cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the central Rio Grande rift, New Mexico: New potassium-argon ages

Abstract New K Ar age determinations on mid-Oligocene to Pleistocene volcanic and shallow intrusive rocks from the central Rio Grande rift permit a more detailed understanding of the tectonic and magmatic history of the rift. Initial extension in the region of the central rift may have begun prior to 27 m.y. ago. By 25 m.y. ago broad basins existed and were filling with volcaniclastic sediments derived mainly from volcanic centers in the San Juan and Questa areas. Continued tectonic activity narrowed these basins by 21-19 m.y. ago, indicated in the Santa Fe area by tilting and faulting that immediately postdate 20-m.y.-old latite. Uplift of the Sangre de Cristo, Sandia, and Nacimiento Mountains shed clastic debris of the Santa Fe Group into these basins. Early rift magmatism is characterized by an overlap of mid-Tertiary intermediate intrusive and extrusive activity, extending to 20 m.y. ago, with mafic and ultramafic volcanism, ranging from 25 to 19 m.y. Both volcanism and tectonic activity were minimal during the middle Miocene. About 13 m.y. ago renewed volcanic activity began. Tectonism commenced in the late Miocene, resulting in the present, narrow grabens. The term “Rio Grande rift” should be restricted to these grabens formed during post-mid-Miocene deformation. Widespread eruption of tholeiitic and alkali olivine basalts occurred 3-2 m.y. ago. The Rio Grande drainage system was integrated 4.5-3 m.y. ago, leading to the present erosional regime. These intervals of deformation and magmatism correspond generally with a similar sequence of events in the Basin and Range province south of the Colorado Plateau. This similarity indicates that the Rio Grande rift is not a unique structure in the southwestern U.S., and must be related to the larger context of the entire Basin and Range province.
An Unusual Aortic Aneurism Followed for Ten Years

An unusual appearing aneurism is presented, together with a ten year study. It is offered only as unusual and an interesting case.
Selectivity Changes during Activation of Mutant Shaker Potassium Channels

Mutations of the pore-region residue T442 in Shaker channels result in large effects on channel kinetics. We studied mutations at this position in the backgrounds of NH2-terminal–truncated Shaker H4 and a Shaker -NGK2 chimeric channel having high conductance (Lopez, G.A., Y.N. Jan, and L.Y. Jan. 1994. Nature (Lond.). 367: 179–182). While mutations of T442 to C, D, H, V, or Y resulted in undetectable expression in Xenopus oocytes, S and G mutants yielded functional channels having deactivation time constants and channel open times two to three orders of magnitude longer than those of the parental channel. Activation time courses at depolarized potentials were unaffected by the mutations, as were first-latency distributions in the T442S chimeric channel. The mutant channels show two subconductance levels, 37 and 70% of full conductance. From single-channel analysis, we concluded that channels always pass through the larger subconductance state on the way to and from the open state. The smaller subconductance state is traversed in ∼40% of activation time courses. These states apparently represent kinetic intermediates in channel gating having voltage-dependent transitions with apparent charge movements of ∼1.6 e. The fully open T442S chimeric channel has the conductance sequence Rb+ > NH4+ > K+. The opposite conductance sequence, K+ > NH4+ > Rb+, is observed in each of the subconductance states, with the smaller subconductance state discriminating most strongly against Rb+.
Analysis and modeling of ensemble recordings from respiratory pre-motor neurons indicate changes in functional network architecture after acute hypoxia.

We have combined neurophysiologic recording, statistical analysis, and computational modeling to investigate the dynamics of the respiratory network in the brainstem. Using a multielectrode array, we recorded ensembles of respiratory neurons in perfused in situ rat preparations that produce spontaneous breathing patterns, focusing on inspiratory pre-motor neurons. We compared firing rates and neuronal synchronization among these neurons before and after a brief hypoxic stimulus. We observed a significant decrease in the number of spikes after stimulation, in part due to a transient slowing of the respiratory pattern. However, the median interspike interval did not change, suggesting that the firing threshold of the neurons was not affected but rather the synaptic input was. A bootstrap analysis of synchrony between spike trains revealed that, both before and after brief hypoxia, up to 45 % (but typically less than 5 %) of coincident spikes across neuronal pairs was not explained by chance. Most likely, this synchrony resulted from common synaptic input to the pre-motor population, an example of stochastic synchronization. After brief hypoxia most pairs were less synchronized, although some were more, suggesting that the respiratory network was “rewired” transiently after the stimulus. To investigate this hypothesis, we created a simple computational model with feed-forward divergent connections along the inspiratory pathway. Assuming that 1) the number of divergent projections was not the same for all presynaptic cells, but rather spanned a wide range and 2) that the stimulus increased inhibition at the top of the network; this model reproduced the reduction in firing rate and bootstrap-corrected synchrony subsequent to hypoxic stimulation observed in our experimental data.
Deficient nocturnal surge of thyrotropin in central hypothyroidism.

In normal individuals, serum TSH concentrations have a circadian pattern characterized by a nocturnal surge which begins in the late afternoon and reaches its peak after midnight. We assessed the nocturnal surge of TSH in 16 patients with pituitary and/or hypothalamic diseases, 6 of whom were judged to be hypothyroid. To assess themagnitude of the nocturnal surge in individual patients, TSH was measured in 5 serum samples obtained during the normal time of the TSH nadir in the late afternoon and in 5 samples obtained during the normal time of the peak of serum TSH after midnight. A significantnocturnal surge of TSH was defined as a significantly greater mean nighttime TSH level than the mean daytime TSH concentration. The nocturnal TSH surge was absent in the 6 patients with central hypothyroidism, while it was present in the 10 euthyroid patients with central lesions. In 6 hypothyroid patients who did not have pituitary or hypothalamic lesions, the nocturnal TSH surge was intact, indicating that hypothyr...
Simplified controller design for distributed parameter systems using mobile actuator with augmented vehicle dynamics

A way to mitigate the effects of spatiotemporally varying disturbances in systems governed by partial differential equations is to employ actuating devices that are capable of moving throughout the spatial domain. In this work, the guidance of such a moving actuator, that is able to move throughout the spatial domain and dispense the control signal at any spatial location, is considered. By assuming a specific structure of the controller architecture, namely that of a collocated input-output in which the control signal is proportional to the state evaluated at the spatial location of the actuating device, the problem under consideration simplifies to that of obtaining the guidance of the moving actuator. By incorporating the dynamics of a moving vehicle, a Lyapunov stability argument is made in order to obtain the requisite control torque of the vehicle. Extensive numerical simulations for a diffusion equation are included to verify the effectiveness of a such a mobile actuator-sensor pair in suppressing the effects of spatially varying disturbances.
Reduction of hemorrhage after knee arthroplasty using cryo-based fibrin sealant.

The spray application of cryo-based fibrin sealant was evaluated for reducing hemorrhage in a complex, anticoagulated canine model of knee joint arthroplasty. Nine heparinized dogs underwent bilateral knee arthroplasty under tourniquet control with each animal having 3 mL of fibrin sealant sprayed onto one joint and the other joint serving as control. The fibrin sealant significantly reduced total and incremental bleeding as compared to the control side (P < .05). In addition, the hemostatic effectiveness of the fibrin sealant increased as bleeding propensity increased (P < .05). This study suggests that fibrin sealant may reduce bleeding from orthopedic joint replacement in human patients undergoing routine operations as well as those receiving forms of anticoagulation to reduce the incidence of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolus.
Ethambutol Optimal Clinical Dose and Susceptibility Breakpoint Identification by Use of a Novel Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Model of Disseminated Intracellular Mycobacterium avium

Ethambutol, together with a macrolide, is the backbone for treatment of disseminated Mycobacterium avium disease. However, at the standard dose of 15 mg/kg of body weight/day, ethambutol efficacy is limited. In addition, susceptibility breakpoints have consistently failed to predict clinical outcome. We performed dose-effect studies with extracellular M. avium as well as with bacilli within human macrophages. The maximal kill rate (E(max)) for ethambutol against extracellular bacilli was 5.54 log(10) CFU/ml, compared to 0.67 log(10) CFU/ml for intracellular M. avium, after 7 days of exposure. Thus, extracellular assays demonstrated high efficacy. We created a hollow-fiber system model of intracellular M. avium and performed microbial pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic studies using pharmacokinetics similar to those of ethambutol for humans. The E(max) in the systems was 0.79 log(10) CFU/ml with 7 days of daily therapy, so the kill rates approximated those encountered in patients treated with ethambutol monotherapy. Ratio of peak concentration to MIC (C(max)/MIC) was linked to microbial kill rate. The C(max)/MIC ratio needed to achieve the 90% effective concentration (EC(90)) in serum was 1.23, with a calculated intramacrophage C(max)/MIC ratio of 13. In 10,000 patient Monte Carlo simulations, doses of 15, 50, and 75 mg/kg achieved the EC(90) in 35.50%, 76.81%, and 86.12% of patients, respectively. Therefore, ethambutol doses of >or=50 mg/kg twice a week would be predicted to be better than current doses of 15 mg/kg for treatment of disseminated M. avium disease. New susceptibility breakpoints and critical concentrations of 1 to 2 mg/liter were identified for the determination of ethambutol-resistant M. avium in Middlebrook broth. Given that the modal MIC of clinical isolates is around 2 mg/liter, most isolates should be considered ethambutol resistant.
R as a Tool in Computational Finance

R is a powerful, free program for statistical analysis and visualization. R has superb graphics capabilities and built-in functions to evaluate all common probability distributions, perform statistical analysis, and to do simulations. It also has a flexible programming language that allows one to quickly develop custom analyses and evaluate them. R includes standard numerical libraries: LAPACK for fast and accurate matrix multiplication, QUADPACK for numerical integration, and (univariate and multivariate) optimization routines. For compute intensive procedures, advanced users can call optimized code written in C or Fortran in a straightforward way, without having to write special interface code.
Roles of AtpI and Two YidC-Type Proteins from Alkaliphilic Bacillus pseudofirmus OF4 in ATP Synthase Assembly and Nonfermentative Growth

AtpI, a membrane protein encoded by many bacterial atp operons, is reported to be necessary for c-ring oligomer formation during assembly of some ATP synthase complexes. We investigated chaperone functions of AtpI and compared them to those of AtpZ, a protein encoded by a gene upstream of atpI that has a role in magnesium acquisition at near-neutral pH, and of SpoIIIJ and YqjG, two YidC/OxaI/Alb3 family proteins, in alkaliphilic Bacillus pseudofirmus OF4. A strain with a chromosomal deletion of atpI grew nonfermentatively, and its purified ATP synthase had a c-ring of normal size, indicating that AtpI is not absolutely required for ATP synthase function. However, deletion of atpI, but not atpZ, led to reduced stability of the ATP synthase rotor, reduced membrane association of the F(1) domain, reduced ATPase activity, and modestly reduced nonfermentative growth on malate at both pH 7.5 and 10.5. Both spoIIIJ and yqjG, but not atpI or atpZ, complemented a YidC-depleted Escherichia coli strain. Consistent with such overlapping functions, single deletions of spoIIIJ or yqjG in the alkaliphile did not affect membrane ATP synthase levels or activities, but functional specialization was indicated by YqjG and SpoIIIJ showing respectively greater roles in malate growth at pH 7.5 and 10.5. Expression of yqjG was elevated at pH 7.5 relative to that at pH 10.5 and in ΔspoIIIJ strains, but it was lower than constitutive spoIIIJ expression. Deletion of atpZ caused the largest increase among the mutants in magnesium concentrations needed for pH 7.5 growth. The basis for this phenotype is not yet resolved.
OUTLIER TESTS AND CHEMICAL ASSAYS

In a recent landmark decision resulting from a trial involving the Federal Government and Barr Laboratories, Judge Wolin made many judgments based on his constant probing and the testimony of expert witnesses (1). Remarkably, most of what he had to say was clear, correct and to the point, despite his sparse background in the subject material. Much of the Decision related to testing drug products during their production when failing results (out of specification) were observed. A summary of the Decision is available from the FDA (2). A previous paper by this author (3) presented some alternatives to retesting when a single out of specification result was observed for which no obvious cause was apparent, a situation which is common in my experience. This paper discusses some issues related to the elimination of an out of specification (00s) result with no obvious cause, based on an outlier test. The Judge, in his Decision, stated that tests for outliers which can be used to exclude an aberrant observation are not appropriate for chemical tests. His reasoning was that the USP includes tests for outliers, but presents these tests only in the context of biological assays, which tend to be very variable. This, he suggests, is appropriate because of the large variability of these kinus of procedures. Judge Wolin further suggests in his Decision that such
Is BIS monitoring cost-effective?

BIS monitoring is a processed electroencephalogram (EEG) technology that is designed to follow the effects that anesthetics and sedatives have on cerebral function. Much is know about the technology, it’s utility and limitations. The economic case for widespread utilization of this technology is weak. There appears to be little opportunity to decrease health care cost by either reduction of drug costs or improved practice efficiency. General use of BIS monitoring to reduce the incidence of intraoperative recall (IR) would cost about $10,000 to 25,000 per avoided IR. Total cost to the heath care system would approach one billion US dollars per year, just for use during general anesthetics. More appropriate use of already available drugs and technology would most likely decrease the incidence of IR as effectively, although individual patients who are at high risk for IR may benefit from this technology. However, based on current health care economic standards general use of BIS monitoring does not seem warranted and appears not to be cost-effective.
Ruptured versus elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: outcome and cost.

During a recent 30-month period, we repaired 10 ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (RAAA) at our institution to evaluate the survival, postoperative morbidity, and financial impact of treating RAAA, we compared these patients with 10 randomly selected patients undergoing elective AAA (EAAA). Both groups were comparable for age, gender, and incidence of diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and renal failure. Although we have noted a dramatic increase in survival for RAAA (90%), the morbidity continues to be unacceptably high (60%). Efforts should be made toward better detection of AAA prior to rupture as well as development of strategies to minimize or prevent these major complications. Potential average savings accrued from one patient undergoing EAAA repair rather than RAAA repair ($93,139.21) can be used to perform screening abdominal ultrasound tests in patients at increased risk of having an AAA.
Infrared Spectroscopy of Hydrogen in ZnO

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has shown great promise as a wide band gap semiconductor with optical, electronic, and mechanical applications. Recent first-principles calculations and experimental studies have shown that hydrogen acts as a shallow donor in ZnO, in contrast to hydrogen’s usual role as a passivating impurity. The structures of such hydrogen complexes, however, have not been determined. To address this question, we performed vibrational spectroscopy on bulk, single-crystal ZnO samples annealed in hydrogen (H2) or deuterium (D2) gas. Using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, we have observed O-H and O-D stretch modes at 3326.3 cm -1 and 2470.3 cm -1 respectively, at a sample temperature of 14 K. These frequencies are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions for hydrogen and deuterium in an antibonding configuration, although the bond-centered configuration cannot be ruled out. The IR-active hydrogen complexes are unstable, however, with a dissocation barrier on the order of 1 eV.
A Scheme for Increasing the Collection Efficiency of Multiphoton Microscopy

Conventional widefield microscopy is hindered in thick specimens by the scattering of the light from the focal plane. By confining the source of fluorescence to a known volume, multiphoton microscopy turns all emitted light into potential signal. Most microscope objective lenses currently in use for two-photon microscopy are designed along conventional widefield imaging paradigms where rejection of scattered rays is critical. For this reason, collection of highly scattered light by typical objective lenses can be inefficient. To help increase collection in highly scattering samples we demonstrate a collar of light pipes that can be added to existing physiological objectives to dramatically increase the net fluorescence collected. Unlike other schemes, such as the use of parabolic reflectors, this setup is usable for in vivo imaging of animals and thick tissue explants.Figure - Images of a hypocampal YFP slice imaged via epi-fluorescence through a 20x Olympus objective and through our collection collar.
Evaluation of unilateral sensorineural hearing loss in the pediatric patient

Abstract Objectives This study is a review of our series of pediatric patients with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USNHL) to report abnormalities on imaging studies, review genetic and ophthalmologic results, and survey audiometric findings. Methods This study is a retrospective chart review of all pediatric patients with USNHL seen between 1/1/03 and 12/31/08 at our institution. The study was approved by the institutional review board. Results Eighty-nine cases were identified with audiometric findings confirming unilateral hearing thresholds greater than 20 dBHL with no conductive component. There were 48 males and 41 females. Average age of diagnosis was 7 years. One audiogram showed low-frequency loss, 17 mid-frequency, 29 high-frequency, and 32 flat. Ten patients were diagnosed by auditory brainstem response testing at another institution, with thresholds not available for review. Eleven percent of patients progressed to bilateral loss. Sixty-one patients underwent computed tomography of temporal bones (CTTB). Twenty of 61 scans identified 34 anomalies including 15 enlarged vestibular aqueducts (EVAs), 8 Mondini, and 3 superior semicircular canal dehiscences (SSCDs). Thirty-one of 89 patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Three of these 31 patients had positive findings including 1 EVA, 1 Mondini, and 1 asymmetric internal auditory canal. When CTTB was positive, no additional lesions were detected on MRI. When CTTB was negative and MRI was done in 20 patients, 2 additional lesions were detected by MRI. Fourteen patients had genetics evaluation of which 6 had positive findings, including CHARGE, VACTERL, Goldenhar, and 3 were heterozygous for a Connexin mutation. Conclusions CTTB is an effective diagnostic tool for USNHL. MRI should be considered in patients with negative CTTB. Genetics and ophthalmologic evaluations are recommended for patients with risk factors or an abnormal clinical examination. Close follow-up is essential due to high rate of hearing loss progression.
Caffeine Content of Prepackaged National‐Brand and Private‐Label Carbonated Beverages

Caffeine is a well-known stimulant that is added as an ingredient to various carbonated soft drinks. Due to its stimulatory and other physiological effects, individuals desire to know the exact amount of caffeine consumed from these beverages. This study analyzed the caffeine contents of 56 national-brand and 75 private-label store-brand carbonated beverages using high-performance liquid chromatography. Caffeine contents ranged from 4.9 mg/12 oz (IGA Cola) to 74 mg/12 oz (Vault Zero). Some of the more common national-brand carbonated beverages analyzed in this study with their caffeine contents were Coca-Cola (33.9 mg/12 oz), Diet Coke (46.3 mg/12 oz), Pepsi (38.9 mg/12 oz), Diet Pepsi (36.7 mg/12 oz), Dr Pepper (42.6 mg/12 oz), Diet Dr Pepper (44.1 mg/12 oz), Mountain Dew (54.8 mg/12 oz), and Diet Mountain Dew (55.2 mg/12 oz). The Wal-Mart store-brand beverages with their caffeine contents were Sam's Cola (12.7 mg/12 oz), Sam's Diet Cola (13.3 mg/12 oz), Dr Thunder (30.6 mg/12 oz), Diet Dr Thunder (29.9 mg/12 oz), and Mountain Lightning (46.5 mg/12 oz). Beverages from 14 other stores were also analyzed. Most store-brand carbonated beverages were found to contain less caffeine than their national-brand counterparts. The wide range of caffeine contents in carbonated beverages indicates that consumers would benefit from the placement of caffeine values on food labels.
The broadcast comparison model for on-line fault diagnosis in multicomputer systems: theory and implementation

This paper describes a new comparison-based model for distributed fault diagnosis in multicomputer systems with a weak reliable broadcast capability. The classical problems of diagnosability and diagnosis are both considered under this broadcast comparison model. A characterization of diagnosable systems is given, which leads to a polynomial-time diagnosability algorithm. A polynomial-time diagnosis algorithm for t-diagnosable systems is also given. A variation of this algorithm, which allows dynamic fault occurrence and incomplete diagnostic information, has been implemented in the COmmon Spaceborne Multicomputer Operating System (COSMOS). Results produced using a simulator for the JPL MAX multicomputer system running COSMOS show that the algorithm diagnoses all fault situations with low latency and very little overhead. These simulations demonstrate the practicality of the proposed diagnosis model and algorithm for multicomputer systems having weak reliable broadcast. This includes systems with fault-tolerant hardware for broadcast, as well as those where reliable broadcast is implemented in software.
Modeling the Cognitive content of displays

An approach for measuring the cognitive complexity of visual displays is discussed and applied to a dynamic display of avionic information. A semantic network formalism is used to model two interrelated knowledge systems, world knowledge and display knowledge. The information the operator receives during training about the general display format characteristics and the task requirements, along with other previously stored information, constitutes world knowledge. The semantic content of a particular configuration of information encountered during task performance constitutes display knowledge. Four orthogonal predictor measures of cognitive complexity were derived from the networks. In an experiment three of the orthogonal predictors were significantly correlated with task performance. After averaging across operators, the three significant predictors accounted for 99% of the variation of display effectiveness. Results indicate that a model of cognitive complexity based on a semantic network formalism may provide a useful technique for quantitatively evaluating the quality of competing display format concepts. Language: en
Catalytic Degradation of Vitamin D Up-regulated Protein 1 mRNA Enhances Cardiomyocyte Survival and Prevents Left Ventricular Remodeling after Myocardial Ischemia

Vitamin D3 up-regulated protein 1 (VDUP1) is a key mediator of oxidative stress on various cellular processes via downstream effects on apoptosis signaling kinase 1 (ASK1) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Here, we report that VDUP1 expression is significantly increased in rat hearts following acute myocardial ischemia, suggesting it may have important regulatory effects on cardiac physiological processes during periods of oxidative stress. Transfection of H9C2 cardiomyoblasts with a sequence-specific VDUP1 DNA enzyme to down-regulate VDUP1 mRNA expression significantly reduced apoptosis and enhanced cell survival under conditions of H2O2 stress, and these effects involved inhibition of ASK1 activity. Direct intracardiac injection of the DNA enzyme at the time of acute myocardial infarction reduced myocardial VDUP1 mRNA expression and resulted in prolonged reduction in cardiomyocyte apoptosis and ASK1 activity. Moreover, down-regulation of VDUP1 was accompanied by significant reduction in cardiac expression of pro-collagen type I α2 mRNA level, as well as marked reduction in myocardial scar formation. These features were accompanied by significant improvement in cardiac function. Together, these results suggest a direct role for VDUP1 in the adverse effects of ischemia and oxidative stress on cardiomyocyte survival, left ventricular collagen deposition, and cardiac function. Strategies to inhibit VDUP1 expression and/or function during acute ischemic events may be beneficial to cardiac functional recovery and prevention of left ventricular remodeling.
Altered functional connectivity in seizure onset zones revealed by fMRI intrinsic connectivity

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate functional connectivity (FC) changes in epileptogenic networks in intractable partial epilepsy obtained from resting-state fMRI by using intrinsic connectivity contrast (ICC), a voxel-based network measure of degree that reflects the number of connections to each voxel. Methods: We measured differences between intrahemispheric- and interhemispheric-ICC (ICC intra−inter ) that could reveal localized connectivity abnormalities in epileptogenic zones while more global network changes would be eliminated when subtracting these values. The ICC intra−inter map was compared with the seizure onset zone (SOZ) based on intracranial EEG (icEEG) recordings in 29 patients with at least 1 year of postsurgical follow-up. Two independent reviewers blindly interpreted the icEEG and fMRI data, and the concordance rates were compared for various clinical factors. Results: Concordance between the icEEG SOZ and ICC intra−inter map was observed in 72.4% (21/29) of the patients, which was higher in patients with good surgical outcome, especially in those patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) or lateral temporal seizure localization. Concordance was also better in the extratemporal lobe epilepsy than the TLE group. In 85.7% (18/21) of the cases, the ICC intra−inter values were negative in the SOZ, indicating decreased FC within the epileptic hemisphere relative to between hemispheres. Conclusions: Assessing alterations in FC using fMRI-ICC map can help localize the SOZ, which has potential as a noninvasive presurgical diagnostic tool to improve surgical outcome. In addition, the method reveals that, in focal epilepsy, both intrahemispheric- and interhemispheric-FC may be altered, in the presence of both regional as well as global network abnormalities.
The azimuthal dependence of surface wave polarization in a slightly anisotropic medium

SUMMARY Compact analytical formulae are derived for particle motions of surface waves in a weakly anisotropic, flat-layered medium. Theory only incorporates coupling between fundamental mode Rayleigh and Love waves but comparison against numerical results show that a good match is achieved for anisotropy up to approximately 10 per cent. Among various types of particle motions for Rayleigh and Love waves, it is proposed that Love wave vertical polarization, defined by the ratio of the vertical to the transverse displacement, may be a good, cleanly measurable quantity. Derived formulae show that vertical polarization contains 2θ and 4θ azimuthal dependence, similar to the well-known phase velocity variations. Formulae show depth kernels explicitly and can be used for the inversion of anisotropic parameters. The measurement of polarization as a function of azimuth then provides constraints on anisotropy under a seismic station. The derived formulae are a natural extension of Smith & Dahlen's results on phase velocity to particle motions.
Bayesian-based decision making for object search and characterization

This paper focuses on the development of decision making criteria for autonomous vehicles where the tasks to be performed are competing under limited vehicle and sensory resources. More specifically, we are interested in the search and characterization of multiple objects given a limited number of autonomous sensor vehicles. In this case, search and characterization are two competing demands since an autonomous vehicle in the system can perform either the search task or the characterization task, but not both at the same time. This is a very critical decision as choosing one option over the other may mean missing other, more important objects not yet found, or missing the opportunity to satisfactorily characterize a found critical object. Building on previous deterministic-based work by the authors, in this paper we develop Bayesian-based search versus characterization decision making criteria that result in guaranteed detection and characterization of all objects in the domain.
Equations for Estimating Horizontal Response Spectra and Peak Acceleration from Western North American Earthquakes: A Summary of Recent Work

In this paper we summarize our recently-published work on estimating horizontal response spectra and peak acceleration for shallow earthquakes in western North America. Although none of the sets of coefficients given here for the equations are new, for the convenience of the reader and in keeping with the style of this special issue, we provide tables for estimating random horizontal-component peak acceleration and 5 percent damped pseudo-acceleration response spectra in terms of the natural, rather than common, logarithm of the ground-motion parameter. The equations give ground motion in terms of moment magnitude, distance, and site conditions for strike-slip, reverse-slip, or unspecified faulting mechanisms. Site conditions are represented by the shear velocity averaged over the upper 30 m, and recommended values of average shear velocity are given for typical rock and soil sites and for site categories used in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program's recommended seismic code provisions. In addition, we stipulate more restrictive ranges of magnitude and distance for the use of our equations than in our previous publications. Finally, we provide tables of input parameters that include a few corrections to site classifications and earthquake magnitude (the corrections made a small enough difference in the ground-motion predictions that we chose not to change the coefficients of the prediction equations).
Atto-farad measurement and modeling of on-chip coupling capacitance

A first reported method of measuring coupling capacitance (both inter- and intralevel) between any two lines in the presence of any other lines in a very large scale integration (VLSI) chip, to an accuracy of atto-farad range, is discussed. The setup simply requires dc current measurement and the method has been tested for 180 nm and 130 nm technologies. Furthermore, the method can be easily implemented for on-wafer e-test measurement in a fab, to study die-to-die and wafer-to-wafer coupling capacitance variation due to manufacturing process variation. In one process, it has been observed that the coupling capacitance between parallel lines could vary as much as 17%.
Effect of phenobarbital and β-naphthoflavone on oxidative metabolism of N,N-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene by regenerating rat-liver microsomes and its response to sulphydryl compounds

The metabolism of the hepatocarcinogen, N,N-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene (DAB) is catalysed by selective forms of cytochrome P-450. DAB metabolism has been studied using microsomes from regenerating rat liver prepared 1, 2, 3, 7 and 10 d after partial hepatectomy. Greatly decreased N-demethylation of DAB was seen during liver regeneration, while virtually no effect on ring-hydroxylation was observed. Glutathione stimulated N-demethylation and ring-hydroxylation of DAB, while metabolism of the corresponding secondary amine N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (MAB) was not affected. During regeneration, response to the thiol was depressed in the early stages but later returned to normal. beta-Naphthoflavone (BNF) specifically induced N-demethylation of DAB. Induced activity was not depressed during liver regeneration. Phenobarbital (PB) induced total metabolism, which was depressed during regeneration. This indicates greater stability of BNF-induced cytochrome P-450 compared to control and PB-induced cytochrome P-450. The results indicate that during liver regeneration the metabolism of DAB associated with activation (N-demethylation) is depressed, whereas that associated with detoxication (ring-hydroxylation) is only slightly affected. This confirms the involvement of different forms of cytochrome P-450 in DAB metabolism.
Synthesis and biological activity of piperazine-Based dual MMP-13 and TNF-α converting enzyme inhibitors

Abstract A series of novel MMP-13 and TNF-α converting enzyme inhibitors based on piperazine 2-hydroxamic acid scaffolds are described. The TACE, MMP-1 and MMP-13 activity of these inhibitors as well as the effect of substitution of the piperazine nitrogen and the P-1′ benzyloxy tailpiece is discussed. Moderate in vivo activity is observed with several members of this group.
Clinical experience with sperm antibody testing.

Of the 724 patients examined for circulating spermagglutinating antibodies by the Kibrick spermagglutination test, 95 (13.1%) were found to be positive. Almost 20% of the 406 male patients demonstrated autoantibodies. This high incidence may be explained by the selected population studied. Of 50 males tested who demonstrated more than 10% agglutination in their semen, but otherwise were normospermic, 42% demonstrated autoantibodies. Of the 318 females examined, 14 (4.4%) demonstrated sperm-agglutinating antibodies. Of the 315 male and female patients examined for circulating sperm-immobilizing antibodies by the Isojima sperm-immobilization test, 14 (4.5%) were found to have antibodies. Of the 162 males tested, 10 (6%) were positive for antibodies by this technique, as were 4 (3%) of the 153 women tested.
The Validation of a Case-Based, Cumulative Assessment and Progressions Examination.

Objective. To assess content and criterion validity, as well as reliability of an internally developed, case-based, cumulative, high-stakes third-year Annual Student Assessment and Progression Examination (P3 ASAP Exam).Methods. Content validity was assessed through the writing-reviewing process. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing student scores on the P3 ASAP Exam with the nationally validated Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA). Reliability was assessed with psychometric analysis comparing student performance over four years.Results. The P3 ASAP Exam showed content validity through representation of didactic courses and professional outcomes. Similar scores on the P3 ASAP Exam and PCOA with Pearson correlation coefficient established criterion validity. Consistent student performance using Kuder-Richardson coefficient (KR-20) since 2012 reflected reliability of the examination.Conclusion. Pharmacy schools can implement internally developed, high-stakes, cumulative progression examin...
Osmophilic strains of some Aspergillus species.

(1968). Osmophilic Strains of Some Aspergillus Species. Mycologia: Vol. 60, No. 4, pp. 961-964.
Presentation of the Mineralogical Society of America Award for 2012 to Karim Benzerara

Fellow mineralogists, I am honored to introduce Karim Benzerara of the IMPMC (Institut de Mineralogie et de Physique des Milieux Condenses), University of Paris 6–7, as the 2012 MSA Award winner. Karim is receiving this award for his exceptional contributions to our understanding of mineral-microbe interactions and biomineralization. He has accomplished this using a combination of transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron-based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM), the application of which Karim has pioneered in the Earth Sciences, and an uncanny knack for choosing important geobiology problems that require nanoscale solutions. Karim completed his Ph.D. degree at the University of Paris 7 working with Francois Guyot, a mineral physicist at Paris 7 who transformed himself into a geomicrobiologist, Thierry Heulin, a molecular microbial ecologist at the French Atomic Energy Commission, and Philippe Gillet, a geochemist who was then at the University of Lyon. A fragment of a martian achondrite meteorite fell in the Tatahouine Desert in southern Tunisia in 1931. If you don’t remember the Tatahouine Desert, it played a prominent role in Star Wars II. Fragments from this same fall were collected again in 1994, which allowed a comparison …
Stability of acetylcysteine in an extemporaneously compounded ophthalmic solution

The stability of acetylcysteine in an extemporaneously compounded ophthalmic solution was studied. Acetylcysteine 10% ophthalmic solution containing 0.025% disodium edetate and 0.5% chlorobutanol in an artificial tears base was prepared and stored at 2-8 degrees C in clear, 15-mL, low-density polyethylene dropper bottles. At 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 60 days, a 1-mL sample was removed from each bottle and analyzed for acetylcysteine concentration by high-performance liquid chromatography. Another set of 10% acetylcysteine solutions containing 0.025%, 0.050%, 0.075%, or 0.10% disodium edetate were prepared, stored at room temperature (23-25 degrees C), and analyzed at 0, 7, 15, 30, 40, and 50 days. In the solutions containing 0.025% disodium edetate, acetylcysteine was stable for 60 days at 2-8 degrees C but for less than 7 days at 23-25 degrees C. In the solutions containing 0.75% and 0.10% disodium edetate, acetylcysteine was stable for 40 and 50 days, respectively, at 23-25 degrees C. Acetylcysteine in a 10% acetylcysteine ophthalmic solution containing 0.025% disodium edetate and 0.5% chlorobutanol in an artificial tears base was stable for 60 days at 2-8 degrees C.
Vertical surface water–groundwater exchange processes within a headwater floodplain induced by experimental floods

Restoring hydrologic connectivity between channels and floodplains is common practice in stream and river restoration. Floodplain hydrology and hydrogeology impact stream hydraulics, ecology, biogeochemical processing, and pollutant removal, yet rigorous field evaluations of surface water–groundwater exchange within floodplains during overbank floods are rare. We conducted five sets of experimental floods to mimic floodplain reconnection by pumping stream water onto an existing floodplain swale. Floods were conducted throughout the year to capture seasonal variation and each involved two replicate floods on successive days to test the effect of varying antecedent moisture. Water levels and specific conductance were measured in surface water, soil, and groundwater within the floodplain, along with surface flow into and out of the floodplain. Vegetation density varied seasonally and controlled the volume of surface water storage on the floodplain. By contrast, antecedent moisture conditions controlled storage of water in floodplain soils, with drier antecedent moisture conditions leading to increased subsurface storage and slower flood wave propagation across the floodplain surface. The site experienced spatial heterogeneity in vertical connectivity between surface water and groundwater across the floodplain surface, where propagation of hydrostatic pressure, preferential flow, and bulk Darcy flow were all mechanisms that may have occurred during the five floods. Vertical connectivity also increased with time, suggesting higher frequency of floodplain inundation may increase surface water–groundwater exchange across the floodplain surface. Understanding the variability of floodplain impacts on water quality noted in the literature likely requires better accounting for seasonal variations in floodplain vegetation and antecedent moisture as well as heterogeneous exchange flow mechanisms. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Most children with eosinophilic esophagitis have a favorable outcome as young adults.

The disease progression of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) from childhood into adulthood is unclear. To determine the clinical outcome of patients who were diagnosed with EoE as children, and who now are young adults. Children (<18 years old) diagnosed with EoE were enrolled in a prospective registry on demographics, presenting symptoms, and endoscopic/histologic findings. Subjects who now are adults (≥18 years old) were identified, and a structured telephone interview was conducted to obtain follow-up data on symptom prevalence (dysphagia to solids and liquids, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, and heartburn/regurgitation), food impaction, medication usage, health-care utilization, and resolution of atopy/food allergies. A favorable outcome was defined if EoE symptoms were resolved or improved by subjects' assessment. Unfavorable outcomes was defined as symptoms same or worse. Clinical variables that predicted a favorable outcome as an adult were examined. Mayo Dysphagia Scale (MDQ-30: scored 0-100) was administered to validate the outcome assessment. Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio and unpaired t-test were used. Fifty-eight subjects (64% male) who met study criteria were enrolled. Mean age at diagnosis was 12 years (range 4-17) and mean duration of follow-up was 8.3 years (2-16). As children, the most common presenting symptoms were abdominal pain (54%), dysphagia (33%), and vomiting (24%). As young adults, 47 subjects (81%) had a favorable outcome. Total MDQ-30 scores were 4.6 (0-30) and 14.1 (0-50) in subjects with favorable outcome and unfavorable outcome, respectively (P = 0.015). Two-thirds of subjects did not use steroids or proton pump inhibitors in the preceeding 12 months. Male children with EoE were four times more likely to have a favorable outcome as young adults compared with female children. Females were more likely to report nausea/vomiting as young adults (odds ratio 3.23, CI 0.97-10.60). Of all presenting symptoms in EoE children, dysphagia was the most likely to persist into adulthood (odds ratio 6.29, CI 1.85-21.38). Eighty one percent of EoE children had a favorable outcome as young adults. Most patients with symptom resolution did not require any form of steroid therapy or seek healthcare.
New methods for $$(\varphi, \Gamma)$$ ( φ , Γ ) -modules

We provide new proofs of two key results of p-adic Hodge theory: the Fontaine-Wintenberger isomorphism between Galois groups in characteristic 0 and characteristic p, and the Cherbonnier–Colmez theorem on decompletion of \((\varphi , \Gamma )\)-modules. These proofs are derived from joint work with Liu on relative p-adic Hodge theory, and are closely related to the theory of perfectoid algebras and spaces, as in the work of Scholze.
A Novel Scalable DBSCAN Algorithm with Spark

DBSCAN is a well-known clustering algorithmwhich is based on density and is able to identify arbitraryshaped clusters and eliminate noise data. However, parallelization of DBSCAN is a challenging work because based on MPIor OpenMP environments, there exist the issues of lack of fault-tolerance and there is no guarantee that workload is balanced. Moreover, programming with MPI requires data scientists tohave an advanced experience to handle communication betweennodes which is a big challenge. We present a new parallel DBSCAN algorithm using thenew big data framework Spark. In order to reduce searchtime, we apply kd-tree in our algorithm. More specifically, wepropose a novel approach to avoid communication betweenexecutors so that we can locally obtain partial clusters moreefficiently. Based on Java API, we select appropriate datastructures carefully: Using Queue to contain neighbors of thedata point, and using Hashtable when checking the statusof and processing the data points. In addition, we use otheradvanced features from Spark to make our implementationmore effective. We implement the algorithm in Java andevaluate its scalability by using different number of processingcores. Our experiments demonstrate that the algorithm wepropose scales up very well. Using data sets containing up to1 million high-dimensional points, we show that our proposedalgorithm achieves speedups up to 6 using 8 cores (10k), 10using 32 cores (100k), and 137 using 512 cores (1m). Anotherexperiment using 10k data points is conducted and the resultshows that the algorithm with MapReduce achieves speedupsto 1.3 using 2 cores, 2.0 using 4 cores, and 3.2 using 8 cores.
Global Genres, Local Films: the Transnational Dimension of Spanish Cinema

As the title suggests, this collection of essays aims to document the interaction between global and local film styles in Spain (from the 1930s to the present) as an increasingly dynamic process. I...
Evaluation of four pea (Pisum sativum) cultivars in PE-2 medium for the MPN enumeration of anaerobic spore-forming organisms

Untreated 'Alaska' seed peas have traditionally been used to prepare PE-2 medium, a medium used to recover anaerobic bacteria. Three cultivars of seed peas, 'Columbian', 'Yellow', and 'Scotch' were compared to the cultivar 'Alaska' peas in PE-2 for recovery of Clostridium butyricum ATCC 860, Clostridium sporogenes ATCC 7955/NCA 3679, and Thermoanerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum ATCC 25773 determined by using the most probable number (MPN) technique. Organisms were grown in cooked meat medium (CMM) and enumerated by the three-tube MPN method in PE-2 media incubated at 37°C for 48 h. Recovery of C. butyricum and T. thermosaccharolyticum grown in homogenates of commercial cream-style corn and vegetable beef soup were also evaluated. Similar recovery of organisms from stock cultures or from foodstuffs were observed in PE-2 prepared with three of the pea cultivars ('Alaska', 'Columbian', and 'Yellow'). While the 'Scotch' cultivar PE-2 medium yielded recoveries comparable to PE-2 prepared with the other pea cultivars, turbid tubes were occasionally observed from which viable microorganisms could not be recovered. This cultivar is therefore not recommended due to the probability of yielding false positives in the MPN technique.