cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermophysical property correlations for the niobium-1% zirconium alloy

Abstract Correlations were developed for the temperature dependence of specific heat (cp), enthalpy (h), entropy (s), Gibbs free energy (G), free energy function (FEF), mean coefficient of linear thermal expansion (α), density (ρ) and lattice parameter (a) of niobium-1% zirconium. The specific heat and thermal expansion correlations were developed as empirical fits to experimental data. The enthalpy, entropy and free energy correlations were derived from the specific heat correlation, and the density and lattice parameter correlations were derived from the thermal expansion correlation. c p = 0.2441 + 5.105 × 10 −5 (T) + 2.784 × 10 9 T 2 exp(− 2.295 × 10 4 T ) kJ/kg K , h(T) − h(298K) = −75.01 + 0.2441(T) + 2.553 × 10 −5 (T) 2 + 1.213 × 10 5 exp(− 2.295 × 10 4 T ) kJ/kg , s = 0.2441 In(T) + 5.105 × 10−5(T) − 0.9947 kJ/kgK, G = 1.2388(T) − 2.552 × 10 −5 (T) 2 − 0.2441(T) In(T) + 1.213 × 10 5 exp(− 2.295 × 10 4 T ) kJ/kg , FEF = − 1.2388 + 0.2441 In(T) + 2.552 × 10 −5 (T) + 75.01 T − 1.213 × 10 5 T exp(− 2.295 × 10 4 T ) kJ/kg K , αm = 6.62 + 3.64 × 10−4(T) + 2.75 × 10−7(T)2 10−6/K, ρ = 8637 − 0.200(T) kg/m3, a = 3.293 + 2.622 × 10 −5 (T) A . The specific heat correlation has a relative standard deviation of 0.98% and is valid over the temperature range 298 to 2700 K. The enthalpy, entropy and free energy correlations have the same temperature range of validity as the specific heat correlation. Statistical methods were employed to determine the propagation of error from the specific heat correlation to estimate the uncertainty associated with each of the derived correlations. The relative standard deviation of the thermal expansion correlation is 0.96% and it has a valid temperature range of 575 to 1627 K. The density and lattice parameter correlations are valid over the temperature range 297 to 1627 K. The propagation of error introduced by the derivation of the density and lattice parameter correlations was calculated in the same manner as for the derived thermodynamic correlations.
La Revanche du flou: Jacques Réda à l'épreuve de la cartographie dans Le MéRidien de Paris

En 1994, le plasticien neerlandais Jan Dibbets a, pour rendre hommage au physicien Francois Arago, installe sur le sol de Paris plus d’une centaine de medaillons de bronze qui forment en pointilles le trace d’un meridien. Le Meridien de Paris de Jacques Reda, publie peu de temps plus tard, se presente comme le journal d’un spectateur qui a decide de suivre cette ligne dans l’espoir que, sous l’effet d’une telle contrainte spatiale, quelque chose de non-programme advienne a l’ecriture. Or ce texte montre que la materialisation de la ligne de longitude, issue d’un calcul geodesique rigoureux, repond tout autant aux injonctions du hasard en faussant regulierement compagnie a celui qui souhaite la suivre. La ligne droite semble aller de guingois. Sans recul ni horizon pour maintenir l’illusion d’une distance, le pieton doit, tel l’arpenteur, passer par la mesure cartographique et depasser sa litteralite. L’hommage de Dibbets, anti-monument par excellence, constitue une fiction a peine reperable de l’invisible geographique. Pour Reda, il finit par former une methode qui fournira a son ecriture le flou dont elle a besoin pour se deployer. Ainsi le ‘systeme Dibbets’ devient un art d’ecrire selon une metrique qui autorise la syncope et le pas de cote.
Evaluating regional blood spinal cord barrier dysfunction following spinal cord injury using longitudinal dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI

Background In vivo preclinical imaging of spinal cord injury (SCI) in rodent models provides clinically relevant information in translational research. This paper uses multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate neurovascular pathology and changes in blood spinal cord barrier (BSCB) permeability following SCI in a mouse model of SCI.
Differences in prevalence of urinary incontinence by race/ethnicity.

Purpose: We compared the prevalence of urinary incontinence by type among white, black, Hispanic and Asian-American women.Materials and Methods: The RRISK is a population based cohort study of 2,109 randomly selected middle-aged and older women. Incontinence and other variables were assessed by self-report questionnaires and in person interviews. Labor and delivery and surgical data were abstracted from medical records archived since 1946. Logistic regression was used to estimate the OR with 95% CIs for incontinence while adjusting for covariates.Results: The age adjusted prevalence of weekly incontinence was highest among Hispanic women, followed by white, black and Asian-American women (36%, 30%, 25% and 19%, respectively, p <0.001). Type of incontinence also differed among groups, with weekly stress incontinence prevalence being 18%, 15%, 8% and 8% (p <0.001), and weekly urge incontinence prevalence being 10%, 9%, 14% and 7% (p <0.001). After adjustment for age, parity, hysterectomy, estrogen use, body...
Simple model for optical extraction from a flowing oxygen-iodine medium using a Fabry-Perot resonator

A loaded-gain model of a CW flowing oxygen-iodine medium is described, and its principal assumptions and approximations are discussed. The model includes pumping of the upper laser level by O(2)(1 Delta), deactivation losses by water, and stimulated emission. The solution of the model in the absence of flux is obtained, from which a small-signal gain is determined. The model is solved for the output power from a Fabry-Perot resonator as a function of the medium and resonator parameters. It is shown that the maximum available power from the medium is determined by the O(2)(1 Delta) concentration at the nozzle exit plane.
Are Emotional Intelligence and Contagion Moderators of the Association between Students' Perceptions of Instructors' Nonverbal Immediacy Cues and Students' Affect?

This study explored students' emotional intelligence and contagion as moderators of the association between their perceptions of instructors' nonverbal immediacy cues and their affect for the course and the instructor. Participants included 305 undergraduate students. Hierarchical regression revealed no significant interaction effects for emotional intelligence or contagion, though emotional intelligence emerged as a significant predictor of students' affect for instructors even after controlling for immediacy. Consequently, students with high levels of emotional intelligence may be more likely to experience affect for their instructors than students with low levels of emotional intelligence, independent of their instructors' immediacy cues.
Cyclic AMP and Cyclic GMP suppress TNFα-induced hepatocyte apoptosis by inhibiting FADD up-regulation via a protein kinase A-dependent pathway

Cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP (cGMP) suppress apoptosis in many cell types, including hepatocytes. We have previously shown that membrane-permeable cAMP and cGMP analogs attenuate tumor necrosis factor α plus actinomycin D (TNFα/ActD)-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes at a step upstream of caspase activation and cytochrome c release. Recently we have also shown that FADD levels increase 10 folds in response to TNFα/ActD. Therefore we hypothesized that cAMP and cGMP would inhibit FADD upregulation. We show here that cyclic nucleotide analogs dibutyryl cAMP (db-cAMP) and 8-bromo-cGMP (Br-cGMP) inhibit cell death and the cleavages of multiple caspases including caspase-10, -9, -8, -3, and -2, as well as suppress FADD protein up-regulation in TNFα/ActD-induced apoptosis. The inhibitory effects of cAMP were seen at lower concentrations than cGMP. Both cAMP and cGMP prevented FADD overexpression and cell death in hepatocytes transfected with the FADD gene. A protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, KT 5720, reversed the inhibition of FADD protein levels induced by cAMP or cGMP. In conclusion, our findings indicate that cAMP and cGMP prevent TNFα/ActD-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes and that this occurs in association with a near complete inhibition of the upregulation of FADD via a PKA-dependent mechanism.
ACQUISITION OF LEVER‐PRESS RESPONDING IN RATS WITH DELAYED REINFORCEMENT: A COMPARISON OF THREE PROCEDURES

The present study examined the acquisition of lever pressing in rats under three procedures in which food delivery was delayed by 4, 8, and 16 seconds relative to the response. Under the nonresetting delay procedure, food followed the response selected for reinforcement after a specified interval elapsed; responses during this interval had no programmed effect. Under the resetting procedure, the response selected for reinforcement initiated an interval to food delivery that was reset by each subsequent response. Under the stacked delay procedure, every response programmed delivery of food t seconds after its occurrence. Two control groups were studied, one that received food immediately after each lever press and another that never received food. With the exception of the group that did not receive food, responding was established with every procedure at every delay value without autoshaping or shaping. Although responding was established under the resetting delay procedure, response rates were generally not as high as under the other two procedures. These findings support the results of other recent investigations in demonstrating that a response not previously reinforced can be brought to strength by delayed reinforcement in the absence of explicit training.
Novel SNP Genotyping Assays Facilitate Species Identification of Salvelinus Collected in a Recreational Fishery

AbstractMembers of the genus Salvelinus often occur sympatrically, exhibit a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, and commonly hybridize. These factors often complicate species identification and hybrid detection based solely on morphology. Many species and populations of Salvelinus are threatened or endangered and accurate species identification and hybrid detection are important for conservation. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers offer several advantages over other classes of genetic markers for species identification. We used DNA sequences from six species of Salvelinus to identify 16 SNPs that exhibited fixed differences among species and 16 additional SNPs that were variable within different species. These markers were used for species identification of putative Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus that were misidentified as Lake Trout S. namaycush in a recreational fishery in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho. The markers developed in this study will be useful for Salvelinus species identification a...
Self-reported legal needs of women with or at risk for HIV infection

Women at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are often poor and members of racial or ethnic minorities. In addition to legal concerns that might be common among persons with similar sociodemographic characteristics, HIV infection adds the potential of possible stigma and discrimination, as well as the prospect of illness and increased mortality. To determine women's perceptions of need for and access to legal services and whether such perceptions are affected by HIV infection, from November 1993 through September 1995 we interviewed 509 women with or at risk for HIV infection by virtue of injection drug use or high-risk sexual behaviors in New York and Baltimore, Maryland. A majority of women, regardless of HIV serostatus, reported current or future needs for legal assistance with government benefits. More than 25% reported needing current or future legal help with housing, debts, arrangements for care of children, a will, and advance directives. Substantial minorities of women reported other legal needs. HIV-positive women were significantly more likely to report anticipated future need for help with paternal custody or visitation, current need in making a will, and anticipated future assistance with advance directives. For most items, a majority of women thought they knew where to receive help. However, among women reporting a current need, only a minority actually were receiving legal assistance. This study suggests that the extent of legal needs among women with or at risk for HIV infection is substantial, and that few receive legal assistance. With few exceptions, at least for women early in the course of illness, HIV infection does not appear to alter the pattern or extent of legal needs. There are dramatic differences, regardless of HIV status, between expectation and reality in women's access to legal services.
Focal cerebral ischemia model by endovascular suture occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in the rat.

Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in adults worldwide1. In human stroke, there exists a highly variable clinical state; in the development of animal models of focal ischemia, however, achieving reproducibility of experimentally induced infarct volume is essential. The rat is a widely used animal model for stroke due to its relatively low animal husbandry costs and to the similarity of its cranial circulation to that of humans2,3. In humans, the middle cerebral artery (MCA) is most commonly affected in stroke syndromes and multiple methods of MCA occlusion (MCAO) have been described to mimic this clinical syndrome in animal models. Because recanalization commonly occurs following an acute stroke in the human, reperfusion after a period of occlusion has been included in many of these models. In this video, we demonstrate the transient endovascular suture MCAO model in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). A filament with a silicon tip coating is placed intraluminally at the MCA origin for 60 minutes, followed by reperfusion. Note that the optimal occlusion period may vary in other rat strains, such as Wistar or Sprague-Dawley. Several behavioral indicators of stroke in the rat are shown. Focal ischemia is confirmed using T2-weighted magnetic resonance images and by staining brain sections with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) 24 hours after MCAO.
Latency Cost and Information: Does Speed Matter for All Market Participants?

The author examines latency cost—a trading cost dimension arising from the delay in time between an order submission decision and execution—across traders with different levels of information in U.S. equities. He finds that both traders who appear informed and uninformed about future prices experience a cost induced from latency. However, the uninformed pay a significantly higher cost. The results indicate that having access to faster trading speed is beneficial, even for traders using less speed-sensitive strategies.
Recent advances and applications of site-directed spin labeling

Site-directed spin labeling has become a popular biophysical tool for the characterization of protein structure, dynamics and conformational change. This method is well suited and widely used to study small soluble proteins, membrane proteins and large protein complexes. Recent advances in site-directed spin labeling methodology have occurred in two areas. The first involves an understanding of the conformations and local dynamics of the spin-labeled sidechain, including the features of proteins that influence electron paramagnetic resonance lineshape. The second advance is the application of pulse techniques to determine long-range distances and distance distributions in proteins. During the past two years, these technical developments have been used to address several important problems concerning the molecular function of proteins.
MIMO based optical phased array technology with electronic beam steering for laser radar applications

This paper will address the analysis and design of an electronically scanned phased array laser radar (ladar) system utilizing the techniques of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) array design. MIMO radar is has attracted much attention recently from both researchers and practitioners alike due to its significant potential for advancing the state-of-the-art RF radar technology. The laser radar architecture presented stands to gain significant inroads on the ability to apply RF array processing methods to laser radar systems in several ways. Specifically, using MIMO array design concepts, it is shown that the resolution of the ladar array can substantially exceed the diffraction limited resolution of a conventional array. Additionally, the use of array methods provides the capability to electronically steer the aperture, thus avoiding the mechanical beam scanning methods generally encountered in laser radar systems. Finally, by using an array of radiators, an increase in total radiated power is achieved, relieving the power burden on a single laser. The problems traditionally encountered in applying conventional array techniques to laser/detector arrays, for example, the inability to achieve half-wavelength spacing or the surfacing of source coherence issues, actually work to one's advantage when viewed in the MIMO paradigm. It is anticipated that the successful implementation of this system will significantly advance the state-of-the-art of laser radar capabilities for high speed imaging, target detection, tracking, and signature analysis.
Comments on two-photon absorption by H2 molecules as a source of diffuse interstellar bands

Abstract It has been proposed that some of the diffuse interstellar absorption bands which have puzzled astronomers for several decades may be assigned to transitions in vibrationally excited H 2 molecules. These molecules would arise in circumstellar environments where stellar Lyman-α photons create a population of H 2 in the C 1 Π u , v = 9 state through a two-photon process. From this state absorptions in the range between 7660 and 7880 A can occur. While intriguing, this suggestion overlooks several critical spectroscopic and astrophysical problems, and for now must be regarded as unproven and probably not viable. In this Letter, we summarize some problems with the hypothesis.
Effect of inhaled lodoxamide tromethamine in prevention of antigen-induced bronchospasm

Lodoxamide tromethamine, a new cromolyn-like drug, was studied to determine its effectiveness and duration of action in preventing antigen-induced bronchospasm in 15 subjects with clinically stable extrinsic asthma. All subjects underwent antigen inhalation challenge 15 min after inhalation of an aerosolized solution of 0.1 mg of lodoxamide in saline or of saline solution alone (placebo) administered on separate days according to a double-blind, random-allocation protocol. Those subjects demonstrating a protective effect of lodoxamide subsequently underwent antigen inhalation challenges at various time intervals (2 to 8 hr) after lodoxamide treatment. Thirteen of 15 subjects (87%) showed a protective effect of lodoxamide administered 15 min prior to antigen challenge. Six of the 13 subjects who were protected initially remained protected 4 hr after lodoxamide treatment and one of these six subjects was also protected at 6 to 8 hr. One additional subject not protected at 4 hr was protected at 3 hr. Lodoxamide exhibited no bronchodilator activity and was not associated with any significant side effects. Further studies are warranted to compare the effectiveness of lodoxamide with that of cromolyn sodium in protection against antigen-induced bronchospasm and to evaluate the relative efficacy and safety of lodoxamide in long-term clinical trials.
Photosynthetic photon flux density influences grass responses to extended photoperiod

Abstract While plant sensitivity to extended photoperiod has been well documented, virtually no attention has been given to the possibility that low-level photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) during the extended photoperiod has an influence on the expression of the photoperiodic response. This study was undertaken with four grasses (Pensacola bahiagrass, Paspalum notatum Flugge, Tifton 85 bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon L., Florakirk bermudagrass, Florona stargrass, Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst var. nlemfuensis ) grown under field conditions to examine their photoperiodic responses under a PPFD gradient. Individual lamps were positioned above each experimental plot to impose a PPFD gradient (from 0.1 to 30 μmol m −2 s −1 ) during the extended photoperiod treatment. The experiment was undertaken during two seasons of short daylengths and plant responses were measured as mass accumulation and height. There was a linear increase in both measured variables with increasing PPFD up to a level where the plant responses were light saturated. Saturating PPFD was generally consistent between mass accumulation and height within a species, but there were substantial differences among grasses. Grasses with the greatest relative increase in mass accumulation under saturating PPFD for the extended photoperiod also were found to require the greatest PPFD for saturation. Overall, these results provided original observations on the quantitative response of plants to PPFD showing that there was a linear increase in response at very low PPFD and a saturating PPFD that varied among the grasses.
The Model of Europe and Other Contributions to the Study of European Political Development

Flora, P., Kuhnle, S. and Urwin D. (1999) State Formation, Nation-Building, and Mass Politics in Europe: The Theory of Stein Rokkan. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bartolini, S. (2000) The Political Mobilization of the European Left, 1860–1980: The Class Cleavage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Caramani, D. (2004) The Nationalization of Politics: The Formation of National Electorates and Party Systems in Western Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bartolini, S. (2005) Restructuring Europe: Centre Formation, System Building, and Political Structuring between the Nation State and the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ferrera, M. (2005) The Boundaries of Welfare: European Integration and the New Spatial Politics of Social Protection. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bozo, F. (2001) Two Strategies for Europe: De Gaulle, the United States, and the Atlantic Alliance. Lanham MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Neue Reaktionen zum Nachweis und zur quantitativen photometrischen Bestimmung kleiner Nickelgehalte

Nickel(II)-ionen lassen sich in neutralen bis schwach basischen Losungen in Gegenwart von Pyridin-2,6-diacetoxim oder syn-Phenyl-2-pyridylketoxim mit Kaliummetaperjodat oder anderen Oxydationsmitteln zu Nickel(IV)-chelaten der genannten Pyridinderivate oxydieren, deren tief blaue bzw. blaugraue Farbe zur Bestimmung kleiner Nickelgehalte ausgenutzt wird. Grosere Beimengungen von Fremdionen storen die Bestimmung.
A versatile class of positive-selection vectors based on the nonviability of palindrome-containing plasmids that allows cloning into long polylinkers

Several families of positive-selection cloning vectors were constructed, based on the principle of palindrome nonviability first used by Hagan and Warren [Gene 19 (1982) 147-151]. Each vector, derived from either pBR322 or RSF1010 (a broad-host-range plasmid), contains a long inverted repeat (2 x 366 to 2 x 1008 bp) ending in a symmetrical polylinker. Plasmids with long palindromes are not viable in most strains of Escherichia coli and in at least one Gram-positive bacterium. These palindrome-containing vectors therefore transform such strains at a very low frequency unless a DNA fragment is cloned within the polylinker at the center of the palindrome. Transformation by plasmids lacking an insert is reduced by two to four orders of magnitude. Such vectors can be propagated in a palindrome-tolerant strain; however, long symmetrical deletions then occur within the palindrome. To suppress the resulting deletion derivatives, vectors have been constructed so that an extensive deletion would remove the selectable marker. Alternatively, the vectors can be propagated in any strain of E. coli so long as the palindrome is interrupted by a nonpalindromic DNA fragment. We also present several symmetrical polylinkers and drug-resistance cassettes within the vectors. These components can be interchanged to make new positive-selection vectors as needed, and the cassettes are useful in insertional mutagenesis as well. A general method is described to convert virtually any small or medium-sized plasmid into a positive-selection vector.
Perineural spread of cervical cancer to the sciatic nerve

In this report we present a patient with a recent diagnosis of cervical adenocarcinoma with progressive left lower extremity pain and weakness. MR imaging of the pelvis and subsequent FDG CT/PET were complementary in demonstrating abnormalities worrisome for perineural spread of malignancy, which was confirmed with an open fascicular biopsy of the sciatic nerve. We review the imaging and propose a mechanism of perineural spread to the sciatic nerve, which we believe is supported by the imaging in this case.
Tunable Hierarchical Metallic-Glass Nanostructures

A new multi-step synthesis method, including thermo-plastic forming and electro-chemical processing, is proposed to fabricating different nano-scale morphologies of Ni60Pd20P17B3 bulk metallic glass. Due to the large surface area and the enrichment of the active noble metal on the surface, these processed metallic glass morphologies show enhanced catalytic behavior during methanol oxidation. Also, these nanostructures show less accumulation of poisoning intermediates on the catalysis surface.
Chemical Aspects of Three-Dimensional Photonic Crystals

Three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals (PCs) are crystalline materials where the refractive index is periodically modulated on a length scale comparable to the light wavelength of interest. Interference of the light waves scattered from the dielectric lattice (i.e., Bragg scattering) leads to omnidirectional stop bands or photonic band gaps (PBGs), which are analogous to the electronic energy band gaps in a semiconductor.1,2 The bandwidth and the frequency of the PBG are determined by the refractive index contrast between the high and low (typically air) dielectric materials, the structural symmetry and periodicity, and the filling fraction and morphology of high-refractive-index materials. Photonic crystals with a large, complete PBG are highly desired, which act like an optical trap to reflect incident light from any direction at a certain frequency range of light. Thus, controlled functional structures can be engineered into the 3D structures to confine or guide photons of specific wavelengths. Therefore, PCs potentially offer revolutionary advances in the next-generation microphotonic devices and the integration of existing optoelectronic devices, including integrated optical circuits, lasers, sensing, spectroscopy, and pulse shaping. In the last two decades, there has been much interest in exploring new PC structures and studying the related new phenomenon. Existing techniques for the largescale fabrication of microstructures with submicrometer features mainly rely on the use of optical projection lithography developed for silicon IC manufacturing. This method is inherent 2D patterning and requires laborious layer-by-layer photolithography and etching processes or stacking and fold-up of the 2D layers to generate the continuous 3D structures.2-4 A promising 3D fabrication technique should be able to do the following: •produce submicrometer periodicity for PBGs in the visible to infrared (IR) spectral range •access a large number of structures with tailored shapes, functionalities, and sizes of motifs •allow for mass-production over a large area •provide fine control of defects for photonic device applications •construct structures from materials with high refractive indices for complete PBGs.
Integrated circuit transmission-line transformer power combiner for millimetre-wave applications

A new approach for power combining several low-voltage CMOS amplifiers using a new on-chip transmission line transformer structure is presented. The power combiner utilises the interconnection of short sections of integrated differential lines and has an efficiency independent of the transformation ratio. Full-wave electromagnetic simulation confirms the operation and low insertion loss of the transformer.
A thermochemical study of the distribution of cobalt and nickel between diopsidic pyroxene and melt

Abstract Glasses and crystals of compositions MgCaSi 2 O 6 , CoCaSi 2 O 6 and NiCaSi 2 O 6 were studied by high temperature solution calorimetry, x-ray diffraction, and pycnometry. These data were combined with trace element distribution data to obtain values for ΔA G 0 , Δ H 0 , Δ S 0 , and Δ V 0 for M -Mg exchange reactions. Enthalpies of vitrification increase in the order Co, Mg, Ni as do volumes of vitrification and apparent melting points. The mixing of Co and Mg, Ni and Mg, and Co and Ni is almost ideal in crystals and glasses, with small negative heats of mixing and small volume changes. The exchange reactions MgCaSi 2 O 6 ( xl ) + MCaSi 2 O 6 ( liq ) = MgCaSi 2 O 6 ( liq ) + MCaSi 2 O 6 ( xl ) are exothermic for Ni and endothermic for Co. The volumes and entropies of the exchange reaction are small.
Integrating User Affective State Assessment in Enhancing HCI: Review and Proposition

In the past decades, human computer interaction field began to witness studies exploring not only the rational characteristics of human users in making decisions but also their "extra-rational" aspects in interacting with environment and devices. The first task in exploiting one such facet, human affective states, is to accurately recognize and assess the internal state affective state. In this paper, we summarize the features, challenges and requirements of real-world HCI sys- tems to user modeling and assistance. A survey of the state-of-the-art of affective state assessment focuses on computa- tional assessment models underlying different studies. A user affective state assessment framework developed by the author based on dynamic Bayesian networks is also visited. The last part of the paper moves on to articulate what is per- ceived the future research direction contributing to the challenging research of affective state assessment in user modeling, which foresee integration of multi-disciplinary knowledge bases.
Modeling fluid flow in three-dimensional single crystal dendritic structures

Abstract Convection during directional solidification can cause defects such as freckles and misoriented grains. To gain a better understanding of conditions associated with the onset of convective instabilities, flow was investigated using three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics simulations in an experimentally obtained dendritic network. A serial-sectioned, 3D data set of directionally solidified nickel-base superalloy measuring 2.3 × 2.3 × 1.5 mm was used to determine the permeability for flow parallel and normal to the solidification direction as a function of solid fraction ( f S ). Anisotropy of permeability varies significantly from 0.4 f S f S = 0.65. Results from the 3D simulation are also compared with empirical permeability models, and the microstructural origins of departures from these models are discussed.
Effects of Acute Treatment With Tamsulosin Versus Alfuzosin on Ejaculatory Function in Normal Volunteers

Purpose: The frequency of ejaculatory dysfunction in men varies among the α-blockers used in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. We assessed the effect of acute administration of tamsulosin, alfuzosin and placebo on ejaculate volume and sperm concentration in post-ejaculate urine, and addressed the mechanism of action of tamsulosin and alfuzosin on ejaculation.Materials and Methods: Using a randomized, 3-way crossover design, the effects of 5 days of treatment with 0.8 mg tamsulosin daily, 10 mg alfuzosin daily and placebo on ejaculation in healthy adult men were compared. The primary end points of the study were ejaculate volume and sperm concentration in post-ejaculate urine on each treatment. To aid in clinical interpretation of primary efficacy end points, each primary end point was transformed into a binary outcome, that is subjects with a greater than 20% decrease in ejaculate volume and subjects with a greater than 20% increase in sperm concen...
A one step PCR procedure for analysis of tumor specific T lymphocyte responses.

Abstract In an effort to develop optimal conditions for analysis of tumor specific T lymphocyte responses, we have studied the effect of changes in the concentration of oligonucleotide primers on the synthesis of TCR cDNAs in a one step PCR procedure using Vβ 10 gene subfamily as a model. It was found that synthesis of the TCR cDNAs increases in a roughly linear fashion at primer concentrations between 0.005–0.05 μM. Evaluation of the use of low concentration (0.005 μM) of primers showed these conditions to be adequate for the analysis of TCR Vβ subfamilies in the spleen of BALB/c mice, but not in the peritoneal exudate cells (PECs), the latter requiring ten-fold higher concentrations of the variable region primers to compensate for the overall low frequency of T lymphocytes in the PECs in comparison to the spleen. Use of these optimal conditions to detect L1210 tumor specific T lymphocyte responses showed that, in the immunized mice, L1210 specific T lymphocyte responses are detectable in the PECs, but not in the spleen cells from these mice. Thus, upon i.p. immunization of DBA/2 mice with irradiated L1210 lymphoma cells, followed by analysis of the PECs by RT/PCR, three TCR Vβ subfamilies, including Vβ 8.2, Vβ 15 and Vβ 16 were found to contain specific major TCR cDNA bands. The approach described here is very efficient, as it uses a small amount of the 32 P isotope (0.5 μCi) followed by direct analysis of the PCR products on a denaturing acrylamide/urea gel. Furthermore, data is also presented that shows that quantitative differences in the levels of individual TCR cDNAs in a particular Vβ subfamily are preserved during PCR amplification.
Nitride MicroLEDs and Beyond - A Decade Progress Review

Since their inception [1,2], micro-size light emitting diode (µLED) arrays based on III-nitride semiconductors have emerged as a promising technology for a range of applications, including single-chip high voltage AC-LEDs for solid-state lighting [3], self-emissive microdisplays [1,2,4,5] and light sources for optogenetic neuromodulation [6]. This talk provides an overview on recent progresses on single-chip AC-µLEDs that can be plugged directly into standard high AC voltage power outlets. These single-chip AC-LEDs integrate arrays of μLEDs on-chip for high voltage AC operation. We also discuss the successful integration of III-nitride µLED array with Si CMOS to accomplish a high-resolution solid-state self-emissive microdisplay operating in an active driving scheme. The fabricated blue and green video graphics array (VGA) microdisplays (640 x 480 pixels) have a pixel size of 12 µm, a pitch distance of 15 µm and are capable of delivering real time video graphics images [5]. The luminance level of III-nitride microdisplays is much higher than those of liquid crystal and organic-LED displays. The present study indicates that III-nitride microdisplays are a favorable competing technology for ultra-portable products such as next generation pico-projectors, wearable displays, and head-up displays. Other possible future applications of nitride µLED arrays will also be discussed.
Relating human knowledge of tasks to the requirements of plan libraries

This article explores the fundamental issues of plan knowledge acquisition from domain experts. The general question is: Are humans with their knowledge of a domain and its procedures able to provide a planner with the necessary information for automatic planning? To answer this question we first review the requirements of the plan library of a situation calculus based planner. Then we review existing frameworks for the representation of human activity knowledge and investigate to what extent these frameworks address the requirements. A major factor in evaluating the frameworks is the psychological reality the framework has to the individual. From this review and interviews we conducted in a pilot study, we construct a framework for task recall. In this framework, the representation of a recallable activity is called an act. An act consists of a goal, a pre-situation, an operations-list and a post-situation. Acts can be decomposed and put into sequences. In experiments with the framework, we find support for all our hypotheses except the one dealing with effects. Further investigation of this issue is discussed.
Chemical Differentiation of Osseous, Dental, and Non-skeletal Materials in Forensic Anthropology using Elemental Analysis

Forensic anthropologists are generally able to identify skeletal materials (bone and tooth) using gross anatomical features; however, highly fragmented or taphonomically altered materials may be problematic to identify. Several chemical analysis techniques have been shown to be reliable laboratory methods that can be used to determine if questionable fragments are osseous, dental, or non-skeletal in nature. The purpose of this review is to provide a detailed background of chemical analysis techniques focusing on elemental compositions that have been assessed for use in differentiating osseous, dental, and non-skeletal materials. More recently, chemical analysis studies have also focused on using the elemental composition of osseous/dental materials to evaluate species and provide individual discrimination, but have generally been successful only in small, closed groups, limiting their use forensically. Despite significant advances incorporating a variety of instruments, including handheld devices, further research is necessary to address issues in standardization, error rates, and sample size/diversity.
Liquid Transport Through Fabrics; Wetting and Steady-State Flow Part I: A New Experimental Approach

1A new experimental method has been developed for studying wetting and steady-state liquid flow through fabrics. By moving a liquid into contact with and through a fabric at a constant rate while measuring the resulting changes in pressure, a much more detailed picture of the wetting-through process is achieved than has previously been possible. Evidence is presented that, in contrast to what has generally been assumed, fibrous materials can exhibit both a spontaneous wetting response on initial contact and a subsequent resistance to wetting-through. The effects of changing the liquid flow rate and of pre-wetting or re-drying the fabric samples were examined. Coarse metal screens, which were used at first to support the fabrics, were shown to have a considerable effect on certain of the wetting responses, a finding which has implications for all wetting studies in which a fabric is supported by a screen or other porous substrate. Subsequent papers will analyze in more detail the observed wetting and sttad...
Analysis of a Distal Cluster of Binding Elements and Other Unusual Features of the Promoter of the Highly Regulated nit-3 Gene of Neurospora crassa†

In Neurospora crassa, the expression of the nit-3 gene (nitrate reductase) is dependent upon nitrogen derepression and nitrate induction and is regulated by two positive-acting transcription factors, NIT2 and NIT4, and a negative regulator, NMR. The presence of a tightly linked cluster of NIT2 and NIT4 binding sites suggested that their close spacing might be required for a synergistic interaction of the NIT2 and NIT4 proteins. We show here that the NIT2 and NIT4 binding sites can be separated without affecting either the expression level or the precise regulation of the nit-3 gene. Studies conducted on the NIT2 site II, which contains only a single GATA element and yet plays a major role in nit-3 gene expression, showed that nucleotides both 5' and 3' of the GATA sequence were important for strong DNA binding in vitro and its activation function in vivo. The nit-3 promoter contains two long AT-rich sequences, one of which is located just upstream of the transcription start sites and is required for optimal promoter function. The nit-3 transcript contains eight TACC repeats in its 5' noncoding region which appear to be involved in mRNA instability. Deletion of these TACC repeats led to a significant increase in the stability of nit-3 mRNA.
Anomalous left adrenal venous drainage directly into the inferior vena cava

Primary hyperaldosteronism is a potential cause of hypertension. Unilateral adrenal adenoma and bilateral adrenal cortical hyperplasia are the most common causes of primary hyperaldosteronism. Adrenal venous sampling is employed as the gold standard test to differentiate between these two different causes when the results of other studies in the work-up protocol are non-diagnostic or ambiguous. Adrenal venous sampling can be a challenging procedure, especially in the presence of anomalous venous drainage patterns. Knowledge of normal adrenal venous anatomy, as well as possible variants, is therefore important to ensure a successful procedure. The authors describe an unusual variant of left adrenal venous drainage directly into the IVC.
Affinity Separations in Magnetically Stabilized Fluidized Beds: Synthesis and Performance of Packing Materials

Abstract A magnetically stabilized fluidized-bed separator designed to test the use of pellicular, ferromagnetic affinity chromatography packing materials has been developed. A wire wound solenoid was used to produce the magnetic field. The ferromagnetic packing material is comprised of a magnetite-containing, poly-urethane gel coated onto polystyrene beads. The gel contains free carboxyl groups. These were carbodiimide-coupled to soy-trypsin inhibitor and the material, used for trypsin purification. Narrow-band affinity chromatography was carried out in packed-bed, fluidized-bed and magnetically stabilized, fluidized-bed separators. Pressure drop, capacity, dilution, and peak asymmetry were evaluated for each type of separator. The three types provide comparable efficiency but the fluidized separators exhibit a much lower pressure drop. As might be expected, fluidized-bed separators perform well for affinity chromatography Oarge k') but poorly for size exclusion chromatography.
Investigation of upper mantle discontinuity structure beneath the central Pacific using SS precursors

[1] Using a high-quality broadband seismic data set of precursors to the phase SS, we investigate the structure of upper mantle discontinuities beneath the central Pacific including the Hawaiian hot spot. We image structure by stacking over 4000 records into geographic bins, retaining periods down to 5 s. We consider the effects of correcting for four separate tomographic models of mantle heterogeneity, excluding data at distances containing phases that potentially interfere with precursors. We find evidence for peak-to-peak topography of 15–20 km on the 670-km discontinuity and 7–28 km of topography on the 400-km discontinuity. Weak reflections are detected from discontinuities near 220- and 520-km depth. The average transition zone thickness beneath our region is approximately 242 ± 3 km, very similar to previous estimates of the global average. Lateral transition zone thinning and thickening weakly correlate with reduced and increased transition zone shear velocity, respectively, consistent with a thermal origin to topographical variations on the discontinuities within our study region. The transition zone beneath Hawaii and to the east of the Line Island Chain is thinned by up to 20 km in a province spanning nearly 1000 km, suggesting an excess mantle temperature of ∼200 K. In the oldest crustal regions of our study area (>100 Ma), the 400-km discontinuity is relatively shallow, and the transition zone is relatively thick (250–255 km); a possible explanation for this pattern includes small-scale convection in the upper mantle bringing colder material into the transition zone.
Fast Preliminary Evaluation of New Machine Learning Algorithms for Feasibility

Traditionally, researchers compare the performance of new machine learning algorithms against those of locally executed simulations that serve as benchmarks. This process requires considerable time, computation resources, and expertise. In this paper, we present a method to quickly evaluate the performance feasibility of new algorithms – offering a preliminary study that either supports or opposes the need to conduct a full-scale traditional evaluation, and possibly saving valuable resources for researchers. The proposed method uses performance benchmarks obtained from results reported in the literature rather than local simulations. Furthermore, an alternate statistical technique is suggested for comparative performance analysis, since traditional statistical significance tests do not fit the problem well. We highlight the use of the proposed evaluation method in a study that compared a new algorithm against 47 other algorithms across 46 datasets.
Charge-mode parallel architecture for vector-matrix multiplication

An internally analog, externally digital architecture for parallel vector-matrix multiplication is presented. A three-transistor unit cell combines a single-bit dynamic random-access memory and a charge injection device binary multiplier and analog accumulator. Digital multiplication of variable resolution is obtained with bit-serial inputs and bit-parallel storage of matrix elements, by combining quantized outputs from multiple rows of cells over time. A prototype 512/spl times/128 vector-matrix multiplier on a single 3 mm /spl times/3 mm chip fabricated in standard 0.5-/spl mu/m CMOS technology achieves 8-bit effective resolution and dissipates 0.5 pJ per multiply-accumulate.
Cancer gene therapy with iCaspase-9 transcriptionally targeted to tumor endothelial cells

Antiangiogenic therapies have shown varying results partly because each tumor type secretes a distinct panel of angiogenic factors to sustain its own microvascular network. In addition, recent evidence demonstrated that tumors develop resistance to antiangiogenic therapy by turning on alternate angiogenic pathways when one pathway is therapeutically inhibited. Here, we test the hypothesis that expression of a caspase-based artificial death switch in tumor-associated endothelial cells will disrupt tumor blood vessels and slow down tumor progression irrespective of tumor type. Adenoviral vectors expressing inducible Caspase-9 (iCaspase-9) under transcriptional regulation with the endothelial cell-specific vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) promoter (Ad-hVEGFR2-iCaspase-9) induced apoptosis of proliferating human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs), but not human tumor cells (UM-SCC-17B, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; HepG2, hepatocellular carcinoma; PC-3, prostate adenocarcinoma; SLK, Kaposi's sarcoma; MCF-7, breast adenocarcinoma). Notably, apoptosis was dependent upon activation of iCaspase-9 with the dimerizer drug AP20187. Local delivery of Ad-hVEGFR2-iCaspase-9 followed by intraperitoneal injection of AP20187 ablated tumor microvessels and inhibited xenografted tumor growth in all tumor models evaluated here. We conclude that a cancer gene therapy strategy based on a transcriptionally targeted viral vector expressing an inducible caspase allows for selective and controlled ablation of microvessels of histopathologically diverse tumor types.