cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-resistivity contacts to silicon using selective RTCVD of germanium

Isotype heterojunctions using low pressure rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) of germanium on silicon have been fabricated and incorporated into a Kelvin structure to study the contact resistivity of the stacked structure. Germanium films were deposited at 400C and 3 Torr in a tungstenhalogen lamp heated rapid thermal processor utilizing a water cooled stainless-steel process chamber. In this work germanium is considered as a buffer layer to prevent silicon consumption over source/drain regions of MOS transistors during silicidation anneals to form low resistivity silicided contacts. We report here the results of our work with a germanium/silicon heterostructure and the potential advantages of this approach. Experimental results were compared against theoretical calculations and show that the Al/Ge/Si structure can lead to substantially lower contact resistivities than the Al/Si structure especially at lower substrate doping levels. This is especially pronounced in p-type contacts where 19 improvement in the contact resistance to silicon has been observed. Native oxide removal during the initial stages of germanium growth may play a key role in this reduction in contact resistivity.
Absorption and translocation of glyphosate in Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense

Abstract Absorption and translocation of 14C-glyphosate was studied in greenhouse-grown Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense. Autoradiography indicated that translocation patterns were similar for both species and that E. novogranatense absorbed and translocated more glyphosate than E. coca. In both young and mature plants, absorption of leaf-applied 14C-glyphosate increased with increased exposure time, and 288 h after application, absorption was higher in E. novogranatense (79 and 52% of applied, respectively) compared with E. coca (60 and 14% of applied, respectively). Similarly, translocation of 14C-glyphosate increased with time in both species. In mature plants, after 288 h more 14C-glyphosate translocated in E. novogranatense (6.9% of applied) than E. coca (2.5%), but the opposite occurred in young plants. Most of the radioactivity translocated from the treated leaf accumulated in the main stems and roots of both species with little accumulation in tissues above the treated leaf. However, most o...
A renormalized group model for the fragmentation of ice

Abstract A modification to the renormalization group approach of Allegre et al. (1982) and Turcotte (1986) is developed for ice. This yields the fractal dimension of 2.42, compared to 2.5 observed by Timco and Jordaan (1987) for the distribution of crushed mass as a function of fragment size, M∝r−D, where M is the mass of fragments with linear dimension greater than r. In Allegre et al. (1982) “pillars of soundenss” were used a models of fragility and D = 2.84 was obtained. Turcotte (1986) used “planes of weakness” as the fragility criteria and obtained D = 1.97. By prohibiting failure along one orientation of cracks in ice, and reducing the number of fragile configurations in the “plane of weakness model”, a value of D = 2.42 is obtained. This is in much better agreement with observation.
An asymmetric tubular ceramic-carbonate dual phase membrane for high temperature CO2 separation

For the first time, a tubular asymmetric ceramic-carbonate dual phase membrane was prepared by a centrifugal casting technique and used for high temperature CO2 separation. This membrane shows high CO2 permeation flux and permeance.
A Comparison of Two Calorimetric Methods for Determining Reduced Ascorbic Acid in Frozen Peasa,b

SUMMARY The sodium 2,6-dichlorohenzenoneindophenol method (Method A) and the diazotized 4-methoxy-2-nitroaniline method (Method B) for measuring reduced ascorbic acid in frozen peas were compared. A randomized incomplete block design with 12 replications for each of the two methods of ascorbic acid analysis was used. Very highly significant differences in ascorbic acid values were obtained between Methods A and B, with Method A always the higher.
Raman scattering and nonlinear refractive index measurements of optical glasses

Abstract The absolute Stokes-Raman scattering cross section is measured for optical glasses of varying composition, from which the nuclear contribution to the nonlinear polarizability is determined. The nonlinearities increase progressively from fluoroberyllate compositions to fluorophosphate to phosphate to silicate and finally to heavy-metal oxide glasses. Although values of the total nonlinear polarizability vary by nearly two orders-of-magnitude it is determined that the ratio of the nuclear to the electronic contribution is nearly constant and is independent of the glass composition. The electrostrictive contribution to the nonlinear polarizability is also calculated using previously measured elasto-optic constants. Correlations in the atomic structure were determined by measuring the position of the lowest-frequency Raman scattering peak and it is found that the correlation length for pure one-component glasses is larger than multi-component glasses. Examination of the low-frequency scattering region shows that there is an 0xcess light-scattering below 30 cm −1 in all glasses tested. This excess scattering in LaSF-7 was fitted between 2 to 20 cm −1 to a Lorentzian centered at zero frequency with a halfwidth of 2.5 ± 1 cm −1 , while the fit in pure silica between 5 and 30 cm −1 yields a halfwidth of 8 ± 3 cm −1 .
Experimentally Produced Wounds as a Route of Fatal Infection Caused by Bacillus violaceous.

SummaryIt is shown herein that infection with B. violaceous may readily occur through various types of surface injury of the feet of animals. It is suggested, therefore, that ingress through external injury forms the usual portal of entry of B. violaceous in the natural infection. These infections are fulminating and usually fatal in a short period of time. In this connection, it appears probable that both the lymph and blood streams may form the routes of host invasion although the lymphatic pathway is emphasized. The lesions produced are similar to those found in the natural infection of carabao as well as those observed in the human infection. Although B. violaceous has in general been regarded as innocuous, it is further stressed herein that certain strains are definitely pathogenic and present evidence of distinct virulence. Furthermore, a likely portal of entry of the natural infection is indicated.
Determination of In-Situ Stresses From Hydraulically Fractured Spherical Cavities

Several problems in analysis can arise in estimating in situ stresses from standard hydraulic fracturing operations if the borehole is not aligned with one of the principal stress directions. In these nonaligned situations, the possibility of fracturing a spherical cavity for estimating the in situ stresses is investigated. The theory utilizes all the advantages of direct stress measurements associated with hydraulic fracturing and eliminates the geometric problems associated with the analysis of hydraulic fractures in cylindrical boreholes. 10 references.
An Erwinia-like bacterium pathogenic to leafhoppers☆

Abstract The bacterial flora of the leafhopper Colladonus montanus Van Duzee, as reared under insectary conditions, was studied. One predominant bacterial organism was found. This coliform, peritrichously flagellate gram-negative rod was found in high concentrations in dissected guts, but not on external surfaces, of many insects in the stock colonies. Leafhoppers feeding on celery plants infected with Western X-disease virus (WXV) seldom or never carried the organism. It was isolated in high concentration from feces, and leaves contaminated with feces. Healthy adults became infected when caged with infected adults. Leafhoppers could be infected by placing them on plants previously dipped in nutrient broth containing the bacterium. During a period of 1 to 10 weeks after acquisition by feeding, infected leafhoppers died at a greater rate than did uninfected leafhoppers. Five other species of leafhoppers and a spittlebug could be infected with the bacterium. From 1 to 28 days after injection of the organism, depending on the injected concentration, recipient insects died. The bacterium could not be identified with certainty, but failure to decarboxylate lysine, arginine, or ornithine, to reduce nitrate, to utilize raffinose, or to grow on KCN broth, suggest an affinity with the Erwineae.
Waypoint-Optimized Zero-Effort-Miss/Zero-Effort-Velocity Feedback Guidance for Mars Landing

This paper investigates the optimization approach to generate waypoints for the Mars landing problem in the context of employing the zero-effort-miss/zero-effort-velocity feedback guidance algorithm. For a power-limited engine, the waypoint optimization problem in the presence of state constraints is converted to an equivalent standard quadratic programming problem, which can be solved efficiently. In the case with a thrust-limited engine, by introducing a continuously differentiable function to approximate the standard saturation function, the optimal waypoint can be determined using open-source optimization software. This novel idea exploits parameter optimization techniques for feedback control implementation, thus, it can combine the advantages of open-loop and closed-loop methods to achieve near-optimal performance with acceptable robustness, while meeting various practical constraints and requirements.
Rocket and far ultraviolet spectroscopic explorer observations of IC 405: Differential extinction and fluorescent molecular hydrogen

We present far-ultraviolet spectroscopy of the emission/reflection nebula IC 405 obtained by a rocket-borne long-slit spectrograph and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). Both data sets show a rise in the ratio of the nebular surface brightness to stellar flux (S/F*) of approximately 2 orders of magnitude toward the blue end of the far-UV bandpass. Scattering models using simple dust geometries fail to reproduce the observed S/F* for realistic grain properties. The high spectral resolution of the FUSE data reveals a rich fluorescent molecular hydrogen spectrum ≈1000'' north of the star that is clearly distinguished from the steady blue continuum. The S/F* remains roughly constant at all nebular pointings, showing that fluorescent molecular hydrogen is not the dominant cause of the blue rise. We discuss three possible mechanisms for the "blue dust": differential extinction of the dominant star (HD 34078), unusual dust-grain properties, and emission from nebular dust. We conclude that uncertainties in the nebular geometry and the degree of dust clumping are most likely responsible for the blue rise. As an interesting consequence of this result, we consider how IC 405 would appear in a spatially unresolved observation. If IC 405 were observed with a spatial resolution of less than 0.4 pc, for example, an observer would infer a far-UV flux that was 2.5 times the true value, giving the appearance of a stellar continuum that was less extinguished than radiation from the surrounding nebula, an effect that is reminiscent of the observed ultraviolet properties of starburst galaxies.
Gamma Ray Spectrographic Study of Stream Sediment Samples, Pena Blanca, Chihuahua: ABSTRACT

A stream sediment survey was conducted in the Pena Blanca uranium district, Chihuahua, Mexico, to determine the applicability of gamma ray spectrometry as an exploration method for volcanogenetic uranium deposits. The Pena Blanca district is 40 km northeast of Chihuahua City, in outflow facies of ash flow tuffs, which are 45 to 35 m.y. old. The minerlization in the district is confined to these ash flows and the underlying Cretaceous limestones. Stream sediment samples were collected and 500-g, 100-mesh separates were analyzed for eU, eTh, and eK. The samples were also analyzed for both acid extractable uranium and total uranium. The results of the study show that, with the use of two standard deviations from the mean as an anomalous value, the gramma ray data show anomalies, not over the deposits, but at the break in slope in the streams and at the proximal edge of alluvial fans. Other anomalies were detected by this method, but they were single-sample anomalies. The extractable uranium and the total uranium data show a high degree of correlation (0.92), and also correlate well with the eU values determined for the stream sediments. Uranium being mobilized from the Pena Blanca deposits produced geochemical anomalies at the tops of alluvial fans. This knowledge can be applied to exploration programs elsewhere. End_of_Article - Last_Page 756------------
Reflex Venoconstriction and Capacity Vessel Pressure-Volume Relationships in Dogs

Reflexogenic control of vascular capacity was studied by measuring the mean circulatory pressure (P MC ) at various blood volumes. P MC was obtained by fibrillating the heart for 10 seconds and rapidly transferring blood from the aorta to the vena cava until the pressures equilibrated. It was measured 0.5, 2, and 5 minutes after randomized changes in blood volume of 0 to ± 30% of the control volume in chloralose-urethane anesthetized dogs. Active venoconstriction was suppressed by administering hexamethonium and enhanced by administering norepinephrine. The effective total vascular compliance, expressed as the reciprocal of the slopes of P MC vs. blood volume curves in the controls, was linear. Compliance values differed significantly from each other and increased between 0.5, 2, and 5 minutes after a change in blood volume (2.60, 3.47, and 4.17 ml/kg body weight mm Hg -1 , respectively). With ganglionic blockade, only an 8-ml/ kg hemorrhage was required to bring P MC from the control level of 7.8 mm Hg to 4 mm Hg within 0.5 minutes. With reflexes intact, a 17-ml/kg hemorrhage reduced P MC from a control of 10.7 mm Hg to 4 mm Hg. To maintain this pressure for 5 minutes, an additional 8.2 and 9.1 ml/kg, respectively, had to be hemorrhaged, suggesting that the compensation after about 30 seconds was mostly from passive viscoelastic creep and fluid shifts. Less than half of the compensation for hemorrhage during the first 5 minutes came from the reflex venoconstriction.
Monitoring yearly changes and their influence on electrical properties of the shallow subsurface at two sites near the Rio Grande, west Texas

We present the results of a case study that monitored changes in the electrical properties of soils on a bi-monthly basis between August 1999 and November 2000 at two sites located along the banks of the Rio Grande, west Texas. One site was located within an abandoned channel of the Rio Grande and showed relatively homogeneous layering, while the second site exhibited complex interfingerings of crevasse splay (sands and silts) and floodplain muds. Repeated EM-31 ground conductivity measurements at both sites showed that conductivities within the upper 3m of soil could change by up to a factor of 2 within a year’s time. DC resistivity studies suggested up to a factor of 5 change in resistivity values within the upper 1m of soil. These changes appear to be related to remobilization of salt in the soil following rainfall or irrigation events. These dramatic fluctuations make it difficult to image deeper (>5m depth) conductivity changes in the subsurface.
“Who's Going to Man the Factories and be the Sexual Slaves if we all get PhDs?” Democratizing Knowledge Production, Pedagogy, and the Detroit Geographical Expedition and Institute

Identifying a policy/activism dichotomy in critical geography debates about political engagement, this paper uses the Detroit Geographical Expedition and Institute (DGEI) as a way to think about teaching as an alternative response for left geographers. By focusing on the DGEI's commitment to expanding access to knowledge production, not simply the dissemination of knowledge, the paper highlights the radical potential of a key form of academic work, teaching, but reconceived as a radically democratic project aimed at breaking the cycle of expert knowledge production. This potential has largely been marginalized in the development of radical geography, but it has been carried forward, latently, in much of the best thinking about the democratic possibilities of knowledge production, namely feminist discussions of situated knowledges. The paper argues that revisiting the DGEI helps to push those discussions further and restore teaching as a central concern of radical geography's project of promoting social justice.
Randomized searches and nonlinear programming in trajectory planning

This paper presents a novel trajectory planning algorithm for nonlinear dynamical systems evolving in environments with complex obstacles. The incremental search algorithm entails: (1) a global exploration strategy based on randomization and on a rapidly-exploring heuristic; and (2) a local planner based on collocation and nonlinear programming. To numerically validate the design, we consider a six degree of freedom vehicle model subject to saturation limits on the control inputs and obstacles on the state variables. Experimental results indicate that the proposed scheme outperforms implementations based solely on nonlinear programming or on randomization.
Drop‐size distributions from pneumatic atomizers

A study was made of the atomizing characteristics of convergent-type pneumatic nozzles. Drop-size correlations were obtained for the following ranges: drop size, 6 to 350 μ, mass median diameter; mass flow ratio, 0.06 to 40; relative velocity, 250 ft./sec. to sonic velocity; and viscosity. 1 to 50 cp. The technique employed was to spray cool a molten wax, and melts of wax-polyethylene mixtures. The most important operating variables in pneumatic atomization are the dynamic force of the atomizing gas, and the mass flow ratio of air to liquid. The cumulative volume drop-size distribution of spray from a pneumatic nozzle was fitted by a modified logistic equation. Empirical correlations developed in the study can be used to design nozzles or to predict drop size for sprays produced by the types of nozzles studied. In particular, this study provides new experimental data on the performance of pneumatic atomizers in producing relatively large drops.
The Ability of Children with Specific Language Impairment to Participate in a Group Decision Task

This study examined the ability of 6 children with specific language impairment (SLI), ages 8:10 to 12:5 (years; months), to participate in a group negotiation task. Each child interacted with two ...
Periodontal pathogens on polytetrafluoroethylene membrane for guided tissue regeneration inhibit healing

Abstract This study determined the microbial composition of the apical parts of the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane surfaces facing the gingiva and the tooth in guided tissue regeneration. Microbial and clinical features of 2-to-3 wall periodontal bony defects treated with membranes with and without concomitant use of systemic Augmentin® therapy were also determined. 18 patients with 18 study sites participated. 9 patients received systemic 500 mg Augmentin 1 h prior to surgery, and 500 mg TID for 8 days thereafter. 9 patients received no systemic antimicrobial therapy. Microbiological examination was performed 1 h prior to surgery, at the time of membrane removal at week 6, and at 6 months post-surgery. Microbial morphotypes, total viable counts, and the occurrence of selected microbial species were determined by phase-contrast microscopy, selective and non-selective culture, and DNA probes. Study sites were examined for probing pocket depths and attachment levels. At baseline, no microbial or clinical parameter showed statistical differences between groups. At 6 months, the Augmentin group demonstrated a significantly higher (P=0.032; Student t-test) mean probing attachment gain (36.5% of potential gain to the cemento-enamel junction) than the 9 control patients (22.4% of potential gain). At the time of removal, membranes in the Augmentin group showed significantly fewer organisms than membranes in the control group (52.2×106 versus 488.6×106). Sites free of pathogens on the membrane surface toward the tooth gained the most clinical attachment, even in the presence of various pathogens on the gingiva-facing membrane surface. Sites with little or no attachment gain demonstrated several periodontal pathogens on both sides of the barrier membrane. The present findings underscore the importance of controlling microbial pathogens in guided tissue regeneration procedures. Pathogens on the tooth-facing surface of the membrane, in particular, seemed to be a critical determinant on the outcome of guided tissue regeneration and appear essential to control to obtain optimal results.
Microstructure and fatigue resistance of solder interfaces

Summary form only given. The relationship between microstructure and fatigue resistance of solder interfaces was studied by examining micromechanisms and micromechanics of fatigue crack growth along a series of model interfaces. While the fatigue crack was seen to prefer staying in the solder when propagating at high rates, interfacial crack sliding was predominant in the near-threshold regime. A micromechanical model of interfacial crack sliding was developed, based on the interface fracture mechanics concept.
Depositional Control on Red Clinton Sandstone Production, Holmes County, Ohio: ABSTRACT

The Clinton sandstone (Silurian:Albion) is a major producing horizon throughout eastern Ohio. It accounts for 75% of total drilling activity in the state in recent years. The middle member of the Clinton, the Red, has caused problems for drillers in Holmes County, Ohio; rapid changes in thickness and porosity create wide differentials in production between closely spaced adjacent wells. A detailed analysis of Red Clinton variation in this area would be helpful for better direction of exploration and development programs. On the basis of more than 1,100 drillers' and geophysical logs, structural, isopach, and porosity interpretations were assembled for the Red Clinton in Holmes County. Data analysis indicates that the Red Clinton is arranged in a number of multiple bar systems trending east-west to northeast-southwest throughout the county. Production statistics show that thickness and porosity of the Red Clinton is relatively good in the cleaner bar sands, whereas thinner, finer grained, more argillaceous interbar sands yield poorer producers or dry holes. Use of this depositional model clarifies the nature of controls on directional variation in thickness and porosity in the Clinton and facilitates prediction of production trends. End_of_Article - Last_Page 518------------
Soft-OLP: Improving Hardware Cache Performance through Software-Controlled Object-Level Partitioning

Performance degradation of memory-intensive programs caused by the LRU policy's inability to handle weak-locality data accesses in the last level cache is increasingly serious for two reasons. First, the last-level cache remains in the CPU's critical path, where only simple management mechanisms, such as LRU, can be used, precluding some sophisticated hardware mechanisms to address the problem. Second, the commonly used shared cache structure of multi-core processors has made this critical path even more performance-sensitive due to intensive inter-thread contention for shared cache resources. Researchers have recently made efforts to address the problem with the LRU policy by partitioning the cache using hardware or OS facilities guided by run-time locality information. Such approaches often rely on special hardware support or lack enough accuracy. In contrast, for a large class of programs, the locality information can be accurately predicted if access patterns are recognized through small training runs at the data object level. To achieve this goal, we present a system-software framework referred to as Soft-OLP (Software-based Object-Level cache Partitioning). We first collect per-object reuse distance histograms and inter-object interference histograms via memory-trace sampling. With several low-cost training runs, we are able to determine the locality patterns of data objects. For the actual runs, we categorize data objects into different locality types and partition the cache space among data objects with a heuristic algorithm, in order to reduce cache misses through segregation of contending objects. The object-level cache partitioning framework has been implemented with a modified Linux kernel, and tested on a commodity multi-core processor. Experimental results show that in comparison with a standard L2 cache managed by LRU, Soft-OLP significantly reduces the execution time by reducing L2 cache misses across inputs for a set of single- and multi-threaded programs from the SPEC CPU2000 benchmark suite, NAS benchmarks and a computational kernel set.
The design of an assembly cell task supervisor

To increase task flexibility in a robotic assembly environment, a hierarchical planning and execution system is being developed which will map user-specified, three-dimensional part assembly tasks into various target robotic workcells, and execute these tasks efficiently using manipulators and sensors available in the workcell. One level of this hierarchy, the supervisor, is responsible for assigning subtasks of a system-generated task plan to a set of task specific specialists, and online coordination of the activity of these specialists to accomplish the user-specified assembly. The design of the supervisor is broken down into five major functional blocks: resource management; concurrency detection; task scheduling; error recovery; and interprocess communication. Using concepts from operating systems, the design of each of these supervisor blocks is examined. >
Adequacy of peritoneal dialysis.

As a renal replacement therapy, dialysis, at best, only approximates normal renal function (Table 1). Despite these deficiencies, however, dialysis has extended the lives of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, some for over 20 years [1]. Although many patients do very well on dialysis, data compiled by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) and analysed by the United States Renal Disease System (USRDS) have shown that the gross mortality rate for the United States ESRD population (predominantly haemodialysis (HD) patients) in 1990 was 24% [2]. The extent to which uraemia in the form of underdialysis contributed to this overall mortality rate in ESRD patients is unknown. Some have suggested that inadequacies in the prescribed dose of dialysis were contributing to these high mortality rates [3, 4]. As a result, more attention has been paid to patient outcome and to optimizing total solute clearance. The mean Kt/V for subpopulations of HD patients has increased from 1.0/Rx in patients starting dialysis during 1986-87 to 1.22/Rx in a random sample of prevalent HD patients in December 1993 [5]. Associated with this change there has been a gradual increase in the adjusted 1-, 2- and 5-year patient survival percentages for patients starting dialysis over the years 1979–73.
Command shaping control of an operator-in-the-loop boom crane

This paper presents a control method for suppressing payload sway caused by operator commanded maneuvers, in rotary boom cranes. The crane configuration studied, consists of a payload mass that swings at the end of a spherical pendulum, which is attached to a boom capable of hub rotation and elevation. Positioning of the rotary crane is accomplished through the hub and boom angles, and the lift line length. Since the configuration of the crane affects the excitation and response of the lift line, the sway control scheme must account for the varying geometry of the system. Adaptive forward path command filters are employed to remove the components of the command signal which induce oscillation of the lift line. A real-time operator-in-the-loop simulation, is used to demonstrate results for a simultaneous three-axis maneuver.
Progress in Switching Technology for Mets Systems

Three distinct sets of switching requirements have emerged from design optimization studies of large superconducting magnetic energy storage systems, such as the METS system to power the adiabatic plasma compression field in the proposed ?-pinch SFTR. Extremely low joule loss cryogenic disconnects are required between storage coils in the liquid helium environment to allow charging the coils in series over a prolonged time, then to isolate the coils for parallel fast discharging into the load. Another switch must break the current in the series charging loop and absorb the energy from the stray inductance. This action will allow the subsequent opening of the cryogenic disconnects under near zero current condition. The current now has been transferred to the many paralled circuits, each containing a high current, high voltage interrupter. The opening and arc commutation of the interrupter starts the energy transfer into the load. The primary activities associated with the cryogenic disconnect have been testing and development of contact materials, configurations, and closing forces for carrying 26 kA with a resistance less than 40 n?, and development of an actuating system that is both reliable and fast acting in a liquid helium environment. The charging loop switch will include a continuous duty switch and a vacuum interrupter. The continuous duty switch resistance can be an order of magnitude larger than that of the cryogenic disconnect because it does not present a refrigeration load.
The Impact of Corruption on Regime Legitimacy: A Comparative Study of Four Latin American Countries

Economists have long warned about the pernicious impacts of corruption, arguing that it increases transaction costs, reduces investment incentives, and ultimately results in reduced economic growth. Political scientists, on the other hand, ever the realists, have had a much more ambivalent view of the problem. Indeed, much classic literature focusing on the Third World saw corruption as functional for political development, enabling citizens to overcome intransigent, inefficient bureaucracies while increasing loyalty to the political system. More recent research, however, points in the opposite direction toward an erosion of public support for corrupt regimes. A series of serious methodological problems has prevented the testing of these contradictory assertions about the impact of corruption. This article uses national sample survey data, with a total N of over 9,000, from four Latin American countries to test the effect of corruption experiences on belief in the legitimacy of the political system. It fi...
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Mediates Activity-Dependent Dendritic Growth in Nonpyramidal Neocortical Interneurons in Developing Organotypic Cultures

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes postnatal maturation of GABAergic inhibition in the cerebral and cerebellar cortices, and its expression and release are enhanced by neuronal activity, suggesting that it acts in a feedback manner to maintain a balance between excitation and inhibition during development. BDNF promotes differentiation of cerebellar, hippocampal, and neostriatal inhibitory neurons, but its effects on the dendritic development of neocortical inhibitory interneurons remain unknown. Here, we show that BDNF mediates depolarization-induced dendritic growth and branching in neocortical interneurons. To visualize inhibitory interneurons, we biolistically transfected organotypic cortical slice cultures from neonatal mice with green fluorescent protein (GFP) driven by the glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)67 promoter. Nearly all GAD67‐GFP-expressing neurons were nonpyramidal, many contained GABA, and some expressed markers of neurochemically defined GABAergic subtypes, indicating that GAD67‐GFP-expressing neurons were GABAergic. We traced dendritic trees from confocal images of the same GAD67‐GFP-expressing neurons before and afte ra5d growth period, and quantified the change in total dendritic length (TDL) and total dendritic branch points (TDBPs) for each neuron. GAD67‐GFP-expressing neurons growing in control medium exhibited a 20% increase in TDL, but in 200 ng/ml BDNF or 10 mM KCl, this increase nearly doubled and was accompanied by a significant increase in TDBPs. Blocking action potentials with TTX did not prevent the BDNF-induced growth, but antibodies against BDNF blocked the growth-promoting effect of KCl. We conclude that BDNF, released by neocortical pyramidal neurons in response to depolarization, enhances dendritic growth and branching in nearby inhibitory interneurons.
A Comparative Analysis of eBay and Amazon

Even though Amazon.com has received most of the hype and publicity surrounding ecommerce, eBay has quietly built an innovative business truly suited to the Internet. Initially, Amazon sought to merely replicate a catalog business model online. Its technology may have been innovative- but its business model was not. On the other hand, eBay recognized the unique nature of the Internet and enabled both buying and selling online with spectacular results. Its auction format was a winner. eBay also clearly demonstrated that profits do not have to come in the way of growth. Amazon was initially focused on BN.com as a competitor. Over time, Amazon came to recognize eBay as the competitor. Its initial foray into auctions was a spectacular failure. Now, Amazon is trying to compete with eBay by facilitating selling and strengthening its affiliates program.
Photo2Video&#8212;A System for Automatically Converting Photographic Series Into Video

A novel method for browsing and sharing a single and series of photographs is presented, which can be regarded as a system exploring a new medium type between photograph and video. The scheme exploits the rich content embedded in a single photograph, as well as in a photographic series. Based on studying the typical process of a viewer's attention to variations on objects or regions in an image, a photograph can be converted into a motion clip by simulating camera motions on it. For a selected photographic series, an appropriate set of key-frames are determined for each photograph based on content analyses. And then camera motion pattern is selected for each photograph to generate a corresponding motion photograph clip. Finally, the final output video is rendered by connecting a series of motion photograph clips with specific transitions based on the content of the images on either side of the transition. Also, each motion photograph clip is aligned with the selected incidental music based on music content analysis. As the system, named Photo2Video, generates motion photographs in a fully automatic or semi-automatic manner, it can be used for increasing efficiency in many applications, such as automatic walkthroughs of photograph galleries, motion photographs on website, electronic greeting cards, and personalized Karaoke
Using Literature to Teach the Art of Diagnosing

This article describes the use of literature to teach counseling students. Specifically, the focus is on the art of diagnosing from the historicalperspective of "knowing someone through and through." The article describes an exercise that uses Potok's The Chosen to assist the clinician in understanding the individual and how to diagnosis him or her and maintain an understanding of the system in which behaviors occur.
Path Planning for a Collection of Vehicles With Yaw Rate Constraints

Multi-vehicle systems are naturally encountered in civil and military applications. Cooperation amongst individual “miniaturized” vehicles allows for flexibility to accomplish missions that a single large vehicle may not readily be able to accomplish. While accomplishing a mission, motion planning algorithms are required to efficiently utilize a common resource (such as the total fuel in the collection of vehicles) or to minimize a collective cost function (such as the maximum time taken by the vehicles to reach their intended destination). The objective of this chapter is to present a constant factor approximation algorithm for planning the path of each vehicle in a collection of vehicles, where the motion of each vehicle must satisfy yaw rate constraints.
Interdisciplinary Due Diligence: The Case for Common Sense in the Search for the Swing Justice

This is a Comment on Paul Edelman & Jim Chen, "The Most Dangerous Justice: The Supreme Court at the Bar of Mathematics," 70 S. Cal. L. Rev. 63 (1996). Taking the Banzhaf index as their starting point, Edelman and Chen have crafted a new "power index" which they use to examine the Court's decisions during the 1994 and 1995 Terms. They conclude that for the combined 1994 and 1995 Terms that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the "Most Dangerous Justice" and that Justices Kennedy and Souter are, respectively, "the First Runner-Up and Mr. Congeniality." Justice O'Connor, commonly perceived to have "perfected the role of the Court's "median justice," ties with Justice Scalia for eight place overall in Edeman and Chens' "Power Pageant of the Justices." Counter-intuitive results, particularly when obtained through intimidatingly complex mathematical methods, always grab attention. Alas, they may also be a sign that something is amiss in the logic or mechanics of the math employed. In this Comment, I argue that the problem of determining the Court's most powerful or "dangerous" Justice is readily solved in any of three standard ways. The elaborate mathematics of Edelman and Chen is both unnecessary to the project and explicitly based on assumptions that are inappropriate to the question they claim to seek to answer. Part I explains the game-theoretic notion of the "median" Justice in order to clarify the question that Edelman and Chen sought to answer: Who is the Court's "most powerful" or median Justice? Part II discusses four substantial flaws in the Edelman and Chen methodology which ultimately doom their attempt to answer this question. These flaws in their methodology suggest that Edelman and Chen importantly misunderstand the existing measures of relative voting strength within decisionmaking bodies from which they claim to have derived their own "power index." Part III presents three different, yet interrelated, methods for answering the question that Edelman and Chen originally posed. Part IV announces the winner and runners up in a 1994 Term, a 1995 Term, and a two-year composite "Power Pageant' conducted under the new (and improved) rules set out in Part III. The Article concludes with a brief discussion of whether such Power Pageants have any practical benefits or are merely an amusing (at least to lawyers) "parlor game."
Practice transformation in the safety net medical home initiative: a qualitative look.

Background Transformation of primary care to patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) is challenging. Progress in transformation varied widely among practices involved in the Safety Net Medical Home Initiative. Objective To study 3 successful practices to identify common characteristics and approaches. Research design We selected 3 diverse practices based on their improvement on the PCMH-A, a self-assessment instrument measuring progress toward becoming a PCMH. We interviewed 2-3 leaders from the each of 3 practices seeking information about their motivations for transforming, the methods used to make changes, and challenges and facilitators. Interview data were coded, themes developed, and conclusions drawn using qualitative research methods. Results For these successful practices, the major motivators were a desire to improve quality of care, patient experience, or provider experience. Financial incentives played a minor role. All practices had engaged, visible leaders driving change, and all ultimately developed an effective quality improvement/practice change strategy that included the provision of trusted performance data at the provider level and an explicit process change strategy. Sequencing the work of PCMH transformation was important, and developing defined provider patient panels and building effective clinical teams facilitated making improvements to access and care delivery. Conclusions Practice transformation is disruptive. To be successful, organizations need to have the will or motivation to change, explicit ideas or models on which to base change, and a culture and infrastructure that enables the execution of system changes.
Cure of Spectacle Eye Condition in Rats with Biotin Concentrates.

SummaryThe spectacle eye syndrome in rats has been produced very consistently by the inclusion of egg white in a synthetic diet which allows good growth in the absence of egg white. Pantothenic acid at levels up to 100 γ per day does not prevent the onset of this condition. Corn oil and pyridoxine or the combination of the two are without effect. Inositol has neither a preventative nor a curative action under these conditions. A biotin concentrate at a level of 2γ of biotin per day is specific for the prevention and cure of this syndrome. The cure is first noticeable after 5 days and complete restoration of the hair results after 2-3 weeks of treatment. A definite weight gain is noted with rats receiving the biotin concentrates.
The need of clinical drug trials in children

Awareness of the age of the patient as a major determinant of drug efficacy has occurred largely through the dreadful drug disasters involving children among which the chloramphenicol-grey-syndrome and the thalidomide-phocomelie tragedy stand as only two examples. These adverse effects have prompted detailed pharmacological investigation which has shown that drug effects may be different at various developmental stages due to certain anatomical, physiological, biochemical and behavioral characteristics of different age groups of the pediatric population. However, although it is generally agreed that the solution to the safe and effective use of drugs is to base their prescription upon scientific data obtained for the drug under consideration, nevertheless with regard to the pediatric population the conception of the child as a “therapeutic orphan” is still too prevalent. Many factors may be responsible for this “therapeutic orphan” situation of the child and these include the ignorance and indifference of drug manufacturers and pediatricians, a negative public attitude towards clinical research in general and an uncertainty in the legal and ethical requirements for drug testing in children in particular.
Morphology-Directed Catalysis with Branched Gold Nanoantennas

We synthesized multibranched gold nanoantennas (MGNs) of two morphologies by varying the core-to-branch ratio. We compared their efficacy in catalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol (PNP) to p-aminiphenol (PAP). We observed that MGNs with shorter protrusions had a faster induction time and higher apparent rate constant, kapp, for PNP catalysis relative to the MGNs with longer protrusions. By examining the reaction as a function of temperature, we observed significantly lower activation energy for the MGNs with shorter protrusions (80 J/g) compared to MGNs with longer protrusions (200 J/g). The Langmuir–Hinshelwood model was used to fit the change in kapp as a function of increasing [PNP], which demonstrated more efficient PNP adsorption on the surfaces of MGNs with shorter protrusions. For the MGNs with longer protrusions, PNP adsorption is affected by the heterogeneity of the surface sites resulting in a lower adsorption coefficient. We attributed the improved efficiency of the MGNs with shorter protrusions ...
Study on pre-process for detecting BHA and BHT in rape oil by gas chromatography

The effect of three different pre-treatment methods on determining BHA,and BHT with capillary chromatographic column instead of packed column was researched.The results showed that the determination of BHA and BHT can be completed in a relatively short time when the pre-treatment was made with capillary chromatographic column and extracted with acetonitrile or methanol.The recovery rate was over 90% with good linearity.
Protein Phosphorylation and Calcium as Mediators in Human Platelets

Protein phosphorylation is a major mechanism by which hormonal stimulation of cells is coupled to cell function [7,30]. Protein kinase and phosphatases regulate phosphorylation of cellular proteins, many of which are enzymes. In turn, phosphorylations regulate or modulate function or activity of these proteins. Activity of protein kinases and phosphatases is regulated by intracellular messengers such as cAMP, cGMP and calcium. Two types of cAMP-dependent protein kinases have been described [31]. In both cases cAMP activates kinases by binding to and dissociating a regulatory subunit. This dissociation removes the inhibition that the regulatory subunit imposes on the catalytic subunit. Binding of cGMP to cGMP-dependent protein kinase activates the kinase without dissociation of a regulatory subunit [13]. Two types of calcium-activated protein kinases have been described. One type requires the complex action of calmodulin and calcium for activation [34]. The other type, called protein kinase C, requires three factors for full activation: micromolar levels of calcium, phospholipid, and diacylglycerol [29]. The regulation of enzymes that dephosphorylate proteins, phosphoprotein phosphatases, is less clear but some phosphatases that may be regulated through calcium-calmodulin have been described [7].
Climate-mediated adaptation after mainland colonization of an ancestrally subtropical island lizard, Anolis carolinensis.

Climate-mediated evolution plays an integral role in species migration and range expansion. Gaining a clearer understanding of how climate affects demographic history and adaptation provides fundamental insight into the generation of intra- and interspecific diversity. In this study, we used the natural colonization of the green anole (Anolis carolinensis) from the island of Cuba to mainland North America to investigate the role of evolution at the niche, phenotypic and genetic levels after long-term establishment in a novel environment. The North American green anole occupies a broader range of thermal habitats than its Cuban sister species. We documented niche expansion in the mainland green anole, mediated primarily through adaptation to winter temperatures. Common garden experiments strongly suggest a genetic component to differences in thermal performance found between populations in different temperature regimes. Analysis of geographic variation in population structure based on 53 486 single nucleotide variants from RAD loci revealed increased genetic isolation between populations in different vs. similar thermal environments. Selection scans for environment-allele correlations reveal 19 genomic loci of known function that may have played a role in the physiological adaptation of A. carolinensis to temperate environments on the mainland.