cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The EUVE Observations of Dwarf Novae

In the standard theory of dwarf novae in outburst, the boundary layer region between the inner edge of the accretion disk and the white dwarf surface radiates primarily in the extreme ultraviolet. Using EUVE, observers have been able to obtain spectra with sufficient spectral resolution to characterize accurately the emission from several dwarf novae in outburst, including U Geminorum and SS Cygni. I present an overview of the observations and early analyses of the dwarf nova observations. The spectra obtained of dwarf novae are complex compared to the EUV spectra of magnetic cataclysmic variables and single white dwarfs. Detailed spectral modeling of an expanding atmosphere will most like be required to fully understand the spectra. Nevertheless, we already know there were significant differences in the effective temperatures and other properties of the EUV emissions. If we assume the EUV emission arises primarily from the boundary layer and parameterize the EUV spectrum in terms of a blackbody, then for U Gem the derived boundary luminosity is comparable to the disk luminosity, consistent with the standard theory, and the minimum size of the emitting region is about that of the white dwarf surface. The count rates from U Gem were modulated strongly with the orbital period; differences in the shape of the spectrum in eclipse and out of eclipse suggest that while the bulk of the emission arose from the vicinity of the white dwarf, there was an extended source of emission as well. For SS Cyg, however, the derived boundary layer luminosity was a small fraction of the disk luminosity. In U Gem, the effective temperature dropped during the decline from outburst. In contrast, in SS Cyg, the effective temperature remained constant as the count rate rose by a factor of 100 and the effective size increased. Thus while the observations of U Gem seem broadly consistent with the standard theory for the boundary layer emission from dwarf novae, SS Cyg appears to present fundamental challenges to that theory.
Abstract 117: A Six Minute MRI Protocol for Evaluation of Acute Ischemic Stroke: Pushing the Boundaries

Purpose: Multimodal cerebrovascular CT and MR can now provide information about tissue viability, site of occlusion, and collateral status in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). If MRI is to compete with CT for evaluation of AIS, there is need for further improvements in acquisition speed. The purpose of this study was to establish the feasibility of a fast MR protocol with a 6 minute acquisition time for evaluation of AIS. Methods: Patients with suspicion of AIS and absence of MRI contraindications were prospectively enrolled. A combination of echo-planar imaging (EPI) and parallel acquisition technique were used on a 3T MR scanner to accelerate the acquisition time. The imaging protocol included: DWI (1 min), EPI-FLAIR (52 sec), EPI-GRE (50 sec), contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) of the entire supra-aortic arteries (20 sec), and DSC perfusion (2 min). Using a modified 2-phase contrast injection scheme, high spatial resolution CE-MRA of the supra-aortic arteries was performed just before DSC perfusion without the need for additional contrast. Image analysis was performed independently by two neuroradiologists and interobserver agreement was calculated using Kappa test. Results: A total of 50 patients were included. Diagnostic image quality was achieved in 100% of DWI, 96% EPI-FLAIR, 98% EPI-GRE, 90% neck MRA, 96% of brain MRA, and 94% of DSC perfusion scans. Thirty eight patients (76%) had acute infarction. Using Tmax perfusion maps and applying DEFUSE criteria, 42% of patients had perfusion-diffusion mismatch with interobserver agreement of k=0.90. The mean of the signal-intensity-ratio values of the infarction on EPI-FLAIR was 1.08 for patients presenting 4.5 hours (n=22) from the time of imaging. Three patients had evidence of intracranial hemorrhage detected on EPI-GRE and confirmed by non-contrast CT. CE-MRA showed 27 segmental stenoses of the extra-cranial arteries and 24 segmental stenoses of the intracranial arteries with interobserver agreement of k= 0.82 and 0.74 respectively. Conclusion: Described multimodal MR protocol is feasible for evaluation of patients with AIS and can result in significant reduction in scan time rivaling that of the multimodal CT protocol.
Sequential updating of multimodal hydrogeologic parameter fields using localization and clustering techniques

[1] Estimated parameter distributions in groundwater models may contain significant uncertainties because of data insufficiency. Therefore, adaptive uncertainty reduction strategies are needed to continuously improve model accuracy by fusing new observations. In recent years, various ensemble Kalman filters have been introduced as viable tools for updating high-dimensional model parameters. However, their usefulness is largely limited by the inherent assumption of Gaussian error statistics. Hydraulic conductivity distributions in alluvial aquifers, for example, are usually non-Gaussian as a result of complex depositional and diagenetic processes. In this study, we combine an ensemble Kalman filter with grid-based localization and a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) clustering techniques for updating high-dimensional, multimodal parameter distributions via dynamic data assimilation. We introduce innovative strategies (e.g., block updating and dimension reduction) to effectively reduce the computational costs associated with these modified ensemble Kalman filter schemes. The developed data assimilation schemes are demonstrated numerically for identifying the multimodal heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity distributions in a binary facies alluvial aquifer. Our results show that localization and GMM clustering are very promising techniques for assimilating high-dimensional, multimodal parameter distributions, and they outperform the corresponding global ensemble Kalman filter analysis scheme in all scenarios considered.
Synthesis of ceramic powders using an aqueous organic polymer precursor

Abstract This paper describes the synthesis of highly reactive ceramic powders using aqueous metallo-organic techniques. In this process a water-soluble polyacrylic acid polymer reacts with multivalent metal ions in solution, forming a cross-linked metal polyacrylate precipitate. The metallo-organic precipitate can be washed free of soluble impurities and thermally decomposed. What remains after processing is a friable oxide ash possessing the characteristics needed to form quality ceramics of single, as well as multicomponent, oxides. The details of preparation and properties are reported for tetragonal zirconia, yttria, alumina, barium titanate and lead titanate.
Low traffic overlay networks with large routing tables

The routing tables of Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs) can vary from size O(1) to O(n). Currently, what is lacking is an analytic framework to suggest the optimal routing table size for a given workload. This paper (1) compares DHTs with O(1) to O(n) routing tables and identifies some good design points; and (2) proposes protocols to realize the potential of those good design points.We use total traffic as the uniform metric to compare heterogeneous DHTs and emphasize the balance between maintenance cost and lookup cost. Assuming a node on average processes 1,000 or more lookups during its entire lifetime, our analysis shows that large routing tables actually lead to both low traffic and low lookup hops. These good design points translate into one-hop routing for systems of medium size and two-hop routing for large systems.Existing one-hop or two-hop protocols are based on a hierarchy. We instead demonstrate that it is possible to achieve completely decentralized one-hop or two-hop routing, i.e., without giving up being peer-to-peer. We propose 1h-Calot for one-hop routing and 2h-Calot for two-hop routing. Assuming a moderate lookup rate, compared with DHTs that use O(log n) routing tables, 1h-Calot and 2h-Calot save traffic by up to 70% while resolving lookups in one or two hops as opposed to O(log n) hops.
Fractionation paths of Atka (Aleutians) high-alumina basalts: Constraints from phase relations

Abstract An Aleutian high-alumina basalt from the island of Atka at one atmosphere crystallizes plagioclase (1275°C) followed by olivine (1170°C) and clinopyroxene (1115°C). At oxygen fugacities along NNO, magnetite crystallizes below 1070°C, but its liquidus increases to at least 1175°C at an oxygen fugacity two log units above NNO. Phase relations at two kilobars pressure of melts containing small amounts of water are similar, although orthopyroxene and magnetite are observed to follow clinopyroxene. Amphibole crystallizes at near-liquidus temperatures only at water contents of melts approaching 4.5%. Amphibole assumes the liquidus in melts containing 5% water. Anhydrous melts crystallize plagioclase to 19 kbar, where garnet and clinopyroxene assume the liquidus. Olivine yields to clinopyroxene as the highest-temperature subliquidus phase at about 9 kbar. The array of compositions of basaltic Atka rocks, as displayed on appropriate pseudoternary projections, can be interpreted as a crystal fractionation path at moderate pressure (∼8 kbar) and small melt-water contents. The interpreted fractionating minerals are olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and (probably) magnetite. (The actual phenocrysts in Atka basalts like AT-1, which lacks phenocrystic clinopyroxene, must have crystallized at pressure less than 8 kbar, however.) The compositions of two-pyroxene andesites from Atka can be interpreted to lie on a lower-pressure fractionation trend at melt water contents of 2–3%. Such water contents are consistent with the complete absence of amphibole in any Atka rocks and are suggestive that water contents of the basaltic magmas, if the basalts are parental to the andesites, were 1–2%.
Maximum Entropy Convex Decompositions of Doubly Stochastic and Nonnegative Matrices

Two maximum entropy convex decompositions are computed with the use of the iterative proportional fitting procedure. First, a doubly stochastic version of a 5 × 5 British social mobility table is represented as the sum of 120 5 × 5 permutation matrices. The most heavily weighted permutations display a bandwidth form, indicative of relatively strong movements within social classes and between neighboring classes. Then the mobility table itself is expressed as the sum of 6 985 5 × 5 transportation matrices—possessing the same row and column sums as the mobility table. A particular block-diagonal structure is evident in the matrices assigned the greatest weight. The methodology can be applied as well to the representation of other nonnegative matrices in terms of their extreme points, and should be extendable to higher-order mathematical structures—for example, operators and functions.
THE PANCREAS IN AIDS

Although autopsy studies reveal significant pancreatic lesions in about 10% of AIDS patients, pancreatic lesions infrequently produce symptoms and are rarely recognized premortem. Patients with AIDS can develop pancreatic disease from causes not related to AIDS or AIDS-specific lesions. AIDS-specific causes include opportunistic infection, AIDS-associated neoplasia, and medications used to treat complications of AIDS. Pancreatic involvement is usually part of a widely disseminated tumor and rarely produces clinical symptoms.
β-amyloid peptide in vitro toxicity: Lot-to-lot variability

Abstract βA4 peptide (βAP) accumulates in amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's disease and may contribute to neuronal degeneration. Conflicting observations have been reported regarding the direct in vitro and in vivo neurotoxicity of βAP. We have assessed in vitro βAP toxicity in high density primary rat hippocampal cultures and found marked lot-to-lot differences in the neurotoxic properties of βAP. One lot of βAP from a commercial supplier resulted in significant direct neurotoxicity at 10 μM, while 2 other lots from the same supplier were essentially nontoxic. Three additional lots of βAP from unrelated sources were also nontoxic at 10 μM. Initial biochemical characterization has not yet revealed any marked differences among the various lots of βAP. Low levels of endotoxin (ca., I EU/ ml) were detected in several βAP preparations but did not correlate with neurotoxicity. Our observation that lot-to-lot variability of βAP occurred even under identical in vitro culture conditions may account for part of the present controversy in this area.
Functional Excitatory Synapses in HEK293 Cells Expressing Neuroligin and Glutamate Receptors

The discovery that neuroligin is a key protein involved in synapse formation offers the unprecedented opportunity to induce functional synapses between neurons and heterologous cells. We took this ...
Evidence of Carrier Mediated Ferromagnetism in GaN:Mn/GaN:Mg Heterostructures

Dilute Magnetic Semiconductors (DMS's) posses a strong potential to make use of the spin of carriers in spintronic devices. Experimental results and theoretical calculations predict that GaN:Mn is a potential semiconductor material for spintronic device applications. The dependence of the room temperature ferromagnetic properties of GaN:Mn/GaN:Mg double heterostructures (DHS) on the Fermi level position in the crystal is demonstrated. Several GaN:Mn/GaN:Mg DHS are grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on sapphire. It is shown that initially paramagnetic films can be rendered ferromagnetic by facilitating carrier transfer through the GaN:Mn/GaN:Mg interface. Additionally, it is demonstrated that ferromagnetism depends on the thickness of the GaN:Mn and GaN:Mg layers. The carrier transfer process essentially changes the Fermi level position in the crystal. By choosing the right thicknesses for GaN:Mn and GaN:Mg an optimum DHS that exhibits room temperature ferromagnetism is grown. An identical structure, with the exception of insertion of an AlGaN barrier in order to obstruct the carrier transfer at the interface, results in paramagnetic films for AlGaN barriers thicker than 25nm. These results are explained based on the change in the occupancy of the 3d-Mn impurity band, and indicate that carrier mediation is the possible mechanism for the ferromagnetism observed in the MOCVD grown GaN:Mn material system. This is the first evidence that this material system responds to electronic perturbations, hence ferromagnetism observed is not due to secondary phases or spin glass behavior.
Vascular clearance of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis viruses as a correlate to virulence for rhesus monkeys

The epizootic Trinidad donkey strain of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus (VEE) was cleared slowly from the circulation of rhesus monkeys following intravenous inoculation, while the live, attenuated vaccine strain, TC-83, was cleared rapidly. The efficient clearance of TC-83 vaccine may be a factor in the lower viremia and benign course of TC-83 virus infection in rhesus monkeys.
Selective inhibition of α-galactosidases by myoinositol

Abstract Evidence is presented that myoinositol is a potential, highly stereospecific and competitive inhibitor of α-galactosidases.
Trajectories of Heroin Addiction: Growth Mixture Modeling Results Based on a 33-Year Follow-Up Study

This study investigates trajectories of heroin use and subsequent consequences in a sample of 471 male heroin addicts who were admitted to the California Civil Addict Program in 1964-1965 and followed over 33 years. Applying a two-part growth mixture modeling strategy to heroin use level during the first 16 years of the addiction careers since first heroin use, the authors identified three groups with distinctive profiles: stably high-level heroin users (n = 278), late decelerated users (n = 149), and early quitters (n = 44). Study findings empirically demonstrate the chronic nature of heroin addiction and subsequent adverse consequences including mortality, mental health, and employment.
A highly oversized perturbed-wall TE 02 gyrotron external launcher

A perturbed-wall TE 02 gyrotron external launcher with an oversize factor of 2.49 is designed using the Iterative Stratton-Chu algorithm and a Katsenelenbaum-Semenov based phase-correcting mirror design method. Radiation patterns from Surf3d show good results.
Diamond in kimberlitic diatremes of northern Colorado

Small diamonds have been recognized in concentrates from deeply weathered kimberlite from diatremes in northern Colorado. This discovery represents the first authenticated occurrence of diamonds in Colorado and the second authenticated occurrence of diamonds from weathered kimberlite in North America.
Three dimensional modeling of high temperature PEM fuel cells

Abstract A three dimensional model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) operating with a polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane is presented. This model is an improvement on the previous three models developed for this type of PEM fuel cell. The model accounts for all transport and polarization phenomena, and the results compare well with published experimental data for the same sets of operating conditions. The model predicts the oxygen depletion, which occurs in the catalyst area under the ribs, and a temperature rise of up to 20 K at a power density of 1000 W m −2 can be expected depending on operating conditions.
Integrating virtual simulations

Abstract : The author explores the theory of simulations; explains current trends in instructional theory, digital media, and change management; discusses the impact on instructional and simulation development design; provides an integrated simulation development and implementation model; and provides recommendations for practitioners who are ready to cross the threshold of integrating software-based simulations into their learning environment. Current trends of pervasive computations, contextual fidelity, increasing demand for flexible constructive learning environments, and improved affordability suggest that digital simulations are likely to play a larger role in mainstream education and learning in the 21st century.
Innovation inspired by nature: capabilities, potentials, and challenges

Through evolution, nature came up with many effective solutions to its challenges and continually improving them. By mimicking, coping and being inspired, humans have been using Nature's solutions to address their own challenges. In recent years, the implementation of nature's capabilities has intensified with our growing understanding of the various biological and nastic mechanisms and processes. Successes include even the making of humanlike robots that perform such lifelike tasks as walking, talking, making eye-contact, interpreting speech and facial expressions, as well as many other humanlike functions. Generally, once humans are able to implement a function then, thru rapid advances in technology, capabilities are developed that can significantly exceed the original source of inspiration in Nature. Examples include flight where there is no species that can fly as high, carry so much mass, has so large dimensions and fly so fast, and operate at as such extreme conditions as our aircraft and other aerospace systems. However, using the capabilities of today's technology, there are many challenges that are not feasible to address in mimicking characteristics of species and plants. In this manuscript, state-of-the-art of biomimetic capabilities, potentials and challenges are reviewed.
External laryngeal trauma analysis of 392 patients.

Background External laryngeal trauma (ELT) is a rare but clinically important injury. Objective To perform the first population-based, time series analysis of the epidemiology, management, and outcomes of ELT using an 11-state, inpatient sample database containing more than 54 million patients. Patients Three hundred ninety-two patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of ELT were identified. Over a 5-year period, the incidence of ELT in this series was 1/137,000. The mean (±SD) age was 37 (±7) years, and the overall mortality rate was 2.04%. Two hundred forty-eight patients required surgical intervention. Results The average length of stay for 67 patients not requiring surgical intervention for any injury was 3 (±2) days, with no mortality. One hundred eighty patients underwent endoscopy, with 14 requiring tracheotomy alone and 57 requiring tracheotomy plus laryngeal repair. The average length of stay and the mortality rate were higher in these latter groups. Overall, 139 patients underwent tracheotomy, with a mortality rate of 5%, while 96 patients underwent laryngeal repair, with a mortality rate of 1%. Surgical treatment was performed in 140 patients with ELT within 24 hours after presentation, while another 60 received treatment within 48 hours. Associated injuries included skull base or intracranial injury (13%), open neck injury (9%), cervical spine injury (8%), and esophageal or pharyngeal injury (3%). Conclusion External laryngeal trauma is a rare injury, with most patients requiring surgical intervention.
Late Wisconsinan-Holocene paleogeography of Delaware Bay; a large coastal plain estuary

Abstract Analyses of an extensive grid of seismic reflection profiles along with previously published core data and modern sedimentary environment information from surrounding coastal areas permit an outline of the paleogeography of the large Delaware Bay estuary during the last transgression of sea level. During late Wisconsinan times, the Delaware River system eroded a dendritic drainage pattern into the gravelly and muddy sands of Tertiary and younger age beneath the southern half of the lower bay area. This system included the trunk valley of the ancestral river and a large tributary valley formed by the convergence of secondary streams along the Delaware coast. The evolution of the estuary from this drainage system proceeded as follows: (1) When local relative sea level was at −50 m, the head of the tide reached the present bay-mouth area. (2) At −40 m (possibly 15,000–12,000 yrs ago), the trunk valley of the drainage system was a tidal river that extended more than 30 km up the bay, and a small contiguous inlet existed at the bay mouth. (3) At −30 m (approximately 11,000−10,000 yrs ago), the estuary comprised two narrow passages formed by the drowning of the main and tributary river valleys, and the bay-mouth inlet was 5–6 km wide. (4) At −20 m (between 8000 and 7000 yrs ago), the two passages of the estuary were joined, except for a series of small islands on top of a low intervening ridge, and the inlet channel was 11 km wide. (5) At −10 m (between 6000 and 5000 yrs ago), the estuary was nearly continuous and encompassed about 60% of the present lower bay area. Thin, coarse-grained fluvial deposits accumulated initially within the main channels of the former drainage system as base level was elevated by rising sea level. During the subsequent development of the estuary, clayey silts were deposited rapidly beneath the nontidal estuarine depocenter (turbidity maximum) as it migrated through the bay area, and organic muds accumulated in tidal wetlands that occupied the mouths of tributaries and small marginal embayments. As the fetch and tidal prism of the estuary increased, narrow barrier and headland beaches, composed of fine to coarse sands, were formed locally along the bay shorelines. In the later stages of development, sediment scour, reworking and transport became the dominant processes within the open estuary. Data from this study demonstrate the great temporal and spatial variability of sedimentary deposits within large drowned river-valley estuaries and outline a model that can be used to interpret ancient estuarine strata.
Recognition of sequence-directed DNA structure by the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I.

Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy was used to investigate the influence of sequence-directed DNA structure upon the interaction between the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I and a series of defined oligonucleotide primer/templates. 17/27-mer (primer/template) oligonucleotides containing a dansyl fluorophore conjugated to a modified deoxyuridine residue within the primer strand were used as substrates for binding to Klenow fragment. The time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy decay of the dansyl probe was analyzed in terms of two local environments, either solvent-exposed or buried, corresponding to primer/templates positioned with the primer 3' terminus in the polymerase site or the 3'-5' exonuclease site of the enzyme, respectively. Equilibrium constants for partitioning of DNA between the two sites were evaluated from the anisotropy decay data for primer/templates having different (A + T)-rich sequences flanking the primer 3' terminus. Primer/templates with AAAATG/TTTTAC and CGATAT/GCTATA terminal sequences (the nucleotides on the left refer to the last six bases at the 3' end of the primer, and the nucleotides on the right are the corresponding bases in the template) were bound mostly at the polymerase site. The introduction of single mismatches opposite the primer 3' terminus of these DNA substrates increased their partitioning into the 3'-5' exonuclease site, in accord with the results of an earlier study [Carver, T.E., Hochstrasser, R.A., and Millar, D.P. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91, 10670-10674]. In contrast, a primer/template with the terminal sequence CAATTT/GTTAAA, containing an A-tract element AATTT, exhibited a surprising preference for binding at the 3'-5' exonuclease site, despite the absence of mismatched bases in the DNA substrate. Interruption of the A-tract with a single AG step, to give the terminal sequence CAGTTT/GTCAAA, reversed the effect of the A-tract, causing the DNA to partition in favor of the polymerase site. Moreover, the presence of a single mismatch opposite the primer 3' terminus was also sufficient to reverse the effect of the A-tract, resulting in a distribution of DNA between polymerase and 3'-5' exonuclease sites that was similar to that observed for the other mismatched DNA substrates. Taken together, these results suggest that the A-tract adopts an unusual conformation that is disruptive to binding at the polymerase site. The effect of the A-tract on binding of DNA to the polymerase site is discussed in terms of the unusual helix structural parameters associated with these sequence elements and the difference between the local geometry of the A-tract and the conformation adopted by duplex DNA within the polymerase cleft. The results of this study show that in addition to base mismatches, Klenow fragment can also recognize irregularities in the helix geometry of perfectly base-paired DNA.
Data embedding techniques and applications

As an effective way for dimensionality reduction, data embedding has direct applications in data mining, data indexing and searching, information retrieval, and multimedia data processing. As two representative techniques for data embedding, both Isomap and LLE require the construction of neighborhood graphs on which every point is connected to its neighbors. This paper reviews several techniques that have been developed to construct connected neighborhood graphs. These methods have made Isomap and LLE applicable to a wide range of data including under-sampled data and non-uniformly distributed data. Application-related issues of data embedding techniques are also discussed.
Systematic optimization of a detailed kinetic model using a methane ignition example

An approach to the systematic optimization of a large-scale dynamic model is proposed which consists in parameterization of simulation results as response surfaces. The optimization procedure is carried out using a second-order orthogonal design. The approach proposed here is demonstrated by an example involving the shock-initiated ignition of methane.
256 CARCASS ANALYSIS OF THE FETAL AND MATERNAL GUINEA PIG

The guinea pig is a small animal species in which the conceptus constitutes a large proportion of maternal weight at term, thereby imposing a major metabolic demand on the mother during pregnancy. In addition the neonatal fat content is similar to the human, making the guinea pig an interesting model for comparative physiologic study. The purpose of our study was to describe the fetal and maternal physical/chemical growth characteristics of the Hartley albino guinea pig throughout the latter half of gestation. Sixty-seven adult and 122 fetal guinea pigs were sacrificed at intervals through gestation and the carcasses analyzed for a variety of growth parameters. Fetal growth is exponential with the fetal mass comprising 25% of the maternal mass at term. Fetal fat and protein content increased exponentially during gestation comprising 9.8% and 16.3% respectively, of the fetal mass at term. Water content diminished exponentially with the 30 day fetus containing 91.6% water versus 67.8% at term. Accretion of energy in the fetal tissue was also exponential, with the energy content of the term fetus being 6025±138 cal/g dry weight. In contrast to the changes in fetal composition, maternal fat, protein, energy and water content remained relatively constant throughout pregnancy. This compositional analysis of the fetal and maternal guinea pig has provided important baseline data for further in vivo metabolic investigation into the nature of fetal growth aberrations.
Avoidant coping in panic disorder: a yohimbine biological challenge study.

Abstract Few studies have addressed whether the use of avoidance-oriented coping strategies is related to the development of panic in patients with panic disorder(PD). Self-report, clinician-rated, and physiological data were collected from 42 individuals who participated in a yohimbine biological challenge study, performed under double-blind, placebo-controlled conditions. Participants included 20 healthy controls and 22 currently symptomatic patients who met DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for PD. Consistent with prediction, patients with PD who had higher perceived efficacy of avoidance-oriented strategies in reducing anxiety-related thoughts reported increased severity in panic symptoms during the yohimbine challenge condition as compared to the placebo. Further, patients with PD who had more fear of cognitive dyscontrol, cardiovascular symptoms, and publicly observable anxiety also reported increased severity in panic symptoms during the challenge. Healthy controls who had more fear of cardiovascular s...
Correlating Organic Facies and Turbidite Facies in a Hoh Turbidite Sequence (Miocene), Western Olympic Peninsula, Washington: ABSTRACT

The distribution of organic facies is a function of the environment of deposition. Within each turbidite facies, diverse depositional regimes are present that affect both the preservation and dispersal of organic matter. Proper identification of turbidite facies can lead to a proper prediction of organic content within a particular turbidite facies or turbidite facies association. The type section of the Brown's Point formation, a turbidite sequence within the Hoh rock assemblage, demonstrates the correlation between organic facies and turbidite facies, as defined by E. Mutti and F. Ricci-Lucchi. Turbidite facies can be matched to organic facies throughout the entire 4,000 ft (1220 m) thick vertical section. Outer and middle fan turbidite associations have been analyzed and correlated for organic facies lateral continuity. Distribution of organic carbon concentrations and organic carbon types suggests a dominance of terrestrial input. TAI and Ro analyses reflect a marginally mature thermal maturation level (Ro = 0.5-0.6). Visual kerogen inspection reveals a mixed to structured kerogen with a predominance of type III/IV over type IV kerogen. Overall, maturation indices suggest a gas source with poor source potential for oil. Individual turbidite facies display a significant relationship to the amount, type, and level of maturation of organic matter present within each facies and facies association. Frontier basin analysis of turbidite sequences can be expedited by proper field identification of turbidite facies and subsequent geochemical analysis of the content, type, and maturation level of the organic matter present within each turbidite facies. End_of_Article - Last_Page 258------------
A fuzzy navigation system for mobile construction robots

Abstract Fuzzy navigation systems control a robot by implementing a fuzzy logic controller (FLC). Fuzzy navigation systems are simpler to implement than other navigation systems because they can handle infinite navigation situations with a finite set of rules. Existing fuzzy navigation systems for path finding in an unknown environment tend to find the shortest path in convex obstacle fields, but fail when obstacles are concave or placed continuously in certain configurations. This paper presents a fuzzy navigation system that can escape from concave and maze-like obstacle fields in an unknown environment. The system combines a tangent algorithm for path planning with sets of linguistic fuzzy control rules. In particular, we introduce the control rules for a Tracking mode of the FLC and improvements to the commonly used, intuitively reasonable tangent algorithm.
BOUNDS FOR OSCILLATOR-STRENGTH SUMS FROM APPROXIMATE QUADRATURES.

Rigorous upper and lower bounds are prescribed in the form of approximate quadratures for a variety of oscillator-strength sums. The required integration points and weights are determined from continued-fraction approximants and linear programming techniques, employing oscillator-strength moments as inputs to the method. Illustrative bounds are provided in the cases of atomic hydrogen, helium, and neon, for odd-integer sums and for the mean energies associated with stopping, straggling, excitation, and the Lamb shift.
Spectral engineering by Gaussian phase-matching for quantum photonics.

We demonstrate Gaussian-shaped phase matching of a periodically-poled potassium titanyl phosphate (PPKTP) crystal by imposing a custom duty-cycle pattern on its grating structure while keeping the grating period fixed. The PPKTP’s phase-matching characteristics are verified through optical difference-frequency generation measurements, showing good agreement with expected values based on our design parameters. Our theoretical analysis predicts that under extended phase-matching conditions the custom-poled PPKTP crystal is capable of generating heralded single photons with a spectral purity of 97%, and can reach as high as 99.5% with gentle spectral filtering, something that is highly desirable for photonic quantum information processing applications.
Effect of catalysts on the reaction of an aliphatic isocyanate and water

The kinetics of the reaction of aliphatic isocyanate with water were investigated with hexyl isocyanate as a model compound. The kinetic study was carried out with a titration method to determine the concentration of the isocyanate group as a function of time. Gas chromatography was used to augment the kinetic data obtained from the titration method. The effects of an organic acid [p-toluene sulfonic acid monohydrate (p-TSA)], a tertiary amine {diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO)}, and an organotin compound [dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL)] on the reaction were investigated for the conversion of isocyanate to a urea. Under the reaction conditions in this study, urea was the only product observed. The rate constants indicated that p-TSA had low catalytic activity, DABCO had intermediate catalytic activity, and DBTDL had high catalytic activity. A reaction mechanism was proposed for each of the catalysts. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1677–1688, 2002
C-terminal deletion of leucine-rich repeats from YopM reveals a heterogeneous distribution of stability in a cooperatively folded protein

Terminal deletions of units from α-helical repeat proteins have provided insight into the physical origins of their cooperativity. To test if the same principles governing cooperativity apply to β-sheet-containing repeat proteins, we have created a series of C-terminal deletion constructs from a large leucine-rich repeat (LRR) protein, YopM. We have examined the structure and stability of the resulting deletion constructs by a combination of solution spectroscopy, equilibrium denaturation studies, and limited proteolysis. Surprisingly, a high degree of nonuniformity was found in the stability distribution of YopM. Unlike previously studied repeat proteins, we identified several key LRR that on deletion disrupt nearby structure, at distances as far away as up to three repeats, in YopM. This partial unfolding model is supported by limited proteolysis studies and by point substitution in repeats predicted to be disordered as a result of deletion of adjacent repeats. We show that key internal- and terminal-caps must be present to maintain the structural integrity in adjacent regions (roughly four LRRs long) of decreased stability. The finding that full-length YopM maintains a high level of cooperativity in equilibrium unfolding underscores the importance of interfacial interactions in stabilizing locally unstable regions of structure.
Leakage Currents through Thin Silicon Oxide Grown on Atomically Flat Silicon Surfaces

Atomically flat surfaces can be obtained by high-temperature annealing in UHV of specially patterned silicon samples. Thin silicon oxide layers were grown by dry oxidation on three types of surfaces: (a) atomically flat surfaces, (b) normal (stepped) surfaces cleaned in UHV by the same high-temperature annealing and (c) normal wafer surfaces, which underwent just an RCA chemical cleaning before oxidation. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was performed to reveal the topography of the surfaces. Aluminum pads were deposited on these oxidized surfaces using photolithography techniques. The leakage current through the oxide was measured for all three cases. Our results show that the smoother the surface before oxidation, the smaller the leakage current.
Field and laboratory aging of polymeric cable terminations. II. Laboratory aging

For pt.I see ibid., vol.13, no.2, p.316-22 (1998). This paper presents the results of laboratory aging tests on polymeric cable terminations. The goals of the laboratory aging were two-fold: (1) develop an accelerated aging test that can simulate the changes produced in the field, and (2) provide an assessment on the magnitude of aging induced changes on the electrical performance of terminations. Monitoring leakage current and material changes during laboratory tests were useful for assessing the variations possible in aging due to experimental parameters used. It has been shown that a laboratory aging test that is based on evaluating the termination's leakage current suppression capability and the ability to withstand a moderate level of discharge activity is suitable not only for assessing the long term performance, but also for ranking the electrical performance in accordance with field exposure.
Use of Cidofovir for Treatment of Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

able. 4 Cidofovir’s main advantage over other treatment regimens is its dosing schedule of every 2 weeks instead of daily. This convenience comes at a cost of requiring a vigorous hydration schedule and probenecid washout to prevent renal damage. 5 Given all of the above, cidofovirisrarelyusednowforitsapproved indication. However, based onseveralpublishedseriesinadults and children, 6-10 the most recently performed national survey of the membership of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO) identified cidofovir as the mostcommonlyusedadjuvanttreatment for RRP. 11
Canada's Office of Religious Freedom: notes for a genealogy

Abstracts/ResumesCanada's new Office of Religious Freedom is entrusted with the task of protecting and promoting religious freedom all over the world. In this policy commentary, I argue that the mission to defend religious freedom abroad has a long and troubling genealogy. I begin by exploring the political work accomplished by the concept of “religious freedom” in the context of the encounter between the powers of Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire. I then move to the more recent geopolitical initiatives undertaken by the United States to protect “persecuted” religious minorities worldwide. Finally, I look at the local reception of these initiatives in contemporary Egypt.
New data, new paradigms for treating patients with prostate cancer: introduction.

On December 12-13, 2009, a summit meeting of the national authorities on prostate cancer detection and treatment was convened in New York City to focus on the current attitudes and practice patterns of androgen deprivation therapy. Especially in the context of recent advances in the understanding how hormonal therapy status is applied and assessed, the forum included discussion of the newest hormonal therapy agents, including gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists, and whether it
Perceptions of Social Support in Men with AIDS and ARC: Relationships with Distress and Hardiness1

Previous research has suggested that social support may act as a buffer against stress or in other ways may affect physiological adjustment, health, longevity, and sense of well-being. Perceptions of social support in persons newly diagnosed with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related Complex (ARC) were examined as a part of an ongoing longitudinal study. Social support was examined in terms of emotionally-sustaining and problem-solving types of help, based on Gottlieb's content analysis of informal helping behaviors. Representative examples of each of the four major categories of help were assessed in terms of their perceived desirability, availability, frequency of use, and usefulness if used. These social support data were then examined in relation to other behavioral, cognitive, affective, and medical indices. For persons with AIDS only, increased physical distress was associated with perceiving less availability of support. For both persons with AIDS and ARC, the more available social support was perceived to be, the less hopelessness and depression were reported. While all types of help were rated as desirable by both persons with AIDS and ARC, emotionally-sustaining types of help were rated as more desirable, more available, more frequently used, and more useful when used than were problem-solving types of help. Social support measures were most consistently and strongly correlated with the Commitment subscale of Kobasa's Hardiness Scale.
Model error estimation for large space systems

In-flight estimation of large structure model errors may have to be carried out in order to detect inevitable deficiencies in large structure controller/estimator models. These error estimates can most efficiently be obtained by the minimization of a quadratic functional of the model errors and on the subsequent analysis of the resulting optimal model error estimates. An integral operator approach to estimation leads to a geometrical interpretation of the model error estimation process. One of the significant insights gained with this interpretation is that the actual but unknown model errors can be decomposed as the sum of two distinct components that are orthogonal in some sense. One of these components is a so-called minimal error vector that retains many of the significant dynamics of the actual errors. The basic ideas in the model error estimation approach are first set forth with a two-dimensional analogy that has most of the essential features of the general estimation problem. The generalized results are then established and their application to a reference large structure model illustrated.
Anisotropic g Factors of Nickel, Palladium, and Platinum

The effective g factors of states on all sheets of the Fermi surface for fcc paramagnetic nickel, palladium and platinum have been considered. Calculations have been carried out using both the combined interpolation scheme and the Symmetrized Relativistic Augmented Plane Wave (SRAPW) methods. Corrections due to the outside of the muffin‐tin spheres potential (included for Pd and Pt) are shown to be small. Strong spin quenching in all three systems is caused by combination of the close proximity of the dominant X5 and L3 (single group representation) levels to the Fermi energy and the raising of their degeneracies by the important spin‐orbit interaction. Comparisons with the experimental data, in particular static susceptibility and dHvA orbital g factors, are presented.
A Model for Mutual Excitation in a Neuron Population in Olfactory Bulb

The glomerular neurons are small cells in the olfactory bulb which form numerous synaptic connections with each other and with the output neurons of the bulb, the mitral-tufted cells. They form in the mass two anatomical feedback loops, one within the population, the other between the populations of glomerular and mitral-tufted cells. The poststimulus time (PST) histograms of single glomerular neurons on afferent electrical stimulation are monotonic, always with initial increase in induced pulse probability at varying latency of onset, implying that interactions are mutually excitatory. A differential equation is developed to represent the dynamics of afferent temporal dispersion and positive feedback in a neural population. The solutions of the equation are used to generate curves fitted to the PST histograms. The required numerical values for the coefficients are similar to those found for other bulbar neurons, which implies that the particular properties of neurons in the population arise-from the topology of connections and not from the single neurons.
Distance learning through synchronous interactive television.

ABSTRACT The advent and popularity of asynchronous online learning has somewhat obscured a standby technology developed over the last two decades. Interactive videoconferencing, sometimes called “interactive television,” though not as glamorous and popular a topic at distance-learning conferences, is still alive and well at many institutions. Three or four years ago, many of us were led to believe that interactive television would go the way of the dinosaurs—everything would soon be in an asynchronous format or on individual desktops. There would no longer be any need for elaborately designed classrooms, networks, and operations staff. To date, this prediction has not come true. In fact, synchronous interactive television has experienced significant growth as newer, easier, and cheaper technologies allow institutions to reach more students with less resource investment. Faculty and students, while appreciating the convenience of asynchronous delivery, still express a need for synchronous communication. Th...
Use of electrochromic materials in adaptive optics

Electrochromic (EC) materials are used in "smart" windows that can be darkened by applying a voltage across an EC stack on the window. The associated change in refractive index ( n ) in the EC materials might allow their use in tunable or temperature-insensitive Fabry-Perot filters and transmissive-spatial-light-modulators (SLMs). The authors are conducting a preliminary evaluation of these materials in many applications, including target-in-the-loop systems. Data on tungsten oxide, WO 3 , the workhorse EC material, indicate that it's possible to achieve modest changes in n with only slight increases in absorption between the visible and ~10 μm. This might enable construction of a tunable Fabry-Perot filter consisting of an active EC layer (e.g. WO 3 ) and a proton conductor (e.g.Ta 2 O 5 ) sandwiched between two gold electrodes. A SLM might be produced by replacing the gold with a transparent conductor (e.g. ITO). This SLM would allow broad-band operation like a micromirror array. Since it's a transmission element, simple optical designs like those in liquid-crystal systems would be possible. Our team has fabricated EC stacks and characterized their switching speed and optical properties ( n, k ). We plan to study the interplay between process parameters, film properties, and performance characteristics associated with the FP-filter and then extend what we learn to SLMs. Our goals are to understand whether the changes in absorption associated with changes in n are acceptable, and whether it's possible to design an EC-stack that's fast enough to be interesting. We'll present our preliminary findings regarding the potential viability of EC materials for target-in-the-loop applications.