cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Composition of the alkali resistant cell wall material of dimorphic Blastomyces dermatitidis.

The alkali resistant fractions of the cell walls of the yeast and mycelial forms of Blastomyces dermatitidis were analyzed for amino acids, amino sugars, and neutral sugars. B. dermatitidis is a thermally induced dimorphic fungus. Substantial quantitative differences were found in most amino acid levels in the mycelial and yeast forms. With the exception of histidine, all the amino acids were found in higher amounts in the alkali resistant fraction of the mycelial form. Hexosamines were present in much higher amounts in the yeast form.
Electron Physics of Asymmetric Magnetic Field Reconnection

There have been many significant advances in understanding magnetic field reconnection as a result of improved space measurements and two-dimensional computer simulations. While reviews of recent work have tended to focus on symmetric reconnection on ion and larger spatial scales, the present review will focus on asymmetric reconnection and on electron scale physics involving the reconnection site, parallel electric fields, and electron acceleration.
Hypochlorous Acid. A Synthesis of α-Chloro-β-Lactones

Abstract Herein we report that the reaction of hypochlorous acid with certain α,β-unsaturated acids in a two phase system1,2 affords α-chloro-β-lactones3,4 in poor to fair yield. Thus, β-lactones 4, 5, and 6 are obtained from acids 1, 2 and 3, respectively, where the β-carbon of the acid is disubstituted.
Unifying learning to rank and domain adaptation: enabling cross-task document scoring

For document scoring, although learning to rank and domain adaptation are treated as two different problems in previous works, we discover that they actually share the same challenge of adapting keyword contribution across different queries or domains. In this paper, we propose to study the cross-task document scoring problem, where a task refers to a query to rank or a domain to adapt to, as the first attempt to unify these two problems. Existing solutions for learning to rank and domain adaptation either leave the heavy burden of adapting keyword contribution to feature designers, or are difficult to be generalized. To resolve such limitations, we abstract the keyword scoring principle, pointing out that the contribution of a keyword essentially depends on, first, its importance to a task and, second, its importance to the document. For determining these two aspects of keyword importance, we further propose the concept of feature decoupling, suggesting using two types of easy-to-design features: meta-features and intra-features. Towards learning a scorer based on the decoupled features, we require that our framework fulfill inferred sparsity to eliminate the interference of noisy keywords, and employ distant supervision to tackle the lack of keyword labels. We propose the Tree-structured Boltzmann Machine (T-RBM), a novel two-stage Markov Network, as our solution. Experiments on three different applications confirm the effectiveness of T-RBM, which achieves significant improvement compared with four state-of-the-art baseline methods.
Congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders and more.

We are syndromologists. We recognize patterns of clinical abnormalities and try to match them to known entities—syndromes. We are excited to diagnose the rare and unusual and are intrigued by the presence of unrecognized clinical findings in patients with previously well-described disorders. Even more challenging are complex clinical syndromes that overlap two or more entities. Are they one, or the other? Or is it a “new syndrome”? The discovery of the genetic basis of syndromes and the availability of clinical molecular testing has allowed the resolution of conflicting opinions about clinical diagnoses. Variable expressivity of genetic diseases had been recognized for decades but has become more appreciated with the availability of molecular proof. Who would have thought that mutations in PAX6 would cause not only aniridia, but also dominant keratitis, Peters anomaly, isolated foveal hypoplasia, or cataracts? Terminology remains problematic in connection with certain conditions that have been named for their describer or for their main signs. Congenital cranial disinnervation disorders (CCDDs) is one group of disorders that has received a lot of attention in recent years because of the discovery of several of the genes that cause individual clinical entities. The CCDDs result from aberrant innervation of the ocular and facial musculature. They generally arise from abnormal development of individual or multiple cranial nerve nuclei or their axonal connections. Although the majority are either proven or suspected to have a genetic etiology, phenocopies occur. While some have only abnormalities of ocular and facial innervation, others have additional consistent systemic malformations that can be attributed to the underlying genetic defect. The CCDDs include Duane syndrome, congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles (CFEOM), Mobius’ syndrome, Horizontal Gaze Palsy with Progressive Scoliosis (HGPPS), the Bosley-Salih-Alorainy/Athabaskan Brainstem Dysgenesis Syndromes (BSAS), and an expanding list that may include congenital third and fourth nerve palsies, Marcus Gunn jaw winking ptosis, and others. I have
On Markov Earth Mover's Distance.

In statistics, pattern recognition and signal processing, it is of utmost importance to have an effective and efficient distance to measure the similarity between two distributions and sequences. In statistics this is referred to as goodness-of-fit problem. Two leading goodness of fit methods are chi-square and Kolmogorov–Smirnov distances. The strictly localized nature of these two measures hinders their practical utilities in patterns and signals where the sample size is usually small. In view of this problem Rubner and colleagues developed the earth mover's distance (EMD) to allow for cross-bin moves in evaluating the distance between two patterns, which find a broad spectrum of applications. EMD-L1 was later proposed to reduce the time complexity of EMD from super-cubic by one order of magnitude by exploiting the special L1 metric. EMD-hat was developed to turn the global EMD to a localized one by discarding long-distance earth movements. In this work, we introduce a Markov EMD (MEMD) by treating the source and destination nodes absolutely symmetrically. In MEMD, like hat-EMD, the earth is only moved locally as dictated by the degree d of neighborhood system. Nodes that cannot be matched locally is handled by dummy source and destination nodes. By use of this localized network structure, a greedy algorithm that is linear to the degree d and number of nodes is then developed to evaluate the MEMD. Empirical studies on the use of MEMD on deterministic and statistical synthetic sequences and SIFT-based image retrieval suggested encouraging performances.
The framework topology of ZSM-57: A new synthetic zeolite

ZSM-57 is a new zeolitic phase with a novel framework topology: structure code MFS, space group lmm2, a = 7.4510(7)A, b = 14.1711(8)A, c = 18.767(2)A, 18.2T/1000 A3. Although the structure is closely related to ZSM-35 (FER), ZSM-57 has 4-rings lacking in the ferrierite framework. There is a channel system of intersecting 8- and 10-rings. Although the dimensions of the 8-ring (3.5 × 4.8A) channel differ only marginally from ZSM-35, the 10-ring channels (5.1 × 5.8A) are significantly larger than are the analogous channels in ZSM-35 and slightly larger than are the 10-rings in ZSM-5.
Clinical and Biochemical Presentation of Gouty Diathesis: Comparison of Uric Acid Versus Pure Calcium Stone Formation

AbstractPurpose: We compared gouty diathesis with uric acid versus calcium stones.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical and laboratory data from 95 gouty diathesis patients (28 with uric acid and 67 with calcium stones) and 99 normal subjects.Results: Of the gouty diathesis patients gouty arthritis was present in 21 percent of those with uric acid and 12 percent of those with calcium stones. Hyperuricemia developed in 43 percent of those with uric acid and 27 percent of those with calcium stones, and 2 percent of controls. Urinary pH was independent of the net gastrointestinal absorption of alkali in the gouty diathesis groups. Urinary pH and citrate increased after potassium citrate treatment.Conclusions: The characteristic features of primary gout were present in both gouty diathesis groups and both are responsive to treatment.
Selection of Water-Dispersible Carbon Black for Fabrication of Uranium Oxicarbide Microspheres

Abstract Fabrication of uranium oxicarbide microspheres, a component of TRISO fuel particles for high temperature nuclear power systems, is based on the internal gelation of uranium salts in the presence of carbon black. In order to obtain a high quality product, carbon black should remain dispersed during all phases of the gelation process. In this study, the surface and structural properties of several commercial carbon black materials, and the use of dispersing agents was examined with the goal of finding optimal conditions for stabilizing submicron-sized carbon black dispersions. Traditional methods for stabilizing dispersions, based on the use of dispersing agents, failed to stabilize carbon dispersions against large pH variations, typical for the internal gelation process. An alternate dispersing method was proposed, based on using surface-modified carbons functionalized with strongly ionized surface groups (sodium sulfonate). With a proper choice of surface modifiers, these advanced carbons disperse easily to particles in the range of 0.15–0.20 μm and the dispersions remain stable during the conditions of internal gelation.
Delay-insensitive carry-lookahead adders

Integer addition is one of the mast important operations in digital computer systems because the performance of processors is significantly influenced by the speed of their adders. This paper proposes a delay insensitive, carry-lookahead adder in which the logic complexity is a linear function of n, the number of inputs, and the average computation time is proportional to the logarithm of the logarithm of n. We also show an economic implementation of this adder in CMOS technology.
Exploring the role of vegetation fragmentation on aquatic conditions: Linking upland with riparian areas in Puget Sound lowland streams

Abstract A controversial issue in managing urbanizing watersheds is determining the scale at which conservation measures should be implemented. Current “best practices” suggest establishing riparian buffers along stream corridors and limiting impervious surfaces to prevent degradation of instream biological conditions. While there is increasing evidence that the amount of land covers (e.g., impervious surface, vegetation) has an impact on instream aquatic conditions, the effect of upland vegetation fragmentation on aquatic conditions requires further study. By using landscape metrics to quantity vegetation amount and distribution at the riparian and watershed scales, and a macroinvertebrate index to describe aquatic conditions, this study presents empirical evidence about the interactions between riparian and upland vegetation as they affect instream biological condition of 51 nested watersheds in the Puget Sound lowland. We ask if the fragmentation of vegetation within a watershed helps predict instream biological condition. In addition, we hypothesize that the fragmentation of vegetation at the riparian and watershed scales affects instream biological condition. Using parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses to test relationships, our findings suggest that the fragmentation of upland vegetation and the total amount of riparian vegetation explain the greatest amount of variation in aquatic conditions. These results help frame a management approach for conserving upland areas of vegetation through the use of land use planning techniques.
Spanish-Language Version of the MedRisk Instrument for Measuring Patient Satisfaction With Physical Therapy Care (MRPS): Preliminary Validation

Background and Purpose An instrument that provides valid measurements of satisfaction with physical therapy care for Spanish-speaking patients will enhance communication and ensure their representation in quality assurance analyses and research on health care disparities. The purpose of this investigation was to provide preliminary information on the factor structure, group- and individual-level reliability, and criterion-referenced validity of measurements obtained from a Spanish-language version of the MedRisk Instrument for Measuring Patient Satisfaction With Physical Therapy Care (MRPS). Subjects A total of 203 Spanish-speaking patients in the New York City area participated in this study. Methods Consenting subjects completed a 20-item MRPS after discharge from outpatient physical therapy care. Several translators performed “forward” and “backward” translation of the MRPS, followed by consensus agreement on item structure. Factor structure was investigated using item-correlation and exploratory factor analysis. Group-level reliability for single test administration was assessed using the Cronbach alpha, and individual-level reliability was assessed by calculating the standard error of the measure (SEM). Concurrent validity was tested by comparing the item scores and mean scores of factors to global measures of satisfaction. Results The means of individual item scores (1–5) ranged from 3.22 for “I did not wait too long” to 4.80 for “My therapist treated me respectfully.” There were no sex-based differences in item scores. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a 2-factor solution: a 7-item “external” factor and a 3-item “internal” factor. The correlations ( r ) of the mean scores from these factors with the 2 global measures ranged from .59 to .82. The SEM was 0.16 for the internal factor and 0.25 for the external factor. Discussion and Conclusion The underlying factor structure of the Spanish-language version of the MRPS was identical to the English-language version. Our findings provide preliminary support for the reliability and validity of measurements obtained from the Spanish-language version of the MRPS. Further study is needed to assess the stability of these findings in other samples. As with English-speaking patients, Spanish-speaking patient's satisfaction with physical therapy care is most strongly linked to the professional behavior of the clinician.
Dendritic Cells post-Maturation Are Reprogrammed with Heightened IFN-γ and IL-10

Mature Dendritic cells (mDCs) undergo “exhaustion” in producing cytokines. Nevertheless, whether this “exhaustion” of mDCs is selective to certain cytokines, or whether mDC have specific cytokine-producing profiles has yet to be defined. Herein, we investigated the cytokine production in vitro by immature DCs (iDCs) and LPS-induced mDCs. Compared to iDCs, mDCs produced comparable levels of IL-6 and TNF-α. Strikingly, mDCs produced significantly higher IFN-γ and IL-10. IL-12 production of mDCs was suppressed. Kinetic studies of the responses of iDCs and mDCs to LPS or CD40L showed that mDCs acquired progressively heightened activity in producing IFN-γ and IL-10. TNF-α-, IL-6-producing capability of mDCs was maintained. Nevertheless, IL-12 production by mDCs was not recovered at any time point. Mature DCs were potent in priming both Th1 and Th2 cells. In conclusion, upon maturation, DCs are reprogrammed with a distinct cytokine-secreting profile, which may play an important role in regulating T cell functions.
Neuroprotection of cultured cortical neurons mediated by the cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor APHS can be reversed by a prostanoid.

The neuroprotective properties of two cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) specific inhibitors, N-[2-(cyclohexyloxy)-4-nitrophenyl]-methanesulfonamide (NS398) and o-(acetoxy-phenyl)hept-2-ynyl2 sulfide (APHS) were examined in vitro using a mixed cortical neuronal culture system. Each of these inhibitors conferred a concentration-dependent neuroprotective effect against an excitotoxic assault induced by NMDA. Neuroprotection was observed when the COX-2 inhibitor was added before or even 1–3 hours after NMDA, which was coincident with an NMDA-induced increase of COX-2 transcripts in neurons. To test whether these COX-2 inhibitors confer neuroprotection by inhibiting biosynthesis of prostanoids that may contribute toward excitotoxicity, two NMDA-induced prostanoids, PGE2 and PGF2α, were tested for their ability to reverse the neuroprotective properties of APHS. APHS-mediated neuroprotection was overcome by the concentration-dependent (as low as 100 nM) administration of a synthetic analog of PGE2, 17-phenyl-trinor-PGE2 (17-pt-E2), which is a relatively specific agonist for the EP1 and EP3 prostaglandin receptors; however, PGF2α had no significant effect on neuroprotection conferred by APHS. In the absence of APHS, neuroprotection was observed with either prostanoid. PGE2 may in some instances contribute toward excitotoxicity, and the inhibition of synthesis of this prostanoid may in part explain the neuroprotective properties of these COX-2 inhibitors. Published 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Biogenesis and Topology of the Transient Receptor Potential Ca2+ Channel TRPC1

The TRPC ion channels are candidates for the store-operated Ca2+ entry pathway activated in response to depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores. Hydropathy analyses indicate that these proteins contain eight hydrophobic regions (HRs) that could potentially form α-helical membrane-spanning segments. Based on limited sequence similarities to other ion channels, it has been proposed that only six of the eight HRs actually span the membrane and that the last two membrane-spanning segments (HRs 6 and 8) border the ion-conducting pore of which HR 7 forms a part. Here we study the biogenesis and transmembrane topology of human TRPC1 to test this model. We have employed a truncation mutant approach combined with insertions of glycosylation sites into full-length TRPC1. In our truncation mutants, portions of the TRPC1 sequence containing one or more HRs were fused between the enhanced green fluorescent protein and a C-terminal glycosylation tag. These chimeras were transiently expressed in the human embryonic cell line HEK-293T. Glycosylation of the tag was used to monitor its location relative to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum and thereby HR orientation. Our data indicate that HRs 1, 4, and 6 cross the membrane from cytosol to the ER lumen, that HRs 2, 5, and 8 have the opposite orientation, and that HR 3 is left out of the membrane on the cytosolic side. Our results also show that the sequence downstream of HR 8 plays an important role in anchoring its C-terminal end on the cytosolic side of the membrane. This effect appears to prevent HR 7 from spanning the bilayer and to result in its forming a pore-like structure of the type previously envisioned for the TRPC channels. We speculate that a similar mechanism may be responsible for the formation of other ion channel pores.
Respiratory cortical processing to inspiratory resistances during wakefulness in children with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Children with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) have impaired respiratory afferent cortical processing during sleep that persists after treatment of OSAS. However, it is unknown whether t...
POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE OF SUPERSONIC MHD POWER GENERATORS

A novel concept of hypersonic cold-air MHD power generators is discussed. Ionization of the cold air is shown to be a critical issue, determining overall design, geometry, operating conditions, and performance envelope. Analysis of various ionization methods, from electron beams to high-voltage repetitive pulses to alpha particles, shows that keV-class electron beams injected along magnetic field represent the most efficient and credible method of ionization. The requirement that the energy cost of ionization be lower than the extracted electric power reduces the conductivity in electron beam sustained MHD channels compared with that in conventional MHD generators. This restricts performance and calls for very strong magnetic fields and high Hall parameters, making ion slip and near-anode processes first-order issues. Possible problems that could be caused by hypersonic boundary layers and electrode sheaths, including anode sheath instability and ways to avoid it, are discussed. Calculations of hypersonic power generators for flight Mach numbers between 4 and 10 and altitudes of 15-40 km are quite promising. With 3-meter long channel of inlet cross section of 25×25 cm 2 and magnetic field of 7 Tesla, several megawatts of electric power could be generated, while spending only a few hundred kilowatts of that power on sustaining ionization.
Silicon MOSFETs (conventional and non-traditional) at the scaling limit

Summary form only given. Scaling planar MOSFET devices has been the dominant technology option for the past three decades and it is likely that this trend will continue for another decade. Beyond that point, significant materials and device issues arise, which may open the door for alternative device structures. The "showstoppers" a decade hence include gate insulator scaling, shallow junction technology, short channel effects and off-state leakage current in devices with scaled threshold and power supply voltages. It has been shown in recent years (Frank et al, 1992; Auth and Plummer, 1997) that double-gated or vertical surround gate MOSFET structures can extend MOSFET scalability perhaps to channel lengths on the order of 20 nm. This is primarily because these new gate geometries provide tighter control of channel potentials than is the case in conventional planar MOSFETs. These alternative geometries do not however eliminate the gate oxide and parasitic resistance issues of extended scaling. In some respects they complicate these issues because, for example, gate dielectrics must now be grown on nonplanar surfaces. Perhaps more interesting than extended scaling, the vertical MOSFET configuration provides new device design options and opportunities for higher levels of functional integration. Since the channel is vertical, arbitrary doping profiles, heterojunctions and multiple devices can be grown epitaxially into the channel structure. Alternatively, once the pillars are formed, ion implantation can be used to create stacked N and P regions that implement complex functions.
Systematics and evolution of the Pan-Alcidae (Aves, Charadriiformes)

Puffins, auks and their allies in the wing-propelled diving seabird clade Pan-Alcidae (Charadriiformes) have been proposed to be key pelagic indicators of faunal shifts in Northern Hemisphere oceans. However, most previous phylogenetic analyses of the clade have focused only on the 23 extant alcid species. Here we undertake a combined phylogenetic analysis of all previously published molecular sequence data (∼ 12 kb) and morphological data (n  353 characters) with dense species level sampling that also includes 28 extinct taxa. We present a new estimate of the patterns of diversification in the clade based on divergence time estimates that include a previously vetted set of twelve fossil calibrations. The resultant time trees are also used in the evaluation of previously hypothesized paleoclimatic drivers of pan-alcid evolution. Our divergence dating results estimate the split of Alcidae from its sister taxon Stercorariidae during the late Eocene (∼ 35 Ma), an evolutionary hypothesis for clade origination that agrees with the fossil record and that does not require the inference of extensive ghost lineages. The extant dovekie Alle alle is identified as the sole extant member of a clade including four extinct Miocene species. Furthermore, whereas an Uria  Alle clade has been previously recovered from molecular analyses, the extinct diversity of closely related Miocepphus species yields morphological support for this clade. Our results suggest that extant alcid diversity is a function of Miocene diversification and differential extinction at the Pliocene–Pleistocene boundary. The relative timing of the Middle Miocene climatic optimum and the Pliocene–Pleistocene climatic transition and major diversification and extinction events in Pan-Alcidae, respectively, are consistent with a potential link between major paleoclimatic events and pan-alcid cladogenesis. Collectively known as the Pan-Alcidae [crown clade Alcidae  stem lineage Mancallinae sensu Smith (2011a, b)], true auks (Alca and †Pinguinus), dovekies (Alle and †Miocepphus), murres (Uria), murrelets (Brachyramphus and Synthliboramphus), guillemots (Cepphus), auklets (Aethia and Ptychoramphus), puffins (Fratercula and Cerorhinca) and mancalline or Lucas auks (†Miomancalla and †Mancalla) are pelagic charadriiform seabirds characterized by wingpropelled pursuit diving and anatomical modifications associated with this derived method of foraging. Extant
Estimation with Interval Censored Data and Covariates

In biostatistical applications interest often focuses on the estimation of the distribution of time T between two consecutive events. If the initial event time is observed and the subsequent event time is only known to be larger or smaller than an observed monitoring time C, then the data conforms to the well understood singly-censored current status model, also known as interval censored data, case I. Additional covariates can be used to allow for dependent censoring and to improve estimation of the marginal distribution of T. Assuming a wrong model for the conditional distribution of T, given the covariates, will lead to an inconsistent estimator of the marginal distribution. On the other hand, the nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator of FT requires splitting up the sample in several subsamples corresponding with a particular value of the covariates, computing the NPMLE for every subsample and then taking an average. With a few continuous covariates the performance of the resulting estimator is typically miserable. In van der Laan, Robins (1996) a locally efficient one-step estimator is proposed for smooth functionals of the distribution of T, assuming nothing about the conditional distribution of T, given the covariates, but assuming a model for censoring, given the covariates. The estimators are asymptotically linear if the censoring mechanism is estimated correctly. The estimator also uses an estimator of the conditional distribution of T, given the covariates. If this estimate is consistent, then the estimator is efficient and if it is inconsistent, then the estimator is still consistent and asymptotically normal. In this paper we show that the estimators can also be used to estimate the distribution function in a locally optimal way. Moreover, we show that the proposed estimator can be used to estimate the distribution based on interval censored data (T is now known to lie between two observed points) in the presence of covariates. The resulting estimator also has a known influence curve so that asymptotic confidence intervals are directly available. In particular, one can apply our proposal to the interval censored data without covariates. In Geskus (1992) the information bound for interval censored data with two uniformly distributed monitoring times at the uniform distribution (for T has been computed. We show that the relative efficiency of our proposal w.r.t. this optimal bound equals 0.994, which is also reflected in finite sample simulations. Finally, the good practical performance of the estimator is shown in a simulation study.
Enigmatic Structures in an Upper Pennsylvanian (Kasimovian) Marine Limestone

Abstract Enigmatic structures in the shape of inverted rounded cones are very common in a discrete horizon of the upper Stoner Limestone Member (Stanton Limestone Formation, Lansing Group, Upper Pennsylvanian) in southeastern Nebraska. These structures are 100–300 mm in diameter, but rare, very large examples attain 1300 mm in diameter. On bedding planes, individual structures are conspicuously expressed as groups of concentric rings, some of which appear as low ridges (rugae). At least some of these rings correspond to concentric cone sheets (hollow cones) extending downward into the rock mass; these cone sheets are sometimes separated clearly from each other by discontinuous mud linings or drapes. The largest structures usually have smaller ones nested within them. The Stoner Limestone structures differ from described types of nonbiological and biological conelike structures, yet they must have formed in soft sediment prior to burial. Although they have a superficial similarity to such plug-shaped trace...
Heterojunction detectors for terahertz applications

Terahertz imaging is finding a wide range of interest in biology, communications, environment, medicine, security, and space applications. Here results are presented on heterojunction based terahertz detectors covering the range from 1-60 THz. One set of detectors is based on free carrier absorption, followed by internal photoemission aver a workfunction at the interface. These detectors can be produced using any III/V materials and the threshold frequency can be tailored by adjusting the material composition. Examples of GaAs/AlGaAs based detectors with thresholds ranging from 2.3 to 4.2 THz and GaN/AlGaN detectors with threshold of 1 THz are presented. Also briefly mentioned are the quantum dot detectors for the terahertz range.
Numerical and experimental study of damped oscillating manometers: I. Newtonian fluids

To test the importance of visco-elastic properties of non-Newtonian fluids in an oscillatory system of low frequency the dynamic characteristics of a series of non-Newtonian fluids were studied in oscillating manometers. The manometer fluid behavior was simulated on a digital computer by numerically integrating the axial component of the equation of motion. In the simulation cone and plate steady state rheological data were represented mathematically with the Sisko rheological model. Good agreement between simulation and experimental data was obtained. This agreement implies that steady state rheological models can be utilized in the description of unsteady state non-Newtonian systems where the characteristic period of the system is many times greater than the relaxation and retardation times of the fluid. When this characteristic period approaches these times, then rheological models which incorporate viscoelastic terms explicitly probably should be used.
Drought impacts on the Amazon forest: the remote sensing perspective

Drought varies spatially and temporally throughout the Amazon basin, challenging efforts to assess ecological impacts via field measurements alone. Remote sensing offers a range of regional insights into drought-mediated changes in cloud cover and rainfall, canopy physiology, and fire. Here, we summarize remote sensing studies of Amazonia which indicate that: fires and burn scars are more common during drought years; hydrological function including floodplain area is significantly affected by drought; and land use affects the sensitivity of the forest to dry conditions and increases fire susceptibility during drought. We highlight two controversial areas of research centering on canopy physiological responses to drought and changes in subcanopy fires during drought. By comparing findings from field and satellite studies, we contend that current remote sensing observations and techniques cannot resolve these controversies using current satellite observations. We conclude that studies integrating multiple lines of evidence from physiological, disturbance-fire, and hydrological remote sensing, as well as field measurements, are critically needed to narrow our uncertainty of basin-level responses to drought and climate change.
Interpreting association rules in granular data model via decision logic

Based on machine oriented modeling, a formal theory of association rules has been developed; the theory allow us to mining association rule mining by solving a set of linear inequality. Unfortunately, these rules are un-interpreted in the sense, we cannot generate a proper formula using the originally given symbols (attribute values) to described these discovered rules. In this paper, we develop a theory to generate such formula of given symbols to interpret them.
Antioxidants inhibit fatty acid and glucose-mediated induction of neutral endopeptidase gene expression in human microvascular endothelial cells.

Background Neutral endopeptidase (NEP) is a membrane-bound metallopeptidase that degrades tachykinins and may regulate their role in wound repair. NEP enzyme activity is increased in diabetic wounds and skin compared with normal controls. We have shown that unsaturated fatty acids and glucose upregulate NEP activity in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs) and that vitamins E and C reduce this effect. Study design To determine whether these changes involve NEP gene expression regulation, we analyzed NEP mRNA levels in HMECs cultured with elevated glucose (40 mM) and fatty acids oleate (40 μM) and linoleate (40 μM) for 48 hours or 1 month. Cells were exposed for an additional 48 hours to antioxidants vitamins E or C or N -acetylcysteine. Total RNA was extracted and analyzed for NEP mRNA using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. NEP gene expression was standardized to β-actin mRNA and results were analyzed using ANOVA. Results Elevated glucose, oleate, and linoleate upregulated NEP mRNA in short and longterm HMEC cultures, but did not alter rate of NEP mRNA degradation. Vitamins E and C and N -acetylcysteine blocked glucose- and fatty acid-induced NEP mRNA (p ≤ 0.05). The potential role of oxidative stress in NEP activation was confirmed by demonstrating that elevated glucose and fatty acids increase H 2 O 2 levels in HMECs. Conclusions Regulation of NEP enzyme activity by glucose and fatty acids appears to include gene expression transcription as well as modulation of enzyme activity. Our results also suggest that oxidative stress may be involved in upregulation of NEP by fatty acids and glucose.
Leland C. Clark and Frank Gollan: bubble oxygenators and perfusion hypothermia

The 1940s and 1950s were witness to extraordinary innovativeness of many investigators, all seeking to develop satisfactory methods of hypothermia and extracorporeal circulation (ECC). That the genesis and ultimate fruition of an idea is virtually always the result of the efforts of many investigators is clearly reflected in the comprehensive texts of Galletti and Brecher [1], Shumacker [2], and Johnson [3] and brings to mind a remark attributed to the Nobel laureate, Lord Ernest Rutherford, that “it is not in the nature of things for any one man to make a sudden violent discovery. Science goes step by step, and every man depends on the work of his predecessors.” Having had the privilege of knowing for many years the distinguished physician investigator, Frank Gollan, as close friend and colleague, the time seemed appropriate to record a bit of history concerning events of a half-century ago in which he collaborated with Leland C. Clark, Jr, PhD, in the development of a gas dispersion oxygenator and, later, undertook extensive investigation of perfusion hypothermia. The oxygenator investigation began at the Fels Research Institute for the Study of Human Development at Antioch College where Dr Clark, the chairman of the Department of Biochemistry, Gollan, and a research associate, Vishwa Gupta, devised and described an efficient bubble oxygenator [4–6]. Although the apparatus was slightly modified later [7], there were three essential features: a multi-perforated disc, a coalescence (“defoaming”) chamber, and a combined bubble trap and oxygenated blood residence component (Figs. 1 and 2). Oxygen under pressure was dispersed through the porous disc into a venous blood column that instantly created arterialized foam. A key feature of the system was the capacity to efficiently coalesce the oxygenated foam by contact with glass beads that had been coated with DC Antifoam A, a methylpolysiloxane resin, which, only 2 years earlier, had been reported by the Dow Corning Laboratories to be both effective and innocuous [8]. The critical importance of DC Antifoam A in oxygenator performance was emphasized by Clark, Hooven, and Gollan:
IMPORTING URBAN GIANTS: Re-Imaging Shanghai and Dubai with Skyscrapers

Shanghai and Dubai have recently marked a new epoch in the history of skyscrapers. Through the examination of these two cities, this paper attempts to identify the key driving forces for constructing skyscrapers in newly emerging global cities. The findings indicate that in addition to economic factors, globalization, political support, tourism, branding, openness to Western culture are the primary drivers that spurred the proliferation of skyscrapers in Shanghai and Dubai. While globalization has facilitated the spread of homogeneity and standardized architectural practices, it has also simultaneously pushed star architects to create unique architecture as exemplified by some of the iconic skyscrapers in Shanghai and Dubai. Moreover, these two cities are compared and criticized for using skyscrapers as a means to attain international stature and to enhance global imageability at the expense of environmental well-being and quality of life. The paper recommends embracing a “glocal” approach that strikes a b lance between the local needs and global forces so that a distinct local identity is ensured while global forces are addressed.
Measuring School-wide Positive Behavior Support Implementation Development and Validation of the Benchmarks of Quality

School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) has been implemented in more than 4,000 schools as a means of addressing problem behavior in a systemic fashion. Preliminary outcomes (e.g., office discipline referrals, suspensions) indicate the effectiveness of SWPBS in decreasing school-wide behavior problems and creating a positive school climate. Although the results of a majority of the program evaluations yielded significant findings, there has been a lack of measurement of treatment fidelity, possibly due to the absence of expedient, effective assessment tools. This article describes the theoretical background and development, including a qualitative pilot study and psychometric properties, of the School-wide Benchmarks of Quality (BoQ; Kincaid, Childs, & George, 2005), a tool intended to measure the implementation of SWPBS. Descriptive data on the instrument, including internal consistency, test—retest reliability, interrater reliability, and concurrent validity, were collected and analyzed. Results i...
Preventing suicide in women and men

A review of gender differences in the response to suicide prevention strategies suggests that they may be more effective in helping suicidal women than suicidal men. More attention needs to be given to the problem of directing these strategies to suicidal men.
Cross-Layer Distributed Diversity for Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

In this paper, we introduce a cross-layer diversity framework for multi-air interface wireless communication devices. As an initial step, we focus on devices, of the cellular phones type, that have both long-range relatively low-rate communication air-interface (e.g., GSM) and short-range high-rate communication air-interface (e.g., IEEE802.11). The devices can cooperate through the energy-efficient high-rate interface to improve the performance of the long-range interface. Within this framework we propose a distributed signal-combining technique that accounts for the limited bandwidth of the short-range communication: Threshold Maximum Ratio Combining. We analytically derive the probability distribution function of the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the combined signals as a function of the number of involved devices and show that significant improvement of the SNR is achievable which translates into a reduction of the overall system outage probability.
The Development of Online Student Skills: Successful online students share their secrets

As more and more traditional adult learners participate in online instruction, there may be a significant change in the development of student skills. This study surveyed a group of adult students who graduated from online credit granting graduate level degree programs with a 3.50 cumulative GPA or better, to learn more about student skills that really worked for them. In this study, successful online graduates discuss their techniques in developing a time management strategy, making the most of online discussions, and how to use it or lose it. The participants in this study also describe how they make asking questions useful to their learning, stay motivated, and what online instruction techniques were the most useful. Another important technique discussed by these successful graduates is how to make a meaningful connection with fellow students in an online class. In addition to the discussion of successful online learning techniques, participants in the study also describe learning from their classmates by using asynchronous discussions, and other means of communication available to the online learner. The successful techniques described in this study can be useful for anyone considering online learning, as well as instructors and course developers in designing more effective and interactive online courses.
Learning to Juggle: III. A Study of Performance by Two Different Age Groups

Abstract Two groups of high-school freshmen boys learned to juggle. One group practiced five minutes daily, the other 15 minutes every other day. One minute of practice in the shorter sessions was worth 1.78 minutes in the longer. Significance of the difference between means was at the 1 per cent level of confidence. Results were compared with those of a similar study with college subjects. No significant differences between the means of comparable groups were found, neither of the values reached the 5 per cent level of confidence.
Discussion: A Framework for Establishing Research Priorities

For example, in an agricultural experiment station, the evaluation procedure might involve three levels of operation-one at the staff level, one at the department-head level, and one at the station level. A set of staff panels could be organized to evaluate alternative research opportunities in each of a number of specialized areas. The department-head panel could establish priorities over all specialized areas by evaluating the relatively high-priority opportunities in the orderings developed by the staff panels. The money and manpower budgets involved in the departmenthead ordering likely would exceed the resources available to the station. The station evaluation would aim at bringing money and manpower "demands" into line with supplies in a manner most consistent with the ordering of research opportunities established by the department-head panel. If the entire operation were based on a common analytical framework and a consistent goal structure, the results might prove useful in planning a more rational allocation of research resources. The approach to research evaluation outlined here is likely to be most applicable to problem-solving research and to higher-level research that can be related directly or indirectly to problem-solving research. It is very questionable whether it has much if any application to the most basic kinds of research. In this research, there usually is little basis for judging either information outputs or the contributions of these outputs to particular goals. GEORGE K. BRINEGAR
Isolations of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus from mosquitoes (Culiseta melanura) collected in New Jersey, 1953.

SummaryEastern equine encephalomyelitis virus was isolated from each of 2 pools of mosquitoes, Culiseta melanura (Coquillett), collected in New Jersey Sept., 1953. A third recovery was made from a pool of mixed mosquitoes quite possibly containing C. melanura. Negative results were obtained from similar attempts to isolate EEE virus from more abundant species of arthropods collected con-currently.
Spring Activity of Adult Alfalfa Snout Beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): Upward Movement from Overwintering Sites, Dispersal, and Oviposition

The upward movement of adult alfalfa snout beetles, Otiorhynchus ligustici L., from overwintering sites in the soil was monitored and described in 2 alfalfa fields in upstate New York in 1991 and 1992. Oviposition and dispersal of emerged adult O. ligustici was also described and related to cumulative degree-days (CDD) estimated from soil and air temperatures at each field. Cumulative degree-days estimated from soil temperatures (30 crn deep) and a 7°C base threshold temperature significantly correlated with the upward movement of adult O. ligllstici from overwintering sites in the soil. Ninety-five percent of the beetles reached the uppermost 2.5 em of soil 30 CDD after complete soil thaw. Beetles began to lay eggs 166 CDD (3.3°C base threshold) after complete soil thaw. Peak oviposition occurred at 200 CDD (3.3°C base threshold) after complete soil thaw. After reaching the soil surface, adult O. ligllstici began to disperse in search of acceptable food plants. Dispersal mostly occurred between 1st oviposition and peak oviposition.
In Vivo Selection Against Human Colorectal Cancer Xenografts Identifies an Aptamer That Targets RNA Helicase Protein DHX9

The ability to selectively target disease-related tissues with molecules is critical to the design of effective therapeutic and diagnostic reagents. Recognizing the differences between the in vivo environment and in vitro conditions, we employed an in vivo selection strategy to identify RNA aptamers (targeting motifs) that could localize to tumor in situ. One of the selected molecules is an aptamer that binds to the protein DHX9, an RNA helicase that is known to be upregulated in colorectal cancer. Upon systemic administration, the aptamer preferentially localized to the nucleus of cancer cells in vivo and thus has the potential to be used for targeted delivery.
CAE identification method for automobile panel surface indentation

The application of CAE software in analysis of automobile panel surface quality was stated. Several methods for accurately identifying the surface indentation of automobile front cover outer panel by using Autoform software were proposed which simulation analysis precision was proved by practical production.