cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of delayed intermittent ventricular drainage on ventriculomegaly and neurological deficits in experimental neonatal hydrocephalus

Purpose Evidence-based guidelines do not indicate when ventricular reservoirs should be placed in children with neonatal hydrocephalus, and delayed intervention is common. We hypothesize that delayed ventricular drainage has adverse effects on structural development and functional outcomes.
Characterization of the human monocyte high affinity Fc receptor (hu FcRI).

The high affinity Fc receptor (FcRI) of a human monocytic cell line, U937, was further characterized using a previously described murine monoclonal antibody, FcRmAb32. This antibody immunoprecipitated a 70 K cell surface glycoprotein. A solid phase ligand binding assay and a solid phase immunoprecipitation assay were combined to confirm that the 70 K cell surface glycoprotein immunoprecipitated by FcRmAb32 is an IgG binding protein. N-glycanase digestion shows that at least 20% of the relative mobility of the 70 K FcRI glycoprotein is due to N-linked carbohydrate. FcRmAb32 immunoprecipitated a 70 K. glycoprotein from biosynthetically labelled U937 cells that co-migrated with the surface iodinated glycoprotein on 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. A 50 K protein, that is biosynthetically labelled but not accessible to surface iodination, which, bound to control antibodies was also present in FcRmAb32 immunoprecipitates. FcRmAb32 only bound the mature fully glycosylated form of FcRI. The 70 K FcRI was not phosphorylated constitutively nor when U937 cells were stimulated by PMA.
Rimantadine for treatment of hepatitis C infection in liver transplant recipients

Hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantation is a serious problem, leading to increased graft loss and morbidity in some individuals. Treatment with interferon and other agents is controversial and not highly efficacious. The use of an effective antiviral agent to reduce or eliminate viral burden is desirable. To this end, we performed an open-label pilot trial to determine if rimantadine would show antiviral activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the posttransplantation setting. Eleven patients with recurrent post–liver transplantation disease, characterized by transaminase level abnormality and HCV RNA in serum and liver biopsy specimens consistent with HCV infection were offered enrollment onto the study. Patients were treated for 12 weeks with rimantadine, 100 mg orally twice daily, and followed up after treatment for up to 8 additional weeks. Serum was collected at 2-week intervals to assess transaminase and HCV RNA levels. Nine patients completed the planned course of therapy. There was no significant change in serum alanine aminotransferase levels during treatment. No patients cleared HCV RNA from the serum, and fluctuations in the viral titer were not clearly associated with the initiation and completion of the active-treatment phase. Rimantadine was well tolerated, with only one patient who stopped therapy for perceived side effects. We conclude that rimantadine monotherapy has no role in the management of recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation.
The irreversible cleavage of histidine residues by diethylpyrocarbonate (ethoxyformic anhydride).

In aqueous solution at neutral or slightly acidic pH values diethyl pyrocarbonate (ethoxyformic anhydride, DEP) has been shown to modify histidine residues in proteins with considerable specificity [l-3] . For this reason DEP has been widely used to test for the presence of functional histidine residues at the active sites of enzymes; for example, phosphofructokinase [4], thermolysin [5,6], lactate dehydrogenase [7], pyruvate kinase [8] , and liver alcohol dehydrogenase [9]. The reagent is convenient since it reacts with histidine to give an ultraviolet spectral change centered at 240 nm [2,3] from the intensity of which the number of modified histidine residues can be estimated and the modification reaction can be reversed by cleavage of the product, Ncarbethoxyhistidine, with suitable nucleophiles such as hydroxylamine. Diethyl pyrocarbonate has also been shown to modify nucleic acid components. Leonard et al. [ 1 O-l 21 however, have shown that in this case not only are ring nitrogen atoms and substituent ammo groups carbethoxylated but also the imidazole ring of purine bases can be cleaved in a Bamberger [ 131 reaction. Oligonucleotides and nucleic acids are also subject to this reaction [ 141. Despite this warning, many users of DEP as a protein modifying reagent appear unaware of the possibility of interference by the Bamberger reaction. In this work we demonstrate that under commonly used mild conditions for protein modification by DEP, Bamberger cleavage of imidazole rings in amino acids, peptides and proteins can and does occur.
North-south cooperation in international atmospheric programs

Abstract The study of the inner workings of the atmosphere and how it links biosphere, oceans, soil, rocks, human systems and near-earth space into one single whole is one of the most difficult and ambitious endeavors of humankind. The biggest challenge is to identify and separate natural from human-induced changes and provide scientific information to allow governments formulate and implement policies that reconcile regional development with global environmental protection. Developing countries have a crucial role to play: they can offer much- needed human talent, labor and geographic coverage for the daunting task of monitoring and interpreting the complex, nonlinear and chaotic system under study. Researchers engaged in the study of the atmosphere are confronted with scientific questions whose answers can have tremendous economic and political implications. This paper will discuss some of the organizational, political and psychological hurdles that must be considered and overcome in the planning of international programs of atmospheric research.
Intelligent process monitoring by interfacing knowledge-based systems and multivariate statistical monitoring

Abstract An intelligent process monitoring and fault diagnosis environment has been developed by interfacing multivariate statistical process monitoring (MSPM) techniques and knowledge-based systems (KBS) for monitoring multivariable process operation. The real-time KBS developed in G2 is used with multivariate SPM methods based on canonical variate state space (CVSS) process models. Fault detection is based on T 2 charts of state variables. Contribution plots in G2 are used for determining the process variables that have contributed to the out-of-control signal indicated by large T 2 values, and G2 Diagnostic Assistant (GDA) is used to diagnose the source causes of abnormal process behavior. The MSPM modules developed in Matlab are linked with G2. This intelligent monitoring and diagnosis system can be used to monitor multivariable processes with autocorrelated, crosscorrelated, and collinear data. The structure of the integrated system is described and its performance is illustrated by simulation studies.
Random Assignment of Schools to Groups in the Drug Resistance Strategies Rural Project: Some New Methodological Twists

Random assignment to groups is the foundation for scientifically rigorous clinical trials. But assignment is challenging in group randomized trials when only a few units (schools) are assigned to each condition. In the DRSR project, we assigned 39 rural Pennsylvania and Ohio schools to three conditions (rural, classic, control). But even with 13 schools per condition, achieving pretest equivalence on important variables is not guaranteed. We collected data on six important school-level variables: rurality, number of grades in the school, enrollment per grade, percent white, percent receiving free/assisted lunch, and test scores. Key to our procedure was the inclusion of school-level drug use data, available for a subset of the schools. Also, key was that we handled the partial data with modern missing data techniques. We chose to create one composite stratifying variable based on the seven school-level variables available. Principal components analysis with the seven variables yielded two factors, which were averaged to form the composite inflate-suppress (CIS) score which was the basis of stratification. The CIS score was broken into three strata within each state; schools were assigned at random to the three program conditions from within each stratum, within each state. Results showed that program group membership was unrelated to the CIS score, the two factors making up the CIS score, and the seven items making up the factors. Program group membership was not significantly related to pretest measures of drug use (alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, chewing tobacco; smallest p > .15), thus verifying that pretest equivalence was achieved.
Development and User Testing of the Gestural Joystick for Gloves-On Hazardous Environments

For controlling robots in an urban search and rescue (USAR) application, a wearable joystick is presented with improved sensing capability as well as a giant magneto-resistance (GMR) sensor model for use with rare-earth magnets. Scientists have been studying a variety of existing human/robot interface devices to control USAR robots in a disaster. Due to the stresses involved in USAR environments, the selection of an appropriate interface device out of the numerous interactive devices available has to be carefully considered. Furthermore, the total burden to the user of human/robot interface devices in USAR tasks includes not only the periods of interaction, but also the burden of transporting and remotely setting up the devices. The wearable joystick presented is developed with the design goal of minimizing total encumbrances. The features of this wearable joystick include easy and wire-free installation into regular gloves. An improved hardware structure for the sensor pad and the alignment of magnets is described that completely wraps the wrist. This band-type mechanism provides more robust data acquisition than previous prototypes. To evaluate performance, time-to-complete tests are performed, with a comparison to a metric for path tortuosity. The fractal dimension of the resulting path is analyzed to represent the degree of control the user has over the interface device. Experimental results are provided from both computer screen tess and real USAR robot driving tests.
Improvement in exercise capacity and exercise hemodynamics 3 months after double-balloon, catheter balloon valvuloplasty treatment of patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis.

Clinical status, exercise treadmill performance, and hemodynamics were determined in 24 patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis before catheter balloon valvuloplasty (CBV) and at 3 months follow-up. Hemodynamic determinations at rest showed that mitral CBV performed by the double-balloon technique resulted in significant immediate decreases in mean pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (28 +/- 7 to 16 +/- 5 mm Hg, p less than .01), mean pulmonary arterial pressure (41 +/- 11 to 33 +/- 10 mm Hg, p less than .05), and mitral valve gradient (16 +/- 7 to 6 +/- 3 mm Hg, p less than .01), and significant increases in cardiac output (4.3 +/- 1.1 to 5.0 +/- 1.4 liters/min, p less than .01). Mitral valve area increased from 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 2.2 +/- 0.7 cm2 (p less than .01). The mitral valve area was unchanged (2.0 +/- 0.7 cm2, p = NS) at 3 months. The lower pulmonary arterial wedge pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, and mitral valve gradient persisted at 3 month follow-up catheterization. Clinical examinations showed that before CBV, 21 of 24 patients were in New York Heart Association functional class III or IV; 3 months after CBV, 22 patients were in class I or II. Before CBV, the mean exercise treadmill time was 5.9 +/- 3.2 min and it had increased to 9.8 +/- 2.9 min (p less than .01) by the 3 month follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Plastic embedding of cutaneous specimens for light microscopy using araldite epoxy resin.

A method is described using araldite epoxy resin for embedding intact 3-mm cutaneous punch biopsies for light microscopy. Sections are cut at 0.5-2.0 μ and stained with hematoxylin-eosin-phloxine. This procedure allows for preservation of cellular detail unobtainable with conventional formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue.
Retention of autism spectrum diagnoses by community professionals: findings from the autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 2000 and 2006.

Objective Past research is inconsistent in the stability of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses. The authors therefore sought to examine the proportion of children identified from a population-based surveillance system that had a change in classification from ASD to non-ASD and factors associated with such changes. Methods Children with a documented age of first ASD diagnosis noted in surveillance records by a community professional (n = 1392) were identified from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Children were considered to have a change in classification if an ASD was excluded after the age of first recorded ASD diagnosis. Child and surveillance factors were entered into a multivariable regression model to determine factors associated with diagnostic change. Results Only 4% of our sample had a change in classification from ASD to non-ASD noted in evaluation records. Factors associated with change in classification from ASD to non-ASD were timing of first ASD diagnosis at 30 months or younger, onset other than developmental regression, presence of specific developmental delays, and participation in a special needs classroom other than autism at 8 years of age. Conclusions Our results found that children with ASDs are likely to retain an ASD diagnosis, which underscores the need for continued services. Children diagnosed at 30 months or younger are more likely to experience a change in classification from ASD to non-ASD than children diagnosed at 31 months or older, suggesting earlier identification of ASD symptoms may be associated with response to intervention efforts or increased likelihood for overdiagnosis.
Adaptation and Psychometric Testing of Multiple Measures of Religion Among African Americans Who Use Cocaine

This study tests the psychometric properties and demographic variation of three culturally adapted versions of widely used religion scales—the Brief RCOPE, the Religious Support Scale, and items fr...
Lidocaine's Influence on the Accumulation and Depletion Rates of Mouse Brain Amines

Mouse brain was analyzed for serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Pargyline plus lidocaine treatment caused an increased accumulation rate of serotonin over one hour compared to pargyline controls. α Methyl-p-tyrosine plus lidocaine treatment caused a decreased depletion rate of dopamine over four hours compared to rates of α methyl-p-tyrosine controls, and no difference for norepinephrine.
Hormonally Active Vitamin D3 (1α,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol) Triggers Autophagy in Human Macrophages That Inhibits HIV-1 Infection

Autophagy is a self-digestion pathway essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and cell survival and for degrading intracellular pathogens. Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) may utilize autophagy for replication as the autophagy-related protein-7 (ATG-7), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3, ATG-12, and ATG-16L2 are required for productive HIV-1 infection; however, the effects of autophagy induction on HIV-1 infection are unknown. HIV-1-infected individuals have lower levels of 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, the hormonally active form of vitamin D, than uninfected individuals. with the lowest concentrations found in persons with AIDS. Using human macrophages and RNA interference for ATG-5 and Beclin-1 and chemical inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, we have found that physiologically relevant concentrations of 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol induce autophagy in human macrophages through a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-, ATG-5-, and Beclin-1-dependent mechanism that significantly inhibits HIV-1 replication in a dose-dependent manner. We also show that the inhibition of basal autophagy inhibits HIV-1 replication. Furthermore, although 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol induces the secretion of human cathelicidin, at the concentrations produced in vitro, cathelicidin does not trigger autophagy. Our findings support an important role for autophagy during HIV-1 infection and provide new insights into novel approaches to prevent and treat HIV-1 infection and related opportunistic infections.
The Zebra Finch genome and avian genomics in the wild

The Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is the first species of passerine bird with a complete genome sequence, making it an exciting time for avian evolutionary biology. Native to Australia and the Lesser Sunda Islands, this species has long played an important role in the study of ecology, behaviour and neuroscience. With the sequencing of its genome, the Zebra Finch now also represents an important model system for evolutionary and population genomics. The production of a genome sequence for the Zebra Finch will have far-reaching impacts on the study of avian biology. Here we discuss the genomic resources available for the Zebra Finch, including the genome sequence itself, and some of the ways in which they will facilitate the study of avian diversity. We also highlight recent examples from the literature that have already begun to leverage Zebra Finch genomic tools towards the study of birds in nature.
Lunar polar orbiter: A global survey of the Moon

Abstract Lunar data from previous automated and manned exploratory missions have now been analyzed to the point where it is possible to define objectives for new missions to the Moon. The most logical next step is a polar orbiter designed to measure the Moon's gravity field, figure, heat flow, magnetism and surface composition. NASA has commissioned a study of this mission at JPL with participation by lunar scientists from JSC, and also has tentatively selected a group of investigators who constitute a Science Working Team. This paper describes the mission objectives and reports progress in the mission-definition study. As presently visualized, the orbiter will be launched by a Delta vehicle in 1980. After insertion into an eccentric, polar lunar orbit it will deploy a small, spinning subsatellite whose purpose is to relay precise radio Doppler measurements from the orbiter on the Moon's far side. After subsatellite delivery, the orbiter will maneuver into a low, circular polar orbit whence the instrument fields of view will be continuously pointed to the nadir for a nominal mission time of one year. Tracking and data acquisition will be via 26-m ground antennas and the JPL Mission Control and Computing Center, with distributed computing elements used in both flight and ground systems to simplify the data interfaces. Significant design advances are intended to include: (1) all systems designed to cost, (2) advanced scientific sensors aboard the spacecraft, (3) ground operations systems designed for largely automated, routine operation, and (4) design and operations concepts applicable to a variety of low-cost orbital missions in the Solar System.
Inactivation Defects Caused by Myotonia-associated Mutations in the Sodium Channel III-IV Linker

Missense mutations in the skeletal muscle Na+ channel alpha subunit occur in several heritable forms of myotonia and periodic paralysis. Distinct phenotypes arise from mutations at two sites within the III-IV cytoplasmic loop: myotonia without weakness due to substitutions at glycine 1306, and myotonia plus weakness caused by a mutation at threonine 1313. Heterologous expression in HEK cells showed that substitutions at either site disrupted inactivation, as reflected by slower inactivation rates, shifts in steady-state inactivation, and larger persistent Na+ currents. For T1313M, however, the changes were an order of magnitude larger than any of three substitutions at G1306, and recovery from inactivation was hastened as well. Model simulations demonstrate that these functional difference have distinct phenotypic consequences. In particular, a large persistent Na+ current predisposes to paralysis due to depolarization-induced block of action potential generation.
Comparative Carcinogenicity of 4-Nitroquinoline 1-oxide and 4-Hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide in 3 Strains of Mice

SummaryA comparative study of the carcinogenicity of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide and 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide was carried out using C3H/HeN, C57BL/6JN and non-inbred albino strains of mice. Ten subcutaneous injections of these carcinogens at a same and relatively low dose (0.1 mg per time) were made once a week into the same site on the back of the mice. More sarcomas developed in the C3H mice than in the other 2 strains, whereas leukemia was mostly observed in non-inbred albino mice. The C57 BL mice showed the least tumor incidence. The tumor yields obtained within the observation period of 32 weeks clearly showed that 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide was more active than 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide. The result of this study would support the hypothesis that 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide acts through its reduced form.
Mechanical properties of the stalk and cirri of the sea lily Cenocrinus asterius

Abstract 1. 1. The mechanical properties of the stalk and cirri of Cenocrinus asterius L. were analysed using freshly autotomized stalk segments. 2. 2. When tested in bending, the proximal portions of the stalk had a lower flexural stiffness than the medial/distal portions. The difference between the proximal and medial/distal regions was less than an order of magnitude. 3. 3. The rate of plastic deformation (creep) of stalk segments and cirri subjected to a constant load was used to calculate the coefficient of viscosity. Measurements taken while the samples were bathed in sea-water, distilled water, or potassium enriched sea-water produced no obvious differences in the viscous properties of the samples.
An improved mixing length theory of turbulent heat and mass transfer

Abstract An improved mixing length theory of turbulent heat and mass transfer is developed which applies more realistically when the velocity gradient, or the temperature gradient, or both, are small. The theory is applied to turbulent flow between parallel plates which are maintained at constant but different temperatures, and the results compare favorably with experimental data.
Elise Boulding’s work as a framework for dismantling No Child Left Behind: respect, solitude, imagination and partnerships

This paper utilizes the work of Elise Boulding as a theoretical framework for analyzing the potentials and shortcomings of the US educational policy, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) 1 . The interrelated concepts of respect, solitude, imagination, and partnerships from Boulding’s scholarship are detailed. NCLB is summarized along with its historical context, based in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, its assumptions, goals, and the arguments of supporters and critics of the policy. Examples of how Boulding’s concepts are and can be employed in the US classrooms, even despite NCLB, are discussed. Concluding the paper, the contradictions between the assumptions and results of NCLB and Boulding’s framework are exposed to ultimately argue that No Child Left Behind must be largely dismantled in order to honor Boulding’s legacy and challenge of enabling peace.
Load balancing in a multi-server queuing system

Abstract A queuing system consists of N identical, exponential service channels, each with its own Poisson stream of customers. If allowed to run unattended, the system may become unbalanced; that is, some queues may become long while others are empty. In this case, it may be beneficial to transfer jobs from the long queues to shorter ones to “balance the load”. We assume that the system incurs a cost for each customer waiting in the queue and a cost each time a job is transferred. We show that, in the case of light traffic intensity, it is optimal to transfer a job to the shortest queue whenever the number of jobs in its own queue exceeds the number of jobs in the shortest queue by a fixed threshold. We also include simulations to test how well this policy performs under moderate and heavy traffic intensities and to compare this policy to other reasonable, implemcntable policies.
The “CalPERS effect” revisited again

Abstract Smith [Smith, M., 1996. Shareholder activism by institutional investors: evidence from CALPERS. Journal of Finance 51, 227-252] and Wahal [Wahal, S., 1996. Public pension fund activism and firm performance. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis 31, 1-23] identify significant positive abnormal returns surrounding the announcement of performance targetings by the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), dubbed the “CalPERS effect.” More recent studies suggest that this “CalPERS effect” continues in later samples. While I confirm the early period results, I find the results reported in studies examining later periods are driven by the inclusion of early 1992–1993 targetings and from a significant bias in the market model parameters caused by estimation during periods of known under-performance. Additionally, these results are partially driven by the failure to control for contaminating events and the use unnecessarily long event windows. Contrary to previous studies, after addressing these methodological concerns, I find no evidence to support the continued existence of a “CalPERS effect”.
The Question That Launched My Career

Excellent questions are rare commodities. Take, for instance, one of the questions that fascinated Hutchinson (1961): “Why do so many species co-exist?” Approximately 42,042,042,042 papers have been written on this question, so it has clearly fascinated a lot of people. What makes it excellent? Excellence is subjective, of course, but I posit that there are three keys. (1) The empirical pattern is clear and general: Many species do, in fact, co-exist in most ecosystems. (2) It is counter-intuitive, and thus fascinating: Competitive exclusion (Hardin 1960) is one of the oldest and most pervasive principles of ecology, and should limit the number of coexisting species to well below what we actually see. (3) The set of mechanistic explanations to resolve this question (e.g., Chesson 2000) is large, and crosses boundaries of discipline and scale: No single explanation is ubiquitous, and a variety of people can contribute. This makes it a hard question to answer in full, and thus one that has remained interesting for a long time.
Comment on mobility-shift computations featuring cage effects.

Theoretical mobility-shift patterns are computed by solution of conservation equations for electrophoresis coupled with chemical reaction. The chemical reaction term is often formulated in terms of dissociation of the protein-DNA complex in a gel cage. This formulation assumes that once the dissociated protein escapes the cage, it goes down a sink and is totally lost. This implies that the concentration of the escaped protein is too low to affect sign ficantly the rates of protein-DNA association along its migration pathway.
Growth properties of semigroups generated by fractional powers of certain linear operators

Certain semigroups are generated by powers −(−A)a, for closed operators A in Banach space and 0 < a < 1. Properties of extent of the resolvent set and size of the resolvent operator of A correspond to properties relating to the sectors of holomorphy of the semigroups, and their growth near the origin and infinity. In this paper, we deal with semigroups having two different types of growth properties. In the first instance, the semigroup grows near the origin as r−t, 0 < t < 1. We show that such semigroups are fractional-power semi-groups of operators A, whose resolvents decay as r−s, 0 < s < 1, in subsectors of the right-hand half-plane. In the second instance, the semigroups are bounded near the origin, and admit special estimates on growth at the periphery of their sectors of definition. We show that for the corresponding A, the resolvent is defined and admits special growth estimates in a region which contains every subsector of the right half-plane; and in these subsectors, the resolvent decays as r−1.
Dolomitization and H2S generation in the Permian Khuff Formation, Offshore Dubai, U.A.E.

Dolomite in the Permian Khuff Formation from the T-1 well (Fateh field, offshore Dubai, United Arab Emirates) formed during the Miocene from a dense brine at a depth of approximately 15,500 ft (4,724 m), as indicated by fluid inclusion data. As the majority of the porosity is intercrystalline, most of the porosity formed at the same time. Fluid inclusion data, together with petrography, luminescence, and oxygen and carbon stable isotopes, indicate the diagenetic history was extremely complex with multiple episodes of precipitation of cements (calcite, saddle dolomite, anhydrite, fluorite), but fluid inclusion geothermometry data indicate that the majority of cementation occurred from the Eocene to the Miocene at depths of at least 12,300 ft (3,749 m). The matrix dolomite, anhydrite nodules, and calcite and fluorite cements have higher87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.70780 to 0.71084) than expected for late Permian seawater, which supports a non marine (burial) origin. Anhydrite with higher than expected δ34S (16.5 to 20.2o/oo CDT) for late Permian seawater gives supporting evidence for this interpretation.
Investigation of Hot Electrons Generated from AIN/GaN-Based High Electron Mobility Transistor

We have observed that the temperature of the electrons drifting under a relatively-high electric field in an AlN/GaN-based high-electron-mobility transistor is significantly higher than the lattice temperature (i.e. the hot electrons are generated). These hot electrons are produced through the Frohlich interaction between the drifting electrons and long-lived longitudinal-optical phonons. By fitting electric field vs. electron temperature deduced from the measurements of photoluminescence spectra to a theoretical model, we have deduced the longitudinal-optical-phonon emission time for each electron is to be on the order of 100 fs. This value is consistent with the value measured previously from Raman scattering.
Bayesian color estimation for adaptive vision-based robot localization

In this article we introduce a hierarchical Bayesian model to estimate a set of colors with a mobile robot. Estimating colors is particularly important if objects in an environment can only be distinguished by their color. Since the appearance of colors can change due to variations in the lighting condition, a robot needs to adapt its color model to such changes. We propose a two level Gaussian model in which the lighting conditions are estimated at the upper level using a switching Kalman filter. A hierarchical Bayesian technique learns Gaussian priors from data collected in other environments. Furthermore, since estimation of the color model depends on knowledge of the robot's location, we employ a Rao-Blackwellised particle filter to maintain a joint posterior over robot positions and lighting conditions. We evaluate the technique in the context of the RoboCup AIBO league, where a legged AIBO robot has to localize itself in an environment similar to a soccer field. Our experiments show that the robot can localize under different lighting conditions and adapt to changes in the lighting condition, for example, due to a light being turned on or off.
Relationship Between Precambrian and Lower Paleozoic Rocks of Southeastern New England and Other North Atlantic Avalonian Terrains

The eastern margin of the Appalachian orogen of eastern North America, as well as parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa, is comprised of Late Precambrian strata and igneous intrusions known collectively as the Avalonian terrain. This terrain is defined, in part, by Late Precambrian volcanic and sedimentary rocks, and by mafic to intermediate plutons cut by a series of granitic plutons dated from 595 to 650 Ma. In part, also, it is defined by Cambrian sedimentary cover bearing an Acado-Baltic trilobite fauna, and also Cambrian to Ordovician volcanics. The basement and cover rocks are cut by anorogenic alkaline plutons ranging from Ordovician to Devonian in age. In southeastern New England, all of the above mentioned rocks are present, except for Ordovician sedimentary rocks, but they are deeply eroded and are overlain by Upper Carboniferous fluvial basin sediments. The Late Precambrian rocks were deformed in the Avalonian orogeny; the Upper Carboniferous rocks were deformed during the polyphase Alleghanian-Variscan orogeny; and the Lower Paleozoic strata were mildly deformed at an as yet undetermined time between the above orogenic events, possibly during a Cadomian III orogenic episode. The Avalon Platform records Avalonian orogenic events of Late Precambrian age related to Cadomian II of western Europe and northwestern Africa. The mild deformation of the Lower Paleozoic rocks probably records an episode of orogenesis in nearby Gondwanaland related to deformational events of from Caledonian (or Taconian ?) to Post-Acadian time. This terrain also preserves a rich record of the Variscan-Alleghanian orogeny.
Agile assembly architecture: an agent based approach to modular precision assembly systems

This paper presents our initial thoughts on the design of an architecture for highly flexible, modular, and distributed precision assembly systems. Through the use of a unified design, simulation, programming, and monitoring environment coupled with self-representing cooperative agents, this architecture will significantly simplify the process of factory design and deployment. Our demonstration of this architecture takes the form of a "table top" sized assembly system targeted at the partial assembly of high-density magnetic storage devices.
A Capacity-Based Approach for Designing Bit-Interleaved Coded GFSK with Noncoherent Detection

This paper investigates a capacity-based approach to parameter optimization for energy and band-width efficient communication systems. In particular, non-coherently detected, bit-interleaved coded, M-ary Gaussian frequency shift keying (GFSK) is considered. Non-Coherent detection is accomplished using a sequential, soft-output (SO), soft-decision differential phase detector (SDDPD). The capacity of the proposed system under modulation, channel and detector design constraints is calculated. For a wide range of spectral efficiencies, the most energy efficient combination of GFSK parameters and code rates is identified using information theoretic bounds on reliable signaling. The information outage probabilities under modulation and detector design constraints are calculated for the block fading channel. Select results reveal that the capacity-based approach also helps in identifying the combination of modulation parameters and code rates with the lowest outage probabilities in block fading.
El discurso poético en Noticias del imperio: el sujeto lírico y la Historia

Este ensayo analiza los capitulos impares de la novela Noticias del imperio de Fernando del Paso, debido a que el lenguaje y el protagonismo de la narradora, Carlota, la convierten en sujeto lirico. Este sujeto crea y forma parte de un discurso poetico con el que revisa y revisita eventos del Segundo Imperio mexicano. Por tanto, el ensayo sostiene que este discurso poetico es una forma literaria para acercarse y analizar critica y simbolicamente el pasado historico. En particular, esta revision historica rescata y valora la experiencia de un personaje que tradicionalmente ha sido marginado: Carlota.
Demonstration of 5T SRAM and 6T dual-port RAM cell arrays

This paper describes new circuit techniques that provide robust operations for a five transistor, single bitline SRAM cell design. The techniques have been implemented in an array of six transistor memory cells and operated as a dual-port RAM. The array has been fabricated using 0.6 /spl mu/m CMOS technology, and the test results show the array is capable of operating as a dual-port memory over a wide voltage supply range.
Comparative Study of Particle Swarm Approaches for the Prediction of Functionally Important Residues in Protein Structures

Prediction of functionally important amino acids in protein structures is challenging problem in the area of protein function prediction. In the quest of looking for better machine learning approaches to address this problem, we have compared a support vector machine and a neural network trained with a particle swarm algorithm (PSO) to nonlinearly combine a subset of features selected from a set of 314 features describing catalytic residues in protein structures. We compare this approach against three other approaches. Results show trade-offs for two of the approaches on the precision-recall curves. While no approach surpassed the performance of the linear kernel support vector machine (SVM) classifier, the performance of the PSO was comparable to that of a feature selected SVM.
Modular neuroevolution for multilegged locomotion

Legged robots are useful in tasks such as search and rescue because they can effectively navigate on rugged terrain. However, it is difficult to design controllers for them that would be stable and robust. Learning the control behavior is difficult because optimal behavior is not known, and the search space is too large for reinforcement learning and for straightforward evolution. As a solution, this paper proposes a modular approach for evolving neural network controllers for such robots. The search space is effectively reduced by exploiting symmetry in the robot morphology, and encoding it into network modules. Experiments involving physically realistic simulations of a quadruped robot produce the same symmetric gaits, such as pronk, pace, bound and trot, that are seen in quadruped animals. Moreover, the robot can transition dynamically to more effective gaits when faced with obstacles. The modular approach also scales well when the number of legs or their degrees of freedom are increased. Evolved non-modular controllers, in contrast, produce gaits resembling crippled animals that are much less effective and do not scale up as a result. Hand-designed controllers are also less effective, especially on an obstacle terrain. These results suggest that the modular approach is effective for designing robust locomotion controllers for multilegged robots.
An assay evaluation of the methylene blue method for the detection of anionic surfactants in urine.

blue procedure allows the detection and quantitation of anionic surfaclants in urine. One-hundred urine specimens that exhibited normal foaming when shaken gave anionic surfactant values lower than 36 pg/mt with a mean of 8.73 pg/mt. Most of the suspected adulterated specimens and spiked samples with only 100 pL of detergent in 60 mL of urine had values greater lhan pg/mL Based on the analysis of negative samples, a urine specimen with an anionic sudactant level of 100 pg/mL or greater could be considered adulterated and most likely will have levels greater than
Statistical Evaluation of Prognostic versus Diagnostic Models: Beyond the ROC Curve

Background: Diagnostic and prognostic or predictive models serve different purposes. Whereas diagnostic models are usually used for classification, prognostic models incorporate the dimension of time, adding a stochastic element. Content: The ROC curve is typically used to evaluate clinical utility for both diagnostic and prognostic models. This curve assesses how well a test or model discriminates, or separates individuals into two classes, such as diseased and nondiseased. A strong risk predictor, such as lipids for cardiovascular disease, may have limited impact on the area under the curve, called the AUC or c-statistic, even if it alters predicted values. Calibration, measuring whether predicted probabilities agree with observed proportions, is another component of model accuracy important to assess. Reclassification can directly compare the clinical impact of two models by determining how many individuals would be reclassified into clinically relevant risk strata. For example, adding high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and family history to prediction models for cardiovascular disease using traditional risk factors moves approximately 30% of those at intermediate risk levels, such as 5%–10% or 10%–20% 10-year risk, into higher or lower risk categories, despite little change in the c-statistic. A calibration statistic can asses how well the new predicted values agree with those observed in the cross-classified data. Summary: Although it is useful for classification, evaluation of prognostic models should not rely solely on the ROC curve, but should assess both discrimination and calibration. Risk reclassification can aid in comparing the clinical impact of two models on risk for the individual, as well as the population.
Healthy Lifestyle as a Coping Mechanism for Role Stress in Public Accounting

In this study, we examine the effects of healthy lifestyle for professionals in public accounting as a coping mechanism for role stress and resultant job outcomes. Prior research indicates that professionals in public accounting endure considerable stress, particularly during busy season, and as a result, many capable professionals leave public accounting. We collected data from accounting professionals in a large U.S. national public accounting firm and analyzed the causal relationships of role stres- sors and healthy lifestyle on job outcomes using a multidisciplinary research model. We found that role stress, mediated by job burnout and its effect on psychological well- being, has a negative impact on job outcomes. However, the negative effects of role stress and job burnout can be mitigated by a healthy lifestyle, mediated by its effect on vitality and psychological well-being.
Reward-related processing in the human brain: Developmental considerations

The pursuit of rewarding experiences motivates everyday human behavior, and can prove beneficial when pleasurable, positive consequences result (e.g., satisfying hunger, earning a paycheck). However, reward seeking may also be maladaptive and lead to risky decisions with potentially negative long-term consequences (e.g., unprotected sex, drug use). Such risky decision making is often observed during adolescence, a time in which important structural and functional refinements occur in the brain's reward circuitry. Although much of the brain develops before adolescence, critical centers for goal-directed behavior, such as frontal corticobasal ganglia networks, continue to mature. These ongoing changes may underlie the increases in risk-taking behavior often observed during adolescence. Further, typical development of these circuits is vital to our ability to make well-informed decisions; atypical development of the human reward circuitry can have severe implications, as is the case in certain clinical and developmental conditions (e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). This review focuses on current research probing the neural correlates of reward-related processing across human development supporting the current research hypothesis that immature or atypical corticostriatal circuitry may underlie maladaptive behaviors observed in adolescence.
Powder diffraction analysis of hydraulic cements: ASTM Rietveld round-robin results on precision

Phase composition estimates by X-ray powder diffraction and Rietveld analysis are becom ing more widely used in the cement industry. The ASTM C01.23 Compositional Analysis subcommittee developed test method C 1365 Standard Test for ‘Determination of the Proportion of Phases in Portland Cement and Portland-Cement Clinker Using X-Ray Powder Diffraction Analysis.’ A round-robin analysis involving 11 laboratories was initiated to assess the precision and bias of this approach and to develop guidelines for Rietveld analysis of hydraulic cements. Four cements were prepared using NIST SRM clinkers spiked with known amounts of one or more of the following minerals: gypsum, bassanite, anhydrite, and calcite. Specimens were provided with instructions that laboratories analyze the whole cement, collect data in triplicate, and repack the specimen for each run. Results of the round robin were used to estimate inter- and intra-laboratory precision and bias of phase abundance determinations. Results show an improvement over previous cement round-robin studies utilizing traditional internal-standard based, peak area measurement methods.
Iron-Promoted ortho- and/or ipso-Hydroxylation of Benzoic Acids with H2O2

Regioselective hydroxylation of aromatic acids with hydrogen peroxide proceeds readily in the presence of iron(II) complexes with tetradentate aminopyridine ligands [Fe"(BPMEN)-(CH 3 CN) 2 ](ClO 4 ) 2 (1) and [Fe II (TPA)-(CH 3 CN) 2 ](OTf) 2 (2), where BPMEN = N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,2-ethylenediamine, TPA = tris-(2-pyridylmethyl)amine. Two cis-sites, which are occupied by labile acetonitrile molecules in 1 and 2, are available for coordination of H 2 O 2 and substituted benzoic acids. The hydroxylation of the aromatic ring occurs exclusively in the vicinity of the anchoring carboxylate functional group: ortho-hydroxylation affords salicylates, whereas ipso-hydroxylation with concomitant decarboxylation yields phenolates. The outcome of the substituent-directed hydroxylation depends on the electronic properties and the position of substituents in the molecules of substrates: 3-substituted benzoic acids are preferentially ortho-hydroxylated, whereas 2- and, to a lesser extent, 4-substituted substrates tend to undergo ipso-hydroxylation/decarboxylation. These two pathways are not mutually exclusive and likely proceed via a common intermediate. Electron-withdrawing substituents on the aromatic ring of the carboxylic acids disfavor hydroxylation, indicating an electrophilic nature for the active oxidant. Complexes 1 and 2 exhibit similar reactivity patterns, but 1 generates a more powerful oxidant than 2. Spectroscopic and labeling studies exclude acylperoxoiron(III) and Fe IV =O species as potential reaction intermediates, but strongly indicate the involvement of an Fe III -OOH intermediate that undergoes intramolecular acid-promoted heterolytic O-O bond cleavage, producing a transient iron(V) oxidant.
BF4− as a probe for ion pair solution structure using interionic one‐ and two‐dimensional 19F{1H} NOEs

Interionic 19F{1H} NOEs were observed in tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (1) in CDCl3 solution using both one-dimensional steady-state NOE difference experiments and a two-dimensional 19F{1H} HOESY technique. The two-dimensional 19F{1H} HOESY experiment was also used to identify BF4− binding sites on a more complex cation, 8α-9(R)-hydroxy-1-(anthrylmethyl)cinchonanium (2), in CDCl3. The time-average structures of the respective ion pairs are discussed. For the smaller ion pair formed by 1, the observed 19F{1H} NOEs are positive in sign, indicating that the extreme narrowing limit is approached. For the larger ion pair 2, 19F{1H} NOEs are negative in sign, with evidence for extensive spin diffusion within the ion pair, indicating a significant increase in correlation time relative to ion pair 1. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Removal of oxide contamination from silicon carbide powders

The removal of oxide (SiO/sub 2/) contamination from SiC powders by treatment with BCl/sub 3/(g) or with HF(g) has been demonstrated. Hydrogen fluoride is more effective and does not present corrosion problems with the container materials used. 6 references, 2 tables.