cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An observational study of diurnal variations of marine stratiform cloud

Abstract Marine stratiform clouds are important and highly variable contributors to earth's radiation budget over the eastern subtropical oceans and over middle- to high-latitude oceans in summer. Because these clouds influence the radiation budget primarily through their albedo, their diurnal cycle has an important influence on their radiative effectiveness. The authors have analyzed the diurnal cycle in marine low-cloud fraction inferred from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) dataset, after correcting for overlying clouds by using the assumption of random cloud overlap. The results have been compared with the diurnal cycle of low clouds at fixed ships and ships of opportunity. The diurnal cycles of ISCCP low clouds are in good agreement with surface observations of the diurnal cycle of low stratiform clouds almost everywhere. Analysis of the ISCCP data on a 2.5° × 2.5° grid shows that the largest diurnal range in low-cloud fraction occurs downwind in the mean flow, or westwar...
Excited-state energy flow in phenylene-linked multiporphyrin arrays.

The dynamics and pathways for excited-state energy transfer in three dyads and five triads composed of combinations of zinc, magnesium, and free base porphyrins (denoted Zn, Mg, Fb) connected by p-phenylene linkers have been investigated. The processes in the triads include energy transfer between adjacent nonequivalent porphyrins, between adjacent equivalent porphyrins, and between nonadjacent nonequivalent porphyrins using the intervening porphyrin as a superexchange mediator. In the case of the triad ZnZnFbΦ, excitation of the zinc porphyrin (to yield Zn*) ultimately leads to production of the excited free base porphyrin (Fb*) via the three processes with the derived rate constants as follows: (2.8 ps)−1 for ZnZn*Fb → ZnZnFb*, (4 ps)−1 for Zn*ZnFb ⇆ ZnZn*Fb, and (14 ps)−1 for Zn*ZnFb → ZnZnFb*. These results and those obtained for the other four triads show that energy transfer between nonadjacent sites is significant and is only 5−7-fold slower than between adjacent sites. This same scaling was found ...
Toward correlating functional MRI and EEG sources

Though excellent spatial resolution (on the order of 1 mm) is obtainable in functional MRI (fMRI), its temporal resolution is limited to about 1 second by hemodynamics. On the other hand, magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) provide millisecond temporal resolution but a relatively crude (on the order of 1 cm) spatial resolution to localized sources. Thus, techniques that could combine the high temporal resolution of MEG or EEG with the high spatial resolution of fMRI would be of great significance in imaging the spatiotemporal distribution of neuronal activation. With the ultimate objective of combining fMRI and EEG activation studies, we have conducted experiments to determine how pixels activated in fMRI correlate with underlying EEG sources in a given subject during visual stimulation. Results of a three-subject study suggest good correlation between the center-of-gravity of activated pixels seen in fMRI and the center-of-gravity of regions localized through EEG measurements.
Regeneration of a Mandible in a Larva of the Carpenterworm, Prionoxystus robiniae (Lepidoptera: Cossidae)

The loss and almost perfect regeneration of a mandible in a carpenterworm, Prionoxystus robiniae (Peck), is documented here. Several workers have studied the regeneration of insect parts, but they have mostly reported the reproduction of appendages such as tarsi, legs, and antennae.
The Human Chorionic Somatomammotropin Enhancers Form a Composite Silencer in Pituitary Cells in Vitro

The human GH (GH) gene family includes the pituitary-specific hGH-1, placental-specific chorionic somatomammotropin (hCS-5, hCS-2, and hCS-1), and hGH-2 genes. These duplicated, nearly identical genes are localized on approximately 50 kb of DNA on chromosome 17q23-q24. An enhancer (CSEn2), located downstream of the hCS-2 gene, participates in mediating placental-specific hCS gene expression. In the preceding paper we demonstrated that CSEn2 activity derives from the cooperative binding of transcription factor-1, TEF-1, and a placental-specific factor CSEF-1 to multiple enhansons, Enh1-Enh5, that are related to the SV40 GT-IIC and SphI/SphII enhansons. Here we demonstrate that two copies of CSEn2 or a single copy of CSEn2 linked to either of the other two enhancers in the hGH/hCS locus, CSEn1 and CSEn5, act cooperatively to enhance hCS promoter activity in choriocarcinoma (BeWo) cells, but silence the promoter in pituitary GC cells. Mutation of Enh4, an essential GT-IIC-like enhanson in the context of the intact enhancer, abolishes silencer activity, and multimerized GT-IIC enhansons mimic the intact CSEn enhancer/silencer activities in BeWo and GC cells, respectively. By antibody-mediated supershift, Western, and far Western analyses, we identified TEF-1 as the GT-IIC-binding factor in pituitary cells. The data suggest that TEF-1 may be involved in pituitary-specific repression of placental GH/CS gene transcription through long-range interactions between the multiple CS enhancers present on the GH/CS gene locus.
Transient dynamics of a tilting pad gas bearing system.

Rotor-tilting pad gas lubricated journal bearing system performance determined by solving dynamic equations together with time-transient Reynolds equation
Square Wave Voltammetric Detection of Chemical DNA Damage with Catalytic Poly(4-Vinylpyridine)−Ru(bpy)22+ Films

Reversible, catalytic films of poly(4-vinylpyridine)−Ru(bpy)22+ [PVP−Ru(bpy)22+, bpy = 2,2‘-bipyridine] on pyrolytic graphite (PG) electrodes were evaluated for the detection of damage to double-st...
Stabilizing Oils from Smoked Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)

Smoking of meats and fish is one of the earliest preservation technologies developed by humans. In this study, the smoking process was evaluated as a method for reducing oxidation of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) oils and also maintaining the quality of oil in aged fish prior to oil extraction. Salmon heads that were subjected to high temperatures (95 degrees C) during smoking unexpectedly produced oils with fewer products of oxidation than their unprocessed counterparts, as measured by peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and fatty acids (FA). Higher temperatures and longer smoking times resulted in correspondingly lower quantities of oxidative products in the oils. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis of smoke-processed oils confirmed that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were not being destroyed. Smoke-processing also imparted antioxidant potential to the extracted oils. Even when antioxidants, such as ethoxyquin or butylated hydroxytoluene, were added to raw oils, the smoke-processed oils still maintained lower levels of oxidation after 14 d of storage. However, decreased antioxidant capacity of smoke-processed oils was noted when they were heated above 75 degrees C. Vitamin studies supported the antioxidant results, with smoke-processed oils displaying higher levels of alpha-tocopherol than raw oils. Results suggest that smoking salmon prior to oil extraction can protect valuable PUFA-rich oils from oxidation. Improved preservation methods for marine oils may extend their usefulness when added as a supplement to enhance levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in foods.
The mechanism of cerium uptake by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A wide spectrum of microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts and molds) has been shown to accumulate fission products and cerium from a nutrient medium in which the organisms were grown (Johnson and Kyker, 1961). The uptake was associated with the growth phase and the uptake of cerium was, with rare exception, greater than that of fission products. These data focused attention on the rare earth components of fission products as of possible ecological significance in habitats where both microorganisms and these elements might occur. The need for further information on biological interactions of the rare earth elements is evident and this paper reports experiments designed to give information on the nature and mechanism of this uptake. Cerium-144 was selected to exemplify the rare earths due to its availability, long half-life, and convenient assay with beta-counting. Baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae Meyen) was selected as a test organism because of its previously established uptake, the relatively large size and ease of handling the cells, and because of the extensive studies on the physiological transport of other cations by this organism (Rothstein, 1959).
The New Firefox Cookie Policy

Stanford grad student Jonathan Mayer discusses cookies, Web tracking, and changes to Mozilla's cookie policy.
Absence of D alloimmunization in D- pediatric oncology patients receiving D-incompatible single-donor platelets

BACKGROUND: Guidelines are lacking for prophylaxis against D alloimmunization after D-incompatible platelet transfusion. A rational basis for the application of prophylaxis would be beneficial for institutions in which inventory constraints demand the administration of large numbers of D-incompatible platelets. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of all D-incompatible platelet transfusions administered at a pediatric research hospital over a 1.5-year period. Patients exclusively received single-donor WBC-reduced platelets and did not receive RhIg immunoprophylaxis. Numbers, source, ABO type, duration of serologic follow-up, and level of RBC contamination of D-incompatible transfusions were analyzed. All positive D serologies in the institution over a 3.5-year period were examined to determine cause and potential association with platelet transfusion. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients not receiving bone marrow transplant and seven bone marrow transplant patients received 490 and 255 D-incompatible transfusions, respectively, over 1.5 years. Patients had various diagnoses, predominantly malignancies. Seventy-nine percent of D-incompatible transfusions were ABO compatible. An estimated 2300 incompatible transfusions were performed over 3.5 years. No case of D alloimmunization was detected. CONCLUSIONS: D immunoprophylaxis is generally unnecessary in pediatric oncology patients receiving D-incompatible, WBC-reduced, single-donor platelets not visibly contaminated by RBCs. Further studies to validate these observations in the pediatric population and to extend them to other population groups are warranted.
Cathepsin B: multiple roles in cancer.

Proteases, including intracellular proteases, play roles at many different stages of malignant progression. Our focus here is cathepsin B, a lysosomal cysteine cathepsin. High levels of cathepsin B are found in a wide variety of human cancers, levels that often induce secretion and association of cathepsin B with the tumor cell membrane. In experimental models, such as transgenic models of murine pancreatic and mammary carcinomas, causal roles for cathepsin B have been demonstrated in initiation, growth/tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Tumor growth in transgenic models is promoted by cathepsin B in tumor-associated cells, for example, tumor-associated macrophages, as well as in tumor cells. In transgenic models, the absence of cathepsin B has been associated with enhanced apoptosis, yet cathepsin B also has been shown to contribute to apoptosis. Cathepsin B is part of a proteolytic pathway identified in xenograft models of human glioma; targeting only cathepsin B in these tumors is less effective than targeting cathepsin B in combination with other proteases or protease receptors. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for increased expression of cathepsin B in tumors and association of cathepsin B with tumor cell membranes is needed to determine whether targeting cathepsin B could be of therapeutic benefit.
Connectivity as a Service: Outsourcing Enterprise Connectivity over Cloud Computing Environment

Today, the emergence and booming of Cloud Computing brings unprecedented impact to traditional enterprise connectivity market at the same time of bringing huge impact to IT architecture and enterprise computing environment. The requirements of integrating numerous on premise application and off premise application or service, and the IT cost effect coming with Cloud Computing lead enterprise expediting the mindset changes from the on premise ESB architecture to Cloud Computing oriented enterprise computing, that is Connectivity as a Service (CaaS). We argue in this paper that the outsourcing enterprise connectivity over Cloud Computing environment to construct CaaS has been becoming an unavoidable tendency to be adopted by enterprise users. We firstly have an overview of history and current status of enterprise connectivity in the beginning of the paper and then highlight the problems to be tackled in this field currently, following which we present one CaaS reference model and the corresponding conceptual architecture. We then explore in more details on their characteristics in critical perspectives and finally solidify our vision by carrying out one case study on CaaS in actual usage.
Endogenous antioxidant defenses in neonates

Abstract Deficiencies of antioxidant defenses have been postulated as possible mechanisms in the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Neonates, especially prematures with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), are exposed to high oxygen tensions for prolonged periods. To evaluate the neonates' ability to respond to an oxygen challenge with increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), 9 prematures were studied immediately at birth and on days I, 3, 5, and 7. An increase in plasma levels was noted during the first week of life in the patients who were exposed to oxygen. The mean endogenous SOD level at birth was 1.28 μg/ml. On day 1, plasma SOD rose to 1.53 μg/ml and to 2.25 μg/ml on day 3 (P =.003). This trend continued into the fifth and seventh days. Whether this increase in SOD has clinical significance in the prevention of BPD requires further investigation.
Dark current modeling with a moving depletion edge

Within a pixel in a digital imager, generally either a charge- coupled device or complementary metal oxide semiconductor device, doping of the semiconductor substrate and application of gate vol- tages create a region free of mobile carriers called the depletion region. This region fills with charge after incoming photons or thermal energy raise the charges from the valence to the conduction energy band. As the signal charge fills the depletion region, the electric field generating the region is altered, and the size of the region is reduced. We present a model that describes how this dynamic depletion region, along with the location of impurities, will result in pixels that produce less dark current after being exposed to light and additionally show nonlinear production rates with respect to exposure time. These types of effects have been observed in digital imagers, allowing us to compare empirical data with the modeled data. © 2012 SPIE and IS&T. (DOI: 10.1117/1.JEI.21.4.043011)
Oral administration of 5‐hydroxytryptophan (5‐HTP) impairs decision making under ambiguity but not under risk: evidence from the Iowa Gambling Task

Objective Although the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is marketed as a psychoactive nutritional supplement, knowledge is limited regarding the effects of exogenous 5-HTP on brain activity. This study examined if oral administration of 5-HTP to healthy adults impacted: (1) mood states, as measured by the Profile of Mood States (POMS); and (2) performance on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), a measure sensitive to alterations in frontocortical serotonin levels. Methods A sample of 46 undergraduates participated, and each received either two 50 mg 5-HTP capsules or placebos, and completed the IGT and POMS following an absorption period. Results 5-HTP did not significantly alter mood states, but did impair performance on the IGT. Specifically, the 5-HTP group performed more poorly than the placebo group during the first 20 trials of the IGT but did not differ from the placebo group on trials 21–100. This suggests that oral 5-HTP specifically impaired decision making under ambiguity but not under risk. Males also performed more poorly on the first 20 trials of the IGT, regardless of treatment group. Conclusions Oral 5-HTP is psychoactive at low doses. Decisions made under ambiguity may be differentially sensitive to increased serotonin release or associated reductions in frontocortical dopamine activity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Increased biological activity of dimers of oxymorphone and enkephalin: Possible role of receptor crosslinking

Abstract Four analogs of oxymorphone, oxymorphaminoethylthiol, oxymorphamino-ethyldisulfide, oxymorphaminoethyl-nitrobenzoic acid disulfide and oxymorphone thiazolidine, as well as the enkephalin analogs, enkephalin-thiol, Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-Leu-Lys(ϵ-NH)COCH 2 CH 2 SH and the enkephalin-dimer, [Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-Leu-Lys(ϵ-NH)COCH 2 CH 2 S-] 2 , were examined for binding to enkephalin and morphine receptors. The analogs gained substantial affinity for enkephalin and lost affinity for morphine receptors. The affinity of the dimers of both opiates and enkephalins was slightly greater than that achieved by the corresponding thiol monomers. However, in the guinea pig ileum the dimeric analogs were much more active than the monomers. Receptor dimerization or cross-linking may be involved in the biological activity of opiates and opioid peptides.
A common exonic polymorphism in the human D5 dopamine receptor gene.

We report what is to our knowledge the first defined polymorphism in the human D5 dopamine receptor gene (D5DR).
Wounding Sheets of Epithelial Cells Activates the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor through Distinct Short- and Long-Range Mechanisms

Wounding epithelia induces activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is absolutely required for induction of motility. ATP is released from cells after wounding; it binds to purinergic receptors on the cell surface, and the EGFR is subsequently activated. Exogenous ATP activates phospholipase D, and we show here that ATP activates the EGFR through the phospholipase D2 isoform. The EGFR is activated in cells far (>0.3 cm) from wounds, which is mediated by diffusion of extracellular ATP because activation at a distance from wounds is abrogated by eliminating ATP in the medium with apyrase. In sharp contrast, activation of the EGFR near wounds is not sensitive to apyrase. Time-lapse microscopy revealed that cells exhibit increased motilities near edges of wounds; this increase in motility is not sensitive to apyrase, and apyrase does not detectably inhibit healing of wounds in epithelial sheets. This novel ATP/PLD2-independent pathway activates the EGFR by a transactivation process through ligand release, and it involves signaling by a member of the Src family of kinases. We conclude that wounding activates two distinct signaling pathways that induce EGFR activation and promote healing of wounds in epithelial cells. One pathway signals at a distance from wounds through release of ATP, and another pathway acts locally and is independent on ATP signaling.
"Song of ourselves": a quantitative history of American autobiographies.

This article highlights the major descriptive findings of an exploratory, quantitative study of American autobiographies published before 1945. Of particular importance for gerontology, age-cohort distributions of autobiographers are graphed, demonstrating that the genre itself has been created predominantly by men and women aged 55 and over. This study suggests that these writers offer scholars a virtually untapped resource for the historical phenomenology of aging.
Efficient large-scale sequence comparison by locality-sensitive hashing.

Motivation: Comparison of multimegabase genomic DNA sequences is a popular technique for finding and annotating conserved genome features. Performing such comparisons entails finding many short local alignments between sequences up to tens of megabases in length. To process such long sequences efficiently, existing algorithms find alignments by expanding around short runs of matching bases with no substitutions or other differences. Unfortunately, exact matches that are short enough to occur often in significant alignments also occur frequently by chance in the background sequence. Thus, these algorithms must trade off between efficiency and sensitivity to features without long exact matches. Results: We introduce a new algorithm, LSH-ALL-PAIRS, to find ungapped local alignments in genomic sequence with up to a specified fraction of substitutions. The length and substitution rate of these alignments can be chosen so that they appear frequently in significant similarities yet still remain rare in the background sequence. The algorithm finds ungapped alignments efficiently using a randomized search technique, locality-sensitive hashing. We have found LSH-ALL-PAIRS to be both efficient and sensitive for finding local similarities with as little as 63% identity in mammalian genomic sequences up to tens of megabases in length Availability: Contact the author at the address below.
Impact of Providing a Combination Lipid Emulsion Compared With a Standard Soybean Oil Lipid Emulsion in Children Receiving Parenteral Nutrition: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Soybean oil lipid emulsion may compromise immune function and promote hepatic damage due to its composition of long-chain fatty acids, phytosterols, high proportion of ω-6 fatty acids, and low α-tocopherol levels. Combination lipid emulsions have been developed using medium-chain triglyceride oil, fish oil, and/or olive oil, which provide adequate essential fatty acids, a smaller concentration of ω-6 fatty acids, and lower levels of phytosterols. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine if combination lipid emulsions have a more favorable impact on bilirubin levels, triglyceride levels, and incidence of infection compared with soybean oil lipid emulsions in children receiving parenteral nutrition. Methods: This study comprises a systematic review of published studies. Data were sufficient and homogeneous to conduct a meta-analysis for total bilirubin and infection. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that combination lipid emulsion decreased tota...
Morphological and physiological studies of isolates of Hendersonula toruloidea Nattrass cultured from human skin and nail samples

Primary isolates from 128 cases of superficial Hendersonula toruloidea infection were invariably of the hyphomycete Scytalidium synanamorph of the fungus, characterized by the formation of dematiaceous fission arthroconidia. Three distinct colonial forms were recognized which were stable on repeated sub-culture. The growth rates of four isolates of each colonial form were determined at 25°C, 30°C, 37°C and 40°C. The production of the coelomycete synanamorph was investigated on a range of agar and natural media. Pycnidial or stromatal conidiomata were observed in representatives of two of the three colonial forms. All the infections were diagnosed in patients who had originated from, or resided in tropical, subtropical or warm temperate areas and the distribution of the different colonial forms was significantly related to the geographical/racial origins of the patients.
An iterative self‐refining and self‐evaluating approach for protein model quality estimation

Evaluating or predicting the quality of protein models (i.e., predicted protein tertiary structures) without knowing their native structures is important for selecting and appropriately using protein models. We describe an iterative approach that improves the performances of protein Model Quality Assurance Programs (MQAPs). Given the initial quality scores of a list of models assigned by a MQAP, the method iteratively refines the scores until the ranking of the models does not change. We applied the method to the model quality assessment data generated by 30 MQAPs during the Eighth Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction. To various degrees, our method increased the average correlation between predicted and real quality scores of 25 out of 30 MQAPs and reduced the average loss (i.e., the difference between the top ranked model and the best model) for 28 MQAPs. Particularly, for MQAPs with low average correlations (<0.4), the correlation can be increased by several times. Similar experiments conducted on the CASP9 MQAPs also demonstrated the effectiveness of the method. Our method is a hybrid method that combines the original method of a MQAP and the pair-wise comparison clustering method. It can achieve a high accuracy similar to a full pair-wise clustering method, but with much less computation time when evaluating hundreds of models. Furthermore, without knowing native structures, the iterative refining method can evaluate the performance of a MQAP by analyzing its model quality predictions.
Floral induction and monocarpic versus polycarpic life histories

Recent work in Arabis alpina, a perennial relative of Arabidopsis, has uncovered subtle differences in control of a gene that represses flowering which contributes to the polycarpic habit.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus on the Web: A Guided Tour

Through the efforts of thousands of individuals, the World Wide Web has become a gold mine of information about HIV. In this article, we describe ∼90 Web sites that are among the most useful to clinicians and researchers with regard to HIV. Web sites were classified according to their content and target audience and were judged according to their adherence to accepted standards of medical Internet publishing. Selected Web sites were categorized into the following groups: (1) sites with comprehensive coverage of HIV treatment and its management, (2) on-line peer-reviewed journals, (3) proceedings of scientific meetings, (4) sites with HIV-related textbooks, manuals, and guidelines, (5) government publications, (6) research databases, (7) information on clinical trials, (8) sites with comprehensive information for laypersons, and (9) sites with information related to specific medical complications of HIV infection.
Laser spectroscopic detection of air pollutants

A brief review is presented of the operating principles and applications of laser systems for monitoring pollution based on absorption spectroscopy. Particular consideration is given to an active bistatic system involving a cooperative reflector; an active monostatic system involving natural reflectors; an active monostatic system involving aerosol backscattering; and passive monostatic heterodyne detection.
The need for small learning rates on large problems

In gradient descent learning algorithms such as error backpropagation, the learning rate parameter can have a significant effect on generalization accuracy. In particular, decreasing the learning rate below that which yields the fastest convergence can significantly improve generalization accuracy, especially on large, complex problems. The learning rate also directly affects training speed, but not necessarily in the way that many people expect. Many neural network practitioners currently attempt to use the largest learning rate that still allows for convergence, in order to improve training speed. However, a learning rate that is too large can be as slow as a learning rate that is too small, and a learning rate that is too large or too small can require orders of magnitude more training time than one that is in an appropriate range. The paper illustrates how the learning rate affects training speed and generalization accuracy, and thus gives guidelines on how to efficiently select a learning rate that maximizes generalization accuracy.
Development and validation of TaqMan quantitative PCR for detection of frog virus 3-like virus in eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina).

a b s t r a c t Ranavirus has caused disease epidemics and mass mortality events globally in free-ranging fish, amphib- ian, and reptile populations. Viral isolation and conventional PCR are the most common methods for diagnosis. In this study, a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay was developed using a TaqMan probe- based assay targeting a highly conserved region of the major capsid protein of frog virus 3-like virus (FV3-like) (Family Iridoviridae, genera Ranavirus). Standard curves were generated from a viral DNA seg- ment cloned within a plasmid. The assay detected viral DNA 1000 times lower than conventional PCR. Thirty-one clinical samples (whole blood and oral swabs) from box turtles were tested using these assays and the prevalence of the virus determined. Quantitative PCR allows for a superior, rapid, sensitive, and quantitative method for detecting FV3-like virus in box turtles, and this assay will be useful for early detection and disease monitoring. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
High-field and quantum oscillatory effects in the magnetoresistance of AuSn

Abstract High-field magnetoresistance measurements have been used to investigate the Fermi surface of the metallic compound AuSn. The maximum field used was 150 kG and the maximum resistance ratio of the single crystal samples was 157. The results indicate that AuSn is a compensated metal and that its Fermi surface supports open orbits along [0001], 〈 1010 〉 and〈 1120 〉 directions. Magnetoresistance oscillations periodic in inverse field were observed when the field was in the basal plane and when the current direction was not in the basal plane. Three sets of frequencies were measured in the basal plane and these agreed well with the de Haas-van Alphen results of other workers. The amplitude of the oscillations was approx. 0.1–1 per cent of the steady magnetoresistance. In the absence of a band structure calculation, the topological results are compared with a nearly-free-electron Fermi surface model in the single zone scheme. The experimental results are found to be consistent with the model and with the de Haas-van Alphen results insofar as open orbit directions are concerned. The possible influence of magnetic breakdown on the state of compensation and on the origin of the resistivity oscillations is discussed.
Hearing microwaves: the microwave auditory phenomenon

The microwave auditory phenomenon, or the microwave hearing effect, pertains to the hearing of short pulses of modulated microwave radiation at high peak power by humans and laboratory animals. Anecdotal and journalistic reports of the hearing of microwave pulses persisted throughout the 1940s; and 1950s. The first scientific report of the phenomenon appeared in 1961. The effect has been observed for RF exposures across a wide range of frequencies (450-3000 MHz). It can arise, for example, at an incident energy-density threshold of 400 mJ/m2 for a single 10-microsecond-wide pulse of 2450 MHz microwave energy, incident on the head of a human subject. And it has been shown to occur at an SAR threshold of 1.6 kW/kg for a single 10-microsecond-wide pulse of 2450 MHz microwave energy, impinging on the head. A single microwave pulse can be perceived as an acoustic click or knocking sound, and a train of microwave pulses to the head can be sensed as an audible tune, with a pitch corresponding to the pulse-repetition rate (a buzz or chirp). Note that the SAR threshold of 1.6 kW/kg is about 1000 times higher than that allowable by FCC rules for cellular mobile telephones.
Board level reliability testing for power semiconductors in extended use applications

The creation of the IPC-9701 standard for the board level testing of electronic component packages is filling the need for a standardized test for mechanical failures that portend electrical failures. Of course, with this new standard, there are new challenges. There are fundamental package design features that for many types of power device do not allow daisy chain testing as required by the IPC-9701 specification. Working with a customer Fairchild has modified the IPC test to accommodate the specific needs of discrete MOSFETs, and better simulate the use conditions than the IPC spec would. Finite element modeling of the assembly tested to the IPC-9701 specification, as well as the new proposal will be provided to compare the stresses induced by each method. Test data to the proposed conditions and the subsequent results for a specific power discrete device will be presented. Void criteria will also be explored based on devices mounted with voiding then tested.
The role of endolithic cyanobacteria in the formation of lithified laminae in Bahamian stromatolites

The microboring activity of endolithic cyanobacteria plays a major role in the formation of lithified laminae in modern marine stromatolites in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas. These stromatolites are composed primarily of fine grained carbonate sand that is trapped and bound by the filamentous cyanobacteria Schizothrix sp. Periodic introduction of coccoid endolithic cyanobacteria, Solentia sp., results in formation of lithified horizons, 200 to 1000 micron thick. We used SEM and petrographic analyses to examine both naturally occurring lithified layers dominated by endoliths and fused oolitic crusts generated in the laboratory by activity of endolithic cyanobacteria (Solentia sp.). Fused grain crusts consist of micritized grains that are welded together at point contacts. Micritization results from extensive microboring and rapid (days to weeks) carbonate precipitation within the bore holes. This precipitation appears to occur concurrently with further endolithic activity within the grain, Infilling of bore holes that cross from one grain to another at point contacts results in grain welding, Thus, while microboring destroys original grain textures, at the same time the endolith activity plays a constructional role in stromatolite growth by forming lithified layers of welded grains. These framework structures help to stabilize and preserve the stromatolite deposits.
Pilot study of radiation dose reduction for pediatric head CT in evaluation of ventricular size.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CT is a ubiquitous, efficient, and cost-effective method to evaluate pediatric ventricular size, particularly in patients with CSF shunt diversion who often need emergent imaging. We therefore sought to determine the minimum dose output or CT dose index required to produce clinically acceptable examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a validated noise insertion method and CT projection data from 22 patients, standard pediatric head CT images were reconstructed with weighted filtered back-projection and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction corresponding to routine, 25%, and 10% dose. Reconstructed images were then evaluated by 3 neuroradiologists (blinded to dose and reconstruction method) for ventricular size, diagnostic confidence, image quality, evidence of hemorrhage, and shunt tip location, and compared with the reference standard. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the ventricular size ranking, and the sensitivity for moderate to severe hydrocephalus was 100%. There was no significant difference between the full-dose level and the ventricular size rankings at the 25% or the 10% dose level for either reconstruction kernel (P > .979). Diagnostic confidence was maintained across doses and kernel. Hemorrhage was more difficult to identify as image quality degraded as dose decreased but was still seen in a majority of cases. Shunts were identified by all readers across all doses and reconstruction methods. CONCLUSIONS: CT images having dose reductions of 90% relative to routine head CT examinations provide acceptable image quality to address the specific clinical task of evaluating ventricular size.
The use of microwave heating to inactivate cholinesterase in the rat brain prior to analysis for acetylcholine.

— Heating with 2450 MHz microwave radiation has been investigated as a means for animal sacrifice concurrent with enzyme inactivation. Uniform inactivation of cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) in the entire brain can be effected in the rat within 4 s and in the mouse within 2 s without destruction of acetylcholine. The acetylcholine content in the whole brain of a rat was found to be 25.4 ± 1.5 nmol/g after irradiation, in comparison to 13.8 ± 1.7 nmol/g after standard methods of sacrifice. In the mouse whole brain, the comparable acetylcholine contents were 25.5 ± 2.6 and 13.7 ± 1.7 nmol/g, respectively. The value of this procedure for rapid inactivation of enzymes in the study of acetylcholine turnover is discussed.
Guided saccades modulate face- and body-sensitive activation in the occipitotemporal cortex during social perception.

Abstract Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has identified distinct brain regions in ventral occipitotemporal cortex (VOTC) and lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC) that are differentially activated by pictures of faces and bodies. Recent work from our laboratory has shown that the strong LOTC activation evoked by bodies in which the face is occluded is attenuated when the occlusion is removed. We hypothesized that this attenuation may occur because subjects preferentially fixate upon faces when present in the scene. Here, we experimentally manipulated subjects’ fixations while they viewed a static picture of a character whose face, hand, and torso were continuously visible throughout each run. The subject’s saccades and fixations were guided by a small fixation cross that made discrete jumps to a new location every 500 ms. Subjects were instructed to follow the fixation cross and make a button press whenever it changed size. In a series of blocks, the fixation cross shifted from locations on the face, on the hand, and to locations on a background image of a phase-scrambled face. In a second study, the fixation cross moved similarly, but the hand locations were changed to locations along the character’s body or torso. A localizer task was used to identify face- and body-sensitive regions of LOTC. Body-sensitive regions were strongly activated when the subjects’ saccades were guided over the character’s torso relative to when the saccades were guided over the character’s face. Little to no activity occurred in the body-sensitive region of LOTC when the subjects’ saccades were guided over the character’s hand. The localizer task was unable to differentiate body-sensitive regions in lateral VOTC from face-sensitive regions, or body-sensitive regions in medial VOTC from flower-sensitive regions. Guided saccades over the body strongly activated both lateral and medial VOTC. These results provide new insights into the function of body-sensitive visual areas in both LOTC and VOTC, and illustrate the potential confounding influence of uncontrolled eye movements for neuroimaging studies of social perception.
A survey of current work in biomedical text mining

The volume of published biomedical research, and therefore the underlying biomedical knowledge base, is expanding at an increasing rate. Among the tools that can aid researchers in coping with this information overload are text mining and knowledge extraction. Significant progress has been made in applying text mining to named entity recognition, text classification, terminology extraction, relationship extraction and hypothesis generation. Several research groups are constructing integrated flexible text-mining systems intended for multiple uses. The major challenge of biomedical text mining over the next 5–10 years is to make these systems useful to biomedical researchers. This will require enhanced access to full text, better understanding of the feature space of biomedical literature, better methods for measuring the usefulness of systems to users, and continued cooperation with the biomedical research community to ensure that their needs are addressed.
Dynamics of a Floating Buoy Under Latching Control

This paper is an attempt at a deeper investigation of the dynamic behavior of an axisymmetric buoy under latching (switching) control. The bilinear system of equations of motion is integrated analytically for regular wave excitation, assuming pneumatic and hydraulic power take-off mechanisms. The procedure provides, for a prescribed latching sequence, the time variation of the buoy displacement and the pneumatic/hydraulic pressure, and the phase plots for buoy motion. Results are used to investigate the dependence on wave number, of capture factor, peak to peak and mean buoy displacement, and peak to peak and mean pressure. Also examined is the dependence of these quantities on load damping. Overall, the results appear to provide some useful insight that could help with design of the device and the power take-off mechanism when latching control is being considered.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Multifrequency observations of symbiotic stars

This paper reviews the discovery of symbiotic stars, and introduces multifrequency observations made during the past two decades.
Commentary: The clinical implications of doctors' evaluating doctors.

The American Psychiatric Association Guidelines for Psychiatric Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations of Physicians[1][1] is a welcome resource document for forensic examiners who perform independent medical examinations of potentially impaired physicians. Anecdotal and published reports indicate that
Development of an underwater test battery to measure gross motor performance

An effort was made to develop analog tests to Fleishman's Gross Motor Performance Battery for administration underwater. This was an initial effort focused upon the demonstration of feasability of the effort and the development of an initial battery for demonstration purposes. Results indicated that it would be possible to develop such an analog for use in selection, training, and equipment evaluation underwater. Language: en
Infinite Latent Conditional Random Fields for Modeling Environments through Humans.

Humans cast a substantial influence on their environments by interacting with it. Therefore, even though an environment may physically contain only objects, it cannot be modeled well without considering humans. In this paper, we model environments not only through objects, but also through latent human poses and human-object interactions. However, the number of potential human poses is large and unknown, and the human-object interactions vary not only in type but also in which human pose relates to each object. In order to handle such properties, we present Infinite Latent Conditional Random Fields (ILCRFs) that model a scene as a mixture of CRFs generated from Dirichlet processes. Each CRF represents one possible explanation of the scene. In addition to visible object nodes and edges, it generatively models the distribution of different CRF structures over the latent human nodes and corresponding edges. We apply the model to the challenging application of robotic scene arrangement. In extensive experiments, we show that our model significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art results. We further use our algorithm on a robot for placing objects in a new scene.
Transformer user requirements, specifications and testing

A transformer is usually considered to be a non-mechanical apparatus for changing the voltage of an alternating current (AC) supply. Transformers are built in a very wide range of sizes from small devices used inside consumer products to very large devices used to connect generators to the national transmission network. This chapter will focus on medium and large transformers. In this context these are considered to be any transformers which are so large or else so complex as not to be manufactured in bulk. This generally includes all transformers rated at more than 2,500 kVA and all transformers which do not include a winding intended for connection to the low-voltage distribution network, but practice varies between countries and between users.
First-Principles Hybrid Functional Study of the Organic–Inorganic Perovskites CH3NH3SnBr3 and CH3NH3SnI3

We studied the structural and electronic properties of the hybrid perovskites CH3NH3SnI3 and CH3NH3SnBr3 as well as their band alignments with respect to the electron-conducting TiO2 electrode using first-principles electronic structure calculations. Our hybrid functional calculations yielded band gaps of 1.3 and 1.84 eV for CH3NH3SnI3 and CH3NH3SnBr3, respectively, which are consistent with experimental values. In addition, our calculations show that the organic cation [CH3NH3]+ does not take part in the formation of the valence band nor the conduction band and only plays a role in donating one electron in each material. Our band alignment calculations show that introducing substitutional Br dopants for I anions in CH3NH3SnI3 could facilitate charge transfer from the hybrid perovskite to the TiO2 electrode, enabling the development of more efficient solar cell architectures.
Analysis on STD/AIDS monitoring results among sexual promiscuity group in Huishan District of Wuxi City from 2007-2011

[Objective]To understand the monitoring results of STD and AIDS among sexual promiscuity group in Huishan District of Wuxi City,and provide evidence for developing prevention and control measures for STD/AIDS.[Methods]The monitoring results of STD/AIDS among sexual promiscuity group in Huishan District from 2007-2011 was adopted for epidemic analysis.[Results]A total of 931 individuals of promiscuity group were monitored,of whom 85 had STD/AIDS(male 17,female 68).The ratio of male to female was 1∶ 4.FSWs(Female sex workers) 30 years occupied 69.12%(47/68).Whoremaster 50 years occupied 47.06%(8/17).Syphilis occupied 7.30%(68/931),condyloma occupied 1.50%(14/931),gonorrhea occupied 0.11%(1/931),HIV occupied 0.21%(2/931).Alien population of FSWs accounted for 95.59%(65/ 68),whoremaster population accounted for 41.18%(7/17) in this region.[Conclusion]STD / AIDS infection rate maintains a low level,while syphilis infection rate shows upward tendency among sexual promiscuity group in Huishan District of Wuxi City from 2007-2011.It is necessary to enhance the monitoring of STD/AIDS and reduce its spread and prevalence.
Introduction: D. H. Lawrence and the Racial Other

D.H. Lawrence has for decades been excoriated at worst, and dismissed at best, by many literary critics and the general public alike — branded with the terms colonialist, misogynist, and racist (not to mention pornographer). Bertrand Russell, among others who knew Lawrence personally, seemed to add the imprimatur of insider knowledge when he commented, only ten years after the Second World War, that his erst- while friend ‘had developed the whole philosophy of fascism before the politicians had thought of it’, and that Lawrence’s theories about ‘blood consciousness’ had ‘led straight to Auschwitz’.1 In the feminist move- ment of the next two decades, such critics as Simone de Beauvoir and Kate Millett were outraged by their own readings of Lawrence’s views on women, and the countervailing views of the ilk of Henry Miller and Norman Mailer only added fuel to that fire.
Application of Laplace Analysis to Control

In this chapter we illustrate how the Laplace transform is related to the classical and modern theories of control. In classical control, frequency domain methods are used to change the dynamics of a plant—to achieve a desired response—typically connecting in feedback a controller to the plant. The concepts of transfer function, stability of systems, and different types of responses obtained through the Laplace transform are useful in the analysis and design of control systems. Modern control, on the other hand, uses a time domain approach to characterize and control systems. The state-variable representation used is more general than the transfer function, and allows multiple inputs and outputs. In this chapter, we introduce the concept of state variables, its connection with the transfer function and the use of the Laplace transform to find the complete response and the transfer function from the state and output equations. This chapter illustrates problems in classical and modern control and link them with the Laplace analysis. More depth on these problems can be found in texts in control. MATLAB is used to illustrate some of the concepts covered in this chapter.