cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Installing and Running Telescopes on Skynet for Research and Instruction

We have two telescopes on the Skynet system at our Dark Sky Observatory (DSO), with hopes to put on two more existing telescopes. The experience–basically good–of putting telescopes on Skynet for use by faculty, students, and researchers worldwide is described, as well as some of the difficulties of installation and maintenance, and beneficial experiences running them. Our first telescope, a 14-inch Celestron OTA on a Paramount ME German equatorial mount, was a relatively easy installation given its close match to the original Skynet PROMPT telescopes’ configuration. The second installation, a 17-inch PlaneWave OTA on a Mathis fork mount, has proven more challenging. We would like to put our 32-inch at DSO, as well as the campus 16-inch, on Skynet but the integral open-loop dome control in the DFM Engineering Telescope Control System presents some problems that are discussed.
Association Between Volume of Fluid Resuscitation and Intubation in High-Risk Patients With Sepsis, Heart Failure, End-Stage Renal Disease, and Cirrhosis.

Background Initial fluid resuscitation volume for sepsis is controversial, particularly in patients at high baseline risk for complications. This study was designed to assess the association between 30 mL/kg crystalloids and intubation in patients with sepsis or septic shock and heart failure, end-stage renal disease, or cirrhosis. Methods This propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study included patients with sepsis or septic shock admitted to a large medical ICU. Primary exposure was IV fluid volume in the first 6 h following sepsis diagnosis, divided into two cohorts: ≥ 30 mL/kg (standard group) and Results A total of 208 patients were included, with 104 (50%) in the restricted group ( Conclusions No differences were detected in the incidence of intubation in patients with sepsis and cirrhosis, end-stage renal disease, or heart failure who received guideline-recommended fluid resuscitation with 30 mL/kg compared with patients initially resuscitated with a lower fluid volume.
Supervised Deep Hashing for Efficient Audio Event Retrieval

Efficient retrieval of audio events can facilitate real-time implementation of numerous query and search-based systems. This work investigates the potency of different hashing techniques for efficient audio event retrieval. Multiple state-of-the-art weak audio embeddings are employed for this purpose. The performance of four classical unsupervised hashing algorithms is explored as part of off-the-shelf analysis. Then, we propose a partially supervised deep hashing framework that transforms the weak embeddings into a low-dimensional space while optimizing for efficient hash codes. The model uses only a fraction of the available labels and is shown here to significantly improve the retrieval accuracy on two widely employed audio event datasets. The extensive analysis and comparison between supervised and unsupervised hashing methods presented here, give insights on the quantizability of audio embeddings. This work provides a first look in efficient audio event retrieval systems and hopes to set baselines for future research.
Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Childhood Oncology

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is being increasingly recognized as an important method of imaging a variety of adult malignancies including in the liver, breast, prostate and kidneys. Although most applications have been pursued in adults, children are the ideal patient population for CEUS for numerous reasons including avoidance of exposure to ionizing radiation and sedation. In 2016, the US Federal Drug Administration approved the first ultrasound contrast agent for use in imaging liver lesions in both adults and children. While paediatric CEUS has a more established and widespread use in Europe, this approval has ushered in a new era for the growth and development of CEUS in children in the United States, where there is a burgeoning interest in this modality among paediatric radiologists. In this chapter, we discuss applications of CEUS in paediatric oncology for diagnosis, as a problem-solving tool and its role in guidance of oncologic procedures in interventional radiology, with additional discussion of future directions of CEUS in paediatric oncology.
The Publication of Constitutional Convention Records

A short history of the print and digital publication of all records of the Constitutional Convention, from 1787-2020.
Robust Sensor Selection for Sidewalk Obstacle Avoidance using Reinforcement Learning

Sensors for assistive systems development to avoid sidewalk obstacles require certain qualities such as the sensor data acquisition must be ambient light independent so that it works both in day and night. In addition, the sensor's field of view (FOV) must cover the area of a typical sidewalk. Furthermore, the sensors should be energy efficient and smaller in size. The only way to find out the best sensor satisfying these qualities is to plug in the sensors to prototype devices and perform experiments. This process demands time and resources. In this research, we examined a robust sensor selection process by robot operating system (ROS) simulation. This simulation involves the reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm. We created a virtual sidewalk in Gazebo and let a robot with a sensor learn to avoid obstacles through RL. We found that Intel RealSense is best among the sensors which has optimum FOV and depth. We also designed a virtual sensor with time of flight (ToF) technology to study the light dependency, cost, and energy efficiency.
Goffman’s Biography and the Interaction Order

This essay rests on the premise that Goffman’s Behavior in Public Places can be profitably explored in light of Goffman’s own behavior in public places, and vice versa. The tentative conclusion based on available biographical accounts is that Goffman was a student of civility whose standards he flouted, that his demeanor was sometimes intentionally demeaning, his deference willfully deferred, and his incivility painfully obvious to those present. The argument is made that Goffman’s infringements on the interaction order were strategic, systematic, theoretically significant, and worthy of close study by interactionist sociologists.
CO2 Desorption Rates for an NH3–K2CO3–Amine–H2O Carbon Capture Solution

Carbon dioxide (CO2) desorption rates of the CO2-rich advanced mixed-salt process (A-MSP) solvents (NH3–K2CO3–Amine–H2O) were determined. Measurements were performed at 12 different flow rate–pressure combinations. Pressure ranged from 80-120 psig and volumetric flow rate ranged from 2-5 mL/min. We demonstrated the A-MSP solvent regenerated CO2 at 120 psig at solvent temperatures below 120 °C. Additionally, thermal degradation measurements showed no loss of solvent molarity after being held for 6 weeks at 120 °C. We describe the implications of using the A-MSP solvent for CO2 capture and regeneration in a coal-fired power plant.
Theory and Application of Sturmian Functions

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on scattering problems that have made significant use of Sturmians. The use of Sturmians to include effects of the continuum has the appeal of a systematic development, but there are other ways to include the continuum. One advantage of pseudo-states over Sturmians is that they are applicable to inelastic scattering problems, but by using linear combinations of Sturmians the same end can be achieved. The subsequent interpretation of the phase shifts in terms of elastic scattering cross sections remains unaltered from the usual hydrogenic treatment. The appeal of the Sturmians, however, lies in their ability to describe continuum admixtures to the closed channels, thus their usefulness can be retained if they are used only for this purpose. Elastic scattering from a two-particle system in its ground state occurs between the lowest two of these points; between the second and third points an inelastic channel is open, another inelastic channel opens between the third and fourth points.
Do We Need Biomarkers for Disc Degeneration

Disc degeneration plays a major role in this country’s medical, social and economic structure. The life-time prevalence of low back pain, which has disc degeneration as its cause, is about 80% in the general population. It is a primary cause of disability and estimated costs related to low back disorders exceed $100 billion per year in the U.S. alone. Biomarkers are becoming increasingly important as indicators of the presence of disease, and in evaluating outcomes during clinical treatment. Cell-based biologic therapies which are currently being developed to treat disc degeneration are going to be most efficacious when applied to the early stages of disc disease. In this article we ask: 1) Whether there are existing biomarkers which could play a role in detecting early stages of disc degeneration, and 2) Highlight exciting potentials in future biomarker screening for disc degeneration.
Improving Batch Scheduling on Blue Gene/Q by Relaxing 5D Torus Network Allocation Constraints

As systems scale toward exactable, many resources will become increasingly constrained. While some of these resources have historically been explicitly allocated, many -- such as network bandwidth, I/O bandwidth, or power -- have not. As systems continue to evolve, we expect many such resources to become explicitly managed. This change will pose critical challenges to resource management and job scheduling. In this paper, we explore the potentiality of relaxing network allocation constraints for Blue Gene systems. Our objectives to improve the batch scheduling performance, where the partition-based interconnect architecture provides a unique opportunity to explicitly allocate network resources to jobs. This paper makes three major contributions. The first is substantial benchmarking of parallel applications, focusing on assessing application sensitivity to communication bandwidth at large scale. The second is two new scheduling schemes using relaxed network allocation and targeted at balancing individual job performance with overall system performance. The third is a comparative study of our scheduling schemes versus the existing one under different workloads, using job traces collected from the 48-rack Mira, an IBM Blue Gene/Q system at Argonne National Laboratory.
Digit-serial modular multiplication using skew-tolerant domino CMOS

A novel connection between digit-serial computing and skew-tolerant domino circuit design is developed and applied to the design of a 512-bit modular multiplier. In our design, a digit size of four bits is efficiently mapped onto a four-phase overlapping clocking scheme, so that four bits are processed during each full clock cycle. Our architecture is based on a modified interleaved multiplication algorithm and uses precomputed complements of the modulus and a carry save adder scheme. We also present a technique for modeling the time borrowing behavior in skew-tolerant domino using a VHDL behavioral description. This allows very large skew-tolerant domino circuits to be simulated efficiently in such a way that the essential time borrowing behavior is correctly represented. This simulation methodology is used to verify the correctness of our design and to determine its throughput.
Assessing predictive capability of neuronal network models by computing Lyapunov exponents

Mathematical models of biology are largely based on systems of nonlinear differential equations that are discretized to facilitate solving. In particular, models of neuronal networks need to incorporate delays between the transmission of information of one state variable to another in the system of equations. In reality delays exists in all physical entities, however; their magnitude relative to the time step needed to simulate the entity may be negligibly small. We quantitatively assessed the effect that delays in a system of nonlinear difference equations have on the accuracy of modeling neural networks by computing the Lyapunov exponents for systems of equations describing networks that are part of a previously published test set [1]. This is significant because it represents an objective metric of the ability of a model to represent the physical system being modeled. The maximal Lyapunov exponent is a measure of the exponential divergence over time of a pair of initially infinitesimally close points. Even if instruments existed to assess all the variables of a system with 100% fidelity the limited precision of computers in representing numbers would create small errors between the actual conditions of the system being modeled, and the starting conditions in a computational model. Therefore, all models of the real world that contain positive Lyapunov exponents have a limited predictive capability. Necessary computer code to accomplish this has been written for parallel processing on general purpose graphics processing units to accelerate computational time.
Isolation of regulatory mutants of the aspartic and pyruvic acid families and their effect on antibiotic production in Streptomyces lipmanii.

Abstract Streptomyces lipmanii L100 produces two β-lactam ring-containing antibiotics: penicillin N and 7-(5-amino-5-carboxy valeramido)-7-methoxy-cephalosporanic acid. These antibiotics are modified tripeptides derived from α-aminoadipic acid, cysteine, and valine. Mutants defective either in the biosynthesis or in the control of amino acids belonging to the aspartic and pyruvic acid families were isolated and characterized with regard to their effect on antibiotic synthesis. In a number of these mutants antibiotic synthesis was either completely inhibited or increased up to threefold over wild-type levels.
Statistical Comparative Analyses of Engineering Properties of Microwave and Conventionally Sintered Alumina

Processing conditions such as temperature, soak time, and heating rate affect the final density of conventionally-sintered and microwave-sintered ceramics. Of additional importance is the question of whether microwave-sintered ceramics display intrinsically superior macroscopic engineering properties compared with conventionally-sintered control specimens. An analysis using the Yates algorithm indicates that the processing condition which has the largest impact on the density of the specimen is the heating method (microwave vs. conventional). The microwave-sintered specimens resulted in higher densities and higher fracture strengths. However, it was determined that the higher fracture strengths were due to the higher sintered densities rather than a significantly different microstructure.
The minimal promoter region of the dense-core vesicle protein IA-2: transcriptional regulation by CREB

IA-2 is a transmembrane protein found in the dense-core vesicles (DCV) of neuroendocrine cells and one of the major autoantigens in type 1 diabetes. DCV are involved in the secretion of hormones (e.g., insulin) and neurotransmitters. Stimulation of pancreatic β cells with glucose upregulates the expression of IA-2 and an increase in IA-2 results in an increase in the number of DCV. Little is known, however, about the promoter region of IA-2 or the transcriptional factors that regulate the expression of this gene. In the present study, we constructed eight deletion fragments from the upstream region of the IA-2 transcription start site and linked them to a luciferase reporter. By this approach, we have identified a short bp region (−216 to +115) that has strong promoter activity. We also identified a transcription factor, cAMP responsive element-binding protein (CREB), which binds to two CREB-related binding sites located in this region. The binding of CREB to these sites enhanced IA-2 transcription by more than fivefold. We confirmed these findings by site-directed mutagenesis, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and RNAi inhibition. Based on these findings, we conclude that the PKA pathway is a critical, but not the exclusive signaling pathway involved in IA-2 gene expression.
Managing e-contracts in a supply chain

In this paper, we present a solution to the problem of e–contract validation in a supply chain with chain contracting topology. In chain contracting, there are multiple bi–lateral contracts that are related, for example one original contract between two partners is modified by subsequent negotiations to form other bi–lateral contracts between other parties in the supply chain. We study how to validate these contracts and ensure appropriate relationship between these contracts. We first identify key technical requirements for such a solution and then present our models that address these requirements. The models are based on the concepts of commitment scheme and zero–knowledge proof. It can be implemented in a contract engine that supports both the contract formation and contract execution phases of the contract life cycle. Also proposed is a cryptographic scheme to facilitate the electronic transfer of payments.
Microwave properties of cryoprotectants

Abstract The values of the dielectric constant and of the loss tangent for pure samples of DMSO, ethylene glycol, and glycerol were determined over the temperature range of + 15 to −70 °C. An operating frequency range of 1.45 to 1.55 GHz was used, allowing direct application of the results of both 0.915 and 2.450 GHz studies. Strong temperature dependencies were found, with peaks and irregularities occuring at subfreezing temperatures. In order to design a suitable cryoprotective system for the long term preservation of whole organs, the effect of cryoprotectant concentration on microwave properties must be known.
Identification of kinesin-C, a calmodulin-binding carboxy-terminal kinesin in animal (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) cells.

Several novel members of the kinesin superfamily, until now identified only in plants, are unique in their ability to bind calmodulin in the presence of Ca2+. Here, we identify the first such kinesin in an animal system. Sequence analysis of this new motor, called kinesin-C, predicts that it is a large carboxy-terminal kinesin, 1624 amino acid residues in length, with a predicted molecular mass of 181 kDa. Kinesin-C is predicted to contain a kinesin motor domain at its carboxy terminus, linked to a segment of alpha-helical coiled-coil 950 amino acid residues long, ending with an amino-terminal proline-rich tail domain. A putative calmodulin-binding domain resides at the extreme carboxy terminus of the motor polypeptide, and recombinant kinesin-C binds to a calmodulin-affinity column in a Ca2+-dependent fashion. The presence of this novel calmodulin-binding motor in sea urchin embryos suggests that it plays a critical role in Ca2+-dependent events during early sea urchin development.
The role of reductant oxidation state in the formation and function of gold nanoparticle aggregates for SERS applications

Sodium sulfide used to produce gold nanoparticle aggregates has been shown to require aging, however, until this work, few studies have attempted to ascertain the nature of this aging effect. UV-vis spectroscopy and other experimental evidence suggest that chemical changes take place during the aging process. NEXAFS has helped determine that sodium sulfide is oxidized over time to form, at least partially, sodium thiosulfate. Experiments performed with sodium thiosulfate yield similar results spectroscopically, however, in SERS experiments it is apparent that the surface chemistry is substantially different. This is likely due to both a lack of sodium sulfide and an increase in thiosulfate concentration. It has also been found that thiosulfate can be utilized for the reduction of several other metal salts into metal and, in some cases, metal sulfide nanoparticles, including copper, platinum, palladium, and silver.
Mechanistic study of the synthesis of Au nanotadpoles, nanokites, and microplates by reducing aqueous HAuCl4 with poly(vinyl pyrrolidone).

This article describes a simple approach to anisotropic Au nanostructures with various shapes by reducing HAuCl4 with poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) in aqueous solutions without the use of any additional capping agent or reductant. In this approach, the commercially available PVP servers as a mild reducing agent thanks to its hydroxyl (−OH) end groups, enabling kinetic control over both nucleation and growth. As the volume of HAuCl4 solution added to the reaction was increased, the morphology of Au nanostructures evolved from nanotadpoles to nanokites and then triangular and hexagonal microplates. The slow reduction rate associated with the mild reducing power of PVP plays a critical role in forming nanoplates during nucleation as well as their growth into highly anisotropic nanostructures. Electron microscopy studies reveal that the nanotadpoles and nanokites are formed through the linear fusion of small Au particles (<10 nm) to the initially formed nanoplates, whereas the microplates result from the cont...
Obesity, insulin resistance and free fatty acids.

Purpose of reviewTo describe the role of free fatty acid (FFA) as a cause for insulin resistance in obese people.Recent findingsElevated plasma FFA levels can account for a large part of insulin resistance in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is clinically important because it
Leo Kanner (1894-1981) : the man and the scientist

Leo Kanner headed the first child psychiatry division within a pediatric hospital at Johns Hopkins University. In 1935 he wrote the first book in English of child psychiatry which is still in print. His writings include both organic and environmental etiologies. He was an idealist, and he fought for liberal causes and emphasized an humanitarian approach in dealing with autistic children.
Diffusion Coefficients of Intrinsically Electroactive Polyelectrolytes and of Counterions Bound to Them

An electroactive label was attached to poly(acrylic acid) (molecular weight = 5000) by reaction with ferrocenylethanol. The resulting ferrocene label was stable when the polymer was dissolved in aqueous solutions, and the diffusion coefficient of the labeled polymer was estimated from the currents obtained as the ferrocene was oxidized at a rotating disk electrode. Although strong adsorption of the polymer on the electrode surfaces depressed the oxidation currents below the convection−diffusion controlled values at rotating disk electrodes, it was still possible to estimate diffusion coefficients by appropriate analysis of the rotation rate dependences of the measured currents. At pH values where the labeled polymer became a polyanion, its diffusion coefficient was also estimated from the reduction currents for Ru(NH3)63+ or Co(NH3)63+ counterions bound electrostatically to the polyelectrolyte. Good agreement was obtained between the diffusion coefficients estimated by the two independent routes.
Conversion of painful hemiarthroplasty to total shoulder arthroplasty: long-term results.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome after conversion of painful hemiarthroplasty to total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Sixteen consecutive patients who underwent revision TSA for failed humeral head replacement (HHR) at our institution from 1988 to 2000 were evaluated. The mean interval from the time of HHR to revision TSA was 3.5 years (range, 11 months to 10.5 years). At a mean 5.5-year follow-up (range, 2–14 months), the results were excellent in 3 of 15 (20%), satisfactory in 5 of 15 (33%), and unsatisfactory in 7 of 15 (47%). The mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score was 73.6 (range, 46.7–95) out of a possible 100. The mean visual analog pain score was 2.4 (range, 0–6) out of 10. Evidence of posterior glenoid erosion was found in 64% (7/11) of these patients. On the basis of the complexity of the surgery and the 47% unsatisfactory rate, we conclude that revision of a failed HHR to a TSA is a salvage procedure whose results are inferior to those of primary TSA.
Stability and Surface Catalytic Properties of Fluorite-Structured Yttria-Doped Bismuth Oxide under Reducing Environment☆

Abstract High temperature stability and catalytic properties of fluorite-type 25 mol% Y 2 O 3 doped Bi 2 O 3 (BY25) pellets under methane atmosphere were studied by XRD, transient TGA and fixed-bed reactor measurements. In methane the fluorite-type BY25 exhibits good catalytic properties for oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) with C 2 selectivity higher than 90% and C 2 formation rate in the range of 1–3 μmol/g·s. BY25 maintains its fluorite-type phase structure and catalytic properties as long as only nonstoichiometric oxygen in BY25 is consumed (less than 20% of the total oxygen). Prolonged (>5–7 min) exposure of BY25 to methane results in consumption of stoichiometric oxygen, leading to reduction of metal ions and destruction of the fluorite structure of BY25. These results suggest that the stability and catalytic properties of the surface of the BY25 membrane exposed to methane stream in membrane reactor applications can be maintained if sufficient oxygen is provided from the other side of the membrane.
Toward a multi-level, multi-systems approach to sustainability governance and outcomes: An essay

One of the most intriguing, important, and challenging aspects of sustainability and sustainable development is its multifaceted nature as a concept and practice. Even defining the sustainability idea can invoke both rewarding deep thinking and frustrating public debate. However, most academics and practitioners would probably agree that 'sustaining' involves multiple dimensions of time and many other environmental, social, and economic phenomena (Stead & Stead, 1992), including democratic and other governance approaches (Dunphy, Griffiths, & Benn, 2002).
Redox activity of surface oxygen anions in oxygen-deficient perovskite oxides during electrochemical reactions

Surface redox centres in metal oxides play a key role in catalytic performance, and the conventional view is that the transition-metal cations dominate this behaviour. Here, the authors perform an in operando spectroscopic study, and find that oxygen anions are a significant redox partner to molecular oxygen.
Lymphocytosis: T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia

![Figure][1] A 50-year-old female with low-grade chronic anemia and no other medical problems was evaluated when her hemoglobin fell to 8.2 g/dL. She had no adenopathy or hepatosplenomegaly. Her white cell count was 7.7 × 109/L with a lymphocyte count of 6.2 × 109/L, platelets 498 × 109/L
ELECTRON-EXPOSURE EFFECTS ON DESORPTION OF F-(Cl-) AND (F+)(Cl+) IONS FROM ADSORBED CF2Cl2

Electron-exposure effects on the desorption of F-(Cl-) and F+(Cl+) ions from 1 ML CF2Cl2 /Ru(0001), 1 ML CF2Cl2/1 ML Xe/Ru(0001) and 5 ML CF2Cl2/Ru(0001) surfaces have been studied. It is observed that for a ≤1 ML CF2Cl2/Ru surface, the anion yield shows a rapid decrease with increasing electron exposure, while the cation yield exhibits an increase. In contrast, an opposite behavior is observed for a 5 ML CF2Cl2/Ru surface. For 1 ML CF2Cl2 adsorbed on a 1 ML Xe-spacer layer, the effect tends to switch the behavior from the monolayer to the multilayer. These results indicate that Cl- ions accumulated on the multilayer or the monolayer surface on a Xe spacer by the polarization potential have an electrostatic effect on the desorption yields of anions and cations. Moreover, from the attenuation of the F- yield of a 1 ML CF2Cl2-covered surface with electron exposure, the electron-induced dissociation is estimated to be 9.2(± 2.0) × 1016cm2.
A perspective on the history of and current research in surfactant-modified, water-soluble polymers

In this review of surfactant-modified, water-soluble polymers, a definition of terms and their historical development is given for each associative polymer type. Studies that have contributed to a fundamental understanding of the structural influences of these associative polymers on the solution behavior of such thickeners are reviewed critically avoiding the sales approach and over exuberance exhibited in so many publications in this area of coatings science.
Suppression of CYP1A1 transcription by H2O2 is mediated by xenobiotic-response element

We have previously demonstrated that H2O2 downregulates CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 transcription in isolated rat hepatocytes (C. W. Barker, et al., 1994, J. Biol. Chem. 269, 3985-3990). In the present study, induction of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) expression driven by 3.1 kb of rat CYP1A1 upstream regulatory sequences was suppressed by 56% in Hepa-1 cells treated with H2O2. Similarly, H2O2 inhibited CAT expression from vectors containing two copies of either xenobiotic-response element (XRE) 1 or XRE2. H2O2 did not inhibit basal CAT expression in cells that were not treated with the inducer beta-napthoflavone. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that the suppression of XRE-dependent transcription by H2O2 was not due to changes in nuclear aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor DNA binding activity. Several types of experiments indicated that modulation of XRE enhancer strength by various means could modify H2O2-dependent suppression of CAT expression. Conditions that increased the transactivation potential of the Ah receptor (increase in XRE copy number or shortening of the distance between XREs and the minimal CYP1A1 promoter) attenuated the action of H2O2, while conditions that reduced XRE-mediated transactivation potential (decrease in XRE copy number, increase of the distance between the XRE and the promoter, or reduction of the number of bound Ah receptors by lowering the concentration of inducer) potentiated the inhibitory action of H2O2.
Non‐specific esterase activity in reactive cells in injured nervous tissue labeled with 3H‐Thymidine or 125Iododeoxyuridine injected before injury

Tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) injected before a stab wound of the spinal cord or transection of the hypoglossal nerve has resulted in many labeled reactive cells in the CNS after injury, most of which have the ultrastructural features of microglia. To test for the possible origin of these labeled cells from monocytes, we examined them for the presence of sodium, fluoride- (NaF) sensitive non-specific esterase (NSE), an enzyme characteristic of monocytes. Some of the labeled cells in stab wounds had NaF-sensitive NSE, but no such cells were found in the nucleus of the injured hypoglossal nerve. To test for the possibility that the NSE-negative labeled cells had been labeled by reutilization of 3H-TdR, we used 125I-5-iodo-2'deoxyuridine (125I-UdR), a thymidine analogue with a much lower rate or reutilization, to label blood mononuclear cells prior to either a spinal cord stab wound or hypoglossal axotomy. The number of labeled cells was decreased in the spinal cord wound, but more than half were NSE-negative. No labeled blood mononuclear cells were found in the hypoglossal nucleus, although there was no decrease in the hyperplasia of unlabeled non-neuronal cells. When 125I-UdR was injected on the fourth day after hypoglossal axotomy, or when both 3H-TdR and 125I-RdR were injected simultaneously before hypoglossal axotomy, many labeled cells were found in the hypoglosaal nucleus, indicating that 125I-UdR can be used by the reactive cells and that it did not inhibit their proliferation. Therefore, the microglial cells that proliferate in response to peripheral nerve injury are not recently derived from any type of circulating large blood mononuclear cell. The most likely explanation for the presence of the 3H-TdR-labeled cells in the nucleus of the injured hypoglossal nerve in that they were proliferating intrinsic labeled by reutilization of 3H-TdR.
Angiotensin II-Binding Sites in Rat and Primate Isolated Renal Tubular Basolateral Membranes

In the kidney, angiotensin II influences reabsorptive processes by a direct tubular effect(s). The receptors mediating the response may be located on either the luminal (brush border) and/or the contraluminal (basolateral) membranes of the tubular epithelial cells. In the studies reported here, we identify specific [125I]angiotensin II-binding sites in rat and baboon tubular basolateral membranes. Specific binding was saturable, largely reversible, and proportional to membrane protein concentration. Structural specificity was confirmed by the use of angiotensin analogs and structurally unrelated polypeptides. The latter did not compete with radioligand for binding. Scatchard analyses of binding inhibition data indicated a single class of high affinity sites in rat (Kd = 2.2 ± 0.2 nM; n = 12) and two classes of sites in baboon [Kd = 1.32 (n = 1) and 0.6 ± 0.1 nM; n = 2) basolateral membranes. The binding site concentrations were 929 ±138 fmol/mg protein (rat) and 463 and 439 ± 120 fmol/mg protein (baboon)....
A regular metrizable boundary for solutions of elliptic and parabolic differential equations

In [9], the author constructed an almost everywhere regular, metrizable boundary supporting the maximal representing measures for bounded and quasibounded functions in a Brelot harmonic space ([2] or [3]). The construction was discovered with nonstandard analysis [ t4] , but this tool was eliminated from the basic construction published at the end of [9]. In this note, we show that a similar construction is available for harmonic spaces in the sense of Bauer [1], and thus is available for spaces of solutions of some parabolic as well as elliptic differential equations. Unlike the Martin boundary (see [14] and [15]), the boundary we consider is regular almost everywhere with respect to a weighted sum of harmonic measures. Let (W,, rid) denote a strict harmonic space satisfying the axioms of Bauer [1]. In particular, we are assuming (Doob Convergence Axiom) that if h is an increasing sequence of W-harmonic functions on an open set f2C W with suphn(x)< + oo for a dense set of points xEO, then sup h,eo~r~. Here, as later, N n~N hEN denotes the natural numbers, and W e denotes the harmonic functions defined on an open set f2. We will let W~ denote the nonnegative elements of o~e~ ogaD the Wsuperharmonic functions defined on f2, and ~ t ' ~ and ~af~o the bounded elements of Wo and ~ a respectively. We assume that the constant function 1 is in ~ w and there is a nonconstant h e & W W. We also assume that W has a countable base for its topology. We will write C(A) for the set of continuous, real-valued functions on a set A. Let Q =~dg'wc~C(W), and let [Y/be the Q-compactification of Win the sense of Constantinescu and Cornea ([5, 8], or [9]). That is, I7V is the Hausdorff compactification of W(unique up to a homeomorphism that leaves W fixed) such that each f e Q has a continuous extension to 17V and the set of extensions separates points in I, TV W. Let F be the harmonic part of W W. That is, F is the compact set
Hydroxamic acid polymers. Effect of structure on the chelation of iron in water: II

The effect of structure on the ability of hydroxamic acid polymers to chelate iron(III) was examined. The polymers were derived from acryloyl or methacryloyl backbones that bore side chains terminated in hydroxamic acids. The side chain length, which establishes the atomic chain distances between hydroxamic acid groups, had the most pronounced effect on the stability constant of the iron chelate. It was this atomic chain distance that determined how easily the three neighboring hydroxamic acids could fit the octahedral sphere of the iron. Other structural changes such as the presence or absence of methyl groups on the backbone or on the hydroxamic acid nitrogen had little measurable effect. The stability of the iron complexes appeared to be optimum at an 11-atom spacing between hydroxamic acids and decreased with shorter or longer spacing distances.
New frontiers in aerodynamic tailoring of long span bridges: an advanced analysis framework

Significant developments in bridge aeroelastic analysis have been made utilizing realistic aerodynamic force modeling for bridges with bluff sections under turbulent winds. With these developments as a background, this paper highlights state-of-the-art developments in the aeroelastic analysis and identifies new frontiers in aerodynamic tailoring of long span bridges. Challenges in the aeroelastic analysis are pointed out that include: the modeling of aerodynamic forces excited by non-stationary wind fields such as hurricanes and thunderstorms and/or for bridges located in complex topography conditions; consideration of nonlinearities in both structural dynamics and aerodynamics; and the ubiquitous issues related to turbulence. In response to these challenges, an advanced analysis framework is offered that focuses on the needs for modeling of aerodynamic and structural nonlinearities, and the effects of turbulence on long span bridges.
Ways of intervention in the education and recovery of children with multiple visual disabilities

Abstract The inexistence of a totally coherent way of intervening in the case of multiple pathologies in children was also felt in the case of visual disabilities which incited to the finding of some efficient solutions that fit optimally on the casuistry, socio-material conditions, etc. The project “Luminita”, initiated in 1997 as a result of the cooperation of the Ability Foundation “Speranta” and the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston through the Hilton/Perkins Program represented an adequate response to the existent situation. The research followed the implementation, performance and the perfection of education – rehabilitation programs, improvement and extension of the education and rehabilitation services but also the formation and perfection of specialists, guidance for parents, etc. The specificity of the methodological alternatives used, of the individual rehabilitation programs and material resources provided, the partnership levels and the results obtained, the problems and difficulties met, represent the subject of this paper.
Political Suppression in the Modern State

"Men rarely love humanity more fervently than when they are engaged in deadly conflict with each other . . . " declares Professor Becker.! It happens all too frequently that liberty is allowed with hatred, and suppression and intolerance are defended in the name of love. The will to give liberty is, on most occasions, limited, but the will to suppress is often boundless. Aside from the multitude of effective and cruel devices of social pressure, the gift of liberty is organized through the state, and suppression is attempted likewise through government. Suppression, in greater or less degree, exists in every social form. A social structure is a kind of prison to the rebellious individual, though to the conformer liberty and freedom are realized effortlessly in the social stream. The state is always trying to suppress some types of behavior, though it can hardly be said that it is ever entirely successful over a short period of time, or without the assistance of collateral types of pressure. In our own day the suppression of minorities has become an issue of overwhelming importance, simply because of the variety of attempts to use political power to blot out the dissentient voice or the counter-evolutionary and revolutionary pressure. We know the state is seldom completely effective or ineffective in attaining its purposes; we also know that state action frequently results in consequences that were little dreamed of when a given police was adopted. Through history we can observe the death of ideas and the gradual accumulation of lost causes.
Evaluation of the reinforcing and discriminative stimulus effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate competitive antagonist NPC 17742 in rhesus monkeys.

The phencyclidine (PCP)-like effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) competitive antagonist 2R,4R,5S-2-amino-4,5-(1,2-cyclohexyl)-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (NPC 17742) were evaluated in three behavioral tests in rhesus monkeys. The discriminative stimulus properties of NPC 17742 (2-24 mg/kg, i.m.) were tested in four rhesus monkeys trained to discriminate PCP from saline under a fixed-ratio (FR) 50 schedule of food reinforcement. In three of the monkeys, NPC 17742 showed complete substitution for PCP at doses which did not decrease rates of responding. Intravenous self-administration of NPC 17742 (50-800 micrograms/kg/infusion) was tested under a FR schedule of reinforcement in four monkeys trained to lever press for infusions of PCP. At least one dose of NPC 17742 functioned as a reinforcer in two of the monkeys. A second self-administration study, employing a 10 min fixed interval schedule of reinforcement, was performed in three monkeys trained to self-administer PCP during three daily sessions. Compared with PCP, NPC 17742 (0.4-1.6 mg/kg/infusion) maintained very low rates of responding; NPC 17742 could not be clearly established as a reinforcer in this procedure. The data show that NPC 17742 has some PCP-like behavioral effects, and may function as a weak reinforcer in some subjects under specific conditions. The results provide further evidence that both similarities and differences exist between the behavioral effects of PCP and competitive NMDA antagonists.
A sanguineous pleuro pericardial effusion in a patient recently treated with Dabigatran

Dabigatran, a direct thrombin inhibitor, is one of the new oral anticoagulants. As more patients receive treatment with Dabigatran, and as the clinical indications for Dabigatran use expand, reporting serious adverse effects is fundamental to future safety assessment. Although patients taking Dabigatran had fewer life-threatening bleeds when compared to Coumadin, those events continue to be reported. We describe, in the same patient, a sanguineous pleuro pericardial effusion that was diagnosed incidentally on a pre-ablation cardiac CT angiography. The diagnosis was made approximately two months after initiating Dabigatran treatment for non-valvular atrial fibrillation in a 63-year-old patient.
Genetic control of avian scleroderma.

The inheritance of avian scleroderma, a fibrotic autoimmune disease of chickens resembling human scleroderma, was investigated. Comb inflammations and lesions were used to determine the state of disease of 4-week-old chickens. All line 200 males and 60% of female line 200 chicks showed abnormalities. Crosses (F4) between line 200 and eight partially inbred lines of chickens maintained at the University of California at Davis were all normal. Backcrosses of F, cocks to line 200 hens showed a higher incidence of scleroderma in males than in females for all lines. The incidence of affected birds varied between backcrosses from a low of 42% for backcross line 217 males derived from a New Hampshire line, to 88% for males of backcross line 213 derived from a partially inbred Leghorn line, demonstrating the presence of genes modifying the penetrance of presumed major genes causing the disease. Backcross genotypes segregating for haplotypes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) derived from inbred lines showed consistently lower penetrance of scleroderma than homozygotes carrying the line 200 haplotype. Thus B3 BS (lines 211 and 215), B14Bus (line 217), and B15BS (lines 212, 213, 216, and 218) all had fewer affected individuals than BSBS homozygotes from the same families.
Toward optimizing partial spatially coherent beams for free space laser communications

ABSTRACT A performance metric is proposed as a general measure for optimizing the transverse coherence length l c of a partial spatially coherent beam for a given communication scenario. The expression is essentially the mean intensity minus the standard deviation of the intensity and we seek to maximize this quantity. It is preliminarily verified by the probability of fade with log-normal distribution model under the weak turbulence condition. We also examine it as a function of l c using wave optics simulations and compared these results with the relationships predicted by analytic theory under weak to medium-strong turbulence conditions. Our results verify there exists a unique coherence length that can optimize the receiver beam quality. After calculating the probability of fades of the optimal partially coherent beam and the fully coherent beam and comparing them with the wave optics simulation results, good agreement was observed. Keywords: laser communication, spatially partially coherent beam, wave optics simulation, atmospheric turbulence, probability of fade
Oxidation of CO in H2-CO mixtures catalyzed by platinum: alkali effects on rates and selectivity

Turnover rates and selectivities for CO oxidation in H2–CO–O2 reactant mixtures are much greater on Pt clusters supported on Cs-modified SiO2 than on clusters of similar size dispersed on SiO2 or Al2O3 supports. Selectivity effects reflect the inhibition of spillover-mediated H2 oxidation pathways on support surfaces. Infrared spectra showed that Cs, Rb, or Na titrates support hydroxyl groups required for these unselective pathways. These H2 oxidation pathways are unaffected by competitive CO co-adsorption and can lead to significant selectivity losses during preferential CO oxidation in H2-rich streams. CO oxidation selectivities on Pt are above 90%, even at H2/CO ratios of ∼100; much lower selectivities reported previously reflect contributions from spillover-mediated H2 oxidation pathways on supports, which are not inhibited by CO co-reactants. Cs and Rb also increased turnover rates for monofunctional oxidation of CO on Pt cluster surfaces, apparently by disrupting the growth of chemisorbed CO monolayers, which prevent activation of O2 co-reactants. The addition of 1.6 Cs/nm2 to SiO2 led to CO oxidation turnover rates more than 10 times higher than those on Pt/SiO2 catalysts with similar Pt dispersion. CO monolayer growth processes are evident from a gradual decrease in CO oxidation rates during the initial stages of H2–CO–O2 reactions, which occurs simultaneously with an increase in intensity for chemisorbed CO infrared bands measured during reaction. This densification of chemisorbed CO monolayers is consistent with the recovery of initial rates by thermal treatment in inert streams and with the observed monotonic increase in CO oxidation selectivity as catalysts gradually approach steady-state CO coverages during reaction. Alkali appears to disrupt CO monolayer growth by promoting the formation of unreactive chemisorbed carbon via CO dissociation and disproportionation reactions, the rates of which increase when alkali is added to Pt surfaces. Chemisorbed carbon blocks some active Pt surface atoms, but also introduces obstacles that inhibit the formation of dense CO monolayers, thus retaining exposed Pt atoms required for the activation of O2 co-reactants. Rb and Cs cations, which are more electropositive than Na cations, increase CO oxidation turnover rates more strongly, consistent with the proposed mechanisms for the electronic promotion effects of alkali on CO dissociation.
A knowledge-based system for solving multi-objective assembly line balancing problems

This paper presents design-and-development details of a knowledge-based system that solve multi-objective assembly line balancing problems to obtain an optimal assignment of a set of assembly tasks to a sequence of workstations. Assembly line balancing problems arise in high-volume production systems with a significant regularity. The formulation and solutions currently employed by managers and practitioners usually aims at optimizing one objective (e.g., number of work stations or cycle time), thus ignoring the multi-dimensional nature of the overall objectives of the manager. Furthermore, in practice ALBPs are ill-defined and ill-structured, making it difficult to formulate and solve them by mere mathematical approaches. The knowledge-based system multi-objective assembly line balancing approach, presented in this paper, addresses these needs. This paper presents a knowledge-base multi-objective approach to assembly line balancing problems. It demonstrates how such a system can be constructed and how a ...
An urn model with Bernoulli removals and independent additions

Abstract A single urn model is considered for which, at each of a discrete set of time values, the balls in the urn are first removed independently with a probability that depends on the time value and then, independently of the number of balls remaining, a random number of new balls are added to the urn. The distribution and moments of the number of balls in the urn at time n are studied as well as the asymptotic behavior as n approaches infinity. Some special cases are considered in detail.