cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Jevons Paradox and Anthropogenic Global Warming: A Panel Analysis of State-Level Carbon Emissions in the United States, 1963–1997

Between 1963 and 1997, the average carbon emissions intensity of all American states decreased by roughly 30%, meaning there was almost three-tenths less carbon emitted for every dollar of economic growth, adjusting for inflation. However, decreasing emissions intensity did not translate into a reduction in overall carbon emissions. A first-differenced, cross-sectional, autoregressive time-series analysis at the state level reveals that the increase in emissions still depended on inflation-adjusted economic growth, even when controlling for the effects of changes in population size and percent of economy in the industrial sector. For the period examined, 1963–1997, these findings represent the Jevons paradox as emphasized by political economists in environmental sociology. The implications suggest that the benefits to the climate from technological improvements have been minimal because the political economy of capitalism has not been addressed.
Electron microprobe measurement of pyroxenes coexisting with H_2O-undersaturated liquid in the join CaMgSi_2O_6-Mg_2Si_2O_6-H_2O at 30 kilobars, with applications to geothermometry

Mixtures of synthetic crystalline enstatite and diopside were reacted with small water contents in sealed capsules in piston-cylinder apparatus at 30 kb between 1000° C and 1700° C. The compositions of coexisting enstatite and diopside solid solutions were measured with an ARL-EMX electron microprobe between 1000° C and 1500° C. Between 1100° C and 1500° C the pyroxenes coexisted with H2O-undersaturated liquid which quenched to inhomogeneous pyroxene crystals. The presence of liquid facilitated growth of pyroxene crystals suitable for microprobe determinations. The solvus of Davis and Boyd (1966) is generally used in geothermometry; our enstatite solvus limb is a few mol-% richer in Mg2Si2O6 in the temperature range 1000–1400° C; our diopside solvus limb is a few mol-% richer in Mg2Si2O6 below 1100°C, in close agreement between 1100° C and 1200° C, but richer in CaMgSi2O6 between 1200° C and 1500° C. Estimated equilibration temperatures for a diopside with composition 78.7% Di is 1300° C according to our results compared with 1210° C for the Davis and Boyd solvus.
Discounting Mean Reverting Cash Flows with the Capital Asset Pricing Model

Discounting cash flows requires an equilibrium model to determine the cost of capital. The CAPM of Sharpe and the intertemporal asset pricing model of Merton (1973) offer a theoretical justification for discounting at a constant risk adjusted rate. Two problems arise with this application. First, for mean reverting cash flows the risk adjustment is unknown, and second, if the present value is compounded forward then the distribution of future wealth is likely right skewed. I develop equilibrium discount rates for cash flows whose level or growth rate is mean reverting. Serial correlation also largely eliminates the skewness problem.
An Ethical Decision-Making Framework for Community College Administrators

This article provides community college administrators, as well as university faculty members who teach doctoral and master’s courses in community college leadership, with a framework that facilitates ethical decision making. Administrators’ decisions must be grounded in critical thinking that includes ethical considerations.
Ultrasonic heating and temperature measurement in microfluidic channels

Abstract Microfluidic devices integrated with ultrasonic transducers were developed. Piezoelectric thin film based transducers and capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) were integrated with microchannels. While piezoelectric transducers operated in the vicinity of 400 MHz, the operation frequency of the CMUTs was approximately 50 MHz. Ultrasound generated by the transducers was used for both heating the liquid and sensing the temperature of the liquid inside the channel. The temperature measurement method depends on the time of flight monitoring of the acoustic reflections inside the channel. The method was applied to channels with different heights from 200 μm to 500 μm. The accuracy of the method was found to be 0.1 °C. The measurement bandwidth could be as high as 1 MHz.
Hepatitis C virus RNA in southern African blacks with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract We used a sensitive and specific cDNA polymerase chain reaction assay to detect hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in serum samples from 128 unselected southern African Blacks with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and found HCV RNA in 26 (20.3%) of these patients. Antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) were detected in 59 patients (46.1%) with a first-generation ELISA test, and only 19 of these patients were HCV RNA-positive. Anti-HCV was detected in 25 patients (19.5%) with a second-generation ELISA test, and 17 of these patients were HCV RNA-positive. Among the second-generation ELISA- and HCV RNA-positive patients, 14 were anti-HCV positive, 2 were indeterminate, and 1 was anti-HCV negative in a second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay, whereas all patients who were second-generation ELISA positive, but HCV RNA negative, were anti-HCV negative in this immunoblot assay. A total of 5 patients were negative in both ELISA tests but were HCV RNA positive. Seventy-one patients (55.5%) had evidence of a current HBV infection, 50 (39.1%) had evidence of a previous infection, and 7 (5.5%) had no evidence of a current or previous HBV infection. The prevalence of current HBV infection was significantly lower in patients who were positive for HCV RNA than in those who were negative (P = 0.001). This difference was not dependent on sex, age, or geographical location of the patients. The mean age of HCC patients positive for HCV RNA (52.3 years) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than that of negative patients (40.3 years), and the difference was not dependent on HBV status or geographical location. Patients positive for HCV RNA were more likely to be urban than were negative patients. Thus, a significant number of southern African Blacks with HCC had a current HCV infection but not a current HBV infection, further suggesting that infection with HCV plays a role, albeit minor, in the development of HCC in this population.
Integration of psychological assessment approaches in school psychology

There are multiple existing and emerging models and methods of psychological assessment derived from a variety of theoretical or empirical perspectives. Integration of information relating to personality, behavior, and social-emotional competence as part of the psychological assessment with psychoeducational data can better inform service delivery and the outcomes of the children and families served. The various models and methods of psychological assessment used by school psychologists are reviewed in this article. The advantages and complexities of integrating information using actuarial and clinical judgment are explored. Finally, a discussion and model of how psychological and psychoeducational data can be used to aid in the understanding of the child and facilitate intervention planning is provided. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 243–255, 2007.
Text Messaging at Reference: A Preliminary Survey

This article relates the results of a survey of academic libraries using text messaging as a means for delivering reference services. Information concerning the hardware, software, costs, staffing, hours of operation, service life, and patron use is presented.
Protonation of Metal Hydrides by Strong Acids. Formation of an Equilibrium Mixture of Dihydride and Dihydrogen Complexes from Protonation of Cp*Os(CO)2H. Structural Characterization of [CpW(CO)2(PMe3)(H)2]+OTf−

Cp*Os(CO)2H is protonated by triflic acid (HOTf) in CD2Cl2 solution to give an equilibrium mixture (87:13) of the dihydride [Cp*Os(CO)2(H)2]+OTf− and the dihydrogen complex [Cp*Os(CO)2(η2-H2)]+OTf−. The acidity of these protonated species is roughly comparable to HOTf, since only partial protonation was observed, e.g., 36% protonation with 1.2 equiv of HOTf. In the absence of acid, the T1 of the hydride ligand of Cp*Os(CO)2H is 5.9 s at −80 °C. When all of the Cp*Os(CO)2H is protonated by excess HOTf, the T1 (−80 °C) of the terminal hydride ligands of [Cp*Os(CO)2(H)2]+OTf− is 2.8 s, while the T1 of the dihydrogen ligand of [Cp*Os(CO)2(η2-H2)]+OTf− is 19 ms (−80 °C). The observed T1 values of the Os−H resonance of Cp*Os(CO)2H decreased significantly under conditions of partial protonation, indicating intermolecular proton transfer among [Cp*Os(CO)2(η2-H2)]+OTf−, [Cp*Os(CO)2(H)2]+OTf−, Cp*Os(CO)2H, and HOTf. IR spectra indicate that the two CO ligands of [Cp*Os(CO)2(H)2]+ (and hence the hydrides as well) ar...
Pacemaker neuron and network oscillations depend on a neuromodulator-regulated linear current

Linear leak currents have been implicated in the regulation of neuronal excitability, generation of neuronal and network oscillations, and network state transitions. Yet, few studies have directly tested the dependence of network oscillations on leak currents or explored the role of leak currents on network activity. In the oscillatory pyloric network of decapod crustaceans neuromodulatory inputs are necessary for pacemaker activity. A large subset of neuromodulators is known to activate a single voltage-gated inward current IMI, which has been shown to regulate the rhythmic activity of the network and its pacemaker neurons. Using the dynamic clamp technique, we show that the crucial component of IMI for the generation of oscillatory activity is only a close-to-linear portion of the current-voltage relationship. The nature of this conductance is such that the presence or the absence of neuromodulators effectively regulates the amount of leak current and the input resistance in the pacemaker neurons. When deprived of neuromodulatory inputs, pyloric oscillations are disrupted; yet, a linear reduction of the total conductance in a single neuron within the pacemaker group recovers not only the pacemaker activity in that neuron, but also leads to a recovery of oscillations in the entire pyloric network. The recovered activity produces proper frequency and phasing that is similar to that induced by neuromodulators. These results show that the passive properties of pacemaker neurons can significantly affect their capacity to generate and regulate the oscillatory activity of an entire network, and that this feature is exploited by neuromodulatory inputs.
Correlations between micromechanical features and material toughness in HY-100 steel

Examinations of the fracture surfaces of HY-100 steel tensile specimens with various gage geometries were conducted and the relationships between the fracture features and the material toughness of each specimen as quantified by the critical strain energy density were investigated. It was observed that the microvoid density, the aspect ratio of the microvoids and the percentages of cleavage, microvoid coalescence, and ductile tear were related to the critical strain energy density (wc) obtained from the scale invariant continuum stress-strain curve. The fracture surface and the critical strain energy density were dependent on the triaxiality of the stress state experienced by the specimens which was in turn influenced by the gage geometries of the specimens.
High incidence of optic canal involvement in tuberculum sellae meningiomas: rationale for aggressive skull base approach.

Abstract Background Current literature on TSMs underemphasizes the significance of OCI by the tumor. In this study, we aimed to document the incidence of OCI, its management using a SBT, and its significance with relation to the visual outcome. Methods Thirty-one patients with TSM were retrospectively analyzed. In 28 patients, SBT consisting of extradural anterior clinoidectomy with falciform ligament and optic nerve sheath opening was performed. Pre- and postoperative visual status was analyzed with respect to OCI. Results The incidences of OCI and preoperative visual deficit (VD) were 77.4% and 83.8%, respectively. With regard to preoperative visual status, OCI incidence was 84.6% in 26 patients with VD compared to 40% in 5 patients without (P = .016). Among the 23 patients with VD and detailed postoperative neuroopthalmologic evaluation, 78.3% had visual improvement; and in 21.7%, vision was unchanged on the operated side. In one patient (3.2% in the whole series), vision deteriorated on the side contralateral to the side of surgery. In the presence of OCI in 20 patients, vision improved in 80% and remained unchanged in 20%, whereas 1 of the 3 patients without OCI improved and the other 2 remained unchanged. Simpson grade I or II resection was achieved in 83.8%. Conclusion Optic canal involvement is very common in TSM (77.4%), and it correlates well with preoperative visual status. With the use of SBT, without which the tumor in the optic canal could not have been removed completely and safely, visual improvement of 78.3% and stability of 21.7% were achieved on the operated side.
Simple Model for Corrections to the Isobaric Multiplet Mass Equation

A simple nonperturbative model is used to estimate corrections to the first-order perturbation-theory formula for the isobaric multiplet masses. The leading-order correction to the equation, which is proportional to $T_{z}^{}{}_{}{}^{3}$, is found to be much smaller than expected from second-order perturbation arguments and from limits set by experiments.
TAXONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF INTRASPECIFIC ISOZYME PATTERNS OF THE SLIME MOLD FULIGO SEPTICA PRODUCED BY DISC ELECTROPHORESIS

A B S T R A C T Plasmodial extracts of 45 isolates of Fuligo septica (L.) Wiggers selected from diverse geographical areas were subjected to acrylamide disc electrophoresis. Profiles for ten enzymes and general protein were determined. Profile variability among isolates occurred. Indices of similarity calculated for each isolate indicated that the variations of the yellow and white plasmodial isolates fell within different ranges. Determination of the total range of variation for the species must wait on the analysis of more white isolates. The extreme sensitivity of disc electrophoresis in detecting color forms suggests it can be useful as a tool in myxomycete taxonomy.
Pro-Asthmatic Cytokines Regulate Unliganded and Ligand-Dependent Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling in Airway Smooth Muscle

To elucidate the regulation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling under pro-asthmatic conditions, cultured human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells were treated with proinflammatory cytokines or GR ligands alone and in combination, and then examined for induced changes in ligand-dependent and -independent GR activation and downstream signaling events. Ligand stimulation with either cortisone or dexamethsone (DEX) acutely elicited GR translocation to the nucleus and, comparably, ligand-independent stimulation either with the Th2 cytokine, IL-13, or the pleiotropic cytokine combination, IL-1β/TNFα, also acutely evoked GR translocation. The latter response was potentiated by combined exposure of cells to GR ligand and cytokine. Similarly, treatment with either DEX or IL-13 alone induced GR phosphorylation at its serine-211 residue (GRSer211), denoting its activated state, and combined treatment with DEX+IL-13 elicited heightened and sustained GRSer211 phosphorylation. Interestingly, the above ligand-independent GR responses to IL-13 alone were not associated with downstream GR binding to its consensus DNA sequence or GR transactivation, whereas both DEX-induced GR:DNA binding and transcriptional activity were significantly heightened in the presence of IL-13, coupled to increased recruitment of the transcriptional co-factor, MED14. The stimulated GR signaling responses to DEX were prevented in IL-13-exposed cells wherein GRSer211 phosphorylation was suppressed either by transfection with specific serine phosphorylation-deficient mutant GRs or treatment with inhibitors of the MAPKs, ERK1/2 and JNK. Collectively, these novel data highlight a heretofore-unidentified homeostatic mechanism in HASM cells that involves pro-asthmatic cytokine-driven, MAPK-mediated, non-ligand-dependent GR activation that confers heightened glucocorticoid ligand-stimulated GR signaling. These findings raise the consideration that perturbations in this homeostatic cytokine-driven GR signaling mechanism may be responsible, at least in part, for the insensirtivity to glucocorticoid therapy that is commonly seen in individuals with severe asthma.
Cell adhesion molecules: a new perspective on molecular embryology

Abstract Identification and characterization of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) have suggested new views of the role of cell adhesion in development and have provided an important new way of analysing the molecular mechanisms of embryogenesis. Rapidly developing protein-chemical and molecular biological studies promise to extend these findings in many new directions.
Wavelet transformation based multi-time scale crystal plasticity FEM for cyclic deformation in titanium alloys under dwell load

Titanium alloys are used in high end applications due to their desirable properties. However under dwell fatigue loading, these alloys exhibit premature crack initiation and failure when compared to normal cyclic loading. This early crack initiation can be attributed to the inhomogenous plastic deformation occurring in these alloys during the hold period of dwell cyclic loading and is strongly influenced by the underlying micro-structure. This necessitates the consideration of micro-structural features and their influence on the response, for accurate life prediction in these alloys. Crystal plasticity based finite element simulations capture the micro-structural influence on the response and can prove effective for accurate prediction of crack initiation in these alloys. However 70-80% of total life in Ti-alloys based components is spent in crack initiation and this may involve crystal plasticity based finite element simulations for large number of cycles. Such simulations using conventional single scale time integration schemes can be computationally intractable. A multi-time scale method using wavelet based decomposition is thus developed in this work for accurate and computationally efficient dwell fatigue simulations of these alloys for large number of cycles.
A simple, flexible, and effective covariate-adaptive treatment allocation procedure

We present a method for allocating treatment when subjects arrive in sequence. Based on the theory of propensity scores more commonly used in observational studies, the method balances both discrete and continuous covariates without assuming a model for the outcome. Although we allow for a number of possible specifications, we explore some specific instances in depth. The proposed method is compared with previously suggested sequential randomization and allocation procedures with relationships to some well-known methods highlighted. Through simulations, the deterministic version is shown to achieve both covariate balance and near optimum efficiency with minimal assumptions. We also investigate the properties of selected randomized versions with respect to both optimality and selection bias. We conclude with an application to a pilot study on weight loss. The proposed method is shown to be robust to the number of covariates balanced and the marginal and joint distributions of those covariates.
Glycogen in the Marine Protozoon Parauronema acutum

SYNOPSIS. The carbohydrate which accumulates in the cytoplasm of the marine protozoon, Parauronema acutum, during normal growth was isolated, purified and characterized chemically. The highly purified material yielded only glucose residues following hydrolysis in 0.6 N HCl for 3 h at 100 C; measurement of total carbohydrate by the phenol-sulfuric acid method and by treatment with amylo-glucosidase and glucose oxidase gave similar values. Aqueous solutions of the purified material reacted with iodine to form a complex which exhibited an absorption peak at 456 nm with a shift to 484 nm in the presence of 50% saturated (NH4)2SO4. Digestion with α-amylase, β-amylase, and isoamylase yielded 71%, 45% and 8.3% hydrolysis, respectively. Treatment sequentially with both isoamylase and β-amylase gave complete hydrolysis of the polymer. The average chain length (CL) determined by the isoamylase procedure was 12. These observations are consistent with the view that the carbohydrate isolated from the protozoan is a polymer consisting of α-D-glucose residues arranged in chains containing α-(14) linkages with branch points containing α-(16) linkages occurring once on the average of ∼ 12 glucose residues and, as such, is indistinguishable from glycogen isolated from mammalian sources.
Component reflectance scheme for DMSP-derived sea ice reflectances in the Arctic Basin

Abstract A scheme is introduced which in effect 'splits’ Defence Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) single broadband sea ice reflectances into weighted visible and near-infrared (NIR) component reflectances. The method is rooted in (1) the fitting of polynomials to observed spectral reflectance curves of sea ice, (2) a weighting scheme and (3) the identification of general sea ice types and their corresponding areal coverage per imaged cell. Previously derived DMSP broadband sea ice reflectances in the Arctic Basin have been spectrally sequestered into visible and NIR component reflectances for May to August for the years 1977, 1979, 1984 and 1985. Comparison of spectrally modified DMSP visible reflectances (0-4-0-9 µm) are in closer agreement with NOAA-5 derived visible sea ice reflectances (0-52-0-72 µm ) than unmodified DMSP visible/NIR reflectances (0-4-1-1 µm ) for July 1977 in the Arctic Basin. It was also found that melt pond and flooding effects were more apparent for spectrally-modified NIR ...
Exploring the fundamental limit of CD control: a measurement of shot noise induced CDU in e-beam lithography

We have used our Quadra lithography system to evaluate the shot-noise-induced critical dimension uniformity (CDU). We found that at the isofocal dose, the shot-noise-induced CDU is directly proportional to the edge blur, and hence the rate of CD changes with dose. This emphasizes the importance of minimizing beam blur of the system. We used a phenomenological model to analyze our experimental data. The model included the counting statistics of the incident electrons and that of the electron induced chemistry. With the proper parameters, this model matches the experimental observations well. It also predicts the limit of the improvements and suggests guides for the optimization of the lithographic process.
Ectopic gene expression and homeotic transformations in arthropods using recombinant Sindbis viruses.

Abstract Background: The morphological diversity of arthropods makes them attractive subjects for studying the evolution of developmental mechanisms. Comparative analyses suggest that arthropod diversity has arisen largely as a result of changes in expression patterns of genes that control development. Direct analysis of how a particular gene functions in a given species during development is hindered by the lack of broadly applicable techniques for manipulating gene expression. Results: We report that the Arbovirus Sindbis can be used to deliver high levels of gene expression in vivo in a number of non-host arthropod species without causing cytopathic effects in infected cells or impairing development. Using recombinant Sindbis virus, we investigated the function of the homeotic gene Ultrabithorax in the development of butterfly wings and beetle embryos. Ectopic Ultrabithorax expression in butterfly forewing imaginal discs was sufficient to cause the transformation of characteristic forewing properties in the adult, including scale morphology and pigmentation, to those of the hindwing. Expression of Ultrabithorax in beetle embryos outside of its endogenous expression domain affected normal development of the body wall cuticle and appendages. Conclusions: The homeotic genes have long been thought to play an important role in the diversification of arthropod appendages. Using recombinant Sindbis virus, we were able to investigate homeotic gene function in non-model arthropod species. We found that Ultrabithorax is sufficient to confer hindwing identity in butterflies and alter normal development of anterior structures in beetles. Recombinant Sindbis virus has broad potential as a tool for analyzing how the function of developmental genes has changed during the diversification of arthropods.
XLIX. On the laws of chemical change.—Part I

(1878). XLIX. On the laws of chemical change.—Part I. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 6, No. 38, pp. 371-383.
Rapid αβ T cell responses orchestrate innate immunity in response to Staphylococcal enterotoxin A

In the generation of a traditional immune response against invading pathogens, innate cells guide T cells by programming their differentiation. However, here we demonstrate that αβ T cells have an essential role in priming innate immunity in the lung after Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin A (SEA) inhalation. We found that SEA induces waves of cellular activation, cytokine production, and migration into the lung tissue and airways. However, this innate response was completely inhibited in the absence of αβ T cells. Specifically, we found that interleukin (IL)-17A was required for the recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes into the lung. The cellular source of IL-17A was γδ T cells, which increased their IL-17A production following SEA but only in an αβ T-cell-dependent manner. Thus, rapid T-cell activation orchestrates innate immunity and may be a new point of therapeutic intervention for acute lung injury.
Dynamic seethroughs: Synthesizing hidden views of moving objects

This paper presents a method to create an illusion of seeing moving objects through occluding surfaces in a video. This illusion is achieved by transferring information from a camera viewing the occluded area. In typical view interpolation approaches for 3D scenes, some form of correspondence across views is required. For occluded areas, establishing direct correspondence is impossible as information is missing in one of the views. Instead, we use a 2D projective invariant to capture information about occluded objects (which may be moving). Since invariants are quantities that do not change across views, a visually compelling rendering of hidden areas is achieved without the need for explicit correspondences. A piece-wise planar model of the scene allows the entire rendering process to take place without any 3D reconstruction, while still producing visual parallax. Because of the simplicity and robustness of the 2D invariant, we are able to transfer both static backgrounds and moving objects in real time. A complete working system has been implemented that runs live at 5Hz. Applications for this technology include the ability to look through corners at tight intersections for automobile safety, concurrent visualization of a surveillance camera network, and monitoring systems for patients/elderly/children.
Multiple origins of polyploidy and the geographic structure of Heuchera grossulariifolia

Multiple origins of polyploidy from an ancestral diploid plant species were investigated using restriction site polymorphism and sequence variation in the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) of Heuchera grossulariifolia (Saxifragaceae). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that autopolyploidy has arisen at least twice in the evolutionary history of this species and potentially up to as many as seven times. These results suggest a greater range of independent polyploid origins as compared to a previous study of H. grossulariifolia using cpDNA restriction sites that indicated a minimum of three independent origins. Moreover, most polyploid populations did not contain cpDNA haplotypes from a single origin, but rather combined haplotypes from at least two polyploid origins. Past migration among polyploid populations of independent origin or localized polyploid formation may explain the distribution of polyploid haplotypes within and among populations. The analysis also revealed a discrepancy between relatedness and geographical location. In nearly all sympatric populations of diploids and polyploids, polyploids had the same cpDNA haplotypes as diploids from a geographically remote population. This geographical discordance has several possible explanations, including small sample sizes, extinction of parental diploid haplotypes, chloroplast introgression, and homoplasy in the cpDNA sequence data. We conclude that the recurrent formation of polyploids is an important evolutionary mechanism in the diversification of H. grossulariifolia.
An Evaluation of Cresyl Echt Violet Acetate as a Nissl Stain

The new cresyl echt violet acetate, of which three different batches have been tested, proves to be a very useful Nissl stain. It is especially valuable for formalin-fixed, frozen-sectioned material. By using a buffered staining bath and controlled timing in dehydration it is possible, on paraffin embedded material, to use these dyes as progressive stains apparently specific for nucleic acids. With a saturated aqueous solution of the dye, especially when a mordant of lithium carbonate is used, it is possible to stain material that has been preserved in formalin for several years and also material from which nucleic acids have been removed. The dye is useful also for staining celloidin embedded material. With the buffered stain proposed, differentiation is much easier than with older methods which included a gross overstaining and a long destaining procedure.
Sound-by-sound thalamic stimulation modulates midbrain auditory excitability and relative binaural sensitivity in frogs.

Descending circuitry can modulate auditory processing, biasing sensitivity to particular stimulus parameters and locations. Using awake in vivo single unit recordings, this study tested whether electrical stimulation of the thalamus modulates auditory excitability and relative binaural sensitivity in neurons of the amphibian midbrain. In addition, by using electrical stimuli that were either longer than the acoustic stimuli (i.e., seconds) or presented on a sound-by-sound basis (ms), experiments addressed whether the form of modulation depended on the temporal structure of the electrical stimulus. Following long duration electrical stimulation (3-10 s of 20 Hz square pulses), excitability (spikes / acoustic stimulus) to free-field noise stimuli decreased by 32%, but returned over 600 s. In contrast, sound-by-sound electrical stimulation using a single 2 ms duration electrical pulse 25 ms before each noise stimulus caused faster and varied forms of modulation: modulation lasted < 2 s and, in different cells, excitability either decreased, increased or shifted in latency. Within cells, the modulatory effect of sound-by-sound electrical stimulation varied between different acoustic stimuli, including for different male calls, suggesting modulation is specific to certain stimulus attributes. For binaural units, modulation depended on the ear of input, as sound-by-sound electrical stimulation preceding dichotic acoustic stimulation caused asymmetric modulatory effects: sensitivity shifted for sounds at only one ear, or by different relative amounts for both ears. This caused a change in the relative difference in binaural sensitivity. Thus, sound-by-sound electrical stimulation revealed fast and ear-specific (i.e., lateralized) auditory modulation that is potentially suited to shifts in auditory attention during sound segregation in the auditory scene.
Copper(I) Iodide–Potassium Naphthalenide

[7681-65-4] CuI (MW 190.45) InChI = 1S/Cu.HI/h;1H/q+1;/p-1 InChIKey = LSXDOTMGLUJQCM-UHFFFAOYSA-M [4216-48-2] C10H8K (MW 167.27) InChI = 1S/C10H8.K/c1-2-6-10-8-4-3-7-9(10)5-1;/h1-8H; InChIKey = IJJSYKQZFFGIEE-UHFFFAOYSA-N (used to prepare a zerovalent copper species which is particularly effective in promoting the Ullmann condensation, in the production of organocopper compounds, and in cross-coupling of aryl and allylic halides) Solubility: copper species generated in dimethoxyethane under Ar. Preparative Methods: by the reduction of Copper(I) Iodide with a stoichiometric concentration of Potassium and ca. 10% naphthalene in DME under Ar, resulting in a gray-black granular solid. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: the reagent is generated in situ in an inert atmosphere as needed; reactions are usually carried out under argon; use in a fume hood.
Nonlinear control of electric machines: an overview

Due to the increasing availability of improved power electronics and digital processors at reduced costs, there has been a trend to seek higher performance from electric machine systems through the design of more sophisticated control systems software. There exist significant challenges in the search for improved control system designs, however, since: the dynamics of most electric machine systems exhibit significant nonlinearities; not all state variables are necessarily measured; and the parameters of the system can vary significantly from their nominal values. In recent years, a wide range of nonlinear methods for feedback control, state estimation, and parameter identification have emerged, and some of these results are reviewed and summarized. >
Optical design of FLITECAM

FLITECAM is a facility class instrument on SOFIA, operating form 1-5 microns. A 1024 by 1024 InSb ALADDIN II array will be used in a fully refractive optics system that provides three optical modes; imaging at a plate scale of 0.47 inch by 0.47 inch per pixel and afield of view of 8 feet, grism spectroscopy with moderate resolutions of about R equals 1000- 20000 depending on the slit width used, and a pupil viewing mode. The plate scale is achieved by using an f/4.8 back-end camera behind an f/4.9 collimator. The 8 foot field of view of SOFIAs f/19.6 telescope translates to a focal plane aperture of 114mm. The collimator optics are therefore quite large with a diameter of almost 170mm. Between the pupil image produced by the collimator and the f/4.8 camera, a ste of three lense will be inserted to achieve a pupil viewing mode. The optical train is entirely refractive, with triplets or split triplets using combinations of LiF, BaF 2 , ZnS, and ZnSe. The design of an optics system with this wide a wavelength range of more than two octaves and the large field of view present a challenging project. We demonstrate that our optical design meets the performance requirements with certain allowed lens-fabrication and misalignments built in.
Information Retrieval and the Semantic Web

Information retrieval technology has been central to the success of the Web. For semantic web documents or annotations to have an impact, they will have to be compatible with Web based indexing and retrieval technology. We discuss some of the underlying problems and issues central to extending information retrieval systems to handle annotations in semantic web languages. We also describe three prototype systems that we have implemented to explore these ideas.
Smoke and Hormone Mirrors: Action and Evolution of Karrikin and Strigolactone Signaling

Karrikins and strigolactones are two classes of butenolide molecules that have diverse effects on plant growth. Karrikins are found in smoke and strigolactones are plant hormones, yet both molecules are likely recognized through highly similar signaling mechanisms. Here we review the most recent discoveries of karrikin and strigolactone perception and signal transduction. Two paralogous α/β hydrolases, KAI2 and D14, are respectively karrikin and strigolactone receptors. D14 acts with an F-box protein, MAX2, to target SMXL/D53 family proteins for proteasomal degradation, and genetic data suggest that KAI2 acts similarly. There are striking parallels in the signaling mechanisms of karrikins, strigolactones, and other plant hormones, including auxins, jasmonates, and gibberellins. Recent investigations of host perception in parasitic plants have demonstrated that strigolactone recognition can evolve following gene duplication of KAI2.
Delays in transfer of elderly less-injured trauma patients can have deadly consequences.

Transfer of severely injured patients to regional trauma centers is often expedited; however, transfer of less-injured, older patients may not evoke the same urgency. We examined referring hospitals' length of stay (LOS) and compared the subsequent outcomes in less-injured transfer patients (TP) with patients presenting directly (DP) to the trauma center. We reviewed the medical records of less-injured (Injury Severity Score [ISS] 9 or less), older (age older than 60 years) patients transferred to a regional Level 1 trauma center to determine the referring facility LOS, demographics, and injury information. Outcomes of the TP were then compared with similarly injured DP using local trauma registry data. In 2011, there were 1657 transfers; the referring facility LOS averaged greater than 3 hours. In the less-injured patients (ISS 9 or less), the average referring facility LOS was 3 hours 20 minutes compared with 2 hours 24 minutes in more severely injured patients (ISS 25 or greater, P Language: en
Microdetermination of Nitrogen

For the determination of total nitrogen in biologic samples, the material must be digested with sulfuric acid, during which all the nitrogen will be transformed into ammonium sulfate. The ammonia from this solution may be liberated with an excess of highly concentrated sodium hydroxide.
Numerical Study of Neighboring Edge Flame Interactions

A five-slot burner with contoured nozzle exits has been used to create lifted flames with multiple stoichiometric gradients below the flame structure. The resulting lifted flames have multiple partially-premixed flame stabilization points in close proximity. Previous work has shown that the interactions between these flames lead to a bifurcation in the flame stability whereby the overall flame structure is asymmetric. The interaction also affects the overall stability of the structure which has implications for the propagation and stabilization of lifted turbulent flames. The burner used for these studies allows for the creation of a range of stoichiometric gradients below each of the edge flames, while also allowing for the ability to control the distance between stabilization points of the flames. Numerical simulations are presented and compared to recent experimental results. For large fuel-air gradients the experimental edge flames showed very little interaction as both flames stabilized at similar liftoff heights and with similar flame shapes. As the composition gradient below the flames was decreased, the edge flames broadened leading to an interaction where a lift-off height difference between the two flames was observed. This bifurcation in edge flame stabilization is examined in this paper using a comparison of numerical simulations and further analysis of previously reported Rayleigh scattering and PLIF imaging to validate the predicted compositions upstream and within each flame.
Chain Growth and Branch Structure Formation during Lipase-Catalyzed Synthesis of Aliphatic Polycarbonate Polyols

This study explored Candida antarctica Lipase B (CALB)-catalyzed condensation reactions to prepare high-purity, metal-free, polycarbonate polyols. Terpolymerizations of diethyl carbonate (D) with 1,8-octanediol (O) and tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane (T) were performed in bulk at relatively low temperature (80 °C) using a pressure-varied two-stage process to minimize evaporative loss of diethyl carbonate. NMR experiments of resulting polycarbonate polyols, including analysis of proton NMR resonances by COSY spectra and carbon-13 resonances by HSQC, HSQC-TOCSY, and HMBC spectra, allowed determination of copolymer composition as well as relative percentages of linear, terminal, and dendritic T-units. With D/O/T monomer feed ratio 3:0.9:0.1, the highest values of dendritic T-unit content (83%) and Mw (23 900) by SEC-MALLS were attained. By decreasing D content in the monomer feed, the mol % of dendritic T-units in chains decreased to as low as 0%. By keeping the D/(O + T) ratio constant at 2.0 while increasing the...
Results of Life History Studies of Diabrotica 12-Punctata Fabr. (Chrysomelidae, Coleoptera)

The life history of Diabrotica 12-Punctata as found under Iowa conditions is herein given. The beetles appeared in early June and began oviposition immediately. The greater portion of egg-laying ended in July. About 40 days were spent in the immature stages. Most of the adults emerged in July and August, but reproduction was apparently delayed until the following year.
Spatio-temporal variations of groundwater and their responses to land-use/land-cover changes in the Dunhuang Oasis in Northwest China

Based on the remote sensing and geo-statistical methods,the semivariogram and Kriging interpolation were used to fit the spatio-temporal pattern of groundwater depth in the study area for the period of 1987to 2008.Overlaying the corresponding land use and land cover change(LUCC) from remote sensing images,we analyzed the relationship between LUCC and the spatio-temporal variations of groundwater in the Dunhuang Oasis,Northwest China.The results show that,under a greater influence from human activities,the maximum autocorrelation distance increased significantly,suggesting the connectivity and vulnerability of groundwater was rising.Over the study period,areas of the farming,urban,and barren land had all increased,while the grassland had sharply deteriorated.Groundwater spatial changes and the LUCC had a certain response relationship,while the rising air temperate,increasing agricultural irrigation and expanding tourism had all resulted in increasing water consumption,decreasing groundwater recharge and taking most of the ecological water demand.This eventually caused the groundwater level to decline.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Traumatic Posterior Urethral Defects and Pelvic Crush Injuries

AbstractA total of 18 patients 4 to 71 years old with complete occlusion of the prostatomembranous urethra from pelvic crush injury underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pelvis just before open urethroplasty. MRI studies included T2-weighted sagittal and coronal images as well as transaxial T1 and T2-weighted spin-echo images. Operative findings and erectile function were correlated with MRI findings. All patients underwent conventional cystography and retrograde urethrography. The mean interval from injury to operation was 5.5 months (range 3 to 12 months) and followup averaged 12 months (range 3 to 40 months).Posttraumatic pelvic anatomy can be distorted and imaging in all 3 planes was needed. The severity and direction of prostatourethral dislocation, and the length of the urethral defect could be accurately determined, which often is not possible with conventional radiographic studies. MRI also demonstrated injuries at many locations along the erectile pathway, including sacral and ischial...
Highly Successful Projects Inhibit Coordination on Crowdfunding Sites

Donors on crowdfunding sites must coordinate their actions to identify and collectively fund projects prior to their deadline. Some projects receive vast support immediately upon launch. Other seemingly worthwhile projects have more modest success or no success at raising funds. We examine how the presence of high-performing "superstar' projects on a crowdfunding site affects donors' ability to coordinate their actions and fund other less popular but still worthwhile projects on the site. In a lab experiment where users simulate the dynamics of a crowdfunding site, we found that superstar projects reduce the likelihood that other projects are funded by the crowd, even when the super project has no opportunity to steal away donations form other projects. We argue that this is due to superstar projects setting too high of a standard of what a "fundable" project looks like, leading donors to underestimate the amount of support within a crowd for less exceptional projects.
Prospective study of 445 lung carcinomas with mediastinal lymph node metastases.

From 1974 to 1978, 998 patients with carcinoma of the lung were treated at our institution. All were staged according to the staging system of The American Joint Committee for Cancer Staging and End Results Reporting. Of these, 445 patients had clinically evident mediastinal lymph node metastases. The condition of 204 was considered inoperable at diagnosis, based on histology of oat cell carcinoma, known distant metastases, or malignant effusion. Surgical exploration was undertaken in the remaining 241 patients and they were treated by resection and/or intraoperative implantation of radioactive sources. Of this latter group, 161 (69%) had either palliative resection or implantation of radioactive sources. The median survival in this group of patients was 9 months. There were 80 patients who had complete, potentially curative resection of their primary tumor and all accessible mediastinal lymph nodes. The vast majority of these were also treated by postoperative external radiation therapy to the mediastinum. In this group, there were 25 epidermoid carcinomas, 44 adenocarcinomas, eight large cell carcinomas, and three oat cell carcinomas. The survival rate was 73% at 1 year, 57% at 2 years, and 49% at 3 years. Survival at 3 years was slightly better in glandular carcinoma (adenocarcinoma or bronchiolar) than in epidermoid carcinoma (56% versus 44%). We conclude that there is a select group of patients with mediastinal lymph node metastases who can be effectively treated by combined resection and radiation therapy, with prolonged survival.
Electronic and Optical Properties of Silicon Dangling-Bond Defects at the Si-Sio2 Interface

The Si-SiO2 interface possesses residual electronic defects that are characteristic of the thermal oxidation of silicon. These defects contribute bands of interfacial electronic gap states and are paramagnetic. This paper reviews the current understanding of the electronic and optical properties of these technologically-relevant defects.
HARVESTING, INTEGRATING AND DISTRIBUTING LARGE OPEN GEOSPATIAL DATASETS USING FREE AND OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE

Abstract. Federal, State and Local government agencies in the USA are investing heavily on the dissemination of Open Data sets produced by each of them. The main driver behind this thrust is to increase agencies’ transparency and accountability, as well as to improve citizens’ awareness. However, not all Open Data sets are easy to access and integrate with other Open Data sets available even from the same agency. The City and County of Denver Open Data Portal distributes several types of geospatial datasets, one of them is the city parcels information containing 224,256 records. Although this data layer contains many pieces of information it is incomplete for some custom purposes. Open-Source Software were used to first collect data from diverse City of Denver Open Data sets, then upload them to a repository in the Cloud where they were processed using a PostgreSQL installation on the Cloud and Python scripts. Our method was able to extract non-spatial information from a ‘not-ready-to-download’ source that could then be combined with the initial data set to enhance its potential use.
Marketing Fast-Food to African-American Consumers

Although food eating habit is one of the consumption practices that are culturally determined, fast-food consuming behavior and preferences of African-Americans are little researched. Paper examines patronage frequency, and the criteria used by African-American consumers to evaluate service quality in fast-food restaurants. Factors that determine their patronage frequency, and evaluation criteria are also examined.