cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of thick targets on some nuclear reactions commonly used to monitor high energy proton beams

Abstract Metal foils in contact with thick targets were used to study the effects of secondary particles on monitor reactions for high-energy protons. Quantitative data are presented for the nuclear reactions 197Au(p,15p34n)149Tb, 27Al(p,3pn)24Na, 27Al(p,3p3n)22Na and 27Al(p,5p5n)18F. The results were applied in monitoring intensities of protons incident on thick targets in external and internal proton beams of a synchrotron. A technique for monitoring circulating beam intensities is suggested.
CdSe/ZzTe heterojunction solar cells grown on GaSb

This paper reports recent experimental work on single junction II–VI semiconductor heterostructure solar cells consisting of n-type CdSe and p-type ZnTe grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaSb substrates. The structural and crystalline properties are characterized using high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements. The current-voltage measurements reveal expected diode-like rectifying characteristics with considerable photo current and strong photovoltaic effects under light illumination. These results demonstrate that the idea of using monolithic integration of lattice-matched II–VI and III–V semiconductors on GaSb is very promising for ultra-high efficiency multijunction solar cells.
The making of monolingual Japan: language ideology and Japanese modernity

The making of monolingual Japan: language ideology and Japanese modernity, by Patrick Heinrich, Bristol, Multilingual Matters, 2012, viii + 204 pp., £89.95 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-84769-657-1; £29.9...
Turnover of label from [1‐14C] linolenic acid in phospholipids of coho salmon,Oncorhynchus kisutch

Juvenile coho salmon were injected intraperitoneally with [1-14C] linolenic acid, and sampled at 24, 120, and 240 hr. Liver, heart, and gill lipids were extracted, analyzed, and halflives of individual liver glycerophospholipids and n-3 fatty acids determined from rates of loss of radioactivity. Incorporation of label into gill was much less than into either heart or liver. Total acyl halflife was shorter for the choline phospholipids than for the ethanolamine phospholipids, as were the halflives of all individual n-3 fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic acid (20∶5n-3) had the shortest halflife in both phospholipids (50–60 hr), while docosapentaenoic acid (22∶5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22∶6n-3) had much longer halflives. Specific activities of the shorter chain n-3 fatty acids were much greater than the longer, more unsaturated homologs at all times, suggesting possible differences in their mechanisms of incorporation into phospholipids. Diacylglycerol analysis indicated that de novo synthesis could be responsible for the incorporation of only a small portion of the labeled long chain fatty acids found in phospholipids. The fatty acid halflives reported here for salmon are in general agreement with those found previously in mammals.
Bayesian forecasting of seasonal typhoon activity: A track-pattern-oriented categorization approach

Abstract A new approach to forecasting regional and seasonal tropical cyclone (TC) frequency in the western North Pacific using the antecedent large-scale environmental conditions is proposed. This approach, based on TC track types, yields probabilistic forecasts and its utility to a smaller region in the western Pacific is demonstrated. Environmental variables used include the monthly mean of sea surface temperatures, sea level pressures, low-level relative vorticity, vertical wind shear, and precipitable water of the preceding May. The region considered is the vicinity of Taiwan, and typhoon season runs from June through October. Specifically, historical TC tracks are categorized through a fuzzy clustering method into seven distinct types. For each cluster, a Poisson or probit regression model cast in the Bayesian framework is applied individually to forecast the seasonal TC activity. With a noninformative prior assumption for the model parameters, and following Chu and Zhao for the Poisson regression m...
Parkinsonian Patients Reduce Their Stroke Size with Increased Processing Demands

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients often show reductions in writing size (micrographia) as the length of the text they produce increases. The cause for these reductions in stroke size are not well understood. Reductions in stroke size could be associated with either concurrent processing demands that result from the coordination and control of fingers, wrist, and arm during writing and the processing of future words or increased extension of the wrist joint as the execution of the writing progresses to the right across the page, resulting in increased stiffness in the pen-limb system. Parkinson's patients and elderly controls wrote phrases of different lengths with target patterns in various serial positions. When the number of words to be written increased, PD patients reduced their stroke size of the initial target pattern, while the elderly controls did not reduce their stroke size. There was no systematic change in stroke size of the second pattern as function of serial position. This result suggests that PD patients reduce the size of their handwriting strokes when concurrent processing load increases.
The Doc Toxin and Phd Antidote Proteins of the Bacteriophage P1 Plasmid Addiction System Form a Heterotrimeric Complex

The toxin (Doc) and antidote (Phd) proteins of the plasmid addiction system of bacteriophage P1 were purified as a complex. Cocrystals of the complex contained a 2:1 molar ratio of Phd:Doc as assayed by dye binding following SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and as determined by amino acid analysis. Gel filtration and analytical ultracentrifugation revealed that the two addiction proteins interact in solution to form a P2D trimer composed of one Doc and two Phd molecules. These results support a model in which Phd inhibits the toxic activity of Doc by direct binding. Circular dichroism experiments showed that changes in secondary structure accompany formation of the heterotrimeric complex, raising the possibility that Phd may act by an allosteric mechanism. Studies of Phd and Doc molecules labeled with fluorescent energy donor and acceptor groups gave an equilibrium dissociation constant of about 0.8 microM(2) and a very short, sub second half-life of complex dissociation. As a consequence, low concentrations of free Doc toxin are likely to be present both transiently and in the steady state in cells containing the Phd antidote, making mechanisms of single-hit Doc toxicity improbable.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Supply Chain Agility: Conceptualization and Scale Development

Although agility has been identified as one of the most important issues of contemporary supply chain management, the theoretical basis for understanding supply chain agility is fragmented. This research addresses the gap related to the ambiguity surrounding the dimensions and definitions of firm supply chain agility by employing a multidisciplinary literature review to gain an in-depth understanding of agility. In addition, a comprehensive measurement instrument that draws on the foundations of social and life science theory is developed and empirically validated. The results of the research indicate that firm supply chain agility is composed of five distinct dimensions including alertness, accessibility, decisiveness, swiftness, and flexibility. Based on these elements, a comprehensive definition of firm supply chain agility is developed for further theoretical testing of the concept.
Curriculum Design Strategies in Emergent Literacy: The Role of Developmentally Appropriate Literature Selections.

Literature-rich interactions provide strategies that help emergent readers to develop knowledge about print, including the production and recognition of letters, and generate familiarity with the basic purposes and mechanisms of reading. Yet teacher understanding of these multiple dimensions of emergent literacy does not ensure that a child will break the code and learn to read. Effective teachers, administrators, and curriculum specialists integrate a variety of information to formulate design principles and develop and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum and concomitant teaching strategies. Gunn and colleagues in the National Center to Improve the Tools of Education Report (1995) suggest this may include conspicuous strategies, scaffolding, strategic integration, primed background knowledge, and thoughtful review. The relationship among these four curriculum design strategies and developmentally appropriate literature selections are discussed. Twelve current children’s books are suggested for consideration when implementing various curriculum strategies with emergent literacy learners.
Nonlinear dynamic simulation of single- and multi-spool core engines

In this paper a new computational method for accurate simulation of the nonlinear dynamic behavior of single- and multi-spool core engines, turbofan engines, and power generation gas turbine engines is presented. In order to perform the simulation, a modularly structured computer code has been developed which includes individual mathematical modules representing various engine components. The generic structure of the code enables the dynamic simulation of arbitrary engine configurations ranging from single-spool thrust generation to multi-spool thrust/power generation engines under adverse dynamic operating conditions. For precise simulation of turbine and compressor components, row-by-row calculation procedures were implemented that account for the specific turbine and compressor cascade and blade geometry and characteristics. The dynamic behavior of the subject engine is calculated by solving a number of systems of partial differential equations, which describe the unsteady behavior of the individual components. In order to ensure the capability, accuracy, robustness, and reliability of the code, comprehensive critical performance assessment and validation tests were performed. As representatives, three different transient cases with single- and multi-spool thrust and power generation engines were simulated. The transient cases range from operating with a prescribed fuel schedule, to extreme load changes, to generator and turbine shut down.
A search for a frequency shift of 14.4 keV photons on traversing radiation fields

Two experiments designed to test two hypothetical gamma - gamma mechanisms for the frequency (red) shift of galactic light; a shift generally attributed to the Doppler effect from an expanding universe. Negative results were obtained, giving evidence against the energy loss of the photons from passing through the radiation fields of space or from proportionality to the photon density, independent of the radiation field frequency. (L.N.N.)
Small nocturnal carnivores: ecological studies in the Serengeti

ummary Small nocturnal carnivores (particularly bat-eared fox, aardwolf, white-tailed mongoose and common genet) attain high population densities in several areas within the Serengeti. Comparative studies of activity patterns, microhabitat preferences, foraging behaviour and diet indicate surprisingly broad overlap among these species along the niche dimensions investigated. The high population densities attained by small carnivores, combined with their small size and correspondingly high metabolic demands, suggest that their ecological role is not as inconspicuous as they are. Resume Des petits carnivores nocturnes (particulierement l'otocyon, le protee, la mangouste a queue blanche et la genette commune) atteignent des densites de population elevees dans diverses zones du Serengeti. Des etudes comparatives des actogrammes, des preferences de micro-habitat, du comportement de depredation et du regime ali-mentaire montrent, pour ces especes, un recouvrement etonnamment large des niches ecologiques considerees? Les fortes densites de population atteintes par les petits carnivores, leur petite taille et les besoins metaboliques eleves lies a celle-ci suggerent que leur role ecologique n'est pas aussi efface qu'ils le sont.
Leading by Example: Creating Motivation That Fosters Positive Change in Young People.

It is not what one has in life; rather, what is left as the legacy. Personally I have received many awards. However, I feel so much better when I help people receive their own awards. Now, I want to use positive language and positive action to help motivate young people, encouraging them to achieve their own success, as well as foster success in others. Oftentimes people get wrapped up in personal issues and forget about others. The purpose of this paper is twofold. One is to shed light on the issue of self-motivation or lack of self-motivation in young people. The second, and primary purpose of this work, is to understand and to create a framework for others who struggle with being successful on a daily basis, and to discover methods of teaching self-motivation. The literature reveals that this type of work is possible. Others have this idea and are trying to put it into practice. Young people want to be motivated. While there is much work done in this area, there is no cohesiveness to bringing this information together and applying it, operationalizing this information in practice. The present study is qualitative in design, using three settings to gather data. Participants included a group of high school football players who agreed to engage in a focus group following a practice and several games. The second source of information came from discourse on the issue of motivation. The third source came from snapshot data following lectures on motivation in selected school sites in Florida and Kentucky. Information was recorded and analyzed for common themes. Results indicated that the act of purposely motivating others had a positive effect on increasing individual motivation.
High-speed pipelined A/D converter using time-shifted CDS technique

A time-shifted correlated double sampling (CDS) technique is used to compensate for the finite opamp dc gain in the context of a pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC). This technique can significantly reduce the errors due to the finite opamp gain without compromising the conversion speed. This is particularly useful for the design of low-voltage and high-speed pipelined ADCs where the trade-off of opamp dc: gain and bandwidth is critical. Behavior simulation results confirm the effectiveness of this new technique.
Age and Self-Rated Health in Korea

I examine age variation in the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on self-rated health in Korea by including three alternative indicators of SES-liquid assets, home ownership, and real estate ownership-as well as two standard measures of education and household income. Furthermore, I consider the SES-health relationship and its variation by age for men and women separately. The empirical findings in general do not support the hypothesis that the SES gap in health converges with age. Most SES effects on self-rated health remain constant across age groups or even increase with age. However, there is evidence of the converging effects of household income and liquid assets for women. Differences in self-rated health by household income or liquid assets diverge and then converge as age advances.
COMPENSATORY CYCLICAL BANK ASSET ADJUSTMENTS: COMMENT

IN A RECENT ISSUE of this Journal,' Professor Luckett put forward an interesting hypothesis to explain why commercial banks would choose to increase loan volume by disposing of long-term securities (5 years and over). Luckett suggested that banks prefer to take the larger capital loss on long-terms, as opposed to disposing of shortterm securities (1 year and under), out of considerations of liquidity and capital adequacy. The purpose of this comment is to show that (a) the capital adequacy argument neglects the accumulation of capital by banks; (b) the rationalization of banks' lack of concern for capital losses contains two flaws; (c) the reduction of commercial banks' holdings of long-term securities can be explained by other factors; and (d) the implications of the hypothesis for the effectiveness of monetary policy are not so optimistic as Luckett would infer. a) To illustrate the alternative implications for banks' capital adequacy of sales of shortand long-term securities, Luckett employs a formula based on the "Form for Analyzing Bank Capital."2 However, implicit in the illustration is the assumption that the bank in question has only a bare sufficiency o-f capital for its asset portfolio before the loan, and the treatment seems to ignore the fact that the capital funds of banks are increasing over time. Insured commercial banks have increased their capital substantially since December, 1952. Between December, 1952, and each of five other dates arbitrarily selected as 'turning points from the chart showing the ratio of seasonally adjusted loans to demand deposits for all commercial banks,8 banks' capital accounts have increased by more than the 161 per cent of increased loan volume required by an expansion of
Climate Change Adaptation for People and Nature: A Case Study from the U.S. Southwest

In the U.S. Southwest, global climate change, acting in concert with extant stressors such as urbanization and over-allocation of water resources, is changing ecosystems in measureable and sometimes dramatic ways. Twenty-flrst century projections indicate accelerating climate change and cascading ecological consequences. Efiects observed to date include large-scale forest dieback, large and severe wildflres, and changes in the ∞ow regimes of rivers and streams with attendant changes to riparian and aquatic ecosystems. Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are pushing ecosystems across physiological and ecological thresholds, causing widespread mortality and, in some cases, major changes in composition, structure and function. These changes have prompted action by the conservation community to reduce the adverse efiects of climate change. The Southwest Climate Change Initiative (SWCCI), a project led by The Nature Conservancy, works with local stakeholders in afiected landscapes, reduces adverse impacts on ecological and social systems using scientiflc knowledge and practical tools. The Initiative has learned through practical experience that: 1) managers must embrace change and manage for resilience rather than resistance; 2) strong local science-management partnerships are critical to efiective adaptation planning and implementation; 3) planners and managers must broaden the scope and accelerate the pace of conservation activities if ecosystem services are to be sustained; 4) adaptation often does not require radically new or difierent management practices, rather, conservationists already have many of the tools they need; and 5) rapid documentation and widespread communication of methods and flndings can build rapidly regional capacity for climate change adaptation. Our experience suggests that adaptation efiorts can be efiective if they are focused at the local scale; employ learning networks; and engage in ecosystem-based adaptation: the sustainable management, conservation and restoration of ecosystems so that they continue to provide the services that allow people to thrive in changing environments.
Supramolecular fluorescent probes for the detection of mixed alkali metal ions that mimic the function of integrated logic gates

Two fluorescent probes 1 and 2 are developed that are capable of measuring two different metal ions under basic and acidic conditions, respectively. These probes contain a fluorophore, whose two forms are interconvertible in acidic and basic solutions and have the potential to measure the concentration of each metal ion in a mixture of caesium–potassium or sodium–potassium ions, respectively. Probe molecules 1 and 2 can also be portrayed as logic gates that function as a combination of one AND and one INHIBIT gate.
Extrapolation of high-voltage stress measurements to low-voltage operation for thin silicon-oxide films

Breakdown and wearout in MOS capacitors fabricated with 10 nm-thick silicon oxide films on p-type silicon are discussed. They have been stressed at high voltages. The high-voltage-stress-induced changes in the oxide properties are extrapolated to low operating voltages. The stress voltages ranged from -7.5 V to -14.5 V. The fluence during the stress was systematically varied front 2*10/sup -5/ C/cm/sup 2/ to 6 C/cm/sup 2/ by varying the stress time at each voltage. The number of interface traps generated by the stress increased as the stress voltage and fluence increased. However, the interface trap generation rate decreased as the fluence increased. The trap generation rate at low operating voltages was very high, but because the current through the oxide was small, the total number of traps generated was low. The trap generation rate was proportional to the inverse square root of the fluence with a voltage dependence that decreased as the fluence increased. Extrapolation of the high-voltage-stress measurements to 5 V shows that easily detectable changes in the oxide properties would only occur after several years of 5 V operation. Extrapolation of charge-to-breakdown and time-to-breakdown data to 5 V operation indicates that breakdown would occur after hundreds of years of device operation. >
Photoperiod-Induced Testicular Apoptosis in European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

To determine the extent to which testicular regression involves apoptotic cell death, photosensitive adult starlings were photostimulated for up to 9 wk by exposure to long-day (18 h of light) photoperiods. Apoptotic activity in recrudescing and regressing testes was assessed by in situ TUNEL labeling. Absolute testis mass in male starlings increased after 2 wk of photostimulation and subsequently decreased with continued long-day exposure. Seminiferous tubule diameter also increased after 1-3 wk of photostimulation, then decreased as photorefractoriness developed. Testosterone concentrations increased significantly by Week 2 of photostimulation and declined with further light exposure. TUNEL labeling was significantly elevated in germ cells with 4 wk of photostimulation. An approximate 7-fold increase in the degree of apoptotic cell death was observed over the course of gonadal regression. Incidences of TUNEL labeling in somatic Sertoli cells also increased. Light and electron microscopy examination confirmed that these somatic cells displayed morphological characteristics of apoptotic death. In rodents, Sertoli cells have not been previously reported to die during gonadal regression. These results suggest that seasonal testicular regression in European starlings is mediated by apoptosis.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THERAPIST CHARACTERISTICS AND DECREASED MEDICAL UTILIZATION: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

This was an exploratory study examining the relationship between the therapist characteristics of age, experience, gender, and profession and the medical utilization of clients. Marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and psychologists participated in the study along with 197 clients as identified by archival research methods. The results of logistic regression analysis suggested that psychotherapy in general, rather than professional training or therapist characteristics is responsible for reductions in healthcare utilization.
Evidence of Repeated and Independent Saltational Evolution in a Peculiar Genus of Sphinx Moths (Proserpinus: Sphingidae)

Background Saltational evolution in which a particular lineage undergoes relatively rapid, significant, and unparalleled change as compared with its closest relatives is rarely invoked as an alternative model to the dominant paradigm of gradualistic evolution. Identifying saltational events is an important first-step in assessing the importance of this discontinuous model in generating evolutionary novelty. We offer evidence for three independent instances of saltational evolution in a charismatic moth genus with only eight species. Methodology/Principal Findings Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian search criteria offered congruent, well supported phylogenies based on 1,965 base pairs of DNA sequence using the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I, and the nuclear genes elongation factor-1 alpha and wingless. Using a comparative methods approach, we examined three taxa exhibiting novelty in the form of Batesian mimicry, host plant shift, and dramatic physiological differences in light of the phylogenetic data. All three traits appear to have evolved relatively rapidly and independently in three different species of Proserpinus. Each saltational species exhibits a markedly different and discrete example of discontinuous trait evolution while remaining canalized for other typical traits shared by the rest of the genus. All three saltational taxa show insignificantly different levels of overall genetic change as compared with their congeners, implying that their divergence is targeted to particular traits and not genome-wide. Conclusions/Significance Such rapid evolution of novel traits in individual species suggests that the pace of evolution can be quick, dramatic, and isolated—even on the species level. These results may be applicable to other groups in which specific taxa have generated pronounced evolutionary novelty. Genetic mechanisms and methods for assessing such relatively rapid changes are postulated.
Toward Comparable Worth: The Minnesota Experience

American life, and neither a new nor an obscure one. Recognized since the time of the First World War,2 this wage gap persists, despite a concerted effort beginning in the 1960's to address the problem through legislation. Advocates of wage equality for the sexes were in fact able to secure legislation advancing their goals. In 1963, the federal Equal Pay Act (EPA)3 was passed; nine years later, Title VII was added to the Civil Rights Act of 1964,4 and since that time, many state and local governments have followed the lead of Congress, passing laws which
Peripheral motoneuron interactions with laminin and Schwann cell-derived neurite-promoting molecules: developmental regulation of laminin receptor function.

Schwann cells synthesize several neurite outgrowth-promoting molecules and localize them in either the extracellular matrix (ECM; e.g., laminin) or on the plasma membrane (e.g., L1/NgCAM and N-cadherin). Neurite outgrowth by embryonic chick ciliary ganglion (CG) neurons in response to these Schwann cell molecules largely depends on several specific neuronal cell surface receptors: integrin beta 1-class ECM receptors, L1/NgCAM, and N-cadherin (Bixby et al.: Journal of Cell Biology 107:353-361 1988). To address whether neuronal ECM receptors are regulated independently of cell surface adhesion molecules, we studied the ability of dissociated CG neurons from different developmental ages to extend neurites rapidly on 1) substrates coated with the ECM glycoprotein laminin (either from Schwann cell-conditioned medium or purified from the Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm sarcoma) or 2) the surfaces of Schwann cells or Schwannoma (RN22) cells. CG neurons gradually lost the ability between embryonic day 8 (E8) and E14 to attach to and extend neurites in an integrin-dependent fashion on purified laminin or Schwann cell-derived laminin. The inability of E14 CG neurons to respond to laminin was partially reversed after explantation for 2.5 days in vitro, which increased the percentage of responsive neurons approximately ten-fold. E14 neurons remained capable of extending neurites rapidly on the surfaces of Schwann and Schwannoma cells. Thus, the inability of E14 neurons to respond to laminin reflects a specific loss of laminin receptor function, while other receptors, most likely N-cadherin and L1/NgCAM, remain capable of promoting neurite outgrowth on Schwann cell surfaces. Since integrin beta 1-class heterodimers have been shown to function directly as receptors mediating neuronal attachment and process outgrowth on laminin, our results imply that the expression or function of laminin-binding integrin heterodimers is regulated during the development of CG neurons. The apparent loss of integrin receptor function occurs during the period when the axons of CG neurons innervate their targets. Substantial integrin receptor function is recovered when target contact is disrupted by explantation. Thus, the functions of integrin-class receptors in CG neurons may be regulated by target contact.
Evidence for platelet-activating factor as a novel mediator in experimental stroke in rabbits.

Platelet-activating factor is a potent mediator of inflammation, which has untoward effects on cerebrovascular and neural elements. While several investigators have reported attenuation of ischemic damage after treatment with antagonists of platelet-activating factor, no study has proved endogenous production of platelet-activating factor in ischemia of the central nervous system. We hypothesized that endogenous production of platelet-activating factor participates in the early pathologic manifestations of deteriorating stroke. In 12 rabbits, we found tissue levels of platelet-activating factor measured by the release of serotonin from washed platelets to be elevated by approximately 20-fold in spinal cord injured by 25 minutes of ischemia and 2 hours of reperfusion (2.80 +/- 0.98 ng/g) compared with that in normal spinal cord (0.15 +/- 0.06 ng/g, p less than 0.01). Given during ischemia to seven rabbits, 10 mg/kg i.p. of a highly selective and potent antagonist of platelet-activating factor (BN 50739) accentuated the early postischemic hyperemia and prevented the delayed hypoperfusion measured by on-line laser-Doppler flowmetry (-35 +/- 7% of baseline [n = 7] without versus 33 +/- 14% with treatment, p less than 0.01) and the edema formation measured as the increase in tissue water content (4.4 +/- 0.7% without [n = 6] versus 2.1 +/- 0.6% with [n = 7]treatment, p less than 0.05) after 2 hours of reperfusion. This neurochemical and pharmacologic evidence emphasizes a new perspective of ischemia-induced phospholipid degradation and suggests an important role for platelet-activating factor in the early manifestations of stroke.
Age- and gender-related changes in pediatric thoracic vertebral morphology.

Abstract Background context Although it is well known that the growth of thoracic spine changes significantly with age, gender, and vertebral level in the skeletally normal pediatric population, there have been very few studies attempting to comprehensively quantify such variations. Biomechanical and computational models of the growing thoracic spine have provided insight into safety and efficacy of surgical and noninvasive treatments for spinal deformity. However, many of these models only consider growth of the vertebral body and pedicles and assume a consistent growth rate for these structures across thoracic levels. Purpose To enhance the understanding of age-, gender-, and level-related growth dynamics of the pediatric thoracic spine by comprehensively quantifying the thoracic vertebral morphology for subjects between 1 and 19 years. Study design A retrospective computed tomography (CT) image analysis study. Methods Retrospectively obtained chest CT scans from 100 skeletally normal pediatric subjects (45 males and 55 females between the ages 1 and 19 years) were digitally reconstructed using medical imaging software. Surface point clouds of thoracic vertebrae were extracted and 26 vertebral geometry parameters were measured using 25 semiautomatically identified surface landmarks and anatomical slices from each thoracic vertebra (T1–T12). Data were assessed for normality, symmetry, and age-, gender-, and level-related differences in geometric measures and growth. Linear regression was performed to estimate of the rates of variation with age for each measurement. Results Asymmetries (bilateral, superior-inferior, and anteroposterior) were observed in vertebral body heights, end plate widths and depths, and interfacet widths. Within genders, significant interlevel differences were observed for all geometric measures, and significant differences in the rates of growth were found across thoracic levels for most parameters. Significant differences were observed between genders for pedicle, spinous process, and facet measurements. Growth rates of the pedicles and vertebral bodies were also found to vary significantly between genders. Conclusions The rates of growth for most thoracic vertebral structures varied between genders and across vertebral levels. These growth rates followed trends similar to those of their associated vertebral dimensions and this indicates that, across levels and between genders, larger vertebral structures grow at faster rates, whereas smaller structures grow at a slower rate. Such level- and gender-specific information could be used to inform clinical decisions about spinal deformity treatment and adapted for use in biomechanical and computational modeling of thoracic growth and growth modulation.
Packed-to-fluidized Bed Transition and Origin of Particle-free Regions

The stability of the state of “isothermal” homogeneous fluidization to small amplitude “non-isothermal” disturbances is analyzed. A new general expression for particle phase pressure based on dimensional arguments is proposed and the dispersion relation governing the growth and propagation characteristics of the disturbances is derived.
Site selective high resolution laser spectroscopy of europium in calcium binding proteins

Abstract Site selective high resolution laser spectroscopy of lanthanide ions is utilized to probe the calcium ion binding sites of the proteins thermolysin and calmodulin.
Simulation in the analysis and control of a cardio-circulatory assist device:

Several of the important fluid dynamics problems en countered in the design, analysis, and control of cardio- circulatory assist devices are well suited to examination (and solution) by hybrid computer simulation.The simulation approach to the analysis and control synthesis for a particular left ventricular assist blood pump, pneumatic drive system, and experimental animal is presented. This includes a hybrid computer simulation of this system, sensitivity analysis, solution for control parameters, and description of a computer monitoring and control system to regulate the assist device.
Automated human behavioral analysis framework using facial feature extraction and machine learning

Emotional intelligence is essential in understanding and predicting human behavior. Although human emotion is best captured using non-intrusive methods, due to factors such as system complexity, computation time and decision response time, the reality of automated behavioral analysis is hindered. In this paper, we propose a framework capable of recognizing emotions of an individual to identify any suspicious behavior. Our research shows 91.1% of emotion classification accuracy for cooperative individuals using facial feature extraction and machine learning techniques, thus outperforming existing state-of-the-art approaches.
Grass Species and Endophyte Effects on Survival and Development of Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Grass selections including 10 zoysiagrasses, 18 paspalums, 34 Bermuda grasses, tall fescue, creeping redfescue, andperennial ryegrasses with andwithout endophyte were evaluatedfor potential resistance to fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), larvae. Laboratory eval- uations assessedthe degree of antibiosis among 70 grass lines to Þrst-instar fall armyworms. When all parameters measured were considered, the trend in resistance to fall armyworm among endophyte- infected(E ) andendophyte-free (E-) cool season grasses from greatest to least was: ODawsonO E APR 1234 ODawsonO E- ORosalinO E Lp 5425, ORosalinO E-, ATF 480 OTulsaO or: E slender creeping redfescue E turf- type perennial ryegrass E- slender creeping red fescue E forage-type perennial ryegrass E- forage-type perennial ryegrasses, andE tall fescue E- turf-type tall fescue. Among warm season grasses larval weight gain was reduced on all zoysiagrasses. Larval weight gain also was lower on the Bermuda grasses OTifsportO, OTifgreenO, 97Ð 4, 97Ð14, 97Ð22, 97Ð28, 97Ð39, 97Ð 40, 97Ð54, 98 Ð15, 98 Ð30, and98 Ð 45 than when larvae were fedOTulsaO tall fescue or the diet control. Only APR1234 andODawsonO creeping redfescue reducedlarval survival to the same extent that was observedfor zoysiagrasses. Survival on Bermud a grasses was least on 97Ð 8. Seashore paspalums were only rarely less susceptible to fall armyworm than tall fescue, although pupal weights were consistently lower on OTemple 1O andOSea Isle 1O paspalums than that on OTulsaO tall fescue. Genetic resistance to key grass pests can reduce insecticide use and simplify management of these cultivars.
Hierarchical Multi-modal Image Registration by Learning Common Feature Representations

Mutual information MI has been widely used for registering images with different modalities. Since most inter-modality registration methods simply estimate deformations in a local scale, but optimizing MI from the entire image, the estimated deformations for certain structures could be dominated by the surrounding unrelated structures. Also, since there often exist multiple structures in each image, the intensity correlation between two images could be complex and highly nonlinear, which makes global MI unable to precisely guide local image deformation. To solve these issues, we propose a hierarchical inter-modality registration method by robust feature matching. Specifically, we first select a small set of key points at salient image locations to drive the entire image registration. Since the original image features computed from different modalities are often difficult for direct comparison, we propose to learn their common feature representations by projecting them from their native feature spaces to a common space, where the correlations between corresponding features are maximized. Due to the large heterogeneity between two high-dimension feature distributions, we employ Kernel CCA Canonical Correlation Analysis to reveal such non-linear feature mappings. Then, our registration method can take advantage of the learned common features to reliably establish correspondences for key points from different modality images by robust feature matching. As more and more key points take part in the registration, our hierarchical feature-based image registration method can efficiently estimate the deformation pathway between two inter-modality images in a global to local manner. We have applied our proposed registration method to prostate CT and MR images, as well as the infant MR brain images in the first year of life. Experimental results show that our method can achieve more accurate registration results, compared to other state-of-the-art image registration methods.
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis-like syndrome consequent to aspergilloma

Two patients who represent the first well-documented cases of an allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis-like syndrome developing consequent to an aspergilloma are reported. These patients experienced both subjective and objective evidence of improvement after the initiation of corticosteroid therapy. Literature relevant to the combined occurrence of aspergilloma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and their immunology is reviewed.
Theoretical Framework for Multiple-Polymorph Particle Precipitation in Highly Supersaturated Systems

An overarching mathematical framework is proposed to describe entire mineral particle precipitation processes, including multiple polymorphic forms and ranges of temperatures. While existing models portray individual physical phenomena, the presented approach incorporates a diverse set of the physical phenomena simultaneously within a single mathematical description. The liquid and solid phase dynamics interact through coupling an aqueous ionic equilibrium-chemistry model with a set of population balance equations and a mixing model. Including the particle physical phenomena, nucleation, growth, dissolution, and aggregation together within a single framework allows for the exploration of nonintuitive and nontrivial coupling effects. To validate the proposed framework, the CaCO3 system and results described within Ogino, T.; Suzuki, T.; Sawada, K. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 1987, 51, 2757–2767 were utilized. The proposed framework captures general trends and timescales, even while being constructed of relati...
Abstract 3706: Intervention of human breast cell carcinogenesis chronically induced by 3, 4, 4’-trichlorocarbanilide.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of antimicrobial agent 3,4,4’-trichlorocarbanilide (TCC) to induce breast cell carcinogenesis, and then identify preventive agents to intervene in TCC-induced breast cell carcinogenesis. TCC is widely used in personal care products such as bath soaps, detergents, and cleansing lotions. Recent studies suggest that TCC acts as an endocrine disruptor to enhance the ability of steroid hormones (estrogen or testosterone) to induce estrogen and androgen receptor-mediated gene expression. Due to its environmental persistence and wide use, there are concerns about TCC9s possible impact on human health. To determine whether TCC exposure may contribute to the development of breast cancer, we used our chronically-induced breast cell carcinogenesis model to determine the ability of TCC to induce progressive carcinogenesis of human breast epithelial MCF10A cells to acquire cancer-associated properties. We found that chronic exposure of MCF10A cells to TCC at physiologically-achievable nanomolar levels resulted in cellular acquisition of the cancer-associated properties of reduced dependence on growth factors, anchorage independent growth, and increased cell proliferation. These cellular changes were accompanied by upregulation of the ERK pathway, Nox1-induced ROS production, and DNA damage. We also found that curcumin, a component of turmeric extracted from the rhizome of the Indian herb Curcuma longa, was able to suppress TCC-induced cellular carcinogenesis. Our study revealed, for the first time, that chronic exposure to TCC was able to induce breast cell carcinogenesis, and TCC-induced cellular carcinogenesis was preventable by curcumin. Citation Format: Shilpa Sood, Shambhunath Choudhary, Hwa-Chain R. Wang. Intervention of human breast cell carcinogenesis chronically induced by 3, 4, 4’-trichlorocarbanilide. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3706. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3706
Development of Brachymeria ovata (Say) (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) in Freezer-Stored Pupae of Lepidopteran Species

The parasitoid Brachymeria ovata (Say) (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) oviposited and developed in pupae of Pseudoplusia includens (Walker), Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), Heliothis zea (Boddie), Heliothis virescens (F.), Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), S. frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hubner) (all Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), that had been frozen at −20°C for 30–90 d, and thawed for 4–6 h at 27°C prior to exposure. Adult B. ovata which developed from these hosts mated and produced fertile offspring. Parasitoids oviposited and developed in A. gemmatalis pupae that had been stored at −20°C for as many as 256 d before exposed to parasitoids. In addition, parasitoids developed from freezer-stored A. gemmatalis pupae that had been removed from the freezer (−20°C) and held at 27°C for as many as 8 d before exposed to parasitoids. Thus, freezer storage may be a feasible method of obtaining large numbers of hosts for mass rearing of B. ovata .
Feasibility of a physical activity intervention for obese, socioculturally diverse endometrial cancer survivors.

Abstract Purpose Determine the feasibility of a 12-week physical activity intervention for obese, socioculturally diverse endometrial cancer survivors and to evaluate whether the intervention improves physical activity behavior, physical function, waist circumference, and quality of life. Methods Obese endometrial cancer survivors from Bronx, NY were assigned to either a 12-week physical activity intervention of behavioral counseling, physical activity and home-based walking (n = 25), or wait-list control group (n = 15). Mixed-design ANOVA (2 groups × 2 time points) were analyzed to determine differences between the intervention and the control for the Yale Physical Activity Survey, six-minute walk test, 30-second chair stand test, waist circumference, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Endometrial questionnaire. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. Results The sample was diverse (38% non-Hispanic black, 38% Hispanic, 19% non-Hispanic white). Mean Body Mass Index was 37.3 ± 6.5 kg·m− 2. Although recruitment rate was low (20% of 140 contacted), 15 of 25 participants in the intervention group attended 75–100% of scheduled sessions. Participants reported walking 118 ± 79 min/week at home. There were large effect sizes for the improvements in the six-minute walk test (22 ± 17 m vs. 1 ± 22 m, d = 1.10), waist circumference (− 5.3 ± 5.3 cm vs. 2.6 ± 6.7 cm, d = − 1.32), quality of life (10 ± 12 vs. − 1 ± 11, d = 0.86) and walking self-efficacy (24 ± 30% vs. 1 ± 55%, d = 0.87) compared to the control group. Conclusions The intervention appeared feasible in this population. The results show promising effects on several outcomes that should be confirmed in a larger randomized control trial, with more robust recruitment strategies.
Solutions of Differential Equations by Definite Integrals

This chapter discusses the solutions of differential equations by definite integrals. In a linear differential equation, it is possible under certain conditions to find solutions given in a closed form by a definite integral. The function K ( x, t ) is called the kernel, the function v ( t ), and the limits α and β are chosen in a suitable way depending on the differential equation. If a relation of the type y ( x ) = aβK( x, t ) ν ( t ) dt holds, y ( x ) is a transform of v ( t ) with kernel K ( x , t ). In some cases, v ( t ) is uniquely determined by y ( x ) for given α, β, and K . If this is the case, v ( t ) is the inverse transform of y ( x ). The chapter presents the conditions that determine the solutions of differential equations of order n and they are of the form y ( x 0 ) = y 0 ,…, y ( n–1 ) x 0 ) = y 0 (n–1) . One can assign the value of the function and its derivatives up to order n –1 at any given point where the solution is defined.
Russian and Post-Soviet Studies: Society

This article discusses the distinctive characteristics of Soviet society. It addresses the main social cleavages in Soviet society: status, class, ethnicity, and gender. The article also presents key features of Soviet culture, trust networks, and deviance. Finally, it focuses on issues related to post-Soviet society: inequality, market reform, organized crime, and democratization.
Data-Adaptive Causal Effects and Superefficiency

Recent approaches in causal inference have proposed estimating average causal effects that are local to some subpopulation, often for reasons of efficiency. These inferential targets are sometimes data-adaptive, in that they are dependent on the empirical distribution of the data. In this short note, we show that if researchers are willing to adapt the inferential target on the basis of efficiency, then extraordinary gains in precision can potentially be obtained. Specifically, when causal effects are heterogeneous, any asymptotically normal and root-n$n$ consistent estimator of the population average causal effect is superefficient for a data-adaptive local average causal effect.