cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mining structure–property relationships in polymer nanocomposites using data driven finite element analysis and multi-task convolutional neural networks

Data-driven methods have attracted increasingly more attention in materials research since the advent of the material genome initiative. The combination of materials science with computer science, statistics, and data-driven methods aims to expediate materials research and applications and can utilize both new and archived research data. In this paper, we present a data driven and deep learning approach that builds a portion of the structure–property relationship for polymer nanocomposites. Analysis of archived experimental data motivates development of a computational model which allows demonstration of the approach and gives flexibility to sufficiently explore a wide range of structures. Taking advantage of microstructure reconstruction methods and finite element simulations, we first explore qualitative relationships between microstructure descriptors and mechanical properties, resulting in new findings regarding the interplay of interphase, volume fraction and dispersion. Then we present a novel deep learning approach that combines convolutional neural networks with multi-task learning for building quantitative correlations between microstructures and property values. The performance of the model is compared with other state-of-the-art strategies including two-point statistics and structure descriptor-based approaches. Lastly, the interpretation of the deep learning model is investigated to show that the model is able to capture physical understandings while learning.
Walking and cognitive performance in adults with multiple sclerosis: Do age and fatigability matter?

Abstract Background Co-occurring walking and cognitive performance deficits are debilitating consequences of multiple sclerosis (MS) that worsen with age. However, it is unknown if fatigability influences such age-related worsening of walking and cognitive performance. Objective This cross-sectional study examined possible age-related differences in walking-related motor fatigability (incremental six-minute-walk (6MW) performance) and cognitive fatigability (incremental Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) performance) in adults with MS. Methods 196 adults with MS were categorized into age-groups: younger (20–39 years; n = 53), middle-aged (40–59 years; n = 89), and older (60–79 years; n = 54), and completed the 6MW and SDMT. Age-group differences in incremental 6MW and SDMT performance, controlling for disability status, were examined using separate, mixed-factor ANCOVAs. Results There were no statistically significant age-group-by-time interactions on walking-related motor or cognitive fatigability when controlling for disability. However, there were significant main effects of time on incremental 6MW (p = 0.01) and SDMT (p Conclusion Fatigability does not exert a primary influence on age-related worsening of walking and cognitive neuroperformance outcomes among adults with MS. This suggests that walking-related motor fatigability and cognitive fatigability may not be optimal targets for mitigating age-related declines in ambulation and cognition among adults with MS.
Gender and Executive Job Mobility: Evidence from Mergers and Acquisitions

The increasing presence of women in executive positions has fostered interest in understanding how men and women fare in the managerial labor market. We examine gender differences in managerial job mobility by focusing on managers displaced (almost 90%) when their firms are acquired. Comparing labor market outcomes for similarly-ranked managers from the same target firm and within the same functional area, we find that career disruption results in a larger drop in rank for female managers, despite similar job search efforts. Gender differences are moderated for managers hired by firms with more women in upper echelon positions. Women with rich prior managerial experience and service on external boards also fare well. Our results point to a significant (implicit) ‘gender penalty’ for women in terms of managerial job mobility, but also indicate contexts in which the penalty may be alleviated, and even reversed.
The experience of financial toxicity among advanced melanoma patients treated with immunotherapy

To measure financial toxicity and explore its association with quality of life (QOL) in an emerging population of survivors: advanced melanoma patients treated with immunotherapy. Cross-sectional s...
Power System Dispatch With Marginal Degradation Cost of Battery Storage

Battery storage is essential for the future smart grid. The inevitable cell degradation renders the battery lifetime volatile and highly dependent on battery dispatch, and thus incurs opportunity cost. This paper rigorously derives the marginal degradation cost of battery for power system dispatch. The derived optimal marginal degradation cost is time-variant to reflect the time value of money and the functionality fade of battery and takes the form of a constant value divided by a discount factor plus a term related to battery state of health. In case studies, we demonstrate the evolution of the optimal marginal costs of degradation that corresponds to the optimal long-term dispatch outcome. We also show that the optimal marginal cost of degradation depends on the marginal cost of generation in the grid.
A Projection Algorithm for the Unitary Weights.

Unitary neural networks are promising alternatives for solving the exploding and vanishing activation/gradient problem without the need for explicit normalization that reduces the inference speed. However, they often require longer training time due to the additional unitary constraints on their weight matrices. Here we show a novel algorithm using a backpropagation technique with Lie algebra for computing approximated unitary weights from their pre-trained, non-unitary counterparts. The unitary networks initialized with these approximations can reach the desired accuracies much faster, mitigating their training time penalties while maintaining inference speedups. Our approach will be instrumental in the adaptation of unitary networks, especially for those neural architectures where pre-trained weights are freely available.
An antitubercular prodrug leaves Mycobacterium tuberculosis facing a difficult choice, poisoning or starvation?

In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Libardo et al. (2021) identify prodrugs that kill Mtb through poisoning of its L-tryptophan biosynthetic pathway. Determination of the mechanisms of resistance evolved by the bacterium highlights the importance of metabolic flux modulation in TB drug resistance.
Multi-omic Characterization of Pancreatic Cancer-Associated Macrophage Polarization Reveals Deregulated Metabolic Programs Driven by the GMCSF-PI3K Pathway

Abstract The pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) microenvironment is composed of a variety of cell types and marked by extensive fibrosis and inflammation. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are abundant, and they are important mediators of disease progression and invasion. TAMs are polarized in situ to a tumor promoting and immunosuppressive phenotype via cytokine signaling and metabolic crosstalk from malignant epithelial cells and other components of the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the specific distinguishing features and functions of TAMs remain poorly defined. Here, we generated tumor-educated macrophages (TEM) in vitro and performed detailed, multi-omic characterization (i.e. transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics). Our results reveal unique genetic and metabolic signatures of TEMs, the veracity of which were queried against our in-house single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset of human pancreatic tumors. This analysis identified expression of novel, metabolic TEM markers in human pancreatic TAMs, including ARG1, ACLY, and TXNIP. We then utilized our TEM model system to study the role of mutant Kras signaling in cancer cells on TEM polarization. This revealed an important role for GM-CSF and lactate on TEM polarization, molecules released from cancer cells in a mutant Kras-dependent manner. Lastly, we demonstrate that GM-CSF dysregulates TEM gene expression and metabolism through PI3K-AKT pathway signaling. Collectively, our results define new markers and programs to classify pancreatic TAMs, how these are engaged by cancer cells, and the precise signaling pathways mediating polarization.
Introduction to Singularity Theory with Historical Remarks

Naively speaking this map is stable since if we push (or perturb) the graph of the map slightly (as shown by dotted line), the topological pictures of the dotted graph and the solid graph are the same. More rigorously, the dotted curve is just the graph of a reparametrization of f.
The Continuous Risk Profile Approach for the Identification of High Collision Concentration Locations on Congested Highways

This paper documents a new method for monitoring traffic collision data from continuous roadway facilities to detect high collision concentration locations. Many existing methods for detecting collision concentration locations require segmentation of roadways and assume traffic collision data are spatially uncorrelated, resulting in both false positives (i.e., identifying sites for safety improvements that should not have been selected) and false negatives (i.e., not identifying sites that should have been selected). The proposed method does not require segmentation of roadways; spatial correlation in the collision data does not affect the results of analysis. This new method has a lower false positive rate than the conventional sliding moving window approach. This paper shows how the proposed method can proactively identify high collision concentration locations and capture the benefit of safety improvements observed in the project location and in neighboring sites.
Digital computer based data acquisition and control software packages

The hardware and software characteristics of current-generation digital data acquisition and control packages are presented. The history of digital-computer-based control from the IBM 1710 and GE PAC 4060 is reviewed, and the increasingly unique nature of the associated hardware platforms is noted. In recent years, this hardware evolution has been reversed as the general-purpose super microcomputer adapts to the special needs of data acquisition and control applications with speeds exceeding 6 MIPS. The hardware organization of modern super microcomputers is presented, along with performance benchmarks. Operating systems for such machines are discussed, and a number of poplar data acquisition and control packages for microcomputers are detailed. It is concluded that the variety and diversity of data acquisition and control software will continue to grow, while an increasing proportion of such programs will be designed for the POSIX ('Unix') environment. Standardization of POSIX will likely lead to the standardization of more specific, real-time operating systems to host another generation of data acquisition and control packages. >
Injury risk among children in motor vehicle crashes: older versus younger drivers

AIM: To explore the relationship between injury risk among child occupants involved in motor vehicle collisions according to the age of the vehicle driver. METHODS: The National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System 2000-2009 (n = 10 797) was used to identify demographic, vehicle-, collision- and injury-related characteristics among motor vehicle collision occupants ≤15 years of age. The association between the age of the driver (older vs. younger, defined as individuals RESULTS: Of the child occupants in motor vehicle collisions, 2.9% were driving with an older driver, and approximately 2.9% were injured while driving with a younger driver (odds ratio 1.03; 95% confidence interval 0.55-1.91). After adjusting for child occupant age, gender, restraint use, seat position and vehicle type, there remained no significant association between the age of the driver (older vs. younger) and the risk of injury (odds ratio 0.92; 95% confidence interval 0.49-1.74). CONCLUSIONS: These findings add to the body of literature indicating no difference in injury risk found among children when considering the age of the driver. Research is needed to ascertain the association and further evaluate characteristics more specific to the relationship being explored in this study. Language: en
Advances in respiratory support for high risk newborn infants

A significant proportion of premature infants present with respiratory failure early in life and require supplemental oxygen and some form of mechanical respiratory support. Many technical advances in the devices for neonatal respiratory support have occurred in recent years and new management strategies have been developed and evaluated in this population. This article describes some of these novel methods and discusses their application and possible advantages and limitations. Newer methods of respiratory support have led to marked improvement in outcome of premature infants with respiratory failure. Some of these strategies are very promising but further investigation to evaluate their short term efficacy and impact on long term respiratory and other relevant outcomes is needed before wider use.
Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and its determinants in an elderly population sample

This study describes the distribution and determinants of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and risk factors for low 25(OH)D (≤ 37.5 nmol/L) in 290 men and 469 women aged 67-95 y who were in the Framingham Heart Study cohort. Mean (± SD) 25(OH)D concentrations were 82 ± 29 nmol/L in men and 71 ± 29 nmol/L in women. 25(OH)D was low in 6.2% of men and 14.5% of women. 25(OH)D concentrations were strongly associated with season of examination, inversely associated with time spent indoors and body mass index, and positively associated with dietary vitamin D intake. In women, concentrations were also inversely associated with age and positively associated with supplemental vitamin D intake and residence for ≥ 3 mo/y in Florida, California, or Arizona, and in men were positively associated with serum creatinine concentrations. Similar amounts of variance in 25(OH)D concentrations were explained by vitamin D intake and sunlight exposure, the former being more important in women and the latter in men. None of the known or suspected determinants of vitamin D status could explain the lower 25(OH)D concentrations in women, but the sex difference was not seen for individuals examined during the winter. Results from this population-based sample of elderly individuals suggest that inadequate vitamin D status is an important public health problem, which could be readily addressed by adequate vitamin D intake or sunlight exposure.
Cytochrome c: Ascorbate reduction site and possible electron-transfer path

The ascorbate reduction reaction of the native and urea-perturbed forms, 0–8M urea, of horse heart ferricytochrome c is found to be a three-step process: a urea-dependent equilibrium step between a reducible and an irreducible form with a midconcentration of urea of 7.4M, a binding step with a binding constant of 5.9M–1, and a reduction step with a urea-independent rate constant of 2.9 ± 0.3 s–1 [J. Biol. Chem. 255, 9666 (1980)]. The effect of adding urea, in addition to the generation of an irreducible form, is a slight lowering of the ascorbate-protein binding constant, 5.9 to 2.7M–1, which is limited to the 0–5.5M concentration range. The thermodynamics of the ureadenaturation process also yields a three-step mechanism, NX1X2D, with midconcentrations of urea of 2.5–3M, 6.2M, and 7.5M, respectively, where N, D, and the Xs are the native, the 9-M-urea, and the intermediate forms. The three processes are described as the loosening of the heme crevice opening, the solvent exposure of the polypeptide backbone, and the disruption of the tryptophan–porphyrin interactions, respectively [Biochemistry 19, 199 (1980)]. The reaction of the protein with 2,3-butanedione, a group-specific reagent for the guanidinium groups and an electron donor for this protein, is inhibited in the presence of ascorbate, but only one of the two functional groups is involved [J. Biol. Chem. 255, 11094 (1980)]. A correlation of kinetic and thermodynamic observations led to the conclusion that the ascorbate reduction of the protein is independent of the state of the heme crevice opening and of the polypeptide organized structures; instead, it is determined by the integrity of the tryptophan indole–porphyrin interactions. This information, when taken in conjunction with the selective inhibition of the reaction of the arginine side chains by ascorbate, establishes the binding site of ascrobate as one of the two arginyl side chains, and not the opening of the crevice or its vicinity. From the three-dimensional structure of the protein, and taking into consideration the variability of the protein sequence, it is suggested that Arg-38 is the ascorbate binding site, and that the electronic interaction between the indole of Trp-59 and the porphyrin moiety must constitute, at least in part, the electron-transfer path to heme iron.
Monte-Carlo simulations of atmospheric muon production: Implication of the past martian environment

Abstract In order to evaluate the obliquity-driven atmospheric-density path length effect on nuclide production rate on Mars, we performed a Monte-Carlo simulation to produce the number of secondary particles such as muons, neutrons and protons in the martian atmosphere and to simulate that production of 10 Be and 36 Cl in the martian regolith by muons and neutrons depends on how much atmosphere had been present for the past 10 million years. The vertical profile of the present martian atmosphere to generate secondary particles has been determined based on the data provided by the Viking missions. For other thickness profiles, we scaled Linsley's atmospheric model. Atmospheric shower has been generated with the SIBYLL 2.1 for high-energy hadronic interactions and EHSA for low energy photonuclear interactions. With increasing atmospheric thickness, more primary interactions occur in the atmosphere. Consequently the proton flux is reduced and the secondary cosmic ray flux, such as muons or energetic neutrons increases at surface. The result indicates that the muon production is more sensitive to obliquity-driven atmospheric variations than proton reduction. A thicker atmosphere would result in enhanced nuclide production at a place deeper than 5 m below the surface and the nuclides present in detectable concentrations. Application to the polar deposit is described.
A generalization of Weyl's identity for Dn

The expansion in Schur functions of the product @?"i" "0a"@?x"ix"j(x"i^@?-x"j^@?)/(x"i-x"j)), thus generalizing Weyl's identity. We obtain this result by systematic calculation in fermionic Fock space. But familiarity with the latter is not a prerequisite for reading this paper. We develop from scratch the modest amount of theory that we need in elementary and purely algebraic fashion, taking pains to integrate the theory with classical symmetric function theory. The tools developed in this paper ought to have many further applications, e.g., to random matrix theory and to computational abelian function theory.
Sequence distribution of partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate)

Copolymers of vinyl acetate and vinyl alcohol were studied by differential thermal analysis. The melting points of the copolymers are not a simple function of the composition, but depend on the method of preparation of the copolymers. Partial saponification of poly(vinyl acetate) with sodium hydroxide leads to high melting, ordered copolymers, while reacetylation of poly(vinyl alcohol) leads to low melting, random copolymers. Catalytic alcoholysis of PVAc yields copolymers intermediate in melting point and order. The results are treated by assuming that equal melting points indicate similar sequence length distributions of crystallizable units.
Characterization of the hydroperoxides derived from singlet oxygen oxidation of ( + )-limonene

Abstract Six hydroperoxides ( 2a − 7a ) have been identified as the primary reaction products of the singlet oxygen oxidation of (+ )-limonene. The products were isolated by semi-preparative hplc and characterized by NMR, IR, glc pyrolysis, and reduction to known alcohols.
Synthesis of cis-4-methyl-3-phenylpyrrolidines as potential dopaminergic agonists

cis-3-(3,4-Dihydroxyprienyl)4-methyl-1-(n-propyl)pyrrolidine (23) was synthesized and evaluated for dopaminergic activity. The synthesis of 23 involved selective 4-acylation of the 3-phenylpyrrolidine-2,5-dione 15 and cis-addition of hydrogen to a 4-methyl-3-phenyl-3-pyrroline 4. Pharmacological evaluation of 23 showed that introduction of a cis-4-methyl group into the 3-phenylpyrrolidine nucleus decreases dopaminergic activity.
On the uniform continuity of Tietze extensions

Tietze [5] proved the extension theorem for pointwise continuous functions on metric spaces, Urysohn [6] for normal topological spaces, and Kat&ov [3] for uniformly continuous functions on uniform spaces. Kat&ov's proof, using lemmata on binary relations, is quite complex. Isbell's proof [2, p. 40] uses the Samuel compactification, thus traveling far outside the given uniform space. The purpose of this note is to show that, for metric spaces, a simple, direct, explicit and internal construction used many years ago for pointwise continuous functions will, in fact, produce a uniformly continuous extension.
RHIZOSPHERE MICROBIAL POPULATIONS IN CONTAMINATED SOILS

Rhizosphere microbial populations may increase bioremediation of soil contaminated with organic chemicals. A growth chamber study was conducted to evaluate rhizosphere microbial populations in contaminated and non-contaminated soil. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and alpine bluegrass (Poa alpina L.) were grown in soil containing a mixture of organic chemicals for 14 weeks. The equal millimolar mixture of hexadecane, (2,2-dimethyl-propyl)-benzene, cis-decahydronaphthalene (decalin), benzoic acid, phenanthrene, and pyrene was added at levels of 0 and 2000 mg/kg. Organic chemical degrader (OCD) populations were assessed by a Most-Probable-Number technique, and bacteria and fungi were enumerated by plate count methods. Different methods for expressing OCD rhizosphere populations were investigated to determine the effect it had on interpretation of the results. At 9 weeks, the OCD numbers were significantly higher in rhizosphere and contaminated soils than in bulk and non-contaminated soils, respectively. Alfalfa rhizosphere OCD levels were 4 × 107/g for contaminated and 6 × 106/g for non-contaminated soils. Bluegrass rhizosphere OCD levels were 1 × 107/g and 1 × 106/g in contaminated and non-contaminated soils, respectively. Selective enrichment of OCD populations was observed in contaminated rhizosphere soil. Higher numbers of OCD in contaminated rhizospheres suggest potential stimulation of bioremediation around plant roots.
The Green's function for the radiative transport equation in the slab geometry

The radiative transport equation is solved in the three-dimensional slab geometry by means of the method of rotated reference frames. In this spectral method, the solution is expressed in terms of analytical functions such as spherical harmonics and Wigner d-functions. In addition, the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a tridiagonal matrix and certain coefficients, which are determined from the boundary conditions, must also be computed. The Green's function for the radiative transport equation is computed and the results are compared with diffusion approximation and Monte Carlo simulations. We find that the diffusion approximation is not quite correct inside the slab, even when the light emitted from the slab is well described by the diffusion approximation. The solutions we obtain are especially convenient for solving inverse problems associated with radiative transport.
Art or Forgery? The Strange Case of Han Van Meegeren a videodisc for aesthetics and art history

PRESENTING AN INTERNATIONALLY NOTORIOUS AND INTRIGUING CASE STUDY in art forgery, the videodisc program Art or Forgery? The Strange Case of Han Van Meegeren is an educational tool designed to facilitate three crucial tasks in the critical study of visual art: •Access to data (a wealth of art works and information about them) •Attention to relevant detail and •Analysis of both the evidence and evidentiary issues relevant to our inter-related judgments of aesthetic value and attribution. The program provides easy access to a wealth and variety of evidence: albums of masterworks and forgeries, critical commentary, and an historic documentary film on the intensive investigations into the case and the motives and ingenuity of the alleged master forger. Besides aBookshelf of generic research material for free exploration or review, the program includes two structuredInvestigations that lead the user systematically through an assessment of the ‘Internal’ and ‘External’ evidence in the case. The videodisc won the Best Humanities Software Award in the 1990 EDUCOM/NCRIPTAL Higher Education Software Awards Program. I describe the design, uses and educational goals of the videodisc.
A new mathematical space with applications to statistical experimental design — I. Preliminary results

Abstract A new 2 m -dimensional mathematical space is introduced, whose ‘axes’ are indexed (in a sense) by the points of the m -dimensional finite Euclidean space EG( m , 2) based on GF(2), the finite field with two elements. Corresponding to the points in this space, a polynomial ring is introduced, and studied. This theory is then applied to the construction of nonsingular factorial designs for the 2 m case using those for the 2 m −1 case.
Bayesian hierarchical regression models for detecting QTLs in plant experiments

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping is a growing field in statistical genetics. In plants, QTL detection experiments often feature replicates or clones within a specific genetic line. In this work, a Bayesian hierarchical regression model is applied to simulated QTL data and to a dataset from the Arabidopsis thaliana plants for locating the QTL mapping associated with cotyledon opening. A conditional model search strategy based on Bayesian model averaging is utilized to reduce the computational burden.
Discrete inverse scattering theory and the continuum limit

Abstract The class of satisfactory difference approximations for the Schrodinger equation in discrete inverse scattering theory is shown smaller than previously supposed. A fast algorithm (analogous to the Levinson algorithm for Toeplitz matrices) is found for solving the discrete inverse problem.
Inhibitory effect of lichen constituents on mutagenicity induced by heterocyclic amines

Physodic acid, one of the main constituents of Hypogymnia enteromorpha, inhibited the mutagenicity of indirect mutagens, including benzo[a]pyrene and heterocyclic amines in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98. In contrast, it was not effective against direct mutagens such as 6-nitropiperonal and adriamycin. Its antimutagenicity was not associated with free-radical scavenging or antioxidative activities. Physodic acid seemed to inhibit the formation of reactive metabolites, such as N-hydroxy-Trp-P-2, by blocking the hepatic microsomal oxidation systems. Another component of H. enteromorpha, physodalic acid, also inhibited mutagenicity of a heterocyclic amine, Trp-P-2, in S. typhimurium TA 98, even though it was reportedly mutagenic in S. typhimurium TA 100.
Vibration Studies of a Cantilevered Structure Subjected to Human Activities Using a Remote Monitoring System

Long cantilevered balconies used as seating areas in auditoriums, theaters, churches, and stadiums are often susceptible to excessive vibrations because of crowd movements. Measurement and analysis of the responses of such structures when subjected to human movements can provide a reasonable estimate of their dynamic properties. However, it is generally very difficult to artificially excite such massive structures with a measured input force at the same level as that exerted by a crowd. In addition, it is not yet well understood how human occupants’ presence may change the dynamic properties of these structures. This paper presents details of a remote vibration monitoring system (RVMS) installed on a large cantilevered balcony structure to collect the vibration records generated by rhythmic crowd activities. The results of the studies conducted indicate that the presence of human occupants resulted in a consistent reduction in the natural frequencies of the structure and an increase in the damping ratios ...
Thermal Characterization of Carbon-Carbon Composites

Thermal properties of materials such as specific heat, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity are very important in the engineering design process and analysis of aerospace vehicles as well as space systems. These properties are also important in power generation, transportation, and energy storage devices including fuel cells and solar cells. Thermal conductivity plays a critical role in the performance of materials in high temperature applications. Thermal conductivity is the property that determines the working temperature levels of the material, and it is an important parameter in problems involving heat transfer and thermal structures. The objective of this research is to develop thermal properties data base for carbon-carbon and graphitized carbon-carbon composite materials. The carbon-carbon composites tested were produced by the Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process using T300 2-D carbon fabric and Primaset PT-30 cyanate ester. The graphitized carbon-carbon composite was heat treated to 2500°C. The flash method was used to measure the thermal diffusivity of the materials; this method is based on America Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM E1461 standard. In addition, the differential scanning calorimeter was used in accordance with the ASTM E1269 standard to determine the specific heat. The thermal conductivity was determined using the measured values of their thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and the density of the materials.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Mission Completion Time is Sensitive to Teleoperation Performance during Simulated Reconnaissance Missions with a Micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle:

In prior research, we found that temporal measures were affected by input device (game controller vs. mouse); however, other measures were not (e.g., number of targets detected, or number of collisions). The main purpose of the present research was to investigate the sensitivity of a temporal performance measure for simulated reconnaissance missions. Instead of measuring number of targets photographed in a fixed amount of time, this study measured time to photograph a set number of targets. Twenty participants went through simulation-based micro-unmanned aerial vehicle operator training, including three skill courses and two reconnaissance missions. Half the participants used a mouse as their input device, whereas the rest used a game controller. Mission completion time was found to be faster when participants used the game controller than when they used the mouse, for both skill missions and reconnaissance missions. Effective simulation-based training for micro-unmanned vehicles operators requires both r...
Epicontinental Seas Versus Open-Ocean Settings: The Kinetics of Mass Extinction and Origination

Environmental perturbations during mass extinctions were likely manifested differently in epicontinental seas than in open-ocean-facing habitats of comparable depth. Here, we present a dissection of origination and extinction in epicontinental seas versus open-ocean-facing coastal regions in the Permian through Cretaceous periods, an interval through which both settings are well represented in the fossil record. Results demonstrate that extinction rates were significantly higher in open-ocean settings than in epicontinental seas during major mass extinctions but not at other times and that origination rates were significantly higher in open-ocean settings for a protracted interval from the Late Jurassic through the Late Cretaceous. These patterns are manifested even when other paleogeographic and environmental variables are held fixed, indicating that epicontinental seas and open-ocean-facing coastlines carry distinct macroevolutionary signatures.
Cold agglutinin antibody in a hyperimmune erythrocyte antiserum.

AbstractTo examine whether an innocuous, nonbacterial-associated immunogen could generate a cold agglutinin autoreactive antibody response, rabbits were hyperimmunized with sheep erythrocytes. Of five animals immunized, one developed an autoreactive antibody population which agglutinated autologous and allogenic erythrocytes at temperatures below 37°. The cold agglutinin antibody activity was present in the IgM class immunoglobulin fraction since only the excluded volume of a Sephacryl S-200 serum fractionation, and purified IgM, contained detectable activity. The cold agglutinin antibody was hemolytic in the presence of guinea pig complement, since whole serum, and purified IgM, sensitized rabbit erythrocytes for lysis in a biphasic temperature hemolysis assay. In hemolytic inhibition assays, the cold agglutinin antibody was sugar specific. The relative sugar ligand specificity in this assay was shown to be N-acetylgalactosamine > melibiose > galactose > lactose. The hyperimmune anti-sheep erythrocyte se...
Oxygenated phenanthrenes via quinol ketals: Cyclization vs. migration

Abstract 2-methoxyphenanthrenes were prepared by reaction of lithiated 2-bromostyrenes with quinone monoketals followed by acid-mediated cyclization of the resulting p-arylquinol kelals. Substitution at the bromostyrene side-chain or the quinone monoketal ring had only a modest effect on yields, but oxygen substitution on the bromostyrene aromatic nucleus resulted in a competing 1,2-aryl migration arising during the quinol ketal cyclization step. The extent of this rearrangement was found to be a function of the Lewis acid/solvent system employed.
Raman scattering in diamond up to 1900 K

The temperature dependence of the zone-center optical phonon of diamond has been investigated up to 1900 K using Raman scattering. Our frequencies agree well with the first measurements of the temperature dependence of this mode but are found to fall halfway between those obtained in two later determinations up to 1000 K. Up to \ensuremath{\sim}1000 K, there is a noticeable nonlinearity in the frequency changes; above \ensuremath{\sim}1000 K the frequency change is almost linear with temperature. The measured positions and widths are also compared with theoretical calculations.
Upper mantle structure of the Kaapvaal craton from surface wave analysis—a second look

[1] Surface waves from earthquakes recorded during the two-year Southern Africa Seismic Experiment have been used to estimate the average velocity structure beneath the Kaapvaal craton. By cross-correlating the data with synthetics derived using mode summation techniques, I measure frequency-dependent phase delays for Love and Rayleigh waves, as well as higher modes, for 12 events ranging in epicentral distance between 12° and 91°. I simultaneously invert the traveltime delays for structure beneath the array and outside of the array. In this way, heterogeneity along the path lying outside of the array is not mapped erroneously into structure beneath the array. The differential dispersion between the Love and Rayleigh waves require some anisotropy in the upper mantle; however, models with a range of anisotropic depths (as shallow as 150 km and as deep as 220 km) can equally well fit the data. The sensitivity of the fundamental mode surface waves used in this study begins to decline significantly below ∼200 km depth limiting interpretation of deeper structure. Nonetheless, this range of anisotropic depths is significantly different than the 100 km depth proposed in a recent study by Freybourger et al. [2001] using a similar technique and different data from the same array. I attribute the difference in their dispersion measurements and modeling to the improper use of a phaseless (i.e. frequency-dependent) filter on the data, which systematically biased their measurements at lower frequencies. In addition, I find no evidence of a low-velocity layer as proposed by Qui et al. [1996] and Priestley [1996].
Halothane administration during liquid ventilation

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that perfluorochemical (PFC) liquid ventilation (LV) can be used as a vehicle to deliver halothane and induce and maintain analgesia. Seven hamsters were paralysed and stabilized with mechanical gas ventilation, ventilated in alternating cycles with gas and either neat oxygenated PFC liquid or oxygenated PFC liquid mixed with liquid halothane (PFC:hal) 1:50% (volume/vapour); arterial pressure and blood gases were monitored throughout the protocol. After each cycle, the animal was stimulated with a foot clamp for 2 s. Mean arterial pressure (MAP:mmHg) response to this stimulation (percent change from the resting MAP) was used as an index of analgesia. Mean arterial pressure was significantly lower during ventilation with PFC:hal (73 +/- 7 SE) as compared with MAP during neat PFC (113 +/- 5 SE) or gas ventilation (107 +/- SE). Mean arterial pressure response (% change in MAP from baseline) to foot-clamp stimulation was significantly lower with PFC:hal ventilation (+ 12 +/- 5% SE) as compared with neat PFC (+ 28 +/- 8% SE) and gas ventilation (+ 29 +/- 9% SE). There was no statistically significant difference in resting MAP or MAP response to foot-clamp stimulation between cycles of ventilation with neat PFC alone or gas ventilation; arterial blood gases were not significantly different between modes of ventilation or levels of analgesia. The data indicate that halothane can be administered during LV while supporting gas exchange, and demonstrate the feasibility of inducing analgesia while using PFC LV techniques.
Biochemical and cytological relationships in C4 plants.

C4 plants can be divided into three groups based on differences in activities of three decarboxylating enzymes: NADP-malic enzyme, NAD-malic enzyme, and phosphopyruvate carboxykinase.
Mesoscale Self-Assembly: Capillary Bonds and Negative Menisci

This paper describes the self-assembly of hexagonal plates (with 2.7 mm wide sides) at the interface between perfluorodecalin (PFD) and water. All 14 different hexagons that can be made by permuting the number and location of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic faces were examined. The plates attracted one another by lateral capillary forces involving the menisci on the hydrophilic faces. The plates were made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) containing aluminum oxide and had a density of 1.86 g/cm3, close to the density of PFD (ρ = 1.91 g/cm3). This work complements a previous paper (Bowden, N.; Choi, I. S.; Grzybowski, B. A.; Whitesides, G. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 5373) that examined the self-assembly of hexagonal plates of PDMS (ρ = 1.05 g/cm3) that had a density close to that of water, and were attracted through menisci on the hydrophobic faces. The arrays that formed from the heavy (ρ = 1.86 g/cm3) hexagons with a particular pattern of hydrophilic faces were analogous to the arrays that formed fro...
Mathematical models of immune effector responses to viral infections: Virus control versus the development of pathology

This article reviews mathematical models which have investigated the importance of lytic and non-lytic immune responses for the control of viral infections. Lytic immune responses fight the virus by killing infected cells, while non-lytic immune responses fight the virus by inhibiting viral replication while leaving the infected cell alive. The models suggest which types or combinations of immune responses are required to resolve infections which vary in their characteristics, such as the rate of viral replication and the rate of virus-induced target cell death. This framework is then applied to persistent infections and viral evolution. It is investigated how viral evolution and antigenic escape can influence the relative balance of lytic and non-lytic responses over time, and how this might correlate with the transition from an asymptomatic infection to pathology. This is discussed in the specific context of hepatitis C virus infection.
Protective monoclonal antibodies define maturational and pH-dependent antigenic changes in sindbis virus E1 glycoprotein

Abstract Monoclonal (MC) antibodies specific for either the El or E2 glycoproteins of Sindbis virus (SIN) were used to probe for differences in the surface topography of SIN epitopes between infected cells and mature virions. Employing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in which binding of individual peroxidase-labeled MC antibodies to immobilized (solid-phase) detergent-disrupted SIN was inhibited specifically by one or more unlabeled antibodies, viral epitopes could be grouped into six spatially distinct antigenic sites—five on El, designated a through e , and one site on E2. All six sites were represented on the surfaces of SIN-infected cells as shown by the complement (C′)-dependent lysis mediated by antibodies of the corresponding epitope specificities. In contrast, virus-neutralizing (NT) activity was restricted to antibodies specific for epitopes on E2 and on site c of El, irrespective of the presence of added C′ and an antiserum against mouse immunoglobulins. That El sites a, b, d , and e became inaccessible to antibody binding was shown by a competitive-inhibition ELISA. Whereas all MC antibodies were inhibited from binding to solid-phase SIN when premixed with detergent-treated virions, only those having NT activity could be competitively inhibited by intact virions. Sites El- d and El- e could be exposed not only by detergent disruption but also by lowering the virion pH from 7.2 to 6.0. These collective results indicate that a majority of immunologically relevant El epitopes present on SIN-infected cell surfaces become cryptic during SIN maturation and, except at low pH, remain undetectable on virion surfaces.
Ethical Issues in Aesthetic Research

If I were to ask the typical board-certified plastic surgeon, “What is the essential aspect of ethical research in aesthetic surgery?” I would expect the most common answer to be “informed consent,” and most other physicans would probably agree. To an extent, that answer is correct, reflecting today’s common view of bioethics. However, there is much more to ethical research than informed consent. A noted authority on the subject, E. J. Emanuel, stated, ”While informed consent is necessary in most but not all cases, in no case is it sufficient for ethical clinical research.”1 There are other issues that must be taken into account in any clinical research, aesthetic or otherwise. There are numerous, well-known historical documents regarding conduct in clinical research, such as the Nuremberg Code, the Belmont Report, and the Declaration of Helsinki. Although none of these traditional ethical guidelines includes the seven requirements mentioned below, the fundamental protections are reflected in the basic philosophies of all of them. The following seven requirements should provide the plastic surgeon, both in academic or private practice, with a framework to guide the practice of ethical clinical research … David L. Larson, MD, Department of Plastic Surgery, 8700 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226-3575. E-mail: dlarson{at}mcw.edu
Cardiovascular actions of mixidine fumarate.

Abstract Mixidine has been reported to slow the heart rate without decreasing the force of myocardial contraction. In view of force-frequency relationships, it may have a ‘masked’ positive inotropic action which counter-balances the decrease in the force of contraction secondary to its cardiac slowing effect. Thus, the effect of this compound on the mammalian cardiovascular system was examined in several heart preparations. Mixidine reduced heart rate in anesthetized cats with a transient increase in blood pressure. In spontaneously beating Langendorff preparations of guinea-pig heart and in canine heart-lung preparations, it caused a sustained decrease in the heart rate with a concomitant decrease in force of contraction. In right atrial preparations of guinea-pig heart, however, the mixidine-induced fall in heart rate was not accompanied by changes in force of contraction. In electrically stimulated left atrial preparations of guinea-pig heart and canine heart-lung preparations, mixidine produced a positive inotropic effect. The inotropic effect observed in guinea-pig atrial preparations was not influenced by a concentration of propranolol which could significantly shift the concentration-response curve for isoproterenol. The positive inotropic effect of mixidine observed in canine heart-lung preparations was greater when it was given into left atrium, bypassing pulmonary circulation, or in preparations depressed with pentobarbital. These results indicate that mixidine has a positive inotropic effect in addition to its cardiac slowing action. Thus, the net effect of this drug on force of myocardial contraction depends on the relative contributions of the direct positive inotropic effect and an indirect negative inotropic effect secondary to cardiac slowing. A compound which has these properties may be useful in treating ischemic heart disease.
Controlling hypertension from a public health perspective

Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. It affects 1 in 4 American adults making it the most common chronic condition in the country. Recent studies have shown that two thirds of hypertensives in the United States are undertreated or untreated. The goal for Healthy People 2010 is to achieve 50% control of blood pressure in 3 years. Several factors related to poor control include aging, obesity, lack of exercise, gender, race, access to health care, compliance issues and physician-related issues. Results from studies suggest that it may be possible to solve this public health problem. This requires interdisciplinary approaches to increase patient awareness and physician adherence to guidelines to realize the full benefits of hypertension research.