cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liquefaction of Wyodak coal with molybdenum-based catalysts from phosphomolybdic acid

Abstract Phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) and nickel, cobalt and potassium salts of PMA have been found to be very effective catalyst precursors for direct liquefaction of Wyodak coal when impregnated onto the feed coal. PMA was sulfided at the temperatures of 125–450°C, and analyzed by a variety of analytical techniques. The catalytic activities of these partially sulfided phosphomolybdates were determined both when added as particulate material directly to the reaction mixture and when impregnated from aqueous solutions onto coal. The THF and resid conversions with the sulfided materials were higher when impregnated onto coal, however presulfiding is detrimental to catalyst precursor performance. The effectiveness of these materials was related to their physical characteristics and elemental and structural compositions. THF and resid conversions of oil-agglomerated Wyodak coal impregnated with PMA were also determined.
Functionality of Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese

Abstract Low fat Mozzarella cheese was made from milks containing casein to fat ratios of 3.0, 5.0, 7.0, and 8.0. Prior to addition of rennet, milk was pasteurized at 79°C for 28s and then acidified to pH 6.0 with lactic acid. Three replicates of each cheese were made in 7-L vats and stored at 4°C. Functional properties as pizza cheese were evaluated. Cheese moisture and fat contents were evaluated at 1 d. Apparent viscosity and extent of flow of melted cheese, cook color, and proteolysis were evaluated at 1, 7, 14, and 28 d. Moisture content measured by a rapid microwave oven method underestimated the moisture content of low fat cheeses; probable moisture was calculated by component analysis. The part-skim Mozzarella control with 19% fat had a moisture content of 51%; the moisture contents of the low fat cheeses containing 2 to 5% fat were 63%. Low fat cheeses did not melt as well as did the part-skim Mozzarella cheese, although the differences between the cheeses with 2 and 5% fat were insignificant. Storage for 28 d only marginally increased the meltability of low fat cheese. Lower fat content also increased cook color. The amount of intact α s -CN decreased by at least 48% in all cheeses as a result of proteolysis during 28 d of storage.
Photoluminescence quenching due to relocation of electrons in GaN/AlN asymmetric-coupled quantum wells

We have observed dramatic photoluminescence quenching caused by relocation of photogenerated electrons under large internal electric fields, inherent in GaN/AlN asymmetric-coupled quantum wells.
Surface roughness and edge geometries in hemolysis with rotating disk flow

Judging biocompatibility of materials with blood includes assessment of hemolysis resulting from flow in contact with those materials. Such hemolysis is influenced in part by the surface roughness and specific hydrodynamic features of the device used. Using a rotating-disk device, with polyethylene disks and human blood, it was shown that roughness under 4 microns has negligible effect and that hemolysis increases sharply for roughness above about 11 microns. Gross roughness (65 microns) causes qualitatively different hemolysis kinetics but not as severe hemolysis as extrapolated from low-roughness data. In the disk geometry, the corner is a key region which generates high hemolysis and thus minor alterations cause hemolytic variations which may tend to obscure materials influences. A series of corner-beveled polycarbonate disks were tested in comparison with the normal square corner and were found always to cause greater hemolysis. Tapering the bevel inward, so the taper angle was on the order of 2 degrees-4 degrees, reduced hemolysis relative to the 45 degree bevel but still was more hemolytic than the flat disk. Evidence suggests that glassy plastics can be machined with more reproducibility at the corners than plastics above their Tg such as polyethylene. General device design problems regarding hemolysis are discussed.
Direct Measurement of the Adhesion and Friction of Smooth C60 Surfaces

Buckminsterfullerene, C{sub 60}, has unique molecular structure which leads to unusual physical and chemical properties. Using a surface forces apparatus, the static adhesion and dynamic friction forces between two smooth crystalline surfaces was measured. The results and analysis suggest that C{sub 60} molecules interact more as macroscopic particles than as conventional molecules. 39 refs., 6 figs.
The use of BLAS3 in linear algebra on a parallel processor with a hierarchical memory

This note describes work at CSRD which shows that a third level of the BLAS (BLAS3) is needed to achieve high-performance on multivector processors with a shared hierarchical memory.
Arterial tumor embolism caused by metastatic melanoma: Case report and literature review

Arterial tumor embolization is a rare complication of neoplasms. This report describes a 64-year-old female with metastatic melanoma and acute arterial embolization to the left lower extremity. With surgical embolectomy, a clot was retrieved that had an atypical bland solid lead point. Pathologic examination confirmed metastatic melanoma. Further echocardiography revealed an intracardiac mass consistent with metastatic disease. The patient was seen a month later with embolization to the right middle cerebral artery.
Wind and water erosion and transport in semi‐arid shrubland, grassland and forest ecosystems: quantifying dominance of horizontal wind‐driven transport

Soil erosion is an important process in dryland ecosystems, yet measurements and comparisons of wind and water erosion within and among such ecosystems are lacking. Here we compare wind erosion and transport ﬁeld measurements with water erosion and transport from rainfall-simulation for three different semi-arid ecosystems: a shrubland near Carlsbad, New Mexico; a grassland near Denver, Colorado; and a forest near Los Alamos, New Mexico. In addition to comparing erosion loss from an area, we propose a framework for comparing horizontal mass transport of wind- and water-driven materials as a metric for local soil redistribution. Median erosion rates from wind for vertical mass ﬂux measurements (g m−2 d−1) were 1·5 × 10−2 for the shrubland, 8·3 × 10−3 for the grassland, and 9·1 × 10−3 for the forest. Wind-driven transport from horizontal mass ﬂux measurements was greatest in the shrubland (15·0 g m−2 d−1) followed by the grassland (1·5 g m−2 d−1) and the forest sites (0·17 g m−2 d−1). Annual projections accounting for longer-term site meteorology suggest that wind erosion exceeds water erosion at the shrubland by c. 33 times and by c. ﬁve times at the forest, but not the grassland site, where the high clay content of the soils contributed to greater amounts of water erosion: water erosion exceeded wind erosion by about three times. Horizontal transport by wind was greater than that by water for all three systems, overwhelmingly so in the shrubland (factor of c. 2200). Our results, which include some of the only wind erosion measurements to date for semi-arid grasslands and forests, provide a basis for hypothesizing trends in wind and water erosion among ecosystems, highlight the importance of wind erosion and transport in semi-arid ecosystems, and have implications for land surface geomorphology, contaminant transport, and ecosystem biogeochemistry. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metabolism of [14C]arachidonic acid by human platelets.

A time dependent incorporation of [1-14C] arachidonic acid into platelet phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylserine was observed in platelet-rich plasma. When platelets, so labelled, were washed and treated with thrombin, there was a major decrease in the radioactivity of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol. This decrease was accounted for by the appearance of several previously identified (Hamberg and Samuelsson (1974) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S. 71, 3400) 14C-labelled oxygenated products of arachidonic acid.
Performance of a Web-Based Clinical Diagnosis Support System for Internists

BACKGROUND Clinical decision support systems can improve medical diagnosis and reduce diagnostic errors. Older systems, however, were cumbersome to use and had limited success in identifying the correct diagnosis in complicated cases.
Experiences with Dynamic Binary Translation in a Full System Simulator

In this paper we describe our experiences with a new full-system simulator for the Power™ architecture that achieves a high-level of simulation performance through careful design and the application of dynamic binary translation. Our simulator is written entirely in Java and can run simple applications and also boot whole operating systems. We chose Java because it has a wide developer base, portability, support for modern programming features such as inheritance, ease of scripting, built in serialization, and a broad selection of robust developer tools. To improve simulation performance, we treat the byte code for our instruction interpreter as an intermediate representation to drive dynamic binary translation. When running as a pure instruction interpreter, the simulator can achieve simulation speeds of over 100 MIPS. For simple applications, dynamic binary translation can improve simulation performance by a factor of 2 or more, to over 200 MIPS. We continue to work on dynamic binary translation for booting a full operating system, and we are also exploring dynamic translation of Java byte code directly to host object code.
Numerical Simulation of Pressure Variation and Resin Flow in Injection Pultrusion

Injection pultrusion is a continuous process for manufacturing composite materials. To produce good quality parts it is essential that complete wet out of the reinforcement fibers is achieved in th...
Mineral equilibria in a six-component seawater system, Na-K-Mg-Ca-SO4-Cl-H2O, at 25°C

Abstract Phase relations in the 6-component system Na-K-Mg-Ca-SO4-Cl-H2O have been calculated for halite saturation, 25°C and 1 atm pressure. Using a Janecke projection with the apices Ca-Mg-K2-SO4, 27 stable invariant points have been located which are connected by 69 univariant curves. Polyhalite is the only quaternary solid, but anhydrite occupies the bulk of the interior tetrahedral space. Consequently, 24 of the invariant points lie very close to the Ca-free base, Mg-K2-SO4. The remaining three points involve tachyhydrite and/or antarcticite. All points but two (20,27) represent peritectic conditions. Metastable equilibria have been calculated for the Ca-free system and yield relations corresponding to the solar diagram. Seawater lies in the subspace anhydrite-halite-carnallite-kieserite-bischofite (point 20) and its evaporation has been discussed for conditions of equilibrium and fractional crystallization. After gypsum is converted to anhydrite, halite precipitates. The next phase, under equilibrium conditions, is glauberite, crystallizing at the expense of anhydrite. Continued evaporation leads to glauberite resorption and eventual replacement by polyhalite. Then follow the magnesium sulfates epsomite, hexahydrite and kieserite, which are joined by carnallite. Polyhalite is replaced by anhydrite and bischoflte is added at the final invariant condition. Kainite does not appear as a primary phase under equilibrium conditions, but it is an important phase during fractional crystallization, where Ca-phases are not allowed to back-react with the brine. Up to the appearance of glauberite, thickness ratios of halite: anhydrite couplets (equilibrium or fractionation) can vary from 0 to 7, the relative amount of halite increasing with more intense evaporation. During evaporation, the activity of H2O decreases from 0.98 (seawater) to 0.34 (final invariant brine). The data provided can be used to evaluate the effects of mineral precipitation, evaporation and brine mixing for a wide variety of natural brines.
Optimization of procedures for mercury-203 instrumental neutron activation analysis in human urine

Mercury, a known neurotoxin, has been implicated in the etiology and pathogenesis of such disease states as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. There is concern that the exposure to mercury vapor released from dental amalgam restorations is a potential health hazard. Measurement of mercury concentrations in blood or urine may be useful in diagnosis of mercury poisoning and in assessing the extent of exposure. This study describes the optimization of pre-neutron activation analysis procedures such as sampling, selection of irradiation and counting vials and acid digestion in order to minimize mercury loss via volatilization and/or permeation through containers. Therefore, the determination of mercury can be complicated by these potential losses. In the optimized procedure 20 mL of urine was spiked with three different concentrations of mercury, digested with concentrated nitric acid, and placed in polypropylene vials for irradiation and counting. Analysis was performed by subtracting the Se-75 photopeak contribution to the 279 keV Hg-203 photopeak and applying the method of standard additions. Urinary mercury concentrations in normal human subjects were determined to be of the order of 10 ng/mL.
Detection of flow maldistribution in trickle-bed reactors via tracers

Abstract Impulse tracer response curves are often used to assess flow distribution within a reactor. For a trickle-bed (and single-phase flow packed-bed) reactor, such a response curve represents both the flowing fluid and the fluid inthe porous packing. This makes the assessment of the needed flow distribution external to the particles difficults. A method for decoupling the particles effects from the tracer response curve was introduced recently by Hanratty and Dudukovic. This method showed promise based on computer-simulated data. The scope of this study was critically evaluate this method by applying it to actual experimental data, and to determine the range of its validity. The results show that this method, which requires the use of tracers of different adsorptivity, can succesfully distinguish between well-distributed reactors, for which the impulse reaponse of the fluid external to the particales is obtained, and maldistributed reactors, for which maldistribution is identified but not quantified.
“Partners in perfection”: Human resources facilitating creation and ongoing implementation of self‐managed manufacturing teams in a small medium enterprise

Small medium enterprises (SMEs) continue to grow, survive, and prosper throughout the world. Although the management of SMEs feel more positive and confident about their relationships with employees, they also continue to encounter a greater number of challenges than their larger multinational counterparts. These problems are inherent in their structure and predominantly emanate from human resources, outdated business models, and lack of strategic planning. Total Quality Management (TQM), long recognized as a major cultural change strategy for profitability and competitive edge, embraces the concept of total employee involvement in the form of teams. SMEs, however, have been slow to include employees in any ongoing collaborative work environment initiatives. Behind the shortage of sustained team formulation is uncertainty about its long-term durability, which can be directly related to lack of a continuing centralized organization and facilitation of the process itself. Human resources, often ineffectively used in SMEs, has the skills and knowledge to lead an ongoing breakthrough strategy of self-managed work teams in an effort to create a sustained high-performance work system. This article reviews the challenges human resource management faces in SMEs. The authors also present an example of how a human resource department led a lasting change management initiative of facilitating self-managed work teams throughout a manufacturing SME, which resulted in continuous and sustainable improvements in productivity, quality, turnover, absenteeism, health, on-time delivery, safety, and product design.
The Effect of a Single Defective Mask Element on the Multiplex Advantage in Hadamard Transform Spectroscopy

The effect of a single defective mask element on the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for a stationary-mask Hadamard transform (HT) spectrometer is investigated. The decrease in output-SNR from that of an HT spectrometer having a perfect mask is found to be dependent on the amount of energy impinging on the defective element. A method of compensating for the defective mask element is presented. The method is computationally inexpensive and can be fully automated.
Discriminative models for information retrieval

Discriminative models have been preferred over generative models in many machine learning problems in the recent past owing to some of their attractive theoretical properties. In this paper, we explore the applicability of discriminative classifiers for IR. We have compared the performance of two popular discriminative models, namely the maximum entropy model and support vector machines with that of language modeling, the state-of-the-art generative model for IR. Our experiments on ad-hoc retrieval indicate that although maximum entropy is significantly worse than language models, support vector machines are on par with language models. We argue that the main reason to prefer SVMs over language models is their ability to learn arbitrary features automatically as demonstrated by our experiments on the home-page finding task of TREC-10.
Clinical and ethnic differences in candidates listed for liver transplantation with and without potential living donors

The shortage of cadaver livers and improved outcomes in partial liver transplants has led to an increase in adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Only a fraction of potential liver recipients have donors. The characteristics of candidates who have volunteers for living donation may be different than those without donors. We compared adult patients on the waiting list who had potential living donors with those who did not have living donors. Two-hundred and four consecutive patients were listed for transplantation. During evaluation, all were informed and educated about LDLT. To avoid coercion, we did not solicit a living donor. Sixty (29%) potential recipients had at least one living donor volunteer for evaluation. Twenty-eight (14%) patients from the entire cohort and 46% of the 60 patients who had potential living donors underwent LDLT. Compared with Caucasians, Hispanics were more likely to have living donors (P = .006). No patient with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) had a donor come forward (P = .006). Patients with living donors were twice as likely to have cancer (P = .08). Systematic differences exist between patients who have potential living donors versus those without donors. Candidates with potential donors are more likely to be Hispanic and have cancer and less likely to have ALD compared with cadaveric recipients. Only a minority of patients listed for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) will lead to LDLT. Further understanding of the cultural differences and motivating factors for why people volunteer for evaluation and subsequently choose to donate may help improve cadaveric and living donor transplant rates.
Conversion of o-(β-d-glucosyloxy)-cinnamic acid to o-(β-d-glucosyloxy)-hydrocinnamic acid in Melilotus alba

Abstract In sweet clover ( Melitolotus alba Desr.) coumarin and related compounds occur primarily as β- d -glucosides. Synthetic trans o -(β- d -6- 3 H-glucosyloxy) cinnamic acid α- 14 C was administered to sweet clover shoots. Analysis of subsequently isolated trans and cis o -(β- d -glucosyloxy)-cinnamic acid and o -(β- d -glucosyloxy)-hydrocinnamic acid showed that in the in vivo conversion of the former glucosides to the latter glucoside, significant retention of glucose had occurred. These results indicate that in the in vivo conversion free coumarin is not an important intermediate. Identical results obtained from genotypes containing β-glucosidase and genotypes lacking β-glucosidase confirm the latter statement. Results from comparisons of the dilutions of specific activity of the isolated glucosides indicated that the trans isomer rather than the cis isomer of o -(β- d -glucosyloxy)-cinnamic acid is reduced to the corresponding hydrocinnamic acid derivative. Methods involving ion-exchange column chromatography and TLC separation of the three mentioned glucosides also are described.
Alkyl radical adducts of aromatic N-oxides as hydrogen-abstracting agents : the reactivity of phenazine-N,N'-dioxide-methyl radical adduct

An O-methylated analog of protonated phenazine-di-N-oxide radical anion abstracts hydrogen from primary and secondary alcohols in a slow (k 1 < 500 M−1 s−1) bimolecular reaction. No kinetic evidence has been found for the unimolecular release of free methoxyl radicals through the homolytic N-OMe bond cleavage in these species. DFT calculations at the UB3LYP 6-31G(d) level indicate that protonated and O-alkylated radical anions of pyrazine, quinoxaline and phenazine di-N-oxides are close analogues of aromatic nitroxyl radicals with the highest spin density localized on the oxygen and nitrogen of the nitrone moiety.
Compactly supported radial basis functions for adaptive process control

Abstract An adaptive nonlinear control strategy based on networks of compactly supported radial basis functions is proposed. The local influence of the basis functions allows efficient on-line adaptation that is performed using a gradient law, and new basis functions are added to the network only when new regions in state space are encountered and the prediction error exceeds a pre-specified tolerance. The approximate model is used to construct an input-output linearizing control law. The adaptive control strategy is applied to a nonlinear chemical reactor model.
The importance of adjudication in the treatment of child abusers: Some preliminary findings

Demographic characteristics and court dispositions of 71 abusive families referred to a treatment program emphasizing child management skills were investigated to determine the influence of these variables upon parental participation and benefit from treatment. These analyses determined that parents who were court-ordered to complete treatment as a requirement for full return of child custody were approximately five times more likely to successfully complete treatment than a family who was not required by the court to participate (voluntary). Similarly, a voluntary family was approximately five times more likely to refuse or withdraw from treatment than a court-ordered family. The discussion of these findings focused on the importance of delineating clear objectives for abusive parents which can be accomplished in a parent training program in order to avoid uncertain expectations and poor attendance. The use of the family court or similar procedure to underscore to abusive parents the importance of active involvement in learning more appropriate child management skills was supported by these data.
Cell cycle variation of Hsp70 levels in HeLa cells at 37°C and after a heat shock

The expression of the 72 kD inducible heat shock protein (hsp72) has been reported to be cell cycle associated in unheated, synchronized HeLa cells. In this study, flow cytomerty was used to investigate hsp72 levels through the cell cycle in HeLa cells by dual labeling with propidium iodide and antibodies against hsp72. The entire cell cycle distribution of hsp72 could be measured in a single sample of asynchronously growing cells. For unheated cells, the level of hsp72 increased about 30% from G1 to S phase, with about a 65% increase in G2/M, probably due to cell size differences. Neither mitotic selection nor serum stimulation induced a higher level of hsp72 than in the control cells. Western blot analysis of hsp72 from Hoechst-stained cells sorted from G1, mid-S, or G2/M showed that G1 cells had the lowest level of hsp72, with about a 30% increase in S phase and a 60% increase in G2/M, in good agreement with the flow cytometry results. These data conflict with previous reporty by other laboratories which showed a 3-fold higher level of hsp72 in S phase than in G1 or G2. In contrast, heat shock (both acute and chronic) led to a non-uniform increase in hsp72 through the cell cycle. Most cells in mid S phase had high levels of hsp72, and a larger range in the levels of hsp72 were found in G1 and late S/G2/M phase cells. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Measure of Sickle Cell Stigma: Initial findings from the Improving Patient Outcomes through Respect and Trust study

Research about the influence of stigma on health outcomes in sickle cell disease is limited. We administered the recently developed Measure of Sickle Cell Stigma to 262 patients in the United States. The Measure of Sickle Cell Stigma yielded very good internal consistency and four interpretable factors. Significant associations among stigma, pain-related healthcare utilization, and perceived disease severity were observed for three of the four stigma factors (F range = 2.78–5.44). The Measure of Sickle Cell Stigma appears to be a useful tool for measuring disease-specific stigma among adults living with sickle cell disease, and further assessment of its clinical utility is warranted.
Motherhood, feminism and identity.

Along with other members of ‘the baby boom generation’ who have reached their thirties, I have begun to hear my biological clock ticking away the remaining minutes of my life as a ‘fertile’ woman, a potential mother. For those women, who like me, felt themselves at twenty, drawn to the pursuit of a career which seemed to exclude motherhood, this can be a time of reflection on that earlier ‘choice’. It’s not an easy decision, I’m sure, for any of us, and is made especially difficult for those women whose tenuous hold on a middle-class identity has been seriously shaken by the current economic depression. But I am talking about a choice. This, in itself, might strike some people as odd, since motherhood is very often experienced as a fact of life over which we have little control. Some indeed seem to feel we should not have any control in this matter, fearing that if we were actually given the choice, women would never have any more babies. One of my colleagues, an ardent male socialist, with a, perhaps not unexpectedly, conservative social philosophy, seems to hold this view. In response to my (somewhat hesitant) revelation that I seemed to be deciding not to have any children, he angrily replied that it was another instance of privileged feminists casting off their burdens onto the backs of the poor. This strikes me as a strangely ahistorical response. For not since slavery have the policies of this country encouraged the poor, black, Native American, or Hispanic women of this country to bear children at all. The racist ideology that has too often defined those policies has, instead, been designed to discourage people of color from reproducing themselves. Programs of forced sterilization have threatened the survival of entire communities and made the struggle to give birth a social and political, as well as a personal and
Synthesis and Characterization of a Stable Smaragdyrin Isomer.

The synthesis of 16,20-dipropyl-2,3,6,7,10,11,15,21-octamethyl-[22]pentaphyrin-(1.1.1.0.0) (8), a stable isomer of smaragdyrin ([22]pentaphyrin(1.1.0.1.0)), and 9, a furan-containing analogue of 8,...
Midbrain central gray: LHRH infusion enhances lordotic behavior in estrogen-primed ovariectomized rats.

Abstract Ovariectomized rats were implanted with 23 gauge stainless steel cannulae in the ventrolateral midbrain central gray. Twelve sexually active rats were estrone-primed and infused with saline and 50 ng luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) in counterbalanced order. Infusion of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone significantly enhanced the lordotic response to coital stimulation compared to saline infusion. These results support the role of hypothalamo-mesencephalic LHRH-containing pathways in modulating lordotic behavior in estrogen-primed Ovariectomized rats.
The synthesis of an exhaustively stereodiversified library of cis-1,5 enediols by silyl-tethered ring-closing metathesis.

This report describes the parallel synthesis of all 16 stereoisomers of the cis-1,5 enediol module 1. Compounds 1 derive from 2 by silicon-tethered ring-closing metathesis. Such libraries of stereodiversified ligands provide a unique approach to ligand discovery that employs exhaustive searching of conformational space.
D.C. transport in intense, in-plane terahertz electric fields in AlxGa1−xAs heterostructures at 300 K

Abstract We report 300 K studies of the dependence of the in-plane, d.c. conductivity, σd.c. (Eω), of a quasi 2D electron gas on the amplitude Eω and frequency of intense, far-infrared fields (ω/2π = 0.24−3.5 THz). We measure σd.c. (Eω∥Ed.c.), where Ed.c. is a small sensing field, and obser monotonic decrease in σd.c. with increasing Eω. Although a simple scaling ansatz collapses the measured σd.c. (Eω) data onto a single curve for frequencies from 0.25–3.45 THz (at low to moderate scaled fields), the decrease in conductivity is substantially more rapid than expected from comparison to similar data taken by Masselink et al. [Solid-St. Electron.31, 337 (1988)] at 35 GHz. We tentatively attribute this difference to effects of a high-frequency modulation in the electron temperature.
X-chromosome inactivation patterns are unbalanced and affect the phenotypic outcome in a mouse model of rett syndrome.

Rett syndrome (RTT), a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting mostly females, is caused by mutations in the X-linked gene encoding methyl-CpG–binding protein 2 (MeCP2). Although the majority of girls with classic RTT have a random pattern of X-chromosome inactivation (XCI), nonbalanced patterns have been observed in patients carrying mutant MECP2 and, in some cases, account for variability of phenotypic manifestations. We have generated an RTT mouse model that recapitulates all major aspects of the human disease, but we found that females exhibit a high degree of phenotypic variability beyond what is observed in human patients with similar mutations. To evaluate whether XCI influences the phenotypic outcome of Mecp2 mutation in the mouse, we studied the pattern of XCI at the single-cell level in brains of heterozygous females. We found that XCI patterns were unbalanced, favoring expression of the wild-type allele, in most mutant females. It is notable that none of the animals had nonrandom XCI favoring the mutant allele. To explore why the XCI patterns favored expression of the wild-type allele, we studied primary neuronal cultures from Mecp2-mutant mice and found selective survival of neurons in which the wild-type X chromosome was active. Quantitative analysis indicated that fewer phenotypes are observed when a large percentage of neurons have the mutant X chromosome inactivated. The study of neuronal XCI patterns in a large number of female mice carrying a mutant Mecp2 allele highlights the importance of MeCP2 for neuronal viability. These findings also raise the possibility that there are human females who carry mutant MECP2 alleles but are not recognized because their phenotypes are subdued owing to favorable XCI patterns.
Investigation of frontopolar cortex under noxious pain stimuli using functional near infrared spectroscopy

We report fNIRS signals from the human frontopolar cortex to investigate the hemodynamic responses under noxious pain stimuli. This study shows the potential role of frontopolar cortex in cognitive evaluation of pain by experimental evidence.
Effects of contact geometry in wide Hall bars

We determine numerically the current distribution in a rectangular Hall bar of arbitrary aspect ratio embedded in an infinite strip, without using a common approximation such as perfectly conducting leads or a long sample. For a short sample with large enough difference between sample and contact Hall voltages, closed current loops occur.
Hydrodynamic forces on larvae affect their settlement on coral reefs in turbulent, wave-driven flow

This study investigates a key aspect of how ambient flow affects the recruitment of water-dispersed marine larvae onto benthic substrata: the sweeping away of larvae that have landed on surfaces. Through a combination of field and laboratory measurements, we studied how waves interact with a complex substratum to affect hydrodynamic forces encountered by microscopic larvae sitting at different positions on the bottom terrain. We used larvae of the nudibranch Phestilla sibogae settling onto coral reefs as the system to address this question. Laser Doppler anemometry was utilized within a laboratory flume to measure water velocities encountered 200 m mf rom coral surfaces by microscopic larvae sitting at different locations within a reef of the branching coral Porites compressa. Comparing wave-driven flow, based on conditions measured over P. compressa reefs in Hawaii, with unidirectional flow of the same mean velocity, we found that peak shear stresses along coral surfaces were ,15 times greater and hydrodynamic forces on larvae were ,10 times higher in wave conditions. Peak forces on larvae sitting on the reef top were 3–10 times greater than on larvae 5–10 cm below the reef top. Intermittent bursts of high velocity, which occurred more often at the reef top than within it, determined the settlement probability for larvae in different reef microhabitats. The faster and more strongly a larva sticks to a surface, the higher the probability of successful settlement. Using values for P. sibogae adhesive strength, we predict they can settle only on sheltered surfaces within reefs.
Sustaining the gains made in malaria control and elimination

Significant progress has been made in the last 25 years to reduce the malaria burden, but considerable challenges remain. These gains have resulted from large investments in a range of control measures targeting malaria. Fana and co-authors find a strong relationship between education level and net usage with malaria parasitemia in pregnant women, suggesting the need for targeted control strategies. Mayala and co-workers find important links between agriculture and malaria with implications for inter-sectoral collaboration for malaria control.
Light-induced changes in photoreceptor membrane resistance and potential in Gecko retinas. I. Preparations treated to reduce lateral interactions.

The time-course of the light-induced changes in membrane voltage and resistance were measured for single photoreceptors in the retina of Gekko gekko. In the surgically isolated retina, small stimuli directed toward the impaled receptor produced a membrane hyperpolarization the time-course of which was identical to that of the increase in membrane resistance. In the eyecup preparation nearly identical time-courses were evoked only after perfusion of the vitreous surface with solution having high (Mg++). Disparate time-courses were obtained in (a) the isolated retina when large or displaced stimuli were used, and (b) the eyecup preparation when it was treated normally (see Pinto and Pak. 1974. J. Gen. Physiol. 64:49) and when it was exposed to aspartate ions or hypoxia. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the receptor potential (elicited in the impaled receptor as a result of quanta only it captures) is generated by a single ionic process that decreases membrane conductance. These measurements provide a means to distinguish the receptor potential from interactions. From direct measurements of membrane time constant and total resistance in darkness, total membrane capacitance was calculated. The mean capacitance was 7.1 x 10-5 µF. This high value is consistent with anatomical observations of membrane infoldings at the base of gecko photoreceptors.
Dynamic, resilient detection of complex malicious functionalities in the system call domain

A novel approach to malware detection by recognizing known inter-process and intra-process malicious functionalities in software behavior is proposed. It encompasses two essential tasks: the specification of a functionality that may involve a joint activity of several apparently independent processes, and efficient recognition of the specified functionality in the process behavior. The robustness of the proposed technology is achieved by the generalization of the specification domain that is separated from the detection domain. The functionalities of interest are defined in the abstract system domain through activity diagrams, thus resulting in formal specifications that are rather generic and less prone to false negatives. To facilitate the detection, we developed a procedure that automatically generates a Colored Petri Net recognizing the specified functionality in the system call domain. The separation of specification and recognition domains results in signature expressiveness and recognition efficiency. The approach is illustrated by the analysis, specification and consequent recognition of several common malicious functionalities including self-replication engines and popular payloads. A prototype IDS implementing the proposed approach has been developed and successfully tested on a set of real malware.
Fluctuation Analysis Of The Heart Rate Related To Instantaneous Lung Volume: A Time Domain Approach

This paper presents a time domain technique to estimate transfer characteristics from fluctuations of instantaneous lung volume (ILV) to heart rate (HR). Pure moving average (MA) and autoregressive moving average (ARMA) system identification techniques are introduced to characterize the system. Pre-processing (pre-filtering of the HR fluctuations and pre-enhancement of the high frequency contents of ILV fluctuations) are shown to be effective in obtaining stable estimates of MA coefficients. Model order selection of the ARMA system based on a priori knowledge of the system characteristics is proposed. Data analysis using the time domain techniques revealed some temporal transfer characteristics which are poorly resolved using frequency domain analysis.
On correcting HV impulse measurements by means of adaptive filtering and deconvolution

An adaptive data smoothing technique that uses a serial correlation test has been used to preprocess HV transient measurements before the application of the deconvolution routine to estimate the input signal. This technique has the advantage that no prior knowledge of the signal or noise characteristics is required. Successful applications to both simulated data with white-Gaussian noise and actual measured data with unknown noise characteristics are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the technique. >
Measurements of Electromotive Force in Al2O3‐Pitfalls and Results

When guards are used to eliminate surface and gas conduction in emf measurements, thermocouple effects of the electrodes and guards must be taken into account, and unwanted gradients in gas composition must be eliminated. Results for single-crystal and polycrystalline Al2O3 are given. Single crystals have an ionic transference number, tl of ≅1, with a possible small decrease as a result of electronic (hole) conduction at T>1450°C. Polycrystalline samples exhibit ti values of <I, with tel(=1-tl) increasing with decreasing temperature and increasing O2 pressure. The electronic conduction results from movement of holes along grain boundaries.
TRANS-HUMAN COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT, PHENOMENAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE EXTENDED MIND

Drawing on Charles Stross's recent trans-humanist, science fiction novel, Accelerando, I argue that phenomenology can play an important supplementary role in arguments for the hypothesis of extended cognition — the view that the mind might sometimes extend beyond the skull. In their initial arguments for this hypothesis Clark and Chalmers [Clark, A. and Chalmers, D. [1998] "The extended mind," Analysis58(1), 7–19], deliberately downplay the role of phenomenology, emphasizing third person, functionalist reasons for it. However, passages from Stross's novel suggest that feasible, extra-cranial cognitive technology will have dramatic effects on phenomenology. Such "trans-human" phenomenology will likely eliminate intuitive resistance to the hypothesis of extended cognition, thereby supporting functionalist arguments for it. Although this is not sufficient to establish that consciousness itself might extend beyond the skull, I also argue that any view on which consciousness supervenes on the functional properties of the nervous system, like Chalmers, D. [1996] The Conscious Mind (Oxford University Press, New York) and Baars, B. [1988] A Cognitive Theory of Consciousness (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK); Baars, B. [1997] In the Theatre of Consciousness (Oxford University Press, New York); Baars, B. [2002] The conscious access hypothesis: Origins and recent evidence, Trends in Cognitive Science6, 47–52; Baars, B. [2003] How brain reveals mind: Neuroimaging supports the central role of conscious experience, Journal of Consciousness Studies10, 100–114, must accept this possibility.
Detection and Control of Soymilk Astringency

Soymilk was made less astringent by the addition of skimmed cow's milk (SCM), CaSO4 or citric acid. The additions of CaSO4 and citric acid were not sufficient to cause visible separation of soymilk solids, but there was some difference in mouthfeel due to the additions. Warm temperatures (65°C) of the soymilk resulted in a loss of astringency compared to sensory evaluation at room temperature or 4°C. Analyses for total polyphenols showed statistically significant decreases in apparent polyphenol content per gram of soymilk solids with the first level of addition of SCM, CaSO4, or citric acid but not with subsequent additions.
Ultraviolet Micrography of Penetration of Exogenous Cytochrome c into the Yeast Cell

Candida utilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in water suspension were found to be very sensitive to exogenous cytochrome c. The protein was taken up by the cells, and the viable count was reduced to a few per cent of the initial value. Micrography at 405 nm revealed penetration of cytochrome c into the interior of the cell. The cytoplasmic membrane lost its capacity to retain intracellular constituents, and ultraviolet-absorbing compounds were released into the medium. When budding cells were subjected to treatment with cytochrome c, the mother cells were found to be more susceptible than the buds. Phosphate buffer protected the cells and spheroplasts against cytochrome c.
Exponential Family PCA for Belief Compression in POMDPs

Standard value function approaches to finding policies for Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs) are intractable for large models. The intractability of these algorithms is due to a great extent to their generating an optimal policy over the entire belief space. However, in real POMDP problems most belief states are unlikely, and there is a structured, low-dimensional manifold of plausible beliefs embedded in the high-dimensional belief space. We introduce a new method for solving large-scale POMDPs by taking advantage of belief space sparsity. We reduce the dimensionality of the belief space by exponential family Principal Components Analysis [1], which allows us to turn the sparse, high-dimensional belief space into a compact, low-dimensional representation in terms of learned features of the belief state. We then plan directly on the low-dimensional belief features. By planning in a low-dimensional space, we can find policies for POMDPs that are orders of magnitude larger than can be handled by conventional techniques. We demonstrate the use of this algorithm on a synthetic problem and also on a mobile robot navigation task.
Generating comparative summaries of contradictory opinions in text

This paper presents a study of a novel summarization problem called contrastive opinion summarization (COS). Given two sets of positively and negatively opinionated sentences which are often the output of an existing opinion summarizer, COS aims to extract comparable sentences from each set of opinions and generate a comparative summary containing a set of contrastive sentence pairs. We formally formulate the problem as an optimization problem and propose two general methods for generating a comparative summary using the framework, both of which rely on measuring the content similarity and contrastive similarity of two sentences. We study several strategies to compute these two similarities. We also create a test data set for evaluating such a novel summarization problem. Experiment results on this test set show that the proposed methods are effective for generating comparative summaries of contradictory opinions.
Congressional Power over Executive Branch Policy Making: Limitations on Bureaucratic Regulations, 1989‐2009

Research on American political institutions correctly emphasizes the ascendency of presidential power over the last century. Nevertheless, Congress possesses tools to influence how the executive branch shapes public policy. I examine how the use of limitation riders in appropriations laws allows Congress to affect the substance of bureaucratic decisions when Congress otherwise would not have much traction with the bureaucracy: under divided government. In examining the history of limitation riders that forbade the issuance of bureaucratic regulations from 1989 to 2009, I find support for this perspective. The findings suggest that, although Congress may be at a disadvantage in shaping law and policy relative to the president in many cases, its constitutionally protected spending authority continues to promote its ability to influence the executive branch.
A novel role for doublecortin and doublecortin-like kinase in regulating growth cone microtubules

Doublecortin (DCX) and doublecortin-like kinase (DCLK), closely related family members, are microtubule-associated proteins with overlapping functions in both neuronal migration and axonal outgrowth. In growing axons, these proteins appear to have their primary functions in the growth cone. Here, we used siRNA to deplete these proteins from cultured rat sympathetic neurons. Normally, microtubules in the growth cone exhibit a gently curved contour as they extend from the base of the cone toward its periphery. However, following depletion of DCX and DCLK, microtubules throughout the growth cone become much more curvy, with many microtubules exhibiting multiple prominent bends over relatively short distances, creating a configuration that we termed wave-like folds. Microtubules with these folds appeared as if they were buckling in response to powerful forces. Indeed, inhibition of myosin-II, which generates forces on the actin cytoskeleton to push microtubules in the growth cone back toward the axonal shaft, significantly decreases the frequency of these wave-like folds. In addition, in the absence of DCX and DCLK, the depth of microtubule invasion into filopodia is reduced compared with controls, and at a functional level, growth cone responses to substrate guidance cues are altered. Conversely, overexpression of DCX results in microtubules that are straighter than usual, suggesting that higher levels of these proteins can enable an even greater resistance to folding. These findings support a role for DCX and DCLK in enabling microtubules to overcome retrograde actin-based forces, thereby facilitating the ability of the growth cone to carry out its crucial path-finding functions.