cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of airborne contaminants on the wettability of supported graphene and graphite

It is generally accepted that supported graphene is hydrophobic and that its water contact angle is similar to that of graphite. Here, we show that the water contact angles of freshly prepared supported graphene and graphite surfaces increase when they are exposed to ambient air. By using infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy we demonstrate that airborne hydrocarbons adsorb on graphitic surfaces, and that a concurrent decrease in the water contact angle occurs when these contaminants are partially removed by both thermal annealing and controlled ultraviolet-O3 treatment. Our findings indicate that graphitic surfaces are more hydrophilic than previously believed, and suggest that previously reported data on the wettability of graphitic surfaces may have been affected by unintentional hydrocarbon contamination from ambient air.
System analysis of multiple-input multiple-output WLAN receiver

In this paper, we present the analysis of the CMOS receiver of a multiple-in multiple-out WLAN receiver. The analysis is performed for a multi-band direct-conversion receiver architecture, which includes the case-study for different modulation techniques such as 64-QAM and 256-QAM. The overall system parameters are estimated by identifying the blocker profiles and then the individual blocks performances are calculated. Finally, the system requirements are summarized and power levels for the different signals are depicted for different scenarios.
1078 NEW IDENTIFICATION OF C difficile AS A CAUSE OF CHRONIC DIARRHEA WITHOUT CLASSIC SIGNS OF COLITIS

In a large referral clinic, 6 patients, 8 mos. to 7 yrs, have been seen over the past year with chronic diarrhea due to C difficile. All patients had received previous antibiotics. Other bacterial and parasitic diagnoses were excluded. Diarrhea began after antibiotics in 4/6, during antibiotic therapy in 2/6. Diarrhea persisted 2.5 to 12 months prior to clinic visit. One patient with longest duration of symptoms had growth failure; only one patient had gross bleeding by history. All stools were consistently negative for occult blood and leukocytes. ESR was elevated (22 and 28) in 2/6 patients. WBC was increased in one patient. Initial stool C difficile toxin titers were positive in all patients. One patient spontaneously became toxin negative and asymptomatic without therapy, while 5 were treated with oral vancomycin for 10-14 days. Diarrhea promptly disappeared in all patients, with clearance of toxin in 4/4 patients assayed while asymptomatic. Four of the 5 treated patients redeveloped symptoms and toxin titers following therapy; three required repeat vancomycin. All patients became toxin negative and are now well one to 11 months after the last course of vancomycin. Sigmoidoscopy and rectal biopsy performed on one patient showed focal surface epithelial degeneration, and crypt abscesses (no pseudo-membrane). The biopsy returned to normal with clearance of toxin and diarrhea. These patients demonstrate a new association of C difficile as cause for chronic antibiotic-associated diarrhea without classic colitis symptoms.
A practical method for preparing peroxynitrite solutions of low ionic strength and free of hydrogen peroxide

The reaction of ozone (approximately 5% in oxygen) with sodium azide (0.02-0.2 M in water) at pH 12 and 0-4 degrees C is shown to yield concentrated, stable peroxynitrite solutions of up to 80 mM. The product of this reaction is identified based on a broad absorption spectrum with a maximum around 302 nm and by its first-order rate of decomposition (k = 0.40 +/- 0.01 s-1 at pH 7.05 and 25 degrees C). These peroxynitrite solutions can be obtained essentially free of hydrogen peroxide (detection limit 1 microM) and only traces of azide (detection limit 0.1 mM). They are low in ionic strength and have a pH of about 12 but without buffering capacity; therefore, they can be adjusted to any pH by addition of buffer. These preparations of peroxynitrite frozen at -20 degrees C show negligible decomposition for about 3 weeks of storage and follow a first-order decomposition with a halflife of about 7 days at refrigerator temperatures (approximately 5 degrees C). These preparations give reactions that are characteristic of peroxynitrite. For example, at pH 7.0, they react with L-tyrosine to give a 7.3 mol % yield of nitrotyrosine(s), and with dimethyl sulfoxide to give a 8.2 mol % yield of formaldehyde, based on starting peroxynitrite concentration.
The interaction between recombinant human tumor necrosis factor and radiation in 13 human tumor cell lines

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was cytotoxic at concentrations of 10 to 1000 units/ml to 12 of 14 human tumor cell lines. Synergistic or additive cell killing between TNF and radiation was observed in 7 of 10 tumor cell lines, while independent tumor cell killing by each agent occurred in two tumor cell lines. The maximum synergistic effect was observed when TNF was added 4-12 hr prior to irradiation. This interaction was absent when TNF was added after irradiation. TNF also reduced potentially lethal damage repair in 3 of 5 cell lines tested. Possible mechanisms of interaction of TNF and X rays including induction of hydroxyl radicals and subsequent DNA damage by TNF and radiation are discussed.
Integrated planning and control for graceful navigation of shape-accelerated underactuated balancing mobile robots

This paper presents controllers called motion policies that achieve fast, graceful motions in small, collision-free domains of the position space for balancing mobile robots like the ballbot. The motion policies are designed such that their valid compositions will produce overall graceful motions. An automatic instantiation procedure deploys motion policies on a 2D map of the environment to form a library and the validity of their composition is given by a gracefully prepares graph. Dijsktra's algorithm is used to plan in the space of these motion policies to achieve the desired navigation task. A hybrid controller is used to switch between the motion policies. The results of successful experimental testing of two navigation tasks, namely, point-point and surveillance motions on the ballbot platform are presented.
Minimizing fuel wood consumption through the evolution of hot ston cooker as an alternative domestic energy supply

The central objective of this paper is to minimize fuelwood consumption through evolving alternative domestic energy. Data on alternative domestic energy sources, and use fuel wood consumption during scarcity of petroleum were collected using structured questionnaires. Data on time spent to cook yam, race and beans with hot stone were also collected. The hot stone cooker design was observed to cook food faster. The application of hot stone cooker during the period of scarcity of petroleum products would minimize the use of fuelwood as a source of domestic energy supply. This would lead to a sustainable environment. The study recommended the adoption of the hot stone cooker so as to ensure sustainable environmental protection through minimizing the use of fuelwood. (Journal of Agriculture and Social Research: 2003 3(1): 40-54)
A precerebellin-like protein is part of the acute phase response in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

The acute phase response (APR) has a long evolutionary history, but it remains to be characterized fully in lower vertebrates. To study the acute phase proteins of a teleost, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), we induced an APR by injecting Vibrio bacterin emulsified in FIA. In samples taken over the next 3 weeks, the total plasma protein profile changed consistently as seen in one and two-dimensional SDS PAGE. One 18.1 kD upregulated protein was isolated from 2D gels and an N-terminal sequence obtained. Using reverse transcriptase-PCR, a 700 bp cDNA sequence was amplified. The sequence is 53% similar at the amino acid level with rat precerebellin (regions aa 42-184 from trout and aa 89-224 precerebellin), and 46% similar with the globular portion of the human B chain of the first complement component C1q. However, it lacks the collagen portion of C1q with its characteristic Gly-X-Y repeats. The isolated protein seems to be involved in the inflammatory response but its physiological function is unknown.
Comparison of radiation-induced chromosomal damage between normal individuals and patients with familial polyposis colis

Cultured leukocytes of peripheral blood obtained from normal, healthy individuals and from patients with familial polyposis coli (FP) were exposed to 0 rads or 300 rads of 137Cs gamma radiation at Go to compare damage in these two groups. Only cells in the first mitotic division were considered. The average chromosomal damage in the FP patients was not significantly higher than that in the normal group. The induced chromosomal damage at Go was normally distributed in both the control and the patient groups as well as when they were combined.
Vector-based synthesis of finite aperiodic subwavelength diffractive optical elements

We present an optimization-based synthesis algorithm for the design of diffractive optical elements (DOE’s) that are finite in extent, have subwavelength features, and are aperiodic. The subwavelength nature of the DOE’s precludes the use of scalar diffraction theory, and their finite extent and aperiodic nature prevents the use of coupled-wave analysis. To overcome these limitations, we apply the boundary element method (BEM) as the propagation model in the synthesis algorithm. However, the computational costs associated with the conventional implementation of the BEM prevent the design of realistic DOE’s in reasonable time frames. Consequently, an alternative formulation of the BEM that exploits DOE symmetry is developed and implemented on a parallel computer. Designs of finite extent, subwavelength, and aperiodic DOE’s, such as a lens and a focusing beam splitter, are presented.
A prospective study of protein excretion using short-interval timed urine collections in patients with lupus nephritis

The 24-h urine protein-to-creatinine ratio is the gold standard in evaluating proteinuria in lupus nephritis; however, the urine collection is inconvenient to the patient. Random spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratios, although convenient, have poor agreement with the 24-h ratios in these patients. Here, we sought to define a timed collection interval providing accurate and precise data and patient convenience. Urine from 41 patients, in 2 medical centers, with biopsy-proven lupus nephritis was collected at 6-h intervals for 24 h. The protein-to-creatinine ratio of each short collection was then compared with that of a 24-h collection made by combining the 6-h samples. A first morning void and spot urine samples were collected before and after the 24-h collection, respectively. There was significant diurnal variation with peak proteinuria at 6–12 h and nadir at 18–24 h. Each 6-h collection showed excellent correlation and concordance with the 24-h protein-to-creatinine ratio, but the 12–24-h interval had the best agreement. In contrast to the random spot urines, the first morning void also had excellent correlation and concordance, but underestimated the 24-h protein-to-creatinine ratio. Our study shows that a 12-h overnight urine collection is the best surrogate, with excellent agreement with the 24-h protein-to-creatinine ratio, and it is convenient for patients. There was little variability between centers, an important feature for clinical trials.
ABSORPTION of WATER IN LONG‐GRAIN RICE ROUGH DURING SOAKING

Soaking tests were conducted to determine the rate of water absorption in Newbonnet long-grain rough rice ranging from 14 to 30% initial moisture content (dry basis) at 11, 20, 30, 40, and 50C. Four rewetting models were compared, and the following model by Becker (1959) was found to best fit the experimental data, while the rice moisture content during soaking was lower than about 40% (dry basis): M(t) = M0+Δo+α*√t (see a list of symbols at the end of the article). the absorption rate, dM/dt, increased with temperature and decreased with initial moisture content. A regression equation was obtained to relate the parameter α to temperature and initial rice moisture content. the initial moisture gain was not significantly affected by temperature and initial rice moisture content. the average initial moisture gain over the test temperature range was 0.75 percentage points.
“From the Eye to the Soul”: Industrial Labor’s Mary Harris “Mother” Jones and the Rhetorics of Display

Mary Harris “Mother” Jones was among the U.S. industrial labor movement's savviest practitioners of visual politics to champion human rights for workers. This article focuses on two key features of Jones's exploitation of the power of “the eye” for persuasive ends: first, was her keen appreciation of the rhetorical potency of the camera as an emerging technology with differing force for varied audiences, and second, was her trademark spectacles ritualizing rebellion, showcasing workers' resolve, and generating publicity. To mine these visual features, this essay situates them within two significant historical episodes: the Colorado Coalfield War of 1913–14, especially the Ludlow Massacre, and the Children's Marches of 1903 she led to lobby for child labor reforms.
How flies time when they're having brunch.

Coordinated timing of circadian clocks is thought to be crucial for optimal energy homeostasis. In this issue of Cell Metabolism , Xu et al. (2008) explore the fruit fly as a model system to examine the links between clocks, feeding, and metabolism.
Work as an information environment.

Abstract For the purposes of confirming and extending previous research on the nature of sources of information in a work environment, 387 faculty members at a large midwestern university were surveyed. Five sources of information (the formal organization, supervisor, co-workers, the task itself, and personal thoughts and feelings) were rated as to their informativeness in providing referent and appraisal information. While important distinctions related to theoretical issues did exist, both statistical and graphic results were highly similar to previous research on this topic, indicating the validity of these as sources of information. Factor analysis of these items along with the Job Descriptive Index scale scores indicated that participants were able to make meaningful distinctions between job satisfaction and the work information environment as constructs. More importantly, questions were raised concerning the value of the concept of work as an information environment and the possible use of this concept as an aid to understanding job enrichment and participative management programs.
DECOLONIZATION OF RURAL LIBYA

ABSTRACT Italians held large areas of the better agricultural land in Libya in 1940. Although the colonists in Cyrenaica were evacuated prior to British occupation, the majority of those in Tripolitania remained to face an uncertain future under British and then Libyan administration. The pace of land transfers accelerated after the 1956 Italo-Libyan Accord and spread from planned settlements to private farms and estates. By 1964, Libyans controlled practically all former Italian lands.
Interfacial Structure of BaRuO3 Thin Films Grown On (111) SrTiO3

BaRuO3 thin films were grown on (111) SrTiO3substrate by 90° off-axis rf-sputtering. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that the films consist of the metastable 4H hexagonal polymorph of BaRuO3 along with few defects. The films are c-axis oriented, single crystalline with the in-plane orientation relationship with respect to the SrTiO3substrate of [112 0] BaRuO3 // [110] SrTiO3. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) studies of the film-substrate interface revealed the existence of a thin intermediate layer of the 9R hexagonal polymorph of BaRuO3 between the (111) SrTiO3 substrate and the 4H film. The formation mechanism for the intermediate layer is not fully understood though. Through the combination of HRTEM and quantitative image simulations, the atomic structure of the interface between the 9R intermediate layer and the underneath (111) SrTiO3 was constructed. Three initial growth modes were observed, each of them adopting the local continuity of the oxygen octahedral sublattice across the interface.
The Bogus Tale About the Legal Formalists

It is widely accepted that legal formalist views dominated at the turn of the last century: judges, legal academics, and lawyers purportedly believed that law was comprehensive, gapless, and logically ordered, and believed that judges reasoned mechanically or deductively from this body of law to produce right answers in individual cases. This view of law held sway until the 1920s and 1930s, when the legal realists destroyed formalist beliefs by exposing gaps and indeterminacy in law, and by arguing that bias infects judging. This story has been repeated innumerable times by legal historians, legal theorists, political scientists, and many others. The formalist-realist antithesis shapes contemporary views and debates about judging. This familiar story is false. A previous draft, The Realism of the Formalist Age, showed some of the evidence for this, but inadequately and without understanding its full implications. This completely revised version expands on the evidence and explains how the story got started, why it is fundamentally wrong, and how it nonetheless successfully secured a place in conventional accounts of US legal history. Through a combination of mistakes and deliberate deceptions, the initial piece of the story was constructed early in the century by political opponents of courts. In the 1970s, motivated by contemporary concerns, leftist legal historians and legal theorists reached back to the earlier period and reinvented the story about the legal formalists, producing an account which then swept the legal academy. This false story has been taken as true ever since. This article is not just about getting our history right. It provides an object lesson in how modern practices of legal history and legal theory - how reliance upon specialists, and the adoption and repetition of stock stories - can lead to the spread and perpetuation of a falsehood, with real consequences.
Linear Current Division Principles

This paper presents the study of a well established linear current division circuit, which has been referenced many times in published works as a basic building block in variety applications up to date. Understanding the advantages and, even more important, the limitations of this technique would benefit the further exploiting of potential applications. Analytic study with close form expressions shows highly agreements with the original statement that this structure is inherently linear and the linearity is independent of the electrical variables and only relies on the transistors geometrical match performance. However, the more accurate study with simulation results suggests that there are limitations for using this technique in terms of high linearity in the most popular semiconductor processes. Thereby more general circuit principles behind reported high linearity is of particular interested.
Metastatic acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas responding to gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin therapy: a case report

Acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas is rare tumour with a generally poor prognosis. There are very few reports of tumour regression following chemotherapy. In this case report, a patient with metastatic acinar cell carcinoma in the liver developed progressive disease after cisplatin/etoposide and then had progressive disease after weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy. However, his tumour then responded to gemcitibine/5-flourouracil/leucovorin chemotherapy. Herein, previously described chemotherapy regimens used for this rare tumour are reviewed. This case represents the first reported metastatic acinar cell carcinoma responding to this regimen.
Optical nonlinearity, bistability, and signal processing in semiconductors

Semiconductors exhibit large optical nonlinearities near the band edge because of resonance enhancement. Optical bistability occurs when the optical nonlinearities are coupled with feedback. In bulk GaAs and GaAs–AlGaAs multiple-quantum-well superlattices, the nonlinearity arising from the presence of the free-exciton resonance has produced room-temperature optical bistability with a few milliwatts of power. The formation of biexcitons in CuCl, the saturation of the bound exciton on CdS, and band-filling effects in InSb, InAs, and HgCdTe lead to observation of bistability in these materials. A bistable etalon can be operated in an optical-gate mode to generate optical analogs of electronic gates such as and, or, and nor. It has been demonstrated that a GaAs optical NOR gate responds in ∼1 psec, using only ≲3 pJ of energy. However, because of the carrier lifetime of a few nanoseconds, the repetition rate of the NOR gate is now limited to a few hundred megahertz.
Application of neural networks on color error reductions in television receivers

The application of neural networks to color error reduction in television receivers was investigated. The best results were obtained with a backpropagation neural network using one hidden layer of seven processing elements. Approximately a 70% reduction in color errors was achieved. The color error reduction was displayed on a CIE chromaticity diagram and tested with a video graphics system. Color measurements were made with this system. Both the simulation chromaticity diagram and the video color test system verified the neural network results. >
Equivalent Modal Damping of Short-Span Bridges Subjected to Strong Motion

In this paper four different methods are investigated for estimating the equivalent modal damping ratios of a short-span bridge under strong ground motion by considering the energy dissipation at the boundary. The Painter Street Overcrossing (PSO) is investigated because of seismic data availability. Computed responses using the response-spectrum method with the equivalent damping ratios estimates are compared with the recorded responses. The results show that the four methods provide reasonable estimation of equivalent modal damping ratios and that neglecting off-diagonal elements in the damping matrix is the most efficient and practical method. The equivalent damping ratio of the PSO was nearly 25% under an earthquake with peak ground acceleration of 0.55g, which is much higher than the conventional assumption of 5%.
Risk Factors for Hospitalization in a Cohort with Type 1 Diabetes

The authors investigate the postonset hospitalization rate and risk factors during 1987-1994 in Wisconsin, in a population-based, incidence cohort followed from diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes mellitus at ages 0-29 (n = 577). The overall rate was 8.9 +/- 0.60 (standard error) per 100 person-years of diabetes, whereof 5.7 was due to hyperglycemia, 1.9 to hypoglycemia, and 1.3 to other and undetermined causes. Major risk factors for hospitalization were longitudinally measured glycosylated hemoglobin level (rate ratio = 1.5 per 2% increase, 95% confidence interval 1.4-1.7), black/other race (rate ratio = 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.0-3.6), diagnosis in a non-university-based setting (rate ratio = 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.2-3.2), female sex (rate ratio = 1.5, 95% confidence interval 1.0-2.4 at age 11), age in males (rate ratio = 0.6, 95% confidence interval 0.4-0.8 per 5-year increase), and public or no insurance up to 18 months postdiagnosis (rate ratio = 2.2, 95% confidence interval 1.1-4.4). For individuals less than 18 years, "black/other race" was replaced in the model by "having other than two biologic parents in the home" (rate ratio = 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.1-3.5). Hence, hospitalization is common in children, adolescents, and young adults with diabetes, primarily for problems with glycemic control.
A reliable protocol for processing within IP-routed networks

The task of an Internet router is to scan the IP headers for the destination address and make a routing decision based on the information. If the processing capability of a router is enhanced to support computation on a datagram, some of the host computation may be delegated to the intermediate routers. The instructions about how to do the processing may be provided by the end hosts. We propose a reliable transport layer protocol, Intermediate Processing Protocol (IPP) for processing within the Internet. The protocol design makes provisions for connection set up handshake, router reservation, intermediate processing, data acknowledgement, buffering and retransmission, flow and congestion control, ordered delivery and security issues.
Paget's Disease of Bone (Osteitis Deformans)

Sir James Paget presented five cases illustrating a chronic, slowly progressive and disabling bone disorder to the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London on November 14, 1876 (Handy, 1981). A century later, we are able to apply medical therapy which slows the progress of the disease in many patients but cures none. The etiology of Paget’s disease remains obscure, although recent evidence suggests (but does not prove), that its cause is a putative viral infection of skeletal osteoclasts.
In vivo and in vitro evidence that endurance exercise training attenuates enhanced cardiac β2-adrenoreceptor responsiveness and prevents ventricular fibrillation in animals susceptible to sudden death

the infarct border zone is thought to facilitate reentry and contribute to ventricular tachycardias (VT). Using a microcontact printing approach, we created an 8mm 4mm island of cell strands having a rectangular zig-zag pattern in the center of 22mm diameter monolayers of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. The zig-zag pattern had an aspect ratio of 1:9 (width of cell strand 100 m, separation between strands 300 m, length between neighboring transverse connections 2700 m, number of transverse connections either greater on the right side or on the left side of the island). Cells outside the central island were confluent and randomly oriented. After day 5 of culture, transmembrane potentials were optically mapped from 253 sites (1mm resolution) using the voltage-sensitive dye di-4-ANEPPS. The cell monolayers (n 6) were paced from one edge using a point stimulus (trains of 30 pulses at increasing repetition rates starting at 3 Hz). At pacing rates up to 9 Hz, the wavefront passed symmetrically around both sides of the central island. The central island exhibited slowed transverse conduction (4.1 0.9 cm/s at 3Hz pacing) but normal longitudinal conduction (28.1 2.2 cm/s) compared with the surrounding region (27.2 4.3 cm/s). At high pacing rates (11.2 1.2 Hz), the wave passing around the side of the island that had the greater number of transverse connections (dominant side) had a slightly higher conduction velocity compared with the wave on the other side (weak side), so that the point of collision advanced towards the weak side. With successive beats the collision point advanced even more, until conduction failure and unidirectional block developed on the weak side. Consequently, a reentrant wave could be initiated that revolved around either the distal edge or proximal edge of the central island (forming a line of block). Reentry was stable and persisted for at least 10 minutes (10.7 1.4 Hz cycle length). In conclusion, sustained functional reentry around a line of block can be readily induced by rapid pacing in cell monolayers containing a central island of zig-zag conduction.
Origin of a Non-Clarke’s Column Division of the Dorsal Spinocerebellar Tract and the Role of Caudal Proprioceptive Neurons in Motor Function

Proprioception, the sense of limb and body position, is essential for generating proper movement. Unconscious proprioceptive information travels through cerebellar-projecting neurons in the spinal cord and medulla. The progenitor domain defined by the basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, ATOH1, has been implicated in forming these cerebellar-projecting neurons; however, their precise contribution to proprioceptive tracts and motor behavior is unknown. Significantly, we demonstrate that Atoh1-lineage neurons in the spinal cord reside outside Clarke's column (CC), a main contributor of neurons relaying hindlimb proprioception, despite giving rise to the anatomical and functional correlate of CC in the medulla, the external cuneate nucleus (ECu), which mediates forelimb proprioception. Elimination of caudal Atoh1-lineages results in mice with relatively normal locomotion but unable to perform coordinated motor tasks. Altogether, we reveal that proprioceptive nuclei in the spinal cord and medulla develop from more than one progenitor source, suggesting an avenue to uncover distinct proprioceptive functions.
Size-dependent crystallinity and relative orientations of nano-Pt/γ-Al2O3

Platinum nanoparticles (NPs) on γ-Al2O3 support is a popular active catalytic system. Recently, in situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) measurements of this system showed negative thermal expansion, where the nearest neighbor Pt-Pt bond distances decreased with increasing temperature. The unusual phenomena must involve the charge transfer interactions between the Pt particle and the γ-Al2O3 support. Preliminary theoretical simulations revealed that the energetically favorable Pt nanoparticle structures, including their bond-lengths, depend quite sensitively on orientation, surface structure and defects on the γ-Al2O3 surface. For example, O vacancies tend to pin the Pt nanoparticle and significantly change their structure, including a decrease of their bond-lengths with increasing temperatures. Therefore detailed knowledge of the atomic structure of both Pt particles and γ-Al2O3, as well as their structural correlations, is needed. Although high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) technique is widely used in imaging heterogeneous catalytic materials because of the high contrast of the heavy metal relative to the low-Z support, the information from the support is limited, see Fig. 1. Phase contrast given by highresolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) provides sub-nano information of both the Pt and γ-Al2O3 simultaneously. The samples were prepared by impregnating the Pt2+ precursor, Pt(NH3)4(OH)2·H2O, on γ-Al2O3, reducing in H2 gas at 573 K in order to remove the ligands to form metallic nanoparticles. The sizes of Pt particle were controlled by the loading amount, where 1 wt% produced an average Pt sizes of ∼1nm and heavy loading of 5 wt% produced sizes of ∼2.9 nm.
The Incidence of the Land Use Regulatory Tax

∗∗∗ ∗∗∗ Land use regulation has been found to impose a substantial tax on housing within select U.S. metropolitan areas. In this article, we develop hypotheses regarding the incidence of this tax by income class and racial group within these areas. Parcel-level data from Miami-Dade County, Florida, are used to test our hypotheses. We find that, while the tax rises with a household’s permanent income, this rise is less than proportional, making it a regressive tax. We also find, controlling for household permanent income, that the tax is a higher percentage of the price of homes located in black neighborhoods in comparison to those located in white or Hispanic neighborhoods. The recent rapid rise in housing prices within many local housing markets in the United States has rekindled interest in the effect that land use regulation has on residential developers’ costs. This issue has been difficult to study because the regulatory environments of local housing markets are complex, idiosyncratic and can be greatly affected by planners’ administrative discretion, which in turn is affected by local politics and “NIMBYism.” 1 Within these environments, the lion’s share of developers’ regulatory costs, which anecdotal evidence suggests can be quite substantial, is best characterized as the outcome of case-by-case bargaining sessions between the developer and a planner (or planners). These costs are myriad in nature and consist of (1) permit fees; (2) compliance costs incurred in the preparation of various reports required for project approval; (3) exactions, which can take several forms, including impact fees and payments-in-kind made by the developer to improve the community’s public infrastructure; and (4) project approval time costs. With the exception of statutorily defined permit fees, all of the other costs, which are generally much
Time-constrained loop scheduling with minimal resources

Many applications commonly found in digital signal processing and image processing applications can be represented by data-flow graphs (DFGs). In our previous work, we proposed a new technique, extended retiming, which can be combined with minimal unfolding to transform a DFG into one which is rate-optimal. The result, however, is a DFG with split nodes, a concise representation for pipelined schedules. This model and the extraction of the pipelined schedule it represents have heretofore not been explored. In this paper, we develop new results regarding the construction of such graphs. We develop scheduling algorithms for such graphs, and then discuss a way to reduce the hardware requirements of such schedules. In the process, we state and prove a tight upper bound on the minimum number of processors required to execute the static schedule produced by our algorithms. We also construct an unfolding algorithm for split-node graphs and combine it with our scheduling methods to achieve rate-optimality in all cases. Finally, we demonstrate our methods on a specific example.
Anticonvulsant effects of diazepam and MK-801 in soman poisoning

Abstract An animal model was developed to evaluate the anticonvulsant effects of diazepam and MK-801 in soman poisoning and to examine the possible mechanism of soman-induced convulsions. The oxime HI-6 (125 mg/kg,i.p.) was given to male rats, to increase survival, 30 min prior to 180 μg/kg, s.c. (equivalent to 1.6 × LD50) of soman, which produced 100% occurrence of convulsions. Initially, diazepam was studied with or without the concomitant administration of various doses of atropine sulfate 30 min prior to soman challenge. Diazepam (1.25–10.0 mg/kg, i.m.) alone did not prevent soman-induced convulsions. In the presence of 2, 4, 8, and 16 mg/kg of atropine, the anticonvulsant ED50 doses of diazepam were 0.490, 0.257, 0.132 and 0.136 mg/kg, respectively. Atropine sulfate at a dose of 16 mg/kg prevented the soman-induced hypersecretion, showed some anticonvulsant activity and provided a good motor recovery. MK-801 by itself, at or above 1 mg/kg, prevented convulsions, but markedly potentiated the lethal effects produced by soman. With atropine (16 mg/kg), the anticonvulsant ED50 for MK-801 was 0.037 mg/kg, which indicated that MK-801 was about 4 times as potent as diazepam, and the lethal interactions between MK-801 and soman were suppressed. The findings indicate that, in soman poisoning, diazepam and MK-801 are effective anticonvulsants in the presence of the anticholinergic atropine sulfate. The possible sequence of events and neuropharmacological mechanism of soman-induced convulsions are discussed.
Una Perspectiva Situada de la Investigación Cualitativa en Ciencias Sociales

En e l pr esente e n sa y o nos pr o po n em o s expl o rar u n a p ers p ecti v a situada d e l c o no ci m iento , l a a c cion y el di s c ur s o , a na l i zando a l g u na s de s u s princ i pales i m pl i canc i as t e o r icas y e p iste m o l o g i c a s p ara la i n ve s t ig a cion c u a l i t a t i v a en ci e n c i as s oc i al e s . E n pri m er l u g a r , pr e t e n d e m o s d e s ar r o l l a r un e s q u e m a t e ori co s ob r e e l c o no c im ie nt o c o m o “ a c c i o n s i t u a da ” a p a r t i r d e n o cio n e s c o m o trasf o nd o y art i c ul acio n . En s e g u ndo l ugar, n o s pr o pon e m o s a n alizar las i m p l i ca n cias d e esta p e r s pe c t i v a t e or i c a , e n e l pl a n o co nc e p t u al s o br e l a n o c i on d e d i s c ur s o , y en e l pl ano m e to d o l o gi co s o bre l a s f or m as d e i m p l e m e nt ar l a s pr a cti c a s c u a l i t at i va s de i n v e sti g acio n s o cia l.
Urban Inequality, Neoliberalism, and the Case for a Multidisciplinary Economics

This paper begins by chronicling the stunning inequality (economic and other) that characterizes the U.S. economy and U.S. cities. The development of cities in the United States in recent decades i...
Cauda equina syndrome in early pregnancy: a case report

Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a rare spinal emergency that occurs due to excessive compression of the nerve roots below the level of the spinal cord termination. Only two cases of CES diagnosed during pregnancy have been reported in the litera
“Should It Be Considered Plagiarism?” Student Perceptions of Complex Citation Issues

Most research on student plagiarism defines the concept very narrowly or with much ambiguity. Many studies focus on plagiarism involving large swaths of text copied and pasted from unattributed sources, a type of plagiarism that the overwhelming majority of students seem to have little trouble identifying. Other studies rely on ambiguous definitions, assuming students understand what the term means and requesting that they self-report how well they understand the concept. This study attempts to avoid these problems by examining student perceptions of more complex citation issues. We presented 240 students with a series of examples, asked them to indicate whether or not each should be considered plagiarism, and followed up with a series of demographic and attitudinal questions. The examples fell within the spectrum of inadequate citation, patchwriting, and the reuse of other people’s ideas. Half were excerpted from publicized cases of academic plagiarism, and half were modified from other sources. Our findings indicated that students shared a very strong agreement that near verbatim copy and paste and patchwriting should be considered plagiarism, but that they were much more conflicted regarding the reuse of ideas. Additionally, this study found significant correlation between self-reported confidence in their understanding and the identification of more complex cases as plagiarism, but this study found little correlation between academic class status or exposure to plagiarism detection software and perceptions of plagiarism. The latter finding goes against a prevailing sentiment in the academic literature that the ability to recognize plagiarism is inherently linked to academic literacy. Overall, our findings indicate that more pedagogical emphasis may need to be placed on complex forms of plagiarism.
Surface-Induced Chain Alignment of Semiflexible Polymers

Semiflexible polymers tend to spontaneously align parallel to an impenetrable surface, creating a mean aligning field. The backbone segments interact with the aligning field, further enhancing the chain alignment. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of bead–spring chains, we demonstrate that the thickness of the aligned layer is about a persistence length Lp for semiflexible polymers in the isotropic phase. To investigate the effect of nematic coupling on the surface-induced alignment, we develop a lattice version of self-consistent field theory (SCFT) for semiflexible chains. We predict that the strength and range of the alignment increase with increasing nematic coupling, quantified by the nematic coupling constant α. The impenetrable surface acts as a perturbation on the chain alignment, and the nematic coupling α amplifies the perturbation. By comparing the SCFT predicted order parameter profile for chains near an impenetrable surface to MD simulations, we can estimate α for semiflexible polymers.
Blood volume changes during the first week after birth in the beagle and pig.

SummaryDuring the first week of postnatal life, there were significant changes in red cell volume, plasma volume, and venous and circulatory hematocrits in both the beagle and the pig. In beagle pups the mean red cell volume decreased between 2.5 and 8.5 hr after birth, then increased at 16.5 hr, with a further increase on day 1. Between days 2 and 7, red cell volume decreased. There was evidence of a release of red cells into the circulation from red cell reservoirs. In the newborn pig, red cell volume decreased between days 0 and 2, but was not significantly different on day 7 from day 2. In the beagle the mean plasma volume did not change during the first 12 hr following birth; it increased between 12 and 24 hr after birth and remained unchanged through day 7. In the pig, plasma volume decreased between day 0 and day 1, increased on day 2, and was not significantly different on day 7 from day 2. The increase in plasma volume was the result of an increase in plasma protein, which caused a redistribution...
Functional role of the NPxxY motif in internalization of the type 2 vasopressin receptor in LLC-PK1 cells.

Interaction of the type 2 vasopressin receptor (V2R) with hormone causes desensitization and internalization. To study the role of the V2R NPxxY motif (which is involved in the clathrin-mediated en...
A new multi-template selection algorithm for keystroke dynamic identity authentication

Sample collection and the establishment of the template are crucial for keystroke dynamic identity authentication systems.So far,the single template systems cannot decrease the false reject/accept rate(FRR/FAR)into the reasonable range.The multi-template method is introduced into the keystroke authentication,and then a new multi-template selection algorithm is proposed to balance the FRRand FARafter the most/least authentication probability algorithm is presented.Experiments are done to compare the proposed algorithm with the GMMS,and the factors that can influence the authentication results are analyzed.At last,the advantage of multi-template system is also shown,compared with the single-template authentication systems.
Determination of 15 VOCs in tipping paper for cigarette by GC-MS

Objective:To establish a method for determination of fifteen VOCs in tipping paper for cigarette.Methods:Sample was prepared by headspace sample method and was determined by selective ion measure mode.Results:A good linear relationship(r0.9995) was obtained over the concentration rage of 62.5~0.1 mg/m2,detection limit was 0.0001~0.0160 mg/m2.Conclusion:The decribed method separating 15 VOCs in tipping paper for cigarette is fast and sensitive.
Influences of season and artificial photoperiod on stallions: pituitary and testicular responses to exogenous GnRH.

Effects of season and photoperiod on the anterior pituitary gland and testes were studied by responses to exogenous GnRH. Stallions were assigned to one of three treatments: 1) control, exposed to natural day length; 2) S-L, 8 h of light and 16 h dark (8:16) for 20 wk beginning July 16, 1982 then 16:8 from December 2, 1982 until March 5, 1984; or 3) S-S, 8:16 from July 16, 1982 until March 5, 1984. Approximately every 8 wk, stallions were administered GnRH (2 micrograms/kg BW) and blood was sampled at 20-min intervals for 2 h before and 8 h after GnRH administration. Concentrations of LH, FSH and testosterone were determined. Baseline concentrations (mean of pre-GnRH samples) of all hormones fluctuated seasonally (P less than .05), but only LH and testosterone displayed seasonal changes (P less than .05) in maximum response to GnRH (highest concentration above baseline after GnRH). The FSH response to GnRH was not affected (P greater than .05) by season, photoperiod or the season X treatment interaction. Exposure of S-L stallions to 16:8 in December resulted in early recrudescence of baseline concentrations of LH, FSH and testosterone. Maximum concentration of testosterone in response to GnRH was stimulated by 16:8, but the increase in baseline LH concentrations in S-L stallions was not associated with an increase in maximum LH response to GnRH. Seasonal patterns of baseline concentrations of FSH and testosterone and maximum LH response to GnRH in S-S stallions were similar to those for control stallions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Conference on Dynamics of Cholinergic Function: Overview and Comments

With each successive International Cholinergic Meeting its program increases and so do the logistic and fiscal problems. For this, the Fifth Meeting, these problems were particularly difficult to resolve, as the interest in the cholinergic system and the desire to participate were never so high, yet the state of the world’s economy made the financing of the Meeting particularly difficult.
Continental‐Scale River Flow Modeling of the Mississippi River Basin Using High‐Resolution NHDPlus Dataset

As a key component of the National Flood Interoperability Experiment (NFIE), this article presents the continental scale river flow modeling of the Mississippi River Basin (MRB), using high-resolution river data from NHDPlus. The Routing Application for Parallel computatIon of Discharge (RAPID) was applied to the MRB with more than 1.2 million river reaches for a 10-year study (2005-2014). Runoff data from the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model was used as input to RAPID. This article investigates the effect of topography on RAPID performance, the differences between the VIC-RAPID streamflow simulations in the HUC-2 regions of the MRB, and the impact of major dams on the streamflow simulations. The model performance improved when initial parameter values, especially the Muskingum K parameter, were estimated by taking topography into account. The statistical summary indicates the RAPID model performs better in the Ohio and Tennessee Regions and the Upper and Lower Mississippi River Regions in comparison to the western part of the MRB, due to the better performance of the VIC model. The model accuracy also increases when lakes and reservoirs are considered in the modeling framework. In general, results show the VIC-RAPID streamflow simulation is satisfactory at the continental scale of the MRB.
A nervous system for humanity: Making health, financial, logistics, and transportation networks work

Most of the functions of our society are based on networks designed during the late 1800s, and are modeled after centralized water systems. The spread of mobile cellular networks, and particularly the sensors contained in mobile telephones and cars, allow these networks to be reinvented as much more active and reactive control networks. Because the demands placed on these networks are due to human behavior, the key technical challenge in building control systems for them is the ability to sense, model, and shape the relevant human behaviors. The ability to create such inte- grated human-computer network systems will transform the economics of health, finance, logistics, and transportation.
Differentiating disease from health using nanotechnology and microfluidics

C has been the most fatal disease for last several decades. Some types of cancers remain silent at early stages and are usually diagnosed at advanced and incurable phases. Some other types result into poor survival rates owing to recurrence and metastasis. Early detection of cancer and non-intrusive approaches to monitor prognosis can have immediate and farreaching impacts on the lives of cancer patients. Diseases are initially expressed at molecular and cellular scales and identification of specific markers at such small scales would be a great step toward early detection. The study of biological molecules and diseased cells require sensing devices with molecular selectivity. Bio-nanotechnology and BioMEMs have proven promise to go down to the cellular/molecular scales with unprecedented selectivity. This talk will focus on recent advancements in fabricating nanoscale devices and nano-object mediated modalities that allow probing, detection and characterization of biological entities, their development and interactions. The state of the art in microfabrication and nanotechnology that has facilitated techniques to examine the presence or absence of particular disease biomarkers at molecular and cellular scale will be discussed. Some work done in my lab on the integration of biomedical engineering, nanoscience and nanotechnology, with particular focus towards their application in diverse areas like nanomanufacturing, molecular diagnostics, chip-based recognition of cancer cells and site-specific controlled drug delivery systems will be presented.