cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial patterns of adolescent drug use

Abstract Adolescent drug use is individually and socially harmful in terms of disrupting adolescent development and social cohesion. Prior research has identified populations at risk and risk factors for adolescent drug use. This research sought to contextualize adolescent drug use by examining this behavior from a geographic perspective. The specific objectives were to identify patterns, local clusters and excess spatial risk for 5-digit zip codes within the 5-county Cincinnati, Ohio region. Adolescents (n = 57,241) were recruited within local schools by the Coalition for a Drug-free Greater Cincinnati. Results of this research show spatial clusters for perceived safety of marijuana; peer approval of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana; and age of onset for other drugs. The location and nature of these clusters are discussed and displayed in-text. Further, zip codes that were in excess risk compared to the 5-county region were identified. The utility of this research is two-fold: (1) It identifies the geographic variability in adolescent drug use and correlated factors of use, and (2) It provides a methodological framework for future research in spatial epidemiology of drug use.
Macroscopic theory of pulsed-laser annealing. III. Nonequilibrium segregation effects

During the past three years, phenomena associated with pulsed and cw laser annealing of semiconductors have generated intense interest among scientists in both fundamental and applied areas of solid-state physics and materials science. As a consequence, a coherent picture of the physical processes involved, at least on a macroscopic basis, is beginning to emerge. In the first two papers of this series, the results of heat and mass (dopant) transport calculations based on the melting model of pulsed-laser annealing were described in considerable detail. It was shown that dopant profiles observed after pulsed-laser annealing could not be fitted when values of the interface segregation coefficient $k_{i}^{}{}_{}{}^{0}$ appropriate for solidification under nearly thermodynamic equilibrium conditions were used in the dopant redistribution calculations. In this paper, a model is developed which relates the nonequilibrium interface segregation coefficient ${k}_{i}$ to $k_{i}^{}{}_{}{}^{0}$ and to the velocity of the liquid-solid interface during recrystallization of the molten region created by the laser radiation. The functional dependence of ${k}_{i}$ on the interface velocity cannot be calculated exactly, but simple approximate expressions for this dependence yield results which are in accord with the experimental data presently available. Moreover, with the use of the velocity dependence of ${k}_{i}$, it is shown that the model gives satisfactory agreement with the maximum nonequilibrium dopant concentrations which have been observed for an interface velocity of \ensuremath{\sim}4 m/sec. It is further shown that when the velocity-dependent ${k}_{i}$ is used in the theory of Mullins and Sekerka for cellular formation during solidification, agreement with the results of pulsed-laser annealing experiments is obtained, but if $k_{i}^{}{}_{}{}^{0}$ is used there is no agreement. The relationship of the model to the general concept of "solute trapping" introduced by Baker and Cahn is discussed and it is shown that the model satisfies the criterion for solute trapping.
Use of 2-aminopurine fluorescence to examine conformational changes during nucleotide incorporation by DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment).

We have investigated conformational transitions in the Klenow fragment polymerase reaction by stopped-flow fluorescence using DNA substrates containing the fluorescent reporter 2-aminopurine (2-AP)...
Considering the Source: Testimony versus Data in Regulations Surrounding Gulf and South Atlantic Trap Fisheries

The source of a problem influences the source of information we use to address the problem. However, the source of information we use can also influence our conceptualization of the problem. Just such a paradox faces fishermen in the Gulf and South Atlantic trap fisheries. Competition and conflict among commercial trap fishermen, other types of fishermen (e.g., longliners and divers), recreational fishermen, and environmentalists occur throughout South Atlantic and Gulf waters, yet an actual accounting of episodes of environmental destruction, theft of traps, and so on, has been difficult to develop. In many cases, documentation has become largely irrelevant. People perceive theft, destruction, or resource depletion to be occurring, and the strength of their belief prompts them to political organization and action. Using information from North Carolina, the Caribbean, and the Florida Keys, this article discusses the ways in which various sources of information have influenced the management of trap fisheries in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters. Implications for other policy domains are discussed, [fisheries, regulation, testimony, science, farming systems, natural resources]
Anomalies in rare earth distributions in seawater: Gd and Tb☆

We have measured profiles of the rare earth elements (REE) in Atlantic and Pacific Ocean waters. The data, normalized versus shales, exhibit a pronounced anomaly in Gd relative to its neighbors Eu and Tb in the REE series such that the Gd concentrations are high by 30–50%. Closer inspection reveals that the anomaly is made up of both elevated Gd and depressed Tb concentrations, likely associated with solution chemistry shifts in the transition from an exactly half filled 4f electron shell. Anomalies in Gd and Tb solution complexation are also indicated by the Turner-Whitfield-Dickson speciation model. The overall trend of heavy REE(III) enrichment in seawater and the GdTb anomaly described here tend to support scavenging as an important removal mechanism for the REE from seawater.
Intermediates and kinetics for phenol gasification in supercritical water

We processed phenol with supercritical water in a series of experiments, which systematically varied the temperature, water density, reactant concentration, and reaction time. Both the gas and liquid phases were analyzed post-reaction using gas chromatographic techniques, which identified and quantified the reaction intermediates and products, including H2, CO, CH4, and CO2 in the gas phase and twenty different compounds—mainly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—in the liquid phase. Many of these liquid phase compounds were identified for the first time and could pose environmental risks. Higher temperatures promoted gasification and resulted in a product gas rich in H2 and CH4 (33% and 29%, respectively, at 700 °C), but char yields increased as well. We implicated dibenzofuran and other identified phenolic dimers as precursor molecules for char formation pathways, which can be driven by free radical polymerization at high temperatures. Examination of the trends in conversion as a function of initial water and phenol concentrations revealed competing effects, and these informed the kinetic modeling of phenol disappearance. Two different reaction pathways emerged from the kinetic modeling: one in which rate ∝ [phenol]1.73[water]−16.60 and the other in which rate ∝ [phenol]0.92[water]1.39. These pathways may correspond to pyrolysis, which dominates when there is abundant phenol and little water, and hydrothermal reactions, which dominate in excess water. This result confirms that supercritical water gasification of phenol does not simply follow first-order kinetics, as previous efforts to model phenol disappearance had assumed.
A Single-Probe On-Site Method of Measuring the Dielectric Constant And Conductivity of Soft Earth Media over a 1-GHz Bandwidth

A single-conductor transmission line inserted into the ground is used to measure the frequency-dependent dielectric constant and conductivity of soils and other soft earth media up to at least 1 GHz, as a function of depth. Wide band pulses are launched up the line from a transmitting stub at the tip, and a computer is used to Fourier transform the pulses received at the surface and compute the frequencydependent electrical parameters. If computer use is inconvenient, singlevalue measurements can be made directly from the received pulses.
A comparison study on algorithms of detecting long forms for short forms in biomedical text.

With more and more research dedicated to literature mining in the biomedical domain, more and more systems are available for people to choose from when building literature mining applications. In this study, we focus on one specific kind of literature mining task, i.e., detecting definitions of acronyms, abbreviations, and symbols in biomedical text. We denote acronyms, abbreviations, and symbols as short forms (SFs) and their corresponding definitions as long forms (LFs). The study was designed to answer the following questions; i) how well a system performs in detecting LFs from novel text, ii) what the coverage is for various terminological knowledge bases in including SFs as synonyms of their LFs, and iii) how to combine results from various SF knowledge bases. We evaluated the following three publicly available detection systems in detecting LFs for SFs: i) a handcrafted pattern/rule based system by Ao and Takagi, ALICE, ii) a machine learning system by Chang et al., and iii) a simple alignment-based program by Schwartz and Hearst. In addition, we investigated the conceptual coverage of two terminological knowledge bases: i) the UMLS (the Unified Medical Language System), and ii) the BioThesaurus (a thesaurus of names for all UniProt protein records). We also implemented a web interface that provides a virtual integration of various SF knowledge bases. We found that detection systems agree with each other on most cases, and the existing terminological knowledge bases have a good coverage of synonymous relationship for frequently defined LFs. The web interface allows people to detect SF definitions from text and to search several SF knowledge bases. The web site is http://gauss.dbb.georgetown.edu/liblab/SFThesaurus .
Spectroscopic Analysis of Sequentially Extracted Humic Acid from Compost

Abstract Structural characterization of organic matter (OM) is crucial in assessing its role in soils and sediments. In this study, humic acids (HA) were sequentially extracted from a compost and characterized in terms of their molecular, chemical, and structural heterogeneity. HA was extracted in sequence a total of 28 times, using 0.1 mol L−1 Na4P2O7, and sequentially grouped into seven fractions. These fractions and the original compost were analyzed using UV–visible spectroscopy, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and an elemental analyzer. 13C‐NMR and DRIFTS data indicated significant structural variations among the extracted HA fractions and the original compost. These data corresponded to a decrease in the atomic C/H ratio and to an increase in the atomic C/O ratio among these sequentially extracted HA fractions, which together represented an increase in aliphaticity in conjunction with a decrease in polarity and ...
Distribution of RNA polymerase binding sites on the P4 chromosome.

Abstract Three regions at the right one-third of the P4 chromosome show extensive binding of RNA polymerase of Escherichia coli (nucleosidetriphosphate: RNA nucleotidyltransferase, EC2.7.7.6) as visualized by electron microscopy. These regions are all located in the part of the chromosome that can be deleted without loss of viability of P4. No region of binding was found that could be correlated with our current knowledge of in vivo transcription and promoter activity during P4 growth.
Molecular organization of gap junction membrane channels.

Gap junctions regulate a variety of cell functions by creating a conduit between two apposing tissue cells. Gap junctions are unique among membrane channels. Not only do the constituent membrane channels span two cell membranes, but the intercellular channels pack into discrete cell-cell contact areas formingin vivo closely packed arrays. Gap junction membrane channels can be isolated either as two-dimensional crystals, individual intercellular channels, or individual hemichannels. The family of gap junction proteins, the connexins, create a family of gap junctions channels and structures. Each channel has distinct physiological properties but a similar overall structure. This review focuses on three aspects of gap junction structure: (1) the molecular structure of the gap junction membrane channel and hemichannel, (2) the packing of the intercellular channels into arrays, and (3) the ways that different connexins can combine into gap junction channel structures with distinct physiological properties. The physiological implications of the different structural forms are discussed.
Lessons Learned from the Use of Randomized and Quasi-Experimental Field Designs for the Evaluation of Educational Programs.

Abstract As a result of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002, the field of education has seen a heavy emphasis on the use of “scientifically based research” for designing and testing the effectiveness of new and existing educational programs. According to NCLB, when addressing basic cause and effect questions scientifically based research ultimately involves the testing of causal hypotheses through the use of experimental and quasi-experimental designs with a strong preference toward experimental designs with random assignment [e.g., Berliner, D. C. (2002). Educational research: The hardest science of all. Educational Researcher, 31(8), 18–20; Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy. (2005). Available at http://www.excelgov.org ; Eisenhart, M., & Towne, L. (2003). Contestation and change in national policy on “scientifically based” education research. Educational Researcher, 32(7) 31–38]. Randomized experimental designs are sometimes abbreviated in education and evaluation as RCTs based on the medical or epidemiological model (i.e., for randomized clinical/controlled trials), and they are sometimes called randomized field trials [Shavelson, R. J., & Towne, L. (Eds.). (2003). Scientific research in education. Washington, DC: National Academy].
Remote fiber optic dosimeter for detecting hydrazine vapor

A fiber optic chemical dosimeter has been developed for use in the remote detection of vapors of toxic amine rocket fuels (hydrazine and its substituted derivatives) that are used at U.S. Air Force and civilian launch sites. The dosimeter employs a colorimetric indicating reagent immobilized in a porous sol-gel cladding on multimode fiber. This reagent reacts selectively with the fuel vapor to produce a strongly absorbing cladding that introduces light propagation losses in the fiber; these losses indicate the presence of hydrazine (N2H4) vapor. The absorption occurs over a broad spectral range ideally suited for interrogation by semiconductor diode lasers. We have shown that the dosimeter yields an average hydrazine detectivity of 2.3 ppb-hr with a standard deviation of 1 ppb-hr, a value that meets U.S. Air Force current detection requirements. Prolonged exposures of the dosimeter to laboratory air have not adversely affected the dosimeter. Additionally, its response to ammonia vapor has been determined to be 9200 times smaller than its response to hydrazine vapor.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Differential effects of glibenclamide on responses to thromboxane A2 mimic, U46619, in the pulmonary and hindquarters vascular beds of the cat

The inhibitory effects of the oral sulfonylurea, glibenclamide, on vasoconstrictor responses to the thromboxane A2 mimic, U46619, were investigated in the pulmonary and hindquarters vascular beds of the cat under constant flow conditions. When lobar arterial tone was at resting conditions (14±2 mm Hg), intralobar injections of U46619, prostaglandin F2α, prostaglandin D2, angiotensin II, norepinephrine, and BAY K 8644 caused dose-related increases in lobar arterial pressure without altering left atrial pressure. Following an intralobar infusion of glibenclamide (5 mg/kg), vasoconstrictor responses to U46619, prostaglandin F2α and prostaglandin D2 were significantly reduced, whereas vasoconstrictor responses to norepinephrine and angiotensin II were not altered and responses to BAY K 8644 were significantly enhanced. When tone in the pulmonary vascular bed was raised to a high steady level (36±3 mm Hg), glibenclamide in a dose of 5 mg/kg i.a. markedly attenuated responses to injections of U46619 and reduced the vasodilator responses to the K+-ATP channel opener, levcromakalim, whereas responses to acetylcholine and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), a nitric oxide donor, were not changed. In the hindquarters vascular bed of the cat, administration of glibenclamide in a dose of 5 mg/kg i.a. had no significant effect on vasoconstrictor responses to U46619, norepinephrine or angiotensin II. Hindquarters vasodilator responses to levcromakalim, but not to nitric oxide, were decreased significantly following administration of glibenclamide. These data suggest that glibenclamide, in addition to inhibiting K+-ATP channels, has thromboxane A2 receptor blocking activity in the pulmonary vascular bed of the cat. These data also suggest that vasoconstrictor responses to U46619 may be mediated by different thromboxane A2 receptors with different binding affinities in the pulmonary and in the hindquarters vascular beds of the cat.
Lethal neonatal autosomal recessive axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is an uncommon cause of generalized hypotonia and weakness in infancy. It occurs as a part of the clinical syndrome in some neurodegenerative disorders of infancy, but seldom causes respiratory failure or swallowing difficulties. We report a lethal autosomal recessive axonal polyneuropathy with neonatal onset in a large kindred from Northern Mississippi. One patient was studied in detail at our medical center and the information on 12 other affected infants in this large family were gathered from medical records and by interviewing the family members. Patients were symptomatic for the polyneuropathy before birth and died in the first year of life from respiratory complications. Thirteen babies were affected by this clinical phenotype in four generations of this family with a high frequency of consanguinity. Affected babies were of both sexes and were born to healthy consanguineous parents. The clinical phenotype of polyneuropathy in our index patient and other affected babies in this family was similar, and represents a unique form of hereditary neonatal polyneuropathy.
Reaction hamiltonian and the adiabatic approach to the dynamics of chemical reaction

Abstract A new approach for the evaluation of product energy distributions of chemical reactions is presented. The approach is characterized by two main features. The first is the introduction of a specific reaction hamiltonian (in second quantization formalism) which facilitates the description of a chemical reaction as a quantum transition from reactants to products. The second is the use of a specific adiabatic method to describe the dynamics of nuclear motion of both reactants and products. To illustrate the method the determination of the product energy distribution is discussed for OH + D → OD + H and CH + D → Cl + ID and carried out for the latter system.
Elastic properties of isotropic graphite

Abstract Young's modulus and the shear modulus (at room temperature) are reported for the first time for bulk isotropic graphites of various porosities. Extrapolations to zero porosity indicate Young's modulus and the shear modulus of theoretically dense isotropic graphite to be 255 kilobars and 97 kilobars respectively. Poisson's ratio for fully dense isotropic graphite is 0·31 compared with previous literature values of 0·14 and less.
Characterization of hollow polycarbonate metal waveguides using Terahertz time domain spectroscopy

In recent times, terahertz (THz) or the far-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum has gained critical significance due to many potential applications including medical diagnostics, nondestructive evaluation of material parameters, chemical sensing, remote sensing and security screening. However with the development of various applications, the need of guided systems for the transmission of THz radiation have posed a challenge, as a flexible waveguide could simplify the propagation and detection of THz waves in remote locations without atmospheric absorption. Different structures, such as, rigid hollow metallic waveguides, solid wires, or short lengths of solid-core transparent dielectrics such as sapphire and plastic have already been explored for THz guiding to characterize their individual loss and dispersion profile. Recently, it has been reported that copper coated flexible, hollow polycarbonate waveguide has low loss of less than 4 dB/m with single mode operation at 1.89 THz. In the present study, using a broadband THz source of photoconductive antennae, we characterize the loss and dispersion profile of hollow core polycarbonate metal waveguides in the frequency range of 0.2 to 1.2 THz.
Purification and conformation of ribosomal protein L25 from E. coli ribosome

Ribosomal protein L25 from the large subunit of E. coli ribosomes has been purified using a new procedure involving a 2M LiCl extraction followed by phosphocellulose chromatography in 6 M urea elution buffer. The conformation of purified L25 was studied employing circular dichroism and ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy in reconstitution buffer. The analysis of the far u.v. circular dichroism spectrum of L25 indicates L25 contains approximately 16% alpha-helix and approximately 19% beta-structure. The conformation of L25 was also studied using the predictive methods of Chou & Fasman and Maxfield & Scheraga. Both of these methods predict approximately three times the percent alpha-helix present in L25 as compared with that determined from the analysis of the circular dichroism spectrum. A structure for L25 is predicted which contains two positively charged binding domains and is consistent with published binding data on the interaction of 5S RNA and L25. The large difference in the % alpha-helix as determined from the analysis of the circular dichroism spectrum and the predictive techniques is suggested to result from the denaturing effects of 6 M urea used in the preparation of ribosomal proteins.
Finger tracking for breast palpation quantification using color image features

A vision-based finger motion tracking approach is presented to gather quantitative data about breast palpation for cancer detection, such as finger positions, search pattern and coverage area, and this approach is used to develop a prototype palpation training system. Special color markers are used as features of interest because in breast palpation the background of the image is the breast itself which is similar to the fingers in color. This color similarity can hinder the ability or efficiency of other feature extraction methods if real-time performance is required. To simplify the feature extraction process, color space transform is utilized instead of directly using the original RGB values of the image. Although the clinical environment will be well illuminated, normalization of color attributes is applied to compensate for minor changes in illumination. A neighbor search is employed to ensure real-time performance, and a three-finger pattern topology is checked for the extracted features to avoid any possible false features. After detecting the features in the images, 3-D positions of the color marked fingers are calculated using the stereo vision principle. Experimental results with the prototype training system are given to show the performance and effectiveness of the proposed approach. This approach is expected to significantly improve the training quality of breast palpation, thus increasing the detection rate and accuracy of breast cancer.
Noninvasive Assessment of Liver Fibrosis and Portal Hypertension With Transient Elastography

Hepatic fibrogenesis, the "final" common result of injury to the liver, is believed to be a critical factor leading to hepatic dysfunction and may be important in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension. Thus, accurate assessment of the degree of fibrosis is important clinically. For many years, examination of hepatic histopathology has been considered to be the "gold standard" tool used to assess fibrosis. However, liver biopsy is invasive, and in many instances not favored by patients or physicians. Thus, alternative approaches to measure liver fibrosis would be extremely attractive. To the extent that transient elastography is able to measure "liver stiffness," which is proportional to the degree of liver fibrosis, this technique holds great promise.
Regulation of α7-integrin expression in vascular smooth muscle by injury-induced atherosclerosis

Injury of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by allylamine (AAM) leads to phenotypic changes associated with atherogenic progression including increased proliferation, migration, and alterations ...
Tense, mood, aspect: The future in Russian

My purpose in this paper is to examine the interaction of the categories of tense, mood and aspect with regard to one particularly problematic category: the future in Russian. Tense locates an event, action or situation in time in relation to the moment of speech or in relation to an established temporal reference point. Aspect characterizes the internal temporal contour or structure of the event. Aspect here is treated not as just a verbal category, but as a feature of the proposition. Mood must be distinguished from modality. Mood is a morphologically marked category which has a modal function. Modality, in contrast to mood, is a semantic category which covers a broad range of nuances such as desiderative, intentive, hypothetical, potential, necessitative and so on (see Fleischman 1982, 13). The indicative is the unmarked mood which is non-modal in that it is factual and declarative (see Lyons 1968, 307). This distinction between mood and modality is crucial to the present discussion. The future tense has been likened to a mood because it differs
Broadband, high-temperature dielectric properties measurements of thin substrates using open-ended probes

A metallized-ceramic probe has been designed for high-temperature broadband dielectric properties measurements. The probe has been used to make complex dielectric properties measurements over the frequency band from 500 MHz to 3 GHz, and up to temperatures as high as 1000/spl deg/C. We present results illustrating the use of this probe for broadband, high-temperature, dielectric properties measurements of thin samples and substrates. It is shown that by backing the material under test with a standard material of known dielectric constant such as air or metal, the complex permittivity of thin samples can be accurately measured. A 2D cylindrical FDTD code utilizing the symmetry of the probe was used for these thin-sample measurements. Results for thin (0.6 mm) alumina and sapphire samples for temperatures up to 800/spl deg/C are presented. This measurement method has important applications in the on-line characterization of semiconductor wafers.
Charge transfer in three-body ion-ion recombination at low gas densities

The contribution arising from (X+—X) charge-transfer collisions to the rate of three-body ion-ion recombination process X+ + Y− + X [XY] + X is described and calculated over a wide range of mass ratios of X+ to Y−. This “quasiequilibrium” treatment is compared to results obtained from the Thomson model.
A Review of: “Martin Durham, White Rage: The Extreme Right and American Politics”

In the aftermath of 9/11, interest in the American far right has waned among academics, as more and more are focused on the topic of Islamic radicalism. Yet, as Martin Durham demonstrates, the far ...
A conceptual approach for FT-ICR cell harmonization utilizing external shim electrodes

Recent advances in superconducting magnet technology make possible the construction of magnets with higher magnetic fields and regions of improved homogeneity, setting the stage for major advances in performance of Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry (MS). In particular, combining these advances in superconducting magnets with the next generation of ICR ion detection cells, which incorporate harmonic trapping electric fields, will simultaneously improve resolving power, mass measurement accuracy, dynamic range and sensitivity of FT-ICR MS. Realizing these potential advances in FT-ICR performance depends critically on enhanced performance of the trapped ion cell, where analyte ions are confined for excitation and detection. To that end, we propose a focused conceptual approach for achieving cell harmonization that uses as a metric the spatial uniformity of the radial electric field divided by radius. This concept for cell harmonization is applied to two proof-of-principle examples for externally shimmed cell configurations developed using appropriate three-dimensional potential calculations. Both examples utilize external electrodes to generate the trapping potential that are electrically de-coupled from the detection and excitation electrodes. A nearly ideal 3D quadrupolar potential is achieved throughout the cell volume in these proof-of-principle designs that simultaneously simplify both mechanical construction and supply of electrical connections to FT-ICR cells.
Quarkonium Annihilation Rates

Recent measurements of ratios of quarkonium annihilation rates are used to evaluate the strong fine-structure constant ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}$. Expressions are presented for QCD radiative corrections with ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}$ referred to the quark-mass scale. We find ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathit{s}}$(${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{b}}$)=0.${179}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}0.008}^{+0.009}$ from the ratio \ensuremath{\Gamma}(\ensuremath{\Upsilon}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\gamma}gg)/ \ensuremath{\Gamma}(\ensuremath{\Upsilon}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}ggg). The corresponding range of ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\mathrm{MS}{\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}^{(4)}}$ (the QCD scale factor for four light-quark flavors) is 146--210 MeV, where MS\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} denotes the modified-minimal-subtraction scheme. The experimentally more precise but theoretically more questionable ratio of the gluonic and muonic widths of J/\ensuremath{\psi} and \ensuremath{\Upsilon} yields ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}$(${m}_{c}$)=0.29\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}$(${m}_{b}$)=0.189\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.008 when ${v}^{2}$/${c}^{2}$ corrections to these ratios for J/\ensuremath{\psi} and \ensuremath{\Upsilon} are parametrized linearly. Further predictions are made for ratios of rates.
Modeling bistatic spectral measurements of temporally evolving reflected and emitted energy from a distant and receding target

The Air Force Institute of Technology's Center for Directed Energy developed the High Energy Laser End-to-End Operational Simulation (HELEEOS) model in part to quantify the performance variability in laser propagation created by the natural environment during dynamic engagements. As such, HELEEOS includes a fast-calculating, first principles, worldwide surface-to-100 km, atmospheric propagation, and characterization package. This package enables the creation of profiles of temperature, pressure, water vapor content, optical turbulence, atmospheric particulates, and hydrometeors as they relate to line-by-line layer transmission, path, and background radiance at wavelengths from the ultraviolet to radio frequencies. In the current paper an example of a unique high fidelity simulation of a bistatic, time-varying five band multispectral remote observation of energy delivered on a distant and receding test object is presented for noncloudy conditions with aerosols. The multispectral example emphasizes atmospheric effects using HELEEOS, the interaction of the energy and the test object, the observed reflectance, and subsequent hot spot generated. A model of a sensor suite located on the surface is included to collect the diffuse reflected in-band laser radiation and the emitted radiance of the hot spot in four separate and spatially offset midwave infrared and longwave infrared bands. Particular care is taken in modeling the bidirectional reflectance distribution function of the delivered energy/target interaction to account for both the coupling of energy into the test object and the changes in reflectance as a function of temperature. The architecture supports any platform-target-observer geometry, geographic location, season, and time of day, and it provides for correct contributions of the sky-earth background. The simulation accurately models the thermal response, kinetics, turbulence, base disturbance, diffraction, and signal-to-noise ratios.
Reconfigurable biologically inspired visual motion systems using modular neuromorphic VLSI chips

Visual motion information provides a variety of clues that enable biological organisms from insects to primates to efficiently navigate in unstructured environments. We present modular mixed-signal very large-scale integration (VLSI) implementations of the three most prominent biological models of visual motion detection. A novel feature of these designs is the use of spike integration circuitry to implement the necessary temporal filtering. We show how such modular VLSI building blocks make it possible to build highly powerful and flexible vision systems. These three biomimetic motion algorithms are fully characterized and compared in performance. The visual motion detection models are each implemented on separate VLSI chips, but utilize a common silicon retina chip to transmit changes in contrast, and thus four separate mixed-signal VLSI designs are described. Characterization results of these sensors show that each has a saturating response to contrast to moving stimuli, and that the direction of motion of a sinusoidal grating can be detected down to less than 5% contrast, and over more than an order of magnitude in velocity, while retaining modest power consumption.
Outcomes After Breast Conservation Treatment With Radiation in Women With Prior Nonbreast Malignancy and Subsequent Invasive Breast Carcinoma

Purpose Little information has been reported regarding outcomes after treatment for patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer and a prior nonbreast malignancy. This report analyzes the outcomes in patients with Stage I and II breast cancer after breast conservation treatment (BCT) with a prior nonbreast malignancy. Methods and Materials The study cohort comprised 66 women with invasive breast cancer and a prior nonbreast malignancy. All patients were treated with breast conservation surgery followed by definitive breast irradiation between 1978 and 2003. Median ages at diagnosis of invasive breast cancer and prior malignancy were 57 and 50 years, respectively. The median interval between the prior malignancy and breast cancer was 7.0 years. Median and mean follow-up times after BCT were 5.3 and 7.0 years. Results The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates were 94% (95% confidence interval [CI], 82–98%) and 78% (95% CI, 59–89%), respectively. There were 4 patients (6%) with local failure and 10 patients (15%) with distant metastases. The 10-year rate of local failure rate was 5% (95% CI, 2–16%) and freedom from distant metastases was 78% (95% CI, 61–88%). No obvious differences in survival or local control were noted compared with the reported results in the literature for patients with invasive breast cancer alone. Conclusions Both overall survival and local control at 5 and 10 years were comparable to rates observed in early-stage breast cancer patients without a prior malignancy. Prior nonbreast malignancy is not a contraindication to BCT, if the primary cancer is effectively controlled.
A cystic fibrosis patient with two novel mutations in mitochondrial DNA: mild disease led to delayed diagnosis of both disorders.

A 21-year-old woman who has been suspected of mitochondrial cytopathy, but negative for common mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) point mutations and deletions, was screened for unknown mutations in the entire mitochondrial genome by temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE). Her asymptomatic mother's blood DNA was also analyzed and used as a reference. Two tRNA regions showing different TTGE patterns between the proband and her mother were sequenced. Two novel mutations, G15995A in tRNA(pro) and A8326G in tRNA(lys), were revealed. These mutations are present in heteroplasmic states. They both occurred at a nucleotide position that is highly conserved throughout evolution. This patient is also a compound heterozygote for the cystic fibrosis (CF) mutations, DeltaF508 and R347P. The phenotype for R347P has been associated with mild disease. Due to the mild features of the R347P mutation in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene and the heterogeneous clinical presentation of the mtDNA disease, the patient was not definitively diagnosed until age 21. This case underscores the importance of a complete mutational analysis of the entire mitochondrial genome when a patient suspected of mitochondrial disorder is negative for common mtDNA mutations.
Effect of Peroxynitrite on Motor Function of the Opossum Esophagus

Nitric oxide (NO·) is a mediator of esophageal motility. Esophageal dysmotility accompanies esophagitis. During inflammation, superoxide and NO· form peroxynitrite (ONOO-), a reactive molecule that alters cellular function. We tested the hypotheses that ONOO- affects esophageal motility and is produced in association with esophagitis. Transverse muscle strips from the opossum esophagus were stimulated by an electrical field, and nitrotyrosine immunoblots were performed. Peroxynitrite, its decomposed form, or NaNO2 relaxed the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and attenuated the off response. These effects were inhibited by oxyhemoglobin (Hgb). An antagonist of guanylate cyclase, 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazole[4,3]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), inhibited the LES relaxation produced by ONOO-. Nitrotyrosine, a footprint for ONOO- production, was detected in inflamed esophagus. These studies support the hypotheses that ONOO- alters esophageal motor function and is formed in association with esophagitis. It is possible that some of the esophageal motor dysfunction seen with esophagitis may be related to the formation of ONOO-.
Somersault flap for reconstruction of the helix

An original technique for reconstruction of the helix has been successfully applied. Posterior auricular skin ia attached to the medical aspect of the helical rim, then somersaulted laterally into position, recreating the helical curl.
HYDROLYTIC AND TRANSGLUCOLYTIC ACTIVITIES OF A PARTIALLY PURIFIED CALF BRAIN β-GLUCOSIDASE

— Properties of both a transglucosylation reaction and the hydrolytic activity of a partially purified calf brain β-glucosidase were investigated. Sodium taurocholate and a ‘Gaucher factor’ stimulated both activities. A purified ‘stimulatory’ factor from human liver did not appear to significantly affect the hydrolytic activity towards either 4-methylumbelliferone-β-d-glucoside or [14C]glucosyl ceramide. Several compounds were found to be competitive inhibitors of the hydrolytic activity, conduritol B epoxide and norjirimycin being the most effective. Glucosyl ceramide hydrolysis was more sensitive to inhibition by p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonate than 4-methylumbelliferone-β-glucoside cleavage. The partially purified enzyme preparation catalyzed the formation of [14C]glucosyl ceramide with N-[14C]oleoyl sphingosine as the acceptor and several β-glucosides as the donor.
Single-Phase Flow Characteristics and Effect of Dissolved Gases on Heat Transfer Near Saturation Conditions in Microchannels

An experimental investigation is carried out to study the heat transfer and pressure drop in the single-phase flow of water in a microchannel. The effect of dissolved gases on heat transfer and pressure drop is studied as the wall temperature approaches the saturation temperature of water, causing air and water vapor mixture to form bubbles on the heater surface. A set of six parallel microchannels, each approximately 200 micrometers square in cross section and fabricated in copper, with a hydraulic diameter of 207 micrometers, is used as the test section. Starting with air-saturated water at atmospheric pressure and temperature, the air content in the water is varied by vigorously boiling the water at elevated saturation pressures to provide different levels of dissolved air concentrations. The single-phase friction factor and heat transfer results are presented and compared with the available theoretical values. The friction factors for adiabatic cases match closely with the laminar single-phase friction factor predictions available for conventional-sized channels. The diabatic friction factor, after applying the correction for temperature dependent properties, also agrees well with the theoretical predictions. The Nusselt numbers, after applying the property corrections, are found to be below the theoretical values available in literature for constant temperature heating on all four sides. The disagreement is believed to be due to the three-sided heating employed in the current experiments. The effect of gas content on the heat transfer for the three gas concentrations is investigated. Nucleation was observed at a surface temperature of 90.5 °C, for the reference case of 8.0 ppm. For the degassed cases (5.4 ppm and 1.8 ppm), nucleation is not observed until the surface temperature reached close to 100°C. An increase in heat transfer coefficient for surface temperatures above saturation is observed. However, a slight reduction in heat transfer is noted as the bubbles begin to nucleate. The presence of an attached bubble layer on the heating surface is believed to be responsible for this effect. NOMENCLATURE A Area ( m 2 ) C Concentration ( ppm ) d Channel depth ( m ) Dh Hydraulic diameter ( m ) f Friction factor G Mass flux ( kg/m 2 s ) h Heat transfer coefficient ( W/m
FBLG: a simple and effective approach for temporal dependence discovery from time series data

Discovering temporal dependence structure from multivariate time series has established its importance in many applications. We observe that when we look in reversed order of time, the temporal dependence structure of the time series is usually preserved after switching the roles of cause and effect. Inspired by this observation, we create a new time series by reversing the time stamps of original time series and combine both time series to improve the performance of temporal dependence recovery. We also provide theoretical justification for the proposed algorithm for several existing time series models. We test our approach on both synthetic and real world datasets. The experimental results confirm that this surprisingly simple approach is indeed effective under various circumstances.
Mechanisms of Toxic Damage to Spermatogenesis

Azoospermia and long-lasting testicular atrophy are common adverse consequences of cancer treatment. Chemotherapeutic agents may disrupt spermatogenesis by targeting various testicular cell types (Leydig cells, Sertoli cells, and germ cells) and by activating numerous molecular pathways involved in germ cell life-and-death decision making. Genetically modified animal models with deficiencies in specific proapoptotic and prosurvival pathways have become powerful tools in understanding the molecular regulation of spermatogenesis and the response of the seminiferous epithelium to toxic injury. In this brief review, selected examples of results of toxic exposures in genetically deficient animal models are discussed to highlight the roles of p53 and the Fas system as modulators of proapoptotic activity in the testis. A final section focuses on cisplatin, a cancer chemotherapeutic agent that produces male reproductive toxicity by targeting multiple cell types in the testis.
Measuring Acculturation With the ARSMA-II Bidimensional Analysis Increases Accuracy as Frequency of Use Increases Over Time

The current literature review highlights the need for a two-dimensional rating system for Mexican American acculturation. It demonstrates increased attention to acculturation issues over time despi...
Two-Phase Modeling of Leachate Recirculation Using Drainage Blankets in Bioreactor Landfills

A drainage blanket (DB) is a recently introduced leachate recirculation system (LRS) in bioreactor landfills, which involves the use of a blanket of high permeable material that is spread over a large area of the municipal solid waste (MSW). Based on the laboratory and field observations documented in the literature, the results of the performance and efficiency of bioreactor landfills vary greatly due to the empirical method followed to design the LRS. Therefore, a rational LRS design methodology that achieves an efficient bioreactor landfill and creates an optimal and safe environment is necessary. Two-phase flow modeling was performed in this study by representing the relative permeabilities of leachate and landfill gas with the van Genuchten function and fluid flow with Darcy’s law. The effects of heterogeneous-anisotropic MSW, the leachate injection rate, and the saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivities of the MSW on the moisture distribution in a typical bioreactor landfill cell using a DB as the LRS were modeled. Those results included saturation levels, maximum pore water and gas pressures, maximum influenced lateral spread (wetted width), maximum influenced wetted area, and outflow collected at leachate collection and removal system at the bottom of the landfill. The results indicate that the variation in the different parameters assumed has a significant influence on the successful distribution of the moisture. Unsaturated hydraulic properties considerably affect moisture flow and distribution in landfilled MSW. And, the intermittent mode of leachate recirculation has the potential for the development of gas pressures that must be considered to evaluate the stability of the landfill slopes.
Life Tasks and Daily Life Experience

This article explores the assumption that the goals on which an individual works structure the experience of daily life. One set of important goals are those consensual tasks that reflect the age-graded expectations of a living environment (e.g., the task of being on one's own at college). Whereas most members of a common age group share these consensual life tasks, indi- viduals in a group differ in the relative importance they place on different tasks and in their appraisals of them. In the present study of 54 women living in a college sorority, the importance of a life task was associated with increased relevance of the task to daily life events, as revealed in experience sampling. The women were more emotionally involved in events that they saw as highly relevant to their life tasks than in less relevant events and, for each person, positive affect and emotional involvement in task-relevant events were related to her initial life task appraisals. A critical issue when studying personality and daily life experience is to find units of analysis that simultaneously reflect the personality of the individual and the features of the life context in which daily life ex-
Model-Based Quality Assurance of the SMB2 Protocol Documentation

Microsoft is producing technical documentation for Windows client-server and server-server protocols to enable licensees to produce interoperable server products. This paper describes certain aspects of a new quality assurance process for technical documents as it is in place at Microsoft. We are applying various test methods including, when appropriate, a model-based approach. The paper uses the Server Message Block Protocol Version 2 (SMB2) as a running example to illustrate the process.