cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interface reactions in a chromium buffer layer deposited between stainless steel and a silicon substrate

The microstructure of a Cr buffer layer between a stainless steel (SS) layer, which is a catalytic layer for carbon nanotube growth, and a Si (100) substrate was investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The SS film is polycrystalline, and the thickness is not uniform. It was partly covered by a surface Cr2O3 layer. The Cr buffer layer reacted with the Si substrate to form CrSi2. Definite orientation relationships (ORs) between CrSi2 and Si were observed: (OR D) and (OR A). OR D is a new OR found in the CrSi2/Si system. We also found several other new ORs which are similar to OR A and are denoted OR E, OR F, OR G, and OR H. For OR E and OR F, the CrSi2 crystals are rotated, respectively, about 18° and 34° counterclockwise around the zone axis with respect to OR A. For OR G and OR H, the CrSi2 crystals are rotated, respectively, about 35° and 107° clockwise around the zone axis with respect to OR A. These findings not only enrich the crystallography of the CrSi2/Si epitaxial system,...
Isolating and sequencing the infrequent 3'-ends of a specific mRNA.

Abstract Procedures are descried for identification of very infrequent in vivo 3′-ends of RNA. After purification by filter hybridization, the 3′-ends were labeled with[5′ 32 P] cytosine-3′-P in the RNA ligase reaction. Significantly fewer counts were incorporated in the ligase reaction than in the polynucleotide kinase reaction to label 5′-ends. The incorporation was increased by increasing the RNA concentration 5–10 fold by using only one round of filter hybridization. Non-specific RNA binding could be eliminated by RNase A treatment of the filter if a great excess of denatured heterologous DNA was immobilized along with the DNA probe. Significant amounts of DNA were released when eluting the hybrid RNA from such filters. DNA inhibited the ligase reaction, while its DNase products were even more inhibitory. Treatment of the DNase products with alkaline phosphatase completely eliminated the inhibition. We detected no spurious 5′- or 3′-ends generated in the hybrid RNA by RNase A activity used to reduce the non-specific RNA. Also, RNase T1 could be used in place of RNase A to eliminate non-specific RNA binding, but about 25 times more RNase T1 (μg/μg) was needed. We used partial alkali digestion to sequence 3′-ends. A major (one hit) and minor (two hit) set of products were produced which could be distinguished from each other by alkaline phosphatase treatment and homochromatography of the products.
In Pursuit of Safety: Alternative Patterns of Police Production in Three Metropolitan Areas

Community safety and police services production processes manifest diverse patterns within and between jurisdictions. Using data from a comparative study of policing in sixty neighborhoods, distributed across three metropolitan areas, an analytic typology of modes or patterns of citizen-police production activities is derived and proposed for use in subsequent productivity analysis. Detailed descriptions of policing and citizen safety related activities are examined in selected neighborhoods in order to assess the integrity of the proposed production categories. Relationships between the production categories, neighborhood and department characteristics, and various measures of police "performance" are then presented. Implications for productivity analysis are considered."According to the Great Equation, Medical Care equals Health. But the Great Equation is wrong. More available medical care does not equal better health. The best estimates are that the medical system (doctors, drugs, hospitals) affects about 10 percent of the usual indexes for measuring health: whether you live at all (infant mortality), how well you live (days lost due to sickness), how long you live (adult mortality). The remaining 90 percent are determined by factors over which doctors have little or no control, from individual lifestyle (smoking, exercise, worry) to social conditions (income, eating habits, psychological inheritance), to the physical environment (air and water quality). Most of the bad things that happen to peoples' health are at present beyond the reach of medicine." Language: en
First-principles supercell studies of the nitrogen impurity in diamond.

We have used a first-principles, local-orbital computational scheme to study the electronic structure of a substitutional N donor impurity in cubic diamond. The calculations were carried out in a supercell framework, using three different supercells with increasing impurity-impurity separation. Comparison of the results from all three supercells allows a reliable extrapolation to the isolated-impurity limit; we find that the N impurity level falls at ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{c}}$-0.8 eV, where ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{c}}$ is the conduction-band edge. Analysis of the impurity wave function for the three supercells shows that, while the calculated energies indicate a deep donor level, the impurity wave function is nonetheless surprisingly long ranged. The implications of this for the interpretation of recent findings on magnetic multilayers are briefly discussed.
INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION OF SMALL-SCALE IRRIGATION FARMING IN SOUTH AFRICA

The paper outlines recent developments in small-scale irrigation farming in South Africa, particularly in terms of various institutional changes. In an attempt to put the South African situation in a broader context, institutional arrangements related to credit provision to small-scale farmers in Ghana, Tanzania and Pakistan are described. For two case studies from South Africa, regression models are used to estimate the impact of credit, extension and land tenure arrangements on small-scale farmers' net income. The findings confirm the positive impact of access to institutions on farmers' performance. We conclude by stressing the importance of institutions in small-scale irrigation farming and suggest that more emphasis should be put on the development of effective institutions in policy, program implementation and research.
Specific interaction of the SV40 T antigen-cellular p53 protein complex with SV40 DNA.

Abstract Three forms of the simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumor antigen (T antigen), free T antigen from infected monkey cells, T antigen-p53 complex from virus-infected mouse cells, and T antigen-p53 complex from SV40-transformed mouse cells, were examined for their abilities to bind specifically to SV40 DNA. Employing an immunoassay that detected T antigen and/or p53 protein bound to restriction fragments of viral DNA, it was shown that all three of these forms of SV40 T antigen bind preferentially to the restriction fragment of SV40 DNA containing the nucleotide sequence at the origin of viral DNA replication. Free p53 protein alone failed to bind to SV40 DNA in this assay. These results indicate that the SV40 T antigen-p53 protein complex displays the same SV40 DNA binding specificity as free T antigen obtained from a productive infection.
Assessment of Dynamical Downscaling in Near-Surface Fields with Different Spectral Nudging Approaches Using the Nested Regional Climate Model (NRCM)

AbstractDynamic downscaling with regional-scale climate models is used widely for increasing the spatial resolution of global-scale climate model projections. One uncertainty in generating these projections is the choice of boundary forcing applied. In this study the Nested Regional Climate Model (NRCM) is used with a grid spacing of 12 km over the United States (excluding Hawaii) to dynamically downscale 2.5° National Centers for Environmental Prediction–U.S. Department of Energy Reanalysis-2 data, with different applications of spectral nudging (SN) for the boundary conditions. Nine numerical experiments for July 2005—each with different wavenumbers and nudging duration periods, applied to different model layers—evaluated the performance of SN in downscaling near-surface fields. The calculations were compared with the North America Regional Reanalysis dataset over four subregions of the contiguous 48 states. Results show significant differences with different wavenumbers, nudging duration periods, and n...
Chemoprevention of human skin cancers.

Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 41 (2002) 269– 285 www.elsevier.com/locate/critrevonc Chemoprevention of human skin cancer Janine G. Einspahr *, Steven P. Stratton, G. Timothy Bowden, David S. Alberts Arizona Cancer Center, Uni6ersity of Arizona, 1515, North Campbell A6enue Tucson, AZ 85724, USA Accepted 2 July 2001 Contents 1. Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1. Impact of skin cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2. Incidence of AK and relationship to SCC . . . . 1.3. Clinical and histologic features of AK and SCC 2. Sunlight as a carcinogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1. Ultraviolet (UV)-induced DNA damage . . . . . . . . 2.2. p53 gene response to UV-induced DNA damage . . . 2.3. p53 mutations in UV-induced carcinogenesis . . . . . 2.4. UV-induced alterations in second messenger systems . (SEBs). 4. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reviewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. Skin cancer chemoprevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cancer chemoprevention and use of surrogate endpoint Chemopreventive agents and molecular targets . . . . . Human chemoprevention studies in NMSC . . . . . . . biomarkers Abstract The incidence of skin cancer has been rising in recent years with significant effects on public health. Primary prevention has proven inadequate in impacting the incidence of skin cancer, thus stimulating the development of chemopreventive strategies. The majority of skin cancer chemoprevention studies focus on occurrence of new nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC) in individuals with a previous NMSC, or on reduction in the number of premalignant skin lesions such as actinic keratoses (AK). Dysplastic nevi, a likely precursor of melanoma, are also potential targets for chemoprevention strategies. Premalignant lesions are especially attractive as endpoints since they are more common than frank cancer, resulting in reduced sample size, length, and cost of clinical trials. Development of new agents that affect the pathogenesis of skin cancer will be discussed, from elucidation of molecular targets to implementation of trials designed to determine the effects of chemopreventive interventions on human skin cancer. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel.: + 1-520-626-2444; fax: + 1-520-626-2735. E-mail address : jeinspahr@azcc.arizona.edu (J.G. Einspahr). 1040-8428/02/$ - see front matter © 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 1 0 4 0 - 8 4 2 8 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 1 8 5 - 8
Purification of long-chain acyl-CoA hydrolase from bovine heart microsomes and regulation of activity by lysophospholipids

Abstract Long-chain acyl-CoA hydrolase (EC 3.1.2.2) has been purified 12,000-fold from bovine heart muscle microsomes by extraction with Miranol detergent, followed by column chromatography on Reactive Blue agarose and DEAE-cellulose. The purified enzyme was nearly homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and had a molecular weight of 41,000 in the presence of dodecyl sulfate. The specificity and kinetic properties of the enzyme were studied using several acyl-CoA derivatives as potential substrates. The enzyme showed a wide degree of specificity with little dependence on either the fatty acyl chain length or the degree of unsaturation of the acyl group. The kinetic properties were in accord with the Michaelis-Menten equation under most conditions, although high concentrations of substrates generally inhibited the enzyme. Arachidonoyl-CoA, which was the most effective substrate, had a K m value of 0.4 μ m and a V max value of 6.0 μmol min −1 mg −1 . The enzyme was strongly and specifically inhibited by lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylinositol with kinetic inhibition constants of 16 and 30 n m , respectively. Other lysolipids and detergents such as deoxycholate and Triton X-100 were weak inhibitors. These properties and others distinguish this enzyme from other acyl-CoA hydrolases and support the idea that lysophospholipids may be important in vivo in the regulation of lipid metabolism.
Effect of Estrogen on Leptin and Expression of Leptin Receptor Transcripts in Prepubertal Dairy Heifers

Plasma leptin concentrations increase as growing dairy heifers approach puberty and have greater plasma estrogen. In intact and ovariectomized rodents, estrogen has been shown to modulate expression of leptin and its receptor (Ob-R). To determine if estrogen regulates the bovine leptin system, prepubertal dairy heifers were ovariectomized at 140 d of age or left intact. A month later, both groups received a subcutaneous injection of excipient or 17beta-estradiol for 3 consecutive days. Neither ovarian status nor 17beta-estradiol injection altered plasma leptin or leptin mRNA abundance in adipose tissue depots. To assess whether these factors affected Ob-R expression, we tested 20 bovine tissues for leptin receptor (Ob-R) by using quantitative real-time PCR assays for the short receptor isoform (Ob-Ra), the long receptor isoform (Ob-Rb), and all receptor isoforms (Ob-R(TOTAL)). Ob-R(TOTAL) was detected in all tissues, with copy numbers covering 3 orders of magnitude between the lowest and highest expressing tissues (kidney cortex vs. liver). The Ob-Rb isoform accounted for 40% of Ob-R(TOTAL) in the hypothalamus, but averaged less than 3% of Ob-R(TOTAL) in peripheral tissues. Reciprocally, Ob-Ra accounted for only 19% of Ob-R(TOTAL) in the hypothalamus and for nearly all of Ob-R(TOTAL) in most peripheral tissues. Finally, we evaluated the effects of ovarian status and 17beta-estradiol on Ob-R expression in selected tissues. Treatment with 17beta-estradiol reduced Ob-R(TOTAL), Ob-Rb, and Ob-Ra expression by 70% in the uterine endometrium and tended to do the same in mammary adipose tissue. There was no effect of 17beta-estradiol on Ob-R in the hypothalamus, liver, soleus muscle, or subcutaneous adipose tissue. We conclude that greater estrogen secretion does not cause increased plasma leptin in prepubertal dairy heifers but estradiol can modulate Ob-R expression in some estrogen-responsive tissues.
Estimating Agricultural Nitrous Oxide Emissions

Emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, tend to be underestimated by standard methods of quantifi cation provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) [IPCC, 2006], recent research suggests. Better quantification of agricultural N2O emissions improves greenhouse gas inventories, allows for better evaluation of the environmental impacts of different cropping systems, and increases the understanding of the nitrogen (N) cycle in general. Proper quantifi cation of N2O emissions is particularly important in the context of calculating net greenhouse gas emissions from biofuel cropping systems because these emissions offset the greenhouse gas benefits of displacing fossil fuel and can even lead to biofuel systems being a net greenhouse gas source [Crutzen et al., 2008]. The global warming potential of N2O is approximately 300 times that of carbon dioxide, and N2O emissions represent approximately 6% of the global anthropogenic greenhouse gas source [IPCC, 2007]. N2O also contributes to stratospheric ozone destruction. N2O is produced in soils through the microbial processes of nitrifi cation and denitrification. Soil water content, temperature, texture, and carbon availability infl uence N2O emissions, but the strongest correlate is usually N inputs to the system, especially at large scales [Stehfest and Bouwman, 2006]. In addition to direct emissions, N inputs to agricultural soils also contribute to N2O emissions indirectly [IPCC, 2006] when nitrate that has leached or run off from soil is converted to N2O via aquatic denitrifi cation and when volatilized non-N2O N-oxides and ammonia are redeposited on soils and converted to N2O.
Lucky in Your Judge

This Article considers the role of luck in judicial outcomes, stemming from differences in the moral and legal views and reasoning of the judges who decide them. It suggests that luck is ineliminable from a system of positive law and that although it poses important moral problems of unpredictability, arbitrariness, and unfairness, it is not easily remediable. It is certainly not remediable by replacing a system of positive law with a system of adjudication addressing moral issues directly. Nor is it remediable by insisting on integrity as a feature of judicial decision-making.
The effect of chlorpromazine on respiration of brain mitochondria as a function of metabolic state.

Abstract The effect of chlorpromazine on brain mitochondrial respiration is studied during various metabolic states and certain transitions between them. It is found that for a given low concentration of the drug, there may be no effect, a stimulation, or a prevention of stimulation of respiration, depending on metabolic state at time of exposure to the drug. These findings are discussed in light of the “charge transfer” properties of chlorpromazine as well as possible permeability factors.
Anatomic variation of gynecologic brachytherapy prescription points

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this report is to evaluate the geometric movement (relative to the bony pelvis) of fixed brachytherapy reference points during the time interval of the first and second gynecologic intracavitary implant. Methods and Materials: The radiation therapy records of 40 consecutive patients with all stages of carcinoma of the cervix treated at the Radiation Oncology Center, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, from January 1991 through December 1991 were reviewed. All patients received external beam irradiation and two intracavitary implants with Fletcher-Suit tandem and ovoids. Prescription points, per ICRU #38, were used: point A, B, and P, bladder, and rectum. Comparison of the location of points for the first and second implants (2 week time interval) was performed using the bony pelvis as reference anatomy and calculating the 3-dimensional spherical coordinates from a common origin for both implants. Results: Analysis of the movement of the second implant relative to the first revealed that the x, y, and z coordinates for the various points shifted from 0 to 6 mm in a single plain. Vector analysis showed that the magnitude and direction of the average shift was on the order of 1.0 to 1.5 cm with displacement posteriorly and inferiorly. The effect of this movement on dose rates to the various points can result in dose rate differences up to 35%. A regression analysis was performed to identify factors affecting this movement. The time interval from the first to the second implant was the factor which correlated best with the movement. Conclusion: There is movement of the absolute position of ICRU #38 reference points between the first and second intracavitary implants. This movement results in significant differences in absolute dose rates to these reference points in the two implants. The clinical significance of this movement relative to dose to the tumor is unknown.
Controllability of a planar body with unilateral thrusters

Investigates the minimal number of unilateral thrusters required for different versions of nonlinear controllability of a planar rigid body. For one to three unilateral thrusters, one gets a new property with each additional thruster: one thruster suffices for small-time accessibility on the body's state space TSE(2); two thrusters suffice for global controllability on TSE(2); and three thrusters suffice for small-time local controllability at zero velocity states.
Hydrogen-anion formation near a (2 × 1)-reconstructed Si(100) surface: Substrate-electronic-structure and trajectory dependence

We calculated the yield of outgoing hydrogen negative ions after the reflection of 1-keV neutral hydrogen atoms from a $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1)$-reconstructed Si(100) surface. We find that the charge-transfer dynamics at the reconstructed surface is dependent on both the surface-electronic structure and orientation of the projectile trajectory relative to the crystal azimuthal directions. Our results are in good quantitative agreement with the measured $\mathrm{H}{}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ fractions of Maazouz and Esaulov [Surf. Sci. 398, 49 (1998)] for scattering trajectories that are aligned perpendicularly to rows of silicon dimers.
Nucleus circularis: Is it an osmoreceptor in the brain?

The nucleus circularis, in the anterior hypothalamus, is a group of magnocellular elements arranged in a ring around a capillary bed. The cells are predominantly monopolar, tightly packed, and are flattened at the outer border of the ring. The entire nucleus is surrounded or encapsulated by myelinated fibers. Electrical stimulation of this nucleus produced a short-latency, long-lasting and substantial antidiuresis in ethanol anesthetized rats. Water deprivation induced changes in numbers of nucleoli and cell size increases in these cells. The multiplication of nucleoli in this nucleus during water deprivation was more profound than that previously observed in the supraoptic nucleus. Decreases in multiple nucleoli accompanied voluntary rehydration. Seven criteria for status as an osmoreceptor are listed and the nucleus circularis was found to meet 6 of these criteria, the seventh being the demonstration of receptor potentials which has not yet been attempted.
Pressure and doping dependence of Hall effect and effective mass in V2O3

Abstract We present results of electrical resistivitity and Hall effect measurements on single crystalline V 2− y O 3 as a function of temperature, pressure and doping y . The pressure dependence of the Hall effect suggests an interpretation in terms of spin fluctuations, which is also consistent with the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity ρ . If a T 2 fit is applied to ρ at low temperatures a saturation rather than a divergence of the corresponding effective mass results as the metal–insulator transition is approached.
A characterization of vitamin D-independent intestinal calcium absorption in the osteopetrotic (op/op) mouse.

Previous work in our laboratory showed that the osteopetrotic (op/op) mouse possesses a vitamin D-independent mechanism of intestinal calcium absorption. This study was performed in an effort to further characterize the mechanism. The vitamin D-deficient op/op mouse absorbed calcium faster than either a vitamin D-deficient or 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)-supplemented wild-type mouse. This increased rate of absorption was not found at concentrations of calcium that result in diffusional calcium absorption. Thus, vitamin D-deficient op/op mice had intestinal calcium absorption similar to that of vitamin D-deficient wild-type littermates when increasing levels of calcium were administered. Also, mRNA and protein levels of calbindin-D9k were similar in vitamin D-deficient wild-type and op/op mice as well as in wild-type and op/op mice treated with 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3). Therefore, the mechanism of vitamin D-independent intestinal calcium absorption in the op/op mouse is distinct from vitamin D-dependent intestinal calcium absorption.
Natural frequencies of three phase windings

Abstract The frequencies of natural oscillations formed in three-phase windings of electric power circuits vary over a wide range, depending on the internal and external connections of the circuits. Star and delta connection of the winding, insulated and grounded condition of the system, and the influence of the first and the last interrupting pole in three-phase circuit breakers are analysed in their influence on the natural frequencies excited in such multiple-coupled systems. The results of many tests on actual machines show excellent agreement with the calculated results. Since the natural frequencies of insulated circuits are found always to be higher than those of grounded systems and, in addition, are independent of the random character of the sequence of interruption of the three poles of a circuit breaker, it is expedient to base tests of the interrupting capacityof three-phase circuit breakers exclusively on ungrounded systems.
CD154 Blockade Alters Innate Immune Cell Recruitment and Programs Alloreactive CD8+ T Cells into KLRG-1high Short-Lived Effector T Cells

CD154/CD40 blockade combined with donor specific transfusion remains one of the most effective therapies in prolonging allograft survival. Despite this, the mechanisms by which these pathways synergize to prevent rejection are not completely understood. Utilizing a BALB/c (H2-K(d)) to B6 (H2-K(b)) fully allogeneic skin transplant model system, we performed a detailed longitudinal analysis of the kinetics and magnitude of CD8(+) T cell expansion and differentiation in the presence of CD154/CD40 pathway blockade. Results demonstrated that treatment with anti-CD154 vs. DST had distinct and opposing effects on activated CD44(high) CD62L(low) CD8(+) T cells in skin graft recipients. Specifically, CD154 blockade delayed alloreactive CD8(+) T cell responses, while DST accelerated them. DST inhibited the differentiation of alloreactive CD8(+) T cells into multi-cytokine producing effectors, while CD40/CD154 blockade led to the diminution of the KLRG-1(low) long-lived memory precursor population compared with either untreated or DST treated animals. Moreover, only CD154 blockade effectively inhibited CXCL1 expression and neutrophil recruitment into the graft. When combined, anti-CD154 and DST acted synergistically to profoundly diminish the absolute number of IFN-γ producing alloreactive CD8(+) T cells, and intra-graft expression of inflammatory chemokines. These findings demonstrate that the previously described ability of anti-CD154 and DST to result in alloreactive T cell deletion involves both delayed kinetics of T cell expansion and differentiation and inhibited development of KLRG-1(low) memory precursor cells.
Differential timing and sexual dimorphism in the expression of the vasopressin gene in the developing rat brain.

Abstract The ontogeny of vasopressin (VP) gene expression in extrahypothalamic neurons of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and medial amygdala (MA) was investigated using in situ hybridization. In both the BNST and MA, VP mRNA-positive cell profiles were only detected a few days after birth. In males, VP mRNA-expressing cell profiles appear in the BNST on day 3 and in the MA on day 5. In contrast, hybridization signals could not be detected in the female brain until day 14 in the BNST and day 35 in the MA. Adult VP mRNA levels are attained by day 35 in the BNST and day 60 in the MA for both sexes. From this data, it is apparent that development of the VP system is delayed in females compared to the males. Therefore, these data suggest that the sexual dimorphic pattern in the expression of VP mRNA in these nuclei of the adult brain is evident early in the developmental process.
The Effect of Toulene on the Microbial Community of a River in Northeastern Ohio, USA

ABSTRACT The effect of toluene on microbial communities from two sites a reference site with minimal anthropogenic disturbance and a polluted site with high levels of xenobiotic compounds along the Mahoning River (Ohio, USA) was examined in flask and microcosm experiments. Total numbers of bacteria and protozoa were determined using fluorescent stains, and bacteria of three species (Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas putida and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus) were enumerated using fluorescent in situ hybridization. In water, total bacterial numbers were not adversely affected by toluene. In sediments, the number of bacteria in the toluene-treated microcosms was lower than controls, particularly in samples from the polluted site. In general, P. putida and A. calcoaceticus population sizes were lower in toluene-treated microcosms than in controls, while B. cepacia numbers were enhanced by the presence of toluene, especially in the polluted site microcosms. Treatment with toluene had a negative effect on protozo...
An Analytical Through Silicon Via (TSV) Surface Roughness Model Applied to a Millimeter Wave 3-D IC

In the millimeter wave (mmW) frequency range, the root mean square height of the through silicon via (TSV) sidewall roughness is comparable to the skin depth, and hence, becomes a critical factor for TSV modeling and analysis. In this paper, the impact of the TSV sidewall roughness on electrical performance, such as the loss and impedance alteration in the mmW frequency range, is examined and analyzed. The second-order small analytical perturbation method is applied to obtain a simple closed-form expression for the power absorption enhancement factor of the TSV. In this study, we propose an electrical model of the TSV, which considers the TSV sidewall roughness effect, the skin effect, and the metal oxide semiconductor effect. The parameters of the proposed circuit model can be determined analytically; the accuracy of the model is validated through a comparison of circuit model behavior for full wave electromagnetic field simulations up to 100 GHz.
Robust optimal digital control synthesis using parameter optimization

This paper presents a direct synthesis of optimal robust low-order digital controllers using a design procedure called extended optimal W-synthesis (EOW). This method enhances the digital design method developed earlier for dynamic and static output feedback designs, allowing designers to select a controller of a pre-specified order and structure. Furthermore, a multi-objective function is formulated to address design robustness to parameter variations. A set of necessary conditions for optimality have been developed and used in the numerical solutions of the optimum design. The algorithm is applied to the synthesis of a robust control law for a flexible two-link robot arm. >
Stochastic simulation of coupled chemical reactions using recursive methods

In this paper, we present a new method for stochastic simulation of coupled chemical reactions. In this method we obtain recursive expressions for propagating the first two moments of the probability distributions over time. Its advantage over other simulation methods is that it does not require Monte Carlo simulations, and hence it performs several orders of magnitude faster than existing Monte Carlo methods. Simulation results are presented for some examples of coupled first-order reactions.
Phenotyping for patient safety: algorithm development for electronic health record based automated adverse event and medical error detection in neonatal intensive care.

Background Although electronic health records (EHRs) have the potential to provide a foundation for quality and safety algorithms, few studies have measured their impact on automated adverse event (AE) and medical error (ME) detection within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment. Objective This paper presents two phenotyping AE and ME detection algorithms (ie, IV infiltrations, narcotic medication oversedation and dosing errors) and describes manual annotation of airway management and medication/fluid AEs from NICU EHRs. Methods From 753 NICU patient EHRs from 2011, we developed two automatic AE/ME detection algorithms, and manually annotated 11 classes of AEs in 3263 clinical notes. Performance of the automatic AE/ME detection algorithms was compared to trigger tool and voluntary incident reporting results. AEs in clinical notes were double annotated and consensus achieved under neonatologist supervision. Sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and specificity are reported. Results Twelve severe IV infiltrates were detected. The algorithm identified one more infiltrate than the trigger tool and eight more than incident reporting. One narcotic oversedation was detected demonstrating 100% agreement with the trigger tool. Additionally, 17 narcotic medication MEs were detected, an increase of 16 cases over voluntary incident reporting. Conclusions Automated AE/ME detection algorithms provide higher sensitivity and PPV than currently used trigger tools or voluntary incident-reporting systems, including identification of potential dosing and frequency errors that current methods are unequipped to detect.
Oil content and fatty acid composition variability in wild peanut species.

Wild peanut species are useful genetic resources for improving the levels of disease/pest resistance and for enhancing the quality of seed composition by interspecific hybridization. The variation in oil content and fatty acid composition of wild peanut species in the United States Department of Agriculture germplasm collection is unknown. Seeds available from 39 wild species (plus a cultivated peanut) were requested from the U.S. peanut germplasm collection. Oil content was measured using nuclear magnetic resonance, fatty acid composition was analysed using gas chromatography, and the D150N functional mutation of the FAD2A gene was screened by real-time PCR. Significant variability in oil content (41.7‐61.3%) was identified among the wild peanut species. Arachis magna contained significantly more oil (61%) than cultivated peanut (56%). There was no functional mutation identified within the FAD2A gene target, and no wild species were identified with a high ratio of oleic acid to linoleic acid. The results from gas chromatography and real-time PCR analyses were consistent. However, Arachis sylvestris contained a significantly higher amount (22%) of long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) than the cultivated peanut (4%). Thus, A. magna and A. sylvestris may be good breeding materials to use for increasing oil content or LCFA composition of cultivated peanuts in breeding programs.
Some quantum effects in information channels

In this paper the quantum nature of electromagnetic radiation is used as a basis for a mathematical model of a continuous channel. It is shown that this "photon channel" model leads to more realistic conclusions regarding information transmission. Among the results obtained are: 1) the maximum entropy for a narrow-band source under an average power limitation, 2) the frequency distribution (Bose-Einstein) for a wide-band power-limited source, 3) the transmission rate through a Poisson channel with additive Poisson noise.
Is the firefly flash regulated by calcium

The very different courtship flashes of Photuris versicolor and Photuris lucicrescens males mirror the pattern of neural impulses produced by their brain. Their lanterns luminescence very differently, however, in response to direct, electrical stimulation. Whereas P. lucicrescens lanterns glow in response to high frequency, continuous electrical stimulation, those of P. versicolor produce only rapid, triple-pulsed flashlettes that resemble, but are not identical to, their courtship flashes. In addition, the exposed lantern tissue of P. versicolor males, when immersed in firefly saline high in potassium and calcium ions, scintillates with hundreds of photocytes flashing in random fashion. P. lucicrescens male lanterns, so treated, only glow. Tests of P. versicolor lanterns with salines of different composition suggest that calcium ions are essential in producing this intense, long lasting scintillation response and are therefore possibly implicated in the final stages of flash control in this species.
AURORA: a vision-based roadway departure warning system

AURORA is a vision-based system designed to warn a vehicle driver of possible impending roadway departure accidents. It employs a downward looking color video camera with a wide angle lens, a digitizer, and a portable Sun Sparc workstation. Using a binormalized adjustable template correlation algorithm, it reliably detects lane markers on structured roads at 60 Hz. A time-to-lane-crossing (TLC) measurement is calculated for each image based on the estimation of vehicle's lateral position and velocity. This measurement is used to trigger an alarm when the TLC falls below a preset threshold. Promising results have been achieved under a variety of weather and lighting conditions, on many road types.
Development and validation of a novel hydrolysis probe real-time polymerase chain reaction for agamid adenovirus 1 in the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps):

Agamid adenovirus 1 (AgAdv-1) is a significant cause of disease in bearded dragons (Pogona sp.). Clinical manifestations of AgAdv-1 infection are variable and often nonspecific; the manifestations range from lethargy, weight loss, and inappetence, to severe enteritis, hepatitis, and sudden death. Currently, diagnosis of AgAdv-1 infection is achieved through a single published method: standard nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) and sequencing. Standard nPCR with sequencing provides reliable sensitivity, specificity, and validation of PCR products. However, this process is comparatively expensive, laborious, and slow. Probe hybridization, as used in a TaqMan assay, represents the best option for validating PCR products aside from the time-consuming process of sequencing. This study developed a real-time PCR (qPCR) assay using a TaqMan probe-based assay, targeting a highly conserved region of the AgAdv-1 genome. Standard curves were generated, detection results were compared with the gold standard conventional PCR and sequencing assay, and limits of detection were determined. Additionally, the qPCR assay was run on samples known to be positive for AgAdv-1 and samples known to be positive for other adenoviruses. Based on the results of these evaluations, this assay allows for a less expensive, rapid, quantitative detection of AgAdv-1 in bearded dragons.
Subgroup Analyses in Nephrology Clinical Trials

There are various experimental designs available for evaluating the effectiveness of medical interventions. Although none are completely without limitations, the randomized controlled trial (RCT) is generally accepted as providing the most reliable evidence in the hierarchy of methodological options
On the observability properties of homogeneous and heterogeneous networked dynamic systems

This work provides a framework for the observability analysis of linear networked dynamic systems (NDS). A distinction is made between NDS that have homogeneous agent dynamics and NDS that have heterogeneous dynamics. In each case, conditions for the observability of such a system are presented; we will also quantify the relative degree of observability of these systems. Moreover, an index of homogeneity and an index of heterogeneity are introduced as the means of quantitatively measuring how homogeneous a particular NDS is.
Mutable Peer-to-Peer File Systems: Analysis and Evaluation

Peer-to-peer networks have become extremely popular over the last decades for one major reason. They make the exchange of files between users easy and fast. Peer-to-peer systems have been proved to be the basis for the creation of worldwide networks where users exchange read-only files freely and efficiently. However, users have started using applications that need more than what the exchange of immutable files can offer. Collaborative Wikis have emerged as a phenomenon of people's behavior to communicate and collaboratively create and maintain large collections of documents. Communities that do not want to rely on centralized servers and legacy applications would benefit from using peer-to-peer systems for their purposes. The immutability of files that peer-to-peer systems can support however, cannot possibly serve this purpose. This paper makes three contributions towards the advances in theoretical foundations of P2P. It analyzes existing peer-to-peer systems supporting mutable files and indicates their successes and failures in this direction. It describes the characteristics that a mutable peer-to-peer file system should have in order to be able to support applications with characteristics of collaborative Wikis. Finally, it proposes an architecture for the creation of a new peer-to-peer system with the desirable characteristics, based on already existing systems.
Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation of Colobine Monkeys: An Introduction

The Colobinae of Africa and Asia are perhaps best known for their specialized stomachs, which allow them to subsist on leafier and more chemically defended diets than most other primates (Kay and Davies, 1994; Oates et al., 1994). Many colobines are also renowned for their shy and indolent dispositions (Fashing, 2006), traits that make them particularly challenging study subjects. Nevertheless, research on colobines has led to some of the most exciting and contentious discoveries in the history of primate behavior and ecology. Over the past 3 decades, colobines have been at the center of an ongoing debate about the adaptive function of infant killing by males. After repeatedly witnessing male Hanuman langurs (Semnopithecus entellus) attempting to kill unrelated infants on Mount Abu, India in the early 1970s, Hrdy (1974, 1977) proposed the groundbreaking hypothesis that infanticide was part of a sexually selected alternative male reproductive strategy. In addition to inspiring a legion of impassioned detractors (Bartlett et al., 1993; Curtin and Dolhinow, 1979), Hrdy’s hypothesis stimulated a large body of research not only on primates, but also on other animals, from burying beetles to barn swallows to lions (van Schaik and Janson, 2000). Though the issue of infanticide’s adaptive function for male primates remains far from resolved today, at present the strongest evidence consistent with the
Extracellular acidic pH inhibits oligodendrocyte precursor viability, migration, and differentiation.

Axon remyelination in the central nervous system requires oligodendrocytes that produce myelin. Failure of this repair process is characteristic of neurodegeneration in demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and it remains unclear how the lesion microenvironment contributes to decreased remyelination potential of oligodendrocytes. Here, we show that acidic extracellular pH, which is characteristic of demyelinating lesions, decreases the migration, proliferation, and survival of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), and reduces their differentiation into oligodendrocytes. Further, OPCs exhibit directional migration along pH gradients toward acidic pH. These in vitro findings support a possible in vivo scenario whereby pH gradients attract OPCs toward acidic lesions, but resulting reduction in OPC survival and motility in acid decreases progress toward demyelinated axons and is further compounded by decreased differentiation into myelinproducing oligodendrocytes. As these processes are integral to OPC response to nerve demyelination, our results suggest that lesion acidity could contribute to decreased remyelination.
Dynamic configuration of resource-aware services

An important emerging requirement for computing systems is the ability to adapt at run time, taking advantage of local computing devices, and coping with dynamically changing resources. Three specific technical challenges in satisfying this requirement are to (1) select an appropriate set of applications or services to carry out a user's task, (2) allocate (possibly scarce) resources among those applications, and (3) reconfigure the applications or resource assignments if the situation changes. In this paper, we show how to provide a shared infrastructure that automates configuration decisions given a specification of the user's task. The heart of the approach is an analytical model and an efficient algorithm that can be used at run time to make near-optimal (re)configuration decisions. We validate this approach both analytically and by applying it to a representative scenario.
Fast Image Decomposition In Dip Angle Domain And Its Application For Illumination Compensation

Summary In this paper, we develop an efficient method to extract common dip angle image gathers (CDAIG) from a seismic migration image. CDAIG is useful for correcting the acquisition system effects in prestack depth migration. To decompose the space domain image, we use the local exponential frame (LEF) decomposition. As the LEF transform have fast algorithms, this method provides an efficient tool for image decomposition, especially for the 3D image decomposition. We first decompose a space domain migration image into the wavenumber domain, then transfer to dip angle domain. With the dip angle domain image gathers, we apply the illumination compensation in dip angle domain. This can greatly improve the image quality with very efficient implementation. We use 2D SEG/EAGE salt model and 3D SEG model to demonstrate the validity of our method.
Kinetics of the reaction H2O+O = 2OH in rhyolitic and albitic glasses; preliminary results

The kinetics of homogeneous reactions are important in understanding the cooling history of rocks and in understanding experimental speciation data. We have experimentally studied the kinetics of the interconversion reaction between H_2O molecules and OH groups in natural rhyolitic glasses (0.5-2.3% total water) and a synthetic albitic glass (l% total water) at 400-600°C. The reaction rate increases with temperature and total water content. Equilibrium is not always approached monotonically; the speciation may first depart from equilibrium and then come back to equilibrium. Experimental reaction rates agree with those inferred from previous speciation data of rhyolitic glasses quenched from 850°C. The experimental data are modeled successfully by considering both the reaction and the diffusion of OH that brings OH groups together to react. This study shows that species concentrations in glasses quenched from ≤ 600°C reflect those at experimental temperatures unless the water content is higher than that used in the present study. Species concentrations in glasses with total water contents ≥0.8 wt% and which were rapidly quenched in water from 850°C do not represent their equilibrium concentrations in the melt at 850°C, but record a lower apparent equilibrium temperature that depends on water content and quench rate. Natural rhyolitic glasses and glass inclusions do not record preeruptive melt speciation, though total water content may be conserved. The experimental data are used to infer cooling rates for natural obsidian glasses. Pyroclastic glass fragments from the bb site of Mono Craters have cooling rates similar to air-cooled experimental charges (~3°C/s). Different types of glasses from the Mono Craters have different cooling rates, which cover four orders of magnitude. Some natural obsidians appear to have had complex cooling histories. The wide range of cooling rates and thermal histories is consistent with previous inferences that some obsidian clasts at the Mono Craters formed as glass selvages lining volcanic conduits or dikes that were subsequently caught up in the explosive eruption, which led to variable degrees of transient heating followed by rapid cooling and deposition. These experimental data reveal surprisingly rich detail in water speciation in volcanic glasses and show how, at least in principle, quantitative constraints on thermal histories can be extracted by experimentation and application of kinetic models.