cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dependence of the quality of adhesion between poly(dimethylsiloxane) and glass surfaces on the composition of the oxidizing plasma

Controlled surface oxidation of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is essential for permanent adhesion between device components composed of this elastomer. The permanent adhesion between such microdevice components results from covalent crosslinking across the interfaces between PDMS and other silica-based materials, such as glass, quartz, and PDMS. Optimal duration and conditions of oxidation, attained via treatments with oxygen-containing plasma, are crucial for microfabrication procedures with quantitative yields. While insufficient PDMS oxidation does not provide high enough surface density of siloxyl groups for cross-interface linking, overoxidation of PDMS yields rough silica surface layers that prevent the adhesion between flat substrates. Ideally, for a set of plasma conditions, the range of treatment durations producing permanent adhesion should be as broad as possible: i.e., the surface oxidation of PDMS sufficient for irreversible binding has to complete significantly before the effects of overoxidation become apparent. Such a requirement assures that relatively small fluctuations in the treatment conditions will not result in over- or under-oxidation and, hence, will not compromise the yields of the fabrication procedures. We examined the dependence of the quality of adhesion (QA) between plasma-treated PDMS and glass substrates on the composition of the oxygen-containing plasma and on the radio frequency (RF) of the plasma generator. We observed that plasma generated at megahertz RF provided superior conditions than kilohertz RF. Concurrently, an increase in the oxygen content of binary gas mixtures, used for the plasma, broadened the treatment durations that afford superior QA.
Patient registration in a cooperative oncology group.

Patient registration in a cooperative oncology group refers to the process by which a patient diagnosed at a member institution of the group is entered into the groups records for a selected clinical trial and, where applicable, is issued a random treatment assignment. Patient registration in a cooperative oncology group should not be limited to the routine clerical activities of compiling lists of patients entered on studies and supplying random numbers for treatment assignments. After background material on cooperative oncology groups and statistical issues are presented, the objectives of patient registration are defined to include initiation of data collection, randomization of patients, quality control (enforcing protocol adherence, reduction of bias, suggestion of needed protocol amendments, and evaluation of institutional performance), and planning future clinical trials (providing estimates of patient accrual and providing advice on registration matters). Various administrative procedures found useful in fulfilling these objectives for both randomized and nonrandomized clinical trials that are neither single nor double blind are presented . Foremost among these are the creation of a centralized patient registration staff employing extended telephone registration and a monitoring of patient registration activities through a monthly report system.
Delivering a Social Work MSW Program through Distance Education: An Innovative Collaboration between Two Universities, USA

The Joint Master of Social Work Program of Cleveland State University and The University of Akron was the first MSW program taught entirely via distance education that was fully accredited by the Council of Social Work Education. Over the past nine years, the Joint MSW Program has grown from one cohort of 24 full‐time students to a program with an enrollment of 186 full‐time, part‐time and Advanced Standing students. This innovative Joint MSW Program has required an ongoing process of collaboration, refinement, and flexibility. The purpose of this article is to provide a narrative of the experiences of delivering an entire MSW program via distance education, including obstacles that have been overcome as well as recommendations for other programs considering distance education.
The Neogene: Origin, adoption, evolution, and controversy

Abstract Some stratigraphers have recently insisted that for historical reasons, the Neogene (Miocene + Pliocene) should be extended to the present. However, despite some ambiguity in its application by Moriz Hornes in the 1850s, the “Neogene” was widely adopted by European geologists to refer to the Miocene and Pliocene of Lyell, but excluding the “Diluvium” (later to become the Pleistocene) and “Alluvium” (later to become the Holocene). During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the ends of the Neogene, Tertiary and Pliocene evolved in response to the progressive lowering of the beginnings of the Quaternary and Pleistocene. This evolution was a logical result of the widespread views that the most recent “ice ages” were worthy of recognition as a formal unit of the standard geologic time scale, and that the structure of this time scale must be strictly hierarchical. Motivations for the extension of the Neogene to the present include the desire to establish a monopoly for marine biochronology in the definition of standard global chronostratigraphic boundaries. This agenda would also eliminate the Tertiary, Quaternary, and Holocene. These changes are unnecessary. There is every reason to retain the traditional hierarchical structure of the Cenozoic time scale.
Concomitant adsorption and stability of some anthracycline antibiotics

Abstract Using liquid scintillation counting and liquid chromatographic techniques, it has been demonstrated that the anthracycline antibiotics, doxorubicin hydrochloride, N-trifluoroacetyladriamycin- 14-valerate, and N-trifluoroacetyladriamycin-14-octanoate, can be strongly adsorbed to the walls of containers, depending on the nature of both the container material and the solute. It also has been shown that the esters are unstable in the chemical growth media commonly used in cell culture studies. Both the adsorption and stability effects are suggested as being factors which should be carefully considered in interpretation of the in vitro and perhaps in vivo activities of the anthracycline esters.
Comparison of four components of sensory gating in schizophrenia and normal subjects: a preliminary report.

Dysfunction of sensory gating has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The goal of this study was to provide evidence that sensory gating dysfunction in schizophrenia patients is a compounded problem with difficulty in filtering out irrelevant input and filtering in relevant input at both an early-preattentive stage and a later, early-attentive stage of information processing. Four components of sensory gating were examined in 12 medicated, stable schizophrenia patients and 12 age- and sex-matched normal control subjects. Evoked potential paradigms designed to examine the effects of stimulus repetition and stimulus change were utilized. Attenuation of the amplitude of the P50 and the N100 evoked potentials with stimulus repetition was significantly decreased in schizophrenia patients as compared to normal control subjects. The presentation of deviant stimuli caused the degree of attenuation to decrease in normal subjects. This effect was much decreased (and at times reversed) in schizophrenia subjects. These data suggest that schizophrenia patients have difficulty inhibiting incoming, irrelevant stimuli and responding to incoming, significant input as measured by preattentive EPs (P50). The data also suggest that similar abnormalities can be demonstrated at a slightly later phase of information processing (i.e. early-attentive phase) using the N100 EP.
Anticholinergic brain stimulation and thirst induced by 23 hour water deprivation

Thirst was induced by 23 h water deprivation. Bilateral anticholinergic brain stimulation with atropine or scopolamine placed in the lateral septal nucleus or anterior thalamic nucleus had a small (9%) but significant blocking effect on water intake if both food and water were available in the test cage. This effect was not present if only water was available.
Robust optimization of a Chip Multiprocessor's performance under power and thermal constraints

Power dissipation and die temperature have become key performance limiters in today's high-performance Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs.) Dynamic power management solutions have been proposed to manage resources in a CMP based on the measured power dissipation, performance, and die temperature of processing cores. In this paper, we develop a robust framework for power and thermal management of heterogeneous CMPs subject to variability and uncertainty in system parameters. More precisely, we first model and formulate the problem of maximizing the task throughput of a heterogeneous CMP (a.k.a., asymmetric multi-core architecture) subject to a total power budget and a per-core temperature limit. Next we develop a solution framework, called Variation-aware Power/Thermal Manager (VPTM), which is a hierarchical dynamic power and thermal management solution targeting heterogeneous CMP architectures. VPTM utilizes dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) and core consolidation techniques to control the core power consumptions, which implicitly regulate the core temperatures. An algorithm is proposed for core consolidation and application assignment, and a convex program is formulated and solved to produce optimal DVFS settings. Finally, a feedback controller is employed to compensate for variations in key system parameters at runtime. Experimental results show highly promising performance improvements for VPTM compared to the state-of-the-art techniques.
STUDIES AND ANALYSES OF THE MIXING PHENOMENA OF LIQUID PROPELLANTS LEADING TO A YIELD‐TIME FUNCTION RELATIONSHIP

Mixing function vs time relationship for liquid propellant explosion hazards prediction, noting thermocouple grid for maximum information
Rapid, facile synthesis of nitrogen-rich carbon nitride powders

There is increasing interest in high surface area carbon nitride materials as potential coordinatively active analogs of amorphous carbon systems. It is generally difficult to produce extended carbon structures with high nitrogen contents. This article describes a facile molecular decomposition process that produces bulk quantities of an amorphous nitrogen-rich carbon nitride material, C3N4+x where 0.5 < x < 0.8, in only a few seconds without the use of complex experimental apparatus. The trichloromelamine molecular precursor [(C3N3)(NHCl)3] rapidly decomposes when heated externally above 185 °C or when brought into contact with a heated filament. Morphological studies show that the rapid synthesis process produces a porous, sponge-like material containing spherical nanofeatures (<300 nm). These amorphous carbon nitrides were analyzed by IR, NMR, optical, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which indicate that the carbon centers have primarily sp2 hybridization, triazine (C3N3) rings are retained in the product, and nitrogen species bridge triazines. These C3N4+x materials are also luminescent in the blue region even after annealing to 400 °C. They exhibit thermal and chemical stability with no significant decomposition until 600 °C or reactivity with concentrated aqueous base.
Influence of temperature on the respiration and metabolic effectiveness of Chilomonas

Abstract Chilomonas undergoes no respiratory adaptation to growth temperature, although there is a marked size adaptation. Thus, there is probably no intimate association of mechanisms of adaptation in respiration and size where both are found in the same organisms. Neither total membrane area nor “dilution” of the cell have had a demonstrable effect upon Chilomonas' respiration. The Q 10 for oxygen consumption over the range of 15 ° to 25 °C is 2.8 for any culture, regardless of its growth temperature.
Is American Hegemony Bad or Just Better than Alternatives

War, Peace and Hegemony in a Globalized World: The Changing Balance of Power in the 21st Century. Edited by Chandra Chari. London: Routledge, 2008. 256 pp., hardcover (ISBN-13: 9780415435772). This collection of essays covers familiar ground but still offers value as a largely Asian perspective on hegemony and globalization. Fourteen of the 18 contributors are from Asia, nine from India alone. In an introduction by Chandra Chari, the volume rejects the notion, popular among Western realists, that American hegemony is necessary to avoid anarchy and expects “the processes of globalization, which have economically empowered a large number of countries across the globe,” to provide new “bargaining chips” to strengthen multilateralism. Opening chapters address global perspectives. Eric Hobsbawn, the eminent British scholar, leads off with a blistering attack against the “political crazies” (p. 23) in the United States who after 9/11 abandoned the “emollient cream” (p. 22) of American Cold War policies and sought global hegemony through military might. If these crazies prevail, he predicts “another century of conflict” (p. 20). Akira Iriye and Joseph Nye, two equally eminent Harvard scholars, celebrate the “momentum toward transnationalism” (p. 33) ignited by globalization and expect that growing diversity especially on the economic and information chess boards of world affairs will check American military pretensions. William Wallace at the University of Saint Andrews worries that the world may be approaching “a nuclear tipping point beyond which a ‘cascade of proliferation’ could occur as states assume that the international nuclear order can no longer provide them with sufficient protection” (p. 56). Prem Shankar Jha, an Indian journalist, argues that “capitalism has …
Phylo SI: a new genome-wide approach for prokaryotic phylogeny.

The evolutionary history of all life forms is usually represented as a vertical tree-like process. In prokaryotes, however, the vertical signal is partly obscured by the massive influence of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). The HGT creates widespread discordance between evolutionary histories of different genes as genomes become mosaics of gene histories. Thus, the Tree of Life (TOL) has been questioned as an appropriate representation of the evolution of prokaryotes. Nevertheless a common hypothesis is that prokaryotic evolution is primarily tree-like, and a routine effort is made to place new isolates in their appropriate location in the TOL. Moreover, it appears desirable to exploit non–tree-like evolutionary processes for the task of microbial classification. In this work, we present a novel technique that builds on the straightforward observation that gene order conservation (‘synteny’) decreases in time as a result of gene mobility. This is particularly true in prokaryotes, mainly due to HGT. Using a ‘synteny index’ (SI) that measures the average synteny between a pair of genomes, we developed the phylogenetic reconstruction tool ‘Phylo SI’. Phylo SI offers several attractive properties such as easy bootstrapping, high sensitivity in cases where phylogenetic signal is weak and computational efficiency. Phylo SI was tested both on simulated data and on two bacterial data sets and compared with two well-established phylogenetic methods. Phylo SI is particularly efficient on short evolutionary distances where synteny footprints remain detectable, whereas the nucleotide substitution signal is too weak for reliable sequence-based phylogenetic reconstruction. The method is publicly available at http://research.haifa.ac.il/ssagi/software/PhyloSI.zip.
Problems of Synchronization and Non-Linear Distortion and Their Effect on the Detection of Walsh Functions

Walsh functions are potentially applicable to random-access communication provided that requirements for system synchronization and channel linearity are not too severe. This paper investigates the problem of detection of a desired Walsh-code modulated sinusoidal carrier in the presence of other signals for the case when synchronization is not achieved among the users of the system. It is shown that by proper selection of Walsh codes, the synchronization requirements can be alleviated considerably and it may be possible to operate the system asynchronously. The effect of hardlimiting and the problem of transmitting a number of Walsh signals through a power-law device are also considered.
Localization of DARPP-32 immunoreactive neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and central nucleus of the amygdala: co-distribution with axons containing tyrosine hydroxylase, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, and calcitonin gene-related peptide.

The distribution and morphology of neurons containing the dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein, DARPP-32, were investigated in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). DARPP-32 immunoreactive neurons are numerous in both regions, but are restricted to the lateral dorsal and the lateral juxtacapsular subdivisions of the BST, and the central lateral and lateral capsular subdivisions of the CeA. Immunoreactive neurons in the lateral dorsal BST, and the central lateral and lateral capsular CeA are similar morphologically, while those in the juxtacapsular BST appear to be a subpopulation of striatal mediumsized spiny neurons. The distribution of DARPP-32 immunoreactive neurons in the BST and CeA overlaps considerably with axonal plexuses containing tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). These studies provide further evidence of the close relationship between the CeA and BST, and also provide anatomical evidence for possible interactions between neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and phosphoproteins.
Attempts at Superovulation of Mares With Porcine Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Recombinant Equine Follicle Stimulating Hormone

Abstract Attempts to superovulate mares have been disappointing and expensive. Conflicting data exist on the effectiveness of porcine follicle stimulating hormone (pFSH) as a superovulatory treatment for horses. Recently, a recombinant equine FSH (reFSH) has become available with covalently linked alpha and beta subunits, which results in a longer half-life than endogenous FSH. The purpose of this study was to compare doses of pFSH and reFSH for superovulating mares. Twenty-nine mares received injections of 25, 50, 100, or 150 mg pFSH or 0.5 mg reFSH 2 times per day. Mares were used up to three times, with their second reproductive cycle serving as an untreated control. All treated mares were administered cloprostenol on the second day of treatment and given 2,500 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin 24 to 38 hours after the majority of large follicles were >30 mm. Mares with untreated control cycles also received cloprostenol, but deslorelin was used to induce ovulation. No response from superstimulation treatments differed ( P > .1) from those of controls; mean ovulations per cycle ranged from 0.85 to 1.31; mean embryo recovery rates ranged from 0.66 to 1.08. Two of the eight mares treated with reFSH failed to ovulate. Porcine FSH was ineffective at inducing multiple ovulations at any dose. Although previous studies of reFSH yielded high ovulation rates, further research is needed to establish optimal protocols and to determine the cause of failed ovulations.
Changeability of individual domains of an aminoacyl-tRNA in polymerization by the ribosome.

Abstract The changeabilities of individual modules of aminoacyl-tRNAs are poorly understood, despite the relevance for evolution, translational accuracy and incorporation of unnatural amino acids (AAs). Here, we dissect the effect of successive changes in four domains of Ala-tRNA 3 Ala on translation in a purified system. Incorporating five AAs, not one, was necessary to reveal major effects on yields of peptide products. Omitting tRNA modifications had little affect, but anticodon mutations were very inhibitory. Surprisingly, changing the terminal CCA to CdCA was sometimes inhibitory and non-cognate AAs were sometimes compensatory. Results have implications for translational fidelity and engineering.
On the possibility of special divine action in a deterministic world

Is it possible for God both to create a deterministic world and to act specially, to realize his particular purposes within it? And if there can be such ‘particular providence’ or ‘special divine action’ (SDA) in a deterministic world, what form can it take? In this article I consider these questions, exploring a number of different models of SDA and discussing their consistency with the proposition that the world is deterministic; I also consider how the various consequences of each model accord with traditional theistic assumptions about God's action in the world. I argue that, although SDA is possible in a deterministic world, none of the models that have been offered are entirely unproblematic, but accepting any of them commits one to certain consequences that may be found objectionable; thus the potential benefits of each model of SDA must be weighed against the costs of accepting such consequences.
A DOUBLE-BLIND PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL OF AN OXYTOCIN-RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST(ANTOCIN) IN THE TREATMENT OF PRETERM LABOR. • 1054

A DOUBLE-BLIND PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL OF AN OXYTOCIN-RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST(ANTOCIN) IN THE TREATMENT OF PRETERM LABOR. • 1054
A Hybrid-Electric Power Transmitting Unit for 4x4 Vehicle Applications: Modeling and Simulation

In this paper, a technical concept is described for a hybrid-electric power transmitting unit (HE-PTU) to control the split of power between the drive axles of a 4×4 hybrid-electric vehicle. This new power transmitting unit is a mechatronic systems by its design and uses a planetary gear set and eddy current brake to provide a continuously variable (dynamic) gear ratio that can be integrated into the vehicle driveline between the transfer case and front axle. The paper details the electrical and mechanical characteristics of the device, including its various operation modes, its mathematical model built from the equations of the planetary gear set and eddy current brake, an optimization condition by which the device will be controlled to improve vehicle energy efficiency, as well as its torque and electrical current usage. Computer simulations are performed on a mathematical model of a 4×4 military truck using the power transmitting unit in conjunction with a series hybrid-electric configuration transmission.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Stem cells and brain cancer

One of the most devastating CNS pathologies is brain cancer. The undifferentiated character of brain tumor cells and recent reports of cancer stem cells prompt questions regarding the involvement of normal stem/progenitor cells in brain tumor biology, their potential contribution to the tumor itself, and whether they are the cause or the consequence of tumor initiation and progression. The cancer stem cell model proposes a clonally derived brain tumor arising from a cancer stem cell. This tumor cell-of-origin originates from a stem/progenitor or more differentiated cell via acquisition of oncogenic mutations that dysregulate or allow reacquisition of self-renewal mechanisms. The tumor cells differentiate unidirectionally from the cancer stem cell in a way parallel to normal development. However, several properties of brain tumors add complexity to this model. For example, the apparent lineage and differentiation status of tumor cells are significantly affected by signaling abnormalities that are causally related to formation of the tumor. In addition, these tumors recruit normal CNS stem and progenitor cells to the tumor mass leading to the possibility of a heterogeneous and polyclonal cell population. It is likely that a complete description of the role of stem cells in brain tumors will be more complex than our current models.
Design and Analysis of Glycerol Reformer for Stationary Fuel Cell Applications

AbstractIn this paper a packed-bed reformer and fuel cell stack system in which glycerol is reformed to produce sufficient hydrogen to generate 1 kW of power for stationary power applications (e.g., remote campsites, back-up power generators for hurricane-prone areas) is designed and analysed. Hydrogen produced in the reformer is sent to a solid-oxide fuel cell stack that produces power. Part of the generated power is utilised to electrically heat the reformer. It is shown that a glycerol flow rate of 1.8×10−3mols−1 and a fuel cell stack with 20 cells is sufficient to produce a net power of 1 kW. The pressure drop in the reformer is found to be about 34%.
Phosphate interference in the cadmium reduction analysis of nitrate1

Phosphate at 2.5 ..mu..M may decrease the Cd-Cu reduction of NO/sub 3//sup -/ by 10% and at 25 ..mu..M by 40%. This interference is gradual and reversible, depends on the age of the reductors and reagents, and is difficult to correct for.
Sleep impairment and daytime sleepiness in patients with allergic rhinitis: the role of congestion and inflammation

Abstract Objective To investigate the association of rhinitis with stress, fatigue, decrease productivity, inflammation, and sleep disordered breathing. Data Sources Medical literature obtained from OVID and PubMed searches in February 2013 using the search terms "sleep," "rhinitis," "allergic rhinitis," "somnolence," and "fatigue". Study Selections Studies were selected based on the US Preventive Services Task Force levels 1, 2, and 3. Results Allergic rhinitis is a disease that severely affects patients' quality of life and is increasing in prevalence worldwide. Nasal congestion is reported as the most common and bothersome symptom; it is often associated with sleep-disordered breathing, a likely cause of sleep impairment in rhinitis-affected individuals. The end result is a reduced quality of life and productivity and an increase in daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and stress. Current treatment modalities include intranasal corticosteroids, which have been found to reduce nasal congestion. Clinical trials on intranasal corticosteroids have provided data on sleep-related end points, and these studies report that the improved nasal congestion is associated with improved quality of life with better sleep and reduced daytime fatigue. Alternate therapies, including montelukast, also decrease nasal congestion and positively influence sleep, but to a lesser extent. Conclusion This review examines nasal congestion and cytokine changes and the associated sleep impairment in allergic rhinitis patients and the effect on daytime performance. It elaborates the adverse effects of disturbed sleep on quality of life and how therapies directed at reducing nasal congestion can relieve such effects.
Echocardiographic recognition of left ventricular aneurysm.

Abstract An unusual, abnormal echocardiographic signal was detected during echocardiographic examination of the posterior left ventricular wall in a patient found to have a posterior left ventricular aneurysm, originating below the mitral annulus on the posterior lateral left ventricular wall. This finding supports the theory that the left ventricular wall is the origin of these posterior wall echoes and suggests that local areas of myocardial dysfunction may be detected by pulsed, reflected ultrasound.
An analysis of emergency map symbology

The lack of standardised symbology on emergency maps hinders information sharing during crucial emergency situations by emergency managers and people responding to disasters. The development of a standard symbology for emergency and hazard maps will strengthen coordination and communication between planners and will enhance the ability of emergency managers to better understand information at a glance during crucial decision making moments. This research analysed existing emergency map symbology found in various forms, including software packages, and proposes a theoretical framework for the design of emergency mapping symbology. There has been a burgeoning use of electronic emergency management tools at all levels of government, enough to indicate that emergency management is on the cusp of an explosion of electronic map making. This is an appropriate time for guidelines and standards for hazard and emergency maps to be created.
Modal processing for acoustic communications in shallow water experiment.

Acoustical array data from the Shallow Water Acoustics experiment was processed to show the feasibility of broadband mode decomposition as a preprocessing method to reduce the effective channel delay spread and concentrate received signal energy in a small number of independent channels. The data were collected by a vertical array designed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Phase-shift Keying (PSK) m-sequence modulated signals with different carrier frequencies were transmitted at a distance 19.2km from the array. Even during a strong internal waves activity a low bit error rate was achieved.
Enhancing the biodegradation of oil in sandy sediments with choline: A naturally methylated nitrogen compound

Abstract We investigated how additions of choline, a naturally occurring methylated nitrogen-containing compound, accelerated hydrocarbon degradation in sandy sediments contaminated with moderately weathered crude oil (4000 mg kg − 1 sediment). Addition of lauroylcholine chloride (LCC) and tricholine citrate (TCC) to oil contaminated sediments resulted in 1.6 times higher hydrocarbon degradation rates compared to treatments without added choline derivatives. However, the degradation rate constant for the oil contaminated sediments amended with LCC was similar to that in contaminated sediments amended with inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and glucose. Additions of LLC and TCC to sediments containing extensively weathered oil also resulted in enhanced mineralization rates. Cultivation-free 16S rRNA analysis revealed the presence of an extant microbial community with clones closely related to known hydrocarbon degraders from the Gammaproteobacteria , Alphaproteobacteria , and Firmicutes phyla. The results demonstrate that the addition of minimal amounts of organic compounds to oil contaminated sediments enhances the degradation of hydrocarbons.
Computer simulations on the free energies and phase diagrams of asymmetrically interacting blends

We consider binary polymer blends where the energetic interactions between the three different pairs of monomers are not equal to each other. From computer simulations in the isothermal−isobaric ensemble, we show that these disparate energetic interactions yield different packing behavior even at the level of the pure components. This results in the pure materials having unequal densities and cohesive energies. In the context of mixtures we have considered two cases. In the system termed “attractive” we have employed Lennard−Jones interactions which favor the formation of dissimilar 1−2 contacts. The residual chemical potential changes on mixing for both components, independently, appear to vary parabolically with system composition. If one chose to model these results with the Flory model [or alternately, the polymer analog of the regular solution theory], then the chemical potential changes on mixing for each component would appear to be describable by a composition independent value of the χ parameter....
Global Networks in Local Agriculture: A Framework for Negotiation

Agricultural systems operate through the enrollment of local actors into social networks. These social networks share common idioms and expectations concerning appropriate knowledge and practices. Interaction and competition between social network segments creates the potential for technological change and sustainable production. In the past, global actors enrolled local actors into the networks of modern agriculture through the success of the technology transfer model. However, the innovation to resolve the current problems of local agroecologies requires a more reflexive approach. The adaptive management model facilitates the negotiation of boundaries between networks while addressing the most pressing issues of sustainable local agriculture.
The biosynthesis of mannolipids and mannose‐containing complex glycans by the retina

Large-scale incubations were carried out with homogenates of the retinas of the 15–16-day-old chick embryo in the presence of GDP[U-14C] mannose, from which there were isolated a mannolipid (Lipid I), oligosaccharide-lipids (Lipid II), and glycoprotein (residue). These incubations were performed in the presence of endogenous acceptors as well as dolichyl phosphate. [14C] Mannolipid I was subjected to chromatography on DEAE cellulose and silicic acid. The response to these, as well as TLC, enzymatic, and chemical treatments, were consistent with the product being dolichyl phosphomannose. [14C] Lipid II was purified by DEAE cellulose chromatography and gel filtration on LH-20. Responses to these treatments, as well as TLC and paper chromatography, were consistent with this product being of the class of the oligosaccharide-pyrophosphate-lipids. The residue remaining after removal of the lipids was shown to contain glycoproteins by conversion of high-molecular-weight radioactive material to low-molecular-weight [14C] mannose-containing glycopeptides by the action of pronase. These reactions and their products are consistent with there being in the retina, the pathway for glycoprotein synthesis involving the participation of the lipid-activated carbohydrates. When the incubations were performed in the presence of ATP or ADP there was a decrease in the labeling of Lipid I, accompanied by an increase in the labeling of Lipid II and glycoprotein. When incubated in the presence of dolichyl phosphate and deergent, however, the stimulatory effect of ATP did not occur. The effect on these activities of a variety of other nucleotide phosphates was also examined.
A temperature swing process for hydrogen isotope separation

Experiments on the separation of hydrogen isotopes were conducted using vanadium hydride in a temperature swing process. Process behavior followed trends predicted by an equilibrium theory of process operation, but was modified by a kinetic isotope effect and by finite rates of hydrogen absorption and isotope exchange. 8 refs.
Quadriplegia Complicating Escherichia coli Meningitis in a Newborn Infant: Case Report and Review of 22 Cases of Spinal Cord Dysfunction in Patients with Acute Bacterial Meningitis

We report a case of Escherichia coli meningitis complicated by spinal cord dysfunction in a neonate. This very rare complication of bacterial meningitis was probably caused by ischemia of the cord resulting from vasculitis. We review the 22 other reports of patients with this complication and discuss its pathogenesis.
Visual context integration is not fully developed in 4-year-old children.

Long-range horizontal interactions supporting contour integration were found to be weaker in children than in adults (Kovacs et al, 1999 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 96 12204-12209). In the present study, integration on a larger scale, between a target and its context was investigated. Contextual modulation of the percept of a local target can be directly measured in the case of geometric illusions. We compared the magnitude of a size contrast illusion (Ebbinghaus illusion or Titchener circles) in children and adults. 4-year-old children and adults performed 2AFC size comparisons between two target disks in the classical Ebbinghaus illusion display and in two other modified versions. We found that the magnitude of the illusion effect was significantly smaller in children than in adults. Our interpretation is that context integration is not fully developed in 4-year-old children. Closer-to-veridical-size estimations by children demonstrate that the perception of the local target is less affected by stimulus context in their case. We suggest that immature cortical connectivity is behind the reduced contextual sensitivity in children.
Differences in Perceptions of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy Among Adherers and Nonadherers

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients' consistent use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is critical to realizing improved functional outcomes and reducing untoward health risks associated with OSA. We conducted a mixed methods, concurrent, nested study to explore OSA patients' beliefs and perceptions of the diagnosis and CPAP treatment that differentiate adherent from nonadherent patients prior to and after the first week of treatment, when the pattern of CPAP use is established. Guided by social cognitive theory, themes were derived from 30 interviews conducted postdiagnosis and after 1 week of CPAP use. Directed content analysis, followed by categorization of participants as adherent/nonadherent from objectively measured CPAP use, preceded across-case analysis among 15 participants with severe OSA. Beliefs and perceptions that differed between adherers and nonadherers included OSA risk perception, symptom recognition, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, treatment goals, and treatment facilitators/ barriers. Our findings suggest opportunities for developing and testing tailored interventions to promote CPAP use.
Modelling detrital cooling-age populations: insights from two Himalayan catchments

The distribution of detrital mineral cooling ages in river sediment provides a proxy record for the erosional history of mountain ranges.We have developed a numerical model that predicts detrital mineral age distributions for individual catchments in which particle paths move vertically toward the surface. Despite a restrictive set of assumptions, the model permits theoretical exploration of the eiects of thermal structure, erosion rate, and topography on cooling ages. Hypsometry of the sourcearea catchment is shown to exert a fundamental control on the frequency distribution of bedrock and detrital ages.We illustrate this approach by generating synthetic 40 Ar/ 39 Ar muscovite age distributions for two catchments with contrasting erosion rates in central Nepal and then by comparing actual measured cooling-age distributions with the synthetic ones. Monte Carlo sampling is used to assess the mismatch between observed and synthetic age distributions and to explore the dependence of that mismatch on the complexity of the synthetic age signal and on the number of grains analysed. Observed detrital cooling ages are well matched by predicted ages for a more slowly eroding Himalayan catchment. A poorer match for a rapidly eroding catchment may result from some combination of large analytical uncertainties in the detrital ages and inhomogeneous erosion rates within the basin. Such mismatches emphasize the need for more accurate thermal and kinematic models and for sampling strategies that are adapted to catchment- speci¢c geologic and geomorphic conditions.
Genetic Similarities Within and Between Human Populations

The proportion of human genetic variation due to differences between populations is modest, and individuals from different populations can be genetically more similar than individuals from the same population. Yet sufficient genetic data can permit accurate classification of individuals into populations. Both findings can be obtained from the same data set, using the same number of polymorphic loci. This article explains why. Our analysis focuses on the frequency, ω, with which a pair of random individuals from two different populations is genetically more similar than a pair of individuals randomly selected from any single population. We compare ω to the error rates of several classification methods, using data sets that vary in number of loci, average allele frequency, populations sampled, and polymorphism ascertainment strategy. We demonstrate that classification methods achieve higher discriminatory power than ω because of their use of aggregate properties of populations. The number of loci analyzed is the most critical variable: with 100 polymorphisms, accurate classification is possible, but ω remains sizable, even when using populations as distinct as sub-Saharan Africans and Europeans. Phenotypes controlled by a dozen or fewer loci can therefore be expected to show substantial overlap between human populations. This provides empirical justification for caution when using population labels in biomedical settings, with broad implications for personalized medicine, pharmacogenetics, and the meaning of race.
Computing overall elastic constants of polydisperse particulate composites from microtomographic data

Abstract In this paper, we use the well-known Hashin–Shtrikman–Willis variational principle to obtain the overall mechanical properties of heterogeneous polydisperse particulate composites. The emphasis is placed on the efficient numerical integration of complex three-dimensional integrals and on aspects of the anisotropic material response of real tomographically characterized packs. For this purpose, we numerically calculate the complete statistics of real packs, which are numerically or tomographically generated. We use the parallel adaptive sparse Smolyak integration method with hierarchical basis to integrate complex singular integrals containing the product of probability functions and the second derivative of Green's function. Selected examples illustrate both the numerical and physical facets of our work. First, we show the reduction of integral points for integration in spherical coordinates. Then, we comment on the parallel scalability of our method and on the numerical accuracy associated with the integration of a singular function. Next, we validate the solver against the experimental data and verify the results by comparing it to a closed-form expression. To investigate the ability of our scheme to capture the anisotropic nature of packs, we study a lattice type system. Finally, we report on the elastic constants computed for the modeled anisotropic particulate system that is tomographically characterized.
Phenylpropanolamine Constricts Mouse and Human Blood Vessels by Preferentially Activating α2-Adrenoceptors

Phenylpropanolamine ( dl -norephedrine) was one of the most widely used therapeutic agents to act on the sympathetic nervous system. Because of concerns regarding incidents of stroke, its use as a nasal decongestant was discontinued. Although considered an α1-adrenergic agonist, the vascular adrenergic pharmacology of phenylpropanolamine was not fully characterized. Unlike most other circulations, the vasculature of the nasal mucosa is highly enriched with constrictor α2-adrenoceptors. Therefore, experiments were performed to determine whether phenylpropanolamine activates vascular α2-adrenoceptors. Mouse tail and mesenteric small arteries and human small dermal veins were isolated and analyzed in a perfusion myograph. The selective α1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine caused constriction of tail and mesenteric arteries and human veins. The selective α2-adrenergic agonist UK14,304 [5-bromo- N -(4,5-dihydro-1 H -imidazol-2-yl)-6-quinoxalinamine] caused constriction in tail arteries and in human veins, but not mesenteric arteries. The lack of constriction to UK14,304 was also observed in endothelium-denuded mesenteric arteries. Phenylpropanolamine constricted both types of artery but was 62-fold more potent in tail arteries. In mesenteric arteries, constriction to phenylpropanolamine was not affected by the selective α2-adrenergic antagonist, rauwolscine (10-7 M) but was abolished by the selective α1-adrenergic antagonist, prazosin (3 × 10-7 M). In contrast, constriction to phenylpropanolamine in tail arteries and in human veins was inhibited by rauwolscine but not prazosin. Therefore, phenylpropanolamine is a preferential α2-adrenergic agonist. At low concentrations, it constricts blood vessels that express functional α2-adrenoceptors, whereas at much higher concentrations, phenylpropanolamine also activates vascular α1-adrenoceptors. This action likely contributed to phenylpropanolamine's therapeutic activity, namely constriction of the nasal vasculature.
Electromagnetic field and material properties in ground penetrating radar

Electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields are consequences of the existence, motion and acceleration of electric charge. Complex coupled vector field distributions in space and time result. Most material properties are consequences of EM field interactions between adjacent matter particles at atomic scales. Velocity, attenuation, wavelength, polarization, scattering, relaxation, and resonance are some of the properties and processes important to electromagnetic wave propagation in ground penetrating radar. Such properties and processes determine the performance limitations of ground penetrating radar systems, and they are also what are measured by ground penetrating radar to describe ground and things buried within the subsurface. Space and time distributions of material properties are described in terms of complex dielectric permittivity and complex magnetic permeability. "Complex" means there are parts describing both energy dissipation and storage, with consequential frequency dependent properties. Dielectric properties are dominantly controlled by the distribution and properties of water in the ground. Magnetic properties are dominantly controlled by the distribution and properties of iron in the ground. Field polarization and scattering processes are dominantly controlled by the geometric orientation and spatial distribution of contrasts in material properties at wavelength scales. Measurement of field properties and processes allows GPR to determine material properties.
ONLINE™ opiate immunoassay evaluation: precision, accuracy and adulterants

Precision, accuracy, effects of chemical adulterants, and individual sDecimen variabilitv were evaluated for ~buscreen~ ONL LINE^^ ~utohated Immunoassay for Opiates (ONLINE) compared with ~buscreen~ Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and EMI~ d.a.~.~~ (EMIT) tests for opiates. Certified negative urine, fortified to contain different amounts of morphine were quantified by GCIMS. These replicates showed excellent (100%) qualitative accuracy for all three immunoassays and variable precision (RIA > EMIT > ONLINE). A new check of precision and accuracy, twenty-five individually different negative urine specimens fortified with morphine gave slightly different results (ONLINE > RIA > EMIT). Moreover, when these f~rtified'~ositives were adulterated with sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride. bleach. and acetic acid. ONLINE aenerallv equalled RIA and outperformed EMIT in preciiion and accuracy. ONLINE'S standard curve exceeded the manufacturer's claim of 30 days stability. Overall, ONLINE approximately matched RIA and exceeded EMIT in most characteristics tested, showing potential for ONLINE as a fully automated urine opiates immunoassay. La precision, I'exactitude, les effets d'adultkrants chimiques et la variabilitk de specimens individuels ont CtC CvaluCs pour I'anafXse immunologique automatique par ~buscreen~ ONLINET pour les opiacCs (ONLINE comparCs aux tests d
Acoustic self-localization in a distributed sensor network

The purpose of this paper is to present a technique for determining the coordinate locations of nodes in a distributed sensor network. This technique is based on the time difference of arrival (TDOA) of acoustic signals. In this scheme, several sound sources of known locations transmit while each node in the sensor network records the wave front time-of-arrival. Data from the nodes are transmitted to a central processor and the nonlinear TDOA equations are solved. Computational simulation results are presented in order to quantify the solution behavior and its sensitivity to likely error sources. Results based on experimentally collected data are also presented in order to demonstrate the potential for this approach in solving the self-localization problem.