cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of changes in murine tumor oxygenation in response to nicotinamide using 19F NMR relaxometry of a perfluorocarbon emulsion

The oxygen dependencies of the 19F NMR spin-lattice relaxation rates (R1 = 1/T1) of a perfluorocarbon emulsion sequestered in a murine tumor model has been used to evaluate nicotinamide, a radiosensitizer believed to act through enhanced tissue oxygenation. Fluorine-19 NMR spectroscopic measurements from solid Radiation-Induced Fibrosarcoma (RIF-1) tumors in C3H mice showed a statistically significant improvement in tumor pO2 for a Nicotinamide-treated group, with a delta pO2 = 4.7 +/- 3 torr ( = mm Hg) (Mean +/- SEM) at t = 60 min (P 30 min were significant at the P < 0.05 level. Both groups had n = 10, and the statistics were based on Student's one-tailed group t test. By comparison, in another study group where breathing gas was switched from air to 100% O2, a statistically insignificant increase of 2 torr was realized in tumor pO2 (n = 9). The maximal treatment effect occurs at a delay of 60 to 70 min, consistent with results obtained by other investigators using radiobiology techniques. Fluorine-19 spectroscopic relaxometry can measure therapeutically meaningful changes in in vivo tumor pO2 and represents an improvement in expenditures of time, animal resources, and statistical power over conventional radiobiological methods.
On the Use of Exact and Heuristic Cutting Plane Methods for the Quadratic Assignment Problem

This paper uses the formulation of the quadratic assignment problem as that of minimizing a concave quadratic function over the assignment polytope. Cutting plane procedures are investigated for solving this problem. A lower bound derived on the number of cuts needed for termination indicates that conventional cutting plane procedures would require a huge computational effort for the exact solution of the quadratic assignment problems. However, several heuristics which are derived from the cutting planes produce optimal or good quality solutions early on in the search process. An illustrative example and computational results are presented.
Effect of initial conditions on combustion generated loads

Abstract This analytical study examines the effect of initial thermodynamic conditions on the loads generated by the combustion of homogeneous hydrogen-air-steam mixtures. The effect of initial temperature, pressure, hydrogen concentration, and steam concentration is evaluated for two cases, (1) constant volume and (2) constant initial pressure. For each case, the Adiabatic, Isochoric, Complete Combustion (AICC), Chapman-Jouguet (CJ), and normally reflected CJ pressures are calculated for a range of hydrogen and steam concentrations representative of the entire flammable regime. For detonation loads, pressure profiles and time-histories are also evaluated in one-dimensional Cartesian geometry. The results show that to a first approximation, the AICC and CJ pressures are directly proportional to the initial density. Increasing the hydrogen concentration up to stoichiometric concentrations significantly increases the AICC, CJ, and reflected CJ pressures. For the constant volume case, the AICC, CJ, and reflected CJ pressures increase with increasing hydrogen concentration on the rich side of stoichiometric concentrations. For the constant initial pressure case, the AICC, CJ, and reflected CJ pressures decrease with increasing hydrogen concentration on the rich side of stoichiometric values. The addition of steam decreases the AICC, CJ, and reflected CJ pressures for the constant initial pressure case, but increases them for the constant volume case. For detonations, the pressure time-histories can be normalized with the AICC pressure and the reverberation time for Cartesian geometry.
Fatal cerebral edema and intracranial hemorrhage associated with hypernatremic dehydration

We report neuroimaging findings of intracranial hemorrhage and cerebral edema in an infant with obtundation and seizures, initially suspected to be secondary to non-accidental trauma but finally attributed to hypernatremic dehydration. Neuroimaging findings due to hypernatremic dehydration have not been previously described in the radiologic literature. Hypernatremia should be included in the differential diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage in the infant without evidence of nonaccidental trauma.
SUMOylation Regulates Polo-like Kinase 1-interacting Checkpoint Helicase (PICH) during Mitosis

Mitotic SUMOylation has an essential role in faithful chromosome segregation in eukaryotes, although its molecular consequences are not yet fully understood. In Xenopus egg extract assays, we showed that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is modified by SUMO2/3 at mitotic centromeres and that its enzymatic activity could be regulated by SUMOylation. To determine the molecular consequence of mitotic SUMOylation, we analyzed SUMOylated PARP1-specific binding proteins. We identified Polo-like kinase 1-interacting checkpoint helicase (PICH) as an interaction partner of SUMOylated PARP1 in Xenopus egg extract. Interestingly, PICH also bound to SUMOylated topoisomerase IIα (TopoIIα), a major centromeric small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) substrate. Purified recombinant human PICH interacted with SUMOylated substrates, indicating that PICH directly interacts with SUMO, and this interaction is conserved among species. Further analysis of mitotic chromosomes revealed that PICH localized to the centromere independent of mitotic SUMOylation. Additionally, we found that PICH is modified by SUMO2/3 on mitotic chromosomes and in vitro. PICH SUMOylation is highly dependent on protein inhibitor of activated STAT, PIASy, consistent with other mitotic chromosomal SUMO substrates. Finally, the SUMOylation of PICH significantly reduced its DNA binding capability, indicating that SUMOylation might regulate its DNA-dependent ATPase activity. Collectively, our findings suggest a novel SUMO-mediated regulation of the function of PICH at mitotic centromeres. Background: Mitotic SUMOylation is critical for faithful chromosome segregation in eukaryotes. Results: PICH (Plk1-interacting checkpoint helicase) is a SUMO-interacting protein and a mitotic SUMO substrate. Conclusion: PICH can be regulated by binding to SUMOylated proteins and through its own SUMOylation at mitotic centromeres. Significance: The regulation of PICH by SUMO interaction and SUMOylation reveals a novel role for mitotic SUMOylation in centromeric chromatin organization.
Observation of high momentum tails of positron-annihilation lineshapes☆

Abstract Positron-annihilation lineshapes were studied in Ag, Cd, In, Sn and Be with a novel Doppler-broadening apparatus. The peak-to-background ratio was improved on the high-energy side of the annihilation photopeak by more than a factor of 30 over standard Doppler-broadening systems. Line-shapes could therefore be studied with greater accuracy. Spectra obtained with this system showed deviations from Gaussian behavior in all but the Be sample at energies greater than the Fermi energy, representing primarily annihilations with core electrons. Consequently, deconvolution by standard procedures into core and conduction electron components proved unsatisfactory. These results indicate that it is possible by this method to study electron momentum distributions in the high momentum region not previously covered in angular-correlation experiments.
A Shot in the Dark: A Technique for Locating the Stellar Counterparts of Damped Lyα Absorbers*

We present initial results from a Magellan telescope program to image galaxies that give rise to damped Lyα absorbers (DLAs) at 1.63 ≤ zDLA ≤ 2.37. Our program differs from previous efforts in that we target quasars with intervening Lyman limit systems (LLSs) along the line of sight at redshift zLLS > 3.5. The higher redshift LLS is applied as a blocking filter to remove the glare of the background quasar at the rest-frame ultraviolet wavelengths of the foreground galaxy. The complete absence of quasar light offers us an unimpeded view along the sight line to the redshift of the LLS, allowing for an exhaustive search of the DLA galaxy to the sensitivity limit of the imaging data (at or better than 0.25L*). In both of our pilot fields (PKS 2000-330 [zDLA = 2.033] and SDSS 0322-0558 [zDLA = 1.69]), we identify an L* galaxy within 5'' of the sight line that has optical colors consistent with star-forming galaxies at z ≈ 2. We examine the correlation between absorption-line properties and galaxy luminosity and impact distance, and we compare the high-redshift galaxy and absorber pairs with those known at z < 1.
An unusual presentation of a case of staphylococcal pericarditis during pregnancy

Abstract A case of a pregnant, drug-addicted patient with a pyogenic pericarditis without the systemic infectious manifestations is described.
Spall experiments and microscopy of depleted U-0.75% Ti alloy. A Romanchenko correction to a spall strength calculation

Abstract The spall strength of depleted U-0.75% Ti was found to be between −4.1 to −2.9 GPa within the range of 5–22 GPa shock pressure. The Romanchenko approach used, introduces correction to the spall-strength calculation, significantly increasing the conventionally calculated spall strength of the depleted U-0.75% Ti. The fracture surfaces of spalled U-0.75% Ti are presented.
Digital Display And Printing Of Color Images Based On Uniform Color Spacest

Digital devices for display or printing of images may be characterized by their ability to generate spots centered at points on a fixed spatial lattice. Each spot may be assigned one of a finite number of color values. For reasons of economy in hardware design and data representation, it is desirable to use as small a set of different color values as possible. We have investigated the implementation of algorithms for choosing this set of output colors in alternate color spaces chosen on a perceptual basis. These algorithms utilize quantizers that range in complexity from being separable, uniform, and image independent, to being non-separable, nonuniform, and image dependent. Color input and output devices each have associated with them a particular palette of colors. The location of these colors in standard color spaces is a function of the physics of the device, and can in general only be determined by direct measurement. Effective use of algorithms for printing and display requires careful calibration of both input and output devices to assure accurate transformation between color spaces.
Calculations of tungsten silicide and carbide formation on SiC using the Gibbs free energy

Abstract Fabricating electronic devices capable of operation at elevated temperatures requires understanding the chemical reactions at the metal–semiconductor interface. A Gibbs ternary diagram approach is used to understand the temperature sequence of silicide and carbide formation, and stability in WSiC ternary systems. Limitations of the thermodynamic approach are discussed, and comparisons with experimental results are made.
Atomic layer deposition of aluminum oxide on carboxylic acid-terminated self-assembled monolayers.

In situ infrared absorption spectroscopy is used to monitor atomic layer deposition (ALD) of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) on carboxylic acid-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), Si(111)−(CH2)10−COOH (or COOH−SAMs), directly grafted on silicon (111) at ∼100 °C. The quality of resulting Al2O3 films is comparable to Al2O3 on SiO2. Both the SAM film and the Si/SAM interface remain chemically stable during growth and upon post annealing to 400 °C, suggesting that the tight packing of the alkyl chains and COOH−SAM head groups presents a diffusion barrier and promotes ordered nucleation for ALD.
Some Classes of Valid Inequalities and Convex Hull Characterizations for Dynamic Fixed-Charge Problems under Nested Constraints

This paper studies the polyhedral structure of dynamic fixed-charge problems that have nested relationships constraining the flow or activity variables. Constraints of this type might typically arise in hierarchical or multi-period models and capacitated lot-sizing problems, but might also be induced among choices of key variables via an LP-based post-optimality analysis. We characterize several classes of valid inequalities and inductively derive convex hull representations in a higher dimensional space using lifting constructs based on the Reformulation-Linearization Technique. Relationships with certain known classes of valid inequalities for single item capacitated lot-sizing problems are also identified.
Effect of differential housing and time on immune reactivity to sheep erythrocytes and Candida

Abstract Male C 3 H HeJ mice were housed 5 or 1 per cage for varying periods of time. Approximately 10–14 days after the animals were placed under the differential housing conditions, the reactivity of lymphocytes to concanavalin A and to intraperitoneal injection of sheep erythrocytes became greater in animals housed 1 per cage in comparison with those housed five per cage. By 3 weeks the immune reactivity was similar regardless of the number of animals housed per cage. Similarly, resistance to infection with Candida albicans was greater in animals housed one per cage at approximately 10–14 days after the animals had been isolated. By 3 weeks a difference in resistance to C. albicans was not apparent between animals housed 5 or 1 per cage. Thus, housing conditions can transiently alter immunologic reactivity, including susceptibility to an infectious agent in male C 3 H HeJ mice. However, female C 3 H HeJ mice and male C57BL 6J mice did not show an effect of housing conditions on immune reactions.
Evidence for ecological release over a fine spatial scale in a lizard from the White Sands formation

When a population experiences relaxation of selective pressures due to reduced predation or competition, it may undergo ecological release. Ecological release often manifests as increased niche breadth and trait variation, as individuals have the opportunity to exploit a wider variety of resources. At the recently-colonized White Sands dune formation in New Mexico, lizards from white sand habitat have fewer predators and competitors than their dark soil counterparts, and show evidence of ecological release compared to dark soil lizards. To determine whether the dynamics of ecological release also play out over an even finer habitat gradient, we studied southwestern fence lizards in the center of the White Sands dune formation and the narrow ecotone between White Sands and the surrounding dark soil habitats. We predicted that lizards from the central dunes would exhibit ecological release in terms of broadened resource use compared to lizards from the ecotone. We first conducted avian surveys in both the central dunes and ecotone habitats to measure abundance, richness and diversity of avian species that could act as lizard predators. Next, we measured microhabitat-scale resource use by comparing perch selection of lizards in both habitats. Finally, we measured landscape-scale resource use by quantifying home range sizes and daily distances traveled by lizards in both habitats. We found that central dunes lizards used a greater diversity of perch types, and had greater variation in both home range size and daily distances traveled, than ecotone lizards. There were fewer predatory bird species in the central dunes than on the ecotone, and there was a tendency for fewer predation events in the central dunes than on the ecotone. Our results demonstrate that ecological release is detectable over a fine habitat gradient, such as between the center of a recently-colonized habitat and its ecotone with the surrounding ecosystem.
Non-flame cells in atomic fluorescence spectrometry

ABSTRACT The atomic concentration available for excitation in atomic absorption (AA) and atomic fluorescence (AF) spectrometry can be increased by maintaining a low concentration of species, such as O, OH, etc., to minimize compound formation and maintaining a fairly low temperature to minimize ionization. An effective means of accomplishing this is to use a graphite furnace (at a temperature of about 2000°K). Such a furnace if flushed with argon provides a nearly ideal environment for atomization of the sample. L'vov has used such a system for AA. More recently Massman, and Woodriff, have described similar systems for AA and have obtained excellent senstivities for elements normally difficult to atomize in flames, e.g. Al and Sn. Massman also used a graphite furnace with hollow cathode discharge tube sources for AF and again obtained good sensitivities for several elements even though his sources were of low intensities. The major difficulties encountered in using graphite cells have been poor reproducibility in sampling and the presence of high background. A theoretical comparison of the graphite cell and the flame cell for analytical spectrometry is given. Also emission, absorption and fluorescence spectrometry are compared with respect to radiance levels. As a result of the theoretical comparison, the optimum method for trace element analysis would seem to be atomic fluorescence with a graphite cell. We are using a unique graphite cell system with both continuum and line sources for excitation. We are modulating the exciting radiation and using either a synchronous photon counting or a lock-in amplifier. The sample solution is introduced into the graphite cell via a hypodermic syringe or via a nebulizer. An argon flush is used to minimize oxidation of the graphite.
Changes in tongue pressure, pulmonary function, and salivary flow in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease involving nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement (Rowland LP, Shneider NA, N Engl J Med 344(22):1688–1700, 2001). The aim of this study were to determine the pattern of neurodegenerative change in (1) isometric tongue strength (ITS) and spontaneous saliva swallow (SSS) pressure, (2) saliva weight, and (3) forced vital capacity (FVC) in patients with ALS who present with primary spinal versus primary bulbar symptoms. Twenty-three consecutive patients (age = 48–80 years, mean = 59.5 years) were enrolled. Data were collected over three visits (12-week interval) for each group: 9 patients with bulbar symptoms and 14 with spinal symptoms. A significant difference was noted in SSS and ITS in the group with bulbar symptoms from Trial 1 to II and from Trial II to III. SSS and ITS showed a significant difference when comparing Trial I to III but not when comparing Trial I to II for the spinal symptom group, indicating that this group experienced a slower decline in SSS. Saliva production did not show a significant change in the bulbar symptom group but did in the spinal group. FVC was significantly different when comparing Trial I to III and Trial II to III for both groups. FVC, SSS, and ITS may be complimentary measures used as a gauge of an ALS patient’s ability to efficiently take oral nutrition and to support required alterations in diet consistency.
Simulation versus Text: Acquisition of Implicit and Explicit Information

This study investigated potential differences in learning between two instructional activities: reading from a text and using a computer simulation. Participants were undergraduate students with limited knowledge of the domain topic (project management). Participants in both conditions (Simulation and Text) improved equally on a decontextualized, abstract knowledge assessment. In contrast, only the participants in the Simulation condition significantly improved on a contextualized case-based assessment. A propositional analysis revealed that participants in the Simulation condition acquired a significant amount of implicit domain information from pretest to posttest, whereas participants in the Text condition did not. These results suggest that educational computer simulations have the potential to significantly enhance the learning of implicit domain knowledge.
CFFD: a tool for designing flexible shapes

This paper describes a solid deformation method, composed free-form deformation (CFFD), which applies a sequence of uniform periodic B-spline FFDs over 3D Euclidean space. The construction of the individual FFDs, which are defined by unbounded control lattices, is described, concentrating on a method by which feature point trajectories are employed to control lattice point displacements. Problems due to mutual influence of feature point trajectories are discussed, and frozen points, which inhibit deformation in their proximity, are introduced. Also, methods for constructing the FFD lattices are proposed which control mutual influence of feature point trajectories. The paper addresses computational issues of constructing and applying CFFDs, and discusses the application of CFFD to 3D design and animation.
Spatial variation in kelp forest communities along the Big Sur coast of central California, USA

Abstract Giant kelp [Macrocystis pyrifera (Linnaeus) C. Agardh] forests are commonly called a community, but their composition varies among sites and depths. While numerous studies mention this variation and it is the descriptive basis for general models of kelp community structure, it has rarely been quantitatively assessed. We described kelp forest structure among four depths (6, 9, 12, and 15 m) at nine sites along 80 km of the relatively pristine Big Sur coast of California. Density and cover of common organisms were assessed in replicate quadrats at each depth in each site. Macrocystis pyrifera formed a surface canopy at eight sites, and bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana (Mertens) Postels & Ruprecht, at one site. The understory kelps Pterygophora californica Ruprecht and Laminaria setchellii P.C. Silva and the bat star Asterina miniata Brandt were the most abundant organisms counted as individuals. Geniculate and nongeniculate coralline algae and encrusting invertebrates had the highest cover. Abundances of giant kelp and the two understory kelps, and sessile invertebrates were significantly different among sites, and differences in sessile invertebrate abundance suggest two general ‘types’ of kelp forests in the region; one with abundant understory kelps and coralline algae and the other with an understory dominated by sessile invertebrates. Among the eight abundant taxa only the abundance of the two types of coralline algae varied significantly among depths when all sites were combined. Cluster analyses indicated two depth zones within these forests.
A quality assurance initiative for commercial-scale production in high-throughput cryopreservation of blue catfish sperm

Cryopreservation of fish sperm has been studied for decades at a laboratory (research) scale. However, high-throughput cryopreservation of fish sperm has recently been developed to enable industrial-scale production. This study treated blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) sperm high-throughput cryopreservation as a manufacturing production line and initiated quality assurance plan development. The main objectives were to identify: (1) the main production quality characteristics; (2) the process features for quality assurance; (3) the internal quality characteristics and their specification designs; (4) the quality control and process capability evaluation methods, and (5) the directions for further improvements and applications. The essential product quality characteristics were identified as fertility-related characteristics. Specification design which established the tolerance levels according to demand and process constraints was performed based on these quality characteristics. Meanwhile, to ensure integrity throughout the process, internal quality characteristics (characteristics at each quality control point within process) that could affect fertility-related quality characteristics were defined with specifications. Due to the process feature of 100% inspection (quality inspection of every fish), a specific calculation method, use of cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts, was applied to monitor each quality characteristic. An index of overall process evaluation, process capacity, was analyzed based on in-control process and the designed specifications, which further integrates the quality assurance plan. With the established quality assurance plan, the process could operate stably and quality of products would be reliable.
Inhibition of plasminogen activator release from transformed chicken fibroblasts by a protease inhibitor

Chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) transformed by Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) exhibit increases in both a cell-associated and a secreted form of plasminogen activator (PA). The mechanism whereby the membrane-bound, cell-associated form of PA is processed to an extracellular, soluble form has been examined in cultures of chicken fibroblasts transformed by a temperature-sensitive mutant of RSV. We report that chymostatin, a protease inhibitor of limited specificity, inhibits the release of PA from tsRSVCEF while causing accumulation of cell-associated PA. Chymostatin's effect on PA release is specific, reversible and appears to be due to its anti-proteolytic capacity. Chymostatin does not inhibit cellular protein synthesis or interfere in the assay used to measure PA. A chymostatin-sensitive protease activity has been found in a membrane fraction isolated from tsRSVCEF.
Patterns of Information Source Use Across Industrial Purchase Situations

An empirical taxonomy of industrial customers' information source use is developed based on a survey of 636 industrial customers across a wide range of different purchase situations. The taxonomy reveals five distinct information source mixes. Each mix consists of the combination of individual information sources used in a purchase situation. The five information source mixes are related to select underlying characteristics of purchase situations. The results indicate that the multivariate dimensions of purchase involvement, purchase complexity, and multiple influence are all significantly related to customers' choice of an information source mix. Implications of the taxonomy for marketing management and research are discussed.
Lipoxins in the eye and their role in wound healing

Abstract The eye must contain highly evolved programs to limit inflammation and promote wound healing as an errant response can lead to blindness. However, pathways that protect the delicate visual axis and account for its atypical inflammatory responses remain to be clearly defined. Hence, research efforts have been initiated to elucidate the role of the anti-inflammatory LXA 4 circuits in the eye. LXA 4 is formed in healthy and injured corneas and both its receptor and 12/15-lipoxygenase are predominately expressed in epithelial cells. An essential role for LXA 4 in preserving ocular function is supported by 12/15-LOX deficient mice that exhibit a phenotype of impaired wound healing and LXA 4 formation. A novel epithelial bioaction role for LXA 4 has been uncovered in the cornea as topical LXA 4 promotes wound healing and limits the sequelae of injury. These emerging studies indicate that the LXA 4 circuit may hold a fundamental role in maintaining an ocular environment that actively restricts inflammation while promoting wound healing.
Progress Developing the Kansas Early Childhood Special Education Accountability System Initial Findings Using ECO and COSF

Policy decision makers, early educators, and early interventionists face numerous challenges as they develop and implement statewide accountability systems to evaluate and improve children's early intervention and early childhood special education outcomes. Kansas was an early adopter of the Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF) developed by the Early Childhood Outcomes Center as a means of integrating multiple sources of information on children's performance and to meet policy requirements of the state and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The purpose of this article is to describe the Kansas experience and to report preliminary findings for entry-level COSF data. Implications are discussed.
The effect of glucose ingestion on basal and induced enzyme levels in rat tissues.

Abstract The ingestion of glucose ad libitum (for 19 h to 3 days) decreased the levels of enzymes concerned with amino acid metabolism in liver and intestine (but not in kidney and brain) and raised those of hepatic glucokinase, pyruvate kinase and NADP-malate dehydrogenase. Glucose feeding inhibited the substrate and cortisol induction of tryptophan oxygenase; it did not diminish the induction of tyrosine aminotransferase by glucagon (in adrenalectomized rats) or of renal ornithine aminotransferase by estrogen and it enhanced the response of NADP-malate dehydrogenase to thyroxine. In hepatomas, as opposed to normal liver, 24 h of glucose feeding increased the basal and the cortisol-induced levels of tyrosine aminotransferase. The results obtained with endocrinectomized and hormone-treated rats led to the following conclusions: (1) the effects of glucose ingestion on the quantitative pattern of hepatic enzymes is not mediated through altered secretion of pituitary, adrenal or pancreatic hormones but presumably by metabolites of glucose; (2) glucose, ingested in large amounts over 1–3 days, is not an inhibitor of enzyme inductions in general: its effect varies with the enzyme, the inducer and the tissue in which the enzyme is located.
Time-Resolved CU X-Ray Spectra from Four Wire X Pinches

Summary form only given. X-pinch plasmas are formed when an X pinch (made by crossing two or more fine wires in the form of an "X"), is driven by a 450 kA current pulse in Cornell's XP pulser. We've obtained time-resolved spectra from the plasma of 4 wire 25 mum diameter Cu and 4 wire 25 mum diameter Manganin (86% Cu, 14% Mn) X pinches using an X-ray streak camera together with a spherically bent mica crystal spectrometer. Time integrated spectra have also been obtained using a focusing spectrometer with spatial resolution (FSSR) with a spherically bent mica crystal. Both streak camera spectra and FSSR spectra of Cu K-shell and Cu L-shell line emission from Cu and Manganin have been recorded and analyzed. A simple Gabriel model has been developed to model the experimental spectra and to extract the electron temperature as a function of time. An electron temperature of ~200 eV has been inferred from Cu L-shell spectra and 2 keV has been inferred from Cu K-shell spectra from both the time-integrated and time-dependent experiments. The results of the experiments as well as the application of the model are discussed
A Novel Pressure Compensating Valve for Low-Cost Drip Irrigation

This paper presents a novel pressure-compensating flow restrictor for low-cost/low-pressure drip irrigation systems. There are nearly one billion subsistence farmers in the developing world who lack the resources and opportunities to rise out of poverty. Irrigation is an effective development strategy for this population, enabling farmers to increase crop yields and grow more lucrative plant varieties. Unfortunately, as a large fraction of subsistence farmers live off the electrical grid, the capital cost of solar or diesel powered irrigation systems makes them unobtainable. This cost could be drastically reduced by altering drip irrigation systems to operate at a decreased pressure such that lower pumping power is required. The work presented here aims to accomplish this by designing a drip emitter that operates at 0.1 bar, 1/10 the pressure of current products, while also providing pressure-compensation to uniformly distribute flow over a field.Our proposed pressure compensating solution is inspired by the resonating nozzle of a deflating balloon. First, a reduced order model is developed to understand the physical principles which drive the cyclic collapse of the balloon nozzle. We then apply this understanding to propose a pressure compensating emitter consisting of compliant tube in series with a rigid diffuser. A scaling analysis is performed to determine the ideal geometry of the system and the reduced order model is applied to demonstrate that the proposed design is capable of pressure compensation in the required operation range. Preliminary experiments demonstrating the collapse effect are presented, along with initial work to translate the concept to a robust physical device.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Pigeons’ short-term memory for temporal and visual stimuli in delayed matching-to-sample

In the present experiment, we compared directly pigeons’ short-term memory of temporal and visual stimuli in a delayed matching-to-sample task. The sample stimuli consisted of red and green lights presented for 5 and 30 sec, followed by a retention interval and blue and yellow comparisons. For subjects in the visual group, duration was irrelevant and the color of the sample was the conditional cue. For animals in the temporal group, color was irrelevant and duration of the sample was the conditional stimulus. The results showed that acquisition of the matching task was faster and accuracy was higher in the visual than in the temporal group. More importantly, memory of either sample generally declined at a similar rate when the duration of the retention interval was increased and when the intertrial interval was reduced. Taken together, the results indicate that with 1–8-sec retention intervals, short-term memory for temporal stimuli is similar to that found with color-visual samples. The findings are discussed in terms of retrospective and prospective processing.
Advanced broadband baffle materials

Several advanced, lightweight, robust, broadband-diffuse absorptive baffle materials are available for sensor-system designers. These materials technologies are shown to be scaleable, and to possess target-survivable performance; they include sputter-deposited Be on cold-rolled Be ingot sheet material or Be foam, plasma-sprayed Be, plasma-sprayed B-on-Be, and CVD B4C on graphite. An account is also given of the Optics Manufacturing Operations Development and Integration Laboratory Advanced Optical Baffle Program.
APPLES OF GOLD IN PICTURES OF SILVER: WHERE HAVE ALL THE WORDS GONE?

“I love smooth words like gold-enameled fish Which circle slowly with a silken swish” (Elinor Wylie).
Influence of propagule size, soil fertility, and photoperiod on growth and propagule production by three species of submersed macrophytes

Potamogeton pectinatus, P. gramineus, and monoeciousHydrilla verticillata were grown in greenhouse experiments at 2 photoperiods, 5 levels of sediment nutrients, and from initial propagules of 3 different size classes to determine how these factors influenced growth and production of vegetative propagules.Potamogeton pectinatus weight increased with increasing tuber size and soil fertility, but differences between plants grown at two photoperiods were small. Mean weight of tubers was greater for plants grown under a 10-h photoperiod and from tubers in the medium or large size class. Tuber production by plants grown from small tubers under a 10-h photoperiod was much less and was about the same as that for all plants grown under the 16-h photoperiod whatever the initial tuber size.Potamogeton gramineus weight was greater for plants grown on more fertile soils at the 16-h photoperiod. Plant weights at the 10-h photoperiod were less affected by soil fertility. Plants from larger winter buds weighed more. Winter buds were only produced under the 10-h photoperiod. ForH. verticillata, there were several significant interactions. In general, plants from larger tubers weighed more if they grew on more fertile soils or at the 16-h photoperiod. Plants grown at the short photoperiod produced more tubers with increasing soil fertility and with increasing propagule size. These results imply that propagule size may be important in determining aquatic plant persistence in an area through its effects on growth and propagule production.
Mitogen activated protein kinases as targets for development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs.

Given the prevalence and debilitating nature of chronic inflammatory diseases there is a never ending quest for identification of novel targets for the rational development of anti-inflammatory drugs. Although the major signalling pathway that controls inflammation associated gene expression is the one leading to activation of transcription factor NF-κB, considerable attention has also been given to mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) as likely targets for development of novel anti-inflammatory therapeutics. Indeed, inhibitors targeting these pathways have been developed and preliminary preclinical data suggest that they exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. This report focuses on the possible mechanisms through which such inhibitors may interfere with inflammation and discusses the pros and cons of targeting MAPKs in the treatment of chronic inflammatory disease.
Scheduling about a common due date with earliness and tardiness penalties

Abstract This paper describes solution techniques for scheduling a set of independent jobs on a single machine where the objective is to minimize the mean squared deviation of the completion times about a common due date. A branch and bound algorithm is proposed and implemented using a recursive scheme. The algorithm is tested on job sets drawn from six different distributions of processing times. Computational experiments which compare this approach with the existing methodology indicate that the former is significantly faster and can solve much larger problems. A heuristic based upon the branch and bound algorithm is also presented which provides fast solutions with constant performance guarantees.
SiNx barrier layers deposited at 250°C on a clear polymer substrate

Interest is widespread in flexible thin-film transistor backplanes made on clear polymer foil, which could be universally employed for a variety of applications. All ultralow process temperatures, plastic compatible thin film transistor (TFT) technologies battle short or long term device instabilities. The quality and stability of amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si:H TFTs) improves with increasing process temperature. TFT stacks deposited at less than 250°C by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) exhibit higher threshold voltage shifts after gate bias stressing than stacks deposited at ∼300°C in the active matrix liquid-crystal display (AMLCD) industry [1]. Therefore, optically clear plastic (CP) substrates are desired that tolerate high process temperatures. The first step in a-Si:H TFT fabrication on a polymer is the deposition of a planarizing barrier and adhesion layer. For this purpose we have been using silicon nitride (SiNx) grown by PECVD. This paper discusses the substrate preparation and SiNx deposition for the process temperature of 250°C. We study the mechanical strain in the SiNx film on the CP substrate, as a function of RF power. Earlier work has shown that SiNx films deposited at low RF power are under tensile strain, and become increasingly compressed as the deposition power is raised [2]. Additionally, at very high deposition power the substrate is bombarded at the beginning of film growth to achieve good film adhesion. The goal is to identify the correct processing conditions at which the total mismatch strain between the film and the substrate is minimized, to keep the film/substrate composite flat and avoid mechanical fracture as well as peeling due to poor adhesion. Optimal deposition conditions were identified to obtain crack-free SiNx barrier layers. The barrier layers were tested by fabricating a-Si:H TFTs on them at 250°C.
Spanish History in The Fairy Country: Dealing with Social Trauma in 'Pan's Labyrinth'

Resumen: La celebrada El laberinto del fauno (Del Toro, 2006) pone en escena un cuento de hadas situado en los convulsos tiempos de la primera posguerra civil espanola. La critica ha senalado las dificultades para evaluar la conflictiva relacion entre historia y fantasia en el ambiguo final feliz de la pelicula, y ha tratado de relacionar la moraleja final con el trauma de la Guerra Civil. En este trabajo, preferimos leer el film a la luz de otro trauma social, el que marca el momento de su produccion. Si tenemos en cuenta que la Transicion de una dictadura fascista a una monarquia parlamentaria no ha sido abierta ni pacificamente debatida en las decadas siguientes y que cierto silencio sobre este tema persiste todavia hoy; es posible entender la pelicula como una forma de abordar algunos asuntos pendientes de la cultura espanola contemporanea. Palabras Clave : Laberinto del Fauno , Del Toro, Trauma Social, Memoria Historica, Transicion Espanola, Cultura Espanola. Abstract: The successful film El laberinto del fauno (Del Toro, 2006) presents a fairy tale set in the convulsive times of the Spanish Civil War’s aftermath. The scholarship on this film already established the difficulties inherent in evaluating the conflictive relation between history and fantasy in the movie’s ambiguous happy ending and has tried to relate the film's moral with the social trauma of the Civil War. In this essay, we chose to read the film in the light of another social trauma, that which marked the moment of its production. Considering that the Transition from a fascist dictatorship to a parliamentary monarchy has not been openly and peacefully discussed in the subsequent decades, and that a tense silence in regards to this topic continues to this very day, it is possible to understand the movie as an attempt to address some unfinished business in contemporary Spanish culture. Key Words: Pan’s Labyrinth , Del Toro, Social Trauma, Historical Memory, Spanish Transition, Spanish Culture.
Inhibitor of intramembranous absorption in ovine amniotic fluid

Intramembranous absorption increases during intra-amniotic infusion of physiological saline solutions. The increase may be due partly to the concomitant elevation in fetal urine production as fetal urine contains a stimulator of intramembranous absorption. In this study, we hypothesized that the increase in intramembranous absorption during intra-amniotic infusion is due, in part, to dilution of a nonrenal inhibitor of intramembranous absorption that is present in amniotic fluid. In late-gestation fetal sheep, amniotic fluid volume and the four primary amniotic inflows and outflows were determined over 2-day intervals under three conditions: 1) control conditions when fetal urine entered the amniotic sac, 2) during intra-amniotic infusion of 2 l/day of lactated Ringer solution when urine entered the amniotic sac, and 3) during the same intra-amniotic infusion when fetal urine was continuously replaced with lactated Ringer solution. Amniotic fluid volume, fetal urine production, swallowed volume, and intramembranous absorption rate increased during the infusions independent of fetal urine entry into the amniotic sac or its replacement. Lung liquid secretion rate was unchanged during infusion. Because fetal membrane stretch has been shown not to be involved and because urine replacement did not alter the response, we conclude that the increase in intramembranous absorption that occurs during intra-amniotic infusions is due primarily to dilution of a nonrenal inhibitor of intramembranous absorption that is normally present in amniotic fluid. This result combined with our previous study suggests that a nonrenal inhibitor(s) together with a renal stimulator(s) interact to regulate intramembranous absorption rate and, hence, amniotic fluid volume.
Increased cancer risk among relatives of nonsmoking lung cancer cases

Lung cancer has been shown to aggregate in families of nonsmoking lung cancer cases with an earlier age at onset. The current study evaluates whether relatives of nonsmoking lung cancer cases are at increased risk of cancers at sites other than lung. Families were identified through 257 population-based, nonsmoking lung cancer cases and 277 population-based, nonsmoking controls residing in metropolitan Detroit. Data were collected for 2,252 relatives of cases and 2,408 relatives of controls. First-degree relatives of nonsmoking lung cancer cases were at 1.52-fold (95% CI, 1.02-2.27) increased risk of cancer of the digestive system after adjustment for each relative's age, race, sex, and smoking status. Relative risk estimates also were elevated, but not significantly, for tobacco-related cancers (RR = 1.39) and breast cancer (RR = 1.72). Among first-degree relatives of younger probands (age 40-59), risk was non-significantly increased 72% (95% CI 0.95-3.10) for all cancers combined and 3.14-fold for cancers of the digestive system (95% CI 0.76-12.9). Nonsmoking relatives of cases were at increased risk of all cancer sites combined (RR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.003-1.73), cancers other than lung (RR = 1.37; 95% CI 1.03-1.82), and digestive system cancers (RR = 2.01; 95% CI 1.20-3.37). These findings of moderate familial aggregation for cancers of the lung, digestive system, breast, and tobacco-related sites suggest that common susceptibility genes may act to increase risk for a variety of cancers in families.
On Token Rewards and Real Dangers: A Look at the Data

Recent studies examining the undermining effects of reward in token economy programs were reviewed in light of earlier cautions. It was concluded that undermining effects are not an invariable consequence of these programs, but that the role of such influences in token economies may not yet be fully understood.
Magnetostatic dipolar propagation in a thin ferromagnet slab

A thin ferromagnet slab magnetised in an arbitrary direction parallel to its plane is shown to support a magnetostatic dipolar mode hosc resonant frequency is the same as that of magnetostatic propagation in an infinite medium transverse to the bias field.
Bilateral Diffuse Uveal Melanocytic Proliferation With Multiple Iris Cysts

Importance Bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation (BDUMP) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome with characteristic findings, including exudative retinal detachment, rapid cataract formation, and uveal melanocytic tumors. We report a case notable for bilateral iris and ciliary body cysts—a rare presentation of the disease. Observations A woman in her 50s presented with bilateral decreased vision. Her medical history was significant for clear cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. Slitlamp examination revealed a contiguous ring of pigmented translucent iris cysts at the pupillary margin of each eye, confirmed with ultrasound biomicroscopy. Ophthalmoscopic examination of the left eye showed a geographic patch of subretinal fluid temporal to the macula that was associated with orange polygonal pigment. The patient underwent periocular injection of triamcinolone acetonide, with resolution of the subretinal fluid. Recurrent fluid was treated successfully with a second injection of triamcinolone. Conclusions and Relevance Our case of BDUMP appears to be the first to demonstrate multiple iris and ciliary body cysts with high-quality color photography and ultrasound biomicroscopy. Involvement of the anterior uveal tract may be more common than reported in the literature because of its occult nature. Ultrasound biomicroscopy and anterior segment optical coherence tomography may be useful in patients with suspected BDUMP to identify anterior uveal tract involvement.