cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accuracy and learning in neuronal populations.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the accuracy and learning in neuronal populations. The information about various sensory and motor variables contained in neuronal spike trains is quantified by either Shannon mutual information or Fisher information. The accuracy of encoding and decoding by a population of neurons as described by Fisher information has some general properties, including a universal scaling law with respect to the width of the tuning functions. The theoretical accuracy for reading information from population activity can be reached, in principle, by Bayesian reconstruction, which can be simplified by exploiting Poisson spike statistics. The Bayesian method can be implemented by a feedforward network, where the desired synaptic strength can be established by a Hebbian learning rule that is proportional to the logarithm of the pre-synaptic firing rate, suggesting that the method might be potentially relevant to biological systems.
Nonequilibrium dynamics of sedge meadows grazed by cattle in southern Wisconsin

Equilibrium theory predicts that after disturbance, ecosystemseventually regain the structural and functional properties characteristic oftheir predisturbance condition. This study tested this idea by examining theeffects of cattle grazing and exclusion on the long-term structuralcharacteristics of sedge meadows in southern Wisconsin. To compare structuralchanges in mean percentage cover and height, repeated measures analysis wasconducted on two sedge meadows over a twenty year period from 1977 to 1997. Onesedge meadow was recovering from cattle grazing (cattle excluded in 1973) andthe other was a reference area (nearly undisturbed). Both of these study siteschanged structurally from 1977 to 1997, supporting non-equilibrium theory.Additional observations were made in a heavily and lightly grazed sedge meadowthat were surveyed in 1977. As based on the positions of subunits in anordination graph produced using Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMS), therecovery sedge meadow became less structurally similar to the grazed and moresimilar to the reference site over the 20 year study. However, from theperspective of mean maximum height in another NMS analysis, the recovery sedgemeadow became less similar to the reference site over time likely because by1997, a shrub carr of Cornus sericea had developed in therecovery sedge meadow that had been dominated by graminoids and forbs in 1977(mean maximum height: 1977 vs. 1997; 0 vs. 47 cm). Seedlings ofCornus sericea were invading the grazed sedge meadows andin the recovery sedge meadow (cattle excluded 4 years earlier) in 1977. A shrubcarr did not develop in the reference sedge meadow. Changes in the referencesite were relatively minor over this time interval; certain species eitherincreased or decreased in dominance, e.g., Carex strictaincreased in cover (1977 vs. 1997, 20 and 28 mean percentage (%) cover,respectively). A few short-term species of the recovery sedge meadow followedthe tenets of equilibrium theory. These became less common or disappeared4–9 years after cattle exclusion including Asterlanceolatus, Calamagrostis canadensis,Poa compressa, Solidago altissima andVerbena hastata. Some of these species were eaten andlikely spread by the cattle. This study suggests that the progression of sedgemeadow to shrub carr may not be an inevitable outcome of succession but insteadcan be a consequence of past cattle grazing history. Also, because the recoveryand the reference sedge both changed structurally over time, the tenets ofnon-equilibrium theory were supported by this study.
Efficient coupling of parallel applications using PAWS

PAWS (Parallel Application WorkSpace) is a software infrastructure for use in connecting separate parallel applications within a component-like model. A central PAWS Controller coordinates the linking of serial or parallel applications across a network to allow them to share parallel data structures such as multidimensional arrays. Applications use the PAWS API to indicate which data structures are to be shared and at what points the data is ready to be sent or received. PAWS implements a general parallel data descriptor and automatically carries out parallel layout remapping when necessary. Connections can be dynamically established and dropped, and can use multiple data transfer pathways between applications. PAWS uses the NEXUS communication library and is independent of the application's parallel communication mechanism.
Stress, Multiple Sclerosis, and Everyday Functioning

Numerous studies have described an association between stress and the onset or exacerbation of multiple sclerosis (MS). Most of the studies that have been conducted to date, however, have had methodological flaws including: (1) retrospective designs, (2) inadequate or absent control groups, (3) small sample sizes, (4) clinical measures that are insensitive to underlying disease activity, and (5) wide variation in the measurement of stress. Animal models of MS have enabled researchers to examine the effects of stress directly in the central nervous system. Stress affects three biological systems that may be dysregulated in MS: the neuroendocrine system, the sympathetic nervous system, and the serotonergic neurotransmitter system. Future stress-MS research should evaluate the relationship between stress and these systems.
Histograms as statistical estimators for aggregate queries

The traditional statistical assumption for interpreting histograms and justifying approximate query processing methods based on them is that all elements in a bucket have the same frequency-this is called uniform distribution assumption. In this paper, we analyze histograms from a statistical point of view. We show that a significantly less restrictive statistical assumption - the elements within a bucket are randomly arranged even though they might have different frequencies - leads to identical formulas for approximating aggregate queries using histograms. Under this assumption, we analyze the behavior of both unidimensional and multidimensional histograms and provide tight error guarantees for the quality of approximations. We conclude that histograms are the best estimators if the assumption holds; sampling and sketching are significantly worse. As an example of how the statistical theory of histograms can be extended, we show how XSketches - an approximation technique for XML queries that uses histograms as building blocks - can be statistically analyzed. The combination of the random shuffling assumption and the other statistical assumptions associated with XSketch estimators ensures a complete statistical model and error analysis for XSketches.
Contact Reactivity to Carcinogenic Polycyclic Hydrocarbons

ALTHOUGH the precise steps in chemical carcinogenesis are completely unknown, a stable interaction with some cellular component may well be an essential primary event in the process leading to malignancy. The binding of aminoazo dyes and polycyclic hydrocarbons to tissue proteins has been extensively investigated by the Millers1 and by Heidelberger et al.2. With chemical compounds of this type, there appears to be a correspondence between the degree of protein binding and the ability of an agent to function as a carcinogen.
Growth, Disintegration, and Decentralization: The Construction of Taiwan's Industrial Networks

Manufacturing based on networks of small family firms is widely regarded to have been integral to Taiwan's development success. Many studies discuss the social embeddedness, flexibility, efficiency, and competitive advantage of these networks, but there have been few systematic attempts to theorize their origins. A processual analysis of the changing spatial structure of Taiwan's industry, in its social, political, and historical contexts, reveals that Taiwan's concentrated industries of the 1950s did not disintegrate into smaller firms. Rather, there was a proliferation of new rural firms after the mid-1960s. The construction of a disintegrated, decentralized, and networked structure was driven by the contingent actions of rural household entrepreneurs, pursuing strategies of social reproduction, under circumstances resulting from, among other things, an extensive land-reform program and redistributive agricultural policies. Transactions costs and neo-Weberian authority approaches elucidate important fac...
Trophoblastic differentiation of human teratocarcinoma cell line HT-H

In culture the human teratocarcinoma cell line HT-H generates both adherent monolayer and free-floating aggregates. Some populations of aggregated cells develop further to form cystic bodies. A previous study showed the morphological resemblance of the cystic bodies to cells of blastocyst of preimplantation embryo. In this study, HT-H adherent cells were further separated into two subpopulations, fast adhering and slow adhering cells. Fast adhering cells produce fibronectin, spread well onto substratum, and do not proliferate. In contrast, slow adhering cells do not produce fibronectin. Trophoblastic markers were examined in each morphological stage of HT-H cells and the following results were obtained. Only fast adhering cells produce progesterone. Human chorionic gonadotropin was secreted preferentially by fast adhering cells, about six times less by slow adhering cells, and was not secreted by aggregates or cystic bodies. All stages of HT-H cells express c-fos but only fast adhering cells express c-fms oncogene. Cytokeratin 18 was expressed in all stages of HT-H cells. The level of cytokeratin 18 is modestly decreased from adherent to aggregates further into cystic bodies. These results indicate that HT-H cells share properties with cells in trophoblast, placenta, and extraembryonic endoderm. Spontaneous differentiation of HT-H cultures results in the appearance of fast adhering cells which exhibit biochemical properties expected for syncytiotrophoblast.
Quinoxalinediones. I. Synthesis of 6‐methyl‐5,8‐quinoxalinediones

Various synthetic routes were investigated as potential methods of preparation of 6-methyl-5, 8-quinoxalinediones which could be useful as antimetabolites of vitamin K. The preparation of 2,3-dimethyl-5,8-quinoxalinedione (II) was achieved by the condensation of 2,3-diamino-1,4-dimethoxybenzene with diacetyl. Demethylation was accomplished by the use of aluminum chloride in benzene and the resulting hydroquinone (I) was oxidized with dry silver oxide to the quinone (II). An analogous synthetic route could not be used to prepare 2, 3, 6-trimethyl-5, 8-quinoxalinedione (VII). 6-Methyl-5, 8-quinoxalinediones were prepared from 2,3-dinitro-4-methoxy-6-methylacetanilide (III) which was reduced and condensed with appropriate carbonyl compounds. Acid hydrolysis yielded aminophenols which were oxidized to (VII) and (VIII) with chromic acid. The ultraviolet and infrared spectra of the compounds prepared are recorded.
African-American and Puerto Rican drug use: a longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the interrelationship of acculturation, family, personality, ecology, and peer domains measured in adolescence as they impact drug use 5 years later and to assess the role of family variables as buffers against personality risks. Method Youths completed questionnaires in classrooms at T 1 and were individually interviewed at T 2 (mean age = 20 years). Data were analyzed separately for African-Americans and Puerto Ricans using correlations, hierarchical multiple regressions, and two-way interactions. Results Most results were similar for both ethnic groups. Eighty percent of the T 1 variables significantly related to T 2 stage of drug use. A mediational model of the path to drug use was supported. Acculturative influences were associated with family relations, which in turn were related to personality attributes. A reciprocal relationship emerged between the personality and peer domains in their impact on drug use. Family variables primarily enhanced the effect of protective personality traits on drug use. Conclusions Stability of drug use alone cannot explain the relationship between the earlier domains and later drug use. Specific adolescent risks have long-lasting effects. The personality domain has a direct effect on later drug use despite a benign picture in the acculturation, family, and peer domains.
Integrating Digital Literacies into Outreach Services for Underserved Youth Populations

New competencies are required for communication in the digital environment. However, technology and training disparities prevent many young people from obtaining these competencies. Outreach services can help bridge technology and training gaps. This article describes outreach services for students who are underserved in information and digital literacy skills training. Services are provided by an academic library in an effort to provide students with a portable skills toolkit that, once developed, can travel with them in whatever space or place they may be—the home, library, school, or community center.
Occurrence of C22C25 isoprenoids in Bell Creek crude oil

Abstract The aliphatic hydrocarbon content of the crude oil from the Bell Creek oil field of Powder River County, Montana, has been studied. Mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns indicate the presence of all twelve isoprenoid hydrocarbons ranging from C 14 to C 25 as well as head-to-tail conformations. Precursors of the compounds are discussed.
Nuclear And Computerized Tomographic Imaging

Both nuclear and computerized cardiovascular imaging are being evaluated for use in assessing myocardial integrity. The general approach used in assessing myocardial integrity by positron emission tomography consists of the administration of a radiopharmaceutical label with a positron-emitting radionuclide followed by the imaging of the distribution of the label within the myocardium as a func-tion of time. Spatial resolution is currently limited to approximately 1 cm and the measurements currently require several minutes. Although technological advances in transmission computed tomography have been dramatic, its myocardial applications are currently limited by inadequate temporal resolution and difficul-ties in timing the scan exposure to coincide with maximum contrast enhancement. Dynamic scanning (multiple scans in rapid succession), gated, and rapid scans (less than 500 milliseconds) are currently being developed. Modest improvements can be expected with existing technology and optimization of reconstruction algorithms.
Energy Based Model to Predict the Tissue-Needle Interaction Mechanics of Active Surgical Needles

Needle insertion is a common surgical technique used in diagnosis (e.g. biopsy) and prognosis (e.g. brachytherapy) of several diseases. The success of such procedures highly depends on the accuracy of needle placement to target locations. Accuracy of the needle placement is presently limited due to movement of tissue, inability to control needle deflection, and inaccessibility of image monitoring techniques. These limitations are being addressed by using active (or smart) needles (e.g. see Fig. 1) that can maneuver within the tissue with the aid of actuators attached to the needle body [1–3]. However, in these studies, active needles were studied in air but not inside the tissue where they are supposed to be used. Therefore, to develop active needles that are feasible for clinical applications, it is necessary to understand the mechanics of active needles within the tissue.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
3445 A clinical study of the use of zoom video endoscopy for the monitoring of acute rejection in the small bowel allograft.

Purpose of the Study: To evaluate the efficacy of magnification endoscopy for the monitoring of acute rejection in small bowel transplant recipients. Patients & Methods: A zoom video endoscope (PentaxEC-3830LZ) was used in 15 intestinal transplant recipients during 166 endoscopy sessions. This endoscope has the capability to magnify the endoscopic view up to 100 fold. With the magnification, the entire length of villi and crypt areas can be observed. All procedures were performed through surgical created ostomy except for one patient who received the procedure vua rectum. Results: Eighty-seven (52%) biopsies taken during the zoom endoscopy sessions were read as acute rejection by histological criteria including mild (n=70), moderate (n=14) and severe (n=3) rejections. Specific zoom endoscopic findings noted to correlate with the histological diagnosis of rejection were enlarged crypt areas (n=19), villus blunting (n=39), and flattening of villi (n=3). Rejections were successfully treated on all but two occasions with these changes seen on the zoom endoscopy returning to normal appearance. On 31 occasions, histologically diagnosed mild rejections were not treated based on normal findings on zoom endoscopy. These histological rejections all reversed without treatment. There were no complications associated with endscopies or biopsies. Conclusions: Zoom video endoscopy could clearly visualized the microscopic architecture of small bowel graft mucosa enabling the recognition of specific mucosal changes of rejection. We feel that an ability to more accurately assess the small bowel graft mucosa by this form of endoscopy enabled more timely initiation of the treatment of rejection and prevented unnecessary immunosuppression.
Once a Soldier, Always a Dependent

Why are veterans entitled to special benefits, such as free medical care? Not because such a benefit is an inducement to military service, or because a soldier accepts risk. Rather, the relationship of the Army, to use one service as an example, to a soldier is like that of a parent to a child. The right to health care, even carried beyond the term of service, is an extension of this quasi-familial relationship.
Outcome with Desipramine Therapy in Subtypes of Nonpsychotic Major Depression

Abstract A consecutive series of 42 outpatients with major depression were classified as having endogenous or nonendogenous depression according to RDC, primary or secondary depression according to the criteria of Feighner et al. (1972) and suppression or nonsuppression according to a dexamethasone suppression test. These groups were then compared according to outcome after an initial placebo phase and after 6 weeks of treatment with desipramine. Patients with secondary depression were somewhat more likely to respond to placebo and were significantly less likely to complete the entire course of treatment. The primary/secondary distinction but not the endogenous/nonendogenous distinction predicted clinical status after desipramine therapy. In accord with earlier reports, nonsuppressors faired better than suppressors though this difference did not reach statistical significance. Moreover, nonsuppressors tended to have outcomes which were more discrete as reflected in a bimodal distribution for final scores, in contrast, final scores for suppressors assumed a more unimodal distribution.
Coordination of Actin Filament and Microtubule Dynamics during Neurite Outgrowth

Although much evidence suggests that axon growth and guidance depend on well-coordinated cytoskeletal dynamics, direct characterization of the corresponding molecular events has remained a challenge. Here, we address this outstanding problem by examining neurite outgrowth stimulated by local application of cell adhesion substrates. During acute outgrowth, the advance of organelles and underlying microtubules was correlated with regions of attenuated retrograde actin network flow in the periphery. Interestingly, as adhesion sites matured, contractile actin arc structures, known to be regulated by the Rho/Rho Kinase/myosin II signaling cascade, became more robust and coordinated microtubule movements in the growth cone neck. When Rho Kinase was inhibited, although growth responses occurred with less of a delay, microtubules failed to consolidate into a single axis of growth. These results reveal a role for Rho Kinase and myosin II contractility in regulation of microtubule behavior during neuronal growth.
Biosynthesis of chondroitin 4-sulfate-proteoglycan by a transplantable rat chondrosarcoma.

Abstract The activities and subcellular distribution of five glycosyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of chondroitin sulfate by a transplantable rat chondrosarcoma were compared with the activities and distribution of the corresponding enzymes of normal embryonic rat and chick cartilage. Two important differences were found: 1) UDP- d -xylose:core protein β- d -xylosyltransferase was found in concentrations 10–15 times higher in the chondrosarcoma, and 2) all five glycosyltransferases were found to be more soluble in the chondrosarcoma. More than 90% of the xylosyltransferase activity could be extracted from the tumor without rupturing cells. This transferase exhibited optimal activity in solutions of 0.25 m KCl. The Km for the exogenous protein acceptor obtained by Smith degradation of bovine chondroitin sulfate-proteoglycan was 300 μg/ml; the Km for Ser-Gly-Gly, 30 m m . The activity of xylosyltransferase was maximal at pH 6.5 and was dependent upon the presence of Mg2+ or Mn2+. The Km for UDP-xylose was 5 × 10−5, m . In view of the extraordinarily high level of xylosyltransferase activity found in the chondrosarcoma the authenticity of the xylosyl transfer reaction was verified by chemical characterization of [14C]xylose-labeled products.
Health care reform: analysis of narrative responses from directors of pastoral care departments.

SUMMARY This paper is a narrative analysis of comments written by hospital pastoral care department directors in response to the questionnaire item that asked them to write about their experience with health care reform and to make suggestions as to what the profession could do about it. Three central themes included: (1) the importance of and need for administrative support of the department, (2) the importance of departmental visibility within the institution, and (3) the challenges of embracing change. Two secondary themes were the admonishing of peer department directors concerning inadequate performance and the ministry to hospital staff during reform efforts.
Direct computation of geometric features from motion disparities and shading

This paper studies geometric features of surfaces that can be computed directly from stereo, motion, and shading. In the first part it is shown that the sign of the Gaussian curvature and the direction of motion can be computed directly from motion disparities. First, the sign of the normal curvature in a given direction at a given point in the image is obtained without the computation of the depth or slant/tilt map, given any two matched images, taken from stereo or general motion. The curvature sign is obtained from a 2-D geometrical relation, which involves the difference of slopes of line-segments in one image. Using this result local surface patches are classified as convex, concave, parabolic (cylindrical), hyperbolic (saddle point), or planar with a simple computation. This classification can be useful for the segmentation of objects into parts and for the construction of a concise object representation. When three (or more) such points are used, the focus of expansion, or the point toward which the motion is directed, is computed. In the second part the computation of geometric features from local shading analysis is studied. Local shading is ambiguous. For example, concave, convex, and saddle-like surfaces exist that appears the same from certain viewpoints. The shading approximation to shape, i.e., the relationship between the shape of the shading, the surface whose depth at each point equals the brightness in the image, and the shape of the original surface are discussed. This approximation is shown to be exact for more families of surfaces than other known local shape from shading techniques. It is obtained in the coordinate system of the light source. Without knowledge of the light source direction, it is shown that this approximation can be used to obtain some geometrical properties of surfaces, such as the sign of the Gaussian curvature.
Clinical course and management of accidental adriamycin extravasation

Adriamycin infiltration into subcutaneous tissues during intravenous administration results in an intense inflammatory response, which may progress to full-thickness skin ioss and irreversible damage to underlying tendons and neurovascular structures. An analysis of 10 patients seen with Adriamycin in filtration indicated that healing of ulcerated lesions is often prolnged and associated with significant morbidity. Seven patients suffered skin ulcerations and three had severe functional impairment due to joint contractures. Adriamycin should not be infused near joints if possible . Surgical excision of ulcers is advocated if healing is prolonged. Proper local therapy, as well as early attention to proper splinting and physical therapy, can help reduce ultimate functional disability.
Future distribution of multiple myeloma in the United States by sex, age, and race/ethnicity.

To the editor: Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy in the United States (US), representing 1.4% of all new cancers,[1][1] and is twice as common among African Americans as it is among other racial or ethnic groups.[2][2] Although the absolute burden (or number) of
Pulmonary vascular pathology in congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Initial pathologic examination of the lungs in infants who died with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) reveal a decrease in size and weight, with the ipsilateral lung being smaller and showing distorted distribution of segmental airways. These pathologic findings have led to an assumption that the high mortality seen following repair of a diaphragmatic hernia was due to pulmonary hypoplasia. In recent years, the abundant pathologic and physiologic data on lungs in CDH clearly emphasize the role played by the pulmonary vasculature in the survival of CDH. An exaggerated vasoconstrictive response of an abnormally hypertrophied pulmonary vascular bed leading to increased pulmonary vascular resistance appears to be the most important mechanism leading to the often fatal hypoxemia seen in these neonates.
Phenocopy of discoidin I-minus mutants by antisense transformation in Dictyostelium

Using an antisense construct of the discoidin gene transfected into Dictyostelium, we have repressed the expression of the three endogenous discoidin genes. Transformants exhibit a greater than 90% reduction in accumulated discoidin mRNA and protein. Nuclear run-on assays show that both the endogenous and the antisense genes are transcribed. Since only minor amounts of endogenous gene transcripts and none from the antisense gene can be detected on blots, we suggest that hybrids are formed within the nucleus and are rapidly degraded. Discoidin is believed to play a role in cell-substratum interaction and exhibits homologies to fibronectin. Discoidin-minus mutants exhibit the developmental phenotype of not streaming on a plastic surface. Antisense transformants show a similar phenotype and are thus phenocopies of these mutants.
Lipoprotein distribution in the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and familial combined hyperlipidemia

Metabolic abnormalities associated with the metabolic syndrome are also present in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and in those with familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL). These abnormalities include central obesity, insulin resistance with hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, increased plasma triglycerides, and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Other characteristics associated with FCHL include the presence of small, dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased apolipoprotein B. Patients with these abnormalities are at an increased risk for premature coronary artery disease. Treatment of the dyslipidemia associated with type 2 diabetes and FCHL with a combination of a statin and a thiazolidinedione or niacin offers the most comprehensive modality to correct the various lipid abnormalities.
Particles in Volcanic Fume

THE relatively quiet outpouring of lava during many volcanic eruptions, such as those in Hawaii and Iceland, is accompanied by the emission of large quantities of fume. Almost nothing is known about the particles in such fume although numerous studies have been made of the gaseous composition1,2. At times in the Earth's history, for example during the eruptions that produced the Columbia Plateau in the United States, tremendous amounts of such particles must have been emitted into the atmosphere.
The civile conversation: Communication in the renaissance

Stephano Guazzo's The Civile Conversation was a dominant contribution to the literature of manners in the Renaissance. The work, however, was far more than a Courtesybook. Guazzo's treatise helps explain the rhetorical influence in Renaissance thought and the relationship of that influence to humanism. A study of the rhetorical inheritance shows that Guazzo owed a substantial debt to classical theory and pedagogy, but it reveals also an extension of communication study to all aspects of life. A consideration of the humanistic impulse indicates that this extension emerges from a conception of man as communicator, a conception that expands upon some traditional notions concerning rhetoric and humanism in the Renaissance.
The deep structure of ocean ridges in a convecting mantle

Abstract Plate tectonic models have frequently assumed that mid-ocean ridges are the surface expression of the hot rising limb of a convection cell. Measured half spreading rates show that, in any reference frame, the horizontal transverse velocity of some ridges is comparable to the individual plate velocities. If the above assumption is correct, this observation implies that the thermal structure beneath the ridge can adjust rapidly to the changing surface configuration of the plates. Numerical experiments in a two-dimensional convecting layer of constant viscosity fluid show that such a rapid adjustment is probably unrealistic. A symmetrically spreading ridge, moving horizontally, is simulated by specifying a velocity boundary condition on the upper surface of the layer. The other boundary conditions are uncertain, so several different combinations are used in the experiments, including periodic or reflecting lateral boundaries and stress free or no-slip lower boundary. In all the experiments the rising sheets of the convection cells are anchored firmly in the mean horizontal flow of the layer. Unless the mean flow coincides approximately with the ridge velocity, the ridge quickly moves away from a rising sheet which is initially beneath it. If the aspect ratio (width : depth) of the convection cells is significantly greater than one, this conclusion is even more evident. In the earth, it seems unlikely that there is a systematic deep (of the order of the convecting layer thickness) structure beneath the worldwide network of ocean ridges.
Temperature effect on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy spectra of molten and solid salts

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been investigated as a potential analytical tool to improve operations and safeguards for electrorefiners, such as those used in processing spent nuclear fuel. This study set out to better understand the effect of sample temperature and physical state on LIBS spectra of molten and solid salts by building calibration curves of cerium and assessing self-absorption, plasma temperature, electron density, and local thermal equilibrium (LTE). Samples were composed of a LiCl–KCl eutectic salt, an internal standard of MnCl2, and varying concentrations of CeCl3 (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0 wt.% Ce) under different temperatures (773, 723, 673, 623, and 573 K). Analysis of salts in their molten form is preferred as plasma plumes from molten samples experienced less self-absorption, less variability in plasma temperature, and higher clearance of the minimum electron density required for local thermal equilibrium. These differences are attributed to plasma dynamics as a result of phase changes. Spectral reproducibility was also better in the molten state due to sample homogeneity.
Determination of energy density threshold for laser ablation of bacteria. An in vitro study

The Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers have been shown to be bactericidal at relative low energy densities. However, at energy densities exceeding 120 J/cm2 (CO2) and 200 J/cm2 (Nd:YAG), laser irradiation also causes irreparable root surface damage. The purpose of this study was to determine, in vitro, the energy density threshold at which microbial ablation could be achieved while inflicting the least amount of damage to the root surfaces of human teeth. Pairs of Escherichia coli colonies cultured on broth agar were treated with a CO2 laser using a pulsed waveform at approximate energy densities ranging from 3 to 110 J/cm2. One of each colony-pair was then examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the other subcultured for viable microbes. Roots of extracted teeth were lightly scaled and treated by CO2 laser, again with pulsed beam using approximate energy densities of 3 to 110 J/cm2: and examined by SEM. Regardless of the level of energy density, residual bacteria could be subcultured from all laser treated microbial colonies. The inability of the laser to completely obliterate microbial colonies was likely due to: depth of energy penetration, difficulty in precisely overlapping beam focal spots, irregular beam profile, and presence of microbes at the periphery of the beam focal spot. The threshold energy density for bacterial obliteration was determined to be 11 J/cm2 and that for root damage was 41 J/cm2. Root damage was evident by charring, crater formation, melt-down and resolidification surface mineral, and increasing surface porosity. The results of this in vitro study indicate that when used at an energy density between 11 and 41 J/cm2 the CO2 laser may destroy microbial colonies without inflicting undue damage to the tooth root surface.
Tracing Issue Definition and Policy Change: An Analysis of Disability Issue Images and Policy Response

We examine the role of issue definition in disability policy change. Based on qualitative and quantitative evidence from media coverage and congressional hearings, we conclude that policy change was influenced by the redefinition of disability issues from medical and economic definitions to a new sociopolitical perspective. Specifically, we find evidence that media attention and tone influenced the number of congressional hearings and the tone of these hearings. The change in the congressional definition subsequently contributed to the passage of key legislation based on the sociopolitical/civil rights definition of disability. Importantly, our research supports previous studies that suggest problem definition helps to explain significant policy change.
Dynamics of Cl + propane, butanes revisited: a crossed beam slice imaging study

We report velocity–flux contour maps for H–D abstraction in selected Cl + alkane reactions measured by means of crossed beam scattering combined with universal DC slice imaging. The studied hydrocarbons are propane and its two selectively deuterated isotopologues, namely 1,1,1,3,3,3-propane-d6 and 2,2-propane-d2, n-butane and isobutane (2-methyl-propane), with detection of the hydrocarbon radical product by 157 nm single photon ionization. Data are obtained at collision energies of 12–13 kcal mol−1 using a high-density atomic chlorine radical source combining Cl2 photolysis with ablation. All presented scattering distributions involving secondary and tertiary abstractions show distinct differences. Their comparisons allow for revisiting the dynamical picture of these reactions in terms of the nature of the abstraction sites, radical product energy disposal, and H vs. D abstraction. Results are discussed in the light of previous work and ab initio thermochemical calculations, along with proposals to future directions for investigation.
Behavioural and taphonomic patterning at Katanda 9 : a Middle Stone Age site, Kivu Province, Zaire

Katanda 9, an open air Middle Stone Age site, contains a dense vertically compressed accumulation of lithic and faunal remains. The physical state of these materials indicates prolonged surface exposure before burial and the site shares essential characteristics therefore with many Lower and Middle Stone Age and Lower and Middle Palaeolithic occurrences in Africa and Eurasia. An important goal of archaeological research is to determine what, if any, anthropogenic signature can be extracted from distributional data and this article utilizes Katanda 9 to suggest an approach to such spatial analysis. It employs a bottom-up, top-down strategy which works in sequential fashion first to determine and control for taphonomic bias and secondly to fit the resultant pattern to models of hominid behaviour. It proposes that questions be posed in nested hierarchical fashion and that probabilities of correctness be assessed. It concludes that the distribution of materials observed at Katanda is most consistent with a nuclear family pattern.
Shubnikov—de Haas Oscillations in a Semiconductor Superlattice

We have observed Shubnikov---de Haas oscillations associated with the quantum sub-bands created in superlattices made of periodic layers of GaAs and ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Al}}_{x}\mathrm{As}$. By controlling the periodic potential profile, a variety of sample with sub-bands of different degrees of two-dimensionality have been prepared for investigation. The observed oscillatory behaviors agree with those predicted from the Fermi surfaces calculated theoretically on the basis of the superlattice configuration and the electron concentration.
Opioid growth factor suppresses expression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, has been shown to modulate expression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, suggesting that endogenous opioids are inhibitory trophic factors in EAE. In the present study, we investigated the effects of one native opioid peptide, opioid growth factor ([Met(5)]-enkephalin), on the onset and progression of EAE. C57Bl/6 mice injected with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) received daily injections of 10 mg/kg OGF (MOG+OGF) or saline (MOG+Vehicle). Over 60% of the MOG+OGF animals did not exhibit behavioral signs of disease (EAE) in contrast to 100% of the mice in the MOG+Vehicle group. The severity and disease indices of EAE in the OGF-treated mice were markedly reduced from MOG+Vehicle cohorts. By day 30, 60% of MOG+OGF mice had a remission, relative to 4% in the MOG+Vehicle group. MOG-injected mice receiving OGF had significant reductions in activated astrocytes and damaged neurons compared to MOG+Vehicle animals. Unlike MOG+Vehicle and MOG+OGF mice with behavioral signs of disease, MOG+OGF animals without manifestation of disease had no lumbar spinal cord demyelination. Both OGF and OGF receptor were detected in splenic-derived T lymphocytes by immunohistochemistry. OGF treatment decreased both DNA synthesis and cell proliferation in comparison to vehicle-treated T cell lymphocyte cultures. These results indicate that an endogenous opioid, OGF, inhibits the onset and progression of EAE, and suggest that clinical studies on the use of OGF treatment for MS are merited.
Answer to the Letter to the Editor of C. Mehren et al. entitled "Technical Innovation?" Letter to the Editor regarding the article "Mini-open lateral retroperitoneal lumbar spine approach using psoas muscle retraction technique. Technical report and initial results on six patients" (by K. Aghayev and F. D. Vrionis: Eur Spine J, 2013. 22(9): p. 2113-9).

Thank you for critically reviewing our article entitled “Mini-open lateral retroperitoneal lumbar spine approach using psoas muscle retraction technique. Technical report and initial results on six patients”. The anterior approach to the lumbar spine has a long history. It was originally reported by Capener for spondylolisthesis in 1932 [1]. Ito et al. in 1934 [2] reported an anterior extraperitoneal extrapsoas approach to the lumbar spine. Careful review of his paper clearly shows that little has changed in the surgical technique since then. The reviewer should be congratulated on his pioneering work to apply minimally invasive oblique technique to degenerative spine disease [3, 4]. In our opinion it is the natural evolution of any surgical technique to be critically revised by different surgical schools to “field test” its strengths and weaknesses, especially in the light of new technologies. We, by no means, claim credit for the invention of the extrapsoas approach. Our contributions are limited to the some technical aspects of the procedure: such as abdominal wall dissection, especially preservation of the abdominal wall innervation, preservation of the sympathetic chain, oblique placement of the interbody cage, with possible compromise of the contralateral foramen, using stand-alone devices and therefore avoiding posterior stabilization. The reviewer’s articles on the anterior extraperitoneal extrapsoas approach to the lumbar spine were published before the introduction of the transpsoas approach. The transpsoas approach itself has reached maturity and has become quite popular. The complications of the transpsoas approach are also well known. Therefore, we focused on comparing the transpsoas and extrapsoas techniques to emphasize that sometimes new is not necessarily good and remind to our surgical audience that there are minimally invasive choices other than industry-driven ones.
The impact of subspecialties on obstetrics and gynecology

Abstract The role of subspecialties in obstetrics and gynecology was evaluated by a mail questionnaire to department chairpersons, members of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society, nonuniversity directors of obstetrics and gynecology residency programs, and others. Results from the questionnaire were evaluated by conventional statistical methods. The issues identified included subspecialties and the further development of our specialty in role modeling, enhanced education for both residents and students, and the recruitment of a higher-quality resident for our speciatly. Additional issues included: Were subspecialties a mistake, and have they fragmented our specialty? Some of the results include the following: (1) More than 90% of respondents agree that subspecialties have helped in the development of obstetrics and gynecology. (2) The subspecialties have enhanced our image in medical schools (88%) and in the community hospitals (77%). (3) The education of medical students (73%) and of residents (86%) has been enhanced by the development of subspecialties. (4) As predicted, the subspecialties have fragmented our specialty (69%), but patient care has not suffered. (5) Disagreement is noted between chairpersons and other respondents that a higher-quality resident is going into subspecialties, but all agreed that the improved quality of residents was due to the development of subspecialties. (6) Only 10% of respondents wished subspecialties had never been developed as contrasted to 82% of all respondents who felt they were commendable. (7) If another subspecialty area is to be identified, more respondents prefer reproductive urology than the next two areas combined.
Analysis of vapor deposition processes

A general formulation is presented for describing the net rate of vapor deposition from a molten source onto an initially cold condensing surface. In the formulation allowance is made for diffusion and molecular transport and the resultant equations are shown to reduce to the correct expression for molecular distillation at low residual pressures. In the statement of the problem allowance is also made for possible heat transfer effects when the latent heat of deposition is not dissipated rapidly enough. Under these conditions the diffusional or molecular transport problem has to be solved together with the appropriate transient heat conduction equations written for the deposit and the backing plate. The computed results were shown to agree reasonably well with previously reported measurements on vapor deposition, and the formulation given here may thus be used for identifying the various asymptotic regimes of vapor deposition processes.
Optimal Design With Non-Normally Distributed Random Parameters, Conditional Probability, and Joint Constraint Reliabilities: A Case Study in Vehicle Emissions Regulations to Achieve Ambient Air Quality Standards

Making appropriate environmental policy decisions requires considering various sources of uncertainty. An air pollution example is formulated as a design optimization problem with probabilistic constraints, also referred to as reliability-based design optimization (RBDO). Environmental applications with a large number of constraints and significant model complexity present special challenges. In this paper an efficient active set strategy is integrated with a reliability contour surface approach to solve probabilistic problems with non-normal variable probability distributions. Discrete random parameters, which result in Bayesian probability, are also present and they are incorporated using delta function approximations. Joint constraint reliability that considers satisfying all regulatory constraints is also discussed. A demonstration example of setting the optimal vehicle speed limit while maintaining high reliability for CO and NOx standards of a residential area near two highway systems is included.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Broken ergodicity and coherent structure in homogeneous turbulence

Abstract As a preliminary to studying the ergodic properties of fully three-dimensional flows, a numerical study of ideal, two-dimensional homogeneous fluid and magneto-fluid turbulent systems is presented. Although ideal fluid (i.e., Euler) flows in 2-D appear ergodic, ideal 2-D MHD flows do not. In the 2-D MHD case, phase space appears to be broken into effectively disjoint, individually ergodic, components. One important effect of this broken ergodicity is that time averages of dynamic variables do not, in general, have zero mean, leading to broken symmetry and allowing for the existence of coherent states. Here, a general theoretical discussion concerning canonical ensembles is followed by a presentation of numerical results illustrating ergodicity in 2-D Euler turbulence and the lack of ergodicity in ideal 2-D MHD turbulence. Implications for damped, driven and compressible turbulence are also discussed.
Velocity discrimination at constant multiples of threshold contrast.

Abstract Velocity discrimination was measured in the fovea and at 7 deg eccentricity. Stimuli were gaussian bars and sinusoidal gratings, presented in a gaussian temporal window. Stimulus contrasts were low, fixed multiples (2.25× or 4×) of the contrast threshold. This procedure was intended to: (1) Eliminate the use of perceived contrast as a cue for velocity. (2) Stimulate only a small number of channels which are most sensitive to the test velocity. Under these conditions velocity discrimination retained a unimodal curve over velocity similar to that of Orban et al . [ Vision Res . 24 , 33–39 (1984)], but with steeper high and low velocity falloff. Peak discriminability shifted to higher velocities outside the fovea. Another experiment measured flicker-frequency discrimination, which was very different from grating velocity discrimination below 8 Hz.
The Economics of the “Final Solution”*

The economics of the Holocaust is a many-facetted subject that is an integral part of the Holocaust's history. This paper describes some of the results of the new research since 1990 and discusses the economic rationalities employed by the perpetrators in despoiling the Jews. Economic considerations accompanied the timing and pace of the expropriation of Jewish assets and their “Aryanization.” The new research also shows that there was widespread collaboration in the expropriation of the Jews by private interests both inside Germany and in German-controlled Europe and that networks of bureaucrats and private interests joined to achieve Nazi goals. The combination of expropriation and mass murder was one of the aspects of the Holocaust that made it unique.