cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Altitude Training for the Marathon

For nearly 40 years, scientists and elite endurance athletes have been investigating the use of altitude in an effort to enhance exercise performance. While the results of many early studies on the use of altitude training for sea level performance enhancement have produced equivocal results, newer studies using the 'live high, train low' altitude training model have demonstrated significant improvements in red cell mass, maximal oxygen uptake, oxygen uptake at ventilatory threshold, and 3000m and 5000m race time. For the marathoner looking to add altitude training to their peak performance plans, residence at an altitude of 2000-2500m, a minimum of 20 hours per day, for 4 weeks, appears to hold the greatest potential for performance enhancement. Based on published mathematical models of marathon performance, a marathoner with a typical or average running economy who performed 'live high, train low' altitude training could experience an improvement of nearly 8.5 minutes (or approximately 5%) over the 26.2-mile race distance.
Out of Rubble: Natural Disaster and the Materiality of the House

Studies of the cultural dimensions of natural disasters have largely opposed the social world to the physical world. In such studies, the social world of humans constructs meaning against the implacable force of nature. In this paper, following the theoretical lead of ‘new materialists’ such as Bruno Latour and Daniel Miller, I argue that the physical world plays an integral role in the construction of meaning out of natural disasters. By focusing on the various cultural narratives surrounding Hurricane Katrina as well as the particular material genre of the house, I analyze the ways the human and physical worlds participate in the production of meaning. The specific materiality of the house in New Orleans is explored through three key stages of the Katrina disaster: the initial landfall and flooding, the first week of ostensible chaos, and the return of residents to their houses.
Nanostructure science and technology: Impact and prospects for biology

Life processes function by the activity of complex interacting molecular systems. Advances in nanostructure science and technology are providing powerful tools for investigating those systems. Developments such as atomic force microscopy, luminescent quantum dots, and nanofabricated probes have provided new capabilities for molecular and cell biology. The function of biomolecules, cellular components, and organelles and the interaction of living cells with their environment can now be explored in exquisite detail with nanoscale probes and devices. Materials and devices engineered at the nanometer scale are being developed and employed in biochemical analysis, medical diagnostics, and therapeutic devices. With the ability to understand, manipulate, and harness enzymes, receptors, and other biomolecules, new types of biosensors are emerging and new research approaches to biological systems are becoming possible.
Control of CuO Particle Size on SiO2 by Spin Coating

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study the size and distribution of nanometer-sized metallic particles of four Cu/SiO2 model catalyst systems. The systems were constructed by spin coating copper(II) acetate [Cu(CH3CO2)2·H2O, Cu(ac)2] solutions of varying concentration (0.0040, 0.0070, 0.0085, and 0.010 M) onto polished Si(100) substrates with an 5−10 nm SiO2 oxide overlayer. Homogeneously distributed, nanometer-sized CuO particles were formed by calcinating the samples to 450 °C for 4 h. Narrow particle size distributions were observed for each system, with mean particle size increasing with increasing concentration. The ability to control mean particle size to the order of 1 nm was successfully demonstrated over this concentration range.
Evaluating mobile SOCs as an energy efficient DSP platform

Mobile system-on-chip (SOC) technology is improving at a staggering rate spurred primarily by the adoption of smartphones. This rapid innovation has allowed the mobile SOC to be considered in everything from high performance computing to embedded applications. In this paper, modern SOCs are evaluated for their use in digital signal processing by exploring implementation details on smartphones and tablets running the Android operating system. In addition, Google's RenderScript Compute is leveraged to utilize CPU resources alongside other compute resources such as graphics processing units and digital signal processors. In order to benchmark these concepts several implementations of the discrete Fourier transform are tested across devices and input sizes. The results show both improvement in performance and energy efficiency on many devices compared to traditional Java implementations and show that the mobile SOC is a relevant platform for digital signal processing applications.
Steady, Structured Shock Waves. Part 1: Thermoelastic Materials

One dimensional plane shock waves have been widely used to study the mechanical response of solids to high velocity impact★. For many materials, under a certain range of impact pressures, a two-wave structure arises, the first wave of which, the so-called elastic precursor, travels at a velocity near to the speed of sound, while the second wave, often called a plastic shock wave, travels at a slower speed which increases with impact pressure. While the full two-wave structure is thus not steady (does not propagate without change of form), each component wave may be treated as steady after having propagated sufficiently far.† As indicated by the experimental data presented in Figure 1, in some materials the elastic precursor is generally much steeper than the plastic shock wave. Indeed, for some materials, the elastic precursor is infinitely steep to within current techniques of data resolution. Accordingly, it is usually modelled as a singular surface. The plastic shock, however, typically exhibits a smooth variation, albeit still highly localized in time and space. Thus, these shocks are structured, and a central question for constitutive modelling concerns those aspects of material response that can serve as structuring agencies in the shock‡.
A comparative analysis of the relationship between phytoplankton standing crops and environmental parameters in four eutrophic prairie reservoirs

An analysis was performed with multivariate statistical methods of the relationship between chlorophyll a concentrations and eighteen physico-chemical parameters measured over a six year period in four eutrophic Nebraska reservoirs. In the reservoirs with relatively clear water early in the growing season, physical factors (Secchi depth, turbidity, temperature) and non-nutrient chemical factors (alkalinity, hardness, C. O. D.) were significantly related to chlorophyll a concentrations, but macronutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) were not. In the reservoir with persistent abiogenic turbidity, chemical factors including nitrogen and phosphorus were significant but physical factors were not. Six models based upon intercorrelations between measured parameters and chlorophyll a are evaluated for their usefulness in accounting for chlorophyll a variance. The best model accounts for 67–70 percent of the total variation in chlorophyll a in the four reservoirs.
Life-threatening events after theophylline overdose: a 10-year prospective analysis.

Background Despite the declining use of theophylline, episodes of intoxication continue to occur, producing seizures, arrhythmias, and death. Objectives To further characterize major toxic effects and to examine the efficacy of existing interventions. Methods We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of patients with theophylline overdose. For a 125-month period, all patients referred to the Massachusetts Poison Control System in Boston with a serum theophylline concentration of 167 µmol/L (≥30 µg/mL) or more were followed up prospectively. Recommended management by the poison center was uniform and protocol based. Results Three hundred fifty-six patients were enrolled. Mean age was 34.5 years (range, 3 days to 98 years). Mean peak serum theophylline concentration was 336 µmol/L (60 µg/mL) (range, 167-1360 µmol/L [30-245 µg/mL]). One hundred sixty-two patients (45.5%) had acute, 144 (40.4%) had chronic, and 50 (14.0%) had acute-on-therapeutic poisoning. Seventy-four patients (20.8%) developed cardiac arrhythmias, and 29 (8.2%) developed seizures. Fifteen patients (4.2%) died, 11 (73%) of whom had chronic overmedication. Arrhythmias were significantly more common after chronic overmedication than after acute intoxication (35% vs 10%; odds ratio, 4.97; 95% confidence interval, 2.68-9.23; P P =.04). There was no significant difference in the rate of major toxic effects (25.9% vs 30.0%) or death (4.6% vs 3.7%) among patients referred from 1986 to 1991 and from 1992 to 1996. Conclusions Theophylline intoxication results in substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly in those with chronic overmedication. Treatment strategies fail to improve clinical outcome. With safer alternative options available, the current indications for theophylline should be rigorously evaluated with a goal toward minimal use of this agent.
The relationship between plasma free fatty acids and liver mitochondrial function in vivo

Abstract P O ratio, state 3 and 4 respiration rates, and acceptor control index (ACI) were assessed in rat liver mitochondria following an overnight fast and single bout of treadmill exercise of 30–180 min. P O was unaffected by fasting and 30 min of exercise; however, ACI was reduced because of an increase in state 4 respiration. Fasting, followed by running for 1 h or more decreased P O approx. 40% and ACI by 50%, an effect that could be attributed to a reduction in state 3 respiration. The decrease in P O was reversed 15 min after the cessation of exercise, whereas ACI remained depressed. All these functional alterations were mimicked by incubation of isolated mitochondria with palmitate and reversed by washing them with albumin. No direct correlation between plasma free fatty acids and the alterations in mitochondrial respiration was apparent. These data demonstrate that the decrease in the normal coupling of oxidation and phosphorylation in liver mitochondria produced by fasting /exercise is reversed rapidly in vivo. Furthermore, it is apparent that, if fatty acids act as a regulatory agent under these conditions, they do not do so solely on the basis of their plasma concentration.
Nitrogen and mineral composition of autumn‐grazed pasture

Abstract Grazing management in autumn can influence the botanical composition and productivity of a sward. Cycling of nutrients as a result of grazing livestock activity and variable canopy growth rates may influence mineral nutrient supply and demand in a dynamic canopy. An experiment was conducted to determine the influence of autumn grazing practices on the growth and composition, including minerals in terms of ruminant requirements, of a grass/legume sward. Paddocks were established and three replicates grazed by growing lambs for 30‐, 60‐, or 90‐d intervals beginning in late summer. Herbage samples were collected at the beginning of the grazing interval and at the end of each interval (closing date). Herbage mass, and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and sulfur (S), as well as copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were examined in terms of the influence of sampling date, closing date, year, and the interaction of these factors from stockpiled and grazed canopies. Soil mi...
The resistance of 9 Cr-1 MoVNb and 12 Cr-1 MoVW steels to helium embrittlement☆

Abstract Small amounts of helium (15–40 at. ppm) are known to cause embrittlement in a large number of alloys when tensile tested at elevated temperatures. To determine the effect of helium on ferritic steels of interest for fusion reactor applications, tensile specimens of normalized-and-tempered 9 Cr-1 MoVNb with 0.1 and 2% Ni and 12 Cr-1 MoVW with 0.4, 1, and 2% Ni were irradiated in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at − 55°C. Helium up to − 42 at. ppm was produced by a two-step reaction of 58Ni with thermal neutrons. No embrittlement was detected in tensile tests at 700°C. These results are contrasted with the more severe embrittlement reported in the literature for several other types of alloys containing 15–30 at. ppm He.
Regulation of Bcl-2 Expression by Dihydrotestosterone in Hormone Sensitive LNCaP-FGC Prostate Cancer Cells

ABSTRACTPurpose: Up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic bcl-2 proto-oncogene is associated with androgen independent prostate cancer progression. This observation suggests that the expression of bcl-2 may be negatively regulated by androgens in prostate cancer cells.Materials and Methods: The expression of the proto-oncogene bcl-2 was assessed in the hormone sensitive prostate cancer cell line LNCaP-FGC in the presence and absence of a physiological concentration of 1 nM. dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Sequence analysis of the bcl-2 promoter regions demonstrated the presence of 2 potential androgen response elements. Transient transfections of luciferase reporter constructs containing these potential androgen response elements into LNCaP-FGC cells in the presence and absence of DHT were performed. Steady-state transcripts of bcl-2 were assessed using RNase protection assays.Results: Cells cultured in charcoal stripped serum in the presence of DHT resulted in down-regulation of bcl-2 protein. Down-regulation of b...
Emergence of immunoblastic sarcoma in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia

A case involving a 65-year-old man with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WMG) which transformed into immunoblastic sarcoma is presented. Surface IgM (kappa) was demonstrated on the plasmacytoid lymphocytes of the bone marrow at presentation as well as on the less differentiated cells of the immunoblastic sarcoma. Serum IgM levels fell at the time that immunoblastic transformation occurred. This case illustrates the fact that a fall in serum paraprotein may herald a malignant transformation of WMG.
Differential Expression of p21ras Gene Products among Histological Subtypes of Fresh Primary Human Lung Tumors

Activation of the ras oncogene has been associated with a number of human tumors. In this study, expression of p21 ras in different histological types of fresh primary bronchogenic carcinomas was examined. p21 ras products were detected in all lung tissues that were analyzed. Only 1 of 23 tumors demonstrated aberrant migration of p21 ras . In contrast, 10 tumors had substantially elevated levels of p21 ras products with respect to the adjacent normal lung tissues and with respect to the other lung tumors. There was no correlation between increased ras protein expression and tobacco exposure of the patient or extent of disease at the time of diagnosis. However, 9 of 11 tumors with a squamous component as opposed to only 1 of 12 tumors belonging to other histological classifications demonstrated increased p21 ras . These data suggest that, in bronchogenic carcinomas, mutations associated with structural abnormalities and aberrant migration of p21 ras occur infrequently as compared to quantitative changes in p21 ras . Furthermore, differential expression of c-ras products in primary human lung tumors correlates with pathological cell type, and may be a common event in squamous cell carcinomas, but not adenocarcinomas or small cell carcinomas of the lung.
Multimodality therapy for non-small cell lung cancer: the role of surgery

Abstract The results of surgery in stage IIIA (N2) disease has prompted Phase II studies examining the role of induction chemoeradiotherapy prior to surgery. Early results suggest a prolonged median survival time and somewhat improved long-term survival for patients treated in this fashion. Surgeons must be involved in pretherapy surgical staging and assessment of the patients for potential resection following induction treatment. Although surgery is more difficult at this stage of disease, especially after induction treatment, morbidity and mortality results appear acceptable.
Evaluation of hypothalamic murine and human melanocortin 3 receptor transcript structure.

Abstract The melanocortin 3 receptor (MC3R) is involved in regulation of energy homeostasis. However, its transcript structure is not well understood. We therefore studied initiation and termination sites for hypothalamic murine Mc3r and human MC3R transcripts. Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RACE) was performed for the 5′ and 3′ ends of murine and human hypothalamic RNA. 5′ RACE experiments using hypothalamic murine RNA indicated mouse hypothalamus expresses two major Mc3r transcription start sites: one with a 5′ UTR approximately 368 bases in length and another previously unknown transcript with a 5′ UTR approximately 440 bases in length. 5′ RACE experiments using human hypothalamic RNA identified a 5′ UTR beginning 533 bases upstream of the start codon with a 248 base splice. 3′ RACE experiments using hypothalamic murine RNA indicated the 3′ UTR terminates approximately 1286 bases after the translational stop codon, with a previously unknown 787 base splice between consensus splice donor and acceptor sites. 3′ RACE experiments using human MC3R transcript indicated the 3′ UTR terminates approximately 115–160 bases after the translational stop codon. These data provide insight into melanocortin 3 receptor transcript structure.
Estimating the Difference Between Group Versus Individual Performance on Problem-Solving Tasks:

An extensive amount of research has focused on the relative performance of groups versus individuals in problem-solving situations. The results of this research have been inconsistent. To some exte...
A perspective on the future of massively parallel computing: fine-grain vs. coarse-grain parallel models comparison & contrast

Models, architectures and languages for parallel computation have been of utmost research interest in computer science and engineering for several decades. A great variety of parallel computation models has been proposed and studied, and different parallel and distributed architectures designed as some possible ways of harnessing parallelism and improving performance of the general purpose computers.Massively parallel connectionist models such as artificial neural networks (ANNs) and cellular automata (CA) have been primarily studied in domain-specific contexts, namely, learning and complex dynamics, respectively. However, they can also be viewed as generic abstract models of massively parallel computers that are in many respects fundamentally different from the "main stream" parallel and distributed computation models.We compare and contrast herewith the parallel computers as they have been built by the engineers with those built by Nature. We subsequently venture onto a high-level discussion of the properties and potential advantages of the proposed massively parallel computers of the future that would be based on the fine-grained connectionist parallel models, rather than on either various multiprocessor architectures, or networked distributed systems, which are the two main architecture paradigms in building parallel computers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The comparisons and contrasts herein are focusing on the fundamental conceptual characteristics of various models rather than any particular engineering idiosyncrasies, and are carried out at both structural and functional levels. The fundamental distinctions between the fine-grain connectionist parallel models and their "classical" coarse-grain counterparts are discussed, and some important expected advantages of the hypothetical massively parallel computers based on the connectionist paradigms conjectured.We conclude with some brief remarks on the role that the paradigms, concepts, and design ideas originating from the connectionist models have already had in the existing parallel design, and what further role the connectionist models may have in the foreseeable future of parallel and distributed computing.
Criterion-related validity of a role-play social skills test for children

The social skills/competence of 104 second- and sixth-grade students was assessed using a role-play test for social skill and four measures of social competence, i.e., two peer ratings, teacher ratings, and self-report. Simple correlational analyses replicated earlier findings of very low correlations between specific role-play behavior and measures of social competence. As a test of criterion-related validity, multivariate analyses using canonical correlations indicated significant, moderate magnitude canonical correlations between response profiles of the role-play test and the criterion variables. These data were discussed in terms of the complexity of assessing social skill and competence. In particular, it was concluded that the person evaluating social competency situational factors and age of the child were important considerations for evaluating the adequacy of social behavior.
Electrochemical behavior of microfabricated thick-film electrodes

Abstract The basic electrochemical behavior of microfabricated thick-film platinum and gold electrodes is compared with that of conventional planar electrodes. It is found that microfabricated thick-film electrodes are electrocatalytically more active due to their higher specific surface area and porous nature. However, special attention should be paid to sealing of the current collector to prevent electrolyte from creeping beneath the seal, otherwise the electrode performance will be greatly impaired. This paper describes the experiments and results of the study.
Use of Q‐switched lasers in near‐infrared fourier transform Raman spectroscopy. I

It is demonstrated that the use of pulsed lasers in near-infrared Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy can give a significant increase in signal-to-noise ratios over continuous-wave measurements made using the same average laser power. It is also shown that when a thermal (or other relatively long-lived) background is present, the use of pulsed excitation can greatly reduce its effect and, under certain circumstances, can allow it to be subtracted completely.
Wrapped phase based SVM method for 3D object recognition

Kernel methods are effective machine learning techniques for many image based pattern recognition problems. Incorporating 3D information is useful in such applications. The optical profilometries and interforometric techniques provide 3D information in an implicit form. Typically phase unwrapping process, which is often hindered by the presence of noises, spots of low intensity modulation, and instability of the solutions, is applied to retrieve the proper depth information. In certain applications such as pattern recognition problems, the goal is to classify the 3D objects in the image, rather than to simply display or reconstruct them. In this paper we present a technique for constructing kernels on the measured data directly without explicit phase unwrapping. Such a kernel will naturally incorporate the 3D depth information and can be used to improve the systems involving 3D object analysis and classification. It avoids possible phase unwrapping errors introduced during object reconstruction.
Forensic Biometrics from Images and Video at the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Forensic examiners within FBI's Forensic Audio, Video and Image Analysis Unit(FAVIAU) perform forensic examinations such as human identification (from image and video) including facial comparison, ear comparison, hand comparison, and height determination. Examinations are performed without the assistance of automated biometric applications.Due to the high volume of casework, it is anticipated that automated biometrics could enhance the examination workflow to increase efficiency, as well as provide statistics and rates of probability that can be presented in court. To develop such biometric systems, FAVIAU funded research projects concerning facial and ear individualization.Further research concerning facial, ear, and hand biometrics are in the preliminary planning stages.
A BEHAVIORAL APPROACH TO THE CONTROL OF THUMBSUCKING IN THE CLASSROOM

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether classroom thumbsucking could be controlled by making social reinforcement contingent upon appropriate behaviors incompatible with thumbsucking. The classroom thumbsucking behavior of three 8-yr-old elementary school children was observed and recorded by two observers. Sixteen experimental lessons were divided into sets of baseline, reinforcement, reversal, and representation of reinforcement. The effect of the experimental treatment was determined by the changes in the total thumbsucking level for each subject during each lesson. Results indicated noticeable decreases in thumbsucking rate for all three subjects during lessons in which social reinforcement was made contingent upon appropriate behavior. Two of the three subjects showed sudden increases in thumbsucking time during lessons when social reinforcement for appropriate responses was withheld; the third subject showed continued low thumbsucking time during these lessons.
Integrating Outdoor/Environmental Education into the Special Education Curriculum

How and why to integrate outdoor/environmental education into the special education curriculum
Survival from Hypoxia in C. elegans by Inactivation of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases

Hypoxia is important in a wide range of biological processes, such as animal hibernation and cell survival, and is particularly relevant in many diseases. The sensitivity of cells and organisms to hypoxic injury varies widely, but the molecular basis for this variation is incompletely understood. Using forward genetic screens in Caenorhabditis elegans , we isolated a hypoxia-resistant reduction-of-function mutant of rrt-1 that encodes an arginyl–transfer RNA (tRNA) synthetase, an enzyme essential for protein translation. Knockdown of rrt-1 , and of most other genes encoding aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, rescued animals from hypoxia-induced death, and the level of hypoxia resistance was inversely correlated with translation rate. The unfolded protein response was induced by hypoxia and was required for the hypoxia resistance of the reduction-of-function mutant of rrt-1 . Thus, translational suppression produces hypoxia resistance, in part by reducing unfolded protein toxicity.
Pasteur revisited: chiral separation by crystallization on self-assembled monolayers

We revisited Pasteur's crystallization based chiral separation and obtained >90% pure L-glutamic acid by using a D-penicillamine self-assembled monolayer as the resolving auxiliary and manually removing enantiopure crystals identified through Raman microscopy. Identical conditions in bulk solutions yielded only racemic crystals.
Sample Selection and Adaptive Weight Allocation for Compressive MIMO UWB Noise Radar

In this paper, we propose a sample selection method for compressive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) ultra-wideband (UWB) noise radar imaging. The proposed sample selection is based on comparing norm values of the transmitted sequences, and selects the largest M samples among N candidates per antenna. Moreover, we propose an adaptive weight allocation which improves normalized mean-square error (NMSE) by maximizing the mutual information between target echoes and the transmitted signals. Further, this weighting scheme is applicable to both sample selection schemes, a conventional random sampling and the proposed selection. Simulations show that the proposed selection method can improve the multiple target detection probability and NMSE. Moreover, the proposed weight allocation scheme is applicable to those selection methods and obtains spatial diversity and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gains.
A global inventory of carbon monoxide emissions from motor vehicles

Automobile emissions are the major urban source of carbon monoxide, and they are also important globally. One estimate by the Japanese Automobile Research Institute (JARI) of the 1990 global CO emissions from automobiles is 231 megatonnes (Mt). The same source gives the USA 1990 emissions as 21 Mt, whereas the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate 57 Mt. The two sources agree that the mobile source (including airplanes) CO2 emissions are about 1500 Mt. Thus the disagreement is in the CO/CO2 molar ratio (JARI 0.022, EPA 0.062). We have developed a device which measures the CO/CO2 ratio in the exhaust of motor vehicles passing in a single lane. At busy locations we measure over 1000 vehicles per hour. Over the last 10 yrs these ratios have been measured from over ten million vehicles in eighteen countries. The results can be directly converted into mass of emissions per liter of fuel burned. On-road CO emissions depend on the vehicle technology, its state of maintenance, and thus upon fleet age. Our estimate of the 1991 global CO emissions from motor vehicles is 213 Mt, of which 88% (188 Mt) were produced in the northern hemisphere, with 17% (36 Mt) produced in the USA. This estimate for USA 1991 emissions is intermediate between the JARI and EPA 1990 estimates. For 1995 relative to 1991, we estimate a 17% decrease in global CO emissions from motor vehicles, arising from fleet emissions technology upgrades, somewhat countered by increased fuel consumption.
Marama Bean (Tylosema esculentum, Fabaceae) seed crop in Texas

The marama bean, Tylosema esculentum, is a drought- tolerant legume native to southern Africa. Its seeds are comparable to soybeans in protein content and quality, its oil content approaches that of peanuts, and the plants might be desirable as a forage legume. Although the marama bean has great potential as an arid land crop in the United States, studies of the species are extremely limited. The current investigations have demonstrated that the plants can be grown successfully in an arid region of the United States, at least under experimental conditions, and that a healthy seed crop can be expected in about 4.5 years.
Advanced DNA sequencing technologies

Abstract Methods of DNA sequencing are advancing rapidly. Driven by large-scale sequencing projects, numerous improvements to the traditional sequencing methods of Sanger and Maxam-Gilbert have been developed and are becoming more widely used. In addition, entirely new sequencing and sequence analysis methods have been demonstrated and should soon become widely accessible.
Interfacial trapping mechanism of He in Cu–Nb multilayer materials

Abstract He atom trapping in hetero-interphase materials is studied by atomistic simulations, focusing on the KS1 and KSmin interfaces in Cu–Nb. If the bulk crystalline materials are defect free, single He atoms eventually become absorbed into the interfacial region via one of two different processes. In the first process, all He atoms arriving at the interface from the Cu side of the interface and some He atoms arriving from the Nb side, are trapped via the formation of a helium-vacancy (HeV) cluster in the second or third interfacial planes of the copper crystal. The immobile HeV cluster is found to be stable against dissociation and recombination. In the second case the He atoms are absorbed as interstitial atoms in one of the terminal planes. This process is dependent on the interstitial content of the interface and is found to be weak in the case of the KS1 interface.
Elemental leaf content and deficiency symptoms in rabbiteye blueberries: 2. Calcium and magnesium

Abstract In separate tests, rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei Reade) grown in sand culture were subjected to varying levels of Ca (0–81 mg/liter) and Mg (0–24 mg/liter) applied at rates of 250 ml/plant daily. Other essential nutrients were kept constant. Leaf concentrations of N, P, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, B, Zn, Co, and Al were determined. The concentration of Ca in the leaves increased linearly but that of Cu decreased in response to increasing levels of Ca fertilization. Leaf concentrations of other elements were not significantly influenced by Ca fertilization. Leaf Mg and Al concentrations increased linearly in response to increasing levels of Mg fertilization. The P content in leaves followed a quadratic curve with increased Mg fertilization. Percent P increased from the 0 to 12 mg/liter levels and then decreased from the 12 to 24 mg/liter levels of Mg. High levels of Mg fertilization resulted in reduced Cu content of leaves. Fertilization rates of Ca or Mg had little effect on shoot dry weight ...
Does adjunctive lamotrigine provide improved control of primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in children?

Does adjunctive lamotrigine provide improved control of primary generalized tonic–clonic seizures in children?
Supercritical fluid extraction of 2,4-D from soils using derivatization and ionic modifiers.

Abstract Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO 2 , a clean and rapid alternative to conventional organic solvent extraction techniques, was investigated for the extraction of 2,4-D from soils using a variety of pre-extraction soil treatments to enhance extraction recoveries. Initial experiments with silylation, ion-pairing, methyl esterification, and ionic displacement are reported. Methyl esterification and ionic displacement during SFE proved to be the most promising approaches for quantitative extraction. Although the SFE procedures were not fully optimized, comparison between SFE and a standard Soxhlet extraction method demonstrated the potential for improving analytical measurement for highly polar pesticides in soil by modifying SFE—CO 2 extraction with derivatizing reagents and ionic solutions.
The selective melting of germanium by thermal radiation

Abstract The selective partial melting of Ge by means of radiant heating is described, wherein a furnace providing a one-dimensional thermal gradient is used in conjunction with means for altering the radiant heat flux to local areas of a Ge sample surface. An analytical model is developed to describe, qualitatively, the mechanics of the heat-transfer processes involved. Experimental results are presented to show that selective local melts in Ge can be produced with the aid of locally deposited carbon particle films on the Ge surface which alter the apparent thermal emissivity, (absorptivity) or with the aid of small, separate bodies of appropriate physical properties resting on the Ge sample surface. Methods are described for introducing doping impurities to the melts, in order to form junction structures.
The effect of offender and victim characteristics on sexual assault case processing decisions

Previous research testing the sexual stratification hypothesis has demonstrated that the defendant's race interacts with the victim's race to produce harsher sentences for blacks who sexually assault whites. Research also has demonstrated that victim characteristics affect outcomes of sexual assault cases. We use data on defendants bound over for trial in Detroit Recorder's Court to build on and extend this research. We examine the effect of the racial makeup of the offender/victim pair on a series of sexual assault case outcomes, and we test for interaction between offender/victim race, the relationship between the victim and the offender, and evidence of risk-taking behavior by the victim. Our results show that sexual assaults involving black men and white women are not always treated more harshly than other types of assaults. We conclude that the sexual stratification hypothesis must be modified to account for the role of factors other than the racial composition of the offender/victim pair.
Defining a Playing Field: Where Does “Pre-Med” Fit?

The chemical education community has the opportunity to make changes to the content and delivery of introductory courses in general and organic chemistry. This editorial introduces several ideas about change and additional commentaries in this issue containing related perspectives.
Parallelizing computer vision algorithms on acceleration technologies: A SIFT case study

Computer vision algorithms, such as scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT), are used in many important applications, e.g., autonomous vehicle and computer-human interaction. They are typically computation intensive and require a long processing time on traditional single-core processors. In this work, we present the methodologies to parallelize the SIFT algorithm on various acceleration technologies and multicore processors, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), and Intel Many Integrated Core (MIC) Architecture. The results show that all acceleration technologies can significantly improve the performance compared with the single-thread implementation on an Intel Core i7 processor. In particular the Nvidia Telsa K20 GPU is capable of providing a 10× speedup. Furthermore, it is found that the performance of the Intel MIC coprocessor is at the same range as the multicore CPU processor, while the optimal implementation of SIFT does not necessarily use all the computing resources on these two platforms.
Ecology: Moving farther and faster

The distributions of terrestrial organisms are shifting in response to climate change. Research shows that these changes are happening at a much faster rate than previously estimated.
A characterization of neural network performances based on Fokker-Planck statistical models

The authors examine the connection between training period and detection performance by showing that a network can be described by a Fokker-Planck statistical model. Closed-form expressions are derived for the weight probabilities under suitable assumptions on the weight adaptivity and the noise process. Output node statistics are determined by computing the conditional output density as a function of the input statistics and averaging over the weight probabilities for a specific training time. It is shown that the training period is dominated by the time required to stabilize the bias weight. This weight is analogous to an adaptive threshold and is related directly to the network false alarm probability. A second issue addressed is the steady-state performance of the network. Explicit expressions are derived for the false alarm and detection probabilities. The authors show that the network implements a classical mini-max best. >
Activation of lung toll-like receptors does not exacerbate sickness responses to lipopolysaccharide in mice

Pneumonia represents a leading cause of death. Recently, a novel treatment strategy for pneumonia has involved enhancing the host pulmonary innate immune response by pre-exposure to aerosolized toll-like receptor (TLR)9 and TLR2/6 agonists, known as O/P. O/P inhalation in mice has been demonstrated to stimulate innate lung immunity, and thus increase survival against subsequent pneumonia infection while producing barely detectable increases in systemic cytokines. Here, we examined the safety of O/ P treatment when used in mice that are inflamed systemically. Swiss-Webster mice were treated with two doses of aerosolized O/P (1� or 8� ) vs phosphate buffered saline (PBS) either immediately before intraperitoneal injection of 0.1 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or PBS (equivolume) or 2 h after. Sickness responses (reduced body weight, food intake, activity and social interaction) were examined at 2 and 5.5 h post-treatment. Immediately following behavioral testing, mice were euthanized, perfused with PBS, and brains, spleens, livers and lungs snap frozen for assessment of pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNAs. While O/P treatment alone increased lung IL-1b, IFNc and TNF-a, no such effects were observed in the brain, spleen or liver. Furthermore, there was no evidence that O/P treatment administered before or after LPS had any synergizing effect to potentiate the cytokine response to LPS in any compartment measured. Supportive of these findings were the measures of sickness behaviors that did not show any increased sickness response in O/P-treated mice exposed to LPS, suggestive that the cytokine signal pro- duced in the lungs from O/P inhalation did not propagate to the brain and synergize with LPS-induced neuroinflammation. These findings support the safety of the use of O/P inhalation as a preventative mea- sure against pneumonia and demonstrate a unique ability of the lungs to compartmentalize pulmonary inflammation and limit propagation of the cytokine signal to the brain.
Effect of reduced flow on blood-brain barrier transport systems.

Abstract Pathological states (i.e. stroke, cardiac arrest) can lead to reduced blood flow to the brain potentially altering blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability and regulatory transport functions. BBB disruption leads to increased cerebrovascular permeability, an important factor in the development of ischemic brain injury and edema formation. In this study, reduced flow was investigated to determine the effects on cerebral blood flow (CBF), pressure, basal BBB permeability, and transport of insulin and K+ across the BBB. Anesthetized adult female Sprague–Dawley rats were measured at normal flow (3.1 ml min−1), half flow (1.5 ml min−1), and quarter flow (0.75 ml min−1), using bilateral in situ brain perfusion for 20 min followed by capillary depletion analysis. Reduction in perfusion flow rates demonstrated a modest reduction in CBF (1.27–1.56 ml min−1 g−1), a decrease in pressure, and no significant effect on basal BBB permeability indicating that autoregulation remained functional. In contrast, there was a concomittant decrease in BBB transport of both insulin and K+ with reduced flow. At half and quarter flow, insulin transport was significantly reduced (RBr%=17.2 and RBr%=16.2, respectively) from control (RBr%=30.4). Additionally, a significant reduction in [86Rb+] was observed at quarter flow (RBr%=2.5) as compared to control (RBr%=4.8) suggesting an alteration in ion homeostasis as a result of low flow. This investigation suggests that although autoregulation maintains CBF, BBB transport mechanisms were significantly compromised in states of reduced flow. These flow alterations may have a significant impact on brain homeostasis in pathological states.
All-Optical High-Frequency Electrical Chirped Pulse Generation using a Nonlinearly Chirped Fiber Bragg Grating

In this paper, two novel approaches to optically generating high-frequency chirped electrical pulses with tunable chirp rate using a tunable nonlinearly chirped fiber Bragg grating (NL-CFBG) are proposed. In the first approach, a high-frequency electrical chirped pulse is generated based on optical spectral shaping and nonlinear wavelength-to-time conversion using a tunable NL-CFBG. In the second approach, two ultrashort pulses at different wavelengths are dispersed at an NL-CFBG. The beating of the two differently dispersed pulses at a high-speed photodetector generates a chirped electrical pulse with tunable chirp rate. The NL-CFBG used in the proposed systems is produced using a simple technique based on strain-gradient beam tuning. Mathematical models to describe the chirped electrical pulse generation are developed, which are verified by numerical simulations. The first approach is also verified by a proof-of-concept experiment.
Lymphokine production by human gingival lymphocytes.

A variety of immunological mechanisms of the host have been implicated as contributing factors in the pathogenesis of human periodontal diseases. Studies using peripheral blood mononuclear cells have been equivocal; however, development of a technique for isolating lymphoid cells from human gingival tissues has allowed the investigation of local immune activities. This study was done to determine whether gingival lymphoid cells from subjects with no disease, gingivitis or periodontitis could produce lymphokines directly or in response to stimulation with plaque, Actinomyces viscosus or Bacteroides gingivalis. Results show that cells from non-diseased gingiva produce very low levels of chemotactic factor (CF), leukocyte migration inhibition factor (LIF) or mitogenic factor (MF) directly or in response to the plaque or bacteria. Gingival cells from gingivitis tissues show low levels of lymphokine production when unstimulated, but this increases in response to plaque and A. viscosus. Cells from periodontitis tissues similarly show low to moderate lymphokine levels in unstimulated cultures but an increased production in response to plaque and B. gingivalis. These data suggest that gingival lymphoid cells may be sensitized, and become reactive in vivo in disease states, and that various periodontal disease states may be related to specific oral bacteria.
ORIGINS AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF PERCEPTION, ACTION, AND REPRESENTATION

Research relevant to the origins and early development of two functionally dissociable perceptual systems is summarized. One system is concerned with the perceptual control and guidance of actions, the other with the perception and recognition of objects and events. Perceptually controlled actions function in real time and are modularly organized. Infants perceive where they are and what they are doing. By contrast, research on object recognition suggests that even young infants represent some of the defining features and physical constraints that specify the identity and continuity of objects. Different factors contribute to developmental changes within the two systems; it is difficult to generalize from one response system to another; and neither perception, action, nor representation qualifies as ontogenetically privileged. All three processes develop from birth as a function of intrinsic processing constraints and experience.
Lymphatics in Lung Disease

The lymphatic circulation appears to be a vital component in lung biology in health and in disease. Animal models have established the role of the lymphatic circulation in neoplastic and inflammatory diseases of the lung, such as asthma and cancer, and allowed for the understanding of the molecular controls of lymphangiogenesis in normal lung development. Understanding the role of lymphatics in human lung disease appears likely to contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of disease and the development of novel therapeutic targets.
Sensitivity Enhancement of Separated Local Field Experiments: Application to Membrane Proteins

Separated local field (SLF) experiments have been used for almost three decades to obtain structural information in solid-state NMR. These experiments resolve chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) from d...
A method for physically based model analysis of conjunctive use in response to potential climate changes

[1] Potential climate change effects on aspects of conjunctive management of water resources can be evaluated by linking climate models with fully integrated groundwater– surface water models. The objective of this study is to develop a modeling system that links global climate models with regional hydrologic models, using the California Central Valley as a case study. The new method is a supply and demand modeling framework that can be used to simulate and analyze potential climate change and conjunctive use. Supplyconstrained and demand-driven linkages in the water system in the Central Valley are represented with the linked climate models, precipitation-runoff models, agricultural and native vegetation water use, and hydrologic flow models to demonstrate the feasibility of this method. Simulated precipitation and temperature were used from the GFDL-A2 climate change scenario through the 21st century to drive a regional water balance mountain hydrologic watershed model (MHWM) for the surrounding watersheds in combination with a regional integrated hydrologic model of the Central Valley (CVHM). Application of this method demonstrates the potential transition from predominantly surface water to groundwater supply for agriculture with secondary effects that may limit this transition of conjunctive use. The particular scenario considered includes intermittent climatic droughts in the first half of the 21st century followed by severe persistent droughts in the second half of the 21st century. These climatic droughts do not yield a valley-wide operational drought but do cause reduced surface water deliveries and increased groundwater abstractions that may cause additional land subsidence, reduced water for riparian habitat, or changes in flows at the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. The method developed here can be used to explore conjunctive use adaptation options and hydrologic risk assessments in regional hydrologic systems throughout the world.