cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extending surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of atmospheric aerosol particles to the accumulation mode (150-800 nm).

Due to their small size, measurements of the complex composition of atmospheric aerosol particles and their surfaces are analytically challenging. This is particularly true for microspectroscopic methods, where it can be difficult to optically identify individual particles smaller than the diffraction limit of visible light (∼350 nm) and measure their vibrational modes. Recently, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been applied to the study of aerosol particles, allowing for detection and characterization of previously undistinguishable vibrational modes. However, atmospheric particles analyzed via SERS have primarily been >1 μm to date, much larger than the diameter of the most abundant atmospheric aerosols (∼100 nm). To push SERS towards more relevant particle sizes, a simplified approach involving Ag foil substrates was developed. Both ambient particles and several laboratory-generated model aerosol systems (polystyrene latex spheres (PSLs), ammonium sulfate, and sodium nitrate) were investigated to determine SERS enhancements. SERS spectra of monodisperse, model aerosols between 400–800 nm were compared with non-SERS enhanced spectra, yielding average enhancement factors of 102 for both inorganic and organic vibrational modes. Additionally, SERS-enabled detection of 150 nm size-selected ambient particles represent the smallest individual aerosol particles analyzed by Raman microspectroscopy to date, and the first time atmospheric particles have been measured at sizes approaching the atmospheric number size distribution mode. SERS-enabled detection and identification of vibrational modes in smaller, more atmospherically-relevant particles has the potential to improve understanding of aerosol composition and surface properties, as well as their impact on heterogeneous and multiphase reactions involving aerosol surfaces.
Culturally Relevant CS Pedagogy - Theory & Practice

In order to increase the number of students attracted to the field of computer science and to retain the students currently in the pipeline, emphasis must be placed on what students are taught, how they are taught and the environment in which they are taught. Traditional computer science pedagogy has been unsuccessful in attracting, engaging, instructing, and retaining underrepresented students. Culturally relevant pedagogy can be leveraged to instruct a diverse range of computer science students. Culturally relevant pedagogical practices were introduced at Howard University and have had a positive impact. Since starting this initiative five years ago, we have seen an increase in internal and external transfer students (currently 17% of the department), the retention for the department has increased to 94% for underclassmen and we have seen an increase in the number of underclassmen passing the first three classes in the department’s sequence. We discuss the theory behind the changes that have been made, what has been done, and the results.
Participation in science and engineering laboratories for students with physical disabilities: survey development and psychometrics

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to address the development of the Full Participation Science and Engineering Accessibility (FPSEA) self-report survey that gathers experiences from students wi...
Electronic Packaging Moisture Interaction Study

Reliability defects associated with thermal humidity environments are not new to the electronics packaging industry, yet to this day it remains a key concern even for our latest technologies. Moisture absorbed into electronic packaging can impact package warpage, cause corrosion, underfill crack and interfacial delamination. Fundamental studies are needed to better understand the effect of moisture interaction with different package designs. This paper summarizes the lab experiments and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) that have been performed to study package moisture absorption-desorption, room temperature (RT) warpage and dynamic warpage, on packages post exposure to thermal humidity environment. This has yielded good fundamental learning and identified areas for future work.
A Fog-Assisted Architecture to Support an Evolving Hospitality Industry in Smart Cities

In this paper, we propose a fog-assisted architecture for the hospitality industry in smart cities aimed at improving guest experience, building business insights, and increasing revenue. The proposed architecture integrates cloud services platform with the Internet of things (IoT) devices at the network edge through intermediary fog computing nodes to create an architectural paradigm with the benefits of low cost, high responsiveness, energy-efficient computing and communication, scalability, and local and global analytics. To demonstrate the effectiveness and utility of our proposed architecture for the hospitality industry, we present various use cases that can be implemented and/or enhanced by the proposed architecture. We also present a comparison of the proposed fog-assisted IoT architecture against contemporary cloud-IoT architectures in terms of average latency or timeliness. Results verify that offloading IoT tasks to fog nodes provide an improvement of 37% on average over offloading IoT tasks to cloud for the selected benchmarks. We also highlight research challenges and open research directions for fog-assisted architectures for hospitality industry.
THE IMPACT OF LEED-ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED OFFICE BUILDINGS ON THE MARKET VALUE OF ADJOINING BUILDINGS IN NEW YORK CITY

ABSTRACT Green building certification is a useful way to support objective evaluations of the sustainability of a building. Both the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Energy ...
Targeting and Therapeutic Monitoring of H3K27M-Mutant Glioma

H3K27M is a frequent histone mutation within diffuse midline gliomas and is associated with a dismal prognosis, so much so that the 2016 CNS WHO classification system created a specific category of “Diffuse Midline Glioma, H3K27M-mutant”. Here we outline the latest pre-clinical data and ongoing current clinical trials that target H3K27M, as well as explore diagnosis and treatment monitoring by serial liquid biopsy. Multiple epigenetic compounds have demonstrated efficacy and on-target effects in pre-clinical models. The imipridone ONC201 and the IDO1 inhibitor indoximod have demonstrated early clinical activity against H3K27M-mutant gliomas. Liquid biopsy of cerebrospinal fluid has shown promise for clinical use in H3K27M-mutant tumors for diagnosis and monitoring treatment response. While H3K27M has elicited a widespread platform of pre-clinical therapies with promise, much progress still needs to be made to improve outcomes for diffuse midline glioma patients. We present current treatment and monitoring techniques as well as novel approaches in identifying and targeting H3K27M-mutant gliomas.
Feasibility of Wearable Sensing for In-Home Finger Rehabilitation Early After Stroke

Wearable grip sensing shows potential for hand rehabilitation, but few studies have studied feasibility early after stroke. Here, we studied a wearable grip sensor integrated with a musical computer game (MusicGlove). Among the stroke patients admitted to a hospital without limiting complications, 13% had adequate hand function for system use. Eleven subjects used MusicGlove at home over three weeks with a goal of nine hours of use. On average they achieved 4.1 ± 3.2 (SD) hours of use and completed 8627 ± 7500 grips, an amount comparable to users in the chronic phase of stroke measured in a previous study. The rank-order usage data were well fit by distributions that arise in machine failure theory. Users operated the game at high success levels, achieving note-hitting success >75% for 84% of the 1061 songs played. They changed game parameters infrequently (31% of songs), but in a way that logically modulated challenge, consistent with the Challenge Point Hypothesis from motor learning. Thus, a therapy based on wearable grip sensing was feasible for home rehabilitation, but only for a fraction of subacute stroke subjects. Subjects made usage decisions consistent with theoretical models of machine failure and motor learning.
Development of early larviculture protocols for the melanurus wrasse Halichoeres melanurus

Abstract The minority of marine ornamental species in the global trade today are produced through aquaculture. Culture of these species through their fragile larval stage remains a major impediment to commercialization and research into optimizing production protocols is needed. To date, only five ornamental wrasse species have been successfully cultured and no commercial production exists. The melanurus wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus) was chosen as a candidate for the development of culture methodologies due to popularity in the aquarium trade and short larval duration. A series of experiments were conducted which investigated embryo incubation temperatures, algal density and shading practices during larviculture, as well as prey type, density, and availability. Survival, growth, and feeding incidence were response variables of primary interest. An inverse relationship was found between water temperature and embryo incubation period and temperatures of 25 and 28 °C produced highest survival and smaller larvae at hatch. Evaluation of melanurus wrasse larvae prior to first feeding established that algal densities ≥50,000 cells mL−1 or artificial shading resulting in ~300 lx, enhanced growth and survival. Melanurus wrasse first feeding trials revealed that algal densities of 300,000 and 500,000 cells mL−1, provision of Parvocalanus crassirostris nauplii (
Novel mineral regulatory pathways in ovine pregnancy: I. phosphate, klotho signaling, and sodium-dependent phosphate transporters.

Appropriate mineralization of the fetal skeleton requires an excess of phosphate in the fetus compared to the mother. However, mechanisms for placental phosphate transport are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify phosphate regulatory pathways in ovine endometria and placentae throughout gestation. Suffolk ewes were bred with fertile rams upon visual detection of estrus (Day 0). On Days 9, 12, 17, 30, 70, 90, 110, and 125 of pregnancy (n = 3-14/Day), ewes were euthanized and hysterectomized. Phosphate abundance varied across gestational days in uterine flushings, allantoic fluid, and homogenized endometria and placentae (P < 0.05). The expression of mRNAs for sodium-dependent phosphate transporters (SLC20A1 and SLC20A2) and klotho signaling mediators (FGF7, FGF21, FGF23, FGFR1-4, KL, KLB, ADAM10, and ADAM17) were quantified by qPCR. Day 17 conceptus tissue expressed SLC20A1, SLC20A2, KLB, FGF7, FGF21, FGF23, FGFR1, and FGFR2 mRNAs. Both sodium-dependent phosphate transporters and klotho signaling mediators were expressed in endometria and placentae throughout gestation. Gestational day influenced the expression of SLC20A1, ADAM10, ADAM17, FGF21, FGFR1, and FGFR3 mRNAs in both endometria and placentae (P < 0.05). Gestational day influenced endometrial expression of FGF7 (P < 0.001), and placental expression of FGF23 (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry confirmed that both FGF23 and KL proteins were expressed in endometria and placentae throughout gestation. The observed spatiotemporal profile of KL-FGF signaling suggests a potential role in the establishment of pregnancy and regulation of fetal growth. This study provides a platform for further mechanistic investigation into the role for KL-FGF signaling in the regulation of phosphate transport at the ovine maternal-conceptus interface.
The IMF's Financial Catch-22: Global Banker or Lender of Last Resort?

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has dual institutional roles: a steward of international financial stability and a global banker safeguarding the resources of its sovereign shareholders. But, how does the IMF behave when its balance sheet becomes exposed to higher-than-usual credit risk, creating a financial catch-22? We expect the IMF varies its lending behavior, based on the nature of sovereign credit crises. When there is high contagion risk, the IMF aims to preserve global financial stability as a lender of last resort by extending large loans, notwithstanding its balance sheet strains. The IMF employs policy conditionality to hedge its lending risk, but prioritizes alleviating global market turmoil over program compliance. When market contagion is contained, however, the IMF is more likely to act as a traditional banker, suspending programs for non-compliance. Ironically, given its tendency to forgive non-compliance as a lender of last resort, our theoretical framework suggests that the Fund intensifies its moral hazard problem. We test our theoretical priors by conducting a comparative case study analysis of IMF decision-making over time for two of its largest borrowers: Argentina and Greece. Leveraging volumes of hundred-paged minutes from IMF executive board meeting archives and extensive field research interviews, we illustrate the lending stances of IMF directors evolve in response to changes in global contagion risk. By examining the IMF’s own institutional agency under high financial risk, this study offers new insights for the study of international political economy and international organizations.
Exotic series with Bernoulli, harmonic, Catalan, and Stirling numbers

In this paper, we present a formula for generating various exotic series in the spirit of Ovidiu Furdui and Alina Sintamarian. Our new series (evaluated in closed form) involve Bernoulli, harmonic, and Catalan numbers. Also Stirling numbers of the second kind, other special numbers, and exponential polynomials. The results include series identities with Laguerre polynomials and derangement polynomials.
Constraints on the O+5 Anisotropy in the Solar Corona

Velocity distributions of O+5 ions derived from Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) observations in coronal holes indicate that the O+5 ions are highly anisotropic (T⊥i/T∥i ≈ 30-300 at 3.5 R☉). The observations provide empirical values for the electron density and the ion temperatures. It is well known that the electromagnetic ion cyclotron instability is driven by temperature anisotropy. The instability leads to the rapid decrease of anisotropy and transfer of part of the kinetic energy of the particles into the magnetic field fluctuations. Here we use linear theory and hybrid simulations combined with the empirical values of the densities and the temperatures to investigate the ion cyclotron instability of the anisotropic minor ions in the coronal hole plasma. We find that an initial O+5 anisotropy of 50 decreases by an order of magnitude within ~300-900 proton cyclotron periods. Thus, the ion cyclotron instability constrains the anisotropy of O+5 ions that can be sustained in the solar corona without continuous perpendicular heating.
A brief review of practical preoperative cognitive screening tools

Purpose Preoperative cognitive impairment is associated with the development of postoperative delirium, a common and consequential complication of major surgery in older patients. Screening for cognitive impairment should become a routine part of the preoperative evaluation of older patients; however, its implementation is hampered by limited clinical time and resources. The objective of this review was to identify cognitive screening tools that could be easily incorporated into the evaluation of older patients before major surgery.
Scattering Mechanisms and Carrier Mobilities in Semiconductors

The relaxation time approximation introduced in Chapter 7 enables us to linearize the Boltzmann transport equation in that the collision term is expressed in terms of the ratio of the perturbed distribution function (i.e., f - f 0) and the relaxation time. This approximation allows us to obtain analytical expressions for different transport coefficients in semiconductors. However, detailed physical insights concerning the collision term and the validity of the relaxation time approximation were not discussed in Chapter 7. In fact, the scattering mechanisms associated with the collision term in the Boltzmann equation are so complicated that we shall devote this entire chapter to deriving the relaxation time constants due to different scattering mechanisms in a semiconductor.
The Art of Criticism in the Age of Interactive Technology: Critics, Participatory Culture, and the Avant-Garde

Scholars claim that the mass-media story is being replaced by the interactive-media story. Much discussion has focused on the changing roles of artists, gatekeepers, producers, and consumers, but what role does the critic play in this story? After providing an historical analysis of the concept of the critic in critical-cultural studies, I argue for a way out of the subjugation-emancipation paradox of normative judgment using an end-relational theory of critique. Without such an approach, criticism is easily conflated with consumerism, forcing two consequences: the relegation of judgment to mere personal preference, and the potential loss of an avant-garde. Thus, I argue that we need critics more, not less, in the interactive technology, Web 2.0 world.
Closing the Knowing–Doing Gap in Invasive Plant Management: Accessibility and Interdisciplinarity of Scientific Research

Like many conservation disciplines, invasion biology may suffer from a knowing–doing gap, where scientific research fails to inform management actions. We surveyed California resource managers to evaluate engagement with scientific research and to identify research priorities. We examined managers’ access to information, judgment of the usefulness of existing research, ability to generate scientific information, and priorities for future research. We found that practitioners rely on their own experience, and largely do not read the peer-reviewed literature, which they regard as only moderately useful. Less than half of managers who do research carry out experiments conforming to the norms of hypothesis testing, and their results are not broadly disseminated. Managers’ research needs are not restricted to applied science, or even basic ecology, but include social science questions. Scientists studying invasions can make their research more useful by crossing disciplinary boundaries, sourcing research questions from practitioners, and reporting results in accessible venues.
Comparable patterns of muscle facilitation evoked by individual corticomotoneuronal (CM) cells and by single intracortical microstimuli in primates: evidence for functional groups of CM cells

We compared the averaged responses of forelimb muscles to action potentials of single motor cortex cells and to single intracortical microstimuli (S-ICMS). Activity of precentral neurons and 12 ide...
Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Abduction Prevention Program for Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training (IST) for teaching abduction prevention skills to young adults with intellectual disabilities. Four individuals, ages 18–24, participated. Five BST sessions were conducted for each participant. Following BST, in situ assessments took place at the participants’ school to assess acquisition of the skills. The data show that none of the participants reached criterion level following BST although some of the participants improved their score from baseline. IST was then implemented with two of the participants achieving criterion level and two participants exhibiting two of the three safety skills.
A multielectrode lead for intracerebral recordings

Abstract The various types of electrodes used for intracerebral recordings in human beings have been reviewed. A multielectrode lead is described which can be introduced into the brain externally to the needle-introducer. It can be used for recordings in the operating room as well as for “chronic” implantation (as “chronic” is defined herein). Localization of the tip of the electrode in the roentgenograms of the skull is fairly easy.
Why does Candida albicans switch

White-opaque switching in Candida albicans was first discovered in 1987. Fifteen years later, and three years after the discovery of the mating system, it was demonstrated that the switch from white to opaque was an essential step in the mating process. But this latter discovery did not reveal why C. albicans had this requirement, when Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other hemiascomycetes did not. The discovery that mating-competent opaque cells signaled mating-incompetent white cells, through the release of pheromones, to become adhesive and form biofilms provided a clue to this fundamental question. Opaque cells appeared to signal white cells to form biofilms that facilitated mating by protecting the fragile gradients of the pheromone that directed chemotropism, a process necessary for fusion. Here, we explore the discoveries and observations that have led to this hypothesis, and the ancillary questions that have risen that are related to the regulation of the unique pheromone response, the evolution of this response and the relationship between pheromone-enhanced white cell biofilms and 'asexual' biofilms formed by a/alpha cells. This discussion, therefore, focuses on a unique and complex component of the basic biology of C. albicans that relates switching, mating and pathogenesis.
Compositional performance prediction exemplified using generic object finalization analysis

Static analysis methods for performance prediction of component-based software must be compositional in order to be scalable. In this paper, we explain the problem and our solution approach by analyzing the time to finalize or destroy generic objects, in the presence of data abstraction. Unlike initialization of objects to pre-specified values, finalization has to contend with objects with arbitrary values. In the process, we explain necessary trade-offs between precision and complexity and the need to strengthen specifications of operations and internal assertions, such as loop invariants for performance analysis.
Contrabando, ilegalidade e medidas políticas no Rio de Janeiro do século XVIII

This article focuses on contraband in the eighteenth century, with special reference to Rio de Janeiro and the South Atlantic. It discusses not merely the mechanics of contraband and the participants in this illegal trade, but the many factors that contributed to Portuguese metropolitan and colonial measures to curb clandestine trade. I am particularly intrigued by the degree to which such measures represented a compromise between different interests. The role of the monarch, the integrity or malleability of royal authority, the latitude in enforcement of such legislation and the range of penalties imposed on infractors raise questions as to what constituted legal or illegal actions, as well as broader issues of ethics and public morality in colonial Brazil.
Electroconvulsive shock but not antidepressant drugs increases α1-adrenoceptor binding sites in rat brain

Treatment of rats with electroconvulsive shock once daily for 10–12 days increased the density of α1-adrenoceptors labeled by [3H]prazosin in homogenates of frontal cerebral cortex. A single treatment did not affect [3H]prazosin binding. Repeated treatment with electroconvulsive shock did not appear to affect α1-adrenoceptor binding in the hippocampus or hypothalamus. Treatment of rats with reserpine also increased [3H]prazosin binding in the frontal cortex. In contrast to electroconvulsive shock, three weeks administration of tricyclic antidepressant drugs, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or atypical antidepressant drugs did not significantly affect [3H]prazosin binding sites in the frontal cortex. The affinities of antidepressant drugs for α1-adrenoceptors ranged from about 50 nM for tricyclic and atypical antidepressants to about 100 μM for monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The high affinities of the tricyclic and atypical antidepressant drugs for α1-adrenoceptors could contribute to clinical differences between these classes of drugs and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Furthermore, the electroconvulsive shock-induced increase in α1-adrenoceptors could contribute to differences in clinical effects between this treatment and antidepressant drugs.
The dimensionality of attributions of causality and responsibility for an accident

Effects of the dimensionality of responsibility and causality attributions were investigated. An accident was described. Subjects cued to respond with causality attributions increased their attributions with event severity. Subjects cued to respond with moral responsibility attributions decreased attributional levels with increasing severity. Assignments of guilt varied specifically with the cued attributional concept.
d-FRATTINI CHIEF FACTORS

The concepts of d- and nd-Frattini chief factors of a finite group are introduced. Their ingrainment into that of the extended Frattini dual subgroup becomes the natural dual to Frattini and supplemented chief factors. Not only does a dual of the strengthened form of the Jordan–Holder theorem arise, but also the $p$-nilpotent radical becomes the intersection of the centralizers of the nd-Frattini chief factors. As a result, a class $\mathfrak{F}$ of groups is a full integrated local formation $\mathrm{LF}(f)$ if and only if each nd-Frattini chief factor in $G\in\mathfrak{F}$ is $f$-central.
Social Economic Status and Educational Achievement: A Review Article1

This paper provides a preliminary review of concepts and studies related to social class, educational achievement and learning styles. An attempt is made to survey the literature pertaining to the complex relationships between social economic status and educational achievement and to set out the main arguments. It is primarily intended for the educator and the interested layman. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION, SOCIAL CLASS, EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT, LEARNING STYLES, THE INDIVIDUAL.
Prognostic value of psychological testing in patients undergoing spinal cord stimulation: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE : Associations between psychological and physical states are understood to exist, and the development of standardized psychological tests has allowed quantitative evaluation of this relationship. We tested whether associations exist between psychological test instruments and patients selected for therapeutic trials of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic, intractable pain. METHODS : Fifty-eight patients selected for SCS were tested prospectively with a battery of standardized psychological tests : Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory with Wiggins content scales, Symptom Check List-90, and Derogatis Affects Balance Scale. Associations between treatment outcomes and preoperative test scores and clinical variables were tested by univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, in which the dependent variables were as follows : 1) the outcome of a therapeutic trial of stimulation (whether the patient derived sufficient reported pain relief with a temporary electrode to proceed with a permanent implant), and 2) long-term outcome of treatment with the permanent implant, as determined by disinterested third-party interview. RESULTS : Significant associations (P ≤ 0.01) were observed between the outcome of the therapeutic trial of stimulation and psychological test results ; patients with low anxiety scores on the Derogatis Affects Balance Scale and with high organic symptoms scores on the Wiggins test were significantly more likely to proceed to permanent implants, as determined by multivariate statistical models. There was an elevation in the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory hypochondriasis scale in these patients by univariate (P = 0.02), but not by multivariate, models. The multivariate model also identified young age, reproduction of leg pain by straight leg raising, and bilateral leg pain as favorable prognostic factors. The only association with favorable long-term outcome of implantation of a permanent device, by univariate analysis, was an elevated joy score on the Derogatis Affects Balance Scale. Multivariate analysis revealed no statistically significant predictors of long-term outcome. CONCLUSION : Because our study population was selected on the basis of recognized prognostic factors and long clinical experience, it may not be possible to generalize our findings to the overall pain clinic referral population. In the subpopulation we have chosen for SCS trials, psychological testing is of modest value and explains little of the observed variance in outcome. We find little evidence for selecting patients for SCS on the basis of psychological testing. Because self-reported outcome measures may themselves reflect the patient's psychological state, these findings should be considered carefully, in overall clinical context. A prospective study with additional objective outcome measures is underway, which will address some of these issues.
Product Juggernauts: How Companies Mobilize to Generate a Stream of Market Winners

The article reviews the book ‘Product Juggernauts: How Companies Mobilize to Generate a Stream of Market Winners,’ by Jean-Philippe Deschamps and P. Ranganath Nayak.
Absence of satellite DNA synthesis during meiotic prophase in mouse and human spermatocytes

Mouse spermatocytes were labelled in situ with 3H-thymidine at successive stages of meiosis. Isolated mouse as well as human spermatocytes were similarly labelled under in vitro conditions. DNA synthesis was followed either by tracking radioactivities in Cs2SO4 gradients or by measuring reassociation kinetics. Mouse satellite DNA and the 3 satellites of human DNA are labelled during S-phase but not during pachytene. In the mouse genome, there is a preferential labelling of regions containing foldbacks (human spermatocytes were not analyzed in this respect). The absence of detectable pachytene synthesis in satellite DNA is consistent with genetic evidence on the absence of crossing-over in constitutive heterochromatin.
Differential effects of cobalt on the initiation of fast axonal transport.

Effects of Co2+ on the fast axonal transport of individual proteins were examined in vitro in bullfrog spinal/sciatic nerves.35S-methionine-labeled proteins, fast-transported in control and Co2+-treated preparations were separated via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. While the overall amount of protein transported was reduced, no qualitative differences could be seen when gel fluorographic patterns were compared. Quantitative analyses of the 48 most abundantly transported species revealed two significantly different populations (p ~35,000 daltons. The finding that all proteins are affected by Co2+ supports the proposal that fast-transported proteins are subject to a common Co2+-sensitive, Ca2+-requiring step. The observed differential effects are consistent with more than one Ca2+-dependent step occurring during the initiation phase of fast transport.
Interplay between optical gain and photoinduced absorption in CdSe nanocrystals

A potential complication associated with the realization of the optical-gain regime in semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) arises from the competing phenomenon of excited-state absorption. Here, we ap...
Silver-permanganate method to demonstrate axis cylinders and myelin sheaths on frozen sections.

A simple technique for demonstrating the axis cylinders and myelin sheaths on formalin-fixed frozen sections is described.
Towers of Hanoi revisited a nonrecursive surprise

We describe a simple algorithm that solves the inherently recursive towers of Hanoi problem via iteration. To demonstrate the feasibility of the solution an implementation in Fortran with generated run-time output is appended.
Experimental Investigation of Oscillating Motions in a Flat Plate Pulsating Heat Pipe

An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the motion of vapor bubbles and liquid plugs within a flat plate pulsating heat pipe to determine the effects of working fluids (water, ethanol, Flutec PP2, and Flourinert), power input, filling ratio, and angle of orientation on the pulsating fluid flow. Experimental investigations quantify the position and velocity of the liquid-vapor interface for various conditions. Through the use of a Photron high speed camera, precise locations of the liquid-vapor interface were tracked and analyzed. Experimental data show that both the macromovement and oscillating motion of vapor bubbles and liquid plugs exist for a functional pulsating heat pipe. The amplitude of these oscillations was increased as more power was inputted into the pulsating heat pipe. The pulsating heat pipe investigated here would not function when charged with 50% high performance liquid chromatography grade water and positioned horizontally. On the other hand, the experimental results show that when the heat pipe was charged with ethanol, it created the largest amplitudes and velocities. The oscillating motion of vapor bubbles and liquid plugs including the macromovement is very sensitive to the tilted angle, and large increases in amplitude were observed when the angle was increased (bottom heating mode) from horizontal.
Continuous mobile authentication using a novel Graphic Touch Gesture Feature

Behavioral biometric on mobile devices has begun to gain attention in recent years and the feasibility of touch gestures as a novel biometric modality has been investigated lately. In this paper, we propose a novel Graphic Touch Gesture Feature (GTGF) to extract the identity traits from the touch traces. The traces' movement and pressure dynamics are represented by intensity values and shapes of the GTGF. To evaluate its usability on the authentication problem, touch gesture datasets have been collected which includes six commonly used touch gestures. A Equal Error Rate of 2.62% has been achieved combining six gestures together, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
A, Model for Tracheobronchial Clearance of Inhaled Particles in Man and a Comparison with Data

We report the development of a mathematical model for the mucociliary clearance of inhaled particles in the normal human lung. The model assumes Weibel's symmetric dichotomously branching system of airways in the lung. The model is formulated by assuming that the particles residing on the surface of the mucus blanket behave as a fluid and that their concentration is governed by the continuity equation. The concentration of particles in each airway generation of the lung is found to depend on the initial deposition pattern and the transport rate of mucus in each airway generation. The distribution of particles is determined by a model calculation which takes into account inertial impaction, gravitational sedimentation, and Brownian diffusion as the principal mechanisms of particle deposition. The mucus transport rates are found by first assuming that the mucus blanket which lines the airways is uniformly thick throughout the entire lung and that there is no net absorption or secretion of mucus in a given airway generation. The only mucociliary transport rate which has been well measured experimentally is in the trachea. We adjust the trachael transport rate in the model until a good agreement between predicted and observed clearance of 7.9?aerodynamic diameter particles from the lung is obtained. The tracheal transport rate necessary to achieve a good fit is 5.5 mm/min which agrees with measured values. With an established trachael transport rate we are then able to calculate transport rates in distal airways.
Oil exploitation and the environmental Kuznets curve

Abstract This study refers to a panel estimation of an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for oil to determine the factors most affecting oil exploitation in 38 oil-producing countries during 1990–2000. Control variables such as oil reserves, oil price, population, political rights, and the Gini index were used to determine its contribution to the main EKC model. The empirical results fully support the existence of an EKC for oil exploitation. Furthermore, the result indicates that the proved oil reserves has a significant and positive role in oil production, but oil price and population do not significantly affect crude oil production. Also, increased freedoms and a better income distribution will reduce the rate of oil exploitation. Thus, policies aiming at enhancing democratic society and better income distribution would be more compatible with sustainability.
Crayfish Muscle Receptor Organ: Role in Regulation of Postural Flexion

Recordings were made from postural-control motor nerves with antagonistic functions in the crayfish abdomen through flexible suction electrodes. During unrestrained flexion of the abdomen, output from the tonic stretch receptor neuron of RM1,(SR1) is sufficient to drive an extensor motor unit in the same segment. However, this intrasegmental "resistance" reflex is normally blocked by an intersegmental reflex in which output from SR1's in caudal segments inhibits SR1 discharge in more anterior segments.
A lexical account of inflectional suffixes in Korean

In this paper we give a reasonably comprehensive presentation of Korean inflectional suffixes, whose status has been somewhat controversial in the generative literature. We argue that nominal and verbal inflectional morphemes not only show phonological constituency with their hosts but also show evidence of lexical attachment, within the theory of Lexical Phonology and Morphology (Kiparsky (1982, 1985), Mohanan (1982, 1985), Inkelas (1989)). Consequently, the inflectional suffixes should combine with their hosts in a lexical formation component, separate from the syntax proper. In the second part of the paper we develop a lexical account in terms of the framework of Lexical-Functional Grammar (Bresnan (1982)), augmenting the principles in that theory governing formation of constituent structures. In particular, we introduce the notion ofType, which specifies relative to one element in the syntax what its sister element can be. In developing our analysis of the relevant Korean data, we show howType is a crucial aspect of the correct syntactic formations and further how this is the key explanatory concept for several complex interactions in the morphology.
The influence of steric factors in diazoalkane-pyranosid-2-ulose reactions

Abstract The reactions of diazomethane with methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-3-C-ethyl-α- D -arabino- and -ribo-hexopyranosid-2-uloses (1 and 2) afford spiro-epoxides preponderantly, whereas the corresponding reactions of 1 and 2 with diazoethane give, exclusively, ring-expansion products. Compound 1 gives, preponderantly, heptoseptanosid-3-uloses with diazoethane and not the expected heptoseptanosid-2-uloses, thereby indicating that the nature of the ring-expansion products is controlled by steric rather than by electronic effects. It is shown that comparisons of pyranosid-ulose-diazoalkane reactions can provide new information about the stereochemical course of diazoalkane ring-expansion reactions. The reactions of 1 and 2 with diazoethane provide a route to higher sugars containing two R-C-H branch points.
The use of pH-triggered leaky heterogeneities on rigid lipid bilayers to improve intracellular trafficking and therapeutic potential of targeted liposomal immunochemotherapy.

During endocytosis, pH-triggered release of encapsulated therapeutics from delivery carriers may accelerate their intracellular trafficking increasing therapeutic efficacy. To improve the therapeutic potential of targeted immunochemotherapy using anti-HER2/neu liposomal doxorubicin, we exploit the formation of leaky heterogeneities on rigid lipid bilayers to extensively release doxorubicin during endocytosis. We have previously demonstrated that pH-dependent formation of phase-separated lipid heterogeneities on the plane of a bilayer membrane increases the permeability of bilayers when they are composed of lipid pairs with rigid non-matching acyl chain lengths. This was suggested to be due to defective packing among lipids residing at the interfaces of lipid domains. Here we design nanometer-size antiHER2/neu-labeled PEGylated vesicles composed of lipid pairs with longer non-matching acyl chain lengths (n = 18 and 21). These vesicles exhibit superior killing efficacy of cancer cells compared to established liposome formulations, and their killing efficacy is similar to the effect of combined free doxorubicin and free antiHER2/neu antibody. Other transport-related properties such as liposome blood circulation times, and specific binding and internalization by cancer cells are unaffected. These results demonstrate the potential of vesicles with pH-triggered leaky heterogeneities to increase the therapeutic potential of targeted immunochemotherapy.
The pediatric spectrum of dynamic left ventricular obstruction

Twenty-one pediatric patients with echocardiographic and/or hemodynamic evidence of dynamic left ventricular obstruction are presented in order to examine the pathophysiologic mechanisms of this disorder. Neonates commonly had transient hypertrophic cardiomyopathy related to hypertension or to being infants of diabetic mothers. Infants with D-transposition of the great arteries sometimes developed signs of subpulmonic dynamic obstruction. Older children and adolescents had either classic findings of IHSS or concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. The spectrum of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy appears to be broader in pediatric patients than in adults.
The Chronic Efficacy and Safety of High Sodium Dialysate: Double-Blind, Crossover Study+

The symptomatic benefits of high osmolality dialysate have been established in acute dialysis studies, but the long-term effects have not been completely elucidated. We therefore examined the symptomatic responses to 6-wk courses of a high sodium dialysate (HNa; 144 mEQ/liter) or standard sodium dialysate (RNa; 132 mEQhiter) in 10 chronic dialysis patients using a double-blind, crossover design. Use of HNa dialysate was associated with fewer hypotensive episodes (systolic BP p p p p p p p p
Measurement Equivalence of the Child Behavior Checklist among Parents of African American Adolescents

The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6-18) is a widely used parent-report measure of youth internalizing and externalizing problems. Accumulating evidence, however, suggests that the CBCL may not adequately assess clinical problems in diverse populations. We investigated the measurement equivalence (ME) of the CBCL in an African American adolescent sample (N = 145). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated poor factor model fit; however, modification indices and an alternative two-factor model produced improved fit statistics. Internal consistency coefficients of CBCL scales ranged from α = .65 to .88 and were generally lower than those reported for the normative sample. The CBCL exhibited convergent validity with conceptually similar scales on the Parent Report Scale of the Behavior Assessment System for Children; however, the correlations were weaker than those reported for the normative sample. The CBCL Internalizing composite failed to predict clinician-rated Emotional problems, however, the Externalizing composite predicted clinician-rated behavior problems. In summary, the CBCL did not exhibit unequivocal evidence of ME, as it both possesses and lacks a number of statistical attributes that would demonstrate its equivalence with African Americans. Future empirical and theoretical work is discussed.
Epigenetic modulation and attacking the hedgehog pathway; potentially synergistic therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer

Commentary to:Combined targeting of histone deacetylases and hedgehog signaling enhances cytoxicity in pancreatic cancerStephen G. Chun, Weiqiang Zhou, Nelson S. Yee
Vitamin C prevents hyperbaric oxygen-induced growth retardation and lipid peroxidation and attenuates the oxidation-induced up-regulation of glutathione in guinea pigs

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat various clinical conditions, but it also causes oxidative damage. The objectives of this study are to determine if increased vitamin C intake can prevent hyperbaric oxygen-induced damage and to determine interactions among vitamin C, glutathione and vitamin E in response to oxidative stress. The growth rates of unexposed guinea pigs fed 1.25 mg vitamin C/day were indistinguishable from that of guinea pigs fed 50 mg vitamin C/day. In contrast, hyperbaric oxygen exposure resulted in growth retardation in guinea pigs fed 1.25 mg vitamin C/day, but it had little effect on the growth rates of guinea pigs fed 50 mg vitamin C/day. Increased vitamin C intake also prevented hyperbaric oxygen-induced lipid peroxidation in the liver. In guinea pigs not exposed to hyperbaric oxygen, levels of vitamin C in tissues were closely related to vitamin C intake, but tissue levels of glutathione and vitamin E were not related to vitamin C intake. However, interactions between vitamin C and glutathione were observed upon chronic hyperbaric oxygen exposure. Chronic hyperbaric oxygen exposure resulted in >2-fold increases in the levels of glutathione in liver and lung of guinea pigs fed 1.25 mg vitamin C/day. In comparison, the oxidation-induced increases in glutathione were significantly attenuated in guinea pigs fed 50 mg vitamin C/day. These data show that increased intake of vitamin C can prevent or alleviate the hyperbaric oxygen-induced damage. The interactions between vitamin C and glutathione upon hyperbaric oxygen exposure indicate that there is a homeostatic regulation of antioxidant capacity in guinea pig tissues.
ISOLATION OF LEPTOSPIRA GRIPPOTYPHOSA FROM A COW FOLLOWING AN ABORTION.

SummaryL. grippotyphosa was isolated from the urine of a cow 7 days after abortion. The isolant grew poorly in Stuart's liquid medium and Fletcher's semisolid medium. Experimental semisolid and liquid media containing bovine albumin fraction V and Tween-80 proved valuable as isolation and growth media, Gerbils and hamsters were more susceptible than guinea pigs and white mice to the newly isolated organism.Serologic evidence indicates L. grippotyphosa is widely distributed in Illinois cattle and swine.A special acknowledgement is due to Dr. A. D. Alexander and Mr. L. B. Evans, Walter Reed Army Inst. of Research, Washington, D. C., for confirmation of the identity of the isolated organism. The authors also wish to acknowledge the assistance provided by Dr. W. Lovett, Geneva, Ill.
Evaluation of phototoxicity from scanning biophotonic devices

Scanning light sources in biophotonic devices are considered as either extended or pulsed sources when their potential optical hazard is evaluated. While the existing evaluation criteria are directly applicable to scanning light sources in most cases, different dwell-time and overlap between the beams need to be taken into account to obtain maximum irradiation. The effect of dwell-time and overlap of scanning light source on the irradiation of lights to skin was theoretically and experimentally analyzed in this report.
An Advanced Method for Deriving Latent Energy Flux from a Scanning Raman Lidar

One of the fundamental issues with lidar-derived evapotranspiration estimates is its reliance on tower-based measurements of Monin-Obukhov similarity variables, specifically the Obukhov length (L) and the friction velocity (u * ). Our study indicates that L can be derived in the atmospheric surface layer directly from lidar range-height scans by estimating the integral length scale (ILS). Data from both three-dimensional sonic anemometers mounted on towers and lidar data collected during two subsequent field experiments were analyzed using autocorrelation analysis to estimate the ILS. The ILS values were then transformed into L values using a power-law similarity model and were compared to coincident tower-based observations. The comparisons between tower-based eddy covariance sensors and lidar data show that the lidar-derived L values are within the expected uncertainty and variability of standard point sensor measured observations. An additional model for estimating the friction velocity from the Obukhov length was also derived, and both L and u * were used to calculate the latent energy flux from lidar without external measurements. The evaporative fluxes from the standard method and the new advanced method were compared with eddy covariance fluxes, and it was found that the advanced method is superior.