cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The archaeological site of Sagalassos (Turkey): exploring the mysteries of the invisible layers using geophysical methods

The archaeological site of Sagalassos is a very important settlement located in a magnificent mountain landscape, 7 km north from a village named Aglasun (province of Burdur, south-west Turkey). Since 1990, the University of Leuven (Belgium) has carried out an interdisciplinary archaeological research program that studies >1000 years of uninterrupted human occupation in Sagalassos, concerning all historical aspects of daily life from architecture, to trade and its mechanisms and environmental conditions. The ancient Roman city is covered by layers of eroded soil that has preserved many secrets waiting to be revealed. A geophysical campaign was planned along the south facing terraces of the mountain slopes to highlight the structure of the city that remains covered in soil. Site conditions (high slope, high grass, several obstacles) and the need to investigate to depths greater than 20 m influenced the choice of geophysical methods; we chose to use both passive and active electrical resistivity tomography. Three different areas, labelled Area 1, Area 2 and Area 3, were investigated, with results revealing information about the location, depth, size and extent of buried archaeological features. Of particular interest is the presence of: (i) a deep depression in Area 1, thought to be a clay quarry; (ii) a number of tombs related to the Byzantine period in Area 2; and (iii) defensive walls in Area 3.
Redox-Sensitive Innate Immune Pathways During Macrophage Activation in Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract Significance: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease resulting in β-cell destruction mediated by islet-infiltrating leukocytes. The role of oxidative stress in human and murine models of T1D is highly significant as these noxious molecules contribute to diabetic complications and β-cell lysis, but their direct impact on dysregulated autoimmune responses is highly understudied. Pro-inflammatory macrophages play a vital role in the initiation and effector phases of T1D by producing free radicals and pro-inflammatory cytokines to facilitate β-cell destruction and to present antigen to autoreactive T cells. Recent Advances: Redox modulation of macrophage functions may play critical roles in autoimmunity. These include enhancing pro-inflammatory innate immune signaling pathways in response to environmental triggers, enforcing an M1 macrophage differentiation program, controlling antigen processing, and altering peptide recognition by oxidative post-translational modification. Therefore, an oxi...
A Review of Salivary Gland Malignancies: Common Histologic Types, Anatomic Considerations, and Imaging Strategies

Major and minor salivary gland malignancies come in various shapes and sizes. They can present as palpable masses or can be detected incidentally when imaging patients for other indications. A complete evaluation of salivary gland malignancies requires knowledge of the anatomy and various routes of spread of neoplasias. Computed tomography (CT) and MR imaging are complementary tools in this respect and offer useful information to the proceduralist. Advanced imaging (diffusion-weighted imaging and PET-CT) and other modalities (eg, ultrasound) help with characterization, although biopsy or excision is often needed for definitive tissue diagnosis.
Dr. Johnson and Dr. Bahçe-Altuntaş reply.

We appreciate the interest in our editorial1 regarding Dr. Stamp’s study of joint replacement rates in New Zealand2, as expressed by Dr. Boers3. We are happy to have opened an international dialogue regarding barriers to access to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD). We agree with Dr. Boers that the high price of bDMARD is a … Address correspondence to Dr. B.K. Johnson, Jacobi/NCB, Rheumatology, 1400 Pelham Parkway, South Building 1, Suite 306, New York, New York 10461, USA. E-mail: beverly.johnson06{at}gmail.com
Surfing the New Wave: Shakespeare with an Australian accent

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the evolution of Australian approaches to the production of Shakespeare’s plays during and following the New Wave period. Theatre is a barometer and instigator of social change. By mapping Australia’s evolving sense of national identity and its changing relationship with its colonial masters against changes on the stage, we can gain insight into Australia’s evolving cultural relationship with Shakespeare. Tracing the trend from reverence to irreverence to ownership, this paper supplies a background to this evolution that continues to play out on the stage in contemporary Australian productions of Shakespeare.
Gender Differences in Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among women globally, majority of which are due to ischemic heart disease. Despite the recent advances in the overall management of CVD, there are unique challenges in the diagnosis and management of women as well as poorer outcomes. Women with ischemic cardiomyopathy experience significant morbidity and mortality. Differences in underlying pathology, delays in presentation, diagnosis, and treatment as well as the under-representation of women in clinical trials contribute to these poor outcomes. In this review, we discuss the nuances of gender-specific differences in the burden, clinical presentation, and outcomes of ischemic cardiomyopathy in women, in addition to discussion of areas needing further research.
Hyperthermia prevents metabolic and cerebral flow responses to hypoxia in the fetal sheep.

Fetal brain temperature has been found to decrease during hypoxia, strongly suggesting a reduction in cerebral O2 consumption and increases in cerebral blood flow. These responses may protect the brain in part against hypoxic injury. This study was undertaken to examine whether these compensatory mechanisms are lost during fetal hyperthemia. Intermittent fetal hypoxemia was induced by administering low-O2 gas mixtures to nine neart-term ewes Fetal brain and body core temperature responses were measured with and without fetal hyperthermia induced by circulating warm water through a plastic coil looped about the fetus in utero. In normothermic fetuses, fetal brain temperature relative to core decreased during a 30-minute period of hypoxia and then returned to normal during recovceyr. This response may be explaiend by a combination of cerebral hypometabolism and increased cerebral blood flow. However, in hyperthemic fetuses (intrauterine warming for 1 hour, raising body core and brain temperatures 0.66 ± 0.06 and 0.61 ± 0.10C, respectively) a subsequent period of hypoxia no longer induced a reduction in brain temperature relative to body core. When temperature of the fetal sheep is elevated, as may occur with maternal fever, prolonged exercise, and elevated environmental temperatures, the fetal brain is less well protected against hypoxic injury.
Using Information Theory to Evaluate Directional Precipitation Interactions Over the West Sahel Region in Observations and Models

Author(s): Liu, BY; Zhu, Q; Riley, WJ; Zhao, L; Ma, H; Van Gordon, M; Larsen, L | Abstract: Water availability has historically been one of the most significant threats to African regional social and economic well-being. Over the Sahel region, a megadrought during the 1960s and 1970s induced by an abrupt and substantial rainfall reduction caused widespread famine and death. The postdrought recovery, which is still ongoing, has been characterized by gradual increases in rainfall, but with dramatic fluctuations. The large negative human impacts, slow recovery, and variability raise important questions of why and how rainfall dynamics evolve and interact with other components of the regional climate system. Here we provide an observational assessment of rainfall interactions mechanisms (informed by directional transfer of information entropy) that regulate Sahel rainfall. We quantitatively demonstrate that (1) sea surface temperature over the Gulf of Guinea controls moisture advection and transport to the West Sahel region and (2) strong bidirectional interactions exist between local vegetation dynamics and rainfall patterns. Then we assess the directional interaction patterns from nine state-of-the-art Earth System Models (ESMs). We find that most ESMs are able to represent either the unidirectional control of sea surface temperature on precipitation or the bidirectional interaction between vegetation and precipitation. However, none of the ESMs represents both interactive patterns. The GFDL and IPSL-CM5A-LR models successfully reproduced observed patterns over ~50% of the West Sahel region but were not accurate in reproducing observed precipitation regional trends or interannual variation. We propose that the directional information transfer is a powerful mechanistic benchmark to assess model fidelity at the process level.
A conceptual model for understanding post-release opioid-related overdose risk

Post-release opioid-related overdose mortality is the leading cause of death among people released from jails or prisons (PRJP). Informed by the proximate determinants framework, this paper presents the Post-Release Opioid-Related Overdose Risk Model. It explores the underlying, intermediate, proximate and biological determinants which contribute to risk of post-release opioid-related overdose mortality. PRJP share the underlying exposure of incarceration and the increased prevalence of several moderators (chronic pain, HIV infection, trauma, race, and suicidality) of the risk of opioid-related overdose. Intermediate determinants following release from the criminal justice system include disruption of social networks, interruptions in medical care, poverty, and stigma which exacerbate underlying, and highly prevalent, substance use and mental health disorders. Subsequent proximate determinants include interruptions in substance use treatment, including access to medications for opioid use disorder, polypharmacy, polydrug use, insufficient naloxone access, and a return to solitary opioid use. This leads to the final biological determinant of reduced respiratory tolerance and finally opioid-related overdose mortality. Mitigating the risk of opioid-related overdose mortality among PRJP will require improved coordination across criminal justice, health, and community organizations to reduce barriers to social services, ensure access to health insurance, and reduce interruptions in care continuity and reduce stigma. Healthcare services and harm reduction strategies, such as safe injection sites, should be tailored to the needs of PRJP. Expanding access to opioid agonist therapy and naloxone around the post-release period could reduce overdose deaths. Programs are also needed to divert individuals with substance use disorder away from the criminal justice system and into treatment and social services, preventing incarceration exposure.
Chronic exposure to environmental concentrations of phenanthrene impairs zebrafish reproduction.

Abstract Phenanthrene (PHE) is a tricyclic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon which distributed extensively in the aquatic environment. However, the knowledge about its impact on fish reproduction is still limited, particularly under a chronic exposure regime. In this study, we exposed zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.2, 1.0, and 5.0 μg/L) of PHE for 4 months and assessed the impact on reproduction. The results demonstrated that egg production was decreased in fish exposed to PHE, with a significant reduction at 5.0 μg/L. The exposure significantly decreased the circulating concentrations of estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) in female fish or E2 in male fish. In addition, plasma vitellogenin levels were significantly inhibited after PHE exposure in female fish. The transcription of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis related genes (GnRH2, FSHβ, LHβ, 17β-HSD, CYP11A1, and CYP19a) were significantly altered in a sex-specific manner. In addition, embryos derived from exposed parents exhibited increased malformation and decreased hatching success in the F1 generation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that chronic exposure to environmentally relevant concentration of PHE could cause adverse effects on reproduction and impair the development of offspring, ultimately leading to fish population decline in aquatic environment.
Generalized Exponential Concentration Inequality for Renyi Divergence Estimation

Estimating divergences in a consistent way is of great importance in many machine learning tasks. Although this is a fundamental problem in nonparametric statistics, to the best of our knowledge there has been no finite sample exponential inequality convergence bound derived for any divergence estimators. The main contribution of our work is to provide such a bound for an estimator of Renyi-α divergence for a smooth Holder class of densities on the d-dimensional unit cube [0, 1]d. We also illustrate our theoretical results with a numerical experiment.
Induction of Labor versus Cesarean Delivery in Twin Pregnancies.

Objective This study was aimed to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes between women with twin pregnancies who underwent induction of labor with those women who had planned Cesarean delivery (CD). Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of women with twin pregnancies ≥ 24 weeks with an indication for delivery but not in labor. Two groups were examined, women who underwent induction and women who underwent planned CD. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared between groups both for deliveries at gestational age ≥ 37 weeks and Results A total of 453 patients were included. Overall, 212 (46.8%) women underwent induction and 241 (53.2%) underwent planned CD. Women who underwent induction of labor had a high rate of VD, both in the term and preterm groups (69.8 and 73.6%, respectively). Women who underwent induction of labor had reduced maternal length of stay, neonatal length of stay, and blood loss, without any increase in adverse outcomes. Neonatal ventilation of either twin delivered Conclusion Labor induction in twin gestations have improved maternal outcomes and similar neonatal outcomes compared with planned CD.
Forecasting electronic waste flows for effective circular economy planning

Abstract Rapid evolution in the consumer electronics sector has created new resource and waste challenges that are inadequately managed in the current linear product system. Circular economy (CE) strategies offer potential to close the loop on electronic products and materials, but often lack the future-oriented perspective needed to keep pace with this dynamic sector. The present study addresses this challenge by developing a logistic forecasting material flow model that can predict future resource and waste flows for products with abundant historic sales data (mature products) as well as for products that have just entered the market (emerging products). One of the key trends observed across current and legacy electronics is the steadily shrinking innovation cycle, where the time between a product’s market entry and peak sales is decreasing over time. This trend, coupled with extensive historic and modern product sales data, was used to create adoption scenario forecasts for emerging products, like fitness trackers, smart thermostats, and drones. Findings show that these devices are likely to have rapid uptake in the market, but may be quickly replaced by subsequent product innovations. In contrast, waste flow forecasts for mature products like CRTs, desktops, monitors and flat panel TVs showed their declining contribution to the U.S. e-waste stream. This study contributes a modeling framework that can be used to inform CE strategies in electronics by identifying near term opportunities and risks in end-of-life management of products to extend product life and close the loop on key materials.
Assessment of emotion and emotion-related processes in PTSD

Abstract This chapter reviews methods for assessing emotions and emotion-related processes in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We present brief descriptions of emotions including anger, anxiety, fear, guilt, sadness, shame, guilt, and anger and offer recommendations for their measurement. We also review assessment strategies for emotion-related processes that are particularly relevant to PTSD presentations, including alexithymia, anhedonia, anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and experiential avoidance. All assessment strategies were identified based on the available literature and the frequency of their use with trauma samples. For most constructs, we present recommendations and descriptions for self-report questionnaires although, where appropriate, we also describe lab-based or behavioral measures. Brief psychometric information and administration details are also provided.
Occupational therapists’ use of yoga in post-stroke care: A descriptive qualitative study:

IntroductionOver the past decade, yoga has gained popularity in health care. The benefits of yoga can go beyond the physical to address the psychosocial and emotional. Such gains can be beneficial ...
Midnight Report: A Novel Faculty-Guided Night Curriculum to Enhance Resident Nighttime Education.

Objectives A large discrepancy exists in resident educational activities between daytime and nighttime medical rotations. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty-hour regulations led to the increased adoption of the dedicated nighttime rotation called night float. Nighttime education has largely been negatively perceived by night float medical residents. Although there have been attempts to improve nighttime education, none of the initiatives included faculty-guided structured night curriculum. Our objective was to improve resident experience with and perception of nighttime education by implementing a structured, faculty-guided, nighttime educational curriculum. Methods This was an assessment of an educational initiative at a single academic medical center, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. The internal medicine residency program implemented a teaching nocturnist program in 2013 and a novel faculty-guided nighttime teaching curriculum in 2016 called midnight report. We then evaluated resident experience with and perception of nighttime education at our institution using anonymous free-response surveys for the academic year July 2016-June 2017. Results Of the 142 eligible residents, 95 (67%) responded to the survey. The majority of the residents (54%-77%) positively perceived their experience of the nighttime educational environment during their night float rotation after implementation of the teaching nocturnist program and midnight report. Conclusions Compared with the published literature reporting negative perceptions of the nighttime educational environment by residents at different academic centers, our results showed that the majority of our residents positively perceived the impact of our new faculty-guided nighttime educational curriculum.
Performance of fiber-reinforced concrete link slabs with embedded steel and GFRP rebars

Abstract Expansion joints in bridge superstructures are often difficult to maintain, leading to the problems associated with water leakage and debris accumulation. As a potential solution, link slabs can be placed at the expansion joints, providing a continuous deck system. Despite the promise of such a system, there have been standing questions on the materials of choice and structural configurations appropriate for link slabs, especially in their transition zone from the bridge deck to their debonded region. This motivated the current study to investigate various reinforcement alternatives using full-scale laboratory tests and numerical simulations. To achieve a satisfactory crack resistance, a fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) mixture was developed for the tested link slabs. In addition, two rebar alternatives, i.e., steel and GFRP rebars, were evaluated to ensure a proper transfer of stresses induced by negative bending moments (due to continuity) and to limit the width of cracks on the top surface of the link slabs, where they are directly exposed to water and deleterious agents. The full-scale performance was examined under increasing vertical loads applied to the midpoint of two individual spans connected by a link slab. This included an investigation of various structural response measures, such as strains in the FRC and embedded rebars. The study was then extended by performing a set of finite-element simulations to understand the effects of reinforcement details. The outcome of this study provided holistic information on how flexible link slabs can be utilized for jointless bridge superstructures, addressing the concerns regarding their performance and durability.
Toward Better Use of Data in Linear Bandits

In this paper, we study the well-known stochastic linear bandit problem where a decision-maker sequentially chooses among a set of given actions, observes their noisy reward, and aims to maximize her cumulative expected reward over a horizon of length $T$. In this paper, we first introduce a general analysis framework and a family of rate optimal algorithms for the problem. We show that this family of algorithms includes well-known algorithms such as optimism in the face of uncertainty linear bandit (OFUL) and Thompson sampling (TS) as special cases. The proposed analysis technique directly captures complexity of uncertainty in the action sets that we show is tied to regret analysis of any policy. This insight allows us to design a new rate-optimal policy, called Sieved-Greedy (SG), that reduces the over-exploration problem in existing algorithms. SG utilizes data to discard the actions with relatively low uncertainty and then choosing one among the remaining actions greedily. In addition to proving that SG is theoretically rate-optimal, our empirical simulations show that SG significantly outperforms existing benchmarks such as greedy, OFUL, and TS. Moreover, our analysis technique yields a number of new results such as obtaining poly-logarithmic (in $T$) regret bounds for OFUL and TS, under a generalized gap assumption and a margin condition, as in literature on contextual bandits. We also improve regret bounds of these algorithms for the sub-class of $k$-armed contextual bandit problems by a factor $\sqrt{k}$.
Combined effects of permeability and ﬂuid saturation on seismic wave dispersion and attenuation in partially-saturated sandstone

Knowledge of dispersion and attenuation is essential for better reservoir characterization and hydrocarbon identiﬁcation. However, limited by reliable laboratory data at seismic frequency bands, the roles of rock and ﬂuid properties in inducing dispersion and attenuation are still poorly understood. Here we perform a series of laboratory measurements on Bentheimer and Bandera sandstone under both vacuum-dry and partially water-saturated conditions at frequencies ranging from 2 to 600 Hz. At vacuum-dry conditions, the bulk dispersion and attenuation in Bandera sandstone with more clay contents are distinctly larger than those in Bentheimer sandstone, suggesting clay contents might contribute to the inelasticity of the rock frame. The partially water-saturated results show the combined effects of rock permeability and ﬂuid saturation on bulk dispersion and attenuation. Even a few percent of gas can substantially dominate the pore-ﬂuid relaxation by providing a quick and short communication path for pore pressure gradients. The consequent bulk dispersion and attenuation are negligible. Only as the samples are approaching fully water-saturated conditions, rock permeability begins to play an essential role in the pore-ﬂuid relaxation. For Bandera sandstone with lower permeability, a partially relaxed status of pore ﬂuids is achieved when the gas saturation is lower than 5%, accompanied by signiﬁcant attenuation and dispersion. Cited as : Wei, Q., Wang, Y., Han, D., Sun, M., Huang, Q. Combined effects of permeability and ﬂuid saturation on seismic wave dispersion and attenuation in partially-saturated sandstone. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2021, 5(2): 181-190, doi: 10.46690/ager.2021.02.07
Treatment with the Immunomodulator AIC649 in Combination with Entecavir Produces Antiviral Efficacy in the Woodchuck Model of Chronic Hepatitis B

As current interventions for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) rarely induce cure, more effective drugs are needed. Short-term treatment of woodchucks with the novel immunomodulator AIC649, a parapoxvirus-based stimulator of toll-like receptor 9 dependent and independent pathways, has been shown to reduce viral DNA and surface antigen via a unique, biphasic response pattern. The present study evaluated long-term AIC649 treatment in combination with Entecavir for potency and safety in woodchucks. AIC649 monotreatment induced modest reductions in serum viral DNA and surface and e antigens that were associated with the same biphasic response pattern previously observed. Entecavir monotreatment reduced transiently viremia but not antigenemia, while AIC649/Entecavir combination treatment mediated superior viral control. Undetectability of viral antigens and elicitation of antibodies in AIC649/Entecavir-treated woodchucks correlated with the expression of interferons and suppression of viral replication in liver. Combination treatment was well tolerated, and liver enzyme elevations were minor and transient. It was concluded that the AIC649-mediated effects were most likely based on an improvement and/or reconstitution of antiviral immune responses that are typically deficient in CHB. As a combination partner to Entecavir, the antiviral efficacy of AIC649 was markedly enhanced. This preclinical study supports future evaluation of AIC649 for treatment of human CHB.
Internet Access and Electoral Participation in Colombia: Voter Apathy at the Polls.

This paper studies the effect of expanding internet access on electoral outcomes at the municipality level in Colombia. I use a difference-in-differences strategy that compares electoral outcomes in municipalities that received the internet right before the presidential election, with those that received it afterwards. I find that internet access reduced political participation at the polls. This behavior is reflected in a decrease in voter turnout, a decrease in the number of votes for candidates and an increase in blank votes. This apathetic behavior was motivated by the lack of trust in the government institutions, and the low enforcement in policies against corruption from the politicians.
Purification and properties of protoporphyrinogen oxidase from an anaerobic bacterium, Desulfovibrio gigas.

Abstract Protoporphyrinogen oxidase has been solubilized from plasma membranes of Desulfovibrio gigas. The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity with single silver-stained protein bands on isoelectric focusing and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. This protoporphyrinogen oxidase has a molecular weight (Mr) of 148,000 and is composed of three dissimilar subunits of Mrs 12,000, 18,500, and 57,000, which are held together by sulfhydryl bonds. Unlike other protoporphyrinogen oxidases, which use molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor, this enzyme does not couple to oxygen. The protoporphyrinogen oxidase donates electrons to 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol but not to NAD+, NADP+, flavin adenine dinucleotide, or flavin mononucleotide. The natural physiological electron acceptor of the protoporphyrinogen oxidase from D. gigas is unknown. By using 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol as the electron acceptor, the Km and Vmax values for oxidation of protoporphyrinogen were determined to be 21 microM and 8.38 nmol/min per 70 micrograms of protein, respectively. The catalytic rate constant, Kcat, was calculated to be 17.7 mol of protoporphyrin formed per mole of enzyme per min of incubation, and the Kcat/Km was 0.84. Energies of activation were calculated from Arrhenius plots with 7,429 cal (ca. 31,080 J)/mol per degree below 10 degrees C and 1,455 cal (ca. 6,088, J)/mol per degree above 10 degrees C. Optimum enzyme activity was at 23 degrees C, and inhibition was observed with both N-ethylmaleimide and iodoacetamide.
On the Importance of an End-To-End View of Memory Consistency in Future Computer Systems

The main purpose of a memory consistency model is to serve as an agreement between hardware system designers and software developers on the semantics of memory operations so as to ensure correct execution of user programs. However, the bulk of past work on memory consistency models has been pursued from the hardware viewpoint. In this viewpoint, a memory consistency model is used to specify certain behavioral properties that are guaranteed by uniprocessor/multiprocessor hardware e.g., the memory coherence property. In this paper, we argue that it is essential to adopt an end-to-end view of memory consistency that can be understood at all levels of software and hardware. We believe that this is possible with a memory consistency model based on partial order execution semantics — such as the Location Consistency (LC) model — rather than on the memory coherence assumption.
“Lunacy” in Mentally Disturbed Children

“Lunacy” is defined as “intermittent insanity, formerly believed to be related to the phases of the moon”. The cultural belief that mental illness is related to the moon has been passed down from generations for thousands of years. I have worked in psychiatric hospitals for over twenty-five years and have been director of an inpatient adolescent service since 1987, and still this belief persists among hospital staff, patients, and their families. This presentation will examine issues around this relation between lunar cycles and mental illness with a focus on children.
Pure L-Functions from Algebraic Geometry over Finite Fields

This survey gives a concrete and intuitively self-contained introduction to the theory of pure L-functions arising from a family of algebraic varieties defined over a finite field of characteristic p. The standard fundamental questions in any theory of L-functions include the meromorphic continuation, functional equation, Riemann hypothesis (RH for short), order of zeros at special points and their special values. Our emphasis here will be on the meromorphic continuation and the RH. These two questions can be described in a general setup without introducing highly technical terms.
Braingrafts: Potential therapy in neurodegenerative diseases and in understanding normal aging in the CNS

Abstract In addition to potentially improving the symptoms and the course of certain neurodegenerative diseases, brain tissue grafts may have even greater importance in the study of factors that lead to age-related alterations in the brain. Several strategies for studying this possibility are discussed.
Second osmotic virial coefficient from the two-component van der Waals equation of state.

The second osmotic virial coefficient is in principle obtained from the second-order term in the expansion of the osmotic pressure Π or solute activity z2 in powers of the solute density ρ2 at fixed solvent activity z1 and temperature T. It is remarked that the second-order terms in the analogous expansions at fixed pressure p or at liquid–vapor coexistence instead of at fixed z1 also provide measures of the effective, solvent-mediated solute–solute interactions, but these are different measures. It is shown here how the function z2(ρ2, z1, T) required to obtain the second osmotic virial coefficient B from an expansion in ρ2 may be obtained from an equation of state of the form p = p(ρ1, ρ2, T) with ρ1 the solvent density, and also how the analogous coefficient B′ in the fixed-p expansion may be so obtained. The magnitude of the difference B – B′ is often much smaller than that of B and B′ separately, so B′ is sometimes an acceptable approximation to B. That is not true of the analogous coefficient in the...
Hand-Tripped Flowers Promote Seed Production in Arachis lignosa, a Wild Peanut

Abstract In trials conducted in the greenhouse, growth chamber, and outdoors, no pegs or pods were produced when A. lignosa (Chod. et Hassl.) Krap. et Greg. nom. nud. plants were allowed to pollinate naturally. However, hand tripping flowers, especially in the greenhouse, resulted in significant increases in pod production. The results suggest that the high degree of reproductive sterility usually noted for A. lignosa in culture is due to pollination failure rather than to physiological self incompatibility. The somewhat truncated shape of the stigma and its elevated position relative to the anthers probably restricts natural self-pollination without the aid of pollinating vectors such as bees.
Decoupling Analysis of Economic Growth and Total Primary Energy Supply for the BRICS: 1971-2008

The decoupling conditions of GDP and Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) for the BRICS in the period 1971-2008 were analyzed. It is concluded that in the studied period, the decoupling indicators of China and Russia are relatively higher than that of Brazil, South Africa and India. The BRICS’s decoupling distribution is similar to China, because China accounts for most part of TPES and GDP of the BRICS. To restrain the total resource or energy consumption from increasing too fast, it is suggested to match the indicators of GDP growth and the decreasing rate of resource consumption per unit of GDP appropriately.
MAP5 expression in proliferating neuroblasts

MAP5, a microtubule-associated protein present in immature neurons, was found to be expressed in the embryonic mouse telencephalic ventricular zone (VZ). Since the VZ contains proliferating neuroblasts, the source of most of the neurons of the cerebral cortex, this observation raised the possibility that MAP5 is expressed by proliferating neuronal progenitors. MAP5-positive mitotic cells were observed at the ventricular surface, a finding consistent with progenitors expressing MAP5 prior to their last division. This possibility was investigated using dissociated, cortical cells in vitro by measuring the expression of MAP5 and the neuroepithelial marker nestin, together with the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), a thymidine analogue that labels the DNA of proliferating cells in the S-phase of the cell cycle. All of the proliferating cells expressed nestin. A population of MAP5-positive cells was also found to incorporate BrdU; some cells expressed MAP5 within 30 min of BrdU labeling. The results suggest that uncommitted neuroblasts express only nestin, with expression of MAP5 occurring near the time the cell commits to become a postmitotic neuron after the next cell division. Subsequently, cells expressing both MAP5 and nestin leave the cell cycle and exit the VZ, lose nestin, and differentiate into neurons. Since some cells expressed MAP5 during or shortly after S-phase but before mitosis, MAP5 may be the earliest marker to identify neuronal progenitors that will become post-mitotic neurons following their next mitosis.
Stability of keyhole in plasma arc welding

AbstractStability of the keyhole plays a fundamental role in producing quality welds in keyhole plasma arc welding. Some studies have assumed that keyhole diameter is a stability measurement. However, recent experimental observation by the authors revealed that width is not correlated with stability. To measure stability, this study uses the keyhole width as the lower limit of the weld pool width required to prevent keyhole collapse. Because the maximal width of the weld pool before burn-through is approximately fixed for particular applications, it can be used as the upper limit of the weld pool width for preventing burn-through. Hence, the margins of the keyhole process from collapse and burn-through can be measured based on how close the pool width is to its upper and lower limits. The stability distance and stability factor are then defined based on the margins to quantity the state of the stability of the keyhole process.
A model equatorial electrojet

Cross-sectional profile determination of equatorial electrojet for various longitudes along dip equator using set of Gauss coefficients for earth's magnetic field
Accurate solutions for transonic viscous flow over finite wings

An explicit multistage Runge-Kutta type time-stepping scheme is used for solving the three-dimensional, compressible, thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations. A finite-volume formulation is employed to facilitate treatment of complex grid topologies encountered in three-dimensional calculations. Convergence to steady state is expedited through usage of acceleration techniques. Further numerical efficiency is achieved through vectorization of the computer code. The accuracy of the overall scheme is evaluated by comparing the computed solutions with the experimental data for a finite wing under different test conditions in the transonic regime. A grid refinement study ir conducted to estimate the grid requirements for adequate resolution of salient features of such flows.
Efficacy Comparison of Scopolamine (SCP) and Diazepam (DZ) Against Soman-Induced Lethality in Guinea Pigs

ABSTRACTDiazepam (DZ) and scopolamine (SCP) are known to be beneficial when each is used in combination with atropine (AT) + oxime therapy against intoxication by soman, but the efficacy of each might be expected to vary with the dosage of AT. Thus, the therapeutic efficacy of SCP (5 doses; 0–0.86 mg/kg) versus DZ (5 doses; 0 - 5 mg/kg), when used in conjunction with AT (3 doses; 0.5 - 8 mg/kg) + 2-PAM (25 mg/kg) therapy, was tested in groups of pyridostigmine pretreated guinea pigs exposed to 1.6, 2.0, 2.5 or 3.2 LD50s of soman. Response surface methodology was employed to describe the relationship between lethality and the AT/DZ or AT/SCP dosages. Results show that within the indicated dose ranges used, the efficacy of SCP is not dependent on the presence of AT, whereas AT is needed for DZ to maintain die lowest probability of death. These findings suggest that in guinea pigs SCP could supplement AT or replace DZ as therapy against nerve agent intoxication.
Molecular and atomic adsorption of oxygen on the Pt(111) and Pt(S)-12(111) × (111) surfaces

Abstract Oxygen adsorption and desorption were studied on the Pt(111) and Pt(S)-12(111) × (111) surfaces over the 100 to 1300 K temperature range using thermal desorption. Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction. Isotope exchange experiments indicate that the low temperature desorption peak (150 K) results from molecular adsorption while the high temperature peak (400–600 K) results from atomic adsorption. Chemical titration experiments indicate that little or no dissociation of adsorbed molecular oxygen occurs at 100 K, that is, oxygen dissociation on platinum is activated. Adsorption into the molecular state is not activated as indicated by large initial sticking coefficients observed at 100 K. Molecular oxygen also adsorbs on these surfaces with preadsorbed (2 × 2) atomic oxygen overlayers. Adsorption of oxygen above 170 K proceeds rapidly to a coverage of about 3.8 × 1014 oxygen atoms cm 2 (the (2 × 2)O structure). Further oxygen can be adsorbed up to a coverage of about 8 × 10 14 atoms cm 2 using extended temperature cycling around 150 K or external atomization. The kinetics of desorption for both the low temperature and high temperature peaks are complex, making extraction of detailed information difficult. Adsorption of molecular oxygen on top of a previously formed (2 × 2)O structure results in simple desorption kinetics due to the drastically reduced probability of atomization during desorption.
Electron and positron channeling radiation from type-Ia and type-IIa diamonds☆

Abstract Planar channeling radiation spectra have been obtained from type-IIa and type-Ia diamonds with 54.5 and 30.5 MeV electrons and with 54.4 MeV positrons. Type-IIa diamonds are relatively free of impurities while Type-Ia diamonds contain “platelet defects” [N atoms bonded in the (100) plane]. For platelet free (type-IIa) diamond, theoretical calculations are found to fit experimental results quite well for electron channeling radiation. However, significant discrepancies (~ 5%) exist between the theoretical predictions and the positron data. Measurements on a type-Ia diamond show large differences in the planar channeling radiation spectra which are anisotropic and which depend upon whether electrons or positrons are used as a probe.
A Neural Network Solution to an Architectual Design Problem: Design of a light Shelf

The analysis and evaluation of light-shelves design are complex and involve numerous parameters. These features require the development of various methods and tools to help the designer analyse and evaluate the many possible configurations. Conventional statistical tools for generating performance algorithms are not easily adaptable to this problem due to the very large number of independent design variables involved in the equation. In this article Neural Networks (NNs) are introduced as a promising computation method for the analysis and evaluation of daylight illumination due to the light shelf. NNs are shown to have powerful capabilities for generalising a solution by learning a few examples, by associative and adaptive processing, and tolerating the fault inherited from incomplete data.
Limits on the Density of Intergalactic Ionized Hydrogen

OBSERVATIONS of background radiation at radio frequencies can be utilized to place limits on the amount of ionized hydrogen which exists in intergalactic space. For this purpose, I have calculated the intensity to be expected at low frequencies from cosmic sources in an Einstein–de Sitter universe. Intergalactic matter is assumed to possess the following properties: (1) The electron kinetic temperature is independent of time, as suggested by the form of the cosmic energy equation given by Layzer1. (2) Intergalactic matter is pure hydrogen (that is, no other source contributes electrons). (3) The electron density has attained its equilibrium value for specified temperature and density. (4) The electron temperature T > 104 °K (that is, hydrogen is ionized). (5) The electron temperature is much greater than the temperature appropriate to the radiation density. (6) The density of intergalactic hydrogen is a constant fraction, χ of the mean density, ρ¯, that is: where χ is ⩽ 1 and independent of time.
Sequence regularities and packing of collagen molecules.

Abstract Fourier analysis of sequences along edges of the type I collagen molecule constructed from two α1(I) and one α2 chains shows that the molecule is two-sided if the supercoil pitch of the α chains along the molecular axis, P, is 39 residues ( D 6 , where D = 234 residues or 67 nm). One side has alternating charged and hydrophobic regions with spacings of D 6 , while the other side has an excess of hydrophobic residues with a spacing of D 11 . These characteristics arise from sequence regularities in the α chains and the geometric relationship between the chains. The pattern is marginally strongest with α2 as chain 1. The D 6 sides could form the inside of a helical microfibril where contacts between molecules would fall P apart along the α chains. The D 11 sides could form the outside of the microfibril where contacts between microfibrils would be spaced apart by the α chain supercoil along the microfibril axis, P′. If the microfibril is a 54 helix of D-staggered collagen molecules with a left-handed supercoil of pitch 20D 11 , P′ is close to 2D 11 (43 residues). 2D 11 subsets in the α chains give rise to the D 11 spacing along the molecule. The microfibril has 41 screw symmetry satisfying X-ray diffraction evidence that microfibrils pack in a tetragonal unit cell. This model is the same as proposed previously by us ( Trus & Piez, 1976 : Piez & Trus, 1977 ) except that P = 39 rather than 30 residues. Contrary to our earlier assumption, P = 39 residues is within the range allowed by X-ray diffraction measurements. The present results favor P = 39 since it relates regularities in the α chain sequences to helical parameters in a direct way. Furthermore, model studies show that geometric arguments which support P = 30 are equally strong at P = 39 residues.
Increased-binding effects in the L-subshell ionization of Nd, Gd, and Er by charged particles

Abstract L-subshell X-ray production cross sections of Nd, Gd and Er for incident deuterons (0.30–1.00 MeV) and α particles (0.60–2.00 MeV) were measured using standard techniques. It is possible to isolate the Coulomb-deflection and increased-binding effects (which are a part of the perturbed stationary state (PSS) theoretical treatment of these phenomena) by forming ratios of the production cross sections for equal velocity pairs of incident particles (deuterons and protons for the Coulomb-deflection effect, α particles and deuterons for the increased-binding effect). The PSS theory provides a good fit to the experimental results for the Coulomb-deflection effect for all three Subshells for these same three elements [L.A. Rayburn, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B40/41 (1989) 113]; however, it does not provide a good fit for the increased-binding effect.
Streptomycin resistance in Rhizobium japonicum.

Mutants resistant to varying concentrations of streptomycin were recovered from two streptomycin-sensitive, effective nitrogen-fixing strains of Rhizobium japonicum. To determine if there were an upper limit of resistible antibiotic concentration, 3 mutants which were resistant to 10000 μg/ml were challenged by higher concentrations of streptomycin. Only one grew well at 25000 μg/ml, and none grew at 50000 μg/ml. All mutants maintained a smooth colonial morphology, and none exhibited streptomycin-dependence. Streptomycin-resistant mutants of both strains were examined for properties of infectivity and effectiveness. All mutants tested retained the symbiotic properties of the parental strains. The retention of these parental properties by the streptomycin-resistant mutants of R. japonicum is different from the properties described for phenotypically similar mutants in certain other rhizobial species.
Encrypted humor and social networks in rural Brazil

Abstract The encryption theory of humor ( Flamson & Barrett, 2008 ) proposes that one of the means by which people develop their social networks is assortment with the most compatible peers by signaling similarity in locally variable personal features through humor. Here we present experimental and observational evidence obtained on a collective farm in rural Brazil, where participants were presented with high- and low-encryption versions of jokes after assessing their prior knowledge, and completed a photo-sorting task to determine the structure of their social networks. These results, replicating previous findings using online surveys, demonstrated a significant effect of prior knowledge and some of the predicted interactions between prior knowledge and encryption level, as well as a small but significant effect of social closeness on similarity in joke ratings. Taken together, these findings support the hypotheses that (a) the cognitive processing of humor relies on an encryption–decryption process, (b) similarity in humor preferences reflects similarities in those cognitive processes and (c) that similarity plays a role in real-world social assortment.
Functional lysine modification by an intrinsically reactive primary glycolytic metabolite

The posttranslational modification of proteins and their regulation by metabolites represent conserved mechanisms in biology. At the confluence of these two processes, we report that the primary glycolytic intermediate 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate (1,3-BPG) reacts with select lysine residues in proteins to form 3-phosphoglyceryl-lysine (pgK). This reaction, which does not require enzyme catalysis, but rather exploits the electrophilicity of 1,3-BPG, was found by proteomic profiling to be enriched on diverse classes of proteins and prominently in or around the active sites of glycolytic enzymes. pgK modifications inhibit glycolytic enzymes and, in cells exposed to high glucose, accumulate on these enzymes to create a potential feedback mechanism that contributes to the buildup and redirection of glycolytic intermediates to alternate biosynthetic pathways.