cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COHERENT VUV GENERATION BY NONLINEAR PROCESSES

Optical mixing in vapours has been used to produce intense, spectrally narrow, coherent radiation in the VUV. Atomic and molecular vapours have been used to generate light to wavelengths as short as 38 nm and continuously over the region from 130-200 nm. A review of the various methods of nonlinear VUV generation will be presented, with emphasis on the use of resonant enhancement to increase the response of the nonlinear medium to the input radiation.
Major Hemorrhage and Tolerability of Warfarin in the First Year of Therapy Among Elderly Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Background— Warfarin is effective in the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation but is under used in clinical care. Concerns exist that published rates of hemorrhage may not reflect real-world practice. Few patients ≥80 years of age were enrolled in trials, and studies of prevalent use largely reflect a warfarin-tolerant subset. We sought to define the tolerability of warfarin among an elderly inception cohort with atrial fibrillation. Methods and Results— Consecutive patients who started warfarin were identified from January 2001 to June 2003 and followed for 1 year. Patients had to be ≥65 years of age, have established care at the study institution, and have their warfarin managed on-site. Outcomes included major hemorrhage, time to termination of warfarin, and reason for discontinuation. Of 472 patients, 32% were ≥80 years of age, and 91% had ≥1 stroke risk factor. The cumulative incidence of major hemorrhage for patients ≥80 years of age was 13.1 per 100 person-years and 4.7 for those <80 years o...
Spacetime encodings. I. A spacetime reconstruction problem

This paper explores features of an idealized mathematical machine (algorithm) that would be capable of reconstructing the gravitational nature (the multipolar structure or spacetime metric) of a compact object, by observing gravitational radiation emitted by a small object that orbits and spirals into it. An outline is given of the mathematical developments that must be carried out in order to construct such a machine.
Synergism of Co and Mo in the catalytic production of single-wall carbon nanotubes by decomposition of CO

The catalyst composition and operating conditions for the synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) from CO decomposition have been systematically varied in order to maximize the selectivity towards SWNT. A simple quantification method based on the standard Temperature Programmed Oxidation (TPO) technique has allowed us to determine the distribution of the different forms of carbonaceous deposits present on the catalysts after the CO decomposition reaction. A synergistic effect between Co and Mo has been observed. When both metals are simultaneously present, particularly when Mo is in excess, the catalyst is very effective. However, when they are separated they are either inactive (Mo alone) or unselective (Co alone). To understand this synergistic effect, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS and XANES) has been used to characterize the state of Co and Mo on the catalysts before and after the production of SWNT.
Differing Effects of Family Finding Service on Permanency and Family Connectedness for Children New to Versus Lingering in the Foster Care System

This study evaluated effects of family finding on relative placement and positive permanency outcomes for children in foster care. The sample was randomized to evaluate effects on permanency and relative placement. The impact of the timing of service was examined. The study failed to show significant differences in placement and permanency for the treatment versus the control group. Examination of program outcomes showed that many connections were found for children who have lingered in care. Family finding impacted positive permanency for the lingering-in care group and relative placement for the new-to-care group; permanency and relative placement increased with lengthier evaluation.
The evolution of void-filled cosmological structures

1D, 2D, and 3D simulations are used here to investigate the salient features in the evolution of void-filled cosmological structures in universes with arbitrary values of Omega. It is found that the growth of a void as a function of time decreases significantly at the time corresponding to Omega = 0.5. In models constructed in 2D and 3D, suitable initial conditions lead to cellular structure with faceted voids similar to those observed in redshift surveys. Matter compressed to planes flows more rapidly toward condensations at the intersections than would be expected for spherical infall. The peculiar streaming velocities for void diameters of 5000 km/s should be observable. The simulations provide a more physical basis and dynamics for the bubbly and Voronois tesselation models used to derive statistical properties of cellular large-scale structure.
Multidimensional Transport Effects on Forced-Flow Chemical Vapor Infiltration

A general multidimensional transport and reaction model that was formulated for the chemical vapor infiltration process in a previous study is used to carry out a comprehensive study of multidimensional transport effects in forced-flow chemical vapor infiltration. Results are obtained on the effects of the anisotropy and geometry of the preform, thermal gradients, and the distribution of flow at the face of the preform. For a simple, slab-shaped preform geometry, all these parameters are found to influence strongly the distance from the entrance of the preform up to which significant multidimensional transport effects are encountered in the partial pressure and density profiles. The key factor controlling the appearance and extent of multidimensional transport effects is the distribution of flow over the entrance face of the preform.
A phase I trial of topotecan and gemcitabine administered weekly for 3 consecutive weeks to patients with advanced tumors.

BACKGROUND The complementary action of gemcitabine and topotecan on DNA metabolism suggested the potential for their use in combination chemotherapy. Gemcitabine, a synthetic cytidine analogue chain terminator, and topotecan, a topoisomerase-1 inhibitor, have been reported to have broad antitumor activity and are approved for clinical use. METHODS The cytotoxicity of the combination in various models in vitro was additive. In the current study, the authors conducted a Phase I study to determine the recommended Phase II doses and toxicity profile of gemcitabine and topotecan when administered weekly in combination. Gemcitabine (400–1000 mg/m2) was given intravenously over 30 minutes followed by a 15-minute infusion of topotecan (0.75–2.5 mg/m2) weekly for 3 consecutive weeks in a 4-week treatment cycle. Thirty-eight patients with advanced refractory solid tumors and good performance status were treated. RESULTS Myelosuppression in the form of granulocytopenia and thrombocytopenia were the major dose-limiting toxicities. Other toxic effects included anemia, nausea, and elevated hepatic transaminases. Partial responses were observed in two patients (one with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma and one with pancreatic carcinoma). Disease stabilization occurred in five patients (three with pancreatic carcinoma, one with rectal carcinoma, and one with metastatic carcinoma of an unknown primary site). Gemcitabine, 1000 mg/m2, and topotecan, 2.5 mg/m2, were the maximum tolerated doses for this combination. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study showed that the combination of weekly gemcitabine and topotecan for 3 weeks in a 4-week cycle schedule appeared to be well tolerated and was associated with clinical activity. Therefore, this combination is recommended for a further Phase II evaluation. Cancer 2001;92:414–9. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
The Babbling Brookes: Economic Change in Sarawak 1841–1941

The present day economy of Sarawak is characterized by a small but rapidly growing, largely rural population engaged in low productivity, semi-subsistence agriculture; a dependence on the export of a few primary commodities; the relative absence of modern transportation linkages, and a small industrial sector. In many respects, therefore, Sarawak represents a microcosm of the underdeveloped world. Yet for about a hundred years Sarawak was ruled by the white Brooke dynasty and was touted as a true frontier for western expansion and an ideal setting for the exploitation of its natural resources. There was very little development during this period because Brooke rule was inimical to economic progress—the Brookes gave little or no financial assistance to the natives, undertook few developmental initiatives, and expected foreign entrepreneurs and missionaries to provide the rudiments of physical and social infrastructures. The Brookes believed that change, particularly far-reaching or rapid change, would be harmful to the natives. Consequently, when Brooke rule ended, the problems of economic development seemed more intractable while the supposed benefits of ‘white’ rule appeared less tangible.
Risk factors for injuries and falls among adults with developmental disabilities

The present study was designed to identify risk factors for injuries including falls and non fall-related injuries among adults with developmental disabilities. The following variables were examined as potential risk factors: age, gender, level of intellectual disability, health, seizures, ambulatory status, adaptive and maladaptive behaviours, use of antipsychotic drugs, and type of residential setting. The subjects were 268 adults with developmental disabilities > or = 30 years of age. A total of 30 participants (11%) were reported to have injuries. Over 50% of injuries were caused by falls. Individuals who had a higher frequency of seizures, had more destructive behaviour and used antipsychotic drugs had the highest risk of injuries. A sub-analysis of fall-related injuries indicated that individuals who were > or = 70 years of age, ambulatory and had a higher frequency of seizures had the highest risk of injurious falls. Adaptive behaviour, destructive behaviour and physical health were positively related to non-fall-related injuries. Individuals with developmental disabilities who have better health and greater adaptive behaviour may be more active, and therefore, at an increased risk of non-fall-related injuries.
Systemic cancer therapy: Evolution over the last 60 years

The 1940s marked the beginning of an era of important discoveries that contributed to modern concepts underlying the current practice of cancer chemotherapy, such as the log kill hypothesis reported by Skipper, the Norton-Simon hypothesis, and the Goldie-Coldman hypothesis. The early success of nitrogen mustards and antifolates in the treatment of hematologic malignancies paved the way for drug discovery platforms, which resulted in the generation of more drugs that nonetheless predominantly are genotoxic. The turn of the new millennium marked a new phase in the evolution of cancer chemotherapy. Scientific progress in the preceding 60 years elucidated the important ideas behind tumor microenvironment and 'targeted' therapy that had their inception in the late 19th century. Breakthroughs in molecular biology have paved the way for the development of novel agents that modulate the dysregulated molecular pathways implicated in carcinogenesis. The key approaches and evidence pertinent to the clinical development of these novel agents are presented in this review.
Prevention of hepatocyte allograft rejection in rats by transferring adenoviral early region 3 genes into donor cells.

Hepatocyte transplantation is being evaluated as an alternative to liver transplantation for metabolic support during liver failure and for definitive treatment of inherited liver diseases. However, as with liver transplantation, transplantation of allogeneic hepatocytes requires prolonged immunosuppression with its associated untoward effects. Therefore, we explored strategies for the genetic modification of donor hepatocytes that could eliminate allograft rejection, obviating the need for immunosuppression. Products of early region 3 (AdE3) of the adenoviral genome are known to protect infected cells from immune recognition and destruction. In the present study we showed that immortalized rat hepatocytes that had been stably transduced with AdE3 before transplantation into fully MHC-mismatched rats are protected from allograft rejection. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that a similar number of engrafted AdE3-transfected hepatocytes had survived in syngeneic and allogeneic recipients. AdE3 expression did not reduce expression of MHC class I on the surfaces of donor hepatocytes. Consistent with this, the in vivo cytotoxic cell–mediated alloresponse was attenuated but not abolished in recipients of AdE3-transfected allogeneic hepatocytes. In contrast, graft survival correlated with a marked reduction in cell-surface localization of Fas receptor in the transplanted cells and inhibition of Fas-mediated apoptosis, which are related to the antiapoptotic functions of the AdE3 proteins. CONCLUSION:AdE3 gene products prevent hepatocyte allograft rejection mainly by protecting the cells from the effector limb of the host immune response and could be used as a tool to facilitate allogeneic hepatocyte transplantation. (HEPATOLOGY 2007;45:755–766.)
Dreaming and god concepts

McNamara's book draws on dream research to explain the generation of god concepts as ‘minimally counter-intuitive’ agents. This review examines the actual evidence McNamara presents to support that claim, and finds it lacking in several ways. Although his book does not provide a convincing argument that dreams are a source of god concepts, McNamara's insightful idea opens up new possibilities for bridging dream research and the cognitive science of religion.
Biofilm formation in the life cycle of the cellulolytic actinomycete Thermobifida fusca

Actinomycetes have been used with enormous success in industrial processes; however, little is known about biofilm formation by these filamentous microbes, or community development on insoluble substrates such as cellulose. We hypothesized that biofilm formation is a general strategy used by actinomycetes in the degradation of cellulose, and that it may serve as a means for these microbes to secure nutrients and persist in their environments. The objective of this study was to examine biofilm production by Thermobifida fusca, an actinomycete that rapidly degrades cellulose by means of a well-characterized extracellular cellulase system. Thermobifida fusca cells grew as biofilms attached to both nutritive (e.g. dialysis tubing membrane) and non-nutritive surfaces. Dialysis tubing was colonized by T. fusca aleuriospores but not by mycelial pellets, except when mycelial pellets were disrupted by sonication. Microscopic examination of surface-attached growth revealed structures characteristic of biofilms, with cells embedded in fibrous material suggestive of an extracellular polymeric matrix. Concanavalin A bound to the extracellular polymeric substance of biofilms and mycelial pellets, indicating alpha-linked d-mannosyl and/or alpha-linked d-glucosyl residues. The carbohydrate content of both biofilms and mycelial pellets increased during growth. Also, DNase I inhibited biofilm production, suggesting a role for extracellular DNA in T. fusca biofilm development. Cellulose degradation and expression of celE (encoding endoglucanase E5) was similar for T. fusca biofilms and mycelial pellets. Results of this study indicate that, in the life cycle of this actinomycete, cellulose is specifically colonized by aleuriospores, which germinate, grow and degrade cellulose, ultimately developing into biofilms encasedinacarbohydrate-containingexopolymericmatrix,ahallmarkofbiofilm production.
Enterococcus faecalis pCF10‐encoded surface proteins PrgA, PrgB (aggregation substance) and PrgC contribute to plasmid transfer, biofilm formation and virulence

Enterococcus faecalis pCF10 transfers at high frequencies upon pheromone induction of the prgQ transfer operon. This operon codes for three cell-wall-anchored proteins - PrgA, PrgB (aggregation substance), and PrgC - and a type IV secretion system through which the plasmid is delivered to recipient cells. Here, we defined the contributions of the Prg surface proteins to plasmid transfer, biofilm formation, and virulence using the Caenorhabditis elegans infection model. We report that a combination of PrgB and extracellular DNA (eDNA), but not PrgA or PrgC, was required for extensive cellular aggregation and pCF10 transfer at wild-type frequencies. In addition to PrgB and eDNA, production of PrgA was necessary for extensive binding of enterococci to abiotic surfaces and development of robust biofilms. However, although PrgB is a known virulence factor in mammalian infection models, we determined that PrgA and PrgC, but not PrgB, were required for efficient killing in the worm infection model. We propose that the pheromone-responsive, conjugative plasmids of E. faecalis have retained Prg-like surface functions over evolutionary time for attachment, colonization and robust biofilm development. In natural settings, these biofilms are polymicrobial in composition and constitute optimal environments for signal exchange, mating pair formation, and widespread lateral gene transfer.
Real-time multi-model interpolation of range-varying acoustic propagation

This paper presents an efficient method for extracting a multi-model interpolation function from a nonlinear system. The multi-model interpolation function consists of couple simplified time-varying models in neural-network structure to dynamically approximate the nature of the physical phenomena to be interpolated and extrapolated. The purpose of using the multi-model interpolation function is to perform a real-time approximation. This paper demonstrates the interpolation in a simulated environment, the underwater acoustic transmission loss generated from the NAVY-standard acoustic propagation-loss model ASTRAL, which is not suited to real-time operation. The interpolation includes initial learning period that is on the order of 20 minutes (more or less time depends on the size of the parameter intervals and the complexity of the ocean environment), and the subsequent interpolation speed will be measured in fractions of a second, a several orders-of-magnitude improvement over conventional calculations. In addition, for the example presented here, the interpolation error is within 1% of the actual transmission-loss value in a root-mean-square (RMS) sense.
Constructing Multivariate Analyses (of Dangerous Dyads)

Most multivariate models aimed at evaluating the impact of democracy on interstate conflict contain a set of control variables sufficiently large to have a confusing impact. Partly for that reason, the potentially confounding impacts of such variables as wealth, political stability, and political similarity on the relationship of democracy to conflict have still not been evaluated in a definitive manner. In other cases, multivariate models contain intervening variables that are likely to produce misleading results. Multivariate analyses aimed specifically at uncovering spurious relationships in a more straightforward and incremental manner are better able to produce clear and informative results.
Formal Specification of the Assurance Point Web Service Composition Model

This paper presents a formal specification of the Assurance Point (AP) web service composition model. The AP model provides a flexible way of checking constraints and responding to execution errors in service composition. An AP is a combined logical and physical checkpoint, providing an execution milestone that stores critical data and interacts with integration rules (IRs) to alter program flow and to invoke different forms of recovery depending on the execution status. In this paper, the execution and recovery semantics of assurance points have been fully defined in the context of if-else, parallel, and loop control structures. The activities and complex control structures of the AP model have been formalized and tested in the Yet Another Workflow Language (YAWL) engine. By doing so, the correctness of the execution and recovery semantics in the AP model has been verified, demonstrating that YAWL nets of the AP model satisfy the soundness property. Different from existing web service composition models,...
Prospectus: The Future of Morphometrics

The field of morphometrics has transitioned relatively smoothly through several different phases, from D’Arcy Thompson’s (1917) extraordinary and influential treatise on growth and form, through the influx of algebraic and statistical methods related to eigenanalysis, cluster analysis, and multidimensional scaling, to direct landmark-based Procrustes and deformation methods that echo Thompson’s original intents and insights. In a sense, the discipline is still riding the wave of methodological advances that began in the 1970s (Adams et al. 2004). Although it is difficult to predict to direction of future methodological advances, it is certain that morphometric methods will be extended to areas currently at the periphery of current applications, such as the use of morphometrics to study the effects of quantitative trait loci (Klingenberg et al. 2001; Klingenberg 2003; Leamy et al. 2008) and the sizes and shapes of molecules (Billoud et al. 2000; Bookstein 2004; Rogen and Bohr 2003). However, even given the current level of methodological sophistication, there are still some important technical and conceptual problems to be solved in the shorter term. I will briefly highlight just a few of these here.
Reusing (shrink wrap) schemas by modifying concept schemas

A shrink-wrap schema is a well-crafted, complete, global schema that represents an application. A concept schema is a subset of the shrink-wrap schema that addresses one particular point of view in an application. We define schema modification operations to customize each concept schema, to match the designer's perception of the application. We maintain the integrated, customized user schema. We enforce consistency checks to provide feedback to the designer about interactions among the concept schemas. We embody these mechanisms in an interactive system that aids in shrink-wrap schema-based design. The shrink-wrap schema approach promotes reuse of past design efforts; prior approaches to schema reuse did not attempt to reuse an entire schema nor did they focus on local customization. The focus of this paper is on the definition of concept schemas and their corresponding modification operations.
A pilot study about female adolescent/young childhood cancer survivors' knowledge about reproductive health and their views about consultation with a fertility specialist

Objective: Impaired fertility and reproductive health after cancer treatment is an important quality-of-life issue among female childhood cancer survivors (CCSs). This study aims to measure female CCSs' knowledge about their reproductive health and their exposure to and views about reproductive counseling (RC). Method: This is a cross-sectional, web-survey study of female CCSs aged 18 to 45 years who were diagnosed with cancer before age 21 years and currently had no evidence of disease. Results: Fifty-six CCSs participated (response rate = 48%; mean current age = 26). Knowledge about reproductive health after cancer treatment was severely limited within this sample of highly educated survivors (91% educated beyond high school), who provided correct answers only 32% of the time. Only 9 and 5% of the women had pursued RC with a fertility specialist before and after cancer treatment, respectively. The majority thought they had not been provided enough information about reproductive health. White ethnicity (p < 0.001), higher annual income (p = 0.007), and higher education level (p = 0.02) were significantly associated with a positive opinion about RC. Significance of Results: A limited number of CCSs took advantage of RC in spite of their high interest in and limited knowledge about reproductive issues. Targeted referrals for RC may allow for improved decision making about reproductive options.
NView: a visual framework for network tool integration

Monitoring and managing distributed applications and networks present a number of problems. Tracking down the source of connection problems over a large area, such as the Internet, can be time-consuming and confusing, as one must deal with many small utilities. In this paper, we present NView a framework program for integrating network tools into a uniform visual interface with a minimum of effort. We also discuss an example implementation which has been applied to the Internet's Multicast Backbone. This easily customized tool allows various "what if" questions to be asked, and results to be displayed in different ways. NView can be used both off-line as a design tool, and on-line as a network monitoring tool. >
Homotopy continuation methods for neural networks

The application of the homotopy continuation method for finding the global minimum during the training phase of a multilayer neural network is presented. A brief description of the theory of the homotopy continuation methods is given. The backward error propagation algorithm used for training neural networks is summarized. The reformulation of the error minimization problem in the learning algorithm in a framework suitable for the continuation method and the procedure for training neural networks using the homotopy continuation method are described. Results of comparing the performance of the proposed method with traditional training methods are given. >
Semiconductor nonlinear device modeling using multiwavelets

Modeling and simulation of seminconductor devices requires solution of highly nonlinear equations, such as the Boltzmann transport, hydrodynamic, and drift-diffusion equations. The conventional finite-element method (FEM) and finite difference (FD) schemes always result in oscillatory results, and are ineffective when the cell Reynolds number of the system is large. Several ad hoc schemes have been employed to address the instability issue, including the Scharfetter–Gummel transformation, Petrov–Galerkin method, and upwind algorithms; but each suffers from its shortcomings. We propose a new approach of the multiwavelet-based finite-element method (MWFEM) to solve the semiconductor drift-diffusion system. In this approach, multiscalets are employed as the basis functions. Due to its ability of tracking the tendency, namely, the first derivative of the unknown function, the MWFEM shares the versatility of the conventional FEM while remaining stable in a highly nonlinear system. Comparison with the Scharfetter–Gummel method, upwind FEM, and conventional FEM shows that the MWFEM performs excellently under circumstances of both small- and large-cell Reynolds numbers. A complete 1D drift-diffusion solver base on the MWFEM is implemented. Numerical results demonstrate the high efficiency and accuracy of the new method. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 37: 436–440, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.10942
Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infection The Interpretation of Colony Counts

The results of 787 consecutive suprapubic specimens in children were studied. Ninety-two patients with 128 positive cultures were reviewed. Sixty-five children had documented urinary tract infection (UTI) proven by other cultures. Of these, 55 per cent had colony counts less than the traditional 100,000 colony forming units/ml., and 9 per cent had colony counts less than 10,000. Organisms usually regarded as "contaminants" (Staphylococcus epidermidis, mixed organisms) were occasionally proven to cause UTI.
Medication Usage and Dental Caries Outcome-Related Variables in HIV/AIDS Patients

The purpose of this study was to access current medication usage by HIV/AIDS patients and its effects on dental caries and on unstimulated salivary flow rates. Thirty females and 127 males (mean age = 39.6 ± 7.4 years), of whom 46% were White/Non-Hispanic, 39% African-American, and 15% Hispanic, were examined and interviewed at the Bering Dental Clinic, Houston, Texas. The mean time in years after seroconversion was 5.4 ± 4.1. Calibrated examiners performed dental caries examination (DMFS) with dental explorers and bitewing radiographs. Interviews were carried out with pretested questionnaires, and medication usage was assessed by illustrative examples of HIV/AIDS medications. Salivary flow rates were determined gravimetrically (mL/min). Bivariate analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. Because there were no race or gender effects on dental caries outcome variables or salivary flow rates, separate logistic regression models for medication usage were generated, which were a...
Müllerian-inhibiting substance inhibits rat Leydig cell regeneration after ethylene dimethanesulphonate ablation

The postnatal development of Leydig cell precursors is postulated to be controlled by Sertoli cell secreted factors, which may have a determinative influence on Leydig cell number and function in sexually mature animals. One such hormone, Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS), has been shown to inhibit DNA synthesis and steroidogenesis in primary Leydig cells and Leydig cell tumor lines. To further delineate the effects of MIS on Leydig cell proliferation and steroidogenesis, we employed the established ethylene dimethanesulphonate (EDS) model of Leydig cell regeneration. Following EDS ablation of differentiated Leydig cells in young adult rats, recombinant MIS or vehicle was delivered by intratesticular injection for 4 days (Days 11-14 after EDS). On Days 15 and 35 after EDS (1 and 21 days post-MIS injections), endocrine function was assessed and testes were collected for stereology, immunohistochemistry, and assessment of proliferation and steroidogenesis. Although serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) were no different, intratesticular testosterone was higher on Day 35 in MIS-treated animals. At both time points, intratesticular 5alpha-androstan-3alpha,17beta-diol concentrations were much higher than that of testosterone. MIS-treated animals had fewer mesenchymal precursors on Day 15 and fewer differentiated Leydig cells on Day 35 with decreased numbers of BrdU+ nuclei. Apoptotic interstitial cells were observed only in the MIS-treated testes, not in the vehicle-treated group on Day 15. These data suggest that MIS inhibits regeneration of Leydig cells in EDS-treated rats by enhancing apoptotic cell death as well as by decreasing proliferative capacity.
Reduced leakage current and enhanced ferroelectric properties in Mn-doped Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based thin films

Bi0.5(Na0.76K0.2Li0.04)0.5TiO3 thin films were deposited on SrRuO3-coated (001)-SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The effects of oxygen pressure and Mn doping on the leakage current and ferroelectric and dielectric properties were investigated. The remnant polarization and dielectric constant (at 10 kHz) of Mn-doped film deposited at 400 mtorr were measured to be 23 μC cm−2 and 660, respectively. The leakage current density of Mn-doped films was suppressed by more than two orders of magnitude and the polarization was considerably enhanced. The XPS results showed coexistence of Mn2+, Mn3+, and Mn4+ in doped films. Oxidation of Mn2+ to higher valence states by absorbing holes along with occupation of A-site vacancies was suggested as the possible reason for a reduced leakage current and dielectric loss in Mn-doped films.
Woessner, Donald E.: In a Maze in NMR

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 The Role of NMR in Industrial Petroleum Research 3 Translational Diffusion 4 Anisotropic Rotational Diffusion, Internal Motion, and Relaxation in Liquids 5 Anisotropic Reorientation and Preferential Orientation of Molecules on Surfaces 6 Preferential Orientation, Diffusion, and Order in Aqueous Heterogeneous Systems 7 Biographical Sketch
Using Action Learning with Multicultural Groups

Action learning was developed by British physicist and professor Reginald Revans over 50 years ago and has had a growing degree of success in the Western/Anglo-Saxon cultures of the U.S., Canada, northern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Few examples of successful implementation of action learning exist, however, with the remaining 90% of the world. Un-awareness of action learning may account for some of the limited use of action learning in these regions. The author contends, however, that another reason may be that cultural values and practices in many part of the world do not “fit” as naturally with action learning values and practices. Key action learning elements such as diversity of set membership, taking action absent the presence of authority, and frankly sharing the learning experience are more difficult for non-Western cultures to implement. The article concludes with strategies for overcoming these cultural obstacles and steps for building on the synergies of culture in having successful action learning programs in multicultural groups.
Selective serotonergic excitation of callosal projection neurons.

Serotonin (5-HT) acting as a neurotransmitter in the cerebral cortex is critical for cognitive function, yet how 5-HT regulates information processing in cortical circuits is not well understood. We tested the serotonergic responsiveness of layer 5 pyramidal neurons (L5PNs) of the mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and found 3 distinct response types: long-lasting 5-HT1A (1A) receptor-dependent inhibitory responses (84% of L5PNs), 5-HT2A (2A) receptor-dependent excitatory responses (9%), and biphasic responses in which 2A-dependent excitation followed brief inhibition (5%). Relative to 5-HT-inhibited neurons, those excited by 5-HT had physiological properties characteristic of callosal/commissural (COM) neurons that project to the contralateral cortex. We tested whether serotonergic responses in cortical pyramidal neurons are correlated with their axonal projection pattern using retrograde fluorescent labeling of COM and corticopontine-projecting (CPn) neurons. 5-HT generated excitatory or biphasic responses in all 5-HT-responsive layer 5 COM neurons. Conversely, CPn neurons were universally inhibited by 5-HT. Serotonergic excitation of COM neurons was blocked by the 2A antagonist MDL 11939, while serotonergic inhibition of CPn neurons was blocked by the 1A antagonist WAY 100635, confirming a role for these two receptor subtypes in regulating pyramidal neuron activity. Selective serotonergic excitation of COM neurons was not layer-specific, as COM neurons in layer 2/3 were also selectively excited by 5-HT relative to their non-labeled pyramidal neuron neighbors. Because neocortical 2A receptors are implicated in the etiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia, we propose that COM neurons may represent a novel cellular target for intervention in psychiatric disease.
Consonant Recognition by Modular Construction of Large Phonemic Time-Delay Neural Networks

In this paper we show that neural networks for speech recognition can be constructed in a modular fashion by exploiting the hidden structure of previously trained phonetic subcategory networks. The performance of resulting larger phonetic nets was found to be as good as the performance of the subcomponent nets by themselves. This approach avoids the excessive learning times that would be necessary to train larger networks and allows for incremental learning. Large time-delay neural networks constructed incrementally by applying these modular training techniques achieved a recognition performance of 96.0% for all consonants.
Renal Actions of Oxyphenbutazone

Oxyphenbutazone decreased the renal excretion of sodium and water in anesthetized dogs. As these excretions decreased, the drug also produced a decrease in renal blood flow and in the glomerular filtration rate. Blood pressure increased slightly. These changes are consistent with an inhibition of renal prostaglandin synthesis and could explain why oxyphenbutazone is reported to produce weight gain and edema when used clinically.
Region Enhanced Scale-Invariant Saliency Detection

Saliency measures the low-level stimuli to human vision, and serves as an alternative to semantic image understanding. This paper presents a region enhanced scale-invariant saliency detection method. Our method constructs a scale-invariant saliency map from an image, segments the image into regions, and enhances the saliency map with the region information. Compared with previous methods, our method has advantages in providing robust scale-invariant saliency, giving meaningful region information for applications, and eliminating misleading high-contrast edges.
Neurocognitive and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Adult Survivors of Childhood Osteosarcoma

Importance This study provides the first objective data documenting neurocognitive impairment in long-term survivors of childhood osteosarcoma. Objective To examine neurocognitive, neurobehavioral, emotional, and quality-of-life outcomes in long-term survivors of childhood osteosarcoma. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional cohort study at an academic research hospital, with prospective treatment and chronic health predictors. Outcome data were collected from June 2008 to August 2014. Data analysis was completed in April 2015. Survivors of osteosarcoma recruited from the St Jude Lifetime Cohort Study were compared with community controls. Main Outcomes and Measures Neurocognitive function, neurobehavioral symptoms, emotional distress, and quality of life. Outcomes were examined in relation to pharmacokinetic indices of methotrexate exposure and current chronic health conditions, which were assessed through medical examination and coded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, Version 4.03. Results Eighty survivors of osteosarcoma (mean [SD] age, 38.9 [7.6] years; time since diagnosis, 24.7 [6.6] years; 42% female) were compared with 39 community controls (age, 39.0 [11.7] years; 56% female). Survivors demonstrated lower mean scores in reading skills (−0.21 [95% CI, −0.32 to −0.10] vs 0.05 [95% CI, −0.13 to 0.23]; P = .01), attention (−0.78 [95% CI, −1.32 to −0.24] vs 0.24 [95% CI, −0.07 to 0.55]; P = .002), memory (−0.24 [95% CI, −0.48 to 0] vs 0.27 [95% CI, −0.08 to 0.62]; P = .01), and processing speed (−0.15 [95% CI, −0.35 to 0.05] vs 0.74 [95% CI, 0.44 to 1.03]; P P = .48), median clearance (estimate = −0.11; P = .76), and median/cumulative exposure (estimate = 0; P = .45) were not associated with neurocognitive outcomes. Any grade 3 or 4 Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events cardiac, pulmonary, or endocrine condition was associated with poorer memory ( t = 2.93; P = .006) and slower processing speed ( t = 3.03; P = .002). Survivor-reported poor general health was associated with decreased sustained attention (estimate = 0.24; P = .05) and processing speed (estimate = 0.34; P = .005). Conclusions and Relevance Long-term survivors of osteosarcoma are at risk for neurocognitive impairment, which is related to current chronic health conditions and not to original treatment with high-dose methotrexate. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to identify onset and progression of impairment to inform optimal interventions.
ETS family transcriptional regulators drive chromatin dynamics and malignancy in squamous cell carcinomas

Tumor-initiating stem cells (SCs) exhibit distinct patterns of transcription factors and gene expression compared to healthy counterparts. Here, we show that dramatic shifts in large open-chromatin domain (super-enhancer) landscapes underlie these differences and reflect tumor microenvironment. By in vivo super-enhancer and transcriptional profiling, we uncover a dynamic cancer-specific epigenetic network selectively enriched for binding motifs of a transcription factor cohort expressed in squamous cell carcinoma SCs (SCC-SCs). Many of their genes, including Ets2 and Elk3, are themselves regulated by SCC-SC super-enhancers suggesting a cooperative feed-forward loop. Malignant progression requires these genes, whose knockdown severely impairs tumor growth and prohibits progression from benign papillomas to SCCs. ETS2-deficiency disrupts the SCC-SC super-enhancer landscape and downstream cancer genes while ETS2-overactivation in epidermal-SCs induces hyperproliferation and SCC super-enhancer-associated genes Fos, Junb and Klf5. Together, our findings unearth an essential regulatory network required for the SCC-SC chromatin landscape and unveil its importance in malignant progression.
A fast algorithm for detecting anomalous changes in network traffic

Anomalies in communication network traffic caused by malware or denial-of-service attacks manifest themselves in structural changes in the covariance matrix of traffic features. Real-time detection of anomalies in high-dimensional data demands a very efficient algorithm to identify these changes in a compact low-dimensional representation. This paper presents an efficient algorithm for the rapid detection of structural differences between two covariance matrices, as measured by the maximum possible angle between the subspaces specified by subsets of the two sets of principal components of the matrices. We show that our algorithm achieves a significantly lower computational complexity compared to a naive approach. Finally, we apply our results to real traffic traces from Internet backbone links and show that our approach offers a substantial reduction in the computational overhead of anomaly detection.
Statistical description of firebrand size and shape distribution from coniferous trees for use in Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations of firebrand flight distance

Abstract The process of ember/firebrand formation, lofting, wind driven transport, and resulting spot fire ignition during a wildfire is still poorly understood. Lack of a tractable firebrand formation model along with a detailed statistical description of the size and shape distribution of typical firebrand that could be used in simulations of firebrand flight and combustion may result in unrealistic outcomes. In this regard, a simple, yet quite informative, mechanical failure model of the firebrand break-off process is proposed. This model suggests that the previous laboratory scale firebrand generation experiments would likely provide a reasonable analogue for the formation process in a full scale wildfire. In addition, geometric scaling analysis is conducted and shows that the firebrand surface area scales with the firebrand mass raised to the 2 / 3 rds power. This is in close agreement with measurements of firebrand from previously published data in the literature that are obtained under controlled laboratory combustion of coniferous tress of different sizes. Also, a detailed statistical characterization of the size and shape of these firebrands are presented. A nonlinear regression model on the firebrands' data led to the generation of a set of virtual firebrands. The resulting data could be used as inputs to a Monte-Carlo simulation of firebrands' transport through the velocity field induced by the interaction of a fire plume and the atmospheric boundary layer. Moreover, it is shown that the size distribution of firebrands is more dependent on the mechanics of combustion and limb failure than on a simple geometric relationship with the tree height.
A Stochastic Geometric Approach to Quantum Spin Systems

We review some stochastic geometric models that arise from the study of certain quantum spin systems. In these models the fundamental properties of the ground states or equilibrium states of the quantum systems can be given a simple stochastic geometric interpretation. One thus obtains a new class of challenging stochastic geometric problems.
American Post-Conflict Educational Reform: From the Spanish American War to Iraq

Writing in the Guardian on 13 September 2014, Michael Cohen, an American journalist, claimed that the United States and its allies have certainly benefitted from ‘a world that is more stable and pe...
Impulse radio ultra wideband wireless transmission of dopamine concentration levels recorded by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing impulse radio ultra wideband (IR-UWB) signaling technique for reliable, wireless transmission of dopamine concentration levels recorded by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) at a carbon-fiber microelectrode (CFM) to address the problem of elevated data rates in high-channel-count neurochemical monitoring. Utilizing an FSCV-sensing chip fabricated in AMS 0.35µm 2P/4M CMOS, a 3–5-GHz, IR-UWB transceiver (TRX) chip fabricated in TSMC 90nm 1P/9M RF CMOS, and two off-chip, miniature, UWB antennae, wireless transfer of pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) data at 50Mbps over a distance of <1m is first shown with bit-error rates (BER) < 10−3. Further, IR-UWB wireless transmission of dopamine concentration levels prerecorded with FSCV at a CFM during flow injection analysis (FIA) is also demonstrated with transmitter (TX) power dissipation of only ∼4.4µW from 1.2V, representing two orders of magnitude reduction in TX power consumption compared to that of a conventional frequency-shift-keyed (FSK) link operating at ∼433MHz.
General Rosecrans' Forthright Diplomacy with Juárez's Mexico, 1868-1869

One Mexican historian has described the post-war years of Benito Juarez' Administration (1867-72) in Mexico and that of his successor, Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada (1872-76) as “a dictatorship without peace or progress.” The nation suffered from a breakdown in public order and morality; misery, anarchy and banditry were widespread. Indian uprisings occurred in Yucatan, Chiapas, Durango, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila. Insurrections against the government of Juarez broke out in Tamaulipas, Puebla, Sinaloa, Jalisco, Guerrero; and conflicts between candidates for the government in Aguascalientes, Guanajuato and San Luis Potosi destroyed the public order. The causes of this breakdown in commonweal may be attributed to the long history of civil war in Mexico, the inadequacy of governmental institutions and lack of respect for a Constitution (1857) which incorporated many injustices within its Liberal framework. An important cause of recurring revolt was the presidential ambition of Juarez and his conflicts with Congress and the Supreme Court. His suspension of the Constitutional guarantees, by decree of January 17, 1870, and his dictatorial use of extraordinary powers brought much resentment; and, in the election of 1870, the Constitutional Party (Liberal) supported Porifirio Diaz against Juarez. Through a “reform” of the electoral law, Benito Juarez was able to gain a plurality. He was only exceeded in his autocratic use of power by his successor, Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada who vigorously enforced the Reform Laws that made of the anti-Church program a Lerdist kulturkampf . It was during a year of Juarez' Administration that Brevet Major General William S. Rosecrans served as Envoy Extraordinary & Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States to Mexico. Officially he held this post from July 27, 1968 to June 26, 1869. The American Minister spoke bluntly in criticism of the Juarez Administration, and of Lerdo de Tejada who was then President of the Supreme Court, a position equivalent to the Vice-presidency.
Antimalarial medications in dermatology : a review

Antimalarial medications are effective for the treatment of a variety of dermatologic conditions. Their use is often curtailed by concern for adverse reactions, including ophthalmologic side effects; however, recent evidence points to a greater margin of safety with these medications than was previously appreciated. This article reviews the pharmacology of antimalarial medications as well as indications and safe guidelines for their use in the treatment of dermatologic conditions.