cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robust identification of time-varying electrical equivalent circuit models of Li-ion batteries

This paper presents a comparative study of continuous time and discrete time system identification approaches for estimating the parameters of an electrical equivalent circuit model of a li-ion battery. Three such methods are studied here. While the first two represent examples of direct continuous time approaches, the third one represents an indirect discrete time approach. Based on both simulated and actual voltage-current data, this investigation reveals that direct continuous time system identification methods offer more reliable estimates of electrical equivalent circuit model parameters compared to indirect discrete time methods.
Domal, thrombolitic, microbialite biostromes and associated lithofacies in the Upper Albian Devils River Trend along the northern, high-energy margin of the Maverick Basin

Abstract The Lower Cretaceous Devils River Trend on the northeast margin of the Maverick Basin in southwest Texas contains unique deposits of large domal, thrombolitic, microbial biostromes that have not been identified elsewhere in the Albian of the onshore Gulf of Mexico. These microbial biostromes are overlain by microbial-dominated, moderate-energy grainstones to mud-free rudstones. Above the grainstone to rudstone section is a hiatus (the Albian-19, high-frequency-sequence maximum flooding surface), and above this hiatus are large caprinid rudist bioherms. The overall setting for these carbonate deposits is the moderate- to high-energy north rim of the intraplatform Maverick Basin that is approximately 150 mi (240 km) behind the Stuart City Reef Trend. Four levels of description are necessary to describe the biostromes: (1) megalevel (overall external form)—domal biostromes, (2) macrolevel (larger internal form or layering)—sinuous convex-up layers within domes, (3) mesolevel (basic growth morphology—clotted thrombolites [subvertical to vertical]), and (4) microlevel (microbialite basic texture)—microbial peloids and mesoclots (clots of microbial-mediated material—mainly packed clusters of dark, micritic peloids). The thrombolitic peloids and mesoclots are arranged in digitate to randomly branching growth forms. The thrombolites are very microporous. Growth-framework cavities with sediment fill are common and are filled with mesoclots, peloids, clasts, miliolids, ostracods, echinoid fragments, bivalve fragments, and gastropods. The microbial biostrome is not continuous but has gaps (channels) filled with microbial-dominated grainstone and mud-free rudstones. The microbial-dominated grainstone and mud-free rudstone strata above the microbial biostrome are continuous, although irregularly bedded, with some beds being cross-stratified, and they are composed of fossiliferous, peloidal, mesoclot grainstone with abundant biota encrusted in a microbial coating. The domal, thrombolitic, microbialite biostrome is interpreted to have been deposited on a moderate-energy, semirestricted intraplatform rim at the northeast edge of the Maverick Basin during a higher order transgression. The microbial-dominated strata may have been associated with high nutrient concentrations and initial low sedimentation rates, followed by low to moderate sedimentation rates. The microbial-dominated grainstones and mud-free rudstones above were laid down in a moderate-energy environment during continued transgression. A sharp break exists with the shelf-interior, high-frequency highstand cycle above, which contains abundant rudist bioherms but no microbialites. Most of the primary megapores (growth-framework cavities and interparticle pores) are cemented with equant calcite. Nano- and micropores are extremely abundant within the microbial-related strata. These deposits would make good microporous reservoirs in the subsurface.
Strategies for the Induction of Allograft Tolerance

The principal causes of graft loss, acute rejection, chronic rejection, malignancy and infections, could potentially be avoided by a drug-free state of immunological tolerance. Though factors other than alloreactivity can contribute to chronic rejection,1 it is becoming increasingly clear that alloreactivity is essential for the full picture of chronic rejection to be seen2,3 and that the experimental induction of tolerance prevents chronic rejection.4,5 The induction of donor-specific tolerance to xenografts would obviate the need for excessive immunosuppression,6 and would be an advance that could help to make xenotransplantation clinically applicable.
Identification of the Degradation Products Involved in Bacteriopheophytin Photodamage of the Photosynthetic Reaction Centers from Rb. sphaeroides by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

The molecular mechanisms of photoinhibition has been a topic of central importance in understanding the structure and function of photosynthetic membrane proteins. We have previously observed the unidirectional photodamage of pheophytins in the photosystem II reaction centers from spinach and of bacteriopheophytins in the reaction centers from Rb. sphaeroides under strong illumination (Hou et al. 1996, 2005). Here we identified three degradation products of the bacteriopheophytin photodamage reactions by liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry. These products were probably produced by the hydration, de-hydrogen, and de-methylation reactions of bacteriopheophytin molecule. The major degradation product was likely formed by the de-methylation at C-8 in the bacteriopheophytin molecule.
MRI of spinal myelofibrosis

Myelofibrosis is an uncommon clinical entity resulting in fibrosis of the bone marrow that has only been briefly addressed in the MR literature, We were unable to find illustrations of sagittal MR images of the spine in patients with myelofibrosis. We have encountered three patients with myelofibrosis who underwent MR imaging of the spine, which revealed diffuse or patchy decreased signal intensity on T1-weighted images. The appearance of myelofibrosis may be similar to that of such entities as diffuse metastases, sickle cell anemia, and the hypointense marrow in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Therefore, the MR appearance must be correlated with the clinical presentation.
CAT-TI: E-learning, Goal-Setting, and Cataloging

This article describes the techniques of applying a goal-setting program to an online tutorial on cataloging the title field. Training staff to catalog presents many challenges to librarians in management positions. The task, while necessary, is sometimes considered tedious. In addition, researchers report an extremely high learner dropout rate for online tutorials. Goal-setting programs enhance work performance, and facilitate the completion of online tutorials.
A Heterodyne Measurement of the Fluorescence Spectrum of Optical Molasses

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a new technique for measuring the atomic velocity distribution by a direct measurement of the Doppler-broadened fluorescence spectrum. The observed spectrum exhibits an unexpected narrow feature that attributes to the confinement of atoms in optical potential wells, producing motional narrowing. Previous temperature measurements were performed by turning off the molasses laser beams, releasing the atoms to travel ballistically. The temperatures were then obtained by observing some aspect of the atomic trajectory. These methods have the disadvantage of measuring the velocities only after release of the atoms rather than while they are interacting with the laser beams. Effects on the measured temperature because of the release process have already been reported. In addition, other difficulties with ballistic techniques are currently limiting the accuracy with which the temperatures can be measured. Finally, several groups have raised the possibility that the velocity distribution of the atoms cannot be described by a simple Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. This possibility presents additional difficulties for the ballistic techniques because their analysis requires the assumption of an initial velocity distribution. Motivated by these problems, a heterodyne technique has been developed to observe the spectrum of the atomic fluorescence while the atoms are in the molasses. The Doppler broadening of the elastically scattered light directly measures the atomic velocities, without making any assumption about the initial velocity distribution.
The CAIRR Pipeline for Submitting Standards-Compliant B and T Cell Receptor Repertoire Sequencing Studies to the National Center for Biotechnology Information Repositories.

The adaptation of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to the B cell receptor (BCR) and T cell receptor (TCR) has made it possible to characterize the Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire (AIRR) at unprecedented depth. These AIRR sequencing (AIRR-seq) studies offer tremendous potential to increase the understanding of adaptive immune responses in vaccinology, infectious disease, autoimmunity, and cancer. The increasingly wide application of AIRR-seq is leading to a critical mass of studies being deposited in the public domain, offering the possibility of novel scientific insights through secondary analyses and meta-analyses. However, effective sharing of these large-scale data remains a challenge. The AIRR Community has proposed MiAIRR (Minimal Information about Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire), a standard for reporting AIRR-seq studies. The MiAIRR standard has been operationalized using the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) repositories. Submissions of AIRR-seq data to the NCBI repositories typically use a combination of web-based and flat-file templates and include only a minimal amount of terminology validation. As a result, AIRR-seq studies at the NCBI are often described using inconsistent terminologies, limiting scientists’ ability to access, find, interoperate, and reuse the data sets. In order to improve metadata quality and ease submission of AIRR-seq studies to the NCBI, we have leveraged the software framework developed by CEDAR (Center for Expanded Data Annotation and Retrieval), which develops technologies involving the use of data standards and ontologies to improve metadata quality. The resulting CEDAR-AIRR (CAIRR) pipeline enables data submitters to: i) create web-based templates whose entries are controlled by ontology terms, ii) generate and validate metadata, and iii) submit the ontology-linked metadata and sequence files (FASTQ) to the NCBI BioProject, BioSample, and Sequence Read Archive (SRA) databases. Overall, CAIRR provides a web-based metadata submission interface that supports compliance with the MiAIRR standard. This pipeline is available at http://cairr.miairr.org, and will facilitate the NCBI submission process and improve the metadata quality of AIRR-seq studies.
Political Violence in China: Terrorism, Official Media, and Political Priorities

The ability to control information provides autocracies with a counterterrorism advantage. However, in the modern technological and media environments, information strategies must be more sophisticated than simple censorship. To better understand these strategic considerations and the political sensitivities that drive them, we explore why the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) promptly highlights some domestic terrorist incidents in the official media, but acknowledges others slowly or not at all. Drawing on original datasets of all Uighur terrorist violence in China and the official media coverage of that violence in the People's Daily, we demonstrate that the CCP consistently favors stability over the legitimacy. Highlighting terrorist violence in the official media can satisfy the public’s demand for transparency and bolster foreign relations, but our findings indicate that the CCP is only willing to reap these rewards when domestic and international conditions are favorable enough to ensure that the risks to stability are manageable.
The quality-access tradeoff in decentralizing public services: Evidence from education in the OECD and Spain

Abstract Decentralized delivery of public services should enhance constituents’ ability to hold politicians accountable and improve public service outcomes, according to theory. Yet, decentralization has not consistently yielded those improvements. This paper uses a novel cross-country panel from the OECD to show that decentralization generally improves students’ access to education, but in so doing, it creates congestion effects which diminish the overall quality of education that students receive. We argue that this is partially explained by the incentives of sub-central governments upon receiving their new authority. Sub-central governments are more incentivized than national ones to pursue policy improvements that are more visible and quicker to achieve, even when they are costly – like improving access – over improvements that are less visible and take longer to achieve – like increasing quality. Decentralization should therefore result in positive effects on education access and negative on quality, consistent with our findings. We directly test the impact of political incentives on responses to decentralization by exploiting the timing of education decentralization in Spain (1980–99), and variation in the political assertiveness of regional governments, using generalized difference-in-differences and synthetic controls. As predicted, the magnitude of decentralization's effects is greater for assertive regions, which are most incentivized to prioritize high visibility, costly policies.
Intelligent Image Segmentation for Organic-Rich Shales Using Random Forest, Wavelet Transform, and Hessian Matrix

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image can capture the distribution, topology, and morphology of microstructural constituents of geological materials. Segmentation of SEM image is needed to delineate/locate the various microstructural constituents. To locate locating kerogen/organic matter and pores in shale samples, we test an automated SEM-image segmentation workflow involving feature extraction followed by machine learning, as an alternative to threshold-based and object-based segmentation. For each pixel in the SEM image, 16 features are generated and then fed to a random forest classifier to determine the presence of the four shale components, namely: 1) pore/crack; 2) rock matrix including clay, calcite, and quartz; 3) pyrite; and 4) organic/kerogen components. With the help of feature extraction techniques such as wavelet transform and Hessian affine region detector, the proposed segmentation methodology can segment one 2058 pixel $\times2606$ pixel SEM image in approximately 30 s. The performance of the trained classifier, quantified in terms of overall F1 score, on the validation data set was higher than 0.9. The newly developed method is significantly robust in comparison to the popular histogram thresholding and object-based segmentation methods.
Data Science and Natural Language Processing to Extract Information from Clinical Narratives

In the past decade, a growing adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems have made massive amounts of clinical narrative data available in computable form. However, extracting relevant information from clinical narratives remains challenging. Clinical notes often contain abbreviations, medical terms, and other jargon that are easy for health professionals, but challenging for automated approaches to disambiguate. Many EHR systems use non-standard document structures to record critical information about medications, diagnoses, and potential complications. Finally, clinical narratives contain sensitive patient information, which raises privacy and security concerns. Data science and natural language processing (NLP) methods, including the recently popular deep learning-based approaches, can unlock information from narrative text and have received great attention in the medical domain. Many clinical NLP methods based on deep learning models have shown promising results in various information extraction tasks. These methods and tools have also been successfully applied to facilitate clinical research, as well as to support healthcare applications. In this tutorial, we will highlight some methods, tools, and technologies to identify medical concepts and entities in clinical text. Deriving from examples in cohort selection, medication extraction, and de-identification of protected health information, the tutorial presenters will lead a hands-on exercise to develop an NLP pipeline for clinical information extraction. The tutorial will spotlight state-of-the-art approaches with domain examples from multiple clinical domains.
A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Family Perceptions of Neuropsychological Evaluation and Resources for Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors.

Objective Neuropsychological testing is often recommended for pediatric brain tumor survivors, yet little is known about perceptions of testing and resources. The purpose of this study is to examine survivor and caregiver perceptions about neuropsychology and resources and identify factors associated with receipt of neuropsychological testing. Method Survivors and their families (N = 55) completed questionnaires on demographics and family functioning. The Neurological Predictive Scale was used to rate treatment intensity and expected impact on neuropsychological functioning. Chi squares and logistic regression were used to examine the associations between demographic, disease, and treatment factors and receipt of neuropsychological testing. Qualitative interviews (N = 25) were completed with a subset of families and coded with thematic content analysis and a multicoder consensus process with high inter-rater reliability (kappas .91-.93). Results The majority of survivors received neuropsychological testing. Survivors were more likely to receive neuropsychological testing if they were younger and if their caregivers had less than a college education and lower income. Qualitatively, families identified neurocognitive concerns. Some families reported that neuropsychological testing was helpful in clarifying deficits or gaining accommodations, while other families had difficulty recalling results or identified barriers to services. To mitigate the impact of deficits, families implemented metacognitive strategies and advocated for their survivor at school. Families desired more resources around the transition to adulthood and more opportunities for connection with other survivors. Conclusions Many families valued insights from neuropsychological services yet identified room for further improvement to address barriers and ensure accessibility and comprehensibility of neuropsychological findings.
The influence of waste composition on biogas generation model parameters

Three landfill gas generation models following two established kinetic pathways – first-order decay (Landfill Gas Emissions Model and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and sigmoidal growth...
Effectiveness of Prophylactic Preoperative Antibiotics in Mandible Fracture Repair: A National Database Study:

ObjectiveThis is the first database study to assess the effectiveness of prophylactic preoperative antibiotics (PPAs) in mandible fracture repair.Study DesignRetrospective cohort.SettingDatabase st...
A Brief Historical and Theoretical Perspective on Patient Autonomy & Medical Decision Making - Part I: The Beneficence Model

The practice of medicine today looks very different than it did 2,500 years ago, though interestingly, there has been greater change in the last 100 years or so than in the previous 2,400. As part of a larger series addressing the intersection of law and medicine, this essay is the first of two introductory pieces, and it will explore the nature of the physician-patient relationship and of the practice of medicine dating from the Hippocratic Tradition to the end of the 19th century, a period during which a beneficence-based medical ethic remained relatively stable. The shift from the Beneficence Model (characterized by maximum physician discretion) to the Autonomy Model (emphasizing increased patient involvement) paved the way for a new approach to decision-making in medicine governed legally by informed consent doctrine. The medical literature dating from the Hippocratic texts to the early codes of the American Medical Association did not include a meaningful role for the patient in the decision-making process. In fact, the practice of benevolent deception was encouraged – deliberating withholding any information thought by the physician to be detrimental to the patient’s prognosis. As philosophers identified an inherent value in respecting patient self-determination and the law imposed a duty on physicians to obtain informed consent, 2,400 years of relative stability under the Beneficence Model gave way to the Autonomy Model.
Fatty Liver Is an Independent Risk Factor for Delayed Recovery from Anesthesia.

Fatty liver (FL) is associated with altered activity of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes, but the clinical significance is unknown. Many anesthetic agents are metabolized in the liver. We aimed to determine whether FL impacts recovery from anesthesia as a surrogate for altered drug metabolism. This was a single-center, retrospective, case-control study of all adults who underwent anesthesia and concurrent abdominal imaging (n = 2,021) in a hospital setting. FL (n = 234) was identified through radiology reports. Anesthesia recovery, the primary endpoint, was defined by Aldrete's recovery score (RS, 0-10), assessed following postanesthesia care unit (PACU) arrival, with RS ≥8 considered discharge eligible. FL and controls were compared using univariate and multivariate analyses, adjusting for confounders. A secondary matched-pairs analysis matched FL and controls 1:1 for confounders. Time from airway removal to discharge eligibility was compared using multivariate Cox regression. On PACU arrival, 54.1% of FL were discharge eligible compared to 61.7% of controls (P = 0.03), with lower activity scores on univariate (P = 0.03) and multivariate analysis (P = 0.03). On matched-pairs analysis, discharge eligibility, activity, consciousness, and total RSs were lower in FL (P ≤ 0.04 for all). Median time from airway removal to discharge eligibility was 43% longer in FL (univariate, P = 0.01; multivariate hazard ratio, 1.32; P = 0.046). To further exclude confounding by obesity, we performed a sensitivity analysis limited to a body mass index <30, where FL was still associated with lower activity (P = 0.03) and total RS (P = 0.03). Conclusion: Patients with FL have delayed recovery from anesthesia, suggesting altered drug metabolism independent of metabolic risk factors.
Signal envelope and speech intelligibility differentially impact auditory motion perception.

Our acoustic environment contains a plethora of complex sounds that are often in motion. To gauge approaching danger and communicate effectively, listeners need to localize and identify sounds, which includes determining sound motion. This study addresses which acoustic cues impact listeners’ ability to determine sound motion. Signal envelope (ENV) cues are implicated in both sound motion tracking and stimulus intelligibility, suggesting that these processes could be competing for sound processing resources. We created auditory chimaera from speech and noise stimuli and varied the number of frequency bands, effectively manipulating speech intelligibility. Normal-hearing adults were presented with stationary or moving chimaeras and reported perceived sound motion and content. Results show that sensitivity to sound motion is not affected by speech intelligibility, but shows a clear difference for original noise and speech stimuli. Further, acoustic chimaera with speech-like ENVs which had intelligible content induced a strong bias in listeners to report sounds as stationary. Increasing stimulus intelligibility systematically increased that bias and removing intelligible content reduced it, suggesting that sound content may be prioritized over sound motion. These findings suggest that sound motion processing in the auditory system can be biased by acoustic parameters related to speech intelligibility.
A Data-driven Diagnostic Framework for Small Watersheds based on Markov Chain-Monte Carlo

Understanding dynamics of hydrological properties is essential in producing skillful runoff forecast. This can be quantitatively done by tracking changes in parameters of hydrology models that represent physical characteristics. In this study, we implemented a Bayesian estimation method for small watersheds in continuously estimating hydrology model parameters given observations of precipitation and runoff. The method was coupled with a conceptual hydrology model of Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph model based on a modified Gamma distribution. The whole diagnostic framework was tested using simulated data as well as observational data from the Fall Creek watershed. Both analyses showed good consistency between Bayesian parameter estimations and true values or maximum likelihood estimations. Also for the case study using observational data, a systematic shift in local precipitation-runoff response was observed in 1943, which could not be learned by looking at times series of precipitation, runoff, and runoff coefficients. Our results demonstrated potential of the Bayesian estimation method in monitoring hydrological dynamics and rapidly detecting changes in hidden physical processes for small watersheds.
Comparison and analysis of biobased/biodegradable and petrochemical cutlery flexibility

Biorenewable plastics are a potential solution to the growing problems of pollution caused by petroleum-based plastics, overcrowded landfills and America's dependency on foreign petroleum. This study compares thirteen biobased/biorenewable cutlery brands with six petrochemical cutlery companies in terms of weight, stiffness, maximum load at failure, and specific stiffness (stiffness/weight). The Commercial Item Description (CID), which was created by the General Services Administration (GSA) within the U.S. Government, is the standard that defines the basic governmental specifications for biobased cutlery. The CID specification details that the utensils can have any percentage of biobased content and maximum deflection under certain loads. A biobased product for this study is defined by the GSA as “a product determined by USDA to be a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials.” The results of this study show that several biobased products performed similar to or better than petrochemical products, while still meeting the CID specifications.
Points with Type-2 Operations

The algebra of truth values for fuzzy sets of type-2, due to Zadeh, contains as subalgebras those of type-1 and of interval-valued fuzzy sets. It also contains many other interesting subalgebras, some of which could possibly serve as a basis of a useful fuzzy set theory. This paper is about one such subalgebra which we call the subalgebra of points, and which generalizes type-1. We investigate it as an algebra, and determine its automorphism group. In particular, we show that is it a characteristic subalgebra and that its automorphisms are exactly those induced by automorphisms of the containing truth value algebra of fuzzy sets of type-2.
Drift/diffusion conduction model for flow electrification

A drift/diffusion model is developed for bipolar conduction with molecular charge recombination and generation process in a turbulent liquid dielectric between rotating concentric cylindrical electrodes. The analysis is used to model electrification in the turbulent flow of a Couette charger of coaxial cylinders with open-circuited, short-circuited, or DC voltage energized electrodes at various inner electrode rotational velocities. Specific electrode wall charge densities are found which yield near self-consistent solutions with measurements of open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and turbulent core charge densities. Typical experimental measurements indicate wall charge densities much larger than the equilibrium charge densities of each carrier, invalidating a quasiequilibrium ohmic conductivity model as the local conductivity near the wall is enhanced over the equilibrium conductivity. The enhanced conductivity is derivable from the numerical solution to the nonequilibrium drift/diffusion problem. >
Malaria, Babesiosis, Theileriosis and Related Diseases

The diseases malaria, babesiosis and theileriosis are caused by parasitic protozoa in the genera Plasmodium, Babesia and Theileria, respectively. All have complex life cycles in which both vertebrates and bloodsucking arthropods serve as hosts. The vectors of Plasmodium species are mosquitoes (of the genus Anopheles for human malarias), while ticks in a wide range of genera transmit babesial and theilerial parasites. These important human and veterinary pathogens share characteristics in their structure, antigenicity and the diseases they cause. However, malaria is a greater source of morbidity in humans than babesiosis, and theileriosis is strictly a disease of veterinary importance. Insects transmit a number of species in 3 related genera (Leucocytozoon, Hepatocystis and Hemoproteus) to birds and mammals. In some cases, these infections can cause serious diseases in domestic animals, especially fowl.
Anti-tumor activity of the TRA-8 anti-DR5 antibody in combination with cisplatin in an ex vivo human cervical cancer model

Abstract Objectives To investigate the cytotoxicity of TRA-8, an antibody that specifically binds death receptor 5 (DR5), alone and in combination with cisplatin, using an ex vivo human cervical cancer model. Methods Fifteen cervical cancer specimens were obtained at the time of radical hysterectomy and tumor slices were prepared with the Krumdieck tissue slicer. Tumor slices were exposed to varying concentrations of TRA-8, cisplatin, or the combination of TRA-8 and cisplatin. Using non-linear modeling, dose response curves and IC 50 values were generated for each specimen treated with TRA-8. The additive cytotoxic effect of combination treatment was evaluated as well. In addition to ATP viability assays, treated and untreated slices were assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot analysis to confirm apoptosis induction via the extrinsic pathway. Results Eleven patient specimens yielded TRA-8-induced IC 50 values. Sixty-four percent were found to be sensitive to TRA-8-induced cytotoxicity at IC 50 doses less than 1000 ng/ml. Seven patient specimens underwent combination treatment with TRA-8 and cisplatin. Of these specimens, 86% exhibited additive cytotoxicity in comparison to treatment with either agent alone. IHC revealed an increase in DR5 expression in tumor slices treated with cisplatin for 24 h. IHC and Western blotting demonstrated TRA-8-induced cell death via apoptosis and activation of caspase 3 and 8. Conclusions This study confirms the utility of an ex vivo human cervical cancer model, to evaluate the anti-tumor activity of TRA-8 and cisplatin. This model may be a useful pre-clinical tool to assess cytotoxicity and mechanistic properties of novel agents in cervical cancer.
Influence of Diet on Stability of Rat Erythrocytes

SummaryThe stability of the erythrocytes of albino rats is affected by alterations in diet. This change is reflected in both the osmotic fragility and is related to the rate of hemolysis in the presence of alloxan.
The genetic basis of human glomerular disease

Clinical and molecular research aimed to understand glomerular disease has emerged to one of the most active areas in renal research at large. The unraveling of genetic causes resulting in proteinuria has helped to define roles for each component of the glomerular filtration barrier in the development of urinary protein loss. Although most of the inherited glomerular diseases have in common defects in the podocyte, the glomerular basement membrane is also of critical importance for normal kidney permselectivity. This review summarizes recent progress in the eludication of genetic causes of glomerular disease and discusses their implications for the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms, which can lead to disruption of the glomerular filtration barrier.
Disfluencies of young children in two speaking situations.

Ten normal-speaking children, ages 3.5 to 4.5, conversed with a “talking” puppet and with an adult female for 10 20-minute sessions. For 10 minutes of each session the child conversed with the pupp...
Decellularized Ear Tissues as Scaffolds for Stem Cell Differentiation

Permanent sensorineural hearing loss is a major medical problem and is due to the loss of hair cells and subsequently spiral ganglion neurons in the cochlea. Since these cells lack the capacity of renewal in mammals, their regeneration would be an optimal solution to reverse hearing loss. In other tissues, decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) has been used as a mechanical and biochemical scaffold for the induction of stem and other cells toward a target tissue phenotype. Such induced cells have been used for tissue and organ transplants in preclinical animal and human clinical applications. This paper reports for the first time the decellularization of the cochlea and identification of remaining laminin and collagen type IV as a first step in preparing an ECM scaffold for directing stem cells toward an auditory lineage. Fresh ear tissues were removed from euthanized mice, a rat and a human and processed for decellularization using two different detergent extraction methods. Cochleas were imaged with scanning thin-sheet laser imaging microscopy (sTSLIM) and brightfield microscopy. Detergent treatment of fresh tissue removed all cells as evidenced by lack of H&E and DNA staining of the membranous labyrinth while preserving components of the ECM. The organ of Corti was completely removed, as were spiral ganglion neurons, which appeared as hollow sheaths and tubes of basal lamina (BL) material. Cells of the stria vascularis were removed and its only vestige left was its laterally linking network of capillary BL that appeared to “float” in the endolymphatic space. Laminin and type IV collagen were detected in the ECM after decellularization and were localized in vascular, neural and epithelial BL. Further work is necessary to attempt to seed neural and other stem cells into the decellularized ECM to hopefully induce differentiation and subsequent in vivo engraftment into damaged cochleas. Electronic Supplementary Material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10162-012-0355-y contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Adult sexual behavior deficits and altered hormone levels in male hamsters given steroids during development

Abstract Masculine sexual behavior and adult gonadotrophin and steroid hormone levels were assested in intact male hamsters (approximately 100 days old) which had received exogenous steroids on days 2–10 of postnatal life. Estradiol benzoate (EB), testosterone propionate (TP) or testosterone caused deficits in sexual behavior including elimination or decreases in ejaculatory capacity and intromission frequency. Androstenedione or progesterone had no effect on male sexual behavior. EB treatment caused increases in serum LH and FSH levels, normal serum androgen levels and reduced testis weight. TP neonatally administered resulted in decreased serum androgens and decreased testis weight but normal gonadotropin levels. Progesterone did not affect hormone levels or testis weight. Adult castration and TP replacement therapy in males treated neonatally with TP did not reinstate normal levels of ejaculation.
Age and uplift rates of Sirius Group sediments in the Dominion Range, Antarctica, from surface exposure dating and geomorphology

The recent tectonic history of the Dominion Range is a key component in the debate over the age and significance of the Sirius Group glacial sediments. Outcrops at Oliver Bluffs along the Beardmore Glacier contain fossil wood (Nothofagus), mollusks, fish and insects that have been biostratigraphically dated by close association with late Pliocene ( 2 Ma are separated by only 130 m elevation, indicating little change in elevation during the interval and that Plio-Pleistocene tectonic activity in the Dominion Range has been minimal. Surface exposure ages indicate the Koski fault scarp formed prior to 2 Ma and that erosion rates of the semi-lithified Sirius tills exposed in the scarp are only ca. 2.5 m/Ma, consistent with pervasive cold, arid climatic conditions. Surface exposure ages of moraine boulders overlying Sirius till, and offset by the faults, are between 1.9 and 5.1 Ma, assuming no erosion and constant elevation. Models of cosmogenic 3He accumulation in the moraine boulders, that place the Sirius Group near sea level 3.8 Ma, show that the biostratigraphic age and the cosmogenic nuclide concentrations can be reconciled only with long (>4 Myr) exposure prior to deposition of the Nothofagus bearing units. This scenario is incompatible with the observed stratigraphy and climatic conditions necessary to support Nothofagus, and indicates these key Sirius group sediments are much older than 3.8 Ma. The conspicuous faults and grabens in the Dominion Range are interpreted as sackungen features attributed to gravitational failure resulting from oversteepening of the range flanks by glacial erosion by the Beardmore and Mill outlet glaciers rather than the result of tectonic uplift.
Vorticity equation terms for extratropical cyclones

Abstract All terms of the frictionless, nonlinear, vorticity equation are examined. Traditional scale analysis provides one of several justifications for using the quasigeostrophic (QG) system of equations to model extratropical cyclones. Analysts of observations have long known that some of the other terms (non-QG) are individually comparable to terms kept in quasigeostrophy. While the non-QG terms are not small, they are assumed to have a large degree of cancellation and so are still neglected in sum. The distributions, magnitudes, and possible cancellations of vorticity equation terms are examined. Analyzed data composites for 15 cases of mature, developing, extratropical cyclones are used. These results lead us to conclude that several commonly neglected terms are neither especially small nor do they cancel. The way each term contributes to the redistribution, advection, of amplification of vorticity is discussed. In sum, cyclone growth is greater at all levels, especially at low levels, in the full s...
Effects of desensitization on the responses of WI-38 and S49 cells to hormones

Abstract Experiments with intact cells were used to quantitate the effects of hormone desensitization on the cAMP accumulation in cultured fibroblasts (WI-38) and lymphoma cells (S49). Desensitization of WI-38 cells to prostaglandin E, and epinephrine and of S49 cells to epinephrine was associated with a shift in the ED 50 in each case to higher hormone concentrations. This led to the situation where cells under continuous stimulation by low concentrations of hormone demonstrated a greater relative decline in cAMP synthesis with time than the same cells treated with high hormone concentrations. Therefore, any general attempt to quantitate desensitization in terms of cAMP accumulation in these cells must take the hormone concentration of the assay into account.
The relationship of fiber to sensory specific satiety

The objective of this study was to determine if higher fiber levels in a food contributed to greater sensory specific satiety. Thirty-two subjects tasted and rated their liking of small samples of nine foods (including the test food) before and after a test meal. Test meals consisted of 500 kcal (2092 kJ) of a soup or a muffin. Both a high-fiber (10g) and low-fiber (1g) version of a soup and a muffin were tested. High-fiber versions contained added microcrystalline cellulose. Data from the soup and muffin treatments were analyzed separately. Each of the test meals resulted in a greater decrease in liking for the food eaten versus the uneaten foods. However, there was no increase in sensory specific satiety for the high-fiber treatments versus the low-fiber treatments. There was also no main effect for gender.
The dynamic histogram chart

This paper discusses a dynamic histogram control chart which combines some ideas of histograms, X charts, zone charts and chi-square charts. The chart is easy to use, easy to understand, and has quick response times. Another feature is that it does not require normal data as X charts and zone charts do. The chart is especially useful for controlling processes with low data accumulation rates such as chemical processes or for controlling processes involving short runs such as job shops.
Sex Differences in neonatal state and lateralized head orientation.

Sex differences in state and head orientation were examined 10 to 22 hours after birth for 50 healthy, full-term, normal, vaginally delivered neonates. None of the males had been circumcised at the time of testing. The procedure required videotaping for 30 min in three different conditions: supine, seated in an infant seat (inclined 35°), and seated in an assistant,s lap after having arms or legs manipulated for 10 s. Videotapes were analyzed for direction of infant,s head orientation and state. Males spent more time in sleep states than females, and females spent more time than males in alert states. The left or right direction of head orientotion was more associated with alert states for females and with sleep states for males. This sex difference may be relevant for sex differences in handedness and other forms of hemispheric specialization of function.
Concentration of an Alfalfa Growth Factor for Neurospora sitophila and Its Use in the Microbiological Assay of Pyridoxine

Dehydrated alfalfa leaf meal contains an unidentified factor(s) necessary for maximum growth of Neurospora sitophila in Difco Bacto Pyridoxine Assay Medium. A procedure for one-thousand-fold concentration of this factor was developed which involved extraction of dehydrated alfalfa leaf meal with dilute hydrochloric acid, precipitation of inert material with ethanol, removal of impurities soluble in diethyl ether, chloroform, and benzene, followed by chromatographic adsorption of the active substance on fuller’s earth, and then elution with hydrochloric acid. Supplementation of 100 Gm. of Difco Bacto Pyridoxine Assay Medium with approximately 0.5 Gm. of concentrate will improve use of the medium for the microbiological assay of pyridoxine in vitamin products containing alfalfa concentrates.
Subjective Culture and Economic Development

Abstract [Lcirc]examen ctitique de la litterature traitant du developpement economique, de ses causes et consequences, des variables psychologiques qui I'induisent ou le favorisent, fait appara[icaron]tre la modernisation comme un phenomene complexe dont la mesure se revele malaisee. On peut certes identifier une dimension psychologique universelle, cognitive et motivationnelle-le modernisme-qu'il est possible de mesurer au moyen [dcirc]une echelle appropriee. Mais se limiter a ce point de vue conduirait immanquablement a meconna[icaron]tre la complexification imposee a cet etat psychologique par la culture, le milieu, etc. C'est pourquoi, des mesures de variables composant la culture subjective peuvent fournir des indices supplementaires, susceptibles ďeclairer le ou les processus de modernisation et de clarifier les relations entre ce phenomene, les facteurs qui le conditionnent et les consequences qu'il entra[icaron]ne. On voit des lors ľinterět que presente ce type ďanalyse pour des problemes tels que...
A Framework for TSV Serialization-aware Synthesis of Application Specific 3D Networks-on-Chip

With increasing performance-per-watt implementation requirements for emerging applications and barriers in interconnect scaling for ultra-deep sub micron (UDSM) technologies, traditional 2D integrated circuits (2D-ICs) are being pushed to their limit. Three dimensional integrated circuits (3D-ICs) have recently emerged as a promising solution that can overcome many of the performance, area, and power concerns in 2D-ICs. In this paper we propose a novel framework (MORPHEUS) for the synthesis of application-specific 3D networks on chip (NoCs). The goal is to generate 3D NoCs that meet application performance constraints while minimizing power dissipation. MORPHEUS incorporates thermal-aware core layout, 3D topology and route generation, and placement of network interfaces (NIs), routers, and serialized vertical through silicon vias (TSVs). Experimental studies on several chip multiprocessor (CMP) applications indicate that our generated solutions notably reduce power dissipation (up to 2.3×) and average latency (up to 1.2×) over 2D NoCs. Comparisons with a previous work on application-specific 3D NoC synthesis also show improvements in power dissipation (up to 1.9×) and average latency (up to 1.6×)..
Control of smart structures using analog neural network hardware

In this paper a robust controller has been implemented on a smart structure test article using the Intel's Electronically Trainable Analog Neural Network (ETANN) chip i80170NX. The smart structure test article used in this study was a cantilever plate with a pair of PZTs as actuators and PVDF film sensors. A two step connectionist approach was used to design and implement the neural network based controller. To meet the desired closed loop performance requirements, a simple linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller is designed. The spatially distributed sensors allow the direct measurement and feedback of the states of the system. A copy of this controller is transferred into the ETANN chip and the trained chip is used to control the test system. A custom board and electronic circuits were developed for interfacing the neural network chip and the smart structure test article. The steps involved in training and implementing robust controllers on a smart structure have been outlined. Some of the practical considerations of implementing a robust controller using the ETANN chip have been pointed out and dealt with. Experimental verification of the closed loop performance of the conventional LQR controller as well as the neural network controller are also shown.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Intracardiac teratoma in an infant

We report the only infant known to us who has survived surgery for a primary right ventricular teratoma. Included is a review of other reported cases of teratoma of the heart in infancy and childhood.
Differences in Eye-Tracking Measures Between Visits and Revisits to Relevant and Irrelevant Web Pages

This short paper presents initial results from a project, in which we investigated differences in how users view relevant and irrelevant Web pages on their visits and revisits. The users' viewing of Web pages was characterized by eye-tracking measures, with a particular attention paid to changes in pupil size. The data was collected in a lab-based experiment, in which users (N=32) conducted assigned information search tasks on Wikipedia. We performed non-parametric tests of significance as well as classification. Our findings demonstrate differences in eye-tracking measures on visits and revisits to relevant and irrelevant pages and thus indicate a feasibility of predicting perceived Web document relevance from eye-tracking data. In particular, relative changes in pupil size differed significantly in almost all conditions. Our work extends results from previous studies to more realistic search scenarios and to Web page visits and revisits.
Biochemical changes of muscle proteins in goldfish (Carassius auratus) during thermal acclimatization.

Kalteadaptierte Goldfische (Carassius auratus) bauen mehr Leuzin in Muskelproteine ein, wobei die Steigerung in verschiedenen Muskeleiweissfraktionen gleich ist. Aus kalteadaptierten Goldfischmuskeln ist mehr Myosin und sarkoplasmisches Eiweiss extrahierbar.