cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aerosol Synthesis of Nano and Micro-Scale Zero Valent Nickel Particles From Oxide Precursors

In this work a novel aerosol method, derived form the batch Reduction/Expansion Synthesis (RES) method, for production of nano / micro-scale metal particles from oxides and hydroxides is presented. In the Aerosol-RES (A-RES) method, an aerosol, consisting of a physical mixture of urea and metal oxide or hydroxides, is passed through a heated oven (1000 C) with a residence time of the order of 1 second, producing pure (zero valent) metal particles. It appears that the process is flexible regarding metal or alloy identity, allows control of particle size and can be readily scaled to very large throughput. Current work is focused on creating nanoparticles of metal and metal alloy using this method. Although this is primarily a report on observations, some key elements of the chemistry are clear. In particular, the reducing species produced by urea decomposition are the primary agents responsible for reduction of oxides and hydroxides to metal. It is also likely that the rapid expansion that takes place when solid/liquid urea decomposes to form gas species influences the final morphology of the particles.
A Strategic Competitive Bidding Approach to Pricing Decisions for Petroleum Industry Drilling Contractors

In the face of projected shortages of our domestic energy supply, petroleum industry drilling contractors are currently enjoying unprecedented opportunities. As might be expected, as demand for the services supplied by the petroleum drillers has increased, competition among these contractors has become more intense. The primary focus of this study is the development of a competitive bidding model which will result in a greater number of contract awards to the petroleum industry drilling contractor. The assumption is made that the model's performance is more nearly optimal than the traditional price determination methods used by drilling contractors. The difference between a given contractor's "actual" bids and the model's "optimal" bids is taken to be a measure of the contractor's conservative bias in bidding, a notion which was first explored in [2].l A likelihood ratio test is offered to test the significance of a conservative bias in the bidding habits of a contractor.
Survival and Quality of Life Following Treatment for Sarcoma

Advances in multimodality therapy have improved the survival rates of pediatric sarcomas over the last 40 years, with current rates over 65 %. However, the advances have not been equal, and patients with metastatic and relapsed disease continue to have a poor prognosis. This review focuses on the epidemiology, prognostic factors, treatment, and survival of the three most common pediatric sarcomas: osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. It highlights a new collaboration to study osteosarcoma, recent advances in Ewing sarcoma treatment with increased intensity of chemotherapy timing, and advances in low-risk and high-risk rhabdomyosarcoma treatment. Additionally, it discusses the common treatment-related sequelae encountered in survivors. Sarcoma survivors have increased functional impairment and activity limitations compared with healthy controls and other cancer survivors, emphasizing the need to increase research in these areas in order to improve future physical functioning and quality of life.
Some physical properties of lysyl and arginyl-transfer RNA synthetases of Escherichia coli B.

Abstract 1. 1.|Lysyl- and arginyl-tRNA synthetases were prepared from Escherichia coli B to apparent homogeneity. Some of the physical properties of these enzymes were studied. 2. 2.|The enzymes as prepared were readily separable with the use of a Sephadex G-200 column. Apparent molecular weights of 80 000–90 000 and of 40 000, respectively, for the lysyl- and arginyl-tRNA synthetases were found. 3. 3.|The arginyl-tRNA synthetase appeared to have a molecular weight of about 75 000 by sedimentation equilibrium methods presumably due to demerisation. 4. 4.|Electrophoretic studies in a medium which contained sodium dodecyl sulphate, both before and after treatment with disulphide splitting reagents, indicated a molecular weight of about 85 000 for lysyl-tRNA synthetase. 5. 5.|The amino acid composition of the enzymes was established. Lysyl-tRNA synthetase appears to have no free α-amino terminal group. 6. 6.|Lysyl-tRNA synthetase underwent fractionation into enzymatically active fragments on TEAE-cellulose.
Long-term effects of precommercial thinning on small mammals in northern Maine

Precommercial thinning (PCT) is being practiced increasingly throughout the Acadian forest of eastern North America to meet silvicultural objectives; however, effects of this practice on wildlife, both immediately and several years post-treatment are not well understood. Forest dependent small mammals have ecological roles as prey for numerous avian and mammalian predators, dispersers of seeds, fruit, and spores, and contribute to nutrient cycling. Researchers in the northwestern USA have suggested that thinning of young, regenerating clearcuts may increase the abundance and diversity of some forest-dependent small mammals by increasing rates of forest development and enhancing the ecological representation of mid-successional stands across managed landscapes. We examined the effects of PCT within conifer-dominated forest stands 1-, 6-, 11-, and 16-years post-treatment, on abundances of mice, voles, and shrews, and on within-stand structure in the commercially managed, Acadian forests of northern Maine. We live-trapped small mammals on 24 herbicide-treated clearcuts treated with PCT and on 13 similar, unthinned stands during summers of 2000 and 2001. Thinning of mid-successional conifer stands resulted in increased abundances, (red-backed voles, Clethrionomys gapperi, P = 0.008; masked shrews, Sorex cinereus, P < 0.001) or had no detectable effect on (deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus, P = 0.544; short-tailed shrews, Blarina brevicauda, P = 0.517) the 4 most common species of Muridae and Soricidae in northern Maine. In general, abundance of deer mice responded more positively to increasing development class and to the number of years since thinning than other species of small mammals. Several within-stand habitat characteristics associated with stand maturity, such as larger stem diameters and a partially open canopy, occurred in thinned stands. Thus, PCT may accelerate the development of habitat attributes typical of mid-successional conifer stands in intensively managed stands within the Acadian Forest. PCT may increase abundances of small mammal species associated with mid-seral forest conditions at the scale of the forest stand.
Satellite surveillance of volcanic ash plumes, application to aircraft safety

The early phreatomagmatic and magmatic explosive activity of Redoubt Volcano, December 14–16, 1989, produced several ashladen eruption columns that caused significant damage to jet aircraft. The major aircraft-ash incident occurred December 15 at 1150 AST, when a KLM Boeing 747 jet aircraft, enroute from Amsterdam to Anchorage with 231 passengers and 14 crew members, flew through an ash plume east of Talkeetna, Alaska, at an altitude of 7.5 km and experienced sudden shutdown of all four engines. For 12 minutes the jet glided steeply from 7.5 km to 3.5 km before the crew managed to restart the engines after seven or eight tries. The plane came within about 1500 m of the mountain tops before landing safely at Anchorage International Airport.
Characterization of the "very" lysine-rich histones of active and quiescent anther tissues of Hippeastrum belladonna.

Abstract Cytochemical studies demonstrated that developmental stages of anther tissue of Hippeastrum belladonna stained differently after exposure to a competitive mixture of eosin and fast green dyes. Nuclei of active tissues stained fast green positive while those of metabolically inactive tissues were eosinophilic. Differences in the polyacrylamide banding patterns of ‘very’ lysine-rich F1 histones occurred in tissues with varying metabolic states. Heterogeneity in the ‘very’ lysine-rich histones was further observed by gradient elution chromatography on Amberlite IRC-50 with a linear gradient of guanidinium chloride solutions. The ‘very’ lysine-rich histones of inactive tissue (tapetal tissue) were resolved into seven components, and five components were observed in the ‘very’ lysine-rich histones of active tissue (pre-meiotic tissue). Distinct mobilities in polyacrylamide-SDS gels of ‘very’ lysine-rich histones components further substantiated biochemical differences in the F1 histones of active and inactive tissues. Analyses of the ‘very’ lysine-rich components of active and inactive tissues showed that their amino-acid compositions, while very similar, revealed consistent differences. The possible role which histones play in gene regulation and, more specifically, the influence of the ‘very’ lysine-rich histones in cell regulation are discussed in light of these findings.
Secondary and Tertiary 2-Methylbutyl Cations. 3. Theoretical Study of Structures and Interconversions of C5H11+ Ions in the Gas Phase1a

The structures, relative energies, and interconversion barriers and pathways for several isomeric C5H11+ carbocations were investigated by high level ab initio MO calculations with inclusion of electron correlation. The energy minima found were two conformations of the tertiary 2-methyl-2-butyl cation (2), bisected (2b) and asymmetric (2as), and three 1-protonated (corner-protonated) cyclopropanes: trans-2,3-dimethyl (trans-8), cis-2,3-dimethyl (cis-8), and 1,2-dimethyl (9).The bridged ions trans-8, cis-8, and 9 are higher in energy than the tertiary ion by 8.3, 9.2, and 10.6 kcal/mol, respectively, at the MP4SDTQ(FC)/6-31G**//MP2(FC)/6-31G** level, or 9.6, 10.6 and 12.4 kcal/mol after correcting for the zero-point energies (ZPE). Various conformations of the “open” 3-methyl-2-butyl cation correspond to transition states for the interconversion of the tertiary ion 2as and the two 1-protonated-2,3-dimethylcyclopropanes. Hydrogen shift in 2as can lead only to the cis-2,3-dimethyl isomer, cis-8; trans-8 is ...
Toward Eloquentia Perfecta in the History and Systems Course

A technique for improving the quality of student oral presentations is described. Throughout the semester, students in my History and Systems course delivered minilectures covering specific course content. Peers evaluated their lectures, and students were tested on minilecture information. In a replication, the lectures were videotaped. Lecturers also wrote a paper that elaborated the content of their talks and self-evaluated their performance based on peer feedback and (in the replication) the videotape. The result was a distinct improvement over the typical oral presentation assignment.
DECAY OF EUROPIUM-154

The gamma rays and electrons of fission-product europium (${\mathrm{Eu}}^{153}$, ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{154}$, and ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{155}$) have been studied, and the results obtained for ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{154}$ are presented. Gamma rays belonging to this isotope have been identified at 0.1229 Mev (35%), 0.2480 Mev, ${0.593}_{3}$ Mev (4%), ${0.694}_{1}$ Mev (\ensuremath{\le}3.5%), ${0.705}_{8}$ Mev (\ensuremath{\le}3.5%), ${0.724}_{9}$ Mev (21%), ${0.758}_{9}$ Mev (\ensuremath{\le}3.5%), ${0.875}_{3}$ Mev (13%), ${0.998}_{2}$ Mev (14%), 1.007 Mev (17%), 1.277 Mev (42%), and \ensuremath{\sim}1.6 Mev (\ensuremath{\sim}3%). Beta end points of ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{154}$ were measured at 1.85, 0.87, 0.59, and 0.25 Mev. Multipolarities for most of the above gamma-ray transitions have been suggested on the basis of the measured $K$-shell conversion coefficients. The decay scheme of ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{154}$ has been deduced, and, in most respects, the resulting levels of ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{154}$ conform well with the Bohr-Mottelson unified nuclear model and with other even-even nuclei in the strong-coupling regions.
A study on the correlation between rigid and oriented amorphous fractions in uniaxially drawn poly(ethylene-2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate)

Stress-induced crystallization occurs when one uniaxially draws amorphous poly(ethylene-2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate) (PEN) films at a certain temperature, drawing ratio and speed. The rigid amorphous fractions of the PEN samples were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and their oriented amorphous fractions were detected by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). It has been shown that there is a close correlation between these two amorphous fractions.
The preparation, characterization and reaction chemistry of small bridging phosphaborane systems prepared from the reaction of [2,2-dimethyl-1-(trimethylsiloxy)propylidene)-trimethylsilylphosphine] with pentaborane(9)

Abstract The reaction of ((2,2-dimethyl-1-(trimethylsiloxy)propylidene)-trimethylsilylphosphine], 1, with pentaborane(9) under mild conditions produced the bridged phosphinopentaborane cluster ((tBu) (Me3SiO)HCP(SiMe3))B5H8, 2, in high yield. This phosphaborane reacts readily with water to quantitatively produce the corresponding P—H substituted cage compound ((tBu)(Me3SiO)HCP(H))B5H8, 3, via an electrophilic exopolyhedral substitution reaction at the phosphorus atom. All new compounds have been characterized by a variety of spectroscopic methods including 1H, 13C, 11B, 31P NMR, FT-IR and mass spectroscopic analysis.
Impact of diagnosis threat on academic self-efficacy in mild traumatic brain injury

The current study examined the effect of diagnosis threat on self-efficacy and neuropsychological performance in mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Forty-nine participants with a history of mild TBI were randomized to a diagnosis threat or control group. The diagnosis threat group were told they were selected based on their history of TBI, while control group participants were told to perform their best. Individuals in the diagnosis threat group reported significantly lower academic self-efficacy than control participants. The groups performed differently on only one neuropsychological measure. These results suggest that diagnosis threat may have a greater impact on psychological factors than on cognitive performance.
Adrenal steroids and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activation regulate neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of adult rats through a common pathway

Abstract Adrenal steroids and N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor activation have both been shown to regulate the rate of proliferation of granule neuron progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus of adult rats. [Cameron H. A. and Gould E. (1994) Neuroscience 61, 203–209; Cameron H. A. et al. (1995) J. Neurosci. 15, 4687–4692.] Parallels between the actions of these two factors suggest that they may regulate cell division through a common pathway. This hypothesis was tested by altering both of the factors simultaneously and determining whether the effects were additive. The results of this study demonstrate that alterations in N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor activation block the effects of corticosterone level on cell proliferation; N-methyl- d -aspartate blocks the adrenalectomy-induced increase in [3H]thymidine-labelled cell density in the dentate gyrus, whereas the N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor antagonist dizocilpine maleate (MK-801) prevents the corticosterone-induced decrease in proliferating cells. This finding suggests that adrenal steroids and N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor activation regulate granule cell production in the adult rat dentate gyrus through a common pathway and that N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor activation operates downstream of corticosterone in this pathway.
Dispersion relations and complex reflectivity

Inclusion of the conventional classical theory of radiation reaction in the standard classical microscopic model of a material medium induces negligible corrections to the Kramers–Kronig dispersion relations for the complex dielectric constant, and predicts a new ultrahigh-frequency behavior, the same for all media, for any optical property associated with the medium, dependent only on the electron-number density in the medium. One conventional application of dispersion relations to the logarithm of the normal incidence complex reflectivity at a plane interface is shown to be incorrect in principle, regardless of whether radiation reaction is considered. New, correct dispersion relations, to which the conventional ones may be very good approximations in some cases, are given for this quantity. Quantum-field-theoretic considerations also show that the new relations are valid.
Suppression of Surimi Gel Setting by Transglutaminase Inhibitors

Three types of salted meat paste (3% NaCl, 3% NaCl plus 0.66% NH 4 Cl or 3% NaCl plus 0.2% EDTA) were prepared from high and second grade surimi, set at 30°C up to 4 hr, and subsequently heated at 85°C for 30 min. The gel strength, crosslinking of myosin heavy chain (MHC) and e-(γ-glutamyl)lysine (e-(γ-Glu)Lys) content were determined. With extended setting time, gel strength, crosslinking of MHC and the content of a crosslinked product, e-(γ-Glu)Lys, increased markedly in the gel from the high grade surimi. Such changes were suppressed considerably in the presence of NH 4 Cl and EDTA and were not observed in the gel prepared from second grade surimi. These results indicated an active participation of intrinsic transglutaminase in the setting process.
Conversational Grounding in Younger and Older Adults: The Effect of Partner Visibility and Referent Abstractness in Task-Oriented Dialogue

Many communicative situations present interlocutors with the opportunity to use multiple modalities to establish shared perspectives on conversational referents, a process known as grounding. In the current study, we use a card-matching task to examine how conversational grounding in younger and older adults is influenced both by direct visual access to the conversation partner and by the relative abstractness of task referents. On the whole, mutual visibility failed to moderate more general age-related differences in task performance; overall, dialogues between older adults involved more talk and more explicit negotiation of perspectives. A detailed examination of gaze behavior revealed that use of the visual channel in both older and younger adults was greatly constrained by task-related demands, such as the need to attend to one's cards, particularly when they were more difficult to describe. Even so, individuals in both age groups gazed at their partners more frequently and displayed more mutual gaze ...
Nomenclature of alpine glacial deposits, or, What's in a name?

The most useful and objective classification for alpine glacial deposits, as well as for many other Quaternary deposits, appears to be one based on parameters which vary with age as a result of postdepositional modifications. In areas and units for which radiometrically datable materials are rare, age information is gained primarily from these postdepositional modifications by what are here called relative-dating (RD) methods. In order for alpine glacial deposits to be subdivided and formally named, sufficient field data for consistent recognition and mapping need to be collected. These data include measurements of age-dependent parameters such as soil properties, rock-weathering characteristics, and landform changes. Subdivision and naming of glacial deposits should be no more detailed than the resolution of the RD methods, which generally decreases with time. Only when deposits have been objectively characterized by these relative-dating methods can correlations with deposits in other areas or with other types of records be substantiated.
Effects of thickness on the electrical properties of metalorganic chemical vapor deposited Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (25-100 nm) thin films on LaNiO3 buffered Si

Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) thin films with (100) preferred orientation were prepared using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on LaNiO3 (LNO) buffered platinized Si with thickness varying from 25–100 nm. The dependence of electrical properties of PZT films on thickness was studied using several techniques, including polarization–electric field (P–E), temperature variable current–voltage (I–V), and capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements. Because of the formation of Schottky barriers at ferroelectric/electrode interfaces, built-in electric fields are present. A progressive increment in carrier concentration and interfacial built-in electric field versus reducing PZT film thickness was observed, which is believed to be a dominant factor controlling the measured dielectric/ferroelectric properties. The higher built-in electric field in thinner PZT films would pin the dipoles at the interfacial region and retard the response of dipoles to the external electric field.
A Learning-Based Approach to Confident Event Detection in Heterogeneous Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor network applications, such as those for natural disaster warning, vehicular traffic monitoring, and surveillance, have stringent accuracy requirements for detecting or classifying events and demand long system lifetimes. Through quantitative study, we show that existing event detection approaches are challenged to explore the sensing capability of a deployed system and choose the right sensors to meet user-specified accuracy. Event detection systems are also challenged to provide a generic system that efficiently adapts to environmental dynamics and works easily with a range of applications, machine learning approaches, and sensor modalities. Consequently, we propose Watchdog, a modality-agnostic event detection framework that clusters the right sensors to meet user-specified detection accuracy during runtime while significantly reducing energy consumption. Watchdog can use different machine learning techniques to learn the sensing capability of a heterogeneous sensor deployment and meet accuracy requirements. To address environmental dynamics and ensure energy savings, Watchdog wakes up and puts to sleep sensors as needed to meet user-specified accuracy. Through evaluation with real vehicle detection trace data and a building traffic monitoring testbed of IRIS motes, we demonstrate the superior performance of Watchdog over existing solutions in terms of meeting user-specified detection accuracy, energy savings, and environmental adaptability.
One-year observations on a composite resin for Class II restorations

Abstract A study was conducted to compare the clinical performance of a proprietary composite resin with that of amalgam when used in the restoration of Class II cavities. A total of 124 paired restorations were placed. The restorations were evaluated by a team from the United States Public Health Service, Materials & Technology Branch, Division of Dental Health, San Francisco, Calif. At the end of one year, there was a lower incidence of marginal failure among resin restorations when compared to the amalgam restorations while the amalgam restorations were somewhat superior with respect to maintenance of anatomic form The marginal discrepancies of the amalgam restorations consisted of “ditching” or fraying. The loss of anatomic contour among the resins took the form of wear in the area of the marginal ridge. In both instances, the dyscrasia was slight and in no instance (except for the three fractured amalgams) was replacement of the restoration warranted. On occasion, the resin restorations did manifest a very moderate color shift which was felt to be associated with surface stain rather than a change in the material itself. Certain pertinent physical and mechanical properties of both materials were assayed and the relationship of these properties to the clinical behavior of the restorations has been discussed.
How to Make a Multiprocessor Computer That Correctly Executes Multiprocess Programs

Many large sequential computers execute operations in a different order than is specified by the program. A correct execution is achieved if the results produced are the same as would be produced by executing the program steps in order. For a multiprocessor computer, such a correct execution by each processor does not guarantee the correct execution of the entire program. Additional conditions are given which do guarantee that a computer correctly executes multiprocess programs.
Childhood autism: Deficits of communication and symbolic development I. Distinctions from language disorders

The present paper reviews, outlines, and explores the literature concerned with the speech-language disorder of childhood autism. The problems of communication of the autistic child are compared and contrasted with those of children with a variety of other language disorders (e.g. receptive developmental dysphasia). Based upon the review of normal preverbal communicatory and symbolic development, it is concluded that childhood autism involves a pervasive language disorder encompassing communication in general, as well as certain symbolic-representational abilities necessary for language. An overview of the attempts to teach speech to autistic children in then undertaken with special emphasis on the possible implications of developmental knowledge for these training pursuits. Finally, the role of neurologic substrates in the language and communication disorder of autism is presented.
Regulation of Nuclear Calcium Uptake by Inositol Phosphates and External Calcium

Abstract Factors affecting Ins(1,3,4,5)P4-mediated nuclear Ca2+uptake are investigated, which include Ins(1,3,4,5)P4receptor ligand specificity and free external Ca2+concentrations. Among various inositol phosphates examined, Ins(1,3,4,6)P4, Ins(3,4,5,6)P4, and Ins(1,3,4,5,6)P5can also stimulate45Ca2+influx into isolated rat liver nuclei by activating the Ins(1,3,4,5)P4receptor-mediated Ca2+uptake into the nucleus. The EC50values of these polyphosphates range between 200 and 300 nM, which are 3 - 4 folds higher than that of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4. It is plausible that these polyphosphates in conjunction with Ins(1,3,4,5)P4take part in the regulation of nuclear Ca2+uptake in view of their intracellular levels during cell activation. Moreover, the inositol phosphate-induced Ca2+uptake is facilitated by increasing Ca2+levels in the uptake milieu, suggesting a possible link between cytosolic and nuclear Ca2+signals through the Ins(1,3,4,5)P4receptor.
Development of Web Based Power Plant Maintenance Management System

For prevention of failure and extension of maintenance interval, many Asian power companies have continuously tried to apply Condition Based Maintenance system to their plants. However, only few companies succeed to change their maintenance system from fixed time based to equipment condition based, although there are many brand new ITs, such as high speed computing system, huge storage device, and advanced development software tools. This paper describes the reasons why they failed to change and proposes the solutions to construct maintenance management system based on equipment condition. The solutions were also applied practically to power plant in Korea.
The Onset of Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Activity with Aging in Potato Slices.

tide dehydrogenase. III. Catalytic properties of the enzyme from beef heart. J. Biol. Chem. 238: 1529-37. 28. MINAKAMI, S., R. L. RINGLER, AND T. P. SINGER. 1962. Studies on the respiratory chain-linked dihydrodiphosphopyridine nucleotide dehydrogenase. 1. Assay of the enzyme in particulates and in soluble preparations. J. Biol. Chem. 237: 569-76. 29. MITCHELL, P. 1957. A general theory of membrane transport from studies of bacteria. Nature (Lond.) 180: 134-36. 30. PRESSMAN, B. C. 1955. Oxidative phosphorylationi with ferricyanide as terminal electron acceptor. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 17: 273-74. 31. SUTCLIFFE, J. F. 1959. Salt uptake in plants. Biol. Rev. Cambridge Phil. Soc. 34: 159-220. 32. VAN RossuM, G. D. V. 1961. Effect of growth on potassium uptake and respiration in rat-liver slices. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 54: 403-04. 33. VAN ROSSUM, G. D. V. 1962. The effect of oligomycin on cation transport in slices of rat liver. Biochem. J. 84: 35 P.
Oviposition substrate affects adult mortality, independent of reproduction, in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus

. 1 Seed beetles (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) are commonly used to study the influence of reproduction on life-span and senescence. To study the physiological trade-off between reproduction and mortality, many experiments rely on manipulating access to oviposition substrates to manipulate the reproductive rate of females. 2 The presence of host seeds, independent of reproduction, results in increased mortality of female Cullosobruchus muculutus. This influence on mortality varies between two host seed species, suggesting a role of either allelochemicals or energetic costs associated with behaviour on hosts. 3 The influence of host seeds on survivorship, independent of reproduction, confounds the interpretation of cost-of-reproduction studies with seed beetles. This complication must thus be considered in the design and interpretation of life-history studies of seed beetles and other insects.
Exciton interactions in crystalline tetracene studied by single picosecond pulse excitation

Abstract The efficiency of fluorescence in crystalline tetracene was studied as a function of excitation intensity with single picosecond laser pulses. Theoretical fits to the experimental fluorescence-quenching curves, at room temperature and at 170 K, for both a and b -incident polarizations, gave a singlet-singlet annihilation rate of γ ss = 10 −7 cm 3 s −1 , to within a factor of two. This rate constant was confirmed by directly measuring the dependence of fast radiative lifetimes on excitation intensity. We also infer a value for the singlet diffusion rate, D s , or 4 × 10 −2 cm 2 s −1 to within a factor of two.
Data management and mining in internet ad systems

New systems produce data that often present new challenges for data management and mining problems. For example, inventory and sales data led to emphasis on data mining problems such as association rule mining; analysis of Internet Packet traffic logs led to data stream management systems; and, growing markup publication systems led to challenges addressed by semi-structured data management.
Interstrain variability of larval photokinesis in Drosophila melanogaster

Larvae from seven laboratory strains and eight isofemale lines ofDrosophila melanogaster differ significantly with regard to their responses to light in a photokinesis assay in which the larvae are tested en masse. Larvae from the CA-2 laboratorystock fail to disperse on assay plates, although observations of individual CA-2 larvae suggest that the larvae are repelled by light. Larvae from all of the other laboratory stocks and all of the isofemale lines (except LI2 and NC5) avoid light in the photokinesis assay. Larvae from some stocks are much more strongly repelled by light than larvae from other stocks. LI2 larvae are unresponsive to light in most replicates of the photokinesis assay, while NC5 larvae are consistently unresponsive to light. Observations of F1 heterozygotes suggest that the allele(s) that affects the vision of LI2 and NC5 larvae has net effects on the animals' behavior that are partially dominant and recessive, respectively.
Chlorination and vaporization of GeO2 component in SiO2:GeO2 porous preform in dehydration process by VAD method and spontaneous formation of SiO2 cladding layer during the dehydration by selective vaporization of GeO2

Abstract In order to prepare silica-based graded index fibers of uniform transmission quality and low OH content by the vapor phase axial deposition (VAD) method, the halogenation rates of various types of GeO2 as a function of the molar ratio of oxygen to chlorine and of temperature were measured. As a result, the behavior of both the hexagonal GeO2 and the solid solution GeO2 in the dehydration and consolidation processes has become clear, that is, the solid solution GeO2 having SiOGe bonds which is formed in the high temperature region is very stable in the dehydration and consolidation processes. On the other hand, the crystalline hexagonal GeO2 which is formed in the low temperature region is unstable for chlorination reaction in the dehydration process and for volatilization in the consolidation process. This effect has been applied for OH content, and bandwidth control of fibers and VAD fibers of low OH content with losses less than 1 dB/km at 1.39 μm without any cladding deposition process and also those of highly uniform bandwidth fluctuations within ± 100 MHz km in the longitudinal direction of the fibers were obtained.
Transcriptional regulation of bone marrow thrombopoietin by platelet proteins

Platelet production is regulated primarily by the cytokine thrombopoietin (TPO). Although TPO is expressed in several different tissues, only in the bone marrow has the level of expression been reported to increase in response to reduced numbers of platelets. In these studies, we demonstrate that platelet granule proteins are able to transcriptionally repress TPO mRNA expression in a marrow stromal cell line as well as in primary bone marrow stromal cell cultures. Like TPO mRNA, secretion of TPO protein was also suppressed by serum treatment. Reporter gene constructs indicate that DNA elements located in an approximately 1.9-kb region between 250-bp upstream of the transcriptional initiation site and the middle of the second intron are able to mediate the transcriptional repression.
Thickness limitations of SiO/sub 2/ gate dielectrics for MOS ULSI

The impact of gate leakage current on MOSFET performance is examined and limits on gate oxide thickness for static and dynamic logic are determined. Leakage current has been found to be a greater problem for static logic than for dynamic logic circuits. Gate leakage current limits the minimum oxide thickness to approximately 2 nm for static logic configurations, and to approximately 3 nm in dynamic logic circuits. A poor drain design can become a limiting factor for dynamic logic circuits and raise the minimum oxide thickness required. Switching delay of static logic is relatively immune to the effects of leakage current. A MISFET with a 2.6 nm thick gate insulator of Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ has been fabricated showing typical drain current characteristics, but with a large amount of gate leakage current. >
cAMP/PKA signaling defects in tumors: genetics and tissue-specific pluripotential cell-derived lesions in human and mouse

In the last few years, bench and clinical studies led to significant new insight into how cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling, the molecular pathway that had been identified in the early 2000s as the one involved in most benign cortisol-producing adrenal hyperplasias, affects adrenocortical growth and development, as well as tumor formation. A major discovery was the identification of tissue-specific pluripotential cells (TSPCs) as the culprit behind tumor formation not only in the adrenal, but also in bone. Discoveries in animal studies complemented a number of clinical observations in patients. Gene identification continued in parallel with mouse and other studies on the cAMP signaling and other pathways.
A circumsolar ring of asteroidal dust in resonant lock with the Earth

Numerical simulations of the orbital evolution of asteroidal dust particles show that the Earth is embedded in a circumsolar ring of asteroidal dust, and has a cloud of dust permanently in its wake. This could account for the asymmetry of the zodiacal cloud observed by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). The resonant trapping and subsequent release of dust particles by the ring may provide a mechanism by which carbonaceous material is transported from the asteroid belt to the Earth.
Response of the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii to iron stress

The coastal diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii responds to iron limitation with decreasing growth rate, decreasing quotas of cellular iron, and increasing rates of maximum short term uptake. Growth response to steady iron limitation can be modeled according to the equations of Droop and Monod. The cellular iron quota varies from about 2 to 25 x 10/sup -1/ mol iron per liter-cell with increasing iron; the half-saturation constant for growth, K..mu.., is 1.1 x 10/sup -21/ M (free ferric ion). In contrast, the half-saturation constant for /sup 59/I iron uptake, K/sub rho/ is about 3 x 10/sup -19/ M; the maximum iron uptake rate (rho/sub max/) is increased several-fold under iron limitation, resulting in a potential short term uptake rate that is a few hundred times the steady state rate. At a fixed concentration of free manganese ion, the cellular manganese quota is increased several-fold in iron-limited cultures compared to iron-sufficient cultures.
On the Puente-Ladron, New Mexico, aerolite

C. H. Smith's assertion that “The main facts are against the possibility that this little aerolite was carried into the area by Indians and there discarded or lost; …” is shown to be without foundation. Accordingly, Smith's plea for an all-out search of the inhospitable and unpromising Puente-Ladron area is without justification. In view of the failure of continued search in this region to result in additional finds, it would be more reasonable to exhort meteoriticists to increased activity in areas known to be meteorite-strewn fields.
Cryo-EM structure of a group II chaperonin in the prehydrolysis ATP-bound state leading to lid closure

Chaperonins are large ATP-driven molecular machines that mediate cellular protein folding. Group II chaperonins use their "built-in lid" to close their central folding chamber. Here we report the structure of an archaeal group II chaperonin in its prehydrolysis ATP-bound state at subnanometer resolution using single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Structural comparison of Mm-cpn in ATP-free, ATP-bound, and ATP-hydrolysis states reveals that ATP binding alone causes the chaperonin to close slightly with a ∼45° counterclockwise rotation of the apical domain. The subsequent ATP hydrolysis drives each subunit to rock toward the folding chamber and to close the lid completely. These motions are attributable to the local interactions of specific active site residues with the nucleotide, the tight couplings between the apical and intermediate domains within the subunit, and the aligned interactions between two subunits across the rings. This mechanism of structural changes in response to ATP is entirely different from those found in group I chaperonins.
Prediction of oxygen consumption rates from heart interval mean and variance

Heart interval mean and variance were compared as predictors of waking oxygen consumption rate in 20 adult subjects. Correlations between O/sub 2/ consumption and mean heart intervals were significantly better than heart interval variance during both sedentary (P=0.01) and active (P<0.001) periods.
FoneAstra: making mobile phones smarter

FoneAstra is a low-cost, programmable device that extends capabilities of mobile phones. We show how our device extends the functionality of non-programmable, low-tier mobile phones that are most prevalent amongst people from low-income groups in developing regions. FoneAstra enables interesting mobile applications in a variety of domains ranging from participatory sensing to remote monitoring to healthcare. The paper describes several applications that we are currently developing. As a first sample application, we demonstrate location tracking capability on low-tier mobile phones that are not programmable and do not have GPS capability. In prototype quantities, FoneAstra costs only $15.
A comparison of two parallel ranking and selection procedures

Traditional solutions to ranking and selection problems include two-stage procedures (e.g., the NSGS procedure of Nelson et al. 2001) and fully-sequential screening procedures (e.g., Kim and Nelson 2001 and Hong 2006). In a parallel computing environment, a naively-parallelized NSGS procedure may require more simulation replications than a sequential screening procedure such as that of Ni, Hunter, and Henderson (2013) (NHH), but requires less communication since there is no periodic screening. The parallel procedure NHH may require less simulation replications overall, but requires more communication to implement periodic screening. We numerically explore the trade-offs between these two procedures on a parallel computing platform. In particular, we discuss their statistical validity, efficiency, and implementation, including communication and load-balancing. Inspired by the comparison results, we propose a framework for hybrid procedures that may further reduce simulation cost or guarantee to select a good system when multiple systems are clustered near the best.
Feature Selection with High-Dimensional Imbalanced Data

Feature selection is an important topic in data mining, especially for high dimensional datasets. Filtering techniques in particular have received much attention, but detailed comparisons of their performance is lacking. This work considers three filters using classifier performance metrics and six commonly-used filters. All nine filtering techniques are compared and contrasted using five different microarray expression datasets. In addition, given that these datasets exhibit an imbalance between the number of positive and negative examples, the utilization of sampling techniques in the context of feature selection is examined.
What Do You Do? Occupation Recognition in a Photo via Social Context

In this paper, we investigate the problem of recognizing occupations of multiple people with arbitrary poses in a photo. Previous work utilizing single person's nearly frontal clothing information and fore/background context preliminarily proves that occupation recognition is computationally feasible in computer vision. However, in practice, multiple people with arbitrary poses are common in a photo, and recognizing their occupations is even more challenging. We argue that with appropriately built visual attributes, co-occurrence, and spatial configuration model that is learned through structure SVM, we can recognize multiple people's occupations in a photo simultaneously. To evaluate our method's performance, we conduct extensive experiments on a new well-labeled occupation database with 14 representative occupations and over 7K images. Results on this database validate our method's effectiveness and show that occupation recognition is solvable in a more general case.
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants employed by general and subspecialty pediatricians.

OBJECTIVE: There is little nationally representative information describing the current manner in which nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) work in pediatric practices and their professional activities. To understand better the current NP and PA workforce in pediatric primary and subspecialty care, we conducted a national survey of pediatricians. METHODS: A survey study of a random national sample of 498 pediatric generalists and 1696 subspecialists in the United States was performed by using a structured questionnaire administered by mail. The survey focused on practice settings, employment, and scope of work of NPs and PAs. RESULTS: Response rates were 72% for generalists and 77% for subspecialists. More than one-half (55%) of generalists reported that they do not currently work with NPs or PAs, compared with only one-third of subspecialists who do not. Many generalists and subspecialists intend to increase the number of NPs and PAs in their practices in the next 5 years. More generalist and subspecialty practices work with NPs than with PAs. There was great variability between generalists and subspecialists and among different subspecialties in the proportions that worked with NPs and PAs. The scope of work of NPs and PAs also varied between generalists and subspecialists. CONCLUSIONS: Planned increases in the number of NPs hired and expansion of their scope of work might put subspecialists and general pediatricians in competition with regard to recruitment and hiring of a limited pool of new pediatric NPs. Similar issues might arise with PAs.
Strategies for biped gymnastics

The author studies the dynamics of a planar cat. He then proposes a few strategies that a cat can use to perform a forward or backward somersault. >
Improved endothelial cell responses on highly controllable nanostructured surface features

Vascular stenting is the procedure of implanting a thin tube into the site of a narrow or blocked artery due to atherosclerosis. However, conventional metal-made stents cause significant injury to the vascular wall and endothelium, which functions as a protective biocompatible barrier between tissue and circulating blood, resulting in in-stent restenosis and then the development of late thrombosis. These problems can be avoided if formation of the endothelium, which is composed of aligned endothelial cells, is accelerated on metal stents. For this purpose, highly controllable nanostructured surface features on Ti (a popular vascular stent metal) were created to promote endothelialization and to control the direction of endothelial cell function. The objective of this in vitro study was to investigate endothelial cell function on highly controllable nanostructured surface features. In this manner, the present study provides much promise for the use of nanotechnology for improving metals for vascular stent applications.
Ocular disposition of topically applied histamine, cimetidine, and pyrilamine in the albino rabbit.

Aqueous solutions of pyrilamine, cimetidine, and histamine were instilled into the eyes of albino rabbits and drug levels determined as a function of time in the cornea, conjunctiva, aqueous humor, and iris-ciliary body. For all three drugs, less than 1% of the applied dose penetrates to the aqueous humor. Moreover, cimetidine and histamine are significantly less bioavailable than pyrilamine. Both cimetidine and histamine appear to bind to precorneal mucin and thus exhibit binding to conjunctival tissue with subsequent low penetration into the cornea and prolonged peak times in the aqueous humor. In addition, both drugs show binding to the irisciliary body as well. The influence of solution pH on the penetration of these compounds was also investigated, and a factor of two increase in aqueous levels was noted for the pH range 5–8, which encompasses the pKa's for these compounds.
Implementation strategies for scheduling algorithms in integrated-services packet-switched networks

A range of potential architectures that may serve as a basis for the efficient implementation of scheduling algorithms with dynamic order is presented, and the feasibility of these architectures is considered, typically through comparison with common components of communications and computer systems. In the process, possible architectures for implementing static-order algorithms, such as earliest deadline first (EDF), are proposed. Since, to facilitate implementation, some architectures involve a simplification of the desired scheduling algorithm, the resulting performance degradation is explored, and the performances achieved with different architectures are compared. Sorted architectures are discussed, followed by unsorted architectures. >
Role of Surface Roughness in Hysteresis during Adhesive Elastic Contact

In experiments that involve contact with adhesion between two surfaces, as found in atomic force microscopy or nanoindentation, two distinct contact force (P) vs. indentation-depth (h) curves are often measured depending on whether the indenter moves towards or away from the sample. The origin of this hysteresis is not well understood and is often attributed to moisture, plasticity or viscoelasticity. Here we report experiments that show that hysteresis can exist in the absence of these effects, and that its magnitude depends on surface roughness. We develop a theoretical model in which the hysteresis appears as the result of a series of surface instabilities, in which the contact area grows or recedes by a finite amount. The model can be used to estimate material properties from contact experiments even when the measured P-h curves are not unique.