cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rabbit retinal ganglion cell responses mediated by alpha-bungarotoxin-sensitive nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

The responses of many ganglion cells in the rabbit retina are mediated, at least in part, by acetylcholine (ACh) acting on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). nAChRs are comprised of α and β subunits; three β subunits and nine α subunits of nAChRs have been identified and these subunits can combine to form a large number of functionally distinct nAChR subtypes. We examined the effects of cholinergic agents on the light-evoked responses of ganglion cells to determine which nAChR subtypes mediate the effects of ACh. Extracellular recordings of retinal ganglion cells were made in intact everted eyecup preparations and nicotinic agonists and antagonists were added to the superfusate. While several ganglion cell classes exhibited methyllycaconitine (MLA) sensitivity, the directionally selective (DS) ganglion cells were most sensitive; exposure to 30 nanomolar MLA, a concentration reportedly too low to affect αBgt-insensitive nAChRs, suppressed the stimulus-evoked responses of DS cells without eliminating directional selectivity. Epibatidine, which at low concentrations is an agonist selective for αBgt-insensitive nAChRs, stimulated firing of various cell types including DS ganglion cells at low nanomolar concentrations. The effects of the various agents tested persisted under cobalt-induced synaptic blockade. The low nanomolar MLA and epibatidine sensitivity of DS cells suggests that DS ganglion cells express both αBgt-sensitive and αBgt-insensitive nAChRs. Other ganglion cell types appear to express only αBgt-sensitive nAChRs but not αBgt-insensitive nAChRs.
p -type Bi 2 Se 3 for topological insulator and low-temperature thermoelectric applications

The growth and elementary properties of $p$-type ${\text{Bi}}_{2}{\text{Se}}_{3}$ single crystals are reported. Based on a hypothesis about the defect chemistry of ${\text{Bi}}_{2}{\text{Se}}_{3}$, the $p$-type behavior has been induced through low-level substitutions (1% or less) of Ca for Bi. Scanning tunneling microscopy is employed to image the defects and establish their charge. Tunneling and angle-resolved photoemission spectra show that the Fermi level has been lowered into the valence band by about 400 meV in ${\text{Bi}}_{1.98}{\text{Ca}}_{0.02}{\text{Se}}_{3}$ relative to the $n$-type material. $p$-type single crystals with $ab$-plane Seebeck coefficients of $+180\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\text{V}/\text{K}$ at room temperature are reported. These crystals show an anomalous peak in the Seebeck coefficient at low temperatures, reaching $+120\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\text{V}\text{ }{\text{K}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 7 K, giving them a high thermoelectric power factor at low temperatures. In addition to its interesting thermoelectric properties, $p$-type ${\text{Bi}}_{2}{\text{Se}}_{3}$ is of substantial interest for studies of technologies and phenomena proposed for topological insulators.
Elimination of quinolone antibiotic carryover through use of antibiotic-removal beads.

To prove the utility of antibiotic-removal beads in separating antibiotics from bacterial samples, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 was exposed to five separate quinolones before and after each was exposed to antibiotic-removal beads. Plates treated with antibiotic solutions that were exposed to beads demonstrated antibiotic removal, and plates treated with antibiotic solutions that were not exposed to beads demonstrated antibiotic carryover. After exposure to beads, fluoroquinolone concentrations decreased from 5 micrograms/ml to 0.14 micrograms/ml (ciprofloxacin), 0.04 micrograms/ml (temafloxacin), Images
LEED from surface steps on UO2 single crystals

Abstract A single crystal platelet of uranium dioxide has been prepared with one side very nearly parallel to the (111) plane and the other side inclined approximately 11.4° from the (111) plane. Low energy electron diffraction patterns obtained from the surface parallel to the (111) plane are characteristic of the clean unmodified uranium dioxide structure after the crystal has been vacuum annealed. Diffraction patterns from the inclined surface exhibit more closely spaced beams which are attributed to superstructures of regularly spaced steps. The observed patterns from the inclined surface have been compared to calculated diffraction patterns based on a simple kinematical analysis where it is assumed that the step height and spacing are in accord with a surface parallel to the (553) plane. Calculations have been made for the case in which only the outermost layer of uranium (or oxygen) atoms serve as scattering centers, and also for the case in which the contribution of the second layer equals that of the first.
Effective suppression of parathyroid hormone by 1α-hydroxy-vitamin D2 in hemodialysis patients with moderate to severe secondary hyperparathyroidism

Effective suppression of parathyroid hormone by 1α-hydroxy-vitamin D2 in hemodialysis patients with moderate to severe secondary hyperparathyroidism. Calcitriol, as used for treating secondary hyperparathyroidism, has a low therapeutic index. The safety and efficacy of the vitamin D analog, 1α(OH)-vitamin D2 (1αD2), which has less toxicity in animals than 1α(OH)-vitamin D3, was tested in a multicenter study of 24 hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism [serum intact (i) PTH > 400 pg/ml]. Calcium-based phosphate binders alone were used to maintain serum phosphorus ≤ 6.9 mg/dl. After eight weeks without calcitriol (washout), oral 1αD2,4 µg/day or 4 µg thrice weekly, was started, with the dose adjusted over 12 weeks to maintain serum iPTH between 130 and 250 pg/ml. Pre-treatment serum iPTH fell from 672 ± 70 pg/ml (SEM) to 289 ± 36 after treatment (P 11.2 mg/dl) necessitate stopping treatment. Neither the average serum P level, the incidence of hyperphosphatemia, nor the dose of phosphate binders changed from washout to treatment. Thus, oral 1αD2 is highly efficacious in suppressing secondary hyperparathyroidism in hemodialysis patients and is safe despite exclusive use of calcium-based phosphate-binders. Future studies should clarify the optimal dosage regimen.
Multi-tenancy and Sub-tenancy Architecture in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

Multi-tenancy architecture (MTA) is often used in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and the central idea is that multiple tenant applications can be developed using components stored in the SaaS infrastructure. Recently, MTA has been extended where a tenant application can have its own sub-tenants as the tenant application acts like a SaaS infrastructure. In other words, MTA is extended to STA (Sub-Tenancy Architecture). In STA, each tenant application not only needs to develop its own functionalities, but also needs to prepare an infrastructure to allow its sub-tenants to develop customized applications. This paper formulates eight models for STA, and discusses their trade-offs including their formal notations and application scenarios.
Topical dorzolamide for the treatment of cystoid macular edema in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

Purpose To determine if topical dorzolamide, as observed with the use of systemic acetazolamide and methazolamide, would be effective in treating cystoid macular edema (CME) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Design Prospective, nonrandomized clinical trial. Methods setting: Institutional. patients: Fifteen patients with CME and RP. intervention: A baseline visual acuity and optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements were obtained in all patients. Each one of them was then treated with topical dorzolamide, three times a day, for at least four weeks in both eyes. main outcome measures: Significant decrease in “foveal thickness” (more than 16%) and “foveal zone thickness” (more than 11%), as measured by OCT. Results Thirteen (87%) of 15 patients showed a significant decrease in retinal thickness in at least one eye after use of topical dorzolamide for at least four weeks. Five patients (33%) demonstrated improvement in both eyes. All patients, except one, who responded showed the effect within four weeks, but were monitored for a period of two to nine months (average 4.5 months). Four patients (31%) who showed an initial improvement in macular edema showed worsening with continued treatment. Conclusions The present study documents the potential efficacy of topical dorzolamide for treating CME in patients with RP. We observed that some patients may show a “rebound phenomenon” with continued use of the medication; hence, there is a need for careful follow-up in patients being treated.
Apollo 17 landing site: Topography, photometric corrections, and heterogeneity of the surrounding highland massifs

[1] A high-resolution digital elevation model for the Apollo 17 landing site (20°N, 31°E) and surrounding region is used to correct the photometry of Clementine ultraviolet-visible multispectral data to standard viewing and illumination geometry on a pixel-by-pixel basis. FeO and TiO2 concentrations were derived from these topographic-photometrically corrected data, and steep-sloped highland massifs are used to assess the magnitude of the effects of the correction. The effects are significant, yielding errors as high as 5 wt% FeO and 4 wt% TiO2 (absolute) on 30° slopes. The magnitude of the correction varies for Sun-facing versus anti-Sun slopes, with greater changes on anti-Sun slopes. Because most of the Apollo 17 sample stations were on surfaces with low slope values (<5°), the topography has only a small effect on the use of the Apollo 17 site for calibration of FeO and TiO2 parameters. Topographically corrected data and derived compositional information are used to show accurately the variation in composition of the highland units such as the massifs and the Sculptured Hills on a fine scale. Massif compositions are consistent with mixtures of noritic impact melt and feldspathic granulitic material, plus variable amounts of high-Ti basalt on flanks at low elevations and pyroclastic deposits at high elevations, as surmised from previous studies. An unexpected enrichment in FeO at intermediate elevations in some places where massif surfaces have not been covered by mass wasting of impact-melt rich material signals an older volcanic component not previously recognized. This component may be correlative with an old, high-plains volcanic unit exposed northeast of the landing site and north of the Sculptured Hills. Downslope movement of regolith on steep slopes appears to have resulted in compositional or grain size sorting, leading to an apparent enrichment in FeO and TiO2 from volcanic glass in valleys and draws. The Sculptured Hills have highly variable compositions, ranging from feldspathic patches to exposures of mafic rocks. A strong but localized mafic anomaly within the Sculptured Hills may be a small, postbasin volcanic feature consisting of very low Ti basalt.
Microwave-processed nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite: Simultaneous enhancement of mechanical and biological properties

Abstract Despite the excellent bioactivity of hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramics, poor mechanical strength has limited the applications of these materials primarily to coatings and other non-load-bearing areas as bone grafts. Using synthesized HA nanopowder, dense compacts with grain sizes in the nanometer to micrometer range were processed via microwave sintering between 1000 and 1150 °C for 20 min. Here we demonstrate that the mechanical properties, such as compressive strength, hardness and indentation fracture toughness, of HA compacts increased with a decrease in grain size. HA with 168 ± 86 nm grain size showed the highest compressive strength of 395 ± 42 MPa, hardness of 8.4 ± 0.4 GPa and indentation fracture toughness of 1.9 ± 0.2 MPa m 1/2 . To study the in vitro biological properties, HA compacts with grain size between 168 nm and 1.16 μm were assessed for in vitro bone cell–material interactions with human osteoblast cell line. Vinculin protein expression for cell attachment and bone cell proliferation using MTT assay showed that surfaces with finer grains provided better bone cell–material interactions than coarse-grained samples. Our results indicate simultaneous improvements in mechanical and biological properties in microwave sintered HA compacts with nanoscale grain size.
Family Influences Related to Adult Substance Use and Mental Health Problems: A Developmental Analysis of Child and Adolescent Predictors

Abstract Purpose This study investigated measures of family conflict, family management, and family involvement at ages 10–12, 13–14, and 15–18 years as predictors of adult depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder symptoms classes at age 27. The objective was to assess the relative influence on adult outcomes of each family predictor measured similarly at different points in adolescent development. Methods Data were obtained from the Seattle Social Development Project, a theory-driven longitudinal study that began in 1985, with 808 fifth-grade students from 18 Seattle public elementary schools. A latent class analysis of adult outcomes was followed by bivariate and multivariate models for each family predictor. Of the original 808 participants, 747 (92% of the original sample) had available data at age 27 on the mental health and substance use latent class indicators. Missing data were handled using full-information maximum likelihood estimation. Results Four latent classes were derived: a "low disorder symptoms" class, a "licit substance use disorder symptoms" class, a "mental health disorder symptoms" class, and a "comorbid" class. Multivariate results show that family conflict is the strongest and most consistent predictor of the adult mental health and substance use classes. Family management, but not family involvement, was also predictive of the adult outcome classes. Conclusions It is important to lessen family conflict and improve family management to prevent later mental health and substance use problems in adulthood.
The CMUnited-97 robotic soccer team: Perception and multi-agent control

Abstract Robotic soccer is a challenging research domain which involves multiple agents that need to collaborate in an adversarial environment to achieve specific objectives. In this paper, we describe CMUnited-97, the team of small robotic agents that we developed to enter the RoboCup-97 competition. We designed and built the robotic agents, devised the appropriate vision algorithm, and developed and implemented algorithms for strategic collaboration between the robots in an uncertain and dynamic environment. The robots can organize themselves in formations, hold specific roles, and pursue their goals. In game situations, they have demonstrated their collaborative behaviors on multiple occasions. The robots can also switch roles to maximize the overall performance of the team. We present an overview of the vision processing algorithm which successfully tracks multiple moving objects and predicts trajectories. The paper then focuses on the agent behaviors ranging from low-level individual behaviors to coordinated, strategic team behaviors. CMUnited-97 won the RoboCup-97 small-robot competition at IJCAI-97 in Nagoya, Japan.
Amino acid studies of the Del Mar, California, midden site: Apparent rate constants, ground temperature models, and chronological implications

Amino acid enantiomeric ratios in shell samples from the Del Mar, California, midden are interpreted in terms of apparent rate constants (derived from observed radiocarbon ages), exponentially decreasing ground temperatures (to values equal to those of mean annual air temperature at depths of approximately 1 m), and sample burial histories involving exposure to high ground temperatures during periods of shallow burial. These models, while approximate, are important in establishing the utility of shell material in amino acid racemization studies. The radiocarbon chronology (∼4000 to ∼9000 years) of the Del Mar shell samples (shell carbonate analysis) is stratigraphically consistent and quite reasonable within the uncertainties of these interpretive models. One level (the lowest) in the Del Mar site has yielded samples whose enantiomeric ratios indicate great antiquity. It is possible that these samples have a geological rather than archaeological origin.
The smallest Ω-irrational CW-complex

2. Lower bounds on the size of W We call on several well-established facts in proving that a four-cell complex in dimension five or lower or a three-cell complex in any dimension is Q-rational. Theorem A. Let X be a l-connected CW-complex. There is a CW-compiex Y with the rational homotopy type of X such that Y has one cell for each generator of H,(X; Q). If ;1’ is jTnite, Y has the same number or fewer cells in each dimension as X. Furthermore, 2’ .may be constructed so that for each n 2 1, the (n + 1 )-cells of Y are attached to the (n _ 1 )-skeleton Y n ? This is a consequence of Sullivan’s theory of minimal models [7]. Let f : SX -+SY be a map between l wo suspensions, with X and Y path-
Removal of the fermentation inhibitor, furfural, using activated carbon in cellulosic -ethanol production

Ethanol can be produced from lignocellulosic biomass through fermentation; however, some byproducts from lignocellulosics, such as furfural compounds, are highly inhibitory to the fermentation and can substantially reduce the efficiency of ethanol production. In this study, commercial and polymer-derived activated carbons were utilized to selectively remove the model fermentation inhibitor, furfural, from water solution during bioethanol production. The oxygen functional groups on the carbon surface were found to influence the selectivity of sorbents between inhibitors and sugars during the separation. After inhibitors were selectively removed from the broth, the cell growth and ethanol production efficiency was recovered noticeably in the fermentation. A sorption/desorption cycle was designed, and the sorbents were regenerated in a fixed-bed column system using ethanol-containing standard solution. Dynamic mass balance was obtained after running four or five cycles, and regeneration results were stable e...
Isotopes as tracers in plants

Isotopes afford an extremely useful means for following the absorption and transport of materials in plants and for elucidating the metabolic reactions of plants. The potentialities of the tracer method were early recognized by Hevesy who with Paneth in 1913 (72) used radiolead* as an indicator to determine the solubilities of lead chromate and lead sulfide, and in 1923 (63) followed the absorption and translocation of radiolead in plants. He applied the tracer technique in the same manner that it is used today (63), described its advantages and suggested how it could be employed. The early limitation of the tracer method to naturally occurring radioisotopes was removed by the discovery of artificially induced radioactivity by Joliot and Curie (83), and the use of stable isotopes as tracers was made possible by Urey's methods (146, 150) of separating D, N15, C13, 018 and S34 in usable quantities. Supplementary developments that have been particularly helpful are the production of uranium piles (nuclear chain reactors), cyclotrons and other particle accelerators, simplified mass spectrometers for measurement of stable isotopes, and commercial GeigerMuller counters and electrometers for measuring radioactivity. Since the release of radioisotopes by the Atomic Energy Commission (see Science 103: 697-705. 1946; and the catalog and price list of radioisotopes distributed by the Isotopes Branch, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Oak Ridge, Tenn., for lists of radioisotopes and the form in which they are supplied), it has become unnecessary to maintain elaborate high voltage particle accelerators for most tracer work, as neutron bombardment in the uranium pile produces satisfactory radioisotopes of almost all elements of biological interest. Deuterium and 018 are also available through the facilities of the Atomic Energy Commission. N15 and C13 may be purchased from Eastman Kodak Company; individual institutions no longer need maintain thermal diffusion columns for the concentration of C13.
Focus on Scaffolding Language and Sequential Units During Choral Instruction

The purpose of the study reported in this article was to investigate the instructional discourse of two middle school choral music teachers videotaped during a total of 24 classroom visits. The findings indicate that teacher attention to complete sequential units of instruction (teacher presentation, student interaction, teacher feedback) may encourage the employment of scaffolding language (language that supports student learning). A focus on scaffolding language corresponded to a decrease in the completion of sequential units of instruction. Choral teachers seeking to foster a constructivist-oriented rehearsal environment may find it advantageous to focus attention on the completion of sequential units of instruction. Similarly, teachers of collegiate methods classes may wish to draw students’ attention to complete sequential units as a precursor to exploring the application of constructivist theory to ensemble rehearsal technique.
Responses of the Snell Dwarf Mouse to Pituitary Tissue from a Bovine Dwarf Mutant.

SummaryDwarf mice (Snell) from A dw (Albino-dwarf) stock, in which the thyroid-pituitary axis is abnormal, were injected with pituitary tissue extract from the achondroplastic brachycephalic bovine dwarf mutant, which suffers from achondroplasia but is reported to have a normal thyroid-pituitary axis. Controls were (i) dwarf mice injected with pituitary tissue extract from nonachondroplastic cattle of normal size and (ii) uninjected dwarf mice. The extracts from 2 sources were standardized so that both possessed the same concentration of pituitary tissue. As the weight of dwarf mice neared plateau, they were divided into 3 groups: one received pituitary extract from bovine dwarfs, one received pituitary extract from cattle of normal size, and one was untreated. Body weight response was checked by daily weighing. Injection of pituitary extract from bovine dwarfs stimulated mouse growth significantly, as did extract from normal cattle and the responses were identical. This supports the hypothesis that the b...
Phase-matched third-harmonic UV generation using low-order modes in a glass micro-fiber

Abstract We observe phase-matched third-harmonic generation at 355 nm in a low-order mode of a sub-micron diameter glass fiber. The third-harmonic signal exhibits a sharp resonance for a fiber diameter d = 0.49 ± 0.02 μm, in excellent agreement with the value d = 0.506 μm predicted by theory. The third-harmonic conversion efficiency is 2 × 10−6, and is limited by the pump power (1 kW) and effective fiber length (100 μm).
Dual Diagnosis of Substance Abuse and Schizophrenia: Improving Compliance with Pharmacotherapy

Substance abuse affects approximately half of patients with schizophrenia and can act as a barrier to compliance with antipsychotic medication. Patients may use nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine or other drugs of abuse in order to overcome symptoms associated with schizophrenia itself or with the side effects of the antipsychotic medications used to treat the underlying illness. The impact of substance abuse for comorbid substance abusers compared with nonabusing schizophrenia patients includes a lower quality of life, increased tardive dyskinesia, increased psychosocial problems, more relationship difficulties, cognitive deficits and even suicide. Patients with a dual diagnosis also tend to have higher relapse rates, higher rates of hospitalization, and by inference, increased healthcare costs. Atypical antipsychotics are recommended for reducing substance abuse in schizophrenia patients and have been shown to be effective in this manner, though no antipsychotic is currently indicated specifically for...
Gamma-radiolysis of 1,1,2,2-tetrafluorocyclobutane in the gas phase

Abstract The gamma-radiolysis of gaseous 1,1,2,2-tetrafluorocyclobutane was studied at 50 torr pressure and 24°C, both pure and with added oxygen. In all, 25 products were formed in the radiolysis, but only seven products were seen with G values as great as 0.1 under any of the conditions studied. Several of the major products showed induction periods at doses below 3 × 1020 eV/g. Major products and their G values in the dose range from 6 × 1020 eV/g to 9 × 1020 eV/g in the absence and presence of oxygen, respectively, were as follows: H2, 0.52 and ∽0.6; HF, 2.3 and 8.6; C2F4, 0.17 and 0.11; C2H4, 0.0 and 0.12; 1,1-C2H2F2, 0.05 and 0.47; C2H2, 0.20 and 0.11; and C4H3F3, 0.20 and 0.13. It is suggested that the ethylenic products C2H4, C2F4, and C2H2F2 arise from direct fragmentation of excited and/or ionized parent molecules. Formation of H2 and C2H2 can arise if C2H+4 or C2H4 still possess excess energy after the initial split. Routes to production of HF and C4H3F3 include direct elimination of HF from excited C4H4F4 as well as ionic processes involving C4H4F+3. The effects of added oxygen are compatible with the suggestion that the major products arise from ionic or excited molecular precursors while many of the minor products are formed in free radical or hydrogen atom processes.
Structural health monitoring for bridge maintenance

The transportation infrastructure plays a major role in the economy of the USA. Providing a reliable mobility and serviceability of this infrastructure is extremely important. Bridges are an integral part of this infrastructure and periodic inspection and maintenance plays a major role in keeping these operational. Appropriate maintenance avoids major bridge rehabilitation and replacement, and extends the structural life cost-effectively. Effective maintenance programs involve several aspects such as scheduling a maintenance activity, the activity itself, and the scope of such an activity. The main challenge faced by a bridge manager is to institute maintenance activities with minimum expenditure. The focus of this paper is to illustrate the possible role of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) in bridge maintenance and management aspects. This paper illustrates a cost – benefit (value) approach for use of SHM in maintenance applications to quantify the decision-making process involved with maintenance acti...
Labor Geographies: Workers and the Landscapes of Capitalism

Andrew Herod. New York: Guilford Press, 2001. xvi and 352 pp., maps, diags., photos., notes, and index. $25.00 paper (ISBN 1-57230-685-8). Labor geography has been an identifiable “project” for abo...
A thirteenth-century Anglo-Jewish woman crossing boundaries: visible and invisible

In 1242, the private life of an Anglo-Jewish couple, Muriel and David of Oxford, became very public when David asked the royal curia to intervene in the Jewish court (bet din) which had either refused or stalled his divorce from the childless Muriel. The curia not only agreed to force the divorce, but used it as an excuse to ban all betai din, catching the whole Anglo-Jewish community in the growing anti-Judaism of the time. Though David married a fertile widow who bore him a son shortly before his death in 1244, Muriel lived on in growing poverty. David was the most prominent financier of his time but examining the story from Muriel's usually silent point of view allows us insights into the life of a woman in a growing academic town. Her story especially highlights how she might have interacted with both male and female Christians in her daily life as well as in seeking help with her especially feminine problem of infertility.
BiCMOS tunable membership function circuits

An MOS transconductance amplifier and bipolar current gain cell structure were investigated. The large input voltage range of the MOS transconductance is preserved, while the gain in the bipolar cell is linearly current controlled. These features make the structure suitable for tunable membership function circuits (MFCs) in a fuzzy controller. Both current-output and voltage-output configurations are proposed.
EDGE STRUCTURE OF FRACTIONAL QUANTUM HALL SYSTEMS FROM DENSITY-FUNCTIONAL THEORY

We use the Hohenberg-Kohn formulation of density-functional theory (DFT) to study the density profile at the edge of a confined two-dimensional electron gas in the fractional quantum Hall regime. The strong correlation effects present in this system are accounted for in our DFT approach and lead to the appearance of incompressible strips at fractional filling factors for smooth confining potentials.
3-D laser Doppler anemometry measurements of the axisymmetric flow field near an orifice plate

Abstract Measurements of the axisymmetric velocity field in a standard 50.8 mm (2.0 inch) orifice meter were made using a 3-D laser Doppler anemometer. Calculations were performed using the instantaneous velocity measurements to yield the time-averaged mean velocity components, the products of the fluctuating velocities (which provide the entire Reynolds stress tensor if the density is assumed constant), the correlation coefficients and the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE). For an air flow with a Reynolds number of 54 700, data indicate the point of reattachment, the downstream primary recirculation zone, the downstream secondary recirculation zone and the upstream recirculation zone. It is further evident that the axial location of maximum velocity (the vena contracta) differs from that for minimum wall pressure.
Lubrication With Granular Flow: Continuum Theory, Particle Simulations, Comparison With Experiment

Studies of particle flows have followed three parallel paths: (1) experiment, (2) analysis based on the assumption of a continuum, and (3) direct particle simulation. In this paper, we perform continuum and particle analyses and compare them to each other, and to previously reported experiments. Both the particle simulations and the continuum model over-predict the experimental normal load and shear force, however, the trends and orders-of-magnitude are in agreement. The modeling approaches are based on first principles, and do not rely on curve fitting to obtain effective properties of the mixture such as viscosity or conductivity.
Endoscopic management of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea

The surgical management of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea has evolved with advances in technology and experience with endoscopic endonasal approaches to skull base lesions. The endonasal approach provides excellent visualization and access for repair of CSF leaks and obviates the need for a craniotomy. Over the last 20 years the endoscopic endonasal technique has been refined to provide CSF leak closure rates consistently higher than 90%. In this article, we describe our technique for closure of CSF leaks along the anterior skull base via an endoscopic endonasal approach.
Representing multiple regions of interest with wavelets

Gaze-contingent systems minimize bandwidth requirements by displaying high-resolution imagery within eye-slaved regions of interest (ROIs) of limited spatial extent. The parafoveal resolution transitions must be sufficiently smooth to render degradation effects imperceptible. In this paper, a wavelet image filtering scheme is presented which preserves high resolution in ROIs matching foveal vision, and gradually degrades resolution in the periphery. The method permits the representation of multiple ROIs extending previous work based on MIP-mapping to the wavelet domain. Degradation is achieved through wavelet coefficient scaling following Voronoi partitioning of the image plane. Three variants of peripheral degradation are offered, including one matching human visual acuity. Reconstruction examples of images processed with the Haar and Daubechies-6 wavelets are provided. Results from gaze-contingent experiments, conducted to test perceived impairment of degraded image sequences, are summarized suggesting imperceptible degradation effects.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Percutaneous renal access: tips and tricks

The only absolute contraindication to percutaneous surgery is uncorrected coagulopathy. Relative contraindications include UTI with fever (unless the nephrostomy is solely for decompression), and uncontrolled hypertension, which may theoretically predispose the patient to increased blood loss during the procedure. The presence of renal angiomyolipomas is not an absolute contraindication to percutaneous surgery [5].
Insulator-to-metal transition in polyaniline: Effect of protonation in emeraldine

Abstract The emeraldine base form of the polymer can be varied from insulating ( σ ∼ 10 −10 ohm −1 cm −1 ) to conducting ( σ ∼ 10 0 ohm −1 cm −1 ) states through protonation. Based upon extensive magnetic, optical and transport data, we demonstrate that the resulting emeraldine salt is metallic with a finite density of states at the Fermi energy. The roles of a novel bipolaron-to-polaron lattice transition and phase segregation into conducting and non-conducting regions are discussed.
Label Detection and Recognition for USPTO Images Using Convolutional K-Means Feature Quantization and Ada-Boost

We utilize Coates' unsupervised feature learning method and AdaBoost to detect and recognize part label regions in patent drawings. Image patches are harvested from training data, and features are learned from patterns in image patches. Angle distances between samples and feature banks are computed, and used in AdaBoost classifier. We extract image patches with different sizes to counter the scale problem. An ensemble AdaBoost is used to classify pixels as text or background. Meta-Boost is introduced to improve performance. The pixel level detections are then grouped into 'Connected Components'. Several denoise methods are applied, followed by 'Tesseract' OCR. Our system achieves competitive performance without using strong prior knowledge.
Stimulus Filtering and Electroreception: Tuberous Electroreceptors in Three Species of Gymnotoid Fish

Electroreceptive neurons in the posterior branch of the anterior lateral line nerve of three species of electric fish (Gymnotoidei):Sternopygus macrums, Eigenmannia virescens, andApteronotus albifrons, show speciesspecific differences in the filtering of electrical stimuli. All of the tuberous electroreceptor fibers of an individual are tuned to the same frequency: that of the electric organ discharge (EOD) of the species, more specifically, to that of the individual. The fibers inSternopygus are tuned to 50–150 Hz; those inEigenmannia to 250–500 Hz, and those inApteronotus to 800–1,200 Hz (Figs. 3, 5, 8). Two classes of organs inSternopygus andEigenmannia, P and T units, respond to sinusoidal stimuli at the unit's best frequency (BF) with a phase-locked partially-adapting (P), or tonic (sustained) (T) discharge. T-units are more sharply tuned and are more sensitive than P-units. Only one class of organs,P or partially adapting units, have been found inApteronotus and phase-locking is less evident than it is in other species.
The impact of source of income laws on voucher utilization

Vouchers are lauded both for being the most efficient way of delivering housing assistance to needy households and for the potential to allow poor households to access better neighborhoods. The success of vouchers is of course predicated on recipients being able to successfully use a voucher. For a number of reasons, including discrimination by landlords on the basis of source of income (i.e. a voucher), voucher recipients frequently cannot find apartments to lease. Using a difference-in-differences approach the research reported here examines how Source of Income anti-discrimination laws affect the utilization of housing vouchers. The findings indicate that utilization rates are higher among Local Housing Authorities in jurisdictions with Source of Income anti-discrimination laws. These findings suggest such laws can be an effective tool for increasing the rate at which vouchers are successfully utilized. In a time of scarce resources for affordable housing this is an important policy tool that should no...
A comparison of the rates of clot lysis in a plasma milieu induced by tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and rec-pro-urokinase: Evidence that t-PA has a more restricted mode of action

Abstract Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and pro-urokinase (pro-UK) were previously found to have distinct and complementary mechanisms of action in a plasma milieu. The t-PA activated primarily plasminogen bound to intact fibrin (internal lysine-bound), whereas pro-UK activated plasminogen bound to partially degraded fibrin (C-terminal lysine-bound). These observations therefore suggested that each of these activators was restricted in its fibrin-dependent lytic effect. At least this is true at activator concentrations where activation of plasminogen is strictly fibrin dependent; at some high concentration all plasminogen is activated including free plasminogen in the ambient plasma. However, since some pro-UK is converted to UK at the plasmin rich fibrin surface during the course of lysis and since UK is a non-selective plasminogen activator, the pro-UK/UK system should not be similarly restricted. The present study was therefore designed to examine whether this is the case by determining the highest rates of lysis achievable at the threshold of specificity for t-PA and for pro-UK/UK respectively. Maximal rates of clot lysis by t-PA (0.1–5 μg/ml) and by rec-pro-UK (0.5–5 μg/ml) were determined and correlated with the degree of preservation of fibrinogen. The highest rate of clot lysis induced by a fibrin-specific ( 80% fibrinogen degradation. The highest fibrin-specific rate of lysis achievable with t-PA was only 42%/h. When a small amount of t-PA was added at intervals during clot lysis induced by rec-pro-UK, the t-PA significantly foreshortened the lag phase, but it did not enhance the maximal rate of clot lysis. By contrast, when rec-pro-UK was added during the course of clot lysis induced by a large, but fibrin-specific amount of t-PA, rec-pro-UK accelerated the rate of lysis thereby demonstrating the presence of some fibrin-bound plasminogen not activated by t-PA. The study indicates that in a plasma milieu t-PA is more restricted in its action and activates only about half the fibrin-bound plasminogen which is activated by rec-pro-UK/UK.
Enhancing model interaction with immersive and tangible representations: a case study using the lotka-volterra model

Dynamic computer simulations seek to engage the viewer by providing an intuitive representational mapping of common knowledge features to new knowledge concepts. Our research aims to provide enhanced understanding of complex systems through participatory interaction with our dynamic simulation models. Previous research has indicated that virtual and tangible models are well suited for use in informal education spaces, as they increase user interaction and curiosity amongst children and adults. We designed and implemented an interactive virtual environment as well as an interactive tangible "water computer" to represent the complex interspecies behavior of Lotka-Volterra predator-prey dynamic system. We designed our simulation models for use in informal STEM education settings, with a design focus on enhanced interactions and reflexive thinking.
Bayesian rule learning for biomedical data mining

Motivation: Disease state prediction from biomarker profiling studies is an important problem because more accurate classification models will potentially lead to the discovery of better, more discriminative markers. Data mining methods are routinely applied to such analyses of biomedical datasets generated from high-throughput ‘omic’ technologies applied to clinical samples from tissues or bodily fluids. Past work has demonstrated that rule models can be successfully applied to this problem, since they can produce understandable models that facilitate review of discriminative biomarkers by biomedical scientists. While many rule-based methods produce rules that make predictions under uncertainty, they typically do not quantify the uncertainty in the validity of the rule itself. This article describes an approach that uses a Bayesian score to evaluate rule models. Results: We have combined the expressiveness of rules with the mathematical rigor of Bayesian networks (BNs) to develop and evaluate a Bayesian rule learning (BRL) system. This system utilizes a novel variant of the K2 algorithm for building BNs from the training data to provide probabilistic scores for IF-antecedent-THEN-consequent rules using heuristic best-first search. We then apply rule-based inference to evaluate the learned models during 10-fold cross-validation performed two times. The BRL system is evaluated on 24 published ‘omic’ datasets, and on average it performs on par or better than other readily available rule learning methods. Moreover, BRL produces models that contain on average 70% fewer variables, which means that the biomarker panels for disease prediction contain fewer markers for further verification and validation by bench scientists. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The defensibility of Zoroastrian dualism

Contemporary philosophical discussion of religion neglects dualistic religions: although Manichaeism from time to time is accorded mention, Zoroastrianism, a more plausible form of religious dualism, is almost entirely ignored. We seek to change this state of affairs. To this end we (1) present the basic tenets of Zoroastrian dualism, (2) argue that objections to the Zoroastrian conception of God are less strong than typically imagined, (3) argue that objections to the Zoroastrian conception of the devil (and evil) are less strong than typically imagined, and (4) offer some brief concluding thoughts.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Abused and Neglected Children Grown Up

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the extent to which childhood abuse and neglect increase a person’s risk for subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to determine whether the relationship to PTSD persists despite controls for family, individual, and lifestyle characteristics associated with both childhood victimization and PTSD. METHOD: Victims of substantiated child abuse and neglect from 1967 to 1971 in a Midwestern metropolitan county area were matched on the basis of age, race, sex, and approximate family socioeconomic class with a group of nonabused and nonneglected children and followed prospectively into young adulthood. Subjects (N=1,196) were located and administered a 2-hour interview that included the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule to assess PTSD. RESULTS: Childhood victimization was associated with increased risk for lifetime and current PTSD. Slightly more than a third of the childhood victims of sexual abuse (37.5%), 32.7% of...
Male breast uptake of 99m-Tc sestamibi in myocardial perfusion imaging.

Standard interpretation of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) studies include analysis of the rest and stress perfusion images as well as evaluation of left ventricular function. However, it is also important to carefully review the rotating cinematic raw projections “rotatograms” for factors that may influence the interpretation and non-cardiac findings. Non-cardiac findings from rotating cinematic images have identified both benign and malignant conditions [1,2]. We report two male patients who underwent stress technetium 99m sestamibi SPECT and were found to have increased focal tracer uptake identified in the breast region on the rotating cine images; case 1 had a diagnosis of invasive ductal adenocarcinoma of the breast and case 2 had bilateral gynecomastia. An 87 year old male with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and stroke underwent a Tc-99m sestamibi adenosine MPI for evaluation of exertional dyspnea. He denied any prior history of coronary artery disease or malignancy. The patient received 405 MBq of Tc-99m sestamibi at rest and 1163 MBq of Tc-99m for gated stress SPECT imaging with a dual head gamma camera (E-CAM; Siemens Medical systems, Inc.). Themyocardial perfusion imageswere normal. However, review of the rotating cinematic images demonstrated focal extracardiac radiotracer uptake in the right breast region (Fig. 1A). Subsequent evaluation with a CT of the chest revealed an 18×15 mm
Calculation of the ionization constant of H2O to 2,273 K and 500 MPa

Calculations of the ionization constant of H2O are presented for densities ranging from those of subcritical water to those of supercritical steam. A recently-proposed semicontinuum model is used to calculate the standard-state hydration properties for the ions, H3O+, and OH− (Tanger and Pitzer, 1989). Calculated ionization constants are in good agreement with reported measurements at pressures from vapor-liquid saturation to 500 MPa and temperatures from 273 to 1,073 K. These measurements cover H2O densities ranging from ∼ 1,000 to 450 kg · m−3. At H2O densities less than 400 kg · m−3, our calculated ionization constants should be more reliable than those obtained from the commonly-used equation of Marshall and Franck (1981).
Crystalline Forms of Lactose Produced in Acidic Alcoholic Media

Crystalline forms of lactose containing both anomers in the ratios α:β= 4:1 or α:β= 5:3, prepared previously by treatment of α-lactose monohydrate at 27°C with hydrogen chloride in methanol or 99 wt% aqueous methanol, respectively, are also formed when the reactions, are performed at reflux. The products from α-lactose monohydrate in acidic ethanol or 99 wt% aqueous ethanol at 27°C are lactose with α:β= 5:3 or anhydrous α-lactose, respectively. In acidic, absolute or 99 wt% aqueous ethanolic or methanolic media at -20°C, the product is anhydrous a-lactose. The reactions are considered to be solid-solid transformations, and the products from a-lactose monohydrate depend on the extent of anomerization during loss of water of crystallization. X-Ray powder diffraction measurements are of most value in the identification of the various crystalline forms of lactose.
Evolution of optimal projection axes (OPA) for face recognition

The paper describes a novel approach called Optimal Projection Axes (OPA) for face recognition. OPA works by searching through all the rotations defined over whitened principal component analysis (PCA) subspaces. Whitening, which does not preserve norms, plays a dual role: (i) counteracts the fact that the mean square error (MSE) principle underlying PCA preferentially weights low frequencies; and (ii) increases the reachable space of solutions to include non orthogonal bases. Better performance from non orthogonal bases over orthogonal ones is expected as they lead to an overcomplete and robust representational space. As the search space is too large for any systematic search, stochastic and directed ("greedy") search is undertaken using evolution in the form of genetic algorithms (GAs). Evolution is driven by a fitness function defined in terms of performance accuracy and class separation (scatter index). Accuracy indicates the extent to which learning has been successful so far while the scatter index gives an indication of the expected fitness on future trials. Experiments carried out using 1107 facial images corresponding to 369 subjects (with 169 subjects having duplicated images) from the FERET database show that OPA yields improved performance over the eigenface and MDF (Most Discriminant Features) methods.