cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diabetes exacerbates amyloid and neurovascular pathology in aging‐accelerated mice

Mounting evidence supports a link between diabetes, cognitive dysfunction, and aging. However, the physiological mechanisms by which diabetes impacts brain function and cognition are not fully understood. To determine how diabetes contributes to cognitive dysfunction and age-associated pathology, we used streptozotocin to induce type 1 diabetes (T1D) in senescence-accelerated prone 8 (SAMP8) and senescence-resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice. Contextual fear conditioning demonstrated that T1D resulted in the development of cognitive deficits in SAMR1 mice similar to those seen in age-matched, nondiabetic SAMP8 mice. No further cognitive deficits were observed when the SAMP8 mice were made diabetic. T1D dramatically increased Aβ and glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity in the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice and to a lesser extent in age-matched SAMR1 mice. Further analysis revealed aggregated Aβ within astrocyte processes surrounding vessels. Western blot analyses from T1D SAMP8 mice showed elevated amyloid precursor protein processing and protein glycation along with increased inflammation. T1D elevated tau phosphorylation in the SAMR1 mice but did not further increase it in the SAMP8 mice where it was already significantly higher. These data suggest that aberrant glucose metabolism potentiates the aging phenotype in old mice and contributes to early stage central nervous system pathology in younger animals.
Aircraft radial-belted tire evaluation

An overview is given of the ongoing joint NASA/FAA/Industry Surface Traction And Radial Tire (START) Program being conducted at NASA Langley's Aircraft Landing Dynamics Facility (ALDF). The START Program involves tests using three different tire sizes to evaluate tire rolling resistance, braking, and cornering performance throughout the aircraft ground operational speed range for both dry and wet runway surfaces. Preliminary results from recent 40 x 14 size bias-ply, radial-belted, and H-type aircraft tire tests are discussed. The paper concludes with a summary of the current program status and planned ALDF test schedule.
Treatment Fidelity Instrument to Measure a Brief Opportunistic Intervention for Prenatal Substance Use

ABSTRACT Objective To develop and psychometrically evaluate an instrument designed to measure the treatment fidelity associated with implementation of the I Am Concerned (IAC) brief opportunistic intervention by frontline, prenatal, primary care staff. Design A methodologic approach framed development of the IAC Treatment Fidelity Instrument in a six‐phase protocol. Setting A simulated prenatal clinic with standardized patients portraying substance‐using pregnant women. Participants Prenatal, primary care, frontline staff ( N = 6), experienced in IAC implementation. Methods Following development of the IAC treatment fidelity instrument, independent raters used the instrument to evaluate audio recordings ( N = 49) of frontline staff implementing the IAC brief opportunistic intervention with standardized patients representing substance‐using pregnant women. Results Psychometric analysis provided evidence of content validity. Intraclass correlation coefficients calculated for inter‐rater reliability were satisfactory for subscales (0.64) and (0.62) and ranged from −0.07 to 0.81 for individual items. Internal consistency alpha coefficients were satisfactory for the total scale (0.72) and lower than acceptable for adherence (0.54) and competence (0.56) subscales. Overall high rater percentage agreement and negatively skewed ratings distribution indicated reliability results were paradoxically low due to the base rate problem. Conclusion Results support revision and ongoing testing of the IAC treatment fidelity instrument. The impact on reliability statistics exerted by this study's skewed data distribution has implications for nursing research as low variance can be anticipated when measuring care provided to homogenous patient populations. It is important to recognize the resulting influence on inter‐rater agreement to avoid making inaccurate interpretations about the reliability of an instrument's measurements.
Promising Targets for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Genetics and pathology have proven to be an effective combination to identify an evolving and deepening landscape of pathways and potential therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases. Initially this landscape appeared to be populated with distinct therapeutic targets but with potentially overlapping mechanisms in each neurodegenerative disease. Our understanding has expanded to recognize that multiple pathologies are common in neurodegenerative disease, and that there is considerable overlap in pathways and targets driving neurodegenerative diseases. This potentially opens the way for future treatments to be indicated by tissue pathology and genetic basis rather than clinical phenotype. The potential to treat neurodegenerative disease by addressing underlying pathophysiology is still in the early days and challenges remain, especially the likely need to address pathologies early in disease. This will require redefinition of diagnosis and the tools to enable earlier diagnosis.
The Social Life of Reflection: Notes Toward an ePortfolio-Based Model of Reflection

For many, reflection—be it self-assessment, account of process, or synthesis of learning—has been constructed as an individual process. For others, reflection, like other forms of learning, is a social process, one that puts individual account, perception, inquiry, and judgment into dialogue with those of others. This second definition of reflection relies on the context of others for the making of meaning that is unique to reflection. This form of reflection can be fostered in an environmental model of ePortfolios; here, portfolio composers and their peers participate in what I am calling “the social life of reflection.” In this chapter, then, I’ll focus on the ways that curricular design, an environmental ePortfolio, and reflection provide a context for creating the social life of reflection, a practice incorporating both formal and incidental learning. As a consequence, through the social life of reflection as expressed inside the ePortfolio, we see students weaving together various strands of reflection into a coherent whole. And not least, a review of this reflection shows both the development of the student and the myriad ways that reflective practice, in John Seely Brown’s terms, both shapes and supports learning.
Optimal Treatment Zone Moves During Enhanced Reductive Dechlorination in Fractured Bedrock

An enhanced bioremediation pilot test was implemented to study the efficacy of enhancing in situ reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) in shallow bedrock where some intrinsic degradation to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2-DCE) was observed without further degradation to vinyl chloride or nontoxic ethene. Limited Dehalococcoides spp. cell concentrations were present within the study area prior to the gravity-fed injection of an injectate of fermentable carbon substrates in native anaerobic groundwater. Direct connectivity between the injection well screen and performance monitoring well was evidenced and resulted in the degradation of nearly all PCE to cis-1,2-DCE, significant decrease in pH, and apparent inhibited Dehalococcoides spp. growth in the study area groundwater in the first six months. After 24 months, nearly all cis-1,2-DCE had degraded to nontoxic ethene, pH rebounded to more optimal levels, and abundant growth of Dehalococcoides spp. (6.8E05 cells/mL) and its functional gene expressions responsible for complete dechlorination were evident. The observations indicated initial poor dechlorination within the injection zone did not preclude effective treatment, allowing sufficient monitoring time showed the effective treatment zone (or more-optimal fringe) first moved outward from the injection zone beyond the monitoring point and then receded back toward the point of injection over a period of two years. ©2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Kinetics of photochemical/chemical cycling of iron coupled with organic substances in cloud and fog droplets

The kinetics of photochemical reduction of Fe(III) coupled with organic ligands has been investigated to understand the photoredox cycling of Fe and the significance of this cycling in the production of photo-oxidants and transformation of S (IV) and organic pollutants in atmospheric waters. The photo-reduction of ferrioxalate ion is first order with respect to Fe(III) and has a rate constant of 4.0 ± 0.4 × 10−2 s−1 in anoxic solutions at summer clear-day-noon time. In the presence of oxygen, the oxalate radical formed in the primary photoreaction further reduces O2 to HO2•O2•, leading to the reoxidation of Fe(II) and the formation of H202. At a photochemical steady-state, the ratio of Fe(II)Fe(III) is determined by: [Fe(II)]ss[Fe(III)]ss=[ksk9[HO2•O2•] where subscript ss denotes steady-state, ks, and k9 are the rate constants for photoreduction of Fe(III) complex and the oxidation of Fe(II) by HO2•/O2•, respectively, and [HO2•/O2•] is the concentration of HO2•O2•. During sunny daytime, a large fraction of Fe is present as Fe(II), which provides a significant source of dissolved Fe(II) for the primary productivity in surface water systems.
UV-Induced Grafting of Alkenes to Silicon Surfaces: Photoemission versus Excitons

The mechanism of photochemical grafting of alkenes to H-terminated silicon has remained poorly understood. Here we demonstrate the importance of a previously unrecognized initiation process, photoelectron ejection (photoemission), as a facile way of initiating photochemical grafting of liquid alkenes to silicon surfaces when using ultraviolet light. A comparison of Si samples with vastly different photocarrier lifetimes showed no difference in the efficiency of alkene grafting. However, differences in the reactivities of different alkenes with different terminal groups that correlate with the electron affinities of these groups were observed. Our results indicate that photoemission is an effective way of initiating grafting because the irreversible nature of photoemission leaves the sample with a net excess of holes that have no corresponding electrons with which to recombine, while in a competing exciton mechanism, the net concentration of holes is limited by recombination processes.
Absorption coefficients for the 727 nm band of methane at 77 K determined by intracavity laser spectroscopy

Methane spectral features in the visible to near-IR region are prominent in the spectra of the outer planets but laboratory data for the appropriate methane conditions are required to interpret the observational data. By use of the intracavity laser spectroscopy technique, a moderately high resolution (≥500,000) absorption spectrum of the 727 nm band of methane at 77 K is obtained. The methane absorption bands in the visible to near-IR region are very weak, but intracavity laser spectroscopy provides sufficient sensitivity to perform the measurements and to extract quantitative data for methane at low temperatures. Absorption coefficients are determined and are reported as averages at one A intervals throughout the region 7127–7420 A. By integrating over the band, an intensity of 753 cm−1 km−1 am−1 is obtained. The results compare well with previous low resolution measurements on methane at room temperature, with gas phase results calculated using the absorption spectrum of liquid methane, and with absorption coefficients derived from methane features observed in the spectra of the outer planets and Titan.
Stopping Enteral Feeding for Arbitrary Gastric Residual Volume May Not Be Physiologically Sound: Results of a Computer Simulation Model

Background During tube feeding, it is a common practice to check gastric residual volume frequently for indications of pathologic impairment of gastric emptying. The volume threshold standards for holding feedings are applied nonselectively, disregarding slowing of gastric emptying by nutrient-triggered intestinogastric inhibitory feedback. We developed a computer simulation model considering this feedback to test the hypothesis that gastric residual volume increases with slower gastric emptying and faster formula delivery but reaches a plateau volume (equilibrium between input and output) at volumes commonly seen in the postprandial stomach. Methods A computer simulation model using Microsoft Excel 4.0 calculated the cumulative gastric residual volume over time when the input volume into the stomach is 125 mL/h (endogenous secretions)+ 0 to 125 mL/h (formula delivery rate) and the output volume out of the stomach is equal to gastric emptying rates that varied between 0% and 50%/h. The model simulated nasogastric feeding with nine different rates of gastric emptying and six different rates of formula delivery. Measurements consisted of the cumulative gastric residual volume at the end of each hour for a minimum of 48 hours. Results (1) Gastric residual volumes 1.5 to 6 times the commonly applied "stop feeding" threshold volume of 150 mL are encountered at gastric emptying rates of 20% to 50%/h; (2) gastric residual volume stabilizes to a plateau of 225 to 900 mL between 3 and 13 hours after start of formula delivery at these rates; and (3) at 0% gastric emptying, gastric residual volume does not reach a plateau. Conclusions At gastric emptying rates expected with nutrient-triggered inhibitory feedback and at formula delivery rates common in nutrition support, gastric residual volume reaches a plateau rapidly and at volumes commonly encountered in normal postprandial stomachs. On the basis of the results of this model, the current practice of stopping enteral feeding when gastric residual volume exceeds an arbitrarily selected volume threshold may not be physiologically sound. Clinical studies are needed to verify this model.
Fechner, information, and shape perception

How do retinal images lead to perceived environmental objects? Vision involves a series of spatial and material transformations—from environmental objects to retinal images, to neurophysiological patterns, and finally to perceptual experience and action. A rationale for understanding functional relations among these physically different systems occurred to Gustav Fechner: Differences in sensation correspond to differences in physical stimulation. The concept of information is similar: Relationships in one system may correspond to, and thus represent, those in another. Criteria for identifying and evaluating information include (a) resolution, or the precision of correspondence; (b) uncertainty about which input (output) produced a given output (input); and (c) invariance, or the preservation of correspondence under transformations of input and output. We apply this framework to psychophysical evidence to identify visual information for perceiving surfaces. The elementary spatial structure shared by objects and images is the second-order differential structure of local surface shape. Experiments have shown that human vision is directly sensitive to this higher-order spatial information from interimage disparities (stereopsis and motion parallax), boundary contours, texture, shading, and combined variables. Psychophysical evidence contradicts other common ideas about retinal information for spatial vision and object perception.
The challenge of pervasive software to the conventional wisdom of software engineering

The conventional wisdom of software engineering holds that software systems are developed by software professionals, that they have knowable (if evolving) requirements, that project managers control system configurations, that results can be computed directly, and that the systems can, at least in principle, be validated. In fact, the conventional wisdom fails to account for much of the software that permeates everyday life. For example, the social and economic success of the Internet arises from the proliferation, evolution, and interaction of applications and services that have been independently created by diverse stakeholders. We will explore the ways in which the conventional wisdom falls short and the corresponding new research opportunities, including architectural approaches to describing the software systems that have become integral to modern life.
The influence of different response consequences on children's preference for time-out

Abstract The suppressive effects of time-out from positive reinforcement (TO) were investigated with preschool children in two experimental conditions: (a) where the response alternative to TO was reinforced with the same frequency as the punished response, and (b) where the response alternative to TO was placed on extinction. In condition (a), TO produced complete and lasting suppression, whereas in condition (b), the response which led to TO was significantly preferred. An interesting and unexpected finding concerned the high incidence of response “bursts” on the extinction manipulandum by several S s in condition (b). Examination of the individual response records revealed that the “bursting” reaction to TO was typical of S s having initially high response rates, but not of S s whose initial response rates were relatively low.
Enhanced bacterial disease resistance of transgenic channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus possessing cecropin genes.

The cecropin B gene from the moth Hyalophora cecropia, driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter, was transferred to the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Transgenic individuals (P1) were mated to produce individuals (F1) that exhibited enhanced disease resistance and survival when challenged with pathogenic bacteria. During the epizootic of Flavobacterium columnare in an earthen pond, the percentage of transgenic individuals containing preprocecropin B construct that survived (100%) was significantly greater (P 0.05). Inheritance of the transgene by the F1 generation, 20.2% to 30.7% was typical of that in studies with transgenic channel catfish.
THE SIMPLE ACT OF VOTING IN 1980 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

Studies of presidential primary elections have not focused on how voters decide for whom to vote. This article tests a modified Kelley-Mirer rule with data from CBS News/New York Times exit polls for the 1980 Democratic primary elections in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The article focuses on (1) considerations, what voters take into account; and (2) a decision rule, how voters make decisions. Of the factors that voters take into account in general elections—candidate images, issues, ideology, and party identification—a person's image of the candidates and ideological identification seem to be the most relevant considerations in primary elections. Voters in primaries canvass their likes and dislikes of the leading candidates. Weighing each like and dislike equally, they vote for the candidate toward whom they have the greatest net number of favorable attitudes. If no candidate has such an advantage, the voter votes con...
Inhibition of germination in Amaranthus albus seeds by prolonged irradiation: a physiological basis

Amaranthus albus L. seeds able to germinate in darkness can be prevented from germinating by prolonged irradiation with incandescent light (CIL). The germination in darkness is controlled by pre-existent P fr . Allowing the seeds to remain in darkness for about 16 h allows an escape from the inhibition by CIL, about comparable with the time required to escape from pre-existent P fr control. By examining escape from low fluence far-red (FR), it was found that no escape occurred in CIL. It was concluded that the mode of action of CIL in inhibiting A. albus seed germination involved prevention of the action of the pre-existent P fr and a subsequent dormancy which does not allow a response to the P fr generated by the incandescent light. Other actions of CIL were found but were considered less likely as causative for the inhibition of germination. One was a direct inhibition of radicle elongation and another involved prevention of an increased responsiveness to P fr induced by treatment at 40°C.
Export flux and stability as regulators of community composition in pelagic marine biological communities: Implications for regime shifts

Regime shifts occur when a system transitions from one stable configuration to another. Such abrupt changes in biological communities may reflect small changes in environmental conditions such as temperature, oxygen concentration, or irradiance. Although it seems clear that biological communities are not randomly organized with respect to their functional components, there is disagreement concerning the factors that control that organization. In this paper, I examine the implications of assuming that the composition of pelagic marine biological communities evolves to a condition of maximum stability or resilience. At temperatures of 25 °C or less, a model based on this hypothesis predicts abrupt and discontinuous transitions from configurations associated with low export ratios to configurations associated with high export ratios as the rate of primary production increases. Comparison between field data and model predictions shows very good agreement at low and high production rates, but the field data do not support a step-function transition from low to high export ratios at intermediate rates of production. Instead, the field data are consistent with the assumption that food webs effect the transition between high and low ef ratio modes by reconfiguring themselves in a more-or-less continuous manner. The configurations associated with these transitions are at least locally more resilient than any similar food web structure.
A Robot Laser As A Flexible Tool For Cutting Openings In The Car-Body On The Production Line

A flexible laser robot system is described which has been selected for the purpose of cutting additional openings in entire bodies in white on the conveyor. The lightweight CO2 400-W-laser generator is carried and moved computer-controlled by the VOLKSWAGEN robotic system with a fixed 3-mirror robot arm for minimizing losses of energy and for increasing quality and reliability. In a pilot project this technique is integrated in the production line at a final stage of production and can be started with the designation of the vehicle's body.
Catheter aspiration for simple pneumothorax

A prospective study was conducted in the emergency setting to determine the efficacy of treatment of simple pneumothorax by catheter aspiration. Patients who were successfully treated were discharged to home. Sixty-one patients with a total of 76 pneumothoraces were involved in the study. The overall success rate was 75.6%, with an 82% success rate for needle-induced, 75% for traumatic, and 45% for spontaneous pneumothorax. The duration of symptoms, the size of the pneumothorax, the patient's age, and a prior history of pneumothorax did not affect the outcome. The poorest results were noted with spontaneous pneumothoraces, as would be expected since a majority of these patients have preexistent lung disease. Catheter aspiration of simple pneumothorax offers a cost-effective approach to this clinical problem.
Deadline Assignment and Tardiness Control for Real-Time Data Services

It is challenging to support the timeliness of real-time data service requests in data-intensive real-time applications such as online auction or stock trading, while maintaining the freshness of temporal data that capture the current real-world status. Although deadline-aware real-time scheduling would significantly enhance the timeliness of data services, it is not clear how to assign explicit feasible deadlines to data service requests in an open environment. To address the problem, we design a new deadline assignment scheme to derive feasible deadlines for real-time data service requests considering their individual data needs. Further, we develop a systematic closed-loop approach to supporting the desired tardiness−the actual service delay to deadline ratio−of real-time data services even in the presence of dynamic workloads. We choose the tardiness metric due to its expressiveness compared to the deadline miss ratio and utilization that saturate at 0 and 1 when the system is underutilized or overloaded, respectively. The performance evaluation results acquired in our real-time stock trading testbed show that the desired average/transient tardiness is closely supported. Consequently, the deadline miss ratio is significantly reduced compared to a state-of-art database system with a real-time scheduling extension.
Red-shifts of Quasi-stellar Objects and Related Extragalactic Systems

Quasi-stellar and related objects emission and absorption red shifts tabulation suggesting absorption lines origin
Dynamic Three-Dimensional Tomography of the Solar Corona

Empirical, three-dimensional electron-density maps of the solar corona can be tomographically reconstructed using polarized-brightness images measured from ground- and space-based observatories. Current methods for computing these reconstructions require the assumption that the structure of the corona is unchanging with time. We present the first global reconstructions that do away with this static assumption and, as a result, allow for a more accurate empirical determination of the dynamic solar corona. We compare the new dynamic reconstructions of the coronal density during February 2008 to a sequence of static reconstructions. We find that the new dynamic reconstructions are less prone to certain computational artifacts that may plague the static reconstructions. In addition, these benefits come without a significant increase in computational cost.
Oblique decision tree induction using multimembered evolution strategies

A new construction algorithm for binary oblique decision tree classifier, MESODT, is described. Multimembered evolution strategies (μ,λ) integrated with the perceptron algorithm is adopted as the optimization algorithm to find the appropriate split that minimizes the evaluation function at each node of a decision tree. To better explore the benefits of this optimization algorithm, two splitting rules, the criterion based on the concept of degree of linear separability, and one of the traditional impurity measures -- information gain, are each applied to MESODT. The experiments conducted on public and artificial domains demonstrate that the trees generated by MESODT have, in most cases, higher accuracy and smaller size than the classical oblique decision trees (OC1) and axis-parallel decision trees (See5.0). Comparison with (1+1) evolution strategies is also described.
Robust digital tracking with perturbation estimation via the Euler operator

A model reference control (MRC) method is presented for linear, time-invariant systems with unknown dynamics. The class of systems investigated can be described by where ΔA, ΔB and d(t) are unknown dynamics and unexpected disturbances, respectively. The design method is described in the discrete time form using the Euler operator, which approaches the Laplace operator as the sampling interval, T, approaches zero. The control is constructed, based on the estimation of system perturbations using time delay control (TDC), under the following two assumptions: (1) the dynamics stemming from the perturbations are considerably slower than the discretization frequency, 1/T; and (2) the control has access to all the plant states. The controller is tested through simulation and experiment. The theoretical and experimental results indicate that the proposed method has potential applications for controlling servo-mechanisms subjected to unknown and unexpected disturbances.
Lower limb moments differ when towing a weighted sled with different attachment points.

Sprinting while towing a sled improves sprinting parameters, however, only kinematic and temporal–spatial variables have been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine how lower extremity joint moment impulses alter when towing a sled compared to normal walking. Twelve participants walked normally, walked while towing a sled with a 50% body weight load attached at the waist, and with a 50% body weight load attached at the shoulders. Joint moment impulses were calculated for the hip, knee, and ankle. A mixed-model ANOVA with a between-subject factor of limb and repeated measures of condition was used to compare differences between limbs and towing conditions for each joint. Towing a sled increased joint moment impulses at the hip, knee, and non-dominant ankle. When compared with normal walking waist attachment increased hip extension moment impulse by 214.5% ( − 3.31 vs. − 10.41 Nms/kg), and shoulder attachment increased knee extension moment impulse by 166.9% (4.62 vs. 12.33 Nms/kg). The domina...
Clinical Application of Continuous Flow Apneic Ventilation

Continuous flow apneic ventilation (CFAV) was studied in five adult female patients. After induction of anesthesia with thiopental sodium (5 mg/kg) and fentanyl (5 micrograms/kg), and paralysis with pancuronium bromide (0.12 mg/kg), the patients were ventilated with oxygen at an FIO2 of 1.0 by face mask. Two polyethylene catheters (outside diameter [OD] 2.5 mm) were each inserted into the right and left mainstem bronchi. Each catheter had a curved tip measuring 2 cm in length. The angulation of the catheter tip from the axis was 20 degrees for the right side and 30 degrees for the left side. The endobronchial position was checked by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Subsequently, tracheal intubation was performed using a 7.5 mm OD tracheal tube. CFAV was started when both catheters were connected to the gas delivery system. Humidified oxygen was delivered at total flows between 0.6 and 0.7 1/min. Arterial blood gases were analyzed every 5 min for 30 min. Monitoring included electrocardiogram, indirect blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and peripheral nerve stimulation. Adequate oxygenation was maintained in all patients, 39.76 +/- 4.32 kPa (299 +/- 37 mmHg) at 30 min. There was a significant rise in Paco2 (P less than 0.05) at 30 min compared to the control, 4.92 +/- 0.25 kPa compared to 7.30 +/- 0.53 kPa (37.0 +/- 1.9 mmHg compared to 54.9 +/- 4.0 mmHg). There was a mean rise in Paco2 of 0.03 kPa/min (0.6 mmHg/min) compared to 0.5 kPa/min (3.8 mmHg/min) with apneic diffusion ventilation. In one patient there was no increase in Paco2 during the 30 min of CFAV.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Continuous families of vectors that are orbits of a unitary group

Abstract We characterize functions u from the real line into a Hilbert space that are the orbits of a unitary group { U ( t ) } t ∈ R ; that is, u ( t ) = U ( t ) u ( 0 ) , for all real t. One of the characterizations is that u be the Fourier transform of a certain type of vector-valued measure Z; we then use our characterizations to construct Z from u.
Spectral characterization of igneous rocks in the 8‐ to 12‐μm region

This paper investigates the crystal-chemistry basis for the variation in spectral behavior of ingneous rocks, with the purpose of developing relationships useful for applications in the lithologic characterization of terrestrial and extraterrestrial surfaces. A new parameter is proposed for characterizing general rock and mineral type. The parameter, SCFM, defined as the ratio SiO2/(SiO2 + CaO + FeO + MgO), reflects the degree of depolymerization of the silica tetrahedra in both fine-grained and coarse-grained igneous rocks, and is a good descriptor of the composition of these rocks. Using spectra obtained in the laboratory on coarse-particulate mineral and solid-rock samples, the SCFM parameter was used to assess the effects of variations in the rock composition on the location, number, and width of spectral bands. A regression analysis of bands varying in width from 0.2 micron to 1.4 microns versus the SCFM value resulted in correlation coefficients ranging from 0.88 to 0.97.
Design of a single-pool downstream controller using quantitative feedback control theory.

A downstream controller is designed for an irrigation canal reach using a design technique called quantitative feedback control theory (QFT). The performance of this controller is compared to a proportional, integral, derivative (PID) controller and a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller. In this study, the QFT controller is designed for a single canal reach because it best demonstrates how a controller is designed. Previous research for this canal model provided data for comparison. For the operating conditions that are defined in this paper, the QFT controller is shown to have slightly better performance than the PID controller and better performance than the LQR controller. When the canal hydraulic roughness is increased, the QFT controller still performed better than the PID controller.
Resistance fluctuation in a one-dimensional conductor with static disorder

The non-self-averaging resistance of a one-dimensional conductor with static disorder is reexamined by the method of invariant imbedding, leading to a Fokker-Planck equation for its probability distribution ${W}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}(\ensuremath{\rho}, l)$, with varying sample length $l$. An exact two-point recursion relation for the moments $〈{\ensuremath{\rho}}^{n}〉$ is given along with a closed-form solution for ${W}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}(\ensuremath{\rho}, l)$ for the case of Gaussian white-noise disorder. The latter confirms $\mathrm{ln}\ensuremath{\rho}$ as the correct scale variable. The treatment admits generalization to the case of $N$ channels and to general disorder.
Mobilization of fluoride from the bones and teeth of growing and mature rats

Abstract Fluoride was deposited at somewhat similar rates in the various bones of the growing rat receiving 10 ppm F for 70 days. During a subsequent 350 day post-fluoride period comprised of five 10-week intervals, total fluoride loss averaged about 9 per cent in the edentulous skeleton, and approximately 90 per cent of the loss occurred during the first 10-week post-fluoride period. The percentage loss in total fluoride during this same period varied from 2.3 per cent to 14.3 per cent for the various bones. The molars showed little if any change, and the incisors lost almost all the fluoride previously deposited. The anomalous increase of fluoride in the ventral rib and to a lesser degree in the pes + manus, was interpreted to indicate the possibility of local translocation of fluoride. The rate of deposition of fluoride in the various bones of the mature rat after 365 days on the fluoride regimen was essentially similar except for the ventral rib and the bones of the hand and foot which showed a slower rate of fluoride deposition. Mobilization of fluoride from skeletal components of the rats receiving 10 ppm F for 365 days was more variable than in the growing rat and rose progressively during three 10-week post-fluoride periods to 10 per cent of the previously deposited fluoride. The molar teeth, vertebra, humerus, ulna + radius, dorsal rib and the pes + manus showed less than a 10 per cent change in fluoride. The remaining bones mobilized between 14 and 18 per cent of the fluoride deposited at the end of the 365-day fluoride administration period. The incisors lost about 90 per cent of their fluoride. Various bones of the rat grew at quite different rates. For example, the ventral rib doubled in dry, fat-free weight between 70 and 420 days on experiment, whereas the bones of the hand and foot increased by only some 18 per cent. The rate of mineralization also varied considerably between bones.
On the detection of semantic concepts at TRECVID

Semantic multimedia management is necessary for the effective and widespread utilization of multimedia repositories and realizing the potential that lies untapped in the rich multimodal information content. This challenge has driven researchers to devise new algorithms and systems that enable automatic or semi-automatic tagging of large scale multimedia content with rich semantics. An emerging research area is the detection of a predetermined set of semantic concepts that can act as semantic filters and aid in search, and manipulation. The NIST TRECVID benchmark has responded by creating a task that has evaluated the performance of concept detection. Within the scope of this benchmark task, this paper studies trends in the emerging concept detection systems, architectures and algorithms. It also analyzes strategies that have yielded reasonable success, and challenges and gaps that lie ahead.
Photon attenuation in computed tomography

The analysis and understanding of results of computed tomography (CT) require an understanding of photon attenuation in matter. The high sensitivity and resolution of these devices coupled with the use of a polychromatic photon source require a level and breadth of understanding about photon attenuation not usually required in any particular subspecialty of radiological physics. With this goal in mind, a discussion of narrow-beam photon attenuation in matter is given and related to those problems currently underway in the field of computed tomography. Measurements and calculations of tissue properties are presented. Calculations of descriptive quantities relevant to polychromatic source attenuation and CT scanning are described and presented.
Sixteen-year survival with metastatic signet ring cell bladder carcinoma.

Abstract The first long-term survivor with metastatic signet ring cell type mucinous adenocarcinoma of the bladder is described.
Differential neural activation of vascular α-adrenoceptors in oral tissues of cats

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the relative contribution of α 1 - and α 2 -adrenoceptors involved in sympathetic-evoked vasoconstrictor responses in tissues perfused by the lingual arterial circulation in pentobarbital anesthetized cats. Blood flow in the lingual artery was measured by ultrasonic flowmetry. Laser–Doppler flowmetry was utilized to measure oral tissue vasoconstrictor responses in the maxillary gingiva and from the surface of the tongue. Electrical stimulation of the preganglionic superior cervical sympathetic nerve resulted in frequency-dependent blood flow decreases at all three sites. These responses were stable over time and were uniformly antagonized by administration of phentolamine (0.3–3.0 mg kg −1 ). The selective α 1 -adrenoceptor antagonist, prazosin (10–300 μg kg −1 ), attenuated vasoconstriction in the lingual artery and gingiva, but was ineffective in blocking vasoconstriction in the tongue. Subsequent administration of rauwolscine (300 μg kg −1 ) antagonized remaining vasoconstrictor responses. In contrast, rauwolscine (10–300 μg kg −1 ), given alone, blocked evoked vasoconstriction in the tongue, and was without effect on gingival or lingual artery vasoconstrictor responses. Subsequent administration of prazosin (300 μg kg −1 ) largely antagonized remaining neurally elicited responses. These results suggest that neural vasoconstrictor responses in some regional vascular beds in the cat oral cavity are mediated by both α 1 - and α 2 -adrenoceptors. In contrast, tongue surface vasoconstrictor responses to sympathetic nerve activation appear to be mediated primarily by α 2 -adrenoceptors.
Foreign Body Reaction to Acellular Dermal Matrix Allograft in Biologic Glenoid Resurfacing

Background Biologic glenoid resurfacing is a treatment option for young patients with glenohumeral arthritis. An optimal synthetic graft for glenoid resurfacing should allow repopulation with host cells, be durable enough to tolerate suture fixation and forces across the joint, and present no host inflammatory response. We report two cases of giant cell reaction to GraftJacket® after biologic glenoid resurfacing.
A generalized technique to solve phase-1 linear programming problems with modified phase-2 methods

We propose a general technique for solving phase-1 Linear Programming (LP) problems with slightly modified phase-2 Linear Programming (LP) methods. Phase-1 LP problems start with a feasible basic solution and the goal is to find an optimum solution; phase-2 LP problems start with an infeasible basic solution and the goal is to find a feasible solution.
Predictors of success in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of chronic total occlusions

Abstract Earlier studies have indicated that percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of chronic total occlusions has a low success rate. To determine success rate and assess clinical and angiographic variables associated with success and complications, 57 total occlusions in 56 patients undergoing PTCA were analyzed. The clinical duration of occlusion was 51 ± 86 days. Success (≤ 50% residual stenosis) was achieved at 40 of 57 (70%) dilatation sites. Of these 57 total occlusions, 5 were attempted within 24 hours of acute myocardial infarction, 35 between 1 day and 8 weeks of clinical occlusion, 13 > 8 weeks and 4 were of unknown duration. Success rates were 4 of 5, 25 of 35, 9 of 13 and 2 of 4, respectively, in each group (difference not significant, comparison of all time groups). Of the 9 narrowings with a successful PTCA for an occlusion > 8 weeks, the mean duration of occlusion was 93 ± 41 days (range 60 to 180). None of the attempted dilatations of occlusions with a clinical duration of > 180 days (n = 3) was successful. None of the clinical or angiographic variables (including tortuosity, length of occlusion gap, distance of the occlusion from the vessel origin, thrombus, lesion calcium, collaterals, prior myocardial infarction, vessel dilated or diffuse disease) impacted on success rate (difference not significant for all). No patient died, had a Q-wave infarction, required emergency coronary artery bypass grafting or underwent repeat PTCA within 7 days of the procedure. Non-Q-wave infarction occurred in 2 of 56 patients (4%). Thus, PTCA of total occlusions, even those of a chronic nature, can be performed with a good acute success rate and a very tow risk of major complications. In addition, clinical and angiographic variables assist little in predicting PTCA success for chronic total occlusions although occlusions of > 6 months' duration may have a low success rate.
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy among Southern city women.

As national survey data on American drinking practices have suggested a higher rate of heavy drinking among Southern city women compared to women in other regions, this study sought to determine drinking patterns during pregnancy in this group. A consecutive sample of 428 prenatal patients, who were residents of a Southern metropolitan area, were interviewed during the fourth month prenatal clinic visit. Although close to 50% of this sample were abstainers, 11% of the drinkers were found to be heavy drinkers, averaging more than two drinks daily, while 18% were high-maximum drinkers, consuming at least five drinks on an occasion prior to pregnancy. Forty-eight percent of the drinkers had become abstainers during the first 4 months of pregnancy, which was significantly higher than the 35% found in a representative non-Southern population (P < 0.01). More frequent highmaximum drinking and increased drinking during pregnancy, both of which are potentially risky drinking practices for fetal outcome, were found primarily among blacks and those 14–19 years of age. The large proportion of both blacks (85%) and those 14–19 (33%) in this sample may put this population at high risk for adverse fetal outcomes related to alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Bone mineral turnover in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta estimated by fluoride excretion.

A child with severe osteogenesis imperfecta was treated with NaF for 8 years, at the end of which time his iliac bone contained 29 mg F/g Ca. Urine F was assayed at intervals for 4.5 years after discontinuing treatment. After the first few days the decline in urinary F excretion can be described by a twocomponent exponential function, with half-times of 5.4 months (10%) and 8.9 years (90%). The latter half-time value is of the same order of magnitude as those observed for F and other “bone-seeking” elements in normal subjects, which suggests that the turnover rate of bone mineral is normal in this disease.
Nucleic acid dyes for detection of apoptosis in live cells

Apoptotic thymocytes were found to be much dimmer than normal thymocytes when stained with several nucleic acid dyes. These dyes provide a quick and simple assay for apoptosis which works for live cells and does not require a UV laser. The collection of dyes giving this staining pattern includes reagents suitable for use in either the FL1, FL2, or FL3 channel of a standard FACScan. Cells identified by these reagents were identical to apoptotic thymocytes defined by several widely used criteria: (i) rapid uptake of Hoechst 33342 but exclusion of propidium iodide, (ii) merocyanin 540 bright, and (iii) sub-G1 DNA content when permeabilized in a buffer that elutes fragmented DNA. In addition, L3T4/Thy-1 dim thymocytes were included in the dyc dim population. The standard Hoechst 33342 and merocyanin 540 assays were not able to separate the normal and apoptotic populations in HL-60 cells treated with camptothecin. However, the dyes SYTO-16 and LDS-751 both gave adequate differentiation of apoptotic from nonapoptotic cells in this model system. Some of these dyes also emit very little in other fluorescence channels of the flow cytometer and can be used in multicolor assays on cytometers equipped with only a single argon-ion laser.
Numerical Simulation of Thermal Stress for a Liquid-Cooled Exhaust Manifold

Liquid-cooled exhaust manifolds are widely used in turbocharged diesel engines. The large temperature gradient in the overall manifold will cause remarkable thermal stress. The objective of the project is to modify the current design for preventing the high thermal stress and extending the life span of the manifold. To achieve the objective, the combination between Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with Finite Element (FE) is introduced. Firstly, CFD analysis is conducted to obtain temperature distribution, providing boundary conditions of the thermal load on the FE mesh. Afterward, FE analysis is carried out to determine the thermal stress. The interpolation of the temperature data from CFD to FE is done by Binary Space Partitioning (BSP) tree algorithm. To accurately quantify the thermal stress, nonlinear material behavior is considered. The computational results are compared with that of Number of Transfer Units (NTU) method, and are further verified with industrial experiment data. All these comparisons indicate that present investigation reasonably predicts the thermal stress behavior. Based on the results, recommendations are given to optimize the manifold design.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Group delay measurement of 1.3 μm quantum dot semiconductor optical amplifier over 120 nm of spectral bandwidth

This work presents group delay measurements for a 1.3 μm quantum dot semiconductor optical amplifier at various injection currents. White-light interferometry is used to obtain group delay data spanning both ground state and first excited state transitions, ranging from 1200 nm to 1320 nm. The group delay, group velocity dispersion and existence of higher order dispersion is observed and quantified.