cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oligodendroglial ensheathment of axons during myelination in the developing rat central nervous system. A serial section electron microscopical study

Analysis of serial section electron micrographs of 5 day old rat lumbar spinal cord white matter reveals several new structural features related to the distribution of ensheating cytoplasm and membrane compaction during myelin formation along a developing internode. (1) There is variation in the length, and thus, the number of turns of the mesaxon around the axon at different levels along the length of the internode, providing a different number of layers of ensheating cytoplasm at different levels along the length of the internode. (2) The position of the leading edge of both the inner and outer layers of the ensheating spiral is observed at different points around the axonal circumference when comparison is made between different levels within the same internode. Items 1 and 2 thus suggest that both the inner and outer layers can migrate to provide the initial layers of ensheathment. (3) Observation of the initial stages of myelin compaction include the first observation of the occurrence of both an intraperiod line and a major dense line at separate areas within the same developing internode. (4) While the features described above refer primarily to simple forms of ensheathment by spirals of oligodendroglial cytoplasm, there are also more complicated forms of ensheathment. These have been shown to have one or more wormlike oligodendroglial processes taking origin from one of the spirally arranged layers ensheating the axon. Several “vermicular processes” are described, which extend variable distances from their origin.
Job Market Signaling: What Drives the Productivity of Finance Ph.D.s?

We study the research productivity of new finance Ph.D.s as measured by the number of quality publications. A commonly accepted notion is that the highest ranked schools produce the candidates with the greatest potential for high-quality publications. Our results, however, find publications or revisions in top-tier journals during the doctoral program are a stronger measure of potential research productivity than the school attended. Our findings demonstrate how candidates outside of the top schools can signal their future research productivity. Even though we examine the specialized labor market, our results have broader implications for markets outside academics. Employee productivity is a much discussed topic in both economics and finance. The typical question posed by researchers or anyone hiring an employee is what characteristics lead certain employees to be more productive than others? This question has puzzled employers for years. To answer this question, we turn to signaling theory. Signaling theory suggests that under uncertain conditions, where information asymmetries exist between parties, one party can signal
Morphodifferentiation and Structure of Hertwig's Root Sheath in the Cat

The epithelial root sheath in the cat is a multilayered structure that consists of confluent outer and inner epithelial strata enclosing a central layer of cells, which are morphologically like those of the stratum intermedium. A continuous PAS-positive membrane separates the epithelial structure from the developing pulp. On the dental sac surface, the basement membrane is discontinuous, and even absent in some regions. This situation remains until the root and cementum are completely formed.
Passive network of Fabry-Perot based sensors with wavelength multiplexing capabilities

We introduce a technology for robust and low maintenance sensor networks capable of detecting micro-g accelerations in a wide frequency bandwidth (above 1,000 Hz). Sensor networks with such performance are critical for navigation, seismology, acoustic sensing, and for the health monitoring of civil structures. The approach is based on the fabrication of an array of highly sensitive accelerometers, each using a Fabry-Perot cavity with transparent passbands at specific wavelengths that allows for embedded optical detection and serialization. A unique feature of this approach is that no local power source is required for each individual sensor. Instead one global light source is used, providing an optical input signal which propagates through an optical fiber network from sensor to sensor. The information from each sensor is embedded into the transmitted light as a wavelength division multiplexed signal. We present for the first time the preliminary demonstration of a system of two linear serialized wavelength division multiplexed Fabry-Perot sensors with the potential for a less then 1.5dB through signal loss per device. The sensors are formed using an optical thin film multilayer structure that takes advantage of the natural non-uniformity in deposited thin films to allow serialization.
Riemann–Hilbert Problem for Automorphic Functions and the Schottky–Klein Prime Function

The construction of analogues of the Cauchy kernel is crucial for the solution of Riemann–Hilbert problems on compact Riemann surfaces. A formula for the Cauchy kernel can be given as an infinite sum over the elements of a Schottky group, and this sum is often used for the explicit evaluation of the kernel. In this paper a new formula for a quasi-automorphic analogue of the Cauchy kernel in terms of the Schottky–Klein prime function of the associated Schottky double is derived. This formula opens the door to finding new ways to evaluate the analogue of the Cauchy kernel in cases where the infinite sum over a Schottky group is not absolutely convergent. Application of this result to the solution of the Riemann–Hilbert problem with a discontinuous coefficient for symmetric automorphic functions is discussed.
In vivo ablation of type I interferon receptor from cardiomyocytes delays coxsackieviral clearance and accelerates myocardial disease

Acute coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection is one of the most prevalent causes of acute myocarditis, a disease that frequently is identified only after the sudden death of apparently healthy individuals. CVB3 infects cardiomyocytes, but the infection is highly focal, even in the absence of a strong adaptive immune response, suggesting that virus spread within the heart may be tightly constrained by the innate immune system. Type I interferons (T1IFNs) are an obvious candidate, and T1IFN receptor (T1IFNR) knockout mice are highly susceptible to CVB3 infection, succumbing within a few days of challenge. Here, we investigated the role of T1IFNs in the heart using a mouse model in which the T1IFNR gene can be ablated in vivo, specifically in cardiomyocytes. We found that T1IFN signaling into cardiomyocytes contributed substantially to the suppression of viral replication and infectious virus yield in the heart; in the absence of such signaling, virus titers were markedly elevated by day 3 postinfection (p.i.) and remained high at day 12 p.i., a time point at which virus was absent from genetically intact littermates, suggesting that the T1IFN-unresponsive cardiomyocytes may act as a safe haven for the virus. Nevertheless, in these mice the myocardial infection remained highly focal, despite the cardiomyocytes’ inability to respond to T1IFN, indicating that other factors, as yet unidentified, are sufficient to prevent the more widespread dissemination of the infection throughout the heart. The absence of T1IFN signaling into cardiomyocytes also was accompanied by a profound acceleration and exacerbation of myocarditis and by a significant increase in mortality. IMPORTANCE Acute coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection is one of the most common causes of acute myocarditis, a serious and sometimes fatal disease. To optimize treatment, it is vital that we identify the immune factors that limit virus spread in the heart and other organs. Type I interferons play a key role in controlling many virus infections, but it has been suggested that they may not directly impact CVB3 infection within the heart. Here, using a novel line of transgenic mice, we show that these cytokines signal directly into cardiomyocytes, limiting viral replication, myocarditis, and death.
Dependence of ratio of radioiodide concentrations in thyroid gland and serum on serum iodide concentration: without propylthiouracil.

ASTUDY of the dependence of the ratio of the thyroid radioiodide concentration to the serum radioiodide concentration (T/S ratio) on the serum iodide concentration has been reported in the rat by Halmi (1954). This paper reports a similar study in normal and hypophysectomized mice. In addition, using simple models, formulae have been derived describing the dependence of the T/S ratio on the serum iodide concentration and predictions of the formulae are compared with the appropriate experimental results in both mice and rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male C3H mice were used. The normal mice were four months of age at the time of the radioiodine study. The hypophysectomized mice were fourteen weeks old at the time of the operation which was done eight days before the radioiodine study. They were hypophysectomized through the parapharyngeal approach. Completeness of the operation was ascertained by visual inspection of the region of the sella turcica for pituitaiy fragments using a binocular microscope at 9 × m...
Proton Transfer in Nanoconfined Polar Solvents. II. Adiabatic Proton Transfer Dynamics

The reaction dynamics for a model phenol−amine proton transfer system in a confined methyl chloride solvent have been simulated by mixed quantum−classical molecular dynamics. In this approach, the proton vibration is treated quantum mechanically (and adiabatically), while the rest of the system is described classically. Nonequilibrium trajectories are used to determine the proton transfer reaction rate constant. The reaction complex and methyl chloride solvent are confined in a smooth, hydrophobic spherical cavity, and radii of 10, 12, and 15 A have been considered. The effects of the cavity radius and the heavy atom (hydrogen bond) distance on the reaction dynamics are considered, and the mechanism of the proton transfer is examined in detail by analysis of the trajectories.
BISA: Built-in self-authentication for preventing hardware Trojan insertion

Hardware Trojans have become a significant threat to government agencies and enterprises that require security and trustworthiness in systems with critical applications. Detecting hardware Trojans is very challenging because of the diversity of Trojans and unpredictable process variations during fabrication. In this paper, we propose a novel technique, called built-in self-authentication (BISA), that can fill unused spaces in a circuit layout by functional filler cells instead of non-functional filler cells. All functional filler cells will be tested by BISA itself and a digital signature would be generated. Any modification on BISA will result in a different signature. Thus, BISA can be used to prevent Trojan insertion or make Trojan insertion extremely difficult. BISA can be applied to any single-module or bottom-up hierarchical design, and we evaluate it on different circuits to demonstrate the effective of this technique.
Pinning of the Peierls-Frohlich state by weak random impurities and “giant conductivity” induced by large electric fields in TTF-TCNQ and K2Pt(CN)4Br0.3 · 3H2O

Abstract It is argued that a macroscopically ordered charge density wave sliding in a one dimensional crystal will not be pinned by weak random non-substitutional impurities. This implies that the metal-insulator transition in pseudo-one-dimensional conductors might be due to other sources of pinning, such as three dimensional ordering or commensurability energy. Random impurities do, however, pin charge density wave fluctuations for weak externally applied electric fields.
Neural network based pitch tracking in very noisy speech

Pitch determination is a fundamental problem in speech processing, which has been studied for decades. However, it is challenging to determinate pitch in strong noise because the harmonic structure is corrupted. In this paper, we estimate pitch using supervised learning, where the probabilistic pitch states are directly learned from noisy speech data. We investigate two alternative neural networks modeling pitch state distribution given observations. The first one is a feedforward deep neural network (DNN), which is trained on static frame-level acoustic features. The second one is a recurrent deep neural network (RNN) which is trained on sequential frame-level features and capable of learning temporal dynamics. Both DNNs and RNNs produce accurate probabilistic outputs of pitch states, which are then connected into pitch contours by Viterbi decoding. Our systematic evaluation shows that the proposed pitch tracking algorithms are robust to different noise conditions and can even be applied to reverberant speech. The proposed approach also significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art pitch tracking algorithms.
Decay constants of pseudoscalar mesons containing heavy quarks

The QCD sum-rules of Shifman et al. for n-th order moments are applied to the determination of the decay constants of pseudoscalar mesons containing a heavy quark (c or b). The general case when Q/sup 2/, the squared momentum transfer, is non-zero is considered. The stability of the sum-rules against variations in both Q/sup 2/ and n is discussed.
In the Pipeline: Georgia`s Oil and Gas Transit Revenues

Starting in 2005, nontax revenue in Georgia is expected to rise significantly, in the form of transit fees for oil transported through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline. Transit fees for gas transported through the South Caucasus Pipeline are expected to start in 2007. This paper discusses (1) how much additional revenue can be expected, (2) prospects for monetizing gas that could be received as in-kind transit fees, in the light of pervasive nonpayment in the domestic gas sector, (3) the impact of these inflows on external competitiveness, (4) how to put in place appropriate reporting on these additional revenues, and (5) whether these inflows justify the creation of a special natural resource fund.
Isolation and initial characterization of a lymphocyte cap structure.

Abstract A method for isolating the cap structure induced by polycationized ferritin on the surface of mouse T-lymphoma cells is described. The procedure, based on the ‘density perturbation’ approach designed by Wallach and co-workers (Wallach, D.F.H., Kranz, B., Ferber, E. and Fischer, H.(1972) FEBS Lett.21, 29–33), involves a simple, one-step density gradient centrifugation using metrizamide as the gradient material. The isolated polycationized ferritin cap fraction is approx. 20-fold enriched in plasma membrane relative to the whole cell homogenate and is apparently free of all uncapped membrane. Our initial analysis of the protein composition of the isolated cap structure indicates that there are approx. 30 membrane-bound polypeptides specifically associated with the polycationized ferritin cap fraction. Interestingly, there are at least four phosphorylated membrane-bound polypeptides ( mol.wt. ∼130 000 , 100 000, 30 000 and 20 000) which are preferrentially accumulated in the cap fraction. These findings provide further evidence for the selective redistribution of certain surface membrane proteins during lymphocyte capping.
Vehicle Dynamics Control Based on Linear Quadratic Regulator

The paper presents a vehicle dynamics control strategy devoted to prevent vehicles from spinning and drifting out. With vehicle dynamics control system, counter braking are applied at individual wheels as needed to generate an additional yaw moment until steering control and vehicle stability were regained. The Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) theory was designed to produce demanded yaw moment according to the error between the measured yaw rate and desired yaw rate. The results indicate the proposed system can significantly improve vehicle stability for active safety.
Effects of State Tests on Classroom Test Items in Mathematics.

Classroom tests from nine eighth-grade mathematics teachers were collected from the 2003–04 and 2005–06 school years. These years represent one school year prior to the eighth-grade Ohio Achievement Test (OAT) in mathematics being implemented and the year after the eighth-grade OAT in mathematics was implemented, respectively. In addition, teachers were interviewed to determine factors that influence classroom assessment practices. Classroom assessment data were compared between the two years, and interview data were examined, to investigate the impact that the new state test was having on classroom assessment practices. An average of 87% of teachers' classroom assessment items were at the lowest depth of knowledge level during both years. Teachers relied heavily on curriculum materials for their test items, and these items tended to only assess students ability to recall basic facts or perform straightforward procedures. The presence of a state test did not entice teachers to assess students at higher depth of knowledge levels.
Cryptococcus neoformans Hyperfilamentous Strain Is Hypervirulent in a Murine Model of Cryptococcal Meningoencephalitis

Cryptococcus neoformans is a human fungal pathogen that causes lethal infections of the lung and central nervous system in immunocompromised individuals. C. neoformans has a defined bipolar sexual life cycle with a and α mating types. During the sexual cycle, which can occur between cells of opposite mating types (bisexual reproduction) or cells of one mating type (unisexual reproduction), a dimorphic transition from yeast to hyphal growth occurs. Hyphal development and meiosis generate abundant spores that, following inhalation, penetrate deep into the lung to enter the alveoli, germinate, and establish a pulmonary infection growing as budding yeast cells. Unisexual reproduction has been directly observed only in the Cryptococcus var. neoformans (serotype D) lineage under laboratory conditions. However, hyphal development has been previously associated with reduced virulence and the serotype D lineage exhibits limited pathogenicity in the murine model. In this study we show that the serotype D hyperfilamentous strain XL280α is hypervirulent in an animal model. It can grow inside the lung of the host, establish a pulmonary infection, and then disseminate to the brain to cause cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. Surprisingly, this hyperfilamentous strain triggers an immune response polarized towards Th2-type immunity, which is usually observed in the highly virulent sibling species C. gattii, responsible for the Pacific Northwest outbreak. These studies provide a technological advance that will facilitate analysis of virulence genes and attributes in C. neoformans var. neoformans, and reveal the virulence potential of serotype D as broader and more dynamic than previously appreciated.
Higher order tail densities of copulas and hidden regular variation

A notion of higher order tail densities for copulas is introduced using multivariate regular variation of copula densities, and densities of multivariate extremes with various margins can then be studied in a unified fashion. We show that the tail of a multivariate density can be decomposed into the tail density of the underlying copula, coupled with marginal tail transforms of the three types: Frechet, Gumbel, and Weibull types. We also derive the relation between the tail density and tail order functions of a copula in the context of hidden regular variation. Some illustrative examples are given.
Avoiding "Bit Rot": Long-Term Preservation of Digital Information [Point of View]

This paper discusses about the long term preservation of digital information. There is something ultimately satisfying about keeping information in digital form. It does not take up much space. It can be replicated for resilient preservation. It can be searched mechanically. It can be used to combine with other material using digital power tools. But this blissful outlook may not comport with the reality of digital information preservation and interpretation.
Transgenerational effect of fetal programming on vascular phenotype and reactivity in endothelial nitric oxide synthase knockout mouse model.

Objective The objective of the study was to investigate the transgenerational effect of fetal vascular programming Study Design Homozygous NOS3 knockout and wild type controls (NOS3+/+WT) were cross-bred to obtain heterozygous offspring that developed in (KO−/−) mothers lacking a functional NOS3 (KOM) vs wild-type control mothers (KOP). The first-generation KOM(+/−) and KOP(+/−) female mice were then bred with WT(+/+) males to obtain a second generation (F2). F2 offspring were genotyped and WT(+/+)-F2 mice were then used for in vivo blood pressure and in vitro vascular reactivity studies. Results WT-F2 mice born to KOM mothers (KOM-F2WT) had significantly higher systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure, compared with WT-F2 born to KOP mothers. Male KOM-F2WT offspring had significantly increased response to phenylephrine (PE), compared with male KOP-F2WT. Male offspring had increased contractile responses to PE when compared with female. Acetylcholine responses were decreased in female KOM-F2WT, compared with female KOP-F2WT, but the difference was not statistically significant Conclusion Our findings support a transgenerational effect of fetal programming on the vascular phenotype and suggest possible gender specific adaptation
Detection of dopamine receptors in the area postrema

[3H]Spiroperidol labeled dog area postrema membranes with high affinity (KD, 0.1 nM) and stereospecificity. The displacement of the radioligand by different dopamine agonists and antagonists indicated that the labeled sites were dopaminergic in nature. Guanine nucleotides decreased agonist affinity for the labeled sites without affecting the affinity for antagonists. Adenylate cyclase in the area postrema was stimulated by guanine nucleotides and sodium fluoride but not by dopamine. The results suggest that the dopamine receptor in the area postrema can be classified as D2-type receptors.
Inhibition of Lipid Oxidation Increases Glucose Metabolism and Enhances 2-Deoxy-2-[(18)F]Fluoro-D-Glucose Uptake in Prostate Cancer Mouse Xenografts.

Purpose Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cause of cancer-related death among men in the United States. Due to the lipid-driven metabolic phenotype of PCa, imaging with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose ([18F]FDG) is suboptimal, since tumors tend to have low avidity for glucose.
Report of the Committee on Climatology, 1950–1951

In a survey of the present status of climatological instruction and research in this country, 112 letters were sent out to various colleges and government agencies. Replies have been received from 89. Of the 76 colleges interrogated, 64 have replied so far. Of these, 24 reported that they offered some graduate courses in climatology, but only two, Florida State University and the University of Washington, offered an advanced degree in climatology. Most of the other 24 offered the degree in geography or meteorology, with a major interest in climatology. Fourteen colleges offered no courses in climatology while 17 more indicated just one or two undergraduate courses in regional climatology or elements of climate. Twenty-eight colleges reported research in some phase of climatology. It consisted mainly of work performed by graduate students in the preparation of master's or doctor's theses. A more complete listing of the climatology courses taught in over 700 of the 800 colleges and universities in the United States will be found in the Directory of College Geography published by the University of Kentucky.
Environmental fate of roxarsone in poultry litter. I. Degradation of roxarsone during composting.

Roxarsone, 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid, is an organoarsenic compound that is used extensively in the feed of broiler poultry to control coccidial intestinal parasites, improve feed efficiency, and promote rapid growth. Nearly all the roxarsone in the feed is excreted unchanged in the manure. Poultry litter composed of the manure and bedding material has a high nutrient content and is used routinely as a fertilizer on cropland and pasture. Investigations were conducted to determine the fate of poultry-litter roxarsone in the environment. Experiments indicated that roxarsone was stable in fresh dried litter; the primary arsenic species extracted with water from dried litter was roxarsone. However, when water was added to litter at about 50 wt % and the mixture was allowed to compost at 40 °C, the speciation of arsenic shifted from roxarsone to primarily arsenate in about 30 days. Increasing the amount of water increased the rate of degradation. Experiments also suggested that the degradation process...
Revealing the role of phospholipase Cβ3 in the regulation of VEGF-induced vascular permeability

VEGF induces vascular permeability (VP) in ischemic diseases and cancer, leading to many pathophysiological consequences. The molecular mechanisms by which VEGF acts to induce hyperpermeability are poorly understood and in vivo models that easily facilitate real-time, genetic studies of VP do not exist. In the present study, we report a heat-inducible VEGF transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) model through which VP can be monitored in real time. Using this approach with morpholino-mediated gene knock-down and knockout mice, we describe a novel role of phospholipase Cβ3 as a negative regulator of VEGF-mediated VP by regulating intracellular Ca2+ release. Our results suggest an important effect of PLCβ3 on VP and provide a new model with which to identify genetic regulators of VP crucial to several disease processes.
Low-temperature, fine-pitch interconnections using self-patternable metallic nanoparticles as the bonding layer

High speed digital and mixed signal applications are driving short and more reliable fine pitch interconnection with higher I/O count in 3D architectures. Thin film die to wafer and wafer to wafer bonding with copper-based interconnections have several benefits in terms of low cost, process compatibility with semiconductor infrastructure, and the shortest interconnection with the best electrical performance. However, the bonding is accomplished at around 400 C, with pressures exceeding 30 N/cm2 which may not be compatible with thinned dies, and in ultrahigh vacuum and cleanroom environments with careful copper oxide cleaning procedures. The bonding time is typically 1 hour, which also limits the throughput. The process windows are relatively narrow with several temperature compatibility issues. This paper deals with low temperature bonding process using high surface energy metallic nanoparticles such as copper and gold. Bonding is enhanced by accelerated diffusion kinetics. Self patterning technique has also been developed to assist fine pitch bonding. This is based on selective wetting or selective deposition of nanoparticles.
Stability and reproducibility of time structure in spontaneous behavior of male rats

Abstract The computer pattern recognition system for the study of spontaneous rat behavior has allowed new analytical techniques which expand the definition of experimentally induced changes in behavior. As with any technique, the stability of the measures must be considered when evaluating overall sensitivity. This study evaluates the stability and reproducibility of three behavioral measures: a measure of the number of initiations of specific behavioral Acts, a measure of the total time of each act, and a measure of behavioral time structure. Normal statistical parameters are used to evaluate the significance of changes detected using the first two measures, but the third measure utilizes K-functions, the bootstrap and ad hoc criteria to evaluate significance of observed changes. This study compares the stability of results from these three measures as applied to fourteen different groups of control Sprague-Dawley male rats. All three measures provided stable and reproducible results, but the measure of time structure, the K-function analysis, provided the greatest consistency. Behavior, particularly spontaneous behavior, has traditionally been perceived as being intrinsically variable. However, this study shows that the computer pattern recognition system and its analytical techniques provide stable and reproducible values that vary only a few percent.
Dynamic path planning in sensor-based terrain acquisition

The terrain acquisition problem is formulated as that of continuous motion planning, and no constraints are imposed on obstacle geometry. Two algorithms are described for acquiring planar terrains with obstacles of arbitrary shape. Estimates of the algorithm performance are derived as upper bounds on the lengths of generated paths. >
Retrospectives: How Joan Robinson and B. L. Hallward Named Monopsony

The term "monopsony" was introduced by Joan Robinson in her 1932 classic The Economics of Imperfect Competition, although she gives credit to classics scholar B.L. Hallward of Cambridge for the actual coining of the term. Even though the term has become widely accepted by economists, its literal meaning is more idiosyncratic than simply "one buyer" of a commodity or service. In this paper I discuss the etymology of the term monopsony and suggest several other words that would seem to be more appropriate for describing this market phenomenon.
Hereditary retinal dystrophy in the rat: lipid composition of debris.

Abstract In order to ascertain the molecular environment of rhodopsin in the rhodopsin-rich outerlayer debris of the retina of dark-reared mutant albino rats (BA) lipids and fatty acids were measured in fractions of the debris isolated by gently shaking the retina. In comparison to the outer segments (ROS) of dark-maintained adult normal rats (ROS-D) and of young mutants (ROS-M) the debris at the age of 100 days was depleted in phospholipids (PL) per rhodopsin (Rh) ∗ on a molar basis. Maximal and minimal estimates for the PL Rh ratio of debris were 35 and 25, compared to 64 and 92 for ROS-D and ROS-M, respectively. Using Rh and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) as markers for the outer segment origin of the debris, two estimates were derived: in comparison to ROS-D, 70% of debris PL could derive from outer segment membranes, but 90% in comparison to ROS-M. The major phospholipid of non-outer-segment origin appeared to be sphingomyelin; a pigment epithelial origin of this debris fraction is suggested. The PL/protein weight ratio of debris was 0·4. Cholesterol per rhodopsin was five times higher in debris than in ROS-D. The rate of disappearance of the debris after the age of 100 days was quantitatively the same for the histologically measured volume of the debris, rhodopsin, phospholipids and cholesterol (“bulk disappearance”).
Fish gelatin thin film standards for biological application of PIXE

Abstract There exists a critical need to understand the flow and accumulation of metallic ions, both naturally occurring and those introduced to biological systems. In this paper the results of fabricating thin film elemental biological standards containing nearly any combination of trace elements in a protein matrix are presented. Because it is capable of high elemental sensitivity, particle induced X-ray emission spectrometry (PIXE) is an excellent candidate for in situ analysis of biological tissues. Additionally, the utilization of microbeam PIXE allows the determination of elemental concentrations in and around biological cells. However, obtaining elemental reference standards with the same matrix constituents as brain tissue is difficult. An excellent choice for simulating brain-like tissue is Norland® photoengraving glue which is derived from fish skin. Fish glue is water soluble, liquid at room temperature, and resistant to dilute acid. It can also be formed into a thin membrane which dries into a durable, self-supporting film. Elements of interest are introduced to the fish glue in precise volumetric additions of well quantified atomic absorption standard solutions. In this study GeoPIXE analysis package is used to quantify elements intrinsic to the fish glue as well as trace amounts of manganese added to the sample. Elastic (non-Rutherford) backscattered spectroscopy (EBS) and the 1.734 MeV proton-on-carbon 12 C(p,p) 12 C resonance is used for a normalization scheme of the PIXE spectra to account for any discrepancies in X-ray production arising from thickness variation of the prepared standards. It is demonstrated that greater additions of the atomic absorption standard cause a viscosity reduction of the liquid fish glue resulting in thinner films but the film thickness can be monitored by using simultaneous PIXE and EBS proton data acquisition.
A comparison of the doppler-broadened positron annihilation spectra of neutron irradiated Al2O3 and MgAl2O3

Radiation damage studies of oxides and ceramics have become of increasing importance due to the projected use of these materials in thermonuclear fusion reactors as electronic insulators and first wall materials. In addition these materials are important in RAD waste disposal. As part of a study of the defect structure in radiation damaged ceramics Doppler-broadened positron annihilation spectra have been obtained for a series of single crystal sapphire (α-Al2O3) and polycrystal (1:1) and (1:2) magnesium aluminate spinel (MgO·Al2O3 and MgO-2Al2O3) samples. These samples were irradiated in EBR-II to a fluence of 3 × 1025 n/m2 (E > 0.1 MeV) at 740°C, and 2 × 1026 n/m2 (E > 0.1 MeV) at ~ 550°C respectively. Positron annihilation spectra lineshapes for the irradiated, annealed, and as-received samples of both materials were compared using S parameter analysis. These calculations were made on deconvoluted gamma ray spectra that were free of any instrumental broadening effects. In this way, absolute S parameter changes could be calculated. The observed changes in the S parameter are consistent with independent volume swelling measurements for both the α-A12O3 and the (1:2) MgAl2O4 samples. However, the change in S parameter measured for the (1:1) spinel is contrary to the measured volume change. This apparent anomaly indicates a predominence of interstitial as opposed to vacancy type defects in this material.
Association between sedating medications and delirium in older inpatients.

Objectives: To examine the association between Beers criteria sedative medications and delirium in a large cohort of hospitalized elderly adults with common medical conditions. Design: Retrospective cohort and nested case�control studies. Setting: 374 U.S. hospitals. Participants: All individuals aged 65 and older admitted to the hospital between September 2003 and June 2005 with one of six principal diagnoses (acute myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, community-acquired pneumonia, congestive heart failure, ischemic stroke, urinary tract infection). Measurements: Primary outcome was presumed hospital-acquired delirium, defined as initiation of an antipsychotic medication or restraints on hospital Day 3 or later. Logistic and proportional hazards regression were used to model the associations between sedative exposure and delirium. Results: The dataset contained 225,028 participants (median age 82; 58% female). Four percent fit the definition of hospital-acquired delirium (median onset Day 5). In all, 38,883 (17%) participants received one or more sedative medications. In the cohort study, diphenhydramine (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09�1.36) and short-acting benzodiazepines (AOR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.03�1.34) were associated with greater risk of subsequent delirium. In the nested case�control study, diphenhydramine, short- and long-acting benzodiazepines and promethazine were associated with delirium. Amitriptyline and muscle relaxants were not associated with delirium in either study. Confounding by indication could not be excluded for drugs that are sometimes used improperly to treat delirium. Conclusion: An association was found between several Beers criteria sedative medications and delirium in hospitalized medical patients. Given the prevalence of these medications and the morbidity associated with delirium, further investigation into the appropriateness of such prescribing is warranted.
Plenum chamber effect on wind-tunnel resonance by the finite-element method

A finite-element approach is developed for predicting the so-called "resonant" frequencies of subsonic wind tunnels with plenum chambers. The resulting computer code has been applied to various wind tunnels. For example, the resonant frequencies for both the rectangular wind tunnel (rectangular cross section) and the NASA Langley Research Center 16 x 16 ft Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (octagonal cross section) have been calculated. Plenum chamber effects on wind-tunnel resonance is significant in a Mach number range of 0-0.5. The results are more accurate than theoretical values obtained by using an averaged homogeneous boundary condition on the slot. [B] b F {/) H i [K] [k] M [ m ] [M] |_7VJ p
Parametric study of suspension plasma spray processing parameters on coating microstructures manufactured from nanoscale yttria-stabilized zirconia

Abstract A parametric study was conducted to determine the effect of suspension plasma spray (SPS) processing parameters, including plasma torch standoff, suspension injection velocity, injector location, powder loading in the suspension, and torch power, on the final microstructure of coatings fabricated from 80 nm diameter yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powders. Coatings made with different conditions were analyzed via stereology techniques for the amount of unmelted powder and spherical particles, which are undesirable features in a thermal barrier coating. Observation of unmelted powders, generally in the form of submicron-sized clusters of nanometer-sized powders, indicated insufficient plasma enthalpy or time in the plume to evaporate the liquid carrier in the fragmented droplet and melt the remaining powders. For coatings produced with a 4 cm standoff, a suspension injection velocity of 23 m/s, or a torch power of 21 kW, unmelted powders covered between 20 and 50% of the surface area. The presence of micron-sized spherical particulates was an indication of either partial powder melting or complete melting and re-solidification of a YSZ powder cluster prior to impact with the substrate. A 6 cm standoff, suspension injection velocity of 15 m/s, or 10 wt.% YSZ powder suspension each yielded coatings in which spherical particles comprised more than 8% of the coating surface area. The parametric study findings and the plasma-spray literature were employed to further modify the SPS experimental parameters to produce coatings that minimize unmelted powder and spherical particulates. The improved spray parameters for 80 nm diameter YSZ particles were found to be suspensions comprised of 8 wt.% YSZ powder, a 21 m/s suspension injection velocity (corresponding a ~ 50 ml/min volumetric flow), a 5 cm standoff, and a torch power of 50 kW. With these conditions less than 2% of the coating top surface area was covered by unmelted powder and spherical particulates.
WHOLE BLOOD AMINO ACID CHANGES FOLLOWING RESPIRATORY-ACQUIRED PASTEURELLA TULARENSIS INFECTION IN MAN

Abstract : Significant changes in the whole blood amino acids of volunteers with respiratory-acquired Pasteurella tularensis (SCHU-S4) infection have been described. A decrease in whole blood amino acids occurred 12 to 60 hours after exposure and prior to the time that clinical symptomatology was apparent. The factors responsible for this decreased amino acid concentration were discussed but remain undefined. These changes were specifically related to infection, in that sham-exposed and similarly treated subjects did not manifest a similar response. The pattern of response was such that, in retrospect, it appeared to have predictive value for determining which subjects had been infected.
Bilingual performance on the boston naming test: preliminary norms in Spanish and English.

A total of 100 young educated bilingual adults were administered the Boston Naming Test (BNT) (Kaplan, Goodglass, & Weintraub, 1983) in both Spanish and English. Three group performance scores were obtained: English only, Spanish only, and a composite score indicating the total number of items correctly named independent of language. The scores for the entire group were significantly greater in English than in Spanish. An additional set of analyses explored individual differences in picture naming performance across the two languages as measured by the BNT. For a subset of the larger group (n = 25) there were significant differences in composite over single language scoring, but no significant differences between Spanish and English. Item analyses of correct responses were conducted in both languages to explore the construct validity of the standardized administration of the BNT with this population. There was much greater variability in responses over the Spanish items for this bilingual group. The results of a correlation analysis of information obtained from the initial questionnaire with the BNT scores in each language is also reported. The practical implications of this preliminary bilingual BNT normative data are discussed.
Translating the new dietary guidelines

ABSTRACT Background Diet- and nutrition-related diseases influence oral health. The U.S. government recently revisited the dietary guidelines for health promotion and chronic disease prevention. The purpose of this article is to review the new recommendations. Conclusions The Dietary Reference Intakes are designed to identify nutrient intakes required to maintain health in people of a given age and sex. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are designed to promote healthy dietary and activity habits. MyPyramid is designed to identify individual dietary patterns to ensure adequate nutrient intakes within energy needs. Clinical Implications Familiarization with the new dietary guidelines will enable dental practitioners to develop diet-related oral health recommendations that are consistent with disease prevention.
Automating the organization of presentations for playout management in multimedia databases

We introduce a constraint-driven methodology for the automated assembly, organization and playout of presentations from multimedia databases. We use inclusion and exclusion constraints for extracting a semantically coherent set of multimedia segments. Presentation organization constraints are utilized for organizing the multimedia segments into a presentation, which in turn helps decide the playout order of the extracted multimedia segments. The playout order of the segments is represented in a presentation graph. If the specified set of organization constraints are not sufficient to construct a unique presentation graph, we propose two techniques so that a unique graph is constructible. We also propose playout algorithms, one for the generation, start and termination of playout agents, the other to provide dynamic controls for playout management of organized presentations. The characteristics of these algorithms are expressed in terms of presentation playout parameters.
MEASURING THE SIZE OF INFINITE COLLECTIONS OF NATURAL NUMBERS: WAS CANTOR’S THEORY OF INFINITE NUMBER INEVITABLE?

Cantor’s theory of cardinal numbers offers a way to generalize arithmetic from finite sets to infinite sets using the notion of one-to-one association between two sets. As is well known, all countable infinite sets have the same ‘size’ in this account, namely that of the cardinality of the natural numbers. However, throughout the history of reflections on infinity another powerful intuition has played a major role: if a collection A is properly included in a collection B then the ‘size’ of A should be less than the ‘size’ of B (part–whole principle). This second intuition was not developed mathematically in a satisfactory way until quite recently. In this article I begin by reviewing the contributions of some thinkers who argued in favor of the assignment of different sizes to infinite collections of natural numbers (Thabit ibn Qurra, Grosseteste, Maignan, Bolzano). Then, I review some recent mathematical developments that generalize the part–whole principle to infinite sets in a coherent fashion (Katz, Benci, Di Nasso, Forti). Finally, I show how these new developments are important for a proper evaluation of a number of positions in philosophy of mathematics which argue either for the inevitability of the Cantorian notion of infinite number (Godel) or for the rational nature of the Cantorian generalization as opposed to that, based on the part–whole principle, envisaged by Bolzano (Kitcher).
Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in the Diamond-backed Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)

Most Emydidae, including Diamond-backed Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin), have temperature-dependent sex determination. However, the full relationship between incubation temperature and offspring sex in the Diamond-backed Terrapin has not been reported, and the pivotal temperature, range of transitional temperatures, and the temperature-sensitive period have not been investigated fully. Here we report on these parameters, comparing our data with data from other emydid turtles, and also comparing our laboratory data to field data collected previously for this population. RESUMEN.—La mayoria de Emydidae, incluyendo a las Diamond-backed Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin), tienen determinaci ´ o nd e sexo por temperatura. Sin embargo, la relaci ´ on entre temperatura de incubacion y sexo de crias en el Diamond-backed Terrapin no ha sido reportada, ni el umbral de temperatura ni el periodo sensible a la temperatura han sido investigados. Aquireportamos ambos fen ´ omenos y los compararmos con otras Emydidae, asi como con datos de campo de esta poblaci ´
Placemaking: Urban landscape system management

This paper applies systems and metasystems theory to urban landscape management and urban design, to move beyond the object-level of design style to the meta-level of paradigms, professional epistemologies, and urban ecological, physiological and psychological health. It explores: The city as incrementally designed system; the landscape and contemporary architecture as different system types; urban planning and design for placeness and sustainability; natural and human system carrying capacity, urban growth, and system health; external and internal contexts; and hard and soft implementation issues. It speaks for: An urban management hierarchy of meta-systems, systems and project designers; the management of physical and cultural systems for human experience; and the synergism of human, structural, infrastructural and ecological systems for environmental and human health. It explores the role of design facilitators, and modified innovation-intervention techniques used to manage healthy, innovative, responsive, sustainable and meaningful urban landscapes. It identifies the tasks of placemakers as system mctamodelers to include the integrated management of complex systems by facilitating second order change that moves the design professions beyond reductionist ‘project driven’ design; the development of management structures and implementation processes; and liaison with professional organizations to define their epistemologies. It also reviews on-going efforts to manage urban placeness, and new processes for facilitating this management.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for glomus jugulare tumors: a preliminary report.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery treatment of glomus jugulare tumors. Methods and Materials: Between March 1990 and January 1995, nine patients underwent stereotactic radiosurgery with the Leksell Gamma Knife Unit for glomus jugulare tumors. Previous treatment had failed in four patients. The seven female and two male patients had a median age of 67 years. Results: The median time from stereotactic radiosurgery to the most recent clinical follow-up was 20 months ( range 7-65 months). Subjectively, 7 of 9 patients noted a decrease in the intensity of their symptoms. Objectively, 8 of 9 tumors remained stable in size by serial magnetic resonance imaging scans and one was smaller. There was no acute or chronic toxicity. Conclusion: This early experience suggests that stereotactic radiosurgery is a promising treatment for glomus jugulare tumors. © 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.