cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mental Rotation in American Children: Diminished Returns of Parental Education in Black Families

Background: While parental education and family socioeconomic status (SES) are associated with an increase in children's cognitive functioning, and less is known about racial variation in these effects. Minorities' Diminished Returns (MDRs) suggest that, under racism and social stratification, family SES and particularly parental education show weaker effects on children's tangible outcomes for marginalized, racialized, and minoritized families, particularly Blacks, compared to Whites. Aim: We conducted this study to compare the effect of parental education on children's mental rotation abilities, as an important aspect of cognitive function, by race. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 11,135 9-10-year-old American children. Data came from baseline of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The independent variable was parental education. The dependent variable, mental rotation, was measured by the Little Man Task. Ethnicity, gender, age, marital status, and household income were the covariates. Results: Parental education was positively associated with mental rotation. However, parental education showed a weaker association with mental rotation in Black than in White families. This was documented by a significant interaction between race and parental education on children's efficiency score. Conclusion: Parental education shows a weaker correlation with mental rotation of Black rather than White children, which is probably because of racism, social stratification, and discrimination. This finding is in line with the MDRs phenomenon and suggests that marginalization and racism may interfere with the influences of parental assets and resources and Black American children's development.
Quantitative serum PCR argues against long-term persistence of HHV-6 viremia after umbilical cord blood transplantation.

Human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) reactivates in ~75% of cord blood transplant (CBT) recipients at a median of 2-3 weeks post-transplant1-3 . This contrasts with peripheral blood or bone marrow allografts where HHV-6 reactivation is uncommon4 . In a previous study of 23 CBT recipients, 52% of patients had detectable HHV-6 by whole blood qPCR at a median of 3.9y (range 1.3-7.1) post-transplant5 . Because whole blood qPCR can be positive with both latent virus and viremia, these results do not distinguish between the two scenarios. While long-term intracellular persistence of the latent virus is expected, persistent viremia (i.e., extracellular virus) may suggest the graft's inability to clear viremia. We report our long-term findings using serum, rather than whole blood, to distinguish latent from replicating HHV-6.
Federal Habeas Corpus and Systemic Official Misconduct: Why Form Trumps Constitutional Rights 56 U. Kan. L. Rev. 1 (2017-2018)

Debra Milke spent twenty-three years on death row based on a fabricated confession. The detective who put her there had a pattern of misconduct which impacted numerous defendants before Ms. Milke’s case. Such systemic police and prosecutorial misconduct must be considered when an individual raises due process claims in federal habeas corpus proceedings. In many cases, state courts conduct a cursory review of official misconduct claims without considering that they may be systemic violations. When state courts make merits decisions, federal courts are statutorily required to defer to those provisions even if the federal judge believes a constitutional violation has occurred. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Justice Alex Kozinski described the problem of official misconduct as permeating numerous parts of the criminal justice system impacting an unknown number of defendants over time. Yet he and other federal judges are unable to address these constitutional violations when a state court rules on the substantive merits of these claims. The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act’s deference standard curtails federal courts from potentially granting relief to valid constitutional challenges. This article discusses the current deference standard and its impact on inmates asserting police and prosecutorial misconduct claims. The scope of a systemic official misconduct claim is vast and far-reaching. Because of this, it may be difficult for an inmate to fully present all the requisite facts in state court proceedings as federal habeas corpus law demands. This rewards errant state officials by keeping potentially valid constitutional challenges from obtaining full review in the state appellate system thereby restricting federal review. Through an examination of how some federal courts have addressed these constitutional issues, I propose two methods that federal courts should use to remedy systemic official misconduct violations. Federal courts should fully examine these constitutional violations as the Great Writ intended.
Detection of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi in guttural pouch lavage samples using a loop-mediated isothermal nucleic acid amplification microfluidic device.

Background Rapid point-of-care (POC) detection of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) would theoretically reduce the spread of strangles by identifying index and carrier horses. Hypothesis That the eqbE isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, and the same eqbE LAMP assay tested in a microfluidic device format, are comparable to a triplex real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay that is commonly used in diagnostic labs. Samples Sixty-eight guttural pouch lavage (GPL) specimens from horses recovering from strangles. Methods Guttural pouch lavage specimens were tested for S. equi retrospectively using the benchtop eqbE LAMP, the eqbE LAMP microfluidic device, and compared to the triplex qPCR, that detects 2 S. equi-specific genes, eqbE and SEQ2190, as the reference standard using the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (ROC). Results The 27/68 specimens were positive by benchtop eqbE LAMP, 31/64 by eqbE LAMP microfluidic device, and 12/67 by triplex qPCR. Using the triplex PCR as the reference, the benchtop eqbE LAMP showed excellent discrimination (ROC Area = 0.813, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.711-0.915) as did the LAMP microfluidic device (ROC Area = 0.811, 95% CI = 0.529-0.782). There was no significant difference between the benchtop LAMP and LAMP microfluidic device (ROC Area 0.813 ± 0.055 vs 0.811 ± 0.034, P = .97). Conclusions The eqbE LAMP microfluidic device detected S. equi in GPL specimens from convalescent horses. This assay shows potential for development as a POC device for rapid, sensitive, accurate, and cost-efficient detection of S. equi.
Predictors of met expectations two years after knee surgery.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study is to determine which patient factors predict two-year postoperative met expectations in a cohort of patients undergoing knee surgery. Additionally, this study aims to measure the association between met expectations and postoperative outcomes. Methods 319 patients undergoing knee surgery at one institution were studied. Patients completed patient-reported outcome questionnaires prior to surgery and again two years postoperatively. Preoperative Expectations and postoperative Met Expectations were measured using the Musculoskeletal Outcomes and Data Evaluation Management System (MODEMS) Expectations domain. Results The mean Met Expectations score was significantly lower than the preoperative Expectations Score. Worse two-year Met Expectations were associated with older age, higher BMI, greater comorbidities, more previous surgeries, black race, unemployment, lower income, government insurance, Worker's Compensation, smoking, and no injury prior to surgery. Greater Met Expectations were correlated with better scores on all two-year outcome measures as well as greater improvement on most outcome measures. Race, insurance status, function, mental health, and knee pain were found to be independent predictors of Met Expectations. Conclusion This study identified multiple patient factors and outcome measures that were associated with Met Expectations two years after knee surgery.
Shear Strength and Release of Large Cryogenic Pellets from the Barrel of a Shattered Pellet Injector for Disruption Mitigation

Shattered pellet injection (SPI) has been chosen as the baseline disruption mitigation system on ITER due to its ability to rapidly inject material deep into the plasma to greatly increase the plas...
Calcium-ion Binding Mediates the Reversible Interconversion of Cis and Trans Peroxido Dicopper Cores.

Coupled dinuclear copper oxygen cores (Cu2 O2 ) featured in type III copper proteins (hemocyanin, tyrosinase, catechol oxidase) are vital for O2 transport and substrate oxidation in many organisms. μ-1,2-cis peroxido dicopper cores (C P) have been proposed as key structures in the early stages of O2 binding in these proteins; their reversible isomerization to other Cu2 O2 cores are directly relevant to enzyme function. Despite the relevance of such species to type III copper proteins and the broader interest in the properties and reactivity of bimetallic C P cores in biological and synthetic systems, the properties and reactivity of C P Cu2 O2 species remain largely unexplored. Herein, we report the reversible interconversion of μ-1,2-trans peroxido (T P) and C P dicopper cores. CaII mediates this process by reversible binding at the Cu2 O2 core, highlighting the unique capability for metal-ion binding events to stabilize novel reactive fragments and control O2 activation in biomimetic systems.
The association of physical activity on homocysteine in pregnant women.

Women with high levels of physical activity have improved pregnancy, labor, and delivery outcomes related to cardiovascular health. Hyperhomocysteinemia, which predicts cardiovascular disease risk,...
A Hybrid Scheduling Scheme for Parallel Loops

Parallel loops are commonly used parallel constructs to parallelize high-performance scientific applications. In the paradigm of task parallelism, the parallel loop construct is used to express the logical parallelism of the loop, indicating that the iterations in a loop are logically in parallel and let an underlying runtime scheduler determines how to best map the parallel iterations onto available processing cores. Researchers have investigated multiple scheduling schemes for scheduling parallel loops, with the static partitioning and dynamic partitioning being most prevalent. Static partitioning obtains low scheduling overhead while potentially retaining locality benefit in iterative applications that perform a sequence of parallel loops that access the same set of data repeatedly. But static partitioning may perform poorly relatively to dynamic partitioning if the loop iterations contain unbalanced workloads or if the cores can arrive at the loops in different times. We propose a hybrid scheduling scheme, which first schedules loops using static partitioning but then employs dynamic partitioning when load balancing is necessary. Moreover, the work distribution employs a claiming heuristic that allows a core to check for partitions to work on in a semi-deterministic fashion, allowing the scheduling to better retain data locality in the case of iterative applications. Unlike prior work that optimizes for iterative applications, our scheme does not require programmer annotations and can provide provably efficient execution time. In this paper, we discuss the hybrid scheme, prove its correctness, and analyze its scheduling bound. We have also implemented the proposed scheme in a Cilk-based work-stealing platform and experimentally verified that the scheme load balances well and can retain locality for such iterative applications.
Radical Seattle: the general strike of 1919

On 20 January 2019, late in the 35-day federal government shutdown by President Donald Trump, Sara Nelson, president of the International Association of Flight Attendants, drew national attention w...
Neurotrophic factors in the CNS: biosynthetic processing and functional responses.

Publisher Summary The identification of a number of growth factors and hormones that have well-defined activities outside the nervous system as neurotrophic agents in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system is an example of the familiar economy of usage that defines biological systems. The chapter emphasizes the fact that the superficial differences between trophic and plastic stimulations may be greatly obscured at the mechanistic level. The distinguishing principles will almost certainly occur at the level of gene expression, predetermined by the state of differentiation of the cell. Thus the response of a fibroblast to fibroblast growth factor that leads to cell division will not likely be distinguished from the trophic response of a neuron, with the production of neurites, by the signal transduced at the plasma membranes, but rather by the genes that are ultimately expressed in response to the stimuli.
Water isotopic and hydrochemical evolution of a lake chain in the northern Great Plains and its paleoclimatic implications

Oxygen isotopes and geochemistry from lake sediments are commonly used as proxies of past hydrologic and climatic conditions, but the importance of present-day hydrologic processes in controlling these proxies are sometimes not well established and understood. Here we use present-day hydrochemical data from 13 lakes in a hydrologically connected lake chain in the northern Great Plains (NGP) to investigate isotopic and solute evolution along a hydrologic gradient. The δ18O and δ2H of water from the chain of lakes, when plotted in δ2H - δ18O space, form a line with a slope of 5.9, indicating that these waters fall on an evaporation trend. However, 10 of the 13 lakes are isotopically similar (δ18O = –6 ± 1‰ VSMOW) and show no correlation with salinity (which ranges from 1 to 65‰). The lack of correlation implies that the isotopic composition of various source waters rather than in-lake evaporation is the main control of the δ18O of the lakes. Groundwater, an important input in the water budget of this chain of lakes, has a lower δ18O value (−16.7‰ in 1998) than that of mean annual precipitation (−11‰) owing to selective recharge from snow melt. For the lakes in this chain with salinity < 15‰, the water Mg/Ca ratios are strongly correlated with salinity, whereas Sr/Ca is not. The poor correlation between Sr/Ca and salinity results from uptake of Sr by endogenic aragonite. These new results indicate that δ18O records may not be interpreted simply in term of climate in the NGP, and that local hydrology needs to be adequately investigated before a meaningful interpretation of sedimentary records can be reached.
The SPI-3 Pathogenicity Island of Salmonella enterica

Pathogenicity islands are chromosomal clusters of pathogen-specific virulence genes often found at tRNA loci. We have determined the molecular genetic structure of SPI-3, a 17-kb pathogenicity island located at the selC tRNA locus of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. The G+C content of SPI-3 (47.5%) differs from that of the Salmonella genome (52%), consistent with the notion that these sequences have been horizontally acquired. SPI-3 harbors 10 open reading frames organized in six transcriptional units, which include the previously described mgtCB operon encoding the macrophage survival protein MgtC and the Mg2+ transporter MgtB. Among the newly identified open reading frames, one exhibits sequence similarity to the ToxR regulatory protein of Vibrio cholerae and one is similar to the AIDA-I adhesin of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. The distribution of SPI-3 sequences varies among the salmonellae: the right end of the island, which harbors the virulence gene mgtC, is present in all eight subspecies of Salmonella; however, a four-gene cluster at the center of SPI-3 is found in only some of the subspecies and is bracketed by remnants of insertion sequences, suggesting a multistep process in the evolution of SPI-3 sequences.
Nonvolatile salt-free stabilizer for the quantification of polar imipenem and cilastatin in human plasma using hydrophilic interaction chromatography/quadrupole mass spectrometry with contamination sensitive off-axis electrospray.

A hydrophilic interaction chromatography/mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS)-based assay for imipenem (IMP) and cilastatin (CIL) was recently reported. This orthogonal electrospray ion source-based (ORS) assay utilized nonvolatile salt (unremovable) to stabilize IMI in plasma. Unfortunately, this method was not applicable to conventional MS with off-axis spray (OAS-MS) because MS sensitivity was rapidly deteriorated by the nonvolatile salt. Therefore, we aimed to find a nonvolatile salt- and ion suppression-free approach to stabilize and measure the analytes in plasma using OAS-MS. Acetonitrile and methanol were tested to stabilize the analytes in the plasma samples. The recoveries, matrix effects and stabilities of the analytes in the stabilizer treated samples were studied. The variations in MS signal intensities were used as the indicator of the assay ruggedness. The results show that a mixture of methanol and acetonitrile (1:1) is best for the storage and measurement of IMP and CIL in human plasma. Utilization of this precipitant not only blocked the hydrolysis of the analytes in plasma but also resulted in an ion suppression-free, fast (120 s per sample) and sensitive detection. The sensitivity obtained using the less sensitive OAS-MS (API3000, 4 pg on column) is much greater than that of the published ORS-MS-based assay (API4000, 77 pg on column). The ruggedness of the assay was demonstrated by its constant MS signal intensity. In conclusion, an improved HILIC/MS-based assay for IMP and CIL was established. The approach presented here provides a simple solution to the challenge of analyzing hydrolytically unstable β-lactam antibiotics in biological samples.
Juvenile Delinquency and Recreation

(1981). Juvenile Delinquency and Recreation. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 52, No. 7, pp. 81-82.
Reference Guide to Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism

Money laundering and terrorist financing are global problems. For developed and developing countries alike, these activities compromise the stability, transparency and efficiency of financial systems. Thus, these activities merit the complete attention of all countries. Moreover, the events of September 11, 2001, have heightened the international concern. World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) developed this unique reference guide to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) in an effort to provide practical steps for countries implementing an AML/CFT regime in accordance with international standard. The guide describes the global problem of money laundering and terrorist financing on the development agenda of individual countries and across regions. It explains the basic elements required to build an effective AML/CFT legal and institutional framework and summarizes the role of the World Bank and the IMF in fighting money laundering and terrorist financing. The primary objective of this joint bank-fund project is to ensure that the information contained in the reference guide is useful and easily accessible by developing countries that are working to establish and strengthen their policies against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Additionally, this guide is intended to contribute to global understanding of the devastating consequences of money laundering and terrorist financing on development growth, and political stability and to expand the international dialogue on crafting practical solutions to implement effective AML/CFT regimes.
One-lung ventilation using a wire-guided endobronchial blocker for thoracoscopic pericardial fenestration in a dog

Instead of a conventional double lumen tube, an Arndt wire-guided endobronchial blocker was used to achieve one-lung ventilation in a dog undergoing thoracoscopic pericardiectomy. Overall, lung separation was easy to perform and surgical conditions for the creation of a pericardial window were adequate. Special ventilation strategies were applied.
Use of neutron imaging for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance analysis and design

Efficient water management is one of the key design objectives for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) due to the influence of water on material selection, bipolar plate design, and operating conditions. Neutron imaging has proven to be one of the most important diagnostic methods available for PEMFC research, as the technique affords the ability to observe, in situ, water transport and accumulation phenomena. In this article, we provide an overview of the neutron imaging method, in terms of both the imaging technique itself, as well as special considerations for fuel cell test article design. Descriptions of specific applications areas are provided, including water gradients normal to the membrane-electrode assembly, diffusion media and flow field channel water management, multicell and transient phenomena, and low temperature and freeze performance. Finally, we offer perspectives on future developments in the application of neutron imaging to fuel cells. Keywords: neutron radiography; diagnostics; water management; gas diffusion layer; membrane-electrode assembly; bipolar plate; flow field channel; freeze
MPI-3 Shared Memory Programming Introduction

This chapter discusses an interprocess shared memory extension, which was added in MPI 3.0 standard, and how it can be used to enhance communication efficiency and to enable memory footprint optimization. A simple 1-D ring “hello world” example is shown and then extended for several node runs. Using a modified MPPTEST benchmark, up to 4.9× improvement over a standard point-to-point communication approach on one Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor is shown. This approach is shown to have potential benefits with halo exchanges even for multinode cases. Improvements up to 1.8× with two Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors are shown along with demonstrating that the benefits of MPI SHM grow with increases in the number of intranode neighbors for halo exchanges.
RBC nitrification of high ammonia leachates

A study was conducted on treating a simulated leachate that contained high concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen ranging between 20 and 1000 mg/L. A pilot sized rotating biological contractor (RBC) was used to treat a surrogate leachate composed of primary effluent that was adjusted with glucose and ammonium chloride to achieve various concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and ammonia-nitrogen. Experiments were conducted to determine: The rate of ammonia conversion The drop in pH at high ammonia concentrations The effect of low pH on ammonia conversion The effect of high ammonia levels (1000 mg/L) on ammonia conversion The effect of temperature on the reaction rate constant The results from these experiments and the applicability of a RBC to treat leachates containing high concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen are reported.
Diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal sonography for the diagnosis of adenomyosis: systematic review and metaanalysis

Objective The purpose of this study was to critically appraise the diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal sonography for diagnosing adenomyosis. Study Design Computerized databases were used to identify relevant reports published between 1966 and 2007 reporting data on the accuracy of transvaginal sonography for diagnosing adenomyosis in women having hysterectomy. The presence or absence of adenomyosis was confirmed by histopathologic analysis of hysterectomy specimens. The total analysis included 14 trials with 1895 aggregate participants. Two authors independently assessed methodological quality and constructed tables for the assessment of diagnostic measures. Results Transvaginal ultrasound predicted adenomyosis with a likelihood ratio of 4.67 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.13-6.17). The overall prevalence of adenomyosis was 27.9% (95% CI, 25.5-30.3). The probability of adenomyosis with an abnormal transvaginal ultrasound was 66.2% (95% CI, 61.6- 70.6). The probability of adenomyosis with a normal transvaginal ultrasound was 9.1% (95% CI, 7.3-11.1). Conclusion Transvaginal sonography appears to be an accurate diagnostic test for adenomyosis.
MRI identifies MCI subtypes: vascular versus neurodegenerative

As life expectancy increases worldwide, pandemics of cognitive impairment and dementia are emerging as major public health problems. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), prodromal for dementia, is a descriptive term used for those clinical states showing early and subtle cognitive decline among the elderly, preceding the dementias. Psychometric screening combining Mini-Mental Status (MMSE) and Cognitive Capacity Screening (CCSE) Examinations, when combined now called CMC with C standing for Combined, M for MMSE, and C for CCSE, confirms diagnosis of MCI. Individuals identified with MCI are at increased risk for dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT), vascular dementia (VAD) and other rare neurodegenerative dementias, including Lewy body dementia (LBD), fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Depending on different clinical compositions of cohorts studied, and MCI criteria used, between 19% and 50% of MCI progress to dementia within 3-5 years, two thirds to Alzheimer's (DAT) and one third to vascular types (VAD) in the United States. Not all Parkinsonians become demented, but PDD develops in 20-30%, however, PDD subjects were excluded from the present study, as were LBD and FTD. The incidence of MCI in those over age 70, with confirmed cognitive declines when tested 2 years later, is around 23%, but some spontaneously improve.
Branch dry weight in relation to yield increases in narrow-row soybean

Previous studies indicated total dry matter at R5 (TDM,R5) played a more important role in narrow-row yield increases at late compared to optimal planting dates in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that greater TDM(R5) in narrow vs. wide rows at late plantings stimulates yield by increasing vegetative branch dry matter (BDM,R8), branch yield components, and branch reproductive dry matter (BRDM). Field studies were conducted during 1987 and 1988 at optimal (May) and late (July) planting dates, with two commercial soybean cultivars (Forrest, Maturity Group V and Centennial, Maturity Group VI), and 100-cm (wide) rows/normal plant population, 5O-cm (narrow) rows/normal plant population, and 50-cm rows/high plant population. The test was conducted at Baton Rouge, LA on a Mhoon silty clay (fine-silty, mixed, nonacid, thermic, Typic, Fluvaquents) soil. Narrow compared to wide row spacing resulted in greater BDM(R8) at both planting dates. However, increased BDM(R8) was correlated with whole plot yield (r² = 0.92***, significant at P = 0.001) only at the late planting. Narrow-row-increased BDM(R8) was responsible for greater yield at this planting date because it was associated with increasing branch yield components which are reduced by late planting: branch number, total branch length, branch node number, and branch pod and seed production. In conclusion, data supported the hypothesis that the close association between narrow-row-increased TDM(RS) and yield at late plantings is related to increased branch dry matter and branch yield component production. Louisiana Agric. Exp. Stn. manuscript no. 89-09-3350.
Wear prediction of ceramics

Abstract Advanced ceramics are increasingly being used for wear applications. Wear prediction of ceramics has become an important subject in these arenas. Ceramic wear is a complex function of microstructure, grain size and shape, grain boundary toughness, and the operating conditions. Wear prediction, therefore, needs to address not only the amount of wear for a given range of operating conditions, it also needs to address the location of wear transitions, and the onset of different dominant wear mechanisms. This paper reviews the various wear models developed by the authors over the years to predict wear, wear transitions, and wear under different mechanisms for ceramics. Finally, we investigate the feasibility of modeling across a range of materials and operating condition using a concept of contact severity and material property normalization process. This results in a model capable of predicting wear of ceramics to ±1 order of magnitude using only the material property and operating parameters.
Oxygen-derived free radicals and 'stunned myocardium'.

A brief, transient period of coronary artery occlusion (<20 minutes in duration) followed by reperfusion does not result in irreversible myocyte injury or death, yet the regional contractile function and high energy phosphate content of the previously ischemic tissue remains depressed or ‘stunned’ for hours to days following reperfusion. It has been suggested that this prolonged postischemic dysfunction of viable, previously ischemic myocardium may be a consequence of oxygen-derived free radicals generated during occlusion or at the time of reperfusion. Recent evidence demonstrates that free radical scavenging agents such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) + catalase, N-2-mercaptopropionylglycine, and allopurinol, administered prior to coronary artery occlusion, significantly enhance recovery of regional contractile function of the stunned, previously ischemic tissue. This improved contractile function was not, however, accompanied by improvements in high energy phosphate metabolism: infusion of SOD + catalase did not preserve ATP stores in the previously ischemic tissue. These data support the hypothesis that oxygen-derived free radicals contribute, at least in part, to the phenomenon of the stunned myocardium. The source or mechanisms of free radical production in the setting of brief, transient ischemia, however, remains to be elucidated.
A cluster analysis of neuronal activity in the dorsal premotor cortical area for neuroprosthetic control

With the use of the neuronal data acquisition technology, millisecond-level multi-electrode data from several regions of the premotor area were obtained from two rhesus monkeys trained to perform arm-reach tasks with visual cues in virtual reality. In each trial, animals were required to select and perform one of the four possible arm reaching movements to the target on the top-left or top-right of the virtual reality space. They were also required to decide whether they would move their arms straight to the target or curve them in order to avoid the obstacle that was presented. After the acquired neuronal signals were processed, unsupervised Hierarchical clustering and K-means clustering were performed to uncover the similarity and difference in the average firing rate of spike train data between neurons and phases for each experiment condition. The clustering results indicate the similarity of neuronal data in the movement planning and actual movement phases, and the difference of such data from the data in information processing phases. Furthermore, the clustering results show that when the target location is on the right, the move planning started earlier. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) on the neuronal data confirms the results from the hierarchical clustering.
Maximum likelihood estimation of parameters in multiexponential fits when data follow Poisson distribution.

Abstract A computer program is described which uses the maximum likelihood method to fit data which obey Poisson fluctuation with the following function N = ∑ ν A ν exp> (−α ν t) . The program provides a simultaneous optimum estimation of the parameters Av, and αv v = 1, 2,…, p and their variances. For the assessment of the goodness of fit the values of χ2 and σ, the residual variance, are also computed. A complete discussion of the problem is given in Sandor et al., and the same methods of estimation are used in the program.
TU-D-BRB-03: Enforcing Maximum Dwell Times in High Dose Rate Brachytherapy Highlights the Tradeoff between Small Dwell Time Gradients and Dose Coverage

Purpose Applicator‐based dose optimization (forward planning) emphasizes dwell time homogeneity to avoid regions of exceptionally high dose concentration. Anatomy‐based dose optimization (inverse planning) relaxes this constraint in order to obtain a dose distribution that is more conformal the anatomy. We developed a version of inverse planning constrained by maximum dwell times. The relationship between dwell time homogeneity and the dose delivered to cancerous and healthy organs is examined. Methods and Materials A software method was implemented within the IPSA inverse planning algorithm to allow for (1) imposition of a user‐defined global maximum dwell time at any given dwell position and (2) homogeneity of dwell times within any given catheter. In‐silico studies were performed on six previously‐treated‐patient image datasets using the contours and catheter digitization of the clinically‐used plan. Two each of tandem‐and‐ring gynecological, tandem‐and‐ovoid gynecological, and prostate were examined. The plan used for treatment served as the control and had no restriction on dwell times. New plans were optimized by imposing either a global (Study 1) or catheter‐specific maximum dwell times (Study 2) for different time limits. Dosimetric indices were compared with the control plans. Results Clinically acceptable plans were achievable with modest restriction of the dwell times, but severe restriction lead to unacceptable plans. Across all studies, restriction of dwell times correlated with an increase of the final objective function value. A higher objective function means less adherence of the optimization to the dosimetric requirements imposed on the optimization by the user. Conclusion Imposing restrictions on a global maximum dwell and intra‐catheter dwell time homogeneity necessarily results in a worsening of the dosimetric optimization objective function. However, less severe restrictions can allow for some tailoring of the dose distribution to avoid intra‐catheter dwell time heterogeneity with only a small decrease in target coverage. Research sponsored in part by Nucletron.
New Class of Wide-Range Logarithmic Circuit for a Light-Intensity Meter

A new wide-range logarithmic circuit for a light-intensity meter is described. The circuit, consisting only of photoconductors and constant resistors, takes advantage of the inverse power law that the photoconductors obey. The indicator (microammeter) used is of simple linear type: the deflection is proportional to the current. Accordingly, the over-all response is logarithmic in light intensity. An experimental unit covering more than four decades of intensity is described. The same principle may be applied to nuclear radiation meters.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation of Knee Kinematics After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Anteromedial and Transtibial Femoral Tunnel Drilling Techniques

Purpose The purpose of this study was to use magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to evaluate the translational and rotational kinematics of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructed knees with transtibial (TT) and anteromedial (AM) femoral tunnel drilling. Methods ACL reconstruction was performed in 21 subjects: 12 with AM drilling (5 men and 7 women; mean age, 33 ± 9 years; imaged 18 ± 5 months after surgery) and 9 with TT drilling (5 men and 4 women; mean age, 32 ± 9 years; imaged 12 ± 8 months after surgery). Three-tesla MR imaging was obtained bilaterally at extension and 30° to 40° of flexion under simulated loading (125 N). MR images were segmented and kinematic calculations done with in-house MATLAB software (The MathWorks, Natick, MA). Translation and rotation of the tibia and the tibiofemoral contact area were measured. Statistical analysis treated reconstructed and contralateral knees as independent groups. Reconstructed groups were compared with analysis of covariance using contralateral knees as baseline. P Results All kinematic measures in the AM group were similar to contralateral knees. The TT group showed significantly more total tibial rotation than contralateral knees (TT, 8.4° ± 3.9°; contralateral, 2.9° ± 6.8°) ( P = .03), whereas the AM group did not (AM, 3.1° ± 5.6°; contralateral, 2.3° ± 5.4°) ( P = .36). At knee extension, the tibia was more externally rotated in the TT group than in controls. Medial tibial translation was greater in the TT group than in controls. The AM group showed increased contact area in the lateral compartment compared with controls; no differences were seen in the TT group. Conclusions Using an MR-based approach, we found that knee kinematics were better restored with the AM femoral tunnel drilling ACL reconstruction than with the TT femoral tunnel drilling approach, which resulted in increased knee laxity. Our in vivo results support previous cadaveric and clinical studies that have found AM ACL reconstruction to restore anatomy and stability better than the TT approach. However, the clinical significance of increased contact area in the AM group remains unclear. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Assuming the mantle of soothsayer

Earthquake Prediction. (Developments in Solid Earth Geophysics, Vol. 9.) By Tsuneji Rikitake. Pp. xvi+357. (Elsevier Scientific: Amsterdam, Oxford and New York, 1976.) Dfl.95; $37.95.
Computer Simulations Of Transient Operation Of Gaas Etalons

Time-dependent behavior of GaAs nonlinear Fabry-Perot etalons has been investigated with a computer model using the Banyai-Koch plasma theory for the GaAs nonlinear optical properties. Investigation of single-wavelength transient operation of GaAs etalons as optical logic gates has shown that useful differential energy gain is not achievable for optical pulses shorter than about ten times the charge carrier lifetime in the semiconductor.
The Nutritive and Immunoprotective Quality of Human Milk beyond 1 Year Postpartum: Are Lactation-Duration-Based Donor Exclusions Justified?

Donor human milk is critical for the fragile preterm infant who does not have access to his or her mother's milk, improving survival rates and quality of survival and decreasing hospital stay. Despite the opening of donor milk banks around the world, shortages continue as demand for donor milk exceeds supply. One potential means of increasing supply is by reducing exclusion criteria that prohibit mothers from donating milk based on duration of lactation. Minimal research has been done on the composition of human milk during the second year of lactation, with most research focusing on the nutritive compounds and not the immunoprotective compounds. Several immunoprotective compounds, including lysozyme, lactoferrin, secretory immunoglobulin A, and oligosaccharides, are abundant in human milk compared to bovine-based infant formula and are partially or fully retained during Holder pasteurization, making them an important differentiating feature of donor milk. A PubMed search was conducted to review studies in human milk composition during the second year of lactation. Limitations of existing research include sample collection protocols, small study sizes, and use of populations that may have been at risk for nutritional deficiencies. Stable concentrations of several components were reported including protein, lactose, iron, copper, lactoferrin, and secretory immunoglobulin A. Lysozyme concentration increased during extended lactation, while zinc and calcium concentrations declined into the second year. Conflicting findings were reported on fat content, and no information was available regarding oligosaccharide content. More research is needed to create evidence-based guidelines regarding the nutritive and immunoprotective value of donor milk throughout the course of lactation.
An Advanced Review of the Relationships between Sahel Precipitation and Climate Indices: A Wavelet Approach

The interannual and decadal to multidecadal variability of precipitation in western Sahel region was examined using wavelet transform and coherency analysis. The aim was to identify the major climate index that has a robust relationship with Sahel precipitation (drought). The results show that ENSO, North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) all have some relationship with precipitation at different time scales which is in agreement with recent studies. There is an antiphase relationship between Sahel precipitation and ENSO at the 3-4-year band localized around 1982/83 El Nino episode. This indicates a cause and effect relationship between the droughts of 1983 and 1982/83 El Nino. In addition, wavelet transform coherence analysis also revealed a relatively antiphase relationship between AMO and precipitation signifying cause and effect. The wavelet analyses indicate that IOD control on rainfall variability in Sahel is limited to the east (15°E–35°E). Advancing this understanding of variability in rainfall and climate forcing could improve the accuracy of rainfall forecast.
Pyridine nucleotide-dependent ferricyanide reduction associated with isolated plasma membranes of maize (Zea mays L.) roots

Plasma membranes (PM) from maize roots (Zea mays L.) were isolated by aqueous two-phase partitioning. The isolated membrane fraction showed a 4.6-fold enrichment in specific activity of the PM marker enzyme vanadate-sensitive, Mg2+-ATPase over a microsomal pellet collected at 50,000 × g. Activities of marker enzymes for mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, tonoplast, and Golgi apparatus were low or not detectable in the PM fraction. Quantitative morphometric analysis using the PM-specific silicotungstic acid stain showed the fraction to be > 92% PM vesicles. Using detergent stimulation of ATPase activity as a measure of structurally linked latency, greater than 90% of the PM vesicles were oriented with the cytoplasmic surface inside.
Kinetic and hydrodynamic studies of the complex of proflavine with poly A-poly U.

Relaxation kinetic experiments reveal general similarity between the mechanism of binding of proflavine to poly A·poly U and DNA. There are differences in detail, however. For example, the rate constants are roughly an order of magnitude smaller for the former, and the thermodynamic parameters of the individual steps are also different. The total heat and free energy for intercalation of free dye are quite similar in the two cases. As was the case with DNA, considerable dye (up to 25% of the bound form) is attached externally to the double helix, even in the strong binding region of the isotherm. Sedimentation measurements on small, rodlike fragments of poly A·poly U reveal a length increase on binding proflavine of a magnitude similar to that found with DNA. This length increase seems to become smaller under conditions (high temperature) where the relaxation measurements indicate a higher fraction of externally bound dye.
On higher order multigrid methods with application to a geothermal reservoir model

This paper considers the multigrid iterative method applied to the solution of finite difference approximations to a linear second-order self-adjoint elliptic equation. It represents an extension of work by Dinar and Brandt. We compare two methods to obtain fourth-order convergence. The first is local error extrapolation developed by Brandt, the second is iterative improvement developed by Lindberg. This work considers non-separable problems, but only on a rectangular domain with Dirichlet boundary conditions. We consider test cases with non-smooth (i.e. discontinuous second derivatives) as well as smooth solutions. We also apply the multigrid method to an elliptic equation with non-separable coefficients which occurs in a geothermal model. In this case an analysis of the error fails to show any advantage in a fourth-order difference scheme over a second-order scheme. However, we do demonstrate that the multigrid iteration performs well on this problem. Also, this example shows that the multigrid iteration can be combined with iterative improvement to create an efficient fourth-order method for a non-separable elliptic equation which is coupled with a marching equation. Other work has found an advantage in this fourth-order scheme for a similar geothermal model.
Reducibility of Linear Systems

When synithesizinig a linear system which is described bv a linear ordinary differential equation, it is desirable to have the equatiotn reduced to the lowest possible order since the number of components increases with the order of the equation. In this paper the concept of reducibility of linear differential equations is discussed. Reducibility is defined as the property which allows a differential equation to be redulced to an equivalent lower-order differential equation. A criterion for reducibility and a technique for the reduction of linear differential equations are presented.
CONTROL OF HYDRIDE ORIENTATION IN ZIRCALOY BY FABRICATION PRACTICE.

Abstract Preferred orientations of hydride platelets formed in seamless Zircaloy tubing were related to the process variables of tubing fabrication. The preferred hydride orientations were described by computer-analyzed frequency distributions of the orientations of individually counted platelets. Nine samples of tubing were studied. Analyses indicated that the hydride orientations in the transverse and longitudinal tubing planes were primarily related to the three-dimensional strain history of fabrication. A new parameter termed the “Directional Strain Parameter” (DeP) was developed to analyze and express fabrication strains. The relationship between DeP and hydride orientation appeared to correlate satisfactorily for rolled plate as well as seamless tubing. The type of fabrication process did not appear to be significant except for its effect on strain history. The mechanism of hydride platelet orientation inferred from these results is discussed.
A PROPOSAL FOR A NEW DIGITIZER OF BUBBLE CHAMBER PHOTOGRAPHS.

Abstract A fast digitizer of modest cost which is appropriate for automatic analysis of bubble chamber photographs with advanced computers is discussed.
Expert systems for knowledge management: crossing the chasm between information processing and sense making

Abstract Based on insights from research in information systems, information science, business strategy and organization science, this paper develops the bases for advancing the paradigm of AI and expert systems technologies to account for two related issues: (a) dynamic radical discontinuous change impacting organizational performance; and (b) human sense-making processes that can complement the machine learning capabilities for designing and implementing more effective knowledge management systems.
Silver complexes of pyridine carboxylic acids and of 8-hydroxyquinoline

Abstract The 8-hydroxyquinoline and pyridine carboxylic acid complexes of silver have been reinvestigated using ESCA, i.r. and u.v. spectroscopy, and through chemical properties in some cases. Many of the complexes do not have the simple 1:1 or 1:2 metal-ligand ratios previously assigned. Evidence for incorporation of solvent molecules into some of the compounds, the presence of nitrate and perchlorate in others, and for the existence of hydrogen bonded systems is presented. Some new reactions of the complexes are reported.
Modeling and analysis of orbiting tethers in an atmosphere

Abstract A new model for tethered satellites in low orbit, where atmospheric effects are significant, is developed. The model allows the analysis of the dynamic behavior of tethered satellites in a general orbit. The results obtained for a system in circular orbit compare favorably to previous work. The behavior of tethered systems performing aeroassisted orbital maneuvers is also simulated. In particular, the cases of elliptic orbit transfer and hyperbolic aerocapture are presented. The results in the elliptic case indicate that orbital maneuvers can be performed with small tension forces in the tether. In the hyperbolic case the behavior is not so benign, because the forces are quite large, but the utilization of tethers for aerocapture appears to be physically feasible.