cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Indoor localization using magnetic fields

Indoor localization consists of locating oneself inside new buildings. GPS does not work indoors due to multipath reflection and signal blockage. WiFi based systems assume ubiquitous availability and infrastructure based systems require expensive installations, hence making indoor localization an open problem. This dissertation consists of solving the problem of indoor localization by thoroughly exploiting the indoor ambient magnetic fields comprising mainly of disturbances termed as anomalies in the Earth’s magnetic field caused by pillars, doors and elevators in hallways which are ferromagnetic in nature. By observing uniqueness in magnetic signatures collected from different campus buildings, the work presents the identification of landmarks and guideposts from these signatures and further develops magnetic maps of buildings - all of which can be used to locate and navigate people indoors. To understand the reason behind these anomalies, first a comparison between the measured and model generated Earth’s magnetic field is made, verifying the presence of a constant field without any disturbances. Then by modeling the magnetic field behavior of different pillars such as steel reinforced concrete, solid steel, and other structures like doors and elevators, the interaction of the Earth’s field with the ferromagnetic fields is described thereby explaining the causes of the uniqueness in the signatures that comprise these disturbances. Next, by employing the dynamic time warping algorithm to account for time differences in signatures obtained from users walking at different speeds, an indoor localization application capable of classifying locations using the magnetic signatures is developed solely on the smart phone. The application required users to walk short distances of 3-6 m anywhere in hallway to be located with accuracies of 80-99%. The classification framework was further validated with over 90% accuracies using model generated magnetic signatures representing hallways with different kinds of pillars, doors and elevators. All in all, this dissertation contributes the following: 1) provides a framework for understanding the presence of ambient magnetic fields indoors and utilizing them to solve the indoor localization problem; 2) develops an application that is independent of the user and the smart phones and 3) requires no other infrastructure since it is deployed on a device that encapsulates the sensing, computing and inferring functionalities, thereby making it a novel contribution to the mobile and pervasive computing domain.
The Facticity of Blackness A Non-conceptual approach to the Study of Race and Racism in Fanon's and Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology

This essay seeks to interrogate Frantz Fanon's phenomenological descriptions of embodied experience of anti-black racism and his appropriation and critique of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of perception. I begin this essay by arguing for an embodied understanding of racism rather than the dominant intellectualist account of race which posits an objective racial knowing. Racial knowing privileges race as a discursive formation—as the only definitive and legitimate account of race and racism. An outcome of privileging of objective racial knowledge marginalizes subjective experience of race as always leaning towards an essentialist understanding. Since the linguistic turn in Continental and Anglo- American thought the move has been to disassociate power from the body but this has been only made possible by an Enlightenment universal humanism that indemnified European man's humanity against all others. In a triple move the linguistic turn jettisons, takes for granted the human and with great hubris declares it non-operative. This European universal subject's humanity is normatively guaranteed while those whose possibility of a subject position is not a given, those with black and brown bodies', their humanity is dead on arrival. What is interesting is that for Frantz Fanon the body under racism poses a problem while for Merleau-Ponty the body is a solution to the existential crisis of Western man. For Merleau-Ponty to address the crisis, Western man must get back to the things themselves which is the already promised gift of the body in its primordial giveness. Fanon on the other hand sees that a radically new conception of the human is needed even to begin to address this crisis.
Effects of ubiquinol with fluid resuscitation following haemorrhagic shock on rat lungs, diaphragm, heart and kidneys.

New Findings What is the central question of this study? What are the effects of administering ubiquinol (reduced form of co-enzyme Q10) following haemorrhagic shock on leucocyte mitochondrial superoxide, diaphragmatic hydrogen peroxide concentration and apoptosis in the lungs, diaphragm, heart and kidneys? What is the main finding and its importance? The administration of ubiquinol attenuated damage to the lungs, diaphragm, heart and kidneys following haemorrhagic shock and fluid resuscitation. Leucocyte mitochondrial superoxide was reduced, while hydrogen peroxide and apoptosis in the diaphragm decreased, as did apoptosis in the lungs, heart and kidneys. These findings suggest that ubiquinol could be a potential antioxidant used to reduce the reperfusion injury following haemorrhagic shock. Haemorrhagic shock (HS) and fluid resuscitation can lead to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), contributing to ischaemia–reperfusion injury and organ damage. Ubiquinol is a potent antioxidant that decreases ROS. This study examined the effects of ubiquinol administered with fluid resuscitation following controlled HS. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to treatment [ubiquinol, 1 mg (100 g body weight)−1] or control groups. Rats were subjected to 60 min of HS by removing 40% of the total blood volume to a mean arterial pressure ∼45–55 mmHg. The animals were resuscitated with blood and lactated Ringer solution, with or without ubiquinol, and monitored for 120 min. At the end of the experiments, the rats were killed and the lungs, diaphragm, heart and kidneys harvested. Leucocytes were analysed for mitochondrial superoxide at baseline, end of shock and 120 min following fluid resuscitation using MitoSOX Red. Diaphragms were examined for hydrogen peroxide using dihydrofluorescein diacetate and confocal microscopy. The apoptosis in lungs, diaphragm, heart and kidneys was measured using fluorescence microscopy with acridine orange and ethidium bromide. Leucocyte mitochondrial superoxide levels were significantly lower in rats that received ubiquinol than in the control animals. Production of hydrogen peroxide and apoptosis were significantly reduced in the organs of rats treated with ubiquinol. These findings suggest that ubiquinol, administered with fluid resuscitation after HS, attenuates ROS production and apoptosis. Thus, ubiquinol is a potent antioxidant that may be used as a potential treatment to reduce organ injury following haemorrhagic events.
Filling the gaps in physician communication. The role of the Internet among primary care patients.

Abstract Background: Millions of people use the Internet as a source for health information yet little is understood about how the use of the Internet for health information is related to the doctor–patient relationship. Objective: We conducted the present study to understand the association between one's interest in using the Internet for general and quality-oriented health information and attitudes about one's communications with health care provider(s). Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Four community-based primary care practices in Rhode Island. Measurements: A single self-administered survey included items to measure: interest in using the Internet to look for general and quality-oriented information and a patient's perceptions of the degree to which their doctors over the previous year have: (1) given them information and (2) engaged them in the decision-making process. Results: A total of 300 patients completed the survey. Among patients without Internet access, interest in using the Internet for health related activities was less among patients who felt that their doctor gave less information: Odds ratio 0.83 (95% CI, 0.70–0.98) and greater among patients who felt that their doctor engaged them more in decision making: Odds ratio 1.3 (95% CI, 1.1–1.6). Among patients with Internet access, we found no relationship between interest in using the Internet for health related activities and measures of patient–physician communication or patient-physician decision making. Conclusions: Interest in using the Internet for health information is greater for those who (1) felt their doctors provided less information and (2) felt their doctors engaged them more in the decision-making process, but this is true only for those without access to the Internet.
Computed Tomography, Single Photon Emission

Single photon emission computed tomography (or SPECT) provides a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the in vivo distribution within a patient's body of a radiopharmaceutical that was given as part of a diagnostic nuclear medicine study. This chapter will devote most of its attention to the use of the rotating gamma camera. Keywords: SPECT; positron emission tomography; PET; data acquisition; backprojection
TPD and XPS Investigation of the Interaction of SO 2 with Model Ceria Catalysts

The interaction of SO2 with model thin-film ceria catalysts was studied using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). During TPD of ceria samples that had been exposed to SO2 at room temperature, SO2 desorbed in peaks centered at 473, 883 and 963 K. The lower temperature peak is associated with molecularly adsorbed SO2, while the higher temperature peaks are due to decomposition of adsorbed sulfates. XPS results show that at room temperature a small fraction of the adsorbed SO2 is oxidized to SO4 2- using oxygen supplied by the ceria. This reaction also results in partial reduction of the ceria surface. High coverages of surface sulfate species could be produced by exposing the ceria samples to mixtures of SO2 and O2 at 573 K. In addition to producing gaseous SO2, thermal decomposition of surface sulfates at temperatures above 823 K resulted in the formation of an oxy-sulfide (Ce2O2S) on the ceria surface.
DIS‐ORIENTALIZING BOLLYWOOD

This paper is born of its author's long‐term interest in (a) making Hindi popular film (also known as ‘Bollywood’) accessible to a Western audience, and (b) blurring the lines of what is oft perceived by students as ‘that’ commercial Asian industry—as versus ‘this’ Hollywood one. Pedagogically, it seeks ways to assimilate Bollywood and other forms of non‐Hollywood popular cinema into survey film courses that are, more often than not, weighted toward a Western concept of content, culture, and aesthetic vision. In keeping with that philosophical vision, it discusses how one might—even while acknowledging difference—integrate Bombay cinema and other marginalized commercial cinemas into the survey framework typical of a small liberal arts college, as well as the ways in which these other (and Other) cinemas can be rendered part of a socio‐historical continuum of filmic expression rather than relegated to the figurative margins of the curriculum.
Microelectronics at the University of Minnesota

The Microelectronics Laboratory for Research and Education (MLRE) at the University of Minnesota is a class-10 semiconductor fabrication facility dedicated to support university research and education, as well as to collaborate with other universities and industry in microelectronics-related areas. The facility and its equipment are used for work in areas such as compound semiconductor growth, optoelectronics, germanium-silicon, sensors, micromechanics, and standard silicon processing. Examples of external activities include collaborative work with the Center for X-ray Lithography at the University of Wisconsin in the areas of X-ray mask materials and 0.25- mu m CMOS process development, facility usage by a local company researching and phototyping nonvolatile memories, and low-stress silicon nitride film fabrication for a research group at a major semiconductor house. >
The Impact of Principal Perception on Student Academic Climate and Achievement in High School: How Does it Measure Up?:

The purpose of this study is to examine the independent direct effects of student and principal perceptions of academic climate on student achievement in high school. To date, few studies have cons...
Excited-state photoelectron spectroscopy of excitons in C 60 and photopolymerized C 60 films

Laser-excited states in films of pristine ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ and photopolymerized ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ $(pp\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{C}}_{60})$ prepared in ultrahigh vacuum have been characterized in situ with pump-probe photoelectron spectroscopy using both synchrotron radiation and picosecond laser sources. Photoelectron spectra of singlet ${(S}_{1})$ and triplet ${(T}_{1})$ excitons overlap because of vibrational broadening in the photoemission final state. The spectra have been individually isolated in $pp\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ with time-resolved methods and are split by 0.33 eV. Signals from pristine ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ are weaker but are spectroscopically similar. The origin for exciton transitions for both ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ and $pp\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ is found to be properly located near the maximum of the highest occupied molecular orbital. Increasing excitation density favors ${T}_{1}$ production over ${S}_{1}$ such that, at high exciton concentrations, ${T}_{1}$ states predominate, even at times much shorter than the unimolecular intersystem crossing time, measured to be \ensuremath{\sim}2.5 ns for $pp\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ at 81 K. A weaker photoemission band located \ensuremath{\sim}0.5 eV above ${S}_{1}$ is also observed and is attributed to charge carriers and/or charge-transfer excitons.
A comparison of methods for estimating short-term feeding rates of algivorous ciliated protozoa

Summary Several methods for estimating short-term feeding rates of the algivorous ciliated protozoa Oxytricha fallax and Trithigmostoma cucullulus were compared to determine which method was most representative of steady-state feeding rates. Algae were stained with several dyes and vital stains for use as potential trophic tracers. Only the fluorescent stain 5-(4,6-dichlorotriazin-2-yl) aminofluorescein (DTAF) was promising as a potential trophic tracer, but ciliates preferentially ingested unstained alga) food particles. We also assessed the potential for using two different species of diatom algae in tracer experiments; however, the ciliates always preferentially consumed one species of diatom when presented with equal concentrations of the two species in pairwise experiments, even when the taxa were of similar size. Specifically, the ciliates preferred Navicula cryptocephala when it was offered, versus Navicula trivialis and Nitzschia palea . Feeding experiments using 14 C-labelled algae were significant (p 80%). Feeding rate estimates from these experiments were 1.14 cells/min for O. fallax and 0.18 cells/min for T. cucullulus . Feeding experiments using starved T. cucullulus yielded feeding rates which were higher than those obtained using 14 C-labelled diatoms, even at the lowest tested food concentration. Feeding rates estimated from egestion experiments ( O. fallax: 0.87 cells/min, T. cucullulus: 1.08 cells/min) conflicted with estimates from the 14 C-labelled feeding experiments, and this may be due to the physiological stress placed upon the organisms during starvation. Therefore, we recommend that 14 C-labelled food be used whenever possible to minimize selectivity effects and physiological stress effects.
Damage of Micropatterned Surfaces Due to Bubble Cavitation-Erosion

The capability to reliably reproduce submicrometer-scale patterns is of fundamental importance in semiconductor industry. Higher transistor speeds have been achieved through advances in device miniaturization, resulting in reduced power consumption and manufacturing cost. However, miniaturization below a critical dimension (on the order of ∼100 nm) has been linked with micropattern damage during megasonic cleaning, which decreases the device yield and increases the production cost. Micropattern surface damage due to cavitation-erosion encountered during megasonic cleaning is examined in the context of single- and multi-bubble cavitation models. The critical pressure for micropattern damage predicted by these models is interpreted in terms of important process parameters. Analytical predictions are supported by experimental results of cavitation-erosion damage of gold micropatterns induced by collapsing hydrogen bubbles generated by electrolysis. The results of this study provide insight into surface damage due to bubble cavitation-erosion, which is of great significance in megasonic cleaning of semiconductor devices, such as alternating phase-shift optical masks.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
International franchising: Capabilities and development

Abstract Over the last 25 years, franchising has exploded internationally. A 1992 survey by the International Franchise Association reported that one-half of the franchisors without foreign units planned to expand internationally, and 93% of those with international operations intended to increase the size of their international operations (IFA 1992). The growth in global franchising has created a pressing need to better understand the capabilities needed to franchise internationally (Shane 1996a, Shane 1996c). However, a fundamental problem for the entrepreneur is how to balance the ever-increasing demands and constraints on his or her time and contend with the increasing spatial dispersion of operations (Norton 1988b). The development of such capabilities is not, however, an easy task. Lack of experience in key areas and entrepreneurial capacity problems constrain the ability of franchisors to acquire much needed skills. Consequently, this paper has two main objectives. First, it discusses specific capabilities of the international franchisor identified in franchising research and ties them to the administrative efficiency and risk management theories. Second, it integrates these capabilities into a two-dimensional framework of international franchisor types based on the dynamic capabilities perspective of resource-based theory (Barney 1991; Conner 1991; Teece, Pisano, and Shuen 1990; Mahoney 1993). This study proposes that the combination of existing capabilities and the capacity to develop new skills produce four general types of international franchisors. This article makes two principal contributions. First, for researchers in international entrepreneurship, this framework supports the contention (Shane 1996a) that the capabilities needed to franchise internationally are different from those required in the domestic context. This suggests that an important aspect of success internationally may depend on the entrepreneur's awareness of the need to develop skills and capabilities that are outside his or her areas of expertise. Second, for franchisors the inclusion of international contextual variables in this framework should help identify which specific capabilities are needed for successful international expansion. In addition, the dynamic aspect of capability development also helps to understand the variation in approaches among international franchisors. The development of international franchising capabilities is not a one-time event but requires learning and relearning over the lifetime of the franchisor.
Design and analysis of a look-ahead scheduling scheme to support pause-resume for video-on-demand applications

In a video-on-demand (VOD) system, subscribers can choose both the movie they wish to view and the time they wish to view it. In such an environment there are invariably “hot” videos which are requested by many viewers. The requirement that each viewer be able to independently pause the video at any instant and later resume the viewing with little delay can cause difficulties in batching viewers for each showing. Under batching, a single video stream is shared by multiple concurrent viewers and a resume request has to wait for additional stream capacity to become available before actual resumption can occur. The conventional approach to the support of on-demand pause-resume provides one video access stream to disks for each video request. This can greatly increase the disk arm requirements of a VOD system. In this paper, we propose a more efficient mechanism to support the pause-resume feature usinglook-ahead scheduling withlook-aside buffering. The idea is to use buffering to increase the number of concurrent viewers supportable. The concept of look-ahead scheduling is not to back up each viewer with a real stream capacity so he can pause and resume at any time, but rather with a (look-ahead) stream that is currently being used for another showing which is close to completion. Before the look-ahead stream becomes available, the pause and resume features have to be supported by the original stream through (look-aside) buffering of the missed content. It is shown via simulations that the proposed scheme can provide a substantially greater throughput than the approach without batching. Furthermore, for a given amount of buffer, the improvement in throughput grows more than linearly with the stream capacity of the server. In other words, the look-ahead stream scheduling scheme operates with good economy of scale because it is easier to form look-ahead streams for video servers with larger stream capacity.
Presentation and late outcome of myocardial infarction in the absence of angiographically significant coronary artery disease

To determine the natural history of myocardial infarction (MI) in the absence of angiographically significant (no lesion greater than or equal to 50% diameter stenosis) fixed coronary artery disease (CAD), clinical and angiographic data and late outcome were studied in 43 such patients. The mean age was 45 +/- 11 years; 32 patients (74%) were cigarette smokers. Mild fixed CAD, present in 38 patients (88%), was more frequent in the artery supplying the MI zone (p less than 0.01). Filling defects or serial angiographic resolution of obstruction in the artery supplying the MI zone were present in 14 patients (33%). At late follow-up, 14 major cardiac events occurred in 9 patients, including revascularization in 3, recurrent MI in 6 and cardiac death in 5. Of 35 patients undergoing catheterization within 1 year of the index MI, cumulative risk of a major cardiac event was 9 +/- 4, 12 +/- 5 and 20 +/- 7% at 3, 19 and 37 months, respectively. Myocardial infarction in the absence of significant fixed CAD tends to occur in young smokers with mild CAD in the artery serving the MI zone. Superimposed intracoronary thrombus can be frequently implicated. In these patients, subsequent major cardiac events may occur more frequently than previously reported.
Comparison of lung protective ventilation strategies in a rabbit model of acute lung injury.

Objective To determine the impact of different protective and nonprotective mechanical ventilation strategies on the degree of pulmonary inflammation, oxidative damage, and hemodynamic stability in a saline lavage model of acute lung injury. Design A prospective, randomized, controlled, in vivo animal laboratory study. Setting Animal research facility of a health sciences university. Subjects Forty-six New Zealand White rabbits. Interventions Mature rabbits were instrumented with a tracheostomy and vascular catheters. Lavage-injured rabbits were randomized to receive conventional ventilation with either a) low peak end-expiratory pressure (PEEP; tidal volume of 10 mL/kg, PEEP of 2 cm H2O); b) high PEEP (tidal volume of 10 mL/kg, PEEP of 10 cm H2O); c) low tidal volume with PEEP above Pflex (open lung strategy, tidal volume of 6 mL/kg, PEEP set 2 cm H2O > Pflex); or d) high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. Animals were ventilated for 4 hrs. Lung lavage fluid and tissue samples were obtained immediately after animals were killed. Lung lavage fluid was assayed for measurements of total protein, elastase activity, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and malondialdehyde. Lung tissue homogenates were assayed for measurements of myeloperoxidase activity and malondialdehyde. The need for inotropic support was recorded. Measurements and main results Animals that received a lung protective strategy (open lung or high-frequency oscillatory ventilation) exhibited more favorable oxygenation and lung mechanics compared with the low PEEP and high PEEP groups. Animals ventilated by a lung protective strategy also showed attenuation of inflammation (reduced tracheal fluid protein, tracheal fluid elastase, tracheal fluid tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and pulmonary leukostasis). Animals treated with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation had attenuated oxidative injury to the lung and greater hemodynamic stability compared with the other experimental groups. Conclusions Both lung protective strategies were associated with improved oxygenation, attenuated inflammation, and decreased lung damage. However, in this small-animal model of acute lung injury, an open lung strategy with deliberate hypercapnia was associated with significant hemodynamic instability.
Two methods for privacy preserving data mining with malicious participants

Privacy preserving data mining addresses the need of multiple parties with private inputs to run a data mining algorithm and learn the results over the combined data without revealing any unnecessary information. Most of the existing cryptographic solutions to privacy-preserving data mining assume semi-honest participants. In theory, these solutions can be extended to the malicious model using standard techniques like commitment schemes and zero-knowledge proofs. However, these techniques are often expensive, especially when the data sizes are large. In this paper, we investigate alternative ways to convert solutions in the semi-honest model to the malicious model. We take two classical solutions as examples, one of which can be extended to the malicious model with only slight modifications while another requires a careful redesign of the protocol. In both cases, our solutions for the malicious model are much more efficient than the zero-knowledge proofs based solutions.
The right tools for the right measurement

As we begin to see what could be the end of the silicon revolution and a transition to a nanotechnology/carbon based electronics era, it is clear that we need to develop new measurement techniques and tools. The continued scaling of electronics creates new problems that must be measured and understood before any kind of commercialization and mass production can take place. Using the measurement triad of DC I-V, CV, and the new Ultra-fast I-V provided in the aforementioned characterization tool increases the potential for new discoveries to be made in the challenging world of semiconductor scaling and nanoscience.
Photosystem stoichiometry and chlorophyll antenna size in Dunaliella salina (green algae)

Abstract The photochemical apparatus organization in the green alga Dunaliella salina was investigated. Photosystem (PS) stoichiometry was estimated from direct quantitations of the reaction center P-700 (PS I) and of the primary electron acceptors pheophytin and Q A (PS II). A PS II/PS I ratio of 1.4/1.0 was deduced. Analysis of PS II activity revealed heterogeneity both in the chlorophyll (Chl) antenna size of the PS II unit and in the electron-transport process from Q A to plastoquinone in the thylakoid membrane. Antenna size measurements indicated the presence of PS II α (55% of all PS II) with about 570 Chl ( a + b ) molecules, and of PS II β (45% of all PS II) with about 150 Chl ( a + b ) molecules per reaction center. By comparison, PS I contained about 220 Chl ( a + b ) molecules per reaction center. Analysis of the electron-transport reactions on the reducing side of PS II revealed that approximately 25% of all PS II centers, although photochemically competent, were unable to transfer electrons from the primary quinone acceptor Q A to the secondary quinone Q B (PS II-Q B -nonreducing). Based on the fluorescence yield and exponential induction kinetics displayed by PS II-Q B -nonreducing, we suggest that the latter is a subpopulation of PS II β in Dunaliella salina . It is speculated that PS II-Q B -nonreducing centers represent newly synthesized and/or repaired PS II centers which have not yet established a functional interaction between Q A and Q B .
The amazing cadmium atom

Summarize the unique properties of the Cd atom that have lead to many new types of laser excitation schemes and processes that began 35 years ago. These include the CW blue and ultraviolet laser transitions in Cd/sup +/, the generation of 125-ps pulses (the shortest mode-locked pulses at that time), the process of Penning ionization as a laser excitation mechanism, recombination lasers produced by both laser-produced plasmas and a new segmented arc recombination laser (SPER laser) and the first soft-X-ray pumped photoionization laser, which are all described briefly.
Quantification of anthocyanidins in the grapes and grape juice products with acid assisted hydrolysis using LC/MS

Abstract A simple and precise acid-assisted hydrolysis method was established for the quantification of anthocyanidins in 15 grape juice samples, four grape berries and four grape skins using LC/MS. Under optimized conditions, five major anthocyanidins including delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, peonidin and malvidin in the hydrolyzed grape extracts were successfully separated within 25 min and quantified individually. The results revealed that the total concentration of anthocyanidins was not symmetrically distributed in the different grape juice products. While quantitative distribution of anthocyanidins in grape berries and skins are quite similar, anthocyanidin concentration in grape skins was found to be four to eight times higher than their corresponding berries. The precision of this method was validated by recovery percentages of five anthocyanidins, ranging from 98.59% to 103.20% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 5.03%. This quantitative method provides a rapid and accurate tool to quantitatively study individual anthocyanidins in grapes or grape juice samples for quality control and to facilitate the evaluation and comparison of new commercial grapes or grape juices products in the market.
Failure of the vitamin E-deficient rat to show decreased liver codeine-O-demethylase activity.

SummaryClassic vitamin E deficiency in the male Holtzman rat over a span of 2 to 10 months on test diet resulted in no significant difference in activity of liver codeine-O-demethylase, whether measured on whole homogenates, 15,000g supernatants, or separated microsomes. It did significantly, but to relatively slight extent, increase hexobarbital sleeping time.Appreciation is expressed to our colleagues, Dr. A. Sheppard and Dr. L. Weiss, for help with the gas chromatography of blood tocopherol and the determination of hexobarbital sleeping times, respectively.
On the Liberating Virtues of Irrelevance

The analyses of the death penalty reported in these pages, while diverse in both subject and method, are part of a distinctive post-McCleskey v. Kemp (1987) generation of studies in which the social science literature on capital punishment has begun to stand separate from ever present constitutional litigation on death penalty issues. This independence of scholarship from litigation has come as a consequence of rejection: A ma- jority on the U.S. Supreme Court has forcefully rebuffed the attempts of social scientists to influence the constitutional law of capital punishment. As is often the case, however, rejection has its liberating aspects. Freed from preoccupation with current Supreme Court cases, scholars are now considering a wider and richer range of issues than a litigation focus would allow and are free to consider questions without regard to whether they might threaten embarrassment to advocates of an anti-capital punishment position. The post-McKleskey scholars can speak in their own voices rather than phrasing both questions and answers in the carefully chosen phrases of tomorrow's expert witnesses. Rejection by the Supreme Court thus has rekindled the independence of the social and behavioral sciences. In the long run, this independence could both illuminate the administration of the death penalty in the United States and help hasten its end. I will pursue this theme in three short installments. Section I sets forth a capsule history of the involvement of social and behavioral scientists in the campaign against capital punish- ment and will speculate on how close involvement with litigation might influence the conduct and reporting of research. Section II surveys the contributions in this volume, with special emphasis on their independence from ongoing constitutional litigation. A third section lists a few of the issues I hope future research on the death penalty will address. Section III closes by suggesting that social science's broad understanding of the death penalty may yet serve the ends of its abolition in the not distant future. Language: en
Embedding revision programs in logic programming situation calculus

Abstract Revision programs were introduced by Marek and Truszczynski to specify a change in knowledge bases. In this paper, we show how to embed revision programs in logic programs with situation calculus notation. We extend Marek and Truszczynski's approach to allow an incomplete initial knowledge base, and extend the rules of revision programs to depend both on the initial and the final knowledge base. We show how revision programs and its proposed extension can be incorporated in theories of actions, and how our usage of situation calculus notation makes this easier and elegant.
World Trade Center cough--a lingering legacy and a cautionary tale.

One year has passed since the terrorist attacks in New York and at the Pentagon. As we struggle to address important issues related to the health consequences of warfare and terrorism, a simple que...
Soil Aggregation and Carbon and Nitrogen Storage under Soybean Cropping Sequences

Management practices, such as no-tillage (NT) and high-intensity cropping sequences, have the potential to enhance C and N sequestration in agricultural soils. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impacts of conventional-tillage (CT), NT, and multiple cropping sequences on soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (SON) sequestration and on distribution within aggregate-size fractions in a southcentral Texas soil after 20 yr of treatment imposition. No-tillage management increased soil aggregation compared with CT, with the bulk of SOC and SON storage present in larger aggregate-size fractions (>2 mm, 250 μm to 2 mm) at both soil depths. Multiple cropping systems, such as a grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moendl]/ wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] (SWS) rotation and a wheat/soybean (WS) doublecrop had the highest SOC and SON storage, while the continuous monoculture soybean treatment had the lowest storage. Soil organic C and SON storage were significantly greater under NT than CT for all cropping sequences at 0 to 5 cm and for SWS and WS at 5 to 15 cm. At the 0- to 5-cm depth, NT increased SOC storage by 64% and SON storage by 76% compared with CT. However, at 5 to 15 cm, NT only increased SOC storage by 28% and SON storage by 40%. The use of NT showed a greater impact for increasing SON storage than for SOC storage, suggesting that N cycling is an important factor related to soil C sequestration potential.
Women and community forestry in Nepal: Expectations and realities

Community forestry programs in Nepal, based on the erroneous assumption that farming families are the major cause of deforestation, ignore other critical causes. Recent emphasis on the inclusion of women in these programs, based on the recognition of women's subsistence activities and understanding of nature, minimizes fundamental constraints embedded in Nepalese society. A review of community forestry programs funded by international agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) indicates increasing participation of both women and men at the community level. Exaggerated expectations of the potential of community forestry in solving Nepal's ecological crisis could undermine the fragile gains of Nepali women.
Baroreceptor control of central and regional hemodynamics with isoflurane in the dog

Central and regional hemodynamics were studied at five levels of carotid sinus baroreceptor stimulation and three isoflurane levels. Apart from iliac blood flow, all regional blood flows, together with mean aortic pressure, power and flow decreased in response to an increasing anesthetic level and/or carotid sinus baroreceptor stimulation. These effects were additive with no significant interaction between the two experimental factors. At the carotid sinus reflex set point pressure, isoflurane attenuated the ability of carotid sinus baroreceptors to change mean aortic pressure and power together with the maximum capacity of the carotid sinus baroreceptors to produce vasoconstriction. The maximum capacity of the carotid sinus baroreceptors to produce vasodilation was unaffected by isoflurane. Vagotomy only modified hemodynamic set point values at low isoflurane levels, increasing regional resistances at the expense of flow except for the iliac bed. Following vagotomy, reflex gain was increased as was the maximum capacity of the cardiovascular system to vasoconstrict and vasodilate in response to carotid sinus pressure stimulation, together with the range of arterial pressure control.
Automatic programming for energy management using sensor based computers

An automatic programming approach has been developed for the use of sensor based computers (IBM System/7 and Series/1) for energy management in buildings. The purpose is to aid the facilities engineer who is unfamiliar with programming and who requires a system that can be defined by a sequence of questions and answers. Programmers can add or modify application source programs to extend the system to other user-defined functions.
Long-term caffeine consumption exacerbates renal failure in obese, diabetic, ZSF1 (fa-facp) rats

Long-term caffeine consumption exacerbates renal failure in obese, diabetic, ZSF1 (fa-fa cp ) rats. Background Our preliminary studies indicate that chronic caffeine consumption has adverse renal effects in nephropathy associated with high blood pressure and insulin resistance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of early (beginning at 8 weeks of age) and long-term (30 weeks) caffeine treatment (0.1% solution) on renal function and structure in obese, diabetic ZSF1 rats. Methods Metabolic and renal function measurements were performed at six-week intervals and in a subset of animals ( N = 6 per group) heart rate (HR) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) were monitored by a radiotelemetric technique. At the end of the study acute, measurements of renal hemodynamics and excretory function were conducted in anesthetized animals. Results Caffeine produced a very mild increase (4 to 5%) of MABP and HR, but greatly augmented proteinuria ( P P P P P P P Conclusion The present study provides the first evidence that caffeine (despite improving insulin sensitivity) exacerbates renal failure in obese, diabetic ZSF1 rats. Further mechanistic studies of adverse renal effects of caffeine in chronic renal failure associated with metabolic syndrome are warranted.
Role of Equalization Basins of Constructed Wetland Systems for Treatment of Particulate-Associated Elements in Flue Gas Desulfurization Waters

Pilot-scale experiments were performed to investigate the role of equalization basins used with constructed wetland systems for treatment of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) waters. Analysis of FGD water samples indicated that aqueous concentrations of Hg, As, and Se remained constant or changed very slightly in a pilot-scale equalization basin during a 24-h hydraulic retention time (HRT). No change in toxicity of FGD water occurred after one HRT. FGD particles were predominantly silt size, and approximately 99% of particles suspended in FGD water settled to the bottom of a 2.5-m-deep equalization basin during the first 4 h of the 24-h HRT. Approximately 90% of the total As, and smaller percentages of Hg and Se, in FGD water and particles were removed by particle settling in the equalization basin. Results of this investigation lend support to the use of equalization basins for treating FGD waters in constructed wetland treatment systems.
Pure-culture and enzymatic assay for starch-polyethylene degradable plastic biodegradation withStreptomyces species

Eleven starch-polyethylene degradable plastic films were prepared from masterbatches from Archer Daniels Midland Inc. (ADM), EcoStar Inc. (SLS), and Fully Compounded Plastic Inc. The biodegradability of initial and 70°C heat-treated materials was determined using a pure-culture assay withStreptomyces badius 252,S. setonii 75Vi2, orS. viridosporus T7A or without bacterial culture (control). Films were treated with 10-foldS. setonii culture concentrates and compared with inactive enzyme controls. Changes in each films mechanical property, molecular weight distribution, and Fourier-transformed infrared spectrum (FT-IR) were determined, and results were evaluated for significant differences by analysis of variance. Cell mass accumulation on each film was quite pronounced. In pure-culture studies, biodegradation was demonstrated for ADM-7 and SLS-2 initial films and for ADM-6 heat-treated films, whereas after 3-week treatment with activeS. setonii culture concentrates (enzyme assay), reductions in mechanical properties and changes in FT-IR spectrum were illustrated by all the films except SLS-2. Thus the absence of biofilm formation on the film surface permitted enzymatic attack of the materials. Furthermore, inhibition of chemical oxidative degradation in the pure-culture assay was demonstrated for ADM-11, SLS-5, and SLS-10 initial materials and for ADM-4, ADM-7, SLS-8, and SLS-10 heat-treated films. These data suggest that biological and chemical degradation were directly affected by the reduction in oxygen tension on the plastic film surface due to cell mass accumulation. This same phenomenon could be the cause for slow degradation rates in nature.
Propagation of reaction fronts in exothermic heterogeneous noncatalytic systems solid-solid and solid-gas

Abstract Exothermic heterogeneous noncatalytic reactions of the type solid-solid and solid-gas can be efficiently used to produce new type of materials. The idea of the process is based on the self-propagating reaction waves in the reactant mixture. Modeling of the process is suggested. Comparison of experimentally observed phenomena with theoretical supercomputer calculation is presented.
Specific heat study of the Na0.3CoO2 · 1.3H2O superconductor: influence of the complex chemistry

Abstract We report results of specific heat measurements on polycrystalline samples of the layered superconductor, Na 0.3 CoO 2 · 1.3H 2 O. The electronic contribution to the specific heat, γ , is found to be 12.2 mJ/mol K 2 . The feature at the superconducting transition is rather sharp, becoming broad and strongly suppressed in an applied magnetic field. The data indicate a residual normal state electronic specific heat at low temperatures, implying that there is a sizable population of normal state electrons in the samples even below T c . Inhomogeneity in the Na content, to which the superconducting state is exquisitely sensitive, appears to be the most likely explanation for these results. These results further indicate that special sample handling is required for an accurate characterization of the superconducting state in this material.
Fast two dimensional computer simulation of bilayer hemifusion.

Abstract Computer simulation of model membranes was used to evaluate the possible mechanism of lipid bilayer fusion. The simplified two dimensional model of the membrane cross section was used as an analog of three dimensional reality. Lipid molecules were represented by rodlike structures, and forces between them were limited to attraction/repulsion interactions described by a simple energy function with a minimum; 300–400 molecules were modeled in every simulation. Using the energy minimization procedure, it was possible to obtain stable linear or circular bilayer structures (two dimensional analogs of planar membranes and liposomes). In response to changes in attraction/repulsion equilibrium between molecules these bilayers were able to reorganize via cooperative process. By increasing the headgroup attraction parameter for contacting monolayers, it was possible to induce formation of a zone of hemifusion in the area of bilayer contact. The possible correlation between cooperative bilayer rearrangement...
Rapid, small-volume, flow injection analysis for SCO2, and NH4+ in marine and freshwaters

∑CO2 and NH4+ in natural waters can be rapidly (∼60 samples h−1), precisely (∼1% RSD), and simply determined in small samples (20 µl, ∑CO2; 50 µl, NH4+) with an inexpensive flow injection analysis system (FIA). A gas-permeable membrane is used to remove CO2 or NH3 from acidic (∑CO2) or basic (NH4+) reagent streams into a receiving stream and conductivity detector. Linear negative responses occur over a wide range ofconcentrations ( 0.1 mM) by difference (with, without Zn). Interferences from fatty acids (∑CO2) and methylamines (NH4+) are unlikely at natural levels. These methods correlate well with traditional techniques.
Soil chemistry and nutrient regimes following 17-21 years of shortleaf pine-bluestem restoration in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas

Harvesting and repeated burning are frequently used to restore shortleaf pine-bluestem ecosystems within the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas, USA. These practices have been shown to adequately restore much of the habitat for bird and mammal species that utilize this ecosystem. However, there have been only limited studies to quantify the impact of restoration activities on soil chemistry and nutrient availability in this region. We compared soil chemistry and foliar nutrient concentrations for a 3-year period in three shortleaf pine-hardwood stands that had restoration activities for at least 17 years with soil chemistry and foliar nutrient concentrations in three stands that have had no restoration activities. Mineralizable N, total N, C, Ca, and pH of the surface soil were higher in the restored stands than in the stands without restoration activities. The magnitude of the increases in nutrient concentrations and pH appeared to reflect the combined impacts of harvesting and prescribed burning in the restored stands. Foliar concentrations of N, P, K, and Ca were significantly higher in the restored stands for at least 1 year following the most recent prescribed fire. However, only K concentrations were greater in the restored stands during the entire 3 year study. An increase in nutrient availability within the restored stands suggests that surface soil fertility and productivity may have increased with shortleaf pine-bluestem restoration activities.