cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stochastic system identification with noisy input-output measurements

Two parametric frequency domain approaches are proposed for estimation of the parameters of linear errors-in-variables models, i.e., linear systems where measurements of both input and output of the system are noise contaminated. One of the approaches is a linear estimator. Using the bispectrum of the input and the cross-bispectrum of the input-output, the system transfer function is first estimated at a number of frequencies exceeding one-half the number of unknown parameters. The estimated transfer function is used to estimate the unknown parameters using an overdetermined linear system of equations. In the second approach a quadratic transfer function matching criterion is optimized by using the linear estimator as an initial guess. Both the parameter estimators are shown to be consistent in any measurement noise that has a symmetric marginal probability density function. The input to the system need not be a linear process but must have nonvanishing bispectrum. Computer simulation results are presented. >
Communicative differences between domestic and foreign instructors

The objective of this study was to investigate college students’ perceptions of their foreign and domestic classroom instructors. Two hundred and eleven college students participated in the study. The potential participants were approached and offered extra credit to participate, and all needed to have at least one domestic instructor and one international instructor during the semester of the research study. Participants filled out a series of measures first examining their personal levels of individualism/collectivism and ethnocentrism, followed by a set of questions related to the participants’ perceptions of their international instructor and then about their domestic instructor. To ensure that participants perceptions were consistent, the Generalized Ethnocentrism Measure was given at the beginning of the survey and then after the international instructor section and before the domestic instructor section. Results revealed support for findings of previous research, which found that domestic instructors were perceived as more effective than their intercultural counterparts on a variety of variables. In contrast, foreign instructors were considered to produce more communication satisfaction among college students. The specific characteristics of instructors that are likely to account for more effective and satisfying communication are discussed. The results of this study are useful for instructors who would like to be more competent and effective in the college classroom. DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v4i4.187
Reorder density (RD): a formal, comprehensive metric for packet reordering

The increase in link speeds, increased parallelism within routers and switches, QoS support and load balancing among links, all point to future networks with increased packet reordering. Unchecked, packet reordering will have a significant detrimental effect on the end-to-end performance, while resources required for dealing with packet reordering at routers and end-nodes will grow considerably. A formal analysis of packet reordering is carried out and Reorder Density (RD) metric is defined for measurement and characterization of packet reordering. RD captures the amount and degree of reordering, and can be used to define the reorder response of networks under stationary conditions. Properties of RD are derived, and it is shown that the reorder response of the network formed by cascading two subnets is equal to the convolution of the reorder responses of individual subnets. Packet reordering over the Internet is measured and used to validate the derivations.
From Freedom Flotilla to America's Burden: The Social Construction of the Mariel Immigrants

Between April and October 1980, almost 125,000 Cubans left Mariel Harbor and came to the United States. The so-called “Freedom Flotilla” was an important, continuing news story during that period. ...
An analysis of SS precursors using spectral-element method seismograms

SUMMARY The traveltimes of underside shear wave reflections (i.e. SS precursors) are widely used data for mapping the topography of mantle discontinuities in the upper mantle. Here, we examine the accuracy of ray theory in estimating the contribution of shear velocity heterogeneity in the mantle to SS–S400S, SS–S670S and S400S–S670S traveltimes. We analyse stacks of spectral-element method waveforms computed for 34 shallow earthquakes and 16 020 globally distributed virtual seismometers. The waveforms are computed for three versions of shear velocity model S20RTS with variable strengths of the volumetric shear velocity perturbations within the layered structure of the Preliminary Reference Earth Model. We find that ray-theoretical corrections account for only 50 per cent of the traveltime variation due to large-scale velocity heterogeneity. For current tomographic models, as represented by S20RTS, this translates into unpredictable long- and short-wavelength errors in maps of mantle discontinuity depths of about 5 km. This amounts to roughly 10 per cent of published variations in mantle discontinuity depths. However, relative errors will be significantly larger if ray-theoretical traveltime corrections are based on (forthcoming) models of shear velocity with much stronger heterogeneity at the smallest scales.
Development of segment- and target-related neuronal identity in the medicinal leech

The rhythmic pumping of the paired heart tubes in the medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis offers an excellent system for studying the development of a simple behavior in terms of its neuronal and muscular components. The present experiments examined the development of identified heart excitor (HE) motor neurons during normal embryogenesis. Using intracellular impalements and dye-filling, we found that the HE motor neurons could be identified at an early stage of development and that they initially elaborated axonal arborizations in inappropriate target fields in the ventral body wall. These inappropriate projections were retracted as those at the appropriate target (developing heart tube muscle) extended. This remodelling occurred at least 4 days before the HEs acquired the adult phenotype of being driven to fire action potentials in a rhythmic pattern. Although the HEs exhibited centrally driven rhythmic oscillations late in embryogenesis, at earlier stages they exhibited largely a tonic discharge interrupted by bursts of inhibitory potentials in a periodic, but not a rhythmic, pattern. We also found what appeared to be non-rhythmic HE homologs in anterior and posterior segments where HE neurons have not been previously described. These homologs may project along similarly patterned guidance cues early in development, since they are at first indistinguishable from the definitive HEs, but they continued to elaborate both lateral and medial body wall projections over the same period that definitive HEs were expanding their arborizations over the developing heart tube and retracting their body wall projections. In both adult and embryonic leeches the homologs exhibited mostly tonic activity that was interrupted by pronounced, but non-rhythmic, hyperpolarizing postsynaptic potentials. Thus, there appears to be early segmental specification directing the final phenotype of the iterated neuron that, in most segments, becomes the HE motor neuron.
Topical applications of stannous fluoride: choice of concentration and duration of treatment

Abstract The capacity of 10, 0·4 and 0·1 per cent SnF 2 solutions, topically applied for 4, 2 or 1 minute or 30 or 15 seconds, to reduce the solubility of enamel, was evaluated by measuring the amount of phosphorus withdrawn from enamel surfaces by lactic acid before and after treatment. For treatment periods of 1 minute or longer, there was no significant difference in the performance of 10 and 0·4 per cent SnF 2 solutions. With treatment periods of 15 and 30 seconds the 10 per cent solution was more effective. Solutions containing only 0·1 per cent SnF 2 , suggested for use as a mouthrinse at home, were less effective than the more concentrated solutions, but 1- and 2-minute treatments with this concentration gave solubility-reduction figures of 42·2 and 47 per cent respectively. The possibility of use on a very frequent basis makes these figures particularly impressive. The results of this study indicate that quadrant-by-quadrant topical treatments with high concentrations of stannous fluoride may be adequately replaced by mouthrinsing with solutions of much lower concentration. Thus, frequent applications of low concentration SnF 2 preparations at home by the patient may offer a valuable degree of protection, particularly to the patient with a high caries risk.
Translational Regulation of Yersinia enterocolitica mRNA Encoding a Type III Secretion Substrate

Yersinia enterocolitica type III secretion machines transport YopQ and other Yop effectors into host immune cells. YopD and its chaperone LcrH are essential components of the Yersinia type III pathway, enabling effector translocation into host cells. YopD, LcrH, and YscM1 also regulate yop expression post-transcriptionally in response to environmental signals; however, the molecular mechanisms for this regulation and Yop secretion are unknown. We show here that YopD associates with 30 S ribosomal particles in a manner requiring LcrH. When added to ribosomes, YopD, LcrH, and YscM1 block the translation of yopQ mRNA. We propose a model whereby LcrH-dependent association of YopD with 30 S ribosomal particles enables YscM1 to block yopQ translation unless type III machines are induced to secrete the effector.
Soil Conductivity and Multiple Linear Regression for Precision Monitoring of Beef Feedlot Manure and Runoff

Open-lot cattle feeding operations face challenges in control of nutrient runoff, leaching, and gaseous emissions. This report investigates the use of precision management of saline soils as found on 1) feedlot surfaces and 2) a vegetative treatment area (VTA) utilized to control feedlot runoff. An electromagnetic induction soil conductivity meter was used to collect apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) from feedlot pens and a research VTA at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska. An ECe Sampling Assessment and Prediction (ESAP) program, developed by the Soil Salinity Lab at Riverside, California was used to analyze feedlot pens and the VTA. The program directed soil sample site locations and produced models associating ECa to volatile solids (VS) and chloride (Cl−, an indicator ion for feedlot runoff). Results from the feedlot site for two pens with differing management styles indicate positive correlations between ECa and associated VS (R2=0.90, soil mound pen; R2=0.65, manu...
Two types of factors in the analysis of semantic differential attitude data

Evidence is presented for the existence of two types of factors when semantic differential data are factor analyzed by treating each concept-scale com bination as a variable: (1) factors defined by scales within given concepts and (2) factors defined by scales across concepts. These two types of factors were found for each of two independent data sets. The findings suggest changes in the procedures in vestigators typically use to select scales, to analyze their three-dimensional array, and to obtain at titude scores.
Differential Regulation of the Cell Cycle by α1-Adrenergic Receptor Subtypes

α1-Adrenergic receptors have been implicated in growth-promoting pathways. A microarray study of individual α1-adrenergic receptor subtypes (α1A, α1B, and α1D) expressed in Rat-1 fibroblasts revealed that epinephrine altered the transcription of several cell cycle regulatory genes in a direction consistent with the α1A- and α1D-adrenergic receptors mediating G1-S cell cycle arrest and the α1B-mediating cell-cycle progression. A time course indicated that in α1A cells, epinephrine stimulated a G1-S arrest, which began after 8 h of stimulation and maximized at 16 h, at which point was completely blocked with cycloheximide. The α1B-adrenergic receptor profile also showed unchecked cell cycle progression, even under low serum conditions and induced foci formation. The G1-S arrest induced by α1A- and α1D-adrenergic receptors was associated with decreased cyclin-dependent kinase-6 and cyclin E-associated kinase activities and increased expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1, all of which we...
Progress toward generating, storing, and communicating single-photon states using coherent atomic memory (Invited Paper)

We describe proof-of principle experiments demonstrating a novel approach for generating pulses of light with controllable photon numbers, propagation direction, timing, and pulse shapes. The approach is based on preparation of an atomic ensemble in a state with a desired number of atomic spin excitations, which is later converted into a photon pulse by exploiting long-lived coherent memory for photon states and electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We discuss our progress toward applying these techniques to transmit quantum states between atomic memory nodes connected by a photonic channel.
Rare-earth abundances in chondritic meteorites

Fifteen chondrites, including eight carbonaceous chondrites, were analyzed for rare earth element abundances by isotope dilution. Examination of REE for a large number of individual chondrites shows that only a small proportion of the analyses have flat unfractionated REE patterns within experimental error. While some of the remaining analyses are consistent with magmatic fractionation, many patterns, in particular those with positive Ce anomalies, can not be explained by known magmatic processes. Elemental abundance anomalies are found in all major chondrite classes. The persistence of anomalies in chondritic materials relatively removed from direct condensational processes implies that anomalous components are resistant to equilibrium or were introduced at a late stage of chondrite formation. Large-scale segregation of gas and condensate is implied, and bulk variations in REE abundances between planetary bodies is possible.
Odor-donor cue control of runway performance: A further examination

Two experiments are reported in which rats traversed a straight runway in the presence of odor cues from startbox-placed odor-donor rats. Experiment 1 investigated the importance of odor-donor and run-subject odor redundancy in determining appropriate start- and run-measure double-alternation patterning in the runway-trained animals. Patterning failed to develop when odor-donor and run-subject reinforcement schedules (i.e., odors) were inversely related (Phase 1), but was shown when the donor schedule was shifted to coincide with that of the run animals (Phase 2). The daily sequence of reward and nonreward events was randomized in Experiment 2. As patterning developed in all measures when donors were present and was selectively eliminated in the start and run measures when the donors were removed, it would appear that a fixed trial sequence is not a crucial factor in the production and utilization of these odor cues.
Racial variations in antiresorptive medication use: results from the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)

Although a number of studies have examined racial variation in antiresorptive medication use, those studies are limited to generalizing beyond the use of hormone therapy (HT), geographic region, and black ethnicity. Our primary aims were (1) to describe variation in the use of antiresorptive medications among US women of different ethnicities aged 45 years and older in the year 2000 and (2) to understand the association between ethnicity and antiresorptive medication use after adjustment for other factors that might have had an impact on use. The data source used in this study was the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Using a modified health services utilization model we performed hierarchical multivariate logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship between race and antiresorptive medication use. The use of HT among blacks, Hispanics, and other ethnicities was significantly less than among whites. This relationship was significant, even after we had controlled for predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics. The use of newer antiresorptive medications (bisphosphonates, raloxifene, and nasal calcitonin) also was less common among racial minorities than among whites. However, controlling for predisposing characteristics of education, income, census region, and age eliminated differences in use between Hispanics and whites. Controlling for need characteristics of health status, osteoporosis, and predisposing illnesses eliminated differences in antiresorptive use between blacks and whites. Significant differences in the use of newer antiresorptives remained between other ethnicities and whites, even in the fully specified model. The results of this study suggest that ethnicity is a significant predictor of the use of both HT and newer antiresorptive medication. These results also suggest that a number of variables are important in explaining racial differences in antiresorptive use, particularly among users of newer antiresorptive medications.
Human pancreas-specific protein disulfide isomerase homolog (PDIp) is redox-regulated through formation of an inter-subunit disulfide bond

Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) and its homologs are catalysts of the formation of disulfide bonds in secretory proteins, and they also serve as molecular chaperones. In the present study, we investigated the redox-mediated regulation of the structures and functions of human pancreas-specific PDI homolog (PDIp). We found that formation of an inter-subunit disulfide bond in the recombinant human PDIp can alter not only its structure, but also its functions. PDIp exists predominantly as monomer under reducing conditions, but the dimeric form is significantly increased following the removal of the reducing agent, due to the formation of an inter-subunit disulfide bond. The oxidized PDIp (with an inter-subunit disulfide bond) appears to expose more hydrophobic patches and is more sensitive to protease digestion compared to the reduced form. Along with these structural changes, the oxidized PDIp also exhibits an enhanced chaperone activity. The formation of the inter-subunit disulfide bond in PDIp is mainly contributed by its non-active cysteine residue (cysteine-4), which is only present in human and primate PDIp, but not in rodent PDIp. In addition, we observed that the formation of the inter-subunit disulfide bond in PDIp is redox-dependent and is favored under oxidizing conditions, and that PDIp can function as a chaperone to form stable complexes with various non-native cellular proteins, particularly under oxidizing conditions. In light of these observations, it is concluded that the structures and functions of human PDIp are redox-regulated through formation of an inter-subunit disulfide bond between two cysteine-4 residues.
Motor-induced suppression of the auditory cortex

Sensory responses to stimuli that are triggered by a self-initiated motor act are suppressed when compared with the response to the same stimuli triggered externally, a phenomenon referred to as motor-induced suppression (MIS) of sensory cortical feedback. Studies in the somatosensory system suggest that such suppression might be sensitive to delays between the motor act and the stimulus onset, and a recent study in the auditory system suggests that such MIS develops rapidly. In three MEG experiments, we characterize the properties of MIS by examining the M100 response from the auditory cortex to a simple tone triggered by a button press. In Experiment 1, we found that MIS develops for zero delays but does not generalize to nonzero delays. In Experiment 2, we found that MIS developed for 100-msec delays within 300 trials and occurs in excess of auditory habituation. In Experiment 3, we found that unlike MIS for zero delays, MIS for nonzero delays does not exhibit sensitivity to sensory, delay, or motor-command changes. These results are discussed in relation to suppression to self-produced speech and a general model of sensory motor processing and control.
The principle of minimum differentiation revisited

Abstract Hotelling's model of differentiated products is examined and modified so that consumers have relatively low reservation prices for the differentiated products. The problem of existence of a Nash equilibrium in prices in a duopoly with given products is analysed. When the reservation price is relatively low, a Nash equilibrium in prices exists for a larger range of products than when the reservation price is infinite. Next I examine product competition with instantaneous adjustment to the Nash equilibrium prices of the previous game. Firms competing in a Nash fashion have tendencies to move away from each other and try to achieve ‘local monopolistic’ positions. This is in sharp contrast with the acclaimed ‘Principle of Minimum Differentiation’ of the original model of Hotelling (of high reservation price) where firms clustered in the product space.
The Impact of a Mental Health Crisis Respite upon Clients’ Symptom Distress

This study examined clients who were admitted to a mental health respite program in the first 3 months of 2011 in order to identify the ability of the program to reduce symptom distress and to explore related psychosocial factors. Participants were provided with self-report questionnaires that included measurements of demographics, mental health status, symptom severity, and program satisfaction. Results indicate a significant improvement in symptom distress (p < 0.05), mental health confidence (p < 0.1), and self-esteem (p < 0.05) from admission to discharge. No change was detected in largely external measurements.
Dendritic sidebranching in the three-dimensional symmetric model in the presence of noise.

The time-dependent behavior of sidebranching deformations in the three-dimensional symmetric model of dendritic solidification is studied within a WKB approximation. Localized wave packets generated by pulses in the neighborhood of the tip are found to grow in amplitude and to spread and stretch as they move down the sides of the dendrite. This behavior is shown to imply that noise in the solidifying medium is selectively amplified in such a way as to produce a fluctuating train of sidebranches in qualitative agreement with experimental observations. A rough estimate indicates that purely thermal noise is probably not quite strong enough to fit the data.
Measurement of parity violation in the elastic scattering of polarized electrons from 12C.

We have measured the parity-violating electroweak asymmetry in the elastic scattering of polarized electrons from $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ nuclei. Our result is ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathrm{expt}}$=0.60\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.14\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 ppm, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. With a beam polarization of 0.37, we compute the isoscalar vector hadronic coupling constant \ensuremath{\gamma}\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{} to be 0.136\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.032\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.009. The standard model predicts \ensuremath{\gamma}\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}=0.155 at the tree level, in agreement with our data.
Research on Effects of Color Reversal on the Visual Perceptual and Visuomotor Performances of Spastic Cerebral Palsied and other Exceptional Individuals

Research pertaining to the effects of color-reversal (black and white) on the visual perceptual and visuomotor performances of spastic cerebral-palsied children and other exceptional individuals was examined. In general, evidence to date suggests that spastic cerebral-palsied children show significant improvement in visuomotor and visual perceptual performance with the color-reversal of the standard black-on-white figure-ground relationship in stimulus and response materials of standardized tests.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Enhanced Laser Absorption in Tumors With Gold Nanorod Injection

The employment of gold nanoshells or nanorods in photothermal emerges as a promising technology in treatment of cancers in the past several years [1–4]. Gold nanoshells consist of a solid dielectric core nanoparticle (∼100 nm) coated by a thin gold shell (∼10 nm). Gold nanorods are usually small with a size of ∼10 nm and an aspect ratio of approximately four. By varying the size ratio, the nanostructures can be tuned to have strong absorption and scattering to a specific near infrared (NIR) laser at ∼800 nm. The enhancement in laser energy absorption is several orders of magnitude compared to some traditional dyes [1]. The laser energy absorbed in an area congregating by the nanostructures is transferred to the surrounding tissue by heat conduction. The nanostructures in tumors not only enables targeted delivery of laser energy, but also maximally concentrates a majority of the laser energy to the tumor region.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Learned Suppression of Intake Based on Anticipated Calories: Cross-Nutrient Comparisons

Abstract Warwick, Z. S., K. J. Bowen and S. J. Synowski. Learned suppression of intake based on anticipated calories: Cross-nutrient comparisons. Physiol Behav 62(6) 1319–1324, 1997.—Following training with distinctively flavored solutions which differ in calories and thus in their postingestive effects, rats demonstrate flavor–postingestive consequence learning by preferentially consuming one of the flavors in two-bottle tests (both flavors presented in nutrient-identical solutions). The direction of the preference—for the flavor previously paired with more calories (F-hi) or for the flavor previously paired with fewer calories (F-lo)—depends critically upon the magnitude of postingestive effects experienced during training. The most frequent and more thoroughly investigated observation has been preferential consumption of F-hi (conditioned flavor preference). However, when relatively concentrated solutions (e.g., 5% and 30% sucrose) are used as the training nutrients, F-lo is preferentially consumed in two-bottle tests. This lesser intake of F-hi presumably reflects its previous association with the more potent satiating effect of the highly concentrated nutrient: conditioned satiety. The present series of experiments explored conditioned satiety across nutrient types. In each experiment, rats consumed 30 mL of distinctively flavored nutritive solution per day, alternating between a distinctively flavored high-calorie (1.6 kcal/mL) solution and a lower calorie (0.2 kcal/mL) solution containing a different flavor. Two-bottle testing evaluated whether conditioned satiety was evident. Experiment 1 found that rats trained with sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltodextrin, or saccharin-sweetened medium-chain triglyceride oil emulsion preferentially consumed F-lo in two-bottle tests. In contrast, rats trained with corn oil emulsions tended to preferentially consume F-hi. In Experiment 2, increasing the number of corn oil calories associated with F-hi produced a tendency toward preferential intake of F-lo in two-bottle tests. In Experiment 3, rats consumed a high-fat maintenance diet; sucrose-trained rats again consumed more F-lo than F-hi, whereas rats trained with corn oil emulsions showed a tendency (nonsignificant) to consume more F-lo in two-bottle tests. In Experiment 4, however, adding saccharin to corn oil emulsions did produce conditioned satiety. These findings demonstrate conditioned satiety as a robust phenomenon across various nutrient types; however, corn oil calories entrain conditioned satiety only under certain conditions.
New Evidence Points to Robust But Uneven Productivity Growth in Global Agriculture

This article is drawn from Productivity Growth in Agriculture: An International Perspective, edited by Fuglie, Wang, and Ball. It is a review of agricultural productivity around the world, with an analysis of prices, population, and productivity over the past 50 years. In developing and transition countries, agricultural productivity growth has been found to be strong over the past 10 years. Developed countries have also experienced robust agricultural total factor productivity growth, though it is now slowing in many countries.
Understanding integration of α-helical membrane proteins: the next steps

Integration of a protein into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane occurs through a series of multistep reactions that include targeting of ribosome-nascent polypeptide complexes to the ER, attachment of the ribosome to the protein translocation channel, lateral partitioning of α-helical transmembrane spans into the lipid bilayer, and folding of the lumenal, cytosolic and membrane-embedded domains of the protein. However, the molecular mechanisms and kinetics of these steps are still not entirely clear. To obtain a better understanding of the mechanism of membrane protein integration, we propose that it will be important to utilize in vivo experiments to examine the kinetics of membrane protein integration and in vitro experiments to characterize interactions between nascent membrane proteins, protein translocation factors and molecular chaperones.
Man's Tools and Man's Choices: The Confrontation of Technology and Political Science

Technology is such a pervasive element of contemporary human life that we usually are no more conscious of it than of the air we breathe. Technology is nothing new. From the time the first proto-man started using sharp rocks for weapons or tools, technology has reflected and shaped society's ideas and institutions. What is new is the dominant role of technology in modern society. If one accepts the definition of technology as "the institutionalization of utilitarian norms," centering on "the application of rational principles to the control and reordering of space, matter and human beings,"' one recognizes that the rise of technology is virtually synonymous with what is often termed development or modernization. Technology is the application of the principles of science-knowledge for its own sake-to human concerns. Because of the ubiquity of technology in modern society and its long history as a force in human life most social scientists have tended to take technology for granted, dealing with it as one of many variables which affect or are affected by human behavior, but not as
A parallel algorithm for finding minimum cutsets in reducible graphs

Abstract We present a parallel algorithm for finding minimum cutsets in reducible graphs. For a reducible graph that has N nodes our algorithm runs in O (log 3 N ) time using O ( N 3 /log N ) PEs on the EREW P-RAM model of computation. We also present a parallel heuristic for finding minimal cutsets in general graphs.
Reproducibility Probability Score--incorporating measurement variability across laboratories for gene selection.

Reproducibility Probability Score—incorporating measurement variability across laboratories for gene selection
Crystal structures of disordered A2Mn3+M5+O6 (A=Sr, Ca; M=Sb, Nb, Ru) perovskites

Abstract Polycrystalline samples of A 2 Mn M O 6 ( A =Sr, Ca; M =Nb, Sb, Ru) were prepared by conventional solid state synthesis and their crystal structures were determined using neutron powder diffraction data. All six compounds can be classified as distorted, disordered perovskites. The Mn 3+ / M 5+ distribution is disordered in all six compounds. The strontium containing compounds, Sr 2 Mn M O 6 ( M =Nb, Sb, Ru), undergo out of phase rotations of the octahedra about the c -axis (tilt system a 0 a 0 c − ) leading to tetragonal I 4/ mcm space group symmetry. The calcium containing compounds, Ca 2 Mn M O 6 ( M =Nb, Ru, Sb), have orthorhombic Pnma space group symmetry, as a result of a GdFeO 3 -type octahedral tilting distortion (tilt system a − b + a − ). A cooperative Jahn–Teller distortion is observed in Sr 2 MnSbO 6 and Sr 2 MnRuO 6 , but it is much smaller than the distortion observed in Ln MnO 3 ( Ln =lanthanide ion) perovskites. It is possible that Jahn–Teller distortions of the MnO 6 octahedra take place on a short-range length scale in the other four compounds, but there is little or no evidence for cooperative ordering of the local distortions. These findings demonstrate a link between orbital ordering, cation ordering and octahedral tilting.
Urinary Follicle-Stimulating Hormone as a Measure of Natural Fertility in a Community Cohort

High serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels have been associated with diminished ovarian reserve; however, the association between high urinary FSH and reduced natural fertility has yet to be established. We sought to characterize the relationship between a single or multiple measurements of early follicular phase urinary FSH and fertility. Women (n = 209), 30 to 44 years old with no history of infertility, who had been trying to conceive for less than 3 months, provided early follicular phase urine. Participants subsequently kept a diary to record bleeding and intercourse and conducted standardized pregnancy testing for up to 6 months. A subset of women (N = 95) collected urine on cycle day 3 for up to 6 cycles. Urine was analyzed for FSH and creatinine (cr) corrected. Proportional hazard models were used to calculate fecundability ratios (FRs). Urinary FSH levels across cycles from the same woman were highly correlated (adjusted intraclass correlation = .77); within-woman variance was 3-fold lower than variance among women. Women with an initial urinary FSH level <7 mIU/mg cr exhibited a nonsignificant reduction in the probability of pregnancy (adjusted FR 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45-1.13), as did women with elevated urinary FSH (≥12 mIU/mg cr; adjusted FR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.46-1.32). Using the most recent or maximum urinary FSH value did not strengthen the association. In the general population, urinary FSH levels appear to be nonlinearly associated with fertility; however, broad CIs indicate a lack of statistical significance. Repetitive testing appears to be of little benefit.
Killing of Escherichia coli K-12 by near-ultraviolet radiation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide: Role of double-strand DNA breaks in absence of recombinational repair

Abstract Near-ultraviolet (NUV) radiation killing of Escherichia coli K-12 can be enhanced by a sub-lethal concentration of hydrogen peroxide. This can be divided into a “RecA-dependent” and “RecA-independent” synergistic killing action. Stationary phase wild-type and 8 closely related repair-deficient mutants were examined for their NUV sensitivities in the presence and absence of H 2 O 2 . All exhibited the “RecA-independent” synergism; i.e., H 2 O 2 enhanced NUV lethality when RecA repair was not operating. The “RecA-independent” synergism did not result from destruction of repair enzymes. Very few DNA—protein crosslinks could be detected following NUV plus H 2 O 2 treatment. However, double-strand (DS) DNA breaks were produced, apparently by conversion of closely spaced single-strand (SS) breaks on opposite strands. The correlation between DS-break formation and lethality in wild-type and a polA mutant indicates that the RecA-independent synergistic killing results from the conversion of SS into lethal DS breaks.
Conceptual Design of an Automatically Replacing and Charging System for Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicle is an important developing trend of the vehicle industry and the power and technique field. But nowadays, there still exist some problems in this field which cant be solved with mature solutions, such as long time of charging, high cost of replacing and charging station and large areas it covers, low efficiency and so on. By building an effective model, this paper brings up a conceptual design of an automatic system of replacing and charging batteries for electric vehicles with the late-model design of the multi-station device. By observing the effect of the experimental device, it can solve the problems mentioned above, but more should be done to improve it. This design, the demo system, mainly includes electric vehicle model system, replacing and charging station system and GPS navigation system, and it performs excellent in experiment.
Vicious circle behavior as a function of delay of punishment

Rats were given shock-escape training in a 4 ft runway, then divided into 3 groups of 10 Ss each. During extinction one group received 1 ft of shock immediately after leaving the start box, a second group was shocked in the last 1 ft section of the alley, and a control group was never shocked. The immediate-shock group was found to be more resistant to extinction, followed successively by the delayed-shock group and the no-shock group.
Accuracy of EUS in the evaluation of small gastric subepithelial lesions

Background EUS combined with endoluminal resection techniques is increasingly used to provide a definitive diagnosis of small gastric subepithelial lesions seen on standard upper endoscopy. Objective To evaluate the accuracy of EUS in diagnosing small gastric subepithelial lesions by using histology as the criterion standard. Design A retrospective study. Setting Academic tertiary care center. Patients A total of 22 patients (15 women, mean age 62.2 years) with an endoscopically resected gastric subepithelial lesion were included in this 3-year retrospective study. Main Outcome Measurements The size, echogenicity, the layer of origin, and presumptive diagnosis were determined by EUS. The diagnostic accuracy of EUS was determined by using histology as the criterion standard. Results The mean size of the 22 lesions was 13.6 mm (range 8-20 mm). An endoscopic cap band mucosectomy device was used to resect 16 (72.7%) lesions, whereas 6 (27.3%) were resected with a saline solution–assisted and snare technique. Using histology as a criterion standard, we found that the accuracy of the EUS diagnosis was 10 of 22 (45.5%). EUS alone had an accuracy rate of 30.8% and 66.7%, respectively, in the diagnosis of neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions. Limitations A single-center, retrospective analysis. Conclusion EUS imaging had a low accuracy rate in the diagnosis of gastric subepithelial lesions, and endoscopic submucosal resection should be performed to provide a histologic diagnosis. Resection of small subepithelial lesions of 20 mm or less can be accomplished en bloc with an endoscopic cap band mucosectomy device.
Laser- and UV-LED-induced fluorescence detection of dissolved organic compounds in water

We have developed a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) system to detect and continuously observe in real time the levels of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) or Dissolved Organic Compounds (DOCs) in water from various sources, such as tap water and reverse osmosis processed water. At the same time, we have studied deep-UV light emitting diodes (LEDs) as alternative light sources for our system, which would make the apparatus cheaper and more compact. Our portable LIF system had two interchangeable microchip Nd:YAG lasers, operating at 266 nm and 355 nm, as UV sources, and fluorescence was measured over the range of 260-680 nm. The fluorescence was collected at 90o to the laser beam. We have also studied deep-UV LEDs emitting between 265 nm and 355 nm as alternative sources of fluorescence excitation. The average laser power was approximately 30 times that of the LED. Fluorescence spectra from sea water, tap water, and reverse osmosis water for both excitation sources were also measured, and similar spectra were observed. Differences in the signal intensity due to the difference in the laser and LED excitation intensity were consistent with theory.
Copernicus observations of C I: pressures and carbon abundances in diffuse interstellar clouds

Using the Copernicus satellite, we observed ultraviolet absorption lines of interstellar neutral carbon atoms toward 27 stars. In addition to deriving column densities of C I (both in its ground state and the two excited fine-structure levels), we used our equivalent widths to revise the f-values of some of the C I transitions measured by other investigators. We also observed H/sub 2/ from the J = 4 level so that we could compare the rotational excitation of H/sub 2/ with the fine-structure excitation of C I. From the amount of fine-structure excitation of C I in each case, we have derived information on the thermal gas pressures within the diffuse clouds. Most clouds have p/k between 10/sup 3/ cm/sup -3/ K and 10/sup 4/ cm/sup -3/ K, but we found that at least 6% of the C I-bearing material is at p/k>10/sup 4/ cm/sup -3/ K, and one-third of the gas has upper limits for pressure below 10/sup 3/ cm/sup -3/ K, assuming temperatures are not appreciably below 20 K. An analysis of radial velocities for the absorption lines showed no distinctive trends for the kinematics of high- or low-pressure gas components. From the apparent lack of acceleration of high-pressuremore » clouds, we conclude that it is unlikely that streaming intercloud material is causing significant ram pressurization. We have compared our results with the predictions for pressure fluctuations caused by supernova explosions in the theory of McKee and Ostriker.« less
Open Chromatin in Plant Genomes

Sensitivity to DNase I digestion is an indicator of the accessibility and configuration of chromatin in eukaryotic genomes. Open chromatin exhibits high sensitivity to DNase I cleavage. DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) in eukaryotic genomes can be identified through DNase I treatment followed by sequencing (DNase-seq). DHSs are most frequently associated with various cis-regulatory DNA elements, including promoters, enhancers, and silencers in both animal and plant genomes. Genome-wide identification of DHSs provides an efficient method to interpret previously un-annotated regulatory DNA sequences. In this review, we provide an overview of the historical perspective of DHS research in eukaryotes. We summarize the main achievements of DHS research in model animal species and review the recent progress of DHS research in plants. We finally discuss possible future directions of using DHS as a tool in plant genomics research.
Ammonia production in inhalation chambers and its relevance to chlorine inhalation studies.

Abstract Inhalation exposure of animals to low concentrations of chlorine (ca. 1 ppm) may be complicated by the formation of chloramines from the reaction of ammonia, evolved from animal urine and feces, with chlorine. To address this problem, ammonia levels were determined by an indophenol method during a 6-hr period, in inhalation chambers using male, Fischer 344 rats under varying conditions of air flow and animal loading. At chamber air flows of 13, 26, or 40 liters/min, ammonia concentrations were obtained at 2, 4, and 6 hr for 1, 3, or 5% animal loading. Ammonia concentrations increased with time, peaking at 6 hr; they increased with increased percentage animal loading and decreased with increased chamber air flow. At 6 hr, for 13 liters/min, and 1, 3, or 5% animal loading, ammonia concentrations were 0.46, 1.91, and 2.42 ppm, respectively. At 40 liters/min, the ammonia levels at 6 hr were 0.22, 0.39, and 1.30 ppm for 1, 3, or 5% animal loading. Chloramines were detected in a chamber containing low concentrations of chlorine and ammonia (ca. 2 ppm each) by using a modified methyl orange method. These results suggest that, depending upon the variables indicated, sufficient ammonia may be evolved from animals in an inhalation chamber to reduce the amount of free chlorine present. Taken in conjunction with the toxic action of chloramines, such reduction may affect the outcome of chronic, low-level exposures to chlorine.
Metabolic effects of dietary sugar beet pulp or wheat bran in growing female pigs.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of feeding a moderate level of 2 different fiber sources on energy metabolites; mitochondrial biogenesis in the intestine, liver, and muscle; and the expression of some genes that regulate energy metabolism in intestine, liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. Female pigs (n = 36; BW = 15.0 ± 0.7 kg) were fed diets containing no added fiber, 12.5% sugar beet pulp (SBP), or 12.5% wheat bran (WB) for 24 d. Blood samples were collected on d 7 and 24 for cholesterol, glucose, NEFA, and triglyceride analyses. At completion of the experiment, ileum, colon, subcutaneous adipose, and LM samples were obtained from a subset (n = 6) of pigs fed each diet for analysis of tissue mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content and mRNA abundance by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR. Glycogen and triglyceride content of liver and LM were determined, and colon content VFA was also determined. The addition of SBP or WB to the diet had no effect (P > 0.55) on ADG, ADFI, or G:F. Serum NEFA and triglycerides were increased (P 0.24) on glycogen and triglyceride content of liver or LM, but colonic acetate concentrations were increased (P < 0.05) in pigs fed either SBP or WB. Pigs fed WB had an increased (P < 0.05) mtDNA content in ileum tissue and increased (P < 0.05) citrate synthase mRNA in colon tissue. In the liver, feeding either SBP or WB led to a decrease (P < 0.05) in mtDNA content, whereas feeding WB decreased (P < 0.05) mtDNA abundance in the LM, and feeding either SBP or WB decreased (P < 0.05) expression of citrate synthase mRNA. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR revealed that feeding WB increased (P < 0.05) proliferating cell nuclear antigen mRNA abundance in the ileum and colon. Feeding WB increased (P < 0.05) mRNA abundance of a regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, PPAR coactivator 1 α, in ileum tissue, and increased (P < 0.05) mRNA abundance of another mediator of mitochondrial biogensis, sirtuin 1, in colon tissue. Colonic mRNA expression of fasting-induced adipose factor was increased (P < 0.05) in pigs fed either SBP or WB, and adipose triglyceride lipase mRNA abundance was increased (P < 0.05) in adipose tissue of pigs fed SBP. These data indicate that increasing dietary fiber can increase the capacity of the intestine for oxidative metabolism and induce a repartitioning of energy metabolites depending on fiber source.
Political violence, collective functioning and health: A review of the literature

Political violence is implicated in a range of mental health outcomes, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The social and political contexts of people's lives, however, offer considerable protection from the mental health effects of political violence. In spite of the importance of people's social and political environments for health, there is limited scholarship on how political violence compromises necessary social and political systems and inhibits individuals from participating in social and political life. Drawing on literature from multiple disciplines, including public health, anthropology, and psychology, this narrative review uses a multi-level, social ecological framework to enhance current knowledge about the ways that political violence affects health. Findings from over 50 studies were analysed and used to build a conceptual model demonstrating how political violence threatens three inter-related domains of functioning: individual functioning in relationship to their environment; community functioning and social fabric; and governmental functioning and delivery of services to populations. Results illustrate the need for multilevel frameworks that move beyond individual pathology towards more nuanced conceptualizations about how political violence affects health; findings contribute to the development of prevention programmes addressing political violence.