cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of a high-definition imaging (HDI) analysis technique adapted to challenging environments

This paper presents a highly automated, more accurate approach to High Definition Imaging (HDI) using low signal-to-noise digital videos recorded at ground-based telescopes. The HDI approach involves the acquisition of a video sequence (10 3 - 10 5 fields) taken through a turbulent atmosphere followed by three-step post-processing. The specific goal is to be able to reproduce expert results, while limiting human interaction, to study both surface features and the atmospheres of planets and moons. The telescopes used here are preferably small and not equipped with Adaptive Optics. The three steps include registration, selection and restoration. First, registration, based on a template, is performed to find the exact position of each object. Then only higher-quality frames are selected by a criterion based on a measure of the blur in a region of interest around that object. The best quality frames are then shifted and added together to create an effective time exposure under ideal observing conditions. The last step is to remove distortions in the image, caused by the atmosphere and the optical equipment, through a regularized deconvolution of instrument and residual atmospheric blur. This procedure is done first in the white light domain, and then the registration information obtained there is applied to spectral data.
Intra-industry information transfers associated with earnings releases

Abstract The impact that a firm's earnings releases have on the stock prices of other firms in its industry is examined. For an identifiable sub-set of firms, the results are consistent with a significant information transfer occurring between the earnings release firm and the other firms in its industry. This subset is identified by examining the impact of the release on the stock price of the announcing firm. The magnitude of this impact is more significant for a sample of firms which have a larger percentage of their revenues in the same line of business as the earnings release firm vis-a-vis a sample with a lower percentage of their revenues from the same line of business. Alternative interpretations of the empirical results are also discussed. The research findings have implications for information content and market efficiency research and for research on policy issues associated with disclosure regulation.
Propranolol withdrawal supersensitivity in rat cardiovascular tissue, in vitro.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to determine if propranolol withdrawal supersensitivity could be demonstrated under in vitro conditions. Rats pretreateed for 14 days with propranolol were studied 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after propranolol withdrawal. Right atria, right ventricle strips and thoracic aortic strips were isolated for study under in vitro conditions. Dose-response curves and geometric mean ED 50 values revealed the presence of supersensitivity to the chronotropic and inotropic effects of isoproterenol in vitro at 72 and 96 h after withdrawal. No change in sensitivity was found 24 or 48 h after propranolol cessation. In like manner, supersensititvity to the vasorelasant action of isoproterenol was demonstrated in aortic strips precontracted with angiotensin II at 72 and 96 h after propranolol withdrawal. In contrast, subsensitivity to the contractile actions of methoxamine was observed 48 h after withdrawal. These data indicate that chronic propranolol pretreatment and withdrawal results in the unmasking of supersensitivity to both β 1 and β 2 adrenoceptor stimulation. There would also appear to be a compensatory change in α-adrenoceptor-induced responses in rat aorta following propranolol withdrawal.
Classification of single-trial MEG during sentence processing for automated schizophrenia screening

This paper presents a novel computer-aided system for assisting schizophrenia (SZ) diagnosis. Power Spectral Density Ratios (PSDRs) covering 7 brain regions and 5 frequency sub-bands are extracted as features, from single-trial magnetoencephalography (MEG) recorded while subjects read sentence stimuli silently. A two-stage feature selection algorithm combining F-score and Adaptive Boosting (Adaboost) model is proposed to rank the features. The top ranked features are used to build a boosted non-linear classifier using linear decision stumps as the base classifiers. A majority voting scheme is employed to combine single trial classification results from each test subject to make final classification decisions. Following a leave-one-out cross validation procedure, the proposed system achieves 82.61% classification accuracy (92.31% specificity and 70% sensitivity) on 13 healthy controls and 10 SZ patients. The most discriminating PSDR features are selected from the right temporal, right parietal and right frontal regions and are related to alpha (8-13Hz) and beta (13-30Hz) frequency ranges. This information may help in gaining knowledge about the abnormal neural oscillations associated with sentence-level language disorder in SZ.
The Renewal Factor— Important for Success in School and Business:

Change doesn't need to be something that happens to us. We can make change, say these authors, who draw upon R. H. Waterman's The Renewal Factor to illustrate the spirit of renewal that characterizes successful organization.
The role of PI3P phosphatases in the regulation of autophagy

Autophagy initiation is strictly dependent on phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P) synthesis. PI3P production is under tight control of PI3Kinase, hVps34, in complex with Beclin-1. Mammalian cells express several PI3P phosphatases that belong to the myotubularin family. Even though some of them have been linked to serious human diseases, their cellular function is largely unknown. Two recent studies indicate that PI3P metabolism involved in autophagy initiation is further regulated by the PI3P phosphatases Jumpy and MTMR3. Additional pools of PI3P, upstream of mTOR and on the endocytic pathway, may modulate autophagy indirectly, suggesting that other PI3P phosphatases might be involved in this process. This review sums up our knowledge on PI3P phosphatases and discusses the recent progress on their role in autophagy.
Evolving filter banks for ATR in infrared images

This paper describes a method for developing and training a classifier for detecting military vehicles in FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) imagery. Often image analysis is done via constructing feature vectors from the original two-dimensional image. In this effort, a genetic algorithm is used to evolve a group of linear filters for constructing these feature vectors. Training is performed on collections of target chips and non-target or clutter chips drawn from FLIR image datasets. The evolved filters produce multi-dimensional feature vectors from each sample. First the fitness function for the genetic algorithm rewards maximal separation of target from non-target vectors measured by clustering the two sets and applying a vector space norm. Next, the entire method is adapted to supply feature vectors to a support vector machine classifier (SVM) in order to optimize the SVM's performance, i.e. the genetic algorithm's fitness function rewards effective SVM class distinction. Finally, supplemental features are incorporated into the system, resulting in an improved, hybrid classifier. This classification method is intended to be applicable to a wide variety of target-sensor scenarios.
The sampling distribution of the index of dispersion

The sampling distribution of the index of dispersion is investigated under each of three distributions for the quadrat counts, namely the Poisson, negative binomial and binomial distributions. Approximations to the sampling distributions are constructed and are evaluated using a computer simulation study.
On fitting a modified limiting normal to the posterior distribution

It is well known that the posterior distribution converges to the normal distribution under certain regularity conditions. But in actual practice, several situations exist where the normal approximation performs poorly even with a reasonably large sample size. Exploiting the results of Ladalla (Sankhya 52 (1990), 192–217) we show that the limiting normal may be modified with respect to its mean vector and dispersion matrix to show that the posterior converges to this modified limiting normal distribution faster. In particular, the modified limiting normal approximates the posterior with a fair degree of accuracy for samples of even moderate size, 20 or less.
Development of an analytical model for warm deep drawing of aluminum alloys

In this study, an analytical model was developed to investigate the effects of material, process, and geometric parameters in the warm forming of aluminum alloys under simple cylindrical deep drawing conditions. The model was validated with both existing experimental findings in the literature and FEA results. The effects of the main process parameters (i.e., temperature, forming rate, blank holder pressure (BHP), and friction between a blank and a tooling element) on formability were studied under a variety of warm forming conditions. The developed model offers rapid, useful, and reasonably accurate results for the design of warm forming process by predicting the deformation mechanism of the material and the relationships between limiting drawing ratio (LDR) and process parameters in isothermal and non-isothermal heating conditions. It was demonstrated that significant formability improvement could be achieved when a large temperature gradient was realized between die and punch, while a slight decrease of LDR was observed when tooling elements and a blank were heated up to same temperature levels.
Deprotonation by Dehydration: The Origin of Ammonium Sensing in the AmtB Channel

The AmtB channel passively allows the transport of NH4+ across the membranes of bacteria via a “gas” NH3 intermediate and is related by homology (sequentially, structurally, and functionally) to many forms of Rh protein (both erythroid and nonerythroid) found in animals and humans. New structural information on this channel has inspired computational studies aimed at clarifying various aspects of NH4+ recruitment and binding in the periplasm, as well as its deprotonation. However, precise mechanisms for these events are still unknown, and, so far, explanations for subsequent NH3 translocation and reprotonation at the cytoplasmic end of the channel have not been rigorously addressed. We employ molecular dynamics simulations and free energy methods on a full AmtB trimer system in membrane and bathed in electrolyte. Combining the potential of mean force for NH4+/NH3 translocation with data from thermodynamic integration calculations allows us to find the apparent pKa of NH4+ as a function of the transport axis. Our calculations reveal the specific sites at which its deprotonation (at the periplasmic end) and reprotonation (at the cytoplasmic end) occurs. Contrary to most hypotheses, which ascribe a proton-accepting role to various periplasmic or luminal residues of the channel, our results suggest that the most plausible proton donor/acceptor at either of these sites is water. Free-energetic analysis not only verifies crystallographically determined binding sites for NH4+ and NH3 along the transport axis, but also reveals a previously undetermined binding site for NH4+ at the cytoplasmic end of the channel. Analysis of dynamics and the free energies of all possible loading states for NH3 inside the channel also reveal that hydrophobic pressure and the free-energetic profile provided by the pore lumen drives this species toward the cytoplasm for protonation just before reaching the newly discovered site.
The synthesis of 2-azainosine and related derivatives by ring annulation of imidazole nucleosides

The synthesis of 7-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)imidazo[4,5-d]-v-triazin-4-one (6b, 2-azainosine) and 5-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)imidazo[4,5-d]-v-triazin-4-one (4b) have been achieved for the first time by direct diazotization of AICA riboside (5b) and iso-AICA riboside (3b), respectively. The conditions required for cyclization of the model methyl bases, 3a and 5a, as well as the nucleosides 3b, 5b, and 7 are described.
The Stem Cell Identity of Testicular Cancer

Testicular germ cell tumors account for 1% of all cancers, and are the most common malignancies to affect males between the ages of 15 and 34. Understanding the pathogenesis of testis cancer has been challenging because the molecular and cellular events that result in the formation of germ cell tumors are hypothesized to occur during human fetal development. In this review, the molecular pathways involved in human testis cancer will be presented based on our research in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), and also research using animal models. Testis germ cell tumors are unique in that the normal germ cell from which the tumor is derived has distinct stem cell characteristics that are shared with pluripotent hESCs. In particular, normal fetal germ cells express the core pluripotent transcription factors NANOG, SOX2 and OCT4. In contrast to hESCs, the germ line is not pluripotent. As a result, germ cell tumorigenesis may arise from loss of germ line-specific inhibitors which in normal germ cells prevent overt pluripotency and self-renewal and when absent in abnormal germ cells, result in the conversion to germ line cancer stem cells. At the conclusion of this review, a model for the molecular events involved in germ cell tumor formation and the relationship between germ cell tumorigenesis and stem cell biology will be presented.
Leading corrections to local approximations

For the kinetic energy of one-dimensional model finite systems the leading corrections to local approximations as a functional of the potential are derived using semiclassical methods. The corrections are simple, nonlocal functionals of the potential. Turning points produce quantum oscillations leading to energy corrections, which are completely different from the gradient corrections that occur in bulk systems with slowly varying densities. Approximations that include quantum corrections are typically much more accurate than their local analogs. The consequences for density functional theory are discussed.
Surface States and the Photoelectron-Spin Polarization of Ni(100)

High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectra for Fe(100) are reported which identify and characterize surface states near the Fermi energy extending from $\overline{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$ to $\overline{X}$ of the two-dimensional Brillouin zone. These results provide an experimental test of recent transition-metal surface electronic structure calculations and yield predictions relevant to spin-polarized photoemission from Fe(100).
The Scope of Microeconomics: Implications for Economic Education

In the wake of a multitude of national and state reports on the sorry state of American education, numerous state legislatures have enacted laws toughening the high school curriculum. They have been persuaded by the human capital argument that improved education will enhance American productivity and our international competitive position. One popular reform has been to introduce a mandatory secondary school course in economics. It is ironic that at the same time that legislators and state departments of education are becoming enthusiastic about teaching economics to high school students, economists are becoming more critical of their discipline. The combination of legislative zeal and professional soul-searching sets up an interesting question: What is it that should be taught in secondary school economics courses? The answer to this question is, unfortunately, (or perhaps fortunately) not solely in the hands of economists. Decker Walker (forthcoming) contends that curriculum policy making, particularly in the American context, is fundamentally political, not technical. It is useful for economists to recall this admonition as we, the technicians, suggest modifications to the economics course content, especially because political, or nontechnical, interest in the economics curriculum is perhaps even greater than in other subjects. Businesses, unions, and government all have an unusually high stake in what students are taught about our economy. Walker argues that to be effective in curriculum policy making, one must build what he calls a policy-shaping community, with leaders, public support, political will, and long-term sustained efforts. He points to the Joint Council on Economic Education as an innovative and instructive example of such a policy-shaping community. If Walker is right, despite the highly politicized context of curriculum policy making in economics, economists may in fact have an opportunity, through the offices of the Joint Council, to influence curriculum content. This paper represents one economist's views on how several aspects of the microeconomics curriculum should be changed to better reflect new think
A institucionalização dos estudos Africanos nos Estados Unidos: advento, consolidação e transformações

This article surveys the foundation, consolidation and transformation of the field of African Studies in the United States from the 1960s to present times. It deals with the academic, political and geopolitical contexts that led to the creation of this area studies. To that end, it pays particular attention to the changes that the American society underwent in the 1960s, particularly the civil rights movement, as well as the international context, with special attention the Cold War. At the heart of the rise of African Studies were policies by the American Government and the active participation of private funding agencies such as the Ford and Mellon Foundations. The so-called area studies provided the conceptual basis on which African Studies were created. The article argues that this model has undergone changes in the past decade with the incorporation of the African Diaspora as part of African Studies.
Relationship of megakaryocyte ploidy with platelet number and size in cats, dogs, rabbits and mice

Feline platelets are larger than platelets of many other species. The following parameters were examined in 13 normal cats in an attempt to determine a reason for the difference: platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet mass and ploidy of mature megakaryocytes. Average ± SEM platelet count was 213 000 ± 15000/μl, MPV was 11.1 ± 0.2 fl, and platelet mass was 2.4 ± 0.2 × 106 fl/μl. The predominant ploidy classes of feline megakaryocytes were 32N (41.6%) and 64N (47.1%). These findings were compared to existing data from normal dogs, rabbits, and mice. These species exhibited progressively higher platelet counts (313 000 ± 28 000, 568 000 ±35000, and 1328 000 ± 79 000/μl, respectively) and progressively smaller MPVs (7.2 ± 0.2, 4.4 ± 0.1 and 3.9 ± 0.1 fl, respectively) than cats. Platelet mass was the same in cats, dogs and rabbits, but it was much higher in mice (5.2 ± 0.3 × 106 fl/μl) The modal megakaryocyte ploidy was 16N in mice and 32N in dogs and rabbits. The MPV was directly related to the ploidy of fully mature megakaryocytes except when comparing dogs and rabbits for which MPVs differed, but ploidy distributions did not. The findings suggested that ploidy of a megakaryocyte may be one of the determinants of the size and number of platelets it will produce during normal haemopoiesis.
The occupational role of women in military service: validation of occupation and prevalence of exposures in the Millennium Cohort Study.

Abstract To better understand the US military's global peacekeeping and combat operations, which may expose a growing population of American servicewomen to challenging occupations and environments. Concordance between self-reported and electronic occupation codes for female participants in the Millennium Cohort was measured using kappa statistics. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to assess the odds of five self-reported potentially toxic environmental exposures or disturbing experiences among different occupational categories, while adjusting for demographic and military characteristics, including deployment. Self-reported occupations were moderately to highly reliable when compared with electronic occupation data. Active-duty and Reserve/Guard females differentially reported witnessing death or trauma and exposure to chemical or biological warfare, depleted uranium, or pesticides. Findings suggest that self-reported occupation can be used with a high degree of confidence. Occupational...
Estimation of the multivariate normal precision and covariance matrices in a star-shape model

In this paper, we introduce the star-shape models, where the precision matrix Ω (the inverse of the covariance matrix) is structured by the special conditional independence. We want to estimate the precision matrix under entropy loss and symmetric loss. We show that the maximal likelihood estimator (MLE) of the precision matrix is biased. Based on the MLE, an unbiased estimate is obtained. We consider a type of Cholesky decomposition of Ω, in the sense that Ω=Ψ′Ψ, where Ψ is a lower triangular matrix with positive diagonal elements. A special group\(\mathcal{G}\), which is a subgroup of the group consisting all lower triangular matrices, is introduced. General forms of equivariant estimates of the covariance matrix and precision matrix are obtained. The invariant Haar measures on\(\mathcal{G}\), the reference prior, and the Jeffreys prior of Ψ are also discussed. We also introduce a class of priors of Ψ, which includes all the priors described above. The posterior properties are discussed and the closed forms of Bayesian estimators are derived under either the entropy loss or the symmetric loss. We also show that the best equivariant estimators with respect to\(\mathcal{G}\) is the special case of Bayesian estimators. Consequently, the MLE of the precision matrix is inadmissible under either entropy or symmetric loss. The closed form of risks of equivariant estimators are obtained. Some numerical results are given for illustration.
An examination of whether imaging ability enhances the effectiveness of an intervention designed to reduce speech anxiety

This study posited that performance visualization is more effective at reducing speech anxiety among people who can create vivid mental images than among those whose images are less vivid. The results indicate that performance visualization is indeed more effective for vivid imagers in reducing trait communication anxiety, state communication anxiety, negative thoughts, and rigidity.
Budgets, Board Games, and Make Believe: The Challenge of Teaching Social Class Inequality with Non-Traditional Students

According to a 2002 study by the U.S. Department of Education, the percentage of “traditional students” on college campuses is declining. Students increasingly are delaying enrollment, attending college part time, working full time, financially independent, and single parents. In this paper, we explore the extent to which sociologists are adapting their teaching to address these shifting demographics. Based on a content analysis of articles published over a 20 year period in Teaching Sociology that suggest strategies for teaching social class inequality we find that most authors assume that their students are “traditional.” Most often this means that students are assumed to come from a privileged, middle class background, lack direct and substantial experience in the labor market, and enter college shortly after graduating high school. Accordingly, most articles advocate classroom strategies of “looking down,” whereby students pretend to be in the shoes of those less fortunate. Examples include creating household budgets based on poverty wages, playing board games, or assuming the role of the poor for a day. These strategies run the risk of being ineffective, alienating, and potentially ethically suspect when used with non-traditional students, whose real life experiences may resemble these simulations. We conclude with recommendations for pedagogical approaches to teaching social class inequality that are more appropriate for, and inclusive of, students from diverse backgrounds. Our goal in this paper is to start a discussion about pedagogy, social inequality, and the non-traditional student.
Short and Long-Term Outcomes for Bidirectional Glenn Procedure Performed With and Without Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Background The bidirectional Glenn (BDG) procedure is most commonly used as staged palliation for complex cyanotic congenital heart defects. The benefits of a BDG procedure without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) remain mixed within reported series. The purpose of this study was to compare short- and long-term outcomes for performance of a BDG procedure with and without the use of CPB. Methods From 2001 to 2010, 106 patients underwent a BDG procedure. Patients were stratified into CPB (n = 72; age=202 days) and non-CPB (n = 34; age=182 days) groups. Primary outcomes included operative mortality and postoperative complications as well as differences in long-term Kaplan-Meier survival. Results Median follow-up was 30 months. Preoperative patient characteristics were similar among patients despite the use of CPB. The most frequent indications for a BDG procedure were hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) (35.8%) and tricuspid atresia (TA) (17.9%). Median perfusion time was 73 minutes for CPB patients. Overall mortality was 0.9% and no deaths occurred among non-CPB patients (0.0% versus 1.4%; p > 0.99). Similarly, no significant differences existed between non-CPB patients and CPB patients with respect to overall complication rates (11.8% versus 18.1%; p = 0.57) or postoperative length of stay (7.0 [5.0–12.0] versus 7.0 [5.0–11.0] days; p = 0.38). Furthermore, 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival was high and similar between groups. Conclusions The BDG procedure can be performed with no significant differences in operative mortality, morbidity, or use of resources, with or without CPB support. Long-term survival after the BDG procedure is high with both strategies. Performance of an off-pump BDG procedure should be considered a safe alternative to the conventional use of CPB for appropriately selected patients.
Experimental studies of wall interactions of adsorbed spin-polarized 131Xe nuclei

We have made a quantitative study of nuclear spin relaxation of $^{131}\mathrm{Xe}$ atoms adsorbed on the surface of glass cells. By using highly asymmetric glass cells we have increased the wall-induced quadrupole splitting of the nuclear-spin sublevels of $^{131}\mathrm{Xe}$ atoms by almost two orders of magnitude over previously reported values. These large surface interactions were used to extract quantitative information about the electric-field gradients experienced by the nuclei of $^{131}\mathrm{Xe}$ atoms adsorbed on the glass surface and about the activation energies for surface adsorption. The experimental results indicate that the electric-field gradients at any surface site are nearly isotropic. The residual nonzero mean value of the fluctuating field gradient has cylindrical symmetry about the normal direction to the surface. The mean-field gradient along the surface normal direction is only 2.3% as large as the rms value. We find that silicone wall coatings, which slow down the relaxation of $^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$ nuclear spins, speed up the relaxation of $^{131}\mathrm{Xe}$ nuclear spins. This may be due to the nuclear quadrupole interactions of $^{131}\mathrm{Xe}$ atoms dissolved in the relatively thick silicone wall coatings. Measurements of the temperature dependence of the coherent wall interaction show that the activation energy (\ensuremath{\approxeq}0.03 eV) for the coherent wall interaction in well-cured, hydrogen-free cells is about three times smaller than the activation energy (\ensuremath{\approxeq}0.10 eV) in hydrided cells.
Endocrinologic characteristics of partial ovarian failure.

Abstract Three young women with primary ovarian failure, secondary amenorrhea or oligoovulation, and normal gonadotropin levels are reported on here. Vaginal cytology and serum estradiol levels indicated the two women to be persistently hypoestrogenic. The third case, who had the Turner phenotype, was hypoestrogenic during anovulatory cycles but occasionally ovulated. Basal serum LH and FSH were normal. All were tested with synthetic LH-releasing hormone and had a brisk response, LH levels rising 51–198 ng/ml above baseline and FSH rising 278–536 ng/ml. Plasma levels of testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and progesterone were normal. Gonadal dysgenesis was suggested in two on the basis of an abnormal karyotype, an isochromosome of the short arm of X in Case 2, and an isochromosome of the long arm of X in Case 3. The diagnosis of primary hypogonadism was established by laparoscopy and ovarian biopsy. The latter studies revealed small ovaries with a scarcity of primordial and primary follicles, y...
An integrated system for the production of gnotobiotic Anopheles quadrimaculatus

Abstract This paper reports the first successful gnotobiotic rearing of the mosquito Anopheles quadrimaculatus, a major vector of Dirofilaria immitis, the etiologic agent of canine heartworm disease in the United States. Mosquito eggs were sterilized in Zephiran, and emerging larvae were transferred to flat-sided rearing flasks which contained a sterile easily prepared formulation of commercial dietary products. Maturing pupae were withdrawn in a syringe and were injected with a small amount of water into the gnotobiotic arthropod module (GAM), a sterile Lucite capsule which allows sugar feeding at one end and blood feeding through a heated artificial membrane at the other end. The GAM provided a convenient sterilizable unit to support 12–15 gnotobiotic mosquitoes for a variety of experimental purposes.
Real-time energy management scheme for hybrid renewable energy systems in smart grid applications

Abstract In this paper, an effective algorithm for optimizing distribution system operation in a smart grid, from cost and system stability points of view, was proposed. This proposed algorithm mainly aims at controlling the power available from different sources such that they satisfy the load demand with the least possible cost while giving the highest priority to renewable energy sources. Moreover, a smart energy commitment technique was designed to control the batteries in such a way that they are allowed to discharge only when there is no very big load predicted within the coming period. Consequently, they act as a buffer for the predicted large loads to increase the stability of the system and reduce voltage dips. In addition, the batteries are used to serve another economic purpose, which is peak-shifting during the day. Mathematical techniques were applied to build accurate forecasting models for different sources and for the load. These models help in monitoring and predicting the total power generation and demand online. Various case studies were investigated to verify the validity of the proposed algorithm and define the system behavior under varying conditions. The results verify the validity of the proposed energy commitment scheme.
Bone mass changes in hens observed in vivo during the egg laying cycle.

Der Mineralstoffgehalt der Tibia-Fibula von Legehennen, mit quantitativer Rontgenographiein vivo bestimmt, scheint wahrend des Legezyklus mehr zu variieren als auf Grund des Fehlers der Methode erwartet werden kann. Eine Korrelation zwischen diesen Anderungen in der Knochenmasse und der Position des Eies im Eileiter konnte bisher nicht gefunden werden.
The short-term macroeconomic effects of price controls

Abstract A simple general equilibrium model is constructed to analyze the effects of price controls on income distribution, output, and the budget deficit. The economy is partitioned into private and public sectors. In the former sectors prices are competitively determined, while in the latter they are set exogenously by government decree. Furthermore, public sector prices might differ for producers and consumers. The analysis is conducted in the context of an open economy with a fixed exchange rate where foreign goods are imperfect substitutes for domestic goods in consumption. Thus, the spillover of price controls into the trade balance is incorporated into the model. The taxes/subsidies imposed on various groups by price controls are identified. An equilibrium is constructed for an economy producting 10 goods, of which 4 are affected by price controls. Simulations are performed to analyze the effects of an exchange rate devaluation on the main macroeconomic indicators.
Single crystal titanium carbide, epitaxially grown on zincblend and wurtzite structures of silicon carbide

Abstract Conditions for TiC epitaxial growth on 6Hα-SiC and β-SiC surfaces were established. The TiC epilayer defect structures and TiC/SiC interface properties were investigated in TiC/(0001)-6Hα-SiC, TiC/(111)-β-SiC and TiC/(110)-β-SiC structures. The TiC/SiC interfaces — annealed at 1300–1400 °C — remained flat and free of titanium silicides. Threading dislocations were the only defects observed in TiC epilayers grown on (0001) 6Hα-SiC. Microtwins and DPBs formed in TiC epilayers grown on (110) β-SiC were propagated only from similar defects present in the substrate.
Phenylacetic acid excretion in man

A rapid, reliable, sensitive, and highly specific mass fragmentographic method for the quantification of phenylacetic acid (PAA) in urine is described. The method was used to determine total, conjugated, and free PAA simultaneously in normal urine. The mean ± SE excretion of total, conjugated, and free PAA in urine of 24 normal adult volunteers were, respectively, 137.4 ± 15.8, 128.8 ± 15.0, 8.49 ± 0.99 mg/24 h. Free PAA constitutes less than 10% of the total (free plus conjugated) urine excretion of PAA.
Ligand-tetrahydrofuran coupling in chelated aluminum phosphinates

When the reagents LAlMe (L = N,N'-(alkylene or arylene)bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl)salicylideneimine (alkylene = ethylene (Salen(tBu))(1), propylene (Salpen(tBu))(2), and butylene (Salben(tBu)) (3); arylene = phenylene (Salophen(tBu) (4), 3,4-dimethylphenylene (Salomphen(tBu) (5)) are combined with Ph(H)P(O)OH in tetrahydrofuran (thf) the unique aluminophosphinate compounds, [L(tBu)Al[O(2)P(H)Ph]](n) with L, n = Salen,(infinity)(6), Salpen, 2 (7), Salben, 2 (8), Salophen, (infinity)(9) and Salomphen, (infinity)(10) are produced. The yields for the latter two reactions are low, and it was subsequently found that the unique thf-coupled compounds appear in the thf filtrates of the original reaction mixture. These compounds are, [L-thf(tBu)Al[O(2)P(H)Ph]](2), L = Salophen (13) and Salomphen (14). The thf connects through an alpha-carbon to only one of the two possible imine carbons of the ligand. While trying to determine how this coupling proceeds, the six-coordinate, solution-state species LAlMe(thf) (L = Salophen (11) and Salomphen (12) were discovered and implicated as intermediates. All of the compounds are characterized by melting point, NMR, IR, and X-ray analyses for 5-8, 13, and 14. A possible mechanism for the thf coupling event is presented.
Representing aquifer architecture in macrodispersivity models with an analytical solution of the transition probability matrix

[1] The multi-dimensional transition probability model represents hydrofacies architecture in modeling aquifer heterogeneity. The structure of the aquifer architecture is mathematically characterized by a canonical representation of the transition probability matrix, solved by an eigenvalue decomposition method. Whereas the eigenvalue decomposition has been numerically solved previously, we show here that it can be analytically solved under the assumptions that cross-transition probabilities are dictated by facies proportions and that the juxtapositional tendencies of the facies are symmetric. Although limited by the assumptions, analytical solutions provide more immediate insights about the relationships between transition probability and facies proportion and mean length. The analytical solution is first tested by comparison with the numerical solutions and then used to represent hydrofacies architecture within expressions for the spatial covariance of conductivity and the macrodispersivity. The relationship between the longitudinal macrodispersivity and integral scale, the indicator correlation length, and the facies proportion is represented in an equation for estimating the field-scale dispersivity. An example is used to show how sedimentary structures, conductivity contrasts, and facies mean lengths affect the scales of the macrodispersivity.
Pharmacogenetic Association of the Galanin Receptor (GALR1) SNP rs2717162 with Smoking Cessation

Galanin modulates dopaminergic neurotransmission in the mesolimbic dopamine system, thereby influencing the rewarding effects of nicotine. Variants in the galanin receptor 1 (GALR1) gene have been associated with retrospective craving severity and heaviness of smoking in prior research. We investigated pharmacogenetic associations of the previously studied GALR1 polymorphism, rs2717162, in 1217 smokers of European ancestry who participated in one of three pharmacogenetic smoking cessation clinical trials and were treated with nicotine patch (n=623), nicotine nasal spray (n=189), bupropion (n=213), or placebo (n=192). The primary endpoint was abstinence (7-day point prevalence, biochemically confirmed) at the end of treatment. Cravings to smoke were assessed on the target quit day (TQD). The longitudinal regression model revealed a significant genotype by treatment interaction (P=0.03). There was a reduced odds of quitting success with the presence of at least one minor (C) allele in the bupropion-treated group (OR=0.43; 95% CI=0.22–0.77; P=0.005) but equivalent quit rates by genotype in the nicotine-replacement therapy groups. This genotype by treatment interaction was reproduced in a Cox regression model of time to relapse (P=0.04). In the bupropion trial, smokers carrying the C allele also reported more severe TQD cravings. Further research to identify functional variants in GALR1 and to replicate pharmacogenetic associations is warranted.
The Role of Long Tails in Steric Stabilization and Hydrodynamic Layer Thickness

In steric stabilization, the “thickness” of the adsorbed layer on the particles is of key importance in determining the stability of the colloid. There is evidence to suggest that both the adlayer ...
Advances in Infiltration

During December 12–13 of 1983, in Chicago, the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) convened the National Conference on Advances in Infiltration. The stated purpose of the conference was to report and evaluate recent developments in the movement of water into soil. Ninety papers were presented at the conference, but only 36 manuscripts are included in this volume, which represents the proceedings for the conference. Six manuscripts each are presented under the designated topics of physics of infiltration, parameters in infiltration equations, special problems and phenomena, measurement of infiltration, applications in agriculture, and applications in watershed hydrology. Brief abstracts are included for 23 papers presented in poster sessions at the conference.
Investigation of patient, tumour and treatment variables affecting residual motion for respiratory-gated radiotherapy.

Respiratory gating can reduce the apparent respiratory motion during imaging and treatment; however, residual motion within the gating window remains. Respiratory training can improve respiratory reproducibility and, therefore, the efficacy of respiratory-gated radiotherapy. This study was conducted to determine whether residual motion during respiratory gating is affected by patient, tumour or treatment characteristics. The specific aims of this study were to: (1) identify significant characteristics affecting residual motion, (2) investigate time trends of residual motion over a period of days (inter-session) and (3) investigate time trends of residual motion within the same day (intra-session). Twenty-four lung cancer patients were enrolled in an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved protocol. For approximately five sessions, 331 four-minute, respiratory motion traces were acquired with free breathing, audio instructions and audio-visual biofeedback for each patient. The residual motion was quantified by the standard deviation of the displacement within the gating window. The generalized linear model was used to obtain coefficients for each variable within the model and to evaluate the clinical and statistical significance. The statistical significance was determined by a p-value <0.05, while effect sizes of ≥0.1 cm (one standard deviation) were considered clinically significant. This data analysis was applied to patient, tumour and treatment variables. Inter- and intra-session variations were also investigated. The only variable that was significant for both inhale- and exhale-based gating was disease type. In addition, visual-training displacement, breathing type and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) values were significant for inhale-based gating, and dose-per-fraction was significant for exhale-based gating. Temporal respiratory variations within and between sessions were observed for individual patients. However inter- and intra-session analyses did not show significant time trends on average for any of the variables considered. The lack of significant time trends within and between sessions indicates that on average (1) there is no significant learning period for breathing training, (2) the patients did not experience training-related fatigue and (3) the margin component to account for residual motion during gated radiotherapy appears to remain constant throughout the treatment.
Detecting level crossings without solving the Hamiltonian. II. Applications to atoms and molecules

A number of interesting phenomena occur at points where the energy levels of an atom or a molecule (anti) cross as a function of some parameter such as an external field. In a previous paper [M. Bhattacharya and C. Raman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 140405 (2006)] we have outlined powerful mathematical techniques useful in identifying the parameter values at which such (avoided) crossings occur. In the accompanying article [M. Bhattacharya and C. Raman, Phys. Rev A 75, 033405 (2007)] we have developed the mathematical basis of these algebraic techniques in some detail. In this article we apply these level-crossing methods to the spectra of atoms and molecules in a magnetic field. In the case of atoms the final result is the derivation of a class of invariants of the Breit-Rabi Hamiltonian of magnetic resonance. These invariants completely describe the parametric symmetries of the Hamiltonian. In the case of molecules we present an indicator which can tell when the Born-Oppenheimer approximation breaks down without using any information about the molecular potentials other than the fact that they are real. We frame our discussion in the context of Feshbach resonances in the atom-pair $^{23}\mathrm{Na}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ which are of current interest.
A persistent species assemblage structure along a Hawaiian stream from catchment-to-sea

In Limahuli Stream on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, species assemblage structure was monitored from catchment-to-sea over a 6-year period to determine how individual species utilized the stream continuum spatiotemporally. A persistent pattern was identified in which ten fish and macroinvertebrate species (nine native and one alien) were distributed into distinct zones of highest abundances with overlapping species ranges. Species diversity, as quantified by a dominance measure (Berger–Parker Index), was highest and least variable at the midpoint of the continuum where upstream–downstream species’ ranges converged. Reciprocal fluctuations in the population abundances of dominant species limited overall variation in species diversity to a 22% range which was interpreted as evidence of spatiotemporal persistence of the species assemblage structure. The pattern was captured in a testable, conceptual model which partitions an idealized Hawaiian stream from catchment-to-sea into five functional zones (Estuarine, Lower–Middle–Upper Reach, and Headwaters) positioned as percentages of continuum length. This model may be overlaid upon other Hawaiian streams for testing its applicability as well as to ask a variety of ecological questions about the manner in which species partition habitat spatiotemporally along biophysical gradients.
Wireless communication security: physical-layer techniques exploiting radio and propagation characteristics

The increasing popularity of wireless data transfer means that the volume of sensitive data communicated over wireless networks is rapidly increasing. Because of the inherent vulnerabilities associated with wireless data transmission, significant recent attention has focused on increasing communication security. While most commonly, this security is accomplished at the higher layers of the protocol stack, recent research has demonstrated that certain features of the radio antennas and hardware as well as the properties of the electromagnetic propagation can be exploited to enhance transmission security. The resulting physical-layer techniques offer advantages that are not achievable with traditional protocols and algorithms at the higher layers. As a result, coupling these physical-layer techniques with more conventional protocols leads to enhanced communication security. We discuss two different areas in which such physical-layer approaches are useful.
Human error in emergency medicine.

Abstract [Wears RL, Leape LL: Human error in emergency medicine. Ann Emerg Med September 1999;34:370-372.]
Amine-gold linked single-molecule circuits: experiment and theory.

A combination of theory and experiment is used to quantitatively understand the conductance of single-molecule benzenediamine−gold junctions. A newly developed analysis is applied to a measured junction conductance distribution, based on 59 000 individual conductance traces, which has a clear peak at 0.0064 G0 and a width of ±47%. This analysis establishes that the distribution width originates predominantly from variations in conductance across different junctions rather than variations in conductance during junction elongation. Conductance calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) for 15 distinct junction geometries show a similar spread. We show explicitly that differences in local structure have a limited influence on conductance because the amine−Au bonding motif is well-defined and flexible, explaining the narrow distributions seen in the experiments. The minimal impact of junction structure on conductance permits an unambiguous comparison of calculated and measured conductance values an...