cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extending sharpness calculation for an alternative loudness metric input

Sound quality metrics help improve the psychoacoustic acceptability of devices and environments by modeling and thus enabling deliberate improvement of perceptual attributes. Sharpness as defined in DIN 45692 [(2009). Deutsches Institut fur Normung, Berlin] requires inputs from Zwicker's loudness metric [ISO 532-1 (2017). International Organization for Standardization, Geneva]. This letter demonstrates that sharpness can be formulated to accept specific loudness values from Moore and Glasberg's loudness metric [ISO 532-2 (2017). International Organization for Standardization, Geneva; ANSI S3.4 (2007). American National Standards Institute, Inc., Washington, DC]. Sharpness calculations using the two loudness metrics produce similar results. This method thus enables evaluation of sharpness as a straightforward add-on to standard loudness calculations using Moore and Glasberg's metric, for which sharpness calculations were not previously available.
Potential for Recriticality of the Relocated Core

Knowledge of the effective multiplication factor (keff) of variously configured damaged fuel at Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) has greatly affected ongoing defueling operations. A recent DOT 4.3 ...
Nanocrystalline Silicon-Silicon Dioxide Superlattices: Structural and Optical Properties

This chapter is focused on the fabrication and characterization of layered Si-based nanostructures, which have been called nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si)—silicon dioxide superlattices [1]. Among the many semiconducting materials, silicon is one of the most studied and definitely the most important material for commercial microelectronics. During the last several decades, the exponential growth of electronic chip complexity and drastic decrease of transistor dimensions has highlighted new directions in electronic device evolution and the potential applicability of Si nanocrystals for nanoelectronics and integrated light-emitters. The latter was stimulated by the discovery of efficient light emission in different forms of Si nanostructures [2] and by the demonstration of a Si-based light-emitting device prototype integrated into conventional microelectronic circuitry [3]. Hence, the interest in reliable fabrication of Si based nanostructures with control over the nanocrystal size, shape, and crystallographic orientation has been growing continuously over the last decade. Recently, the application of Si nanocrystals in electronic devices was suggested and proved by the demonstration of a Si nanocrystal non-volatile memory and other devices utilizing the Coulomb blockade effect [4, 5].
Formatting and Printing Documents

The last chapter described some rather abstract approaches to the subject of document processing: this one is about real formatting and printing software. It is not intended to be a users’ manual for any of the packages and languages discussed, but to provide an insight into what this kind of software must do to get a document onto paper, and how its users can influence the process.
The Beekeeper: Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq, by Dunya Mikhail

The Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision to bestow this year’s Nobel Peace Prize on two people who have worked tirelessly on behalf of sex trafficking victims will hopefully draw more attention and...
Quantitative Evaluation of Student Engagement in a Large-Scale Introduction to Programming Course using a Cloud-based Automatic Grading System

In this WIP Research to Practice paper, we explored the impact of integrating the university’s learning management system and an automatic grading system in delivering a large-scale introduction to programming course in 2 consecutive quarters. Our initial approach utilizes an on-demand standalone automatic grading system and a separate assignment submission portal on Canvas. After evaluating our performance and specific student feedback, we integrated the assignment submission portal with the autograder system to provide a real-time objective assessment of assignments.The main improvement after enforcing assignment submission through the autograder (Stepik) was the noticeable improvement in the class average of assignment scores by 20.5% even though most of the test cases were hidden. Another interesting observation was the effect of our approach in decreasing the DFW rate to 12.5% from 46% and a considerable increase in the passing rate of female students, by 22%. We also noticed that in the second iteration of the course students who took the course as an elective were able to perform comparably and even better than students who took it as a requirement. It is also worth mentioning that using autograder helped students increase their code quality.
Dietary Polyunsaturates, Vascular Function and Prostaglandins

The high prevalence of certain cancers, atherosclerosis and hypertension in Europe and North America has been closely linked to the high-fat diet consumed by these populations. The strongest dietary correlate with vascular disease and hypercholesterolemia is the intake of saturate fat (1), and current recommendations include an increased proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in a diet with an overall reduction in total fat content of one-fourth or more. In most industrialized countries, the readily available polyunsaturatec are of the omega-6 class found in vegetable oils. Increased consumption of such fats in the place of saturated fats in dairy products has been accompanied by a continuous decline in cardiovascular disease rates in the United States (2), although decreased cigarette consumption and better treatment of hypertension have probably also contributed to this.
Plant Poisoning of Small Ruminants

Sheep goats, llamas and alpacas are in general, capable of grazing or browsing a wide variety of toxic plants without any problem. So long as there are a variety of plants on which the animals can feed, they appear capable of varying the quantity of plants consumed, thereby avoiding a toxic dose of any one particular plant. However, small ruminants are susceptible to plant poisoning under conditions where there is overgrazing, drought, or access to areas where toxic weeds predominate. Historically, and even today, significant mortality in unadapted sheep can be associated with areas where plants such as Halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus) comprise the majority of the available forage. The Halogeton is palatable, and if it becomes the predominant forage, high sheep mortality results from the high level of oxalates in the plant. Small ruminants are susceptible to poisoning from plants that contain nitrates, cyanogenic glycosides, cardiac glycosides, photosensitizing agents and a variety of other plants toxins affecting the reproductive, urinary, hemic and nervous systems.
Danger from the Deep: A Gap Affordance Study in Augmented Reality

It is an open question as to whether people perceive and act in augmented reality environments in the same way that they do in real environments. The current work investigated participants' judgments of whether or not they could act on an obstacle portrayed with augmented reality. Specifically, we presented gaps of varying widths and depths to participants in augmented reality using the Microsoft HoloLens. We asked users to indicate whether or not they believed that they could step across the virtual gaps given their widths and depths. Averaging across changes in width and depth, users generally underestimated their abilities to cross gaps. However, this underestimation was significantly greater when the gaps were deep. Thus, our findings suggest that users in augmented reality respond with more conservative judgments when presented with risky stimuli—a response that mimics real world behavior. Their altered reactions to deeper gaps may provide early evidence for augmented reality's capacity to evoke a sense of realism or immersion and its use in evaluating perception and action.
Elevation Potential among Circuit Court Nominees and Its Effect on the Senate’s Confirmation Behavior:

Using traits conventionally believed to lead to elevation from the Circuit Courts to the Supreme Court, this paper uses an item response theory model to estimate latent elevation estimates for each...
Chronic Hemolysis Associated with Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Purpose Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are an increasingly prevalent form of mechanical support for patients with end-stage heart failure. LVAD-associated gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) remains a common complication in this population with an incidence approaching 30%. Multiple mechanisms have been offered to explain this disproportionate rate of GIB. We hypothesize a novel mechanism by way of haptoglobin depletion secondary to chronic hemolysis. Haptoglobin has a key role in preserving Nitric Oxide (NO) signaling during hemolysis by binding cell-free hemoglobin. NO has been shown to maintain gastrointestinal endothelial integrity. Methods We queried the electronic medical record at our institution for laboratory markers of hemolysis including undetectable haptoglobin in patients with LVADs in the post-implantation phase. We identified which patients with LVADs had GIB using QLIK. We used Fischer's exact test to look for association between undetectable haptoglobin and LVAD-associated GIB. Results This study included a total of 56 patients with LVADs. 45% (25/56) of patients had GIB and 55% (31/56) of patients did not have GIB. Of the subset of patients with GIB, 15 of 25 had undetectable haptoglobin levels. In the patients with no GIB, 9 of 31 had undetectable haptoglobin levels. The difference was statistically significant p=0.0296. Conclusion In a single-institution sample of patient with LVADs, there is a statistically significant association between an undetectable haptoglobin post-LVAD implantation and GIB. This supports the hypothesis that chronic hemolysis may have a pathophysiologic role in LVAD-associated GIB. Cell-free hemoglobin, haptoglobin, and the NO pathway may each serve as therapeutic targets to reduce the morbidity and mortality of LVAD-associated GIB.
Modeling the Electromagnetic Scattering Characteristics of Carbon Nanotube Composites Characterized by 3-D Tomographic Transmission Electron Microscopy

In all prior electromagnetic modeling studies of carbon nanotube (CNT) composites, the exact three-dimensional (3D) shape and spatial distribution of the CNTs in the composite were unknown. Therefore, simplifying assumptions had to be made regarding the CNT distributions. The effect of such assumptions on the electromagnetic response of CNT composites has not been quantified. Recent advances in electron-tomography and image analysis have allowed the generation of 3D maps of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) distributions with sub-nanometer resolution. In this work, the electromagnetic responses of experimentally mapped 3D structures of aligned-CNT polymer nanocomposites were calculated using both full-wave electromagnetic solvers and dilute-limit Effective Medium Approximations (EMA). Our results show that the electromagnetic response calculated using the full-wave solver exhibits additional resonances that are absent in the response calculated using the dilute-limit EMA. This difference is due to the strong electromagnetic coupling between adjacent MWCNTs, within five CNT radii, of each other. Using the mapped 3D MWCNTs, we also studied the anisotropy in the electromagnetic response of the composites and showed that it increases with the MWCNT volume fraction. The full-wave analysis presented in this work provides a more accurate understanding of the electromagnetic reflection and anisotropy of CNT composites.
Improving Financial Time Series Prediction Accuracy Using Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Recurrent Neural Networks

Recurrent neural networks have received vast amount of attention in time series prediction due to their flexibility in capturing dependencies on various scales. However, as in most of the classical forecasting methods, its accuracy is strongly tied to the degree of signal complexity. Specifically, stock market prices are commonly classified to be non-linear, non-stationary and chaotic signals, since they exhibit erratic behavior that conducts a poor performance in the long short-term memory (LSTM). In this paper, we propose a methodology to improve the predictability of financial time series by using the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise and the intrinsic sample entropy (SampEn). We evaluated the integrated model by applying it to S&P 500 index stocks for the period between January 2018 and April 2020 and for each time series of stock closing prices, an LSTM model was trained to forecast the next closing price. The experimental results represent a dependency between the decomposed signal entropy and the performance of forecast accuracy. This suggests that in those cases where the short-term complexity in financial time series is smaller compared to the series energy, the forecasting capabilities are significantly improved after the removal of decomposed highest frequency. Furthermore, our results show an improvement in forecasting the direction of the stock price by 31% using the classical LSTM architecture.
Effects of Lupron and surgical castration on fecal androgen metabolite concentrations and intermale aggression in capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

To curb agonistic interactions in a bachelor group of three male capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), a single dose of leuprolide acetate (Lupron®) was used in an attempt to chemically sterilize the males. Concurrently, fecal androgen metabolite (FAM) concentrations were quantified via enzyme immunoassay to monitor changes in testosterone production after injection of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. When Lupron proved ineffective in suppressing intraspecific aggression, surgical castration was performed on two males, with continued noninvasive endocrine monitoring. In all three capybaras, FAM concentrations increased initially as a result of the luteinizing hormone surge, but then decreased significantly following chemical sterilization. Surgical castration resulted in further, persistent declines in FAM concentrations in two males, while the third, intact male demonstrated a rise in FAM to pre-Lupron concentrations at 8.5 and 9.5-month postadministration. Despite successful suppression of sperm and testosterone production, intermale aggression continued, ultimately necessitating separation of the animals and transfer to other holding institutions. Under this set of conditions, a single Lupron dose was inadequate for suppressing intraspecific aggression in a group of three males with a pre-established history of aggression.
Horizontal-flow (HF) constructed wetlands for winery wastewater treatment: A review

The winery wastewater starts to become a threaten to environment and ecosystem. Because constructed wetland has advantages of low cost, low maintaining fee and energy saving, there are more researchers use this technology to purify the winery wastewater. In this article, the horizontal flow constructed wetland will be mainly focused. By using this method, the N, P, organic matter, and other pollutants will be efficiently removed and reused in other phase, such like agricultural activities. The constructed wetland can also supply itself. By transfer the nutrition matter from wastewater and support its’ own plants’ energy.
Lung Epithelial Cell Transcriptional Regulation as a Factor in COVID-19 Associated Coagulopathies.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly become a global pandemic. In addition to the acute pulmonary symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (the disease associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection), pulmonary and distal coagulopathies have caused morbidity and mortality in many patients. Currently, the molecular pathogenesis underlying COVID-19-associated coagulopathies are unknown. Identifying the molecular basis of how SARS-CoV-2 drives coagulation is essential to mitigating short- and long-term thrombotic risks of sick and recovered patients with COVID-19. We aimed to perform coagulation-focused transcriptome analysis of in vitro infected primary respiratory epithelial cells, patient-derived bronchial alveolar lavage cells, and circulating immune cells during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our objective was to identify transcription-mediated signaling networks driving coagulopathies associated with COVID-19. We analyzed recently published experimentally and clinically derived bulk or single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of SARS-CoV-2 infection to identify changes in transcriptional regulation of blood coagulation. We also confirmed that the transcriptional expression of a key coagulation regulator was recapitulated at the protein level. We specifically focused our analysis on lung tissue-expressed genes regulating the extrinsic coagulation cascade and the plasminogen activation system. Analyzing transcriptomic data of in vitro infected normal human bronchial epithelial cells and patient-derived bronchial alveolar lavage samples revealed that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces the extrinsic blood coagulation cascade and suppresses the plasminogen activation system. We also performed in vitro SARS-CoV-2 infection experiments on primary human lung epithelial cells to confirm that transcriptional upregulation of tissue factor, the extrinsic coagulation cascade master regulator, manifested at the protein level. Furthermore, infection of normal human bronchial epithelial cells with influenza A virus did not drive key regulators of blood coagulation in a similar manner as SARS-CoV-2. In addition, peripheral blood mononuclear cells did not differentially express genes regulating the extrinsic coagulation cascade or plasminogen activation system during SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting that they are not directly inducing coagulopathy through these pathways. The hyperactivation of the extrinsic blood coagulation cascade and the suppression of the plasminogen activation system in SARS-CoV-2-infected epithelial cells may drive diverse coagulopathies in the lung and distal organ systems. Understanding how hosts drive such transcriptional changes with SARS-CoV-2 infection may enable the design of host-directed therapeutic strategies to treat COVID-19 and other coronaviruses inducing hypercoagulation.
Finding ways for children's doctors to care for big 'Kids' and save adults in a pandemic.

The WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020. By the end of 2020, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrated that the cumulative rate of COVID-19-associated hospitalisations for patients <18 years of age was 23.9 per 100 000 population compared with adults 18 or older at 449.9 per 100 000 population.1 A recent assessment done by the Society of Critical Care Medicine estimated that the USA had 34.7 critical care beds per 100 000 population; 5% of which are paediatric critical care beds and 24% being neonatal intensive care beds.2 The resultant shortage of adult intensive care unit (AICU) resources due to the surge of COVID-19 infections sparked ingenuity in a time when the world was thrust into chaos. Amid this, Sinha et al in this issue found creative ways for children’s doctors to care for sick adults with COVID-19 disease.3 In a carefully crafted rubric, the authors show how thoughtful planning and methodical implementation in England can mobilise emergency resources in a time of crisis. As such, their success met the demand to increase AICU resources during the early surge of the COVID-19 pandemic while still meeting the paediatric critical care needs of the country. At the beginning of the pandemic a number of adult and paediatric-trained critical care physician experts developed recommendations on how to care clinically for adults in paediatric settings.4 5 As the world disaster continued to unfold, several models to implement these recommendations began to take shape in three differing models: exclusive management of adults in paediatric ICUs (PICU) with a centrally located PICU regionally to care for children, a hybrid adult and PICU, or …
The My Diabetes Care Patient Portal Intervention: Usability and Pre-Post Assessment.

Background My Diabetes Care (MDC) is a novel, multifaceted patient portal intervention designed to help patients better understand their diabetes health data and support self-management. MDC uses infographics to visualize and summarize patients' diabetes health data, incorporates motivational strategies, and provides literacy level–appropriate educational resources. Objectives We aimed to assess the usability, acceptability, perceptions, and potential impact of MDC. Methods We recruited 69 participants from four clinics affiliated with Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Participants were given 1 month of access to MDC and completed pre- and post-questionnaires including validated measures of usability and patient activation, and questions about user experience. Results Sixty participants completed the study. Participants' mean age was 58, 55% were females, 68% were Caucasians, and 48% had limited health literacy (HL). Most participants (80%) visited MDC three or more times and 50% spent a total of ≥15 minutes on MDC. Participants' median System Usability Scale (SUS) score was 78.8 [Q1, Q3: 72.5, 87.5] and significantly greater than the threshold value of 68 indicative of “above average” usability (p Conclusion Participants, including those with limited HL, rated the usability of MDC above average, anticipated continued use, and identified key features that improved their understanding of diabetes health data. Patient activation improved over the study period. Our findings suggest MDC may be a beneficial addition to existing patient portals.
Global colorectal cancer burden in 2020 and projections to 2040

As the third most common malignancy and the second most deadly cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC) induces estimated 1.9 million incidence cases and 0.9 million deaths worldwide in 2020. The incidence of CRC is higher in highly developed countries, and it is increasing in middle- and low-income countries due to westernization. Moreover, a rising incidence of early-onset CRC is also emerging. The large number of CRC cases poses a growing global public health challenge. Raising awareness of CRC is important to promote healthy lifestyle choices, novel strategies for CRC management, and implementation of global screening programs, which are critical to reducing CRC morbidity and mortality in the future. CRC is a heterogeneous disease, and its subtype affiliation influences prognosis and therapeutic response. An accurate CRC subtype classification system is of great significance for basic research and clinical outcome. Here, we present the global epidemiology of CRC in 2020 and projections for 2040, review the major CRC subtypes to better understand CRC molecular basis, and summarize current risk factors, prevention, and screening strategies for CRC.
Can Soluble Immune Checkpoint Molecules on Exosomes Mediate Inflammation

Immune checkpoints (ICPs) are major co-signaling pathways that trigger effector functions in immune cells, with isoforms that are either membrane bound, engaging in direct cell to cell activation locally, or soluble, acting at distant sites by circulating freely or potentially via extracellular vesicles (EVs). Exosomes are small EVs secreted by a variety of cells carrying various proteins and nucleic acids. They are distributed extensively through biological fluids and have major impacts on infectious diseases, cancer, and neuroinflammation. Similarly, ICPs play key roles in a variety of disease conditions and have been extensively utilized as a prognostic tool for various cancers. Herein, we explored if the association between exosomes and ICPs could be a significant contributor of inflammation, particularly in the setting of cancer, neuroinflammation and viral infections, wherein the up regulation in both exosomal proteins and ICPs correlate with immunosuppressive effects. The detailed literature review of existing data highlights the significance and complexity of these two important pathways in mediating cancer and potentiating neuroinflammation via modulating overall immune response. Cells increasingly secret exosomes in response to intracellular signals from invading pathogens or cancerous transformations. These exosomes can carry a variety of cargo including proteins, nucleic acids, cytokines, and receptors/ligands that have functional consequences on recipient cells. Illustration generated using BioRender software.
High-Rate Disinfection: Chlorine Versus Chlorine Dioxide

High-rate disinfection of combined sewer overflows with chlorine and chlorine dioxide is evaluated. Mathematical methods of both systems are developed and a performance comparison of the two disinfectants is presented. The performance models indicate that disinfection by chlorine is more sensitive to mixing intensity and detention time than is chlorine dioxide. Cost equations and the performance models are used to develop optimum cost effective systems for conditions typical for Rochester, N.Y. The optimizations indicate that, although chlorine dioxide permits the use of lower detention time facilities, chlorine results in lower overall system costs.
Appraisers and the Fair Housing Law: Accessibility Requirements for the Disabled

In 1988 the Fair Housing Act of 1968 was amended to include the “handicapped” as being protected from discrimination in multiunit housing. The three general categories of discriminatory acts are re...
A new X-linked variant of chronic granulomatous disease characterized by the existence of a normal clone of respiratory burst-competent phagocytic cells.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is characterized by recurrent infections, and is usually associated with a complete inability of phagocytic cells to generate superoxide anion (O2-). Rarely, variant forms of CGD have been reported in which there is reduced, but detectable, O2- production by phagocytic cells. We describe three adult males in two kindreds with a unique form of X-linked cytochrome b558- deficient (X91-) CGD not previously reported. All three patients had two distinct populations of phagocytic cells, with one subset capable of normal respiratory burst activity and the other larger subset inactive, as in classic CGD (X91 (0)). The respiratory burst activity in neutrophils purified from each patient was approximately 10% of normal as determined by O2- production, O2 consumption, cytochrome b558 spectroscopy, and membrane oxidase activity using a cell-free activation system. In contrast with other patients with X91(-)-variant CGD, the unique feature of these patients is the presence of a small but significant population (5% to 15%) of circulating neutrophils and monocytes with completely normal respiratory burst activity as assessed by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction and flow-cytometric measurement of dihydrorhodamine oxidation. NBT reduction of peripheral blood granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells also showed the presence of a subset of colonies derived from myeloid progenitor cells that had normal respiratory burst capabilities. A mosaic XX chromosome karyotype and an unstable oxidase complex that might occur during myeloid maturation were both excluded as possible explanations. In these families, the molecular defect in the gp91-phox gene, which is currently under investigation, appears to prevent expression of the gene in the majority of neutrophils, but not in a small subset. Our studies suggest that commitment to either a respiratory burst-competent or -incompetent phagocytic cell occurs at the level of the myeloid progenitor cell.
Caracterização do processo de poluição das águas superficiais da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Jucu, estado do Espírito Santo, Brasil

O uso e a ocupacao do solo das Bacias Hidrograficas influenciam a qualidade da agua, podendo, inclusive, inviabilizar o uso previsto do corpo hidrico. Nesse caso, torna-se pertinente a caracterizacao dos processos de contaminacao de um curso d’agua para que se possa identificar quais sao os principais fatores determinantes, auxiliando a minimizar os impactos antropicos. Objetivou-se, com o presente estudo caracterizar o processo de contaminacao das aguas da Bacia do Rio Jucu a partir de dezesseis variaveis de qualidade de agua. Para tanto, foram utilizadas tecnicas de estatistica multivariada, como analise de componentes principais (ACP) e analise fatorial (AF), que indicaram nove variaveis representativas da variacao da qualidade das aguas, sao elas: N (NH3), DBO, N(kj), DQO, coliformes totais, pH, solidos totais e dissolvidos, bem como clorofila. Essas variaveis estao divididas em quatro fatores: Orgânico, Acidez, Solidos e Eutrofizacao. Explicando aproximadamente 74% da variância total dos dados, esses fatores estao diretamente relacionados com o enriquecimento das aguas por cargas orgânicas, acidez dos solos, escoamento superficial e elevados niveis de nutrientes, respectivamente.
The Politics and Policy of the Estate Tax – Past, Present, and Future

This paper is an edited transcript of the Lloyd Leva Plaine Distinguished Lecture, delivered at the University of Miami’s Heckerling Estate Planning Institute on January 11, 2011. It reviews the history of the estate tax, discusses the politics of its bizarre repeal for the year 2010 only, and outlines the forces that led to reinstatement of the tax for 2011 and 2012 with a $5 million exemption and 35 percent top rate. The paper makes clear that the coalition pushing for repeal of the estate tax will continue to work to eliminate it and also explores potential broader implications of the repeal effort.
Structure and mechanical properties of Ti–Si–N ceramic nanocomposite coatings

Abstract We have synthesized a series of Ti–Si–N coatings with 0–20 at.% Si by high-density plasma-assisted vapor phase deposition. Composition, structure and atomic short-range order were characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), θ–2θ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The mechanical properties of these coatings were characterized by instrumented nanoindentation and compared to those of B1-TiN. Our experiments show that the present series of Ti–Si–N coatings are nanocomposites, consisting of a nm-scale mixture of crystalline titanium nitride (TiN) and amorphous silicon nitride (a-Si:N). The hardness of the present series of Ti–Si–N coatings was found to be less than 32 GPa.
Laboratory Research on Self-Control: Applications to Administration:

Administrators must sometimes choose between a less delayed but ultimately less valued outcome (impulsiveness) and a more delayed but ultimately more valued outcome (self-control). Which choice is ...
Incompatibility of strategy-proofness and the Condorcet principle

For social choice rules that can select either one or two alternatives, strategy-proofness is incompatible with a weak Condorcet principle.
PLASMA SUBSTITUTES : HUMAN AND ANIMAL GLOBIN RELATED TO THE PRODUCTION OF HEMOGLOBIN AND PLASMA PROTEIN DOG HEMOGLOBIN UTILIZATION IMPROVED BY METHIONINE BUT NOT BY ISOLEUCINE.

Hemoglobin and globin alone, supplemented, or modified in various ways are seriously considered as plasma substitutes. Human globin given to doubly depleted (anemic and hypoproteinemic) dogs by vein contributes to the production of new hemoglobin and plasma protein, but there is some toxicity and weight loss. Dog hemoglobin given intraperitoneally is better tolerated and somewhat more completely utilized with more blood proteins formed and less weight loss. Dog globin (tryptic digest) given by vein in anemic dogs is associated with a moderate production of new hemoglobin. Horse globin by mouth contributes to the formation of new hemoglobin in the standard anemic dog. Dog hemoglobin given intraperitoneally in protein fasting, non-anemic dogs is well utilized to maintain nitrogen and weight balance. A dl-isoleucine supplement fails to improve this utilization of hemoglobin for maintenance in the dog. A small supplement of dl-methionine greatly improves the utilization of dog hemoglobin for maintenance in the dog and further addition of isoleucine is without effect. The intermediary metabolism of dog hemoglobin is not yet worked out. Electrophoretic analyses (Table 6) suggest that globin appears in the peripheral circulation after intraperitoneal injections of hemoglobin.
Stress tensor of massless conformal quantum fields in hyperbolic universes

The vacuum expectation value of the renormalized stress tensor for a conformally coupled massless scalar field propagating in an arbitrary hyperbolic Robertson-Walker spacetime is calculated. The vacuum state used is that obtained by conformal transformation to the static hyperbolic universe: The result differs from calculations performed using the vacuum defined by conformal transformation to Minkowski spacetime, and is also different from earlier results obtained using the conformally static vacuum which are shown to be incorrect.
How Economic Superpower China Could Transform Africa

Against the conventional wisdom that Chinese involvement cannot transform Africa’s economy for the better so as to end much of the poverty and also to spark high speed growth, this paper finds that China is already in the process of transforming Africa. While the conventional wisdom sees corrupt regimes and weak state capacity in Africa frittering away Africa’s opportunity to rise by plugging into Chinese dynamism, China is found in this paper already to be exporting entrepreneurial talent to Africa and to be dynamizing the African economy through East Asian practices. Chinese can bring industry to Africa much as Japan brought it to Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s. Africa could therefore be incorporated into Asian economic dynamism.
Estimating frequency of change

Many online data sources are updated autonomously and independently. In this article, we make the case for estimating the change frequency of data to improve Web crawlers, Web caches and to help data mining. We first identify various scenarios, where different applications have different requirements on the accuracy of the estimated frequency. Then we develop several "frequency estimators" for the identified scenarios, showing analytically and experimentally how precise they are. In many cases, our proposed estimators predict change frequencies much more accurately and improve the effectiveness of applications. For example, a Web crawler could achieve 35p improvement in "freshness" simply by adopting our proposed estimator.
A Convenient Preparation of Tetrahydropteridines and Tetrahydrofolate Analogs. Synthesis of Tetrahydro-3′,5′-Dichloromethotrexate

Tetrahydropteridine enzymatic cofactors and inhibitors may be conveniently prepared by reduction of the aromatic precursors with dimethylamine--borane in glacial acetic acid. A short reaction time at 20-60 degrees C affords tetrahydrofolate analogs in high yield and purity under anhydrous conditions and without protection from air. 3',5'-Dichloromethotrexate is reduced without hydrogenolysis of chlorine.
Coordination and bonding geometry of nitromethane (CH3NO2) on Au(111) surfaces

Abstract The adsorption and bonding geometry of nitromethane (CH3NO2) on a Au(1 1 1) single crystal surface was studied by temperature programmed desorption and infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (IRAS). Nitromethane weakly adsorbs on Au(1 1 1) with an adsorption energy of only 10.5 kcal/mol. Adsorption is completely reversible; no thermal decomposition occurs under UHV conditions. Consistent with weak binding, IRAS does not reveal any significant chemical shifts for the vibrational modes of CH3NO2 at monolayer and submonolayer coverages compared to solid multilayer films. Based on the intensities in IRAS and the surface selection rule, we propose that CH3NO2 adsorbs on the Au(1 1 1) surface with Cs symmetry in a monodentate geometry using one oxygen atom to bind to the surface with a large tilt of the C–N bond away from the surface normal. This bonding interaction is 25% less than that of adsorbed NO2 on Au(1 1 1) which chemisorbs in an O,O′-chelating geometry with C2v symmetry. While isomerization of nitromethane to from methyl nitrite (CH3NO2↔CH3ONO) occurs during thermal decomposition in the gas phase, the Au(1 1 1) surface does not sufficiently activate CH3NO2 for dissociation or isomerization to occur under UHV conditions, and so the activation energies for these processes exceed 10.5 kcal/mol on Au(1 1 1).
Retrograde axonal transport in lateral motor neurons of the chick embryo prior to limb bud innervation.

Abstract Horseradish peroxidase was injected into the distal limb buds of 3-, 3.5-, and 4-day chick embryos and was allowed to diffuse into the path of outgrowing axons. In the majority of the embryos injected, reaction product was found in cells of the ventral spinal cord ipsilateral to the injection site. The reaction product in the most clearly stained cells appeared smooth and diffuse rather than the typical granular appearance found in later embryos and adults. A granular background was seen in 4-day embryos, however, although distinct granular cell outlines were infrequent. This study indicates that retrograde axonal transport is a very early cellular feature during neurogenesis, demonstrable almost from the inception of neurite outgrowth. It is speculated that this transport capacity might function in relaying positional information from growing fiber tips back to cell bodies to aid in the formation of specific synaptic connections or in guiding directed axonal growth, or it may provide a means for trophic interactions vital to the survival of the young neuroblast.
METAL EXTRACTION BY ALKYL SUBSTITUTED DIPHOSPHONIC ACIDS. PART 2. P,P’-DI(2-ETHYLHEXYL) ETHANEDIPHOSPHONIC ACID AGGREGATION AND IR STUDY*

ABSTRACT The complexation and aggregation behavior of P,P′-di(2-elhylhexyl) ethanediphosphonic acid, H2DEH[EDP], a novel solvent extraction reagent for metal ions, was investigated. The aggregation of H2 DEH[EDP] was studied in toluene at 25 °C by vapor pressure osmometry. H2 DEH[EDP] was found to be hexameric in the concentration range 0.2 -0.005 m. Metal ions introduced into the organic phase were shown to have little effect on the aggregation of the extractant. The infrared spectra of metal containing solutions of the extractant and that of the ligand itself suggest that H2 DEH[EDP] exists in toluene as a cyclic hexamer similar to an inverted micelle with a large hydrophilic cavity. Ca(II), Ba(II), Eu(m), Fe(UJ), Th(IV) and U(VI) salts of H2 DEH[EDP] were also investigated. The infrared spectra of these compounds reveal that the asymmetric, VASYM(POO−), and symmetric, VASYM (POO−), phosphorus-oxygen stretching modes of the ligand are sensitive to the metal ion present. The shift of both VASYM (POO−) an...
Using workflows to coordinate Web services in pervasive computing environments

Pervasive computing environments augment physical spaces with a large number of devices and services that help users perform different kinds of tasks. Users in these environments interact with one or more Web services using various devices to achieve their goals. One of the problems in these environments is discovering and coordinating different Web services for achieving the user's goals. Users may not be aware of which services and devices are available in an unfamiliar environment and how to interact with them in order to achieve their goals. In order to simplify a user's interaction with the environment, we present a novel approach of modeling and managing a user's interaction with the environment based on workflows. We have built a prototype, using the popular business workflow language (BPEL) that models various processes in pervasive environments as workflows. We found that this approach improves the usability of these environments. It also increases flexibility in changing the model of interaction without having to touch individual services and applications. This approach is particularly useful in helping visitors in public spaces like malls, museums, supermarkets and hospitals.
Differentiation of steroid biosynthetic pathways in developing testes.

Studies reported deal with elucidation of the steroid biosynthetic activity in testicular tissue during differentiation and following hypophysectomy and after treatment with gonadotropins. Testes of animals were removed and 50 mg samples of testicular tissue prepared. Techniques used are described. Tissue from 1- 13- 17- 20- 40- and 90-day-old rats was used. Testes tissue from 1-day-old rats converted 59% of progesterone to testosterone. The degree of conversion diminished with increase in age to a trace in 20-day-old rats. Later this capacity gradually returned. In 90-day-old rats conversion was similar to that of newborn rats. Progesterone was metabolized to the same degree (97-99%) regardless of the age of the animals. As the capacity to convert progesterone to testosterone diminished postnatally androsterone appeared with a peak in 20-day-old rats followed by diminution to 0 in 90-day-old rats. Only a small percentage of progesterone was converted to androstenedione. Also androstenediol was formed from progesterone in incubates of testicular tissue from 20-day-old rats. Only 15% of testosterone was metabolized by testicular tissue from 1-day-old rats the major metabolite being androstenedione. Tissue from 20-day-old rats metabolized 48% of testosterone the major metabolite being androsterone (37%). Only 2% was converted to androsten edione. Tissue from 90-day-old rats metabolized 31% of testosterone the major metabolite being androstenedione (19%). Groups of hypophysect omized rats were killed from 3 to 40 days after the operation and tissue incubated as in previous studies. At 3-5 days after the operation levels of conversion of progesterone to testosterone were comparable to those observed in incubates with tissue of newborn or of adult rats. However a different metabolite was observed i.e. 20alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. The amount of testosterone being formed diminished after hypophysectomy while the amount of progesterone not metabolized increased. The major metabolite was 20alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. Metabolism of progesterone by testicular tissue from hypophysectomized rats treated daily with 100 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) for 10 or 20 days was studied. After 10 days of HCG treatment the sex accessories were markedly stimulated. A large proportion of progesterone remained unmetabolized and only a small amount of testosterone was formed. It is concluded that the differentiation of steroid biosynthetic pathways involves a complicated pattern of stimulation and repression of enzyme synthesis. The state of biosynthetic activity in the testes after hypophysectomy is unlike that present in the immature animal. HCG given to hypophysectomized animals after the Leydig cells have atrophied does not reinstate biosynthetic activity in a normal pattern. At certain stages testosterone is catabolized to other androgens.
Oil, Water, and Climate: An Introduction

What Earth science topics are critical to the education of today's college students? The answer can be found in the issues we read in our newspapers on an almost daily basis. We read about oil. We ponder questions like, “Are we running out of oil, or will more exploration increase supplies and return us to an era of plenty?” We read about water. We ponder questions like, “Are we running out of clean water, or are we simply not investing enough in our water infrastructure?” And we read about climate. We ponder questions like, “Is the greenhouse effect causing the spate of devastating hurricanes we had in 2005 and now again in 2008, or do we just have a limited perspective?”
The Contribution of Changes in Advertising Expenditures to Earnings and Market Values

Abstract We examine the asset value of advertising expenditures for a sample of 320 firms with reported advertising expenditures for each of the 10 consecutive years ending in 1994. We find that, depending upon the industry, changes in advertising expenditures are significantly associated with earnings up to five years following the year of the expenditure. Furthermore, the asset values are significantly associated with the market values of the firms. Across all industries, the asset value of advertising expenditures appears to have a 3-year life with the greatest value on the current year and declining value in subsequent years. Asset values are found to be longest lived in the consumer products and industrial products industries and shortest lived in the sales and services industry.
In Vivo Imaging Reveals Dendritic Targeting of Laminated Afferents by Zebrafish Retinal Ganglion Cells

Targeting of axons and dendrites to particular synaptic laminae is an important mechanism by which precise patterns of neuronal connectivity are established. Although axons target specific laminae during development, dendritic lamination has been thought to occur largely by pruning of inappropriately placed arbors. We discovered by in vivo time-lapse imaging that retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dendrites in zebrafish show growth patterns implicating dendritic targeting as a mechanism for contacting appropriate synaptic partners. Populations of RGCs labeled in transgenic animals establish distinct dendritic strata sequentially, predominantly from the inner to outer retina. Imaging individual cells over successive days confirmed that multistratified RGCs generate strata sequentially, each arbor elaborating within a specific lamina. Simultaneous imaging of RGCs and subpopulations of presynaptic amacrine interneurons revealed that RGC dendrites appear to target amacrine plexuses that had already laminated. Dendritic targeting of prepatterned afferents may thus be a novel mechanism for establishing proper synaptic connectivity.
LY248686, A New Inhibitor of Serotonin and Norepinephrine Uptake

LY248686 is an inhibitor of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) uptake in synaptosomal preparations of hypothalamus and cerebral cortex, and 5-HT uptake in human blood platelets, with inhibitor constants near nanomolar concentrations. Upon administration to rats 1 hour before sacrifice, LY248686 caused dose-dependent and parallel decreases of 5-HT and NE uptake in hypothalamus homogenates ex vivo. LY248686 is a positive enantiomer and was slightly more potent than its negative isomer, LY248685, as an inhibitor of 5-HT uptake. Both isomers were only weak inhibitors of dopamine (DA) uptake in striatal synaptosomes. The inhibitory effects on 5-HT and NE uptake after a single administration of LY248686 followed similar time courses and simultaneously persisted for as long as 6 hours. LY248686 in vivo could effectively antagonize the p-chloroamphetamine-induced decreases of 5-HT uptake and levels of 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in cerebral cortex, and block the accumulation of 14C-NE in rat hearts. In food deprived rats, LY248686 suppressed food intake synergistically with 5-hydroxytryptophan, a precursor amino acid of 5-HT. Because of its lack of affinity for receptors of 5-HT, NE, DA, acetylcholine, histamine and naloxone, and its ability to inhibit 5-HT and NE uptake simultaneously, LY248686 has a favorable pharmacological profile as a potential antidepressant drug.
Creating a tool-kit for exploring BRCA1 function.

No Abstract AvailableCommentary to: A Naturally Occurring Allele of BRCA1 Coding for a Temperature-Sensitive Mutant Proteinby Terri Worley, Johan Vallon-Christersson, Blase Billack, Ake Borg and Alvaro N.A. Monteiro; and Mutations in the BRCT Domain Confer Temperature Sensitivity to BRCA1 in Transcription Activationby Marcelo A. Carvalho, Blase Billack, Emily Chan, Terri Worley, Charmagne Cayanan and Alvaro N.A. Monteiro Key Words:BRCA1, Yeast, Yranscription, Temperature-sensitive mutants, BRCT domain, Ovarian cancer