cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
T cell repertoire analysis of non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant nivolumab alone or in combination with ipilimumab (NEOSTAR trial).

8532Background: Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are being explored in resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we studied the composition and changes in the T cell reper...
Molecular Design of Precise Network Polymerized Ionic Liquid Membranes for Toluene/Heptane Separations

Precise network polymerized ionic liquid membranes with tethered imidazolium cations, variable anion, and controlled cross-link density were developed to understand how molecular structure impacts ...
System Architecting Approach for Designing Deep Learning Models

Abstract Deep Learning (DL) models have proven to be very effective in solving many challenging problems, especially, those related to computer vision, text, and speech. However, the design of such models is challenging because of the vast search space and computational complexity that needs to be explored. Our goal in this paper is to reduce the human effort required to design architectures by using a system architecture development process that allows the exploration of large design space by automating certain model construction, alternative generation, and assessment. The proposed framework is generic and targeted at all deep learning architectures that can be expressed by logical models with certain numeric properties. The implementation of the proposed approach is presented, along with the test results achieved on CIFAR-10 dataset using a convolutional neural network (CNN). We show that the architecture generated by our approach achieves 5.23% error rate with only 1.2M parameters, which shows the capability to design high performing architectures.
Non-stationary Stochastic Network Optimization with Imperfect Estimations

We investigate the problem of stochastic network optimization in presence of non-stationarity and estimations of average states in the future. Specifically, we first prove that the widely-used Drift and Penalty Algorithm in the Lyapunov optimization framework works well for non-stationary systems with periodical states. However, when the system is not periodical, non-stationarity may lead to severe performance degradation, which motivates the design of a novel, online algorithm named DPNP that incorporates the estimations of average future states into the stochastic optimization framework for decision making. DPNP is an online algorithm that requires zero a-prior distributional information about estimation errors. DPNP not only has near-optimal theoretical performance guarantees, but also outperforms existing Drift and Penalty Algorithm in numerical simulations. The improvement of DPNP highlights the importance of combining historic and future state estimations in non-stationary stochastic network optimization.
A 28-nm Automotive Flash Microcontroller With Virtualization-Assisted Processor Supporting ISO26262 ASIL D

In the autonomous driving era, automotive architecture has been rapidly progressing toward electronic control unit (ECU) integration and centralization. Advanced vehicle control is becoming increasingly important for safe driving. It requires microcontroller unit (MCU) integration, the highest automotive safety integrity level (ASIL), and network performance improvement. A 28-nm 600-MHz automotive flash MCU has been developed for next-generation automotive architecture. The MCU for vehicle control integrates three key features: a virtualization-assisted processor (VAP) for functional safety, a built-in self-test in the field (field-BIST) at a sleep resume (SR) BIST for functional safety, and a serial gigabit media independent interface (SGMII) for the in-vehicle network. The VAP helps the hypervisor to realize real-time virtualization to execute several different virtual machines without interference. The SR-BIST realizes random hardware failures per hour of 10−8 in various automotive applications. In the SGMII circuit, we used 5-V transistors for high reliability despite their narrow bandwidth. The automotive MCU satisfies the ISO26262 ASIL D system requirements with a low power consumption of 0.52 W. The VAP can realize the severe automotive control hard real time capability.
The POP-DOC Loop: A continuous process for situational awareness and situational action

Abstract Among the most critical challenges crisis leaders face is evaluating “the situation”—what is happening and what to do about it. Extensive scholarship on Situational Awareness (SA) has identified a gap: a disciplined process for achieving accurate SA. Further, SA only addresses the first half of that situation equation; awareness is necessary, yet not sufficient, unless linked to and integrated with meaningful decisions and actions. The POP-DOC Loop is a six-step SA tool that combines analysis and action into a continuous process. The analytic side is Perceive, Orient, Predict. The Action side is Decide, Operationalize, Communicate. POP-DOC builds upon Boyd's Observe, Orient, Decide, Act, or OODA Loop. OODA evolves from and focuses upon military command-and-control contexts, though it is applied in other settings as well. The advance design of POP-DOC incorporates a wider range of human factors, including neuro- and decision science research, in order to equip leaders to build SA in high-stress, high-stakes, evolving, and unpredictable situations.
A Brief Overview of On-Chip Voltage Regulation in High-Performance and High-Density Integrated Circuits

With the increase of density and complexity of high performance integrated circuits and systems, including many-core chips and system-on-chip (SoC), it is becoming difficult to meet the power delivery and regulation requirements with off-chip regulators. The off-chip regulators become a less attractive choice because of the higher overheads and complexity imposed by the additional wires, pins, and pads. The increased $I^{2}R$ loss makes it challenging to maintain the integrity of different voltage domains under a lower supply voltage environment in the smaller technology nodes. Fully integrated on-chip voltage regulators have proven to be an effective solution to mitigate power delivery and integrity issues. Recently, there has been a surge of interest among the academic and industrial research communities to explore and design different types of on-chip voltage regulators. This survey presents a brief overview of the on-chip power delivery system and the classification and working principles of on-chip voltage regulators. The main focus of this review paper is to provide a comprehensive study of two of the most promising on-chip voltage regulators – (i) the low-drop-out (LDO) regulator and (ii) the switched-capacitor (SC) regulator. This article elaborates on the design specifications, optimization techniques, advantages, and limitations of LDO and SC type on-chip voltage regulators.
Pub/Sub in the Air: A Novel Data-centric Radio Supporting Robust Multicast in Edge Environments

Peer communication among edge devices (e.g., mobiles, vehicles, IoT and drones) is frequently data-centric: most important is obtaining data of desired content from suitable nodes; who generated or transmitted the data matters much less. Typical cases are robust one-to-many data sharing: e.g., a vehicle sending weather, road, position and speed data streams to nearby cars continuously. Unfortunately, existing address-based wireless communication is ill-suited for such purposes. We propose V-MAC, a novel data-centric radio that provides a pub/sub abstraction to replace the point-to-point abstraction in existing radios. It filters frames by data names instead of MAC addresses, thus eliminating complexities and latencies in neighbor discovery and group maintenance in existing radios. V-MAC supports robust, scalable and high rate multicast with consistently low losses across receivers of varying reception qualities. Experiments using a Raspberry Pi and a commodity WiFi dongle based prototype show that V-MAC reduces loss rate from WiFi broadcast’s 50–90% to 1–3% for up to 15 stationary receivers, 4–5 moving people, and miniature and real vehicles. It cuts down filtering latency from 20μs in WiFi to 10$\mu$ s for up to 2 million data names, and improves cross stack latency 60–100× for TX/RX paths. We have ported V-MAC to 4 major WiFi chipsets (including 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac radios), 6 different platforms (Android, embedded and FPGA systems), 7 Linux kernel versions, and validated up to 900Mbps multicast data rate and interoperation with regular WiFi. We will release V-MAC as a mature, reusable asset for edge computing research.
The Emergence of Hysteresis Monetarism

Economists since 2008 have been unable to answer a fundamental question related to economic growth policies in the United States. The question is: Why have the aggressive post Global Financial Crisis monetary policies not been able to stimulate even average historical economic growth? This working paper provides an initial answer to this question using the Investment Savings (IS) and Liquidity of Money (LM) model. The explanation for the shifting IS and LM curves is associated with the emergence of Hysteresis Monetarism. The initial analyses completed to date indicate that breakdowns in key monetary policy transmission mechanisms have occurred. This is primarily due to changes in household savings and business capital expenditures as business aspects of the Global Age of Information emerged. The practices of the Federal Reserve for the past fifty years clearly delineates its failure to address these changes.
Preclinical characterization of an intravenous coronavirus 3CL protease inhibitor for the potential treatment of COVID19.

COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has become a global pandemic. 3CL protease is a virally encoded protein that is essential across a broad spectrum of coronaviruses with no close human analogs. PF-00835231, a 3CL protease inhibitor, has exhibited potent in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 as a single agent. Here we report, the design and characterization of a phosphate prodrug PF-07304814 to enable the delivery and projected sustained systemic exposure in human of PF-00835231 to inhibit coronavirus family 3CL protease activity with selectivity over human host protease targets. Furthermore, we show that PF-00835231 has additive/synergistic activity in combination with remdesivir. We present the ADME, safety, in vitro, and in vivo antiviral activity data that supports the clinical evaluation of PF-07304814 as a potential COVID-19 treatment.
Local government records management: a case study of Bellingham, WA

While many authors have compiled guides and treatises on records management in general, employees of local governments such as counties and cities have a scarcity of sources to reference. Despite many local governments falling under the purview of their state archives or equivalent, specialized, practical guides in applying records management principles in today’s economic climate are crucial to the success of a local government’s records program. This thesis compares the writings of several authors on records management theory, including some writings specially tailored to local government records management. This comparison reveals similarities running throughout all the authors’ works, even in those from the beginnings of the field in the United States. The City of Bellingham, Washington is used as a case study to examine the situation of a local government’s records program under increasingly difficult operating restrictions. An overview of the different departments’ knowledge of records management requirements and existing recordkeeping practices reveals crucial areas that need to be addressed both for the City of Bellingham and in local government records management theory.
The Chemical Behavior of Fission Product Iodine in Light Water Reactor Accidents

It is commonly assumed that the chemical form of fission product iodine that escapes from the core of a light water reactor under accident conditions is the elemental form. Experimental evidence is presented that indicates that this assumption is incorrect; instead, a metal iodide (probably cesium iodide) is the chemical form that escapes from the fuel. In this paper, the chemical forms of fission product iodine within the fuel rod and at the point of release from the core are analyzed. The chemical aspects that influence its behavior in the containment building are discussed. Other aspects, such as plateout in the primary circuit and aerosol behavior, are dealt with elsewhere and are not considered further. However, we wish to point out that most of the fission product iodine will ultimately reside in water, e.g., by direct dissolution, by dissolution of material deposited on primary circuit surfaces during reflooding, by dissolution of settled or plated-out aerosol, and so on. Some of the early indications that iodine behavior might be different from that previously assumed are derived from a consideration of iodine releases from several reactors that experienced significant fuel failure. 46 refs.
How Stretchable Can We Make Thin Metal Films

Thin metal films deposited on elastomeric substrates can remain electrically conducting at tensile strains up to ~∼00%. We recently used finite-element simulation to explore the rupture process of a metal film on an elastomer. The simulation predicted the highest stretchability on stiff elastomeric substrates [1]. We now report experiments designed to verify this prediction. A ∼15-μm thick silicone elastomer layer with Young’s modulus E ∼ 160 MPa is deposited on a 1mm thick membrane of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a silicone elastomer with E ∼3 MPa. Metal stripes consisting of 25-nm thick gold (Au) film sandwiched between two 5-nm thick chromium (Cr) adhesion layers are fabricated either on top of the stiff layer spun onto the soft membrane substrate, or are encapsulated at the interface between the two elastomers. Encapsulated gold films remain electrically conducting beyond 40% strain. But conductors deposited on top of stiff elastomer lose conduction at strains of 3-8%. These results suggest that, in addition to the stiffness of the elastomeric substrate, the initial microstructure of the metal film plays a role in determining its stretchability.
Prevalence of multiple cancers and detection of unexpected additional primary malignancies in patients undergoing FDG PET/CT: An initial experience

2227 Objectives: PET/CT with 18F-FDG has proven to be effective in detecting and assessing various types of cancers. Because of genetic make up and common risk factors, patients undergoing PET/CT exams may have had or are at risk for developing multiple cancers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prevalence of multiple cancers and the frequency of incidental detection of additional primary malignancies in FDG PET/CT examination. Methods: True Whole-Body FDG-PET/CT scans covering from the top of head to the bottom of the feet of 540 patients were reviewed. Images were acquired on a PET/CT scanner (Philips Medical Systems) 60 minutes after an intravenous injection of a weight-adjusted dose of 0.14 mCi/kg FDG with a maximum dose of 14 mCi. Reports were retrospectively reviewed, and a log was kept to record cases of known history of multiple cancers other than the indication for the PET/CT scan. Furthermore, another log was kept to record cases of PET/CT findings of PET-positive lesions suggestive of new unexpected additional primary cancer(s). Past presence of prior multiple cancers and/or the diagnosis of additional unexpected primary malignancies were subsequently assessed using all available clinical and pathologic follow-up information. Results: Of the 540 PET/CT studies, 52 (9.6%) patients had multiple primary cancers besides the primary reason for which the PET/CT scan was ordered. Furthermore, PET/CT incidental findings lead to the detection of unexpected additional primary malignancies in 5/540 (0.93%): two cases of prostate cancer, one case of retroperitoneal seminoma, one case of non-small-cell lung cancer, and one case both of melanoma and lymphoma in the same patient. Conclusions: We conclude that multiple synchronous or metachronous cancers are present in a significant number (at least 10.6%) of patients undergoing PET/CT scanning, including the identification of additional unexpected primary cancers in 0.93%. Therefore, a yearly PET/CT may be helpful in surveillance of patients with cancer.
A dynamic dilution system for the production of sub-ppb concentrations of reactive and labile species

A three-stage dynamic dilution system has been developed capable of generating calibration standards below 100 pptv using gravimetrically calibrated permeation tubes as a trace species source. Multistage dilution permits the use of equivalent one-step diluent flows approaching 1000 std 1 min −1. An allfluorocarbon flow path facilitates the handling of reactive and labile species. Accuracies of about ± 3 % have been demonstrated for several sulfur compounds including H2S and SO2 at mixing ratios below 200 ppt.
Shear Buckling of Unsymmetrical Cross-Ply Plates

Recently solutions have been obtained [1, 2, 3] for the bending, vibrations, and buckling of laminated plates in which coupling between bending and stretch ing is important. However, buckling results were limited to unsymmetric angle- ply laminates under biaxial compression. Thus, there are no solutions available for the buckling of coupled laminates subjected to shear loading.This paper is concerned with the stability of unsymmetric cross-ply rectangular plates under uniform shear. These composites consist of an even number of layers all of the same thickness and elastic properties with the orthotropic axes of symmetry in each ply alternately oriented at 0° and 90° to the plate axes. Hinge- support boundary conditions are considered. The effect of coupling is ascertained by comparing coupled solutions to those obtained by neglecting the coupling coefficients in the governing equations. Applicability of the reduced bending stiffness approximation to shear buckling of cross-ply composites is also in vestig...
‘Monitoring the Frog’ in Africa: Conflict Early Warning with Structural Data

There is in both the theory and practice of early warning a clear preference for tracking and analysing proximate or immediate causes of conflict, sometimes referred to as ‘triggers’ or ‘accelerators’, over factors that might generate earlier warnings, such as shifts in deep-rooted, structural determinants of conflict. This preference reflects common assumptions made about the nature of structural factors (viz. that they are static and/or too indirectly linked to outcomes) and the relative ease with which less deeply rooted factors may be monitored. I suggest that structural factors are indeed variables, the value of which can be indirectly assessed with proxy indicators. Adopting a method from conservation biology, the monitoring of a ‘species’ of conflict (low intensity herder-farmer conflict), allows one to assess how well society is bearing political, economic, environmental and cultural stress. Normally considered too difficult to track in their own right for use as data in early warning systems, monitoring patterns in herder-farmer relations allows the observer to tap into otherwise inaccessible structural data that can be useful in anticipating the onset of wider-scale conflict.
Tritiation of melatonin by several methods

The hormone melatonin acts at several G protein-linked receptors to cause a myriad of significant physiological effects. The tritiation of melatonin at high specific activity and characterization of it with tritium NMR for biological testing is reported.
Influence of Photoperiod on Hormones, Behavior, and Immune Function

Photoperiodism is the ability of plants and animals to measure environmental day length to ascertain time of year. Central to the evolution of photoperiodism in animals is the adaptive distribution of energetically challenging activities across the year to optimize reproductive fitness while balancing the energetic tradeoffs necessary for seasonally-appropriate survival strategies. The ability to accurately predict future events requires endogenous mechanisms to permit physiological anticipation of annual conditions. Day length provides a virtually noise free environmental signal to monitor and accurately predict time of the year. In mammals, melatonin provides the hormonal signal transducing day length. Duration of pineal melatonin is inversely related to day length and its secretion drives enduring changes in many physiological systems, including the HPA, HPG, and brain-gut axes, the autonomic nervous system, and the immune system. Thus, melatonin is the fulcrum mediating redistribution of energetic investment among physiological processes to maximize fitness and survival.
Comparative UThPb systematics in 2.7 × 109yr plutons of different geologic histories☆

Abstract A comparative study was made of the Pb-U-Th systematics on cogenetic zircons from three plutons with different geological histories but the same age (2.69 × 109 yr). The first of these is in the Superior Province, Canada and is believed to be a virginal body. Assuming an episodic model, a secondary age of 455 ± 305 105 m.y. is inferred. The second body is from the Grenville front and is known to have suffered an episode at 920 m.y. However, a secondary age of 350 ± 50 m.y. is inferred. A third body in the Wind River Mountains, Wyoming, has no known metamorphic history, but was uparched in Laramide time. After Naylor et al. (1968) a secondary age of 130 ±80100m.y. is inferred, We conclude that unless independently documented, the secondary ages inferred by the episodic model are in general invalid. The zircon systematics appear to be dominated by the occurrence of highly discordant and almost concordant phases. The discordant phase responding to diffusion loss which may be in the “non linear” region.
SiFi: exploiting VoIP silence for WiFi energy savings insmart phones

Since one-third of a smart phone's battery energy is consumed by its WiFi interface, it is critical to switch the WiFi radio from its active or Constantly Awake Mode (CAM), which draws high power (726mW with screen off), to its sleep or Power Save Mode (PSM), which consumes little power (36mW). Applications like VoIP do not perform well under PSM mode however, due to their real-time nature, so the energy footprint is quite high. The challenge is to save energy while not affecting performance. In this paper we present SiFi: Silence prediction based WiFi energy adaptation. SiFi examines audio streams from phone calls and tracks when silence periods start and stop. This data is stored in a prediction model. Using this historical data, we predict the length of future silence periods and place the WiFi radio to sleep during these periods. We implement the design on an Android Smart phone and acheive 40% energy savings while maintaining high voice fidelity.
Numerical plotting of surfaces of positioning accuracy of manipulators

Abstract A mathematical model of the random positioning errors of mechanical manipulators is developed. This model is applied to a computer program to plot the generating curves of equal error surfaces for given manipulator geometries.
Renal allograft rejection in children and young adults: the Banff classification

In the Banff classification, arteritis and tubulitis are regarded as the principal histological lesions indicating acute renal allograft rejection. To test this claim, we examined 51 biopsies obtained from 21 children and young adults with transplant rejection. Two reviewers, blind to the clinical course, graded the biopsies according to the Banff scheme. In patients without significant tubulitis (borderline changes), rejection tended to be reversed easily (88%), often with methylprednisolone pulse (52%). In patients with arteritis or significant tubulitis (Banff I–III), rejection was reversed in only 23% (P < 0.001), in 9% with steroids, and in 14% with OKT3. Salvage of the graft was achieved in 26 of 35 (74%) with a score < 5 but in only 1 of 12 (8%) with a score ≥5 (P < 0.001). All 6 patients with vasculitis lost their grafts despite methylprednisolone pulse and OKT3. We conclude that the Banff classification predicts accurately the outcome of renal allograft rejection in children and may aid in choosing appropriate therapy.
Identifying, preventing and controlling invasive plant species using their physiological traits

Abstract A model of a plant community that is biologically reasonable and easily adaptable to economic models is presented. The model includes optimization, competition, stochastic limiting resources, and identification of redundant and invasive species. Species exhibit a rich array of traits that make them suited for some set of environmental factors and not for other sets. And because environmental factors are constantly changing, species that are very successful under one set of factors become redundant under another set, implying that an ecosystem needs redundant species as insurance. Invasive species are the flip side of redundant species as they are successful, at least under some environmental conditions. Identification depends on four physiological parameters defining each plant: two respiration parameters, a parameter that gives the plant's ideal level of the stochastic limiting resource, and the specific leaf area. The parameters are terms in an expression that gives the net energy intake of an individual plant, and the plant behaves as if it optimizes this by choosing its individual biomass. Success of species is judged based on the biomass of the species in steady state. An application extends the range management literature by incorporating the model into a rangeland manager's decision problem extends the range management literature. The model allows for multiple plant species, addresses the influence of limiting resources (other than density dependence), and tracks the response of the entire system to human and natural system perturbations. The methods allow simple predictions of community composition in the face of jointly determined economic/ecological behavior. The power of the method is demonstrated through stylized examples of alternative invasion control techniques.
Charge transport, carrier balance, and blue electrophosphorescence in diphenyl[4-(triphenylsilyl)phenyl]phosphine oxide devices

Diphenyl[4-(triphenylsilyl)phenyl]phosphine oxide (EMPA1) displays a wide highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap (4.1 eV), singlet (4.3 eV) and triplet (3.4 eV), and an electron-dominated charge transport that follows a trap-free space charge limited model with an average electron mobility of 5.7×10−6 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a hole mobility of 1.1×10−6 cm2 V−1 s−1. At high driving voltages (>6 V), ambipolar charge transport is observed, resulting in a balanced charge density in the active layer. Highly efficient blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes were realized, showing a high external quantum efficiency (21%) and a luminance efficiency of 45 cd/A using a bis[2-(4′,6′-difluorophenyl)-pyridinato-N,C2′]iridium(III) picolinate dopant.
Collective states of positive parity in 16O

Abstract A restricted shell model calculation of the so-called excited rotational bands of 16O is outlined. The main advance over previous efforts is the serious calculation of a two-particle - two hole deformed state of minimum energy separated by an energy gap from excited states of a similar character
Ground States of Conjugated Molecules. XVII. The l.c.a.o. s.c.f. m.o. Treatment of Compounds Containing Nitrogen and Oxygen

In a recent paper (Dewar & Harget 1970) we described an l.c.a.o. s.c.f. m.o. treatment which gave an extremely good account of the ground-state properties of conjugated hydrocarbons. This treatment differed from the previous procedure used in this department, in that the one-electron core resonance integral B is evaluated using theMulliken approximation, B = KS . We now describe an extension of this treatment to conjugated molecules containing nitrogen or oxygen. Calculated heats of atomization and bond lengths are given for some nitrogen and oxygen compounds, and are in good agreement with experimental data.
Serotonergic Neuronal Properties in C-Cell Lines

Abstract Thyroid C-cell lines, such as the CA77, 44-2C, and TT lines, are derived from calcitonin-secreting endocrine cells of neural crest origin. An intriguing property of C-cells is that they possess neuronal properties. These include neurite extension and expression of neuronal markers including neurofilaments, the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and Ca2+ and Na+ currents characteristic of neurons. These phenotypes can be enhanced or repressed by various agents and substrata. Most remarkably, C-cells also possess numerous characteristics of serotonergic neurons, including expression of tryptophan hydroxylase and a fluoxetine-inhibitable reuptake transporter. These properties suggest a role for the use of C-cell lines as neuronal model systems. We will describe the use of these cell lines in examining the role of exogenous factors in neural differentiation and as a source of cDNA for identification of differentially expressed genes. In addition, the serotonergic properties of C-cell lines will be explored, along with techniques specific to their use as serotonergic model systems. Lastly, the use of the CA77 and 44-2C C-cell lines in analysis of cis- and trans-acting transcription factors is exemplified using the calcitonin/CGRP gene. Thus, C-cell lines offer significant potential as models for cellular and molecular analyses of peptidergic and serotonergic neurons.
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase protects the post-ischemic liver: potential interactions with superoxide

Hepatic ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) continues to represent a significant cause of post-transplant liver failure. The roles that certain free radicals including nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (O(2)(-)) play in this process are not well understood. The present study was designed to assess the role of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in I/R-induced liver injury in a murine model of hepatic I/R. Forty five minutes of partial (70%) hepatic ischemia followed by 3 and 6 h of reperfusion resulted in a significant increase in liver injury which occurred in the absence of neutrophil infiltration. eNOS-deficient mice displayed enhanced liver injury when compared to their wild type controls again in the absence of neutrophil infiltration. Interestingly, basal liver blood flow was significantly decreased in these mice when compared to controls though their blood flow during reperfusion was not significantly reduced from their wild type controls. Treatment of eNOS(-/-) mice with gadolinium chloride, a potent inhibitor of Kupffer cell function, but not superoxide dismutase, significantly reduced post-ischemic hepatocellular injury while either treatment protected the wild type mouse livers. Taken together, these data suggest that NO derived from eNOS may act to protect the post-ischemic liver possibly by suppression of Kupffer cell function and not by modulation of tissue perfusion. Further the data presented here would indicate that the protective effects conferred by SOD are related to its ability to increase the bioavailability of NO rather than by attenuating superoxide-dependent reactions. Data generated from these studies may prove useful in developing new drug therapies to treat the post-ischemic liver.
Exoplanet imaging with the Giant Magellan Telescope

Over the next decade, we can expect that some imaging of extrasolar planets will be possible with the high-resolution LBT and present 8 m class telescopes. But it will be limited by sensitivity and contrast ratio to self-luminous planets of the nearest young stars. When the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) comes on-line, it will have because of much larger light grasp and sharper PSF, the potential for imaging many new planets as well as, for the first time, imaging planets of known msini. It will also be capable of starting atmospheric studies through spectrophotometry. The full angular resolution of the GMT (that of D=24 m filled aperture) will be exploited with coronagraphy and nulling interferometry. The new coronagraphic technique of phase apodization being pioneered at the MMT will enable very high contrast at angular separations ≥3λ/D. To reach the highest contrast levels, the AO system is being designed not to minimize wavefront error, but to shape the corrected wavefront so as to cancel speckles in the search region. Interferometric measurements of complex amplitude in the focal plane make this possible, regardless of whether the speckles originate from errors in diffraction or phase. New control algorithms are being developed to minimize the decorrelation time as well as the intensity of residual speckles, so that they average out to the smoothest possible background halo. In this way, detections at 1.65 μm at the 5σ level of planets at 10-8 contrast at 50 mas separation should be possible. The low background AO system of the GMT, made with its deformable secondary, will allow also high contrast imaging with high sensitivity at 5 μm, down to 100 mas separation.
On-Line Measurements of Engine Oil Aeration by X-Ray Absorption

The oil aeration in a V-6 spark-ignition passenger car engine under motoring condition was measured by the X-ray absorption method in the speed range of 2000-6000 rpm. Measurements were made at different locations in the sump representing the state of the oil at (1) the pump inlet, (2) the head return, and (3) the timing chain return. The aeration of the block return was estimated from these measurements. At a fixed engine speed, the aeration (in % volume of air) of the head return and the chain return were about the same, and they were approximately twice the value found in the block return. This distribution did not change with engine speed. When weighted by the flow rate, however, the block return contributed to 55% of the aeration at the pump inlet; the total contribution of the head return and the chain return was 45% (36% from head return and 9% from chain return). Further aeration observations were made by comparing the cases with and without the oil sump windage tray in place. When the tray was removed, aeration at the pump inlet was found to increase by less than 30% for all speeds.
Resonant mode conversion and other second-order effects in superfluid4He

When nonlinear effects are included, first and second sound are coupled, and the possible resonant mode conversion is calculated. The meniscus of the free surface due to second sound is also investigated and depends upon whether the propagation is isothermal or isentropic. Other second-order effects investigated are first- and second-sound streaming and the mass density, momentum density, and mass flow in a sound wave.
An evaluation of the average superfluid density of 4 He in a cylindrical pore near T λ predicted by the Ginzburg-Pitaevskii-Mamaladze theory

A numerical evaluation of the average superfluid density of 4He in a cylindrical pore near T λ predicted by the Ginzburg-Pitaevskii-Mamaladze theory has been carried out as a function of pore radius and temperature. The results are presented in graphical form and in terms of an accurately fitting closed algebraic form.
Fourier transform infrared analysis of aerosol formed in the photooxidation of 1-octene

Abstract The chemical composition of aerosol generated in the photooxidation of 1-octene was examined using infrared microscopy interfaced with a low pressure impactor. The low pressure impactor segregated the aerosol into eight size fractions and deposited the aerosol onto ZnSe impaction substrates. The ZnSe surfaces were transparent in the mid-infrared region and therefore allowed direct analysis of the aerosol, with no extraction, using infrared microscopy. Infrared spectra of the size segregated aerosol showed strong absorbances due to ketone, alcohol, carboxylic acid and organonitrate functional groups. Absorbance features were relatively independent of particle size, with the exception of the carboxylic acid absorbances, which were found only in the largest aerosol size fractions. Molar loadings for each of the groups were estimated, based on model compound calibration standards. The molar loadings indicate that most aerosol species are multifunctional, with an average of one ketone group per molecule, an alcohol group in two of every three molecules and an organonitrate group in one of every three molecules.
Processing, Evaluation, Knowledge Testing the Perception of English Subject–Verb Agreement Variation

This article explores US English speakers’ perception of subject–verb agreement variation by using self-paced reading and mouse tracking. Two experiments exposed participants to standard, nonstanda...
Non-Magnetic Films of Iron, Nickel, and Cobalt

A YEAR and a half ago one of us (Ingersoll and De Vinney, Phys. Rev., 26, 86, 1925) reported the results of some experiments on films of nickel cathodically sputtered in hydrogen at a pressure of 1 mm. or less. These films as produced were entirely nonmagnetic, showing no tractive effects in a strong magnetic field. Upon heating to about 350°C. for a few minutes, however, they become strongly magnetic.
Assessing strategies for improving law enforcement / security relationships: Implications for community policing

Though much has been written about law enforcement agencies developing partnerships with citizen groups in the context of community policing, very little research has addressed the role of private security as a viable partner in law enforcement. The basis for developing working relationship is sharing common goals as well as having mutual respect for each other. A further important ingredient for developing sound relationships includes the presence and fostering of positive perceptions and attitudes toward each other. In this paper we examine a sample of 284 police officers and 236 security professionals in a Midwestern state to assess their perceptions on strategies to improve police/security relationships. Implications for developing partnerships are discussed.
Understanding smoking and cessation among Hmong smokers.

This qualitative study was designed to explore beliefs and experiences related to smoking and cessation among the Hmong population in the United States. Three separate focus groups were conducted with male and female Hmong smokers. Analysis revealed that the Hmong viewed smoking as prevalent in their community and perceived numer- ous barriers to cessation. Barriers to cessation differed based on gender and acculturation. For instance, women were concerned about having their smoking status revealed if they were to seek help, because of cultural prohibitions against female smokers. Less accultur- ated Hmong believed U.S. commercial tobacco to be more addictive than the homegrown tobacco they were used to. This formative research suggests that smoking is becoming an increasing problem among the Hmong in the United States and points to a need for additional research to inform the development of effective tobacco control strategies for this community.
Community influences on cognitive ability

Abstract Although the environment determines important individual differences in cognitive ability, most home environment variables that correlate with children's intelligence are more strongly associated with the pleiotropic effects of genes than with causal pathways of environmental transmission. Here, we demonstrate that community variables, a hitherto understudied set of constructs in research on cognitive ability, are important variables for intellectual development in childhood. A model of highly multifactorial cultural transmision, in which many small effects of various aspects of the environment combine to influence the child, is assumed. Indexing these individual small effects with variables aggregated at the level of communities provides a magnifying lens for the detection of cultural transmission. Using census measures to test this model, we find several aspects of communities that show environmental relationships with child IQ over and above the genetic and environmental effects of parental IQ. The strongest association was found with characteristics of rural communities, which had a negative environmental influence on child IQ.
High resolution NMR of 15N in solids

Abstract 15 N NMR spectra, obtained in the solid state by transfer of polarization from protons, are reported for (NH 4 2 SO 4 , NH 4 NO 5 , and glycine.
The coexistence of neuropathic pain, sleep, and psychiatric disorders: a novel treatment approach.

The diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic pain may be complicated by comorbid conditions such as sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety. The interrelationship between the index neuropathic pain state and these comorbidities is complex: comorbid conditions exacerbate pain, and in turn, pain exa
Perceiving fingers in single-digit arithmetic problems

In this study, we investigate in children the neural underpinnings of finger representation and finger movement involved in single-digit arithmetic problems. Evidence suggests that finger representation and finger-based strategies play an important role in learning and understanding arithmetic. Because different operations rely on different networks, we compared activation for subtraction and multiplication problems in independently localized finger somatosensory and motor areas and tested whether activation was related to skill. Brain activations from children between 8 and 13 years of age revealed that only subtraction problems significantly activated finger motor areas, suggesting reliance on finger-based strategies. In addition, larger subtraction problems yielded greater somatosensory activation than smaller problems, suggesting a greater reliance on finger representation for larger numerical values. Interestingly, better performance in subtraction problems was associated with lower activation in the finger somatosensory area. Our results support the importance of fine-grained finger representation in arithmetical skill and are the first neurological evidence for a functional role of the somatosensory finger area in proficient arithmetical problem solving, in particular for those problems requiring quantity manipulation. From an educational perspective, these results encourage investigating whether different finger-based strategies facilitate arithmetical understanding and encourage educational practices aiming at integrating finger representation and finger-based strategies as a tool for instilling stronger numerical sense.
Recruitment Challenges: Lessons From Senior Centers and Older African-American Participants in a Literacy Study

This article reviews the challenges encountered in the recruitment of urban older African-Americans in a study to explore the effects of interactive educational intervention on functional health literacy and diabetes knowledge. Our methods included identification of challenges related to the individual characteristics of seniors’ centers that serve as recruitment sites. It is concluded that the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities to clinical research are associated with particular characteristics of the recruitment sites.
The Measurement of Perceived Intraorganizational Power: A Multi-Respondent Perspective

This study found substantial divergence between a general measure of perceived departmental power and an issue-specific measure, and indicates a conceptual distinctiveness between these two common perceptual measures. Using the assessments of three different respondent groups allowed for the cross-validation of the power measures while highlighting differences in perceptions based on group membership. The findings of this study raise the possibility that different dimensions of power (enacted versus potential power) are not equally reflected in the two perceptual measures when departmental members and top managers are the groups assessing each sub-unit's power. Measurement distinctiveness was not found to exist when other departments' members evaluated each subunit's power. This investigation suggests that future studies of power would benefit from utilizing more than one perceptual measure and more than one group of respondents.
The Unique Effect of Paternal Depressive Symptoms on Adolescent Functioning: Associations with Gender and Father-Adolescent Relationship Closeness

Prospective, longitudinal data from a community sample of 451 families were used to assess the unique contribution of paternal depressive symptoms to adolescent functioning. Results indicated that paternal depressive symptoms were significantly related to subsequent depressive symptoms in adolescent offspring; this association remained significant after controlling for previous adolescent depressive symptoms, maternal depressive symptoms, gender, and family demographic variables. Adolescent gender and perception of father-adolescent relationship closeness moderated this association such that paternal depressive symptoms were positively associated with adolescent depressive symptoms for girls whose relations with fathers lacked closeness. These findings add to a growing literature on the interpersonal mechanisms through which depression runs in families, highlighting the need for future investigation of paternal mental health, adolescent gender, and intrafamily relationship quality in relation to adolescent development.
Evidence that cytosolic calcium increases are not sufficient to stimulate phospholipid scrambling in human T-lymphocytes

Phospholipid scrambling, the disruption of normal plasma-membrane asymmetry, occurs during apoptotic and necrotic cell death and during the activation of platelets and neutrophils. It is currently believed that phospholipid scrambling is triggered simply by increases in bulk cytosolic [Ca(2+)]. We have presented evidence previously that the styryl dye FM1-43 is sensitive to phospholipid scrambling in Jurkat human leukaemic T-lymphocytes. Here we have used FM1-43, in combination with fura 2 and the Ca(2+)-elevating agents ionomycin and thapsigargin, in imaging experiments to test the idea that increases in bulk cytosolic [Ca(2+)] stimulate scrambling. Intracellular Ca(2+) increases of approximately 2 microM accompanied ionomycin-stimulated scrambling in approximately 50% of cells, and scrambling occurred in >99% of cells in which intracellular Ca(2+) rose to 4 microM. Chelating intracellular Ca(2+) with bis-(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetra-acetic acid or EGTA suppressed both ionomycin-stimulated intra cellular Ca(2+) increases and scrambling, demonstrating that intracellular Ca(2+) increases are necessary for ionomycin-stimulated scrambling. However, elevating intracellular Ca(2+) to 2-4 microM with thapsigargin, a drug that depletes intracellular Ca(2+) stores and triggers Ca(2+) entry via Ca(2+)-release-activated Ca(2+) channels, did not trigger scrambling, as assessed with either FM1-43 or FITC-labelled annexin V. These results suggest that increases in intracellular [Ca(2+)] are necessary but not sufficient to stimulate scrambling in lymphoyctes, and indicate that ionomycin has an additional effect that is required to stimulate scrambling.