cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gap size and succession in cutover southern Appalachian forests: an 18 year study of vegetation dynamics

We used clearcut logging in establishing four replicated sizes of canopy openings (0.016, 0.08, 0.4, and 2.0 ha) in a southern Appalachian hardwood forest in 1981 to examine the long-term effects of disturbance size on plant community structure, biomass accumulation, aboveground net primary productivity (NPP), and mode of recovery. The reestablishment of NPP and biomass following logging was 6–7-fold greater in large than small openings by 17 years. Total biomass in the 2.0 ha openings (127.3 Mg ha−1) recovered 59.5% as NPP (19.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1) reached 225% of precut forest levels. Biomass accumulation was 2.6–3.6-fold greater in interior than edge locations of all but the 0.016 ha gaps. The absence of significant patch size or edge vs. interior differences in tree densities suggests that growth rates of individual trees were enhanced in more insolated microenvironments. Sprouting (86–95% of tree NPP) was much more important than advance regeneration (4–10%) or seedling germination (<2%) during early recovery in all opening sizes. Canopy dominant Quercus and Carya trees exhibited limited sprouting following disturbance. Instead, shade-intolerant Robinia pseudoacacia and Liriodendron tulipifera were major sprouters that used N-fixation (Robinia) and rapid growth (Liriodendron) in attaining 7.4 and 5.9 fold greater biomass accumulation, respectively in 2.0 ha than 0.016 ha opening sizes. Seedling germination and understory production were extensive in all openings following logging, but declined rapidly as the young tree canopy began closing by 4–6 years. The relative importance of shade-intolerant tree biomass approximately doubled over 17 years as shade-tolerant tree seedlings, herbs, and shrubs gradually regained importance under the emerging canopy. Sprouting caused the persistence of a tree species composition in all openings that remained relatively similar to the precut forest. Large disturbances on mountain slopes of the southern Appalachians generally promote sprouting and rapid recovery, whereas small disturbances in low-elevation cove forests lead to a gradual recovery through seedling germination and/or advance regeneration. Continued logging in the southern Appalachians will increase the relative size and frequency of large disturbances, further the importance of sprouting of shade-intolerant species, and lead to more even-aged forest stands throughout the region.
Structure of finite nuclei and the free nucleon-nucleon interaction: An application to 18O and 18F

Abstract The intention of this work is to investigate the applicability of the free nucleon-nucleon potential determined by the scattering data in the shell-model description of finite nuclei. The potential is chosen to be that of Hamada and Johnston. We have chosen 18O and 18F as our first numerical calculations. A major part of the work reported here concerns the evaluation of the shell-model reaction matrix elements. They are evaluated using the separation method for the singlet-even and triplet-even states and the reference spectrum method for the singlet-odd and triplet-odd states. The second-order Born term for the triplet-even tensor force is found to be very important. It can be calculated conveniently and with good accuracy using the closure approximation with an energy denomiator of ≈ 220 MeV. Assuming the singlet-particle wave functions to be those of a harmonic oscillator well, the single-particle energy levels of 0 d 5 2 , 1 s 1 2 and 0 d 3 2 for 170 are calculated by letting the valence nucleon interact with 16O core. The results are very encouraring. The 0 d 5 2 −0 d 3 2 splitting is found to come mostly from the triplet-odd 1 · s force through the reaction matrix Hartree-Fock process. The spectra of 18O and 18F are satisfactorily reproduced by diagonalizing the model interaction GΘ3p1h in the sd shell, except for the states which are presumed to be largely deformed; G is the reaction matrix and Ω3p1h is the wave operator which takes care of the corrections arising from the one-particle-one-hole excitation of the 16O core. It is found that the conventional shell-model effective interactions are well reproduced by the model interaction deduced from the free nucleon-nucleon potential.
Sugarcane growth and yield responses to a 3-month summer flood

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) in south Florida is often subjected to flooding due to interacting effects of soil subsidence, pumping restrictions, and tropical storms. While there has been considerable research on the response of sugarcane cultivars to high water tables and periodic flooding, there is a lack of information on commercial cultivar yield response to long-term flooding. An experiment was established in Belle Glade, FL to examine the effect of a 3-month summer flood (July�September) on the growth and yield of cultivars CP 80-1743 and CP 72-2086 during the plant cane (2003) and second ratoon (2005) crop. Harvest samples were taken early-, mid-, and late-season. Flooding sugarcane in the summer caused sequentially greater yield reductions throughout the harvest season in plant cane. Sucrose yields for flooded cane, compared with the non-flooded control, were 9.6 t sucrose ha-1 versus 11.7 t sucrose ha-1 early, 9.2 t sucrose ha-1 versus 12.8 t sucrose ha-1 mid-season and 7.8 t sucrose ha-1 versus 12.3 t sucrose ha-1 at late harvest. In the second ratoon crop, flooding reduced sugarcane tonnage and sucrose yield by 54�64% across sampling dates, and preliminary results indicated that flooding reduced leaf nutrient content by 10�78%. Yield reductions due to flooding in both crops were attributed more to reduced tonnage rather than sucrose content. CP 72-2086 yielded 18�28% greater sucrose than CP 80-1743 when harvested late. However the flood × cultivar interaction was not significant as both cultivars recorded similar yield reductions under flooded conditions. Our results identified severe yield losses caused by a 3-month summer flood in these cultivars, particularly in ratoon crops. Strategies to increase summer on-farm water storage in Florida should focus on short-duration periodic flooding rather than long-term flooding
Profiling Saturn's rings by radio occultation

The development of reconstruction algorithms that correct for diffraction effects in radio occultation measurements is described. The reciprocal Fresnel transform relationship between the complex amplitude of the observed coherent signal and the complex microwave transmittance of the rings is derived using the Huygens-Fresnel formulation of the diffraction problem. The effects of the finite data segment width, the uncertainties in the Fresnel scale, systematic phase errors in the kernel of the inverse transform, reference oscillator instabilities, and random noise measurements on the resolution of the reconstructed transmittance are analyzed. Examples of reconstructed opacity profiles for some regions of Saturn's rings derived by applying the reconstruction theory to Voyager 1 at Saturn data are presented.
Influence of predator density on nonindependent effects of multiple predator species

Interactions between multiple predator species are frequent in natural communities and can have important implications for shared prey survival. Predator density may be an important component of these interactions between predator species, as the frequency of interactions between species is largely determined by species density. Here we experimentally examine the importance of predator density for interactions between predator species and subsequent impacts on prey. We show that aggressive interactions between the predatory shore crabs Carcinus maenas and Hemigrapsus sanguineus increased with predator density, yet did not increase as fast as negative interactions between conspecifics. At low density, interactions between conspecific and heterospecific predators had similar inhibitory impacts on predator function, whereas conspecific interference was greater than interference from heterospecifics at high predator density. Thus the impact of conspecific interference at high predator density was sufficient in itself that interactions with a second predator species had no additional impact on per capita predation. Spatial and temporal variability in predator density is a ubiquitous characteristic of natural systems that should be considered in studies of multiple predator species.
RELAXATION TREATMENT OF PSEUDOINSOMNIA AND IDIOPATHIC INSOMNIA: AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC EVALUATION

Twenty-nine insomniacs underwent four consecutive sleep laboratory evaluations before and after receiving tension-release relaxation training, no-tension-release relaxation training, or no-treatment. On the basis of the discrepancy between subjective and EEG-defined measures of latency to sleep onset, subjects were classified as pseudoinsomniacs or idiopathic insomniacs. As predicted, tension-release relaxation was significancy more effective than the other two conditions on subjective sleep measures, regardless of insomnia subtype and on objective sleep measures only for idiopathic insomniacs. Subjective improvement was maintained at 12-month followup. Numerous differences between the two subtypes emerged on pretherapy and during-therapy measures distinct from the latency measures, but changes on those variables were unrelated to outcome improvement.
The utility of cephalometry with the Muller maneuver in evaluating the upper airway and its surrounding structures in Chinese patients with sleep-disordered breathing.

Objective The objective was to simultaneously measure the size and collapsibility of the upper airway in Chinese patients with sleep-disordered breathing using cephalometry with the Muller maneuver. Study Design Prospective study of 100 consecutive Chinese patients evaluated for sleep-disordered breathing at a sleep center. Methods Each patient received overnight polysomnography and two lateral cephalograms (at the end-expiration phase and the Muller maneuver, respectively) to evaluate the upper airway and its surrounding structures (soft palate, tongue, and hyoid bone). After excluding 15 subjects from this study because of unclear cephalograms, 85 patients with sleep-disordered breathing were enrolled, including 32 with snoring or mild obstructive sleep apnea and 53 with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. Results Patients with varying degrees of severity of sleep-disordered breathing significantly differed in terms of the structure and function of the upper airway and the surrounding structures. The Muller maneuver may result in dynamic changes in the retropalatal airway and pharyngeal length, and the levels of dynamic changes were related to the severity of sleep-disordered breathing. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the decrease in the minimum retropalatal dimension during the Muller maneuver in patients with snoring or with mild obstructive sleep apnea was related to the thickening of the soft palate and posterior displacement of tongue. Meanwhile, the decrease in the minimum retropalatal dimension in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea was related to lengthening of the soft palate, increased tongue height, and downward displacement of the tongue and hyoid bone. Conclusion Cephalometry with the Muller maneuver may provide further insight into the pathogenesis of various levels of severity of sleep-disordered breathing.
Cultural Relativism and Risk-Assessment Strategies for Federal Projects

Risk analysts must incorporate the principles of cultural relativism into their studies. Sensitive sociocultural groups must be identified, particularly those populations that have strong ties to their land and that may not be adequately represented in standard demographic data bases or easily investigated through an analysis of secondary literature. This paper explores the types of risk impacts that may be perceived by one special population, Native American tribes, and the current issues that influence these perceptions.
Does Better Information About the Good Avoid the Embedding Effect

Abstract In contingent valuation, embedding refers to the solicitation of willingness to pay for a good that is valued as a component of a larger good. This study addressed one of the criticisms of previous embedding studies, that the good was inadequately described to respondents. We tested for the effect of embedding on willingness to pay for natural area protection under three information levels, and found that amount of information had little impact on the effect of embedding on willingness to pay—under all three information conditions, embedding significantly lowered willingness to pay. If this and other embedding studies can be interpreted as indicating that many people consider related public goods to be close substitutes, then embedding studies demonstrate the considerable sensitivity of respondents to information about substitutes. Successful use of contingent valuation to value public goods relies on agreement about how to present information about substitutes.
Federal constraints and state innovation: Lessons from Florida's family transition program

Prevailing wisdom holds that limiting the federal role in welfare will free the states to be more innovative in welfare-to-work programs. Findings from Florida's Family Transition Program (FTP), a pilot welfare reform initiative, however, suggest that the relationship between federal “strings” and state innovation is more complex. A central feature of the welfare-to-work program in the FTP was the direct result of federal requirements imposed by the Department of Health and Human Services during waiver negotiations. Federal regulation, in this case, promoted innovation. Outcome-orientation, media and political attention, and fiscal structure are argued to be potentially important factors structuring the impact of federal regulation on state innovation. ©1999 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
NAVY HARBOR OIL SPILL CLEANUP: A PROGRESS REPORT

ABSTRACT After four years, significant progress has been achieved in the development of new equipment and techniques for the Navy oil spill program. Utilizing the systems analysis approach, the Navy has undertaken both intermediate and long-term efforts. The intermediate effort developed systems utilizing the best commercially available equipment with Navy-developed techniques. The long-range effort is refining and optimizing the intermediate systems. The intermediate systems and cleanup techniques developed are now operational. Experience, to date, reveals that commercially available equipment is effective when properly applied to a well-defined spill problem. Significant progress is reported which should be of interest to others involved in research and development efforts, those involved in complex port facilities operation, and those involved in development of an effective oil spill cleanup capability.
Testing an additive model for the effectiveness of evidence on the persuasiveness of a message

Meta-analyses provide support for the improved persuasiveness of a message including: (a) evidence source qualification, (b) assertive evidence, and (c) statistical over narrative evidence. The current empirical examination seeks to determine whether the persuasiveness of a message represents the additive effect of the individual message elements. The data in this investigation support this view of message persuasiveness.
Age-dependent effects of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP): correlation with monoamine oxidase-B.

The effects of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) administration on whole brain dopamine content and monoamine oxidase subtype B (MAO-B) activity were assessed in Swiss-Webster male mice. Groups of mice at six different ages (1,2,4,8,16, and 52 weeks) were treated with either MPTP(12.5 mg/kg) every 2 hours for four subcutaneous injections or with the saline vehicle in the same injection volume. A third group of subjects was untreated and sacrificed at the same ages. The animals were sacrificed 1 week following treatment. The brains were removed and divided into right and left halves. The right brain halves from all subjects of a given age were assayed for MAO-B activity. The left brain halves were assayed for dopamine content using high performance liquid chromatography. The results revealed a significant age-dependent increase in both dopamine content and MAO-B activity in the untreated controls. It was also found that the toxic effect of MPTP as measured by whole brain dopamine depletion was increased at each successive age tested. There was a significant correlation (r = + 0.96) between the baseline levels of MAO-B activity and the degree of lesion induced by MPTP treatment. These results indicate that the increased sensitivity to MPTP reported in aged animals may, in part, be attributable to the increase in MAO-B activity in older animals.
Balloon aortic valvuloplasty in adults: Failure of procedure to improve long-term survival

Objectives. This study sought to determine the long-term outcome of adult patients undergoing percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty. Background. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty has been offered as an alternative to aortic valve replacement for selected patients with valvular aortic stenosis. Although balloon aortic valvuloplasty produces an immediate reduction in the transvalvular aortic gradient, a high incidence of restenosis frequently leads to recurrent symptoms. Therefore, it is unclear whether balloon aortic valvuloplasty impacts on the long-term outcome of these patients. Methods. Clinical, hemodynamic and echocardiographic data were collected at baseline in 165 patients undergoing balloon aortic valvuloplasty and examined for their ability to predict long-term outcome. Results. The median duration of follow-up was 3.9 years (range 1 to 6). Ninety-nine percent follow-up was achieved. During this 6-year period, 152 patients (93%) died or underwent aortic valve replacement, and 99 (60%) died of cardiac-related causes. The probability of event-free survival (freedom from death, aortic valve replacement or repeat balloon aortic valvuloplasty) 1, 2 and 3 years after valvuloplasty was 40%, 19% and 6%, respectively. In contrast, the probability of survival 3 years after balloon aortic valvuloplasty in a subset of 42 patients who underwent subsequent aortic valve replacement was 84%. Survival after aortic valvuloplasty was poor regardless of the presenting symptom, but patients with New York Heart Association functional class IV congestive heart failure had events earliest. Univariable predictors of decreased event-free survival were younger age, advanced congestive heart failure symptoms, lower ejection fraction, elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, presence of coronary artery disease and increased left ventricular internal diastolic diameter. Stepwise multivariable logistic regression analysis found that only younger age and a lower left ventricular ejection fraction contributed independent adverse prognostic information (chi-square 14.89, p = 0.0006). Conclusions. Long-term event-free and actuarial survival after balloon aortic valvuloplasty is dismal and resembles the natural history of untreated aortic stenosis. Aortic valve replacement may be performed in selected subjects with good results. However, the prognosis for the remainder of patients who are not candidates for aortic valve replacement is particularly poor.
Control of the house fly, Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae), with permethrin-coated fiber glass strips.

Permethrin [(3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl cis,trans -(±)-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate] was applied at the rate of 2.5 g/m2 to narrow fiber glass strips for control of the house fly, Musca domestica . These treated strips were suspended from the ceiling ca 2 m off the floor in swine barns and an enclosed calf barn. The permethrintreated strips reduced the house fly population ca 75% in the enclosed areas at the swine farm and calf barn.
Videoconference diagnosis and management of Choctaw Indian dementia patients

Abstract Background This study reports a 5-year experience using videoconference (VC) technology in diagnosing and treating adult members of the Choctaw Nation with symptoms or complaints of cognitive impairment. Methods Patients were given the option of a VC session or a face-to-face evaluation in the clinic. Before their VC session, patients underwent neuropsychological testing, Clinical Dementia Rating, Geriatric Depression Scale and Neuropsychiatric Inventory, brain computed tomography, and routine blood tests. Physical observations made by VC included eyesight, hearing, facial expression, gait and station, coordination, tremor, rapid alternating movements, psychomotor activity, and motor tests of executive function. Cogwheeling and rigidity were tested by our on-site nurse, who also obtained vital signs as indicated. Results Between January 2005 and March 2010, there were 47 clinics, 171 visits, and 85 unique patients. There were 52 new evaluations and 119 follow-up visits. The number of visits ranged from one to eight and the length of follow-up from 1 month to 4.5 years. The no-show rate for all VC sessions in 2009 was 3%, and only two subjects in 5 years refused further VC visits. Conclusion Once cultural barriers are dealt with, VC-based diagnosis and treatment of adults with cognitive disorders who live in remote areas is feasible and well accepted by patients and families.
Ultrasonically-Induced Lorentz Force Tomography

Electrical conductivity can be measured using the ultrasonically-induced Lorentz force. An ultrasonic wave is passed through tissue in the presence of a magnetic field. Moving charges in a magnetic field are subject to the Lorentz force, which acts as the source of current and potential. This paper shows that ultrasonically-induced Lorentz force imaging can be formulated in a way that makes it similar to tomography: an image can be reconstructed using waves propagating in various directions. More specifically, measuring the dipole strength for a particular direction and wavelength is equivalent to measuring the Fourier transform of the conductivity distribution at one point in frequency space. Measurements at a variety of wavelengths and directions are equivalent to mapping the Fourier transform of the conductivity distribution. The conductivity can then be found by an inverse Fourier transform.
Four-color laser white illuminant demonstrating high color-rendering quality

Solid-state lighting is currently based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and phosphors. Solid-state lighting based on lasers would offer significant advantages including high potential efficiencies at high current densities. Light emitted from lasers, however, has a much narrower spectral linewidth than light emitted from LEDs or phosphors. Therefore it is a common belief that white light produced by a set of lasers of different colors would not be of high enough quality for general illumination. We tested this belief experimentally, and found the opposite to be true. This result paves the way for the use of lasers in solid-state lighting.
Attraction to Physical Activity in Urban Schoolchildren: Parental Socialization and Gender Influences

Abstract The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the contribution of parental socialization processes and gender to children's interest in physical activity using Eccles' expectancy-value model of motivation. An additional purpose was to examine the nature of these relationships among children of a lower socioeconomic level, a sample that has been underrepresented in pediatric exercise research to date. Fourth- through sixth-grade children (N = 107) from a large metropolitan school district were participants in this study and completed questionnaires assessing attraction to physical activity, perceived physical competence, and perceptions of their parents' physical activity beliefs and behaviors. Multivariate regression analyses revealed a significant relationship between parental socialization processes and children's perceived physical competence and attraction to physical activity. Gender differences were also identified and were primarily related to liking of the exertional cha...
EFFECTS OF EXPOSING GONADECTOMIZED AND INTACT C57BL/6J MICE TO A HIGH-FREQUENCY AUGMENTED ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENT: AUDITORY BRAINSTEM RESPONSE THRESHOLDS AND CYTOCOCHLEOGRAMS

Gonadectomized and surgically intact adult C57BL/6J (B6) mice of both sexes were exposed for 12h nightly to a high-frequency augmented acoustic environment (AAE): repetitive bursts of a half-octave noise band centered at 20 kHz, 70 dB SPL. The effects of sex, gonadectomy, and AAE treatment on genetic progressive hearing loss (exhibited by B6 mice) were evaluated by obtaining auditory brainstem response thresholds at ages 3-, 6-, and 9-months; hair cell counts (cytocochleograms) were obtained at 9 months. A sex difference in the rate of genetic progressive hearing loss in B6 mice (observed by earlier studies) was confirmed, with females exhibiting a faster rate of threshold elevations and more severe loss of hair cells at age 9 months. Gonadectomy had no consistent effects on the rate or severity of hearing loss in non-exposed mice of either sex. An unexpected finding was that the high-frequency AAE treatment caused additional ABR threshold elevations and hair cell loss. In an earlier study, the same high-frequency AAE treatment on DBA/2J mice ameliorated hearing loss. The most severe AAE-induced losses occurred in surgically intact females, suggesting a potentiating effect of ovarian hormone(s).
Ultrasound studies in preterm infants with hydrocephalus

Serial ultrasound studies of cerebral ventricular size were obtained in 40 small preterm infants, 26 of whom were believed to be at risk for intracranial hemorrhage or hydrocephalus secondary to ICH or both. Hydrocephalus was diagnosed by ultrasound study in 12 of the high-risk infants, eight of whom required a surgical shunt procedure because of progressive ventricular enlargement. Serial ultrasound studies in the other 28 infants, including the 14 believed to be at low risk for ICH, disclosed normal ventricular size, defined as a ratio of lateral ventricular width to intracranial hemidiameter of less than 35%. The ultrasound methods utilized a portable A-mode echoscope that permitted unidimensional intracranial measurements at the infants' bedside, and a nonportable automated B-scanner that produced two-dimensional gray-scale images of the brain. The serial ultrasound measurements and images proved clinically useful in the initial detection of hydrocephalus and subsequent evaluation of the infant subjects.
Two-photon spectroscopy of np and nf Rydberg states of atomic iodine.

The two-photon resonant, three-photon ionization spectrum of atomic iodine in the ${\mathrm{I}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ $^{2}\mathrm{P}_{1/2}$ state is presented. The ${\mathrm{I}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ $^{2}\mathrm{P}_{1/2}$ state is produced by photodissociation of methyl iodide, and its two-photon excitation spectrum exhibits ${(}^{3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{2}$)np and ${(}^{3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{2}$)nf Rydberg series converging to the ${\mathrm{I}}^{+}$ $^{3}\mathrm{P}_{2}$ ground state. With use of this technique, the single-photon forbidden np and nf series are readily observed to ng30.
Sets, logic, and writing: an interdisciplinary approach to the learning of mathematics and English

ABSTRACT Sets, Logic, and Writing is a course that offers students an innovative, interdisciplinary mathematics and English composition curriculum in a collaborative learning environment. The mathematics instructor and the English instructor team teach in the same classroom, integrating topics from both disciplines. The goal of the course is to enhance the reasoning, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking of underprepared college freshmen, enabling them to perform better in more advanced mathematics and writing courses
Effects of maple syrup urine disease metabolites on mouse L-fibroblasts in vitro: a fine structural and biochemical study.

—The branched-chain amino and ketoacids [i.e. l-leucine, l-isoleucine, l-valine, alpha-ketoisocaproic acid (AKICA), alpha-keto-beta-methylvaleric acid (AKBMVA) and alpha-ketoisovaleric acid (AKIVA)] were administered to mouse strain l fibroblasts in tissue culture in an attempt to study the effects of increased levels of the compounds in an in vitro system. All of these compounds are found to be elevated in the blood of patients with Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD). With AKICA, l-leucine, AKIVA and AKBMVA, there was a decreased growth rate at concentrations of 10 to 30 times the levels found in Maple Syrup Urine Disease. Combined administration of the above six compounds at the maximum blood levels noted in MSUD produced a significantly decreased growth rate. Electron microscopic studies revealed numerous annulate lamellae in cells treated with AKICA and in those treated with a combination of all six MSUD compounds. AKICA-treated cells contained elevated concentrations per cell of free fatty acids, triglycerides, sterols and some classes of phospholipids. Isotope labelling experiments were performed using [U-14C] AKICA and [3H]isoleucine, which were added to l-cell suspension cultures containing various levels of unlabelled AKICA. Labelled AKICA and isoleucine were both taken up by the cells. The net uptake of isoleucine was inhibited by AKICA in concentrations found in MSUD. Folch-Lees extraction of cells treated with labelled AKICA revealed increased 14C counts only in the lower lipid phase. The growth inhibition and annulate lamellae observed with AKICA treatment may be due to an arrest of the cells in phase G1 of the cell growth cycle, possibly due to decreased isoleucine uptake. It is proposed that a similarly-mediated arrest in the proliferation of oligodendroglial cells during the critical period of myelination gliosis might account for the myelination abnormalities reported in MSUD.
Electronic structure of schwarzite.

We examine the electronic structure and total energies of schwarzites (negative-curvature analogs of the fullerenes). These structures have curvature induced via the presence of seven- or eight-membered rings. Ab initio dynamical relaxations reveal that these structures are closer in energy to graphite than are the fullerenes. Analysis of the electronic structure of these curved nets shows that they have a substantial gap of approximately 1.3 eV, which results from the curvature of the underlying structure.
Hydrologic controls on wash load sediment concentrations within a low-ordered, ephemeral watershed

summary This study explores the influence of rainfall and runoff production on wash load sediment transport in a low-order, ephemeral watershed in southeast Arizona. Wash load concentrations measured at the watershed outlet generally decreased throughout a runoff event and were better correlated with the rainfall intensity and the rainfall volume that fell within the 6 min (the watershed’s ‘time of concentration’) before the sediment concentration was measured than with the runoff discharge. The difference between the rainfall volume per unit time and the runoff discharge was primarily due to infiltration and transmission losses, processes that reduce runoff volume but do not appear to affect the wash load concentration within the runoff. Infiltration and transmission losses are significant in this watershed and vary considerably in space and time but are generally described by an inverse relationship between the runoff coefficient and drainage area. Runoff coefficients vary amongst runoff events and are correlated to the peak rainfall intensity during each event. Results indicate that wash load concentrations are set by the sediment entrainment processes occurring on the hillslopes (e.g., rainsplash, Hortonian overland flow) and do not greatly fluctuate as water is routed through the watershed. This suggests that wash load concentration may be better predicted by metrics of rainfall than flow discharge in certain environments. Using rainfall as a predictor of wash load could be useful for estimating sediment fluxes in semiarid regions where flow discharge is often difficult to monitor and sediment transport concentrations can be high (i.e., >10,000 mg L � 1
Plastic deformation of polyethylene crystals on copper and NaCl crystal substrates

Polyethylene single crystals deformed on copper and NaCl single-crystal substrates by the method of Gleiter and Argon were examined in transmission electron microscopy attached to carbon film carriers constraining them to their deformed state and also after they have been removed from the deformed substrates and were allowed to relax. It was observed that the imposed shear strains can be accommodated by the polyethylene crystals by a combination of debonding from the substrate, elastic flexing, extensive inplane twinning and martensitic shear transformations, buckling, and tearing. No contrast effects suggestive of slip lines could be observed in dark field studies, and the gold droplet decoration technique failed to detect any unambiguous slip lines. From this it is concluded that the critical shear stress for slip is always higher than that for twinning and martensitic shear transformations, and that crystals will deform preferentially by these latter modes.
A displacement-shifted vision-based hybrid particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) technique

A displacement-shifted approach is introduced to the vision-based particle tracking velocimetry (VB-PTV) technique described in Lei et al. (Exp Fluids 53(5):1251–1268, 2012), using translational and angular displacements. The particle matching algorithm in VB-PTV is based on a proximity matrix, G ij , which favors short distance particle matches over long distance matches. By modifying the formula used in constructing G ij , particles that lie at the expected location of the match are favored. Two displacement-shifted methods are introduced: the first of which relies on particle image velocimetry estimates of particle displacements and the second of which relies on both the expected displacement and direction of the correct match to construct the proximity matrix. These displacement-shifted algorithms improve performance in high gradient (0.3 px/px and above), high displacement flows (upwards of 20 pixels), broadening the range of flows for which VB-PTV can be used. RMS errors in PTV results are reduced by 33 % or more when these displacement-shifted algorithms are made to the VB-PTV algorithm which is used to process Oseen vortex images. Experimental images of shear layer and the wake region of vortex shedding were used to verify the performances of the proposed methods, and the results are in agreement with the synthetic tests.
A dual-field modular division algorithm and architecture for application specific hardware

This paper presents a dual-field modular division (inversion) algorithm and its hardware design. The algorithm is based on the Extended Euclidean and the Binary GCD algorithms. The use of counters to keep track of the difference between field elements in this algorithm eliminates the need for comparisons which are usually expensive and time-consuming. The algorithm has simple control flow and arithmetic operations making it suitable for application specific hardware implementation. The proposed architecture uses a scheduling method to reduce the number of hardware resources without significantly increasing the total execution time. Its datapath efficiently supports all the operations in the algorithm and uses carry-save unified adders for reduced critical path delay, making the proposed architecture faster than other previously proposed designs. Experimental results using synthesis for AMI 0.5 /spl mu/m CMOS technology are shown and compared with other dividers.
A simple model of ball lightning

Summary form only given, as follows. We have completed a simple model of ball lightning that includes a theory, a scaling law, an experimental measurement of the lifetime, and photographs of the discharge. The conclusion is that a sphere 10 cm in radius should persist for about 1 sec. The scaling law predicts that the lifetime scales as the radius squared.
An improved correction formula for the estimation of harmonic magnitudes and its application to open quotient estimation

Many voice quality parameters, such as the open quotient (OQ), depend on an accurate estimate of the source spectrum. It is known that OQ, for example, is correlated with the magnitude difference of the first two harmonics (H/sub 1/-H/sub 2/) of the speech source spectrum. In order to compare OQ estimates across different vocal tract configurations a magnitude correction is achieved by removing the influence of vocal tract resonances. The improved correction described in this paper is inspired by a correction formula of H. M. Hanson (see Glottal characteristics of female speakers, PhD. dissertation, Harvard university, Cambridge, MA, 1995). The new correction formula accounts for the bandwidths of all the vocal tract resonances, and most importantly, is not limited to the analysis of non-high vowels. H/sub 1/-H/sub 2/ estimates, using the proposed technique with synthesized vowels generated with the Liljencrants-Fant (LF) and the KLGLOTT88 models, are very accurate.
Clinical significance of perioperative Q-wave myocardial infarction: the Emory Angioplasty versus Surgery Trial.

Abstract Objective: The primary end point of the Emory Angioplasty versus Surgery Trial was a composite of three events: death, Q-wave infarction, and a new large defect on 3-year postoperative thallium scan. This study examines the clinical significance of Q-wave infarction in the surgical cohort (194 patients) of the Emory trial. Methods: Twenty patients (10.3%) with Q-wave infarctions were identified: 13 patients had inferior Q-wave infarctions and seven patients had anterior, lateral, septal, or posterior Q-wave infarctions (termed anterior Q-wave infarctions ). Results: In the inferior Q-wave infarction group, postoperative cardiac catheterization (at 1 year or 3 years) in 11 patients revealed normal ejection fraction (ejection fraction >55%) in 10 (91%), no wall motion abnormalities in 10 (91%), and all grafts patent in 10 (91%). In the anterior Q-wave infarction group, postoperative catheterizatiOn in six patients revealed normal ejection fractions in five (83%), no wall motion abnormalities in three (50%), and all grafts patent in three (50%). Average peak postoperative creatine kinase MB levels were as follows: no Q-wave infarction ( n = 174) 37 ± 43 IU/L, inferior Q-wave infarction 40 ± 27 IU/L, and anterior Q-wave infarction 58 ± 38 IU/L. Mortality in the 20 patients with Q-wave infarctions was 5% (1/20) at 3 years; in patients without a Q-wave infarction it was 6.3% (11/174) ( p = 0.64). Of 17 patients with a Q-wave infarction who underwent postoperative catheterization, 11 (65%) had a normal ejection fraction, normal wall motion, and all grafts patent with an uneventful 3-year postoperative course. Conclusions: The core laboratory screening of postoperative electrocardiograms, particularly in the case of inferior Q-wave infarctions, appears to identify a number of patients as having a Q-wave infarction with minimal clinical significance. Q-wave infarction identified in the postoperative period seems to be a weak end point with little prognostic significance and therefore not valuable for future randomized trials. (J T horac C ardiovasc S urg 1996;112:1447-54)
Associations between children's intelligence and academic achievement: the role of sleep.

Sleep problems (long wake episodes, low sleep efficiency) were examined as moderators of the relation between children's intelligence and academic achievement. The sample was comprised of 280 children (55% boys; 63% European Americans, 37% African Americans; mean age = 10.40 years, SD = 0.65). Sleep was assessed during seven consecutive nights of actigraphy. Children's performance on standardized tests of intelligence (Brief Intellectual Ability index of the Woodcock-Johnson III) and academic achievement (Alabama Reading and Math Test) were obtained. Age, sex, ethnicity, income-to-needs ratio, single parent status, standardized body mass index, chronic illness and pubertal development were controlled in analyses. Higher intelligence was strongly associated with higher academic achievement across a wide range of sleep quality. However, the association between intelligence and academic achievement was slightly attenuated among children with more long wake episodes or lower sleep efficiency compared with children with higher-quality sleep.
Band-tunable and multiplexed integrated circuits for simultaneous recording and stimulation with microelectrode arrays

Two thin-film microelectrode arrays with integrated circuitry have been developed for extracellular neural recording in behaving animals. An eight-site probe for simultaneous neural recording and stimulation has been designed that includes on-chip amplifiers that can be individually bypassed, allowing direct access to the iridium sites for electrical stimulation. The on-probe amplifiers have a gain of 38.9 dB, an upper-cutoff frequency of 9.9 kHz, and an input-referred noise of 9.2 /spl mu/V /sub rms/ integrated from 100 Hz to 10 kHz. The low-frequency cutoff of the amplifier is tunable to allow the recording of field potentials and minimize stimulus artifact. The amplifier consumes 68 /spl mu/W from /spl plusmn/1.5 V supplies and occupies 0.177 mm/sup 2/ in 3 /spl mu/m features. In vivo recordings have shown that the preamplifiers can record single-unit activity 1 ms after the onset of stimulation on sites as close as 20 /spl mu/m to the stimulating electrode. A second neural recording array has been developed which multiplexes 32 neural signals onto four output data leads. Providing gain on this array eliminates the need for bulky head-mounted circuitry and reduces motion artifacts. The time-division multiplexing circuitry has crosstalk between consecutive channels of less than 6% at a sample rate of 20 kHz per channel. Amplified, time-division-multiplexed multichannel neural recording allows the large-scale recording of neuronal activity in freely behaving small animals with minimum number of interconnect leads.
Effect of sodium and acetate ions on 8-hydroxyguanine formation in irradiated aqueous solutions of DNA and 2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-monophosphate.

AbstractPurpose: The aim of this work was to study the combined effect of sodium and acetate ions on the radiation yield of 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OHG), one of the major DNA base lesions induced by free radicals.Materials and methods: Aqueous solutions of DNA and 2′-deoxyguanosine 5′-monophosphate (dGMP) with various concentrations of sodium acetate and sodium perchlorate were γ-irradiated, enzymatically digested and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods.Results: It was found that both salts decrease the 8-OHG radiation yield in the concentration range studied for both DNA and dGMP, except in the case of dGMP wherein an increase in yield occurs in the concentration range from 0.1–1 mM. The dependence of the 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine radiation yield on the concentration of both sodium acetate and sodium perchlorate have different shapes and have steeper slopes for the DNA compared with the dGMP solutions.Conclusions: The observed decrease in the radiation yield of 8-OHG with incr...
The treatment of dangerous behavior

Individuals who display dangerous behavior towards others have historically been under-treated and under-researched. This paper discusses three published case studies wherein adult males were effectively treated for severe aggression towards others, the environment, and, in two cases, self-injury. All were diagnosed as having mental retardation and two also had a psychiatric diagnosis. All had experienced years of failed attempts to control their aggression through large pharmacological interventions and restricting their freedom of movement via restrictive environments. The use of comprehensive multifaceted behavioral programs involving punishment resulted in dramatic and long lasting reductions in aggression, the elimination or great reduction of drug use, and major lifestyle improvements. The conceptual, clinical, political, legal, philosophical, and ethical considerations that arose during the development and implementation of the programs are discussed as well as scientific issues related to achieving long term maintenance. An early published case study (Martin & Foxx, 1973) is discussed first because it illustrates how an informal functional analysis was used to design a very simple and effective non-punishment treatment program for a woman who displayed dangerous aggression. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluating the risk of eye injuries: intraocular pressure during high speed projectile impacts.

Purpose: To evaluate the risk of eye injuries by determining intraocular pressure during high speed projectile impacts. Methods: A pneumatic cannon was used to impact eyes with a variety of projectiles at multiple velocities. Intraocular pressure was measured with a small pressure sensor inserted through the optic nerve. A total of 36 tests were performed on 12 porcine eyes with a range of velocities between 6.2 m/s and 66.5 m/s. Projectiles selected for the test series included a 6.35 mm diameter metal ball, a 9.25 mm diameter aluminum rod, and an 11.16 mm diameter aluminum rod. Experiments were designed with velocities in the range of projectile consumer products such as toy guns. Results: A range of intraocular pressures ranged between 2017 mmHg to 26426 mmHg (39 psi-511 psi). Four of the 36 impacts resulted in globe rupture. Conclusions: Intraocular pressures dramatically above normal physiological pressure were observed for high speed projectile impacts. These pressure data provide critical insight to chronic ocular injuries and long-term complications such as glaucoma and cataracts. Language: en
Politico-Economic Results in April 2014

The situation in Ukraine ratcheted up sharply in April 2014 in the Dontesk and Lugansk Regions, where armed insurgents seized the regional administration buildings. Negotiations in Geneva between officials from Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and the European Union came to an agreement on April 17 on disarmament of the insurgents subject to their amnesty. However, not only did the insurgents defy the agreement, they also began to take hostages, OSCE diplomats. Russia keeps demanding to desist from the use of force against the insurgents, however it remains unclear what should be done under the circumstances. Again, Russia and Ukraine have found themselves on the verge of war, with Russia facing the threat of tougher individual and economic sanctions by OECD member states. In Russia, a law regarding the collection of signatures for elections at all levels (save for parties that have passed the 3% threshold at the federal election) was adopted on the second, most important, reading, as well as a law on the abolishment of direct voting for mayors and city council members passed the first reading – the law, however, is going to be amended so that it retains the possibility of direct voting for mayors with the consent of a regional legislative body. Substantial adjustments were made to the adopted in the first reading federal law On the Russian Citizenship whereby the eligibility for the Russian citizenship was toughened for dozens of millions of Central Asian nationals.