cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phonons, electrons and thermal transport in Planckian high Tc materials

The room-temperature thermal diffusivity of high Tc materials is dominated by phonons. This allows the scattering of phonons by electrons to be discerned. We argue that the measured strength of this scattering suggests a converse Planckian scattering of electrons by phonons across the room-temperature phase diagram of these materials. Consistent with this conclusion, the temperature derivative of the resistivity of strongly overdoped cuprates is noted to show a kink at a little below 200 K that we argue should be understood as the onset of a high-temperature Planckian T-linear scattering of electrons by classical phonons. This kink continuously disappears toward optimal doping, even while strong scattering of phonons by electrons remains visible in the thermal diffusivity, sharpening the long-standing puzzle of the lack of a feature in the T-linear resistivity at optimal doping associated with the onset of phonon scattering.
An IoT-Edge-Server System with BLE Mesh Network, LBPH, and Deep Metric Learning

This paper presents a hardware architecture, IoT-Edge-Server, of a diverse embedded system including a wide variety of applications such as smart city, smart building, or smart agricultural farm. First of all, we improve computation time by integrating the idea of edge computing on Raspberry Pi and CPU, which processes different algorithms. Second, the hardware processors are connected to a server that can manipulate the entire system and also possess storage capacity to save the system’s important data and log files. Specifically, the hardware computes data from (1) a non-standardized Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh system and (2) a surveillance system. The BLE mesh system has one master and three slave devices, while the surveillance system has a passive infrared (PIR) sensor and a camera to detect motion. Experimental results prove that using the phenomena of edge computing demonstrates an improvement in computation speed and data privacy.
An analysis of chemical reactor stability and control—IV.: Mixed derivative and proportional control

Abstract The previous analysis of reactor stability and control is here extended to show the new features which arise when a derivative mode is added to the proportional controller. It is found that more care is needed to ensure full control of the whole phase plane, for the possibility of partial control is greater than in the previous example. It is also necessary to consider the effect of delay in the controller. These phenomena emphasize the care that must be taken in a satisfactory stability analysis.
More Powerful Unit Root Tests with Non-normal Errors

This paper extends the Lagrange Multiplier (LM) unit toot tests of Schmidt and Phillips (Oxford Bull. Econ. Stat. 54:257–285, 1992) to utilize information contained in non-normal errors. The new tests adopt the Residual Augmented Least Squares (RALS) estimation procedure of Im and Schmidt (J. Econ. 144:219–233, 2008). This paper complements the work of Im et al. (More powerful unit root tests with nonnormal errors, manuscript, 2012) who adopt the RALS procedure for DF-based tests. We provide the relevant asymptotic distribution and the corresponding critical values of our new tests. The RALS-LM tests show improved power over the RALS-DF tests. The main advantage of the RALS-LM tests lies in the invariance feature that the distribution does not depend on the nuisance parameter in the presence of level-breaks.
Comparison of mean-square and absolute value distortion measures in fractal coding of still images

Fractal coding often blurs or smoothes images. In particular, edges are poorly coded due to the choice of the distortion measure. Indeed, mean square error possesses no edge preserving property. The solution proposed in this article is to code using fractals and to introduce the L 1 norm or the absolute value distortion measure. The visual quality of the coded images with the L 1 norm is improved. However, the computational complexity of the coder is drastically increased. It may be kept low by preprocessing using an edge detection scheme to select the pertinent measure. The reconstruction algorithm remains the same.
Odorant-specific modes of signaling in mammalian olfaction.

Odors play an important role in our quality of life and well being, a role that is compromised by the effect of disease, drugs, aging, and environmental onslaught on the olfactory epithelium (OE). Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in OE provide the primary input to the olfactory system, such that disruption of the cellular processes leading to the activation of the ORNs inevitably compromises olfactory function. The organization of the olfactory periphery in mammals is emerging to be more complex than originally thought. An often underappreciated aspect of that complexity is that odorants have 2 odorant-specific modes of signaling, that is, they inhibit as well as excite the ORNs. The ubiquity of this phenomenon across diverse animal species suggests that having opponent input into the olfactory system is fundamental to how olfaction works, yet in contrast to our canonical understanding of how odorants excite mammalian ORNs, our understanding of how odorants inhibit these cells is still unclear. Odorants potentially can inhibit ORNs through multiple not necessarily mutually exclusive mechanisms but compelling new data argue that phosphoinositide (PI) signaling at least in part mediates inhibitory odorant input to mammalian ORNs. The idea that inhibitory input is mediated through a distinct input pathway argues for the fundamental importance of inhibitory input to olfactory coding in mammals and identifies an additional possible cellular basis for olfactory dysfunction.
Reproductive mode and speciation: the viviparity-driven conflict hypothesis.

Summary In birds and frogs, species pairs retain the capacity to produce viable hybrids for tens of millions of years, an order of magnitude longer than mammals. What accounts for these differences in relative rates of preand postzygotic isolation? We propose that reproductive mode is a critically important but previously overlooked factor in the speciation process. Viviparity creates a post-fertilization arena for genomic conflicts absent in egg-laying species. With viviparity, conflict can arise between: mothers and embryos; sibling embryos in the womb, and maternal and paternal genomes within individual embryos. Such intra- and intergenomic conflicts result in perpetual antagonistic coevolution, thereby accelerating interpopulation postzygotic isolation. In addition, by generating intrapopulation genetic incompatibility, viviparity-driven conflict favors polyandry and limits the potential for precopulatory divergence. Mammalian diversification is characterized by rapid evolution of incompatible feto-maternal interactions, asymmetrical postzygotic isolation, disproportionate effects of genomically-imprinted genes, and ‘‘F2 hybrid enhancement.’’ The viviparity-driven conflict hypothesis provides a parsimonious explanation for these patterns in mammalian evolution. BioEssays 22:938‐946, 2000. fl 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Prevalence of restless legs syndrome in North American and Western European populations: a systematic review.

Background Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a potentially debilitating sleep disorder that affects a significant percentage of North American and European adults. Although standardized RLS diagnostic criteria are now established and widely accepted, reported prevalence estimates have varied widely. In this paper, we review the literature regarding RLS prevalence in North American and Western European adult populations, examine potential sources of variation, briefly discuss the impact of RLS, and offer recommendations for future research.
Reevaluation of the primary motor cortex connections with the thalamus in primates.

Six injections (approximately 1 mm in diameter) of biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) were placed in different locations of the primary motor cortex of the rhesus monkey. Anterograde and retrograde labeling patterns in the thalamus were charted and individual labeled axons traced in continuous serial sections. Both anterograde and retrograde labeling in the thalamus was extensive, spanning several millimeters mediolaterally and including ventral lateral, ventral anterior, centromedian, and centrolateral nuclei. Paracentral, mediodorsal, lateral posterior, and medial pulvinar nuclei were also labeled. Two basic types of corticothalamic axons were identified: small to medium-width, type 1 axons that formed large terminal fields with small boutons, and thick, type 2 axons that formed small terminal fields with large boutons. Within each group, subtypes were identified based on specific features of the axons and terminals: two subtypes of type 1 axons and four subtypes of type 2 axons. The results revealed multiple modes of corticothalamic connectivity: sparsely distributed type 1 axons, dense plexuses of type 1 axons, type 2 axon terminal fields either singly or in clusters, and mixed plexuses of type 1 and type 2 axons. Only some cells in the plexuses were retrogradely labeled; some plexuses did not contain any labeled neurons, and many retrogradely labeled neurons were in the regions devoid of anterograde labeling. These connectivity patterns differed between thalamic nuclei. The results revealed much more complex relationships between M1 and thalamus than were previously thought to exist. It is suggested that this connectivity is neither of exclusively a feedback nature nor perfectly reciprocal but is subserved by a multitude of channels, most likely originating from different populations of cortical neurons, and feeding into a variety of functionally different neuronal networks, with each processing specific information.
Edge-skeletons in arrangements with applications

An edge-skeleton in an arrangementA(H) of a finite set of planes inE3 is a connected collection of edges inA(H). We give a method that constructs a skeleton inO(√n logn) time per edge. This method implies new and more efficient algorithms for a number of structures in computational geometry including order-k power diagrams inE2 and space cutting trees inE3.
Inheritance of restriction amplification fragment length polymorphisms in perennial ryegrass

Restriction amplification fragment length polymorphic (RAFLP) markers show promise as genetic markers in diploid outcrossing turfgrass species such as perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). The RAFLP markers should combine many advantages of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and should exhibit codominance. After screening 88 primers that produced distinct fragments with five restriction enzymes, 64 restriction loci were identified. Sixteen of these appeared to be polymorphic for the restriction locus and were regarded as potential RAFLP markers. The progeny of crosses of heterozygous perennial ryegrass plants were evaluated to determine whether the proposed RAFLP markers identified in the parental plants segregated according to Mendelian genetics as predicted for codominant markers. Although 16 tentative RAFLP markers were identified, only one segregated as expected for a single locus with two alleles. Our results suggest that useful RAFLP markers will be difficult to find for outcrossing turfgrass species.
Elastin Degradation by Matrix Metalloproteinases CLEAVAGE SITE SPECIFICITY AND MECHANISMS OF ELASTOLYSIS

Insoluble elastin was used as a substrate to characterize the peptide bond specificities of human (HME) and mouse macrophage elastase (MME) and to compare these enzymes with other mammalian metalloproteinases and serine elastases. New amino termini detected by protein sequence analysis in insoluble elastin following proteolytic digestion reveal the P′1 residues in the carboxyl-terminal direction from the scissile bond. The relative proportion of each amino acid in this position reflects the proteolytic preference of the elastolytic enzyme. The predominant amino acids detected by protein sequence analysis following cleavage of insoluble elastin with HME, MME, and 92-kDa gelatinase were Leu, Ile, Ala, Gly, and Val. HME and MME were similar in their substrate specificity and showed a stronger preference for Leu/Ile than did the 92-kDa enzyme. Fibroblast collagenase showed no activity toward elastin. The amino acid residues detected in insoluble elastin following hydrolysis with porcine pancreatic elastase and human neutrophil elastase were predominantly Gly and Ala, with lesser amounts of Val, Phe, Ile, and Leu. There were interesting specificity differences between the two enzymes, however. For both the serine and matrix metalloproteinases, catalysis of peptide bond cleavage in insoluble elastin was characterized by temperature effects and water requirements typical of common enzyme-catalyzed reactions, even those involving soluble substrates. In contrast to what has been observed for collagen, the energy requirements for elastolysis were not extraordinary, consistent with cleavage sites in elastin being readily accessible to enzymatic attack.
Fabrication of semiconductor nanowires by conjugation of quantum dots to actin filaments

We demonstrate the feasibility of fabrication of semiconducting nanowires (quantum dots) using F-actin as a template. Three different approaches of assembling quantum dots into nanowires are described. The nanowires were characterized by fluorescence microscopy.
Heat Loss Due To Thermal Bridges In Buildings

Building envelopes often contain numerous highly conductive heat flow paths, called thermal bridges, which are major sources of heat loss and deterioration of building materials due to moisture condensation. Some examples of thermal bridges occurring in office buildings are presented. Infrared thermography was used to identify the locations and magnitudes of thermally defective areas resulting from inadequate construction, design, or substandard workmanship in existing buildings. Due to the large thermal inertia of building components and transient conditions caused by fluctuating outdoor and indoor temperatures, long measurement periods are required. This makes thermography impractical for quantifying the heat loss. In order to estimate the heat loss rate from thermal bridges and to obtain a better understanding of the physical processes involved, a two-dimensional heat flow model has been developed for transient heat conduction within the exterior wall/intermediate floor systems. The calculated results from the mathematical model are compared with available experimental data. An in-situ measurement technique, which is currently under development at NBS for quantifying the energy loss due to thermal bridges, is described.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Theoretical mass and energy upper limits for thermal ions in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Abstract Analytic expressions for the probability of radial or axial loss of thermal ions from a hyperbolic ion trap are developed, as a function of trap dimensions, trapping potential, magnetic field strength, ion mass-to-charge ratio, and ion Boltzmann temperature. These equations are readily evaluated to yield ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) upper mass and energy limits above which a mass-dependent fraction of thermal ions will be lost prior to any ICR excitation event. Non-interacting ions are assumed to be formed initially along the trap z axis with a Maxwell—Boltzmann velocity distribution, and trapped by a quadrupolar electrostatic potential. Under these approximations, the probability of radial ion loss increases strongly and monotonically with ion mass-to-charge ratio and trapping potential, whereas the probability of axial loss is independent of ion mass and inversely related to trapping potential. Both axial and radial ion loss increase with increasing ion thermal energy. For radial ejection (which dominates at high mass-to-charge ratios), an ion “stability” diagram shows boundaries of a constant fraction of ions trapped as a function of ion mass-to-charge ratio and trapping voltage for a given magnetic field strength. Since the electrostatic potential in all common ICR ion traps is approximately quadrupolar near the trap center, the present results can be extended semi-quantitatively to those ICR trap geometries (e.g., cubic, tetragonal, cylindrical etc.). Elongated or screened traps should significantly extend the upper mass-to-charge ratio limit.
Teaching Density to Middle School Students: Preservice Science Teachers' Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Practices

Content knowledge and pedagogical practices are of particular concern to middle school science instructors teaching density. First introduced in elementary grades with the ideas of floating and sinking, density taught in middle school is geared toward understanding through the use of mathematical formulas. Using a lesson-plan study design, the authors identified preservice teachers' content understandings regarding density and how those understandings influenced their teaching practices. The results indicated that, although teacher candidates had developed reasonable, intuitive understandings of density, many experienced difficulty connecting those understandings to the mathematical relationships involved. Therefore, university science educators must carefully examine the levels at which their students understand density so that these future educators have the necessary conceptual knowledge to teach this concept effectively.
Changes in the macrostresses and microstresses in steel with fatigue

Abstract The residual stresses in both the ferrite and cementite phases of fatigued 1080 steel specimens with pearlite, spheroidite and tempered martensite microstructures were measured using X-ray diffraction giving both the macrostresses and microstresses. Specimens with no initial stresses showed little changes with fatigue. Specimens with initial macrostresses and microstresses showed fading of the stresses, the fading being slowest for the strongest microstructure. Hydrostatic microstresses are present after heat treatment owing to the differential thermal properties of the cementite and ferrite.
Lipschitz continuity of the best approximation operator in vector-valued Chebyshev approximation

When G is a finite dimensional Haar subspace of C(X,R^k), the vector-valued continuous functions (including complex-valued functions when k is 2) from a finite set X to Euclidean k-dimensional space, it is well-known that at any function f in C(X,R^k) the best approximation operator satisfies the strong unicity condition of order 2 and a Lipschitz (Holder) condition of order 12. This note shows that in fact the best approximation operator satisfies the usual Lipschitz condition of order 1.
X-31A FLIGHT FLUTTER TEST EXCITATION BY CONTROL SURFACES

which interfaced with the aircraft digital, flyby-wire control system. This paper describes the characteristics and use of the flutter excitation system, including the control box, the control surfaces operated, a block diagram of the interfaces with the control system, the sine sweep, dwell and pulse capabilities of the system, the oscillation frequency vs time, and typical amplitudes and phase angles of control surface rotation versus time. The flight envelope cleared, the real -time telemetry parameters monitored, and the test procedures used are briefly described. Typical time histories of response, and typical plots of the frequencies and damping versus dynamic pressure and mach number extracted from the response data are given. The required structural modes were adequately excited by the control surface sine sweeps used. Extrapolation of the plots of frequencies and damping versus dynamic pressure and mach number indicated large flutter margins of safety for the X-31A, which is in agreement with flutter analyses conducted prior to flight flutter tests.
Complementary and alternative medicine in chronic liver disease

p.63. 42. Bacon BR, Li J, Britton RS, Wang B-e. Herbal Medicine 861 has direct antiproliferative effects on hepatic stellate cells. Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Chronic Liver Disease. Submitted abstract, p.56. 43. Batey RG, Bensousson A, Fan YY, Bollipo S, Hossain M. Preliminary report of a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of a Chinese herbal medicine preparation CH100 in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1998;13:244-247. 602 SEEFF ET AL. HEPATOLOGY September 2001
The C. elegans zyg-1 Gene Encodes a Regulator of Centrosome Duplication with Distinct Maternal and Paternal Roles in the Embryo

Centrosome duplication is a critical step in assembly of the bipolar mitotic spindle, but the molecular mechanisms regulating this process during the cell cycle and during animal development are poorly understood. Here, we report that the zyg-1 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans is an essential regulator of centrosome duplication. ZYG-1 is a protein kinase specifically required for daughter centriole formation that localizes transiently to centrosomes and acts at least one cell cycle prior to each spindle assembly event. In the embryo, ZYG-1 participates in a unique regulatory scheme whereby paternal ZYG-1 regulates duplication and bipolar spindle assembly during the first cell cycle, and maternal ZYG-1 regulates these processes thereafter. ZYG-1 is therefore a key molecular component of the centrosome/centriole duplication process.
THE WATER REQUIREMENT AND CELL-SAP CONCENTRATION OF AUSTRALIAN SALTBUSH AND WHEAT AS RELATED TO THE SALINITY OF THE SOIL

As carbon dioxid enters the stomata of a leaf to be subsequently absorbed by the moist cell walls surrounding the foliar air spaces, water evaporates from these surfaces and escapes to the atmosphere. This escapement of water is known as transpiration. The entire amount of water lost by a plant during Its growth may be taken into account and expressed as the ratio of the weight of water lost to the weight of dry matter produced. Values so derived are designated as transpiration coefficients or water requirements. The number of elements which go to determine the water requirement of a plant is by the nature of the measurement large, and the magnitude of the value obtained is dependent on all of the factors which have influenced the transpiration of the plant as well as on those which have in any way affected the absorption and fixation of carbon dioxid and its subsequent elaboration with other elements into the organic plant structure. The concentration of the tissue fluids of a plant is also subject to considerable variation. Not only are the concentrations different for different plants and different species but they differ with the habitat and appear to be largely influenced by the many changes which may take place within the immediate environment. While comparatively little is known concerning these fluids and the extent to which their composition and concentration are controlled by the surroundings or the part they play in fitting the plant to its environment, it is evident that their characteristics are of physiological significance. In this paper there are to be considered the results of a number of tests wherein the water requirements of plants grown on a series of soils successively more saline are compared with the concentrations of their tissue fluids. The experiments were planned to bring out such relationships as might exist between the water requirement of the plant and the concentration of the sap, and the extent to which either of these factors was influenced by the salinity of the soil. Two very different and in many respects well contrasted test plants were used. These were Australian saltbush, Atriplex semibaccata Brown (7); and wheat, Triticum vulgare Vell., variety "Prelude". Investigators studying the water requirements of plants have frequently concluded that those conditions which are most favorable to the growth of the plant also favor lower water requirement values. While evidence
Study of the effect of surface roughness and skin depth on the conductivity of metals at 650 GHz

A high-quality-factor quasi-optical resonator operating at 650 GHz is used to measure the conductivity of mechanically roughened metal surfaces. The results explore the effective conductivity of metals in the terahertz regime when the surface roughness is on the order of the skin depth.
The design of a retrieval technique for high-dimensional data on tertiary storage

In high-energy physics experiments, large particle accelerators produce enormous quantities of data, measured in hundreds of terabytes or petabytes per year, which are deposited onto tertiary storage. The experiments are designed to study the collisions of fundamental particles, called "events", each of which is represented as a point in a multi-dimensional universe. In these environments, the best retrieval performance can be achieved only if the data is clustered on the tertiary storage by all searchable attributes of the events. Since the number of these attributes is high, the underlying data-management facility must be able to cope with extremely large volumes and very high dimensionalities of data at the same time. The proposed indexing technique is designed to facilitate both clustering and efficient retrieval of high-dimensional data on tertiary storage. The structure uses an original space-partitioning scheme, which has numerous advantages over other space-partitioning techniques. While the main objective of the design is to support high-energy physics experiments, the proposed solution is appropriate for many other scientific applications.
Paired and Single Strain Protease Negative Lactic Streptococci for Cheese Manufacture

Abstract After propagation in pH-controlled media, pairs of protease negative lactic streptococci produced acid better than the single component strains. Some protease positive pairs remained balanced with 1:1 ratios and others produced 9:1 ratios after one propagation. Acid production by protease negative variants was unaffected by homologous phage (i.e., remained at 100% of uninoculated controls) either when paired or in single strain culture if the total numbers were about four times those of protease positive cells. Single strain cultures of protease positive cells lost significant activity with added bacteriophage. As bacteriophage concentration increased from 10 1 to 10 9 plaque forming units per milliliter, the activity dropped from 72 to 1% of the controls. When paired, the rate of acid production improved and was 90 to 62% of protease negative cells as bacteriophage increased from 10 1 to 10 9 plaque forming units per milliliter. Antibiotics affected acid production of both cell types, but protease positives were more inhibited. Pairing did not improve performance of either culture for added antibiotics.
Raman and infrared spectra, conformational stability, barriers to internal rotation, vibrational assignment, and ab initio calculations of 3-methyl-3-butenenitrile

Abstract The Raman (3500–30 cm −1 ) spectra of liquid and solid and the infrared (3500–40 cm −1 ) spectra of gaseous and solid 3-methyl-3-butenenitrile, CH 2 C(CH 3 )CH 2 C N, have been recorded. Both cis and gauche conformers have been identified in the fluid phases but only the cis form remains in the solid. Variable temperature (−55 to −100 °C) studies of the infrared spectra of the sample dissolved in liquid xenon have been carried out. From these data, the enthalpy difference has been determined to be 163±16 cm −1 (1.20±0.19 kJ mol −1 ), with the cis conformer the more stable rotamer. It is estimated that there is 48±2% of the gauche conformer present at 25°C. A complete vibrational assignment is proposed for the cis conformer based on infrared band contours, relative intensities, depolarization ratios and group frequencies. Several of the fundamentals for the gauche conformer have also been identified. The vibrational assignments are supported by normal coordinate calculations utilizing ab initio force constants. Complete equilibrium geometries have been obtained for both rotamers by ab initio calculations employing the 6-31G(d), 6-311G(d,p), 6-311+G(d,p) and 6-311+G(2d,2p) basis sets at the levels of restricted Hartree–Fock (HF) and/or Moller–Plesset perturbation theory to the second order (MP2). Only with the 6-311G(2d,2p) and 6-311G(2df,2pd) basis sets with or without diffuse functions is the cis conformer predicted to be more stable than the gauche form. The potential energy terms for the conformational interchange have been obtained at the MP2(full)/6-311+G(2d,2p) level, and compared to those obtained from the experimental data. The results are discussed and compared to the corresponding quantities obtained for some similar molecules.
Alias analysis of executable code

Recent years have seen increasing interest in systems that reason about and manipulate executable code. Such systems can generally benefit from information about aliasing. Unfortunately, most existing alias analyses are formulated in terms of high-level language features, and are unable to cope with features, such as pointer arithmetic, that pervade executable programs. This paper describes a simple algorithm that can be used to obtain aliasing information for executabie code. In order to be practical, the algorithm is carefut to keep its memory requirements low, sacrificing precision where necessary to achieve this goal. Experimental results indicate that it is nevertheless able to provide a reasonable amount of information about memory references across a variety of benchmark programs.
High Serum Retinyl Esters Are Not Associated with Reduced Bone Mineral Density in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994

Hypervitaminosis A is sometimes associated with abnormalities of calcium metabolism and bone mineral status. A recent study found a negative association between reported dietary vitamin A intake and bone mineral density (BMD). Some segments of the U.S. population have high fasting serum retinyl ester concentrations, a physiological marker that may reflect high and possibly excessive vitamin A intake. We examined the association between fasting serum retinyl esters and BMD in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994 (NHANES III), a large, nationally representative sample of the U.S. population. BMD was measured for the femoral neck, trochanter, intertrochanter, and total hip on all nonpregnant participants aged ≥20 years; 5790 participants also had complete data on fasting serum retinyl esters and covariates including age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary supplement use, diabetes, physical activity, and, among women, parity, menopausal status, and the use of oral contraceptives or estrogen-replacement therapy. The sample included non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Mexican American men and women. We examined the association between fasting serum retinyl esters and BMD at each site, controlling for covariates with multiple linear regression. We examined the association with osteopenia and osteoporosis with multiple logistic regression. Although the prevalences of high fasting serum retinyl esters concentration and low BMD were both substantial in this sample, there were no significant associations between fasting serum retinyl esters and any measure of bone mineral status.
Radical prostatectomy as treatment for prostate-specific antigen-detected stage T1c prostate cancer.

The use of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurement as a method for early detection of prostate cancer has increased the detection of clinically and pathologically localized prostate cancer. Clinical stage T1c was introduced to describe cancers discovered on prostate biopsy as a result of an abnormal serum PSA level without a palpable prostatic abnormality on digital rectal examination. The majority of men with stage T1c tumors have significant disease warranting treatment. We report the results of anatomic radical retropubic prostatectomy as therapy for PSA-detected stage T1c prostate cancer in 340 men treated at a single institution. In all, 17 men (5%) have had a recurrence with 2.3 ± 1.2 years of follow-up, 15 of whom have experienced an isolated biochemical PSA recurrence only. The overall actuarial biochemical PSA recurrence-free rate at 6 years is 87%, with pathologic stage being the best single indicator of the likelihood of progression. Although a longer period of follow-up is needed, this interim report suggests that these men can be cured by surgery at rates equal to or better than those of previously reported radical prostatectomy series.
Delinquent Histories of Adolescents Adjudicated for Criminal Sexual Conduct

A content analysis of closed case records from family court examined personal and family history variables for adolescents with sexually abusive behaviors who had been adjudicated for criminal sexual conduct and compared subgroups of adolescents with ( n = 72) and without (n = 80) prior other delinquent behavior. The study's findings indicate that adolescents with and without prior delinquent behaviors differed on a majority of the variables measured in this study. Adolescents with sexual offending behaviors who also had prior delinquent behaviors were older and had higher rates of documented childhood maltreatment, and drug and alcohol use. These adolescents had caregivers with more substance use and abuse problems and more extensive criminal histories. These findings have a number of practice implications when working with adolescents with sexually abusive behaviors. The findings also suggest that comparisons between adolescents with sexually abusive behaviors and other delinquents may be misleading if ...
Selective conjugation of soybean esters to increase hydrogenation selectivity

Polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters of soybean oil (MeSBO) were selectively conjugated as a means of increasing the linolenate selectivity of various homogeneous and heterogeneous hydrogenation catalysts. Kinetics of the conjugation reaction in various solvents indicated that linolenate conjugated 5–8 times faster than linoleate. Selective conjugation of MeSBO with potassiumt-butoxide in dipolar solvents resulted in an increase in linolenate hydrogenation selectivity to 7–8 with Ni and Pd heterogeneous catalysts, and to 7–10 with homogeneous and heterogeneous chromium carbonyl catalysts.Trans-unsaturation in the hydrogenated products was only 1–3% with the chromium carbonyl catalysts, in contrast to 30–39% with the heterogeneous metal catalysts. Triglycerides were readily converted to partial glycerides andt-butyl esters with the potassiumt-butoxide reagent.
RiskSpectrum: Emerging software for Nuclear Power Industry

RiskSpectrum is advanced software by Relcon Scandpower AB, which is increasingly being used to develop the fault tree and the event tree to find out the reliability of system in various parts of Nuclear Power Plant. In this paper, the feature and scope of RiskSpectrum is demonstrated with a fault tree example of Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor used in Nuclear Power Generation Industry. A self sufficient model with software results has been given with full details, which can work as a basic structure for an advanced and detail studies.
Möbius syndrome in a patient with α 1 antitrypsin deficiency

. This case report details the coincidence of Mobius syndrome and α antitrypsin deficiency.
Neuronal interactions in cat visual cortex mediated by the corpus callosum

Abstract The article summarizes three sets of physiological and anatomical studies carried out to investigate the structural basis of the functional interactions between visual cortical areas 17 and 18 in the two cerebral hemispheres of cats. (1) The visual field representations in the transcallosal sending and receiving zones are defined. (2) The consequences of severing callosal fibers on the visual field representation at the area 17/18 border are described. (3) Lastly, experiments using cooling to reversibly inactivate transcallosal inputs are reported. The observations on the transcallosal sending and receiving zones show that callosal connections of area 17 are concerned with a vertical hour-glass shaped region of the visual field centered on the midline, and this region is doubly represented, once in each hemisphere. The zone represents azimuths within± 4° of the midline at the 0° horizontal meridian, and azimuths out to± 15 to± 25° at positions distant from the horizontal meridian. The observations suggest that, in addition to interactions between neurons concerned with positions immediately adjacent to the midline, there are positions, especially high and low in the visual field, where interactions can occur between neurons which have receptive fields displaced some distance from the midline. The extent of this double representation is reduced by∼ 2/3 when the corpus callosum is cut. The retention of some bilateral representation in these animals suggests that there are alternate routes for across-the-midline transmission of visual signals. Or, more likely, there are ganglion cells intemporal retina with crossed projections that make significant contributions to the remaining double representation of the visual field. Lastly, the results obtained using cooling inactivation of transcallosal fibers show that many excitatory and inhibitory circuits are under the direct control of transcallosal fibers in the normally functioning brain. These connections appear to be no different from intrinsic connections of area 17, and they undoubtedly contribute to the binding of the two half-field representations, one in each hemisphere, and perceptual unity across the midline.
Molecular Simulation of Cross-Linked Epoxy and Epoxy−POSS Nanocomposite

We present an efficient method for the creation of atomistic model structures of cross-linked polymer matrices. The method consists of preparation of a physical mixture of the monomer and the cross-linker molecules in the box followed by a single-step polymerization of the entire mixture. For this purpose, the simulated annealing algorithm is used to identify pairs of reacting atoms that are spatially close. The technique is used to create five structures of cross-linked epoxy as well as cross-linked epoxy−POSS (i.e., polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane) nanocomposite. The models so generated are characterized with respect to the density, volume−temperature behavior, and the detailed molecular structure. Our results show that incorporation of POSS particles (at 5 wt %) in the cross-linked epoxy resin leads to a weak tendency for lowering the coefficient of volume thermal expansion but does not cause a measurable change in the glass transition temperature.
Dietary Fat Reduction Strategies Used by a Group of Adults Aged 50 years and Older

Abstract Objective To investigate the fat-reduction strategies used by a group of older adults who successfully made and maintained positive dietary changes for 5 years or longer. Design Participants completed 2 copies of a self-administered food frequency questionnaire: The first copy assessed diet before they began making changes and the second copy assessed diet after initiation of healthful dietary changes. Positive food changes were identified from the food frequency questionnaires. During in-person interviews, participants placed food changes onto a time line according to the nearest estimated date of initiation of the change. Subjects Participants were 65 free-living older adults (aged >50 years) who had maintained substantial changes to decrease fat intake in their diet for at least 5 years. Statistical analyses performed Quantitative and qualitative data were used to identify the fat-reduction strategies and to confirm and validate the fat-reduction strategy model. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to confirm the new model. The Kuder-Richardson-20 reliability coefficient (kr) was used to determine internal consistency of the scales developed for the study. Results The majority of participants decreased their fat intake gradually, at different time points in their lives, and over a long period of time (5 to 43 years). Mean percent energy intake from fat decreased from 44.3±5.9% before dietary improvement to 25.9±7.1% at the time of the study. The final model consisted of 5 fat-reduction strategies with 63 food changes. The strategies were: increase summer fruits (4 items; kr =0.66), increase vegetables and grains (14 items; kr =0.79), decrease recreational foods (14 items; kr =0.76), decrease cooking fat (20 items; kr =0.86), and use fat-modified foods (11 items; kr =0.80). Applications/conclusions Dietetics professionals should base their advice on the dietary strategies used by consumers rather than hypothetical premises such as food or nutrient groupings. Nutrition education interventions will have better chances for success if they are based on a set of customized programs that guide appropriate consumer segments through a series of small, comfortable, and sustainable dietary changes over a prolonged period of time. J Am Diet Assoc. 2001; 101:1024–1030.
NEW CONGESTION CONTROL SCHEMES OVER WIRELESS NETWORKS: DELAY SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS AND SIMULATIONS

Abstract This paper proposes two new congestion control schemes for packet switched wireless networks. Starting from the seminal work of Kelly (Kelly et al. , Dec 1999), we consider the decentralized flow control model for a TCP-like scheme and extend it to the wireless scenario. Motivated by the presence of channel errors, we introduce updates in the part of the model representing the number of connections the user establishes with the network; this assumption has important physical interpretation. Specifically, we propose two updates: the first is static, while the second evolves dynamically. The global stability of both schemes has been proved; also, a stochastic stability study and the rate of convergence of the two algorithms have been investigated. This paper focuses on the delay sensitivity of both schemes. A stability condition on the parameters of the system is introduced and proved. Moreover, some deeper insight on the structure of the oscillations of the system is attained. To support the theoretical results, simulations are provided.
Conformational landscape of platinum(II)-tetraamine complexes: DFT and NBO studies

The potential energy surfaces of chiral tetraamine Pt(II) coordination complexes were computed at the B3LYP/LANL2DZ level of theory by a systematic variation of two dihedral angles: C12–C15–C34–C37 (θ) and C24–C17–C31–C48 (ψ) employing a grid resolution of 30°. Potential energy surfaces calculated using density functional theory methods and Boltzmann-derived populations revealed strong preference for one diasteromer of each series studied. In addition, natural bond orbital analysis show that the minima are stabilized predominantly by a combination of electronic interactions between two phenyl groups, the phenyl groups and the Pt2+ ion, as well as with the amine groups. Additional experimental characterization of the diasteroisomers studied here is in progress and will permit further molecular modeling studies with the appropriate stereochemistry.
RAD51B Activity and Cell Cycle Regulation in Response to DNA Damage in Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Common genetic variants mapping to two distinct regions of RAD51B, a paralog of RAD51, have been associated with breast cancer risk in ge-nome-wide association studies (GWAS). RAD51B is a plausible candidate gene because of its established role in the homologous recombination (HR) process. How germline genetic variation in RAD51B confers susceptibility to breast cancer is not well understood. Here, we investigate the molecular function of RAD51B in breast cancer cell lines by knocking down RAD51B expression by small interfering RNA and treating cells with DNA-damaging agents, namely cisplatin, hydroxyurea, or methyl-methanesulfonate. Our results show that RAD51B-depleted breast cancer cells have increased sensitivity to DNA damage, reduced efficiency of HR, and altered cell cycle checkpoint responses. The influence of RAD51B on the cell cycle checkpoint is independent of its role in HR and further studies are required to determine whether these functions can explain the RAD51B breast cancer susceptibility alleles.
Methods development in multimodal chromatography with mobile phase modifiers using the steric mass action model

The ability to predict downstream protein purification processes is of great value in the biopharmaceutical industry; saving time, cost and resources. While many complex models exist, the appropriate use of simple models can be a useful tool for rapidly designing and optimizing processes as well as for risk analysis and establishing parameter ranges. In this study, the steric mass action isotherm is successfully employed to predict the chromatographic behavior of a multimodal anionic Capto adhere system in the presence of various mobile phase modifiers. An experimental protocol consisting of only a few column experiments is shown to be sufficient to establish the model. Proof of concept is carried out using human insulin and bovine serum albumin which have varying degrees of hydrophobicity, charge and size. Finally, the model predictions are verified under various experimental conditions and the unique selectivity of this multimodal system is explored and compared with traditional anion exchange resins. The simple model approach described here represents a rapid and useful method for model based process development of multimodal chromatography.
Time resolved spectroscopy of picosecond laser pulses with the aid of optical Kerr effect photography

Abstract An extension of the transverse gating, focal plane, optical Kerr effect photographic technique has permitted the direct observation of a frequency sweep within single ≈ 10 psec duration 0.53 μ wavelength pulses derived from a mode-locked Nd: glass laser.
Analysis of Irregular Reflectors

The flux distribution resulting from the light from an emitting surface being scattered by reflection from an irregular mirror surface is formulated. The particular case of the limb-darkened sun, a parabolic mirror, and a plane focal surface are analyzed using an example of geometrical scattering that occurs for thin metal optical surfaces possessing a show-through due to honeycomb backing. A matrix algorithm for computing the flux distribution is developed.
Mini-laparoscopic placement of a peritoneal dialysis catheter

Background: The laparoscopic placement of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) catheters is now an accepted technique. We evaluated a new technique for CAPD catheter placement that requires only a single 2-mm port. Methods: A pilot study was conducted at an academic minimally invasive surgery center. Seven consecutive patients in whom a CAPD catheter was required underwent placement of a 2-mm Veress port and a laparoscope. A carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum was induced up to 14 mmHg. Under direct visualization with a 2-mm scope, a CAPD catheter was advanced over the right lower quadrant toward the pelvis using a modified Seldinger technique. Results: Seven patients (four women and three men) with end-stage renal disease underwent mini-laparoscopic placement of a CAPD catheter. Mean patient age was 35.3 ± 11.3 years (range, 17–50). Mean operative time was 20.7 ± 5.0 min (range, 14–29). Patients were dialyzed in the immediate postoperative period. No leaks were identified, and there were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Conclusion: A mini-laparoscopic technique using a single 2-mm port and a modified Seldinger technique is feasible, safe, and effective for peritoneal dialysis catheter placements.