cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving the performance of CNN to predict the likelihood of COVID-19 using chest X-ray images with preprocessing algorithms.

Abstract Objective This study aims to develop and test a new computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) scheme of chest X-ray images to detect coronavirus (COVID-19) infected pneumonia. Method CAD scheme first applies two image preprocessing steps to remove the majority of diaphragm regions, process the original image using a histogram equalization algorithm, and a bilateral low-pass filter. Then, the original image and two filtered images are used to form a pseudo color image. This image is fed into three input channels of a transfer learning-based convolutional neural network (CNN) model to classify chest X-ray images into 3 classes of COVID-19 infected pneumonia, other community-acquired no-COVID-19 infected pneumonia, and normal (non-pneumonia) cases. To build and test the CNN model, a publicly available dataset involving 8474 chest X-ray images is used, which includes 415, 5179 and 2,880 cases in three classes, respectively. Dataset is randomly divided into 3 subsets namely, training, validation, and testing with respect to the same frequency of cases in each class to train and test the CNN model. Results The CNN-based CAD scheme yields an overall accuracy of 94.5 % (2404/2544) with a 95 % confidence interval of [0.93,0.96] in classifying 3 classes. CAD also yields 98.4 % sensitivity (124/126) and 98.0 % specificity (2371/2418) in classifying cases with and without COVID-19 infection. However, without using two preprocessing steps, CAD yields a lower classification accuracy of 88.0 % (2239/2544). Conclusion This study demonstrates that adding two image preprocessing steps and generating a pseudo color image plays an important role in developing a deep learning CAD scheme of chest X-ray images to improve accuracy in detecting COVID-19 infected pneumonia.
Kahweol Found in Coffee Inhibits IL-2 Production Via Suppressing the Phosphorylations of ERK and c-Fos in Lymphocytic Jurkat Cells.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a cytokine involved in the development and maturation of the subsets of T cells, critically associated with the progression of several immune-related diseases (e.g. liver di...
The gene for the human erythropoietin receptor: analysis of the coding sequence and assignment to chromosome 19p

The full-length coding sequence of the human erythropoietin receptor has been assembled from cDNA and genomic DNA. The derived 508 amino acid sequence is 82% identical to the murine erythropoietin (Epo) receptor with one single residue gap in alignment. There is no major structural difference between the human and murine receptor molecules. Nucleotide sequence homology is, as expected, very high within the coding domain. Unexpectedly, there are two distinct, short stretches of 3' untranslated sequence homology between human and murine cDNAs. The functional significance of this sequence conservation is unknown. The human Epo receptor gene is localized to human chromosome 19p by in situ hybridization. This chromosome assignment is confirmed by hybridization to a panel of sorted human chromosomes.
Humanin selectively prevents the activation of pro-apoptotic protein BID by sequestering it into fibers

Members of the B-cell lymphoma (BCL-2) protein family regulate mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP), a phenomenon in which mitochondria become porous and release death-propagating complexes during the early stages of apoptosis. Pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins oligomerize at the mitochondrial outer membrane during MOMP, inducing pore formation. Of current interest are endogenous factors that can inhibit pro-apoptotic BCL-2 mitochondrial outer membrane translocation and oligomerization. A mitochondrial-derived peptide, Humanin (HN), was reported being expressed from an alternate ORF in the mitochondrial genome and inhibiting apoptosis through interactions with the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins. Specifically, it is known to complex with BAX and BID. We recently reported the fibrillation of HN and BAX into β-sheets. Here, we detail the fibrillation between HN and BID. These fibers were characterized using several spectroscopic techniques, protease fragmentation with mass analysis, and EM. Enhanced fibrillation rates were detected with rising temperatures or pH values and the presence of a detergent. BID fibers are similar to those produced using BAX; however, the structures differ in final conformations of the BCL-2 proteins. BID fibers display both types of secondary structure in the fiber, whereas BAX was converted entirely to β-sheets. The data show that two distinct segments of BID are incorporated into the fiber structure, whereas other portions of BID remain solvent-exposed and retain helical structure. Similar analyses show that anti-apoptotic BCL-xL does not form fibers with humanin. These results support a general mechanism of sequestration of pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins into fibers by HN to inhibit MOMP.
Are we ready? Labour market transit to the digital economy

Industrialised countries are currently facing the knowledge-to-digital economy transition. That transition is strictly defined by how the labour market is organised and operates in the national eco...
Hypoglycemia in Older People With Type 2 Diabetes: Prevention and Treatment Strategies for Outpatient and Long-Term Care Facility Settings

Hypoglycemia in the older population is a significant problem accounting for increased hospitalizations, emergency room visits, health care costs, and decreased quality of life. Older patients are more susceptible to hypoglycemia because of the increased prevalence of comorbidities requiring multiple medications, age-related physiologic changes, and a progressive decline in health. Older patients are less likely to present with symptoms of hypoglycemia and symptoms may frequently appear at a lower threshold of blood glucose than in younger patients. Consequently, preventing and treating hyperglycemia in older patients can be challenging. If mismanaged, the impact of hypoglycemia in these patients can lead to acute and chronic negative outcomes. Insulin and sulfonylureas should be closely monitored, and deprescribing should be routinely considered in older patients at high risk for hypoglycemia.
Refractory Chronic Pain and Obesity: Promising Implications for Multidisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE Individuals with obesity frequently contend with chronic pain, but few studies address the clinical impact of coordinated pain services on this population. The current study addresses this topic by comparing the effectiveness of a comprehensive pain rehabilitation program for patients with and without obesity. METHODS A retrospective analysis of registry data was conducted. Obesity was considered as one of three weight groups, based on the following body mass index cutoffs: normal weight (18.5 to 30 kg/m2). These groups were compared on the Pain Severity Ratings (PSR) Scale, the Pain Disability Index (PDI), and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales-Short Form (DASS-SF). RESULTS Groups differed on baseline pain disability and depression. Patients with obesity had higher scores on both the PDI (P = .028) and the DASS-SF depression subscale (P = .006). Contrary to the hypothesis, after controlling for baseline score and sex there were no significant differences between weight groups with regards to PSR, PDI, or any DASS-SF subscale at discharge. At 1-year follow-up, individuals who were overweight and obese had significantly more anxiety compared to individuals whose weight was in the normal range. CONCLUSIONS Multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs appear to be an effective treatment intervention for patients who have concomitant chronic pain and obesity, to a degree comparable to patients who have chronic pain but do not contend with obesity. Implications for program development, clinical interventions, and future research are discussed.
Theory and empiricism: A comment on "Interrogating the environmental affordances model" by Pamplin and colleagues.

Abstract We strongly support efforts to generate, rigorously test, and falsify hypotheses derived from the Environmental Affordances (EA) Model of Health Disparities, as originated by the late Dr. James S. Jackson (1940–2020). Such efforts are critical to establishing robust, theoretically grounded scientific frameworks that explain the fundamental causes of racial disparities in health and wellbeing. Pamplin et al. (2021) fundamentally misrepresents the EA Model as a framework that (falsely) reifies the role of race as a determinant of health behaviors and health outcomes. Further, both their study design and analytic approach are inappropriate for testing predictions of this framework. We address these issues with the goal of recentering the scholarly conversation about how stress contributes to health, and disparities in health, over the life course.
Proteasome Inhibition Is an Effective Treatment Strategy for Microsporidia Infection in Honey Bees

The microsporidia Nosema ceranae is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes honey bee mortality and contributes to colony collapse. Fumagillin is presently the only pharmacological control for N. ceranae infections in honey bees. Resistance is already emerging, and alternative controls are critically needed. Nosema spp. exhibit increased sensitivity to heat shock, a common proteotoxic stress. Thus, we hypothesized that targeting the Nosema proteasome, the major protease removing misfolded proteins, might be effective against N. ceranae infections in honey bees. Nosema genome analysis and molecular modeling revealed an unexpectedly compact proteasome apparently lacking multiple canonical subunits, but with highly conserved proteolytic active sites expected to be receptive to FDA-approved proteasome inhibitors. Indeed, N. ceranae were strikingly sensitive to pharmacological disruption of proteasome function at doses that were well tolerated by honey bees. Thus, proteasome inhibition is a novel candidate treatment strategy for microsporidia infection in honey bees.
Estimation of hypervelocity impact parameters from measurements of optical flash

Abstract When meteoroids and orbital debris hit satellites or surfaces of other objects in space, an optical flash is generated. Measuring properties of this impact flash can reveal several important properties of the impact phenomenon. In this paper, we present results from hypervelocity impact tests that were carried out at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. Spherical iron projectiles were shot at targets comprising tungsten, copper, spacecraft solar cells, solar panel substrate and optical solar reflectors. The impactors had masses ranging from 35 pg to 0.15 fg and speeds ranging from 2.8 km/s to 67 km/s. The impact flash generated was measured using a photomultiplier tube and scaling laws were generated to study the dependence of observed luminosity on the mass and velocity of the impactor. Efforts to determine the mass and velocity exponents independently were successful for all targets except solar cells. The mass exponent was found to lie in the range between 0.38 and 0.64 for various targets, which is significantly lower than the value of 1 often assumed in literature. Observations made from different angles were compared and the difference in the optical yields was found to be insignificant. The rise time of the integrated signal was found to have a negative correlation with the velocity of the impactor only for particles with speed greater than 8 km/s, which is contrary to what was observed in previous research. The correlation is however weak, with an R2 value of 0.026 and could not be reproduced using a matched filter approach. A support vector regression based scheme was developed for estimating the velocity of the impactor, using temporal characteristics of the optical flash. The algorithm was able to estimate the velocity with a mean estimation error of 6.56 km/s.
Mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondrial dysfunction in mesenteric artery: role of homocysteine (867.11)

Many studies recently focused on the role of mitochondria in pathogenesis of vascular diseases, but little is known about influence of HHcy on the mitochondrial dynamics, whether it causes mitochondrial dysfunction and vascular alterations. We hypothesize that HHcy alters mitochondrial dynamics which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction following vascular alterations and increased blood flow resistance. To test this hypothesis, we used 12 weeks old C57BL/J6 mice (WT); Cystathionine-β-synthase heterozygote knockout (CBS) with genetic HHcy; C3H/HeJ (C3H), which is resistant to atherosclerosis and double-transgenic CBS/C3H mice. Genotyping was used for the background of CBS and CBS/C3H mice. Western blot (CBS, eNOS, Mfn-2 and Drp-1), RT- PCR (Bcl-2, BAX, caspase 3 and caspase 9), ATP/O2 consumption, mitochondrial membrane potential, blood pressure and blood flow measurements in mesenteric artery, Immunohistochemistry (CD31, connexins 40), elastin and collagen staining were also used in this study. Our data sho...
Digital Imaging for Planetary Exploration

Keywords: solid state imaging; CCD; CMOS; orbiter camera; lander camera; Mars cameras; planetary exploration; imaging science subsystem
Our Sisters' Promised Land: Women, Politics, and Israeli‐Palestinian Coexistence

Our Sisters' Promised Land: Women, Politics, and Israeli- Palestinian Coexistence. Ayala Emmett. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1996. 278 pp.
Modeling of the spatial distribution of Pacific spiny dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) in the Gulf of Alaska using generalized additive and generalized linear models

The Pacific spiny dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) is a common bycatch species in the Gulf of Alaska. Their spatial distribution is poorly understood, as most catch is discarded at sea. We analyzed spiny...
Genetic Variation in an Inbred Plant: Variation in Tissue Cultures of Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merrill]

Although soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] grows as an inbreeding, generally homozygous, plant, the germplasm of the species contains large amounts of genetic variation. Analysis of soybean DNA has indicated that variation of RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) markers within the species usually entails only two alleles at any one locus and that mixtures of such dimorphic loci account for virtually all of the restriction fragment variation seen in soybean (G. max), and in its ancestors, G. soja and G. gracilis. We report here that tissue cultures prepared from root tissue of individual soybean plants develop RFLP allelic differences at various loci. However, these newly generated alleles are almost always the same as ones previously found and characterized in other varieties of cultivated soybean (cultivars). This repeated generation of particular alleles suggests that much of the genetic variation seen in soybean could be the consequence of specific, relatively frequently employed, recombinational events. Such a mechanism would allow inbred cultivars to generate genetic variation (in the form of alternative alleles) in a controlled manner, perhaps in response to stress.
Understanding the emotional labor process: A control theory perspective.

A dynamic, process-oriented approach to understanding emotional labor is presented, utilizing concepts from control theory models of behavioral self-regulation. Emotional labor is characterized as involving a discrepancy monitoring and reduction process, whereby perceptions of emotional displays and emotional display rules are continuously compared. If a discrepancy between emotional displays and display rules is detected, individuals are proposed to use emotion regulation strategies to reduce the discrepancy. The goal hierarchy aspect of control theory is used to describe emotional labor in the broader context of job performance and explain how positive and negative outcomes can result from the emotional labor process. Propositions are developed throughout the paper. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intraspecific Geographical Variation in Chemical Food Cue Preferences of Newborn Garter Snakes (Thamnophis Sir Talis)

Four litters of garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) born to females captured in three different geographic areas were tested on their responses to an identical series of water extracts prepared from the surface substances of 15 small animals in addition to a distilled water control. Two of the litters came from northern Illinois; the others were from western Iowa and northern Wisconsin. From each litter 21 previously unfed snakes were tested on the fourth and fifth days after birth. The stimuli were presented on cotton swabs, and the number of tongue flicks, as well as attacks and their latencies, were recorded. The four litters shared a basic similarity in the kinds of extracts attacked. However, the relative effectiveness of the extracts varied considerably with the two Illinois litters most alike in their "ranking" of the various stimuli. Thus, geographical differences in responses to chemical cues within a species were shown. A good example of this was seen in the responses to the fish and earthworm extracts. While the two Illinois litters attacked both frequently, the Wisconsin litter attacked the fish much more than the worms and vice-versa for the Iowa litter. Correlations between the various response measures are presented also.
Vietnam's policy reforms and its future

(1993). Vietnam's policy reforms and its future. Journal of Contemporary Asia: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 532-553.
A two-dimensional numerical investigation of the optimal removal time and entropy production rate for a sensible thermal storage system

We extend a previous one-dimensional analytical study to consider two-dimensional transient effects of a cylindrical, sensible energy-storage system. The working fluid NaK is assumed to be incompressible. Energy transfer from the high temperature surrounding domain is due to conduction in the annulus and convection to the working fluid. We apply a two-dimensional, explicit numerical scheme to quantify transient temperature profiles within the two domains. In addition we consider second law aspects of the two subsystems and isolate irreversibilities which reduce the availability. Finally, we exploit the normalized figure of merit which characterizes the optimal ratio of exergy extraction to the total exergy change of the thermal storage system as a function of removal time.
Urinary desmosine: a biomarker of structural lung injury during CF pulmonary exacerbation.

Rationale Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease is characterized by structural changes and remodeling in airway architecture and lung parenchyma. Neutrophilic inflammation and infection lead to injury and breakdown of airway matrix constituents, including elastin. The non-invasive measurement of urinary desmosine (UDes), a breakdown product of elastin, may be reflective of ongoing lung injury and may serve as a biomarker of active short-term damage during pulmonary exacerbation. Our objectives were to measure desmosine in the urine of CF patients hospitalized for treatment of a pulmonary exacerbation and to explore the correlation between desmosine concentration and other markers of clinical improvement, including lung function and inflammatory mediators. Methods Urine and blood samples plus lung function measurements were collected at up to three points during hospitalization for treatment of a CF pulmonary exacerbation. We used a repeated measures model, adjusted for age and time between measurements, to compare log transformed urine desmosine concentrations across multiple time points and to correlate those concentrations with related clinical variables. Change in UDes concentration was investigated using a statistical model that incorporated normalization factors to account for variations in urinary concentration. Results Desmosine was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 155 spot urine samples from 53 CF patients hospitalized for 63 pulmonary exacerbations (range of results: 0–235 pmol Des/ml). Specific gravity (SG) adjusted UDes concentration decreased significantly during admission for CF pulmonary exacerbation, P < 0.01 (average length of stay = 11 days). No correlation was observed between UDes concentration and lung function or inflammatory markers. Conclusions UDes decreased significantly following treatment for an acute pulmonary exacerbation and may be a useful biomarker of short-term injury to the CF lung. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the utility of UDes concentration in the long-term progression of CF lung disease. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2012. 47:856–863. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Decision making, cognitive science and accounting: An overview of the intersection

Abstract Cognitive accounting research is intended to improve the quality of accounting and auditing decisions by developing theories, which are represented as models and validated with statistical and sufficiency tests. Most of the extant cognitive accounting research is based on experiments that test simple models of accounting cognition. Recently, a few accounting researches have used computational models to represent more complex theories of accounting decision making. Although these models provide a more complete representation of accounting cognition, they have been difficult to test statistically owing to their complexity. The theme of this paper is that cognitive accounting research can benefit from a partnership between experimental methods, which provide statistical testing, and non-experimental methods, which provide more complete theories and models.
New approach to correlating overlay and yield

ABSTRACT Integrated circuit design rules are defined with a given overlay tolerance, but the exact correlation between measured overlayon product wafers and die yield is notoriously difficult to quantify. Interest in better quantifying this relationship is notmerely academic. The ability to shrink the overlay design rule by even a few nanometers would allow more good die to beprinted on every product wafer, providing a substantial economic benefit. Conversely, if the actual distribution of overlayerrors across a wafer is slightly worse than anticipated in the design rules, the resulting shortfall in yield would be difficult toidentify and correct.Traditional linear regression analysis produces poor results for overlay to yield correlation. Product overlay data is usuallyquite limited, necessitating the use of wafer or even lot level averages which obscures the finer details of overlay variation.Statistical fluctuations in other parameters, most notably critical dimensions, and across wafer yield variations due to other
Crosslinked poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) membranes for desalination by reverse osmosis

A series of crosslinked hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) membranes for reverse osmosis desalination has been prepared. The crosslinkers used were trimethylol propane trimethacrylate (TPT) or ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGD). Membranes were synthesized by polymerizing the monomers as a thin homogeneous film. In addition to reverse osmosis tests, the membranes were also characterized by osmosis experiments and sorption measurements. The reverse osmosis water flux (1500 psi applied pressure, 4% NaCl brine, pH = 5) for these membranes decreases from 0.6 gallonmil/ft2-day (GMFD) to 0.055 GMFD and salt rejection increase from 78% to a maximum of 94% as the amount of TPT is increased from 0 to 11 mole-%. Water contents decrease from 42% to 15% over the same range of crosslinker, but the preferential sorption of water to salt does not vary. Thus, rises in reverse-osmosis semipermeability were found to result from changes in water–salt diffusivity ratios. The mechanism of permselectivity has been interpreted in terms of parallel diffusive fluxes across the membrane of primary H-bonded water and secondary water plus salt ions.
Non-native earthworms in riparian soils increase nitrogen flux into adjacent aquatic ecosystems

Riparian zones are an important transition between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and they function in nutrient cycling and removal. Non-native earthworms invading earthworm-free areas of North America can affect nutrient cycling in upland soils and have the potential to affect it in riparian soils. We examined how the presence of earthworms can affect riparian nutrient cycling and nutrient delivery to streams. Two mesocosm experiments were conducted to determine how (1) the biomass of earthworms and (2) earthworm species can affect nutrient flux from riparian zones to nearby streams and how this flux can affect streamwater nutrients and periphyton growth. In separate experiments, riparian soil cores were amended with one of four mixed earthworm biomasses (0, 4, 10, or 23 g m(-2) ash-free dry mass) or with one of three earthworm species (Aporrectodea caliginosa, Lumbricus terrestris, L. rubellus) or no earthworm species. Riparian soil cores were coupled to artificial streams, and over a 36-day period, we measured nutrient leaching rates, in-stream nutrient concentrations, and periphyton growth. Ammonium leaching increased with increasing biomass and was greatest from the A. caliginosa treatments. Nitrate leaching increased through time and increased at a greater rate with higher biomass and from cores containing A. caliginosa. We suggest that the overall response of increased nitrate leaching [90% of total nitrogen (N)] was due to a combination of ammonium excretion and burrowing by earthworms, which increased nitrification rates. During both experiments, periphyton biomass increased through time but did not differ across treatments despite high in-stream inorganic N. Through time, in-stream phosphorus (P) concentration declined to <5 microg l(-1), and periphyton growth was likely P-limited. We conclude that activities of non-native earthworms (particularly A. caliginosa) can alter biogeochemical cycling in riparian zones, potentially reducing the N-buffering capacity of riparian zones and altering stoichiometric relationships in adjacent aquatic ecosystems.
A test of the vicariance hypothesis of western North American freshwater biogeography

Aim The biogeography of western North American freshwater molluscs has traditionally been attributed to vicariance associated with late Tertiary rearrangement of landscape based on distributional evidence and the putatively limited dispersal ability of these organisms. We examined the phylogeography of a widely ranging western springsnail (Pyrgulopsis wongi Hershler, 1989) to test this hypothesis and evaluate the relative importance of vicariance and dispersal in structuring the distribution of this species. Location Southwestern Great Basin (California and Nevada), United States of America. Method Two mitochondrial genes (COI, NDI) were sequenced for 28 populations of P. wongi spanning its entire geographic range, which consists of 10 topographically closed drainage basins. We also sequenced eight closely related congeners, as well as the type species of the closely related eastern North American genus Floridobia Hershler & Thompson, 2002, which was used as the outgroup. Phylogenies based on the combined data set were obtained using several methods, and networks for each gene were generated as an additional means of examining relationships among haplotypes. Partitioning of haplotype variation was studied using amova, migration between populations was estimated using a coalescent-based method (mdiv), and divergence times were inferred using a locally calibrated molecular clock and mdiv. Results Pyrgulopsis wongi is subdivided into narrowly localized and widely distributed lineages that diverged in the Pleistocene, well after the inception of the contemporary regional landscape. While large ΦST values and the localized geographic distributions of most haplotypes imply absence or negligible contemporary dispersal of this spring-dwelling snail, the pattern of phylogeographic structuring, presence of a few widespread haplotypes, and results of the mdiv analyses suggest geologically recent dispersal across drainage divides. Main conclusions Phylogeography of P. wongi conflicts with the traditional vicariance model as it is not structured by the contemporary landscape and is instead indicative of geologically recent dispersal. In the absence of evidence that dispersal of this species occurred through surface water connections during the relevant (Quaternary) time frame, we conjecture that spread may have instead been mediated by transport on waterfowl or via upland stream capture. The non-concordance between phylogeography and landscape reported in this and other recent studies of Pyrgulopsis suggests that members of this diverse and imperiled genus should not be managed using an a priori, ‘watershed as conservation unit’ approach.
Automated system for simultaneous analysis of δ13C, δ18O and CO2 concentrations in small air samples

In this paper we present an automated system for simultaneous measurement of CO(2) concentration, delta(13)C and delta(18)O from small (<1 mL) air samples in a short period of time (approximately 1 hour). This system combines continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (CF-IRMS) and gas chromatography (GC) with an inlet system similar to conventional dual-inlet methods permitting several measurement cycles of standard and sample air. Analogous to the dual-inlet method, the precision of this system increases with the number of replicate cycles measured. The standard error of the mean for a measurement with this system is 0.7 ppm for the CO(2) concentration and 0.05 per thousand for the delta(13)C and delta(18)O with four replicate cycles and 0.4 ppm and 0.03 per thousand respectively with nine replicate cycles. The mean offset of our measurements from NOAA/CMDL analyzed air samples was 0.08 ppm for the CO(2) concentration, 0.01 per thousand for delta(13)C and 0.00 per thousand for delta(18)O. A specific list of the parts and operation of the system is detailed as well as some of the applications for micrometeorological and ecophysiological applications.
Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline iron group thin film alloys electrodeposited from sulfate and chloride baths

Abstract Systematic studies of iron group binary (NiCo and CoFe) and ternary (CoNiFe) thin film alloys relating their magnetic properties with film composition, grain size and the corresponding crystal structure were investigated. Anions influence current efficiencies, magnetic properties, surface morphology and phases of electrodeposited films. Higher current efficiencies in chloride baths compared to sulfate baths were observed for CoFe, NiCo and CoNiFe alloys. The higher deposition current efficiencies in chloride baths were attributed to a catalytic effect. Anion types in CoFe and CoNiFe thin film alloys influenced the microstructures and the resulting magnetic properties (coercivity and squareness). The microstructures of NiCo alloys depend on the deposit Co contents rather than anion types. The surface morphologies of CoFe, NiCo and CoNiFe thin films were independent of anion types. CoFe deposits exhibited relatively smooth surface morphology and turned into fine crystallites with increasing solution Fe +2 concentration. NiCo deposits showed very smooth surface morphology. CoNiFe deposits had the surface morphology of polyhedral crystallites. The deposit Fe content in CoFe electrodeposits linearly increased with increasing solution Fe +2 concentration for both chloride and sulfate baths. Similar linear behavior of deposit Co contents was observed in NiCo electrodeposits.
Impaired Growth in Hyperkinetic Children Receiving Pemoline.

Decreased longitudinal growth was observed in 24 hyperkinetic children receiving pemoline therapy. Mean height velocity was 3.67±0.25 cm/year during therapy but 5.35±0.42 cm/year after treatment had been discontinued ( P
The pKa Values of Acidic and Basic Residues Buried at the Same Internal Location in a Protein Are Governed by Different Factors

The pK(a) values of internal ionizable groups are usually very different from the normal pK(a) values of ionizable groups in water. To examine the molecular determinants of pK(a) values of internal groups, we compared the properties of Lys, Asp, and Glu at internal position 38 in staphylococcal nuclease. Lys38 titrates with a normal or elevated pK(a), whereas Asp38 and Glu38 titrate with elevated pK(a) values of 7.0 and 7.2, respectively. In the structure of the L38K variant, the buried amino group of the Lys38 side chain makes an ion pair with Glu122, whereas in the structure of the L38E variant, the buried carboxyl group of Glu38 interacts with two backbone amides and has several nearby carboxyl oxygen atoms. Previously, we showed that the pK(a) of Lys38 is normal owing to structural reorganization and water penetration concomitant with ionization of the Lys side chain. In contrast, the pK(a) values of Asp38 and Glu38 are perturbed significantly owing to an imbalance between favorable polar interactions and unfavorable contributions from dehydration and from Coulomb interactions with surface carboxylic groups. Their ionization is also coupled to subtle structural reorganization. These results illustrate the complex interplay between local polarity, Coulomb interactions, and structural reorganization as determinants of pK(a) values of internal groups in proteins. This study suggests that improvements to computational methods for pK(a) calculations will require explicit treatment of the conformational reorganization that can occur when internal groups ionize.
EM scattering from bodies of revolution using the locally corrected Nystro/spl uml/m method

The locally corrected Nystro/spl uml/m method is applied to the magnetic field integral equation for a conducting body of revolution. A construction method is presented for the locally corrected weights for the resulting one-dimensional coupled scalar magnetic field integral equations. Special attention is paid to minimizing the cost for multi-frequency computations. Numerical results are presented for the sphere, oblate spheroid, and right circular cylinder. Good agreement with results from mature moment method codes is observed.
In vivo and in vitro comparative studies of animal articular surfaces.

The contours in the articular surfaces of rabbit and canine knee joints were measuredin vivo andin vitro using the scanning electron microscope (SEM), replication, and light-microscopy techniques. Using the light microscope, patterns of highlights of the order 10 μm were observed when the living joint-surfaces were exposed. Replicas were made of these surface contours using Xantopren, a light-bodied dental silicone impression-material. More than 50% of the replicas were discarded because of defects. In the SEM, a crazing phenomenom was sometimes evident on the replicated surfaces which may have been attributable to distortion of the silicone medium, possiblyin vacuo.
Borderline patients at the border of treatability: at the intersection of borderline, narcissistic, and antisocial personalities.

The author discusses the difficulties involved in treating patients with borderline personality disorder and concomitant Cluster B-narcissistic, histrionic, and/or antisocial-personality traits or disorders. He presents eight vignettes of patients with borderline personality disorder combined with various types of Cluster B personality traits or disorders and describes the course of their treatment. The author posits that such patients fall on a continuum ranging from difficult to treat but still treatable, to those with strong narcissistic or even psychopathic traits whose illness fails to improve no matter what treatment methods are applied (i.e., they have "untreatable" illness).
Heat transfer in rotating cylindrical cells with partitions

Abstract A numerical analysis and an experimental study of heat transfer rate in rotating cylindrical cells with partitions are performed. The work is done mainly in the Ekman suction regime, where the Coriolis force dominates over centrifugal buoyancy. It is shown that the heat transfer rate increases substantially by placing partitions in the cell. The partitions suppress the Coriolis force so that convection induced by the centrifugal buoyancy becomes important. It is found that the Nusselt number correlates with the parameter PrβΔTEk −1/2 with the partitions. The partitions have no effect on the heat transfer in the centrifugal buoyancy convection regime.
Nucleation and stability of hydrogen-bond surrogate-based α-helices

We have reported a new class of artificial α-helices in which a pre-organized α-turn nucleates the helical conformation [R. N. Chapman, G. Dimartino, and P. S. Arora, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2004, 126, 12252 and D. Wang, K. Chen, J. L. Kulp, III, and P. S. Arora, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128, 9248]. This manuscript describes the effect of the core nucleation template on the overall helicity of the peptides and demonstrates that the macrocycle which most closely mimics the 13-membered hydrogen-bonded α-turn in canonical α-helices also affords the most stable artificial α-helix. We also investigate the stability of these synthetic helices through classical helix–coil parameters and find that the denaturation behavior of HBS α-helices agrees with the theoretical properties of a peptide with a well-defined and stable helix nucleus.
Effects of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium monilatum on survival, grazing and behavioral response of three ecologically important bivalve molluscs

Little is known about interactions between shellfish and the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium monilatum. Toxic strains produce endotoxins with hemolytic and neurotoxic properties, and have been linked to fish and invertebrate kills. We experimentally assessed the survival, grazing and behavioral responses of three shellfish species to A. monilatum. Grazing studies were conducted with two size classes of Crassostrea virginica, Mercenaria mercenaria, and Perna viridis. These species inhabit areas where blooms of A. monilatum occur. Clearance rates of each species were depressed when exposed to toxic A. monilatum alone or with nontoxic Pavlova sp., in comparison to control animals fed only nontoxic algae. Exposure to toxic A. monilatum also caused shellfish to decrease shell valve gape. Intact cells of A. monilatum were found within shellfish feces, but the cells did not re-establish growing populations following gut passage. Survival of larval M. mercenaria and C. virginica was also tested when exposed to A. monilatum cells. Survival was significantly lower for larvae exposed to sonicated A. monilatum, in comparison to control larvae tested with nontoxic A. tamarense. Overall, the data indicate that blooms of A. monilatum can adversely affect some shellfish species by reducing valve gape and clearance rate, and by inducing larval mortality.
Rise and Fall of Triassic Conodonts: ABSTRACT

The Permian-Triassic crisis drastically affected invertebrates, especially the benthos but had little effect on conodonts. Most Late Permian species survived the Permian-Triassic reduction of shallow-marine environments and repopulated Early Triassic seaways worldwide from a Tethyan source. For example, important North American Early Triassic species had Tethyan ancestors. During the Early Triassic, conodont evolution produced diverse and abundant faunas that provide a superior biostratigraphy to that developed from ammonoids. This resurgence was relatively short-lived and during the Middle Triassic, extinction was more pronounced than evolution. Taxonomic reduction continued during Late Triassic and there are few Norian species. Rhaetic species are not known in North America but two species survived in the Tethyan Rhaetic. These Tethyan conodonts were extinct prior to the Jurassic. Post-Triassic conodont reports are of reworked or misidentified material or misidentified stratigraphy. The reasons for extinction of conodonts are enigmatic. Late Triassic and Early Jurassic sequences in Austria and Nevada were studied to determine if environmental factors interpreted from the carbonate transition rocks could explain conodont extinction. No significant change in carbonate environment throughout the critical intervals was determined. The suggestion that extinction of higher taxa is an expected result of evolution and not the result of deficiencies shared by species of a group, has merit. Unknown factors of nutrients or predation are attractive alternatives to explain extinction but the idea that conodont extinction was plain bad luck or resulted from accumulation of unrelated species level extinctions must be considered. End_of_Article - Last_Page 691------------
Spatial and Temporal Distribution of the Asian Fish Tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi (Cestoda: Bothriocephalidea) in the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte)

Abstract Recent collections of the Asian fish tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi in the Rio Grande have raised concern about the potential impacts on Rio Grande endemic and imperiled fishes. The objectives of this study were to determine distribution and definitive hosts of the Asian fish tapeworm within the Rio Grande drainage and to quantify occurrences and abundances. In total, 1,992 fish spanning 11 families were collected and examined for Asian fish tapeworms in the Rio Grande and the Pecos and Devils rivers. The parasite was collected from red shiners Cyprinella lutrensis, Tamaulipas shiners Notropis braytoni, sand shiners N. stramineus, river carpsuckers Carpiodes carpio, plains killifish Fundulus zebrinus, western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis, blue suckers Cycleptus elongatus, blacktail shiners Cyprinella venusta, proserpine shiners Cyprinella proserpina, and Manantial roundnose minnow Dionda argentosa, with the latter four species being new host records. Monthly collections of red shiners fr...
BEYOND BELIEF: ATHEISM, AGNOSTICISM, AND THEISTIC CERTAINTY IN THE UNITED STATES

Atheism, agnosticism, and undoubting belief in a one true god are pivotal issues distinguishing religious adherents. Shifts in the rates of atheism and agnosticism can influence the composition of religious markets. Demand side rational actor models and the new demographic approach to religious commitments emphasize the influence of life course dynamics on religious desires. I examine multiple predictors of different types of belief in God using data from the General Social Surveys. I employ ordinal logistic regression to test the effects of social status, gender, race, region and city size, family structure, and denominational affiliation on the odds of being an atheist, agnostic, doubting believer, or a consistent believer. I also examine trends in these belief configurations, and whether cohort variations might evidence a coming shift in the relative rates of belief and unbelief.
POLG mutations associated with Alpers' syndrome and mitochondrial DNA depletion

Alpers' syndrome is a fatal neurogenetic disorder first described more than 70 years ago. It is an autosomal recessive, developmental mitochondrial DNA depletion disorder characterized by deficiency in mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ (POLG) catalytic activity, refractory seizures, neurodegeneration, and liver disease. In two unrelated pedigrees of Alpers' syndrome, each affected child was found to carry a homozygous mutation in exon 17 of the POLG locus that led to a Glu873Stop mutation just upstream of the polymerase domain of the protein. In addition, each affected child was heterozygous for the G1681A mutation in exon 7 that led to an Ala467Thr substitution in POLG, within the linker region of the protein. Ann Neurol 2004
An explicit stability estimate for an ill-posed Cauchy problem for the wave equation

Abstract An explicit stability estimate for the two-dimensional wave equation when the Cauchy data are prescribed on a part of the lateral boundary is derived. Our result is obtained using a combination of the Friedrichs-Leray energy integrals and Carleman type estimates of Hormander [“Linear Partial Differential Operators,” Springer-Verlag, New York/Berlin, 1976] . Since the calculation of explicit constants produces a number of difficulties, this general approach is modified in several ways, e.g., the introduction of a set of special constraints. Such results are useful in constructing algorithms that generate numerical solutions to these kinds of ill-posed problems.
Stochastic investment returns and contribution rate risk in a defined benefit pension scheme

Abstract We consider the “contribution rate risk” for defined benefit occupational pension schemes, and compare different approaches to funding from the viewpoint of minimising the variability in the present value of future contributions as a means of controlling this type of risk to the scheme's sponsor. This leads to a discussion of which periods for spreading valuation surpluses and deficiencies should be chosen to minimise this measure of risk. The underlying model of investment returns used is that real rates of investment return are independent and identically distributed.
Flytrap: intelligent group music recommendation

Flytrap is a group music environment that knows its users' musical tastes and can automatically construct a soundtrack that tries to please everyone in the room. The system works by paying attention to what music people listen to on their computers. Users of the system have radio frequency ID badges that let the system know when they are nearby. Using the preference information it has gathered from watching its users, and knowledge of how genres of music interrelate, how artists have influenced each other, and what kinds of transitions between songs people tend to make, the 'virtual DJ' finds a compromise and chooses a song. The system tries to satisfy the tastes of people in the room, but it also makes a playlist that fits its own notion of what should come next. Once it has chosen a song, music is automatically broadcast over the network and played on the closest machine.
Wide-span and thermoelectrically-tunable photon pairs from a silicon nanophotonic chip

We demonstrate tunable-wavelength, high-brightness photon pairs in multiple lines of a frequency comb, giving the capability to generate photon pairs at arbitrary telecommunications-band wavelengths from a compact CMOS-compatible silicon chip.
An inverse source problem in radiative transfer

Abstract The spherical-harmonics method is used to develop a solution to an inverse source problem in radiative transfer. It is assumed that, with the exception of the inhomogeneous source term, all aspects of the radiation-transport problem are known, and we seek to determine the inhomogeneous source term from specified angular distributions of radiation exiting the two surfaces of a homogeneous plane-parallel medium. Anisotropic scattering is included in the monochromatic radiative-transfer model and general reflecting boundary conditions are considered.