cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopy can predict key leaf traits associated with source-sink balance and carbon-nitrogen status.

Approaches that enable high-throughput, non-destructive measurement of plant traits are essential for programs seeking to improve crop yields through physiological breeding. However, many key traits still require measurement using slow, labor-intensive, and destructive approaches. We investigated the potential to retrieve key traits associated with leaf source–sink balance and carbon–nitrogen status from leaf optical properties. Structural and biochemical traits and leaf reflectance (500–2400 nm) of eight crop species were measured and used to develop predictive ‘spectra–trait’ models using partial least squares regression. Independent validation data demonstrated that the models achieved very high predictive power for C, N, C:N ratio, leaf mass per area, water content, and protein content (R²>0.85), good predictive capability for starch, sucrose, glucose, and free amino acids (R²=0.58–0.80), and some predictive capability for nitrate (R²=0.51) and fructose (R²=0.44). Our spectra–trait models were developed to cover the trait space associated with food or biofuel crop plants and can therefore be applied in a broad range of phenotyping studies.
Improving inertial confinement fusion power plant and effective driver efficiencies by generating electricity from KrF laser reject heat

KrF laser intrinsic efficiency increases modestly with increase in lasing medium temperature up to at least a few hundred degrees Celsius. Such temperatures are high enough to permit efficient generation of electric power from the large amounts of heat that must be continuously removed from the lasing medium of a repetitively pulsed KrF laser in an inertial confinement fusion power plant. The effects of power generation from lasing medium heat on net plant efficiency and effective laser efficiency were investigated in a generic systems analysis. Two approaches to efficient, cost-effective generation of electric power from lasing medium heat were analyzed in detail: dedicated power generation systems that use lasing medium heat as the sole thermal energy source and the use of lasing medium thermal energy to heat main-plant steam cycle feedwater. Feedwater heating gives higher generation efficiencies and is more cost-effective than a dedicated system.
Order-of-addition experiments: A review and some new thoughts

The study of order-of-addition (OofA) experiments is prevalent in many scientific and industrial areas. The statistical design of experiments (DOE) will considerably improve the efficiency of OofA ...
The Effect of Crown Lengthening on the Outcome of Endodontically Treated Posterior Teeth: 10-year Survival Analysis.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a crown lengthening (CL) procedure and the crown-root ratio after CL on the long-term survival of endodontically treated teeth (ETT). Methods Permanent posterior teeth with opposing dentition that had received adequate nonsurgical root canal treatment (NSRCT) and a full-coverage crown between January 1, 2006, and January 1, 2016 were included in this retrospective study. The data collected included dates of the NSRCT, time of extraction if extracted, age, sex, location, the crown-root ratio after CL, and the presence of a lesion. All included ETT were divided into 2 groups: 1. the CL group, CL was indicated and performed after NSRCT before crown placement and 2. the control group: ETT with adequate ferrule after NSRCT. Data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Cox regression model (α = 0.05). Results 5-year survival rates of ETT in the control and CL groups were 88.6% and 82.2%, respectively (P > .05). The 10-year survival rates of ETT in the control and CL groups were 74.5% and 51%, respectively (P Conclusions A crown-root ratio of 1:1 after osseous CL may affect the long-term survival of ETT. Despite the promising survival rate of ETT with an adequate crown-root ratio after CL, the long-term survival of NSRCT with an inadequate crown-root ratio (1:1) should be considered in the treatment planning phase. Also, it is worth mentioning that the results of the present study should be evaluated in future prospective studies.
Herbicide Adsorption and Release Properties of Five Oxadiazon-Coated Fertilizers

Abstract Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the release of oxadiazon coated on control-release fertilizers. Five fertilizers and glass beads (nonabsorbent control) were coated with ...
Five things to know about modeling and simulation

Modeling is as old as humanity. It is one of the ways in which we experience the world, teach our children, and entertain ourselves. The digital computer, on the other hand, is approximately 60 yea...
File systems unfit as distributed storage backends: lessons from 10 years of Ceph evolution

For a decade, the Ceph distributed file system followed the conventional wisdom of building its storage backend on top of local file systems. This is a preferred choice for most distributed file systems today because it allows them to benefit from the convenience and maturity of battle-tested code. Ceph's experience, however, shows that this comes at a high price. First, developing a zero-overhead transaction mechanism is challenging. Second, metadata performance at the local level can significantly affect performance at the distributed level. Third, supporting emerging storage hardware is painstakingly slow. Ceph addressed these issues with BlueStore, a new back-end designed to run directly on raw storage devices. In only two years since its inception, BlueStore outperformed previous established backends and is adopted by 70% of users in production. By running in user space and fully controlling the I/O stack, it has enabled space-efficient metadata and data checksums, fast overwrites of erasure-coded data, inline compression, decreased performance variability, and avoided a series of performance pitfalls of local file systems. Finally, it makes the adoption of backwards-incompatible storage hardware possible, an important trait in a changing storage landscape that is learning to embrace hardware diversity.
CADENCE: Conditional Anomaly Detection for Events Using Noise-Contrastive Estimation

Many forms of interaction between computer systems and users are recorded in the form of event records, such as login events, API call records, bank transaction records, etc. These records are often comprised of high-dimensional categorical variables, such as user name, zip code, autonomous system number, etc. In this work, we consider anomaly detection for such data sets, where each record consists of multi-dimensional, potentially very high-cardinality, categorical variables. Our proposed technique, named CADENCE, uses a combination of neural networks, low-dimensional representation learning and noise contrastive estimation. Our approach is based on estimating conditional probability density functions governing observed events, which are assumed to be mostly normal. This conditional modeling approach allows CADENCE to consider each event in its own context, thereby significantly improving its accuracy. We evaluate our proposed method using both synthetic and real world data sets. Our results show that CADENCE performs significantly better than existing methods at real-world anomaly detection tasks.
Hormones and pulmonary effects of tobacco. I. Corticosteroids and their antiasthmatic action.

Hydrocortisone or dexamethasone administered daily for seven or 14 days brought about the following effects in rats: (a) reduction or blockade in the bronchoconstrictor action and decreased tidal volume response to inhalation of cigarette smoke; (b) no effect on bronchodilator mechanisms related to cigarette smoke and injection of epinephrine; (c) no effect on bronchoconstrictor mechanisms related to serotonin and bradykinin; (d) no effect on surfactant activity of saline extract of the lung; and (e) no effect on histamine content of the lung, although compounds which release histamine reduce histamine content in the lung. These results contribute to understanding the basis for the antiasthmatic action of corticosteroids. There is no reason to suspect that the mechanisms in rat lung differ from those in other animal species. Discrepancies in results of experimentally induced pulmonary emphysema are due to differences in techniques rather than to a difference in animal species.
A Monolithically Integrated Silicon Photonics 8×8 Switch in 90nm SOI CMOS

This work presents the first fully packaged silicon photonics 8×8 switch with monolithically integrated electrical control circuits in 90nm SOI CMOS. The switch is a strictly non-blocking network built from 2×1 and 2×2 Mach-Zehnder switches (MZSs). 180 DACs tune the MZSs and 112 ADCs measure optical power across the network for feedback control. Digital interfaces provide low-speed tuning/monitoring and high-speed switching controls. 5.6ns optical switching is achieved with thermo-optically tuned crosstalk <–33.5dB.
Denoising Gravitational Waves with Enhanced Deep Recurrent Denoising Auto-encoders

Denoising of time domain data is a crucial task for many applications such as communication, translation, virtual assistants etc. For this task, a combination of a recurrent neural net (RNNs) with a Denoising Auto-Encoder (DAEs) has shown promising results. However, this combined model is challenged when operating with low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) data embedded in non-Gaussian and non-stationary noise. To address this issue, we design a novel model, referred to as ‘Enhanced Deep Recurrent Denoising Auto-Encoder’ (EDR-DAE), that incorporates a signal amplifier layer, and applies curriculum learning by first denoising high SNR signals, before gradually decreasing the SNR until the signals become noise dominated. We showcase the performance of EDR-DAE using time-series data that describes gravitational waves embedded in very noisy backgrounds. In addition, we show that EDRDAE can accurately denoise signals whose topology is significantly more complex than those used for training, demonstrating that our model generalizes to new classes of gravitational waves that are beyond the scope of established denoising algorithms.
Torsional component of microsaccades during fixation and quick phases during optokinetic stimulation

While many studies have characterized the eye movements during visual fixation, includ-ing microsaccades, in most cases only horizontal and vertical components have been rec-orded and analyzed. Thus, little is known about the torsional component of microsaccades. We took advantage of a newly developed software and hardware to record eye movements around the three axes of rotation during fixation and torsional optokinetic stimulus. We found that the average amplitude of the torsional component of microsaccades during fixation was 0.34 ± 0.07 degrees with velocities following a main sequence with a slope comparable to the horizontal and vertical components. We also found the size of the tor-sional displacement during microsaccades was correlated with the horizontal but not the vertical component. In the presence of an optokinetic stimulus a nystagmus was induced producing a more frequent and larger torsional quick phases compared to microsaccades produced during fixation with a stationary stimulus. The torsional component and the vertical vergence component of quick phases grew larger with higher velocities. Addition-ally, our results validate and show the feasibility of recording torsional eye movements using video eye tracking in a desktop mounted setup.
Revefenacin, a once-daily, long-acting muscarinic antagonist, for nebulized maintenance therapy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PURPOSE: This article reviews the efficacy and safety of revefenacin, the first once-daily, long-acting muscarinic antagonist, when delivered via a standard jet nebulizer in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). SUMMARY: Revefenacin 175 µg is indicated for the maintenance treatment of patients with moderate to very severe COPD. Preclinical studies showed that revefenacin is a potent and selective antagonist with similar affinity for the different subtypes of muscarinic receptors (M1-M5). Furthermore, prevention of methacholine- and acetylcholine-induced bronchoconstrictive effects was dose dependent and lasted longer than 24 hours, demonstrating a long duration of action. In phase 2 and 3 trials, treatment with revefenacin was demonstrated to result in statistical improvements in pulmonary function (≥100 mL, P < 0.05) vs placebo, including among patients with markers of more severe disease and those who received concomitant long-acting s-agonists or long-acting s-agonists together with inhaled corticosteroids. Revefenacin was also demonstrated to have efficacy similar to that of tiotropium. The clinical trial findings indicated no significant difference between revefenacin and tiotropium with regard to rates of adverse events. Overall, revefenacin was well tolerated, with COPD worsening/exacerbation, dyspnea, headache, and cough among the most common adverse events noted in the clinical trials. CONCLUSIONS: Revefenacin treatment delivered via nebulization led to improvements in lung function in patients with COPD. It was also generally well tolerated, with no major safety concerns. Revefenacin provides a viable treatment option for patients with COPD and may be a suitable alternative for those with conditions that may impair proper use of traditional handheld inhalers.
Dynamic Photonics with Unconventional Materials

Reconfigurable photonic devices that can change in functionality can transform the design of next-generation optical devices such as modulators, sensors, and signal processors. We present the notion of transient photonic devices based on Mg, where we demonstrate color pixels formed by Mg/MgO/Mg thin films. Vivid colors ranging from blue to burgundy are obtained by varying the thickness of the dielectric spacer. The pixels vanish in hue in less than 10 minutes due to the dissolution of both Mg and MgO in water, at room temperature and neutral pH. A detailed discussion of the etching mechanism and its dependence on temperature and thin film deposition method will be presented. We will also present dynamic devices that change in color. Our paradigm is relevant for applications ranging from encryption to biodegradable displays. Concerning sensors, we demonstrate how the optical response of Au-Pd alloys can be modified on demand, as a function of both chemical composition and amount of hydrogen.
Biofilms in the Water Industry

This chapter outlines fundamental— and often special —characteristics of biofilm systems in the water industry. Building on these fundamentals, the describes how the water industry uses biofilms as the heart of technology that improves water quality. Finally, it highlights the ways in which biofilms cause problems in the water industry and strategies to counter the problems. Having multiple donors and acceptors means that multiple-species biofilms are normal in the water industry. The donor and acceptor substrates present in the water select the bacteria that can inhabit the biofilm. Therefore, microbial ecology is the dominant biological science needed to understand and control biofilms in the water industry. Methanogenesis accomplishes two goals. The first and most fundamental goal is to transfer all the electron equivalents in organic matter (i.e., the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)) to CH4, which is a valuable energy resource. The second goal is to digest (or destroy) organic solids when the BOD is present in solid form. As waste-solids disposal is expensive, destroying solids is a major advantage. Although the issues are similar to those for drinking water, they are complicated by the reality that the manufacturing processes often add easily biodegraded substrates to make the products. As it often is impossible to have biologically stable process water, industries have developed elaborate clean-in-place systems that are used between product batches, and they also use a wide range of antimicrobial agents to minimize microbial growth in the process water and in the products.
Laboratory experiments on reconnection in current sheets

Laboratory reconnection experiments dedicated to problems of space and astrophysics are briefly reviewed with the purpose of demonstrating that such experiments can provide important insights of considerable value to the development of reconnection theory. Moreover, many of these insights are of a kind not likely to be perceived either when working directly with space observations or while pursuing a course of pure theoretical reasoning without reference to laboratory results.
The Effect of Choice-Making Opportunities during Activity Schedules on Task Engagement of Adults with Autism.

Increasing choice and participation by adults with autism spectrum disorders is an important, but neglected, aspect of research and services. This study evaluated the effects of choice-making opportunities, embedded within activity schedules, and contingent praise on the engagement of three adults with autism in a community vocational setting. In the baseline condition, staff assigned the order of the tasks. In the Choice condition and Maintenance phases, the participants chose the order of tasks that supervisors assigned to them. They made their own activity schedules by writing down the order of their tasks for that morning. Social praise was provided contingent on the participant's task completion. The same tasks were used in baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases. During the Choice and Maintenance conditions, client engagement was substantially higher than baseline for all three participants. Increasing choice-making opportunities within activity schedules was an effective and socially acceptable way to increase choice and engagement in adults with autism.
Physicalism and Alternatives

Physicalism is the doctrine that our world is fundamentally physical in nature. Substance dualism is an alternative doctrine, according to which there are certain fundamental, irreducible substances (objects) that are not physical – immaterial minds, entelechies, souls, or disembodied spirits. Property (or attribute) dualism, another alternative, maintains that there are fundamental properties that are not physical – spiritual properties or mental properties. Physicalism is a controversial doctrine, even among theorists who deny there is any supernatural realm. Various alternative doctrines to physicalism currently receive some currency, but none receives widespread acceptance. Whether our world is fundamentally physical remains a matter of dispute.
Asymptotic stability independent of delays: simple necessary and sufficient conditions

Studies stability properties of linear time-invariant delay systems. The authors consider specifically the notion of asymptotic stability independent of delays. Systems with both commensurate and non-commensurate delays are investigated. The authors present for each case a necessary and sufficient condition, and further they demonstrate how these conditions may be extended readily to study asymptotic stability independent of delays for uncertain systems. These conditions can be readily checked, and they appear to be considerably simpler than results developed elsewhere previously.
Hydroclimate of the northeastern United States is highly sensitive to solar forcing

[1] Dramatic hydrological fluctuations strongly impact human society, but the driving mechanisms for these changes are unclear. One suggested driver is solar variability, but supporting paleoclimate evidence is lacking. Therefore, long, continuous, high-resolution records from strategic locations are crucial for resolving the scientific debate regarding sensitivity of climate to solar forcing. We present a 6800–year, decadally-resolved biomarker and multidecadally-resolved hydrogen isotope record of hydroclimate from a coastal Maine peatland, The Great Heath (TGH). Regional moisture balance responds strongly and consistently to solar forcing at centennial to millennial timescales, with solar minima concurrent with wet conditions. We propose that the Arctic/North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO) can amplify small solar fluctuations, producing the reconstructed hydrological variations. The Sun may be entering a weak phase, analogous to the Maunder minimum, which could lead to more frequent flooding in the northeastern US at this multidecadal timescale.
The problem of nuclease activity in nucleic acid hybridization reactions: Theoretical considerations

Abstract The presence of nucleuses during DNA-DNA or DNA-RNA hybridization reactions alters the kinetics of hybrid formation. Unfortunately, while the effect (even of small amounts of nuclease) on the C 0 t curve may be large, it may not be readily detectable. The effect of various types of nuclease is shown. As many nucleuses cause a shift in the position rather than a change in shape of the curve, all studies involving nucleic acid hybridization should assay for the presence of nucleases and care must be taken to avoid their presence as contaminants.
Is a bipolar seesaw consistent with observed Antarctic climate variability and trends

[1] A bipolar seesaw of Arctic and Antarctic temperature anomalies has been reported to be evident in instrumental data on decadal timescales during the last century. This finding hinges upon a global temperature data set that for the area poleward of ∼60°S is derived from only one sub-Antarctic station prior to the mid-1940s, and does not include a substantial number of Antarctic stations until the late 1950s. The timeseries of the single-station record for the early period spliced to the data based on broader coverage for the latter period is an artificial estimate of the Antarctic climate trend and its variability. We estimate the real variability using the original timeseries from the sub-Antarctic station, a reconstruction of the Southern Annular Mode index, and an ice-core based reconstruction of Antarctic temperature. None of these Antarctic timeseries are significantly correlated with Arctic or North Atlantic climate records, nor with the index of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, which was proposed as the driving mechanism of the seesaw. Instead, each of these records is consistently correlated with tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures. However, neither the seesaw nor the tropics alone can fully capture the complexity of Antarctic climate variability and climate change.
A Longitudinal Assessment of Teacher Perceptions of Parent Involvement in Children's Education and School Performance

This study examines the ways in which parental involvement in children's education changes over time and how it relates to children's social and academic functioning in school. Teachers provided information on parent involvement and school performance for 1,205 urban, kindergarten through third-grade children for 3 consecutive years. They rated the following four dimensions of parent involvement: frequency of parent-teacher contact, quality of the parent-teacher interactions, participation in educational activities at home, and participation in school activites. As predicted, the frequency of parent-teacher contacts, quality of parent-teacher interactions, and parent participation at school declined from Years 1 to 3. Every parent involvement variable correlated moderately with school performance and parent involvement in Years 1 and 2, and accounted for a small, but significant amount of variance in Year 3 performance after controlling for initial performance level. Participation in educational activities at home predicted the widest range of performance variables. Results suggest that enhancing parental involvement in children's schooling relates to improvements in school functioning.
Parkinson’s tremor

Tremor associated with Parkinson’s disease can be medication resistant and disabling. A clinical trial of stereotactic focused ultrasound thalamotomy is underway.
“To rob the world of a people”: Language Removal as an Instance of Colonial Genocide in the Fort Alexander Indian Residential School

This paper demonstrates, through Sagkeeng First Nation narratives, how the Fort Alexander Indian Residential School (FAIRS) is a micro-instance of genocide in the context of language. An understanding is offered from the perspective of a settler colonial academic, in consideration of decolonizing principles. Using relational theory, namely Actor-Network Theory, this paper discusses how FAIRS’s practices were designed and operated to disrupt relations between children and their community by removing Anishinaabe language, and the ways children and their families negotiated and undermined these practices. Data was collected through critical narrative analysis and sociohistoric inquiry to identify and unpack the practice of language removal in FAIRS, as identified in Survivors’ testimonies, interviews, stories, and memoir.
The Teen Addiction Severity Index around the globe: the Tower of Babel revisited.

ABSTRACT The objectives of this article are, first, to provide a brief review of screening and assessment of adolescents substance use and substance use disorders; second, to describe the work done with the Teen Addiction Severity Index (T-ASI) in different countries; and third, to address challenges and opportunities in order to improve international collaboration between health professionals responsible for providing substance abuse services for youth and families. It is recommended that the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) sponsor and coordinate the efforts to disseminate the benefits accrued from already developed assessment and treatment of substance use disorders of youth into different countries and regions. Addiction professionals representing a myriad of cultures, ethnic, and racial groups would be encouraged to translate the assessments into relevant languages and dialects and with the support of the original authors conduct reverse translation and then test the psychometric pr...
Hormonal requirement for ovum implantation

Hormonal requirement for ovum implantation varies among the species of animals. The methods attempting to clarify the requirement in each species may be classified as follows: (i) hormonal replacement therapy after removal of the pituitary or/and the ovaries (ii) hormonal treatment after reduction of specific hormones by its antiserumin vivo (iii) close observation of hormone secretion pattern in early pregnancy (iv) examination of physiological conditions where implantation is delayed and analyze the hormone levels and the receptivity of the target tissues (v) examination of effects on hormone levels and the receptivity of target tissues of drugs which interfere with implantation. The reported results indicate that both progesterone and estrogen are needed for implantation in rats, mice, and Mongolian gerbils; in other species of animals progesterone alone may be sufficient to induce implantation, although synergistic effect of estrogen appears to be seen in some species such as in the rabbit. It remains to be determined whether the blastocysts of those animals that need only progesterone for implantation have greater ability to produce estrogen than the blastocysts of the animals that need both progesterone and estrogen. Control mechanism of secretion of progesterone and estrogen for inducing implantation may be different in various species. It has been suggested that both leutropin and follicle stimulating hormone are needed for pre-implantation estrogen secretion in the rat, whereas only follicle stimulating hormone is needed in the mouse. In the species where the obligatory delay in implantation is observed, neuroendocrine mechanisms are reported to be involved in controlling the pituitary-ovarian function that causes a delay in implantation.
Change and Continuity in the Development of Children with Autism

The developmental approach to childhood psychopathology identifies deviations from typical patterns of development and stability of individual characteristics over time, and precursors in early life of later functions. The application of this approach to the social, communicative, and cognitive development of children with autism is discussed. Results from a longitudinal study of children with autism and other developmental disorders are described, indicating that children with autism have stable deficits in joint attention, representational play, and responsiveness to the emotions of others, and that early variations in these abilities are important for concurrent and subsequent language development and for peer engagement many years later.
Diffusivity and solubility of oxygen in platinum and Pt-Ni alloys

The diffusivity and solubility of oxygen in metal specimens were determined from measurements of permeation through thin wall tubes containing oxygen and heated by electrical resistance. The permeating oxygen desorbed in vacuum as monoatomic oxygen and the flux was monitored mass-spectrometrically. A known helium leak rate and experimentally-determined sensitivities of the two gases were used for flow calibration. The diffusion coefficient of oxygen in pure platinum, calculated from the time lag to reach a steady state flux, is: {fx065-01} in the temperature range of 1435∮ to 1504°. The solubility of oxygen in pure platinum was obtained from the steady-state flux using the previously determined diffusivity. The solubility is proportional to p1/2O2 and at 1 atm of oxygen the solubility is: CsO = (0.2 ± 0.1) × 1012 exp {fx065-02}, wt pct. Small amounts of nickel, less than required for internal oxidation, had a negligible effect on the oxygen solubility and diffusivity in platinum alloys.
Unusual thermal stability of a site-ordered MC60 rocksalt structure (M=K, Rb, or Cs).

X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry of ${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, with x\ensuremath{\sim}1 and M=K, Rb, or Cs, reveal an unusual T-dependent phase sequence. A low-symmetry ground state is found, while the high-T limit is an ordered rocksalt structure in which only the octahedral sites are occupied. The unusual high-T stability of this ordered phase is attributed to the entropy of molecular orientational disorder and/or thermal disorder of the alkali-metal ions within the octahedral sites. Unique to ${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ with x\ensuremath{\ge}1.4, we find at intermediate temperatures an fcc site-disordered lattice gas phase with random occupancy of tetrahedral and octahedral sites, which is thus isostructural with superconducting ${\mathrm{K}}_{3}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$.
MarieSim: The MARIE computer simulator

MarieSim is a computer architecture simulator based on the MARIE architecture and designed to teach beginning computer organization and architecture. It provides users with interactive tools and simulations to help them deepen their understanding of the operation of a simple computer.Through interaction with MarieSim's graphical environment, students can observe how assembly language statements affect the registers and memory of a computer system. The graphical environment for MarieSim and the accompanying data path simulator are written in Java Swing; the integrated MARIE assembler is written in Java. The software has proven useful in introductory computer organization and architecture classes. Students find MarieSim very easy to use, and anecdotal results indicate increased architectural understanding. In this article we compare MarieSim to various existing systems and explore the software's features in detail.
Characterization of a new anthocyanin in black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis) by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract Anthocyanin composition of black raspberry ( Rubus occidentalis ) was studied using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array (PDA) detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Pelargonidin 3-rutinoside was isolated and identified in black raspberries using HPLC, UV–Vis spectroscopy, MS, and NMR spectroscopy. No pelargonidin derivative had been previously found in Rubus occidentalis . In addition, the presence and identities of four previously reported anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-sambubioside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside and cyanidin 3-xylosylrutinoside) were confirmed by HPLC/MS and MS/MS analyses.
Use of resuscitation skills by paramedics caring for critically injured children in oregon

Objectives. 1) To perform a statewide analysis of the frequency of major pediatric trauma cases and the use of resuscitation skills by paramedics (EMT-Ps). 2) To determine whether EMT-Ps use resuscitation skills less frequently for injured children than for older patients.Methods. Study Design: Retrospective, database analysis of major trauma cases. Setting and Population: 1995 statewide trauma registry data for patients with EMT-P scene care.Observations. The database included patient demographics, field vital signs, field procedures [e.g., intravenous (IV) line placement, chest compressions, needle thoracostomy, endotracheal intubation], field medication, and vital signs at ED presentation. Data Analysis: Patients aged ≤ 12 years (“pediatric”) were compared with those aged >12 years (“older”). Analyses of patients with tachycardia, hypotension, and obtundation were performed using χ2 analysis (α = 0.05).Results. Of 3,502 trauma patients managed by an EMT-P, only 297 (8%) were aged ≤ 12 years. Fewer pedi...
The absolute peripheral basophil count. A new and more precise method.

Abstract We have devised a new method for performing the absolute peripheral basophil count (APBC). The method consists of making a thick smear of 2λ blood on a slide, fixing in methanol, staining with toluidine blue, and counting all the basophils on the slide. We compared this method with a chamber counting method in 10 subjects by performing 2 sets of counts in duplicate of each method in an alternate fashion from the same finger puncture and having each specimen counted twice by each of 3 observers. We also compared the APBC of blood from a finger puncture with heparinized blood in 35 subjects. In another 37 subjects, we compared 3 daily APBCs by the smear method with the APBC calculated from the standard differential smear and total white cell count taken from the same specimen. The mean basophils per cubic millimeter of the 10 subjects by our method was 36.7 ± 6.4 (S.D.) and 55.0 ± 21.1 (S.D.) by the chamber count. The basophil counts of herparinized and finger puncture blood were virtually identical. The mean basophils per cubic millimeter and the day-to-day variation for each patient expressed as the S.D. calculated from the standard differential smear and total white cell count were 54.4 ± 60.7 as compared to 27.0 ± 9.3 for the thick smear method. We conclude that the thick smear method for performing the APBC is more reproducible and precise than previous methods.
Development of sporozoite vaccines

Protective immunity against malaria has been achieved in hosts ranging from birds to man by repeated inoculation of irradiated sporozoites. The main antigens involved in protective immunity to sporozoites are the circumsporozoite (CS) proteins, which are part of a family of proteins, covering the whole surface membrane of the parasite, and which have similar physico-chemical and antigenic properties. Monovalent fragments of monoclonal antibodies to CS proteins neutralize sporozoite infectivity. All monoclonal antibodies recognize a single immunodominant region within the various CS proteins, and this region contains repetitive epitopes. The recurrent immunodominant epitope of the CS protein of P. knowlesi has been identified, and shown to consist of 12 tandemly repeated subunits of 12 amino acids. The dimer of the dodecapeptide was coupled to protein carriers, emulsified in Freund's complete adjuvant, and injected into rodents and monkeys. All animals made anti-peptide antibodies, and most of the antisera reacted with P. knowlesi CS protein.
Mortuary behaviour reconstruction through palaeoentomology: a case study from Chachapoya, Perú

This paper explores the contribution that applied forensic entomology can make to our understanding of prehistoric mortuary behaviour. Samples of insect remains were recovered from a mummy bundle that has been attributed to the Chachapoya people who occupied the northern highlands of Peru from ca. AD 800 to ca. AD 1532. The insects were identified to the family level and used to create a hypothetical timeline of post-mortem interval before the construction of the mummy bundle. The individual in question suffered from a number of blunt force insults to the head, followed by two and possibly three trepanation events. We speculate the initial insect colonisation to have taken place almost immediately following injury and subsequent surgery, occurring before the individual's death. Insect succession patterns and timing estimates for the appearance of periosteal reactive bone suggest that the individual was wrapped shortly following death. The application of such modern forensic techniques holds vast promise for addressing issues concerning Chachapoya mortuary behaviour and, further, these results can expand our understanding of mummy studies in general. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improved Psychosocial Outcomes of Young Female Participants in a Multidisciplinary Weight Loss Program

Abstract The prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents has more than doubled during the past twenty years. The unique physiologic, psychological, and social development of young girls makes the management of obesity a particular challenge. An university-based multidisciplinary weight loss program for obese girls (N = 32), ages 9 to 14, addressed lifestyle modification (i.e., diet and exercise), stress management, and self-esteem issues. Studies have indicated that obese children are at risk for significant depression and lowered self-esteem. A team of health professionals that included dietitians, a nurse/health educator, exercise physiologist, and psychologist delivered the six month weight loss program. Measures of anxiety (Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Reynolds, C. and Richmond, B., 1985) and self-perception (Self-Perception Profile for Children, Harter, S., 1985) were obtained at baseline, six months, and twelve months. Significant decreases were noted in the participants* total anxiety scores at six months [t (20) = 2.697, p A significant increase was noted in the participants' scores on the Social Acceptance subscale at twelvemonths [t (12) = 2.612, p The multifactorial aspects of obesity mandate a multidisciplinary approach to its treatment. Psychosocial morbidity is the most prevalent consequence of obesity in children and adolescents. Results of this study emphasize the importance of addressing the psychosocial needs of the obese child in conjunction with exercise and nutrition education for optimal treatment outcomes.
Effects of voids and volume changes on the behaviour of frictional materials

Development of constitutive models for engineering materials is often based on a framework of elasticity and plasticity theories as developed for metals. Prsented here is a review of some of the basic differences in the experimentally observed behaviour of metals and frictional materials. Two of the distinguishing characteristics between metals and frictional materials are the absence or presence of voids and the tendency to change or maintain constant volume during compression and shear. These differences must be recognized in order to develop reasonable constitutive models for frictional materials.
Polymer nanoparticles synthesized with solvent shifting

Abstract Controlled precipitation has been often used as a method of creating dispersions of organic and inorganic molecules. One way to induce nucleation and growth in this method is by adjusting the ratio of components of a binary solvent, also called “solvent shifting.” We have applied this method to the production of polymer nanoparticle dispersions. Monomers are induced to aggregate by a solvent exchange, followed by or simultaneous with the introduction of a polymerization initiator. The exchange can be slow, in which case the ternary mixture (monomer and two solvent components) is gradually brought near the phase transition, followed by polymerization, or rapid, where the monomer in solution is rapidly injected into the poorer solvent, inducing fast aggregation of primary particles. Using the latter method, monodisperse nanoparticles of poly methyl methacrylate and polystyrene were synthesized without the use of surfactants.
Direct Preferential Interactions between hERG1a and hERG1b Subunits: Evidence for hERG1a-hERG1b Dimers

Voltage-activated human Ether a go-go Related Gene (hERG1) potassium channels play a role in the repolarization of cardiac action potentials and affect spike frequency in neurons. Two isoforms of mammalian ERG1 channel subunits, ERG1a and ERG1b, are the principal subunits of the cardiac IKr current and are broadly expressed in the nervous system, but there is little evidence that ERG1a and ERG1b form heteromeric channels. Here, we systematically tested for direct interactions between hERG1a and hERG1b subunits using electrophysiology, biochemistry and fluorescence measurements. We report that 1) hERG1b and hERG1a dominant-negative subunits suppress hERG1a and hERG1b currents, respectively, 2) disulfide bonds form between single cysteine residues introduced into hERG1a and hERG1b subunits and produce hERG1a-hERG1b dimers and 3) hERG1a and hERG1b subunits tagged with fluorescent proteins that are Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) pairs show robust energy transfer. Thus, multiple lines of evidence show a physical interaction between hERG1a and hERG1b subunits, consistent with hERG1a/hERG1b forming heteromeric channels.
Spin-lattice relaxation of protons in hydrazine sulfate, N2H6SO4

The spin-lattice relaxation time T1 of protons in polycrystalline N2H6SO4 has been measured at 29 and 34 MHz as a function of temperature from 167°K to 514°K. At 29 MHz, T1 goes through a minimum of 17 msec at 242°K and a minimum of 400 msec at 425°K. The temperature dependence of T1 between 167°K and 357°K is characteristic of a single relaxation mechanism, probably reorientation of the NH3 groups about the NN axis. At 481°K T1 increases very sharply with increasing temperature, and upon decreasing the temperature from above 481°K, T1 decreases with a distinctly different temperature dependence down to 437°K. This behavior in T1 is indicative of a first-order phase transition.
Identification of insect cell lines by DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF)

Fingerprint profiles were generaed from twenty insect cell lines spanning the Orders, Lepldoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera and Homoptera employing DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) with arbitrarily selected prlmers. The fingerprint pattern is a stable characteristlc of the cell line because high and low passages generated the same profile. In addition, insect hosts and homologous cell lines generated similar profiles. All cell lines could be distinguished from each other with the following exceptions: Plutella xylostella (BCIRL-PX2-HNU3) and Mamestra brassicaee (IZD-MB-0503) produced identical patterns to Trichoplusia ni (TN-CL1). Also Spodoptera exigua (UCR-SE-1C) produced the same profile as Spodoptera frugiperde (SF9) and the parent cell line IPLB-SF21. All these cases of identical patterns are believed to be due to cross contamination or mislabelling of cultures. DAF will serve as an additional, valuable and rellable technique for the identification of insect cell lines.
Direct synaptic connections between rods and OFF cone bipolar cells in the rabbit retina.

Mammalian retinal circuits are broadly divided into rod and cone pathways, responsible for dark- and light-adapted vision, respectively. The classic rod pathway employs a single type of rod bipolar cell, which synapses with AII amacrine cells. AII amacrine cells then pass the signal to ON and OFF cone bipolar cells, respectively. Alternatively, rod signals may enter cones via gap junctions between rods and cones, and then pass from cones to cone bipolar cells. Thus, this second rod pathway does not utilize rod bipolar cells. Finally, in rodents, a third rod pathway, involving direct connections between rods and certain OFF cone bipolar cells, has been suggested. In this study, 56 OFF cone bipolar cells in the rabbit retina were dye-injected with Lucifer Yellow and their photoreceptor connections were examined by confocal microscopy in wholemount. The locations of rod and cone terminals were marked with antibodies to mGluR6 or synaptic proteins. Most OFF cone bipolar dendrites terminated at cone pedicles but some made potential contacts with rod spherules. The synaptic nature of these sites was confirmed by the presence of GluR2 receptors. All three OFF bipolar cell types had dendrites that terminated at rod spherules. However, ∼80% of Ba2 and Ba3, but only 26% of Ba1 OFF cone bipolar cells made rod contacts. This variability suggests differential rod input to certain retinal pathways. In summary, we report anatomical evidence for direct connections between rods and OFF cone bipolar cells in a nonrodent mammal. Our data suggest that this alternative rod pathway may be a common feature of the mammalian retina. J. Comp. Neurol. 474:1–12, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Nest of Heriades variolosus (Cress.); (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

In working on the biology of Hoplitis producta (Cress.) and going through a large number of nests of that species, one nest was discovered which was quite distinct from the others. At first, it was thought that this nest was perhaps the nest of another species of Hoplitis ; however, the subsequent rearing of the bees and their identification has shown the nest to belong to Heriades ( Neotrypetes ) variolosus variolosus (Cresson). This is the first record of the nesting habit of any member of the subgenus Neotrypetes , and while the record is far from complete, it seems that for sake of a more complete picture on the nesting habits of the Megachilidae that it be reported at the time. Rau (1) has recorded the emergence of two individuals of Heriades ( Physostetha ) carinata Cresson from a hollowed out stem of sumach, but gave no details on the nest construction.
A Review of Energy Savings Technology: Refrigerant Subcooling

ABSTRACT Refrigerant subcooling is a demonstrated and reliable way of increasing cooling capacity and system efficiency for conventional air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. There are several proven refrigerant subcooling devices available on the market; but this article will focus on a relatively new implementation which modifies a standard direct-expansion, vapor-compression refrigerant system through the addition of a liquid line heat exchanger downstream from the condenser and a minicooling tower to reject the heat from the heat exchanger. Because of additional first cost (heat exchanger and minicooling tower), it is economical only with certain applications. In general, the benefits of subcooling are higher in regions with high year-round temperatures (1,200 or more cooling degree-days to base 65°F). Several of these new subcooling devices have been installed in federal facilities. Most installations are custom-designed to obtain optimum system performance, and data related to operation and ma...