rates - in low-income developing countries. Developing country governments would present an independently audited statement reporting their progress on the measures, and donors would pay the agreed amount. Payments would be determined as a function of the outcomes, and not linked to the implementation of any particular policies, any other intermediate outputs, or tied to purchases from particular suppliers or companies. Governments that found ways to provide services efficiently and so reduce the costs of providing them would benefit from a larger surplus. Barder and Birdsall discuss the issues such an approach raises - in setting the benchmarks against which progress is measured, in avoiding cheating, and in managing unintended negative consequences of an incentives-based approach. They also discuss the advantages of paying for progress, which include increased accountability of recipient governments (if parents know that funding is unquestionably available for their government to meet the costs of providing primary education for all children, unencumbered by other conditionality, this permits them to hold the government accountable for public schooling), and increased accountability of donors (if donors agree to be held jointly and severally liable for their commitment to pay for progress, they can exert peer pressure on each other to bear the costs as they fall due). Some donors believe that the world should be more generous in its funding for development. They are right: the efforts of developing countries should not be allowed to fail through lack of resources. Other donors believe that aid funding should be clearly linked to results. They are right too. Increasing aid without linking it to progress is pushing on a piece of string.
Level‐Dependent Quasi‐Birth‐and‐Death Processes

This article defines and describes the level-dependent quasi-birth-and-death (LDQBD) process, a generalization of the homogeneous (or level-independent) quasi-birth-and-death (QBD) process. Like its level-independent counterpart, the LDQBD process is a bivariate Markov process whose transition probability matrix (or infinitesimal generator matrix) exhibits a block tridiagonal structure. However, unlike the level-independent QBD, its transitions are explicitly dependent on the level. This article defines discrete- and continuous-time versions of the LDQBD process, discusses necessary and sufficient conditions for positive recurrence, and describes the limiting distribution for each case. Algorithmic approaches, extensions of the basic models, and suggestions for further reading are also provided. Keywords: quasi-birth-and-death; level-dependent quasi-birth-and-death; positive recurrence; limiting distribution
Deformations and equitopological deformations of strongly pseudoconvex manifolds

One of the main problems in complex analysis has been to determine when two open sets D 1 , D 2 in C n are biholomorphically equivalent. In [26] Poincare studied perturbations of the unit ball B 2 in C 2 of a particular kind, and found necessary and sufficient conditions on a first order perturbation that the perturbed domain be biholomorphically equivalent to B 2 . Recently Burns, Shnider and Wells [7] (cf. also Chern-Moser [9]) have studied the deformations of strongly pseudoconvex manifolds. They proved that there is no finite-dimensional deformation theory for M if one keeps track of the boundary.
On Homoeroticism, Erotic Countertransference, and the Postmodern View of Life: A Commentary on Papers by Rosiello, Tholfsen, and Meyers

Abstract This is a discussion of three papers: Florence Rosiello's “On Lust and Loathing: Erotic Transference/Countertransference Between a Female Analyst and Female Patients,” Barbara Tholfsen's “Cross Gendered Longings and the Demand for Categorization: Enacting Gender Within the Transference-Countertransference Relationship,” and Linda Meyers' “Gay or Straight? Why Do We Really Want to Know.” The author agrees with Rosiello's point that the erotic countertransference often hinders the treatment, due to the therapist's discomfort or shame over having sexual feelings toward a patient. However, this raises the dilemma of how to interact with the patient about the erotic aspects of the relationship without being seductive or blurring the boundaries. Rosiello is criticized for both her seductiveness with her patients and for creating a highly-charged sexual atmosphere in an analytic session where the patient is encouraged to describe the intimate details of her sex life. The author wonders how much of what ...
A differential simulator using past clinical trial data to run simulated clinical trials

Individuals with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) must inject insulin to regulate blood glucose concentrations. The artificial pancreas project seeks to automate the delivery of insulin in response to continuous glucose monitor (sensor) signals. Most medical devices must go through extensive animal studies before human studies can be conducted, but regulatory authorities (FDA, in the United States) have allowed investigators to skip animal trials for the artificial pancreas project by conducting exhaustive simulation-based (in silico) clinical trials. Still, current simulators only provide a rough evaluation of prospective algorithms because they cannot accurately model all physiologic processes. In this paper we propose an alternative simulation approach that works directly from clinical data, reducing the number of required assumptions. This approach calculates changes to real data based on changes in the inputs rather than calculating the effect of the entire input. Here, we choose a simple, linear, insulin-glucose model based on published insulin-glucose test data. The simulator with the linear insulin glucose model is validated against an FDA-accepted simulator for various magnitudes of modified insulin dosing. The scenarios include a 0–200% step change to the patients' background insulin delivery rates (basal rates), and a 50–150% scaling of their meal insulin doses (boluses). These studies show that the differential simulator induces less error than patient variability when using other simulators. We also show two illustrative test cases for testing revision to artificial pancreas controllers.
Optimization of Propeller Blade Twist by an Analytical Method

Based on the vortex lattice method and nonlinear programming, the problem for predicting optimum propeller blade twist has been formulated and solved to maximize the propulsive efficiency under the constraint of constant power consumption. The propeller is represented by a curved lifting line and a number of control points. The optimum twist distribution can be determined for a specified geometry of the lifting line. The method can be applied to complex blade shapes (swept, bent, propletted, and biblades). To demonstrate the method, the geometry of the lifting line of a straight blade and a propletted blade has been employed. The twist distribution and the ideal efficiency for the optimized and unoptimized blades are compared. The predicted improvement in ideal efficiency is about 1-6% for the optimized blade with proplet over that of the original propeller.
Statistical corrections of spatially interpolated missing precipitation data estimates

Spatial interpolation methods used for estimation of missing precipitation data generally under and overestimate the high and low extremes, respectively. This is a major limitation that plagues all spatial interpolation methods as observations from different sites are used in local or global variants of these methods for estimation of missing data. This study proposes bias-correction methods similar to those used in climate change studies for correcting missing precipitation estimates provided by an optimal spatial interpolation method. The methods are applied to post-interpolation estimates using quantile mapping, a variant of equi-distant quantile matching and a new optimal single best estimator (SBE) scheme. The SBE is developed using a mixed-integer nonlinear programming formulation. K-fold cross validation of estimation and correction methods is carried out using 15 rain gauges in a temperate climatic region of the U.S. Exhaustive evaluation of bias-corrected estimates is carried out using several statistical, error, performance and skill score measures. The differences among the bias-correction methods, the effectiveness of the methods and their limitations are examined. The bias-correction method based on a variant of equi-distant quantile matching is recommended. Post-interpolation bias corrections have preserved the site-specific summary statistics with minor changes in the magnitudes of error and performance measures. The changes were found to be statistically insignificant based on parametric and nonparametric hypothesis tests. The correction methods provided improved skill scores with minimal changes in magnitudes of several extreme precipitation indices. The bias corrections of estimated data also brought site-specific serial autocorrelations at different lags and transition states (dry-to-dry, dry-to-wet, wet-to-wet and wet-to-dry) close to those from the observed series. Bias corrections of missing data estimates provide better serially complete precipitation time series useful for climate change and variability studies in comparison to uncorrected filled data series. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nuclei Far from Stability: Three Excursions to the Rim

Three topics of special interest to the author, a chemist by training, are reviewed. An exciting future for nuclear structure research in the next Millennium is foreseen.
Will Bush's America draw doctors south?

President George Bush wants Congress to approve tax cuts worth $1.6 trillion over 10 years, and he wants income tax rates slashed. Will this persuade yet more Canadian physicians to move south? Not likely, says Jeffrey Simpson, author of Star-Spangled Canadians: Canadians Living the American Dream
Meta-analysis of trials comparing postoperative recovery after anesthesia with sevoflurane or desflurane.

Purpose. Results of published, randomized controlled trials comparing sevoflurane and desflurane were pooled to measure differences in times until patients obeyed commands, were extubated, were oriented, were discharged from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), and were ready to be discharged to home, as well as the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Methods. We reviewed all randomized clinical trials in MEDLINE through December 18, 2003, with a title or abstract containing the words sevoflurane and desflurane. Two reviewers independently extracted study data from papers that met inclusion criteria. Endpoints were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Results. Twenty-two reports of 25 studies (3 reports each described 2 studies) met our inclusion criteria. A total of 746 patients received sevoflurane, and 752 received desflurane. Patients receiving desflurane recovered 1–2 minutes quicker in the operating room than patients receiving sevoflurane. They obeyed commands 1.7 minutes sooner ( p < 0.001; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7–2.7 minutes), were extubated 1.3 minutes sooner ( p = 0.003; 95% CI, 0.4–2.2 minutes), and were oriented 1.8 minutes sooner ( p < 0.001; 95% CI, 0.7–2.9 minutes). No significant differences were detected in the phase I or II PACU recovery times or in the rate of PONV. Conclusion. Meta-analysis of studies in which the duration of anesthesia was up to 3.1 hours indicated that patients receiving either desflurane or sevoflurane did not have significant differences in PACU time or PONV frequency. Patients receiving desflurane followed commands, were extubated, and were oriented 1.0–1.2 minutes earlier than patients receiving sevoflurane.
A holographic system for crystal growth studies: Design and applications

Abstract Holography, with its unique depth of field and interferometric capabilities, is a powerful new tool for the study of crystal growth. This report describes the theory and practice of holography as applied to the study of microscopic phenomena. The equations describing the formation and reconstruction of holograms are presented, and the factors affecting image quality are discussed. Several different techniques of holographic microscopy, including holographic interferometry, are described, and practical design considerations for an actual holographic microscopy system are included. For studies of crystal growth, selected organic materials were employed as transparent analogues to solidifying metals. Special observation chambers were constructed to allow holographic recording of planar solid/liquid interfaces, dendrites, floating crystals, and liquid inclusions in crystals. Crystal morphologies were measured by interferometric analysis of the reconstructed holograms. The observations are interpreted in terms of crystal imperfections, impurities, and crystal anisotropy.
Temperature record in the oxygen stable isotopes of Pacific sardine otoliths: Experimental vs. wild stocks from the Southern California Bight

Abstract Pacific sardines ( Sardinops sagax ) are commercially fished in Canada, USA, and Mexico along approximately 5000 km of coastal waters that experience a wide range of temperatures. Trinational management of the species can be problematic because the connectivity between spawning, recruitment, stock residency, and migration in some years may not be well predicted. Oxygen isotopic value of otoliths (δ 18 O otolith ) has been used to infer stock residency and movement of fish populations within regions, but few studies have used laboratory data to establish a predictive temperature model to validate δ 18 O otolith values of wild fish. We conducted a growth experiment with juveniles at different temperatures using Southern California Bight (SCB) seawater to test the assumption that Pacific sardine otoliths accurately record environmental water temperature in the presence of constant salinity. Sardine δ 18 O otolith values were significantly and negatively correlated with temperature according to the linear model: δ 18 O otolith ( ‰ ) − δ 18 O water ( ‰ ) = − 0.132 ( ± 0.003 SE ) × Temperature ( ° C ) + 2.455 ( ± 0.043 SE ) We used this model to predict the temperature history of wild age-1 sardine collected in the SCB from 1995 to 2003. The field samples generally fit the model of SCB residency when both the average coastal sea surface temperatures and temperatures at 30 m were used to bracket the range of calculated otolith temperatures.
The role of ATM in DNA damage responses and cancer

Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is a complex, autosomal recessive disorder characterized by cerebellar ataxia, believed to result from progressive neurodegeneration, and telangiectasia, dilation of blood vessels within the eyes and parts of the facial region. AT patients suffer from recurrent infections caused by both cellular and humoral immune deficiencies and as a population, are significantly predisposed to cancer, particularly lymphomas and leukemias. Early attempts at treating these malignancies with radiotherapy revealed another hallmark of AT, a profound hypersensitivity to the cytotoxic effects of ionizing radiation (IR) which is recapitulated at the cellular level in culture. Predisposition to cancer and radiosensitivity observed in AT has been linked to chromosomal instability, abnormalities in genetic recombination, and defective signaling to programmed cell death and several cell cycle checkpoints activated by DNA damage. These earlier observations predicted that the gene defective in AT may encode a protein which plays a crucial role in sensing DNA damage and transducing signals that promote cell survival. Through the combined efforts of linkage analysis and positional cloning, a single gene was identified on chromosome 11q22-33 by Shiloh and colleagues and was found to be mutated in all four complementation groups previously characterized in cell lines derived from AT patients (Savitsky et al., 1995a,b). The predicted ATM gene product shows considerable homology to an emerging family of high molecular weight, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3 K)-related proteins involved in eukaryotic cell cycle control, DNA repair, and DNA recombination (Zakian, 1995). This landmark discovery has triggered a resurgence of biochemical and genetic studies focusing on ATM function which has brought forth insights regarding ATM activity and its role in DNA damage signaling.
Pharmacological evidence for two kinds of GABA receptors on rat hippocampal pyramidal cells studied in vitro

1. The rat hippocampal slice preparation has been used in conjunction with intracellular recording and ionophoresis to study the action of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on CA1 pyramidal cells.2. GABA elicits a hyperpolarizing (h.) response at the soma. The reversal potential of this h. response is the same as for inhibitory post-synaptic potentials (i.p.s.p.s) evoked by stimulating pyramidal cell axons.3. GABA elicits primarily depolarizing (d.) responses when applied to the apical dendrites, but h. responses can also be found.4. The GABA antagonists bicuculline methiodide, picrotoxin, penicillin, and pentylenetetrazole are all ten to one hundred times more potent on the d. response than on the h. response. Hyperpolarizing responses are uncovered in the dendrites when intermediate doses of these drugs block the d. response.5. The GABA analogue, 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo [5,4-c]pyridine-3-ol (THIP), which has been proposed to activate synaptic receptors preferentially in other systems, elicits h. responses in the dendrites. It is one seventh as potent as GABA in eliciting d. responses.6. Pentobarbitone enhances d. responses to a much greater extent than h. responses, while diazepam enhances h. responses to a greater extent.7. Nipecotic acid, low temperature, and low sodium media all increase the size of d. responses to ionophoretically applied GABA indicating that an active uptake process limits their size.8. We conclude that h. responses reflect the activation of synaptic receptors which are highly concentrated on the pyramidal cell soma-initial segment, but are also present on the dendrites. Depolarizing responses, which are evoked in the dendrites, reflect the activation of extrasynaptic receptors.9. We propose that an ordinarily undetectable amount of synaptically released GABA can ;spill' over onto extrasynaptic (d.) receptors. Depolarizing receptor activation can be detected in the presence of pentobarbitone. Spillover is markedly enhanced at subphysiological temperatures presumably due to enhanced release of GABA and impairment of the GABA uptake system.
Diurnal acid metabolism in Isoetes howellii from a temporary pool and a permanent lake

Water chemistry and titratable acidity and malic acid levels in Isoetes howellii leaves were sampled every 6 hr from plants in a seasonal pool and an oligotrophic lake. Plants in the seasonal pool showed a diurnal fluctuation of - 300 Aequivalents titratable acidity g-I fresh wt; daytime deacidification was 75% complete by noon and nighttime acidification was 45% complete by midnight. Late in the season after the pool had dried, emergent leaves showed only a very weak tendency to accumulate acid at night. Plants from the oligotrophic lake had a diurnal change of 100 ,ueq g-' fresh wt, daytime deacidification was only 450% complete by noon but nighttime acidification was 80% complete by midnight. Water characteristics were distinctly different between these two systems. In the seasonal pool there were marked diurnal changes in temperature, pH, oxygen and carbon dioxide. Free-CO2 levels were an order of magnitude greater in the early morning than in the late afternoon. In contrast, the conditions in the oligotrophic lake showed no marked diurnal fluctuation, though total inorganic carbon levels were extremely low relative to other aquatic systems. CRASSULACEAN ACID METABOLISM (CAM) has been demonstrated in the submerged aquatic Isoetes howellii Engelmann (Isoetaceae) (Keeley, 198 la; Keeley and Bowes, 1982). Leaves, but not corms, are capable of substantial net CO2 uptake in the dark which is fixed into malic acid and other organic acids. PEP carboxylase activity is sufficient to account for rates of dark CO2 fixation and rates of overnight malic acid accumulation. Daytime deacidificiation produces a diurnal fluctuation of 100-300 ,uequivalents titratable acidity per g fresh wt. This carbon fixation pathway is largely turned off in the light and dark-fixed carbon appears to move from organic acids into phosphoglycerate and other C3-pathway products. In the prototype terrestrial CAM plant, diurnal acid metabolism is coupled with a diurnal pattern of low stomatal resistance at night and high resistance during the day. In these "SuperCAM" plants (Kluge and Ting, 1978) the bulk of the carbon assimilation is derived from nighttime CO2 fixation. In other terrestrial succulents exhibiting crassulacean acid metabolism, both light and dark CO2 uptake contribute to net carbon assimilation.
Stratospheric Transparency Derived from Total Lunar Eclipse Colors, 1665-1800

A catalog of the observed colors of the totally eclipsed Moon during the period 1665-1800 has been prepared from published contemporary reports. Nearly all of the observations were made from Europe. Usable eclipses number 36 in all, or on average, about one eclipse every 4 years. The hue and intensity of the faint illumination of the Moon's disk during totality yield a measure of the aerosol optical depth of the Earth's stratosphere. Unlike the 19th and 20th centuries, the period under study showed a relatively clear stratosphere at nearly all times. Independent but less direct evidence from Greenland ice cores, which contain an annual record of aerosol fallout from large volcanic eruptions, confirms that this was a period of very few, if any, large stratosphere-penetrating volcanic eruptions.
The accuracy of endometrial biopsy and saline sonohysterography in determining the etiology of abnormal uterine bleeding

Abstract Objective: To compare the results of endometrial biopsy and saline sonohysterography to that of D & C/hysteroscopy or definitive surgery in the evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding. Methods: The study protocol was approved by the Human Investigation Committee. The patient population studied consisted of women presenting to outpatient services complaining of a history of abnormal uterine bleeding who had failed conservative medical management. The study consisted of two arms with a combined total of 120 patients. The prospective arm included 91 patients who underwent endometrial biopsy and saline sonohysterography as outpatients before being evaluated by a definitive surgical procedure such as D & C/hysteroscopy with or without thermal balloon ablation or hysterectomy. The retrospective group included 41 patients who before the initiation of this study had endometrial biopsies and saline sonohysterography performed with subsequent definitive surgical procedures. These charts were reviewed retrospectively and included in the results as a separate group. All saline sonohysterographies and procedures were performed under supervision of the attending staff. Results: The combination of endometrial biopsy and saline sonohysterography had a sensitivity and specificity of 96.2% and 65.7%, respectively. The positive predictive value of a saline sonohysterography study showing an endometrial polyp, submucous myoma, or irregular endometrial contour was 80.6%. A normal saline sonohysterography had a negative predictive value of 92.0%. Conclusions: Endometrial biopsy and saline sonohysterography are useful for the evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding; however, it is important to recognize the limitations in the predictive value of this diagnostic modality.
USA experiment on the ARGOS satellite: a low-cost instrument for timing x-ray binaries

The Unconventional Stellar Aspect (USA) experiment on the Advanced Research and Global Observations Satellite (ARGOS) of the Space Test Program is a low-cost, quick, yet scientifically ambitious X-ray timing experiment. The research program emphasizes observing neutron stars and black holes for extended periods with sub-millisecond timing resolution. The scientific program is achieved using hardware whose key features are large collecting area (2000 cm2), energy response extending as low as 1 keV, long accumulated observing times (1 month), high time resolution (1 microsecond(s) ), absolute time-tagging (also to 1 microsecond(s) ) achieved using a GPS receiver, sustained high data rates (40 kbps at all times supplemented by 128 kbps as needed), and flexibility in data handling by using a solid state recorder and a radiation- hardened 20 MIPS 32-bit onboard computer to provide onboard processing.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
3′-Intercalation of a N2-dG 1R-trans-anti-Benzo[c]phenanthrene DNA Adduct in an Iterated (CG)3 Repeat

The conformation of the 1R,2S,3R,4S-benzo[c]phenanthrene-N2-dG adduct, arising from trans opening of the (+)-1S,2R,3R,4S-anti-benzo[c]phenanthrene diol epoxide, was examined in 5′- d(ATCGCXCG-GCATG)-3′·5′-d(CATGCCGCGCGAT)-3′, where X = 1R,2S,3R,4S-B[c]P-N2-dG. This duplex, derived from the hisD3052 frameshift tester strain of Salmonella typhimurium, contains a (CG)3 iterated repeat, a hotspot for frameshift mutagenesis. NMR experiments showed a disconnection in sequential NOE connectivity between X4 and C5, and in the complementary strand, they showed another disconnection between G 18 and C19. In the imino region of the 1H NMR spectrum, a resonance was observed at the adducted base pair X4•C19. The X4 N1H and G18 N1H resonances shifted upfield as compared to the other guanine imino proton resonances. NOEs were observed between X4 N1H and C19 N4H and between C5 N4H and G18 N1H, indicating that base pairs X4•C19 and C5•G18 maintained Watson–Crick hydrogen bonding. No NOE connectivity was observed between X4 and G18 in the imino region of the spectrum. Chemical shift perturbations of greater than 0.1 ppm were localized at nucleotides X4 and C5 in the modified strand and G18 and C19 in the complementary strand. A total of 13 NOEs between the protons of the 1R-B[c]Ph moiety and the DNA were observed between B[c]Ph and major groove aromatic or amine protons at base pairs X4•C19 and 3′-neighbor C5•G18. Structural refinement was achieved using molecular dynamics calculations restrained by interproton distances and torsion angle restraints obtained from NMR data. The B[c]Ph moiety intercalated on the 3′-face of the X4•C19 base pair such that the terminal ring of 1R-B[c]Ph threaded the duplex and faced into the major groove. The torsion angle α′ [X4]–N3–C2–N2–B[c]Ph]–C1 was calculated to be –177°, maintaining an orientation in which the X4 exocyclic amine remained in plane with the purine. The torsion angle β′ [X4]–C2–N2– [B[c]Ph]–C1–C2 was calculated to be 75°. This value governed the 3′-orientation of the B[c]Ph moiety with respect to X4. The helical rise between base pairs X4•C19 and C5·G18 increased and resulted in unwinding of the right-handed helix. The aromatic rings of the B[c]Ph moiety were below the Watson–Crick hydrogen-bonding face of the modified base pair X4•C19. The B[c]Ph moiety was stacked above nucleotide G18, in the complementary strand.
Procedure for low-speed isolation of rat and human skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum

Abstract A rapid method for the isolation of fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum (FSR) from skeletal muscle is presented. The addition of divalent cations to a conventional postmitochondrial supernatant induces aggregation of the FSR and permits pelleting by low-speed centrifugation. Assays for protein, Ca2+ uptake, ATPase, NADH cytochrome c reductase, and other reductases employing this low-speed product substantiate its biochemical similarity and comparable specific activities to preparations obtained using the conventional high-speed centrifugation technique. Electron microscopy indicates minor morphologic differences between the low- and high-speed FSR products. The application of this new method in the study of human skeletal muscle biopsies is discussed.
DHEA metabolism in prostate : For better or worse?

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is commonly used in the USA as a nutritional supplement for antiaging, metabolic support or other uses. Investigations into understanding the effects of DHEA on human prostate cancer progression have posed more questions than answers and highlight the importance of communications between stromal and epithelial tuoitiuot elements within the prostate that contribute to the regulation of DHEA metabolism. Intracrine metabolism of DHEA to androgens (A) and/or estrogens (E) may occur in one cell compartment (stromal) which may release paracrine hormones or growth/inhibitory factors to the epithelial cells. Alternatively no metabolism of DHEA may occur, resulting in no harmful consequences of high levels of DHEA in prostate tissues. We herein review the tissue components involved and interactions with the prohormone, DHEA and/or resulting metabolites, including dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) in an in vitro model of endocrine-immune-paracrine interactions within the prostate. This work raises questions and hypotheses concerning the role of DHEA in prostate in normal tissues, vs. preneoplastic tissues.
Properties of lithium phosphorus oxynitride (Lipon) for 3D solid-state lithium batteries

The thin film electrolyte known as Lipon (lithium phosphorous oxynitride) has proven successful for planar thin film battery applications. Here, the sputter deposition of the amorphous LiPON electrolyte onto more complex 3D structures is examined. The 3D structures include off-axis alignment of planar substrates and also 10-100 μm arrays of pores, columns, and grooves. For magnetron sputtering in N2 gas at 2.6 Pa, the Lipon film deposition is not restricted to be line-of-sight to the target, but forms conformal and dense films over the 3D and off-axis substrates. The deposition rate decreases for areas and grooves that are less accessible by the sputtered flux. The composition varies, but remains within the range that gives sufficient Li+ ionic conductivity, 2 ± 1 μS/cm.
Early education special education communication delay and literacy

The traditional view of literacy assumes that learning to read and write can only begin after a firm foundation in oral language has been built. In this view children must learn oral language so that they will later be able to learn to read and write. Several other assumptions of this view of literacy are that (1) learning to read requires a certain "readiness"; (2) readiness skills such as auditory discrimination, visual discrimination, visual motor skills, and knowledge of the alphabet must be established before reading instruction; (3) learning to write follows only after first learning to read; and (4) reading and writing are skills that must be taught. Contrasting with the traditional view of literacy is that of emergent literacy. An emergent literacy view holds that learning to read and write begins early in life. Toddlers begin to identify familiar signs and logos in their environment, scribble on paper (and on walls and other objects), and try to make sense of environmental print. In this view children are active in the construct ion of their own li teracy through experiences of and engagement with their environments. A particular characteristic of this view, which contrasts with the traditional view, is that reading, writing, and oral language develop concurrently.
Educational attainment but not literacy is associated with HIV risk behavior among incarcerated women.

Purpose: To identify the educational factors associated with HIV risk behaviors among incarcerated women. Methods: We evaluated a cohort of female detainees at The Rhode Island Adult Correctional I...
A re-evaluation of the mesangial cells of the renal glomerulus

The topographical localization of the mesangial cells in renal glomeruli of rats, and their relationships with the structures at the hilus of the glomerulus were studied in this investigation. It was observed that the mesangial cells occupy a parietal position in the wall of the glomerular capillaries, and that they are anatomically continuous with the smooth muscle cells of the tunica media of the glomerular arterioles.
From atomistics to continuum: Effects of a free surface and determination of surface elasticity properties

Abstract We present an analysis of surface elasticity from the Born–Oppenheimer approximation for monatomic crystals. The analysis shows that the relaxations of crystal planes parallel to a free surface can be sufficiently determined by a low-rank algebraic Riccati equation instead of a full-scale molecular dynamic (MD) simulation, and gives new restrictions on physically reasonable atomistic models and simple criteria for surface reconstructions. In the case of surface relaxations, we calculate surface elasticity properties, i.e., surface tension, residual surface stress and surface elastic stiffness tensor, from atomistic models which are compared with experimental data and prior simulation results. The formulation also proves that surface relaxations always lower surface tension and surface elastic stiffness tensor. Together with the proposed algorithm, the formulation may be useful for investigating a variety of size-dependent phenomena of nano-structures.
Chemical Modification Of Molecular Probes And Its Application To Targeting Strategies In Photochemotherapyl

For the last several years our research group has concentrated some effort on the xanthene dyes, in particular Rose Bengal. Rose Bengal, 2,4,5,7-tetraiodo-3,'4',5',6'- tetrachlorofluorescein3, was originally synthesized by Gnehm4 as a fabric dye to mimic the red colors in "bengalis"5. Its name is connected to the red symbolic spot worn at the part of the hair by Bengali women to symbolize marriage. Much of the history of Rose Bengal has been reviewed elsewhere7,8.
Vapor pressures, liquid molar volumes, vapor non-ideality, and critical properties of CF3OCF2CF2CF3, c-CF2CF2CF2CF2O, CF3OCF2OCF3, and CF3OCF2CF2H

Abstract New measurements of the thermophysical properties of CF3OCF2CF2CF3 and c -CF2CF2CF2CF2O are reported from T ≈ 235 K to the critical region. Liquid-phase volumetric results for CF3OCF2OCF3 and CF3OCF2CF2H (235
Clinical use of the Q-switched ruby and the Q-switched Nd:YAG (1064 nm and 532 nm) lasers for treatment of tattoos.

background. The desire to remove tattoos has probably been around as long as their existence. Recent technological advances in lasers have finally made it possible to remove tattoos without leaving an equally undesirable scar. objective. The purpose of this article is to review the use of the Q-switched ruby (694 nm) and the Q-switched Nd:YAG (532 and 1064 nm) lasers for effective removal of tattoo ink, with cosmetically appealing results. results. The Q-switched ruby laser (694 nm) effectively removes blue-black and green ink, may treat other colors less efficiently, and is frequently associated with transient pigmentary changes, including rare depigmentation. The Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm quickly removes black ink, as well as other colors less efficiently; pigmentary changes are much less frequent, correlating with its lower absorption by melanin. The 532-nm wavelength treats red ink effectively, but also leads to temporary hypopigmentation. Transient textural changes may be noted at all three wavelengths discussed, but scarring is rare. conclusions. Q-switched lasers can remove tattoos without residual scarring. Efficacy of ink removal is dependent on the wavelength used for the targeted pigment.
A diazine heterocycle replaces a six-membered hydrogen-bonded array in the active site of scytalone dehydratase

Abstract 4-aminoquinazoline II is a fully functional substitute for salicylamide I as a competitive inhibitor of scytalone dehydratase. Kinetic measurements demonstrate that both inhibitors bind to the enzyme in their neutral form, suggesting that the hydrogen-bonded array in I binds to the enzyme active site as an intact structural element.
Are Sociologists' Publications Uncited? Citation Rates of Journal Articles, Chapters, and Books

Critics argue that few sociological publications are cited in the subsequent literature and that this implies many are superfluous. Data on the number of citations to three kinds of sociological documents—journal articles, chapters in edited books, and books—show that a substantial majority of each type is cited in the subsequent literature. Furthermore, the high proportions of ever-cited items do not result from authors’ citation of their own work. Average citation levels of journals are highly correlated with other measures of journal stature. The average book is cited about as often as an average article in a highly-cited journal, while an average chapter in an edited book is cited about as often as an average article in an infrequently-cited journal. Within-journal variation in article citation rates far exceeds between-journal variation.
Explicitly correlated combined coupled-cluster and perturbation methods.

Coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) or coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) with noniterative, perturbation corrections for higher-order excitations have been extended to include the basis functions that explicitly depend on interelectronic distances (r12) in the wave function expansions with the aim of dramatically accelerating the basis-set convergence of correlation energies. The extension has been based on the so-called R12 (or F12) scheme and applied to a second-order triples correction to CCSD [CCSD(2)T-R12], a second-order triples and quadruples correction to CCSD [CCSD(2)TQ-R12], a third-order triples correction to CCSD [CCSD(3)T-R12], and a second-order quadruples correction to CCSDT [CCSDT(2)Q-R12]. A simplified R12 treatment suggested by Fliegl et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 122, 084107 (2005)] has been combined with some of these methods, introducing CCSD(2)T(R12) and CCSD(2)TQ(R12). The CCSD(T)-R12 method has also been developed as an approximation to CCSD(2)T-R12. These metho...