cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A two zone unequal volume model to describe mixing in chemical and biochemical processes

The effect of imperfect mixing in a single batch reactor was studied using a two-tank system model with internal recycle and unequal volumes. The double-valued relationship between the reactant in each tank of the model for the A → B biochemical/chemical reversible and irreversible reactions was used to analyze mixing patterns in poorly mixed stirred-tank reactors.
SecCMP: a secure chip-multiprocessor architecture

Security has been considered as an important issue in processor design. Most of the existing mechanisms address security and integrity issues caused by untrusted main memory in single-core systems. In this paper, we propose a secure Chip-Multiprocessor architecture (SecCMP) to handle security related problems such as key protection and core authentication in multi-core systems. Threshold secret sharing scheme is employed to protect critical keys because secret sharing is a distributed security scheme that matches the nature of multi-core systems. A critical secret is divided and distributed among multiple cores instead of keeping a single copy that is sensitive to exposure. The proposed SecCMP can not only enhance the security and fault-tolerance in key protection but also support core authentication. It is designed to be an efficient and secure architecture for CMPs.
Modulus of Swollen Coal Gels

Compression measurements on coal particles that have been exhaustively extracted and swollen in pyridine are reported. The particles show a viscoelastic response, with the initial elastic modulus showing a decrease with increase in temperature, while the overall modulus increases with temperature. These results are interpreted in terms of coal being a macromolecular network consisting of relatively stiff chains that over short time spans do not have time to relax. The typical entropic response (i.e., modulus increasing with temperature) is only observed at longer times. These results are consistent with the idea that coal is a macromolecular network and not an associated structure.
CagA-positive Helicobacter pylori strains enhanced coronary atherosclerosis by increasing serum OxLDL and HsCRP in patients with coronary heart disease.

Background The role of infection in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is still a matter of debate.
Cardiac surgery in special populations, Part 1: Octogenarians, patients with neuropsychiatric disorders, and blacks

This is the first of a series of articles that discusses the pertinent issues involved in caring for patients undergoing surgery who belong to special populations. Octogenarians have higher mortality, more comorbidities, and special needs regarding convalescence. Patients with neuropsychiatric disorders may have exacerbations of their mental illness after surgery and require special care and patience by the nurse. Survival after cardiac surgery is similar in black and white patients, but the number of blacks having cardiac surgery is significantly and proportionately lower than whites, suggesting either a referral bias or a problem with access to care. Subsequent articles discuss cardiac surgery in women, during pregnancy, in Jehovah's Witnesses, and in patients with Down's Syndrome.
Occurrence of ϵ-N-acetyllysine in calf thymus histone F2b☆

Abstract [ 14 C]Acetate was incorporated into histone F2b when isolated nuclei were incubated with [ 14 C]acetate. The acetyl groups were found as ϵ- N -acetyllysine and were present in a single thermolysin peptide derived from the amino terminal half of the F2b molecule.
Stability of asymptotically stable sets for continuous functions

Let K be the class of nonempty compact subsets of I=[0,1], and K∗ consist of the nonempty closed subsets of K. We study the map A:C(I,I)→K∗ defined so that A(f) is the closure of the collection of asymptotically stable sets of f. While we find that A is not continuous, we do get much more positive results when studying the semicontinuity of A. In particular, A is lower semicontinuous at a residual set of functions in C(I,I), so that A is continuous if we restrict our map to a residual subset of C(I,I).
User evaluation of lightweight user authentication with a single tri-axis accelerometer

We report a series of user studies that evaluate the feasibility and usability of light-weight user authentication with a single tri-axis accelerometer. We base our investigation on uWave, a state-of-the-art recognition system for user-created free-space manipulation, or gestures. Our user studies address two types of user authentication: non-critical authentication (or identification) for a user to retrieve privacy-insensitive data; and critical authentication for protecting privacy-sensitive data. For non-critical authentication, our evaluation shows that uWave achieves high recognition accuracy (98%) and its usability is comparable with text ID-based authentication. Our results also highlight the importance of constraints for users to select their gestures. For critical authentication, the evaluation shows uWave achieves state-of-the-art resilience to attacks with 3% false positives and 3% false negatives, or 3% equal error rate. We also show that the equal error rate increases to 10% if the attackers see the users performing their gestures. This shows the limitation of gesture-based authentication and highlights the need for visual concealment.
The Transcription Factor Mef2 Links the Drosophila Core Clock to Fas2, Neuronal Morphology, and Circadian Behavior

The transcription factor Mef2 regulates activity-dependent neuronal plasticity and morphology in mammals, and clock neurons are reported to experience activity-dependent circadian remodeling in Drosophila. We show here that Mef2 is required for this daily fasciculation-defasciculation cycle. Moreover, the master circadian transcription complex CLK/CYC directly regulates Mef2 transcription. ChIP-Chip analysis identified numerous Mef2 target genes implicated in neuronal plasticity, including the cell-adhesion gene Fas2. Genetic epistasis experiments support this transcriptional regulatory hierarchy, CLK/CYC- > Mef2- > Fas2, indicate that it influences the circadian fasciculation cycle within pacemaker neurons, and suggest that this cycle also contributes to circadian behavior. Mef2 therefore transmits clock information to machinery involved in neuronal remodeling, which contributes to locomotor activity rhythms.
DOES ATRIAL FIBRILLATION LEAD TO TRICUSPID INSUFFICIENCY

It has been demonstrated, by injecting ascorbic acid into the right ventricle to be detected in the right atrium, that atrial fibrillation does not invariably lead to tricuspid insufficiency. In 1 patient with right ventricular hypertension, tricuspid insufficiency during atrial fibrillation disappeared after conversion to sinus rhythm. The right atrial pressure curves in patients with regular sinus rhythm and tricuspid insufficiency are similar to those in patients with atrial fibrillation with or without tricuspid insufficiency. The x descent will be diminished or will disappear in atrial fibrillation due to the lack of atrial relaxation. It is suggested, however, that if atrial fibrillation increases the end-diastolic volume above a critical level, functional tricuspid insufficiency will ensue.
Shift of attention in schizophrenics, siblings of schizophrenics, and depressed patients.

This study investigated whether deviant types of attention, measured by reaction time, would characterize schizophrenics, depressives, and healthy siblings of the schizophrenic probands. Nineteen schizophrenics, 16 depressives, 15 healthy siblings of the schizophrenics, and 19 normals were tested on
The Bacteriology of Surface-Taint Butter: A Review

Summary Surface taint became a problem to the dairy industry with the introduction of pasteurized cream for buttermaking. This heat treatment seems to transform the cream to a satisfactory medium for the growth of the causative organism. Butter churned from pasteurized cream that has been contaminated with Ps. putrefaciens usually develops a putrid odor and flavor within a very few days, even when stored at temperatures as low as 5° C. Ps. putrefaciens has been isolated most frequently from the water used in washing the butter and from various pieces of equipment in dairy plants encountering difficulty with surface taint. This organism is relatively easily inactivated by chlorine; therefore, adequate treatment of an infected water supply with this chemical will render it suitable for use in butter manufacture. In some instances, certain pieces of equipment such as wooden churns become so extensively infected with this organism that the replacement of a badly worn unit is the simplest method of stopping a bad outbreak of surface taint in the butter from a particular plant. The incidence of surface taint can be lowered very markedly by following good sanitary practices in the dairy plant. Several groups of investigators have made suggestions for the prevention and control of surface taint. Although the practical methods suggested for the control of this defect are quite effective, there is still no really rapid and simple procedure for determining whether any particular churning of suspected butter actually contains Ps. putrefaciens , and, if so, just how extensive the contamination with these organisms is. The quantitative estimation and isolation of Ps. putrefaciens from butter has been a problem worked on for many years by investigators in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. A large part of this research has been directed at the development of a more suitable medium for the growth of this organism. It has been apparent for quite some time that Ps. putrefaciens loses viability rather quickly when stored; hence, part of the difficulty encountered in recovering this organism from butter can be traced to the fact that the number of viable cells remaining in the infected sample may be very low. Also, there is very definite evidence that ordinary distilled water is highly toxic to Ps. putrefaciens; therefore, any technique employing unbuffered water as the dilution medium immediately lowers the possibility that any of the causative organisms will be recovered. Regardless of the technique used for the quantitative estimation or isolation of this organism from butter, it is imperative that as fresh samples as possible be obtained for analysis because of the rapid rate at which the organism loses viability on storage.
Harnack Principle for Weakly Coupled Elliptic Systems

Abstract We prove the Harnack inequality for the weakly coupled elliptic system S , where Su=\big (\begin{align} L_1 & & \\ & \cdots & \\ & & L_N\end{align}\big )u+Qu and u=\big (\begin{align} u_1\\ \cdot \\ \cdot \\ \cdot \\ u_N\end{align}\big ). { L k , k =1, …, N } are second order elliptic operators with Holder continuous coefficients and Q is a matrix-valued function with singular entries. In the case that Q is irreducible, a full Harnack principle is proved.
Genius-on-the-go: FM radio based proximity sensing and audio information sharing

Smart phones provide a convenient platform for social applications with their rich set of sensors and communication interfaces, and have become an integral part of our daily lives. In Genius-on-the-Go, we hope to explore a new social sharing mechanism for mobile users based on proximity. Our key contribution is an efficient discovery layer, and enabling interactions with nearby devices using FM radio. But since current mobile phones do not export radio drivers that support transmit mode (even though most hardware chips are already capable of), we designed a custom accessory incorporating an FM chip and communicating with the phone via the headphone jack. Using this accessory, we demonstrate efficient discovery and communication between nearby smart phones, and show an mobile-DJ application built on top.
Andes virus stimulates interferon-inducible MxA protein expression in endothelial cells.

MxA is a cellular protein activated in cells treated with type I interferons. MxA protein is a member of the dynamin superfamily of large guanosine triphosphatases. A unique property of Mx1 GTPases is their antiviral activity against a wide range of RNA viruses. Replication of several hantavirus strains is inhibited in cells constitutively expressing MxA protein. We have found that Andes virus (ANDV) infection up regulates transcription of MxA RNA and expression of MxA protein in human endothelial cells in vitro. Activation of MxA gene expression requires virus replication. Up-regulation of MxA gene expression in hantavirus infected cells varies depending on the cell type. The degree of activation of MxA gene expression is inversely correlated with the efficiency of hantavirus replication. Additionally, MxA protein is co-localized with hantavirus nucleocapsid protein in infected cell. Our data suggest that MxA by interacting with the virus nucleocapsid protein inhibits production of new infectious virus particles. J. Med. Virol. 75:267–275, 2005. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Review of Concept Learning Models Implications for Special Education Practitioners

Presents 11 design-of-instruction criteria for selecting and analyzing an effective language curriculum
General relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of Blandford-Znajek jets and the membrane paradigm

Recently it has been observed that the scaling of jet power with black hole spin in galactic X-ray binaries is consistent with the predictions of the Blandford-Znajek (BZ) jet model. These observations motivate us to revisit the BZ model using general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of magnetized jets from accreting (h/r ∼ 0.3), spinning (0< a∗< 0.98) black holes. We have three main results. First, we quantify the discrepancies between the BZ jet power and our simulations: assuming maximum effi ciency and uniform fields on the horizon leads to a ∼ 10% overestimate of jet power, while ignoring the accretion disk leads to a further∼ 50% overestimate. Simply reducing the standard BZ jet power prediction by 60% gives a good fit to our simulation data. Our seco nd result is to show that the membrane formulation of the BZ model correctly describes the physics underlying simulated jets: torques, dissipation, and electromagnetic fields on t he horizon. This provides intuitive yet rigorous pictures for the black hole energy extraction proc ess. Third, we compute the effective resistance of the load region and show that the load and the black hole achieve near perfect impedance matching. Taken together, these results increase our confidence in the BZ model as the correct description of jets observed from astrophysi cal black holes.
The contributions of retroelements to plant genome organization, function and evolution

Plant genomes are rich in mobile DNAs of several retroelement classes. The great abundance, broad dispersion, and hypervariability of plant retroelements indicate that they make a major contribution to host genome organization, function and evolution.
Human Tutorial Instruction in the Raw

Humans learn procedures from one another through a variety of methods, such as observing someone do the task, practicing by themselves, reading manuals or textbooks, or getting instruction from a teacher. Some of these methods generate examples that require the learner to generalize appropriately. When procedures are complex, however, it becomes unmanageable to induce the procedures from examples alone. An alternative and very common method for teaching procedures is tutorial instruction, where a teacher describes in general terms what actions to perform and possibly includes explanations of the rationale for the actions. This article provides an overview of the challenges in using human tutorial instruction for teaching procedures to computers. First, procedures can be very complex and can involve many different types of interrelated information, including (1) situating the instruction in the context of relevant objects and their properties, (2) describing the steps involved, (3) specifying the organization of the procedure in terms of relationships among steps and substeps, and (4) conveying control structures. Second, human tutorial instruction is naturally plagued with omissions, oversights, unintentional inconsistencies, errors, and simply poor design. The article presents a survey of work from the literature that highlights the nature of these challenges and illustrates them with numerous examples of instruction in many domains. Major research challenges in this area are highlighted, including the difficulty of the learning task when procedures are complex, the need to overcome omissions and errors in the instruction, the design of a natural user interface to specify procedures, the management of the interaction of a human with a learning system, and the combination of tutorial instruction with other teaching modalities.
The equivalence problem for deterministic finite-turn pushdown automata

It is proved that there is an effective procedure for deciding whether two deterministic finite-turn pushdown automata are equivalent.
Design of spring actuators made of ferromagnetic shape memory alloy and composites

Design of ferromagnetic shape memory alloy (FSMA) based spring actuators is discussed where a variety of design parameters are included, design of FSMA and FSMA composite, that of compact electromagnet, and the mode of deformation of a helical spring. Advantages of FSMA and FSMA composite are simple design, faster actuation speed large axial stroke and magnetic force.
5-HT Receptor Subtypes Involved in Luminal Serotonin-Induced Secretion in Rat Intestine in Vivo

The purpose of this study was to compare the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor subtypes involved in secretion of water and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride) induced by luminally administered serotonin in rat jejunum and ileum in vivo. Ketanserin partially inhibited and ICS 205-930 totally inhibited serotonin-evoked secretion. Ketanserin induced mild basal secretion while ICS 205-930 alone reduced basal absorption. There were no differences in the effects of ketanserin or ICS 205-930 on serotonin-induced secretion by rat jejunum versus ileum. Neither N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptophyl-5-hydroxytryptophanamide nor methysergide altered the secretory effect of serotonin in rat ileum. The substituted benzamides, cisapride, and BRL 24924, and the 5-HT4 agonist, 5-methoxytryptamide, induced water and electrolyte secretion. While BRL 24924 did not alter the subsequent serotonin-induced secretory fluxes, cisapride slightly inhibited the induced secretion. These results suggest that (1) in both segments of the intestine, 5-HT2, 5-HT3, and/or 5-HT4 receptor subtypes are involved in the regulation of intestinal transport of water and electrolytes under basal conditions; (2) serotonin-induced water and electrolyte secretion is mediated by pathways involving 5-HT2, 5-HT3, and 5-HT4 receptor subtypes in both rat jejunum and ileum; (3) 5-HT1 receptors do not seem to be involved in the mediation of intestinal water and electrolyte transport; (4) these effects are similar to those described for systemically administered 5-HT.
Meta-analysis of LC-MS based metabolomic experiments

Meta-analysis of LC-MS data in metabolomic studies is desired to determine overlaps and differences among various experiments. For example, in large metabolic biomarker discovery studies involving hundreds of samples, it may be necessary to conduct multiple experiments, each involving a subset of the samples due to technical limitations. The ions selected from each experiment are analyzed to determine overlapping ions. One of the challenges in comparing the ion lists is the presence of a large number of derivative ions such as isotopes, adducts, and fragments. In this paper, we address this issue by grouping ions based on their annotation information. Following annotation, each ion in a cluster is represented by its monoisotopic mass. This mass is then used to compare the ions across multiple experiments. The resulting ion list provides better coverage and more accurate identification of metabolites compared to the traditional approach in which overlapping ions are selected on the basis of ion mass.
Mixed‐Mode Fracture in Soda‐Lime Glass

Soda-lime-silica glass was fractured under combined mode I and mode II loading from flaws produced by hardness indentations. Critical stress intensities calculated from K1 and K11 combined using four analyses, are compared to KIC measured by a fracture mechanics technique and to values of KIC determined by measuring fracture-mirror size. The comparison showed that KIC calculated using a noncoplanar strain-energy release-rate analysis gave the best agreement with values obtained by fracture mechanics techniques over the widest range of crack orientations. KICcalculated from mirror sizes was constant regardless of the orientation of the original flaw.
SMART: a modular control architecture for telerobotics

SMART (Sequential Modular Architecture for Robotics and Teleoperation) is designed to integrate the different slave devices (e.g., large hydraulic arms, mobile manipulators, gantry robots), sensors (e.g., ultrasonic sensors, force sensors), and input devices (e.g., force/torque ball, force-reflecting master, autonomous trajectory generators) required for waste management and environmental restoration tasks. >
Development and Analysis of the Heliostat Focusing and Canting Enhancement Technique for Full Heliostat Alignments

Central receiver power towers are regarded as a proven concentrating solar power (CSP) technology for generating utility-scale electricity. In central receiver systems, improper alignment (canting and focusing) of heliostat facets results in beam spillage at the receiver and leads to significant degradation in performance. As a result, proper alignment of heliostats is critical for increasing plant efficiency. Past tools used for analyzing and correcting heliostat alignment at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) have proven to be laborious and inaccurate, sometimes taking up to six hours per heliostat. In light of these drawbacks, Sandia National Labs (SNL) and New Mexico Tech (NMT) have created the Heliostat Focusing and Canting Enhancement Technique (H-FACET). H-FACET uses a high-resolution digital camera to observe the image of a stationary target reflected by a heliostat facet. By comparing this image to a theoretical image generated via a custom software package, technicians can efficiently identify and correct undesirable deviations in facet orientation and shape. Previous tests have only proven the viability of H-FACET for canting heliostats. As a result, SNL and NMT have expanded H-FACET’s capabilities and analyzed the system’s ability to simultaneously cant and focus heliostats. Initial H-FACET focusing test results have shown improved beam sizes and shapes for single facets. Furthermore, simulations of these tests revealed an approximated system accuracy of better than 1.80 milliradians. This accuracy accounted for technician, position, and additional error sources, suggesting that H-FACET was capable of focusing facets to an even greater accuracy than those seen in the initial tests. When implemented for simultaneous canting and focusing of heliostats, H-FACET has demonstrated its capability to increase peak flux and decrease beam size. These full alignment test results demonstrated an average total system accuracy of 1.17 milliradians on five heliostats. As before, this accuracy included multiple error sources which cannot be corrected by H-FACET. Additionally, these tests revealed that H-FACET can align heliostats in about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Finally, two heliostats aligned with H-FACET maintained average accuracies 1.46 and 1.24 milliradians over a four hour window centered about solar noon. This implies that H-FACET is capable of aligning heliostats to a true off-axis alignment over NSTTF’s operating window. In light of these results, SNL has implemented both the focusing and canting portions of H-FACET at the NSTTF.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The phenotype spectrum of X-linked ichthyosis identified by chromosomal microarray.

Background Steroid sulfatase ( STS ) gene disruption causes X-linked ichthyosis (XLI). Interrogating the entire genome through chromosomal microarray (CMA), a test primarily used to screen patients with noncutaneous congenital anomalies, may detect STS deletions incidentally. Objective We sought to determine the variability of skin features associated with STS deletions diagnosed through CMA and to compare these findings with XLI cases reported in the literature and recognized in a dermatology clinic. Methods Male patients with an STS deletion were identified from 23,172 consecutive postnatal blood samples tested with CMA at Mayo Clinic. A comparison group of male patients with biochemically confirmed XLI was ascertained in the dermatology clinic. The available patient medical records, skin histopathology, and photographs were evaluated and a literature search of patients with XLI was conducted. Results Children whose diagnosis was made incidentally through CMA had milder skin phenotypes, including dryness or eczema, or both, and did not manifest the polygonal or "dirty" scale described as typical of XLI in the literature. Limitations The small sample size, limited clinical information, and assessment by nondermatologists in a subset of cases may have influenced the results. Conclusion STS deletions may cause a milder skin phenotype than the typical presentation of XLI.
Topical prevention of poison ivy/oak dermatitis.

• An organoclay preparation was evaluated for topical protection against experimental poison ivy/oak in a rigorous double-blind study. By direct comparison with the same subject, it proved more effective than comparable preparations of bentonite, kaolin, or silicone in 16 of 17 trials. When evaluated globally against control responses to urushiol the organoclay preparation gave 95.3% protection against topical urushiol applications, ranging from 4.75 to 0.0475 nmol. Bentonite, kaolin, and silicone gave 29.6%, 37.9%, and 32.9% protection, respectively, in the same system. We conclude that organoclay is an effective topical protectant against experimental poison ivy/oak dermatitis, and deserves further clinical evaluation. ( Arch Dermatol 1989;125:499-501)
An integrated, semi-automated approach to thermochemical conversion research for sustainable farming systems

An integrated, semi-automated system is presented for the rapid and efficient testing and production of research-scale quantities of biochar. This biochar, produced from agricultural waste materials, can easily be incorporated in future sustainable livestock farming systems. These farming systems will be able to diversify farm income by generating a consistent, predictable, marketable product. Before biochar is incorporated into production systems, it needs to be assessed for its potential to improve soil or crop systems or produce energy. To assess the potential of biochar and proceed quickly from experimental design to experimental results, a variety of analytical instrumentation, control technologies, and processing technologies were brought together to decrease analysis time and double production of a wide variety of biochar types.
Calculated laser damage thresholds of Ge:Hg photoconductive detectors

Abstract Thermal damage in laser irradiated mercury-doped germanium detectors is investigated. Threshold levels of 10.6 μm laser radiation corresponding to onset of irreversible damage in Ge:Hg crystals are measured. The dependence of the damage thresholds on irradiaton time agrees favorably with thermal model predictions. Thresholds for both onset of irreversible damage and complete loss of photoresponse for Ge:Hg detectors are then calculated as a function of irradiation time, using parameters obtained from experimental results on laser damage in Ge:Hg crystals.
A device to simplify the assay of ligand binding to cell surfaces

A sensitive and reproducible technique for characterization of the binding of 125I-labeled protein ligands to cell surfaces is described. The physical separation of cell-bound and free ligand was accomplished by centrifugation-filtration using an assembly of plastic micro test tubes. This assembly allowed rapid and efficient separation of free and cell-bound ligands with minimal manipulation of the cells.
Localization of the Na+-sugar cotransport system in a kidney epithelial cell line (LLC PK1)

Studies of the localization of the Na+-dependent sugar transport in monolayers of LLC PK1 cells show that the uptake of a methyl α-d-glucoside, a nonmetabolizable sugar which shares the glucose-galactose transport system, occurs mainly from the apical side of the monolayer. Kinetics of [3H]phlorizin binding to monolayers of LLC PK1 cells were also measured. These studies demonstrate the presence of two distinct classes of receptor sites. The class comprising high affinity binding sites had a dissociation constant (Kd) of 1.2 μM and a concentration of high affinity receptors of 0.30 μmol binding sites per g DNA. The other class involving low affinity sites had a Kd of 240 μM with the number of binding sites equal to 12 μmol/g DNA. Phlorizin binding at high affinity binding sites is a Na+-dependent process. Binding at the low affinity sites on the contrary is Na+-independent. The mode of action of Na+ on the high affinity binding sites was to increase the dissociation constant without modifying the number of binding sites. The Na+ dependence and the matching of Kd for high affinity binding sites with the Ki of phlorizin for the inhibition of methyl α-d-glucoside strongly suggest that the high affinity phlorizin binding site is, or is part of the methyl α-d-glucoside transport system. Binding studies from either side of the monolayer also show that the binding of phlorizin at the Na+ dependent high affinity binding sites occurs mainly from the apical rather than the basolateral side. The specific location of the Na+-dependent sugar transport system in the apical membrane of LLC PK1 cells is, therefore, another expression of the functional polarization of epithelial cells that is retained under tissue culture condition. In addition, since this sugar transport almost disappears after the cells are brought into suspension, it can be used as a marker to study the development of the apical membrane in this cell line.
There Is No Silver Bullet: Investment and Growth in the G7

This paper considers the relative importance of investment and productivity in the growth of the G7 countries during the period 1960-89. Investment is the commitment of resources in the expectation of future returns to the investor. Productivity is identified with 'spillovers' of benefits that do not provide incentives for investment. The great preponderance of growth in the US and Canada is due to investment. Investment is more important than productivity for all of the G7 countries, except France, after 1973. Patterns of economic growth have converged for the G7 countries, but important differences remain.
β-Xyloside effects on basal lamina structure and anionic site distribution in the embryonic mouse submandibular salivary gland

Abstract β- d -Xyloside is a proteoglycan biosynthesis inhibitor. Previous studies on embryonic salivary glands have demonstrated that 0.5 mM β-xyloside (1) inhibits proteoglycan synthesis by 50%; (2) severely depresses sulphated glycosaminoglycan deposition at the basal epithelial surface, and (3) dramatically inhibits epithelial branching morphogenesis. Electron microscopy revealed a conventional three-layered basal lamina that is altered in the presence of β-xyloside by a 35% reduction in the number of tannic acid-resolved particles in the lamina densa. Basal lamina anionic sites, resolved with ruthenium red (RR) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) cationic probes, were also reduced in the presence of β-xyloside. PEI particles were reduced by 28%, and RR particles by 24%, per two-dimensional unit of basal lamina. These β-xyloside effects on anionic sites are consistent with an hypothesis that sulphated glycosaminoglycans account for 50% of the basal lamina anionic sites and a predicted 25% decrease in anionic sites in the presence of β-xyloside.
More than just cool shades

Imagine trying to eat a poisonous basketball with spikes and sunglasses. That is the challenge a predator faces when confronted with the spiny puffer fish, Diodon holocanthus , illustrated on this month’s cover. The puffers are a group of nearly 100 species of mostly epipelagic fish, and are so named because of their ability to swell their bodies two to three times their original size until they are almost completely round. The spiny puffer is perhaps the best known member of the families Tetraodontidae and Diodontidae, and has been studied in some detail. Perhaps only this species of all extant organisms combines the ability to inflate its body with the concomitant erection of nettlesome, pointed spines as a spectacular defence mechanism. The stomach can expand to nearly 100 times it original size by utilising extensive tissue pleating much like a kilt. Even the stomach pleats have pleats, and those pleats have pleats and so on. The puffer’s body is prepared for this expansion by …
Internal structure of Puna Ridge: evolution of the submarine East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai ̀i

Abstract Multichannel seismic reflection, sonobuoy, gravity and magnetics data collected over the submarine length of the 75 km long Puna Ridge, Hawai i, resolve the internal structure of the active rift zone. Laterally continuous reflections are imaged deep beneath the axis of the East Rift Zone (ERZ) of Kilauea Volcano. We interpret these reflections as a layer of abyssal sediments lying beneath the volcanic edifice of Kilauea. Early arrival times or ‘pull-up’ of sediment reflections on time sections imply a region of high P-wave velocity (Vp) along the submarine ERZ. Refraction measurements along the axis of the ridge yield Vp values of 2.7–4.85 km/s within the upper 1 km of the volcanic pile and 6.5–7 km/s deeper within the edifice. Few coherent reflections are observed on seismic reflection sections within the high-velocity area, suggesting steeply dipping dikes and/or chaotic and fractured volcanic materials. Southeastward dipping reflections beneath the NW flank of Puna Ridge are interpreted as the buried flank of the older Hilo Ridge, indicating that these two ridges overlap at depth. Gravity measurements define a high-density anomaly coincident with the high-velocity region and support the existence of a complex of intrusive dikes associated with the ERZ. Gravity modeling shows that the intrusive core of the ERZ is offset to the southeast of the topographic axis of the rift zone, and that the surface of the core dips more steeply to the northwest than to the southeast, suggesting that the dike complex has been progressively displaced to the southeast by subsequent intrusions. The gravity signature of the dike complex decreases in width down-rift, and is absent in the distal portion of the rift zone. Based on these observations, and analysis of Puna Ridge bathymetry, we define three morphological and structural regimes of the submarine ERZ, that correlate to down-rift changes in rift zone dynamics and partitioning of intrusive materials. We propose that these correspond to evolutionary stages of developing rift zones, which may partially control volcano growth, mobility, and stability, and may be observable at many other oceanic volcanoes.
Delineating the citation impact of scientific discoveries

Identifying the significance of specific concepts in the diffusion of scientific knowledge is a challenging issue concerning many theoretical and practical areas. We introduce an innovative visual analytic approach to integrate microscopic and macroscopic perspectives of a rapidly growing scientific knowledge domain. Specifically, our approach focuses on statistically unexpected phrases extracted from unstructured text of titles and abstracts at the microscopic level in association with the magnitude and timeliness of their citation impact at the macroscopic level. The H-index, originally defined to measure individual scientists. productivity in terms of their citation profiles, is extended in two ways: 1) to papers and terms as a means of dividing these items into two groups so as to replace the less optimal threshold-based divisions, and 2) to take into account the timeliness of the impact of knowledge diffusion in terms of the timing of citations and publications so that attention is particularly drawn towards potentially significant and timely papers. The selected terms are connected to higher-level performance indicators, such as measures derived from the H-index, in the form of decision trees. A top-down traversal of such decision trees provides an intuitive walkthrough of concepts and phrases that may underline potentially significant but currently still latent scientific discoveries. Timeliness measures can also help to identify institutions that are at the forefront of a research field. We illustrate how widely accessible tools such as Google Earth can be utilized to disseminate such insights. The practical significance for digital libraries and fostering scientific discoveries is demonstrated through the astronomical literature related to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS).
Basic human motion tracking using a pair of gyro + accelerometer MEMS devices

A novel experimental setup using accelerometer and gyroscope sensors embedded on a single board along with a distance-based pattern recognition algorithm is presented for accurately identifying basic movements for possible application in gaming using a mobile platform. As an example, we considered some basic step sequences in the popular dance game (e.g., dance dance revolution), and could detect these movements with a reasonably high probability. We envision that the experimental results presented in this paper will motivate future research in the world of mobile gaming applications using advanced smart phones with a dual module design. It is remarked that the same technology may be used to help the elderly stay at home. This technology can be applied to track and monitor the movements of elderly people to guarantee they are getting up, to detect falls, or to monitor electric wheel chairs so that they may go outside alone thereby assisting the elderly while they live independently in their own homes where they feel safe.
Adsorption of insulin to the surface of peritoneal dialysis solution containers.

Continous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is becoming widely used in diabetics with end-stage renal disease. One of the proposed advantages of this technique is the ability to administer insulin intraperitoneally. The administration of insulin by this route provides acceptable plasma glucose control with no need for subcutaneous injections. Because adsorption of insulin to glass and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) surfaces is known to occur with intravenous fluid systems, this study was conducted to measure insulin adsorption to dialysis fluid systems. The effects of time, temperature, heparin concentration, dextrose concentration, and insulin concentration in 2-L glass and PVC dialysis solution containers were studied. While all factors significantly affected adsorption to the PVC containers, the effects of heparin and dextrose were considered to be clinically unimportant. The percentage of insulin adsorbed to the PVC surface increased with increasing time and temperature and decreased with increasing insulin concentrations. Under the conditions studied, 7.1% to 9.6% of insulin added to PVC containers was lost within the first minute. Since 15 to 30 minutes is required by most CAPD patients to prepare and instill the dialysate, 10% to 20% of added insulin may be adsorbed to the PVC bag. The adsorption of insulin to the glass surfaces was rapid with 39.6% to 42.8% being lost within the first minute. All factors studied significantly affected adsorption to the glass, but the effects of time, temperature, dextrose, and heparin were considered to be of minor clinical importance. Even though dialysis solutions in glass containers may require several hours to be instilled using an automated cycler machine, little additional insulin adsorption should occur after the first minute following preparation. To keep insulin adsorption to a minimum in CAPD, solutions should not be stored for more than 30 minutes.
Identification of vitamin d3-based hedgehog pathway inhibitors that incorporate an aromatic a-ring isostere.

Previous structure–activity relationship studies for vitamin D3 (VD3) inhibition of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling directed the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a series of VD3-based analogues that contain an aromatic A-ring mimic. Characterization of these compounds in a series of cellular assays demonstrated their ability to potently and selectively down-regulate Hh pathway signaling. The most active of these, 17, inhibited pathway signaling in Hh-dependent mouse fibroblasts (IC50 = 0.74 ± 0.1 μM) and cultured cancer cells (IC50 values 3.8 ± 0.1 to 5.2 ± 0.2 μM). In addition, 17 demonstrated reduced activation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) compared to VD3 in these cellular models. These results suggest that VD3-based analogues with an aromatic A-ring are a valid scaffold for the development of more selective and potent Hh pathway inhibitors and identify 17 as an intriguing lead from this class of compounds for further development. In addition, our analysis of Hh pathway inhibitors in cancer cells suggest...
Bound primitive semiclassical diatomic electronic states

We report the first examples of bound molecular electronic states computed using the primitive semiclassical approximation. This method is based directly on classical actions derived from classical trajectories, and as such is closely related to the Bohr method for atoms. The examples chosen are neutral one-electron diatomic molecules, with fractional nuclear charges; both polar and non-polar cases are considered. It is the reduction of the nuclear repulsion from that experienced by one-electron cations which allow this semiclassical method to find bound states. The errors in the bond length and energies decrease to less than a percent as the quantum numbers are increased; Rydberg states are computed with much higher accuracy. The implications for interpretation of chemical bonding are briefly discussed.
Cardiac Uses of Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors

Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) improve erectile function by enhancing nitric oxide availability in the penis and its supplying vasculature, resulting in vasodilation and increased blood flow. PDE5Is might benefit cardiovascular diseases because phosphodiesterase-5 is also located elsewhere in the body, including the pulmonary and systemic vasculature and in hypertrophied myocardium. PDE5Is are approved for pulmonary arterial hypertension, given that they improved several hemodynamic and clinical parameters in large randomized trials. Initial evidence suggests that PDE5Is benefit patients with congestive heart failure and secondary pulmonary hypertension. PDE5Is seem to improve hemodynamic and clinical parameters in patients with high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high-altitude pulmonary hypertension. In climbers with prior episodes of HAPE, PDE5Is prevented HAPE in 2 small randomized trials. In small randomized trials of PDE5Is, patients with Raynaud's phenomenon demonstrated improved blood flow, fewer symptoms and frequency of attacks, and resolution of digital ulcers. In addition to enhancing vasodilation, PDE5Is seem to protect the myocardium through complex pathways that involve nitric oxide, cyclic guanosine monophosphate, protein kinase G, extracellular-signal-regulated kinase, B-cell lymphoma protein-2, and Rho kinase inhibition. In animal models of acute myocardial infarction, PDE5Is consistently reduced infarct size indicating cardioprotection and PDE5Is also promote reverse remodeling and reduce myocardial apoptosis, fibrosis, and hypertrophy. PDE5Is might also benefit patients with treatment-resistant hypertension, preeclampsia, or peripheral arterial disease. This review presents the pathophysiology and trial data with regard to the use of PDE5Is for cardiac diseases.
Compulsive buying behavior in college students: The mediating role of credit card misuse

This study investigates variables particularly salient to college students' misuse of credit cards and compulsive buying behavior that have not been previously examined together—self-esteem, power-prestige, and risk-taking. In addition, the study proposes that credit card misuse mediates the relationship between these variables and compulsive buying behavior. Using structural equation modeling, the fit of the overall structural model is very good, and significant direct and indirect effects for power-prestige, but not for self-esteem and risk-taking, are found. Managerial implications related to these findings are identified.
Built-in Self-Repair in a 3D die stack using programmable logic

3D stacked integrated circuits hold great promise for increasing system performance, but difficulties in testing dies and assembling a 3D stack are leading to yield issues and slowing the large scale manufacture of these devices. We propose helping to mitigate these issues by repairing the stack with programmable logic in FPGAs that have already been included in the stack for other purposes. Specifically, we propose bypassing the defective portion of a die by replacing the defective functionality with functionality on the FPGA. In this paper, we focus on the replacement of selected defective functional units in an out-of-order microprocessor. Our simulation results show that not only can we salvage a device that would otherwise have to be discarded, but creating multiple copies of the defective partition in the FPGA can allow us to regain performance even when the latency of the units in the FPGA is longer than that of the original defective copy.
Cyanogen Bromide Formation from the Reactions of Monobromamine and Dibromamine with Cyanide Ion

Cyanide ion (CN-) was found to reactwith monobromamine (NH2Br) and dibromamine (NHBr2) according to the reactions NH2Br + CN- + H20 --> NH3 + BrCN + OH- and NHBr2 + CN- + H20 --> NH2Br + BrCN + OH- with respective reaction rate constants of 2.63 x 10(4) M9-10 s(-1) and 1.31 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1). These values were found to be 10(5)-10(6) times greater than those for the corresponding reactions between chloramine species and CN-. As a result, bromamines, even if present at relatively low concentrations, would tend to outcompete chloramines in reacting with CN-, and thus, the formation of BrCN would predominate that of ClCN through these reaction mechanisms. The NH2Br reaction was found to be general-acid-catalyzed. The third-order catalysis rate constants for H+, H2PO4-, HPO4(2-), H3BO3, and NH4+ correlated linearly with their corresponding acid dissociation constants, consistent with the Bronsted-Pedersen relationship. The NHBr2 reaction did not undergo catalysis. A model was developed to predict the concentrations of bromamines over time on the basis ofthe above two reactions with CN- and bromamine formation/decomposition reactions previously reported.