cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial super-resolution in code aperture spectral imaging

The Code Aperture Snapshot Spectral Imaging system (CASSI) senses the spectral information of a scene using the underlying concepts of compressive sensing (CS). The random projections in CASSI are localized such that each measurement contains spectral information only from a small spatial region of the data cube. The goal of this paper is to translate high-resolution hyperspectral scenes into compressed signals measured by a low-resolution detector. Spatial super-resolution is attained as an inverse problem from a set of low-resolution coded measurements. The proposed system not only offers significant savings in size, weight and power, but also in cost as low resolution detectors can be used. The proposed system can be efficiently exploited in the IR region where the cost of detectors increases rapidly with resolution. The simulations of the proposed system show an improvement of up to 4 dB in PSNR. Results also show that the PSNR of the reconstructed data cubes approach the PSNR of the reconstructed data cubes attained with high-resolution detectors, at the cost of using additional measurements.
Paracellular Transport of Water and Carbohydrates During Intestinal Perfusion of Protamine in the Rat

With these experiments, the authors' purpose was to determine whether the intestinal perfusion of protamine would successfully block paracellular transport without causing significant change in cardiovascular function. In anesthetized (50 mg x kg-1 sodium pentobarbital) rats (n=12), heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure were measured during perfusion (0.5 mL x min-1) of a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution through the small intestine. The carbohydrate-electrolyte solution contained 150 mM glucose, 150 mM fructose, 10 mM lactulose, 17 mEq sodium, 3 mEq potassium, and either 0.0, 0.1, 1.0, or 10 mg x mL-1 protamine. Osmolality of the 4 solutions ranged from 363 +/- 2 to 365 +/- 3 mOsm x kg-1. Core temperature was maintained at 37 degrees C in an environmental chamber. Heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure were constant during all intestinal perfusions. Forty-one percent of the perfused lactulose was absorbed. Absorption of glucose, fructose, and lactulose was significantly inhibited by 0.1 mg x mL-1 protamine, while water absorption was decreased 41 percent by 1.0 mg x mL-1 protamine. Water and lactulose absorption fell 75% with protamine, and glucose and fructose absorption fell 50%. Lactulose and fructose absorption did not decrease further when protamine dose rose to 10 mg x mL-1. These results indicate that 1) perfusion of protamine into the small intestine in doses that significantly affect intestinal transport does not significantly affect heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure; and 2) if the primary effect of protamine is to block paracellular movement of water and solute, the greater protamine inhibition of water and lactulose absorption is consistent with a greater paracellular transport of water and lactulose than for glucose and fructose.
Cloning and Localization of the Bovine and Ovine Lysophosphatidic Acid Acyltransferase (LPAAT) Genes that Codes for an Enzyme Involved in Triglyceride Biosynthesis

Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT) catalyzes the addition of fatty acyl moieties to the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone of lysophosphatidic acid in triglyceride biosynthesis. In this study, we have cloned, sequenced, and characterized the bovine and ovine LPAAT cDNA. Both encode proteins of 287 amino acids with molecular masses of 32 and 31.9 kDa, respectively, differing only by a single amino acid residue. The bovine and ovine LPAAT are predicted to be transmembrane enzymes localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. We also characterized the sequence and genomic organization of the bovine LPAAT gene. The gene consists of seven exons and six introns, spanning a 7.5-kb distance. With the use of a whole genome radiation hybrid panel, we localized the bovine LPAAT to the central region of chromosome 23.
Chromosome numbers in North and Central American Compositae

Chromosome numbers are reported for 364 collections representing 70 species and varieties in 16 genera. Of these, 35 species and varieties have not had counts published previously. Counts of 26 collections in 14 species differ from all previously published counts for the same species. One new combination,Stevia anadenotricha, and one new variety,Stevia subpubescens var.intermedia, are published.
Effects of pollen and nitrogen availability on reproduction in a woodland herb, Lysimachia quadrifolia

Relationships between pollen loads, resource availability, and fruit and seed production were determined for Lysimachia quadrifolia ramets in two adjacent sites (the scrub site and the open site) in 1982, 1983, and 1984. Pollen loads limited % fruit set and seed production in the open site in 1982 and 1983. Reproduction in the scrub site was resource limited in 1982, as shown by an increase in % fruit set when one-half of the flowers on a ramet were removed prior to fruit initiation. In the scrub site in 1983, pollination of one-half of the flowers on a ramet decreased the % fruit set of the remaining, unpollinated flowers. Fruit production in the same site was limited by pollen in 1984. Addition of nitrogen fertilizer to the scrub site in 1984 had no effect on fruit and seed production. There was more variation in fruit set between sites than between years. There was no trend to greater fruit set or number of seeds/fruit on early flowers compared to late flowers on the same ramet. Correlations between measures of reproduction were positive or insignificant. These results demonstrate year-and site-specific variation in the factors that limit plant reproduction.
Loss of growth hormone-dependent characteristics of rat hepatocytes in culture.

The liver of rodents is sexually differentiated, i.e. the female liver differs from the male liver. This differentiation is largely controlled by the pattern of growth hormone (GH) secretion. We have attempted to maintain GH-dependent differentiation of cultured rat hepatocytes. We examined the level of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity, which responds to GH and is higher in female than in male liver, and the estrogen receptor, which is dependent on GH but is present is equal amounts in males and females. ADH activity was maintained in cells from male rats, but fell by 40% in cells from females in medium supplemented with insulin and dexamethasone. The estrogen receptor content of female cells fell dramatically to undetectable levels within 2 d of culture. Extensive supplementation of the medium failed to prevent the decrease in ADH activity in female cells; similarly, the addition of female sex steroids; rat serum; pituitary extracts; rat, human, or bovine GH; or ovine prolactin failed to maintain the enzyme activity. Insulin, dexamethasone, thyroid hormone plus GH or prolactin, or the combination of all five hormones also failed to prevent the loss of estrogen receptors. Short-term cultures of rat hepatocytes, although retaining the liver-specific expression of ADH at the male level, lose GH-dependent expression of the estrogen receptor and stimulation of ADH activity.
Improved Tribological Performance of Tribo-Pairs by Optimization of Sliding Speed: Implications for Hot Forming Processes

The tribology of hot forming processes is highly critical for the quality of formed aluminum panels and the cost-effectiveness of hot forming. In this report a flat-on-flat experimental technique for tribological evaluation of a single stroke was used to investigate the effect of sliding speed on the operative friction coefficient (FC) and tribological failure of the tribo-pairs used in Quick Plastic Forming (QPF) and warm forming processes.Copyright © 2008 by General Motors Corporation
AATF protects neural cells against oxidative damage induced by amyloid β-peptide

Abstract Extensive loss of neurons and synapses in vulnerable regions of the brain is one of the most important pathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increased oxidative stress has been shown to contribute to the neurodegenerative process in AD. Aggregation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) in amyloid plaques is one of the defining features of Alzheimer's disease. Indeed, Aβ has been shown to induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in many in vivo and in vitro models of AD. We now report that AATF (apoptosis-antagonizing transcription factor), a leucine zipper protein initially identified as an interaction partner of DAP like kinase (Dlk, a member of the pro-apoptotic Death-Associated Protein kinase family), is expressed in cortical neurons and in neural PC12 cells. Aβ induces alterations in AATF expression in cortical neurons. Inhibition of AATF induction sensitizes neurons to Aβ toxicity. Overexpression of AATF suppressed superoxide production, inhibited peroxynitrite formation and membrane lipid peroxidation, and protected against Aβ-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. These results suggest that AATF is a novel neuroprotective factor and it may protect against Aβ-induced apoptosis through its effects on suppressing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). AATF may therefore represent a potential candidate for therapeutic intervention of neurodegeneration in both sporadic and familial forms of AD.
Positions of proteins S6, S11 and S15 in the 30 S ribosomal subunit of Escherichia coli

Abstract A map of the positions of 12 of the 21 proteins of the 30 S ribosomal subunit of Escherichia coli (S1, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S10, S11, S12 and S15), based on neutron scattering, is presented and discussed. Estimates for the radii of gyration of these proteins in situ are also obtained. It appears that many ribosomal proteins have compact configurations in the particle.
Isaiah Berlin’s Pelagian Soul: Response to Riley

This essay responds to the argument that Jonathan Riley offers in the February 2013 issue of Political Theory for rendering Isaiah Berlin’s theory of pluralism consistent with his commitment to negative liberty. I show that the “standard of humanity” that Riley attributes to Berlin fails to take account of Berlin’s distinction between “political” liberty (which has nothing to do with our humanity as such) and what Berlin calls “basic” liberty (which does). Consequently, Riley ends up conflating the conditions for living in a decent society (one which respects a minimal core set of human rights) with being a human being. And this leads him to make the further, mistaken assumption that humans need to “exercise” their generic human capacities in order to remain human and not become, in Riley’s words, “robots or moral idiots.” While Riley’s essay is a valuable contribution to our understanding of what we might call Berlin’s ethic of human rights, it ultimately fails in its effort to show that the domain of hu...
“That teacher takes everything badly”: discursively reframing non-normative behaviors in therapy sessions

While some scholars have emphasized the culturally contingent nature of disabilities, far less research has attended to the situated and discursive contexts within which those with disabilities and their communities make relevant their own understandings and representations of disability. Drawing from a larger ethnographic study, in this article we report findings generated from the analysis of audio and video data from therapy sessions and waiting room conversations among children with autism labels, their parents and therapists. We share a detailed analysis from one therapy session, using selected excerpts to illustrate the patterns noted across the corpus of data. We drew upon a discursive psychology framework informed by critical notions of disability, poststructural understandings of discourse, and certain aspects of conversation analysis to explore ways in which therapists reframed non-normative behaviors. We found that, rather than orienting to their work as “fixing” the child, therapists supported...
Opening and closure of a marginal Southern California lagoon inlet

Over the past 50 yr, direct observations of the inlet status (open or closed) of San Dieguito Lagoon, a typical southern California lagoon located in Del Mar, California, have shown that river flooding is the major natural determinant of inlet conditions on time scales longer than a few years. River flooding is strongly dependent on rainfall in the San Dieguito River watershed and on the influences of two water storage reservoirs in the area. Rainfall fluctuates on yearly and longer time scales and undergoes cycles of wet and dry periods. Over short time periods, ranging from a few months to several years, inlet status is primarily determined by the available tidal prism and littoral sand transport. Recognition of these factors is crucial in order to correctly evaluate the probability that a small lagoon will remain open naturally. A probability approach is essential because the variables controlling inlet conditions are random in nature. The results of our study show that the inlet will remain open naturally 34% of the time. The tendency to remain open is vastly smaller during years of dry weather (12%) versus times of above-average rainfall (66%).
Hydrophobically-driven self-assembly: A geometric packing analysis

We present a new approach to the problem of finding the minimum-energy structures resulting from the self-assembly of amphiphile nanoparticles possessing a hydrophobic “tail” and a hydrophilic “head”. When the repulsive interactions between the “heads” are of hard-sphere type, the approach is rigorous and is reduced to a simple geometric problem of finding the highest density structure allowed by the nanoparticle shape. Our results show that spherical micelles always have higher fractional density for cone or truncated cone nanoparticles. This does not always agree with previous, widely used, approximate methods which have served as guides in designing new nanoscale-structured materials.
Why not the trolleybus

The term 'electric vehicle' to a UK audience today will certainly bring to mind an electric vehicle on rubber tyres, silent, nonpolluting and vibration-free-but it will probably be a milk float The technically-aware will go on to think of recent developments in battery-powered or fuel cell-powered cars, vans and small PCVs. However, not many will think of the trolleybus, unless they have just been on holiday out of the UK. Recent attempts to revive interest in trolleybuses in the UK have all failed, leaving one to consider how such an obviously desirable and civilised form of public transport can possibly be so dismissed. This paper suggests some reasons for this failure.
Evaluation of the clinical performance of equimolar- and skewed-response total prostate-specific antigen assays versus complexed and free PSA assays and their ratios in discriminating between benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer

Abstract Background: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) exists in human serum in two principal forms, free PSA (fPSA) and protein-complexed PSA, predominantly PSA-ACT (α1-antichymotrypsin). Equimolar response (EMR) total PSA (tPSA) immunoassays measure each of these forms equally while skewed-response (SKR) assays overestimate or underestimate the tPSA concentration. The advantages of EMR over SKR tPSA assays are controversial. Methods: We used five nonhuman serum-based samples each containing a different proportion of fSPA:PSA-ACT (0:100 to 100:0, %:%) and patients' serum samples from men with histologically confirmed benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (n=94) or PCA (n=30) and a wide range of fPSA concentrations to investigate the molar response status of six tPSA assays. Receiver–operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to compare the discriminatory power of these assays in distinguishing men with BPH from those with PCA. Results: The Bayer Immuno-1 tPSA (BtPSA) assay demonstrated EMR characteristics and diagnostic accuracy similar to the Hybritech Tandem-E and Tandem-R tPSA assays. At 90% sensitivity, EMR tPSA assays had higher specificity than SKR tPSA assays. Conclusions: The BtPSA assay is an EMR tPSA assay and EMR assays provide improved diagnostic specificity over SKR tPSA assays.
A QUANTUM MODEL FOR INTERATOMIC FORCES APPLIED TO AN INTERNAL SURFACE

Dans les metaux il y a des forces «non paires» importantes dues a la delocalisation quantique des electrons. On propose un modele pour calculer les potentiels correspondants. On l'applique a l'etude de la relaxation et de la variation de la constante de force d'un atome dans le voisinage d'une surface interne par opposition a une surface libre
The (Non)Enumerability of the Determinant and the Rank

We investigate the complexity of enumerative approximation of two fundamental problems in linear algebra, computing the rank and the determinant of a matrix. We show that both are as hard to approximate (in the enumerative sense) as to compute exactly. In particular, if there exists an enumerator that, given a matrix over some finite field, outputs a list of constantly many numbers, one of which is guaranteed to be the rank of the matrix, then it can be determined in AC 0 (with oracle access to the enumerator) which of these numbers is the rank. Thus, for example, if the enumerator is an FL function, then the problem of computing the rank is in FL. For the determinant function we establish the following two results: (1) If the determinant is poly-enumerable in logspace, then it can be computed exactly in FL. (2) For any prime p , if computing the determinant modulo p is (p-1) -enumerable in FL (i.e., if one could eliminate a single possible value for the determinant modulo p ), then the determinant modulo p can be computed in FL. Because there is a close connection between these two functions and logspace counting classes, we hope that our results can give a better understanding of the power of counting in logspace, and the relationships among the complexity classes sandwiched between NL and uniform TC 1 .
High resolution ECE radiometer for electron temperature profile and fluctuation measurements on Alcator C-Mod

Abstract A broadband heterodyne radiometer has been installed on Alcator C-Mod to measure second harmonic electron cyclotron emission at 234–306 GHz. The high-resolution diagnostic is now operational with 32 channels separated by
Novel compressive sensing MRI methods with combined sparsifying transforms

Compressive sensing (CS) is an emerging technique for fast MRI, which relies on the sparsity constraint of the underlying image to reduce the data acquisition requirement. Sparsifying transforms, such as total variation (TV), wavelet, curvelet, have been used in CS-MRI as regularization terms. Linear weighted summations of these regularization terms have also been used and tested. However, tuning the weights for individual terms is complicated and time-consuming. In this paper, a novel method that uses combined sparsifying transforms is proposed. This method applies transforms sequentially. It can avoid the artifacts associated with a single transform, as well as save the time of tuning the weights. Simulated results using in-vivo data show that the proposed method is efficient while providing similar or improved reconstruction quality.
Application of design of experiments to pharmaceutical formulation development

The pharmaceutical industry has come under immense pressure from shareholders and consumers to continuously improve product quality, reduce manufacturing costs and increase speed to develop new medicines. One area that impacts all of these quality, cost, and speed attributes is formulation development. The formulation of a pharmaceutical product includes the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and inactive ingredients that enable manufacturability and help the medicine achieve its effectiveness. Formulation scientists need to develop robust formulations while meeting aggressive timelines with limited amount of API. In order to achieve these challenging goals, formulation scientists must utilise proper experimental designs to develop formulations effectively. This article will provide a background on the formulation development process and explore one approach to use design of experiments (DOE) in the development of a tablet formulation. When the formulation and manufacturing process of a pharmaceutical product are optimised by a systematic approach using DOE, the product quality and cost can be effectively optimised.
Point-based backup for decentralized POMDPs: complexity and new algorithms

Decentralized POMDPs provide an expressive framework for sequential multi-agent decision making. Despite their high complexity, there has been significant progress in scaling up existing algorithms, largely due to the use of point-based methods. Performing point-based backup is a fundamental operation in state-of-the-art algorithms. We show that even a single backup step in the multi-agent setting is NP-Complete. Despite this negative worst-case result, we present an efficient and scalable optimal algorithm as well as a principled approximation scheme. The optimal algorithm exploits recent advances in the weighted CSP literature to overcome the complexity of the backup operation. The polytime approximation scheme provides a constant factor approximation guarantee based on the number of belief points. In experiments on standard domains, the optimal approach provides significant speedup (up to 2 orders of magnitude) over the previous best optimal algorithm and is able to increase the number of belief points by more than a factor of 3. The approximation scheme also works well in practice, providing near-optimal solutions to the backup problem.
A Cross-Cultural Examination of Semantic Relations

This article reports on a cross-cultural investigation of semantic relations that examines the responses of subjects from 8 different cultures to 15 semantic relations. The semantic relations include antonyms, synonyms, class inclusion, and part-whole inclusion. These were chosen due to their use in prior research, and because linguists and cognitive psychologists regard them as linguistically important. Findings reveal significant cross-cultural agreement on the nature of antonymity, which suggests an argument for a property of language use innate to humans.
Maintaining research traditions on place: Diversity of thought and scientific progress

Since the 1990s, numerous authors have expressed concerns about lack of conceptual clarity in research on place. Some authors suggest that place research has failed to evolve into a systematic and coherent body of knowledge. We believe recent critiques do not adequately characterize the state of knowledge in place research, but responding to the issues raised requires investigating epistemological foundations of place research traditions. Specifically, seeing systematic coherence requires a pluralistic world view that understands place, not as a single research tradition but as a domain of research informed by many disciplinary research traditions at the research program and paradigmatic level. This paper introduces a framework for discussing epistemological foundations of research traditions then uses it to: characterize the body of place research, analyse recent critiques regarding the state of place research, make a case for the value of diversity in thought, and explore the notion of scientific progress in relation to place research.
Teaching Digital System Timing: A Comprehensive Approach

A graduate-level computer engineering course at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), Portland, takes a novel systematic and comprehensive approach to teaching digital system timing. The course organizes material from a variety of sources to cover a variety of practical aspects of timing analysis and design for single-clock, multiple-clock, and clockless digital systems. The course's goal is to prepare graduates to solve a gamut of real-world timing problems for complex system-on-chip designs targeted for custom integrated circuit (IC) or field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation. The course has been offered annually at OHSU since 2003 and is now a required part of the computer engineering curriculum. Course evaluation survey results show that students feel that the course was a valuable part of their curriculum and that the course made them feel more competent in the area of digital system timing. The course syllabus is online at http://www.csee.ogi.edu/class/ee572.
Influence of Grain Size on the Tensile Creep Behavior of Ytterbium‐Containing Silicon Nitride

The effect of grain size on the tensile creep of silicon nitride was investigated on two materials, one containing 5% by volume Yb2O3, the other containing 5% by volume Yb2O3 and 0.5% by mass Al2O3. Annealing of the Al2O3-free silicon nitride for a longer period during processing increased the grain size by a factor of 2. This increase did not affect the tensile creep rate; the grain size exponent of the creep rate differed little from zero, p=−0.20 ± 1.37 (95% confidence level). This finding supports the more recent theories of tensile creep for which p= 0 or −1 and rejects the more classical theory of solution-precipitation. In compression, a more limited data set showed p=−1.89 ± 1.72 (95% confidence level). In contrast to the Al2O3-free material, a longer term anneal of the Al2O3-containing material during processing did not increase its grain size. Despite this, the longer-annealed Al2O3-containing material crept 10 to 100 times slower than the short-annealed material. The enhancement of creep resistance may be a consequence of SiAlON formation during the additional annealing, which reduces the Al content in the amorphous phase and increases its viscosity. Such changes in chemical composition of the grain boundaries are more effective in controlling tensile creep rate than is the grain size.
National Differences in Environmental Concern and Performance Are Predicted by Country Age

There are obvious economic predictors of ability and willingness to invest in environmental sustainability. Yet, given that environmental decisions represent trade-offs between present sacrifices and uncertain future benefits, psychological factors may also play a role in country-level environmental behavior. Gott's principle suggests that citizens may use perceptions of their country's age to predict its future continuation, with longer pasts predicting longer futures. Using country- and individual-level analyses, we examined whether longer perceived pasts result in longer perceived futures, which in turn motivate concern for continued environmental quality. Study 1 found that older countries scored higher on an environmental performance index, even when the analysis controlled for country-level differences in gross domestic product and governance. Study 2 showed that when the United States was framed as an old country (vs. a young one), participants were willing to donate more money to an environmental organization. The findings suggest that framing a country as a long-standing entity may effectively prompt proenvironmental behavior.
Ecological risk assessment of a wetland exposed to boron

A wetland located in the southeastern portion of the United States was the site of an investigation to determine the potential ecological risk of elevated boron concentrations to the flora and fauna living in the wetland. The conceptual model identified the vegetation as the primary receptor of concern, and thus the vegetation is the focus of this article. Samples of surface water, sediments, and selected vegetation were collected from the study wetland and several nearby reference sites and were analyzed for boron. Concentrations of boron in all three media exceeded reference site concentrations. Boron concentrations were highest near the suspected source but decreased almost to reference-site concentrations near the outer perimeter of the wetland. Some plants appeared stressed with yellowing and necrotic leaves; however, a correlation between tissue boron concentrations and the plant's visual appearance was not apparent for all species studied. Modeling of the fate of boron indicated that the wetland has likely been at a steady state for many years and that boron concentrations were not expected to increase. It was concluded that no observable adverse ecological impacts to the vegetation could be attributed to boron, nor is it likely that the boron poses an unacceptable risk to the surrounding areas.
CONRAD FERDINAND MEYER IN RECENT TRANSLATION

Author's Summary.— The difficulties encountered in translating Meyer's prose, as revealed in the most recent English version of “Der Heilige.”
Reflections on the treatment of seizures in the elderly population

Treatment of seizure disorders in older patients is an important problem because of the age-related increase in seizure incidence and the growing size of this segment of the population. Physiologic changes that occur with aging may influence drug dosing and safety. The standard antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are not ideal for treating older patients because of their complex pharmacokinetics, multiple drug interactions, and possible increased susceptibility to adverse effects. Data are limited on the use of the newer AEDs--gabapentin, lamotrigine, topiramate, and tiagabine--in older patients. An ongoing clinical trial in this population is investigating the efficacy and safety of gabapentin and lamotrigine relative to carbamazepine for the treatment of new-onset partial seizures. Other trials are needed to evaluate the use of topiramate and tiagabine in older patients with epilepsy. In the absence of these data, AED selection in older patients must be made on the basis of current knowledge of efficacy and safety profiles. The newer agents now offer increased therapeutic options and some theoretical advantages over the older AEDs for elderly persons with seizures.
Coupled complex adjoint sensitivities for frequency-domain fluorescence tomography: theory and vectorized implementation

We present a computationally efficient and accurate adjoint method for calculating coupled sensitivities of complex frequency-domain excitation and emission fluence to any underlying optical parameters in highly scattering media. The method is shown to be general and accurate. Novel vectorized implementations for finite element global matrix assembly and adjoint sensitivity calculations are shown to speed up calculations by orders of magnitude over traditional loop implementations, thereby making least-squares approaches to fluorescence tomography computationally practical.
Valerian: A Practical Review for Clinicians

Valerian is a natural preparation of the root and rhizome of the perennial herb, Valeriana officinalis L. It has sedative and calming effects and is utilized primarily in the treatment of insomnia and sleep disturbances. Several compounds have been identified in valerian, and although pharmacological activity has not been attributed to a specific constituent, this herb's mechanism of action is thought to be related to its ability to interact with the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid. This thorough review highlights significant valerian research to date. Valerian has been generally well tolerated in clinical trials; however, long-term administration has been associated with occasional side effects of headache, excitability, uneasiness, and cardiac disturbances. Due to the limitations of small sample size, variation in formulation, and inconsistent results in currently published clinical trials, further research is needed to clarify the efficacy and side effect profile of valerian, especially in regard to long-term therapy.
A provably convergent dynamic training method for multi-layer perceptron networks

This paper presents a new method for training multilayer perceptron networks called DMP1 (Dynamic Multilayer Perceptron 1). The method is based upon a divide and conquer approach which builds networks in the form of binary trees, dynamically allocating nodes and layers as needed. The individual nodes of the network are trained using a genetic algorithm. The method is capable of handling real-valued inputs and a proof is given concerning its convergence properties of the basic model. Simulation results show that DMP1 performs favorably in comparison with other learning algorithms.
Copper complexes in the treatment of experimental inflammatory conditions: inflammation, ulcers and pain

Copper, like sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, chromium, vanadium, and manganese, is an essential metalloelement and as such it is required by all human cells for normal metabolism1. However, some cells have greater metabolic needs than others and tissue content reflects this fact. Amounts of copper found in various body tissues and fluids of individuals, who died sudden accidental deaths2,3, are shown in Table 1.
A Case Study of Environmental Benefits of Sensor-Based Nitrogen Application in Corn

Crop canopy reflectance sensors make it possible to estimate crop N demand and apply appropriate N fertilizer rates at different locations in a field, reducing fertilizer input and associated environmental impacts while maintaining crop yield. Environmental benefits, however, have not been quantified previously. The objective of this study was to estimate the environmental impact of sensor-based N fertilization of corn using model-based environmental Life Cycle Assessment. Nitrogen rate and corn grain yield were measured during a sensor-based, variable N-rate experiment in Lincoln County, MO. Spatially explicit soil properties were derived using a predictive modeling technique based on in-field soil sampling. Soil NO emissions, volatilized NH loss, and soil NO leaching were predicted at 60 discrete field locations using the DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model. Life cycle cumulative energy consumption, global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential, and eutrophication potential were estimated using model predictions, experimental data, and life cycle data. In this experiment, variable-rate N management reduced total N fertilizer use by 11% without decreasing grain yield. Precision application of N is predicted to have reduced soil NO emissions by 10%, volatilized NH loss by 23%, and NO leaching by 16%, which in turn reduced life cycle nonrenewable energy consumption, GWP, acidification potential, and eutrophication potential by 7, 10, 22, and 16%, respectively. Although mean N losses were reduced, the variations in N losses were increased compared with conventional, uniform N application. Crop canopy sensor-based, variable-rate N fertilization was predicted to increase corn grain N use efficiency while simultaneously reducing total life-cycle energy use, GWP, acidification, and eutrophication.
Ecological-Evolutionary Theory and Societal Transformation in Post-Communist Europe

Ecological-evolutionary theory offers a unique and distinctive perspective on societal change. In particular, it draws attention to the enormous and revolutionary power of technological innovations as a source of change. Some of the implications of this for the post-Communist societies of middle and eastern Europe are then con- sidered. Ecological-evolutionary theory also offers a unique and distinctive perspec- tive on human nature, and the implications of this are also discussed.
Multivariate statistical analysis of micro-X-ray fluorescence spectral images

Multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) is applied to the extraction of chemically relevant signals acquired with a micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) mapping (full-spectral imaging) system. The separation of components into individual histograms enables separation of overlapping peaks, which is useful in qualitatively determining the presence of chemical species that have overlapping emission lines, and holds potential for quantitative analysis of constituent phases via these same histograms. The usefulness of MSA for μ-XRF analysis is demonstrated by application to a geological rock core obtained from a subsurface compressed air energy storage (CAES) site. Coupling of the μ-XRF results to those of quantitative powder X-ray diffraction analysis enables improved detection of trace phases present in the geological specimen. The MSA indicates that the spatial distribution of pyrite, a potentially reactive phase by oxidation, has low concentration and thus minimal impact on CAES operations.
Inverter Efficiency Measurement Uncertainty Evaluation

The basic condition of inverter efficiency measurement test was introduced.According to the uncertainty origin of inverter efficiency measurement test,the uncertainty was evaluated by applying type A and type B class uncertainty evaluation method separately.Finally,the results of the efficiency values of the sample was presented according to statistical tables.
Efficacy of treatment and recurrence rate of leukocytospermia in infertile men with prostatitis.

Objective To identify men with leukocytospermia and prostatitis in an infertility practice and evaluate the effect of various treatments and recurrence rates after treatment. Design A prospective randomized trial of men with leukocytospermia. Setting Academic tertiary infertility clinic. Patients One hundred two men with leukocytospermia identified on smear of semen using Bryan-Leishman stain and in expressed prostatic secretion. Interventions Treatment groups were no treatment group; antibiotic treatment alone group; frequent ejaculation alone group; and antibiotic treatment with frequent ejaculation group. Main Outcome Measure Resolution of leukocytospermia on semen smear. Results Significant resolution of leukocytospermia occurred in all treatment groups at 1 month compared with no treatment. The resolution was sustained at 2 and 3 months only in those who took antibiotics and frequently ejaculated. Conclusions Antibiotic treatment, frequent ejaculation, and antibiotic treatment with frequent ejaculation effectively treat leukocytospermia immediately after the treatment phase. However, only antibiotic treatment coupled with frequent ejaculation is effective 3 months after treatment.
"It'll never happen to me": gay men's beliefs, perceptions and folk constructions of sexual risk.

This article reports on homosexually active men's beliefs about being at sexual risk. Results were generated from paid, in-depth, face-to-face interviews about sexual behavior carried out first with 4 pilot respondents, then with 21 gay respondents aged 18-39, half of whom were HIV seropositive. Findings suggest that there is not a close match between what is epidemiologically accepted as risk behavior and what respondents regarded as risk behavior. The heuristic on which the men based their perceptions of sexual risk comprised a pattern of activities in which there are few absolutes, contrary to the distinctions of "safe", "safer", and "unsafe" categories used by health educators. The men used several categories as signifiers of risk: factors such as age, appearance, diction, and HIV knowledge together with variables reflecting epidemiological data, such as few partners, being the insertive partner in anal intercourse, and past history of infrequent unprotected anal intercourse, and situational determinants such as emotional needs, sexual arousal, and relationship status were constructed into a hierarchy of risk. These hierarchies or pseudo-epidemiological models of risk are similar to what Levine and Siegel (1992) term "folk constructions" of risk of HIV transmission.
Current progress in the production of recombinant human fibrinogen in the milk of transgenic animals

The mammary gland of transgenic animals has several advantages for production of heterologous proteins including a high cell density that results in high concentrations of secreted protein. While the mammary gland appears to be able to secrete fully assembled recombinant human fibrinogen (rhfib) at 0.1 to 5 g/l levels, some unassembled rhfib chains are also secreted. Presently, the relationship between unassembled rhfib and the coordinated translation of each nascent rhfib polypeptide in the mammary epithelia is unknown. The secretion of fully and partially assembled rhfib is widely variable among mammalian cell lines and where previously no cell line has been shown to secrete beta chain alone. We have observed that mammary epithelia can secrete B beta chain into milk as well as immature forms of other recombinant proteins, suggesting it likely uses a different secretory pathway than does the liver. This difference in secretory behavior is possibly due to the natural design of milk, where the precise regulation of post translational modifications and intracellular pools of nascent polypeptides needed to achieve fibrinogen assembly may be less important to fulfill the nutritional function of most milk proteins.
A New Lower Bound for the Maximal Valence of Harmonic Polynomials

We find a new lower bound for the maximal number of zeros of harmonic polynomials, $$p(z)+\overline{q(z)}$$ , when $$\deg p = n$$ and $$\deg q = n-2$$ .
On the “Bi3+–Ti4+” charge transfer transition in the pyrochlore Y2Ti2O7:Bi3+

Abstract We have studied the low temperature (15–300 K) spectroscopic properties of Bi3+ impurities in the pyrochlore Y2Ti2O7. The spectroscopic properties of Y2Ti2O7:Bi3+ are interpreted on the basis of the Bi3+(6s2)–Ti4+(4d0) metal-to-metal charge transfer transition that is caused because the Bi3+ 1S0 ground state (6s2) energy occurs at about 0.40 eV from the top of the O2− 2p band (valence band). The reason for the low quenching temperature of the charge transfer luminescence is established. A comparative study of the Bi3+ luminescence in the pyrochlores Y2Ti2O7, Y2Sn2O7 and La2Zr2O7 is presented. The Bi3+ 1S0 ground state (6s2) energy is located about 0.46 eV from the top of the O2− 2p band in La2Zr2O7.
Effect of alkali–silica reaction on the shear strength of reinforced concrete structural members. A numerical and statistical study

Abstract The residual structural shear resistance of concrete members without shear reinforcement and subject to alkali–aggregate reaction (ASR) is investigated by finite element analysis. A parametric numerical study of 648 analyses considering various structural members’ geometries, boundary conditions, ASR-induced losses of materials properties, ASR expansions and reinforcement ratios is conducted. As a result of competitive mechanisms (e.g., ASR-induced prestressing caused by the longitudinal reinforcement) and loss of concrete materials properties, important scatter in terms of gain or loss of shear strength is observed: about 50% of the studied configurations lead to a degradation of structural performance. The range of variation in terms of post-ASR shear resistance is extremely scattered, in particular, when ASR results in out-of-plane expansion only. Influencing factors are derived by two methods: (i) visual inspection of boxplots and probability distributions, and (ii) information criteria within multiple-linear regression analysis.
Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells for Vascular Network Formation and Cardiac Muscle Regeneration

Mammalian bone marrow contains mesenchymal lineage progenitors that have high proliferative capacity, are clonogenic in vitro, and demonstrate the ability to differentiate to multiple mesenchymal lineage tissue types, including bone, cartilage, fat, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscle. Isolation of these cells on the basis of their physical properties results in clonal outgrowth with functional in vitro heterogeneity. Prospective immunoselection of mesenchymal lineage precursor cells enhances reproducible functional outgrowth, and the phenotype STRO-1brightVCAM-1+ characterizes a multipotent mesenchymal precursor cell in vivo, which gives rise to a 50% frequency of multipotential clonal outgrowth in vitro. These cells are anatomically located in perivascular niches in the bone marrow and throughout the body and demonstrate phenotypic and genetic identity to vascular pericytes. Consistent with the pivotal role played by pericytes in formation of vascular structures during embryogenesis, cumulative data show that mesenchymal precursors regulate adult vasculature formation. In addition, under appropriate differentiation conditions, mesenchymal precursors give rise to new cardiomyocytes. Because vascular network formation is a prerequisite for long-term survival of cardiomyocyte precursors implanted into ischemic myocardium, mesenchymal lineage precursors appear to be ideal candidates for enhancing both cardiac neovascularization and myogenesis. Clinical protocols using these cells will require optimization of serum-free culture methodologies and biological scaffolds/matrices for enhancing survival of implanted cells. Finally, recent data indicating that mesenchymal lineage precursors evade immune recognition raise the exciting prospect that allogeneic use of these cells may be feasible.
On Work of Barmpalias and Lewis-Pye: A Derivation on the D.C.E. Reals

Let \(\alpha \) and \(\beta \) be (Martin-Lof) random left-c.e. reals with left-c.e. approximations \(\{\alpha _s\}_{s\in \omega }\) and \(\{\beta _s\}_{s\in \omega }\).
The Shadow Side of Second-Person Engagement: Sin in Paul's Letter to the Romans

This paper explores the characteristics of debilitating versus beneficial intersubjective engagements, by discussing the role of sin in the relational constitution of the self in Paul’s letter to the romans. Paul narrates ‘sin’ as both a destructive holding environment and an interpersonal agent in a lethal embrace with human beings. The system of self-in-relation-to-sin is transactional, competitive, unidirectional, and domineering, operating implicitly within an economy of lack. Conversely, Paul’s account in romans of the divine action that moves persons into a new identity of self-in-relationship demonstrates genuinely second-personal qualities: it is loving, non-transactional, non- competitive, mutual, and constitutive of personal agency.
Real-time Three-dimensional Echocardiography: From Diagnosis to Intervention

Echocardiography is one of the most important diagnostic tools in veterinary cardiology, and one of the greatest recent developments is real-time three-dimensional imaging. Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography is a new ultrasonography modality that provides comprehensive views of the cardiac valves and congenital heart defects. The main advantages of this technique, particularly real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography, are the ability to visualize the catheters, and balloons or other devices, and the ability to image the structure that is undergoing intervention with unprecedented quality. This technique may become one of the main choices for the guidance of interventional cardiology procedures.
Fluid Shifts and Loss

Volume and distribution of intra and extra vascular fluid volume is the first and primary consideration of maintenance of human ability to function in an upright posture under gravitational and inertial loads, especially with static vertical posture in a gravitational field such as on Earth. It makes no difference whether a person working in a field has reduced total body fluid because of sweating all morning or an astronaut who has just returned to Earth from a week in orbit suddenly stands. If blood volume is too small to maintain an adequate cardiac filling pressure, both the worker and the astronaut are subject to the same laws of biophysics and may even experience syncope, a transient, self-limited loss of consciousness that is commonly referred to as ‘fainting’. Allowing individuals who have fainted to lay supine for a few minutes typically causes consciousness to return. Give them water over a brief time and the field worker can stand to eat his sandwich and drink his soda for lunch while the astronaut can walk out and wave to his admirers.