cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disorder trapping in Ni2TiAl

Abstract Pulsed laser melting and rapid resolidification can induce disorder trapping in Ni 2 AlTi at the solidification interface. The alloy formed from the melt with the nonequilibrium B2 structure and subsequently transformed to the equilibrium L2 1 Heusler structure during cooling to room temperature.
Implementing clinical services across a large health system.

With the advent of pharmaceutical care, the pharmacist’s role has shifted from a centralized, distributive position to that of a health care provider responsible for the pharmacotherapeutic outcomes of patients. Because the practice of pharmacy is changing, institutions must outline the process of
Dual-task performance as a measure of mental effort in searching a library system and the Web

This paper examines a dual-task method for the assessment of mental effort during online searching, having the users engage in two tasks simultaneously. Searching was assigned as a primary task and a visual observation was set up as a secondary task. The study participants were asked to perform two searches, one on the Web and the other in a webbased library system. Perceived search difficulty and mental effort for searching on the two types of systems were compared through participant self-reports, dual-task performance, and search log analysis. After the searches were completed, the subjects reported that library searching was more difficult to conduct and they had to concentrate more than when Web searching. However, the results of dual-task performance do not reveal much difference in mental effort or concentration during searches in the two systems. Rather, they invested mental effort differently when viewing search results and reading retrieved documents. The findings indicate that a dual-task method provides a useful technique to measure mental effort in online searching, and it has a great potential to be used to measure other aspects of information retrieval such as task complexity and multitasking information behavior.
Colloidal fouling of reverse osmosis membranes

Abstract A theoretical model of the fouling of reverse osmosis membranes by colloidal material has been developed for laminar flow and compared with the experimental results of fouling of cellulose acetate membranes by colloidal ferric hydroxide. The model is one-dimensional, based on the empirical observation that laminar flow does not affect the foulant growth behavior. A fast initial reaction-dominated fouling regime is predicted, followed very shortly in time by a much slower flux-driven deposition, as confirmed experimentally by a slow linear flux decline. The data have also shown that if the ferric hydroxide is stabilized, the flux decline rate is linear in the feed concentration, as predicted by the model. An unstable solution leads to a nonlinear dependence of foulant deposition on foulant feed concentration. An important experimental finding is that there exists a threshold transmembrane velocity, on the order of 5 × 10−4 cm/s, below which no flux decline or fouling is observed. The origin of this threshold velocity is believed to result from surface charge and double layer interactions. The important conclusion is that in reverse osmosis systems, fouling may be prevented simply by stabilizing the colloid solution and operating below the threshold permeation velocity.
Ethics and social policy in research on the neuroscience of human sexuality

The potential benefits of neuroscientific research into sexuality are great, but neuroscientists must participate in debates over the social, forensic and therapeutic implications of their findings. If serious research in sexuality is to be supported by the public, researchers must continue to earn society's trust with responsible and thoughtful presentation of their work.
Symbolic dynamics of wavelet images for pattern identification

Symbolic time series analysis has been introduced in recent literature for pattern identification in dynamical systems. Relevant information, embedded in the measured time series, is extracted in the form of symbol sequences by partitioning of the data sets, and probabilistic finite state automata are constructed from these symbol sequences to generate pattern vectors. This paper presents a symbolic pattern identification method by partitioning of two-dimensional wavelet (i.e., scale-shift) images of sensor time series data. The proposed method is experimentally validated on a laboratory apparatus for identification of evolving patterns due to fatigue damage in polycrystalline alloy specimens.
Cropping sequence studies on coarse textured soils in southeastern Idaho

A study was initiated in 1969 to compare potato-grain rotations with continuous cropping to potatoes on coarse textured soils, both with and without fumigation. Results of 5 years of this study show annual cropping to potatoes did not reduce yield or quality of tubers produced when compared with the potato-grain rotations. No beneficial effects were observed from soil fumigation treatments.
Chemotherapy of experimental leishmaniasis.

SummaryA method for the routine evaluation of drugs for the therapy of visceral leishmaniasis in the hamster is described. No drug superior to Stibanose, Neostam or Neostibosan was discovered in tests of 27 other antimonials or of 158 additional metallic and non-metallic organic compounds.
Alchemical free energy methods for drug discovery: progress and challenges

Improved rational drug design methods are needed to lower the cost and increase the success rate of drug discovery and development. Alchemical binding free energy calculations, one potential tool for rational design, have progressed rapidly over the past decade, but still fall short of providing robust tools for pharmaceutical engineering. Recent studies, especially on model receptor systems, have clarified many of the challenges that must be overcome for robust predictions of binding affinity to be useful in rational design. In this review, inspired by a recent joint academic/industry meeting organized by the authors, we discuss these challenges and suggest a number of promising approaches for overcoming them.
Short-term effects of initial, nonsurgical periodontal treatment (hygienic phase)

Longitudinal studies have reported the effect of various modalities of periodontal surgery on pocket depth and attachment levels related to pretreatment measurements. However, possible changes in these measurements as a result of scaling, oral hygiene improvements and occlusal adjustment during the hygienic phase were not considered. The purpose of the present study was to examine the short-term effect of treatment of the hygienic phase in 90 patients with some pockets extending 4 mm or more apically to the CEJ. Pretreatment pocket depths and attachment levels related to the CEJ were measured by a thin probe in five sites at all 2,355 teeth in the sample. Scaling, root planing, instruction in oral hygiene and occlusal adjustment were completed during four to six sessions for each patient. Four weeks after completion of the hygienic phase, all variables were recorded. Mean measurements for pocket depths 1-3 mm, 4-6 mm, and greater than or equal to 7 mm prior to treatment were compared to their posttreatment scores. Pocket depth decreased significantly for pockets extending 4 mm or more apically to the FGM. For pockets 4-6 mm there was a mean difference in pocket depth of 0.96 +/- 0.47 mm (P < .0001) between pretreatment and posttreatment observations. For pockets 7 mm or greater the mean difference was 2.22 +/- 1.35 mm (P < .0001). Reduction in depth of pocket and improvement in attachment levels were related to the initial level of severity. Pocket reduction was in part due to the improvement in attachment levels. This study has demonstrated that the clinical severity of periodontitis is reduced significantly 1 month following the hygienic phase of periodontal therapy, and that need for surgical pocket treatment cannot be assessed properly until completion of the hygienic phase of treatment.
Reactively sputtered aluminum nitride in GaAs processing

Abstract Reactively sputtered aluminum nitride (AlN) has been investigated as a manufacturable method of preventing surface etching and damage while minimizing surface state density on GaAs based electronic devices. Deposition conditions to obtain a film with high selectivity to fluorine etch chemistries were broad, however other preferred characteristics such as low film stress required optimization of the process conditions related to the deposition equipment. Using AlN as an etch stop during critical PECVD oxide or nitride reactive ion etches resulted in measurable device performance improvements. Most notable were a reduction in transient behavior and a reduction in across wafer variation of many device and process control monitor parameters. The AlN module process capability was further enhanced by the development of a robust wet etch removal. A high flow diluted NH 4 OH was found to completely remove all AlN despite possible film changes. These compositional changes and reactions with oxide dielectrics were found to occur depending upon the type of applications.
Making the intelligence “Cycle” work

(1986). Making the intelligence “Cycle” work. International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence: Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 1-23.
The Asiatic Mode of Production, Indian Land Law, and the Naxalite Movement

Marx’s views on pre-capitalist non-western societies evolved during his intellectual development and are generally grouped under the (problematic) term “Asiatic Mode of Production.” This article examines the connections between the Asiatic Mode of Production from Marxist economics, post-independence Indian land laws, the violation of those laws after independence and in the period of liberalization, and the continuing popularity of the Naxalite/Maoist insurgency. The contemporary round of globalization seeks to finish what colonization started by forcibly removing Adavasi and Scheduled Tribes in a process similar to primitive accumulation. Understanding this dynamic explains the Naxalites’ continuing appeal in contemporary India.
Shikimic acid as a precursor in lignin biosynthesis.

THE role of shikimic acid and related compounds in the biosynthesis of the aromatic ring by mutants of E. coli has recently been the subject of extensive study by Davis and his associates1. Their work has indicated that shikimic acid is an important precursor of the aromatic structure in this organism. The reaction sequence by which this compound is aromatized is still not fully understood, but it is believed2 that prephenic acid is one of the intermediates and that the first aromatic compound formed is phenylpyruvic acid. The above findings have raised the question of the existence of a similar biosynthetic pathway in higher plants, and we have now investigated this possibility during current studies on the origin of lignin, one of the principal aromatic plant constituents.
Evaluation of Superpave Mix Design for Low-Volume Roads in New Jersey

This research project explored the implementation of the Superpave® mixture design system for use on low-volume roads in New Jersey by comparing them with well-performing Marshall mixtures. The research used a reverse-engineering approach to examine mixture blend gradations, volumetric properties, performance, and durability of well-performing Marshall mixtures compared with Superpave mixtures for low-trafficlevel applications. In addition, the research evaluated the number of gyrations needed to produce equivalent air voids to the well-performing Marshall mixtures in the Superpave gyratory compactor. The gradations of the fine-graded Marshall mixtures from four suppliers were used to develop corresponding Superpave mixtures in the lab. The comparison of the Superpave and Marshall mixtures showed that they had similar volumetric, rutting, fatigue, permeability, and average asphalt binder thickness characteristics. The research also established relationships between Gsb or Gmm and the number of gyrations n...
Synchronizing effect of photoperiodicity on ovulation in hamsters.

Hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) exposed daily since birth to light from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (6–6 lighting) ovulated within a 2-hr period (1:00–3:00 am) up to 4 months of age and within a 4-hr period (11:00 pm–3:00 am) at 6 months of age. Six-month-old hamsters exposed daily since birth to light from midnight to noon (12–12 Lighting) ovulated 6 hr earlier (5:00–9:00 pm) than hamsters reared in 6–6 lighting. Sixmonth-old hamsters representing the 3rd generation reared in constant light (i.e., 24 hr daily) ovulated at various times of day. This asynchronous ovulation was accompanied by a reduction in 4-day vaginal cytological regularity and by an increase in body weight. Six-month-old hamsters reared in 6–6 lighting except for exposure to constant light from the 3rd to 44th day of age ovulated at the same time (11:00 pm–3:00 am) as control hamsters reared only in 6–6 lighting. The time of ovulation advanced 6 hr after post-pubertal hamsters were transferred from 6–6 to 12–12 lighting. The 6-hr advance was not...
Judicial Power and the Restoration of Federalism

A series of decisions by the United States Supreme Court raises the question of whether the federal judiciary will help to induce a major shift toward decentralization. Despite the ambitious hopes of some observers and the desperate fears of others, there are reasons to doubt that the Court will implement such a program. The justices are unlikely to persist in protecting states' rights in part because of their own ambivalence and in part because the idea itself is too self-contradictory to support a consistent interpretive agenda. Even if the Court were to overcome these problems, it lacks the capacity to control the relevant behaviors and attitudes. The main potential political allies in a states'-rights campaign—state officials and populist dissenters—are unlikely to have interests compatible with judicial norms or to be effective voices for federalism. In fact, general social and cultural conditions seem to favor further centralization.
Lagrangian approach for geometrical derivatives and nonadiabatic coupling terms in MRCISD

A new formulation for multireference configuration interaction method, with single and double excitations (MRCISD), energy gradients and nonadiabatic coupling terms based on a Lagrangian approach is suggested and the gradients demonstrated to be accurate with calculations on several molecules. Of particular interest, the suggested formalism can straightforwardly use state-averaged-multiconfiguration self-consistent field (SA-MCSCF) descriptions of the reference space in which the states have arbitrary weights. This capability is demonstrated by some calculations on the ground and first excited 1Σ+ states of LiH, including calculations near an avoided crossing. The formalism can use either complete or incomplete model (i.e. reference) spaces, and is limited, in this regard, only by the capabilities of the MCSCF program. The formalism for nonadiabatic coupling shares many structural features with the energy gradient formalism, with the use of a function that corresponds to the energy for the coupling.
Radiation Therapy to Convert the Tumor Into an In Situ Vaccine

Over the past several months new examples of abscopal effects of radiotherapy have added to the existing literature on this subject, and demonstrated an association with an anti-tumor immune response (1–3). Initially met by understandable scepticism, our original hypothesis that the rare but repeatedly observed abscopal effect of radiation is, at least in part, immune-mediated is acquiring increasing support (4). Importantly, this new role of radiotherapy brings radiation oncology to the table of the “systemic disease modifiers”, a place it is generally excluded from.
On the Assessment of Anxiety: II. By a Self-Report Inventory

A self-report inventory for the assessment of anxiety is presented. Unlike other anxiety inventories, which characteristically focus on symptoms, the present scale is directed toward the causes of anxiety. The rationale underlying the test is the assumption that felt anxiety is a function of the quantity of experiences which a person has been unable to assimilate adequately. Preliminary findings are presented on a form of the scale developed for use with hospitalized male psychiatric patients.
Developing a RESTful communication protocol and an energy optimization algorithm for a connected sustainable home

Improving the energy efficiency of residential buildings can lead in reducing the energy consumption of cities. It is presented a prototype house that uses real time connectivity to enable effective energy management through the deployment of an optimization algorithm. Following the principles of the Web of Things, the devices of the house are mapped into a RESTful structure where the HTTP protocol is used for communication, and a risk-sensitive algorithm p-Sulu, based on Iterative Risk Allocation, is used for long-term energy optimization. The RESTful protocol makes the system compatible and scalable, able to expand at a neighborhood or a community scale.
Land use scenario development as a tool for watershed management within the Rio Mannu Basin

The Rio Mannu River Basin (Sardinia, Italy) is undergoing a process of agricultural intensification. Like many Mediterranean areas, this basin is characterized by water shortages and diffuse pollution from agricultural sources. Hence the objective of this study was to develop possible land use and land management scenarios that could constitute an alternative to the current watershed management. Several land use and land management scenarios were formulated and analyzed with local stakeholders, and two were selected and simulated as realistic in consideration of the socio-economical aspects of the study area. Scenario 1 involves agricultural practices that include a reduction in fertilizer use to meet the Water Framework Directive requirements for “good” status of water bodies. Scenario 2 introduces rapeseed cultivation, replacing durum wheat in a small area, to investigate the impact of biofuel plant cultivation on water quality. Each option was assessed by considering the effects on water quality, crop yields and economic benefits. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was applied to simulate hydrological processes and evaluate current and future nutrient loads. This model requires adequate streamflow data for calibration and validation. However, as is the case for many Mediterranean basins, insufficient data were available. Therefore, a methodology was developed and tested to calibrate hydrological processes based on the transposition of a parameter set from a gauged catchment located in the same region. This study suggests that a sound use of fertilizers could substantially reduce the amount of nutrients flowing into surface waters, although the effects of such a policy on crop yield and farm income would be negative in some cases. Moreover, the results clearly predict that the replacement of durum wheat with rapeseed (a biofuel crop), could offer a margin of profit, but would have a negative impact on water quality due to increased nutrient losses. Consequently, this option is unsuitable for this area. Furthermore, it can be inferred from these results that the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources may have a negative impact on the objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive. Clearly, this process needs to be regulated, taking into account environmental and socio-economical aspects.
The Potential Role of B Cell-Targeted Therapies in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS. Until recently, most therapeutic interventions have targeted T cells in the treatment of MS. Recent data show that B cells also have a role in the pathogenesis of MS. The cerebrospinal fluid and CNS of MS patients contain B cells, plasma cells and immunoglobulins, and recent data indicate that B cells are involved in antigen presentation and T-cell activation, cytokine production, antibody secretion, demyelination and remyelination in MS. These advances in the understanding of B cells and their role in the pathophysiology of MS provide a strong rationale for B cell-targeted therapies. Recent clinical trials with rituximab highlight the possibility that B cells should be an important therapeutic target in patients with MS.
Probing the topography of the photosystem II oxygen evolving complex: PsbO is required for efficient calcium protection of the manganese cluster against dark-inhibition by an artificial reductant

The photosystem II (PSII) manganese-stabilizing protein (PsbO) is known to be the essential PSII extrinsic subunit for stabilization and retention of the Mn and Cl− cofactors in the oxygen evolving complex (OEC) of PSII, but its function relative to Ca2+ is less clear. To obtain a better insight into the relationship, if any, between PsbO and Ca2+ binding in the OEC, samples with altered PsbO-PSII binding properties were probed for their potential to promote the ability of Ca2+ to protect the Mn cluster against dark-inhibition by an exogenous artificial reductant, N,N-dimethylhydroxylamine. In the absence of the PsbP and PsbQ extrinsic subunits, Ca2+ and its surrogates (Sr2+, Cd2+) shield Mn atoms from inhibitory reduction (Kuntzleman et al., Phys Chem Chem Phys 6:4897, 2004). The results presented here show that PsbO exhibits a positive effect on Ca2+ binding in the OEC by facilitating the ability of the metal to prevent inhibition of activity by the reductant. The data presented here suggest that PsbO may have a role in the formation of the OEC-associated Ca2+ binding site by promoting the equilibrium between bound and free Ca2+ that favors the bound metal.
Angular and polarization correlations in photoionization and radiative recombination

The relativistic formulation is given for the angular distribution of the electrons produced in the photoionization by linearly polarized photons and the distribution of photons of a particular polarization produced in the inverse process of radiative recombination. The electrons are treated as moving in a self-consistent Hartree-Slater central potential. Results are given for the radiative recombination onto heliumlike nickel and neonlike barium for electrons in the energy range below 100 keV.
Researching the controls of adventitious rooting

Cloning is crucial in horticulture and forestry for commercial production of plants and in genetic improvement programs. However, inability to induce adventitious root formation (rooting) often limits cloning of woody plants by cuttage or tissue culture. To improve cloning, past physiological and biochemical studies of rooting have largely been aimed at understanding controls by researching post-translational processes. Still, the sought-for controls of rooting remain obscure. However, those controls may be discovered by searching for and studying direct genetic effects, using current molecular genetic technologies and new plant materials (e.g., non-rooting mutants, normally rootless plants). In particular, applying molecular genetic technologies in studies at the transcriptional and translational levels may soon reveal the controls of rooting. We review strategies for achieving that goal.
Keeping in Touch: How Women in Mid-life Allocate Social Contacts among Kith and Kin

Social contacts between middle-aged women and those in the younger and older generations help define the social networks that hold the generations together. Through the interpersonal ties constituting these networks, friends, as well as families, exchange various kinds of support that affect an individual's social, psychic, physical, emotional, and economic status. This article sets up a theoretical frameworkfor studying women's social contacts with family and friends and tests it using data from the 1981 wave of the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women. Our results indicate that the contacts that middle-aged women have with kith and kin depend on the nature of the relationship, household structure, distance, resources, and a predisposition to contact with family. But the effects of the most important of these depend on other characteristics in key ways. Social contacts between middle-aged women and those in the younger and older generations help define the social networks that hold the generations together. The interpersonal ties constituting these networks are important social resources. Through them, friends, as well as families, exchange various kinds of support that affect individuals' social, psychic, physical, emotional, and economic status. For example, research indicates that social support affects individuals' health by lowering the probability of physical illness and mortality (Willis 1985; House, Robbins & Metzner 1982) and by increasing psychological well-being (Donald & Ware 1982). For middle-aged women, however, recent research has suggested that the benefits of social contact may be somewhat offset by the strains. (Menken 1985; This research wasfunded by Center Grant No. P-50-HD-12639from the Centerfor Population Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and by Program Project GrantNo. P01 AG08291 from the National Institute on Aging. We would like to thank Calvin Goldscheider and the participants in the NIAINICHD Workshop on Family Intergenerational Relations, Washington, D.C., September 1987, for helpful comments. We are also grateful to Daniel Relles and Ross M. Stolzenber& who provided statistical advice thatgreatly improved the analysis andJoyce Petersonfor insights into ourfindings and help in presenting them more coherently. Direct correspondence to Linda J. Waite, Population Research Center, OgburnIStouffer Center, NORC and University of Chicago, 1155 East 60th St., Chicago, IL
Characterization of the fecal microbiome from non-human wild primates reveals species specific microbial communities.

Background: Host-associated microbes comprise an integral part of animal digestive systems and these interactions have a long evolutionary history. It has been hypothesized that the gastrointestinal microbiome of humans and other non-human primates may have played significant roles in host evolution by facilitating a range of dietary adaptations. We have undertaken a comparative sequencing survey of the gastrointestinal microbiomes of several non-human primate species, with the goal of better understanding how these microbiomes relate to the evolution of non-human primate diversity. Here we present a comparative analysis of gastrointestinal microbial communities from three different species of Old World wild monkeys. Methodology/Principal Findings: We analyzed fecal samples from three different wild non-human primate species (blackand-white colobus [Colubus guereza], red colobus [Piliocolobus tephrosceles], and red-tailed guenon [Cercopithecus ascanius]). Three samples from each species were subjected to small subunit rRNA tag pyrosequencing. Firmicutes comprised the vast majority of the phyla in each sample. Other phyla represented were Bacterioidetes, Proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Lentisphaerae, Tenericutes, Planctomycetes, Fibrobacateres, and TM7. BrayCurtis similarity analysis of these microbiomes indicated that microbial community composition within the same primate species are more similar to each other than to those of different primate species. Comparison of fecal microbiota from nonhuman primates with microbiota of human stool samples obtained in previous studies revealed that the gut microbiota of these primates are distinct and reflect host phylogeny. Conclusion/Significance: Our analysis provides evidence that the fecal microbiomes of wild primates co-vary with their hosts, and that this is manifested in higher intraspecies similarity among wild primate species, perhaps reflecting species specificity of the microbiome in addition to dietary influences. These results contribute to the limited body of primate microbiome studies and provide a framework for comparative microbiome analysis between human and non-human primates as well as a comparative evolutionary understanding of the human microbiome. Citation: Yildirim S, Yeoman CJ, Sipos M, Torralba M, Wilson BA, et al. (2010) Characterization of the Fecal Microbiome from Non-Human Wild Primates Reveals
Mass Spectrometry. An Essential Tool in Proteome Analysis

The entire genomic DNA sequence of Arabidopsis will be available by the end of this year. As has been the case for a number of prokaryotic and eukaryotic species whose genomic DNA sequences have been completed, many open reading frames in the Arabidopsis genome will encode proteins of unknown
Quantum limits of the hyper-Rayleigh scattering susceptibility

Sum rules have been used to show that there is an upper limit to molecular susceptibilities. Such calculations have been applied to the diagonal part of the second-order susceptibility tensor as measured with electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation, and to a variety of third-order measurements. The results show that the off-resonant susceptibilities of all molecules measured fall within the calculated limits. In this contribution, we show that the most susceptibilities measured with hyper Rayleigh scattering (HRS) fall below the two-dimensional theoretical limit, and discuss the issue of why some molecules appear to break this limit.
School reentry for children with acquired central nervous systems injuries

Onset of acquired central nervous system (CNS) injury during the normal developmental process of childhood can have impact on cognitive, behavioral, and motor function. This alteration of function often necessitates special education programming, modifications, and accommodations in the education setting for successful school reentry. Special education is not necessarily a special classroom, but an individualized set of educational needs, determined by a multidisciplinary school team, to promote educational success. The purpose of this article is to inform those pediatricians and pediatric allied health professionals treating children with CNS injury of the systems in place to support successful school reentry and their role in contributing to developing an appropriate educational plan.
THE FINE STRUCTURE OF THE VENTRAL INTERSEGMENTAL ABDOMINAL MUSCLES OF THE INSECT RHODNIUS PROLIXUS DURING THE MOLTING CYCLE I. Muscle Structure at Molting

Rhodnius prolixus, a South American insect, molts five times in its development to an adult after emerging from the egg. Each molting cycle is triggered with a blood-meal. The ventral intersegmental abdominal muscles of Rhodnius develop during each molting cycle and are functional at molting. The fine structure of these fully developed muscles from fourth stage larval insects is studied. They have the characteristic structure of slow muscles. They have multiple motor nerve endings, and the myofibrils are poorly defined in cross-section. Longitudinal sections show long sarcomeres (8–10 µ), irregular Z-lines, and no apparent H zones. No M line is seen. Transverse sections through the A-band region show that each hexagonally arranged thick filament is surrounded by 12 thin filaments. Two thin filaments are shared by two neighboring thick filaments. The ratio of thin to thick filaments is 6:1. This structure is related to that found in vertebrate skeletal muscle and insect flight muscle.
Spontaneous quantal transmitter secretion from myocytes and fibroblasts: comparison with neuronal secretion

When exogenous ACh is loaded into the cytoplasm of cultured amphibian myocytes and fibroblasts, the cells undergo spontaneous quantal ACh secretion, as detected by the appearance of pulsatile membrane currents in Xenopus myocytes which are manipulated into contact with the cells. These currents resemble in many ways the miniature endplate currents (MEPCs) observed at developing neuromuscular synapses formed on these Xenopus myocytes. Analyses of the frequency, amplitude, and time course of these currents suggests similarity in the cellular mechanisms involved in the packaging and secretion of ACh quanta in fibroblasts, myocytes, and developing neurons. The size of the ACh packets released by the non-neuronal cells were found to be very similar to the size of the neuronal ACh quanta, which are thought to result from the exocytotic release of synaptic vesicles. Moreover, the kinetics with which the ACh packets are discharged from all three cell types are comparable, although the speed of secretion in non-neuronal cells is somewhat slower and more irregular. The spontaneous quantal ACh secretion from neurons and myocytes was decreased by reducing cytosolic Ca2+ level and enhanced by activation of protein kinase C with phorbol ester, but secretion from fibroblasts was unaffected by both treatments. The spontaneous secretion from fibroblasts did show some sensitivity to a rise in cytosolic Ca2+ after treatment with a Ca2+ ionophore. These observations support the hypothesis that the basic machinery for transmitter secretion operating in neurons derive from a more ubiquitous mechanism used for constitutive secretion and membrane trafficking in non-neuronal cells, and neuronal differentiation involves expression of additional unique components for the regulation of the spontaneous quantal secretion.
Relationships between major depressive disorder and comorbid anxiety and personality disorders

Abstract Objective The aim of the study was to examine whether comorbid anxiety disorders influence depressed patients' likelihood of meeting criteria for a personality disorder (PD) and whether comorbid anxiety disorders influence the stability of the PDs in patients with remitted depression. Methods The initial sample consisted of 373 outpatients who met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) (by Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition —Patient Edition) and who were enrolled in the 8-week acute treatment phase of a study of fluoxetine for MDD. Sixty-four subjects who responded to fluoxetine treatment in the acute phase met criteria for remission throughout a 26-week continuation phase during which they remained on fluoxetine with or without cognitive behavioral therapy. Stability of PDs was defined as meeting criteria for a PD at both beginning and end point of the continuation treatment phase. Results Before fluoxetine treatment, anxious depressed patients (defined as meeting criteria for MDD as well as at least one comorbid anxiety disorder) were significantly more likely to meet criteria for any comorbid PD diagnosis compared with depressed patients without comorbid anxiety disorders. In particular, there was a significant relationship between the presence of Cluster A and C PDs and the presence of anxious depression at baseline before antidepressant treatment. After successful treatment of MDD, we found a significant relationship between anxious depression diagnosed at baseline and the stability of a Cluster C PD diagnosis. Conclusion Anxious depression may place patients at greater risk of having a PD diagnosis, especially one from Cluster A or C. Once the depression remits, patients who initially met criteria for anxious depression may be more likely to maintain a Cluster C PD diagnosis compared with patients initially diagnosed with MDD alone.
Effect of load alterations on the effective regurgitant orifice area in chronic aortic regurgitation

Objective: To evaluate the load dependence of effective regurgitant orifice area (ROA) in an animal model of chronic aortic regurgitation. Methods: Eight sheep were studied 10–20 weeks after the surgical creation of aortic regurgitation. After baseline studies, 500 ml of blood, angiotensin II, and nitroprusside were infused sequentially. Electromagnetic flow meters were used as reference standards to determine aortic regurgitation volume. The time–velocity integral was acquired using the continuous wave Doppler method. Results: Baseline aortic regurgitant volume varied from 8 ml (regurgitant fraction 28%) to 29 ml (59%), with a mean (SD) value of 17 (8) ml; mean ROA was 0.15 (0.05) cm 2 . During angiotensin II infusion, aortic regurgitation volume (20 (8) ml) and mean diastolic aortoventricular pressure gradient (62 (18) mm Hg) increased by 26 (16)% and 48 (64)%, respectively (p 2 , p = 0.15). During nitroprusside infusion, aortic regurgitant volume (13 (7) ml, p = 0.05) and diastolic pressure gradient (25 (13) mm Hg, p 2 ). When analysing 32 stages together, aortic regurgitant volume ( r = 0.78, p r = 0.55, p r = 0.28) was not significantly correlated with ROA. Conclusions: In an animal model of chronic aortic regurgitation, ROA did not change with load alterations.
Dynamic dead-instruction detection and elimination

We observe a non-negligible fraction--3 to 16% in our benchmarks--of dynamically dead instructions, dynamic instruction instances that generate unused results. The majority of these instructions arise from static instructions that also produce useful results. We find that compiler optimization (specifically instruction scheduling) creates a significant portion of these partially dead static instructions. We show that most of the dynamically instructions arise from a small set of static instructions that produce dead values most of the time.We leverage this locality by proposing a dead instruction predictor and presenting a scheme to avoid the execution of predicted-dead instructions. Our predictor achieves an accuracy of 93% while identifying over 91% of the dead instructions using less than 5 KB of state. We achieve such high accuracies by leveraging future control flow information (i.e., branch predictions) to distinguish between useless and useful instances of the same static instruction.We then present a mechanism to avoid the register allocation, instruction scheduling, and execution of predicted dead instructions. We measure reductions in resource utilization averaging over 5% and sometimes exceeding 10%, covering physical register management (allocation and freeing), register file read and write traffic, and data cache accesses. Performance improves by an average of 3.6% on an architecture exhibiting resource contention. Additionally, our scheme frees future compilers from the need to consider the costs of dead instructions, enabling more aggressive code motion and optimization. Simultaneously, it mitigates the need for good path profiling information in making inter-block code motion decisions.
New ranging algorithm for FM/CW radars

A new ranging algorithm for frequency modulated/continuous wave (FM/CW) radars is given. This algorithm is near optimal, very robust, does not depend on the type of modulation, and is fairly easy to compute. An example of an older algorithm based on sinusoidal frequency modulation (FM) used on the MK-95 CW radar is given to illustrate shortcomings in typical older algorithms and for comparison purposes. The characteristics of the new ranging algorithm and test results from the MK-95 radar are provided. The actual target range and the one calculated using the new ranging algorithm differed by less than 1%.
TESTING PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH ON RESTRAINT SYSTEMS

EXTENSIVE RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS HAS BEEN MADE BY THE OFFICE OF VEHICLE SYSTEMS RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS. PORTIONS OF THAT RESEARCH, CONSISTING OF HUMAN DYNAMIC SLED TESTS AT HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, TESTS OF RESTRAINT SYSTEMS ON THE NBS SLED, AND A VARIETY OF STRENGTH AND DEGRADATION TESTS OF SEAT BELTS ARE REPORTED. THE GEOMETRY OF RESTRAINT SYSTEMS IN 1968 MODEL PRODUCTION AUTOMOBILES IS DOCUMENTED. RESULTS OF 75 HUMAN TESTS REPORTED INDICATE THE NATURE OF HUMAN KINEMATIC RESPONSE TO DECELERATION IN SEAT BELTS AND THE FORCES THE SEAT BELT MIGHT BE EXPECTED TO WITHSTAND. REQUIREMENTS FOR DYMAMIC TESTS OF SEAT BELTS HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED AS WELL AS DEGRATION TESTS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR SEAT BELTS FOR USE IN MOTOR VEHICLES. /AUTHOR/
Early synergistic interactions between amikacin and six β-lactam antibiotics against multiply resistant members of the family Enterobacteriaceae

An in vitro comparison of the early synergistic interaction between amikacin and each of six beta-lactam antibiotics was made by using time-kill curves against 48 multiply resistant members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Overall, these six combinations demonstrated early synergism (greater than or equal to 2 logs of increased kill after 7 h of incubation) against the 48 strains on 74% (range, 67 to 85%) of occasions; cefotaxime-amikacin and piperacillin-amikacin were the most efficacious combinations. Antagonism was not observed with any of the combinations against any of the 48 Enterobacteriaceae strains tested.
Developing an index to assess the resilience of critical infrastructure

In 2009, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began using a targeted questionnaire to produce individual vulnerability/ protective-measure values for high-risk critical infrastructures and key resources. As sites continue to be assessed, the topic of resilience is emerging as a necessary focus in risk management and infrastructure protection. Enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructures requires determining the ability of systems to withstand specific threats and return to normal operations after degradation. Thus, comprehensive consideration of all parts of infrastructure systems, from threats to consequences, is needed. The methodology must generate reproducible results that can support decision-making in risk management, disaster response, and business continuity. Argonne National Laboratory, in collaboration with the DHS Protective Security Coordination Division, has developed a comprehensive methodology that uses uniform and consistent data to develop a resilience index (RI). Using the RI to compare similar facilities can provide vital benefits to owners/operators as well as DHS.
On Higher Order Angular Derivatives--An Application of Faà di Bruno's Formula.

We study the singular behaviour of k-th angular derivatives of analytic functions in the unit disk in the complex plane ℂ and positive harmonic functions in the unit ball in ℝ n . Faa di Bruno's formula is a crucial tool in our proofs.
Performance of a Dual, Solid-State Intraoperative Probe System with 18F, 99mTc, and 111In

The use of tracer-avid radiopharmaceuticals and handheld, intraoperative, radiation-sensitive probes to localize areas of tumors promises to improve surgical treatments of cancer. Currently several β- and γ-ray-emitting radiopharmaceuticals are proposed for use in these procedures. Therefore, intraoperative-probe systems should be capable of optimum performance with several different radionuclides. The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of a dual, solid-state probe with three of these radionuclides (18F, 99mTc, and 111In). Methods: The detector unit of the intraoperative-probe system used in this investigation consisted of a stack of two ion-implanted silicon detectors separated by 0.5 mm. The system could be operated in two modes: β optimized, in which the difference between the signals from the two detectors was calculated to correct the β signal for photon contamination, and photon-optimized mode, in which the signals were summed. Detection sensitivity and an index measuring β detection selectivity were measured in both acquisition modes with the three different radionuclides. The γ-ray detection sensitivity of a commercially available probe was measured with 99mTc and compared with the results with a solid-state probe. Results: β and photon emissions (γ-rays and annihilation photons) produced by all three radionuclides were detected by the probe. In β-optimized acquisition mode, the greatest β-detection sensitivity was achieved with 18F; photon sensitivity was greatest for measurements with 111In. The lowest detection sensitivities (β and photon) were obtained with 99mTc. With the probe system in γ-optimized mode, the greatest β and photon sensitivities were achieved with 18F; the lowest were obtained with 99mTc. The γ-detection sensitivity measured with 99mTc in γ mode (5.59 ± 0.41 counts per second [cps]/kBq) compared surprisingly well with the results from the commercial probe (8.75 ± 0.47cps/kBq). Conclusion: The results from this investigation demonstrate the flexibility and versatility of the dual, solid-state probe system used in this study. These capabilities may be used to improve existing techniques or lead to new methods for performing radionuclide-guided surgeries.
Footprint area sampled texturing

We study texture projection based on a four region subdivision: magnification, minification, and two mixed regions. We propose improved versions of existing techniques by providing exact filtering methods which reduce both aliasing and overblurring, especially in the mixed regions. We further present a novel texture mapping algorithm called FAST (footprint area sampled texturing), which not only delivers high quality, but also is efficient. By utilizing coherence between neighboring pixels, performing prefiltering, and applying an area sampling scheme, we guarantee a minimum number of samples sufficient for effective antialiasing. Unlike existing methods (e.g., MlP-map, Feline), our method adapts the sampling rate in each chosen MlP-map level separately to avoid undersampling in the lower level l for effective antialiasing and to avoid oversampling in the higher level l+1 for efficiency. Our method has been shown to deliver superior image quality to Feline and other methods while retaining the same efficiency. We also provide implementation trade offs to apply a variable degree of accuracy versus speed.
‘Third cheerleader from the left’: from Homer’s Helen to Helen of Troy

The supreme beauty of Helen of Troy makes her the most dangerous of all women. Most Greek authors react to the threat she poses by limiting her power, often in the guise of defending her. Thus in the Iliad, Achilles’ story displaces hers, and male characters excuse her from blame by denying her agency. Yet, she remains a real cause of the war and an emblem of the heroic enterprise as such. Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy (2004), which draws on the Iliad, places a new emphasis on heterosexual pair-bonding. Yet, the film extends the Greek project of disempowering Helen in the guise of defending her. The movie does not celebrate the dangerous power of female beauty but denies it by means of an array of strategies, some of which echo ancient texts and some of which are specific to contemporary ideology and the cinematic medium. Helen is presented as a hapless victim, cast as an adolescent everygirl and contrasted with the feisty Briseis. Finally, her beauty is displaced in favour of the star power and charisma of Brad Pitt’s spectacular body. Once again, Helen is displaced by Achilles.