cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of humic and fulvic acids on release of fixed potassium.

Abstract Release of potassium fixed by expanding silicate clays is considered of practical importance in soil fertility. Humic and fulvic acids are expected to play a definite role in liberating this fixed K, because of their chelating power, but not much is known in this respect. The following investigation was conducted to study release of fixed K by montmorillonite and illite, using humic and fulvic acids isolated from the surface horizon of a Cecil soil (Typic Hapludult, Red Yellow Podzolic soil) as extractants. For comparison, extraction was also done with 1 N neutral NH4 -acetate, a mixture of 0.05 N HCl and 0.025 N H2SO4 or H2 O. Supporting analyses of clays were carried out with X-ray diffraction to establish changes, if any, in crystal structure due to fixation, release of K, or adsorption of humic compounds. The results indicated that humic and fulvic acids released some of the K fixed by montmorillonite or illite. In terms of percentage of the total K fixed, 9 to 28% were released by the various extractants. The percentages K released by humic and fulvic acids were similar from both montmorillonite and illite, but based on absolute values, humic and fulvic acids extracted less K (mg/100 g) from illite than montmorillonite. Although statistically significant at the 5% level of probability, the capacity of humic compounds to liberate fixed K was not different markedly from those of NH4 -acetate and the double acid mixture. Differences in pH of humic solutions had no influence on extraction of fixed K. X-ray diffraction analysis yielded curves showing an increase in spacing from 10.4 A for K-montmorillonite to 13.2 A as a result of extraction with the double acid mixture.
Sex, sex role, and psychomotor reminiscence

Abstract Effects of sex and sex role on psychomotor reminiscence and task proficiency were investigated in samples of masculine males, masculine females, feminine males, and feminine females, as defined by the Bem Sex Role Inventory. Sex contributed significantly to the variance of reminiscence and to the slopes of prerest practice gains, as others have found. Sex role contributed virtually nothing to the variance of reminiscence, but feminine subjects of both sexes reached generally higher levels of performance than masculine subjects. Sex and sex role effects were orthogonal at all points of comparison.
Impairment of hippocampal long-term potentiation by Alzheimer amyloid beta-peptides.

Although it is generally believed that amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, the precise role of these peptides in the development of memory loss of Alzheimer's disease, has not been fully understood. The present study examined the effect of several synthetic Abeta peptides on long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular model of learning and memory, in rat hippocampal slices. Brief perfusion of slices with low concentrations (200 nM or 1 microM) of Abeta(1-42), Abeta(1-40) or their active fragment Abeta(25--35) significantly inhibited LTP induction without affecting the basal synaptic transmission and posttetanic potentiation in the dentate medial perforant path. A similar effect of Abeta(25-35) was also observed in the Schaffer collateral-CA1 pathway. When comparing actions of several Abeta variants derived from Abeta(25-35), the N-terminal sequence of Abeta(25-35) was found necessary for inhibiting LTP. In addition, Abeta variants lacking neurotoxic action and aggregating property were also able to block LTP, suggesting that this effect was neurotoxicity independent. Our findings demonstrated that subneurotoxic concentrations of Abeta peptides could strongly suppress long-term synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Such an effect might underlie the memory deficits seen in Alzheimer's disease before neuronal cell loss.
Do estimated and actual species phylogenies match? Evaluation of East African cichlid radiations.

A large number of published phylogenetic estimates are based on a single locus or the concatenation of multiple loci, even though genealogies of single or concatenated loci may not accurately reflect the true history of species diversification (i.e., the species tree). The increased availability of genomic data, coupled with new computational methods, improves resolution of species relationships beyond what was possible in the past. Such developments will no doubt benefit future phylogenetic studies. It remains unclear how robust phylogenies that predate these developments (i.e., the bulk of phylogenetic studies) are to departures from the assumption of strict gene tree-species tree concordance. Here, we present a parametric bootstrap (PBST) approach that assesses the reliability of past phylogenetic estimates in which gene tree-species tree discord was ignored. We focus on a universal cause of discord—the random loss of gene lineages from genetic drift—and apply the method in a meta-analysis of East African cichlids, a group encompassing historical scenarios that are particularly challenging for phylogenetic estimation. Although we identify some evolutionary relationships that are robust to gene tree discord, many past phylogenetic estimates of cichlids are not. We discuss the utility of the PBST method for evaluating the robustness of gene tree-based phylogenetic estimations in general as well as for testing the clade-specific performance of species tree estimation methods and designing sampling strategies that increase the accuracy of estimated species relationships.
On the structure of tensor operators in SU3

A global algebraic formulation of SU3 tensor operator structure is achieved. A single irreducible unitary representation (irrep),V, ofso(6, 2) is constructed which contains every SU3 irrep precisely once. An algebra of polynomial differential operatorsA acting onV is given. The algebraA is shown to consist of linear combinations of all SU3 tensor operators with polynomial invariant operators as coefficients. By carrying out an analysis ofA, the multiplicity problem for SU3 tensor operators is resolved.
Patterns of carbon supply and distribution and oxygen renewal in two Alaskan fjords

The deep basin water of Resurrection Bay (a single-silled fjord at 60°N on the south-central Alaskan coast) is renewed each summer with water having a dissolved oxygen concentration > 4 ml l−1. Prior to 1976 > 90% of the allochthonous organic carbon supply to the basin was from fish-processing waste. Oxygen concentrations at the bottom were reduced to around 1 ml l1 during the winter, and Heggie and Burrell (1981) have computed that a quantity of carbon > 50% of the annual phytoplankton production (19 moles C m−2 yr−1) was oxidized within the basin and near-surface sediments. Very little carbon (0.6 moles m−2 yr−1) is removed via sediment burial in this estuary. Boca de Quadra Fjord is located at approximately 55°N adjacent to the Alaska—British Columbia border. The annual summer flushing sequence of the deep (365 m) central basin is basically the same as in Resurrection Bay. Estimated benthic respiration (around 8 moles C m−2 yr−1) may be supported by the in-fjord annual primary production (> 12 molesCm−2 in 1980). The mean annual input of terrigenous particulate carbon is estimated to be of the same order of magnitude as the loss rate within the basin by sediment burial (9.0 moles C m−2 yr−1). The relatively high flux of allochthonous carbon into Boca de Quadra thus appears to consist predominantly of refractory material which does not create a significant oxygen demand within the basin.
Absolutely Atlantic: Colonialism and the Early Modern French State in Recent Historiography

Although it remains, in Allan Potofsky’s words, the “poorer cousin” of scholarship on the British and Iberian Atlantics, research on France’s early modern empire has expanded in recent years. This article examines that growing body of literature, focusing on works that deal with the complex relationships among indigenous peoples, French colonists, and the French state. We argue that these books, articles, and dissertations point toward a new vision of the early modern French Atlantic. Rejecting older notions of a static, moribund monarchy opposed by dynamic colonial societies that flouted the crown’s designs, recent studies instead examine points of connection between a multi-faceted state and the peoples it engaged, creating a more nuanced portrait of early modern French colonialism.
Characterizing Intracellular Structure and Dynamics Through Trajectory Analysis and Single-particle Tracking of QDs in Live PC12 Cells

Quantum dots (QDs) are brightly fluorescent nanoparticles being investigated for potential use as probes of intracellular structure and function. Previously, we reported dynamic tracking of individual, activated QD-receptor complexes functionalized with nerve growth factor (NGF) in live PC12 cells, revealing a variety of complex trajectories using fluorescence microscopy. Here, we apply detailed numerical analysis of QD trajectories because commonly-used mean-squared displacement (MSD) analysis yields average quantities that fail to capture the complex information and interesting features of trajectories traced by ligand-activated receptor complexes in live cells.Furthering our research on trafficking of QD-receptor complexes, we focus on trajectories likely to display active transport because of their high aspect ratio. We measure the distribution of particle locations and movements relative to the overall curvilinear shape of each QD trajectory by fitting a spline curve to the set of positions traced out by the QD complex. Distribution of measured particle distances from the spline curve is sharply limited in some trajectories, showing clear spatial confinement within curvilinear regions that are well-characterized by the spline curve and range from 100–300 nm in width.We also measure non-equilibrium fluctuations associated with molecular motor motion along spline curve fits by calculating excess kurtosis of the displacement distribution parallel to the fitted spline curve. However, in some trajectories, the displacements along the spline curve follow a Gaussian distribution, consistent with diffusive processes and illustrating the importance of careful analysis to distinguish between superficially similar trajectories.Our ongoing work will incorporate these features into trajectory analysis software that can discriminate between diffusive trajectories that happen to have a high aspect ratio, diffusion confined to linear structures and trajectories that are linear because of active motor transport.
Direct measurement of dietary fractional absorption using calcium isotopic tracers

Fractional dietary Ca absorption, ‘a’, is measured by determining the ratio of two stable isotopic tracers, one of them orally (44Ca @ 0.2–0.5 mg/kg) and the other intravenously (42Ca @ 0.02–0.1 mg/kg). Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) is used to measure the perturbation of natural abundance isotope ratios (delta % excess). Typical sensitivity of the TIMS permits detection of a 2.5 delta % excess change from the natural Ca isotope ratio with relative standard deviations of about 0.5%. At sufficiently long times absorption becomes constant so that ‘a’ is determined by a product of constants and a measured ratio.
Robust H ∞ control of uncertain nonlinear switched systems using constructive method

This paper focuses on the problem of robust H∞ control of nonlinear switched systems with parameter uncertainty via the multiple Lyapunov functions (MLFs) approach. The uncertain parameters are assumed to be in a known compact set and are allowed to enter the system nonlinearly. Based on the explicit construction of Lyapunov functions, which avoids solving the Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs (HJI) inequalities, sufficient conditions for the solvability of the robust H∞ control problem of cascade nonlinear switched systems are derived under some switching signal. Then, the result is extended to solve the robust H∞ control problem of nonlinear switched systems in strict feedback form. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed results is illustrated through a simulation example.
Volatile-Induced Void Formation in Amorphous Thermoplastic Polymeric Materials: I. Modeling and Parametric Studies

Void formation in polymeric materials is of critical importance in a wide range of process technologies such as composites manufacturing, polymer devolatilization and foam molding. A predictive mod...
Device Failures During Equipment Life for Lognormal Distributions

A simple graph is presented showing the total fraction of devices which will fail over any given time for lognormal failure distributions. The result is a function of the median life and the geometric dispersion.
Rapid hyperpolarization of rat skeletal muscle induced by insulin.

It has been proposed that the increase produced by insulin in electrical potential differences across membranes of target cells may be a mechanism by which the cell surface insulin-receptor complex causes at least some of the metabolic effects of insulin. If insulin-induced hyperpolarization is a transducer of common effector responses it must precede those responses. The problem has not been addressed previously, so that rapid responses to insulin have not been sought. Two methods were used. In one method, the bathing solution was changed rapidly so as to include insulin in supramaximal concentrations, and a series of measurements of membrane potentials, Er, were made. Insulin hyperpolarized by 9.4 mV within 1 min. In the other method, nanoliter amounts of highly concentrated insulin solution were ejected from a micropipette onto the surface of an impaled muscle fiber. In 21 out of 32 insulin injections, hyperpolarization occurred within 1 s; in 11 control injections there was no change. This is the most rapid response to insulin yet reported, and is consistent with the hypothesis that insulin-induced hyperpolarization may transduce effector responses.
Isolation and characterization of a Neurospora crassa ribosomal protein gene homologous to CYH2 of yeast

We have isolated and characterized a Neurospora crassa gene homologous to the yeast CYH2 gene encoding L29, a cycloheximide sensitivity-conferring protein of the cytoplasmic ribosome. The cloned Neurospora gene was isolated by cross-hybridization to CYH2. It was sequenced from both cDNA and genomic clones. The coding region is interrupted by seven intervening sequences. Its deduced amino acid sequence shows 70% homology to that of yeast ribosomal protein L29 and 60% homology to that of mammalian ribosomal protein L27', suggesting that the protein has an important role in ribosomal function. The pattern of codon usage is highly biased, consistent with high translation efficiency. There is a single copy of this gene in N. crassa, and R. Metzenberg and coworkers have mapped its genetic location to the vicinity of the cyh-2 locus.
Transforming public and third sector organizations facing difficult times

Abstract This paper offers principles that provide a way to transform public and third sector organizations using strategic management. We summarize the theory and process of strategic management and offer our view of its future. Strategic principles are derived from the unique needs posed by the public and third sector, from the way change should be made in and for this type of organization, and from the demands for transformation that we believe will redirect and channel the energies of strategic leaders in the future.
Structure, function and terminology of microtubule- and microfilament-containing structures.

Abstract An exact and unambiguous terminology is proposed for some microtubule- and microfilament- containing structures. Cilium is used for all “9 + 2” eukaryotic organelles and homologous structures: consequently cilium replaces flagellum, kinocilium, primary cilium, pseudocilium, stereocilium, and undulipodium. Non-homologous motility structures in prokaryotes are flagella and these terminate in a basal body. The basal component of the cilium is termed the centriole whether it is associated with a cilium or not; synonyms for centriole include basal apparatus, basal body, blepharoplast, central body and kinetosome. The suffix -villus indicates actin-containing cell extensions, for example, microvillus and stereovillus; the latter term is applied to sensory cells of the inner ear and replaces stereocilia and sensory hairs.
Freshmen can do rigorous open-ended design

The College of Engineering at West Virginia University is experimenting with a new approach to freshmen engineering courses. These courses are based on engineering design projects, but the focus is on integrating math and science course material into the design project. Thus, to do the design, students are asked to utilize math and science principles from their courses via models for the design object. The results of the student designs indicate that mathematically rigorous and scientifically sound designs can be accomplished by freshmen students. Many of the freshmen designs rival upper class designs for similar projects.
Understanding Mortality Rate Deceleration and Heterogeneity

ABSTRACT Generic relationships between heterogeneity in population frailty and flattening of aggregate population hazard functions at extreme ages are drawn from classical mathematical results on the limiting behavior of Laplace transforms. In particular, it shows that the population hazard function converges to a constant precisely when the distribution of unobserved heterogeneity in initial mortalities behaves asymptotically as a polynomial near zero.
Electrically Small Frequency-Agile PIFA-as-a-Package for Portable Wireless Devices

A reconfigurable electrically small capacitively loaded PIFA-as-a-package (PIFA-AAP) is developed to demonstrate the potential utility of reconfigurable antenna technologies to miniature and/or portable UHF wireless devices. The scalable PIFA-AAP concept involves simply integrating the antenna and the device package to maximize the effective area of the antenna given the physical constraints of the application. An elegant approach to frequency-agility is developed using commercial-off-the-shelf solid state switches, overcoming the key weakness of extreme environmental sensitivity inherent to any electrically small antenna. The measured performance of a 25 times 50 times 9-mm PIFA-AAP includes near-contiguous tuning coverage between 407.8 and 463.1 MHz with a total realized gain of better than -10 dBi across the tuning range. The measured bandwidth of our proof-of-concept frequency-agile PIFA-AAP is benchmarked against the Wheeler-Chu-Mclean fundamental limit.
Alkaline phosphatase. I. Comparison of the physical and chemical properties of enzyme preparations from mammalian cell cultures, various animal tissues, and Escherichia coli

Abstract Some of the chemical and physical properties of alkaline phosphatase preparations derived from mammalian tissues, cell cultures, and E. coli have been compared. A number of chemical and physical properties of the various enzyme preparations are similar, such as the concentration of cysteine and histidine that inhibits alkaline phosphatase activity, and the phosphotransferase activity of different enzyme preparations. Other properties of the various alkaline phosphatases are markedly different, such as heat stability at 56 °, electrophoretic mobility, and the concentrations of Zn ions, L -phenylalanine, and L -tryptophan required to inhibit enzyme activity by 50%. These differences provide a means of distinguishing between alkaline phosphatases from different tissues and different species. Some of the physical and chemical characteristics of these enzymes appear to be related to, or coincidently associated with the mechanisms of enzyme regulation observed in cell cultures and in vivo.
Effects of ocean acidification on hatch size and larval growth of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma)

of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) Thomas P. Hurst1*, Elena R. Fernandez2, and Jeremy T. Mathis2 Fisheries Behavioral Ecology Program, Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365, USA School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
Community Health Advocacy

Competing health needs of diverse populations and ever shrinking resources available to support these needs often serve as the impetus for the initiation of advocacy efforts to improve community health. However, perceptions of what constitutes a community differ, as do approaches to advocacy itself. This glossary addresses five key questions: (1) What is advocacy?; (2) What is meant by community?; (3) What are the different approaches to community health advocacy?; (4) How are priorities established in the face of competing health advocacy goals?; (5) How can community health advocacy efforts be evaluated?; and (6) What challenges may be encountered in advocating for community health? Each of these issues could serve as the basis for a text on that subject alone. Accordingly, this article is not meant to be comprehensive text on these issues but is, instead, intended to highlight key foundational issues. And, although advocacy efforts can be conducted by individuals, this article focuses specifically on advocacy efforts of communities, however they may be defined and characterised.
Case report 483

Fig. 1. A A 5-mm thick, coronal spin-echo image, midportion of the left knee, TR 2000, TE 40 ms. The medially displaced discoid lateral meniscus (white arrowheads) has a teardrop shape. Note the focal concavity in the adjacent medial portion of the lateral femoral condyle (black arrows). The medial meniscus (white arrows) has the expected triangular shape. M medial, L lateral, t tibia, f femur. B Near midline sagittal image, TR 2000, TE 40 ms. The central portion of the medially displaced lateral meniscus is again demonstrated (white arrowheads). e epiphysis, p patella
Depression of Inhibitory Synaptic Transmission between Purkinje Cells and Neurons of the Cerebellar Nuclei

Neurons of the cerebellar nuclei have basal firing rates of 10-20 Hz, despite the convergence of many GABAergic Purkinje terminals onto cerebellar nuclear somata and the high spontaneous firing rate of Purkinje neurons. This persistence of firing during a constant barrage of inhibition raises the question of what patterns of Purkinje cell input inhibit nuclear cells most effectively. To explore the hypothesis that synaptic depression moderates inhibition at this synapse, we made whole-cell recordings from cerebellar nuclear neurons in mouse brain slices. IPSCs and IPSPs were elicited by electrically stimulating the corticonuclear tract at 10, 50, and 100 Hz. IPSCs evoked at the mean spontaneous firing rate of Purkinje cells (50 Hz) depressed by approximately 60%. The onset of depression had a fast, frequency-dependent component, from which recovery was rapid (approximately 100 msec), and a slower, frequency-independent component, from which recovery was slow (approximately 10 sec). As stimulation rate increased, steady-state depression increased, but each IPSC decayed less completely between stimuli, producing a "tonic" IPSC. Changes in stimulation rate produced rapid changes in the level of depression. Under current clamp, cerebellar nuclear neurons fired spontaneously. During 50 Hz trains of IPSPs, firing was initially interrupted, but resumed coincident with the onset of depression. Low-frequency trains entrained postsynaptic firing, and high-frequency trains greatly slowed firing, primarily because of the tonic IPSC. Thus, the properties of depression at this synapse appear to limit the sensitivity of nuclear cells to basal inhibition, while allowing the cells to respond to increases and decreases in Purkinje cell activity.
Distance visualization: data exploration on the grid

Our increased ability to model and measure a wide variety of phenomena has left us awash in data. In the immediate future, the authors anticipate collecting data at the rate of terabytes per day from many classes of applications, including simulations running on teraFLOPS-class computers and experimental data produced by increasingly more sensitive and accurate instruments, such as telescopes, microscopes, particle accelerators and satellites. Generating or acquiring data is not an end in itself but a vehicle for obtaining insights. While data analysis and reduction have a role to play, in many situations we achieve understanding only when a human being interprets the data. Visualization has emerged as an important tool for extracting meaning from the large volumes of data that scientific instruments and simulations produce. The authors describe an online system that supports 3D tomographic image reconstruction-and subsequent collaborative analysis-of data from remote scientific instruments.
On bufferbloat and delay analysis of multipath TCP in wireless networks

With the rapid deployment of cellular net- works, modern mobile devices are now equipped with at least two interfaces (WiFi and 3G/4G). As multi-path TCP (MPTCP) has been standardized by the IETF, mobile users running MPTCP can access the Internet via multiple interfaces simultaneously to provide robust data transport and better throughput. However, as cellular networks exhibit large RTTs compared to WiFi, for small data transfers, the delayed startup of additional flows in the current MPTCP design can limit the use of MPTCP. For large data transfers, when exploiting both the WiFi and cellular networks, the inflated and varying RTTs of the cellular flow together with the small and stable RTTs of the WiFi flow can lead to performance degradation. In this paper, we seek to investigate the causes of MPTCP performance issues in wireless environments and will provide analyses and a solution for better performance. In this paper, we study two issues: the impact of the delay startup of additional flows in the current MPTCP design, and the effect of cellular bufferbloat on MPTCP performance. Since Internet traffic is mostly dominated by small downloads (although the tail dis- tributions might be skewed), the delayed startup of additional flows in the current MPTCP implementation can limit the benefits of using MPTCP for small file transfers. To understand when one can start to utilize MPTCP's additional flows, we model the amount of data received from the first flow before the second flow starts and validate the model through measurements. Furthermore, as we observe large and varying RTTs in cellular networks, referred to as bufferbloat, we model and analyze the root cause of this phenomenon. We show how bufferbloat can affect the performance of MPTCP when using both WiFi and cellular networks. Last, we show that, on occasions when bufferbloat is prominent, MPTCP suffers even more because of flow starvation. We provide a solution that can effectively mitigate this performance degradation. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: Sec. II provides background about MPTCP and Sec. III describes our experimental setup. Sec. IV models the impact of the delayed startup of additional MPTCP flows. We investigate MPTCP performance issues re- lated to cellular networks in Sec. V. Related works are discussed in Sec. VI and Sec. VII concludes this paper.
Guest Editors' Introduction: Cross-Reality Environments

In this article, we define cross-reality as the union between ubiquitous sensor/actuator networks and shared online virtual worlds-a place where collective human perception meets the machines' view of pervasive computing. We describe how five of the articles in this issue expand on aspects of this theme.
Dynamic compensation of uncertain time-delay systems using variable structure approach

In this brief the robust stabilization of uncertain time-delay systems with nonlinear parametric perturbations using a dynamic compensator in the sliding mode is considered. Dynamic switching surfaces are chosen such that the system is robustly stable with a prescribed stability degree. A simple procedure for the selection of such switching surfaces and an example to illustrate the method are given. >
The Strength of Weekly Ties: Relations of Material and Symbolic Exchange in the Conservative Movement

The current Republican ascendancy in American government has generated considerable scholarly interest in the conservative movement. Through an ethno-graphic study of the widely publicized but seldom-observed “Wednesday meeting” of conservative activists, this article inquires into the bases of the conservative movement’s internal cohesion and successful management of alliances with state officials. I argue that the meeting functions as both an instrument of material power and a ritual of symbolic maintenance by establishing relations of reciprocal exchange and sustaining a moral community of conservative activists and their allies. More broadly, the article examines the mutual conditioning and genetic linkage of two dimensions of social reality: relations of force and relations of meaning.
Activity and characterization of self-supported model catalysts derived from cobalt-based clusters of clusters: Hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene

Abstract Complex coalt-carbonyl ligand-based clusters of clusters are used as molecular precursors for self-supported model catalysts. These precursors present two metal layers. The outer layer is associated with the complex Co-carbonyl ligands, and the core layer, which is either cobalt or zinc. These two precursors are identified as CoCo and ZnCo, respectively. In situ DRIFTS, TGA, TPD-MS, XPS, and catalytic measurements show two distinct forms of the catalysts. Partial thermolysis at low temperature (LT) under hydrogen results in almost completely decarbonylated catalysts, which appear to posses a mainly unchanged carboxylate metal core. Complete pyrolysis at higher temperatures (HT) in hydrogen leads to a mixed metal environment. The activities of the catalysts are studied in the hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene. The LT series show similar catalytic behavior during the hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene. However, significantly different catalytic behavior is observed between the HT catalysts. The effect of the core metal on the d-electron density appears to be the factor leading to very different catalytic behavior patterns.
Creating and using models for engineering design: a machine-learning approach

An adaptive and interactive modeling system (AIMS) that integrates simulation, optimization and machine learning to help engineers make design decisions is described. AIMS views engineering decision making as a two-phase process of creating and then using models. The competitive relation learner and the induce-and-select optimizer, AIMS's two main components, and their roles in both phases of decision-making are discussed. AIMS's role in supporting the design of a diesel engine that outputs power within the 440- to 460-kW range and consumes the least amount of fuel is also discussed. >
Multiple‐Well, multiple‐path unimolecular reaction systems. I. MultiWell computer program suite

Unimolecular reaction systems in which multiple isomers undergo simultaneous reactions via multiple decomposition reactions and multiple isomerization reactions are of fundamental interest in chemical kinetics. The computer program suite described here can be used to treat such coupled systems, including the effects of collisional energy transfer (weak collisions). The program suite consists of MultiWell, which solves the internal energy master equation for complex unimolecular reactions systems; DenSum, which calculates sums and densities of states by an exact-count method; MomInert, which calculates external principal moments of inertia and internal rotation reduced moments of inertia; and Thermo, which calculates equilibrium constants and other thermodynamics quantities. MultiWell utilizes a hybrid master equation approach, which performs like an energy-grained master equation at low energies and a continuum master equation in the vibrational quasicontinuum. An adap- tation of Gillespie's exact stochastic method is used for the solution. The codes are designed for ease of use. Details are presented of various methods for treating weak collisions with virtually any desired collision step-size distribution and for utilizing RRKM theory for specific unimolecular rate constants. 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 232- 245, 2001
Routine testing in patients with asymptomatic elevated blood pressure in the ED

Abstract Study Objective There are no clear recommendations for the diagnostic evaluation of patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with asymptomatic elevated blood pressure. In patients presenting with asymptomatic elevated blood pressure in the ED, we measured the prevalence of abnormalities on a basic metabolic profile (BMP) that led to hospital admission as well as the prevalence of diminished renal function. Methods This is a cross-sectional study at 2 urban teaching EDs with a largely African American population. Adult patients (≥18 years) with a triage diastolic blood pressure (BP) 100 mm Hg or higher and without symptoms suggestive of acute end-organ damage were enrolled. All patients had a BMP sent. The primary outcome measured was abnormalities on the BMP that led to hospital admission. The secondary outcome measured was the prevalence of diminished renal function (glomerular filtration rate −1 1.73 m −2 ). Results One hundred sixty-seven patients with asymptomatic elevated BP were studied. Twelve (7.2%; 95% confidence interval, 3%-11%) patients were admitted due to abnormal results on the BMP. Twenty-seven (16.2%; 95% confidence interval, 11%-21%) patients met the secondary outcome measure of diminished renal function (glomerular filtration rate −1 1.73 m −2 ). Conclusion In a homogenous African American population presenting to the ED with asymptomatic elevated BP, there is a relatively high prevalence of abnormalities on the BMP that led to hospital admission. We suggest routine testing of a serum creatinine should be strongly considered in a largely African American patient population with asymptomatic elevated BP in the ED.
Hybrid III-V/SiGe technology: Improved n-FET performance and CMOS inverter characteristics

Recently, hybrid III-V/SiGe CMOS circuits have been demonstrated. Reported InGaAs n-FET performance was severely degraded by the CMOS flow compared to reference devices processed individually. We report on the recovered n-FET performance and its impact on CMOS inverters. In addition, we study the influence of back-bias on short-channel effects immunity and inverter transfer characteristics.
Potato Improvement Through in Vitro Selection for Increased Levels of Free Amino Acids

Man and other non-ruminant animals cannot synthesize the so-called essential amino acids, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, histidine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, valine and leucine, thus they must receive sufficient quantities of each in their diets. Cereal grains, which are very important foods, are generally deficient in lysine, tryptophan and threonine, while legumes tend to be deficient in methionine. Thus, the creation of plants with increased levels of these amino acids may help alleviate some nutritional problems around the world (see S. Bajaj, Sect. II.2, this Vol.).
A Review of Taxation Regulatory Documents Issued in the Period of February 2014 thru March 2014

The political events that took place in the period under review, concerning the declaration of independence of the Crimea from Ukraine, the referendum in the Crimea which gave rise to signing an agreement on the accession of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation as Russia’s new constituent territories, will have a long-term decisive impact on the economic situation in the Russian Federation, factoring in that the global community has withheld recognition of the reunification of Russia and the Crimea. In our opinion, it would be unreasonable to discontinue certain forms of Russia’s interaction with the leading countries despite the recent dramatically sharpened contradictions which have resulted in the cessation of the form of coordinating leading countries’ stand, such as G8. Should Russia keep developing free market relations on its territory, the coordination on the issues relating to, for example, the interception of tax evasion channels should be continued, because this meets common interests and will allow mutually accepted forms of cooperation in this area to be introduced into the international practice.
The Extended Scientific Mind

According to externalist theories of scientific cognition, scientific theory formation and revision are sometimes achieved by cognitive systems that range beyond the biological boundaries of individual scientists. Two kinds of externalist theories deserve to be sharply distinguished. The first is The Extended Scientific Mind, which is an application of The Extended Mind to scientific contexts. According to this externalist theory, the cognitive systems responsible for a scientist's inferences can extend into her extra-cranial environment and incorporate elements with which she is intimately coupled. The second kind of externalist theory is a population-level theory of scientific cognition, which characterizes the dynamics of populations and communities of scientific researchers. Externalist theories of this type posit cognitive properties of these population-level dynamics that are not necessarily instantiated by any individual scientist who is a member of such populations. I argue that population-level theories of scientific cognition are more plausible than The Extended Scientific Mind because the latter posits cognitive systems that are explanatorily unwarranted. On the assumption that non-scientific cognition and scientific cognition are fundamentally alike, a similar moral holds for externalist accounts of ordinary cognition.
MS-17PRIMARY LEPTOMENINGEAL PRIMITIVE NEUROECTODERMAL TUMOR.

BACKGROUND: Isolated primary leptomeningeal primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) without intraparenchymal lesion is very rare and to-date few case reports have been published. We report a rare case of leptomeningeal PNET and highlight its neuroimaging features, outcome and literature review. DESIGN AND METHODS: A medline search was conducted for queries including “Children”, “PNET”, leptomeningeal involvement”. Relevant papers were selected for review. CASE REPORT: A 5-year-old female presented with 4-month history of continuous vomiting and repeated headache. CT scan demonstrated communicating hydrocephalus. External ventricular drain was place to relieve the intracranial pressure. An MRI of the brain and the spine showed diffuse leptomeningeal infiltration of the brain and the spinal cord with contrast enhancement. Lumbar cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed elevated protein but no malignant cells. Pathology of the leptomeningeal biopsywas consistent with neuroepithelial neoplasm. Immunohistochemical stains revealed tumor cells strongly positive for synaptophysin and CD56, retained INI-1, but negative for CD99. Cytogenetical analysis revealed absence of EWS translocation and a diagnosis of primary leptomeningeal PNET was established. Patient received radiation therapy with 36 Gy to the craniospinal axis, concomitantly with vincristine and carboplatin . Follow-up brain and spine MRI showed near complete resolution of the leptomeningeal disease. Family opted not to pursue any therapy and she remains alive with residual disease 8 months since diagnosis. DISCUSSION: Leptomeningeal PNET carries poor prognosis with most patients succumbing to their disease. There are seven case reports in the literature with dismal outcome with survival range from 2 weeks to thirteen months post diagnosis .Rarity of this clinical entity had hindered profiling therapeutic guidelines. Prospective studies are needed to understand if the elusive molecular biology of this rare disease differs from other central PNET. This could help in strategizing optimal therapy and provide a meaningful improvement in the survival of these children.
The “Right” Consumers for Better Concepts: Identifying Consumers High in Emergent Nature to Develop New Product Concepts:

Abstract While much research has emphasized improving current new product concept techniques, little work has focused on trait-based approaches that specify which consumers are the “right” ones to use in the new product development process, particularly in the consumer goods industry. The authors propose that the right consumers to use possess what they call an “emergent nature,” defined as the unique capability to imagine or envision how concepts might be developed so that they will be successful in the mainstream marketplace. The authors draw on research on personality theory and information-processing styles to support their conceptualization and develop and validate a highly reliable scale to measure emergent nature (Study 1). In subsequent multipart studies, they show in both group (Studies 2a–2c) and individual (Studies 3a and 3b) settings across two distinct product categories that consumers high in emergent nature are able to develop product concepts that mainstream consumers find significantly mo...
Canrenoate in normal man.

Canrenoate, which has mineralocorticoid blocking activity, was evaluated in 3 normal subiects. The drug was administered by intravenous iniection twice daily for 7 days after 3 days of placebo. Loss of body weight and changes in serum and urine electrolytes were consistent with mineralocorticoid blocking activity. Canrenoate did not appear to have any effect on arterial blood pressure or cardiac output. A small increase in resting heart rate was demonstrated in 2 of the 3 patients, but this was thought to be secondary to volume depletion due to a diuretic action. A transient cardiac arrhythmia was noted in one sub;ect and was unexplained on the basis of serum electrolytes or plasma drug level. The only advantage of canrenoate over spironolactone appeared to be the parenteral administration.
Outcomes After Shoulder and Elbow Injury in Baseball Players: Are We Reporting What Matters?:

Background:Return to play, as well as time to return to play, are the most important metrics considered by athletes when attempting to make treatment decisions after injury. However, the consistency of reporting of these metrics in the scientific literature is unknown.Purpose:To investigate patterns of outcomes reporting in the medical literature of shoulder and elbow injuries in active baseball players.Study Design:Systematic review.Methods:A systematic review of literature published within the past 10 years was performed to identify all recent clinical studies focusing on shoulder and elbow injuries in baseball players across all levels. Review articles, case reports, and laboratory/biomechanical studies were all excluded.Results:A total of 49 studies were included for review. The majority of studies were either level 3 or level 4 evidence (96%). In total, 71% of studies reported on rates of return to preinjury level of play, whereas 31% of studies reported on time to return to preinjury level of play. ...
Research on Protection for Jilin Machinery Bureau Site

In recent years,reborn of the old industrial building has become conservation and reuse an important part of the practice,in particular the transformation of the old plant has become a trend.In this paper,the historical significance of Jilin machinery bureau and the status quo situation,the old buildings in Jilin city council made the machine and re-use of the concept of transformation,and made update strategy,and led people to?Machinery Bureau of Jilin city site concerns,and encourage the whole society on the protection of historic buildings,the use of awareness to further enhance.
Study on improved determination method of atrazine in water by HPLC

Objective:To establish a better HPLC method for the determination of atrazine in water.Methods: The sample was extracted by dichloromethane,condensed,then melted in methanol,and at last analyzed by HPLC.The test sample was separated by gradient elution with methanol(60%) and water(40%) on Atlantis C18 and determined by diode-array detector at wavelength of 220 nm.Results:This HPLC method exhibited a linear relation within 0.05 μg/ml~5.0 μg/ml,r=0.9999.The minimal detectable quality of this method was 0.5 ng,and the minimal detectable concentration was 0.0005 mg/L.The recoveries of the method ranged from 88% to 91%,with relative standard deviations of 3.6%~4.2%.Conclusion: This method can be used to determine atrazine in water with good results.
Risk, intervention and meaning.

The three prior reports describe separate prevention/intervention studies, carefully carried out by well-trained investigative teams. All of the studies deal with parents and infants, where the latter are considered "at risk" for the later development of a variety of problems (for example, emotional disorder, conduct disorder, and learning difficulties). A common idea was to design interventions through home visits to identified parents; results would then be assessed in terms of differential outcomes in the child and in the child's relationship with the parent. We are fortunate because the separate project investigators used a number of common measures and communicated regularly in an attempt to generate a collaborative approach to understanding their databases. But taken together, the reports illustrate that we are at an early stage in our knowledge for doing this kind of research. What has been learned is not so much from differential outcomes as it is from ways of improving research strategies in the face of complex developmental processes. To put it another way, we might say that these investigators present us with a paradox. Intervention effects (i.e., findings of differences between intervention groups vs. comparison groups) are negligible or nonexistent in the preliminary analyses reported; yet what is learned about doing intervention research may be both significant and generalizable.
Effects of Price/Quantity Presentation Order and Timing on Consumer Value Judgements

Bundling is defined as products or services sold together with two or more items at an equivalent or a lower price (Guiltinan 1987). Bagchi and Davis (2012) have demonstrated that the presentation order (price first or quantity first) affects consumer perceptions of a multi-item package. In addition, they proposed that unit price calculation difficulty moderates the relationship between presentation order and consumer perceptions. This study offers an extension of these findings by considering presentation timing (sequentially or simultaneously) along with presentation order. Scarce that few studies in extant literature have considered both presentation order and presentation timing together. In this research, we hypothesized that consumers would evaluate a bundled offer higher if the offer was simultaneously presented with price information first and quantity information second. This is because simultaneous price/quantity presentation order is more consistent with promotions which consumers typically encounter in daily life. In addition, simultaneous presentation does not require memorization of the offer, leading consumers to reduce their mental effort. As such, we anticipate that consumers will evaluate these offers more favorably. A 2 (presentation order: price first or quantity first) × 2 (presentation timing: sequentially or simultaneously) factorial between subjects design was conducted using MTurk to gather data. Results showed that in scenarios with simultaneous presentation of offer information, consumers considered products with price information presented first as higher quality than those with quantity information presented first. This study demonstrated how presentation order and timing jointly influenced consumer value judgments of bundled offers. In future research, unit price calculation difficulty will be added to evaluate how presentation order and timing can influence consumer value judgments of the product offered. In addition, multiple offers will be provided to consumers to better understand their value judgments. Based on this investigation, meaningful suggestions can be offered to marketing managers as they consider various pricing strategies.