cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synergistic activity between the delta-opioid agonist SNC80 and amphetamine occurs via a glutamatergic NMDA-receptor dependent mechanism.

Glutamate is known to cause the release of dopamine through a Ca2+-sensitive mechanism that involves activation of NMDA ionotropic glutamate receptors. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that the delta opioid agonist SNC80 acts indirectly, via the glutamatergic system, to enhance both amphetamine-stimulated dopamine efflux from striatal preparations and amphetamine-stimulated locomotor activity. SNC80 increased extracellular glutamate content, which was accompanied by a concurrent decrease in GABA levels. Inhibition of NMDA signaling with the selective antagonist MK801 blocked the enhancement of both amphetamine-induced dopamine efflux and hyperlocomotion observed with SNC80 pretreatment. Addition of exogenous glutamate also potentiated amphetamine-stimulated dopamine efflux in a Mg2+- and MK801-sensitive manner. After removal of Mg2+ to relieve the ion conductance inhibition of NMDA receptors, SNC80 both elicited dopamine release alone and produced a greater enhancement of amphetamine-evoked dopamine efflux. The action of SNC80 to enhance amphetamine-evoked dopamine efflux was mimicked by the GABAB antagonist 2-hydroxysaclofen. These cumulative findings suggest SNC80 modulates amphetamine-stimulated dopamine efflux through an intra-striatal mechanism involving inhibition of GABA transmission leading to the local release of glutamate followed by subsequent activation of NMDA receptors.
γ-Aminobutyric acid infusion in substantia nigra pars reticulata in rats inhibits ascorbate release in ipsilateral striatum

A relatively high level of extracellular ascorbate in the striatum, which is known to modulate impulse flow in striatal neurons, originates primarily from glutamate-containing corticostriatal afferents. Increasing evidence suggests that ascorbate release from these fibers is regulated by a multisynaptic loop that includes γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) mechanisms in the substantia nigra. To assess the role that nigral GABA plays in striatal ascorbate release, extracellular ascorbate was monitored voltammetrically in the striatum during infusions of GABA into the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) of awake, unrestrained rats. Compared to vehicle infusions, intranigral GABA lowered striatal ascorbate by >50%. In contrast, intranigral application of picrotoxin, a GABA antagonist, had the opposite effect. Neither GABA nor picrotoxin altered striatal 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), a major dopamine metabolite. Collectively, these results indicate that intranigral GABA exerts a tonic inhibitory influence on ascorbate release in the striatum.
A SAFETY MEASURE OF STRUCTURAL CONTROL ACTUATORS

A comparative study of the strain fields induced by sevearl populare structural control actuators includint distributed piezoelectric actuators is presented, and a measure of safety of structural control actuators developed. The measure is defined as a strain index
Are We Preparing Special Educators for the Issues Facing Schools in the 1990s

School personnel are faced with added demands as a result of the many problems facing sociey, including teen sexuality, HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, and homelessness. The literature on these topics is reviewed as it relates to students with special needs, and the results of a survey to determine if special education teacher preparation programs offer or require coursework about these four social problems are reported. Although there was wide variability in the coverage that special education teacher preparation programs were providing on these social issues, questions are raised about the thoroughness of the preparation. The implications for special education teacher preparation programs are discussed.
Ocean Warming Slows Coral Growth in the Central Red Sea

Sea surface temperature (SST) across much of the tropics has increased by 0.4° to 1°C since the mid-1970s. A parallel increase in the frequency and extent of coral bleaching and mortality has fueled concern that climate change poses a major threat to the survival of coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Here we show that steadily rising SSTs, not ocean acidification, are already driving dramatic changes in the growth of an important reef-building coral in the central Red Sea. Three-dimensional computed tomography analyses of the massive coral Diploastrea heliopora reveal that skeletal growth of apparently healthy colonies has declined by 30% since 1998. The same corals responded to a short-lived warm event in 1941/1942, but recovered within 3 years as the ocean cooled. Combining our data with climate model simulations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we predict that should the current warming trend continue, this coral could cease growing altogether by 2070.
Fault-Tolerant Systems For The Computation Of Eigenvalues And Singular Values

The computations of eigenvalues and singular values are key to applications including signal and image processing. Since large amounts of computation are needed for these algorithms, and since many digital signal processing applications have real-time requirements, many different special-purpose processor array structures have been proposed to solve these two algorithms. This paper develops a new methodology to incorporate fault tolerance capability into processor arrays which have been proposed for these problems. In the first part of this paper, earlier techniques of algorithm-based fault tolerance are applied to QR factorization and QR iteration. This technique encodes input data at a high level by using the specific property of each algorithm and checks the output data before they leave the systems. In the second part of the paper, special properities of eigenvalues and singular values are used to achieve the error detection without encoding the input data. Fault location and reconfiguration are performed only after an erroneous signal has been detected. The introduced overhead is extremely low in terms of both hardware and time redundancy.
Parallel performance of additive Schwarz preconditioners on Origin 2000

Abstract In recent years, microprocessor-based multiprocessors with a memory hierarchy have become increasingly popular. In this paper, we discuss implementation details and performance results on the SGI Cray Origin 2000 system. Here, we choose an inexact additive Schwarz preconditioned conjugate gradient (AS PCG) method as our benchmarching kernel. This method is quite effective in utilizing cache, particularly when the number of sweeps on the subdomain is large. We will investigate the performance characteristics of this method in two different shared-memory programming models. On 64 processors, the parallel speedup of the optimized computer program is approximately 50, and the maximum performance is approximately 6 GFlops/s for the Richardson-iterative AS PCG method, and 8.5 GFlops/s for the SSOR-iterative AS PCG method.
Reduction of Tomato Leaflet Photosynthesis Rates by Mining Activity of Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

Effects of mining activities of Liriomyza sativae Blanchard on leaf conductance and photosynthesis rates of tomato leaflets were examined in the field. Photosynthesis rates in mined tissues were reduced 62% compared with rates in unmined leaflets. A negative linear correlation was found between the percentage of mining in a leaflet and photosynthesis and stomatal conductance rates in the unmined tissues. Effects of L. sativae mining upon leaflet photosynthesis were not isolated to mined areas alone, and low levels of mining activity greatly reduced leaflet photosynthesis.
Reading as Problem Solving: An Investigation of Strategies.

writing style, concrete and abstract. This resulted in a 2x2x2 design. The method, analysis of readers' verbal protocols, was adapted from cognitive psychology research. The protocols, verbalizations about the subjects' silent reading behavior, were transcribed and analyzed to infer stragegies. Of the 10 strategies identified, 3 pertain to the word level, 6 pertain to the clause level, and I pertains to the story. To test for statistically significant differences in use of a strategy by 1 group of subjects, the Fisher exact probability test was employed. The level of significance was .05. Although all subjects used the same 10 strategies, readers with high interest, readers with abstract style material, and good readers used certain strategies significantly more often. The types of strategies identified and the conditions under which they were used have implications for a theory of reading as problem solving and for teaching strategies.
Abstract 592: Dietary energy balance impacts spontaneous development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the KrasG12D/INK4A transgenic model of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. Obesity, which has increased dramatically over the past 40 years, has emerged as an important risk factor for pancreatic cancer, although the mechanisms underlying the obesity-pancreatic cancer association have not been fully identified. We have reported that calorie restriction (CR), a dietary strategy for preventing or reversing obesity, has significant anticancer effects in several mouse models of pancreatic and other cancers, including a model of pancreatitis-induced pancreatic dysplasia. However, it is unknown if energy balance modulation, including CR and diet-induced obesity (DIO) exerts anticancer effects in a transgenic mouse model of invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma induced by the most common genetic alterations associated with human pancreatic cancers (KrasG12D/INK4A). We hypothesized that KrasG12D/INK4A mice administered CR diet would develop fewer invasive tumors than mice on a control diet, while a DIO diet would enhance invasive tumors development. To test this, we placed 30 4-6 week old male KrasG12D/INK4A transgenic mice on one of three diets for 10 weeks (n=10 mice/group): CR diet (70% of weekly control intake; fed in daily aliquots), control diet (AIN-76A diet, fed ad libitum), or a DIO regimen (modified AIN-76A diet with 60kcal % fat; fed ad libitum). Mice were palpated daily and body composition was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging at week 8 to ensure effectiveness of diet regimens. Levels of energy balance-sensitive hormones were assayed using serum collected at study termination. CR mice had a significantly lower percent body fat (12.29% ± 0.03%; p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 592. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-592
A Heritable Connective Tissue Disease of Dogs and Mink Resembling Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome of Man I. Skin Tensile Strength Properties

Clinical changes observed in a heritable connective tissue disease of dogs and mink include fragility, hyperextensibility, and laxity of the skin. Skin fragility is the most severe and consistent change noted in the affected dogs and mink. Tensile strength of the skin was reduced to one-twenty-seventh that of normal in affected dogs and one- thirteenth that of normal in affected mink. The syndrome in dogs and mink is proposed as a homolog of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome of man, a rare heritable connective tissue disease, which is clinically characterized by skin fragility, skin and joint hyperextensibility and skin laxity.
Sepsis: The Inflammatory Foundation of Pathophysiology and Therapy

Sepsis, defined as an infection accompanied by inflammation, is a complex disease process wherein the body's response to a pathogen is amplified far beyond the initial site of infection. The process begins when pathogen-associated molecular patterns on the bacteria or other pathogens induce an inflammatory cascade in the host. In the United States, it is estimated that every minute a patient with severe sepsis or septic shock presents to an emergency department and that > 751 000 cases of severe sepsis occur annually, resulting in an estimated 215 000 deaths. A rapid progression of illness severity from sepsis to severe sepsis to septic shock frequently occurs, driven by the body's inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses to a pathogen, making sepsis a condition requiring timely intervention. The clinical management of severe sepsis and septic shock has evolved dramatically over the past decade and these new therapeutic approaches have been built on a deeper understanding of the natural evolution of sepsis. This article examines the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of sepsis to help explain the clinical signs and symptoms manifested by severe sepsis patients. It also examines the significance of current proposed treatment strategies, including early goal-directed therapy, from a pathophysiological and inflammatory perspective.
Recognition of home injury risks by novice parents of toddlers.

Abstract Objective Unintentional injury in the home is a leading cause of death for toddlers. The majority of injuries occur at home; parents play a significant role in injury prevention. Health-related behavior change theory suggests that behavior change is only possible if individuals (a) recognize the problem, and (b) believe they are vulnerable. This study examined these characteristics among novice parents of toddlers by investigating how well parents recognize hazards in the home and whether they believe their toddlers are vulnerable to those hazards. Methods Three types of participants were recruited: novice parents of toddlers ages 12–36 months, daycare employees, and pediatric healthcare workers. All participants were examined three rooms simulating a typical toddler's bedroom, a living room, and a bathroom. Participants marked any hazards they recognized with stickers. Parents completed the hazard identification task twice, once identifying hazards for all toddlers and another time identifying hazards for their child. Results Participants identified less than half the hazards present in the simulated rooms; parents identified more hazards than comparison groups. Parents identified significantly fewer hazards for their own child than they identified for other children. Discussion Although parents identified more hazards than the professionals, they failed to identify a large portion of hazards and they perceived their own children to have less vulnerability than toddlers more broadly. Results indicate that education about toddler's vulnerability to injury in the home, as well as instructing parents about what situations are hazardous, might be considered during development of toddler home injury prevention programs.
A parametric study of a gas-generator airturbo ramjet (ATR)

Parametric engine performance calculations were carried out for an airturbo ramjet (ATR). A LOX-LH2 rocket powered turbine powered the compressor. The engine was flown over a typical flight path up to Mach 5 to show the effect of engine off design operation. The compressor design efficiency, compressor pressure ratio, rocket turbine efficiency, rocket turbine inlet temperature, and rocket chamber pressure were varied to show their effect on engine net thrust and specific impulse at Mach 5 cruise. Estimates of engine weights as a fucntion of the ratio of compressor air to rocket propellant flow and rocket champer pressure are also included. In general, the Mach 5 results indicate that increasing the amount of rocket gas produced increased thrust but decreased the specific impulse. The engine performance was fairly sensitive to rocket chamber pressure, especially at higher compressor pressure ratios. At higher compressor pressure ratios, the engine thrust was sensitive to turbine inlet temperature. At all compressor pressure ratios, the engine performance was not sensitive to compressor or turbine efficiency.
The role of interventional radiology in emergency medicine

Trauma and infectious conditions often present as emergency situations requiring immediate intervention. Percutaneous drainage of pancreatic abscess significantly reduces morbidity and mortality and facilitates ultimate surgical debridement on an elective basis. Emergency percutaneous drainage of abdominal, pelvic, pararenal, perirenal, and intrarenal abscesses similarly reduces mortality, morbidity, and length of hospitalization. Identification of bacteria from the aspirate makes possible adjustment of antibiotic therapy. Decompression reduces the risk of septicemia, stabilizes the patient, and hastens defervescence. Definitive surgery can the be carried out at a reduced risk. Active bleeding sites can be diagnosed and often definitively handled by superselective embolization.
On reference string generation processes

Efficient memory management is important for optimizing computer usage. Intuition, simulation, experience, and analysis have contributed to the design of space management algorithms. Analytical models require accurate and concise descriptions of the system's environment. The referencing pattern, describing the sequence of memory addresses, is the environment for memory management problems. One referencing model assigns probabilities to positions in an LRU stack of memory pages. “Local” behavior is easily described using this model. However, the distinctly different behavior among instruction and data references is lost. In this paper we generalize the LRU stack model to an arbitrary number of memory spaces which are selected by the transitions of a Markov chain. The additional detail affects the behavior of the models for a working set management strategy.
Characterization and identification of interleukin-1 receptors on bovine fibroblasts.

Abstract Interleukin-1 (IL-1), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, initiates its many biological effects by first binding to cell-surface receptors. Prior to this study, there were no published reports addressing the nature of the bovine IL-1 receptor. In this study, we characterized and identified cell-surface IL-1 receptors on bovine fibroblasts. Direct binding studies using [ 125 I]-labeled bovine IL-1β demonstrated that bovine fibroblasts had approximately 130 high affinity and 2,500 low affinity binding sites (Kd = 4.9 × 10 −11 M and 3.7 × 10 −9 M, respectively). Competitive binding studies using unlabeled recombinant bovine IL-1β, IL-2, IFN-α, and bovine insulin demonstrated that only unlabeled bovine IL-1β competitively blocked fibroblast binding of [ 125 I]-labeled bovine IL-1β. Affinity cross-linking of [ 125 I]-labeled IL-1β to fibroblasts demonstrated that IL-1 receptors on bovine fibroblasts have an apparent M r of 71.5 kD. This report provides the first characterization and identification of IL-1 receptors on bovine fibroblasts.
Increased sensitivity of group III and group IV afferents from incised muscle in vitro

Understanding deep muscle pain is of increasing importance for evaluating clinical pathologic pain states. Previously, a central role of deep muscle tissue in the development of ongoing pain behavior after incision was demonstrated. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain unclear. Using a new in vitro plantar flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscle-nerve preparation, we investigated properties of mechanosensitive group III and IV afferents innervating incised and unincised muscle, and explored potential mediators of afferent excitation after incision. Afferents of uninjured muscle had a low incidence (14.3%) of ongoing activity. A high proportion (65.8%) of afferents responded to heat and a minority, 20.8%, were activated by pH 6.0 lactic acid. Incision increased the prevalence of afferents with ongoing activity to 54.7%. A greater proportion of group III and IV afferents responded to pH 6.0 lactic acid after incision compared to control (55.4% vs. 20.8%). Sensitization of afferents to heat and mechanical stimulation was prominent in group IV afferents after incision; both heat (38.0 vs. 40.5°C in control) and mechanical response threshold (median: 5.0 vs. 22.0 mN in control) were decreased. The finding hat incision increased ongoing activity of muscle afferents is consistent with our previous in vivo studies and supports the idea that deep muscle tissue has a prominent role in the genesis of ongoing pain after incision. The enhanced chemosensitivity of muscle afferents to lactic acid after incision suggests an increased response to an ischemic mediator that may contribute to pain and hyperalgesia caused by surgery in deep tissues.
The Rhodobacter sphaeroides ECF sigma factor, sigma(E), and the target promoters cycA P3 and rpoE P1.

Abstract Rhodobacter sphaeroides rpoE encodes a 19.2 kDa protein, σ E , related to members of the extra-cytoplasmic function subfamily of eubacterial RNA polymerase σ factors. We demonstrate that σ E directs transcription from rpoE P1, the promoter for the rpoEchrR operon, and from cycA P3, a promoter for the cytochrome c 2 structural gene. Comparison of these σ E -dependent promoters reveals significant sequence conservation in their −35 and −10 regions; however, rpoE P1 is over 80-fold stronger than cycA P3. Both promoters contain identical −35 hexamers, −36 TGATCC −31 , that appear to constitute the preferred sequence, since any single base mutation in this region of cycA P3 reduces promoter function. The higher activity of rpoE P1 appears to reflect a better −10 region, −13 TAAGA −9 , as it contains four out of five of the nucleotides found to be important to σ E -dependent transcription. We also propose that ChrR acts as an inhibitor of σ E , since these two proteins can form a complex, and Δ chrR mutations increase σ E -dependent transcription. ChrR is believed to respond to a signal from tetrapyrrole biosynthesis because loss of function mutations in chrR lead to cohemin resistance. Based on our observations, we present a model in which cohemin resistance is conferred by increasing σ E activity.
Oxidation of certain cyclic carbonyl compounds with alkaline hydrogen peroxide

Abstract The following cyclic compounds were oxidized at 4° by means of aqueous sodium peroxide in large excess: 2,3,4,6/5-pentahydroxycyclohexanone ( 1 ); xylo -pentahydroxy-2-cyclohexen-l-one ( 2 ); xylo -trihydroxycyclohexane-1,2,3-trione ( 3 ); reductic acid ( 4 ); and ninhydrin ( 5 ). On oxidation, 1 , 2 , and 3 gave carbon dioxide, formic acid, and oxalic acid; in addition, 1 yielded DL -glucaric acid, and 2 and 3 afforded xylaric acid. Compound 4 gave almost equimolecular quantities of carbon dioxide and succinic acid. In addition to a small amount of formic acid, compound 5 gave carbon dioxide and phthalic acid in yields of 92 and 95%, respectively. Reaction mechanisms are proposed.
Uncertainty quantification of a containment vessel dynamic response subjected to high-explosive detonation impulse loading

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), in cooperation with Southwest Research Institute, has been developing capabilities to provide reliability-based structural evaluation techniques for performing weapon component and system reliability assessments. The development and applications of Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods (PSAM) is an important ingredient in the overall weapon reliability assessments. Focus, herein, is placed on the uncertainty quantification associated with the structural response of a containment vessel for high-explosive (HE) experiments. The probabilistic dynamic response of the vessel is evaluated through the coupling of the probabilistic code NESSUS with the non-linear structural dynamics code, DYNA-3D. The probabilistic model includes variations in geometry and mechanical properties, such as Young's Modulus, yield strength, and material flow characteristics. Finally, the probability of exceeding a specified strain limit, which is related to vessel failure, is determined.
Assessing the role of dopamine in limb and cranial-oromotor control in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

Abstract Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder primarily characterized by sensorimotor dysfunction. The neuropathology of PD includes a loss of dopamine (DA) neurons of the nigrostriatal pathway. Classic signs of the disease include rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. However, as many as 90% of patients also experience significant deficits in speech, swallowing (including mastication), and respiratory control. Oromotor deficits such as these are underappreciated, frequently emerging during the early, often hemi-Parkinson, stage of the disease. In this paper, we review tests commonly used in our labs to model early and hemi-Parkinson deficits in rodents. We have recently expanded our tests to include sensitive models of oromotor deficits. This paper discusses the most commonly used tests in our lab to model both limb and oromotor deficits, including tests of forelimb-use asymmetry, postural instability, vibrissae-evoked forelimb placing, single limb akinesia, dry pasta handling, sunflower seed shelling, and acoustic analyses of ultrasonic vocalizations and pasta biting strength. In particular, we lay new groundwork for developing methods for measuring abnormalities in the acoustic patterns during eating that indicate decreased biting strength and irregular intervals between bites in the hemi-Parkinson rat. Similar to limb motor deficits, oromotor deficits, at least to some degree, appear to be modulated by nigrostriatal DA. Finally, we briefly review the literature on targeted motor rehabilitation effects in PD models. Learning outcomes: Readers will: (a) understand how a unilateral lesion to the nigrostriatal pathway affects limb use, (b) understand how a unilateral lesion to the nigrostriatal pathway affects oromotor function, and (c) gain an understanding of how limb motor deficits and oromotor deficits appear to involve dopamine and are modulated by training.
Characteristics of Hmong Immigrant Students: The Response of a University/Elementary School Collaboration

(2001). Characteristics of Hmong Immigrant Students: The Response of a University/Elementary School Collaboration. Childhood Education: Vol. 77, The Global Village, pp. 303-307.
Noncooperative elliptic systems

We show how monotonicity methods combined with infinite dimensional sandwich pairs can be used to solve very general systems of equations that are not semibounded.
Behavioral and immune changes in v-HA-ras transgenic mice

AbstractTransgenic mice (Oncomice) with an activated v-Ha-ras oncogene under the control of the mouse mammary tumor virus promoter develop mammary tumors. We wondered if the expression of the v-Ha-ras oncogene product would induce changes in mice behavioral activity, that could be associated with alterations in their immune system. Behavior was evaluated in an open field study considering line crossings and rears. Oncomice consistently showed less activity than FVB mice. Lieber-DeCarli diet decreased both types of activity in both strains. Cocaine treatment increased line crossings in both strains. Oncomice spleen and thymus cell supernatants contained higher levels of IL-2. Oncomice serum had higher levels of IL-1α. Our results suggest a direct association between higher levels of IL-1α and lower open field activity. Therefore, we can infer that the increased level of IL-1α found in Oncomice, could have a key role in oncogene induced immune and behavioral changes, and could be a requirement to facilitate...
Noninvasive Mapping of Transmural Potentials During Activation in Swine Hearts From Body Surface Electrocardiograms

The three-dimensional cardiac electrical imaging (3DCEI) technique was previously developed to estimate the initiation site(s) of cardiac activation and activation sequence from the noninvasively measured body surface potential maps (BSPMs). The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the capability of 3DCEI in mapping the transmural distribution of extracellular potentials and localizing initiation sites of ventricular activation in an in vivo animal model. A control swine model (n = 10) was employed in this study. The heart-torso volume conductor model and the excitable heart model were constructed based on each animal's preoperative MR images and a priori known physiological knowledge. Body surface potential mapping and intracavitary noncontact mapping (NCM) were simultaneously conducted during acute ventricular pacing. The 3DCEI analysis was then applied on the recorded BSPMs. The estimated initiation sites were compared to the precise pacing sites; as a subset of the mapped transmural potentials by 3DCEI, the electrograms on the left ventricular endocardium were compared to the corresponding output of the NCM system. Over the 16 LV and 48 RV pacing studies, the averaged localization error was 6.1 ± 2.3 mm, and the averaged correlation coefficient between the estimated endocardial electrograms by 3DCEI and from the NCM system was 0.62 ± 0.09. The results demonstrate that the 3DCEI approach can well localize the sites of initiation of ectopic beats and can obtain physiologically reasonable transmural potentials in an in vivo setting during focal ectopic beats. This study suggests the feasibility of tomographic mapping of 3D ventricular electrograms from the body surface recordings.
TEM Study of the Microstructural Modifications of an Alumina-Supported Palladium Combustion Catalyst

Abstract An α-alumina-supported Pd catalyst was studied for the catalytic combustion of methane. Changes in catalyst activity due to variations in the oxygen partial pressure were correlated with corresponding changes in the catalyst oxidation state, particle size, and morphology. At a temperature of 1070 K, the apparent catalyst activity increased with time under the reaction conditions where decomposition of the PdO phase occurs. The formation of large, faceted crystallites of metallic Pd, 200–300 nm in size, was observed by TEM during this process. The increase in activity with increasing particle size is counterintuitive and suggests that metallic Pd surfaces formed under reaction conditions are highly reactive. Since the activation energy for methane oxidation over Pd metal is greater than that over PdO, our results can only be explained by an increase in the pre-exponential factor for this reaction on metal surfaces. To gain insight into the changes in morphology, a model Pd/α-alumina catalyst was subjected to similar thermal treatments. It was found that decomposition of PdO leads to the formation of large Pd metal particles. Upon cooling, these Pd particles re-oxidize by the formation of rough polycrystalline PdO particles rather than by the formation of uniform layers of Pd oxide on the Pd metal. Our observations suggest a mechanism to explain the phenomenon of Pd catalyst activation observed in our previous research and by other research groups.
Seasonal variation in stable oxygen and carbon isotope values recovered from modern lacustrine freshwater mollusks: paleoclimatological implications for sub-weekly temperature records

A fingernail clam (Sphaerium simile, Sphaeriidae) from Science Lake, a small watershed located in Allegany State Park, New York, USA and a zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha, Dreissenidae) from Keuka Lake, New York, the third largest Finger Lake of central New York, were selected to evaluate the applicability of using δ18O(CaCO3) and δ13O(CaCO3) values for sub-weekly climate records. Seasonal variation in δ18O(CaCO3) values was compared with predicted equilibrium values to test the hypothesis that lacustrine molluscs produce shell aragonite according to environmental variables. For the purpose of comparison, aragonite temperature-fractionation equations determined by Grossman& Ku (1986) and Patterson et al. (1993) were used. Sphaerium simile appears to produce δ18O(CaCO3) values predicted by Patterson et al. (1993), while Dreissena polymorpha produces δ18O(CaCO3) values in agreement with Grossman & Ku (1986). We attribute the difference to family-specific temperature-fractionation relationships. Because both types of mollusc record climate variables with a high degree of integrity, they should each serve as excellent paleoclimate proxies. The fingernail clam collected from a small watershed exhibits higher variation about the seasonal pattern than did the zebra mussel collected from a large watershed. This is attributed to the increased sensitivity of the small watershed to storm perturbation. Analysis of fossil molluscs from such watersheds might be useful in discerning paleo-storminess.
Use of in Situ Hybridization for the Detection of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Cell Culture

Biotinylated complementary DNA (cDNA) and RNA probes were prepared from a specific and highly conserved section of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) genome coding for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Hybridization was conducted on FMDV-infected, bovine enterovirus (BEV)-infected, and noninfected swine kidney cell cultures. The detection system utilized the enzyme system streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase, the substrate phosphate, and the chromogen nitroblue tetrazolium. Intense cytoplasmic granular staining was present at 2 and 4 hr postinfection (hpi), with less staining observed at 24 hpi. The staining was specific for FMDV, as indicated by a lack of staining of noninfected cells and BEV-infected cells. With the RNA probe, positive cells were detected up to the highest viral dilution assayed, which was approximately 96 TCID50. The cDNA probe was slightly less sensitive, detecting positive cells at lo-fold lower dilutions. This technique could prove useful in the diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease in animals or in the detection of FMDV in biologics submitted for importation. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), caused by an aphthovirus (family Picornaviridae), is the most im- portant disease of livestock in the world, both politi- cally and economically . 14 It is extremely contagious and, when introduced into an area, can cause severe economic loss through lowered production and ensuing trade restrictions.' Any suspicious clinical disease in an FMD-free area must be investigated and diagnosed immediately to avoid the possibility of widespread contagion and losses. Countries that wish to remain free of the disease must exercise vigilant surveillance to ensure that foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is not introduced through importation of animals, an- imal products, or biologics.
Who can Put ‘Learning Disability Label’ on Your Child? Issues of Sociocultural Affects on Learning Disability

This paper provides a theoretical foundation on the topic “Issues of sociocultural affects on learning disability.” The intent of this paper is to challenge the legitimacy of the claim that standardized tests do not relate to students’ sociocultural backgrounds with theoretical perspectives. To examine the relationship between standardized tests and students’ sociocultural backgrounds, we drew on idealism and empiricism as its framework. We examined the cogency of the definition for learning disability and the methodology applied to diagnosing students with Learning Disabilities. In consequence, we sought to determine meaningful implications in which to understand and diagnose students with Learning Disabilities
Do shade‐tolerant tropical tree seedlings depend longer on seed reserves? Functional growth analysis of three Bignoniaceae species

Summary 1. A functional growth analysis was used to determine the duration of strict dependency on seed reserves for energy and nitrogen in three woody Bignoniaceae species (Tabebuia rosea DC., Challichlamys latifolia K. Schum. and Pithecoctenium crucigerum A. Gentry) which differed in cotyledon function (photosynthetic, semi-photosynthetic and storage) and shade tolerance (probability of seedling establishment and survival in the understorey). 2. Seedlings were raised from seeds in sand culture under combinations of three nitrogen levels (daily supply of nutrient solution containing 100, 10 and 0% of 2·6 mm N) and two irradiances (27 and 1% full sun). Time course of biomass, non-cotyledonous biomass and leaf area for 40 days post-germination were compared to identify when the external availability of nitrogen or light began to affect seedling growth. 3. Seedlings of all species became dependent on external energy supply earlier than they did on nitrogen supply. In all species seed nitrogen was sufficient to support positive seedling growth for 40 days in shade, but not in sun. 4. Tabebuia rosea with photosynthetic cotyledons responded to light availability earlier than more shade-tolerant species with storage cotyledons. Challichlamys latifolia, the most shade-tolerant species, had the highest nitrogen concentration in seeds and was the last to respond to external nitrogen availability. Thus seedlings of the most shade-tolerant species depended on seed reserves for the longest period for both energy and nitrogen. 5. Relative growth rate after seedlings initiated autotrophic growth was in a trade-off relationship with seedling survivorship in the understorey across the three species. Tabebuia rosea, the least shade-tolerant species, had the highest positive net carbon balance in sun and shade. 6. Functional morphology of cotyledons and concentration of seed nitrogen deserve as much attention as seed size as correlates of contrasting seedling regeneration strategies.
Decomposing the Laplacian

A correction is made and an elementary derivation is given of Clark's (ibid., vol.11, p.43-57, 1989) decomposition of the Laplacian Delta /sup 2/f(x,y) into a second directional derivative in the gradient direction of f, and a product of gradient magnitude by curvature of the level curve through f(x,y). >
Error Probability for Direct-Sequence Spread-Spectrum Multiple-Access Communications--Part II: Approximations

Approximations are obtained for the average probability of error in an asynchronous direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access communications system. Both binary and quaternary systems are considered, and the chip waveforms are allowed to be arbitrary time-limited waveforms with time duration equal to the inverse of the chip rate. The approximation is based on the integration of the characteristic function of the multiple-access interference. The amount of computation required to evaluate this approximation grows only linearly with the product of the number of simultaneous transmitters and the number of chips per bit. The accuracy of the approximation is extremely good in most cases, but it can be improved, if necessary, by an application of a series expansion. Numerical results are presented for specific chip waveforms and signature sequences.
On the structure and morphology of polyvinylidene fluoride-nanoclay nanocomposites

Abstract Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)–nanoclay nanocomposites were prepared by both solution casting and co-precipitation methods with the nanoclay loading of 1–6 wt%. The structure and morphology of the nanocomposite were investigated by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), polarized light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. PVDF phase transformation behavior was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and in situ thermal WAXD. All the three typical nanoclay morphologies, namely, exfoliated, partially intercalated and phase separated morphologies, were observed in the PVDF–nanoclay nanocomposites prepared by different methods. In solution-cast samples, phase separation and intercalation occurred depending upon the organic modifiers while complete exfoliation of the nanoclays was observed in the co-precipitated nanocomposites. Furthermore, unique parallel orientation of the nanoclay layers and polymer film surface was achieved in solution-cast samples. β-form PVDF was observed in all the nanocomposites regardless of the nanoclay morphology and contents. Both crystallization and melting temperatures of PVDF were increased with the addition of nanoclay, possibly due to the formation of the β-form PVDF.
Hausdorf-metric interpretation of convergence in the Matheron topology for binary mathematical morphology

The basic convergence properties of mathematical morphology are characterized in terms of the topology of G. Matheron (1975). That topology is grounded on a particular subbase that can often mask the important metric properties that are consequential to Euclidean morphology. The author presents a development of some of the key Matheron theory in terms of the Hausdorff metric, thereby bypassing the Matheron subbase and giving both theorems and proofs in a metric framework. >
Development of a Robust Controller and Observer for the Control of a Single-Link Flexible Robotic Manipulator

A fuzzy-sliding mode controller (FSMC) has been developed in this study to control the rigid and flexible motions of a single-link robotic manipulator. Only the angular displacement at the base joint of the beam is assumed to be measured. Therefore, a robust nonlinear observer has been designed, based on the sliding mode methodology, to accurately estimate the state variables in the presence of both structured and unstructured uncertainties. Both the controller and the observer account for the first elastic mode of the beam in their design. The dynamic model, used in assessing the performance of the closed-loop system, considers the first two elastic modes of the beam. The second elastic mode is included in order to investigate the effects of the higher order dynamics on the overall performance of the system. The digital simulations demonstrate the capability of the observer in yielding accurate estimates of the state variables in the presence of modeling inaccuracies. Furthermore, they serve to prove the viability of using the observer to provide on-line estimates of the state variables for the computation of the control signals. The simulation results illustrate robust performances of the controller and the observer in controlling the rigid and flexible motions of the single-link robot in the presence of both structured and unstructured uncertainties.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Editorial: Scaffolds for Regenerative Medicine: A Special Issue of the Annals of Biomedical Engineering

The field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TE/RM) still faces considerable scientific, technical and regulatory challenges in translating its approaches from bench to bedside. But the multiple benefits of replacing tissues and organs lost to disease or trauma are tantalizingly clear and, given recent exciting advances in the field, may be within our grasp. Design of an engineered tissue intended to become a functional transplant has historically depended on integration of three different scientific thrusts: relevant cell type(s), a biocompatible supporting structure, and bioactive molecules. Recent advances in understanding and controlling cell biology and development have focused much attention on the control of cell fate, mostly via timely application of specific growth factors. Yet, this emerging understanding of how cells relate to each other and their local environment demands a synthesis of our growing understanding of that environment. Bioactive scaffolds are widely regarded as key players in functional maturation of engineered tissue constructs as well as in tissue regeneration in situ, that can accomplish a plethora of different functions including guiding cellular and tissue responses, controlling cell migration and homing, delivering bioactive molecules and providing structural support and architecture for developing tissues. This special issue of the Annals of Biomedical Engineering was conceived as a vehicle to address recent progress in scaffold design and to serve as a resource for the community with respect to the current state-of-the-art in the field. The reviews have been loosely organized around four broad themes: ‘‘building blocks and physical properties’’, ‘‘cell-host interactions’’, ‘‘assembling the parts’’, and ‘‘perspectives on translation’’. The editors recruited expertise across a spectrum of areas from the basic elements (cells, biomaterials, and bioactive molecules), to tools and approaches for directing and guiding tissue assembly and monitoring the tissue Rosemarie Hunziker, PhD, Director, Tissue Engineering/ Regenerative Medicine and Biomaterials Programs, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Simplified seismic sidesway collapse analysis of frame buildings

SUMMARY This paper presents the development and assessment of a simplified procedure for estimating the seismic sidesway collapse margin ratio of building structures. The proposed procedure is based on the development of a robust database of seismic peak displacement responses of nonlinear single-degree-of-freedom systems for various seismic intensities and uses nonlinear static (pushover) analysis without the need for nonlinear time history dynamic analysis. The proposed simplified procedure is assessed by comparing its collapse capacity predictions on 72 different building structures with those obtained by nonlinear incremental dynamic analyses. The proposed simplified procedure offers a simple, yet efficient, computational/analytical tool that is capable of predicting collapse capacities with acceptable accuracy for a wide variety of frame building structures. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Poverty Measurement: An Index Related to a Theil Measure of Inequality

A major problem that arises in measuring poverty is the adequate expression, in a poverty index, of the information from the incomes of individuals below the poverty line. This article evaluates several poverty indexes on the basis of their ability to satisfy five properties desirable for a poverty index. The only index that satisfies all five properties is one related to a Theil measure of inequality. Simulations show that this index and an index related to the coefficient of variation provide appropriate ranks for the desirability of various algorithms for transferring income to the poor.
MMW radar cross section range characterizes targets

Examples of high-resolution millimeter-wave radar images of radar targets and the facilities, equipment, and techniques required to obtain these images are presented. Unique inverse synthetic-aperture radar (ISAR), fully polarimetric data collected on the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Electromagnetic Test Facility (EMTF) are discussed. An overview is given of the EMTF, which includes a lookdown target radar cross section (RCS) measurement range that comprises: a very stable 100-foot tower with associated elevatable radar platform; a 100-ton-capacity target turntable located 150 ft from the base of the tower; several measurement radars covering the microwave and millimeter-wave (MMW) spectrum; and a target data processing facility. >
Improvement of a face perception deficit via subsensory galvanic vestibular stimulation.

The remediative effect of galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) was investigated in a patient who, following right hemisphere damage, is profoundly unable to recognize faces. We administered a two-alternative forced choice match-to-sample task in which the patient had to choose which of two faces matched a sample face presented directly above, while bipolar, transcutaneous current was applied to the left and right vestibular nerves at a level below the patient’s sensory threshold. Performance improved beyond the chance-level observed prestimulation, and relied on reversing the electrode polarity across two separate blocks of trials, such that each mastoid received positive current for one block and then negative charge for the next. Although our study involved only a single case, the data provide preliminary evidence that a deficit in perceptual face matching can be reduced by GVS. This raises the intriguing possibility that other unilateral visual disorders may also respond in such a manner. (JINS, 2005, 11, 925–929.)
An orussid wood wasp in amber from the Dominican Republic (Hymenoptera: Orussidae)

Abstract The first Dominican amber fossil of the parasitoid family Orussidae (Euhymenoptera: Orussomorpha) is described and figured from a single individual preserved in Early Miocene (Burdigalian) amber from the Dominican Republic. Ophrynopus peritus Engel, new species, is the first orussid fossil described from Tertiary amber and the first species documented from the West Indies.