cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Femtosecond relaxation dynamics of nonequilibrium carriers in GaAs and related compounds

Abstract The initial relaxation of hot electrons in AlGaAs has been measured using optical correlation spectroscopy at temperatures from 300 to 10 K and a range of carrier densities. Comparison of the results shows that, at 300 K, of the carriers that leave the initially excited states within the first 50 fs, 65% scatter to the satellite valleys, 30% leave via carrier-carrier interactions including plasmon scattering, and approximately 5% scatter by LO phonon emission.
Can't I be seen? Can't I be heard? Black women queering politics in Newark

What does it mean for a black female to negotiate urban space? How is her body read, her politics enacted, and her agency understood and interpreted? How do black women use their bodies and identities to challenge structural intersectionality in US cities? To answer these questions, I explore how black women embraced a set of oppositional spatial practices to resist the intersectional effects of misogyny, homo/transphobia, racism, and poverty in Newark, New Jersey. I reconstruct the creation of the Newark Pride Alliance, a local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and queer coalition that mobilized in 2003 and 2004, after the death of Sakia Gunn. Exploring migrations between ‘black women,’ ‘black queer’ and ‘black feminist,’ I examine how black women respatialized social capital and enacted resistance. Through semi-structured interviews and frame analysis, I explore how black women forged new relationships between queer youth and black vernacular institutions, and created political spaces in which honest ...
Application of Incomplete Gamma Functions to the Initialization of Fractional-Order Systems

This paper reviews some properties of the gamma function, particularly the incomplete gamma function and its complement, as a function of the Laplace variable s. The utility of these functions in the solution of initialization problems in fractional-order system theory is demonstrated.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Structural diversity of the oxovanadium organodiphosphonate system: a platform for the design of void channels.

The hydrothermal reactions of a vanadium source, an appropriate diphosphonate ligand, and water in the presence of HF provide a series of compounds with neutral V−P−O networks as the recurring structural motif. When the {O3P(CH2)nPO3}4- diphosphonate tether length n is 2−5, metal−oxide hybrids of type 1, [V2O2(H2O){O3P(CH2)nPO3}]·xH2O, are isolated. The type 1 oxides exhibit the prototypical three-dimensional (3-D) “pillared” layer architecture. When n is increased to 6−8, the two-dimensional (2-D) “pillared” slab structure of the type 2 oxides [V2O2(H2O)4{O3P(CH2)6PO3}] is encountered. Further lengthening of the spacer to n = 9 provides another 3-D structure, type 3, constructed from the condensation of pillared slabs to give V−P−O double layers as the network substructure. When organic cations are introduced to provide charge balance for anionic V−P−O networks, oxides of types 4−7 are observed. For spacer length n = 3, a range of organodiammonium cations are accommodated by the same 3-D “pillared” layer...
A 1 MPixel CCD image sensor with aluminum nanowire polarization filter

We present a novel polarization image sensor by monolithically integrating aluminum nanowire optical filters with CCD imaging array. The CCD polarization image sensor is composed of 1000 by 1000 imaging elements with 7.4μm pixel pitch. The image sensor has a dynamic range of 65dB and signal-to-noise ratio of 60dB. The CCD array is covered with an array of pixel-pitch matched nanowire polarization filters with four different orientations offset by 45°. Raw polarization data is presented to a DSP board at 40 frames per second, where degree and angle of polarization is computed. The final polarization results are presented in false color representation.
Some Design Considerations for Masters Degree Curricula in Elementary and Secondary Education.

Abstract Masters degree curricula for elementary and secondary teacher education programs have been infrequent topics of educational researchers and writers. In this article the adoption of a definition of education is suggested that might be useful in guiding future M.A. curriculum research and development. Several broad areas of teacher education study are proposed from which components of degree curricula might be drawn. The teaching experience of potential M.A. program students is suggested as a degree admissions factor that might be used to differentiate M.A. curricula for different categories of students. A number of proposals are outlined that could guide the organization and sequencing of curricular events for a two year, cohort-based, experiential oriented M.A. curriculum. The focus of the proposed curriculum is on improving the ability of the degree candidate to function as a teacher within the classroom and as an empowered leader within the school.
NEONATAL CAPSAICIN TREATMENT (NCT) ALTERS THE METABOLIC ACTIVITY OF THE RAT SOMATOSENSORY CORTEX IN RESPONSE TO MECHANICAL DEFLECTION OF THE MYSTACIAL VIBRISSAE

Capsaicin, a selective neurotoxin of unmyelinated C-fibers, was administered to neonatal rat pups at birth. Following a recovery period of 10 days, pups were injected with 2-deoxy-glucose (2DG) and subjected to repetitive mechanical stimulation to the left whiskerpad. Their brains were then harvested for autoradiography. The observed changes in 2DG uptake in the somatosensory cortex of capsaicin-treated rats were compared to vehicle-treated rats. The cross-sectional area and density of 2DG uptake by the primary and the secondary somatosensory cortex (SSI and SSII, respectively) were measured. Capsaicin-treated rats significantly exhibited a reduction in area of activation and a decrease of 2DG uptake in both structures. The present data indicates that neonatal capsaicin affects the functional activity of the rat somatosensory cortex. It is suggested that unmyelinated sensory afferents play a role in the development of the rat somatosensory system.
High Value Passive Component Integration in LTCC Technology

This paper presents the use of a unique component geometry to fabricate large valued inductors buried in an LTCC substrate. The large valued inductors presented create a self shielding buried component that require no external shields to isolate the inductor from other components in the circuit. As a demonstration of the usefulness of such a component, an example SAW filter matching circuit is discussed. The performance of the SAW filter and integrated matching circuit is also presented.
α‐Actinin and spectrin structures: an unfolding family story

In red blood cells, the integrity of the spectrin network is essential for normal cell shape and elasticity. To understand the molecular basis for spectrin's mechanical properties, one must determine how spectrin subunits interact with each other. The newly described crystallographic structures of two consecutive homologous repeats of human alpha-actinin, a member of the spectrin superfamily, shed new light on alpha-actinin interchain binding properties. Here I present evidence that interchain binding at the tail end of the spectrin molecule is likely to occur via a mechanism similar to that observed for alpha-actinin.
Domain exchanges between KNAT3 and KNAT1 suggest specificity of the kn1-like homeodomains requires sequences outside of the third helix and N-terminal arm of the homeodomain

Domain exchange constructs that traded regions surrounding the homeodomain were constructed for two kn1-like genes, KNAT1 and KNAT3, and introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana under the control of the 35S CaMV promoter. The kn1-like homeodomain proteins all have the homeodomain located near the C-terminus of the protein, and also share a second conserved domain (the ELK domain) immediately N-terminal to the homeodomain. Progeny were scored for the appearance of the KNAT1 overexpression phenotype. A construct containing the KNAT3 N-terminus and the KNAT1 ELK- and homeodomain resulted in a KNAT1 overexpression phenotype, indicating that specificity mainly resides within the ELK- and homeodomain region. Further exchanges demonstrated that specificity probably does not arise from a single region within the ELK and/or homeodomain but rather requires sequences both N-terminal and C-terminal to residue 23 of the homeodomain. Further, in contrast to some animal homeodomains, KNAT1 does not utilize the residues of the N-terminal arm of the homeodomain for specificity.
Opioid use among interscholastic sports participants: an exploratory study from a sample of college students

Purpose: Involvement in sports increases the risk for injury and the risk for prescription opioid use and misuse. This was an exploratory retrospective study to examine if previous involvement in interscholastic sports was associated with a greater lifetime prevalence of medical prescription opioid use, lifetime risk for diverting prescribed opioids, and lifetime risk for nonmedical prescription opioid use. Method: A Web-based survey was self-administered to a sample of 4,187 full-time undergraduate students at a large public university located in the Midwest. Student demographics, involvement in interscholastic sports during high school, lifetime medical prescription opioid use, lifetime risk for diverting prescribed opioids, and lifetime risk for nonmedical prescription opioid use were measured and analyzed for this study. Results: Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that those who participated in at least 1 interscholastic sport during high school had greater odds for lifetime medical presc...
Specifying intrusive demands and their outcomes in congregational ministry : A report on the Ministry demands inventory

Studies of clergy career stress often operationalize stress in terms that are insufficiently grounded in the actual experiences of ministers, making it difficult to identify specific problematic interactions and assess their impact. The empirical and anecdotal literature on clergy suggest that intrusive demands on ministers and their families are a significant source of distress. Thus, a new instrument, the Ministry Demands Inventory, was created to assess congregational demands using ratings of the frequency and impact of 17 concrete events experienced in pastoral ministry. Data collected from a random national sample of pastors from five Protestant denominations are analyzed to determine the prevalence of each type of demand, and their relationship to measures of career attitude and subjective well-being. Results indicate that four types of congregational intrusiveness can be distinguished, and that in general, intrusive demands are negatively associated with attitude and well-being.
A new approach to all—cis triquinane synthesis and a new route to the C16—hexaquinane system

Abstract A new synthesis of all-cis triquinanes is presented. The examples bear a cis substituent on the fifth position of the central ring, and are thus all-cis pentasubstituted cyclopentanes. The stereo-controlled addition of organometallics of 7-ketonorbornenes is considered, as is “reductive solvolysis” of such adducts to the corresponding hydrocarbons. The preparation of trans-3,4-dimethoxycyclopentyl chloride is given, as is that of the corresponding organolithium. The use of quinoxaline derivatives in aldol-type reactions is considered, with examples. A new approach to the C16-hexaquinane system is developed. The ring systems reported include: tricyclo-[8.2.1.02,9]tridecane, tricyclo[6.3.0.03,7]undecane, tetracyclo-[10.1.0.02,9.010,13]tridecane, pentacyclo[8.5.1.02,6.07,16.011,15]hexadene and hexacyclo(8.5.1.02,6.03,14.07,16.011,15]hexadecane.
DOES ESTROGEN SUBSTITUTION MATERIALLY INHIBIT PITUITARY GONADOTROPIC POTENCY?1,2

THAT SMALL DOSES of estrogens may exert a profound influence upon the mammalian organism without materially depressing the gonadotropic action of the J L pituitary gland has been previously reported from this laboratory (1, 2). Our initial interest in the relationship between the gonads and the pituitary gland was aroused by the generally accepted belief that the gonadotropic action of the pituitary gland is entirely regulated by the secretions of the gonads, and more specifically, that the estrogenic hormones exert an inhibitory or depressant effect upon the gonadotropic action of the hypophysis. When crystalline estradiol was made available to us early in 1937,4 an attempt was made to quantitate this relationship by treating castrated rats with graduated doses of estradiol, and later evaluating the effect by assaying the pituitary glands from these animals. In this effort we had a number of advantages contributing to the accuracy of the experiment that the earlier workers in the field did not have.
Assessing Patients' Cognitive Therapy Skills: Initial Evaluation of the Competencies of Cognitive Therapy Scale.

In cognitive therapy (CT), therapists work to help patients develop skills to cope with negative affect. Most current methods of assessing patients’ skills are cumbersome and impractical for clinical use. To address this issue, we developed and conducted an initial psychometric evaluation of self- and therapist-reported versions of a new measure of CT skills: the Competencies of Cognitive Therapy Scale (CCTS). We evaluated the CCTS at intake and post-treatment in a sample of 67 patients participating in CT. The CCTS correlated with a preexisting measure of CT skills (the Ways of Responding Questionnaire) and was also related to concurrent depressive symptoms. Across CT, self-reported improvements in CT competencies were associated with greater changes in depressive symptoms. These findings offer initial evidence for the validity of the CCTS. We discuss the CCTS in comparison with other measures of CT skills and suggest future research directions.
THE EFFECT OF PRIOR DIETARY PROTEIN LEVELS ON THE RESPONSE TO ABSOLUTE CALORIC DEPRIVATION.

Abstract This study was undertaken to examine the influence of the prior level of protein intake on the capability of rats to withstand extreme dietary stresses. In Part 1, weanling rats were prefed 24 per cent (HP) or 12 per cent (LP) protein diets and then starved or starved and thirsted. The HP animals grew much larger with feeding, but the body composition of HP and LP control animals (killed at the end of the feeding periods) was similar. Prefasting body size seemed to exert a marked influence on survival, the larger animals surviving the longest. When adjusted statistically to the same prefasting weight, a superiority of the LP groups in resisting both stresses was indicated. In the second and third parts of the experiment, age and caloric intake were varied for HP animals in order to create 2 groups of animals having the same mean prefasting weight as additional groups of LP animals. When subjected to the same stresses as in Part 1, the LP animals of Parts 2 and 3 survived longer. Carcasses of the stressed animals of the first experiment were practically devoid of fat and were dehydrated when compared to control groups. Comparison of the HP and LP stressed groups revealed strikingly lower concentrations of water in the LP carcasses. The availability of water during starvation made no difference in this regard. The results indicate an influence of the level of prior protein intake on survival and on the terminal body composition of the stressed animals.
A Study of Break-In Film Development with Different Piston Ring Coatings and Correlation with Electrical Contact Resistance Measurements

The film formation including hydrodynamic oil film and chemical boundary films was studied experimentally by using an electrical contact resistance method during the break-in period of coated piston rings rubbing against a cylinder bore segment. A simplified one-dimensional film model was developed to describe the film formation and correlated to the electrical contact resistance measurements. Two scaling factors were determined from the electrical resistance measurement during the break-in film development. The modeling results agreed well with the experimental measurements when the scale factors were selected appropriately in the model. Parameters such as applied normal load, surface roughness, lubricant viscosity, and Young's modulus of the ring coatings were considered in film modeling. The experimental results showed that the behavior of break-in film development was affected by the oil additives. The numerical simulation results showed that the film developed more quickly with decreasing normal load...
Reduced-rank estimation of the difference between two covariance matrices

Abstract We consider m × m covariance matrices, Σ 1 and Σ 2 , which satisfy Σ 2 - Σ 1 = Δ , where Δ has a specified rank. Maximum likelihood estimators of Σ 1 and Σ 2 are obtained when sample covariance matrices having Wishart distributions are available and rank ( Δ ) is known. The likelihood ratio statistic for a test about the value of rank ( Δ ) is also given and some properties of its null distribution are obtained. The methods developed in this paper are illustrated through an example.
Random T-matrix approach to one-dimensional localization

We develop simple quantitative formulas for the inverse localization length of a one-dimensional sequence of scatterers that are valid in the strong and in the weak scattering limits. These formulas are shown to agree with numerical results obtained for chains with up to 106 scatterers. We discuss the special circumstances under which a recent random-phase result becomes quantitatively correct.
NUMERICAL CALCULATION AND TABLES OF WEINSTEIN'S DIFFRACTION FUNCTIONS

ABSTRACT Using the terminology of the Wiener-Hopf technique, the Weinstein's diffraction function is defined as the “plus” part G+ (s,p) of the Green's function This function plays an important role in the solutions of parallel–plate diffracti on problems, roughly equivalent to the Fresnel function in the half-plane diffraction problem. A table of G+(s,p) is given in Weinstein's book, The Theory of Diffraction and the Factorization Method (Golen Press, 1969), and a more extensive five-figure table was later published in Russian by E. I. Nefedov. Both tables are calculated from an approximate version of G+(s,p). In the present paper, we provide a s e t of numerical tables for exact Weinstein's diffraction functions, together with a summary of relevant formulas and a discussion of numerical computations. This paper studies the numerical calculation of a special function G+(s,p), which arises in the Wiener-Hopf solution of problems involving parallel plates . Our work is motivated by two factors. First, abri...
Hematogenous reseeding of the lung in low-dose, aerosol-infected guinea pigs: unique features of the host-pathogen interface in secondary tubercles.

Abstract The ability to study the early events in the pathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis in guinea pigs following very low dose (3–5 cfu) infection by the respiratory route has revealed that early (10–14 days) extrapulmonary dissemination results in reseeding of previously uninfected lobes of the lung by the hematogenous route. Thus, in every guinea pig, the lung is challenged twice, once by the airway and 2–3 weeks later by the circulatory system. The so called “secondary” pulmonary lesions which result from the bacillemia differ fundamentally from the primary lesions, in part, because the host has already developed a strong T cell mediated immunity when the hematogenous reseeding occurs. Secondary lung lesions in non-vaccinated guinea pigs behave similarly to primary lung lesions in previously vaccinated guinea pigs. Since the secondary, blood-borne lesions are thought to be the “reactivatable foci” which result in reactivation tuberculosis following prolonged persistent infection, it is important to understand the nature of the host–pathogen interaction in secondary lesions. The guinea pig model provides a unique opportunity to examine both the microbial and host factors which constitute that interface.
An Optimization-Based Framework for the Transformation of Incomplete Biological Knowledge into a Probabilistic Structure and Its Application to the Utilization of Gene/Protein Signaling Pathways in Discrete Phenotype Classification

Phenotype classification via genomic data is hampered by small sample sizes that negatively impact classifier design. Utilization of prior biological knowledge in conjunction with training data can improve both classifier design and error estimation via the construction of the optimal Bayesian classifier. In the genomic setting, gene/protein signaling pathways provide a key source of biological knowledge. Although these pathways are neither complete, nor regulatory, with no timing associated with them, they are capable of constraining the set of possible models representing the underlying interaction between molecules. The aim of this paper is to provide a framework and the mathematical tools to transform signaling pathways to prior probabilities governing uncertainty classes of feature-label distributions used in classifier design. Structural motifs extracted from the signaling pathways are mapped to a set of constraints on a prior probability on a Multinomial distribution. Being the conjugate prior for the Multinomial distribution, we propose optimization paradigms to estimate the parameters of a Dirichlet distribution in the Bayesian setting. The performance of the proposed methods is tested on two widely studied pathways: mammalian cell cycle and a p53 pathway model.
Long-term effects of behavioral testing on serum hormones and brain weight

The effects of prior behavioral testing on endocrine function, brain weight, and neurotransmitter receptors were examined. Rats with a history of behavioral testing were significantly different from comparatively naive animals. Prior tested male and females had lower prolactin levels than nontested animals, and serum luteinizing hormone and corticosterone levels were elevated in males. In both sexes, hippocampal brain weight was greater in previously tested animals. However, estimates of brain membrane protein content and neurotransmitter receptors were unaffected by prior testing. These data suggest that prior tested animals respond as if they had experienced a history of chronic stress. Therefore, past history of the organism must be considered in studies designed to evaluate any agent's effect on neuroendocrine or neurochemical parameters.
Grasping in the pigeon ( Columba livid ): Stimulus control during conditioned and consummatory responses

Control of beak opening (gape) and peck location was examined in pigeons. Feeding pecks showed accurate guidance that positioned the seed between the beaks. At the moment of contact with the seed, gape was proportional to seed diameter, although pecks with gape less than seed diameter were more frequent following an increase in seed size during a meal. There were no substantial differences between pigeons trained to keypeck with autoshaping and those trained with operant conditioning procedures. With either procedure, water reinforcement produced keypecks with the beak closed; seed reinforcers of different sizes produced means for gape proportional to the seed diameters. Black or white circular stimuli of different sizes projected as conditioning signals had little influence upon gape, but a greater percentage of responses was directed to white stimuli. These results indicate that visual stimuli elicit and orient the peck, whereas the adjustment of gape also involves the somatosensory stimuli provided during previous experience with a particular reinforcer or food type.
A new technique for the bunching of charged particle beams

Abstract A new technique is proposed for converting a continuous beam of charged particles into a bunched beam, i.e., a beam which has a pulsed time structure and comes in short bursts. The technique suggested here uses previously unrecognized bunching properties of a crossed electric and magnetic field to give the beam the desired time structure. The device does not change the energy or energy resolution of the beam but does degrade the beam emittance. It is thought to be particularly applicable in situations where a conventional gap buncher is unsuitable, such as the bunching of slow ions at high frequencies.
Pre-clinical in vivo evaluation of orthopaedic bioabsorbable devices

The presence of bioabsorbable materials in orthopaedics has grown significantly over the past two decades with applications in fracture fixation, bone replacement, cartilage repair, meniscal repair, fixation of ligaments, and drug delivery. Numerous biocompatible, biodegradable polymers are now available for both experimental and clinical use. Not surprisingly, there have been a wealth of studies investigating the biomechanical properties, biocompatibility, degradation characteristics, osteoconductivity, potential toxicity, and histologic effects of various materials. Promising results have been reported in the areas of fracture fixation, ligament repair, and drug delivery. In this article we review the pre-clinical in vivo testing of bioabsorbable devices with particular emphasis on implants used for these applications.
25-hydroxyvitamin D3 reverses alteration of the vitamin D-endocrine system in blacks

BACKGROUND : Previous findings indicated that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and urinary calcium are decreased and serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone, serum 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D, and urinary cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate are increased in normal black compared to normal white subjects. Studies were carried out to determine if alteration of the vitamin D-endocrine system in blacks is reversed by oral supplementation with 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 . PATIENTS AND METHODS : Eight normal young adult black men and women were admitted two times to a metabolic ward for 2.5 days and studied after no treatment and again after treatment for 1 week with oral 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 , 40 to 60 μg/d. Six of the subjects underwent a postcontrol study after discontinuation of treatment. RESULTS : 25-Hydroxyvitamin D 3 treatment significantly increased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and urinary calcium and reduced serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and urinary cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate, an index of function of parathyroid hormone. In a postcontrol study, values for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and urinary calcium had returned to control values. CONCLUSIONS : The results provide evidence that reduction of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D contributes to or accounts for alteration of the vitamin D-endocrine system in black subjects.
Two-step multivariate classification of the mechanisms of toxic action of phenols

A two-step classification algorithm was developed for the classification and prediction of the mechanisms of toxic action of phenols. The mechanisms considered were polar narcosis, weak acid respiratory uncoupling, pro-electrophilicity, and soft electrophilicity. The classification algorithm was based on linear discriminant analysis using molecular descriptors as discriminating variables. Polar narcosis/pro-electrophilicity was separated from weak acid respiratory uncoupling/soft electrophilicity in the first step. In the second step, polar narcosis was separated from pro-electrophilicity and weak acid respiratory uncoupling was separated from soft electrophilicity. Different molecular descriptors were involved as discriminating variables at different steps of the classification algorithm. This algorithm classified any given phenol as acting by one and only one of the four mechanisms considered. Compared to one-step classification models, the prediction accuracy of the two-step algorithm was higher for all four mechanisms involved.
A serially addressable, flexible current monitor for test fixture based I/sub DDQ//I/sub SSQ/ testing

The Quality Test Action Group (QTAG) was formed at the 1993 International Test Conference to define a standard for test fixture based off-chip quiescent current monitors for use in the production testing of CMOS integrated circuits. These quiescent current monitors will provide the I/sub DDQ//I/sub SSQ/ test instrumentation that is needed by the semiconductor industry. This paper proposes a standard serial interface to be used by ATE systems to communicate with the QTAG quiescent current monitors.
Rates of twinning before and after fortification of foods in the US with folic acid, Texas, 1996 to 1998

Several investigators have reported a 40% increase in the prevalence of twinning among women who have taken folic acid or multivitamins containing folic acid at the time of conception. Given that infant morbidity and mortality are greatly increased among twins, such a large increase in twinning could have serious implications. We undertook this study to determine if US fortification of enriched cereal-grain products with folic acid was associated with an unexpected increase in the prevalence of twinning in the state of Texas. We examined 1 003 207 deliveries conceived in Texas, between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1998. We compared the prevalence of twin deliveries conceived before, during and after fortification with folic acid, mandated to begin on 1 January 1998. Comparing pregnancies conceived in 1997 with those conceived in 1996, we observed a 2.4% yearly increase in twinning, 1.024 [0.98, 1.07]. Comparing pregnancies conceived in 1998 with those conceived in 1997, we observed a 4.6% yearly increase in twinning, 1.046 [1.00, 1.09]. These increases were adjusted for maternal age, race, education, parity and season of conception. The size and pattern of these increases are consistent with the ongoing increase in twinning of 1-4% per year which began in the US prior to fortification.
Virtual Magnetic Imaging Logs: Generation of Synthetic MRI Logs from Conventional Well Logs

MRI logs are well logs that use nuclear magnetic resonance to accurately measure free fluid, irreducible water (MBVI), and effective porosity (MPHI). Permeability is then calculated using a mathematical function that incorporates these measured properties. This paper describes the methodology developed to generate synthetic Magnetic Resonance Imaging logs using data obtained by conventional well logs such as SP, Gamma Ray, Caliper, and Resistivity. The synthetically generated logs are named Virtual Magnetic Imaging Logs or "VMRI" logs for short. This methodology incorporates artificial neural networks as its main tool. Virtual MRI logs for irreducible water saturation (MBVI) and effective porosity (MPHI) as well as permeability (MPERM) were generated for four wells. These wells are located in East Texas, Gulf of Mexico, Utah, and New Mexico. The results are quite encouraging. It is shown that MPHI, MBVI, and MPERM logs can be generated with a high degree of accuracy. For each case, 30% of the data were used to develop the neural model. The model was then tested on the remaining 70% of the data for verification. The models provide VMRI logs with approximately 80 to 97 percent accuracy using data not employed during model development. This methodology does not supersede the need for performing MRI logging in a field. It is designed to supplement the process by reducing the cost of using MRI logging on an entire field. The natural application of this process is in fields that have conventional logs for all of the wells but MRI logs for only a few wells. To generate the Virtual MRI logs for every well in a field, data from wells that have both conventional and MRI logs are used in the model development and verification. The model is then applied to the other wells in the field to generate the virtual MRI logs for these wells.
Impacts of Cloud Droplet–Nucleating Aerosols on Shallow Tropical Convection

AbstractLow-level warm-phase clouds cover a substantial portion of Earth’s oceans and play an important role in the global water and energy budgets. The characteristics of these clouds are controlled by the large-scale environment, boundary layer conditions, and cloud microphysics. Variability in the concentration of aerosols can alter cloud microphysical and precipitation processes that subsequently impact the system dynamics and thermodynamics and thereby create aerosol–cloud dynamic–thermodynamic feedback effects. In this study, three distinct cloud regimes were simulated, including stratocumulus, low-level cumulus (cumulus under stratocumulus), and deeper cumulus clouds. The simulations were conducted without environmental large-scale forcing, thereby allowing all three cloud types to freely interact with the environmental state in an undamped fashion. Increases in aerosol concentration in these unforced, warm-phase, tropical cloud simulations lead to the production of fewer low-level cumuli; thinning...
The Thaw: Soviet society and culture during the 1950s and 1960s

The editors and contributors of this excellent volume examine the Thaw as an event that produced crucial shifts in the policies, social practices and material culture of the Soviet Union. Many agen...
Efficient VLSI architectures for Columnsort

This paper presents novel very large scale integration (VLSI) architectures in support of an efficient implementation of Leighton's well-known Columnsort. The designs take advantage of reconfigurable bus architectures enhanced with simple shift switches. Our first main contribution is to show that Columnsort can be partitioned into two components: a hardware scheme involving the task of sorting arrays of small size and a hardware or software scheme that involves simple data movement tasks. Our second main contribution is to demonstrate that the dynamically reconfigurable mesh architecture can be exploited to obtain a small and efficient hardware sorter. The resulting architectures feature high regularity of circuitry, simplicity of control structure, and adaptability. Both theoretical analyses and simulation tests have shown that the proposed VLSI architectures for sorting are superior to existing designs in the context of sorting small and moderate size arrays.
Modulation of the immune responses in chickens by low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus H9N2

Most low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) viruses cause no or mild disease in avian species. Little is known about the mechanisms of host defence and the immune responses of avian influenza-infected birds. This study showed that chicken macrophages are susceptible to infection with LPAI H9N2 and H6N2 viruses and that infection led to apoptosis. In H9N2 virus-infected chicken macrophages, Toll-like receptor 7 responded to infection and mediated the cytokine responses. Whilst pro-inflammatory cytokines were largely upregulated, the interferon (IFN) response was fairly weak and IFN-inducible genes were differentially regulated. Among the regulated genes, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens II were downregulated, which also occurred in the lungs of H9N2-infected chickens. Additionally, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-4 receptor and CD74 (MHC class II invariable chain) were also downregulated, all of which are pivotal in the activation of CD4+ helper T cells and humoral immunity. Remarkably, in H9N2 virus-infected chickens, the antibody response was severely suppressed. This was in contrast to the robust antibody response in chickens infected with H6N2 virus, in which expression of MHC class II antigens was upregulated. These data suggest that neutralizing antibodies and humoral immunity may not be developed efficiently in H9N2-infected chickens. These findings raise questions about how some LPAI viruses differentially regulate avian immune responses and whether they have similar effects on mammalian immune function.
Interaction of streptonigrin with metals and with DNA

The antitumor antibiotic, streptonigrin, interacted with zinc, copper, and manganese but not with calcium or magnesium, as indicated by spectral shifts and difference spectra. The titration data showed the formation of 1:1 complexes, and further titration continued to show spectral shifts until a molar ratio for zinc to streptonigrin of 5-10 to 1 was reached. Streptonigrin interacted with DNA only in the presence of a metal ion such as zinc. Streptonigrin titration with DNA at varying zinc molar equivalents revealed that one antibiotic molecule required 5-7 moles of zinc and 20-25 moles of DNA-phosphorus for complexation. Similar values were obtained from gel permeation chromatography.
HelpfulMed: intelligent searching for medical information over the internet

Medical professionals and researchers need information from reputable sources to accomplish their work. Unfortunately, the Web has a large number of documents that are irrelevant to their work, even those documents that purport to be "medically-related." This paper describes an architecture designed to integrate advanced searching and indexing algorithms, an automatic thesaurus, or "concept space," and Kohonen-based Self-Organizing Map (SOM) technologies to provide searchers with fine-grained results. Initial results indicate that these systems provide complementary retrieval functionalities. HelpfulMed not only allows users to search Web pages and other online databases, but also allows them to build searches through the use of an automatic thesaurus and browse a graphical display of medical-related topics. Evaluation results for each of the different components are included. Our spidering algorithm outperformed both breadth-first search and PageRank spiders on a test collection of 100,000 Web pages. The automatically generated thesaurus performed as well as both MeSH and UMLS--systems which require human mediation for currency. Lastly, a variant of the Kohonen SOM was comparable to MeSH terms in perceived cluster precision and significantly better at perceived cluster recall.
Degradation of Group A Streptococcal Cell Walls by Egg-White Lysozyme and Human Lysosomal Enzymes

Group A streptococci and their isolated cell walls, normally resistant to egg-white lysozyme and the lysosomal enzymes of human phagocytes, were converted to lysozyme-sensitive forms by partial removal of cell wall carbohydrate, substitution of free amino groups, and by saponification of O-acyl groups. The resultant modified streptococcal cell walls showed rapid degradation when treated with leukocyte granule extract derived from human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes and when subjected to phagocytosis by living human leukocytes. These results indicate that the factors responsible for lysozyme resistance of the group A cell wall also influence its resistance to human leukocyte granule enzymes and suggest that the chemical composition of the cell wall, in addition to the presence of cell wall carbohydrate, determines this resistance.
African American Health Initiative Planning Project: A Social Ecological Approach Utilizing Community-Based Participatory Research Methods:

Much of the scientific literature in the area of health continues to ask the question, “How can we get African Americans involved in research and prevention activities?” The African American Health Initiative represents an answer to this question and is in many ways a success story of a local Black population that willingly engaged in health planning through a community-based participatory research process. A mixed-method sequential exploratory design was utilized to implement the health planning process. A social ecological model was created with five levels of influence and was utilized as a guide for engagement. A total of 1,078 individuals (95% Black) participated. A comprehensive plan was created with nine recommendations for the improvement of the health of the local and neighboring Black populations.
Globalization and Health: Exploring the opportunities and constraints for health arising from globalization

The tremendous benefits which have been conferred to almost 5 billion people through improved technologies and knowledge highlights the concomitant challenge of bringing these changes to the 1 billion people living mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia who are yet to benefit. There is a growing awareness of the need to reduce human suffering and of the necessary participation of governments, non-government organizations and industry within this process. This awareness has recently translated into new funding mechanisms to address HIV/Aids and vaccines, a global push for debt relief and better trade opportunities for the poorest countries, and recognition of how global norms that address food safety, infectious diseases and tobacco benefit all. 'Globalization and Health' will encourage an exchange of views on how the global architecture for health governance needs to changes in the light of global threats and opportunities.
Predictive mapping for management and conservation of seagrass beds in North Carolina

An Erratum has been published for this article in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 12(2), 2002 577 1. This research extends techniques of predictive mapping from their application in terrestrial environments to marine landscapes by investigating the relationship between seagrass and hydrodynamics in Core Sound, North Carolina, USA. 2. An empirically derived logistic multiple regression model and a Boolean logic suitability model were used to produce several predictive map products, including: susceptibility of seagrasses to storms, probability of seagrass cover, and suitability of areas for restoration of seagrasses. A visual comparison between these maps and conventional seagrass polygon maps allows for a discussion of ‘field’ versus ‘object’ mapping, and the ramifications for management based on different cartographic techniques. 3. The predictive method used here showed that only a small portion (19%) of the seagrass bed in the study area would be expected to have a high probability of seagrass coverage. The majority of the seagrass habitat in the study area was predicted to have less than 50% probability of seagrass cover. In addition, 16% of the nearly 2000 ha of seagrass within the study area were predicted to be highly susceptible to acute storm events. Moreover, using a conservative set of site selection criteria, only 7% of the study area encompassed by seagrass habitat was predicted to have a high probability of successful restoration if injured. 4. This method provides for an inexpensive way to scale-up from high-resolution data to a coarser scale that is often required for conservation and management. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cyber-trespass and ‘Unauthorized Access’ as Legal Mechanisms of Access Control: Lessons from the US Experience

The common law doctrine of trespass to chattels has recently been revived and applied by courts in the United States (US) to cover intrusions (in the form of electronic signals) to computer systems connected to the Internet. These cases represent judicial recognition of the need to protect certain unwanted intrusions in cyberspace, though the principles developed therewith are remarkably expansive. As such, they overlap with the concept of 'unauthorized access' under computer misuse legislation in the US and elsewhere. This overlap has yet to be judicially acknowledged. Since the US, the United Kingdom and other common law countries not only share a common law ancestry but also 'unauthorized access' principles as the primary trigger for computer misuse, this paper seeks to examine the consequences of developing a broad cyber-trespass doctrine beyond the US, and its corresponding implications for judicial interpretations of 'unauthorized access' in the common law world.
Lyapounov norms for random walks in low disorder and dimension greater than three

We consider a simple random walk on Z d , d > 3. We also consider a collection of i.i.d. positive and bounded random variables $$\left(V_\omega(x)\right)_{x\in Z^d}$$ , which will serve as a random potential. We study the annealed and quenched cost to perform long crossing in the random potential $$-(\lambda+\beta V_\omega(x))$$ , where λ is positive constant and β > 0 is small enough. These costs are measured by the Lyapounov norms. We prove the equality of the annealed and the quenched norm.
A high protein diet (3.4 g/kg/d) combined with a heavy resistance training program improves body composition in healthy trained men and women – a follow-up investigation

The consumption of a high protein diet (>4 g/kg/d) in trained men and women who did not alter their exercise program has been previously shown to have no significant effect on body composition. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to determine if a high protein diet in conjunction with a periodized heavy resistance training program would affect indices of body composition, performance and health. Forty-eight healthy resistance-trained men and women completed this study (mean ± SD; Normal Protein group [NP n = 17, four female and 13 male]: 24.8 ± 6.9 yr; 174.0 ± 9.5 cm height; 74.7 ± 9.6 kg body weight; 2.4 ± 1.7 yr of training; High Protein group [HP n = 31, seven female and 24 male]: 22.9 ± 3.1 yr; 172.3 ± 7.7 cm; 74.3 ± 12.4 kg; 4.9 ± 4.1 yr of training). Moreover, all subjects participated in a split-routine, periodized heavy resistance-training program. Training and daily diet logs were kept by each subject. Subjects in the NP and HP groups were instructed to consume their baseline (~2 g/kg/d) and >3 g/kg/d of dietary protein, respectively. Subjects in the NP and HP groups consumed 2.3 and 3.4 g/kg/day of dietary protein during the treatment period. The NP group consumed significantly (p < 0.05) more protein during the treatment period compared to their baseline intake. The HP group consumed more (p < 0.05) total energy and protein during the treatment period compared to their baseline intake. Furthermore, the HP group consumed significantly more (p < 0.05) total calories and protein compared to the NP group. There were significant time by group (p ≤ 0.05) changes in body weight (change: +1.3 ± 1.3 kg NP, −0.1 ± 2.5 HP), fat mass (change: −0.3 ± 2.2 kg NP, −1.7 ± 2.3 HP), and % body fat (change: −0.7 ± 2.8 NP, −2.4 ± 2.9 HP). The NP group gained significantly more body weight than the HP group; however, the HP group experienced a greater decrease in fat mass and % body fat. There was a significant time effect for FFM; however, there was a non-significant time by group effect for FFM (change: +1.5 ± 1.8 NP, +1.5 ± 2.2 HP). Furthermore, a significant time effect (p ≤ 0.05) was seen in both groups vis a vis improvements in maximal strength (i.e., 1-RM squat and bench) vertical jump and pull-ups; however, there were no significant time by group effects (p ≥ 0.05) for all exercise performance measures. Additionally, there were no changes in any of the blood parameters (i.e., basic metabolic panel). Consuming a high protein diet (3.4 g/kg/d) in conjunction with a heavy resistance-training program may confer benefits with regards to body composition. Furthermore, there is no evidence that consuming a high protein diet has any deleterious effects.
Simultaneous measurement of size and velocity of bubbles or drops: A new optical technique

Accurate information on both the size and velocity of a dispersed phase is of importance to many problems in heat or mass transfer and reaction. Existing experimental methods are limited in their applicability, difficult to use, provide only size or velocity, and are of low statistical reliability. A new method is developed here which overcomes most of these shortcomings and permits accurate simultaneous measurement of the size and two dimensional velocity of the dispersed phase.