cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The 5 Alpha-Reductase Isozyme Family: A Review of Basic Biology and Their Role in Human Diseases

Despite the discovery of 5 alpha-reduction as an enzymatic step in steroid metabolism in 1951, and the discovery that dihydrotestosterone is more potent than testosterone in 1968, the significance of 5 alpha-reduced steroids in human diseases was not appreciated until the discovery of 5 alpha-reductase type 2 deficiency in 1974. Affected males are born with ambiguous external genitalia, despite normal internal genitalia. The prostate is hypoplastic, nonpalpable on rectal examination and approximately 1/10th the size of age-matched normal glands. Benign prostate hyperplasia or prostate cancer does not develop in these patients. At puberty, the external genitalia virilize partially, however, secondary sexual hair remains sparse and male pattern baldness and acne develop rarely. Several compounds have been developed to inhibit the 5 alpha-reductase isozymes and they play an important role in the prevention and treatment of many common diseases. This review describes the basic biochemical properties, functions, tissue distribution, chromosomal location, and clinical significance of the 5 alpha-reductase isozyme family.
Presidential accountability for intercollegiate athletics: The essential information

Ensuring the integrity of the campus's intercollegiate athletics program is a fundamental responsibility of the university president. Specific information on athletics is needed to fulfill this role adequately.
A Decomposition Strategy for the Variational Inference of Complex Systems

Markov chain Monte Carlo approaches have been widely used for Bayesian inference. The drawback of these methods is that they can be computationally prohibitive especially when complex models are analyzed. In such cases, variational methods may provide an efficient and attractive alternative. However, the variational methods reported to date are applicable to relatively simple models and most are based on a factorized approximation to the posterior distribution. Here, we propose a variational approach that is capable of handling models that consist of a system of differential-algebraic equations and whose posterior approximation can be represented by a multivariate distribution. Under the proposed approach, the solution of the variational inference problem is decomposed into three steps: a maximum a posteriori optimization, which is facilitated by using an orthogonal collocation approach, a preprocessing step, which is based on the estimation of the eigenvectors of the posterior covariance matrix, and an e...
The potential role of immunotherapy to treat colorectal cancer

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and anti-angiogenic therapies form the backbone of treatment for CRC in various stages. Immunotherapy is frequently used either alone or in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of various cancers such as melanoma, prostate cancer and renal cell cancer. Current CRC research is moving forward to discover ways to incorporate immunotherapies into the treatment of CRC.Areas covered: The aim of this review is to summarize the potential role of immunotherapy in CRC. Herein, the authors provide a brief overview of immune modulatory cells, immune surveillance and escape in CRC. They also review vaccine trials in addition to cytokines and monoclonal antibodies. This coverage includes ongoing trials and checkpoint inhibitors such as cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-1, programmed cell death-1, and PDL1.Expert opinion: Checkpoint inhibi...
Time-series analyses of the American suicide rate

A time-series study of suicide in the USA from 1940 to 1984 explored the extent to which social and economic variables could predict the actual suicide rate, the smoothed trend in the suicide rate, and deviations of the actual suicide rate from the smoothed trend. It was found that the social and economic variables were more successful in predicting the smoothed trend in the suicide rate.
Performance Assessment in Support of the 1996 Compliance Certification Application for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

The conceptual and computational structure of a performance assessment (PA) for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is described. Important parts of this structure are (1) maintenance of a separation between stochastic (i.e., aleatory) and subjective (i.e., epistemic) uncertainty, with stochastic uncertainty arising from the many possible disruptions that could occur over the 10,000-year regulatory period that applies to the WIPP, and subjective uncertainty arising from the imprecision with which many of the quantities required in the analysis are known, (2) use of Latin hypercube sampling to incorporate the effects of subjective uncertainty, (3) use of Monte Carlo (i.e., random) sampling to incorporate the effects of stochastic uncertainty, and (4) efficient use of the necessarily limited number of mechanistic calculations that can be performed to support the analysis. The WIPP is under development by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the geologic (i.e., deep underground) disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste, with the indicated PA supporting a Compliance Certification Application (CCA) by the DOE to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in October 1996 for the necessary certifications for the WIPP to begin operation. The EPA certified the WIPP for the disposal of TRU waste in May 1998, with the result that the WIPP will be the first operational facility in the United States for the geologic disposal of radioactive waste.
An Optical Radar for Surveying

An instrument is described which uses radar techniques to make a survey of terrain. Distances are determined by measuring the transit time of pulses of light traveling between the instrument and a retrodirective reflector placed at the point whose relative position is to be found. Angles are measured by adjusting the position of the optical transmitter to obtain a maximum pip on a cathode-ray tube.
A brief guide to phylogenetic software.

Joe Felsenstein's directory of phylogeny programshttp://evolution.genetics.washington.edu/phylip/software.htmlTree of Life list of phylogeny programshttp://phylogeny.arizona.edu/tree/ programs/programs.htmlUniv. of Glasgow systematics software listinghttp://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/ software.htmlPaul Harvey Group software listinghttp://evolve.zps.ox.ac.uk/ Home.htmlPrograms for phylogenetics and population geneticshttp://evolve.zps.ox.ac.uk/Home.html
Situational Influences of Acceptable Wildland Fire Management Actions

This article examines the effect of fire-specific situational factors on forest users’ normative beliefs about wildland fire management. The acceptability of three fire management actions for eight scenarios was examined. The scenarios varied five factors: (1) fire origin, (2) air quality impact, (3) risk of private property damage, (4) forest recovery, and (5) outdoor recreation impact. Data were obtained from a mail survey of visitors to three national forests: (1) Arapaho–Roosevelt, Colorado (n = 469), (2) Mt. Baker–Snoqualmie, Washington (n = 498), and (3) San Bernardino, California (n = 321). Conjoint analyses indicated varying levels of the five factors (e.g., fire started by humans or lightning) differentially affected acceptability ratings of management actions. Similar percentages of importance were attributed to four of the factors for decisions regarding “put the fire out” and “contain the fire.” There was more dispersion in the relative importance of factors for “letting the fire burn.”
Confusion in Chinese authors' names

In the August 9, 2007 issue of this journal, there was a very important article from the People's Republic of China, authored by Cheng, Jiang, Gong, Wang and Wang [1]. Unfortunately, in both the contents and headings of each page of the article, the first names of the aforementioned authors were listed as their last names. This confusion has serious consequences, not only from the indexing standpoint but also from the point of view of reference citations. In China, the customary way of writing one's name is surname first followed by the given name, just as in the telephone directory. Thus the name of the founding father of the People's Republic of China is Mao Tse Tung (now spelled Mao Zedong). This is contrary to the Western custom of first name first and last name last. Thus, not infrequently, there would be articles in American newspapers, magazines or journals in which Mao would be addressed as Mr. Tung or Mr. Zedong, thus creating confusion. Over the years, I have tried to point out these frequently made mistakes in publications by authors from China [2–8], including my latest Letter to the Editor published in this journal [9]. One suggestion I made was to include the author's name in Chinese [9]. This may not be of too much help, unless you know Chinese or are a Chinese. The other is for the journal editor and/or publisher to refuse considering publication of any article by authors from China, unless they spell their names the Western way, that is, first name first and last name last [9].
Abstract 4090: Akt2-specific signaling in prostate cancer maintenance.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Mutations and amplification in genes regulating the PI 3-K/Akt pathway are common in prostate cancer, with deletion or mutations of PTEN being the most frequent. This has led to major efforts in developing anti-cancer drugs targeting the Akt pathway. Although the role of Akt in tumorigenesis has been studied extensively, little is known regarding isoform-specificity, and it is largely assumed that Akt isoforms play redundant roles in regulating cancer cell survival. In this study, we have developed a tet-on inducible system for expressing Akt1/2/3 shRNAs to determine the role of Akt isoforms in prostate cancer progression. Three-dimensional (3D) matrigel cultures are employed to better recapitulate tumors growing in vivo. Administration of doxycycline (dox) in Akt1 or Akt2 shRNA PTEN-deficient LNCaP cells at the start of culture resulted in the inhibition of spheroid formation, suggesting an important role of both Akt1 and Akt2 in the initial growth of spheroids. Conversely, when spheroids were allowed to form for 7 days, followed by dox for further 10 days, no difference was observed between Akt1-depleted and control spheroids. In contrast, silencing of Akt2 resulted in complete disintegration of spheroids. Confocal microscopy studies showed a significant induction of active caspase-3 and fragmented nuclei in Akt2-silenced cells. Moreover, whereas Akt1 is uniformly expressed, Akt2 is localized in the cytoplasm and/or on the plasma membrane. Interestingly, the differences of effect of Akt isoforms on cell survival in conventional 2D culture are considerably more modest. The exclusive requirement of Akt2 for survival is also observed in PC3 prostate cancer cells, which are also PTEN-deficient. Importantly, our preliminary data indicated that Akt2, but not Akt1 knockdown, led to tumor regression in the LnCaP xenograft model. These results indicate that Akt2, but not Akt1, plays a critical role in prostate cancer maintenance. Current efforts are aimed at identifying novel Akt isoform-specific substrates that contribute to prostate cancer progression using a genome-wide proteomic screen. The results of these studies could point to new targets for anti-cancer therapeutics. This work was supported by grants from NIH (A.T., CA122099; R.C., 1K99CA157945-01, T32 CA081156-09) Citation Format: Yuet Ming Rebecca Chin, Steve Balk, Alex Toker. Akt2-specific signaling in prostate cancer maintenance. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4090. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4090
Evaluation of Garam Masala Spices and Phosphates as Antioxidants in Cooked Ground Beef

This study determined antioxidant effects and sensory attributes of individual ingredients (black pepper, caraway, cardamom, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel, ginger, nutmeg, salt, star anise) of an Indian spice blend (garam masala) in cooked ground beef. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values were measured as an indicator of rancidity for cooked samples on 1-, 8-, or 15-d refrigerated storage. Cooked samples were evaluated by a trained panel (n= 13) for the intensity of rancid odor/flavor, beef flavor, and spice flavor and correlated with TBA values of same day samples. We also investigated possible additive effects between spice antioxidants and iron binding (type II) antioxidants on lipid oxidation by measuring TBA values. All spices had antioxidant effects on cooked ground beef, compared to controls. Among spices, cloves were the most effective in controlling lipid oxidation, with TBA values of 0.75, after 15-d refrigerated storage. All spices at their recommended levels lowered rancid odor and flavor in cooked ground beef, compared to controls. As expected, most spices also imparted distinctive flavors to cooked ground beef. There was a positive correlation (0.77) between TBA values on 15-d refrigerated storage and rancid odor/flavor. Type II antioxidants (iron-binding phosphate compounds) were more effective than individual type I antioxidants (spices and butylated hydroxytoluene; BHT) for maintenance of low TBA values in cooked ground beef during storage. Additive effects were observed with rosemary + milk mineral or sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) compared to rosemary alone.
Discovering social difference: The role of appearance in the development of racial awareness.

Abstract Two experiments examined French preschoolers′ memory for racial and other social information to test the claim, assumed in most previous research, that perceptual factors are integral to the derivation and representation of racial categories. Experiment 1 tested children′s recall of social descriptions embedded in a verbal text. Experiment 2 examined children′s social memory in a parallel visual narrative. Children recalled considerably more racial information after listening to the complex verbal narrative than after viewing the similarly complex visual one. Even when the link between the racial label and its referent were pointed out immediately before viewing the visual text, children rarely recalled racial labels. In contrast, memory for other kinds of social information was greater on the task using a visual narrative. Results cast doubt on the claim that perceptual information is a crucial component of racial categories. Instead, these data are more consistent with an alternative view that racial information is represented in two overlapping but separate categories, one perceptual and the other verbal.
Evaluation of DOCK 6 as a pose generation and database enrichment tool

In conjunction with the recent American Chemical Society symposium titled “Docking and Scoring: A Review of Docking Programs” the performance of the DOCK6 program was evaluated through (1) pose reproduction and (2) database enrichment calculations on a common set of organizer-specified systems and datasets (ASTEX, DUD, WOMBAT). Representative baseline grid score results averaged over five docking runs yield a relatively high pose identification success rate of 72.5 % (symmetry corrected rmsd) and sampling rate of 91.9 % for the multi site ASTEX set (N = 147) using organizer-supplied structures. Numerous additional docking experiments showed that ligand starting conditions, symmetry, multiple binding sites, clustering, and receptor preparation protocols all affect success. Encouragingly, in some cases, use of more sophisticated scoring and sampling methods yielded results which were comparable (Amber score ligand movable protocol) or exceeded (LMOD score) analogous baseline grid-score results. The analysis highlights the potential benefit and challenges associated with including receptor flexibility and indicates that different scoring functions have system dependent strengths and weaknesses. Enrichment studies with the DUD database prepared using the SB2010 preparation protocol and native ligand pairings yielded individual area under the curve (AUC) values derived from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis ranging from 0.29 (bad enrichment) to 0.96 (good enrichment) with an average value of 0.60 (27/38 have AUC ≥ 0.5). Strong early enrichment was also observed in the critically important 1.0–2.0 % region. Somewhat surprisingly, an alternative receptor preparation protocol yielded comparable results. As expected, semi-random pairings yielded poorer enrichments, in particular, for unrelated receptors. Overall, the breadth and number of experiments performed provide a useful snapshot of current capabilities of DOCK6 as well as starting points to guide future development efforts to further improve sampling and scoring.
Electron-phonon coupling in the transition metals: Electronic aspects

The electron-phonon coupling parameter $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ may be written as the product of three factors: the Fermi-energy density of states, $N({E}_{F})$, the Fermi-surface average of the electron-phonon interaction, $〈{I}^{2}〉$, and an effective inverse lattice force constant $\ensuremath{\Phi}$. We have calculated $〈{I}^{2}〉$ and $N({E}_{F})$ for 11 $4d$ transition-metal systems using the rigid muffin-tin approximation. We find a large but understandable variation in $〈{I}^{2}〉$ which is in good agreement with the empirical variation in $〈{I}^{2}〉$. $〈{I}^{2}〉$ varies approximately as the inverse second power of the atomic volume and as the first power of the amount of $l=3$ Fermi-energy state density within the Wigner-Seitz cell. We discuss the implications of our findings in regard to the search for systems with higher superconducting transition temperatures.
A Riccati approach to equality constrained Linear Quadratic Optimal control

A Riccati based approach is proposed to solve Linear Quadratic Optimal control problems subject to linear equality path constraints including mixed state-control and state-only constraints. The proposed algorithm requires computations that scale linearly with the horizon length. It can be used as the key sub-problem to build effective iterative methodologies that tackle general inequality constrained and nonlinear optimal control problems.
Sets of spectral lines for spectrographic thermometry and manometry in d.c. arcs of geologic materials

Abstract Sets of 5 Fe(I) lines and 3 Ti(I)Ti(II) line pairs have been characterized for precise spectrographic thermometry and manometry, respectively, in d.c. arcs of geologic materials. The recommended lines are free of spectral interferences, exhibit minimal self absorption within defined concentration intervals, and are useful for chemically-unaltered silicate rocks, arced in an argon—oxygen stream. The functional character of these lines in thermometry and manometry of d.c. arcs for evaluations of electrical parameter effects, for temporal studies, and for matrix-effect investigations on real samples is illustrated.
A Polymorphism of the Gene Encoding AMPD1: Clinical Impact and Proposed Mechanisms in Congestive Heart Failure

A vast array of gene polymorphisms have been described, and further discovery of these gene variants will continue as the human genome is defined. Therefore, selection of a single polymorphism to investigate in relation to disease evolution or outcome must be motivated by specific physiologic, pathophysiologic, or epidemiologic associations. A significant gene polymorphism may result in an alteration of protein function, or be associated with disease incidence or outcome. Prevalence of the polymorphism in the general population is of extreme importance, as it must be common enough to warrant interest in its clinical impact. The polymorphism of the gene encoding for the enzyme adenosine monophosphate deaminase 1 results in an abnormal protein necessary in skeletal muscle metabolism. While its physiologic effects are not completely understood, it has been associated with improved morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Construction and performance of a time-multiplex multiple-slit flame atomic fluorescence spectrometer for multi-element analysis

Abstract The design and performance characteristics of a new multi-element flame atomic fluorescence spectrometer are presented. Radiation from four hollow-cathode tubes is directed onto an unsheathed air—hydrogen flame. The resulting atomic fluorescence is viewed by a special monochromator with a separate exit slit for each element. The light exiting from all slits is directed to a single photomultiplier tube. The fluorescence signals from different elements are distinguished by a time multiplex approach. Single-element detection limits for ten elements and multi-element detection limits for four elements are presented. The degradation of detection limits by flame background emission noise and effect of flame composition on performance are discussed. Better than 1% precision is obtained for moderate analyte concentrations.
Endovascular therapy of very small aneurysms of the anterior communicating artery: five-fold increased incidence of rupture.

BACKGROUND: Intraprocedural rupture is a dangerous complication of endovascular treatment. Small ruptured anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms and microaneurysms present a challenge for both surgical and endovascular therapies to achieve obliteration. An understanding of the complication rates of treating ruptured ACoA microaneurysms may help guide therapeutic options. OBJECTIVE: To report the largest cohort of ACoA microaneurysms treated with endovascular therapy over the course of the past 10 years. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 347 ACoA aneurysms treated in 347 patients at Cleveland Clinic and Emory University over a 10-year period. Patient demographics, aneurysmal rupture, size, use of balloon remodeling, patient outcomes, intraprocedural rupture, and rerupture were reviewed. RESULTS: Rupture rates were examined by size for all patients and subgroups and dichotomized to evaluate for size ranges associated with increased rupture rates. The highest risk of rupture was noted in aneurysms less than 4 mm. Of 347 aneurysms, 74 (21%) were less than 4 mm. The intraprocedural rupture rate was 5% (18/347) for ACoA aneurysms of any size. There was an intraprocedural rupture rate of 2.9% (8/273) among ACoA aneurysms greater than 4 mm compared with 13.5% (10/74) in less than 4-mm aneurysms. Procedural rupture was a statistically significant predictor of modified Rankin score after adjusting for Hunt and Hess grades (HH). CONCLUSION: ACoA aneurysms less than 4 mm have a 5-fold higher incidence of intraprocedural rerupture during coil embolization. Outcome is negatively affected by intraprocedural rerupture after adjusting for HH grade.
Geostatistical comparison of two independent video surveys of sea scallop abundance in the Elephant Trunk Closed Area, USA

Adams, C. F., Harris, B. P., and Stokesbury, K. D. E. 2008. Geostatistical comparison of two independent video surveys of sea scallop abundance in the Elephant Trunk Closed Area, USA. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 995-1003.Geostatistical prediction at unsampled locations is done by kriging, an interpolation technique that minimizes the error variance. Our goal was to verify the technique by comparing kriged abundance estimates with observed counts from an area containing the highest densities of sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) offshore of the northeastern USA. In 2006, two independent video surveys of scallop abundance were made in the Elephant Trunk Closed Area, one using a 5.6 × 5.6-km sampling grid and the other with a 2.2 × 2.2-km sampling grid. We generated kriged surfaces of scallop abundance with the 5.6-km grid data, using different combinations of variograms and theoretical models, then tested the null hypothesis of no difference between the predicted and assumed true values (i.e. the 2.2-km grid data). There were significant differences between predicted and true values for three out of four combinations of variogram-model fits to untransformed data, assuming isotropy. In contrast, there was no significant difference between kriged and true values for any combination of variogram-model fits to log-transformed, detrended, anisotropy-corrected data. Classical and robust variograms performed equally well. Kriging can be used to generate accurate maps of scallop abundance if the assumptions of geostatistics are met.
A MANAGED FLOOD ON THE COLORADO RIVER: BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVES, DESIGN, AND IMPLEMENTATION

The Colorado River ecosystem in lower Glen Canyon and throughout Marble and Grand Canyons was greatly altered following closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, as flood control and daily fluctuating releases from the dam caused large ecological changes. Ecosystem research was conducted from 1983 through 1990, and intensively from 1990 through 1995 when dam releases were modified both for scientific purposes and protection of the river ecosystem. High flows (e.g., beach/habitat building flows) were included in the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which identified a preferred strategy for dam operations and protection of the downstream ecosystem. Use of high flows partially fulfills recommendations of many river and riparian scientists for return of more natural flows, as part of initial efforts in river restoration. In 1996, a seven-day experimental controlled flood was conducted at Glen Canyon Dam to closely study the effects of a high flow event equivalent to those proposed for future da...
Breast conservation therapy for early stage breast carcinoma with outstanding 10-year locoregional control rates: a case for aggressive therapy to the tumor bearing quadrant.

Abstract Purpose: Between 1982 and 1988 233 American Joint Committee on Cancer Stage I and II invasive breast carcinomas were prospectively treated in 225 women with conservative tumor excision, careful assessment of histopathological margins, and dose-adjusted irradiation to maximum doses of 70 Gy to the tumor bearing quadrant of the breast. Methods and Materials: The pathological stages at presentation were T1 N0 and TINT in 57% and 13% and T2N0 and T2N1 in 19% and 10% of the patients, respectively. All patients were irradiated according to a policy that, beyond the 50 Gy to the whole breast and draining lymphatics, the tumor-bearing quadrant was boosted in adjustment to the histopathological margin. Normal tissue margins of 5 mm negative and were boosted with 20, 15, and 10 Gy, respectively. Patients in whom the margin could not be assessed were re-excised or boosted to 20 Gy. Re-excisions with no residual carcinoma were not boosted. Most patients boosted to 20 Gy to the tumor-bearing quadrant received interstitial 192-Ir implantations. Results: The actuarial local control rates in the treated breast were 97.5% at 10 years with three recurrences having occurred at a median of 4.5 years after completion of radiotherapy. An additional two patients failed regionally outside the irradiation portals. The overall and disease-free survival of the whole group is 87.5% and 77%, respectively. Conclusion: The approach to breast conservation therapy followed in this study has resulted in outstanding local control rates and suggests that there may be a subset of patients that could be irradiated to the tumor bearing quadrant only.
Decomposition techniques for gray-scale morphological templates

Template decomposition techniques can be useful for improving the efficiency of image processing algorithms. The improved efficiency can be realized either by reorganizing a computation to fit a specialized structure such as an image processing pipeline or by reducing the number of operations used. In this paper two techniques for decomposing templates with respect to gray-scale morphological operations are presented. One of the techniques can be also be applied to binary templates as well.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The reaction of hypochlorous acid with olefins. A convenient synthesis of allylic chlorides

Abstract The reaction of HOCl with more highly substituted olefins in methylene chloride affords allylic chlorides in 60–80% isolated yields. The utility of the reaction is illustrated with the synthesis of Rose oxide and α-monoterpenes.
Visible-to-UVC upconversion efficiency and mechanisms of Lu7O6F9:Pr3+ and Y2SiO5:Pr3+ ceramics

Abstract Visible-to-UVC upconversion (UC) by Pr3+-doped materials is a promising candidate for application to sustainable disinfection technologies, including light-activated antimicrobial surfaces and solar water treatment. In this work, we studied Pr3+ upconversion in an oxyfluoride host system for the first time, employing Lu7O6F9:Pr3+ ceramics. Compared to the previously studied Y2SiO5:Pr3+ reference material, the oxyfluoride host resulted in a 5-fold increase in intermediate state lifetime, likely due to a lower maximum phonon energy; however, only a 60% gain in UC intensity was observed. To explain this discrepancy, luminescence spectral distribution and decay kinetics were studied in both phosphor systems. The Pr3+ 4f5d band energy distribution in each phosphor was found to play a key role by allowing or disallowing the occurrence of a previously unexplored UC mechanism, which had a significant impact on overall efficiency.
Dissociative ionization of laser excited N2* by electron impact

Abstract N2 molecules were excited by ArF (193 nm) laser photons and then dissociatively ionized by electron impact. The laser-enhanced N+ ion intensity is linearly dependent on laser power, N2 pressure and electron beam current. The enhanced ion signal is attributed to the electron-impact ionization of laser excited N2* in the A3Σ+u state. The excitation function for the production of N+ ions by electron impact on N2* was measured at 17–32 eV.
Multiscale modeling of RNA 3D structures

Balancing accuracy and computational efficiency while studying biomolecular structures and dynamics necessitates scalable modeling techniques. We have been developing a coarse-grained model for RNA that uses pseudoatoms in place of all-atom representation. By reducing the number of interactions and mean-field representation of environmental effects, significant improvement in computational efficiency is achieved in a comparison to all-atom based physical modeling approaches. A five bead coarse-grained model utilized for RNA 3D structure prediction is presented. Unique features of this framework include the direct mapping between all atom and coarse-grained models, incorporation of electrostatic interactions, continuous and analytical energy function that can be used in molecular dynamics simulations, and statistical derived parameters. Here we present the basic framework of our model and recent applications to RNA folding.
Neural networks and Fourier descriptors for part positioning using bar code features in material handling systems

Bar codes have been widely used in many industrial products for automatic identification in data collection and inventory control purposes. This paper presents an effective method to utilize the specific graphic feature of bar codes for positioning parts on plain conveyor belts without work carriers. First, a Fourier descriptor based method is used to obtain the rotation and field-depth information of a part and to detect the four corners of a bar code on the part. Then, by feeding the detected corners to a feedforward neural network, the horizontal and vertical translation of the part with respect to a calibrated location can be obtained. The proposed part positioning system has been successfully implemented in a laboratory setting. It shows that this economical device is capable of guiding an automated bar code scanner for bar code registering and robot arms or other automated material handling devices for part transferring without using any part presenting device.
Geometry of Cross-Stream Mixing in a Double-Gyre Ocean Model

Abstract New dynamical systems techniques are used to analyze fluid particle paths in an eddy resolving, barotropic ocean model of the Gulf Stream. Specifically, the existence of finite-time invariant manifolds associated with transient, mesoscale events such as ring detachment and merger is proved based on computer-assisted analytic results. These “Lagrangian” invariant manifolds completely organize the dynamics and mark the pathways by which fluid parcels may be exchanged across stream. In this way, the Lagrangian flow geometry of a detaching ring or a ring–jet interaction event, as well as the exact associated particle flux, is obtained. The detaching ring geometry indicates that a significant amount of the fluid entrained by the ring originates in a long thin region on the far side of the jet and that this region extends as far upstream as the western boundary current. In the ring–stream interaction case, particle transport occurs both to and from the ring and is concentrated in thin regions on the ne...
Genes, genomes, genomics. What can plant biologists expect from the 1998 national science foundation plant genome research program?

The recent 85-million-dollar investment by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in plant genomics projects promises an enormous reservoir of new information and many new tools for the rapid analysis of gene-expression patterns, for gene tagging, and for map-based projects. The individual goals of
STALIN AS AN INTELLECTUAL

During Stalin's lifetime Soviet writing, with his encouragement, presented him as a master theoretician, without a living peer. The more recent tendency on the part of his successors to reduce reference to this and others of his roles has not amounted to a denial of the earlier theme of intellectual greatness. It may therefore be of some importance, even after his death, to investigate Stalin's theoretical writings, not only to clarify his function and accomplishments as an intellectual, but also to gain further insight into Bolshevik and Soviet patterns of thought. A particularly interesting subject for such an investigation is Stalin's last and most widely heralded theoretical writing, the article, “Economic Problems of Socialism in the U.S.S.R.”
Pulmonary edema: Etiology and treatment

Pulmonary edema, a serious complication of pregnancy and the puerperium, can result in maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary edema in pregnancy can be categorized by the primary mechanisms from which it results. An analysis of lung physiology using the Starling equation suggests that increased hydrostatic pressure, increased permeability, and osmotic imbalance can all lead to the development of pulmonary edema. These factors explain many of the common settings of pulmonary edema, including preeclampsia, tocolysis, and cardiac disease. This article will discuss the etiology and pathophysiology of pulmonary edema, how pregnancy influences it, and issues in its management.
Risk Factors Associated With Revision and Contralateral Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions in the Kaiser Permanente ACLR Registry

Background:Patients generally choose to undergo anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) to return to their active lifestyles. However, returning to their previous activity level may result in a retear of their reconstructed knee or an injury to their contralateral anterior cruciate ligament (CACL).Purpose:To determine the risk factors associated with revision ACLR and contralateral ACLR (CACLR), compare the survival of the reconstructed ACL with the CACL, and determine how the risk factors associated with revision ACLR compare with those for CACLR.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data from the Kaiser Permanente ACLR registry between February 1, 2005, and September 30, 2012, was conducted. Primary ACLR cases without history of contralateral knee ACL injury were included. The study endpoints included revision ACLR and CACLR. Graft type (bone–patellar tendon–bone [BPTB] autograft, hamstring autograft, and allograft) was t...
Instrument Error and the Study of Prejudice

We have been able to identify in this study a significant source of instrument error in one of the traditionlally used question formats of prejudice research. Moreover, we have shown that such errors are specific to certain item contents and to certain answer options. Further, we have clemonstrated that qualified answer options can evoke meaningful and circumspect usage; aind that respondents are more dissatisfied with the forced response format than the qualified response format. While this study cannot provide a precise estimate of the magnitude of instrumeent errors, it does appear that the forced response format oversitates the degree of acceptance of prejudiced statements. Given the only moderate correlations that have been obtained betwveen most measures of prejudice and other variables, it is clear that the magnitude of the differences observed in this study is sufficient to radically alter such correlations. he study of prejudice over the past three decades has yielded a body of conflicting theories and empirical "generalizations" of overwhelmiing consequence. To be sure, ol0d mythologies have been dispelled and compelling hypotlheses laid to rest. Some order lhas indeed been brouglht to this area. Nevertheless, the theorist concerned witlh a systematic statemiient of the nature of prejudice would have to pick and clhoose hiis supporting evidence with a calculated insensitivity to the methodology anid researchl operations that produced the data. The primary dilemma wouldl not be that of choosing between conflicting findings derived from different research techniques, but ratlher the primary difficulty would probably be in adjudging the validity of consistent and replicated findings derivecl fromi a single researclh technique. Three research techniques have predomliinated in studies of prejudice: social distance scales, developed by Bogardus around 1926; sumnmatecd ratinig scales, introduced by Likert in 1932; and stereotype check-lists, initiated by Katz and Braly in 1933.1 All of these researclh techniques-in their most commonl formi-share an answer program which permits the responldent the optionof selecting or endlorsinlg an answer from amon-ig a narrowly delimited set of prestructured alternatives. By not providing the respondelnt witlh a meanlillgful opportunity to qualify his response, these instrumlents have introduced a complex of errors into the measuremenlt process. It is our intelnt in this study to clelmionstrate the existence of such errors, in a Likert-type answer prograim, and to make some assessment of the seriousness of such errors in prejudice research.
A Fast Incremental Algorithm for Managing the Execution of Dynamically Controllable Temporal Networks

A Simple Temporal Network with Uncertainty (STNU) is a network of time points and temporal constraints in which the durations of certain temporal intervals---the contingent links---are bounded, but not controllable. An STNU is dynamically controllable if there is a real-time strategy for executing its non-contingent time points that guarantees the consistency of the network no matter how the durations of the contingent links turn out. Morris presented an O(N^4)-time algorithm for determining the dynamic controllability of arbitrary STNUs, where N is the number of time points. Morris suggested that %once an STNU had passed his DC-checking an additional O(N^4)-time computation might be needed to prepare a dynamically controllable network for execution, with all computations done in advance of execution. Instead, this paper shows that an STNU that has passed Morris' algorithm is already prepared for execution. The paper presents an incremental, real-time execution algorithm that is guaranteed to successfully execute the time points in a dynamically controllable STNU using O(N^2) space and O(N^4) time. The O(N^4)-time computations are not done in advance of execution, but instead are spread out over the entire time that time points in the network are being executed: N iterations of O(N^3) per iteration. Furthermore, the most costly computations---O(N^3) per iteration---are done while waiting for the next execution event to occur, whereas the time-critical computations require only O(N^2) per iteration.
Michael Biggs, University of Oxford @T2:Kerwin Lee Klein. Frontiers of Historical Imagination: Narrating the European Conquest of Native America, 1890–1990. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997, 377 pp.; Michael Leroy Oberg. Dominion and Civility: English Imperialism and Native America, 1585–1685. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1999, 239 pp.

Historians define their jobs as the writing of history. Often, they look past their discipline to simply carry out the discipline's mandate. Yet Klein's project situates itself in the very question of disciplinarity, epistemology, and narrative. The study questions how history has been written by all sorts of professionals. The main concern of the book is to track historical treatments in general, and those of America in particular. Klein's other concern is with how history has been used and interpreted throughout the professional disciplines of literature, philosophy, and anthropology. Because of the powerful symbolism of the frontier, Klein uses this myth to explore visions of the past.
Laser welded vesicourethral anastomosis in an in vivo canine model: a pilot study.

Purpose: We evaluated laser welding as an alternative method of forming the vesicourethral anastomosis.Materials and Methods: Eight dogs underwent open total prostatectomy, including 4 in which the vesicourethral anastomosis was formed by 830 nm. diode laser welding using a chromophore doped albumin solder and 3 or 4 support sutures. The remaining 4 anastomoses were conventionally formed using 8 interrupted sutures. Acute leakage was tested intraoperatively. The anastomosis of 1 animal per group was assessed on postoperative days 3, 5, 7 and 14 by radiography before sacrifice. Each anastomotic specimen was then tested for leak pressure and examined histologically.Results: There were no leaks during intraoperative testing of laser welded or sutured anastomoses. On radiography there were no leaks in the laser welded group. In 1 control there was slight localized leakage. All anastomoses achieved physiological leak pressures of 70 mm. Hg or greater with 3 of the 4 in the laser welded group recording supraphy...
Passive bilateral control and tool dynamics rendering for nonlinear mechanical teleoperators

We propose a passive bilateral teleoperation control law for a pair of n-degree-of-freedom (DOF) nonlinear robotic systems. The control law ensures energetic passivity of the closed-loop teleoperator with power scaling, coordinates motions of the master and slave robots, and installs useful task-specific dynamics for inertia scaling, motion guidance, and obstacle avoidance. Consequently, the closed-loop teleoperator behaves like a common passive mechanical tool. A key innovation is the passive decomposition, which decomposes the 2n-DOF nonlinear teleoperator dynamics into two robot-like systems without violating passivity: an n-DOF shape system representing the master-slave position coordination aspect, and an n-DOF locked system representing the dynamics of the coordinated teleoperator. The master-slave position coordination is then achieved by regulating the shape system, while programmable apparent inertia of the coordinated teleoperator is achieved by scaling the inertia of the locked system. To achieve this perfect coordination and inertia scaling, the proposed control law measures and compensates for environment and human forcing. Passive velocity field control and artificial potential field control are used to implement guidance and obstacle avoidance for the coordinated teleoperator. The designed control is also implemented in an intrinsically passive negative semidefinite structure to ensure energetic passivity of the closed-loop teleoperator, even in the presence of parametric model uncertainties and inaccurate force sensing. Experiments are performed to validate the properties of the proposed control framework.
Early Deglaciation in the Tropical Andes

The record of ancient glaciers is the principal source of information on high-altitude paleoclimate in the tropics, but the age of late Pleistocene glaciation throughout the tropics is poorly constrained, which complicates estimating past climate from glacial records. Seltzer et al . ([1][1])
Rational and Irrational Numbers

Before You Get Started. What is a fraction? Is it a real number? Are all real numbers fractions? Have you seen fractions in this book up to now? What real number should the fraction \(\frac{1}{2}\) be?
Reassessing the Situational Covariates of Homicides: Is There a Need to Disaggregate?

Despite the vast attention the crime of homicide has received from the academic community, voids remain in the literature regarding the factors that contribute to its occurrence. Only a few studies to date have directly examined the situational covariates of varying homicide types and how each type differs from one another at the incident level. The present study seeks to add to the homicide literature by examining the situational covariates of four distinct homicide types (i.e., domestic, drug, robbery, and interpersonal dispute) that occurred in the city of Newark, New Jersey, from 1997 through 2005. Two research questions are examined: (a) What are the situational covariates of varying homicide motivational types, and (b) do the situational covariates vary by incident motive? The findings show that there are indeed differences among the homicide subtypes in terms of their temporal, event, and victim/offender characteristics. The methodological, theoretical, and policy implications are discussed.
Interpreting East Asian Growth

In this paper, we review the econometric studies of East Asian growth by Kim and Lau (1994) as well as Young (1994). Constructing a multi-sectoral model of technological transfer, we affirm the complementarity thesis of Kim and Lau: knowledge capital and physical capital accumulation (as well as trade) are all necessary for sustained, rapid growth a la the Asian NIEs. Trade being strategic to emulation, it is no surprise that a similar performance is observed in both Korea under state guidance and Hong Kong under laissez faire. Extending the analysis to a product cycle framework, we manage to reproduce the persistent technological gap result of Kim and Lau. Since Asian NIEs emulate foreign innovative designs, they are not likely to suffer the Soviet fate of obsolescent product designs.
Solidification and superfluidity of /sup 4/He in porous Vycor glass

The onset of solidification of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ in porous Vycor is identified from changes in transverse sound velocity. From observed overpressures required to initiate freezing (ranging from 18 bars at 1.3 K to 30.7 bars at 2.38 K), the interfacial energy between liquid and solid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ was estimated. The superfluid transition up to 35.5 bars was also observed.
Tracking the Movement of Eigenvalues via a Corresponding Evans Function

In this paper we define the Evans function for Sturm-Liouville problems. We show that the Evans function is analytic in the spectral parameter, has zeros in one-to-one correspondence with the eigenvalues, and is under certain conditions what we call conjugate symmetric. We conclude by showing that the Evans function can be used to track the movement of the eigenvalues as the coefficients in the Sturm-Liouville problem are perturbed.
Portrait of Olivia: A case study of a spiritually gifted student

This article examines spiritual giftedness and the spiritual development of a recent high school graduate. The framework of the investigation was to explore teachers’ perspectives on spiritual gift...