cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Quest for Voice: Music, Politics, and the Limits of Philosophy

What is musical meaning? Where does it reside and how can it be known? Does it make a difference to its meaning if the music is composed with or without words, as a symphony or a song? Why is it claimed that music can express human feelings with an immediacy not possible in other languages or arts? What is contained in the claim that music is autonomous, or that it is prophetic and can articulate a 'politics for the future'? Concentrating on the music, politics, and philosophy of Richard Wagner, Lydia Goehr addresses these classic questions of German Romanticism. On the way, she offers an account of the peculiar relation that was established between philosophy and music in the nineteenth century; a philosophical and political reading of Wagner's opera "Die Meistersinger"; an account of the Wagner-Hanslick debate on musical formalism; an argument for resituating musical autonomy in the spirit of Wagner's Gesamtkuntswerk; an account of the competing performance ideals embodied in Wagner's Bayreuth; and an interpretation of Wagner's legacy as experienced by composers exiled from Nazi Germany. Goehr's historical and musicological enquiries are unified by a philosophical study of the impact of a transcendental or critical perspective on philosophical theory. She argues that philosophy needs to take its limits seriously to accommodate the primacy of music's practice.
Spiral selection as a free boundary problem

Abstract We present a new formulation of the spiral selection problem for the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. In particular, we focus on deriving an exact integro-differential shape equation and discuss the possible behavior of solutions to this equation. We also present some new results on the asymptotic (far from core) structure of spirals in the Fife scaling regime.
Paleozoic Tectonic Framework of Western Canada Basin: ABSTRACT

The Paleozoic sedimentary record in the Plains and Rocky Mountains (Eastern Cordillera) regions of western Canada is fairly complete, but it is characterized by five major unconformities and at least four lesser discontinuities. The five interregional breaks form the boundaries of four distinct depositional sequences which are, in general, equivalent to the Sauk, Tippecanoe, Kaskaskia, and Absaroka (lower part) of Sloss (1963). With minor exceptions, these sediments are all of miogeosynclinal and shallow shelf types. In the Western Cordillera west of the Rocky Mountain trench, Devonian and Mississippian rocks are almost totally lacking except in northwestern British Columbia where End_Page 1873------------------------------ thick eugeosynclinal deposition occurred. It is probable that Pennsylvanian eugeosynclinal conditions prevailed in southern and central British Columbia, and the Permian is represented by widely distributed thick eugeosynclinal deposits in this region. There is some evidence of pre-Middle Devonian orogeny in the Western Cordillera, correlative with the Caledonian interval of Europe and the Arctic Islands, and, in a restricted sense, equivalent to the Cariboo orogeny of White (1959). In the interior cratonic region and the Rocky Mountains, the evidence indicates that the emergences of Late Proterozoic (Precambrian), Early Ordovician, Early Devonian, Late Pennsylvanian, and Late Permian were epeirogenic in character. Intracratonic features such as the Williston basin, Sweetgrass arch, W stern Alberta arch, Peace River arch, and Keewatin-Wisconsin arch in part had early development in Ordovician-Silurian time, but were emphasized during the post-Silurian to pre-Middle Devonian interval of uplift and deep erosion. The Paleozoic ended with the widespread post-Permian emergence and erosion, herein regarded as a discontinuity of interregional type. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1874------------
Why and how does vowel Nasalization take place

(1970). Why and how does vowel Nasalization take place? Paper in Linguistics: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 179-226.
First record of harpacticoid copepods from Lake Tahoe, United States: two new species of Attheyella (Harpacticoida, Canthocamptidae).

Benthic harpacticoids were collected for the first time at Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada, United States. Two species were identified as members of the genus Attheyella Brady, 1880. The genus Attheyella comprises about 150 species within six subgenera, but only twelve species have previously been reported from North American freshwater habitats. The two new species of Attheyella described here have a 3-segmented endopod on P1 and 2-segmented P2–P4 endopods, the distal segment of exopod of P2–P4 has three outer spines, and the P5 has five setae on the exopod and six setae on the baseoendopod. Attheyella (Attheyella) tahoensis sp. n. most closely resembles Attheyella (Attheyella) idahoensis (Marsh, 1903) from Idaho, Montana, and Alaska (United States) and Attheyella (Attheyella) namkungi Kim, Soh & Lee, 2005 from Gosu Cave in South Korea. They differ mainly by the number of setae on the distal endopodal segment of P2–P4. In addition, intraspecific variation has been observed on the caudal rami. Attheyella (Neomrazekiella) tessiae sp. n. is characterized by the extension of P5 baseoendopod, 2-segmented endopod of female P2–P3, and naked third seta of male P5 exopod. The two new species are likely endemic to Lake Tahoe, an isolated alpine lake within the Great Basin watershed in the western United States.
Organizational Commitment and Social Interaction: A Multiple Constituencies Approach

Abstract A model of organizational commitment is presented proposing that social interaction influences affective commitment. Employing a multiple constituencies approach, it was hypothesized that work group social interaction would influence work group affective commitment. Further, department social interaction and work group affective commitment would independently influence department affective commitment. Similarly, organizational interaction and department affective commitment would independently influence organizational affective commitment. The model was tested using survey responses from 154 employees. The path analytic results supported the hypothesized relationships between social interaction and affective commitment. Comparative analyses showed the employee's focus of commitment was significantly related to differences between affective and continuance commitment.
Lagrangian coordinate transformations in self-similar supernova blast wave models.

The Sedov self-similar solution of the fluid equations provides a description of a spherical supernova blast-wave during its adiabatic phase in a stationary (Eulerian) reference frame. We provide an exact transformation to a Lagrangian coordinate system, a non-inertial frame of reference which follows each individual gas particle. The physical properties of the gas in this comoving reference system are evaluated as a function of time. Numerical methods to facilitate Eulerian-Lagrangian and Lagrangian-Eulerian coordinate transformations are provided.
Some effects of acceleration on the turbulent boundary layer

Turbulent boundary layer formation in upstream wake of accelerated flow indicated from boundary layer profile and wall static pressure measurements
Enhanced stability and neutron production in a dense Z-pinch plasma formed from a frozen deuterium fiber.

We have formed dense Z pinches from frozen deuterium fibers ranging in diameter from 80 to 125 ..mu..m and at peak currents of up to 640 kA. The pinch remains stable for the entire 130 nsec of the current rise. This anomalously long stable period corresponds to about 100 MHD growth times. As soon as the current peaks, i.e., when dI/dt = 0, the pinch goes rapidly m = 0 unstable and produces nearly 10/sup 12/ neutrons in a 30--60-nsec-wide pulse. The instability occurs only at dI/dt = 0 and is independent of either the current magnitude or the time to peak.
Ecdysteroids from the Antarctic tunicate Synoicum adareanum.

Five new ecdysteroids, hyousterones A−D (2−5) and abeohyousterone (6), have been isolated from the Antarctic tunicate Synoicum adareanum along with the known ecdysteroid diaulusterol B (1). Hyousterones B (3) and D (5) are unusual ecdysteroids in bearing the 14β-hydroxyl group, and abeohyousterone incorporates the 13(14→8) abeo steroid skeleton, reflecting a rearrangement of the steroid C/D ring system. Abeohyousterone has moderate cytotoxicity toward several cancer cell lines. Hyousterones bearing the 14α-hydroxy group (2 and 4) were weakly cytotoxic, while the 14β-hydroxy hyousterones (3 and 5) were devoid of cytotoxicity. The 14β-hydroxy function may be a thermodynamic pathway to the 13(14→8) abeo steroid skeleton. Hyousterones, abeohyousterone, and diaulusterol B are the first ecdysteroids reported from tunicates.
Periocular capillary hemangioma: a review for pediatricians and family physicians.

The pediatrician or family physician is usually the first person to examine an infant with a periocular capillary hemangioma. The physician should know that, in addition to being cosmetically disfiguring, capillary hemangiomas have the potential to cause serious ocular complications such as amblyopia, strabismus, proptosis, and optic atrophy. Prompt evaluation and management of periocular hemangiomas are essential in order to prevent permanent visual loss. Corticosteroids have been the mainstay in the treatment of patients with large periocular hemangiomas, but other therapeutic modalities such as radiation, inter-feron, and surgical excision also have been effective in selected patients. This review provides pediatricians and family physicians with information on the natural history, complications, and current management of periocular hemangiomas in infants.
Real-Time Estimation of Mean Remaining Life Using Sensor-Based Degradation Models

Advances in sensor technology have led to an increased interest in using degradation-based sensory information to predict the remaining lives of partially degraded components and systems. This paper presents a stochastic degradation modeling framework for computing and continuously updating remaining life distributions (RLDs) using in situ degradation signals acquired from individual components during their operational lives. Unfortunately, these sensory-updated RLDs cannot be characterized using parametric distributions and their moments do not exist. Such difficulties hinder the implementation of this sensor-based framework, especially from the standpoint of computational efficiency of embedded algorithms. In this paper, we identify an approximate procedure by which we can compute a conservative mean of the sensory-updated RLDs and express the mean and variance using closed form expressions that are easy to evaluate. To accomplish this, we use the first passage time of Brownian motion with positive drift, which follows an inverse Gaussian distribution, as an approximation of the remaining life. We then show that the mean of the inverse Caussian is a conservative lower bound of the mean remaining life using Jensen's inequality. The results are validated using real-world vibration-based degradation information.
Restraint stress depresses prolactin surges in pseudopregnant rats and adrenalectomy does not alter the response

Experiments were performed to determine whether restraint stress decreases the two prolactin (PRL) surges in pseudopregnant (PSP) rats in a manner similar to the stress-induced decrease of the proestrous PRL surge. Adrenal involvement as well as adaptation of the response was also investigated. Vaginal cycles were followed and animals exhibiting 2-3 normal cycles were cervically stimulated (CS) electromechanically to induce PSP. In one experiment the effect of adrenalectomy (ADX) on the nocturnal surge (NS) was investigated and was found to have no effect. In another set of experiments the effect of restraint stress was investigated. Immediately following an initial sample, the animals to be stressed had their hind legs tied together with plastic coated bell wire. Subsequent samples were taken for 3 hours. Restraint stress decreased the NS to 15% of the initial value within 30 minutes. ADX did not alter this response. Furthermore, 6-9 days of 3 hours of restraint stress did not attenuate the stress-induced decrease of the NS. Restraint stress also depressed the diurnal surge in PSP rats. These results indicate that restraint stress applied during the two PRL surges of PSP results in significant decreases in plasma PRL and that this response is not altered by ADX or by habituation to the stimulus.
Beam analyzing system for a variable energy cyclotron

Abstract A new beam analysis system has been installed at the Berkeley 88″ cyclotron. The system consists of two 110° flat field, edge focusing bending magnets. The first magnet is used to energy analyze the cyclotron beam, and the second or “clean up” magnet is used to remove slit scattered particles produced by the analyzing magnet. The system has achieved its design performance of 0.02% energy resolution, with a long term stability of two parts in 105. Up to 0.6 μA of a beam with a radial emittance of 4.5 mm·mrad has been obtained with the above energy resolution. This paper describes the design, construction, installation shimming and testing of the magnets, as well as the construction of the regulated power supply.
Interaction site of GTP binding Gh (transglutaminase II) with phospholipase C.

The GTP binding Gαh (transglutaminase II) mediates the α1B-adrenoreceptor signal to a 69-kDa phospholipase C (PLC). Thus, Gαh possesses both GTPase and transglutaminase activities with a signal transfer role. The recognition sites of this unique GTP binding protein for either the receptor or the effector are completely unknown. A site on human heart Gαh (hhGαh) has been identified that interacts with and stimulates PLC. Expressed mutants of hhGαh with deleted C-terminal regions lost the response to(-)-epinephrine and GTP and failed to coimmunoprecipitate PLC by the specific Gh7α antibody. The interaction regions were further defined by studies with synthetic peptides of hhGαh and a chimera in which residues Val665-Lys672 of hhGαh were substituted with Ile707-Ser714 residues of human coagulation factor XIIIa. Thus, eight amino acid residues near the C terminus of hhGαh are critical for recognition and stimulation of PLC.
Performance evaluation of poly 3-(phenylthiophene) derivatives as active materials for electrochemical capacitor applications

Electroactive polymers from 3-(4-fluorophenyl)thiophene, 3-(4-cyanophenyl)thiophene, 3-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)thiophene, and 3-(3,4-difluorophenyl)thiophene were electrochemically deposited onto carbon paper electrodes from tetramethylammonium trifluoromethane-sulfonate (Me{sub 4}NCF{sub 3}SO{sub 3})/acetonitrile and/or tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate/acetonitrile electrolyte solutions. The morphologies and electrochemical performance of the films were shown to depend on both the growth and cycling electrolytes. Constant current multicycle tests were performed on model single-cell devices using the type III capacitor configuration at high voltage (2.8--2.9 V). Active material energy and power densities of up to 50 Wh/kg and 5 kW/kg were achieved at discharge rates of 50 and 10 mA/cm{sup 2}, respectively. The long-term stabilities (up to 1000 cycles) of these polymers were investigated by repeated charging and discharging using cyclic voltammetry in both the p- and n-doping regimes.
Paired associate task performance effects of ability and perceived prize probability

Abstract A study was conducted to determine the performance effects of ability grouping and perceived probability of attaining a prize in a Paired-associate (PA) task. Sixty undergraduate students were pretested for PA ability and divided into high, medium, and low ability groups for random assignment to control (no prize probability), low prize probability, and high prize probability treatment groups. The dependent measure was the number of correct responses over four trials for intentional learning and number of correct responses on a single test for the incidental learning condition. Results of two-way ANOVA supported the hypothesis that performance in a PA task is affected by subject's ability and perceived probability of attaining a prize.
A new approach to file system cache writeback of application data

In this paper we propose a new paradigm and algorithms to address cache writeback performance in servers and storage arrays. As servers and storage processors move to multi-core architecture, with ever increasing memory caches, the cost of flushing these caches to disk has become a problem. Traditional watermark based algorithms currently used in many storage arrays and NAS servers have a problem keeping up with the higher speeds of incoming application writes, often resulting in a performance penalty. The server's cache is generally used for hiding high disk latencies associated with file system data. In general, metadata performance was optimized, while application data was considered less sensitive to high latencies and was given lower priority or was written directly to disk. The new algorithms proposed here change the application data writeback from using watermark based flush to something that approximates the rate of the incoming application I/Os. The problem is more critical for network file systems where the complex client/server protocols can make writeback a serious performance barrier, particularly in light of very large I/Os and the lack of application commits. Our proposed algorithms are applicable to local file systems and remote servers as well as to storage arrays. We show test results based on dynamic traces of real file system dirty pages in the buffer cache and prove that rate based cache writeback algorithms are the most efficient replacement for watermark based flushing.
Gas-Phase Pyrolysis of Diethyl Methylphosphonate

Flow reactor pyrolysis studies of diethyl methylphosphonate (DEMP) in nitrogen have been conducted over the temperature range 802 to 907 K, to gain insight into decomposition mechanisms relevant to incineration of organophosphorus chemical warfare agents. Experiments were conducted in a quartz-lined turbulent flow reactor with residence times between J5 and 125 ms. Two techniques are used to identify products: Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for volatile compounds, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) preceded by derivatization for products trapped in a liquid-nitrogen bath. Ethylene, ethanol, ethyl methylphosphonate, and methylphosphonic acid were identified as products; ethylene, ethanol and DEMP were quantified using FTIR. The mean ratio of ethylene to ethanol is 1.66. Rates of DEM P decomposition and product formation are independent of loading and reactor diameter. The temperature dependence of the overall DEMP decomposition rate constant was found to be: k[s-'] = 2.9 X 10'...
Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of amorphous deuterated silicon nitride thin films

Abstract Amorphous hydrogenated/deuterated silicon nitride (a-SiN:H,D) thin films were studied by deuteron magnetic resonance (DMR). DMR spectra show two quadrupolar broadened Pake-type doublets with splittings of 65.4 kHz for SiD, and 154 kHz for ND bonds; the ratio of these DMR doublet cusp-splittings ( Δ ND Δ SiD = 2.35 ) is, to within experimental error, equal to the ratio of the squares of the respective bond-stretching frequencies (( ω ND ω SiD ) 2 = 2.36 ), as determined by analysis of Fourier transform infrared spectra. The center frequencies of the SiD and ND DMR doublets are not coincident, but rather are shifted by ∼ 2 kHz, indicating that the SiD and ND groups are interacting, and must therefore be near-neighbors in the amorphous network. This explanation consistent with an interpretation of the shifts in bond-stretching frequencies of IR modes that occur when Si(H)D and N(H)D modes are found in the same film.
Antioxidative activities of aroma extracts isolated from natural plants

Natural leaves and flowers containing numerous aroma chemicals are widely used in aromatherapy since ancient times. In addition to their pleasant smells, aroma chemicals might have some beneficial health effects. Aroma extracts, isolated from coffee beans, soybeans, and mung beans by steam distillation under mild conditions (55 degrees C and 85 mm Hg) were examined for their antioxidative activities. The inhibitory effect of these extracts toward hexanal/hexanoic acid conversion was measured in the testing solution over prolonged time periods. The inhibitory effects of these extracts toward malonaldehyde formation from lipids oxidized by Fenton's reagent were also measured. The antioxidative activity of these extracts, in particular coffee bean extract, was consistent with that of BHT or alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E). Soybeans and mung beans extract contained maltol, which inhibits hexanal oxidation significantly. Eugenol, which is one of the major constituents of mung bean extract, exhibited potent antioxidative activity in an aldehyde/carboxylic acid assay. Antioxidants such as eugenol and maltol may play an important role in the pharmaceutical activities of natural plant extracts used for aromatherapy.
Efficient Web form entry on PDAs

We propose a design for displaying and manipulating HTML forms on small PDA screens. The form input widgets are not shown until the user is ready to fill them in. At that point, only one widget is shown at a time. The form is summarized on the screen by displaying just the text labels that prompt the user for each widget's information. The challenge of this design is to automatically find the match between each text label in a form, and the input widget for which it is the prompt. We developed eight algorithms for performing such label/widget matches. Some of the algorithms are based on n-gram comparisons, while others are based on common form layout conventions. We applied a combination of these algorithms to 100 simple HTML forms with an average of four input fields per form. These experiments achieved a 95% matching accuracy. We developed a scheme that combines all algorithms into a matching system. This system did well even on complex forms, achieving 80% accuracy in our experiments involving 330 input fields spread over 48 complex forms.
Stand development, fire and growth of old-growth and young forests in southwestern Oregon, USA

Abstract We studied stand development in three distinct forest types in southwestern Oregon using six stands each in uncut and clear-felled old-growth stands and nearby young stands (18 total). Old-growth stands showed a wide range of tree ages (>300 years) and low tree densities for several centuries; rapid early growth produced trees with large crowns and diameters, as well as low height-to-diameter ratios. In contrast, young stands established much quicker and at higher tree densities; beyond their initial 20 years, trees had smaller diameters at equivalent ages, slower growth rates, smaller crowns and higher H:D than trees in old-growth stands. Low-intensity disturbance, likely dominated by fire, was common in old-growth stands during their early development. Fire scars showed these stands burned frequently from 1700 to 1900, and low levels of tree recruitment occurred in a complex relationship with fire during this 200 years. There was no evidence of fire, however, in either old-growth or young stands after 1909, and their densities were well above that of 1900; in old-growth stands, 15–25% of the basal growth occurred from 1950 to 1990, and it appears that they are on a development pathway different from what they experienced from 1700 to 1900. Furthermore, tree recruitment has been limited in both old-growth and young stands since 1950 while biomass and fuels continue to accumulate rapidly. Past stand dynamics can be emulated by prescribed fire and light thinning to reduce risk of loss from severe fire or insects, as well as to partially restore stand conditions that existed prior to fire exclusion. Our results suggest that young stands can be grown to produce high levels of biomass/wood, or their development can be altered to more closely follow that of old-growth stands depending on management objectives.
Interpretation of apparent resistivity data from Apodi Valley, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

One hundred and twelve Schlumberger vertical electrical soundings were made as part of a hydrogeological study in the Apodi Valley, Brazil. Most of the data have been interpreted using an automatic ridge regression inversion algorithm in conjunction with a fast digital filter forward algorithm. As a result, the inversion costs are very low. The increase in speed and accuracy in the evaluation of the forward problem has also allowed calculation of the Schlumberger apparent resistivity from potential differences, instead of the electric field. Consequently, there is no difficulty in the interpretation of data where very large receiver electrode (MN) spacings have been used or where discontinuities have been introduced by changing the MN spacing on a layered earth containing large resistivity contrasts.The soundings were conducted primarily to map the thicknesses of a known alluvial aquifer and a potential sandstone aquifer. These thicknesses have been determined to within an error of 20 percent as estimated from analysis of the parameter standard deviations and comparison with available drill hole information.
The regulation of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase in cultured cells.

Abstract Growth-stimulated synchronized cells exhibit a rapid increase in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase, EC 1.1.1.88) activity prior to the onset of DNA synthesis. Under normal culture conditions, HMG-CoA reductase activity exhibits wide variations among experiments. To determine whether this phenomenon is dependent on cell replication, we used J774 macrophage-like cells to compare changes in reductase activity in cells synchronized by serum deprivation and then growth-stimulated by fresh media containing serum to unsynchronized cells treated with fresh media and serum. Under these conditions, no increase in [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation into cell DNA was seen in unsynchronized cells, but a large increase was observed in synchronized cells 10–12 h after media change. Although the growth characteristics differed between the cells, reductase activity was low at the time of media change and increased 10 to 20-fold 5–10 h after media change, returning to basal levels by 24 h in both synchronized and unsynchronized cells. This pattern of reductase activity was observed in unsynchronized cells from a variety of cell lineages, although the magnitude of the changes varied. Fluctuations of [ 14 C]acetate incorporation into cholesterol were observed in parallel to alterations in reductase activity. LDL receptor expression also paralleled the changes in reductase activity, but scavenger receptor expression was not affected. Addition of lipoproteins at the time of media change inhibited the rise in reductase activity by 80–90%. The increase in reductase activity was not due to a stimulation of cholesterol efflux into the medium, but evidence for the secretion into the media of an inhibitory factor was obtained. These results suggest that cell requirements for cholesterol are not always directly related to replication, and that standard culture conditions induced transient fluctuations in reductase activity and lipoprotein receptor expression.
Measuring Diffusion in Nanoscale Environments with Single‐Molecule Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

Abstract Single‐molecule detection and diffusion analysis via confocal fluorescence microscopy is a relatively simple and inexpensive way to introduce students to current topics in nanoscience and nanotechnology. We have designed and constructed a confocal microscope that is useful for both laboratory exercises and research investigations. In this article, we discuss three implementations of the microscope within the Chemistry Department. The first involves elementary open‐volume single‐molecule event recordings. The second application addresses molecular surface dynamics of biomaterials and tissue engineering substrates. The third use entails characterizing polyelectrolyte multilayers (PMLs), a new class of thin films, using correlated confocal imaging and single‐molecule diffusion measurements. In each case, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is used to extract diffusion information. For heterogeneous diffusion, specific weaknesses in FCS analysis are identified. Lastly, the overall utility of ...
A throughput scaling law for a class of wireless relay networks

In this paper we study coherent relaying in multi-antenna ad-hoc wireless networks. We suggest a one-hop relaying scheme suitable for multi-antenna relays; we demonstrate the value of employing multi-antenna transceivers in such coherent networks by deriving a scaling law that explicitly accounts for the same. We show that the throughput of such a network under the one-hop relaying protocol scales as R = /spl Phi/(L/spl radic/N), where N is the number of nodes in the network and L is the number of antennas at each node. We also study and quantify the effect of imperfect channel state information (CSI) on the throughput of such coherent networks that depend centrally on the availability of CSI.
Intrathecal Baclofen for Spastic Hypertonia From Stroke

Background and Purpose— We sought to determine whether continuous intrathecal delivery of baclofen can effectively decrease spastic hypertonia due to stroke. Methods— Stroke patients with >6 months of intractable spasticity were screened via a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design of either intrathecal normal saline or 50 μg baclofen. Those who dropped an average of 2 points in either their affected lower extremity side Ashworth or Penn spasm frequency scores were then offered computer-controlled pump implantation for continuous ITB and followed prospectively for up to 12 months. Results— In 21 stroke patients 6 hours after the active drug bolus, the average (±SD) lower extremity Ashworth score on the affected extremities decreased from 3.3±1.2 to 1.4±0.7 (P<0.0001), spasm score from 1.2±1.2 to 0.1±0.3 (P=0.0224), and reflex score from 2.1±1.2 to 0.1±0.5 (P<0.0001). The average upper extremity Ashworth score on the affected extremities decreased from 2.8±1.1 to 1.8±0.8 (P<0.0001), ...
Pacemaker lead tip heating in abandoned and pacemaker-attached leads at 1.5 Tesla MRI.

Purpose To assess the risk of RF-induced heating in pacemaker-attached and abandoned leads using in vitro temperature measurements at 1.5 Tesla as a function of lead length. Materials and Methods Five custom lead lengths, 20–60 cm, were exposed to a uniform magnitude and phase radiofrequency electric field to examine the effect of lead length on pacemaker lead tip heating for pacemaker-attached and abandoned pacemaker leads. Results Abandoned and pacemaker-attached leads show resonant heating behavior and maximum heating occurs at different lead lengths due to the differences in termination conditions. For clinical lead lengths (40–60 cm) abandoned leads exhibited greater lead tip heating compared with pacemaker-attached leads. Conclusion Current recommendations for MRI pacemaker safety should highlight the possible increased risk for patients with abandoned leads as compared to pacemaker-attached leads. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;33:426–431. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Antibodies of nasal and parotid secretions of ragweed-allergic subjects

Abstract Nasal secretions, parotid secretions, and corresponding sera of ragweed-allergic subjects were studied for the presence of Prausnitz-Kustner (P-K) and IgA antibodies to ragweed in order to examine the relationship of these antibodies to the process of external secretion. P-K antibody to ragweed was not detected in parotid secretions. Radioimmunodiffusion tests of parotid secretions for the presence of IgA antibody to ragweed were negative. P-K antibody to ragweed was present in the nasal secretion of one of 6 subjects examined, and IgA antibody to ragweed was present in a total of 2 of 6 subjects. The apparent difference between nasal and parotid secretions may be due to the topical exposure of nasal, but not parotid, tissues to ragweed antigen. The presence of secretory IgA antibody to ragweed in the nasal secretion but not the parotid secretion or serum of one subject suggested a process of local nasal synthesis of this antibody.
Assessment of one-dimensional icing forecast model applied to stratiform clouds

Aircraft icing can seriously impair aircraft performance. In this paper we assess a one-dimensiona l icing forecast model (presently residing at the U.S. Army Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory) by using recent airborne collected microphysics data. Our prime interest was the variation of potential aircraft icing in stratiform clouds. We discuss the icing model microphysics, including algorithms used to determine icing severity indices, temperature, liquid water content (LWC), and median volume diameter (MVD) of supercooled water droplets. Output from the one-dimensional model suggests that the icing potential in stratiform clouds does not exceed "light." The model more often forecasts "trace" icing for both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The model does not compute a value for LWC great enough to allow for more serious icing events. We therefore conclude that a method must be established to obtain better estimates of drop-size characteristics and LWC (for stratus clouds) to forecast the full range of potential icing for Army aircraft. Otherwise when using the one-dimensional model as currently structured, one would not expect any more than "light" icing when stratus clouds are observed.
Genetic engineering approaches to improve bioethanol production from maize

Biofuels such as bioethanol are becoming a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Utilizing agricultural biomass for the production of biofuel has drawn much interest in many science and engineering disciplines. As one of the major crops, maize offers promise in this regard. Compared to other crops with biofuel potential, maize can provide both starch (seed) and cellulosic (stover) material for bioethanol production. However, the combination of food, feed and fuel in one crop, although appealing, raises concerns related to the land delineation and distribution of maize grown for energy versus food and feed. To avoid this dilemma, the conversion of maize biomass into bioethanol must be improved. Conventional breeding, molecular marker assisted breeding and genetic engineering have already had, and will continue to have, important roles in maize improvement. The rapidly expanding information from genomics and genetics combined with improved genetic engineering technologies offer a wide range of possibilities for enhanced bioethanol production from maize.
Toxoplasma gondii Exploits Host Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis for Cholesterol Acquisition

The obligate intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii resides within a specialized parasitophorous vacuole (PV), isolated from host vesicular traffic. In this study, the origin of parasite cholesterol was investigated. T. gondii cannot synthesize sterols via the mevalonate pathway. Host cholesterol biosynthesis remains unchanged after infection and a blockade in host de novo sterol biosynthesis does not affect parasite growth. However, simultaneous limitation of exogenous and endogenous sources of cholesterol from the host cell strongly reduces parasite replication and parasite growth is stimulated by exogenously supplied cholesterol. Intracellular parasites acquire host cholesterol that is endocytosed by the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) pathway, a process that is specifically increased in infected cells. Interference with LDL endocytosis, with lysosomal degradation of LDL, or with cholesterol translocation from lysosomes blocks cholesterol delivery to the PV and significantly reduces parasite replication. Similarly, incubation of T. gondii in mutant cells defective in mobilization of cholesterol from lysosomes leads to a decrease of parasite cholesterol content and proliferation. This cholesterol trafficking to the PV is independent of the pathways involving the host Golgi or endoplasmic reticulum. Despite being segregated from the endocytic machinery of the host cell, the T. gondii vacuole actively accumulates LDL-derived cholesterol that has transited through host lysosomes.
Energy aware kernel for hard real-time systems

Embedded systems often have severe power and energy constraints. Dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) is a mechanism by which energy consumption may be reduced. In this paper, we implement a dynamic voltage scaling based scheduler in the eCos operating system running on Voltage Scalable Intel Xscale Board and show how energy usage can be reduced while still meeting hard real-time deadlines.
Insect sting reactions to bees, wasps, and ants

Abstract Arthropod bites and stings are capable of inflicting injury, inciting allergic reactions, and transmitting systemic disease. Members of the Hymenoptera order are of particular importance because they are nearly ubiquitous in nature, and their stings may cause life-threatening allergic reactions. Stings from bees, wasps, and ants produce a variety of clinical and histological manifestations. Anaphylaxis following an insect sting is the most serious complication. For individuals with a specific allergy to Hymenoptera venom, immunotherapy may be a relatively safe and effective treatment option.
Coordination and safety behaviors in commercial aircraft maintenance

Commercial aviation maintenance related incidents reported to the Aviation Safety Report System were investigated focusing on coordination problems. Among 1000 analyzed reports from a two-year period, 98 internal coordination issues within the maintenance team, and 24 external coordination issues between maintenance and other departments were discovered. Frequently established problematic included: not delivering information, sending wrong information and lack of responsibility . Most conflicts were solved by competing (or accommodating) behavior, such that one party prevailed over the other party’s opinion. Coordination problems have the potential to render many necessary safety procedures ineffective. This study identifies coordination problems that are potential sources impairing safety procedures in aircraft maintenance such as misapplication of minimum equipment list items, missing inspections, logbook entry failures, and wrong parts installation.
The Sylvester resultant with applications to systems over rings

The Sylvester resultant is studied in this paper for systems over rings. The systems over rings may have zero coprime fractions, fractor coprime fractions, and fraction with common factors. The Sylvester resultant can be used to test these situations. It can also be used to achieve the design of coefficient assignment in the first case, to test the regulability in the second case, and to find the fractor coprime fractions in the third case.
Low‐frequency radar sounding of temperate ice masses in Southern Alaska

We present the Warm Ice Sounding Explorer (WISE), a low-frequency (2.5 MHz) radar for the sounding of temperate ice. WISE deployment in southern Alaska in 2008 and 2012 provides comprehensive measurements of glacier thickness, reveals deep valleys beneath glaciers and the full extent of zones grounded below sea level. The east branch of Columbia Glacier is deeper that its main branch and remains below sea level 20 km farther inland. Ice is 1000 m deep on Tazlina Glacier. On Bering glacier, two sills separate three deep bed depressions (>1200 m) that coincide with the dynamic balance lines during surges. The piedmont lobe of Malaspina Glacier and the lower reaches of Hubbard Glacier are entirely grounded below sea level 40 and 10 km, respectively, from their termini. Knowledge of ice thickness in these regions helps better understand their glacier dynamics, mass balance, and impact on sea level. Key Points Low frequency radar sounding works extremely well in Alaska Ice is much thicker than suggested by limited surveys Data reveals full extent of areas grounded below sea level ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
Seventy microsatellite markers from Persea americana Miller (avocado) expressed sequence tags

Expressed sequence tags for Persea americana Mill. were investigated to expand upon the number of informative microsatellite markers available for avocado. Seventy informative loci were discovered using 24 P. americana var. americana Mill. accessions. The number of alleles detected ranged from two to 17 and averaged 7.1 alleles per locus. These primers successfully amplified products in different varieties of P. americana, hybrids and a related species, Persea schiedeana. These primers will be useful for characterizing germplasm, determining genetic relationships of cultivated accessions, and for marker-assisted development of root rot-tolerant P. americana var. americana rootstock material.
Are There Sectoral Anomalies Too? The Pitfalls of Unreported Multiple Hypothesis Testing and a Simple Solution

The recent emphasis on sector-specific investment strategies has led to the emergence of industry-specific calendar anomalies, notably the technology sector “summer swoon”. A standard t-test implies that these price movements provide arbitrage opportunities. However, this test fails to account for the many tests that may have preceded the swoon’s discovery. We propose the use of the Bonferroni correction to account for this unreported testing. Its application reverses the conclusions about the summer swoon and finds no evidence of calendar-based price patterns in any other sector. We also use the Bonferroni correction to revisit previously documented, market-wide, anomalies. Conclusions about the most widely cited anomalies (e.g., the January effect) are unchanged, but evidence for some other “anomalies” is substantially weakened. Our results emphasize that in evaluating a proposed anomaly, sectoral in nature or otherwise, it is crucial to account for the hypotheses that were likely to have been tested but not reported.
Molecular basis of cooperativity in protein folding. V. Thermodynamic and structural conditions for the stabilization of compact denatured states.

The heat-denatured state of proteins has been usually assumed to be a fully hydrated random coil. It is now evident that under certain solvent conditions or after chemical or genetic modifications, the protein molecule may exhibit a hydrophobic core and residual secondary structure after thermal denaturation. This state of the protein has been called the "compact denatured" or "molten globule" state. Recently is has been shown that alpha-lactalbumin at pH < 5 denatures into a molten globule state upon increasing the temperature (Griko, Y., Freire, E., Privalov, P.L. Biochemistry 33:1889-1899, 1994). This state has a lower heat capacity and a higher enthalpy at low temperatures the stabilization of the molten globule state is of an entropic origin since the enthalpy contributes unfavorably to the Gibbs free energy. Since the molten globule is more structured than the unfolded state and, therefore, is expected to have a lower configurational entropy, the net entropic gain must originate primarily from solvent related entropy arising from the hydrophobic effect, and to a lesser extent from protonation or electrostatic effects. In this work, we have examined a large ensemble of partly folded states derived from the native structure of alpha-lactalbumin in order to identify those states that satisfy the energetic criteria of the molten globule. It was found that only few states satisfied the experimental constraints and that, furthermore, those states were part of the same structural family. In particular, the regions corresponding to the A, B, and C helices were found to be folded, while the beta sheet and the D helix were found to be unfolded. At temperatures below 45 degrees C the states exhibiting those structural characteristics are enthalpically higher than the unfolded state in agreement with the experimental data. Interestingly, those states have a heat capacity close to that observed for the acid pH compact denatured state of alpha-lactalbumin [980 cal (mol.K)-1]. In addition, the folded regions of these states include those residues found to be highly protected by NMR hydrogen exchange experiments. This work represents an initial attempt to model the structural origin of the thermodynamic properties of partly folded states. The results suggest a number of structural features that are consistent with experimental data.
Footpoint Switching and the Evolution of Coronal Holes

We discuss the role of footpoint exchanges between open and closed magnetic field lines (also known as "interchange reconnection") in the formation and rotational evolution of coronal holes. Such exchanges cause open flux to jump from one location to another when active regions emerge; they also act to untie the rotation of coronal holes from that of the underlying plasma. We introduce a quantitative measure of the footpoint exchange rate and apply it to a variety of idealized configurations. During the formation of coronal holes, footpoint switching dominates over the creation of new open flux if the background (or polar) field is strong compared to that of the emerging active region, so the latter acts to change mainly the direction rather than the magnitude of the Sun's dipole vector. The principal role of footpoint exchanges is to counteract the subsequent rotational shearing of the holes; this result is accomplished by means of continual sideways displacements of open and closed field lines along the hole boundaries. Because the timescale for rotational shearing (~3 months) is less than that for the decay of the Sun's large-scale nonaxisymmetric field (~1 yr), interchange reconnection is expected on average to dominate over the closing down of flux throughout the solar cycle.
The Regional Healthcare Ecosystem Analyst (RHEA): a simulation modeling tool to assist infectious disease control in a health system.

Objective As healthcare systems continue to expand and interconnect with each other through patient sharing, administrators, policy makers, infection control specialists, and other decision makers may have to take account of the entire healthcare ‘ecosystem’ in infection control. Materials and methods We developed a software tool, the Regional Healthcare Ecosystem Analyst (RHEA), that can accept user-inputted data to rapidly create a detailed agent-based simulation model (ABM) of the healthcare ecosystem (ie, all healthcare facilities, their adjoining community, and patient flow among the facilities) of any region to better understand the spread and control of infectious diseases. Results To demonstrate RHEA's capabilities, we fed extensive data from Orange County, California, USA, into RHEA to create an ABM of a healthcare ecosystem and simulate the spread and control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus . Various experiments explored the effects of changing different parameters (eg, degree of transmission, length of stay, and bed capacity). Discussion Our model emphasizes how individual healthcare facilities are components of integrated and dynamic networks connected via patient movement and how occurrences in one healthcare facility may affect many other healthcare facilities. Conclusions A decision maker can utilize RHEA to generate a detailed ABM of any healthcare system of interest, which in turn can serve as a virtual laboratory to test different policies and interventions.