cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Space weather effects of October–November 2003

The period between late October and early November of 2003 included a series of large solar events that resulted in some of the most extreme space weather of the current solar cycle. Space weather has been defined as the conditions on the sun and in the solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems. Adverse conditions in the space environment can cause disruption of satellite operations, communications, navigation, and electric power distribution grids, leading to a variety of socioeconomic losses (National Science Foundation 2000). The space weather events of October–November 2003 were initiated by three very large sunspot clusters that became visible on the Sun over a period of approximately 7 days beginning on 18 October, 2003. One of these clusters, region 486, became the largest sunspot group of the current solar cycle and the largest seen since 1991. This sudden increase in sunspots induced a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), (Department of Commerce 2004). Solar flares are explosions on the surface of the Sun that produce a quick directed high-speed blast of charged particles and electromagnetic energy. One of the largest solar flares ever seen on the Sun occurred on 28 October. It was the third largest detected since regular monitoring began approximately 30 years ago and the largest since April 2001 (US Department of Commerce 2004). This activity was accompanied by a CME. CME’s are huge bubbles of plasma ejected from the Sun that speed into space. They disrupt the flow of the solar wind and produce disturbances that can strike the Earth with sometimes-catastrophic results (http://science.nasa.gov/ssl/pad/solar/ cmes.htm). This particular CME was one of the fastest on record in that it left the sun with a speed of 2,500 km/s, five times the average speed (Murtagh 2004). Figure 1 illustrates the observed active regions on 27 October together with the images of the solar flare and CME recorded on 28 October as observed by the SOHO spacecraft (http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/). These events resulted in a severe geomagnetic storm in the Earth’s environment at 06:00 UT on 29 October. The disturbance levels on the Sun remained high for several days with a second powerful CME occurring at approximately 21:00 UT on 29 October. Figure 2 illustrates the planetary 3-h Kp indices for the period of 29 October 2003 to 1 November 2003. The Kp index is derived from 13 global magnetic observatories. It is a measure of the disturbance level of the geomagnetic field by auroral ionospheric currents. Kp values greater than 4 represent disturbed conditions. As the Kp values increase, the severity of the storm increases. Kp values of 9 represent the most extreme disturbed conditions and occur only a few times during the course of each 11-year solar cycle (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/NOAAscales). Note that Kp values of 9 were reached multiple times during 29–30 October in response to the CME activity.
SU-E-I-02: Automated Detection of Bifurcations in CT Images of the Lung

Purpose: Vessel and bronchial bifurcations are ubiquitous in the lung and their respiration‐induced motions are visually apparent in 4D CTimages. Manual and semi‐automated identification of bifurcations has been done previously, but this procedure is labor‐intensive, subjective, and not practical for routine use. Here, we propose a novel fully‐automated method for this task. Methods: Given a reference image, we first segment the lung region by adaptive thresholding and morphological operations. The blood vessels in the lungs are then segmented by a multi‐scale enhancement filtering and region growing. With the segmented vessels, we analyze the local shape profiles within the concentric spheres for all voxels. If the number of disconnected components is more than three, the particular voxel is classified as a bifurcation candidate and its distance to the vessel boundary is recorded as the candidate size. Since several bifurcation candidates can associate with one bifurcation, two candidates are selected to merge if their corresponding regions overlap. Finally, the candidate which has the largest bifurcation size among all candidates of the same bifurcation is labeled as the bifurcation point and its size is treated as the bifurcation size. We implement our method in parallel. Results: We tested our method in 5 cases. All detections are completed in less than 1 minute. On average, we are able to detect more than 500 bifurcations with accuracy greater than 90%, as determined by a quantitative comparison with the data identified by an experienced human observer. The number of bifurcations is far more than that can be accomplished by manual and semi‐automated approaches within the same time. Conclusions: The proposed approach can detect the bifurcations in lungCTimages fast and accurately. The technique provides a prerequisite step for studying 4D motion of tissues in the different parts of the lungs using bifurcations as landmarks.
Genetic design of sparse feedforward neural networks

Abstract A novel scheme has been proposed to design neural networks. The method attempts to find an architecture and the corresponding weights and thresholds of the neural network simultaneously. Various rules have been formulated to encode the architecture and network parameters into a string of bits, and the genetic algorithm has been used to find a beneficial (if not optimal) string. The proposed scheme has been tested on the XOR problem. The neural networks which have been designed by this approach include interesting examples of shortcut or bypass, and sparse neural networks.
STUDIES ON ANTIBACTERIAL IMMUNITY INDUCED BY ARTIFICIAL ANTIGENS : II. IMMUNITY TO EXPERIMENTAL PNEUMOCOCCAL INFECTION WITH ANTIGENS CONTAINING SACCHARIDES OF SYNTHETIC ORIGIN.

1. Azoproteins containing structurally isomeric aldobionic acids evoke in rabbits antibodies which are both serologically and immunologically specific. 2. Antigens containing the azobenzyl glycosides of the synthetic gentio-biuronic and glucuronic acids evoke in rabbits antibodies which confer passive immunity on mice against infection with multiple lethal doses of virulent Type II pneumococci.
Role of pressor prostanoids in rats with angiotensin II-salt-induced hypertension.

This study was designed to assess the contribution of thromboxane A2 to high blood pressure in rats with angiotensin II (Ang II)-salt hypertension. Hypertension was induced in rats drinking 0.15 M NaCl by infusion of Ang II (125 ng/min i.p.) for 12 days. Relative to values in water-drinking rats without Ang II infusion, Ang II-salt hypertensive rats exhibited augmentation (p less than 0.05) of blood pressure (from 129 +/- 3 to 217 +/- 12 mm Hg), urinary thromboxane B2 excretion (from 5.4 +/- 0.9 to 25.4 +/- 2.1 ng/day), and thromboxane B2 release from renal cortex slices (from 71.3 +/- 6.7 to 121.1 +/- 14.4 pg/mg) and aortic rings (from 28.8 +/- 2.9 to 115.8 +/- 12.8 pg/mg). Treatment with an inhibitor of thromboxane A2 synthetase, UK 38485, had no effect on blood pressure in normotensive and Ang II-salt hypertensive rats. Treatment with a thromboxane A2 receptor blocker, SQ 29548, decreased blood pressure in Ang II-salt hypertensive rats from 191 +/- 9 to 152 +/- 9 mm Hg after 3 hours, but it had no effect on blood pressure in normotensive rats. Since SQ 29548 interfered with the pressor effects of the prostaglandin endoperoxide analogue U-46619, prostaglandin F2 alpha, and 9 alpha,11 beta-prostaglandin F2, we suggest that the SQ 29548-induced blood pressure reduction in Ang II-salt hypertensive rats is the manifestation of blockade of the vascular actions of one or more endogenous prostanoids including thromboxane A2 and prostaglandin endoperoxides. If so, pressor prostanoids may be contributory factors in the pathogenesis of severe Ang II-salt hypertension in rats.
Aqueous CO2 reduction at very low overpotential on oxide-derived Au nanoparticles.

Carbon dioxide reduction is an essential component of many prospective technologies for the renewable synthesis of carbon-containing fuels. Known catalysts for this reaction generally suffer from low energetic efficiency, poor product selectivity, and rapid deactivation. We show that the reduction of thick Au oxide films results in the formation of Au nanoparticles (“oxide-derived Au”) that exhibit highly selective CO2 reduction to CO in water at overpotentials as low as 140 mV and retain their activity for at least 8 h. Under identical conditions, polycrystalline Au electrodes and several other nanostructured Au electrodes prepared via alternative methods require at least 200 mV of additional overpotential to attain comparable CO2 reduction activity and rapidly lose their activity. Electrokinetic studies indicate that the improved catalysis is linked to dramatically increased stabilization of the CO2•– intermediate on the surfaces of the oxide-derived Au electrodes.
Revertants from RNase III negative strains of Escherichia coli

E. coli strains carrying the rnc-105 allele do not show any level of RNase III in extracts, grow slower than rnc+ strains at temperatures up to 45°C and fail to grow at 45°C. Revertants which can grow at 45°C were isolated. The vast majority of them still do not grow as fast as rnc+ strains and did not regain RNase III activity. The mutation(s) which caused them are suppressor mutations (physiological suppressors) which do not map in the immediate vicinity of the rnc gene. A few of the revertants regain normal growth, and contain normal levels of RNase III. They do not harbor the rnc-105 allele and therefore are considered to be true revertants. By using purines other than adenine it was possible to isolate rnc+pur- revertants from an rnc-pur- strain with relative ease. They behaved exactly like the true rnc+ revertants isolated from rnc- strains at 45°C.
The Status of Microwave Terrestrial Communications in the USA

The current status and major directions in the technologies and network applications of microwave radio in the U.S. are discussed. Virtually all future work will be on digital radios. The large growth and potential of lightwave transmission will have a significant impact on future deployment of microwave radio, but new opportunities for distribution systems will be developing.
What’s the 411? Assessing the Feasibility of Providing African American Adolescents with HIV/AIDS Prevention Education in a Faith-Based Setting

This study examines African American faith based leaders' attitudes and beliefs about providing HIV prevention education and services to adolescents. Using a convenience sample, we identified priority adolescent health issues, attitudes about abstinence messages, and willingness to provide and participate in HIV prevention. Leaders identified drugs, gangs, alcohol, sex, and pregnancy as priority health issues affecting youth in their institutions. Leaders' strongly preferred to emphasize abstinence messages. Although leaders were willing to provide youth with health education, they were not willing to discuss specific behaviors associated with HIV transmission. African American churches provide a venue to reach African American youth; however, there are limitations to relying on faith-based HIV prevention services. HIV prevention education should continue to be supplemented via parents, schools, and public health agencies.
Monitoring Ultraviolet Lamps in Biological Safety Cabinets with Cultures of Standard Bacterial Strains on TSA Blood Agar

Background Ultraviolet radiation is often used to decontaminate the interior surfaces of biological safety cabinets (BSCs). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a UV lamp intensity of 40 μW/cm2 at the center of the work area to ensure surface decontamination. A commonly-used source of UVC in BSCs—the G30T8 lamp—provides approximately 125 μW/cm2 one meter from the lamp. However, since many BSCs have an interior height of less than one meter, UV intensities at the work surface should be considerably higher because UV radiation follows an inverse square law. Few laboratories have the instruments necessary to measure UVC intensity. The Web site of the Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation lists UV dosages required to kill a wide range of micro-organisms. This study investigates the possibility of using readily available strains of 4 common bacteria to monitor the output of UV lamps in BSCs. Methods Inoculated plates with 4 bacterial strains were exposed to UV radiation in a plate carrier device exposed for different times and in different locations in the BSC. Half the plates were covered with a strip of aluminum to serve as an unexposed growth control. Reduced UV intensities were simulated using Petri dish sleeves that provided a range of UV intensities from 20 μW/cm2 to 510 μW/cm2. Various UV intensities were measured in different areas of the BSC, and compared with calculated and estimated values. Various times to kill the bacteria were measured based on bacterial strain, UV intensity, exposure time, and location in the BSC. Results In a blinded study in which the UV intensities were estimated from the killing times of the bacteria and compared with actual measured values, 4 of the 6 measured values were in the estimated ranges, and 2 estimated ranges were slightly below the measured values. Conclusion Our results support the hypothesis that cultures of known bacterial strains could be used to closely estimate the UV lamp output.
Fabricating cone locating devices for radiation treatment of tumors of the soft palate

T 1 umors of the head and neck region are frequently treated with the megavoltage electron beam alone, or in conjunction with the photon beam, chemotherapy, or surgery. The 6 to 18 million electron-volt (MEV) beam has the following characteristics: 1. The radiobiologic effectiveness (RBE) ratio is near 1.0 when compared with the photon megavoltage beam. 2. The dose reached within 1 cm depth of tissue is close to lOO%, exhibiting modest skin-sparing ability.’ 3. .4 high dose level is maintained to a depth determined by the energy beam, with the dose decreasing sharply beyond this depth. Because of the rapid buildup and homogeneity of the dose distribution, the electron beam may be indicated in intraoral lesions which are relatively superficial.’ Constriction of the useful portion of the beam, particularly at high energies and with small fields, requires extra care in centering the beam on the lesion.’ For this reason, a cone locating device is essential to assure the correct position of the patient relative to the direction of the beam. An acrylic resin cone locating device designed for an individual patient aids significantly in simplifying and improving intraoral radiation therapy.:‘, ’ The acrylic resin cone locating device may be fabricated by obtaining casts of both dental arches, mounting them on an articulator, waxing a pattern to orient the cone head, and processing the wax pattern in heat-curing acrylic resin.” However, this method is time consuming, and a simplified method for obtaining a cone locating device is desirable. This article describes an improved technique for rapid and accurate fabrication of such devices.
Perforated Gastric Ulcers: A Plea for Management by Simple Closures

One hundred seven patients with perforated gastric ulcers were treated by either simple closures (omental patches, 81 patients; primary suture without patches, 13 patients; or ulcer excisions with closures, two patients) or primary gastric resections (11 patients). The latter were performed when ulcers were too large to be treated by simple closures. The mortality rate after omental patches or ulcer excisions with closures was 12%, while that following primary gastric resections was 45%. Patients who underwent closures with suturing only had a mortality rate of 62%, which was significantly higher than the mortality rate following patch closures. Gastric outlet obstructions developed following 15% of simple closures of prepyloric ulcers. Closures of perforated gastric ulcers with omental patches or ulcer excisions can be undertaken with low mortality and morbidity rates. Primary gastric resections are reserved for patients with ulcers that are large or located in the prepyloric area.
Extending the eXpanded Nystagmus Acuity Function for vertical and multiplanar data.

Abstract We updated and extended the functionality of the eXpanded Nystagmus Acuity Function (NAFX), for application under more diverse circumstances, improving its clinical predictive value. The original NAFX “ τ -surface” of minimum-necessary-foveation times had been individually calculated for each combination of position and velocity limits. We have replaced it with an idealized mathematical function that repairs the irregularities in its surface due to idiosyncrasies in the subject data used for the initial calculations. To extend applicability to multiplanar data, we combine horizontal and vertical eye-movement data into a single waveform using vector summation. Torsional eye movements have little effect on visual acuity and are ignored. Age-related visual acuity relationships, derived from population data, more accurately relate the NAFX value to acuity for individual patients. Using the same patient fixation data that established the original NAF and NAFX functions, we verified that the updated NAFX yielded equivalent results for uniplanar data. For biplanar data, the results were also comparable to those of uniplanar data of the same magnitude. The updated NAFX yields greater accuracy in prediction of potential visual acuity for subjects of all ages, for uniplanar and multiplanar nystagmus, extending the objective, direct measure of post-therapy waveform improvement, allowing selection of the best therapy for a wider range of nystagmus patients.
Do Women and Men Know Different Things? Measuring Gender Differences in Political Knowledge

That women exhibit lower levels of political knowledge than men is a common and consistent finding in political science research. Recently, scholars have begun examining whether the content and structure of political knowledge measures contribute to women’s perceived knowledge deficit. In an attempt to enter the debate on the explanations for gender differences in knowledge, I create and test a number of measures of gender-relevant political knowledge to determine whether broadening our definitions of what constitutes “knowledge” may help us more clearly understand the apparent gender gap in political knowledge in the United States. The results indicate that expected gender differences disappear when respondents are asked about the levels of women’s representation in the national government.
Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide with a long-range order and tunable cell sizes by phosphoric acid anodization on pre-patterned substrates

Abstract Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) has been explored for various applications due to its regular cell arrangement and relatively easy fabrication processes. However, conventional two-step anodization based on self-organization only allows the fabrication of a few discrete cell sizes and formation of small domains of hexagonally packed pores. Recent efforts to pre-pattern aluminum followed with anodization significantly improve the regularity and available pore geometries in AAO, while systematic study of the anodization condition, especially the impact of acid composition on pore formation guided by nanoindentation is still lacking. In this work, we pre-patterned aluminium thin films using ordered monolayers of silica beads and formed porous AAO in a single-step anodization in phosphoric acid. Controllable cell sizes ranging from 280 nm to 760 nm were obtained, matching the diameters of the silica nanobead molds used. This range of cell size is significantly greater than what has been reported for AAO formed in phosphoric acid in the literature. In addition, the relationships between the acid concentration, cell size, pore size, anodization voltage and film growth rate were studied quantitatively. The results are consistent with the theory of oxide formation through an electrochemical reaction. Not only does this study provide useful operational conditions of nanoindentation induced anodization in phosphoric acid, it also generates significant information for fundamental understanding of AAO formation
Cognitive mapping as a technique for supporting international negotiation

This article explores the use of cognitive mapping as a tool for supporting international negotiation. Cognitive mapping was developed from the research tradition in cognitive psychology that was pioneered by Heider, congruity theory and attribution theory. Applied to political analysis, the technique can be used to represent causal and quasi-causal thinking about a specific policy area. Cognitive maps can be hand-drawn, or, in the case of maps consisting of more than 25 concepts, machine-generated for detailed and systematic analysis. Regardless of the format, cognitive maps can be examined to determine the most central concepts, the explanation of a problem in terms of its root causes and potential consequences, the use of evidence, such as historical analogies, internal consistency, and perceived consequences of policy proposals. Although the technique was designed to represent the views of individuals, cognitive maps can be aggregated to study collective decision-making. Applied to international negotiation, the technique can be employed as a substance-focused tool to represent and integrate knowledge about a specific policy area for use by negotiators. As a process-oriented tool, the technique can be used to help negotiators understand better their own assumptions about a problem, the viewpoints of other parties to the negotiations, and the ways others see their own position. In this mode, the technique has promise for promoting convergence of views and negotiated agreements.
Differentiation of lethal and nonlethal, kor-regulated functions in the kilB region of broad host-range plasmid RK2.

Abstract In broad host-range plasmid RK2, several kil loci (kilA, kilB, kilC, kilE) and the replication initiator gene (trfA) are regulated by combinations of kor determinants (korA, korB, korC, korE) in a regulatory network known as the kil-kor regulon. Although the kil determinants are not essential for replication, their coregulation with trfA suggests an involvement in plasmid maintenance or host-range. Plasmids carrying the cloned kilB region of RK2 cannot be maintained in the absence of korB owing to two phenotypically distinguishable, kor-regulated determinants: (1) kilB1 (kilD), which can be controlled by korA or korB, and (2) kilB2, which requires korB for control. In this study, we have determined the nature of the functions responsible for the kor-sensitive phenotypes of the kilB region. We found that insertion of transcription terminators within or downstream of the trfA operon allows plasmids carrying the kilB1 portion of the kilB region to be maintained in cells lacking korA or korB. In addition, mutants of the kilB1 region that can be maintained in the absence of korA and korB have alterations in the trfA promoter. These results show that the phenotype of the cloned kilB1 region in kor-deficient cells depends on trfA transcription but does not involve expression of any gene of the trfA operon. Therefore, the kilB1 determinant is not a structural gene. The phenotype results from entry of trfA-initiated transcription into adjacent sequences of the plasmid vector. The ability to block the kilB1 phenotype with transcriptional terminators allowed us to show conclusively that the kilB2 determinant is a host-lethal gene (klbA) whose regulation is dependent on korB. These findings have implications for the structure of the basic replicon of RK2.
INFLUENCE OF ABUSIVE PARENTING PEDIGREE ON PARENT CRY PERCEPTION AND POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE. † 603

INFLUENCE OF ABUSIVE PARENTING PEDIGREE ON PARENT CRY PERCEPTION AND POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE. † 603
Water-use efficiency declines during autumn leaf senescence in three deciduous tree species

During fall leaf senescence in deciduous species, photosynthesis nears completion due to chlorophyll breakdown and re-assimilation. However, several other processes such as leaf nutrient uptake, re-translocation, and storage, or tissue dehydration to avoid frost damage, may be important and dependent upon stomatal opening. We report here on measured changes in photosynthesis ( A ), leaf conductance to water vapor ( g ), and WUE (estimated by A/g ) in three deciduous tree species ( Acer saccharum, Cornus florida, and Ginkgo biloba ) during the weeks of leaf senescence preceding abscission. Substantial decreases in A of 60 up to 80% were not matched quantitatively by similar declines in g (40 to 70%), resulting in corresponding decreases in WUE (estimated by A/g ) from near 50% to over 300% among the three species. This shift to a lower WUE may reflect adaptive value in maintaining a higher g relative to A during the fall leaf senescence period.
Effects of interleukin-1α on ovarian carcinoma in patients with recurrent disease

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and the biological effects of interleukin (IL-1 alpha) in patients' with recurrent ovarian carcinoma treated with carboplatin. In this phase I study, IL-1 alpha was administered by a continuous intravenous infusion at doses ranging 0.1-10 micrograms/m2 every 24 h for 4 days (96 h) 3 weeks before the first dose of carboplatin (400 mg/m2) in patients with potentially platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. The maximum tolerated dose was 3 microgram/m2/day. Dose-limiting effects at 10 micrograms/m2/day were fever, chills, hypotension and fluid retention. Minor but objective antitumour effects were observed in 2 of 18 patients. 4 patients (including 1 with a minor response) had a decrease of the CA-125 serum level ranging from 33 to 39%. The trial design precluded evaluation of the duration of response to single-agent IL-1 alpha. Based on this trial design, there is evidence of minor antitumour effect to a single course of IL-1 alpha dose given prior to chemotherapy.
High-Speed Visualization of Phase-Change Processes in Silicon Microchannels With Water and HFE-7100 as Working Fluids

Pumped-loop liquid-cooled system involving phase-change (two-phase) is a promising technology for removing excess heat from high-density electronics. However, no consensus has been reached so far regarding the hydraulic and heat transfer characteristics of such two-phase (TP) micro flow passages with hydraulic diameters (Dh ) on the order of several hundred micrometers or smaller. In a previous paper [Tong et al., ASME IMECE2007-42027], we reported flow boiling experiments for several microchannel (MC) cold plate devices with channel widths ranging from 61 to 340 μm (hydraulic diameters from 100 to 337 μm) and a micro-pin-fin array (μPFA) device. Two working fluids, deionized water and HFE-7100, were tested respectively. In this paper, we focus on the highspeed visualization study of the phase-change phenomena inside the MC cold plates. Features of the major TP flow patterns are discussed for each MC unit with varying sizes and with the two different working fluids. From direct visualization, we report the liquid thin film evaporation rate for the pulsating annular flow regions in MCs. The observed liquid film evaporation rate is much higher than previous predictions/assumptions from a steady-state annular flow picture as assumed by most theoretical investigations so far. The local transient heat flux is thus much higher than the average heat flux provided, especially for water and small hydraulic diameter MCs.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Groups with maximal subgroups of Sylow subgroups normal

This paper characterizes those finite groups with the property that maximal subgroups of Sylow subgroups are normal. They are all certain extensions of nilpotent groups by cyclic groups.
From Combinatorialism to Primitivism

Modal primitivism is the view that metaphysical modality cannot be reduced to something entirely non-modal. It is often rejected for reasons of ideological simplicity: the fewer primitive notions a theory requires, the better. Reductive theories of modality like Armstrong's combinatorialism are thus thought to hold the ideological high ground. According to combinatorialism, what's possible is reducible to recombinations of objects with fundamental properties and relations. If this reduction succeeds, we have a theory that uses no primitive ideology in its explanation of the modal beyond what we already need to explain the non-modal. Combinatorialism faces two problems: the problem of spatio-temporal relations and the problem of determinates. I argue that in order to get around these problems the combinatorialist must adopt two primitive non-modal notions of her own. I then defend a modal primitivist theory, incompatibility primitivism, which takes as its primitive notion that of incompatibility between pr...
THE TERMINAL IDIOBLASTS IN MAGNOLIACEOUS LEAVES

A B S T R A C T The idioblasts terminating the foliar veinlets were studied in 152 species of the following magnoliaceous genera: Alcimandra, Aromadendron, Elmerrillia, Kmeria, Liriodendron, Magnolia, Manglietia, Michelia, Paramichelia, and Talauma. In all genera, except Liriodendron, some of the veinlets in mature leaves terminate in enlarged, non-living cells called tracheoidal elements. Only one wall-facet (rarely 2) in such elements is differentially thickened; this wall lies adjacent to a conventional tracheary element. Ultimate cells of other veinlets in the Magnoliaceae differentiate as thick-walled sclereids, conventional tracheids, clavate tracheids, reticulate-walled dilated tracheids, or secretory cells. The terminal elements differentiate relatively late during leaf enlargement. In the Magnoliaceae, foliar structure is frequently characteristic at the generic level, and in some cases at the species level.
Toughening of glass-ceramics by both transformable and transformed zirconia☆☆☆

Zirconia-containing baria-silica system glass-ceramics were prepared by sintering and crystallizing cold-pressed mixtures of a barium silicate glass powder and 10 vol.% of a pre-heat-treated partially stabilized zirconia powder. At room temperature, all zirconia remained as tetragonal zirconia in glass-ceramics. Upon cooling to sub-zero temperatures, tetragonal zirconia in glass-ceramics transformed to monoclinic zirconia, the amount of the transformed zirconia increasing with decreasing temperature. It was found that the room-temperature fracture toughness, KIC, of glass-ceramics, evaluated by the single-edge-precracked-beam method, increased both with increasing grain size of transformable tetragonal zirconia and with increasing amount of transformed monoclinic zirconia. The former is attributed to zirconia transformation toughening, while the latter is largely due to crack deflection toughening.
An improvement in rollover detection of articulated vehicles using the grey system theory

A Rollover Index combined with the grey system theory, called a Grey Rollover Index (GRI), is proposed to assess the rollover threat for articulated vehicles with a tractor–semitrailer combination. This index can predict future trends of vehicle dynamics based on current vehicle motion; thus, it is suitable for vehicle-rollover detection. Two difficulties are encountered when applying the GRI for rollover detection. The first difficulty is effectively predicting the rollover threat of the vehicles, and the second difficulty is achieving a definite definition of the real rollover timing of a vehicle. The following methods are used to resolve these problems. First, a nonlinear mathematical model is constructed to accurately describe the vehicle dynamics of articulated vehicles. This model is combined with the GRI to predict rollover propensity. Finally, TruckSim™ software is used to determine the real rollover timing and facilitate the accurate supply of information to the rollover detection system through ...
The relationship of plasma transfusion from female and male donors with outcome after cardiac surgery.

Objective Pulmonary dysfunction is common in transfused patients recovering from heart surgery. Plasma transfusion from female donors has been linked with rare catastrophic lung injury, but its relationship with outcome after cardiac surgery is poorly understood. We examined whether plasma donor gender is related to postcardiac surgery pulmonary dysfunction and death or prolonged hospitalization. Methods In this retrospective case-control study, cardiac surgery candidates who received plasma perioperatively from only female donors were compared with male-only recipients who were matched for the number of units transfused and surgery date. Results In a dataset of 2157 recipients, there were no blood bank–reported complications, but escalating plasma transfusion was associated with increased 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 1.52 per unit; P = . 0001). From the 1069 recipients receiving plasma exclusively from female or male donors, 390 matched pairs were identified. Recipients of female compared with male donor plasma had a lower incidence of pulmonary dysfunction (5.9% vs 10.8%; P = . 01) and death or hospitalization more than 10 days (9% vs 16.4%; P = . 002) but similar long-term survivals. Conclusions Escalating plasma transfusion was associated with 30-day mortality, but female donor plasma recipients had less pulmonary dysfunction and fewer poor outcomes compared with male-only recipients. Although our retrospective study findings neither support nor refute a strategic policy to exclude female donor plasma to reduce catastrophic transfusion-related acute lung injury, they raise concern that such a policy may have unanticipated effects on outcome in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and highlight a need for additional studies in this and other patient groups.
Effect of morphine on the potassium-induced change in the level of reduced pyridine nucleotides and cytochromes in brain slices.

Abstract Morphine (2 × 10−3 M) inhibits the steady-state changes in rat brain slice NAD(P)H and cytochromes a-a3 but not b and c, induced by 30 mM K+ concentrations. The effects of morphine were demonstrated in cerebral cortex and caudate nucleus from naive but not from tolerant rats.
Exploiting topological and geometric properties for selective subdivision

This paper presents a theorem relating the geometry of two smooth surfaces with the topology of their intersection. Algorithms for computing intersections of surfaces are very basic to those solid-modeling systems that allow Boolean operations such as Union, Intersection, and Subtraction on solids. Recently, such an algorithm based on recursive subdivision of the surfaces has attracted a lot of attention because of its simplicity and wide applicability. However, this algorithm for intersection of surfaces fails to find all intersections for certain relative orientations of surfaces. Finer subdivision of the surfaces may result in the correct intersections but also results in many unnecessary computations. The mathematical result established in this paper is significant in that it provides a check to determine when finer subdivision will yield no new topological information for an intersection. It is shown how the check may be incorporated into the existing subdivision algorithm to compute intersections reliably and efficiently.
Haloperidol overdosing in the treatment of agitated hospitalized older people with delirium: a retrospective chart review from a community teaching hospital.

Background Practice guidelines recommend the use of low dose haloperidol when medication is needed to treat delirium with acute agitation in hospitalized older people. Despite this, high dose haloperidol may frequently be used and result in higher rates of complications.
Effects of diet on brain iron levels among healthy individuals: an MRI pilot study

Abstract Increased brain iron levels may be a risk factor for age-related neurologic disorders. Little is known about factors other than age and sex potentially affecting brain iron concentration. We investigated dietary habits (iron and calcium supplements, dairy products, vegetables, and red meat) as a potential modifiable predictor of brain iron levels using 3-T susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. One hundred ninety volunteers were scanned, and mean phase and mean phase of low-phase voxels were determined for deep gray-matter (DGM) structures, including the caudate, putamen, thalamus, pulvinar, hippocampus, amygdala, red nucleus, and substantia nigra. There was a trend for lower mean phase (suggestive of high iron levels) in individuals taking iron supplements (p = 0.075). Among men, both increased dairy and vegetable intakes were significantly associated with lower DGM mean phase (p 0.05) in the DGM but were inversely associated with vegetable intake in the thalamus (p = 0.006). Brain iron levels appear to be modulated by diet, with effects being highly dependent on gender.
Atypical Functional Connectivity of the Amygdala in Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders during Spontaneous Attention to Eye-Gaze

We examined functional connectivity of the amygdala in preadolescent children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) during spontaneous attention to eye-gaze in emotional faces. Children responded to a target word (“LEFT/RIGHT”) printed on angry or fearful faces looking in a direction that was congruent, incongruent, or neutral with the target word. Despite being irrelevant to the task, gaze-direction facilitated (Congruent > Neutral) or interfered with (Incongruent > Congruent) performance in both groups. Despite similar behavioral performance, amygdala-connectivity was atypical and more widespread in children with ASD. In control children, the amygdala was more strongly connected with an emotional cognitive control region (subgenual cingulate) during interference, while during facilitation, no regions showed greater amygdala connectivity than in ASD children. In contrast, in children with ASD the amygdala was more strongly connected to salience and cognitive control regions (posterior and dorsal cingulate) during facilitation and with regions involved in gaze processing (superior temporal sulcus), cognitive control (inferior frontal gyrus), and processing of viscerally salient information (pregenual cingulate, anterior insula, and thalamus) during interference. These findings showing more widespread connectivity of the amygdala extend past findings of atypical functional anatomy of eye-gaze processing in children with ASD and challenge views of general underconnectivity in ASD.
cDNA sequence analysis and expression of two cold-regulated genes of Arabidopsis thaliana.

The DNA sequences of cDNAs for twocor (cold-regulated) genes ofArabidopsis thaliana L. (Heyn) were determined. One cDNA (approximately 70% full-length) corresponds to acor gene, designatedcor47, that encodes a 47 kDa hydrophilic polypeptide. The data indicate that COR47 has amino acid sequence homology with Group II LEA (lateembryogenesisabundant) proteins, a class of proteins that accumulate late in embryo development. DNA sequence analysis of a second cDNA (containing the complete protein coding sequence) indicates that it represents acor gene, designatedcor6.6, that encodes an alanine-rich 6.6 kDa hydrophilic polypeptide. COR6.6 is almost identical to KIN1, a cold-regulatedArabidopsis gene that has been suggested to have amino acid sequence similarities with type I fish antifreeze proteins (S. Kurkela, M. Franck, Plant Mol Biol 15: 137–144, 1990). Northern analysis indicated that transcripts forcor47 andcor6.6 do not accumulate to high levels in late-developing embryos or fresh mature seeds as is typical oflea gene transcripts. The similarities and differences between COR and LEA proteins are discussed as are their possible roles in freezing and drought tolerance.
Prediction of nitrogen excretion by beef cattle: A meta-analysis

Reliable estimates of N excretion in the urine and feces of beef cattle are essential for developing cost-effective and environmentally sound nutrient management plans. A meta-analysis dataset was compiled that included data for starting live BW, DMI, N intake, dietary CP and RDP concentrations, urine N excretion, and feces N excretion. The data were taken from 12 individual feeding trials that included N balance data, and represented a total of 47 different dietary treatments and 255 animals. Correlation analysis was used to determine the animal and dietary parameters that were most closely related to N excretion in urine and feces by beef cattle. A multivariate mixed modeling approach was used to develop empirical equations to predict excretion of urine N, feces N, and the partitioning of total N excretion between urine and feces, as a function of N intake and the concentration of dietary CP. Univariate, regression, and mean difference comparisons indicated 46 to 95% agreement between observed and predicted values for the developed equations. Evaluation of the equations with an independent dataset taken from 6 studies, and 2 random subsets of the meta-analysis dataset showed moderate agreement (P < 0.05, r(2) = 0.34 to 0.86) for urine N excretion as a function of both N intake and %CP, and the partitioning of total N excretion into urine as a function of %CP. There was less agreement between predictions and observations for feces N excretion as a function of %CP (r(2) = 0.003 to 0.14) than N intake (r(2) = 0.52 to 0.75), indicating that %CP is not a good predictor of fecal N excretion. The empirical equations provide a simple tool that, if used with caution, could predict N excretion characteristics for a wide range of dietary and animal characteristics and could improve ammonia emissions estimates by process-based models.
Organizational errors: Directions for future research

The goal of this chapter is to promote research about organizational errors—i.e., the actions of multiple organizational participants that deviate from organizationally specified rules and can potentially result in adverse organizational outcomes. To that end, we advance the premise that organizational errors merit study in their own right as an organizational-level phenomenon of growing theoretical and managerial significance. We delineate organizational errors as a construct that is distinct from but related to individual-level errors, and draw attention to its multi-level antecedents, mediating processes, and outcomes. We also discuss error management processes such as prevention, resilience, and learning, and call for research to expand our currently limited understanding of how these processes unfold over time, i.e., before, during, and after the occurrence of organizational errors. Further, in the light of a recurring critique of prior error-related organizational studies as being narrowly context-bound and therefore of limited interest to organizational researchers in general, we elaborate on the critical need for future research to explicitly take into account the role of contextual features. We conclude with a discussion of key themes, unresolved issues, and promising research directions.
Nurses Involvement in Ethical Decision-Making with Severely Ill Newborns

This study was an exploratory investigation of the extent and nature of nurses' reported participation in the resolution of treatment dilemmas for infants with severe congenital anomalies. Participants in the study were 83 registered nurses from neonatal intensive care units in five large urban hospitals in the Southwest. Data were collected through the use of intensive semi-structured interviews with each participant and nurse responses to an investigator designed case study instrument, The Nursing Ethical Decision-Making Scale. Results indicated that a majority (85%) of the nurses in the study do not participate in a substantial way in decisions to initiate or forego life-sustaining treatment for their infant patients, yet they bear the major responsibility for implementing those decisions. The lack of participation in the decision-making process was cited by 70% of the nurses as being a major source of occupational stress and ethical anguish. Nurses with graduate educational preparation or advanced cli...
A methodology for empirical analysis of brain connectivity through graph mining

Graph theoretical analysis has been applied to both structural and functional brain connectivity networks and has helped researchers conceive the effects of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases including Alzhemier and Schizophrenia. However, existing graph theoretical approaches to brain connectivity networks simply assume that temporal correlations between brain regions are stable during the entire timeseries under consideration, and only focus on high-level network topological characteristics such as degree distribution. To advance the understanding of brain connectivity networks at a fine granularity, we propose a new method that can help discover connectivity-oriented insights from a time series of brain connectivity networks. In particular, our method is capable of identifying (1) strong correlations, which are represented as frequent edges in brain connectivity networks, for each individual subject, and (2) frequent substructures, which are connected components appearing frequently in brain connectivity networks, for a group of subjects. We apply the method to a data set of 38 subjects that were involved in a study of early life stress on depression development. Our findings have been echoed by the domain experts in terms of their clinical implications.
Effects of Size, Shape, and Frequency on the Antiferromagnetic Resonance Linewidth of MnF2

Experimental measurements of the antiferromagnetic resonance in MnF2 at 4.2°K have been made as a function of microwave frequency and sample size and shape. Measurement frequencies ranged from 100 to 305 GHz. The experimental data have been analyzed with the aid of a newly derived electrodynamic treatment of the experimental arrangement combined with a molecular field theoretic calculation of the rf permeability tensor for MnF2. Agreement between experiment and theory is good using only a one‐parameter fit. It was found that the linewidth is not strongly frequency dependent in very good samples except at frequencies very near to or very far from the zero‐field resonance frequency. The effect of sample size on observed linewidth is very significant. A value of 90 Oe is given for the residual size‐independent linewidth. Experimental aspects are emphasized due to the extremely high frequencies employed.