cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3D Motion Planning Algorithms for Steerable Needles Using Inverse Kinematics.

Steerable needles can be used in medical applications to reach targets behind sensitive or impenetrable areas. The kinematics of a steerable needle are nonholonomic and, in 2D, equivalent to a Dubins car with constant radius of curvature. In 3D, the needle can be interpreted as an airplane with constant speed and pitch rate, zero yaw, and controllable roll angle.
Thoria as a Fertile Component for a Liquid Metal Breeder Blanket

The crystal chemistry and physics of thoria are reviewed with emphasis on the properties required to form a stable suspension of thoria in liquid bismuth. The variation of the density of thoria with temperature was determined accurately over the temperature range 0 to 1100°C and a measurement of the adsorbed gas (CO2 and CO) was made. It is shown that thoria is intrinsically wetted by bismuth provided the thoria surface is free from contamination. The solution of certain elements in the bismuth is shown to cause wetting of thoria produced by decomposition of thorium salts, and some elements are shown to reduce thoria with subsequent formation of ThBi2. A suspension of thoria in liquid bismuth containing an added element E is stable if the following relationship is satisfied: -- DELTA Gox(C) < -- DELTA Gox(E) < -- DELTA GoxAl), where -- DELTA Gox(A) is the free energy of formation of the most stable oxide of A. The results are discussed in terms of the thermodynamics of oxidation/reduction processes.
Wings in the Desert: A Folk Ornithology of the Northern Pimans

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Amadeo M. Rea Year: 2007 Pages: 320 Publisher: University of Arizona Press ISBN: 978-0-8165-2459-4 (hard cover). Prices: $70.00 USD(hard cover).
Die‐Hard Fans and the Ivory Tower's Ties that Bind

Objective This study examines extremely loyal fans of prominent American college sports teams. It seeks to find out how common they are and what their characteristics are. Methods The study defines die-hard fans as those whose published obituaries both note this loyalty and mention the team name for a specific university. A sample of such fans associated with 26 universities is compared to individuals picked at random from obituaries from the same states. Other comparisons employ data on political-party registration. Results Such fans are uncommon, making up only about 2 percent of adults whose obituaries are published. They tend to have been predominantly male and, compared to otherwise similar adults, had higher rates of college attendance, were more likely to be white, more likely to affiliate with mainline Protestant denominations but also more likely to have no religious affiliation, volunteered more often as coaches, and had a registered affiliation to some political party. Conclusion As a group, they represent an important link between the “common man” and the bastions of intellectual activity that are America's research universities. As illustration, many more die-hard fans were linked to their universities by way of state residence than by attendance. And many of them had blue-collar occupations or never went to college.
Capital Controls and 21st Century Financial Crises: Evidence from Colombia and Thailand

In the run up to the financial crisis of 2007-2009 many developing nations fell victim to massive inflows of capital, capital that their financial systems found difficult to absorb. One of a number of policy options to respond to such inflows is unremunerated reserve requirements (URR). Two countries, Colombia and Thailand, deployed URR in the second half of the decade. This paper analyses the extent to which those URRs were successful in reducing the overall level and composition of capital inflows, reducing exchange rate appreciation and volatility, stemming asset bubbles, and granting more independence for monetary policy. We find that URRs were modestly successful in Colombia and Thailand, though Thailand was less of a success than Colombia. In Colombia the controls were able to reduce the overall volume of inflows and stem asset bubbles. In Thailand, the URR did reduce the overall volume of flows, and the announcement of the URR caused a sharp drop in asset prices. However, in both cases the controls were linked to exchange rate volatility and in Thailand asset prices recovered their upward trend the day after the announcement. The results in this paper demonstrate that on the there is still a role for capital controls in the 21st century, but such controls should be more sophisticated than in years past.
Cellular expression of a cloned, hydrophilic, murine acetylcholinesterase : evidence of palmitoylated membrane-bound forms

The expression and cellular targeting of murine acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was examined after transient transfection of a human 293 cell line with a cDNA encoding the hydrophilic T-subunit. Expression of the recombinant clone produced catalytically active AChE either bound to the cell membranes, in an intracellular pool, or secreted into the medium. About 22% of the cell-associated AChE was membrane-linked as dimers and tetramers, required Triton X-100 for extraction, and bound to Triton X-100 as assessed by sucrose gradients. Immunocytochemical staining of live and permeabilized cells showed reactive epitopes at the plasma membrane. Assays of cell surface AChE activity indicated about 18% of the cellular enzyme was oriented on the external surface of the plasma membrane. Isotopic labeling of cultures with precursors of fatty acylation showed incorporation of [3H]palmitate into the membrane-bound fraction of AChE only. The label was sensitive to cleavage by mild alkaline methanol treatment, and the cleaved lipid was identified as methyl palmitate by thin layer chromatography, indicating covalent linkage of the fatty acid through an ester or thioester residue. Thus the membrane-bound AChE is palmitoylated, suggesting that fatty acylation may serve as an alternative mechanism for anchoring the hydrophilic polypeptide subunit of AChE to the external face of the plasma membrane.
The Geometry of Vectors in the Plane

Many of the familiar theorems of plane geometry appear in a new light when we rephrase them in the language of vectors. This is particularly true for theorems which are usually expressed in the language of analytic or coordinate geometry, because vector notation enables us to use a single symbol to refer to a pair of numbers which gives the coordinates of a point. Not only does this give us convenient notations for expressing important results, but it also allows us to concentrate on algebraic properties of vectors, and these enable us to apply the techniques used in plane geometry to study problems in space, in higher dimensions, and also in situations from calculus and differential equations which at first have little resemblance to plane geometry. Thus, we begin our study of linear algebra with the study of the geometry of vectors in the plane.
Amorphous Thin Film Growth: Modeling and Pattern Formation

We report on recent progress on the theoretical description of amorphous thin film growth generated by physical vapor deposition. Specifically, we motivate a minimal model for the spatio-temporal evolution of the surface morphology that incorporates the dominant relaxation mechanisms of the deposition and agglomeration process. The characteristic statistical measures of the surface morphology such as the correlation length and the surface roughness calculated from this model show very good agreement with available experimental data and, therefore, support the validity of the modeling approach.
Accurate estimation of the cost of spatial selections

Optimizing queries that involve operations on spatial data requires estimating the selectivity and cost of these operations. In this paper, we focus on estimating the cost of spatial selections, or window queries, where the query windows and data objects are general polygons. Cost estimation techniques previously proposed in the literature only handle rectangular query windows over rectangular data objects, thus ignoring the very significant cost of exact geometry comparison (the refinement step in a "filter and refine" query processing strategy). The cost of the exact geometry comparison depends on the selectivity of the filtering step and the average number of vertices in the candidate objects identified by this step. In this paper, we introduce a new type of histogram for spatial data that captures the complexity and size of the spatial objects as well as their location. Capturing these attributes makes this type of histogram useful for accurate estimation, as we experimentally demonstrate. We also investigate sampling-based estimation approaches. Sampling can yield better selectivity estimates than histograms for polygon data, but at the high cost of performing exact geometry comparisons for all the sampled objects.
The Role of Jewish Law in a Secular State

Proper use of Jewish law can help Israeli courts develop a sense of national identity. However, the reasons justifying a court’s reliance upon another State’s law are not likely to be present when a secular court uses rules of Jewish law. As a result, there is a risk of either taking Jewish law out of context or reading modern doctrines into Jewish law. A recent Israeli District Court case, Estate of Rachlin. v. Tzisin, makes extensive use of Jewish law. It and two expert opinions that it considered present two different approaches to Jewish law. The more conservative approach emphasizes the differences between Jewish law and Israeli law; the more liberal approach finds elements within Jewish law that tend to close the gap. Because rabbinic and non-rabbinic courts differ in their goals and methods, it would difficult if not impossible for a secular court to decide a case the same way that a rabbinic court would do. It is suggested that courts can use Jewish law most effectively when they draw upon its policies.
Diastolic dysfunction in pressure-overload hypertrophy and its modification by angiotensin II: current concepts.

Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive response to an increased load imposed on the myocyte which allows the heart to perform increased work while maintaining normal myocardial fiber stress and shortening in systole. A deleterious consequence of pressure-overload hypertrophy is the prolongation of Ca2+-sensitive force inactivation (impaired myocardial relaxation) which is related to intrinsic alterations in cytosolic Ca2+ transport and reuptake in diastole. Additional factors appear to adversely modify myocardial relaxation in the hypertrophied heart, including the imposition of ischemia. There is also evidence that the expression and activity of the cardiac tissue renin angiotensin system (RAS) may be modified in the hypertrophied heart and contribute to diastolic dysfunction. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of increased cardiac angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) mRNA expression and activity in animal models of hypertrophy, including the aortic-banded rat with compensatory pressure-overload hypertrophy and rats with post-infarction remodeling. In the beating, isovolumic aortic-banded rat heart, the increased intracardiac activation of angiotensin I to II has been shown to be associated with a dose-dependent depression of diastolic relaxation. Preliminary studies suggest that the depression of diastolic function by angiotensin II in the hypertrophied heart can be prevented by the specific inhibition of cardiac ACE. In addition, the well-recognized susceptibility of the hypertrophied heart to severe ischemic diastolic dysfunction also appears to be favorably modified by the inhibition of cardiac ACE activity. The mechanisms responsible for the adverse effects of angiotensin II on diastolic relaxation in the hypertrophied heart are likely to be complex. These factors may include the modification of coronary vasomotor tone as well as effects on intracellular Ca2+ handling mediated by phosphoinositide second messengers. Further studies are needed to clarify the myocardial effects of angiotensin II activation on diastolic relaxation. Much work will also need to be done to determine if intrinsic activity of the cardiac RAS is modified in patients with advanced hypertrophy, and if cardiac angiotensin II activation contributes to diastolic dysfunctiion and heart failure.
Rising College Costs and an Illinois Effort to Control Them: A Preliminary Review

Rising college costs are of increasing concern. At the 12 public universities in Illinois, average increases in tuition were modest, generally in the 4% range, until 1999 when individual campuses begin to increase tuition at double digit rates. In 2002-2003, the overall average increase in tuition/fees more than doubled at 13.79%. In an effort to provide students/families with a more predictable college education cost and moderate the rising costs of a college education, WIU began a 4-year tuition, student fees, and room/board (all-costs) rate guarantee program in Fall 1999. Following the perceived success of this model, which is ascertained in this study, the State mandated that all public universities in Illinois offer a 4-year guarantee for tuition beginning Fall 2004.
Optical determination of phase composition and processing effects on Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 film quality and device performance

Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 has shown promise as a potential follow-on for CIGS because of the replacement of In with earth abundant Zn and Sn. At this early stage of development and because of its complexity little is known about its fundamental properties. The band gap in particular seems to vary even for the same film composition. In this paper we present an optical model that can be used to correlate optical properties with composition and structure. The model is enabling the determination of phase composition which is not easily done with normal techniques such as XRD. We also discuss our 2SSS processing approach and issues related to the eventual manufacturabilty of this technology.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's Gatsby and the Imagination of Wonder

to formulate an interpretation of a book which attempts to explain why we keep coming back to it, to suspend the usual critical apparatus and simply try to concentrate on those details, selective as they may sometimes be, which shape or determine the way a particular book reads us as well as we read it. I regard this, in fact, as an indispensable part of the critic's total job of work. For criticism does nor end with explication, it only begins there. It ends, if at all, only with an account of how specific books, writers or traditions somehow reorder the mental, emotional and spiritual furniture of our lives, somehow move us, if ever so slightly, to accept new ideas of order, fresh reconceptions of what will suffice. In this, one of its furthest reaches, the act of criticism is very like the act of love: The critic finds himself in the paradoxical situation of seeking to preserve and enhance the memory of something he cherishes only to discover in the process that this response has been compelled almost from the very beginning by an odd sense that he is merely reciprocating in kind. Hence, as much as the critic should strive, in Matthew Arnold's words, "to see the object as in itself it really is," there comes a point in his negotiations with certain literary texts when his comprehension inevitably will, and necessarily should, be determined as well by how the object sees him.' Though few may wish to go quite as far as Leslie Fiedler, there is still a certain warrant to his confession that "the truth one tries to tell about literature is finally [no] different from the truth one tries to tell about the indignities and rewards of being the kind of man one is-an American, let's say, in the second half of the twentieth century, learning to read his country's books."2 What Fiedler is suggesting has been beauti-
Compositional changes in selected forest ecosystems of the western United States

Abstract Investigation of forest changes over large areas may support and inform stand scale studies. I used the oldest and most recent available USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis surveys in nine states of the western United States to identify increasing and decreasing composition (i.e., percent of total trees) of species and groups over large spatial extents. Nineteen species decreased and nine species increased at least 5% in total composition over a minimum of 5000 km2 between the 1980–1994 surveys and the 2000–2013 surveys. Common pinyon, quaking aspen, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, and five oak species decreased relative to other species across the greatest extents, while Rocky Mountain juniper and Utah juniper were the most abundant species that increased. Decreasing species generally either were fire-tolerant species or post-fire-disturbance species that initially benefitted from less frequent fire intervals but now are declining with extended fire exclusion, whereas increasing species predominantly were fire-sensitive species. Widespread compositional changes to fire-sensitive species indicates increased tree density in forests. In the western United States, historically extensive open, low density ponderosa pine ecosystems are shifting in state to closed, high density forests composed of a suite of fire-sensitive species, which has critical implications for forest management and fire policy. Increased tree densities of smaller understory trees that burn relatively easily will spread fire to large diameter trees in the overstory, resulting in high severity fires.
Long-term reorganization of afferents to the mediobasal hypothalamus following retrochiasmatic knife cuts. A study using horseradish peroxidase

Retrochiasmatic knife cuts produce a series of dynamic changes across time in the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone and catecholamine content of the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH). We have examined the sources of afferents projecting to the mediobasal hypothalamus of female rats at 7, 60 and 90 days following retrochiasmatic frontal cut (FC) surgery using the intra-axonal retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in order to better define the functional plasticity demonstrated by the MBH at these time periods after damage. Age-matched, previously unoperated, female rats served as controls. Small HRP injections placed in the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) in control animals labelled neurons within the VMN, dorsomedial nucleus (DMN) and lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). Larger injections also labelled neurons in the anterior hypothalamic area (AHA), preoptic area (POA), septal nuclei, periventricular nuclei (PVN), supraoptic nucleus (SON), zona incerta (ZI) and suprachiasmatic nucleus (Schn). Seven days after surgery, no labelled neurons could be detected rostral to the knife cut when the injection site was confined to the boundary of the glial scar. At 60 days, labelled soma were observed in LPOA, POA, AHA, PVN, SON and ZI. At 90 days only the SON contained labelled neurons rostral to the knife cut. These results suggest a dynamically changing pattern of innervation to the MBH following damage.
Geologic factors controlling CO2 storage capacity and permanence: case studies based on experience with heterogeneity in oil and gas reservoirs applied to CO2 storage

A variety of structural and stratigraphic factors control geological heterogeneity, inferred to influence both sequestration capacity and effectiveness, as well as seal capacity. Structural heterogeneity factors include faults, folds, and fracture intensity. Stratigraphic heterogeneity is primarily controlled by the geometry of depositional facies and sandbody continuity, which controls permeability structure. The permeability structure, in turn, has implications for CO2 injectivity and near-term migration pathways, whereas the long-term sequestration capacity can be inferred from the production history. Examples of Gulf Coast oil and gas reservoirs with differing styles of stratigraphic heterogeneity demonstrate the impact of facies variability on fluid flow and CO2 sequestration potential. Beach and barrier-island deposits in West Ranch field in southeast Texas are homogeneous and continuous. In contrast, Seeligson and Stratton fields in south Texas, examples of major heterogeneity in fluvial systems, are composed of discontinuous, channel-fill sandstones confined to narrow, sinuous belts. These heterogeneous deposits contain limited compartments for potential CO2 storage, although CO2 sequestration effectiveness may be enhanced by the high number of intraformational shale beds. These field examples demonstrate that areas for CO2 storage can be optimized by assessing sites for enhanced oil and gas recovery in mature hydrocarbon provinces.
Estimation of the flow rate of free falling granular particles using a Poisson model in time

A generic method to estimate the flow rate (number of particles passing per unit of time) of free falling granular particles in a tube is presented. This principle could be applied in pneumatic planters, fertiliser distribution, yield monitoring of grains and fruits and various industrial applications. The flow of particles in a tube was observed as an intermittent succession of clumps of particles separated by spacings among them. Since the clumping effect prohibits counting individual particles, the hypothesis was that the flow constitutes a random arrival process in time. In other words, the process of particle arrivals at the sensor was assumed equivalent to classical Poisson driven arrival processes from queueing theory, such as telephone calls arriving independently at a helpdesk. The assumption of a Poisson process allows for simple flow rate estimation, since according to theory, the flow density of such a process is equal to the reciprocal value of the mean of the spacing time intervals, which can be measured. An optical single interruption plane sensor was used to measure the time intervals during which clumps and spacings pass. This sensor suffers from inherent errors such as defocus and uncertain optical switching behaviour. Therefore, the sensor was characterised by equalising measured quantities with their theoretical equivalents. This implies that the estimated mean flow rate must be equal to the theoretical mean flow rate, however, the variability and extreme values among experiments indicate the usefulness and appropriateness of the method. To test the validity of the Poisson model assumption, 30 experiments were conducted in which 4000, 4.5 mm identical spherical particles were dropped from a funnel into a fall tube. To assess the performance of the method, it is not possible to compare measured flow rates with reference counterparts, since there are none. However, the initial number of particles per experiment is known and, therefore, this number was estimated using measurements. After characterisation, the original number of 4000 particles per experiment was estimated at 4000 with a standard deviation of 44 (1.1% coefficient of variation) among 30 datasets. The extreme values of the estimations were 4092 (+2.3% error) and 3930 (−1.8% error), respectively.
Typical Techniques and Equipment for Coal Mine Water Hazards Prevention and Control

Some of the most classical technologies and equipment for coal mine water hazards prevention and control are prevented in this paper. In addition, the application of these technologies and equipment is introduced. The typical technologies and equipment for coal mine water hazards prevention and control can be divided into four groups: exploration technology and equipment; monitoring technology and equipment; forecasting technology and equipment; groundwater inrush controlling technology and equipment.
Evaluation of Nitroglycerin in Angina in Patients on Isosorbide Dinitrate

Seventeen male patients with angina pectoris due to coronary artery disease who had not received long-acting nitrites for at least 1 mo prior to this study were evaluated in a double-blind crossover study to investigate whether the presence of isosorbide dinitrate interfered with the effective response of exercise-induced angina to nitroglycerin administered sublingually. There was no significant difference in the duration of angina following nitroglycerin whether the patients were on no medication, sublingual placebo or sublingual isosorbide dinitrate. There was no significant difference in the blood pressure, heart rate, product of systolic blood pressure and heart rate, or electrocardiographic response after the complete relief of angina following sublingual nitroglycerin whether the patients were on no medication, sublingual placebo, or sublingual isosorbide dinitrate. These results indicate that long-acting nitrites do not cause any clinical impairment of the effective response of angina pectoris to ...
Immunologic and Physical Characterization of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Secreted by Tumors

ABSTRACT Plasma, urine and tumor extracts of patients with hCG-secreting tumors were examined for the presence of altered forms of hCG and its subunits by chromatography on a calibrated Sephadex G-100 column. Each eluate was radio-immunoassayed in homologous hCG, hCGα and hCGβ assays. All patients' tumors secreted intact hCG as the predominant form of that hormone. In addition, all patients had at least one of the hCG subunits readily detectable in urine and proportionally smaller amounts in plasma, possibly reflecting differences among the plasma half-lives of hCG and its subunits. Since subunits and other aberrant forms of hCG were present in both urine and plasma, the altered forms of hCG were not an artifact of excretion. Extracts of tumor tissue strongly suggested that altered forms of hCG arise during synthesis. Qualitative and quantitative differences of hCG and its subunits extracted from the primary tumor and its metastases suggest that in vivo cloning of tumor cells may occur.
Relative Multiplet Transition Probabilities from Spectroscopic Stability

A method analogous to the diagonal sum rule for term values is given for calculating the relative transition probabilities of the different multiplets in Russell-Saunders coupling. The method is based on the principle of spectroscopic stability. The relative multiplet transition probabilities are given for the transitions p 2 d - p 3 , dp - d 3 , p 3 d - p 4 and p 4 d - p 5 .
Effects of telomerase expression on photodynamic therapy of Barrett's esophagus

Photodynamic therapy has been applied to Barrett's esophagus and has been shown in prospective randomized studies to eliminate dysplasia as well as decrease the occurrence of cancer. However, the therapy isnot always effective and there are issues with residual areas of Barrett's mucosa despite therapy. There has not been a good explanation for these residual areas and they seem to imply that there may exist a biological mechanisms by which these cells may be resistant to photodynamic therapy. It was our aim to determine if known abnormalities in Barrett's mucosa could be correlated with the lack of response of some of these tissues. We examined the tissue from mulitpel patients who had resonse to therapy as well as those who did not respond. We assessed the tissue for p53 mutations, inactivatino of p16, ploidy status, cell proliferation, telomerase activity, and degree of dysplasia. Interestingly, the only genetic marker than was found to be correlated with lack of reonse was p53 and telomerase activity. This suggests that cells that have lost mechanisms for cell death such as apoptosis or telomere shortengin may be more resistant to photodynamic therapy. In this study, we examined patients before and after PDT for telomerase activity.
Do some plant responses to cytokinins involve the cyanide-resistant respiratory pathway?

A disengagement of the cyanide-resistant, alternative respiratory pathway in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) callus tissue was observed prior to the start of deoxyisoflavone production stimulated by addition of the cytokinin benzyladenine. To test whether this loss of alternativepathway activity was part of the response to cytokinin, inhibitors of the alternative pathway were assayed for their ability to elicit cytokinin-like responses. Salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) was found to produce a deoxyisoflavone difference spectrum similar to that observed following treatment of the callus tissue with benzyladenine, while propyl gallate (PG) was without effect. Both SHAM and PG were further tested for cytokinin-like activity in other bioassays. In two anti-senescence bioassays using leaf tissue (of Avena sativa L. and Xanthium pensylvanicum Wallr.) and in the Cucumis sativus L. bioassay which measures stimulation of weight gain by excised cotyledons, both SHAM and PG were effective “cytokinins” at 1 mM and 0.1 mM, respectively. In two other bioassays (betacyanin formation in Amaranthus caudatus L. seedlings and the soybean-callus celldivision assay), SHAM appeared to be toxic. These results substantiate the suggestion that effects on the alternative pathway may play a role in some cytokinin responses and further raise the question of what should be considered a true cytokinin response.
Information Content in Chorus Songs of the Group‐Living Australian Magpie (Cracticus tibicen dorsalis) in Western Australia

Songs of birds encode several kinds of information that may be used during interactions with conspecifics. Some bird species live in social groups and perform territorial advertisement song as a group. Group singing raises questions concerning its function in the social life of the group. Australian magpies (Cracticus tibicen = Gymnorhina tibicen) are group-living birds that sing chorus songs known as carols. Each carol is composed of a series of individual syllables. Previous spectrographic descriptions of carols in eastern Australian populations found individual-specific and sex-specific acoustic characteristics in carol syllables and group-specific characteristics in carol songs. These findings suggest that carols might reveal not only the identity of the group, but also other properties, such as its size and sex composition, which could influence outcomes in assessment/management interactions between groups. I tape-recorded and analyzed carols of seven magpie groups in Western Australia, a location and subspecies (C. t. dorsalis) differing from the previous studies of singing by magpies. I analyzed carols of each group to determine acoustic features of syllables, syllable syntax within carols and the way carols are delivered as a repertoire. Visual classification of individual song syllables as seen on sound spectrograms, automated quantification of spectral features of song syllables, examination for carol repertoires and call-answer syntax within carols all revealed little evidence that magpies have individual-specific or group-specific vocal characteristics. Thus, chorus songs do not appear sufficiently distinctive to communicate identity at the level of the group nor reveal group size and composition. Instead, caroling may signal only territory occupancy and willingness to participate in territorial defense. A new hypothesis is advanced suggesting that chorus songs of group-living birds are an unselected consequence of the coordinated duet songs of the breeding male and female whose duets are joined adventitiously by other group members.
Laminar Flame Speeds and Extinction Stretch Rates of Selected Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Abstract The laminar flame speeds and premixed extinction limits of n -propylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, and toluene have been studied experimentally to assess the effects of different alkyl substitutions to the benzene ring on flame propagation and extinction. The experiments were carried out in a twin-flame counterflow setup under atmospheric pressure. The laminar flame speeds of fuel/air mixtures at two unburned mixture temperatures of 400 K and 470 K were determined over an equivalence ratio range of ϕ = 0.7–1.4. Additionally, the extinction stretch rates of fuel/O 2 /N 2 mixtures at an unburned mixture temperature of 400 K were measured over an equivalence ratio range of ϕ = 0.8–1.6, with an oxidizer composition of 16% O 2 and 84% N 2 by mole. The experimental laminar flame speeds and extinction stretch rate values were compared to simulated results, for each fuel, using detailed kinetic models available in the literature. The simulation results were found to be in reasonable agreement with the current experimental data, except for 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, where the model under-predicts the extinction limits significantly. Sensitivity and flux analyses were conducted to identify reactions and species to which the computed results were most sensitive.
The phosphatase inhibitor, okadaic acid, strongly protects primary rat cortical neurons from lethal oxygen-glucose deprivation.

Abstract The protein kinase-mediated actions of peptide growth factors such as IGF-1 and bFGF protect cultured neurons from being killed by the oxygen and glucose deprivations (OGD) that prevail in the ‘stroked brain’. Here, we show that neuroprotection by IGF-1 is mediated by PI-3K/Akt, whereas that of bFGF is mediated by MAPK. IGF-1 and bFGF together did not further increase protection suggesting a downstream convergence of their pathways. Since protein kinases mediated the protection, a phosphatase inhibitor such as okadaic acid (OA) might be as protective as the growth factors against OGD. Here, we show that OA is actually a much more effective protector. It increased the phosphorylation of both PI-3K/Akt and MAPK, and stimulated new protein synthesis. OA also acted independently of the CREB activation and FKHRL1 and GSK-3 inactivation which have been implicated in IGF-1 actions.
Body-Size Control: How an Insect Knows It Has Grown Enough

Insulin signaling controls organ growth and final body size in insects. Recent results have begun to clarify how insulin signaling drives organ growth to match nutrient levels, but have not yet elucidated how insulin signaling controls final body size.
Hematological abnormalities in adult patients with Down's syndrome.

Background There is a paucity of data regarding hematological abnormalities in adults with Down’s syndrome (DS).
PIV Investigations of the Flow Field in the Volute of a Rotary Blood Pump

ABSTRACT A full-size acrylic model of a rotary blood pump was developed in order to utilize Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to make measurements of the fluid velocities and turbulent stresses throughout the device. The development of an understanding of the hemodynamics within the blood pump is critical to the development and validation of computational models. A blood analog solution, consisting of sodium iodide solution and glycerin, was developed to match physiological kinematic viscosity. The refractive indecies of the fluid, the pump casing and the impeller were matched to facilitate the use of PIV to make velocity measurements. Velocity measurements made in the volute exit/diffuser region are presented for pumps speeds of 3000-3850 rpm. At each speed data were obtained at a physiological pressure of 90 mmHg and at a maximum flow condition. Four hundred data pairs were used for each resultant mean velocity vector value, representing greater than an order of magnitude more data pairs than reported previously in the literature on similar devices and resulting in velocity uncertainty levels of approximately ±2.9%.
Cancer genetic testing panels for inherited cancer susceptibility: the clinical experience of a large adult genetics practice

Next-generation sequencing genetic testing panels for cancer susceptibility (cancer panels) have recently become clinically available. At present, clinical utility is unknown and there are no set criteria or guidelines established for whom to offer such testing. Although it may be a cost-effective method to test multiple cancer susceptibility genes concurrently, the rate of finding variants of unknown significance (VUS) may be high and testing may yield mutations in genes with no established management recommendations. We describe our Center’s experience over a 14-month period (April 2012–June 2013) for patient interest and uptake in cancer panel testing and whether there were predictors of pursuing testing or identifying mutations. Using a clinical ranking system, patients’ family histories were ranked from 0 to 3 (low likelihood to high likelihood for underlying genetic susceptibility). The clinical ranking system was assessed to determine its predictability of finding mutations. Of the 689 patients who met inclusion criteria, the option of pursuing a cancer panel was discussed with 357 patients; 63 (17.6 %) patients pursued testing. Those who pursued testing were more likely to be older, male, affected with cancer, affected with multiple primary cancers, and had a higher clinical rank than non-pursuers. There were no significant predictors of finding a mutation on panel testing. Of the 61 patients who have received results, there was a 6.6 % mutation rate and 19.7 % VUS rate. The yield of cancer panels in clinical practice is low and the strength of family history alone may not predict likelihood of finding a mutation.
Motor vehicle crashes obesity and seat belt use: a deadly combination?

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicate that compared with lean adults, obese persons are more likely to improperly wear a lap belt across the abdomen. Improper lap belt positioning could result in severe abdominal injuries and a related increase in death. We hypothesized that adult nonobese-belted occupants involved in motor vehicle crashes (MVC) have lower mortality and lower frequency of abdominal injury than obese-belted and obese-nonbelted occupants. METHODS: A national population-based cohort of adult (>/=16 years) nonobese (body mass index, BMI/=30 kg/m) MVC occupants included in the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System for 2003 was studied. The study population was divided into nonobese-belted, nonobese-nonbelted, obese-belted, and obese-nonbelted MVC occupants. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. The secondary outcome was intra-abdominal injury (IAI). Crude odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to adjust estimates for significant occupant, vehicle, and crash-related factors. RESULTS: Occupants (10,656) were in the National Automotive Sampling System-Crashworthiness Data System database for 2003 and 9,313 occupants were eligible for analysis. BMI and seat belt use records were available for 7,459. Lack of seat belt use conferred an increased odds of death and IAI compared with nonbelted occupants for both obese (9.71 [5.08-18.56]) and nonobese (5.26 [3.07-9.03]) occupants. Neither mortality nor IAI was increased in obese-belted occupants compared with nonobese-belted occupants. CONCLUSION: Proper seat belt use should be encouraged without concern for increases in morbidity or mortality among obese motor vehicle occupants. Language: en
Phonon dispersion of zinc chalcogenides under extreme pressure and the metallic transformation

Abstract The effect of high pressure on the one- and two-phonon Raman spectra of ZnTe, ZnSe, and ZnS has been measured up to their metallic phase transitions, at 95, 137, and 150 kbar respectively. Zone boundary transverse acoustic phonons “soften” with pressure in each case. For ZnTe, ZnSe, ZnS, Si, and GaP a linear correlation is found between the mode Gruneisen parameters for TA(X) and the transition pressures.
Theory of the l -state population of Rydberg states formed in ion-solid collisions

The experimentally observed high-{ital l}-state population of ions excited in ion-solid interactions differs sharply from {ital l}-state populations produced in ion-atom collisions. We have studied the population dynamics of electronic excitation and transport within the framework of a classical transport theory for O{sup 2+} (2-MeV/u) ions traversing C foils. The resulting delayed-photon-emission intensities are found to be in very good agreement with experiment. Initial phase-space conditions have been obtained from both classical-trajectory Monte Carlo calculations and random initial distributions. We find evidence that the very-high-{ital l}-state populations produced in ion-solid collisions are the result of a diffusion to high-{ital l} states under the influence of multiple scattering in the bulk of the solid.
Investigation of the Shape-O Ball Test as a perceptual-motor task for pre-schoolers

To assess the validity of the Shape-O Ball Test, a perceptual-motor task, 38 kindergarten Ss were administered both the Shape-O Ball Test and the Frostig. A composite teacher rating (academic achie...
The expression of a NMDA receptor gene in guinea-pig myenteric plexus.

MUSCLE tension studies of guinea-pig ileum longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus preparations suggest that the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor may be present in the enteric nervous system. Therefore, we investigated the expression of a gene for the NMDA receptor in guinea-pig taenia coli. The ge
In Defense of the Great Satan: The Role of Colonialism in Iranian and Saudi Arabian Oil Governance

The landscape of the global sector has undergone a massive transformation as “Big Oil” has been replaced with national oil companies, but one issue remains in question: the role of the West. Controlling approximately 70 percent of the world’s proven reserves, the national oil companies that comprise the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) must reconcile the legacy of their colonial past with their future success in the post-colonial world. OPEC’s two largest exporters, Saudi Arabia and Iran, have a starkly different relationship with the West that has ultimately affected present-day realities of their oil companies as well as the ability of these petro-states to govern. This article first examines the impact of Western influence on Saudi Arabian and Iranian nationalization narratives and identifies key drivers that have encouraged Saudi Arabia’s open cooperation with the West, while simultaneously fostering Iran’s isolationism. The paper subsequently analyzes the impact of these relationships on Saudi Arabian and Iranian oil governance, ultimately suggesting that greater Western influence tends to better overall governance. With the rise of national oil companies the shift towards symbiotic mutualism has become a necessary means for national oil companies to establish sustainable oil governance in a post-colonial
Recent developments in soft magnetic materials

Abstract Two recent developments in soft magnetic materials are reviewed. New 3% Si-Fe laminations will enable transformers to operate at higher inductions with greater efficiency and less noise. Meanwhile, bubble memory technology has been firmly established to bridge the capacity-data retrieval time gap between semiconductor memories and the electromechanical machines.
High-power microwave emission from cyclotron autoresonance maser oscillators driven by microsecond, intense electron beams

Experiments have been performed in which multi-MW, frequency tunable (15-20 GHz) radiation has been generated by cyclotron autoresonance maser (CARM) oscillators driven by intense microsecond electron beams. Experiments have been performed utilizing two long-pulse intense electron beam generators. Initial CARM oscillator experiments were performed on a pulseline generator with peak parameters V
Efficient Dipole Parameter Estimation in EEG Systems With Near-ML Performance

Source signals that have strong temporal correlation can pose a challenge for high-resolution EEG source localization algorithms. In this paper, we present two methods that are able to accurately locate highly correlated sources in situations where other high-resolution methods such as multiple signal classification and linearly constrained minimum variance beamforming fail. These methods are based on approximations to the optimal maximum likelihood (ML) approach, but offer significant computational advantages over ML when estimates of the equivalent EEG dipole orientation and moment are required in addition to the source location. The first method uses a two-stage approach in which localization is performed assuming an unstructured dipole moment model, and then the dipole orientation is obtained by using these estimates in a second step. The second method is based on the use of the noise subspace fitting concept, and has been shown to provide performance that is asymptotically equivalent to the direct ML method. Both techniques lead to a considerably simpler optimization than ML since the estimation of the source locations and dipole moments is decoupled. Examples using data from simulations and auditory experiments are presented to illustrate the performance of the algorithms.
Molecular behavior of amorphous polystyrene under tensile stress

Molecular level changes occurring due to external stress application have been studied by the dynamic infrared spectroscopic technique using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer. The “subtraction” spectrum (stressed — 88% unstressed) of polystyrene has shown even minute changes in 540, 903, 1154, 1310, 1376, and 1602 cm1 infrared bands assigned to various vibrational modes of phenyl side groups. Both infrared and x-ray results have indicated certain conformational rearrangements (under stress) of these bulky phenyl side groups present in the PS chains.
Energy dynamics and modeled evapotranspiration from a wet tropical forest in Costa Rica

The effects of albedo, net radiation (Rn), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and surface conductances on energy fluxes and evapotranspiration (ET) were determined for a wet tropical forest in NE Costa Rica from 1997 to 2000. Sensible heat fluxes (H) were estimated by the combination of eddy-covariance and the change in below-canopy heat profiles. Above-canopy latent heat fluxes (lE) were estimated by the residuals from Rn and H, and below canopy lE fluxes. Surface reflectance (albedo) was w12% of incident solar radiation and did not differ seasonally. Rn was significantly different among years and explained w79% of the variation in H and lE fluxes. The effects of VPD did not explain any additional variation in heat fluxes. lE fluxes were always greater than H fluxes when RnO40 W m K2 . Understory heat fluxes were small and contributed little towards daily energy exchange, but may be significant when Rn is small. A dimensionless coefficient (U) was used to determine the relative importance of aerodynamic conductance (ga) and bulk canopy conductance (gb )o nlE flux. During the day, U was O0.6 and peaked at 0.85 suggesting that the forest was decoupled from physiological controls, lE fluxes are more dependent on Rn than water availability, and ga exerts more control on lE fluxes than gb. Because of these results, both the Priestly‐Taylor and the Penman‐Monteith models performed well using only Rn. Because the canopy is wet w32% of the time, there was better precision in estimating lE fluxes using the Priestly‐Taylor model (with an empirically estimated aZ1.24), when the canopy was wet. Annual ET were 1892, 2292 and 2230 mm for 1998, 1999 and 2000, respectively. Annual ET ranged from 54 to 66% of bulk precipitation. Using a Rutter-type model, interception losses were 17‐18% of bulk precipitation. The overall amount of energy needed for annual ET accounted for w88 to 97% of total Rn. q 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Optimal myocardial preservation: Cooling, cardioplegia, and conditioning

Myocardial preservation techniques have evolved in conjunction with cardiac surgery and currently offer substantial protection against myocardial injury. We propose that cardiac preconditioning, a robust, endogenous mechanism of cardioprotection, is emerging as an important adjunct to current cardioplegic techniques. By reviewing the physiologic basis for current cardioplegic strategies, and understanding the cardioprotective benefits of preconditioning, we postulate that cardiac preconditioning may represent an important, clinically accessible component of myocardial protection.