cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Steuben: a golden nematode resistant variety with wide adaptation

Steuben is a golden nematode resistant variety with wide adaptation and high yield potential. It has a mid to late season vine maturity but starts to size its crop of tubers as early as Superior. It has potential for tablestock as well as for chipping from the field and from 10°C storage. It is resistant to pitted scab but susceptible to superficial scab which can be severe enough to reduce its value for tablestock under some conditions. The maturity of the crop entering storage appears to be an important determinant for chip color out of storage.
Investigation of temperature gradient instability as the source of mid-latitude decameter-scale quiet-time ionospheric irregularities

SuperDARN HF radars regularly observe decameter-scale ionospheric irregularities at mid-latitudes during quiet geomagnetic conditions. The mechanism responsible for the growth of such common irregularities is still unknown. Previous joint measurements by Millstone Hill Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR) and SuperDARN HF radar located at Wallops Island, Virginia have identified the presence of opposed meridional electron density and temperature gradients in the region of decameter-scale electron density irregularities period. These gradients have been proposed to be responsible for low velocity Sub-Auroral Ionospheric Scatter (SAIS) observed by SuperDARN radars. Temperature gradient instability (TGI) is investigated as the potential source of irregularities associated with these SuperDARN echoes. The electrostatic dispersion relation for TGI has been extended into the kinetic regime appropriate for SuperDARN radar frequencies by including Landau damping, finite gyro-radius effects, and temperature anisotropy. This dispersion relation has been compared with the fluid model of the TGI proposed by Hudson and Kelley [1976]. The variations of TGI growth rate with electron collision frequency, temperature gradients, density gradients, and the angle between wave vector and magnetic field have been studied. Since temperature and density gradients are a persistent feature in the mid-latitude ionosphere near the plasmapause, the drift mode growth rate at short wavelengths may explain the observed mid-latitude ionospheric irregularities. The calculations of electron temperature and density gradients in the direction perpendicular to the geomagnetic field have shown that the TGI growth is possible in the top-side F-region for the duration of the experiment. A time series for the growth rate has been developed for mid-latitude ionospheric irregularities observed by SuperDARN in the top-side F-region [Greenwald et al., 2006]. This time series is computed for both perpendicular and meridional density and temperature gradients. These observations show the role of TGI is dominant over the gradient drift instability (GDI) in this case. Nonlinear evolution of the TGI has been studied utilizing gyro-kinetic “Particle In Cell” (PIC) simulations with Monte Carlo collisions. This allows detailed study of saturation amplitude, particle flux, heat flux, diffusion coefficient, and thermal diffusivity of the resistive drift wave turbulence. The simulation results have been compared with the linear theory for the short and long wavelength regime. A critical comparison of computational modeling results and experimental observations is discussed.
A model for optimally dispatching ambulances to emergency calls with classification errors in patient priorities

The decision of which servers to dispatch to which customers is an important aspect of service systems. Such decisions are complicated when servers have different operating characteristics, customers are prioritized, and there are errors in assessing customer priorities. This article formulates a model for determining how to optimally dispatch servers to prioritized customers given that dispatchers make classification errors in assessing the true customer priorities. These issues are examined through the lens of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) dispatch, for which a Markov Decision Process (MDP) model is developed that captures how to optimally dispatch ambulances (servers) to prioritized patients (customers). It is assumed that patients arrive sequentially, with the location and perceived priority of each patient becoming known upon arrival. The proposed model determines how to optimally dispatch ambulances to patients to maximize the long-run average utility of the system, defined as the expected coverag...
High capacity dense SDM transmission using multi-core few-mode fiber

We review recent progress in space division multiplexed (SDM) transmission, and our proposal and the first demonstration of dense space division multiplexing (DSDM) towards ultra-high capacity optical transport systems.
Political consequences of pragmatism

Etude des consequences politiques du pragmatisme a travers l'analyse de la theorie pragmatique du droit developpee par R. Posner. Distinguant pragmatisme juridique et realisme juridique, l'A. examine la conception activiste du droit et la definition d'une jurisprudence pragmatique chez Posner, a la lumiere de la theorie judiciaire de la decision apprehendee dans le cadre du droit commun et de l'interpretation statutaire
Some Current Directions In The Development Of Optical Materials

This paper samples the current open literature in order to delineate trends in advanced optical materials. Recent symposia on this general subject have been sponsored by the Society of Photo-optical and Instrumentation Engineers (1981, 1982, and the current 1983 meeting) and an analysis of these papers has been made along with other related publications. Significant development is evident in ultraviolet and infrared transmitting materials, laser windows, special glasses, glasses for fiber optics, improved resistance of optical materials to a variety of stressful environments, and improved optical blacks. Interest in scattering and reduction of scattering in bulk optical materials and from surfaces continues to be a subject of research. Improved instruments for measuring scattering are in development. Additional current optical materials technology thrusts are described.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The consequences of different temperatures on pore structure development in carbon

Abstract Particles of a porous, degassed Wyoming coal were reacted with carbon dioxide under surface-rate-limited conditions using a differential reactor. Different temperatures were used, and as the reaction progressed, extensive pore-structure measurements were made. This enabled the pore development to be followed at the different temperatures. Several characteristics of the burning were notable. The intrinsic surface rates (i.e., the reaction rates per unit surface unaffected by diffusion) in the macropores differed from those in the intermediate pores, and in turn the surface rates in the intermediate pores differed from those in the micropores. The intrinsic burning rates of the different sizes of pores relative to one another changed with temperature. The intrinsic burning rates of the different sizes of pores relative to one another also changed with burnoff. These three characteristics indicate that the parameters in the rate equation (pre-exponential factors and activation energies) changed with both pore size and extent of reaction. In the macropore system (pore radius >10 nm), the material constricting the pores appeared to burn faster than the material composing the bodies of the pores. In the intermediate pore system (1 nm
Variations of the Gulf Stream's north wall east of Cape Hatteras

Abstract Twelve years (1977–1988) of NOAA infrared imagery data were used to study the variations of the north wall displacements of the Gulf Stream east of Cape Hatteras (i.e., between 74 W and 65 W). The variations of the north wall displacements were compared with the variations in the Straits of Florida transport, which was estimated using a multifrequency model based on the sea-level differences between Siboney, Cuba and Key West, Florida for the period 1977–1988, and with transport measurements based on the submarine cable between Jupiter, Florida, and Settlement Point in the Bahamas for the period 1982–1988. The north wall reached a maximum northward position in 1985 when the cable data indicated that the Straits of Florida transport was a maximum. The north wall reached a maximum southward position in 1981. Cable data were not available before 1982, but the available data suggested that there may have been a minimum transport in 1981. A weak annual cycle of the north wall was found with a maximum northward position in the fall and a maximum southward position in the spring. No relationship was found between the annual cycle of the Gulf Stream's north wall and the annual cycle of the Straits of Florida transport.
Weighing Costs and Benefits Teacher Interpretation and Implementation of Access to the General Education Curriculum

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that all students receive access to the general education curriculum but does not define adequate access. Street-level bureaucracy theory was used to investigate special educators’ interpretation of their role and responsibility to create academic access for students with significant cognitive disabilities. In-depth telephone interviews were conducted with elementary, middle, and secondary special educators (n = 33) across one state. Findings revealed that access was ultimately a consistent series of decisions. Participants relied on their ethical beliefs about disability and schooling to make cost–benefit decisions, predicting and assigning value to the long-term benefits of academic activities. Researchers and policymakers concerned with academic access should recognize that special educators’ implementation of new interventions will likely be filtered through the process of access described. New initiatives and strategies should explicitly...
Two determinants of the peak shift in human voluntary stimulus generalization

Two hundred and forty college students were divided into two groups, with training stimuli (from the brightness dimension) selected to produce small and large adaptation level shifts between discrimination training (to respond “same” to S+ and “different” to S—) and gen-eralization testing. These were further divided into three groups with discriminations expected to yield positive (toward brighter values), negative (toward dimmer values), or zero post-discrimination peak shifts. Half the subjects received brief discrimination training while half received extended training. A further group of 60 subjects were given exposure to the stimuli comparable to that of the extended training subjects, but were asked to rate the stimuli instead of being given discrimination training. The results indicated that two independent, additive sources of shift were active. One source, occurring in all groups, was interpreted as being due to the change in adaptation level from training to test. The other source of shift, occurring only in the groups with extended discrimination training, was interpreted as due to the establishment of asymmetrical decision criteria; the more traditional interpretation in terms of the interaction between excitatory and inhibitory gradients of response strength was also considered.
Quantifying tree mortality in a mixed species woodland using multitemporal high spatial resolution satellite imagery

Abstract Widespread tree mortality events have recently been observed in several biomes. To effectively quantify the severity and extent of these events, tools that allow for rapid assessment at the landscape scale are required. Past studies using high spatial resolution satellite imagery have primarily focused on detecting green, red, and gray tree canopies during and shortly after tree damage or mortality has occurred. However, detecting trees in various stages of death is not always possible due to limited availability of archived satellite imagery. Here we assess the capability of high spatial resolution satellite imagery for tree mortality detection in a southwestern U.S. mixed species woodland using archived satellite images acquired prior to mortality and well after dead trees had dropped their leaves. We developed a multistep classification approach that uses: supervised masking of non-tree image elements; bi-temporal (pre- and post-mortality) differencing of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and red:green ratio (RGI); and unsupervised multivariate clustering of pixels into live and dead tree classes using a Gaussian mixture model. Classification accuracies were improved in a final step by tuning the rules of pixel classification using the posterior probabilities of class membership obtained from the Gaussian mixture model. Classifications were produced for two images acquired post-mortality with overall accuracies of 97.9% and 98.5%, respectively. Classified images were combined with land cover data to characterize the spatiotemporal characteristics of tree mortality across areas with differences in tree species composition. We found that 38% of tree crown area was lost during the drought period between 2002 and 2006. The majority of tree mortality during this period was concentrated in pinon-juniper (Pinus edulis-Juniperus monosperma) woodlands. An additional 20% of the tree canopy died or was removed between 2006 and 2011, primarily in areas experiencing wildfire and management activity. -Our results demonstrate that unsupervised clustering of bi-temporal NDVI and RGI differences can be used to detect tree mortality resulting from numerous causes and in several forest cover types.
Substance use among high school students in relation to school characteristics.

Abstract This research relates current use by 11th grade students of 17 psychoactive substances and age of first use and intoxication to characteristics of high school in which they are enrolled. The 2, 471 11th grade students surveyed were enrolled in a representative sample of 44 California high schools. Correlations between schools based on twelve characteristics (total 12th grade achievement scores, SES, percent various ethnic groups, etc.) were analyzed by means of a complete linkage cluster analysis. Three clusters of schools were identified. Frequency of use of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and other substances as well as polydrug use and age of first alcohol use were found to differ significantly between schools in different clusters. In general, substance use was highest in rural or small town, predominantly white high schools with relatively low enrollments, second highest in large, high SES, predominantly white schools, and lowest in large, low SES, predominantly minority high schools. Four hypothesis relating school characteristics and substance use suggested by these findings are proposed.
Convergent and Discriminant Validity of a Test of Sensitivity

Smith's Test of Sensitivity (TOS) was examined through Campbell and Fiske's multitrait-multimethod approach. Intelligence and sensitivity were measured by objectively scored tests, peer ratings, and self-ratings. Fifty-three subjects comprising ten work or living groups were sampled from undergraduates, graduates, and employees of the University of Montana. Significant monotrait-heteromethod values were found for the intelligence but not for the sensitivity measure. The failure to find convergent validity for the TOS should be considered before employing this instrument for the measurement of sensitivity. Data from the present study have suggested that alternatively (a) sensitivity is not meaningfully described as a unified personality trait or (b) the TOS does not adequately tap the trait.
A new member of the leucine zipper class of proteins that binds to the HLA DR alpha promoter

Several mutants derived from transformed human B cell lines are defective in expressing major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes. The failure to express a class II gene in at least one such mutant line has been mapped to the MHC class II X box, a conserved transcriptional element in the promoter region. A complementary DNA encoding a DNA-binding protein (human X box binding protein, hXBP-1) whose target is the human DR alpha X box and the 3' flanking region has now been cloned. This complementary DNA encoded a protein with structural similarities to the c-jun proto-oncogene product, and its target sequence was closely related to the palindromic target sequence of c-jun. Mutation of the hXBP-1 DNA target sequence decreased DR alpha promoter activity in vivo. These studies suggest that the hXBP-1 protein acts as a transcription factor in B cells.
Analyses of Passenger and Baggage Flows in Airport Terminal Buildings

Passenger flows into departure lounges can be expressed by an S-shaped quartic curve. The flow of passengers from the departure lounge into an airplane and from the airplane into the lounge is nearly linear. Scheduling of arrivals of large aircraft at about the same time will result in very high passenger flow rates in pier finger corridors during very short intervals of time. Deterministic theory can be applied to passenger and baggage arrival characteristics which in turn can be used to estimate space requirements for passengers in baggage claim area.
CASE STUDY OF THE OPTIMIZING THE AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS EFFICIENCY VIA APPLYING NEW METHOD OF SCHEDULING

Efficiency is becoming a pivotal aspect in each man ufacturing system and scheduling plays a crucial ro le in sustaining it. The applicability of distributed com puting to coordinate and execute jobs has been investigated in the past literature. Moreover, it i s significant that even for sensitive industrial sy stems the only criterion of allocating jobs to appropriate ma chines is the FIFO policy. On the other flip, many researchers are of the opinion that the main reason behind failing to provide fairness in distributed systems is considering the only criterion of time stamp to judge upon and form the queue of jobs with the aim of allocating those jobs to the machines. In order to increase the efficiency of sensitive industrial sys tem, this study takes into consideration of three criteria of each job including priority, time action and time stamp. The methodology adopted by this study is definition of job scheduler and positioning jobs in temporary queue and sorting via developing bubble sort. In so rting algorithm criterion of priority, time action should be considered besides time stamp to recognize the t ense jobs for processing earlier. To evaluate this algorithm first a numerical test case (simulation) is programmed and then the case study performing in order to optimize efficiency of applying this method in r eal manufacturing system. Eventually the results of this study provided evidence on that the rate of efficie ncy is increased.
Procedures for a modified tritium trick-helium doping and residual tritium analysis of vanadium alloys

Abstract A modified tritium trick technique was used to implant three levels of 3 He in V-15% Cr-5% Ti and Vanstar-7 specimens. The modifications include: (1) wrapping of the specimens with tantalum foil to minimize oxygen contamination and (2) tritiation treatment at 400°C to prevent vanadium tritide formation and to produce a 3 He bubble distribution similar to that produced during elevated temperature irradiation. Preliminary results show that both modifications were successful. An electrochemical dissolution technique was developed to determine residual tritium levels in the vanadium alloys. Measured residual tritium levels after tritium removal were in the range of 500 to 1400 μCi/g (0.88 to 2.99 appm tritium in the alloy). Tritium solubilities in the alloys were calculated from the tritium decay time and the measured 3 He content. Vanstar-7 specimens consistently absorbed about half as much tritium, and subsequently contained half as much 3 He as V-15% Cr-5% Ti. Implanting 3 He in vanadium alloys via the tritium trick offers a convenient technique to study the mechanism of helium embrittlement without irradiation and should provide a rapid screening method to help develop embrittlement-resistant vanadium alloys.
Optical coherence elastography for tissue characterization: a review.

The position of OCE among other elastography techniques. Optical coherence elastography (OCE) represents the frontier of optical elasticity imaging techniques and focuses on the micro-scale assessment of tissue biomechanics in 3D that is hard to achieve with traditional elastographic methods. Benefit from the advancement of optical coherence tomography, and driven by the increasing requirements in nondestructive biomechanical characterization, this emerging technique recently has experienced a rapid development. In this paper, we start with the description of the mechanical contrast that has been employed by OCE and review the state-of-the-art techniques based on the reported applications and discuss the current technical challenges, emphasizing the unique role of OCE in tissue mechanical characterization.
Measurement of optical properties to quantify healing of chronic diabetic wounds

Measurement of scattering and absorption characteristics of tissue by near infrared spectroscopy may provide a clinically applicable, quantitative method of assessing healing of diabetic wounds. Twenty SICH-1 hairless rats were divided into a control group and a streptozotocin-induced diabetic group. Full-thickness wounds were made on the dorsal surface of each animal. Wounds were examined using a near infrared device with three wavelengths of incident light. Amplitude and phase of scattered light were obtained at four different source detector distances at each wavelength. The probe was positioned at six different locations. Tissue absorption and scattering coefficients were calculated from amplitude and phase data. Wound dimensions were calculated by cross and parallel polarization. Thirty-eight wounds were evaluated during the experiment. Wound size decreased at twice the rate in the control animals, whereas the average absorption coefficient was higher by a factor of two while the average value of the reduced scattering coefficient was 30% higher in the diabetic wounds. During healing, both scattering and absorption coefficients increased faster in the diabetics. Higher absorption in diabetic rats suggests impaired blood flow. Scattering may reflect tissue disorganization observed in delayed wound healing. We conclude that near infrared spectroscopy may differentiate between healing diabetic and nondiabetic wounds.
Characterization of starch/polyethylene and starch/polyethylene/poly(lactic acid) composites

This paper examines the microstructural aspects of vernonia oil-added starch–polyethylene and vernonia oil added starch–polyethylene–polylactic acid composite. Polymer composite films containing different percentage of additives were melt processed and acid hydrolyzed. Scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surfaces of OsO4 stained vernonia oil-added composite showed that the vernonia oil is present at the interface of the starch–polyethylene. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM) was used to obtain pore size of the hydrolyzed polymer composite. The progressive hydrolysis of the degradable component in the composite was studied by mass loss measurement and FTIR analyses. The quantity of water passing through the porous acid hydrolyzed composite was found to depend on the thickness of film.
The collapse of cod in Eastern Canada: the evidence from tagging data

We examined the history of exploitation of three cod populations in Eastern Canada since 1954 as estimated from tag return data from 122 tagging experiments. We found very high rates of exploitation in the late 1980s and early 1990s that are consistent with the hypothesis that these populations collapsed because of overfishing. The estimates were made with a new method that incorporates the data in the year of tagging which are often ignored.
Superspreading of Aqueous Films Containing Trisiloxane Surfactant on Mineral Oil

The spreading of water droplets, containing various surfactants, on liquid mineral oil surfaces has been investigated. Only “superspreading” trisiloxane surfactants were observed to promote rapid spreading on mineral oil, and the spreading characteristics of these systems differ substantially from those observed on solid substrates of comparable hydrophobicity. These differences include significantly faster spreading rates and monotonically increasing spreading rates with increasing surfactant concentration. Superspreading is attributed to Marangoni flow along the mineral oil−water interface. The extremely fast spreading on the mineral oil surface, as compared to hydrophobic solid surfaces, is attributed to the absence of the no-slip condition at the mineral oil−water interface. Real-time videomicroscopy of the spreading of aqueous droplets containing the trisiloxane surfactant M(D‘E4OH)M revealed stepwise motion of the leading edges of the aqeuous drop driven by disintegration of large surfactant aggrega...
UV-Excited Raman and Resonance Raman Spectra of Synthetic Polymers

High-quality, UV-excited (218-242 nm), fluorescence-free conventional Raman spectra have been generated from UV-transparent polymers such as polytetra-fluoroethylene (Teflon®), polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyoxymethylene (Delrin®). Spectra can be generated with the use of low exciting power (<1 mW), but even at low power, precautions have to be taken to prevent photo-oxidation and thermal degradation of samples. Polyvinylchloride polymers especially have been found to be prone to degradation. Weakly absorbing polymers such as nylon and polybutadiene show special promise for Raman analysis, because they exhibit significant preresonance enhancement of structurally significant modes, and because they still retain information derived from conventional Raman spectra. Strongly preresonance-enhanced ethylenic modes of polybutadience isomers can be resolved, allowing the easy identification of cis and trans isomers. In contrast, strongly absorbing polymers such as polystyrene, polycarbonate, and polyphenolics show only intense, resonance-enhanced Raman spectra. Unfortunately, Raman spectra of these materials are limited to phenyl ring modes, and all valuable conventional Raman spectra are totally lost due to internal absorption.
What do we Want from a Theory of Happiness

: I defend a methodology for theorizing about happiness. I reject three methods: conceptual analysis; scientific naturalism; and the “pure normative adequacy” approach, where the best conception of happiness is the one that best fills a role in moral theory. The concept of happiness is a folk notion employed by laypersons who have various practical interests in the matter, and theories of happiness should respect this fact. I identify four such interests in broad terms and then argue for a set of desiderata that theories of happiness ought to satisfy. The theory of happiness falls within the province of ethics. It should, however, be viewed as autonomous and not merely secondary to moral theory.
Group and individual relations between sensation magnitudes and their numerical estimates

The study deals mainly with absolute magnitude estimation (AME) of the component loud-nesses and the total loudness of pairs of heterofrequency, sequential tone bursts. Two kinds of relations are derived from the obtained group and individual data on the assumption of loudness additivity and a two-stage scaling model. They refer to numerical loudness estimates versus derived loudness magnitudes and to the loudness magnitudes versus tone sensation levels. The relations are validated by means of indirect and direct loudness matches. In an auxiliary experiment, the same subjects performed AMEs of subjective line lengths. The resulting group and individual relations between the numerical estimates and the underlying physical line lengths were found to be nearly the same as those between the numerical loudness estimates and the derived loudness magnitudes. The mutual consistency among the several sets of empirical and derived data strongly supports the assumptions of loudness additivity and the two-stage model.
Data communications controls

Abstract Computer systems employing data communications networks, such as distributed data processing systems, on line real-time computer systems, and electronic funds transfer systems are expected to significantly increase in the future. These systems require the electronic transmission of messages between a sending station and a receiving station. However, the message transmitted from the sending station may be distorted, modified, or destroyed due to faulty equipment, power fluctuations, cross-talk, and atmospheric conditions. To insure that the receiving end obtains the original message, proper controls must be incorporated into the data communications network. This paper will examine the following data communications controls: integrity controls, privacy and confidentiality measures, and backup and recovery controls.
Pulmonary hypertension in systemic sclerosis.

Objectives To discuss the clinical subtypes, pathogenesis, pathology, diagnostic evaluation, treatment options, and prognosis of pulmonary hypertension in systemic sclerosis (SSc-PH) and highlight its fundamental differences from idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). Methods A Medline search for articles published between January 1969 and June 2010 was conducted using the following keywords: scleroderma, systemic sclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary arterial hypertension, pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, pathogenesis, pathology, investigation, treatment, and prognosis. The essential differences from IPAH in pathogenesis and histopathologic findings were highlighted and the limitations of some of the investigations used were emphasized. The differences in response to currently accepted therapy and prognosis were also reviewed. Results In scleroderma, pulmonary hypertension can be present in isolation or along with interstitial lung disease and left heart disease. In SSc-PH, the unique histopathologic findings in the lungs include intimal fibrosis, absence of plexiform lesions, and a high prevalence of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease-like lesions. Both "6-minute walk test" and NT-proBNP have their limitations in the evaluation of SSc-PH. For treatment, calcium channel blockers are ineffective and anticoagulation should be used with caution. Currently approved therapies are not as effective and prognosis is much worse in SSc-PH compared with IPAH. Conclusions SSc-PH is a complex condition with poorer response to therapy and worse outcome compared with that of IPAH. Recent findings have shed some light about the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of SSc-PH. Further research in this area is warranted to better understand the complex pathogenesis and devise better therapeutic strategies.
An aluminum-induced increase in GFAP is attenuated by some chelators

Enhanced expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has been shown to be associated with gliosis, a generic response of the CNS to neural injury. The effects of aluminum (Al) on regional GFAP concentrations were evaluated to determine potential sites of Al-induced neural injury. Rabbits received 20 Al (100 mumol/kg) or sodium lactate injections over 1 month. Frontal cortical GFAP increased (approximately twofold above control) in Al-loaded rabbits; whereas hippocampal and cerebellar GFAP concentrations were not affected. Frontal cortical synaptophysin, neurofilament 68, and myelin basic protein concentrations were then examined in an attempt to determine cell-specific targets of Al neurotoxicity. These proteins were not affected by Al. The ability of chelators to influence brain Al concentrations and the Al effect on GFAP were assessed. Desferrioxamine (DFO) and six 3-hydroxypyridin-4-ones (CPs) were given 12 times, over 1 month, to Al-loaded rabbits. CP24 significantly reduced brain Al. CP93, CP52, and CP24 significantly reduced frontal cortical GFAP. The data suggest an Al-induced gliosis consequent to subtle damage in the frontal cortex and a protective role of some chelators against this CNS injury.
Qualitative well placement and drainage volume calculations based on diffusive time of flight

Abstract Streamlines have been very effectively used for computing swept volumes and drainage volumes in oil reservoirs. However, there is an incorrect but commonly held perception that streamlines cannot be used for gas reservoirs. In fact, streamlines exist whenever there is an underlying velocity field—both in compressible and incompressible flow. In this paper we present one of the first applications of streamlines to tight gas reservoirs for drainage volume calculations of producing wells, optimal placement of infill wells. Current practice of well placement in tight gas reservoirs generally involves the use of empirical correlations based on reservoir properties and past production histories and/or pressure maps from flow simulation. No rigorous procedure is available to compute well drainage volumes in the presence of heterogeneity and hydraulic fractures, particularly for complex wells. We propose a fast approach for drainage volume calculations based on the streamlines and diffusive time of flight and demonstrate its application to optimize well placement. Our approach relies on a high frequency asymptotic solution of the diffusivity equation and emulates the propagation of a ‘pressure front’ in the reservoir. This allows us not only to rigorously compute the well drainage volumes as a function of time, but also to examine the potential impact of infill wells on the drainage volumes of existing producers. Using these results, we present a systematic approach to optimize well placement to maximize the estimated ultimate recoveries (EUR). We demonstrate the power and utility of our method using both synthetic and field applications. The synthetic example is used to validate our approach by establishing the consistency between the drainage volume calculations from streamlines and the EUR. The field example is from the Wamsutter gas field, one of the largest gas fields in the Rocky Mountain region. We utilize the streamline-based drainage volumes to identify depleted sands and generate a reservoir quality map to optimize future well placement based on the undepleted regions. Field application clearly demonstrates a systematic and efficient approach to optimal well placement in tight gas reservoirs.
A three-dimensional Monte Carlo model for electrically conductive polymer matrix composites filled with curved fibers

A three-dimensional (3-D) Monte Carlo model is developed for predicting electrical conductivity of polymer matrix composites filled with conductive curved fibers. The conductive fillers are modeled as a 3-D network of finite sites that are randomly positioned. The percolation behavior of the network is studied using the Monte Carlo method, which leads to the determination of the critical fiber volume fraction (or the percolation threshold). The effect of fiber curliness on the percolation behavior is incorporated in the current model by using 3-D arm-shaped fibers, each of which needs five independent geometrical parameters (i.e., three coordinates for its vertex and two orientation angles) for its identification. There are three controlling parameters for such fibers, namely the fiber arm length, the fiber aspect ratio, and the fiber arm angle. The new model also considers the sample size and scaling effects. The simulation results reveal an exponential relationship between the fiber aspect ratio and the percolation threshold: the higher the aspect ratio, the lower the threshold. It is also found that the curliness largely influences the percolation threshold: the more curved the fiber, the higher the threshold. However, the effect of curliness diminishes with the increase of the fiber aspect ratio. With the percolation threshold obtained from the Monte Carlo model, the effective electrical conductivity of the composite is then determined by applying the theory of percolation. The numerical results indicate that the composite conductivity decreases as the fibers become more curved and as the fiber aspect ratio decreases. These predicted trends of the percolation threshold and composite conductivity are in good agreement with existing experimental and simulation results.
Open Access in the Patient-Centered Medical Home: Lessons from the Veterans Health Administration

Background The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has undertaken a 5-year initiative to transform to a patient-centered medical home model. An early focus of implementation was on creating open access, defined as continuity and capacity in primary care.
Sucrose regulation of protein synthesis in pea root meristem cells

Abstract The enhanced synthesis of a polypeptide of apparent molecular weight of 93,000 daltons in apical meristem cells of excised pea roots appears to be a specific response to low sugar levels in these cells. Following excision of roots, the levels of soluble sugars in the meristems drop precipitously, this drop preceding the switch to selective incorporation of 3H-leucine, detected by SDS-PAGE fluorography, into the polypeptide; removal of cotyledons from otherwise intact seedlings also results in an increase, in the meristem, in the relative amount of a polypeptide of the same apparent molecular weight. When exogenous sucrose is provided to starved, excised roots, the preferential incorporation of 3H-leucine into the 93,000 dalton polypeptide is greatly reduced, indicating an immediate and specific repression of its synthesis by sucrose. Finally, exposure of starved meristems to elevated temperature results in a switch to incorporation of labeled leucine into typical heat-shock proteins, rather than into the sucrose-regulated polypeptide.
Past, Present, and Future of Emergency Radiology

In the past 2 decades, emergency radiology has emerged as since 1990. ASER publishes the journal Emergency Radian important subspecialty of medicine. Although relatively new, the growth of this subspecialty has been rapid and parallels the growth of the specialty of emergency medicine. As a subspecialty of radiology, emergency radiology is defined by the imaging and imaging management of patients who are acutely ill and injured. The primary responsibility of the emergency radiologist is not only the imaging of patients in the emergency department (ED) at all times but also off-hours emergency imaging of all patients in the medical centre. The founding of the major professional societies of emergency medicine and emergency radiology also occurred in parallel. Aiming to improve the quality of emergency care, emergency physicians founded the American College of Emergency Physicians in 1968 with the goal ‘‘to educate and train physicians in emergency medicine.’’ The first emergency medicine residency was created in 1970, and the specialty was recognized as the 23rd medical specialty in 1979 with the first board examination in 1980. Currently, the American College of Emergency Physicians represents more than 28,000 physicians and publishes the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine. Radiologists who wished to improve the imaging care of emergency patients founded The American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER) in 1988. The mission of ASER is to ‘‘advance the quality of diagnosis and treatment of acutely ill or injured patients by means of medical imaging and to enhance teaching and research in emergency radiology.’’ ASER membership comprises more than 700 national and international members, and the society has hosted annual scientific and educational meetings on emergency radiology
Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

This article reviews 4 categories of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension. It focuses on the diagnosis and management of preeclampsia with emphasis on the pharmacologic management of blood pressure during pregnancy. Preeclampsia is one of the most common medical disorders affecting pregnancy, with significant maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The most serious maternal complications of preeclampsia include intracerebral hemorrhage, eclampsia, and renal failure, as well as hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES).
Matching approved "nondedicated" hardware to obtain biventricular pacing and defibrillation: feasibility and troubleshooting.

KANAGARATNAM, L., et al.: Matching Approved “Nondedicated” Hardware to Obtain Biventricular Pacing and Defibrillation: Feasibility and Troubleshooting. Biventricular ICDs may offer increased benefit for patients with severe congestive heart failure and ventricular arrhythmia. Currently there are no approved dedicated biventricular ICDs available. Twenty-one consecutive patients who had approved nondedicated hardware implanted for biventricular pacing and defibrillation were included in this study. All device therapies were evaluated using stored electrograms. During mean follow-up at 13 ± 7 months, 8 (36%) patients had inappropriate shocks. Ventricular fibrillation therapy was delivered for slow ventricular tachycardia because of double counting in two patients. In one patient, AV nodal reentrant tachycardia below detection rate cut off triggered device therapy because of ventricular double counting. Sinus tachycardia or premature atrial contraction initiating AV conduction and ventricular double counting resulted in shocks in five patients. The number of shocks per patient ranged from 1 to 64. Two patients required transient disconnection of the LV lead and subsequent ICD generator replacement for premature battery depletion. Two patients required AV junction ablation and three needed slow pathway ablation. Two patients were treated by upgrading to a device that was capable of a higher atrial tracking rate. The patients with impaired AV conduction or constant ventricular pacing did not have inappropriate therapy for sinus tachycardia or supraventricular arrhythmia. Use of conventional nondedicated hardware for biventricular pacer/defibrillator is feasible but should be considered only in patients with poor AV node function or less likely to require antitachycardic therapy, to avoid ICD double counting of ventricular sensed events and consequent high incidence of inappropriate therapies.
Absolute cross section for neutron-proton radiative capture at T/sub n/ = 185 MeV

The differential cross section for the reaction p(n,d)..gamma.. has been measured for angles between theta/sub d/ = 0/sup 0/ and theta/sub d/(c.m.) = 65/sup 0/ at a neutron kinetic energy T/sub n/ = 185 MeV. On the assumption of time-reversal invariance, our results are in agreement with the deuteron photodisintegration measurement at theta/sub p/ = 0/sup 0/ performed by Hughes et al. at Mainz. At present there exists no calculation for this reaction which is in satisfactory agreement with our measurements. The disparity between theory and experiment in this basic process, therefore, poses a persisting problem.
Biocompatible blood pool MRI contrast agents based on hyaluronan.

Biocompatible gadolinium blood pool contrast agents based on a biopolymer, hyaluronan, were investigated for magnetic resonance angiography application. Hyaluronan, a non-sulfated linear glucosaminoglycan composed of 2000–25,000 repeating disaccharide subunits of D-glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine with molecular weight up to 20 MDa, is a major component of the extracellular matrix. Two gadolinium contrast agents based on 16 and 74 kDa hyaluronan were synthesized, both with R1 relaxivity around 5 mM−1 s−1 per gadolinium at 9.4 T at 25°C. These two hyaluronan based agents show significant enhancement of the vasculature for an extended period of time. Initial excretion was primarily through the renal system. Later uptake was observed in the stomach and lower gastrointestinal tract. Macromolecular hyaluronan-based gadolinium agents have a high clinical translation potential as hyaluronan is already approved by FDA for a variety of medical applications. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nearly monotonic problems: a key to effective FA/C distributed sensor interpretation?

The functionally-accurate, cooperative (FA/C) distributed problem-solving paradigm is one approach for organizing distributed problem solving among homogeneous, cooperating agents. A key assumption of the FA/C model has been that the agents' local solutions can substitute for the raw data in determining the global solutions. This is not the case in general, however. Does this mean that researchers' intuitions have been wrong and/or that FA/C problem solving is not likely to be effective? We suggest that some domains have a characteristic that can account for the success of exchanging mainly local solutions. We call such problems nearly monotonic. This concept is discussed in the context of FA/C-based distributed sensor interpretation.
Source Memory in the Rat

Summary Source memory is a representation of the origin (source) of information. When source information is bound together, it makes a memory episodic, allowing us to differentiate one event from another [1, 2]. Here, we asked whether rats remember the source of encoded information. Rats foraged for distinctive flavors of food that replenished (or failed to replenish) at its recently encountered location according to a source-information rule. To predict replenishment, rats needed to remember where they had encountered a preferred food type (chocolate) with self-generated (walking along a runway encountering chocolate) or experimenter-generated (placement of the rat at the chocolate site by an experimenter) cues. Three lines of evidence implicate the presence of source memory. First, rats selectively adjusted revisits to the chocolate location based on source information, under conditions in which familiarity of events could not produce successful performance. Second, source memory was dissociated from location memory by different decay rates. Third, temporary inactivation of the CA3 region of the hippocampus with lidocaine selectively eliminated source memory, suggesting that source memory is dependent upon an intact hippocampus. Development of an animal model of source memory may be valuable to probe the biological underpinnings of memory disorders marked by impairments in source memory.
Stereocontrolled Construction of Complex Cyclic Ketones via Oxy‐Cope Rearrangement

Convergency is a highly serviceable aspect of organic synthesis, particularly when its application is accompanied by high levels of chirality transfer and regiocontrol. A reaction that is notably well suited to these objectives is the oxy-Cope rearrangement. In addition, the benefits that can accrue from suitable condensation of β γ-unsaturated ketones with a vinyl organometallic and subsequent [3,3] sigmatropic shift are substantive enhancement in structural complexity and the ability to generate a myriad of polycyclic frameworks. Another profitable feature is the complementary regeneration of the carbonyl group in a new structural context. In view of the pivotal role played by the carbonyl functionality in synthetic transformations, reacquisition of such a reaction site translates into heightened chemical versatility. The trajectories followed by vinyl organometallics as they engage in 1,2 addition to ketones are gradually being understood. Proper diastereoselective control of this bond-making process, when coupled with full awareness of the chair or boat topography adopted during the ensuing oxy-Cope electronic reorganization, provides for exciting new strategy-level dimensions not often available in other contexts. The use of this two-step sequence as a prelude to a third chemical event clearly serves to expand the possibilities for molecular construction still more. While a considerable amount of the work to date has focused on the preparation of rather elaborate carbocyclic molecules, principally with a view to gaining access to complex natural products, the possibilities for heterocyclic synthesis are currently being accorded increased attention.