cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct quantification of metal-organic interactions by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Metal speciation significantly influences the geochemical cycling of trace metals and can control metal bioavailability and toxicity, Advanced analytical techniques have been applied to address some difficulties encountered in identifying metal organic species. In this method, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) was directly coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine conditional stability constants of metal complexes with strong organic ligands in competitive equilibration experiments. molecular size calibration of the column was performed with polystyrenesulfonate standards and the effects of hydrophobic interactions on the column were determined. Metal concentrations corresponding to different organic fractions were measured directly, in the SEC column effluent, by ICP-MS. The method was validated with well-defined organic ligands in ligand competition studies with a single metal and a binary metal mixture. The distribution of metal-ligand species deter mined analytically was shown to correspond to the calculated equilibrium speciation, Model studies using metal complexes,vith weaker organic ligands demonstrated that the technique is subject to kinetic limitations since labile metal-organic complexes can dissociate during chromatographic separation. Nonetheless, the kinetic window of the method should be appropriate for the strong Ligands postulated to control metal speciation in natural waters.
Thermal decomposition of yttrium-doped silver carbonate

Yttrium effect on rate of thermal decomposition of silver carbonate powder and pressed pellets by isothermogravimetric analysis, examining water vapor, Co 60 gamma radiation and temperature effects
Nuclear data sheets for A = 234

Abstract The available nuclear structure information for all nuclei with mass number A = 234 is presented. Various decay and reaction data are evaluated and compared. Adopted data, levels,spin, parity, and configuartion assignments are given.
Mirror exposure for the treatment of body image disturbance.

Objective Body image disturbance is a risk factor for the development and persistence of eating disorders. Limitations of current treatments for body image disturbance prompted the development of a mirror exposure (ME) treatment. Method ME involves deliberate, planned, and systematic exposure to body image. The approach is nonjudgmental, holistic in focus, and mindful of present emotional experience. Complementary behavioral assignments aim to reduce avoidance and excessive checking. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of ME therapy (in a three-session format) compared with a nondirective (ND) therapy for 45 women with extreme weight and shape concerns. Results ME resulted in significant improvements at termination and follow-up in body checking and avoidance, weight and shape concerns, body dissatisfaction, dieting, depression, and self-esteem. As hypothesized, ME was significantly better than ND on many of the outcome measures. Conclusion ME is an effective treatment for body image disturbance and should be evaluated in the context of treatments for eating disorders. © 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The splitting pinball method for contact-impact problems

Abstract In the pinball contact-impact algorithm, the interpenetration check is simplified by enforcing it only on a set of spheres embedded within the elements. In the splitting pinball adaptation of this algorithm, the parent pinball is split into a hierarchy of descendent pinballs whenever interpenetration of the parent pinballs is detected. The interpenetration check is then applied to the descendent pinballs and contact forces are generated. This provides a better representation of the contact surface for thin shell elements. The implementation of the method with a penalty contact method is described and examples are given. It is also shown that the method easily and automatically handles edge-to-edge, edge-to-surface, and self-surface contact without any user specification.
Enhanced strain-rate sensitivity in fcc nanocrystals due to grain-boundary diffusion and sliding

Recent experiments on face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close packed (hcp) nanocrystalline metals reported an increase of more than 10-fold in strain-rate sensitivity in contrast to their conventional coarse-grained counterparts. To improve our understanding of this issue, we consider a mesoscopic continuum model of a two-dimensional polycrystal with deformation mechanisms including grain interior plasticity, grain-boundary diffusion and grain-boundary sliding. The model captures the transition from sliding- and diffusion-dominated creep in nanocrystals with relatively small grain sizes at low strain rates to plasticity-dominated flow in nanocrystals with larger grain sizes at higher strain rates. The strain-rate sensitivity obtained from our calculations matches well with the experimental data for nanocrystalline Cu. Based on this analysis, an analytical model incorporating the competition between grain interior plasticity and grain-boundary deformation mechanisms is proposed to provide an intuitive understanding of the transition in strain-rate sensitivity in nanostructured metals.
The Occurrence and Control of Interference from Oil Mist in the Detection of Overheating in a Generator

An infrequent but vexing problem is the occurrence of oil mist that produces a false overheating signal on an ion chamber detector monitoring a generator for the presence of pyrolysates. Though the presence of oil mist may not affect the operation of the generator, its interference with the detection of local overheating is undesirable.
Oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. PURPOSE: patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) can be vulnerable to respiratory incompetence that may lead to swallowing impairment. A systematic review was conducted to investigate the relationship between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and oropharyngeal dysphagia. Forty-seven articles were retrieved relating to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and dysphagia. Each article was graded using evidence-based methodology. Only 7 articles out of the 47 addressed oropharyngeal swallowing disorders in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. This review found few studies that documented the relationship between oropharyngeal swallowing disorders and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. There were no randomized control trials. CONCLUSION: although the evidence is not strong, it appears that patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease are prone to oropharyngeal dysphagia during exacerbations. Future studies are needed to document the prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia in homogeneous groups of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and to assess the relationship between respiration and swallowing using simultaneous measures of swallowing biomechanics and respiratory function. These investigations will lead to a better understanding of the characteristics and risk factors of developing oropharyngeal dypshagia in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Yield stress measurements of cyclopentane hydrate slurry

Abstract A hydrate slurry is prepared under shear using liquid cyclopentane (CP) as the hydrate former at atmospheric conditions from a density-matched water-in-oil emulsion, by quenching it to a lower temperature at a fixed shear rate. The typical average drop size is 10 μm. A transition, from initial deformable water drops dispersed in a continuous oil to a solid particle suspension, takes place during which the viscosity increases by several orders of magnitude and jamming may occur. Hydrate slurries so obtained are used for further rheological measurements. In particular, yield stresses are examined for varying water volume fraction using a stress-controlled rheometer. Yield stresses ranged from about 5–4600 Pa between 16% and 30% water volume fraction, with 16% being the minimum water fraction for which there is any measurable yield stress. The yield stress and the final slurry viscosity both scale with water volume fraction as τ y and η f ∼ ( ϕ - ϕ c ) 2.5 , where ϕ c ≐ 0.15 as no yield stress is observed for ϕ 15 %. Yield stress measurements of CP hydrate slurries allowed to rest after formation under no shearing for a duration are also carried out. Hydrate slurries were found to exhibit shear thinning and significant thixotropic behavior. Direct visualization of hydrate formation on water drops in water-in-oil emulsions is presented.
Effects of gibberellic acid and environmental factors on cytosolic calcium in wheat aleurone cells

Gibberellins (GAs) control a wide range of physiological functions in plants from germination to flowering. The cellular mechanisms by which gibberellic acid (GA3) acts have been most extensively studied in the cereal aleurone. In this tissue, alterations in cellular calcium are known to be important for the primary response to GA, which is the production and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes. The extent to which cytosolic Ca2+ mediates the early events in GA action, however, is not known. In order to address this question, changes in cytosolic Ca2+ in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Inia) aleurone cells that occur rapidly after treatment with GA were characterized. In addition, GA-induced changes were compared with changes induced by three environmental stimuli that are known to modify the GA response: osmotic stress, salt (NaCl), and hypoxia. The Ca2+-sensitive dye fluo-3 was used to photometrically measure cytosolic Ca2+. It was found that GA3 induced a steady-state increase in cytosolic Ca2+ of 100–500 nM. This increase was initiated within a few minutes of treatment with GA and was fully developed after 30–90 min. The changes in cytosolic Ca2+ that were induced by GA were distinct from those induced by mannitol, NaCl, or hypoxia. Mannitol caused a steady-state decrease whereas NaCl and hypoxia both increased cytosolic Ca2+. In the case of NaCl this increase was transient but for hypoxia the increase was prolonged as long as hypoxic conditions were maintained. Gibberellin-induced changes in cytosolic Ca2+ were not induced by the inactive GA, GA8, nor did the GA-insensitive wheat mutant, D6899, respond to active GA3 with altered cytosolic Ca2+. It is concluded that changes in cytosolic Ca2+ are an early and integral part of the GA response in aleurone cells. The data also indicate, however, that changes in Ca2+ are not sufficient, by themselves, to induce the GA response of aleurone cells.
REPRODUCTIVE COLORATION IN FEMALE COLLARED LIZARDS, CROTOPHYTUS COLLARIS, STIMULATES COURTSHIP BY MALES

Female-specific reproductive coloration is widespread among lizards, prompting several hypotheses to explain the possible function(s) of such coloration in females. I tested four of these hypotheses using observational and experimental field studies of free-ranging collared lizard females, Crotaphytus collaris, which develop orange markings on the lateral torso in association with the reproductive cycle. Orange markings did not appear to function for advertisement to female competitors because females rarely displayed their coloration during interactions with consexual competitors, and markings developed well before the occurrence of peak aggression among females. By contrast, females frequently displayed their lateral torso when courted by males. The number of displays given to courting males did not differ in females that had and those that had not yet developed orange markings, suggesting that female coloration does not function for sexual recognition in collared lizards. Females developed orange pigme...
Cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase is phosphorylated at multiple amino acids

Abstract The activity of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (gpCYP7A1), the rate limiting enzyme in bile acid synthesis, has been postulated to be regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation. This study has found that several kinase activators rapidly reduce the amount of bile acid produced by the human hepatoma cell line, HepG2, and that gpCYP7A1 from HepG2 cell extracts eluted in the phosphoprotein fraction of FeIII columns. After incubating the HepG2 cells with radioactive orthophosphate, the band identified as gpCYP7Al on immunoblots was strongly labeled. Recombinant gpCYP7A was expressed as 6× HIS fusion polypeptides and subjected to kinase assays. The locations of phosphorylation were mapped further by screening synthetic peptides against AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase, protein kinase A, and a panel of nine protein kinase C isoforms. AMPK, also known as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase kinase, phosphorylated cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase, suggesting a potential mechanism of coordination of cholesterol synthesis and degradation.
A Framework for Visualization of Battlefield Network Behavior

An extensible network simulation application was developed to study wireless battlefield communications. The application monitors node mobility and depicts broadcast and unicast traffic as expanding rings and directed links. The network simulation was specially designed to support fault injection to show the impact of air strikes on disabling nodes. The application takes standard ns-2 trace files as an input and provides for performance data output in different graphical forms (histograms and x/y plots). Network visualization via animation of simulation output can be saved in AVI format that may serve as a basis for a real-time battlefield awareness system.
A sea urchin homologue of ceh-19, an unusual homeobox-containing gene from a nematode

Abstract When screening for homeobox-containing genes from the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma (He), we isolated an exon of a gene which appears to be a homologue of the homeobox-containing gene, ceh-19, of Caenorhabditis elegans (Ce). The predicted translation of the sea urchin sequence shows 77% identity and 92% similarity to the first 53 amino acids of the homeodomain of ceh-19. The ceh-19 gene exhibits an intron in an unusual location in the 3′ end of the homeobox; the He gene shares this feature.
Interface/Interphase Concepts in Composite Material Systems:

The influence of interfaces and interphases on the mechanical behavior of composite materials has been widely discussed in the literature, particularly in the last few years. Several books have bee...
The effect of the propagation coefficient on size distribution in micellar systems.

Abstract In this study the effect of the propagation coefficient on the molar distribution function in a modified shell model for micellar systems was examined. The sharpness of the micelle size distribution boundary was found to depend less on the degree of polymerization, n , than on the propagation coefficient, P . Although Kegeles (J. Phys. Chem. 83 (1979) 1728) has reported a marked sharpening of the distribution boundary when P = 2.0. we found the boundary to be fairly broad at this point. However, as values of the propagation coefficient were increased from 3 to 10 the micelle distribution boundary became increasingly sharp. The possibility of such a change in the reaction boundary arising from a structural transition, accompanied by a change in the rate of dissociation of monomer from the shell, is also discussed.
Four wave mixing spectroscopy and additional boundary conditions: A proposal

Abstract A nonlinear spectroscopic method for the direct measurement of amplitude ratios among various polariton modes in spatially dispersive media is proposed and theoretically analyzed. In this method four wave mixing among three laser beams is used. Two beams have the same frequency higher than the longitudanal exciton, but different angles of incidence, and excite various polariton modes in the crystal. The third is the probe beam whose frequency can be chosen in the transparent region of the crystal. The probe beam is elastically diffracted from the grating generated by the interference between some appropriate pair of excited modes. The phase matching condition and hence the exit angle of the diffracted beam depend sensitively on the wave-vector of the grating. Thus the contribution from each polariton branch can be measured separately, by selectively tuning the angle of incidence of the probe beam; from the measured ratio the amplitude ratio, and hence the ABC can be obtained.
Buspirone effects in an animal conflict procedure: comparison with diazepam and phenobarbital.

Buspirone has been introduced as a novel non-benzodiazepine anti-anxiety agent. The Conditioned Suppression of Drinking (CSD) paradigm is an "animal model" for anxiety which provides information on both the relative potency and relative efficacy of anti-conflict agents. The present study compared the anti-conflict effects of buspirone to those of more "classical" anti-anxiety agents, diazepam and phenobarbital. In daily 10-minute sessions, water-deprived rats were trained to drink from a tube which was occasionally electrified (0.5 mA), electrification being signalled by a tone. Within 2-3 weeks control CSD responding had stabilized (approximately 15-20 shocks/session and 10-15 ml water/session); drug tests were conducted at weekly intervals. Diazepam and phenobarbital markedly (400-500%) increased the number of shocks received at doses which did not depress background responding (i.e., water intake). A number of agents, most notably morphine and ethanol, did not reliably affect punished responding in the CSD. Administered IP, low doses (0.25-1 mg/kg) of buspirone increased punished responding only slightly (less than 100% increase); higher doses (2, 4 mg/kg) depressed background responding. Administered SC, buspirone (0.125-1.0 mg/kg) had more potent effects on both punished and unpunished responding; again, anti-conflict efficacy was only marginal. These results suggest that buspirone might be less effective than the benzodiazepines in the management of anxiety.
Practical Gross Pathology of Reptiles

While the goal of reptile medicine and surgery is to treat and cure our patients, it is inevitable that some patients will die, some will be euthanized, and others will be presented to the clinician having already died. This provides the opportunity for a postmortem examination. A postmortem should be completed on every case, whenever possible. Postmortems allow for definitive diagnosis in most cases as well as adding to the general base of knowledge regarding the diseases seen in our captive reptile populations. The tenets of a reptile necropsy are the same as for those of all species. A systematic approach that is repeated each time, attention to detail, and knowledge of the normal gross anatomy will aid clinicians in diagnosing and treating future patients while improving their own knowledge and skills. This chapter will provide the framework for practicing veterinarians to consistently perform a complete gross postmortem examination of lizards, chelonians, and snakes. A discussion of euthanasia and patient preparation as well as how to set up a simple but effective necropsy suite will also be covered. Normal anatomy of each group, including variations between the different groups, as well as some of the more common lesions seen will be described.
Real-time physiological stream processing for health monitoring services

We introduce an algorithmic framework that uses nonparametric Bayesian models to process real-time physiological data in the context of developing and testing personalized wellness monitors and tailored intervention strategies. A wearable device aggregates signals from various sensors while periodically transmitting the collected data to a backend server. The server performs the computationally challenging model inference tasks offline and builds custom user profiles based on inferred hidden Markov states. We discuss how these user profiles can be used to detect possible physiological changes in a simple application based on a two-week study hosted at Jaslok Hospital, where relaxation therapy is given to eight healthy male subjects as intervention against stress from the workday. A heuristic is introduced to enable real-time state identification using the modest processing capabilities of the wearable device.
Pressures from work, self, and home in the life stages of married women

Abstract Following Lopata's (1966) model of the life cycle of the married woman's role, it was predicted and found that a woman's life stage would be related to her role pressures (work, home, self, and time), conflict, and satisfaction. Age and number of roles were not as strongly related to these variables as was life stage. Work activities and pressures declined through the peak child-rearing stage and then increased for women with older children, while pressures from home generally rose throughout the life cycle. The differential impact of various sources of conflict in different life stages was reported, and forms of organizational career support oriented toward particular life stages were suggested.
Significance of Colon-Aerogenes Group in Ice-Cream.- I. Survival of Members of the Escherichia-Aerobacter Group to Pasteurizing Temperatures in Ice Cream.

The sanitary si~aificance of particular groups of bacteria in food products is of peculiar interest. This is especially true with the EscherichiaoAerobacter group for several reasons. In case of ice cream considerable importance is attached by some to the presence of this group. In this connection several questions present themselves. W~at are the possibilities of this group gg.~nlug entrance into ice cream? Does the presence of this group in retail ice cream indicate inefficient pasteurization or contamination after pasteurization? Is the health officer justified in condemning ice cream which contains members of the Escherichia-Aerobacter group? What is the possibility of members of this group surviving the pasteurizing temperature now in use? It was to gain specific information on the last named question and general information on some of the other questions raised that this work was undertaken. The scientific literature contains numerous papers on the bacteriology of ice cream, but very few of these have special reference to the Escherichia-Aerobacter group of organisms. Buchan (3) in 1910 made a complete bacteriological study of 40 small ice cream plants in England. Out of 66 cultures isolated and identified 47 belonged to the Escherichia-Aerobacter group. Isolation was accomplished by the use of bile salt lactose agar. The
Glycerolipid synthesis in milk: Evidence of glycerol kinase and other biosynthetic enzymes

Abstract 1. 1. Freshly secreted bovine milk serum actively incorporated labelled glycerol into the various glycerolipid classes occurring in milk, particularly triglycerides, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidic acid. 2. 2. Addition of long-chain fatty acids and ATP significantly enhanced the amount of glycerol utilized. 3. 3. The evidence suggests that microsomal material containing the enzymes responsible for glycerolipid synthesis is secreted with other milk components.
Some properties of Noether charge and a proposal for dynamical black hole entropy

We consider a general, classical theory of gravity with arbitrary matter fields in n dimensions, arising from a diffeomorphism-invariant Lagrangian L. We first show that L alwasy can be written in a ``manifestly covariant'' form. We then show that the symplectic potential current (n-1)-form FTHETA and the symplectic current (n-1)-form \ensuremath{\omega} for the theory always can be globally defined in a covariant manner. Associated with any infinitesimal diffeomorphism is a Noether current (n-1)-form J and corresponding Noether charge (n-2)-form Q. We derive a general ``decomposition formula'' for Q. Using this formula for the Noether charge, we prove that the first law of black hole mechanics holds for arbitrary perturbations of a stationary black hole. (For higher derivative theories, previous arguments had established this law only for stationary perturbations.) Finally, we propose a local, geometrical prescription for the entropy ${\mathit{S}}_{\mathrm{dyn}}$ of a dynamical black hole. This prescription agrees with the Noether charge formula for stationary black holes and their perturbations, and is independent of all ambiguities associated with the choices of L, FTHETA, and Q. However, the issue of whether this dynamical entropy in general obeys a ``second law'' of black hole mechanics remains open. In an appendix, we apply some of our results to theories with a nondynamical metric and also briefly develop the theory of stress-energy pseudotensors.
Comparison of gene therapy strategies for treatment of liver diseases

Liver-directed gene therapy can be aimed at replacing a missing gene product, overexpressing or ectopically expressing a gene product in the liver, generating proteins that are normally not produced in the liver (e.g. hormones, vaccines), down-regulating specific gene expression and targeted repair of genetic mutations. A common critical requirement for achieving these goals is the availability of efficient methods for transferring DNA and RNA into target organ in vivo. Both recombinant viruses and non-viral vectors are being explored for transferring nucleic acids to cells in vitro and in vivo. This review compares the characteristics of these vectors in the context of their potential application in liver-directed gene therapy for various inherited or acquired disorders.
Partitioning algorithm to enhance pseudoexhaustive testing of digital VLSI circuits

This brief introduces a partitioning algorithm, which facilitates pseudoexhaustive testing, to detect and locate faults in digital VLSI circuits. The algorithm is based on an analysis of circuit's primary input cones and fanout (PIFAN) values. An invasive approach is employed, which creates logical and physical partitions by automatically inserting reconfigurable test cells and multiplexers. The test cells are used to control and observe multiple partitioning points, while the multiplexers expand the controllability and observability provided by the test cells. The feasibility and efficiency of our algorithm are evaluated by partitioning numerous ISCAS 1985 and 1989 benchmark circuits containing up to 5597 gates. Our results show that the PIFAN algorithm offers significant reductions in overhead and test time when compared to previous partitioning algorithms.
The Development of Word Consciousness Prior to First Grade

This study investigated (a) the development of word consciousness prior to first grade and (b) the relationship between word consciousness and reading ability. Subjects were 76 children ranging in age from 3 years 2 months to 6 years 4 months. Presented with a variety of graphic displays on cards, children were required to judge which ones were "something for reading." The imposition of conventional linguistic terminology (e.g., letter, word, sentence) was eliminated, allowing children to describe, in their own language, their perceptions of the graphic displays. Results suggest that the development of word consciousness occurs through a process of gradual extension and refinement of both perceptual awareness of print features and concepts about print. In brief, the perceptions of 3-year-olds about a written word were found to be linked primarily to notions about linearity and quantity of symbols. By age 4, additional characteristics such as variety of symbols and the "unit" aspect of a word were used as criteria for judging whether something is "for reading." By age 5, the transition from reliance on the superordinate structural features of writing to a stage where the distinctive features of the symbols take precedence was well in progress. Additional findings indicated a strong relationship between word consciousness and beginning reading ability.
Authors' response re: Clarifying costs and benefits of respiratory syncytial virus immunoprophylaxis.

We appreciate the interest expressed by employees from MedImmune and AstraZeneca (McLaurin and Ambrose) concerning our commentary regarding the minimal benefit and the high cost of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunoprophylaxis, and we submit the following responses to issues they raised. McLaurin and Ambrose suggest a mean hospital charge of $8530 for 1 RSV hospitalization is not accurate and cite a charge for RSV hospitalization for children at high risk <13 months of age as $20 160 to $39 399. The reference for their figures is an article authored by MedImmune employees, and they exceed charges reported in other studies.1 A higher mean charge for an RSV hospitalization will drive a cost analysis in favor of immunoprophylaxis. As noted in our commentary, cost figures proposed by the manufacturer consistently are higher and more favorable to use of prophylaxis than figures used in analyses conducted by independent researchers.2 Also, as noted in our commentary, even with …
Pro-VIZOR: process tunable virtually zero margin low power adaptive RF for wireless systems

In this paper, a process tunable, continuously adaptive wireless front end architecture and related adaptation algorithms are presented that allow an RF transceiver to function at minimum power irrespective of channel conditions and process variability induced performance loss in the RF front end and baseband interface. Current wireless transceiver front ends are designed for worst case channel conditions and a limited degree of post manufacture tuning is performed to compensate for process variations. It is shown how the proposed architecture can result in significant power savings over current practice without compromising system-level bit error rate. The adaptation methodology is applied to a WLAN transceiver design and hardware measurement data for an adaptive receiver is presented.
Long-time span acoustic activity analysis from far-field sensors in smart homes

Smart homes for the aging population have recently started attracting the attention of the research community. One of the problems of interest is this of monitoring the activities of daily living (ADLs) of the elderly, in order to help identify critical problems, aiming to improve their protection and general well-being. In this paper, we report on our initial attempts to recognize such activities, based on input from networks of far-field microphones distributed inside the home. We propose two approaches to the problem: The first models the entire activity, which typically covers long time spans, with a single statistical model, for example a hidden Markov model (HMM), a Gaussian mixture model (GMM), or GMM super-vectors in conjunction with support vector machines (SVMs). The second is a two-step approach: It first performs acoustic event detection (AED) to locate distinctive events, characteristic of the ADLs, and it is subsequently followed by a post-processing stage that employs activity-specific language models (LMs) to classify the output sequences of detected events into ADLs. Experiments are reported on a corpus containing a small number of acted ADLs, collected as part of the Netcarity Integrated Project inside a two-room smart home. Our results show that SVM GMM supervector modeling improves six-class ADL classification accuracy to 76%, compared to 56% achieved by the GMMs, while also outperforming HMMs by 8% absolute. Preliminary results from LM scoring of acoustic event sequences are comparable to those from GMMs on a three-class ADL classification task.
Effect of adipose tissue extracts on the insulin activity of human serum

The sections in this article are: 1 Insulin Activity in Blood Fractions and an Adipose Tissue Factor 2 Adipose Tissue Extract (ATE) 3 Effect of ATE on Serum 4 Discussion 5 Possible Relationship of ATE to Diabetes Mellitus
Optimal Node Density for Detection in Energy-Constrained Random Networks

The problem of optimal node density maximizing the Neyman-Pearson detection error exponent subject to a constraint on average (per node) energy consumption is analyzed. The spatial correlation among the sensor measurements is incorporated through a Gauss-Markov random field (GMRF) model with Euclidean nearest-neighbor dependency graph. A constant density deployment of sensors under the uniform or Poisson distribution is assumed. It is shown that the optimal node density crucially depends on the ratio between the measurement variances under the two hypotheses and displays a threshold behavior. Below the threshold value of the variance ratio, the optimal node density tends to infinity under any feasible average energy constraint. On the other hand, when the variance ratio is above the threshold, the optimal node density is the minimum value at which it is feasible to process and deliver the likelihood ratio (sufficient statistic) of the sensor measurements to the fusion center. In this regime of the variance ratio, an upper bound on the optimal node density based on a proposed 2-approximation fusion scheme and a lower bound based on the minimum spanning tree are established. Under an alternative formulation where the energy consumption per unit area is constrained, the optimal node density is shown to be strictly finite for all values of the variance ratio and bounds on this optimal node density are provided.
Old Dance with a New Partner: EGF Receptor as the Phenobarbital Receptor Mediating Cyp2B Expression

The decades-long quest for the phenobarbital (PhB) receptor that mediates activation of Cyp2B would appear fulfilled with the discovery by Mutoh et al., who found that PhB binds with pharmacological affinity to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This finding provides a molecular basis for the suppression of hepatocyte EGFR signaling observed with PhB treatment, as previously noted in the context of tumor promotion. Although the PhB-mediated induction of Cyp2B expression through the association of a canonical nuclear receptor with the 5'-enhancer PBREM of Cyp2B is well known, direct binding of PhB to constitutive active androstane receptor (CAR, also known as NR1I3) typical of other xenobiotic-activated nuclear receptors has eluded detection. One EGF-activated pathway affected by the PhB-EGFR interaction is the loss of tyrosine phosphorylation of the scaffold protein RACK1. Dephosphorylated RACK1 provides the mechanistic link between the binding of PhB to EGFR and its effects on CAR by facilitating the interaction of serine/threonine phosphatase PP2A with inactive phosphorylated CAR. The dephosphorylation of CAR enables its translocation to the nucleus and activation of Cyp2B expression. Because EGFR and transducers RACK1, PP2A, and other partners are highly networked in numerous cellular pathways, this newly discovered partnership will surely reveal new fundamental roles for PhB beyond the regulation of drug metabolism.
The expression of sterigmatocystin and penicillin genes in Aspergillus nidulans is controlled by veA, a gene required for sexual development.

Secondary metabolism is commonly associated with morphological development in microorganisms, including fungi. We found that veA, a gene previously shown to control the Aspergillus nidulans sexual/asexual developmental ratio in response to light, also controls secondary metabolism. Specifically, veA regulates the expression of genes implicated in the synthesis of the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin and the antibiotic penicillin. veA is necessary for the expression of the transcription factor aflR, which activates the gene cluster that leads to the production of sterigmatocystin. veA is also necessary for penicillin production. Our results indicated that although veA represses the transcription of the isopenicillin synthetase gene ipnA, it is necessary for the expression of acvA, the key gene in the first step of penicillin biosynthesis, encoding the delta-(l-alpha-aminoadipyl)-l-cysteinyl-d-valine synthetase. With respect to the mechanism of veA in directing morphological development, veA has little effect on the expression of the known sexual transcription factors nsdD and steA. However, we found that veA regulates the expression of the asexual transcription factor brlA by modulating the α/β transcript ratio that controls conidiation.
Stereotactic radiosurgery eligibility and selection bias in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme.

Several single institution studies have shown a survival advantage when a stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) boost followed fractionated external beam radiation (FracRT) in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). RTOG 93-05 employed SRS before FracRT and demonstrated no survival benefit. We examined the effect of SRS eligibility before and after FracRT on patient outcome in a group of patients treated with conventional therapy without SRS. From 1998 to 2008, 106 patients with GBM treated definitively at the University of Utah were divided into groups based on eligibility for SRS: ineligible (“Never”), eligible before FracRT (“All Pre”), eligible before FracRT only (“Pre Only”), or eligible before and after FracRT (“Always”). Overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) based on SRS eligibility was assessed. Eleven patients were alive at the time of analysis with a median follow-up of 42.3 months. Median OS for groups “All Pre” (n = 29), “Always” (n = 17), “Pre Only” (n = 12), and “Never” (n = 77) were 13.6, 13.6, 12.4, and 9.2 months, respectively. Of the 29 patients in group “All Pre,” 12 (41.4%) were ineligible for SRS following FracRT. PFS did not significantly differ between groups. SRS for GBM can only be of benefit to selected patients with minimal focal postoperative disease. Following FracRT, over a third of initially SRS-eligible patients demonstrated more extensive disease in our experience. It is possible inclusion of such patients in a series of SRS for GBM could mask a benefit in remaining patients. No significant difference in OS or PFS based on SRS-eligibility status was found.
Invalidity of SUV Measurements of Lesions in Close Proximity to Hot Sources due to "Shine-Through" Effect on FDG PET-CT Interpretation

It is well known that many technical and physiologic factors can affect the reliability of the standardized uptake value (SUV) on FDG PET-CT. Another potential problem of which we may be aware but has not been previously discussed is significant SUV overestimation of lesions in the direct neighborhood of large hot sources, namely, areas with high FDG uptake or activity such as a tumor, myocardium, urinary bladder, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract. The magnitude of SUV overestimation of the lesions directly neighboring the large hot sources is varied among the different cases, and it is possibly secondary to “shine-through” effect of the hot sources, which would warrant further systematic investigation such as phantom simulation experiment. If the lesion is in the close territory of the hot source, measured SUV is often overestimated and invalid. Visual interpretation should be used for evaluation of FDG avidity of the lesion.
Three-dimensional thin-film shape memory alloy microactuator with two-way effect

A novel thin film (micrometer thickness) shape memory alloy (SMA) micro actuator is presented in this paper. The thin film SMA with composition of approximately 50:50 nickel titanium (NiTi) is sputter-deposited onto a silicon wafer in an ultra high vacuum system. Transformation temperatures of the NiTi film are determined by measuring the residual stress as a function of temperature. The transformation temperature is independent of the presence of chromium (Cr) used as an adhesion layer, or being exposed to air before annealing. A mixture of hydrofluoric acid (HF), nitric acid (HNO/sub 3/) and deionized (DI) water is used to etch the film. Different etch masks are evaluated to protect the NiTi film during the etching. Among the masks tested, a thick photoresist (AZ-4620) produces the best result. The NiTi membrane is hot-shaped into a three-dimensional (3-D) dome shape using a stainless-steel jig. Results indicate the membrane exhibits two-way effect. The performance of the SMA micro actuator is characterized with a laser measurement system for deflection versus input power and frequency response.
Structure-preserving model reduction for mechanical systems

This paper focuses on methods of constructing of reduced-order models of mechanical systems which preserve the Lagrangian structure of the original system. These methods may be used in combination with standard spatial decomposition methods, such as the Karhunen–Loeve expansion, balancing, and wavelet decompositions. The model reduction procedure is implemented for three-dimensional finite-element models of elasticity, and we show that using the standard Newmark implicit integrator, significant savings are obtained in the computational costs of simulation. In particular simulation of the reduced model scales linearly in the number of degrees of freedom, and parallelizes well.
The forever young gene encodes an oxidoreductase required for proper development of the Arabidopsis vegetative shoot apex.

Summary In plant development, leaf primordia are formed on the flanks of the shoot apical meristem in a highly predictable pattern. The cells that give rise to a primordium are sequestered from the apical meristem. Maintenance of the meristem requires that these cells be replaced by the addition of new cells. Despite the central role of these activities in development, the mechanism controlling and coordinating them is poorly understood. These processes have been characterized in the Arabidopsis mutant forever young (fey). The fey mutation results in a disruption of leaf positioning and meristem maintenance. The predicted FEY protein shares significant homology to a nodulin and limited homology to various reductases. It is proposed that FEY plays a role in communication in the shoot apex through the modification of a factor regulating meristem development.
Conservative Semi-Lagrangian Scheme Applied to One-Dimensional Shallow Water Equations

A forward-in-time semi-Lagrangian scheme developed by Sun et al. (1996) and Sun and Yeh (1997) has been applied to one-dimensional shallow water equations in both rotational and irrotational systems. After obtaining numerical results, we employ variation formulations (Sun and Sun 2004) with minimum correction to adjust both total mass and total energy so that they are conserved. Therefore, the scheme produces accurate, positive-definite solutions while conserving both mass and total energy. Comparing among different resolutions, the improvement on total energy is significant but less significant for a mass field in a coarse resolution model when it simulates the sharp discontinuities of surface waves, because the mass field calculation is quite accurate even without correction. The variation method proposed here can also be easily applied to multi-dimensional flows.
On the mathematics of fluidization Part 1. Fundamental equations and wave propagation

When the upward flow of a fluid through a bed of particles of appropriate and almost uniform size is rapid enough so that the drag on each particle is as great as the particles buoyant weight, the particles do not remain close packed and the bed is said to be fluidized. Industrial uses of fluidized beds in the chemical and petroleum industries in particular are already extensive. Uses in the atomicenergy industry are being developed.In this paper a mathematical model which describes the phenomena on a continuum basis is deduced. With this model we find that the system is unstable to small internal disturbances. Alternatively, we find that surface waves can be propagated (with attenuation) in the composite fluid and these waves for fluidized beds with a high ratio of solids density to fluid density are stable. These results are in agreement with experiment. Hot beds, where strongly exothermic reactions may be taking place, centrifugal beds (beds fluidized within a rotating system), and electromagnetic beds (those in which the particulate phase is electrically conducting) are all shown to be unstable to small internal disturbances.The equations derived here may also be used as approximate equations for dispersed particle two-phase flow.
A spotted fever group Rickettsia from an exotic tick species, Amblyomma exornatum (Acari: Ixodidae), in a reptile breeding facility in the United States.

Abstract Adults and nymphs of Amblyomma exornatum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae), an exotic African tick of monitor lizards, were collected from a Gray’s monitor lizard, Varanus olivaceus Hallowell, that died in a reptile facility in Alabama. Nine adult ticks were tested by polymerase chain reaction for rickettsial agents. DNA from a novel spotted fever group Rickettsia was amplified and sequenced from one of the nine ticks. The novel Rickettsia was most similar to “Rickettsia anan,” which is associated with Amblyomma from Asia. The detection of a spotted fever group Rickettsia in exotic ticks emphasizes the potential threat posed by the importation and propagation of exotic animals in the United States.
Toward a Culture of Cybersecurity Research

Research being conducted by computer scientists offers great promise in improving cybersecurity threats in the short and long term. Progress in cybersecurity research, however, is beset by a lack of access to data from communications networks. Legally and informally protected individual privacy interests have contributed to the lack of data, as have the institutional interests of organizations that control these data. A modest research exception to federal communications privacy law would remove many of the legal barriers to sharing data with cybersecurity researchers. The basic outline of this exception is simple: allow cybersecurity researchers to obtain access to electronic communications data that the communications privacy laws would otherwise forbid, without the consent of the individuals who are parties to those communications. This reform would pose minimal risks to individuals' communications privacy interests while countering many of the non-legal objections that network providers have to sharing data.
Methane and Carbon Dioxide in Coastal Marsh Sediments

In order to better understand processes of diagenetic gas production in organic-rich sediments, CH4 and CO2 were analyzed, using two extraction techniques, in several environments of the South Louisiana marshlands. Investigation of twelve surface cores and two 100-cm cores indicated that total methane ranged in concentration from 0.12 to 12.2 µl/gm dry sediment, and dissolved methane ranged from 0.13 to 7.4 µl/ml interstitial water. Total CO2 in the interstitial water ranged from 224 to 410 µl/ml IW. Carbon isotope ratios were determined on CO2 released from sediment under vacuum. Dissolved organic carbon in the interstitial water of surface sediments ranged from 15.0 to 38.0 mg C/l. The environmental variation and mechanism of methane production are discussed.
The Effect of Moisture on the Adhesion and Fracture of Interfaces in Microelectronic Packaging

A significant problem in the microelectronic packaging industry is the presence of moisture-induced failure mechanisms. Moisture is a multi-dimensional concern in packaging, having an adverse effect on package reliability by introducing corrosion, development of hygro-stresses, and degradation of polymers present in the package. Moisture can also accelerate delamination by deteriorating the polymer interfaces within the package. As the interfacial adhesion between the chip, underfill, and substrate decreases, the likelihood of delamination at each encapsulant interface increases. Once the package delaminates, the solder joints in the delaminated area are exposed to high stress concentrations, resulting in a reduction of overall package life.