cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engine exhaust particulate and gas phase contributions to vascular toxicity

AbstractCardiovascular health effects of near-roadway pollution appear more substantial than other sources of air pollution. The underlying cause of this phenomenon may simply be concentration-related, but the possibility remains that gases and particulate matter (PM) may physically interact and further enhance systemic vascular toxicity. To test this, we utilized a common hypercholesterolemic mouse model (Apolipoprotein E-null) exposed to mixed vehicle emission (MVE; combined gasoline and diesel exhausts) for 6 h/d × 50 d, with additional permutations of removing PM by filtration and also removing gaseous species from PM by denudation. Several vascular bioassays, including matrix metalloproteinase-9 protein, 3-nitrotyrosine and plasma-induced vasodilatory impairments, highlighted that the whole emissions, containing both particulate and gaseous components, was collectively more potent than MVE-derived PM or gas mixtures, alone. Thus, we conclude that inhalation of fresh whole emissions induce greater sys...
Endurance training increases the expression of mitochondrial and nuclear encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunits and heat shock proteins in rat skeletal muscle

Cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) is an enzyme complex found on the inner mitochondrial membrane and serves as the final electron acceptor in mitochondrial electron transport. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are involved in the import of nuclear encoded protein subunits into the mitochondria and induce conformational changes to form active enzyme complexes. As both the nuclear and mitochondrial encoded subunits of CCO have been shown to increase in activity and expression in muscle subsequent to artificial loading, and as exercise has been shown to induce HSPs, we sought to determine whether 16–20 weeks of treadmill exercise would result in enhanced CCO subunit expression, and to determine if there was a relationship between this expression and HSP content in medial gastrocnemius muscle of Fischer 344 rats. Our results indicated that endurance training resulted in a 53%, 87% and 80% increase (P < 0.05) in the levels of HSP 60, CCO subunit II and CCO subunit VI, respectively. Enzymatic activity of CCO was 84% greater (P < 0.05) after endurance training. Mann Whitney U analyses showed that CCO subunit II and VI increased to the same extent as HSP 60 after endurance training. It appears that 16–20 weeks of endurance training leads to uniform increases in CCO subunits and parts of the transport and assembly mechanisms required for CCO enzyme assembly. The similarity among the increases in CCO subunits II and VI protein levels and the increase in CCO enzyme activity suggest that this increase in activity is due to an increase in the amount of CCO enzyme.
Partisanship and Confederate Constitution-Making Reconsidered: A Response to Bensel

In his response to my essay on the connection between partisan machinations in the Confederate Constitutional Convention and the disappearance of Democrat-Whig divisions in the Confederacy, Professor Richard Bensel raises a number of interesting arguments as to why partisanship was not a factor during the making of the Confederate Constitution. Additionally, Professor Bensel suggests a different avenue to examine the link between partisanship and constitution-building, specifically state-level constitutional conventions in the South where parties were known to be active and played a crucial role in decision-making.
Numerical studies of the stochastic Korteweg-de Vries equation

We present numerical solutions of the stochastic Korteweg-de Vries equation for three cases corresponding to additive time-dependent noise, multiplicative space-dependent noise and a combination of the two. We employ polynomial chaos for discretization in random space, and discontinuous Galerkin and finite difference for discretization in physical space. The accuracy of the stochastic solutions is investigated by comparing the first two moments against analytical and Monte Carlo simulation results. Of particular interest is the interplay of spatial discretization error with the stochastic approximation error, which is examined for different orders of spatial and stochastic approximation.
Impacts of climate change on hypersaline conditions of estuaries and xenobiotic toxicity

Climate change has had significant impacts on the hydrologic cycle of the planet. Of particular concern are estuarine environments, such as San Francisco Bay (USA) which is fed by diminishing snow pack runoff leading to gradual increases in salinity. Salinity enhances the acute toxicity of several agricultural chemicals in anadromous fish through augmented biochemical activation catalyzed by enzymes that are induced during hypersaline acclimation. This review discusses the mechanisms of the enhanced toxicity, the enzymes involved and the regulation of the enzymes by hypersaline conditions. Given the rapid changes taking place in the world's waterways, environmental modification of toxicological pathways should be a significant focus of the research community as the toxicity of multiple xenobiotics may be enhanced.
Specific enzyme responses in starved, glucagon-treated or irradiated rats, and general considerations on the mechanisms of induction in animals.

Abstract 1. 1. Starvation and the administration of glucagon exert several similar effects on the levels of liver tryptophan pyrrolase and tyrosine transaminase. The most striking one of these is the fifteenfold increase in the level of tyrosine transaminase by the synergistic action of glucagon and hydrocortisone. 2. 2. Irradiation, unlike actinomycin, inhibits the cofactor-type inductions of tryptophan pyrrolase and tyrosine transaminase and does not influence their hormone-type induction. 3. 3. An operational definition of enzyme induction is discussed. The known facts about the mechanisms of induction in animals are contrasted with the ambiguous words commonly used to describe them.
A peculiar example of temporal price discrimination

Abstract A seemingly small change in a demand assumption reverses several standard conclusions about temporal price discrimination.
In vivo studies of hippocampal atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease

Using 5 mm negative angulation CT scans, observations on the temporal lobes and hippocampal areas were made on 113 Alzheimer (AD) patients and 72 controls. The results indicate that hippocampal changes including dilatation of the choroidal and hippocampal fissures, appear to be an early feature of AD. Over a three year interval these changes are predictive of AD type clinical deterioration in non-demented elderly subjects. The CT hippocampal changes are correlated with postmortem hippocampal changes. Hippocampal evaluations in individuals <80 years of age are a useful addition to the diagnostic workup of AD patients.
Early Glycemic Response Predicts Achievement of Subsequent Treatment Targets in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: A Post hoc Analysis

Introduction American Diabetes Association consensus guidelines emphasize individualized treatment in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Early glycemic response is a clinical marker that may predict longer term efficacy for individual patients and provide a clinical tool to enhance personalized treatment. This analysis evaluated whether glycemic response measured at week 12 (“early”) could serve as a reliable predictor of glycemic control at weeks 24 and 52 of therapy in patients with T2DM.
Monitoring changes in salinity and metal concentrations in New Jersey (USA) coastal ecosystems Post-Hurricane Sandy

Temporal changes in pore-water salinity and metal concentrations were investigated in soils from two sites (residential and wetland areas) located in the Old Bridge Township, NJ, after Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast of the United States of America. Core and surface soil samples were collected in both the residential and wetland sites and then analyzed by field portable X-ray fluorescence (NITON XL3t-600 series FP-XRF). Pore-water salinity was determined from continuous measurements (every 10 min) of conductivity in a single sampling well installed in the wetland site. One month after Hurricane Sandy, pore-salinity was as high as 27 g/L, but gradually decreased to 15 g/L in approximately 3 months. Then, it increased gradually to 26 g/L 3 months later. High metal concentrations (lead, arsenic, copper, chromium, and iron) were measured in the surface and top 2-cm soil layer in both residential and wetland sites, often exceeding background levels within weeks of Hurricane Sandy. These metal contaminations were interpreted as being associated with storm surge from Hurricane Sandy that caused substantial flooding of the coastal areas by large amounts of seawater, loaded with dissolved metal and adsorbed metals to suspended sediments from the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site. The changes in salinity in wetland areas indicated the intrusion of seawater, thus providing evidence for metal-contaminated seawater altering the wetland’s geochemistry. The transport and deposition of metal contaminants in the coastal areas by Hurricane Sandy increased the risk of human exposure to these contaminants.
Healthy school environment: effectiveness of hand washing instruction in an elementary school setting.

Hand washing remains the single most important action for preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Although easy and inexpensive, promoting hand hygiene in an elementary school can be a challenge. This study was a collaborative project between the co-investigators (a registered nurse at an urban elementary school and a senior high school student working on a senior International Baccalaureate research project), the 5th-grade science teacher, and a physician from the local children’s hospital. The study purposes were to (a) determine the effectiveness of a 30-minute hand washing educational intervention at decreasing organisms on the hands of 5th-grade students and (b) introduce the 5th-grade students to the scientific method. Forty-one percent of the 5th-grade students used an effective hand washing technique after receiving instruction on proper hand washing.
Using a token-actuated timer to reduce television viewing.

A child watching an excessive amount of T.V. was provided a behavioral program featuring a token-actuated timer. Earned tokens were used to activate the T.V. for thirty-minute periods. The token-exchange system effectively reduced T.V. viewing and the reductions were maintained at two follow-up points. The principal contribution of the study is the development and evaluation of an electronically controlled device that was used to check the accuracy of parent-reported data.
Petrography of Selected Tertiary Limestone Type Sections in Florida: ABSTRACT

The Tertiary limestones of Florida provide sedimentologic information for environmental analysis. The type sections of the Eocene Ocala Group (Crystal River, Williston, Inglis Formations), and the Oligocene Suwannee and Marianna Limestones were studied petrographically. These formations represent several different microfacies that can be recognized in other areas. Rock types present include biosparites and biomicrites, many of which are pelletoidal and intraclast bearing. The various facies reflect the presence of topographic highs, numerous marine transgressions and regressions, and a complex diagenetic history involving periods of organism boring, solution, spar infilling, recrystallization, dolomitization, and silicification. Petrographic information about the various type sections provides standards of reference which can be related to other exposures of these formations. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1698------------
Convection, air mixing, and ultraviolet air disinfection in rooms.

The efficiency with which airborne test organisms were removed from the lower part of a room when the upper air was irradiated with ultraviolet light (UV) was used to evaluate convective air mixing between the upper and lower parts of the room. The temperature of air entering the room through four diffusers in the ceiling was 10 to 15 F hotter or colder than lower room air during the studies. Rates of disappearance of test organisms atomized into the air were more than twice as fast when cold air entered at the ceiling as when hot air entered. Mean vertical mixing rates were estimated to be 20 air changes per hour (AC/hr) with hot air entering at the ceiling and 150 to 300 AC/hr with cold air entering at the ceiling. These large differences resulted from the large temperature gradients which favored or inhibited vertical mixing of air.
Identical bands and multi-phonon vibrations

Abstract We report on the first observation of a set of identical, dynamical moments of inertia within the same nucleus corresponding to different quanta of vibrational phonons, The examples shown are those of γ and γγ vibrations in the deformed rare-earth region of nuclei. It is suggested that the determination of dynamical moments of inertia may be a signature of multi-phonon vibrational bands in deformed nuclei everywhere in the chart of nuclides.
The interaction of ultrasonic heating and cavitation in vascular bioeffects on mouse intestine.

Abstract Anesthetized hairless mice were exposed at the midsection to 400-kHz focused ultrasound that was continuous or pulsed with 100-μs pulses, in a temperature-controlled water bath. After exposure, the intestines were evaluated for petechiae, presumably induced by heating, and hemorrhages, presumably induced by cavitation. Petechiae (up to about 100) occurred above 0.28 MPa (2.6 W cm −2 ) for 1000 s continuous exposure at 37°C, and the threshold increased to 6.5 MPa (1.4 W cm −2 temporal average) for 1000 s pulsed exposure (0.001 duty factor). Hemorrhages (up to about 10) were seen above 0.65 MPa for continuous exposure (10 s, 100 s or 1000 s), and the threshold increased only to 1.6 MPa for 1000 s pulsed exposure (0.001 duty factor). Fractionating a brief continuous exposure into a low duty-factor pulsed exposure greatly decreased the petechiae, but actually increased the hemorrhages. For example, 1 s continuous exposure at 3.2 MPa (340 W cm −2 ) averaged 0.33 hemorrhages per mouse, and 1 s on-time pulsed exposure (1000 s duration, 0.001 duty factor) at 3.2 MPa (0.34 W cm −2 temporal average) averaged 4.3 hemorrhages per mouse. More petechiae were induced at 42°C bath temperature relative to 32°C or 37°C, and the hemorrhage effect was somewhat enhanced by elevated temperature. Generally, heating and cavitation appeared to have largely independent roles in vascular bioeffects on mouse intestine.
Blended reduced subspace algorithms for uncertainty quantification of quadratic systems with a stable mean state

Abstract Order-reduction schemes have been used successfully for the analysis and simplification of high-dimensional systems exhibiting low-dimensional dynamics. In this work, we first focus on presenting generic limitations of order-reduction techniques in systems with stable mean state that exhibit irreducible high-dimensional features such as non-normal dynamics, wide energy spectra, or strong energy cascades between modes. The reduced-order framework that we consider to illustrate these limitations is the dynamically orthogonal (DO) field equations. This framework is applied to a series of examples with stable mean state, including a linear non-normal system, and a nonlinear triad system in various dynamical configurations. After illustrating the weaknesses and generic limitations of order reduction, we develop a novel, two-way coupled, blended approach based on the quasilinear Gaussian (QG) closure and the DO field equations. The new method (QG–DO) overcomes the limitations of its two ingredients and achieves exceptional performance in the examples described previously as well as in other configurations with strongly transient character without using any tuned or adjustable parameters.
Evolution of the quasiparticle band with doping in models of strongly correlated electrons for the high-Tc cuprates

Abstract Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) and Maximum Entropy (ME) techniques are used to study the spectral function A (p, ω ) of the one band Hubbard model in strong coupling including a next-nearest-neighbor electronic hopping. A quasiparticle (q.p.) band is clearly observed. The evolution with hole density of the q.p. dispersion is in qualitative agreement with recent ARPES data in the underdoped regime. The population of the q.p. band introduces a hidden density in the system which produces interesting consequences when the quasiparticle are assumed to interact through antiferromagnetic fluctuations and studied with the BCS gap equation formalism.
Interspecific pairing between two siblingIps species (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Host and conspecific discrimination were tested as reproductive isolating mechanisms betweenIps paraconfusus Lanier infestingPinus coulteri (Torrey) andI. confusus (Le Conte) infestingP. monophylla (Fremont). In two areas (one area largely Coulter pine and the other largely pinyon pine) where these bark beetles and hosts cooccur in southern California, we induced pheromone production in host and nonhost logs using males of each species.Ips paraconfusus females joined both heterospecific and conspecific males tunneling in both tree species in each area.Ips confusus females failed to joinI. paraconfusus males in Coulter pine, but joinedI. paraconfusus in pinyon pine. Sympatry was demonstrated when females of both sibling species joined conspecific males in their respective hosts. Males attacked all four beetlehost treatment combinations in both areas. Laboratory tests confirmed these results. Males did not displace heterospecific males from nuptial chambers in hosts, and they did not occupy a gallery in which heterospecific males produced frass. Females that left conspecific males in a host were readily accepted by heterospecific males and oviposited in a nonhost.
A re-analysis of the experimental data on hypernuclei decaying by π− emission

A final version of a prelimirary report prepared in 1957 with the purpose of summarizing the data available on the basis of a critical reanalysis of individual events is presented. Essentially no new material is included but a detailed description of the salient features of the events considered and of the criteria adopted is presented. Experimental data are presented in 9 tables. (A.C.)
The relationship between self-report of depression and media usage

Depression is a debilitating condition that adversely affects many aspects of a person's life and general health. Earlier work has supported the idea that there may be a relationship between the use of certain media and depression. In this study, we tested if self-report of depression (SRD), which is not a clinically based diagnosis, was associated with increased internet, television, and social media usage by using data collected in the Media Behavior and Influence Study (MBIS) database (N=19,776 subjects). We further assessed the relationship of demographic variables to this association. These analyses found that SRD rates were in the range of published rates of clinically diagnosed major depression. It found that those who tended to use more media also tended to be more depressed, and that segmentation of SRD subjects was weighted toward internet and television usage, which was not the case with non-SRD subjects, who were segmented along social media use. This study found that those who have suffered either economic or physical life setbacks are orders of magnitude more likely to be depressed, even without disproportionately high levels of media use. However, among those that have suffered major life setbacks, high media users – particularly television watchers – were even more likely to report experiencing depression, which suggests that these effects were not just due to individuals having more time for media consumption. These findings provide an example of how Big Data can be used for medical and mental health research, helping to elucidate issues not traditionally tested in the fields of psychiatry or experimental psychology.
Photorefractive effects in GaAs

Photorefractive GaAs is a potential optical processing material with the capability of integration with optoelectronic and electronic devices. Recent results on photorefractive properties of liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC)-grown, undoped, semiinsulating GaAs crystals are presented.
Phototautomerism of Warfarin Cation in Lowest Excited Singlet State via an Intramolecular Hydrogen Bridge

The pH and Hammett acidity dependence of the fluorescence spectra of 4-hydroxycoumarin and warfarin were studied. Warfarin demonstrates an anomalous long wavelength emission in moderately concentrated sulfuric acid solutions. The emission properties of methylated derivatives of 4-hydroxycoumarin and warfarin were employed to show that the anomalous fluorescence of warfarin is due to a protonated zwitterionic excited species, formed by intramolecular proton transfer in the excited state of the warfarin cation from the hydroxyl group to the acetonyl oxygen atom. The long wavelength of the warfarin fluorescence in sulfuric acid may be useful in the selective fluorometric determination of warfarin in the presence of other 4-hydroxycoumarin derivatives.
Failure Criterion for Varying Strain Rates

Strain rate affects the behaviors of engineering structural materials, such as metals and composites, in terms of their stiffness and strength. In particular, yield and failure strengths and strains depend on the strain rate applied to the materials. When a structural material is subjected to a typical dynamic loading, the material usually undergoes various strain rate loading conditions. Then, the main question is whether the material is going to fail or not. To the authors’ best knowledge, there has been no failure criterion proposed for a varying strain rate loading condition. This paper presents a failure criterion under non-uniform strain rate conditions. Experiments were also conducted to support the proposed failure criterion using aluminum alloy AA3003-H14. This study also investigated the failure envelopes in terms of strain rates and the normalized failure strengths. Furthermore, evaluations of various stressstrain relations under different strain rate loading conditions were also undertaken.
DSPOBJ—System for display of multiple sets of three-dimensional data

DSPOBJ is a FORTRAN subroutine to control the display of three-dimensional line networks on a stand-alone, general-purpose, interactive computer graphics system. The program controls the creation and manipulation of transformation matrices for the display and control of multiple sets of line networks. It provides advanced graphics features such as independent and global scaling, rotation and translation, cross-sectioning, reflection, and simultaneous display of four views.
Haumanamide, a nitrogenous spongian derivative from a Spongia sp.

Abstract A spongian diterpenoid carboxylic acid with a D ring γ-lactam has been isolated from a Pohnpei Spongia sp. It is active against KB cancer cells and LoVO (colon cancer).
Factors associated with fluoroscopy exposure during pediatric catheter ablation utilizing electroanatomical mapping.

Exposure to ionizing radiation during electrophysiologic procedures in children is believed to increase the risk of future malignancy. Electroanatomical navigation can reduce exposure, but the cohort of children who derive the greatest benefit from this approach is incompletely defined. We sought to determine factors associated with fluoroscopy exposure with conventional catheter ablation versus electroanatomical navigation. A retrospective review of all ablation procedures over a 5-year period during the transition to electroanatomical navigation performed by a single electrophysiologist was performed. Fluoroscopy time >20 min was considered “prolonged.” Statistical analysis was performed to determine differences among groups. Two hundred thirty-four subjects underwent catheter ablation during the study period (conventional, n = 127; navigation, n = 107). Mean fluoroscopy decreased from 11.1 to 3.5 min with electroanatomical navigation (p < 0.0001). Overall 53/107 subjects (50 %) undergoing catheter ablation using electroanatomical navigation required no fluoroscopy, of which atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) (n = 23) and right-sided accessory pathways (n = 22) were most common (p = 0.001). Prolonged fluoroscopic exposure was observed for 22/127 (17 %) subjects undergoing conventional fluoroscopy versus 3/107 (3 %) subjects with electroanatomical navigation (p = 0.001) and was not observed after increased experience. Flouroscopy time decreased significantly after the first 20 procedures (p = 0.04). There was no difference in success, complication, or recurrence rate between groups. Electroanatomical navigation significantly reduced fluoroscopic exposure without compromising safety, efficacy, or recurrence. Subjects with AVNRT and right-sided accessory pathways derived the greatest benefit as did those requiring prolonged fluoroscopy by the conventional approach.
Work Hours Assessment and Monitoring Initiative (WHAMI) under resident direction: a strategy for working within limitations.

Purpose A review of surgical residents’ duty-hours prompted a Work Hours Assessment and Monitoring Initiative (WHAMI) that preemptively limits residents from violating “duty-hours rules.” Methods Work hours data for the Department of Surgery were reviewed over 8-months at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia Campus. This ongoing review is performed by a work-hours monitoring team, which supervises residents’ hours for the initial 5-days of each week. As residents approach work-hours limits for the week, they are dismissed from duty for appropriate time periods in the remaining 2 days of the week. Results The work-hours data entry compliance for 52 residents was increased from 93% to 99% after creation of the WHAMI. Before the new system, a mean of 9.5 residents per month (19%) worked an average of 7.3 ± 6.4 hours over the 80-hour limit. Averaged monthly compliance with the 80-hour work limit was increased to 98% with introduction of the WHAMI. A review of on-call duty hours revealed a mean of 7 (14%) residents per month who worked an average of 2.4 hours beyond 24-hour call limitations including “sign-out” time imposed by the ACGME. New monitoring procedures have improved compliance to 100% with 24-hour call limitations imposed by the ACGME. Compliance with the more stringent New York State (NYS) guidelines has approached 94% with noncompliant residents extending on-call hours by an average of 1.5 hours over the 24-hour limitations, most on “off General Surgery” rotations or out-of-state rotations. Review of mandatory rest periods contributed to an increase in mean “time off” between work periods, thereby increasing compliance with ACGME guidelines and NYS regulations from 75% to 88%, and 90% to 98%, respectively. Residents reporting less than 10 hours rest reported increased “time off” from 6.2 ± 2.0 to 7.9 ± 1.3 hours (p Conclusions Internal review of surgical resident’s duty-hours at a large university hospital revealed that despite strict scheduling and the requirement of mandatory duty-hours entry, achieving the goals of meeting the duty-hours requirements and of ongoing data entry required the creation of a resident enforced, real-time Work Hours Assessment and Monitoring Initiative.
Effectiveness of keyword versus direct instruction on vocabulary acquisition by primary-grade handicapped learners

In this study, the effectiveness of the keyword mnemonic method was compared with that of the direct instruction method for teaching vocabulary words to fourth through sixth graders. Subjects were developmentally handicapped, learning disabled, or mentally retarded, aged 124 to 167 months. Acquisition of vocabulary words was measured by definition, sentence interpretation, and forced-choice questions. Results suggest that the keyword strategy may be too difficult for primary-grade handicapped learners to use.
Beam efficiency limitations of large antennas

The beam efficiency of an antenna may be defined as the ratio of the power radiated within the main beam to the total power radiated. The beam efficiency is derived for ideal rectangular and circular apertures, as a function of the edge-to-center amplitude ratio. Random phase errors are assumed to exist across the aperture. Various types of feeds for parabolic reflectors are also considered in relation to the fraction of power which the feed directs into the paraboloid. A primary limitation on the beam efficiency of a paraboloid is shown to be produced by the surface roughness.
Latencies of behavioral response to interception of filaments of sex pheromone and clean air influence flight track shape in Heliothis virescens (F.) males

1) Male Heliothis virescens moths flew upwind to pulsed pheromone plumes. Upon truncation of the pulsed plume males flew into clean air, turning their tracks crosswind (> 60° relative to directly upwind direction at 0°) within an average of 0.27 s, and were casting, perpendicular to the wind-line (90°), within 0.43 s. 2) The characteristic casting flight in clean air consisted of left-right crosswind reversals, continuing for many seconds without further pheromonal stimulation. Males intercepting a single strand of pheromone during casting flight responded by surging upwind (track angles 60°). 3) Average templates of responses in two and three dimensions were created. Males controlled their vertical deviations very tightly when in contact with pheromone but upon entering clean air, lateral and vertical excursions became much greater. 4) Males failed to sustain upwind flight to repetitively pulsed plumes generated at < 4 filaments/s. At the threshold frequency of 4 pulses/s we show that upwind flights were composed of reiterated surges followed by crosswind casting. As the pulse frequency increased, the tracks became straighter and the single filament cast-surge-cast template could be viewed only sporadically when, for example, a male apparently failed to intercept filaments.
Realization of a standard radiometer for microwave brightness-temperature measurements traceable to fundamental noise standards

We describe and demonstrate a standard radiometer for making microwave brightness-temperature measurements that are traceable to fundamental noise standards. The standard radiometer is based on a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) waveguide radiometer for 18–26.5 GHz, fitted with an antenna to measure radiated power. The fraction of the antenna pattern subtended by the radiating target is determined by anechoic-chamber measurements in which we vary the temperature of the target and measure the received power. Sample measurement results with uncertainties are presented. The typical standard uncertainty for a brightness temperature of around 340 K is about 1 K. The approach should be extendable to other waveguide bands where NIST has radiometers and standards.
Discount rate changes, stock market returns, volatility, and trading volume: Evidence from intraday data and implications for market efficiency

We examine the eAect of discount rate changes on stock market returns, volatility, and trading volume using intraday data. Equity returns generally respond negatively and significantly to the unexpected announcements; however, the eAect of expected changes on equity returns is insignificant. Furthermore, our results indicate that equity prices respond to announcements within the trading period/hour after the information release. An indication of a return reversal is too small to cover the full transaction costs. Unexpected discount rate changes also contribute to higher market volatility although the volatility is short-lived. Similarly, unexpected changes in discount rates induce larger trading volume while expected changes do not. Abnormal trading volume occurs only in period t. Our results also support the notion that unexpected changes in the discount rates impact market returns irrespective of the Federal Reserve operating procedures. ” 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Design and fabrication of porous polymer wick structures

Wicks are often an integral part of fluid capacitance and transport in many systems, including heat pipes, fuel cells, and lateral flow chemical assays on cellulose paper. In this paper, we explore porous polymer monoliths as a new wick material potentially applicable to these and other applications. Polymer mono- lith chemistries, long used for high surface-to-volume ratio separation and filtering media in analytical chemistry, offer tremendous flexibility in resulting monolith pore structure, chemical composition, and surface chemistry (including wettability). We leverage this flexibility to design, fabricate, and character- ize hydrophilic porous monoliths, with the aim of achieving high permeability wick materials. We show that variations in monomer concentration and porogen composition can affect mode pore diameters ranging from 6.3 to 10.1m and permeabilities ranging from 0.73 × 10−12 to 1.9 × 10−12 m2. In addition, we identify a rough dependence of monolith permeability on porosity times the square of mode pore diameter and discuss key figures of merit characterizing capillary transport. As an example application, we then detail a custom injection molding procedure, where we in situ polymerize ∼150m thick wicks conformally onto the surface of metal channels of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell cathode.
An evaluation of face and ear biometrics

Face recognition based on principal component analysis is a heavily researched topic in computer vision. The ear has been proposed as a biometric, with claimed advantages over the face. We have applied the PCA approach to images of the face and ear using the same set of subjects. Testing was done with three different gallery/probe combinations. For faces we have: 1) probes of same day but different expression, 2) probes of a different day but similar expression, and 3) probes of different day and different expression. Analogously, for ears, we have: 1) probes of same day but other ear, 2) probes of a different day but same ear, and 3) probes of different day and other ear Results indicate that the face provides a more reliable biometric than the ear.
Leveraging Resource Prediction for Anticipatory Dynamic Configuration

Self-adapting systems based on multiple concurrent applications must decide how to allocate scarce resources to applications and how to set the quality parameters of each application to best satisfy the user. Past work has made those decisions with analytic models that used current resource availability information: they react to recent changes in resource availability as they occur, rather than anticipating future availability. These reactive techniques may model each local decision optimally, but the accumulation of decisions over time nearly always becomes less than optimal. In this paper, we propose an approach to self- adaptation, called anticipatory configuration that leverages predictions of future resource availability to improve utility for the user over the duration of the task. The approach solves the following technical challenges: (1) how to express resource availability prediction, (2) how to combine prediction from multiple sources, and (3) how to leverage predictions continuously while improving utility to the user. Our experiments show that when certain adaptation operations are costly, anticipatory configuration provides better utility to the user than reactive configuration, while being comparable in resource demand.
The Paradox of Majority Underrepresentation in Special Education in India: Constructions of Difference in a Developing Country

In contrast to the phenomenon of minority overrepresentation in special education in developed countries such as the United States, a paradoxical situation occurs in many developing countries, whereby majority populations are underrepresented in the educational system. The author examines some of the prevailing and traditional societal and political-economic factors specific to India that contribute to this underrepresentation, such as a paucity of resources that affects children from low socioeconomic backgrounds, gender differences in child rearing and educational expectations that affect girls, and negative attitudes toward disability.
Deterministic coupon collection and better strong dispersers

Hashing is one of the main techniques in data processing and algorithm design for very large data sets. While random hash functions satisfy most desirable properties, it is often too expensive to store a fully random hash function. Motivated by this, much attention has been given to designing small families of hash functions suitable for various applications. In this work, we study the question of designing space-efficient hash families H = {h:[U] -> [N]} with the natural property of 'covering': H is said to be covering if any set of Omega(N log N) distinct items from the universe (the "coupon-collector limit") are hashed to cover all N bins by most hash functions in H. We give an explicit covering family H of size poly(N) (which is optimal), so that hash functions in H can be specified efficiently by O(log N) bits. We build covering hash functions by drawing a connection to "dispersers", which are quite well-studied and have a variety of applications themselves. We in fact need strong dispersers and we give new constructions of strong dispersers which may be of independent interest. Specifically, we construct strong dispersers with optimal entropy loss in the high min-entropy, but very small error (poly(n)/2^n for n bit sources) regimes. We also provide a strong disperser construction with constant error but for any min-entropy. Our constructions achieve these by using part of the source to replace seed from previous non-strong constructions in surprising ways. In doing so, we take two of the few constructions of dispersers with parameters better than known extractors and make them strong.
Motor-sensory recalibration leads to an illusory reversal of action and sensation

To judge causality, organisms must determine the temporal order of their actions and sensations. However, this judgment may be confounded by changing delays in sensory pathways, suggesting the need for dynamic temporal recalibration. To test for such a mechanism, we artificially injected a fixed delay between participants' actions (keypresses) and subsequent sensations (flashes). After participants adapted to this delay, flashes at unexpectedly short delays after the keypress were often perceived as occurring before the keypress, demonstrating a recalibration of motor-sensory temporal order judgments. When participants experienced illusory reversals, fMRI BOLD signals increased in anterior cingulate cortex/medial frontal cortex (ACC/MFC), a brain region previously implicated in conflict monitoring. This illusion-specific activation suggests that the brain maintains not only a recalibrated representation of timing, but also a less-plastic representation against which to compare it.
Compact high voltage subnanosecond pulsed power delivery system for biological applications

Intracellular electro-manipulation experiments require subnanosecond high voltage pulses delivered to low impedance biological loads. We present here the design and construction of an experimental setup to deliver such subnanosecond high voltage pulses to biological cell solutions. This low-parasitic electronic setup interfaces our avalanche transistor-switched pulse generation system with the imaging and monitoring apparatuses used for bio-photonic studies of pulse-induced intracellular effects. The setup features a custom fabricated microscope slide to hold the cell solution under study, and a printed circuit board designed to carry the output pulse from the pulse generator to micro-machined electrodes on the glass slide. The pc-board and the slide are designed to match the load impedance of the pulse generator. This minimizes reflections back into the pulse generator, and minimizes distortion of pulse shape and pulse parameters. Further, the pc-board contains a custom-made high bandwidth voltage divider to allow for real-time monitoring of pulses delivered to the cell solution.
Parenting in a New Land: Specialized Services for Immigrant and Refugee Families in the USA

This practice-based research study examines a US-based preventive services program tailored to immigrant and refugee families that have been subject to a Child Protective Services report. The model is the result of a collaboration between an immigrant serving community-based agency and a county department of child welfare services in a medium-sized city that has become a hub for refugee resettlement. A clinical data mining approach was used in an intensive examination of 15 families’ case records. This paper identifies family characteristics, service needs, and strength-based practices that emerged, offering recommendations for child welfare agencies and practitioners in other jurisdictions seeking to design strategies to strengthen their services for immigrant and refugee communities.
CO2 mineralization in volcanogenic sandstones: geochemical characterization of the Etchegoin formation, San Joaquin Basin

Volcanogenic sandstones are typically rich in volcanic rock fragments that can provide reactive minerals for CO 2 mineralization in a scenario of CO 2 sequestration. To quantitatively evaluate the extent and time scale of CO 2 mineralization in potential reservoir formations, we characterized example high‐porosity volcanic sand from the San Joaquin Valley of southern Central California. Samples were collected from the volcanic‐rich members of the Etchegoin Formation in the San Joaquin Basin near Coalinga, California. Thin sections made from these samples were examined under petrographic microscope to identify mineral compositions, and then scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to gather quantitative information on mineral abundances, distribution, and reactive surface areas. Porosity and permeability were also measured using core plugs made from outcrop samples. Results show that the Etchegoin volcanic sandstone has a high percentage (10–15%) of reactive minerals (pyroxenes, Fe‐Ti spinel and clays), and high reactive surface areas at about 1 m-super-2/kg. Reactive transport modeling is conducted and shows that these reactive minerals could mineralize 92% of injected and capillary‐trapped CO 2 within 1000 years of injection. Possible effects of heterogeneity on CO 2 injection and mineralization are also studied using the reactive transport code TOUGHREACT. Vertical heterogeneity of mineralogy and hydrology increases both CO 2 injectivity and mineralization. Available volcanogenic sandstones worldwide like the Etchegoin sandstone are summarized from the literature, with formations from the western USA that have CO 2 sequestration potential emphasized.© 2015 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Connecting tubule glomerular feedback mediates acute tubuloglomerular feedback resetting

Tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) and connecting tubule glomerular feedback (CTGF) are mechanisms that control afferent arteriole (Af-Art) tone. TGF, initiated by increased NaCl at the macula densa, ...
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) in tumor growth and progression: Lessons learned from pediatric oncology

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a sympathetic neurotransmitter with pleiotropic actions, many of which are highly relevant to tumor biology. Consequently, the peptide has been implicated as a factor regulating the growth of a variety of tumors. Among them, two pediatric malignancies with high endogenous NPY synthesis and release - neuroblastoma and Ewing sarcoma - became excellent models to investigate the role of NPY in tumor growth and progression. The stimulatory effect on tumor cell proliferation, survival, and migration, as well as angiogenesis in these tumors, is mediated by two NPY receptors, Y2R and Y5R, which are expressed in either a constitutive or inducible manner. Of particular importance are interactions of the NPY system with the tumor microenvironment, as hypoxic conditions commonly occurring in solid tumors strongly activate the NPY/Y2R/Y5R axis. This activation is triggered by hypoxia-induced up-regulation of Y2R/Y5R expression and stimulation of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV), which converts NPY to a selective Y2R/Y5R agonist, NPY(3-36). While previous studies focused mainly on the effects of NPY on tumor growth and vascularization, they also provided insight into the potential role of the peptide in tumor progression into a metastatic and chemoresistant phenotype. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the role of NPY in neuroblastoma and Ewing sarcoma and its interactions with the tumor microenvironment in the context of findings in other malignancies, as well as discusses future directions and potential clinical implications of these discoveries.
Characterization of the Twin-Arginine Translocase Secretion System of Mycobacterium smegmatis

The twin-arginine translocation (TAT) system secretes fully folded proteins that contain a twin-arginine motif within their signal sequence across the cytoplasmic membrane in bacteria. Using a green fluorescent protein fused with a TAT signal sequence, we demonstrated that Mycobacterium smegmatis contains a TAT system. By inactivating individual genes, we showed that three genes (tatA, tatB, and tatC) are required for a functional TAT system in M. smegmatis. The tat mutants exhibited a decreased growth rate and altered colony morphology compared to the parent strain. Comparison of the secreted proteins of the ΔtatC and parent strain by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed an alteration in the secretion of at least five proteins, and one of the major TAT-dependent secreted proteins was identified as β-lactamase (BlaS). The genome of M. smegmatis was analyzed with the TATFIND program, and 49 putative TAT substrates were identified, including the succinate transporter DctP. Because disruption of the TAT secretion system has a direct effect on the physiology of M. smegmatis and homologs of the TAT proteins are also present in the genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the TAT secretion system or its substrates may be good candidates for drug or vaccine development.
Preventing HIV Among Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa

The prospect of HIV infection remains one of the most significant public health risks facing adolescents. Twenty-five percent of all global HIV infections occur among people between the ages of 15 and 24 years with new infections among some subgroups reaching record proportions. Sub-Saharan Africa has been disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic as approximately threequarters of all youth living with HIV/AIDS reside there with HIV the leading cause of death among adolescents/ young adults 15 to 29 years old. Sub-Saharan Africa is a richly diverse mosaic of nations cultures traditions customs languages and religions. Likewise the HIV epidemic is fueled by concurrent epidemics of poverty internecine conflict deeply embedded cultural practices and of course other prevalent diseases. Understanding the full spectrum of issues and subsequently creating efficacious HIV risk-reduction interventions for sub-Saharan adolescents will require intensified research efforts. The articles in this issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health shed light on factors that drive the HIV epidemic and offer promise for designing prevention programs.
Evidence of a Heterogeneous Nucleus in a Polypropylene Spherulite Using Electron Probe Microanalysis

The behavior of nucleating agents in the crystallization of polypropylene (PP) was investigated by an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). Aluminum benzoate (AlB) and sodium benzoate (NaB) were used as the nucleating agents. In a PP spherulite containing NaB, sodium Kα was detected in the neighborhood of the spherulitic center. This result indicates that NaB granules act as nuclei for PP spherulites. It is also confirmed that the AlB granule exists at the spherulitic center.