cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE BREADTH OF ATTENTION IN LEARNING: A NEW ONE‐LOOK MODEL

The finding that some subjects learn about more than one set of relevant cues in a discriminative learning or concept identification task has been considered as strong counter-evidence to a one-look model of attention in learning (Trabasso & Bower, 1968). It is demonstrated, however, that one-look models can predict multiple-cue learning if it is assumed that subjects switch attention between trials, and that they store some information about past trials. Three submodels of a general one-look model are presented and all are shown to fit the data of Trabasso & Bower (1968) as well as their own multiple-look model. The success of the one-look model argues against the use of solution-type data as a simple means for determining the breadth of attention in the learning situation. The present interpretation of multiple-cue learning also provides a framework within which to consider at least one important role that memorial processes play in concept identification and discriminative learning.
Cyclohexenones by the photoannelation of alkenes with 2,2-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone

Abstract The photoaddition of alkenes to 2,2-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone affords products which can be efficiently elaborated to cyclohexenones by two different methods.
Metamorphosis of the IBZ Bibliographic Index

The Internationale Bibliographie der Zeitschriftenliteratur aus alien Gebieten des Wissens (IBZ) and the Internationale Bibliographie der Rezentionen Wissenschaflicher Literatur (IBR) appear to be disappearing from the United States. Why is this happening? Is it any loss?
Spatial Order in Fluvial Systems: Horton's Laws Derived from Mixed Hexagonal Hierarchies of Drainage Basin Areas

The number of stream basin areas (that is, the number of Strahler stream segments) is predicted on the basis of an hexagonal model for basin areas. It is suggested that the number of orders and the number of basins per order balance opposing tendencies for minimum overland work for streams flowing in small basins and maximum work savings in large, as opposed to small, channels. In addition, the entropy of the system approaches the maximum possible. The model agrees with empirical data in cases where the land surface is reasonably uniform with regard to structure and lithology. The necessity for approximate geometric progressions of basin areas with order creates geometric progressions of other basin parameters, leading directly to the power function relationships between variables, known as allometric growth. This model is identical to one proposed to explain the numbers of market areas per order in a system of cities. In addition, the model predicts the structure of bile ducts in one bovine liver cited in this paper.
The spatial ventricular vector. Its definition, determination, and clinical significances

1. The spatial ventricular vector, which summaries the ventricular electrical activities, has been defined. 2. Three methods for the determination of the spatial ventricular vector has been described. With the aid of the two circular reference systems and a volume of tables the interpreter needs no more than one minute for each determination. 3. The spatial distribution of this vector obtained from normal individuals as compared from patients with left ventricular hypertrophy has been found to be significant. Greater significance in general is expected when orthogonal leads of equal electrical weights are employed. 4. The differences of the present vector on the one hand andWilson's ventricular gradient andBurger's polar vector on the other hand have been discussed. 5. For clinical vectorcardiography it is proposed that the individual physicians retain their lead systems of preference while agree upon a worldwide communicative system. For this purpose the E-W-B spatial lead system, joins the efforts ofEinthoven, Wilson, andBurger together, is recommended. Reasons for the recommendations are given. 6. Analog and digital computers appear unlikely to have direct clinical application in electrocardiography or vectorcardiography in foreseeable future. However, in the hands of individual investigators, computers already serve two useful purposes, to reduce their working load and to assist to derive practical methods for the clinicians.
The response of drift tubes to variations in wire diameter and gas filling

Abstract A systematic study of the response of single-wire drift tubes to variations in the wire diameter and gas fillings has been conducted. Gas gain as a function of applied voltage and pulse-shape characteristics were measured for both the proportional and streamer modes. Argon gas fillings with mixtures of ethane, methane, isobutane, and carbon dioxide were studied. Ethanol and isopropyl alcohol admixtures were added to determine effects on stability. Additional studies were conducted on nonstandard gas mixtures such as Freon and neon fillings, and “magic gas”. Wire diameters included in the study were 20, 25, 50, and 100 μm. The results demonstrate that streamer operation can be achieved with most gases and wire diameters. However, in most cases, admixtures of alcohol were necessary to obtain adequate streamer mode plateaus for the smaller diameter wires.
S-Glutathionylation: Indicator of Cell Stress and Regulator of the Unfolded Protein Response

The specific posttranslational modification of protein cysteine residues by the addition of the tripeptide glutathione is termed S-glutathionylation. This process is promoted by oxidative and nitrosative stress but also occurs in unstressed cells. Altered levels of S-glutathionylation in some proteins have been associated with numerous pathologies, many of which have been linked to redox stress in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Proper protein folding is dependent upon controlled redox conditions within the ER, and it seems that ER conditions can in turn affect rates of S-glutathionylation. This article seeks to bring together the ways through which these processes are interrelated and considers the implications of these interrelationships upon therapeutic approaches to disease.
ESTIMATION OF LOW RETURN PERIOD FLOODS / Estimation des crues d'une basse période de retour

Abstract A method was sought for estimating low return period floods (0.2–5 years) from annual maximum data. The theoretical relationship between the peak over threshold and annual maximum return periods is re-examined and an empirical relationship based upon United Kingdom flood data is proposed.
Thio-sugars. Part 5: From d-glucal to 3-deoxy-(1→2)-2-S-thiodisaccharides through isolevoglucosenone—a simple approach

Abstract A new synthesis of isolevoglucosenone and its stereoselective functionalization into 3-deoxy-(1-2)-2-S-thiodisaccharides is described. The base-catalyzed conjugate addition of 1-thiosugars to isolevoglucosenone followed by the reduction of the C-4 keto function constitute a new two-step general approach to these classes of biologically important thio-sugars.
Traffic Control Devices and Barrier Systems at Grade Crossings: Literature Review

Accidents at grade crossings are a significant concern to the railroad industry, and a large proportion of these accidents are the result of driver error. To understand drivers' decisions and actions, FRA sponsored the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in the conduct of a literature review of research from 1990 to 2006 examining driver behavior at grade crossings. This review is intended to update the 1990 report Driver Behavior at Rail-Highway Crossings and to provide input for developing countermeasures to discourage dangerous driving behavior. This paper summarizes a small portion of the problem and presents findings from the review addressing the design and effectiveness of grade crossing traffic control devices and barrier systems. Although drivers generally understand that a grade crossing is nearby upon seeing one of five warning devices (crossbuck, advance warning sign, pavement markings, flashing light signals, and automatic gates), the precise meaning of the devices and the driver act...
Performance of a scanning laser line striper in outdoor lighting

For search and rescue robots and reconnaissance robots it is important to detect objects in their vicinity. We have developed a scanning laser line striper that can produce dense 3D images using active illumination. The scanner consists of a camera and a MEMS-micro mirror based projector. It can also detect the presence of optically difficult material like glass and metal. The sensor can be used for autonomous operation or it can help a human operator to better remotely control the robot. In this paper we will evaluate the performance of the scanner under outdoor illumination, i.e. from operating in the shade to operating in full sunlight. We report the range, resolution and accuracy of the sensor and its ability to reconstruct objects like grass, wooden blocks, wires, metal objects, electronic devices like cell phones, blank RPG, and other inert explosive devices. Furthermore we evaluate its ability to detect the presence of glass and polished metal objects. Lastly we report on a user study that shows a significant improvement in a grasping task. The user is tasked with grasping a wire with the remotely controlled hand of a robot. We compare the time it takes to complete the task using the 3D scanner with using a traditional video camera.
Coulometric titration of uranium and uranium-vanadium mixtures with +3 titanium

Coulometrie titration of +6 uranium with electrogenerated titanous ion at a platinum cathode in 8 F sulfuric acid can be performed accurately in the presence of ferrous ion as a catalyst. Amperometric end-point detection is employed. The titration is suitable for the precise assay of uranium compounds. Mixtures of +5 vanadium and +6 uranium can be titrated, because the reduction of +5 vanadium occurs at a more oxidizing potential than the reduction of +4 vanadium and +6 uranium. Using amperometric end-point detection, two end-points are observed corresponding to the reduction of +5 vanadium to the +4 state, and to the simultaneous reduction of +4 vanadium to the +3 state and +6 uranium to the +4 state. Errors are as small as plus or minus 0.3%, provided the uranium/ vanadium ratio is between 0.1 and 10. (auth)
Acute rosiglitazone treatment during reperfusion after hyperglycemic stroke is neuroprotective not vascular protective.

Reperfusion therapy for ischemic stroke can cause secondary brain injury, especially under hyperglycemic (HG) conditions. Here we investigated the effect of acute treatment with rosiglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ) agonist, prior to postischemic reperfusion, on stroke outcome during HG stroke. Male Wistar rats that were either normoglycemic (NG) or HG by STZ (50 mg/kg; for 5-6 days) underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 hours with 2 hours of reperfusion. Animals were treated i.v. with rosiglitazone (1mg/kg; n=16), rosiglitazone (1mg/kg) + the free radical scavenger Tempol (50mg/kg; n=10) or vehicle (n=16) ten minutes prior to reperfusion and infarct volume, edema formation and cerebral blood flow (CBF) were measured. Compared to NG, HG stroke significantly increased infarct volume from 5.2±3.0% vs. 14.7±3.6% (p 0.05 vs. vehicle). The lack of an effect of combined treatment of rosiglitazone + Temple may be due to a decrease in reperfusion CBF that was only 60% of baseline (p 0.05). In conclusion, acute rosiglitazone treatment prior reperfusion was neuroprotective but not vascular protective during HG stroke.
A DNA vaccine protects mice against the rickettsial agent Cowdria ruminantium.

A DNA vaccine (VCL1010/MAP1) containing the major antigenic protein 1 (MAP1) gene of Cowdria ruminantium, driven by the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) enhancer-promoter, was injected intramuscularly into 8–10 week-old female DBA/2 mice after treating them with 50 μl/muscle of 0.5% bupivacaine three days previously. Up to 75% of the immunized mice seroconverted and reacted with C. ruminantium antigen blots. Splenocytes from immunized mice, but not from control mice, proliferated in response to the recombinant MAP1 and to C. ruminantium antigens in in vitro lymphocyte proliferation tests. These proliferating cells secreted IFN-gamma and IL-2 at concentrations ranging from 610 pg/ml to 1290 pg/ml and from 152 pg/ml to 310 pg/ml, respectively. Only up to 45 pg/ml and 42 pg/ml of IFN-gamma and IL-2, respectively, were detected in supernatants of splenocytes from control mice. In experiments testing different VCL1010/MAP1 DNA vaccine dose regimens (25–100 μg/dose, two or four immunizations), survival rates of 23% to 88% (35/92 survivors/total in all VCL1010/MAP1 immunized groups) were observed on challenge with a lethal dose of cell culture-derived C. ruminantium organisms. In contrast, survival rates of 0% to 3% (1/144 survivors/total in all control groups) were recorded for control mice. This study demonstrates that MAP1 is a protective antigen and validates the concept of DNA vaccines against heartwater.
Inhibition of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) activities of human placenta by steroids and non-steroidal hormone agonists and antagonists

Various naturally occurring steroids, synthetic steroid derivatives and non-steroidal hormone agonists and antagonists were assayed as inhibitors of human placental 17 beta-HSD activities. Microsomal 17 beta-HSD was inhibited by C18-, C19- and C21-steroids. Soluble 17 beta-HSD was highly specific for C18-steroids. In contrast to the soluble activity, the microsomal enzyme also had a strong affinity for ethinylestradiol (KI = 0.3 microM) and danazol (KI = 0.6 microM); anabolic steroids and norethisterone were weaker inhibitors. Of the non-steroids tested only diethylstilbestrol and o-demethyl CI-680 were inhibitors and they showed a greater affinity for soluble 17 beta-HSD. KI-values for estradiol-17 beta, (0.8 microM), progesterone (27.0 microM) and 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone (1.5 microM) were comparable to reported tissue levels of these compounds, consistent with a possible competition in vivo among naturally occurring C18-, C19-, and C21-steroids for the active site of microsomal 17 beta-HSD.
THE RELATION OF AGE TO THE DURATION OF CONTRACTION, EJECTION, AND RELAXATION OF THE NORMAL HUMAN HEART.

Abstract The chief findings in healthy persons with advancing age were as follows: (1) Progressive prolongation of the period of dicates that the pulse transmission time is the same at the end as at the beginning of ejection. Thus, the carotid upstroke-carotid incisura interval appears to be a reliable guide to the duration of ejection. (3) No significant change in the duration of ejection when corrected for heart rate. (4) Slight reduction in the excitation-carotid upstroke interval. However, the excitation-ejection time (i.e., the excitation-carotid upstroke interval corrected for pulse transmission time) tended to lengthen slightly with advancing age. The findings have led to the following tentative conclusions: (a) The prolongation of relaxation may be a factor of some importance in regard to the relative inability of old normal hearts to tolerate tachycardia. Rough calculations suggest that, as an average, a sustained rate of 120, or more, cannot be tolerated beyond the age of 70. (b) The basic mechanisms responsible for initiating pressure, for sustaining pressure, and for relaxation appear to vary independently. These findings and conclusions are based on data secured by indirect methods. Pending confirmation (or refutation) by more precise techniques, they should be considered as points of departure for further studies rather than as established concepts.
Prevalence of hyperandrogenemia among nonhirsute oligo-ovulatory women.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that oligo-ovulatory ovulation is associated with hyperandrogenemia in the absence of other clinical signs of androgen excess. Design: Retrospective cohort controlled. Setting: Tertiary care university-based outpatient clinic. Patient(s): Thirty-two consecutive nonhirsute oligo-ovulatory women and 37 healthy eumenorrheic controls. Intervention(s): All study subjects underwent a physical exam and blood sampling in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum was assayed for total T, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), androstenedione (A), and DS, and the free T level was calculated. Result(s): Mean free T was higher and SHBG was lower in oligo-ovulatory patients compared with controls. The oligo-ovulatory patients were subdivided according to severity of menstrual abnormalities into those with cycles Conclusion(s): Approximately 40% of nonhirsute oligo-ovulatory women with cycle intervals ≥45 days demonstrate at least one abnormally elevated androgen level, suggesting that they may have a discrete form of the polycystic ovary syndrome. Furthermore, this data brings into question the sensitivity of hirsutism as a marker for hyperandrogenemia.
Replicating a Colles fracture in an excised radius: Revisiting testing protocols

A distal radius fracture in middle-age and older adults is often considered a sentinel indicator of osteoporosis. Mechanical testing of cadaveric specimens is often used to quantify bone strength and develop insight for relating in-vivo measures to fracture force. Mechanical testing protocols using an intact forearm have been successful at replicating a Colles fracture, however, excised isolated radius protocols based on the intact forearm testing protocol have not been as successful. One protocol originally designed to replicate the physiological condition of a fall on an outstretched hand was reproduced in our laboratory, yet surprisingly the produced distal radius fracture patterns were not consistent among specimens nor was dorsal angulation of the distal fragment that is characteristic of a Colles fracture observed. The purpose of this study was to perform a mechanics-based analysis of the excised radius loading protocol in order to quantify the imposed and internal forces on the radius. An idealized beam model of the excised radius revealed that in the area of the distal radius where Colles fractures occur, 99.99% of the maximum strain on the bone outer surface was the result of pure compressive loading. This loading condition is in direct contrast to the accepted mechanics of a Colles fracture, which is characterized as a metaphyseal bending fracture with the volar cortex failing due to tensile stresses and the dorsal cortex exhibiting compression and comminution. The results suggest that additional research, particularly related to overcoming the difficulties of reliably supporting and applying a force to the distal end of the radius, is necessary for clinical fracture patterns to be reliably reproduced with an excised radius mechanical testing protocol.
Effect of applied dc currents on experimental tumor growth in rats

Morris Hepatoma experimental tumor in ACI rats is treated with small anodal direct current via an implantable power pack unit. There was major retardation in tumor growth when the treatment was started early. There was enhancement of tumor growth when the treatment was started early and then was discontinued. There was no statistical difference in growth control of the experimental tumor when the electrotherapy was given after the half-life of the tumor was achieved. This last point will be the most important to the clinician scientist, for it simulates the clinical situation that faces the treating physician.
Paper: Dual control guidance for simultaneous identification and interception

An adaptive dual-control guidance algorithm is presented for intercepting a moving target in the presence of an interfering target (decoy) in a stochastic environment. Two sequences of measurements are obtained at discrete points in time; however, it is not certain which sequence came from the target of interest and which from the decoy. Associated with each track, the interceptor also receives noisy, state-dependent feature measurements. The optimum control for the interceptor which is given by the solution of the stochastic dynamic programming equation is not numerically feasible to obtain. An approximate solution of this equation is obtained by evaluating the value of the future information gathering. This is done through the use of preposterior analysis-approximate prior probability densities are obtained and used to describe the future learning and control. In this way, the interceptor control is used for information gathering in order to reduce the future target and decoy intertial measurement errors and enhance the observable target/decoy feature differences for subsequent discrimination between the true target and the decoy. Simulation studies have shown the effectiveness of the scheme.
Compensation for ecosystem services: an evaluation of efforts to achieve conservation and development in Ecuadorian páramo grasslands

Ecosystem services programmes have been advocated for their potential to join conservation and poverty alleviation efforts, integrate working landscapes, and provide a flow of ecosystem services upon which populations rely. Ecuadorian paramo grasslands have rapidly become the focus of compensation for ecosystem services (CES) programmes intended to conserve hydrologic services, carbon sequestration and biodiversity. This paper reviews CES programmes in Ecuadorian paramos using a combination of semi-structured interviews with project personnel, policy makers and community leaders involved in CES programme development, document analysis, and archival research. Findings indicate that, in some cases, CES schemes can support local development, with potential to contribute to poverty alleviation; however, measures of programme effects on poverty were lacking. The programmes fell across the spectrum of activity-reducing to activity-enhancing, with some functioning as protected areas and others integrating working landscapes; however, designation of land as protected did not necessarily imply more restrictive use. Finally, these cases all reflect scenarios in which limited information is available linking land use with ecosystem services production and underscore the idea that adequate understanding of ecosystem production functions continues to be a barrier to development of effective programmes, particularly where the provision of multiple ecosystem services is anticipated.
Characterization of Metal/Carbon Multilayers by Raman Spectroscopy

Laser Raman spectroscopy has been found to be useful for characterizing amorphous semiconductor multilayers, especially the interfaces of multilayers. Recently, we have extended this technique to the characterization of magnetron sputtered multilayers commonly used as reflectors in soft x-ray optics. Unlike the multilayers previously studied which contained only semiconductors and dielectrics, these are generally semiconductor/metal multilayers. We report here on the Raman characterization of the most common class of multilayers used in soft x-ray optics, those that contain a high density metal like tungsten interspersed with layers of carbon. In all of the metal/carbon multilayers the dominate feature in the Raman spectra is due to a-C. The a-C spectra consists of a broad peak at about 1560 cm-1 (G-peak) and a shoulder at about 1400 cm-1 (D-peak). This can be deconvoluted with Gaussian line shapes to yield two peaks (one at about 1560 to 1570 cm-1 and the other at about 1380 to 1420 cm-1). Among the W/C multilayer samples peak positions and relative magnitudes changed little with carbon thickness over the range of 1 to 12 nm. Significant differences are, however, seen as the identity of the metal component is altered or, especially, as the preparations are varied. For example, the intensity ratio of the D-peak to G-peak was much larger for multilayer samples prepared under conditions of good plasma confinement.
A Probabilistic Theory Of Entrepreneurial Financing

This paper develops a theory of the entrepreneurial financing by venture capitalists. It focuses on the activities of the entrepreneur at the incipiency of the investment process: namely the solicitation event. The temporal series of financial commitments elicited from venture capitalists are assumed to have the characteristics of random variables. It is shown that the aggregate capital commitment secured by an entrepreneur in a finite time has stochastic properties corresponding to those of a statistical renewal process. The paper derives limiting conditions on the probability that entrepreneur’s project will be aborted because of his failure to secure adequate funding commitments in a finite time. The entrepreneur’s attitude towards risk determines the tradeo between the expected aggregate capital commitment and the risk of abortion of the project.
Oxygen affinity and amino acid sequence of myoglobins from endothermic and ectothermic fish

Myoglobin (Mb) buffers intracellular O2 and facilitates diffusion of O2 through the cell. These functions of Mb will be most effective when intracellular Po 2 is near the partial pressure of oxygen...
The planned obsolescence of other people: Consumer culture and connections in a precarious age

Recent scholars note that the hidden appeal of modern commodification is in its false promise to resolve our ambivalence about relationships and eliminate the anxieties and uncertainties of contemporary connection, care and intimacy. The rise of ‘insecurity culture’ – through the spread of job and relationship insecurity – increases the uncertainties that consumer culture must assuage. This article uses 50 in-depth interviews to explore the ways in which adults manage this uncertainty in relationships at work and with friends in the community through consumer culture. Compared with data presented elsewhere, in which informants use spending to convey care and connection in efforts to resolve the ambivalence of oft-insecure relationships, this paper documents a consumerist ideology that pervades their talk about relationships at work and with friends. I define this ideology by its component parts: choice, authenticity and people's replaceability. While informants use material consumption to connect, then, t...
Making the Best of a Bad Situation: Prioritized Storage Management in GEMS

As distributed storage systems grow, the response time between the occurrence of a fault, detection, and repair becomes significant. Systems built on shared servers have additional complexity because of the high rate of service outages and revocation. Managing high replica counts in this environment becomes very costly in terms of the storage required and bandwidth consumption for file copies. The storage challenge for this situation can thus be phrased as an attempt to function inexpensively with respect to cost constraints such as: disk utilization, network bandwidth consumption, and server CPU time. The GEMS (Grid Enabled Molecular Simulation) storage system provides a replicated and shared workspace for large scale molecular dynamics simulations, and exemplifies the above issues. The framework offers a solution to this problem by prioritizing observed faults and repairing them in an intelligent manner. In this paper, we provide observations from the operation of GEMS and compare its error handling to that of like storage systems.
Chemical control of potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zell.), in Rhodesia

An account is given of the history of chemical control Phthorimaea operculella (Zell.) in potato fields in Rhodesia since the introduction of DDt prior to 1952. The failure of DDT and endrin, in routine spraying, to control field infestations is reproted, and some evidence that this is due to insecticide resistance is given. The results of critical field trials made in 1961, 1964 and 1965 to evaluate a range of insecticides for control of P. operculella and for their effects on populations of Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thos.) are presented, together with the results of some laboratory tests. Good control of P. operculella in the field was obtained with sprays of azinphos-methyl at the rate of 0.5 lb active ingredient in 20 gal. water per acre, and two new compounds, methidathion and chlorfenvinphos, showed promise for the future.
The effect of alternative permutation testing strategies on the performance of multifactor dimensionality reduction.

Background Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR) is a novel method developed to detect gene-gene interactions in case-control association analysis by exhaustively searching multi-locus combinations. While the end-goal of analysis is hypothesis generation, significance testing is employed to indicate statistical interest in a resulting model. Because the underlying distribution for the null hypothesis of no association is unknown, non-parametric permutation testing is used. Lately, there has been more emphasis on selecting all statistically significant models at the end of MDR analysis in order to avoid missing a true signal. This approach opens up questions about the permutation testing procedure. Traditionally omnibus permutation testing is used, where one permutation distribution is generated for all models. An alternative is n-locus permutation testing, where a separate distribution is created for each n-level of interaction tested.
Reduction of nitric oxide, nitrous acid and nitrogen dioxide at platinum electrodes in acidic solutions

Abstract The literature concerning the chemical and electrochemical reactions of nitric oxide, nitrous acid and nitrogen dioxide in aqueous solutions is reviewed briefly, with emphasis on electrochemical reductions at platinum electrodes in acidic solutions. The voltammetric behavior of NO and NO2 at a Pt electrode in perchloric acid is virtually identical to that for HNO2 and this is explained on the basis of a common electroactive precursor concluded to be NO+. Three cathodic waves are obtained for acidic solutions of NO, HNO2 and NO2. The first two waves correspond to reduction of NO+ to NO and N2O3 to NO, respectively. The presence of N2O3 results from decomposition of the parent compounds. The presence of Br- or Cl- in acidic solutions of the title compounds promotes the voltammetric reductions at lower H+ concentrations. This probably results from formation of electroactive nitrosyl halides.
Membrane Bioreactors: Past, Present and Future?

A brief description of membrane bioreactor (MBR) historical evolution has been presented with emphasis on continual decline of treatment costs and energy requirements. Although MBR can operate at biomass (MLSS) concentrations 5 to 10 times higher than activated sludge these concentrations are limited in practice by increasing biomass suspension viscosity that in turn increases “reversible” membrane fouling and decreases oxygen transfer rates. “Irreversible” fouling is a major operational challenge since it depends on subtle interactions of membranes with various fractions of soluble microbial products resulting from microbial metabolism.
Quantitative Phosphoproteomic Profiling of Human Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Tumors

Abstract Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Within the molecular scope of NCSLC, a complex landscape of dysregulated cellular signaling has emerged, defined largely by mutations in select mediators of signal transduction, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma (ALK) kinases. Consequently, these mutant kinases become constitutively activated and targets for chemotherapeutic intervention. Encouragingly, small molecule inhibitors of these pathways have shown promise in clinical trials or are approved for clinical use. However, many protein kinases are dysregulated in NSCLC without genetic mutations. To quantify differences in tumor cell signaling that are transparent to genomic methods, we established a super-SILAC internal standard derived from NSCLC cell lines grown in vitro and labeled with heavy lysine and arginine, and deployed them in a phosphoproteomic workflow. We identified 9019 and 8753 phosphorylation sites in two separate tumors. Relative quantification of phosphopeptide abundance between tumor samples allowed for the determination of specific hubs and pathways differing between each tumor. Sites downstream of Ras showed decreased inhibitory phosphorylation (Raf/Mek) and increased activating phosphorylation (Erk1/2) in one tumor versus another. In this way, we were able to quantitatively access oncogenic kinase signaling in primary human tumors. Biological significance Through the use of quantitative proteomics, we demonstrated the feasibility and coverage that large scale mass spectrometry can leverage for understanding kinase networks in cancer. By incorporating Super-SILAC based quantitation into a typical pathology workflow, we were able to access and compare tumors from multiple patients in this analysis with high accuracy and dynamic range. We analyzed tumors from patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer and were able to detect comprehensive phosphorylation networks relaying through known hubs of oncogenesis in lung cancer. We hereby show that it is possible to track changes to phosphorylation networks across multiple tumors, opening up the possibility that drug susceptibility and patient-specific stratification can be implemented downstream of classical pathology.
Sarcocystis of deer in South Dakota.

The prevalence of Sarcocystis in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (O. hemionus) in South Dakota was determined through microscopic examination of tongue samples. The percentage of Sarcocystis infection for both species of deer was determined for prairies east of the Missouri River, west of the Missouri River, and the Black Hills of western South Dakota. Sixteen percent (N=62) of the white-tailed deer tongues from East River, 69% (N=42) from West River, and 74% (N=23) from the Black Hills were infected. Prevalence for mule deer was 88% (N=24), 78% (N=63), and 75% (N=12) from East River, West River, and the Black Hills, respectively. Of 50 tongue samples obtained from both species of deer during a special antlerless deer hunt in the Black Hills in 1978, 66% were infected. Coyotes (Canis latrans), dogs (Canis familiaris), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), a gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), bobcat (Felis rufus), and raccoon (Procyon lotor) were fed muscle from white-tailed deer and mule d...
Improving language production using subtitled similar task videos

This study examines the effects of subtitled similar task videos on language production by nonnative speakers (NNSs) in an online task-based language learning (TBLL) environment. Ten NNS—NNS dyads collaboratively completed four communicative tasks, using an online TBLL environment specifically designed for this study and a chat tool in WebCT-Vista. Five dyads were provided with subtitled similar task videos and the remaining five dyads were not. Language production was investigated in terms of fluency, accuracy, and complexity, including lexical and syntactic complexity. The data from the chat-scripts showed that NNSs produced more fluent and more accurate language when provided with the subtitled similar task videos than when they were not provided with them.
Mining probabilistic association rules from uncertain databases with pruning

In this paper, we rigorously define the problem of mining probabilistic association rules from uncertain databases. We further analyze the probability distribution space of a candidate probabilistic association rule, and propose an efficient mining algorithm with pruning to find all probabilistic association rules from uncertain databases.
You Made El Team-O! The Transnational Browning of the National Basketball Association through the “Noche Latina” Marketing Campaigns

This essay pushes beyond the black-white binary in an effort to expand understandings into the relationship between sport, Latinidad, and global capitalism in the 21st century. Through a discursive analysis into the National Basketball Association (NBA) outreach policies, I ask: do recent shifts in the NBA’s marketing strategies, while alluding towards social inclusion and multicultural diversity, also contribute to the containment, exclusion, and marginalization to the fastest growing minority group in the United States: the Latina/o. By conducting a textual analysis into the NBA’s Noche Latina campaign, this essay makes the case that while the NBA may be another example of browning the sporting gaze the gaze remains fixed upon Western capitalist notions of identity and representation. An aim of this study seeks to highlight the contradictions within U.S. based-sport marketing in hopes that sport fans, pundits and academics alike might grapple with and strive towards understanding how phenomena like “Noche Latina” repackages racialized, sexist and cultural tropes for global television audiences and social media users alike.
Mapping environmental carrying capacity using an artificial neural network: A first experiment

The economic development activities of an increasing world population threaten the assimilative capacity of our environment and have stimulated interest in the concept of environmental carrying capacity. While the pace of land transformations has encouraged the refinement of information technologies such as satellite remote sensing to provide a synoptic view of earth-system processes, the volume of information these systems generate and the high level of expertise required to translate these data retard effective and timely land-management decision making. This paper introduces a methodology that employs an artificial neural network trained to recognize categories of population support capacity from satellite data acquired from the NOAA-AVHRR. The network, functioning as an ‘intelligent’ mapping tool, achieved a classification accuracy of 77.5 per cent for the study site and points to the potential role a model of this type may play in land degradation monitoring.
Production of Recombinant Human Apoferritin Heteromers

Abstract We are interested in learning how iron is safely inserted and stored in ferritin. Recombinant DNA technology has considerable potential in determining the functional roles of the two ferritin subunits (H and L). In previous studies, we have observed that recombinant rat H ferritin was repressive to cell growth in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems (Guo et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 242, 39–45 (1998)). This results in the protein being expressed at very low levels. This problem was partially bypassed by the use of an inducible expression system, which utilizes T7 RNA polymerase dependent expression of the gene, induced by isopropyl β- d -thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). Simultaneously expressing the H and L ferritin genes in this system resulted in only a narrow range of ferritin heteromers, which predominantly consisted of the L subunit. Addition of rifampicin to cultures, 1 h following the induction of protein synthesis by IPTG, increased the production of the H subunit and thus increased the range of ferritin H:L subunit ratios. Simultaneous expression of the H and L ferritin genes in Escherichia coli grown in a deficient medium with minimal iron and with the addition of rifampicin resulted in the production of a range of recombinant human apoferritin heteromers that could be separated based on their subunit composition.
The role of analgesics in cancer propagation

The treatment of cancer pain is paramount to both medical practitioner and patient in order to maximize quality of life. Cancer pain results from direct tumor effects as well as from surgical and medical treatments. Despite therapeutic advancements, morbidity and mortality in cancer care remains high, often from local recurrence or metastasis. Increasing evidence suggests analgesics affect the cellular milieu of malignant and nonmalignant cells and may influence cancer outcomes by directly stimulating tumor growth and inhibiting immune surveillance. Opioids have been shown to cause immunosuppression and stimulate malignant cells in vitro, though adjunct analgesics may additionally promote tumor cell growth. These results have led many to hypothesize that regional analgesic techniques may offer survival advantages to systemic analgesics. Thus far, the data do not support specific analgesic recommendations for the cancer patient, though ongoing prospective, randomized clinical trials are under way to better characterize the safest analgesic regimens for cancer patients.
Validation of SCALE and the TRITON Depletion Sequence for Gas-Cooled Reactor Analysis

The very-high-temperature reactor (VHTR) is an advanced reactor concept that uses graphite-moderated fuel and helium gas as a coolant. At present there are two primary VHTR reactor designs under consideration for development: in the pebble-bed reactor, a core is loaded with 'pebbles' consisting of 6 cm diameter spheres, while in a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, fuel rods are placed within prismatic graphite blocks. In both systems, fuel elements (spheres or rods) are comprised of tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles. The TRISO particles are either dispersed in the matrix of a graphite pebble for the pebble-bed design or molded into compacts/rods that are then inserted into the hexagonal graphite blocks for the prismatic concept. Two levels of heterogeneity exist in such fuel designs: (1) microspheres of TRISO particles dispersed in a graphite matrix of a cylindrical or spherical shape, and (2) neutron interactions at the rod-to-rod or sphere-to-sphere level. Such double heterogeneity (DH) provides a challenge to multigroup cross-section processing methods, which must treat each level of heterogeneity separately. A new capability to model doubly heterogeneous systems was added to the SCALE system in the release of Version 5.1. It was included in the control sequences CSAS and CSAS6, which use the Montemore » Carlo codes KENO V.a and KENO-VI, respectively, for three-dimensional neutron transport analyses and in the TRITON sequence, which uses the two-dimensional lattice physics code NEWT along with both versions of KENO for transport and depletion analyses. However, the SCALE 5.1 version of TRITON did not support the use of the DH approach for depletion. This deficiency has been addressed, and DH depletion will be available as an option in the upcoming release of SCALE 6. At present Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) staff are developing a set of calculations that may be used to validate SCALE for DH calculations. This paper discusses the results of calculations completed to date and the direction of future validation work.« less
Time for a new March of Dimes

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a leading cause of preventable epilepsy worldwide and is endemic in several continents. Despite the obvious mitigating factors of education and enhanced awareness, a surprising lack of investment has been made in cost-effective instructional initiatives at a community level. This needs to change. Because spread of the pathogen is largely a consequence of poor behavioral practices, it can be averted. We propose a disease awareness campaign as an important mechanism to achieve this, a crowd-sourcing strategy similar to the one championed decades earlier by the March of Dimes.
Book Review – The Death and Transfiguration of Labor Law

Guy Davidov and Brian Langille have assembled a stable of prominent academics to address The Idea of Labour Law (Oxford U. Press 2011). Their responses vary from cries of despair to proposals for major reformulation to less radical adaptation to contemporary circumstances that have conduced toward a lessened relevance for collective bargaining and a heightened concern for market efficiency. This essay attempts to unpack these critiques, to provide a deeper historical framework, and to emphasize the continuing vitality of societal concern for the consequences of the marketization of labor as the law’s axial concern.
The politics of history and historical memory in China-Japan relations

The current state of China-Japan relations is characterized by two seemingly contradictory developments adjacent to each other: while economic and cultural relations have experienced an unprecedented and continuous improvement since the 1980s, Chinese and Japanese public perceptions of each other have been deteriorating. This raises interesting questions. How do we explain this discrepancy and what are the sources of the increasing public animosity in China or Japan toward the other country? Can China and Japan maintain amicable relations and continue economic cooperation in spite of the enduring mistrust between their peoples? What is the role of public perception and memory of history in the foreign policies of East Asia? This paper addresses these questions, focusing especially on the last one — the role of history and collective historical memory in international relations and the interaction between public sentiment and government foreign policies. Through a detailed study of recent events and the issue of Japanese textbooks, the author argues that public perception of history can and should be guided toward more positive directions. Otherwise, it will be increasingly difficult to maintain amicable relations between the two countries, especially when new nationalism is on the rise in both counties.
Paternal Status and the Economic Adjustment of High School Graduates

follows: profile difference _ k -p')2 i.e., i=1 S profile difference is equal to the sum of the squares of the differences between corresponding profile component values of paired units after each difference has been relativized by division by the standard deviation of its series for all the units in the measured universe. Areas composed of groupings of Maryland counties homogeneous in regard to agricultural occupational profile have been delineated in Figure 2 by means of the latter method and the data given in Figure 1 to illustrate the use of the method. Attention is called to the fact that while arbitrary limits to differences allowed between two counties within the same area might be set up by the analysis as a means of delineating areas, such arbitrary limits may have to be supplemented by an additional rule regarding the location of a boundary when gradation in a series of counties is so gradual that no county boundary exceeds the arbitrary limit, even though counties at both ends of the gradation are very unlike. The rule recommended is that a dotted line be drawn between those two contiguous counties in the series which show the greatest difference. The problem and its solution are illustrated in the Maryland data by the practical necessity to make the Baltimore-Anne Arundel county line an area boundary despite the fact that there was considerably greater similarity between the two counties than there was between some pairs of counties included together in their respective areas.
Alterations in Carotenoid Metabolism During Ochratoxicosis in Young Broiler Chickens

The mechanism by which ochratoxin impairs the ability of chickens to utilize dietary carotenoids for carcass pigmentation was investigated. Graded doses of pure ochratoxin A (0, .5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 micrograms of toxin/g of feed) were incorporated into a white corn-soy diet supplemented with an efficiently used oxycarotenoid (110 micrograms free lutein/g) and fed to broiler chicks from day of hatch to 3 weeks of age. Concentrations of free lutein and its metabolites, lutein diester, lutein monoester, and oxolutein, in the jejunal contents, jejunal mucosa, serum, liver, and toe web from these birds were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Based on the threshold level of ochratoxin required for an effect on the concentrations of carotenoids and on the severity of the effect, five separate loci for the action of ochratoxin on carotenoid metabolism were detected: dilution of carotenoids in intestinal contents, depressed uptake by intestinal mucosa, depressed transport in serum, altered accumulation in liver, and altered acylation steps in the integument.