cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tissue Culture of Maize I. Callus Induction and Growth

Callus induction and subculture was successful with mature embryos and stem sections of seedlings of Zea mays L. on Linsmaier and Skoog's medium modified to contain 4 mg/I of 2,4-D and 1 g/I of casamino acids. — 2,4-D was superior to NAA and IAA for both callus induction and growth. Callus subcultured on NAA formed abundant roots on agar-solidified media and numerous root-like primordia in liquid cultures. — Kinetin had no effect on callus induction in the presence of 2,4-D and neither kinetin nor gibberellic acid stimulated callus growth during subculture. — Callus grew equally well on the medium of Linsmaier and Skoog, that of Schenk and Hildebrandt, and the B-5 medium of Gamborg and Eveleigh containing 2% sucrose, 4 mg/I of 2,4-D and 1 g/I of casamino acids. — The callus grew more rapidly at 25°C than at 30°C or 35°C. Little difference was noted at any temperature in callus growth in alternating light (16 h) and dark (8 h) or continuous dark. — Sucrose was superior to glucose and maltose in both liquid and agar-solidified cultures. Lactose and galactose failed to support callus growth.
Recurrent Painless Oculomotor Palsy in Children. A Variant of Ophthalmopegic Migraine

SYNOPSIS We report two children with isolated recurrent painless oculomotor palsy in whom neurodiagnostic investigations were normal. The tests included Edrophonium hydrochloride (Tensilon) testing and arteriography in one child. Single attacks were observed from onset to resolution in both children. A diagnosis of painless ophthalmoplegic migraine was suspected. Because permanent deficits in ocular motility are apt to occur following repeated attacks of ophthalmoplegic migraine, one child was placed on prophylactic therapy with propranalol. She later developed periodic headache with nausea despite treatment.
CAMEO: Camera Assisted Meeting Event Observer

Static cameras are pervasive in a variety of environments. However it remains a challenging problem to extract and reason about high-level features from real-time and continuous observation of an environment. In this paper, we present CAMEO, the Camera Assisted Meeting Event Observer, which is a physical awareness system designed for use by an agent-based electronic assistant. CAMEO is an inexpensive high-resolution omnidirectional vision system designed to be used in meeting environments. The multiple camera design achieves the desired high image resolution and lower cost that can be achieved when compared to traditional omnicameras that make use of a single camera and mirror solution.
Injection timing effects on partially premixed diesel–methane dual fuel low temperature combustion

Abstract Dual fuel low temperature combustion (LTC) strategies are attractive for future internal combustion engines due to their promise of very low engine-out emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter. In the present work, experimental results for diesel-ignited methane dual fuel LTC on a compression ignition single cylinder research engine (SCRE) are presented. Methane was fumigated into the intake manifold and diesel injection was used to initiate combustion. The engine was operated at a constant speed of 1500 rev/min, and diesel injection pressure was fixed at 500 bar. The start of injection (SOI) of diesel fuel was varied from 260° to 360° (i.e., TDC) to quantify its impact on engine performance and engine-out, indicated-specific emissions of NOx (ISNOx), carbon monoxide (ISCO), and unburned hydrocarbons (ISHC), and smoke emissions. The SOI sweeps were performed at different net indicated mean effective pressures (IMEPs) of 4.1 and 12.1 bar. Intake manifold pressure and methane percent energy substitution (PES) were fixed at 1.5 bar and 80%, respectively, for 4.1 bar IMEP and at 1.8 bar and 95%, respectively, for 12.1 bar IMEP. For all loads, when SOI was advanced, the longer ignition delays caused the separation between the fuel injection and the combustion events to increase. This was accompanied by a change in the shape of the AHRR curve from a distinct two-stage profile to a smooth, single-stage (almost Gaussian) profile. Advancing SOI to 300° and beyond yielded minimal engine-out ISNOx emissions (∼0.15 g/kW h at 4.1 bar IMEP and ∼1.3–1.5 g/kW h at 12.1 bar IMEP). Smoke emissions were negligible ( 5%) caused unstable engine operation for SOIs advanced beyond 280°.
Adaptive flat multiresolution multiplexed computational imaging architecture utilizing micromirror arrays to steer subimager fields of view

A thin, agile multiresolution, computational imaging sensor architecture, termed PANOPTES (processing arrays of Nyguist-limited observations to produce a thin electro-optic sensor), which utilizes arrays of microelectromechanical mirrors to adaptively redirect the fields of view of multiple low-resolution subimagers, is described. An information theory-based algorithm adapts the system and restores the image. The modulation transfer function (MTF) effects of utilizing micromirror arrays to steering imaging systems are analyzed, and computational methods for combining data collected from systems with differing MTFs are presented.
Diabetes Gets on the Nerves of the Bone Marrow Niche

Diabetes is one of the major risk factors of coronary artery disease and chronic heart failure in the Western world (1). Currently, there are ∼28 million patients at age 20 years and older affected by diabetes in the U.S. alone with an annual incidence of 180,000 new cases. Moreover, 186,000 individuals, younger than 20 years of age, have diabetes, and each year ∼15,000 new patients are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (1). The systemic nature of the metabolic derangement caused by diabetes inevitably results in comorbidities in several organs. Diabetes is the most common cause of neuropathy, which, in turn, represents its most frequent complication, affecting up to 50% of diabetic patients (2,3). A particularly severe form of diabetic neuropathy consists of the impairment of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) can affect the cardiovascular, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal organs. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy is an early and frequent complication of diabetes, comprising 7–15% of newly diagnosed individuals and 90% of chronically ill patients (4). In the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) study, cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy has been shown to double the risk of death in diabetic patients (5). In this issue, the findings discussed in the study by Albiero et al. (6) provide novel insights for the current understanding of the biology of DAN. The impact of DAN on the bone marrow (BM) and its niches is largely unknown. Stem cell niches are anatomical compartments constituted by cellular and extracellular components, which integrate local and systemic cues for the control of stem cell fate (7). The BM niche is a functional entity with a high degree of plasticity necessary for rapid adaptation to the needs of the organism. With aging and diseases, BM niches undergo extensive remodeling, …
Analysis of a complexity-based pruning scheme for classification trees

A complexity-based pruning procedure for classification trees is described, and bounds on its finite sample performance are established. The procedure selects a subtree of a (possibly random) initial tree in order to minimize a complexity penalized measure of empirical risk. The complexity assigned to a subtree is proportional to the square root of its size. Two cases are considered. In the first, the growing and pruning data sets are identical, and in the second, they are independent Using the performance bound, the Bayes risk consistency of pruned trees obtained via the procedure is established when the sequence of initial trees satisfies suitable geometric and structural constraints. The pruning method and its analysis are motivated by work on adaptive model selection using complexity regularization.
Locality preserving speaker clustering

In this paper, we propose an efficient speaker clustering approach based on a locality preserving linear projective mapping in the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) mean supervector space. While the GMM mean supervector has turned out to be an effective representation of speakers, its dimensionality is usually very high. The locality preserving projection (LPP) maps the high-dimensional GMM mean supervector space into a lower-dimensional subspace in an unsupervised fashion where the local neighborhood structure of the data points is optimally preserved. Our speaker clustering experiments clearly show that in the reduced-dimensional LPP subspace, traditional clustering techniques such as k-means and hierarchical clustering perform significantly better than they would in the original high-dimensional GMM mean supervector space and in its principal component subspace.
Degradation of polyvinyl alcohol under mechanothermal stretching

Mechanical and thermal properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) are characterized and analyzed using in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and quantum chemistry calculations. It is found that the carbon peaks—commonly used as the reference for spectroscopic analysis—shift under mechanical and thermal stretching. Results also indicate that, at different temperatures and among the various functional groups present in PVA, the carbon in the C–O group is the most stable. Computational calculations showed that Hartree–Fock/10-31G (d) reproduces the binding energy of core carbon electrons with an accuracy of 95 %, which is enough to characterize bonds, allowing the results of the spectroscopic analysis to be corroborated.
Elliptic operators and Choquet capacities

Choquet capacities generated by solutions of certain elliptic partial differential equations are discussed. Bibliography: 11 titles.
Bank Debt Versus Bond Debt: Evidence from Secondary Market Prices

This paper examines the price reaction of loans relative to bonds prior to and surrounding information intensive events, such as corporate (loan and bond) defaults, and bankruptcies using a unique dataset of daily secondary market prices of loans. Specifically, we find that risk-adjusted loan prices fall more than risk-adjusted bond prices prior to an event, and less than risk-adjusted bond prices of the same borrower during a short time period surrounding an event. This evidence is consistent with a monitoring advantage of loans over bonds. Our results are robust to a different empirical methodology (Vector Auto Regression based Granger causality), and to alternative explanations which control for security-specific characteristics, such as seniority, collateral, recovery rates, liquidity, covenants, and for multiple measures of cumulative abnormal returns.
Application Specific Customization and Scalability of Soft Multiprocessors

Although soft microprocessors are widely used in FPGAs, limited work has been performed regarding how to automatically and efficiently generate soft multiprocessors.In this paper, an automated parallel compilation environment for multiple soft processors which incorporates parallel compilation and inter-processorcommunication structures is described. A total of eight previously-developed parallel processing benchmarks havebeen automatically mapped to a varying number of synthesized soft microprocessors in commercial FPGAs.The new automated infrastructure allows for an evaluation of area, performance, and power tradeoffs for a range of architectural choices. Experiments show that our soft-multiprocessor systems consisting of up to 16 processors can offer up to 5x improvement in application performance against their uniprocessor counterparts.
The Pair Tutoring Program: An Early Field-Based Experience to Prepare Preservice General Educators to Work with Students with Special Learning Needs

Most pupils with special learning needs will spend a significant proportion of their time in school in general education settings. Yet, a cursory examination of the teacher preparation literature suggests that many preservice general educators are ill-prepared to meet this enormous instructional challenge. Here, we briefly describe the efforts of one regional state college to restructure its program to better prepare general education teachers to serve diverse learning groups. We begin by describing the Reflective and Responsive Educator (RARE) program, a newly restructured, 4-year field-based program for future early childhood, elementary, and secondary education teachers. We then describe in more detail one particular facet of the RARE model, the Pair Tutoring Program, an early field-based experience that accompanies a required introductory course, and provide initial outcome data to support its efficacy and social acceptability. Finally, we address issues related to the potential replicability and sust...
Multilevel coding in M-ary DPSK/differential QAM high-speed optical transmission with direct detection

A bandwidth- and power-efficient modulation scheme using M-ary differential phase-shift keying (DPSK)/differential quadrature amplitude modulation (DQAM) and low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes as component codes in a multilevel coding (MLC) is proposed for optical transmission systems with direct detection. An MLC scheme with 2 b/s/Hz spectral efficiency based on block-circulant component codes provides the coding gain of 12.3 dB when compared to uncoded 8-DPSK, and 8.3 dB when compared to uncoded 4-DPSK (QDPSK).
Evaluating the impact of alternative hydro-climate scenarios on transfer agreements: Practical improvement for generating synthetic streamflows

AbstractUtilities are increasingly considering the use of temporary water transfers to augment their supplies during periods of drought, an alternative that is often less expensive than expanding safe yields through new infrastructure. Understanding the volume and timing of transfers is important for developing contracts between buyer and seller and can be challenging due to the transient nature of drought, a situation complicated by the uncertainties associated with climate change. While transfer arrangements have received some attention in the literature, the effects of climate change on such agreements remain unexplored. This paper investigates these impacts using an improved method for developing new hydro-climate scenarios. A technique for producing stochastic time series of inflows is described, one which effectively replicates the autocorrelation present in the historic record. Unlike autoregressive (and similar) models that assume complete stationarity, the modified fractional Gaussian noise (mFGN...
Interferon-beta treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis.

Background: Recombinant forms of IFN-β were the first therapeutic intervention found to be effective at interfering with the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic and debilitating disease affecting the CNS in young adults. Objective/methods: To examine the application of IFN-β to MS treatment by a review of relevant literature. Results: The different IFN-β products available are similar in their clinical effects. However, the response to IFN-β therapy is only partial and the most efficient individual-specific dose, route and frequency of administration are not elucidated fully. The mechanism of action of IFN-β in MS is also not understood fully but its immunomodulatory effects are probably more important than its anti-proliferative and antiviral activities. Conclusions: Although new therapeutic approaches are being sought to better treat MS, IFN-β remains one of the most recognized and approved worldwide therapeutic options for this disease.
Strategies for implementation of an effective pharmacogenomics program in pharmacy education

Sequencing of the human genome and the evidence correlating specific genetic variations to diseases have opened up the potential of genomics to more effective and less harmful interventions of human diseases. A wealth of pharmacogenomics knowledge is in place for the practice of precision medicine. However, this knowledge is not fully realized in clinical practice. One reason for this impasse is the lack of in-depth understanding of the potential of pharmacogenomics among the healthcare professionals. Pharmacists are the point-of-care providers and are expected to advise clinicians on matters relating to the implementation of pharmacogenomics in patient care. However, current pharmacogenomics instruction in pharmacy schools fails to produce pharmacists with the required knowledge or practical training in this discipline. In this perspective, we provide several strategies to overcome limitations faced by pharmacy schools. Once implemented, pharmacy schools will produce precision medicine-ready pharmacists.
The endocrine control of myometrial contractility in the uterus of the pregnant rabbit.

Abstract The present experiments clarify the following points: 1. Provided that extreme care is taken to maintain light anesthesia, undisturbed breathing, constant body temperature, and constant temperature around the uterine segment from which recording is made, furthermore, if the tension is recorded isometrically, there is no significant difference between in vitro and in vivo findings. This suggests that the reactivity of the myometrium is determined by the endocrine state of the animal and that other mechanisms working in the body are of lesser importance. 2. That the method here employed is satisfactory has been established in several different ways: a. Between the steps of an experiment in which electrical stimulation was employed, it was always possible to observe the same pattern of spontaneous activity as found at the beginning of the experiment. b. All animals in the same group exhibited the same pattern of uterine behavior, and even the quantitative differences from one animal to another in the same group were slight. Among all the tests employed in these studies, spontaneous activity showed the greatest and the staircase the smallest variation. c. When the patterns of behavior of the two horns of the uterus of one animal were compared, the similarity between the two records obtained was very close. d. When tension was recorded continuously for a period of 5 hours in an estrogen-treated nonpregnant rabbit, the uterus being stimulated electrically with optimum stimulus once every 4 minutes, tension remained unchanged. This, we believe, is one of the most convincing tests of the reliability of the technique and the unchanged condition of the animal during the experiment. 3. These experiments demonstrate that until the twenty-ninth day of pregnancy progesterone dominates the myometrium. The effect of progesterone begins to decline only on the twenty-ninth day, its withdrawal being completed on the thirty-second day, the day on which labor occurs. 4. A few hours before delivery, on the thirty-second day, the myometrium is clearly estrogen dominated. Its excitability is optimal. Its conductivity appears to be restored, its intrinsic stimulatory system is highly efficient, and development of spontaneous tension is at its best. Working capacity is maximal. It appears, therefore, that all conditions are optimal as required for maximum function, and the uterus is ready to perform its main physiological function, i.e., the delivery of the conceptuses. 5. Shortly after delivery estrogen domination approaches an extreme condition so far as excitability of the myometrium is concerned, whereas working capacity begins to decline, and 48 hours after delivery it is similar to the value which can be obtained in the nonpregnant estrogen-dominated animal. It is to be hoped that the findings and methods reported in this paper will be useful in devising means by which studies on the human myometrium can be carried out in order to establish changes in endocrine domination in women during normal and abnormal pregnancies.
Acculturation, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with compliance with physical activity recommendations in the Mexican-American Mano A Mano cohort.

Objectives Being physically active is important for health, and few Mexican-Americans meet national US physical activity recommendations. The aim of this study was to investigate sociodemographic, acculturation and lifestyle factors that were associated with meeting physical activity recommendations in this group. Design and setting A cross-sectional analysis of a large population-based cohort study in southern Texas, USA. Participants Between 2001 and 2011, 21 551 adult members of the Mexican-American Mano A Mano cohort completed baseline questionnaires on physical activity and other lifestyle factors. Outcomes Meeting US physical activity recommendations was defined as participating in 150 min of moderate, or 75 min of vigorous, activity per week. Factors contributing to the likelihood of meeting physical activity recommendations were examined by sex and country of birth in multivariate logistic regression models. Results Less than half of all men and less than a quarter of all women met US physical activity recommendations. Having some college education, greater acculturation and current alcohol use were each associated with greater odds of meeting physical activity recommendations in all groups except US-born men. Higher body mass index was associated with lower odds of meeting recommendations in US-born and Mexico-born women. Conclusions Results demonstrate that factors associated with meeting physical activity recommendations differ by sex and country of birth. Tailored interventions to increase Mexican-Americans’ activity levels to achieve health benefits should consider education, acculturation and alcohol use.
Sulfation by human lung fibroblasts: SO4(2-) and sulfur-containing amino acids as sources for macromolecular sulfation

Studies were carried out in human lung fibroblasts (IMR-90) to investigate 1) the relative contribution of two extracellular pools, inorganic sulfate and sulfur-containing amino acids, to the intra...
DDT-resistant red flour beetles from a Georgia peanut sheller.

Resistance to insecticides has been slower to appear in stored-product insects than in other insect pests. Parkin (1965) discussed some of the possible reasons for this slower development of resistance. It is now becoming apparent, however, that with long-term use of insecticides, higher levels of resistance are developing also in stored-product insects.
Numerical Simulation of Laminar Flow Heat Transfer Enhancement Using Surface Modification

Heat transfer augmentation techniques have gained great importance in different engineering applications to deal with thermal management issues. In this work, a numerical investigation was carried out to see the effects of a modified surface on the heat transfer enhancement compared to a smooth surface. In the first case, spherical dimple arrays were applied to the surface. The effects were observed for dimples on the bottom wall of a channel for a laminar airflow. The effects of a 21×7 staggered array and a 19×4 inline array on the bottom wall were investigated. In the second case, the heat exchange enhancement in a rectangular channel using longitudinal vortex generators (LVG) for a laminar flow was considered. In both cases, a 3D steady viscous computational fluid dynamics package with an unstructured grid was used to compute the flow and temperature field. The heat transfer characteristics were studied as a function of the Reynolds number based on the hydraulic diameter of the channel. The heat transfer was quantified by computing the surface averaged Nusselt number. The pressure drop and flow characteristics were also calculated. The Nusselt number was compared with that of a smooth channel without surface modification to assess the level of heat transfer enhancement.© 2014 ASME
Application of hopping theory for the prediction of charge mobility in amorphous organic materials

The application of hopping theory for the prediction of charge (hole) mobility in amorphous organic molecular materials is studied in detail. Application is made to amorphous cells of N,N’-diphenyl-N,N’-bis-(3-methylphenylene)-1,1’-diphenyl-4,4’-diamine (TPD), N4,N4’-di(biphenyl-3-yl)-N4,N4’-diphenylbiphenyl-4,4’-diamine (mBPD), 1,1-bis-(4,4’-diethylaminophenyl)-4,4-diphenyl-1,3,butadinene (DEPB), N1,N4-di(naphthalen-1-yl)-N1,N4-diphenylbenzene-1,4-diamine (NNP), and N,N’-bis[9,9-dimethyl-2-fluorenyl]-N,N’-diphenyl-9,9-dimethylfluorene-2,7-diamine (pFFA). Detailed analysis of the computation of each of the parameters in the equations for hopping rate is presented, including studies of their convergence with respect to various numerical approximations. Based on these convergence studies, the most robust practical methodology is applied to investigate the dependence of mobility on such parameters as the monomer reorganization energy, the monomer-monomer coupling and the material density. The results give insight into what factors should be controlled to develop materials with higher (or lower) charge (hole) mobility, and what will be required to improve the accuracy of predictions of mobility in amorphous organic materials.
The Application of Induced Polarization Method in Gariatong Silver-lead Deposit Exploration in Tibet

The application effect of the induced polarization method in the silver-lead molybdenum mine in Shenzha County of Tibet is introduced.Based on the IP intermediate gradient and IP sounding,the authors delineate five induced polarization anomalies,and explain the characteristics of anomalies source and the polarized object combining with the IP characteristics and elecrical properties of rock and ore.It is suggested that Mη1,Mη2,Mη5 show low resistivity,ηs shows low amplitude and its anomalies scale is small,while Mη3,Mη4 show low resistivity,ηs shows high amplitude and its anomaly scale is large.Finally,the authers give appraisal based on geophysical prospecting and effectiveness,which provide the evidence for further survey and geological work.It is of certain reference signifance in looking for the same type mineral deposits in the region.
Septicaemia in the foal. A review of 61 cases.

SUMMARY A survey of 61 cases of acute generalized infection in the foal is described, with particular reference to the types of organism concerned and the role of predisposing factors. Actinobacillus equuli, Escherichia coli and β-haemolytic streptococci are considered to be opportunist infections in young foals, and are particularly likely to develop in those which are congenitally defective in some respect. Congenital factors however appeared to be of doubtful importance in Salmonella typhimurium and Corynebacterium equi infections, both of which usually arise in older foals. The findings of the survey would suggest that a significant rise in the proportion of fatal E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium infections in the young foal has taken place in recent years.
cDNA cloning of a novel CYP3A from rat brain.

Abstract One full length cDNA clone, designated 3aH15, was isolated from a control male rat brain cDNA library. 3aH15 encoded a protein composed of 503 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of 3aH15 was 92% identical toCyp3a-13 and had a 68.4% to 76.5% homology with the other reportedCYP3A sequences. Clone 3aH15 was thus namedCYP3A9. No significant induction of theCYP3A9 expression in rat brain by dexamethasone was observed by Northern blot analysis.CYP3A9 cDNA was expressed inE. coliand the expressed P450 3A9 is active in the demethylation of erythromycin as well as benzphetamine.
Growth and saturation of ion acoustic waves in Hall thrusters

In this paper we present for the first time a conjecture that the electron transport in Hall thrusters is controlled by ion acoustic waves in two distinct ion populations. The first, and largest population, is the main beam, an ion fluid generated upstream of the Acceleration Region. These ions experience electrons with largest ExB drift, but because beam ions have been heated during the ionization process, Landau damping limits the growth of ion acoustic waves. The second population is composed of ions generated at low potentials farther downstream that don’t thermalize with the fast moving ion beam. The existence of this separate population has been recognized for decades as the source of the high angle ions in Hall thruster plumes. Because these ions aren’t heated and have velocities much different from main beam ions, the amplitude of ion acoustic waves in this population is not Landau damped and grows to saturation. Scattering from these waves reduces the Hall parameter in the near plume where slow ions make up a significant fraction of the population.
Conserved Role of bFGF and a Divergent Role of LIF for Pluripotency Maintenance and Survival in Canine Pluripotent Stem Cells

Dogs have been widely used as a preclinical model for human disease. With the successful generation of canine induced pluripotent stem cells (ciPSCs), the biomedical community has a unique opportunity to study therapeutic interventions using autologous stem cells that can benefit dogs and humans. Unlike mice and human pluripotent cells, which are leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)- and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-dependent, respectively, dog iPSCs require both growth factors simultaneously. In an effort to elucidate the role of each factor in the control of ciPSC self-renewal, we performed a series of experiments aiming at understanding the signaling pathways activated by them. We found that bFGF regulates pluripotency by indirectly activating the SMAD2/3 pathway in the presence of feeder cells, exclusively targeting NANOG expression, and inhibiting spontaneous differentiation toward ectoderm and mesoderm. LIF activates the JAK-STAT3 pathway but does not function in the typical manner described in mouse naive embryonic stem cells. These results show that a unique mechanism for maintenance of pluripotency is present in ciPSC. These findings should be taken into account when establishing stem cell differentiation protocols and may provide more insight into pluripotency regulation in species other than mice and humans.
Superconductivity seen in ferromagnet

Physicists have been intrigued by the extraordinary phenomena that arise from the interplay between superconductivity and magnetism since the late 1950s, when Vitaly Ginzburg asked if superconductivity and ferromagnetism can coexist in a substance. Two decades later, superconductivity was found to coexist with antiferromagnetic order (i.e. when neighbouring magnetic moments point in opposite directions) in some rare earth compounds. However, the superconductivity was destroyed by the onset of ferromagnetic order (i.e. neighbouring magnetic moments pointing in the same direction) at lower temperatures. Now, four decades after Ginzburg posed the question, a group at the University of Bayreuth in Germany has finally observed the coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism by cooling a gold indium compound (AuIn2) to ultralow temperatures (S Rehmann, T Herrmannsdorfer and F Pobell 1997 Phys. Rev. Lett.78 1122).
An analysis of bicycle-vehicle interactions at signalized intersections with bicycle boxes

i Acknowledgements iii List of Tables vi List of Figures viii 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 2 1.2 Research Objectives 4 1.3 Thesis Organization 4 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 6 2.1 Conflicts 6 2.2 Bike Boxes 8 3.0 DATA 10 3.1 Intersection Selection 10 3.2 Video Surveillance 13 3.3 Weather 15 4.0 METHODS 16 4.1 Data Reduction 16 4.2 Conflict Clips 19 v 4.3 Re-Observing Intersection Conflicts 21 4.4 Crash Data 22 5.0 ANALYSIS 23 5.1 Intersection Volumes 23 5.2 Conflicts 25 5.2.1 Intersection Analysis 28 5.2.2 Intersection Analysis by Groups 58 5.2.3 Normalized Conflict Rates 61 5.3 Average Time to Conflict 68 5.4 Crash Data Review 70 5.5 Head Checks 72 5.6 Summary 74 6.0 CONCLUSIONS 81 7.0 REFERENCES 83 8.0 APPENDIX 85 8.1 R Script 85
The rhetoric of the real: stereotypes of rural youth in American reality television and stock photography

Through an examination of the visual rhetoric of identity presented by reality shows, especially Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, this paper explores ways in which American reality television and related ...
Modeling of organic solar cell using response surface methodology

Abstract Polymer solar cells have drawn much attention during the past few decades due to their low manufacturing cost and incompatibility for flexible substrates. In solution-processed organic solar cells, the optimal thickness, annealing temperature, and morphology are key components to achieving high efficiency. In this work, response surface methodology (RSM) is used to find optimal fabrication conditions for polymer solar cells. In order to optimize cell efficiency, the central composite design (CCD) with three independent variables polymer concentration, polymer-fullerene ratio, and active layer spinning speed was used. Optimal device performance was achieved using 10.25 mg/ml polymer concentration, 0.42 polymer-fullerene ratio, and 1624 rpm of active layer spinning speed. The predicted response (the efficiency) at the optimum stationary point was found to be 5.23% for the Poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole-terthiophene) (PDPP3T)/PC 60 BM solar cells. Moreover, 97% of the variation in the device performance was explained by the best model. Finally, the experimental results are consistent with the CCD prediction, which proves that this is a promising and appropriate model for optimum device performance and fabrication conditions.
Providing Daily Oral Infection Control to Persons Dependent on others for Activities of Daily Living: A Semi-Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate caregiver assessment of the ease of use of a specially designed toothbrush for providing daily oral infection control (toothbrushing) to persons dependent upon others for activities of daily living. Method: Eighty-eight caregivers accepted surveys and multi-surface toothbrushes to provide daily oral infection control to the person to whom they assisted. They were asked to evaluate the ease of use of the multi-surface toothbrush, and provide comments about it. Results: There were 30 surveys returned (34.1% response rate). In terms of the ease of use, 90.0% of the caregivers agreed (63.3% strongly agreed, and 26.7% agreed) that the multi-surface toothbrush was easier to use than their previous toothbrush. Comments about the toothbrush were predominantly positive. Conclusion: It is difficult to provide daily oral infection control to another individual. Having an efficient oral health aid which makes it easier to do so is important to caregivers. With the overwhelming positive response to the multi-surface toothbrush, it is important to disseminate the information about its ease of use.
Core Network Principles: The Explanatory Nucleus

This chapter introduces a generic connectionist neural network model and defines basic terms. Then it presents the explanatory nucleus of the proposed Bio↔Psychology Network Theory. It consists of the first four network principles. The first network principle concerns unconscious processing by what is called the network cascade. It entails mechanisms by which activation spreads automatically, unconsciously, and deterministically across a network of simulated neurons through simulated synapses. Five lines of psychological evidence and ten lines of neuroscience evidence require moving psychology from a conscious-centric to an unconscious-centric science. The second network principle concerns the physical basis of learning and memory. The following three causal mechanisms are discussed: (a) synaptic modification via experience-dependent plasticity mechanisms; (b) epigenetic mechanisms that alter genetic expression; and (c) glial mechanisms. The third network principle provides a way to understand how neural networks can transform stimulus microfeatures into latent psychological constructs; how mind can emerge from brain. This mechanism shares many features with factor analysis. The fourth network principle understands memory in terms of neural network reactivation.
Optimal location strategy for distributed generation to maximize system voltage stability based on line sensitivity factors

This paper presents a combination strategy to determine the optimal location of PV distributed generation units (PV-DGs) in terms of maximizing the power system voltage stability level. The voltage collapse power indices (VCPIs) is chosen to access the voltage stability level of a system. To eliminate the need of iterations, a new line power flow calculation method based on the line sensitivity factors (LSFs) is developed. It could precisely compute out VCPI without executing AC power flow program. Combined with the economic optimization software HOMER to determine the sizes and quantities of PV-DGs, the optimal buses to connect PV-DGs are selected by minimizing the sum of VCPIs. The proposed location strategy is validated by multiple IEEE test systems. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method is accurate on VCPI calculations and has the decreased computation time compared with the Newton-Raphson power flow method. Through the continuous power flow results, it is verified that the optimal DG configuration selected by the proposed strategy could maximize the overall voltage stability margin of the system.
Vibrational energy transfer and dissociation in O2–N2 collisions at hyperthermal temperatures

Simulation of vibrational energy transfer and dissociation in O2–N2 collisions is conducted using the quasi-classical trajectory method on an ab initio potential energy surface. Vibrationally resolved rate coefficients are obtained in a high-temperature region between 8000 and 20 000 K by means of the cost-efficient classical trajectory propagation method. A system of master equations is constructed using the new dataset in order to simulate thermal and chemical nonequilibrium observed in shock flows. The O2 relaxation time derived from a solution of the master equations is in good agreement with the Millikan and White correlation at lower temperatures with an increasing discrepancy toward the translational temperature of 20 000 K. At the same time, the N2 master equation relaxation time is similar to that derived under the assumption of a two-state system. The effect of vibrational-vibrational energy transfer appears to be crucial for N2 relaxation and dissociation. Thermal equilibrium and quasi-steady state dissociation rate coefficients in O2–N2 heat bath are reported.
Voluntary wheel running attenuates urinary bladder hypersensitivity and dysfunction following neonatal maternal separation in female mice.

Aims Patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) commonly suffer from widespread pain and mood disorder, which has been attributed to improper functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Voluntary exercise has been shown to improve HPA axis function, therefore we are determining whether voluntary wheel running can attenuate urological pain and dysfunction following neonatal maternal separation (NMS) in female mice. Methods Mice underwent NMS for 3 h/day from postnatal Day 1-21, were caged with free access to running wheels at 4 weeks of age, and assessed 4 weeks later for bladder sensitivity, micturition, reward behavior, mast cell degranulation, and HPA axis-related in vitro analysis. Results Increased bladder sensitivity, void frequency, and mast cell degranulation was observed in adult sedentary (-Sed) NMS mice, compared to naive-Sed controls. Sucrose preference was increased in NMS-Sed mice and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRF1 ) and glucocorticoid receptor mRNA levels were significantly reduced in the hippocampus. Exercise normalized bladder sensitivity, micturition output, and increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA levels in the hippocampus of NMS mice. Mast cell degranulation was also normalized in NMS bladders following exercise. Conclusions Voluntary exercise normalized behavioral outcomes resulting from NMS in female mice, increased hippocampal BDNF mRNA levels, and decreased mast cell degranulation in the bladder. Together these results provide novel insight into the efficacy of voluntary exercise to attenuate comorbid outcomes resulting from exposure to early life stress.
Development of a toolkit for piggyBac-mediated integrative transfection of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi.

Background The human filarial parasites cause diseases that are among the most important causes of morbidity in the developing world. The elimination programs targeting these infections rely on a limited number of drugs, making the identification of new chemotherapeutic agents a high priority. The study of these parasites has lagged due to the lack of reverse genetic methods. Methodology/Principal findings We report a novel co-culture method that results in developmentally competent infective larvae of one of the human filarial parasites (Brugia malayi) and describe a method to efficiently transfect the larval stages of this parasite. We describe the production of constructs that result in integrative transfection using the piggyBac transposon system, and a selectable marker that can be used to identify transgenic parasites. We describe the production and use of dual reporter plasmids containing both a secreted luciferase selectable marker and fluorescent protein reporters that will be useful to study temporal and spatial patterns of gene expression. Conclusions/Significance The methods and constructs reported here will permit the efficient production of integrated transgenic filarial parasite lines, allowing reverse genetic technologies to be applied to all life cycle stages of the parasite.
Oxidative metabolism of lactate and acetate by Micrococcus sodonensis.

Studies on the metabolism of the strict aerobe Micrococcus sodonensis revealed that a considerable accumulation of a-ketoglutarate and glutamate occurred. This accumulation was in evidence, both during growth on complex media and during growth on chemically defined media with acetate as the sole carbon source. The major pathway of terminal respiration in aerobically growing microorganisms appears to be the Krebs tricarboxylic acid cycle. There is much evidence for the presence of a complete tricarboxylic acid cycle in a number of bacteria, including Escherichia coli (Wheat and Ajl, 1954), Micrococcus lysodeikticus (Saz and Krampitz, 1954), and Xanthomonas phaseoli (Madsen and Hochster, 1959). This cycle serves as an effective source of energy for the organism and also provides carbon skeletons for the synthesis of amino acids and other essential metabolites in the cell. An alternate pathway for tricarboxylic acid oxidation has been described (Campbell et al., 1953) in which there is an aldol cleavage of isocitrate to glyoxylate and succinate. This finding, in conjunction with the elucidation of the malate synthetase reaction (Wong and AjI, 1956), resulted in the proposed glyoxylate cycle (Kornberg and Krebs, 1957). This cycle accounts for the requisite synthesis of four carbon units when an organism is utilizing acetate as the sole carbon source. This study is concerned with the metabolism of acetate and lactate and the role of the Krebs and glyoxylate cycles in this organism.
Halogen Radical Oxidants in Natural and Engineered Aquatic Systems.

Photochemical reactions contribute to the transformation of contaminants and biogeochemically important substrates in environmental aquatic systems. Recent research has demonstrated that halogen radicals (e.g., Cl•, Br•, Cl2•–, BrCl•–, Br2•–) impact photochemical processes in sunlit estuarine and coastal waters rich in halides (e.g., chloride, Cl–, and bromide, Br–). In addition, halogen radicals participate in contaminant degradation in some engineered processes, including chlorine photolysis for drinking water treatment and several radical-based processes for brine and wastewater treatment. Halogen radicals react selectively with substrates (with bimolecular rate constants spanning several orders of magnitude) and via several potential chemical mechanisms. Consequently, their role in photochemical processes remains challenging to assess. This review presents an integrative analysis of the chemistry of halogen radicals and their contribution to aquatic photochemistry in sunlit surface waters and engineer...
Age-related alterations in axonal microstructure in the corpus callosum measured by high-gradient diffusion MRI.

Abstract Cerebral white matter exhibits age-related degenerative changes during the course of normal aging, including decreases in axon density and alterations in axonal structure. Noninvasive approaches to measure these microstructural alterations throughout the lifespan would be invaluable for understanding the substrate and regional variability of age-related white matter degeneration. Recent advances in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have leveraged high gradient strengths to increase sensitivity toward axonal size and density in the living human brain. Here, we examined the relationship between age and indices of axon diameter and packing density using high-gradient strength diffusion MRI in 36 healthy adults (aged 22–72) in well-defined central white matter tracts in the brain. A recently validated method for inferring the effective axonal compartment size and packing density from diffusion MRI measurements acquired with 300 mT/m maximum gradient strength was applied to the in vivo human brain to obtain indices of axon diameter and density in the corpus callosum, its sub-regions, and adjacent anterior and posterior fibers in the forceps minor and forceps major. The relationships between the axonal metrics, corpus callosum area and regional gray matter volume were also explored. Results revealed a significant increase in axon diameter index with advancing age in the whole corpus callosum. Similar analyses in sub-regions of the corpus callosum showed that age-related alterations in axon diameter index and axon density were most pronounced in the genu of the corpus callosum and relatively absent in the splenium, in keeping with findings from previous histological studies. The significance of these correlations was mirrored in the forceps minor and forceps major, consistent with previously reported decreases in FA in the forceps minor but not in the forceps major with age. Alterations in the axonal imaging metrics paralleled decreases in corpus callosum area and regional gray matter volume with age. Among older adults, results from cognitive testing suggested an association between larger effective compartment size in the corpus callosum, particularly within the genu of the corpus callosum, and lower scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, largely driven by deficits in short-term memory. The current study suggests that high-gradient diffusion MRI may be sensitive to the axonal substrate of age-related white matter degeneration reflected in traditional DTI metrics and provides further evidence for regionally selective alterations in white matter microstructure with advancing age.