cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk of nuclear powered space probes

Abstract In recent years, three probes have been sent into outer space: Galileo, Ulysses and Cassini. Each has used for its electricity power source, a radioactive thermoelectric generator (RTG), heated by a source of plutonium 238. Cassini, launched in October 1997, will reach its scientific objective in late June or early July 2004, concurrent with PSAM7. The authors of this paper had the privilege of providing the final review of the Cassini safety assessments for the Office of Science and Technology of the President, before final approval by the President of the United States, as required by law and international treaty, before the launch of any nuclear device into space. In this paper, we will discuss the risk analysis carried out jointly by NASA and DOE and our assessment of their results. Since the United States has established a new initiative for space exploration using a nuclear fission device for exploration of the icy moons of Jupiter (JIMO), we believe the JIMO project can benefit from a critical review of the experience gained by past projects using RTGs, and in particular identification of those aspects which make the risk estimates plausible to the layman. There are several scenarios for possible adverse effects on public health. The probabilities for each scenario must be added to form a number for the overall risk. The probability of each scenario is a product of two basic terms: the probability of release of plutonium and the probability of an individual being hurt by the release. It is evident that the probabilities for the two terms are truly independent. For example, there is reason to believe that the probability of the space probe hitting the earth in a failed ‘swing by’ only has a connection with the stochastic probability of developing lung cancer by the amount of plutonium evaporated and not by the mechanism of cancer induction. Each probability is on the order of one in a million. Then it is easy to understand why the risk to an individual of a ‘swing by’ is less than one in 1011 years, although the more complex NASA-DOE calculations, which allow for a reduction in the plutonium release for many possible reentry scenarios, puts it a factor of 50 smaller. We also comment on the procedures used for calculating the probabilities and consequences of these scenarios, on presenting these calculations to the public, on errors in various public comments on the Cassini Environmental Impact Statement, and on the comparative risks from RTGs and small nuclear reactors.
Toxicity of selected symmetrical hexachlorobiphenyl isomers in the mouse.

Abstract Five-week-old male mice were given: 0.3, 1, 3, 10, 30, 100, or 300 ppm of 3,4,5,3′,4′,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCB); 10, 30, 100 or 300 ppm of 2,4,5,2′,4′,5′-HCB, 2,3,6,2′,3′,6′-HCB, or 2,4,6,2′,4′,6′-HCB in feed daily for 28 days. HCB residue levels were determined in adipose tissue and liver. There were marked differences in dose response and severity of pathologic effects among the isomers. 3,4,5,3′,4′,5′-HCB was the most toxic isomer causing mortality, and body and organ weight effects at all dose levels, and was the only isomer which produced excess porphyrin accumulation. It was also the most concentrated isomer in fat and liver. 3,4,5,3′,4′,5′-HCB caused subcutaneous edema, enlargement of liver with accentuated hepatic lobular markings, fatty infiltration, hepatocellular swelling and necrosis, and atrophy of the thymus. 2,4,6,2′,4′,6′-HCB and 2,4,5,2′,4′,5′-HCB caused the same lesions but to a lesser degree. Slight cardiomyopathy was observed with 2,4,6,2′,4′,6′-HCB. The decreasing order of overall toxicity was 3,4,5-HCB >> 2,4,6-HCB > 2,4,5-HCB > 2,3,6-HCB.
Determination of Long-Range Dipolar Couplings Using Mono-Deuterated Liquid Crystals

A new approach is presented for the determination of long-range dipolar couplings in liquid crystals. The strategy is the use of monodeuterated compounds to observe 2H−13C splittings in the 13C NMR spectra. As examples, the H−C dipolar coupling constants have been obtained from the spectra of 4‘-cyanobiphenyl 2-deutero- and 6-deuterohexanoate over the whole nematic range. In addition, the 2H NMR spectra of these compounds taken with 1H−1H dipolar decoupling show quadrupolar splitting and 1H−2H dipolar coupling. Besides the information obtained from the 1D spectra, one-bond and two-bond 1H−13C dipolar coupling constants of 4‘-cyanobiphenyl hexanoate were determined using the method of proton encoded local field (PELF) spectroscopy in combination with off-magic-angle spinning (OMAS). The order parameters were calculated from the 2D spectra, and some of the coupling constants are compared with the H−C coupling constants obtained from the 1D experiments.
Time-domain measurement of antenna Q

A time-domain technique applicable to numerical and experimental application is used to determine the radiation Q of a turnstile antenna as a function of relative phasing between the two dipoles. Results confirm the theory that Q is a minimum with the dipoles in phase quadrature. ©2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 25: 95–100, 2000.
Ekbom's syndrome: Lipomas, ataxia, and neuropathy with MERRF

A 66-year-old woman with hereditary deafness and multiple symmetric lipomas presented with ataxia, slight myopathy, and neuropathy. Molecular genetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA revealed the adenine to guanine transition at position 8344 in the tRNA gene for lysine that has been associated with the myoclonic epilepsy and ragged red fiber (MERRF) syndrome. The deafness was transmitted by the patient's father and may have been an unrelated autosomal defect rather than a paternally transmitted mitochondrial point mutation.
Analysis of surgical smoke produced by various energy-based instruments and effect on laparoscopic visibility

Purpose: We analyzed the smoke plume produced by various energy-based laparoscopic instruments and determined its effect on laparoscopic visibility. Materials and Methods: The Bipolar Macroforceps,...
Alternate reproductive strategies in the California gull

We analysed 6 years of reproduction data for 176 California gulls (Larus californicus) surviving from 1980 to 1988. Using a statistical model adapted from Rao's (1958) and Tucker's (1966) generalized growth curve analysis, we reconstructed the reproductive patterns of gulls aged from 0 to 26 years. Individuals were highly consistent in following one of two patterns of reproduction. In a primary pattern employed by most gulls, individuals skipped breeding less frequently and laid larger clutches as they aged. Clutch size increased to a plateau and remained at high levels throughout remaining life. In an alternate pattern employed by a smaller subset of the sample, clutch size also increased to a plateau. However, as a result of frequent skipping of breeding and smaller clutches, this plateau was considerably lower compared to that of gulls adopting the primary reproductive pattern. Data on fledging success from 1980 and 1984 were consistent with the finding of two reproductive patterns. Gulls adopting the alternate reproductive pattern produce fewer offspring per breeding attempt but survive longer than gulls adopting the primary pattern. The frequency of gulls employing the alternate pattern will increase with age relative to gulls employing the primary pattern. The alternate pattern, and not senescence, may explain why several cross-sectional studies on seabirds report declines among the oldest breeders in measures of clutch size, egg mass, hatching success, and fledging success.
Digestion of Protein in Premature and Term Infants

Premature birth rates and premature infant morbidity remain discouragingly high. Improving nourishment for these infants is the key for accelerating their development and decreasing disease risk. Dietary protein is essential for growth and development of infants. Studies on protein nourishment for premature infants have focused on protein requirements for catch-up growth, nitrogen balance, and digestive protease concentrations and activities. However, little is known about the processes and products of protein digestion in the premature infant. This review briefly summarizes the protein requirements of term and preterm infants, and the protein content of milk from women delivering preterm and at term. An in-depth review is presented of the current knowledge of term and preterm infant dietary protein digestion, including human milk protease and anti-protease concentrations; neonatal intestinal pH, and enzyme activities and concentrations; and protein fermentation by intestinal bacteria. The advantages and disadvantages of incomplete protein digestion as well as factors that increase resistance to proteolysis of particular proteins are discussed. In order to better understand protein digestion in preterm and term infants, future studies should examine protein and peptide fragment products of digestion in saliva, gastric, intestinal and fecal samples, as well as the effects of the gut micro biome on protein degradation. The confluence of new mass spectrometry technology and new bioinformatics programs will now allow thorough identification of the array of peptides produced in the infant as they are digested.
Structure-Based Design of a Sulfonamide Probe for Fluorescence Anisotropy Detection of Zinc with a Carbonic Anhydrase-Based Biosensor

Given the avid and selective metal binding properties of naturally-occurring metalloproteins, it is possible to exploit these systems in the development of novel sensors, i.e., “biosensors”, for the detection of trace quantities of metal ions. Here, we exploit the high affinity of human carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) for zinc in the detection of nanomolar concentrations of this metal ion by fluorescence anisotropy using a fluorescein-derivatized arylsulfonamide probe, 4-aminosulfonyl[1-(4-N-(5-fluoresceinylthioureido)butyl)]benzamide (3). This probe was designed through an iterative, structure-based approach and was demonstrated to bind tightly only to the zinc-bound holoenzyme (Kd = 2.3 nM) and not the metal-free apoenzyme. Furthermore, the probe exhibits anisotropy that is proportional to the concentration of bound zinc, and this behavior can be exploited in the detection of zinc in the 10−1000 nM range. Strategies for the structure-based design of improved CAII-based metal ion biosensors are considered i...
The use of half-tone screens in Fresnel zone plate imaging of incoherent sources

Abstract An off-axis Fresnel zone plate may be used as a large-area “coded” aperture for imaging incoherent sources. The zone plate is sufficiently coarse that only shadow-casting, and not diffraction, is involved. It is shown here that the usefulness of this system can be greatly increased by using a half-tone screen to introduce a spatial carrier frequency and heterodyne the object spectrum into the passband of the zone plate.
Boiling-Curve Measurements From a Controlled Heat-Transfer Process

Feedback has been introduced around a boiling heat-transfer process in such a way that stable operation of the process has been obtained in all boiling regions including the transition region, in which, as is well known, the process itself is unstable. This system makes it possible to obtain much new information concerning both the steady-state and dynamic characteristics of boiling heat-transfer processes. Pool-boiling data which were obtained by the use of this system are presented. Accurate measurements of heater voltage and current were obtained by a new technique involving the use of digital instruments. These data are presented in the form of plotted experimental points in the nucleate, transition, and film boiling regions. The new measurement technique is described. Values of n in the equation q/As = CTdn are determined for all three boiling regions, where q = Btu/hr , As is heater surface area, and Td is temperature difference between heater surface and ambient liquid. The ambient liquid is distilled water maintained at saturation temperature under atmospheric pressure.
Response model analysis for cross-fostering studies: prenatal versus postnatal effects on offspring exposed to methylmercury dicyandiamide.

Abstract Quantitation of prenatal versus postnatal effects in offspring derived from treated mothers requires both cross-fostering procedures and a cogent method of data analysis. An explicit statement of the manner in which the treatments (independent variables) combine to produce the observed development parameters (dependent variables) is defined as the response model. We present the response model approach to analysis of these cross-fostering designs and the application of multiple regression to their solution. Pregnant 129 SvSl mice received single ip injections of 0, 4, or 8 mg/kg of methylmercury dicyandiamide (MeHg) on Day 7, 9, or 12 of gestation. Fostering and cross-fostering procedures were carried out at birth to partition the effects of prenatal and postnatal exposure on two parameters: survival and weight gain. A linear response model is presented to aid in: (1) conceptualizing the cross-fostering process; (2) quantitating the effects of treatment day, maternal dose, and the fostering process; and (3) providing the basis for statistical analysis. A multiple regression method is described to provide analysis of variance, solution for model parameters, and a guide in model simplification and statistical testing. Cross-fostering procedures permitted partitioning of adverse effects into prenatal and postnatal components. Effects of prenatal exposure to MeHg were about twice as large as postnatal and were greatest when administered late in the period of organogenesis. The dose response was approximately linear (proportional) in weight and logarithmic in survival. Thus, doses of MeHg which had no apparent effect on pregnant female mice did result in reduced survival to weaning and weight gain of offspring.
Influence function analysis of pca and bcm learning

Based on the influence function (Hampel et al. 1986), we analyze several forms of learning rules under the influence of abnormal inputs (outliers). Principal component analysis (PCA) learning rules (Oja 1982, 1989, 1992) are shown to be sensitive to the influence of outliers. Biologically motivated robust PCA learning rules are proposed. The variants of BCM learning (Bienenstock et al. 1982; Intrator 1990b) with linear neurons are shown to be subject to the influence of outliers, in contrast they are shown to be robust to outliers with sigmoidal neurons.
Penetration quality measurement for standardization of radiographic image quality.

Interchange or transfer of radiographic techniques through measurement of penetration quality is discussed. The usefulness of this achievement is verified using an aluminum step wedge. Also, the procedure described provides a method for performance evaluation of kVp compensation on diagnostic x‐ray installations.
The Impact of Peak-and-Hold and Reverse Current Driving Strategies on the Dynamic Performance of Commercial Cartridge Valves

High speed valves have an important role in many existing fluid power systems and are an enabler for many proposed digital hydraulic systems. One method commonly used to improve the dynamic performance of on-off valves involves modifying the electrical input signal to the solenoids to reduce the inductive lag and eddy current decay. This research examined two commercially available direct actuated and pilot-stage actuated cartridge poppet valves and the role of peak-and-hold voltage and reverse current input profiles on opening and closing switching times. A test stand was built to characterize the performance of these valves. The valves were placed between two high frequency pressure transducers and the pressure differential across the valves was recorded, allowing the calculation of transition and delay time. The peak and reverse voltage duration was tested over a range of zero to ten milliseconds and an optimum response was found at a peak duration of six to eight milliseconds. Peak voltages ranged from 50 to 55 volts, followed by a holding voltage of 12 volts. Reverse current profiles were used to turn off the valves with a maximum peak current of three amps. The reverse current was used to increase the decay rate of eddy currents thus improving the turning off performance of the valves. Commercial valves that had a range of 33 to 55 millisecond turn-on response without input signal modification; these same valves had response times reduced to a range of seven to nine milliseconds after applying the peak and hold method. The turn-off time was reduced from 130 milliseconds to a range of 16 to 50 milliseconds after adding reverse current inputs. This improvement in valve performance can lead to siginificant energy savings due to reduction of transition losses and can widen the useful application of the valves.© 2014 ASME
A Support Vector Machine-Based Framework for Detection of Covert Timing Channels

Covert channels exploit side channels within existing network resources to transmit secret messages. They are integrated into the elements of network resources that were not even designed for the purpose of communication. This means that traditional security features like firewalls cannot detect them. Their ability to evade detection makes covert channels a grave security concern. Hence, it is imperative to detect and disrupt them. However, a generic mechanism that can be used to detect a large variety of covert channels is missing. In this paper, we propose a support vector machine (SVM)-based framework for reliable detection of covert communications. The machine learning framework utilizes the fingerprints derived from the traffic under investigation to classify the traffic as covert or overt. We trained our classifier using the fingerprints from four popular and diverse covert timing channel algorithms and tested each of them independently. We have shown that the machine learning framework has great potential to blindly detect covert channels, even when the covert message size is reduced.
Comparison of sorbent and solvent trapping after supercritical fluid extraction of volatile petroleum hydrocarbons from soil

Abstract Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with sorbent and solvent traps was used for extracting total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) from real-world soil samples contaminated with gasoline- or diesel-range hydrocarbons. Quantitative extractions using two SFE systems were performed at 80°C and 340 atm with a flow-rate of 1.5 ml/min. Both sorbent and solvent trapping could effectively (⩾90%) collect BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes). Sorbent trapping yielded quantitative collections (⩾88%) of n -alkanes as volatile as n -hexane, while the solvent trapping effectively collected n -alkanes as volatile as n -heptane (pressurized trapping system) or n -octane (normal trapping system). The quantitation of BTEX, TPH, and individual species from contaminated soils obtained by the two SFE systems agreed well. Because of the greater losses of BTEX and volatile n -alkanes, Soxhlet extraction yielded significantly lower BTEX, TPH, and individual species values than SFE.
Evolution of finger millet: evidence from random amplified polymorphic DNA.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana ssp. coracana) is an annual tetraploid member of a predominantly African genus. The crop is believed to have been domesticated from the tetraploid E. coracana ssp. africana. Cytogenetic and isozyme data point to the allopolyploid nature of the species and molecular information has shown E. indica to be one of the genomic donors. A recent isozyme study questioned the proposed phylogenetic relationship between finger millet and its direct ancestor subspecies africana. An approach using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was employed in this study to examine genetic diversity and to evaluate hypotheses concerning the evolution of domesticated and wild annual species of Eleusine. Unlike previous molecular approaches, the RAPD study revealed genetic diversity in the crop. The pattern of genetic variation was loosely correlated to geographic distribution. The allotetraploid nature of the crop was confirmed and molecular markers that can possibly identify the other genomic d...
Selective alterations in gene expression for NMDA receptor subunits in prefrontal cortex of schizophrenics

NMDA receptor antagonists can induce a schizophrenia-like psychosis, but the role of NMDA receptors in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia remains unclear. Expression patterns of mRNAs for five NMDA receptor subunits (NR1/NR2A-D) were determined by in situ hybridization in prefrontal, parieto-temporal, and cerebellar cortex of brains from schizophrenics and from neuroleptic-treated and nonmedicated controls. In the cerebral cortex of both schizophrenics and controls, mRNAs for NR1, NR2A, NR2B, and NR2D subunits were preferentially expressed in layers II/III, Va, and VIa, with much higher levels in the prefrontal than in the parieto-temporal cortex. Levels of mRNA for the NR2C subunit were very low overall. By contrast, the cerebellar cortex of both schizophrenics and controls contained very high levels of NR2C subunit mRNA, whereas levels for the other subunit mRNAs were very low, except NR1, for which levels were moderate. Significant alterations in the schizophrenic cohort were confined to the prefrontal cortex. Here there was a shift in the relative proportions of mRNAs for the NR2 subunit family, with a 53% relative increase in expression of the NR2D subunit mRNA. No comparable changes were found in neuroleptic-treated or untreated controls. These findings indicate regional heterogeneity of NMDA receptor subunit expression in human cerebral and cerebellar cortex. In schizophrenics, the alterations in expression of NR2 subunit mRNA in prefrontal cortex are potential indicators of deficits in NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission accompanying functional hypoactivity of the frontal lobes.
Invariants of tangles

A tangle is a pair of strings ( t 0 , t 1 ) properly embedded in a 3-ball. Tangles have been used in several approaches to the classification of knots (see [ 1, 4, 15 ]). In these investigations, one keeps track of the endpoints of the arcs, so that the sum of two tangles along their boundaries is well defined. In particular, the sum of a given tangle with a trivial tangle, and any invariants of the resulting link, are invariants of the tangle under the restricted relation of isotopy keeping the endpoints fixed.
Comparison of 3H-misonidazole binding between cho and 9L cells using the sandwich system

3H-misonidazole binding of 9L cells was compared with that of CHO cells using an in vitro tumor analog, the sandwich system. In sandwiches there is a gradient of microenvironments, with cells adjacent to the necrotic center subjected to low concentrations of oxygen and glucose and to high concentrations of metabolites. Mixed sandwiches, having 9L and CHO cells interspersed, were used along with sandwiches of each individual cell line. MISO binding was assessed in situ, using autoradiography. Grains per cell were counted and detailed statistics were obtained on the variation in MISO binding among cells located in the same microenvironment. In all cases binding in the regions near the necrotic center was more than 50 times the binding found at the sandwich edge and found in control monolayers, indicating radiobiological hypoxia near the necrotic center. 9L cells began to significantly increase binding of MISO metabolites at a somewhat higher oxygen concentration than did CHO cells. At all oxygen tensions, average per cell binding of the 9L cells was 3 times or more that of the CHO cells, a factor greater than can be explained by the ratio of cell volumes alone. Statistical analyses of the variation in binding among cells in a given microenvironment give some evidence that in the mixed CHO/9L sandwiches there are interactions between the cells of the two different lines which affect the growth patterns of the cells. No preferred binding of misonidazole in the nucleus or cytoplasm was noted within the cells.
Characterization of radiologists' search strategies for lung nodule detection: slice-based versus volumetric displays.

The goal of this study was to assess whether radiologists’ search paths for lung nodule detection in chest computed tomography (CT) between different rendering and display schemes have reliable properties that can be exploited as an indicator of ergonomic efficiency for the purpose of comparing different display paradigms. Eight radiologists retrospectively viewed 30 lung cancer screening CT exams, containing a total of 91 nodules, in each of three display modes [i.e., slice-by-slice, orthogonal maximum intensity projection (MIP) and stereoscopic] for the purpose of detecting and classifying lung nodules. Radiologists’ search patterns in the axial direction were recorded and analyzed along with the location, size, and shape for each detected feature, and the likelihood that the feature is an actual nodule. Nodule detection performance was analyzed by employing free-response receiver operating characteristic methods. Search paths were clearly different between slice-by-slice displays and volumetric displays but, aside from training and novelty effects, not between MIP and stereographic displays. Novelty and training effects were associated with the stereographic display mode, as evidenced by differences between the beginning and end of the study. The stereo display provided higher detection and classification performance with less interpretation time compared to other display modes tested in the study; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Our preliminary results indicate a potential role for the use of radiologists’ search paths in evaluating the relative ergonomic efficiencies of different display paradigms, but systematic training and practice is necessary to eliminate training curve and novelty effects before search strategies can be meaningfully compared.
Testing the sensitivity limits of 33S NMR: an ultra-wideline study of elemental sulfur

Preliminary DFT investigations into the feasibility of using (33)S solid-state NMR to study organic and biological molecules suggest that very large (33)S quadrupolar coupling constants (>40MHz) are not uncommon. We have therefore investigated the possibility of using recently developed ultra-wideline techniques to record such (33)S powder patterns at a high magnetic field (21.1T). A WURST-echo sequence was used to record the spectrum from a>99.9% enriched sample of elemental sulfur, resulting in the largest (33)S quadrupolar coupling constant yet measured by solid-state NMR (C(Q)=43.3 MHz). Implications of this experiment are briefly discussed.
New equations for calculating the components of energy expenditure in infants

Objectives: To derive new equations for 24-hour energy expenditure (24-h EE; kcal/d) and resting (RMR; kcal/d) and sleeping metabolic rates (SMR; kcal/d) in young infants by using the Enhanced Metabolic Testing Activity Chamber (EMTAC). Methods: Data from 50 (25 male/25 female) healthy normally growing infants (4.9 ± 1.6 months, 7.1 ± 1.4 kg, 65 ± 5 cm) who had 24-h EE, RMR, and SMR extrapolated from 4- to 6-hour metabolic measurements in the EMTAC were used to derive new equations for 24-h EE, RMR, and SMR. Equations were derived by means of multiple regression analysis (SPSS 8.0), with weight alone or with length and weight entered as independent variables. Similar data from 10 additional test infants (4 male/6 female, 5.1 ± 0.6 months, 7.5 ± 1.0 kg, 65 ± 5 cm) were used to cross-validate the new equations. Results: Twenty-four-hour EE, RMR, and SMR were 79.6 ± 19.2, 66.8 ± 15.1, and 62.3 ± 10.3 kcal/kg per day, respectively. No differences existed in RMR (kcal/kg per day) from the 10 test infants between the weight (68.6 ± 1.9) and height-weight based equations (68.4 ± 6.1) or that measured by the EMTAC (67.6 ± 10.2). Weight was the major predictor of 24-h EE, RMR, and SMR. The WHO, Schofield-weight and weight-height equations underestimated (P <.05) by 19%, whereas the new equations were within 4% of RMR obtained from the EMTAC. Conclusions: The new equations for assessing energy requirements in healthy infants are more accurate than those previously published that underestimated 24-h EE by 15 kcal/kg per day. (J Pediatr 2002;140:534-9)
Photochemical fate of atorvastatin (lipitor) in simulated natural waters

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are among the most frequently prescribed for reducing human blood cholesterol and they have been detected as contaminants in natural waters. In this study the photochemical behavior of atorvastatin (lipitor) was investigated at two different concentrations of 35.8 μM (20 mg L(-1)) and 35.8 nM (20 μg L(-1)) using a solar simulator and a UV reactor. Photochemical fate in natural waters can be described in most cases by the sum of the loss due to hydrolysis, direct photolysis, and, reaction with hydroxyl radical (•OH), singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) (or O(2) ((1)D)), and excited state dissolved organic matter (DOM). The absolute bimolecular reaction rate constant with OH was measured, using pulsed radiolysis, (1.19 ± 0.04) × 10(10) M(-1) s(-1). The reaction rate constant of (1)O(2) was determined to be (3.1 ± 0.2) × 10(8) M(-1) s(-1). Under the experimental conditions used, at high atorvastatin concentration (35.8 μM) the contribution of singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) to the photodegradation of atorvastatin in natural waters was higher than that of hydroxyl radical, and accounted for up to 23% of the loss in aqueous solutions. Whereas, at a concentration of 35.8 nM, (1)O(2) (and •OH) both played a minor role in the removal of this compound. Lastly, it also appears that atorvastatin reacts with (3)DOM* contributing to its loss in simulated natural waters.
Multiple objects tracking in unknown background using Bayesian estimation in 3D space

In this paper, we overview tracking methods of 3D occluded objects in 3D integral imaging. Two methods based on Summation of Absolute Difference (SAD) algorithm and Bayesian framework, respectively, are presented. For the tracking method based on SAD, we calculate SAD between pixels of consecutive frames of a moving object for 3D tracking. For the tracking method based on Bayesian framework, posterior probabilities of the reconstructed scene background and the 3D objects are calculated by defining their pixel intensities as Gaussian and Gamma distributions, respectively, and by assuming appropriate prior distributions for estimated parameters. Multi-objects tracking is achieved by maximizing the geodesic distance between the log-likelihood of the background and the objects. Experimental results demonstrate 3D tracking of occluded objects.
Resolving Power of Photographic Emulsions

The resolution characteristics of typical panchromatic negative films have been studied with a camera using microscope objectives. The results of resolution measurements made with high and low contrast line targets and low contrast annulus targets, over a range of development times, are presented in this paper.Measurements were also made of the speeds of these films on the resolving power criterion. These show that the resolving power speed increases linearly with the gamma. The ratio of the minimum exposure permissible on the fractional gradient criterion to the exposure based on the resolving power criterion varies with the brightness scale of the subject.
Intracellular chloride activities in rabbit gallbladder: direct evidence for the role of the sodium-gradient in energizing "uphill" chloride transport.

Intracellular chloride activities, (Cl)c, in rabbit gallbladder were determined by using conventional (KCl-filled) microelectrodes and Cl-selective, liquid ionexchanger, microelectrodes. The results indicate that in the presence of a normal Ringer's solution, (Cl)c averages 35 mM; this value is 2.3 times that predicted for an equilibrium distribution across the mucosal and baso-lateral membranes. On the other hand, when the tissue is bathed by Na-free solutions, (Cl)c declines to a value that does not differ significantly from that predicted for an equilibrium distribution.
Application of family-based tests of association for rare variants to pathways

Pathway analysis approaches for sequence data typically either operate in a single stage (all variants within all genes in the pathway are combined into a single, very large set of variants that can then be analyzed using standard "gene-based" test statistics) or in 2-stages (gene-based p values are computed for all genes in the pathway, and then the gene-based p values are combined into a single pathway p value). To date, little consideration has been given to the performance of gene-based tests (typically designed for a smaller number of single-nucleotide variants [SNVs]) when the number of SNVs in the gene or in the pathway is very large and the genotypes come from sequence data organized in large pedigrees. We consider recently proposed gene-based tests for rare variants from complex pedigrees that test for association between a large set of SNVs and a qualitative phenotype of interest (1-stage analyses) as well as 2-stage approaches. We find that many of these methods show inflated type I errors when the number of SNVs in the gene or the pathway is large (>200 SNVs) and when using standard approaches to estimate the genotype covariance matrix. Alternative methods are needed when testing very large sets of SNVs in 1-stage approaches.
Histogram regression estimation using data-dependent partitions

We establish general sufficient conditions for the $L_2$-consistency of multivariate histogram regression estimates based on data-dependent partitions. These same conditions insure the consistency of partitioning regression estimates based on local polynomial fits, and, with an additional regularity assumption, the consistency of histogram estimates for conditional medians. Our conditions require shrinking cells, subexponential growth of a combinatorial complexity measure and sublinear growth of restricted cell counts. It is not assumed that the cells of every partition be rectangles with sides parallel to the coordinate axis or that each cell contain a minimum number of points. Response variables are assumed to be bounded throughout. Our results may be applied to a variety of partitioning schemes. We established the consistency of histograms regression estimates based on cubic partitions with data-dependent offsets, k-thresholding in one dimension and empirically optimal nearest-neighbor clustering schemes. In addition, it is shown that empirically optimal regression trees are consistent when the size of the trees grows with the number of samples at an appropriate rate.
Calibration techniques used in the direct determination of atmospheric metallic pollutant levels (10-10–10-12 g)

Abstract Techniques for calibrating atomic absorption systems at low concentration levels down to 10-13g have been examined. The most reliable method of those examined was the direct injection of a liquid drop (microliter quantities) containing the metal of interest at the ng ml-1 level. The dilute solutions were made up immediately before use to avoid problems involved in plating out of the metal on the surface of the container. The technique can be used to calibrate the signals obtained from ambient air samples.
Ultrasensitive detections in atomic and molecular physics: demonstration in molecular overtone spectroscopy

We consider several highly sensitive techniques commonly used in detection of atomic and molecular absorptions. Their basic operating principles and corresponding performances are summarized and compared. We then present our latest results on the ultrasensitive detection of molecular overtone transitions to illustrate the principle and application of the cavity-enhanced frequency-modulation (FM) spectroscopy. An external cavity is used to enhance the molecular response to the light field, and an FM technique is applied for shotnoise-limited signal recovery. A perfect match between the FM sideband frequency and the cavity free spectral range makes the detection process insensitive to the laser-frequency noise relative to the cavity, and, at the same time, overcomes the cavity bandwidth limit. Working with a 1.064-mm Nd:YAG laser, we obtained sub-Doppler overtone resonances of C2HD, C2H2, and CO2 molecules. A detection sensitivity of 5 3 10 213 of
Community Detection in Scale-Free Networks: Approximation Algorithms for Maximizing Modularity

Many networks, indifferent of their function and scope, converge to a scale-free architecture in which the degree distribution approximately follows a power law. Meanwhile, many of those scale-free networks are found to be naturally divided into communities of densely connected nodes, known as community structure. Finding this community structure is a fundamental but challenging topic in network science. Since Newman's suggestion of using modularity as a measure to qualify the strength of community structure, many efficient methods that find community structure based on maximizing modularity have been proposed. However, there is a lack of approximation algorithms that provide provable quality bounds for the problem. In this paper, we propose polynomial-time approximation algorithms for the modularity maximization problem together with their theoretical justifications in the context of scale-free networks. We prove that the solutions of the proposed algorithms, even in the worst-case, are optimal up to a constant factor for scale-free networks with either bidirectional or unidirectional links. Even though our focus in this work is not on designing another empirically good algorithms to detect community structure, experiments on real-world networks suggest that the proposed algorithm is competitive with the state-of-the-art modularity maximization algorithm.
Logic minimization using two-column rectangle replacement

This paper describes a technique for multi-level logic minimization on functions represented as if-then-else DAGS. We define the concept of Boolean matrices, and give formal definitions of blocks and rectangles and their meanings. We introduce a new heuristic two-column rectangle replacement for finding rectangle coverings of Boolean matrices. This heuristic is well suited for optimizing circuits for area, while controlling the delay. A slight variation of the heuristic optimizes with respect to delay. The results of using two-column rectangle replacement on if-then-else DAGS are reported for several benchmark examples.
XV—Agents and Patients, or: What We Learn About Reasons for Action by Reflecting on Our Choices in Process-of-Thought Cases

Can we draw substantive conclusions about the reasons for action agents have from premisses about the desires of their idealized counterparts? The answer is that we can. The argument for this conclusion is Rawlsian in spirit, focusing on the choices that our idealized counterparts must make simply in virtue of being ideal, and inferring from these choices the contents of the desires that they must have. It turns out that our idealized counterparts must have desires in which we ourselves figure as both agents and patients, and in which others must figure too, though only as patients.
Using Expression and Genotype to Predict Drug Response in Yeast

Personalized, or genomic, medicine entails tailoring pharmacological therapies according to individual genetic variation at genomic loci encoding proteins in drug-response pathways. It has been previously shown that steady-state mRNA expression can be used to predict the drug response (i.e., sensitivity or resistance) of non-genotyped mammalian cancer cell lines to chemotherapeutic agents. In a real-world setting, clinicians would have access to both steady-state expression levels of patient tissue(s) and a patient's genotypic profile, and yet the predictive power of transcripts versus markers is not well understood. We have previously shown that a collection of genotyped and expression-profiled yeast strains can provide a model for personalized medicine. Here we compare the predictive power of 6,229 steady-state mRNA transcript levels and 2,894 genotyped markers using a pattern recognition algorithm. We were able to predict with over 70% accuracy the drug sensitivity of 104 individual genotyped yeast strains derived from a cross between a laboratory strain and a wild isolate. We observe that, independently of drug mechanism of action, both transcripts and markers can accurately predict drug response. Marker-based prediction is usually more accurate than transcript-based prediction, likely reflecting the genetic determination of gene expression in this cross.
Reductions in Drinking and Alcohol-Related Harms Reported by First-Year College Students Taking an Online Alcohol Education Course: A Randomized Trial

A randomized control trial was conducted at a midsized private university in the Northeast to evaluate the short-term impact of AlcoholEdu for College 8.0, an online alcohol course for first-year students. In September 2007, 1,620 matriculated first-year students were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or an assessment-only control group. Both groups of students completed a baseline survey and knowledge test. Treatment group students finished the course, took a second knowledge test, and 30 days later completed a postintervention survey. Control group students completed the postintervention survey and knowledge test during the same time period. Compared with the control group, treatment group students reported a significantly lower level of alcohol use, fewer negative drinking consequences, and less positive alcohol-related attitudes. AlcoholEdu 8.0 had a positive impact on the first-year students' alcohol-related attitudes, behaviors, and consequences. Additional investigations of online alcohol education courses are warranted.
Annealing-temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity of LPCVD silicon-dioxide layers

The authors point out that the reliability and performance of electronic circuits are influenced by heat conduction in low-pressure chemical-vapor-deposited (LPCVD) silicon dioxide layers. Here, the effective thermal conductivity k/sub eff/ for conduction normal to films of LPCVD silicon dioxide layers as a function of annealing temperature, as well as for films of thermal and SIMOX oxides, is measured. The LPCVD oxide thermal conductivity increases by 23% due to annealing at 1150 degrees C. The conductivities k/sub eff/ of LPCVD layers of thicknesses between 0.03 and 0.7 mu m are higher than those reported previously for CVD layers, and vary between 50% and 90% of the conductivities of bulk fused silicon dioxide. The values of SIMOX and thermal oxide layers are within the experimental error of the values for bulk fused silicon dioxide. >
“Losing Neutrality in Your Everyday Life” Framing Experience and Activist Identity Construction in the Spanish Environmental Movement

This article draws on the framing perspective to analyze identity construction. Based on the analysis of thirty in-depth interviews with members of a Spanish environmental movement organization, the author demonstrates how activists construct their identities and frame their personal experience. On one hand, activists align their personal identities with larger conceptions of group identity. On the other, they frame the uniqueness of personal experience in a biographical story that sustains their activism. The author analyzes how these two aspects come together in practice through several identity construction processes. Specifically, she examines how identity extension and identity transformation account for self-construction, and elaborate a third process, which she calls biographical identity integration. Biographical identity integration fills an analytical gap in the framing literature and sheds light on the complex relationship that exists between personal experience and identity construction in mov...
Metformin as an antitumor agent in cancer prevention and treatment.

Recent epidemiological investigations conducted in diabetic cohorts and cancer patients have found that metformin users have lower risks for cancer than those using insulin or insulin secretagogues. Studies conducted in various animal tumor models and cancer cell lines have demonstrated that metformin prevents tumor development or inhibits cell proliferation. In addition, a recent clinical trial has shown that short-term use of metformin reduces aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation in non-diabetic patients with ACF. The antitumor activity of metformin may be mediated through its regulatory effect on hormonal, metabolic, and immune functions. Metformin achieves glycemic control by reducing hepatic glucose production and increasing the muscle intake of glucose, thus lowering levels of circulating glucose and, consequently, insulin. The major molecular targets of metformin are the liver kinase B1 (LKB1)–AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways, which are central in the regulation of cellular energy homeostasis and play a crucial role in the control of cell division and cell proliferation. Metformin has been shown to improve endothelial function, decrease inflammatory activity, and regulate immune function. Increasing experimental evidence provides a strong biological rationale for metformin as an antitumor and chemopreventive agent. Metformin is being tested as an adjuvant cancer therapy in clinical settings, and metformin is recommended for all cases of Type 2 diabetes without contraindications. As described in this review, the chemopreventive value of metformin is not restricted to diabetic or obese individuals.
PROPERTIES OF PHYSARUM MYOSIN PURIFIED BY A POTASSIUM IODIDE PROCEDURE

Myosin has been purified free of actin from Physarum actomyosin by a two step adaptation of the classical potassium iodide method for depolymerizing actin. On 12% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gels, the single major slowly moving protein band present in the calcium activated adenosine triphosphatase peak (90% pure) is associated with two fast moving bands of molecular weights of approximately 17,000 and 21,000 daltons, respectively. Densitometry shows the molar ratio of heavy chains to the 21,000 and 17,000 dalton chains on the gels to be 1:2:1. The highly purified myosin forms filaments up to 2.5 microm long in the presence of 5 mM magnesium and 0.05 M KCl. Calcium ions were not required for the formation of long filaments from this highly purified myosin. At low ionic strength (0.05 M KCl) the magnesium ATPase of the highly purified myosin is activated four- to tenfold by muscle actin. The extent of activation is a function of the actin concentration and levels off at high levels of actin. In 0.1 mM calcium salts the ATPase activity is approximately 60% of that in 1 mM EGTA. In summary, Physarum myosin is similar to a number of muscle myosins as well as to platelet and fibroblast myosin, which all possess light chains of two different molecular weights associated with the heavy chains. Under ionic conditions close to those in vivo, highly purified Physarum myosin aggregates into long filaments.