cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deviations from sorption linearity on soils of polar and nonpolar organic compounds at low relative concentrations

A series of single-solute and binary-solute sorption data have been obtained on representative samples of polar compounds (substituted ureas and phenolic compounds) and of nonpolar compounds (e.g., EDB and TCE) on a peat soil and a mineral (Woodburn) soil; the data extend to low relative solute concentrations (Ce/Sw). At relatively low Ce/Sw, both the nonpolar and the polar solutes exhibit nonlinear sorption. The sorption nonlinearity approaches apparent saturation at about Ce/Sw = 0.010−0.015 for the nonpolar solutes and at about Ce/Sw = 0.10−0.13 for the polar solutes; above these Ce/Sw regions, the isotherms are practically linear. The nonlinear sorption capacities are greater for polar solutes than for nonpolar solutes and the peat soil shows a greater effect than the Woodburn soil. The small nonlinear sorption capacity for a nonpolar solute is suppressed indiscriminately by either a nonpolar or a polar cosolute at relatively low Ce/Sw of the cosolute. By contrast, the abilities of different cosolutes...
Domain Structure of gpNu1, a Phage Lambda DNA Packaging Protein†

The terminase enzyme from bacteriophage lambda is responsible for the insertion of a dsDNA genome into the confines of the viral capsid. The holoenzyme is composed of gpA and gpNu1 subunits in a gpA1·gpNu12 stoichiometry. While genetic studies have described regions within the two proteins responsible for DNA binding, capsid binding, and subunit interactions in the holoenzyme complex, biochemical characterization of these domains is limited. We have previously described the cloning, expression, and biochemical characterization of a soluble DNA binding domain of the terminase gpNu1 subunit (Met1 to Lys100) and suggested that the hydrophobic region spanning Lys100 to Pro141 defines a domain responsible for self-association interactions, and that is important for cooperative DNA binding [Yang et al. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 465−477]. We further suggested that the genetically defined gpA-interactive domain in the C-terminal half of the protein is limited to the C-terminal ≈40 amino acids of gpNu1. Here we desc...
Remarks on some recent results about polynomials with restricted zeros

We point out certain flaws in two papers published in Ann. Univ. Mariae Curie-Sklodowska Sect. A, one in 2009 and the other in 2011. We discuss in detail the validity of the results in the two papers in question.
Characterization of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the submandibular gland of the rat

Abstract The specific muscarinic ligand [ 3 H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([ 3 H]QNB) was used to label acetylcholine receptors in the submandibular gland of the rat. Specific binding of [ 3 H]QNB increased linearly with tissue concentration in the range of 0.02–0.3 mg of protein/ml. Kinetic analysis of [ 3 H]QNB binding revealed the presence of a single population of high affinity binding sites, with a dissociation constant of 87.2 pM and a Hill coefficient of 0.95. The binding was saturable and the receptor density was 214 fmol/mg of protein. The rate constants at 37°C for association and dissociation of the [ 3 QNB-receptor complex were 5.98 × 10 −8 M −1 · min −1 and 6.6 × 10 −3 · min −1 , respectively. The ratio k −1 /k +1 gave a K d value of 11.1 pM, similar to the K d value (13.1 pM) determined by kinetic parameters when extrapolated at infinitely low receptor concentration. Muscarinic antagonists displaced [ 3 H]QNB from muscarinic receptors with a Hill coefficient near to 1.0. Displacement curves for muscarinic agonists and for the atypical antagonist pirenzepine had Hill values significantly less than one. In the presence of 0.1 mM GPP(NH)P, the potency of agonists but not antagonists in displacing [ 3 H]QNB binding decreased 2 to 3-fold. The [ 3 H]QNB binding site was sensitive to the inhibitory effect of various sulfhydryl reagents. Repeated treatments of rats with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor led to a decreased density of muscarinic receptors in the submandibular gland. This alteration was specific for the muscarinic recognition site and was paralleled by a reduced sensitivity to carbachol.
Migrating magmatism in the northern US Cordillera: in situ U–Pb geochronology of the Idaho batholith

New in situ laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U–Pb geochronology of zircons from the Idaho batholith and spatially overlapping Challis intrusions reveals a series of discrete magmatic belts of different ages and compositions. Following the accretion of the Blue Mountains province to North America along the Salmon River suture zone, two compositionally diverse belts of metaluminous plutons formed both adjacent to the suture and well inboard of it. These were constructed from ~100 to 85 Ma and were followed by a voluminous pulse of peraluminous magmatism, forming the bulk of the Atlanta lobe and largest fraction of the batholith between ~80 and 67 Ma. Around 70 Ma, a later and more spatially restricted suite of metaluminous plutons formed around the Bitterroot lobe of the batholith. This was followed by another pulse of voluminous peraluminous magmatism in the Bitterroot lobe, lasting from ~66 to 54 Ma. The changes from low volume metaluminous to high volume peraluminous magmatism may reflect a combination of changes in the angle and segmentation of the subducting Farallon plate and over thickening of the continental lithosphere. All of these features were then cut by plutons and dikes associated with the Challis volcanic field, lasting from ~51 to 43 Ma. Inherited components are pervasive in zircons from most phases of the batholith. While Precambrian components are very common, zircons also often contain cores or mantles that are 5–20 million years older than their rims. This suggests that the early phases of the batholith were repeatedly cannibalized by subsequent magmas. This also implies that the older suites may have been originally more aerially extensive than their currently exposed forms.
Penicillin resistance not a factor in outcome from invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae community-acquired pneumonia in adults when appropriate empiric therapy is started.

ABSTRACT Background Invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia among adults due to penicillin-resistant or intermediate resistant strains was investigated to determine whether these patients responded poorly to common antibiotic regimens compared to pneumonia due to susceptible strains. Methods During a 21-year period (1983–2003), clinical outcome was analyzed among 3 groups of adults, 19 with resistant, 33 with intermediate, and 133 with susceptible invasive S pneumoniae pneumonia admitted to hospitals in Huntington, West Virginia. Adults with resistant and intermediate infections were matched by age and month of admission to a group of 133 adults with penicillin-susceptible infections. All isolates of resistant and intermediate infections were capsular serotypes/serogroups 6, 9, 14, 19, and 23, and isolates of susceptible infections included 24 different serotypes/serogroups. Case fatality rates were calculated for deaths that occurred during the first 7, first 14, and first 21 days of hospitalization. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by E-test and capsular serotype by Quellung procedures. Results The resistant and susceptible groups did not differ in several measures of severity of illness, including admission vital signs, duration of fever, mean total leukocyte count, number of lobes involved, preexisting underlying diseases, and antibiotic treatment regimens. There were no significant differences in case fatality rates between the 3 groups of pneumonia by days in hospital, age, severity of illness, and empiric antibiotic treatment regimen with a cephalosporin and a macrolide, the most common antibiotic regimen. Conclusions These findings provide evidence that combination antibiotic regimens effective in the treatment of invasive susceptible S pneumoniae pneumonia are equally effective in the treatment of invasive resistant (MIC = 2–4 μ g/mL) and of intermediate (MIC = 0.1–1 μ g/mL) S pneumoniae pneumonia.
Effect of earthquake-induced damage to spray-applied fire-resistive insulation on the response of steel moment-frame beam-column connections during fire exposure

Spray-applied fire-resistive material (SFRM) is prone to debonding, cracking, and spalling in steel moment-frame beam hinge regions during inelastic seismic response. This article presents an analy...
Discovering thematic structure in political datasets

Big data for security informatics requires an analysis of both actors and measurement instruments. By analogy with social and political network analyses, primary questions involve who is doing what and in concert with whom. We seek to examine these questions using cluster analysis, non-linear dimensionality reduction, and machine learning techniques. We apply them to available political science and international relations databases, as these are natural proxies for security informatics databases. In particular we develop an embedding/clustering algorithm that reveals those political themes driving UN voting patterns as well as IGO (Inter-Governmental Organization) memberships. Our algorithm could readily be applied to international conflict, urban crime, and military engagement databases.
Pressure-sensitive paint (PSP): concentration quenching of platinum and magnesium porphyrin dyes in polymeric films

Abstract We report the effect of dye concentration on luminescence quenching and decay lifetime for metallo-porphyrin dye molecules in polymeric film. In particular we report on films containing platinum tetra(pentafluorophenyl)porphine (PtTFPP), platinum octaethylporphine (PtOEP), and magnesium tetra(pentafluorophenyl)porphine (MgTFPP) in three polymers, two non-fluorinated (MAX and polycarbonate) and one fluorinated (FIB). We found: (i) the emission intensity for PtTFPP, PtOEP, and MgTFPP decreased at higher film concentrations, an effect much more pronounced for PtOEP than for PtTFPP; (ii) the absorption, emission, and excitation spectra for PtTFPP films were relatively unchanged with concentration, while with increased concentration MgTFPP films demonstrated clear absorption, emission, and excitation spectral changes; (iii) Stern–Volmer plots (Iatm/I versus P/Patm) for PtTFPP and PtOEP at different film concentrations overlap at dilute concentrations but separate at higher concentrations; (iv) temperature coefficient values (intensity versus temperature plots) for MgTFPP films range from 0.15%/C to 0.08%/C, whereas for PtTFPP films they range from 1.81%/C to 1.25%/C from the lowest to highest film concentrations studied; (v) lifetimes for PtTFPP, PtOEP, and MgTFPP decrease at higher film concentrations; (vi) the singlet luminescence decay of MgTFPP fits a mono-exponential at all concentrations examined at 1 atm; (vii) the triplet luminescence decay of PtTFPP and PtOEP films is mono-exponential only at dilute dye concentration and in vacuum; (viii) response times for oxygen diffusion into PtTFPP films are faster at higher concentrations of PtTFPP. Concentration effects on spectra and lifetimes are clearly observed at concentration greater than 1.0 g of porphyrin per 60 g of polymer.
Internal service quality – an empirical assessment

There is a great need for empirical research to evaluate internal organizations’ (e.g. information system department, accounting department, and purchasing department) service quality. In this study, a model to describe the interactions between internal organizations and the processes they serve is proposed. An empirical study is conducted based on the proposed model. It is observed that perceived quality‐oriented climate is one of the most important factors for determining the internal organization’s service quality. Problem resolution capability, keeping customers’ best interests in mind, and instilling customers’ confidence are also identified as among the determining variables for internal service quality.
Relations between site percolation thresholds

By decomposing certain lattices into two sublattices, and examining at percolation threshold the structure of their infinite clusters, an approximate relation between p c 0 , of the original lattice and p c 1 , of the sublattice is established: p c 0 ≈(p c 1 )1/2. It is conjectured that an inequality always holds: p c 0 ⩽(p c 1 )1/2, and heuristic arguments are given to substantiate it. By similar considerations good estimates forp c of certain correlated percolation problems are also obtained.
Edge detection of color images using the HSL color space

Various edge detectors have been proposed as well as several different types of adaptive edge detectors, but the performance of many of these edge detectors depends on the features and the noise present in the grayscale image. Attempts have been made to extend edge detection to color images by applying grayscale edge detection methods to each of the individual red, blue, and green color components as well as to the hue, saturation, and intensity color components of the color image. The modulus 2(pi) nature of the hue color component makes its detection difficult. For example, a hue of 0 and 2(pi) yields the same color tint. Normal edge detection of a color image containing adjacent pixels with hue of 0 and 2(pi) could yield the presence of an edge when an edge is really not present. This paper presents a method of mapping the 2(pi) modulus hue space to a linear space enabling the edge detection of the hue color component using the Sobel edge detector. The results of this algorithm are compared against the edge detection methods using the red, blue, and green color components. By combining the hue edge image with the intensity and saturation edge images, more edge information is observed.
Estrogen-receptor immunoreactivity in hamster brain: preoptic area, hypothalamus and amygdala

The distribution of estrogen-receptor containing cells in the preoptic area, hypothalamus and amygdala of female Syrian hamster brain was studied by immunocytochemical methods. Dense populations of estrogen-receptor immunoreactive (ER-IR) cells were found in the medial preoptic area, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, amygdala, ventral and lateral parts of the hypothalamus, and the arcuate nucleus. Injection of estradiol caused a decrease in estrogen-receptor immunoreactivity (ERIR) containing cells within one hour, a decrease that may reflect a change in the ability of the occupied estrogen receptor to bind the particular antibody (H222) used rather than down-regulation of the estrogen receptor. Our findings on the distribution of estrogen-receptor containing cells in these areas using an immunocytochemical technique are consistent with and extend the findings of others using autoradiographic and in vitro binding techniques to study estrogen receptor distribution in hamster brain.
Preparing for God Knows What: The Importance of Gender-sensitive Mentoring for Female Students on Christian Campuses

Integrating prior research focused on gender climate and expectations in Christian higher education, this article describes mentoring models and strategies sensitive to dual family and career goals frequently expressed by female students. Discussion includes a review of literature relevant to women's mentoring on Christian campuses, exploration of ways different gender-sensitive mentoring models and strategies can be effectively implemented, and recommendations for more intentional integration of faith and gender perspectives in mentoring relationships. Vignettes based on actual student experiences are used to illustrate relevant issues and mentoring concepts. Gender-sensitive mentoring is especially important on Christian campuses since females comprise the majority of student populations and may receive contradictory messages regarding the relative importance of professional and personal priorities due to conflicting scripturally-based perspectives on faith and gender. The paper offers mentoring resourc...
Précis of Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century, Volume 1, The Dawn of Analysis

This, first of two, volumes covers major figures starting with Moore, Russell, and Wittgenstein, continuing through selected logical positivists, emotivists, and the antiemotivist David Ross, and concluding with pre-Word-and-Object works of Quine. The volumes are outgrowths of upper-division undergraduate courses at Princeton University that were often attended by first and second-year graduate students as well. The intended audience consists of comparable students at universities in the English-speaking world, autodidacts, and professional philosophers, who may use the volumes to fill gaps in their knowledge, and to interact with the larger evaluative and interpretative perspectives on offer. Although the volumes were intended as an intensive introduction, they were also written with a more ambitious agenda. The aim was to identify the main lines of progress in the analytic tradition-which involved selecting the most important works, explaining their most significant successes, and drawing lessons from their most disappointing failures. The result is a philosophically and pedagogically motivated history the aim of which is to separate the essential from the inessential by focusing intensively on the achievements that every member of the tradition should understand. Minor figures and minor works of major figures are, for the most part, omitted. The emphasis throughout is on explaining what was philosophically important and why, as opposed to tracing lines of historical influence, or chronicling changes in individual philosophers' thoughts over time. The major achievements themselves are subjected to intense critical scrutiny. The aim, in each case, is to express the essential insights in the clearest, most powerful way-even if this means dispensing with inessential complexities and minor infelicities in the author's own presentation. The model here is the history of logic. Just as we standardly introduce students to the theorems of great logicians like Godel, Tarski, and Church by giving streamlined proofs of strengthened versions of the material in their original papers, so we do the same for philosophers like Russell, Wittgenstein, and Quine. Of course, philosophy is not
Molecular and cellular mechanism of angiotensin II-mediated apoptosis

It is well known that angiotensin II exerts growth promoting effects via the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor. We have cloned a a second type of angiotensin II receptor (AT2 receptor) and demonstrated that this receptor acts as an antagonistic receptor against the AT1 receptor. Moreover, we have demonstrated that the AT2 receptor exerts growth inhibitory and proapoptotic effects by antagonizing the effects of the AT1 receptor and growth factors in several cell lines including vascular smooth muscle cells, cardiomyocytes, neuronal cell (PC12W) and fibroblasts (R3T3). We observed that the AT2 receptor activates tyrosine phosphatase(s) such as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) and inactivates MAP kinase (extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1 and ERK2)), resulting in Bcl-2 dephosphorylation and up-regulation of Bax. This inactivation of ERK is mediated via Gi protein coupling through its unique intracellular third loop. Moreover, we have demonstrated that interferon regula...
The clinical spectrum of mid-dermal elastolysis and the role of UV light in its pathogenesis.

Background: We observed four patients with mid-dermal elastolysis (MDE) that was either precipitated or aggravated by UV light (UVL) exposure or was primarily confined to areas of UVL exposure. Objective: Our purpose was to report four cases of MDE occurring after significant UVL exposure and to demonstrate why we suspect that MDE in some instances may be photoinduced or photoaggravated. We also wish to demonstrate the varied clinical presentation of this disorder. Methods: Because all our patients had MDE involving skin exposed to UVL, biopsies were performed on clinically uninvolved sun-exposed and sun-protected skin in one patient to elucidate further the role of UVL in this process. Results: On routine histopathologic examination we found that uninvolved sun-exposed skin but not sun-protected skin demonstrated early MDE. Ultrastructural examination revealed a spectrum of elastic fiber changes in involved and clinically uninvolved sun-exposed skin. Phagocytosis of elastic fibers was not present. Conclusion: We conclude that UVL, exposure was a major causative or aggravating factor of MDE in our patients and that the clinical appearance of this disorder is variable.
QUANTUM HAMILTON MECHANICS AND THE THEORY OF QUANTIZATION CONDITIONS

A formulation of quantum mechanics in terms of complex canonical variables is presented. It is seen that these variables are governed by Hamilton's equations. It is shown that the action variables need to be quantized. By formulating a quantum Hamilton equation for the momentum variable, the energies for two different systems are determined. Quantum canonical transformation theory is introduced and the geometrical significance of a set of generalized quantization conditions which are obtained is discussed.
Genetic variability in the structure of the α-subunits of legumin from Pisum —a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis study

Genetic variability in the structure of the α-subunits of legumin from Pisum —a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis study
Generalized Swept Mid-structure for Polygonal Models

We introduce a novel mid-structure called the generalized swept mid-structure (GSM) of a closed polygonal shape, and a framework to compute it. The GSM contains both curve and surface elements and has consistent sheet-by-sheet topology, versus triangle-by-triangle topology produced by other mid-structure methods. To obtain this structure, a harmonic function, defined on the volume that is enclosed by the surface, is used to decompose the volume into a set of slices. A technique for computing the 1D mid-structures of these slices is introduced. The mid-structures of adjacent slices are then iteratively matched through a boundary similarity computation and triangulated to form the GSM. This structure respects the topology of the input surface model is a hybrid mid-structure representation. The construction and topology of the GSM allows for local and global simplification, used in further applications such as parameterization, volumetric mesh generation and medical applications. **NOTE** © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pythium irregulare Fermentation to Produce Arachidonic Acid (ARA) and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) Using Soybean Processing Co-products as Substrates

Arachidonic acid (ARA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were produced by Pythium irregulare fungus using soybean cotyledon fiber and soy skim, two co-products from soybean aqueous processing, as substrates in different fermentation systems. Parameters such as moisture content, substrate glucose addition, incubation time, and vegetable oil supplementation were found to be important in solid-state fermentation (SSF) of soybean fiber, which is to be used as animal feed with enriched long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Soybean fiber with 8 % (dwb) glucose supplementation for a 7-day SSF produced 1.3 mg of ARA and 1.6 mg of EPA in 1 g of dried substrate. When soy skim was used as substrate for submerged fermentation, total ARA yield of 125.7 mg/L and EPA yield of 92.4 mg/L were achieved with the supplementation of 7 % (w/v) soybean oil. This study demonstrates that the values of soybean fiber and soy skim co-products could be enhanced through the long-chain PUFA production by fermentation.
Effects of p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonic acid on Na and Cl transport by isolated gastric mucosa.

SummaryThe effects of the sulfhydryl reactive agent p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonic acid (pCMBS) were measured on isotopic Na and Cl fluxes across isolated fundic and antral mucosa. pCMBS inhibits active Na and Cl transport by both fundic and antral mucosa. Addition of p-chloromercuri-benzoate bound to aminoethyl-dextran (with a mol wt of approximately 10,000) (pCMB-AED) decreases H secretion as well as net Na and Cl transport. Since the effects of a presumably impermeable chloromercuribenzene compound (pCMB-AED) are qualitatively similar to those of a free chloromercuribenzene compound (pCMBS), the active transport effects of pCMBS appear to be due primarily to the oxidation of superficially located thiol groups.
Jacobi-Bessel analysis of reflector antennas with elliptical apertures

Although many reflector antennas possess circular projected apertures, there are recent satellite and ground antenna applications for which it is desirable to employ reflectors with elliptical apertures. Here a modification of the Jacobi-Bessel expansion is presented for the diffraction analysis of reflectors with elliptical apertures. A comparative study is also performed between this modified Jacobi-Bessel algorithm and the one which uses the Jacobi-Bessel expansion over a circumscribing circular region. Numerical results are presented for offset reflectors with elliptical and circular apertures and the improved convergence properties of the modified algorithm are highlighted.
Autonomous interactive intermediaries: social intelligence for mobile communication agents

Today's cellphones are passive communication portals. They are neither aware of our conversational settings, nor of the relationship between caller and callee, and often interrupt us at inappropriate times. This thesis is about adding elements of human style social intelligence to our mobile communication devices in order to make them more socially acceptable to both user and local others. I suggest the concept of an Autonomous Interactive Intermediary that assumes the role of an actively mediating party between caller, callee, and co-located people. In order to behave in a socially appropriate way, the Intermediary interrupts with non-verbal cues and attempts to harvest 'residual social intelligence' from the calling party, the called person, the people close by, and its current location. For example, the Intermediary obtains the user's conversational status from a decentralized network of autonomous body-worn sensor nodes. These nodes detect conversational groupings in real time, and provide the Intermediary with the user's conversation size and talk-to-listen ratio. The Intermediary can 'poll' all participants of a face-to-face conversation about the appropriateness of a possible interruption by slightly vibrating their wirelessly actuated finger rings. Although the alerted people do not know if it is their own cellphone that is about to interrupt, each of them can veto the interruption anonymously by touching his/her ring. If no one vetoes, the Intermediary may interrupt. A user study showed significantly more vetoes during a collaborative group-focused setting than during a less group oriented setting. The Intermediary is implemented as a both a conversational agent and an animatronic device. The animatronics is a small wireless robotic stuffed animal in the form of a squirrel, bunny, or parrot. The purpose of the embodiment is to employ intuitive non-verbal cues such as gaze and gestures to attract attention, instead of ringing or vibration. Evidence suggests that such subtle yet public alerting by animatronics evokes significantly different reactions than ordinary telephones and are seen as less invasive by others present when we receive phone calls. The Intermediary is also a dual conversational agent that can whisper and listen to the user, and converse with a caller, mediating between them in real time. The Intermediary modifies its conversational script depending on caller identity, caller and user choices, and the conversational status of the user. It interrupts and communicates with the user when it is socially appropriate, and may break down a synchronous phone call into chunks of voice instant messages. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Server selection with arbitrary distribution

Many applications need to pick servers with some desired distribution. For example, in probabilistic quorum systems, one method to generate quorums with high probability of intersection is to randomly pick kradicn nodes with a fixed probability distribution. Load balancing applications may need to take several samples of the servers with some desired distribution. Existing approaches realize a fixed stationary distribution by controlling the topology of the overlay graph and conducting random walks on it. In particular, existing approaches focus on achieving a uniform distribution. This paper proposes using the distributed Hastings-Metropolis algorithm to achieve any desired stationary distribution without control or global knowledge of the overlay graph. The new method facilitates good load balancing, since heterogeneous server capacity or other factors can be considered in deciding the appropriate distribution by which to pick servers
Private Interests or Public Goods: Dewey, Rugg, and their Contemporary Allies on Corporate Investment in Educational Reform Initiatives

INTRODUCTION: DEWEY ON CORPORATE INFLUENCE IN EDUCATION In some ways, John Dewey lived through a time similar to what we now experience: the rise of corporate power in a historical moment of unsurpassed national wealth and consumer materialism, and the accompanying substantial influence of business interests in the structure, politics, and agendas of public school systems. Dewey’s writings in the first three decades of this century mark a kind of “wisdom of the elders,” offered by a public intellectual who experienced, at least in some form, the kind of tumultuous relationships we are currently witnessing between the economy and education.
Quantitative analysis of training, sleep EEG and clinical response to EEG operant conditioning in epileptics

This report is a follow-up to a previous paper which described seizure rate changes with central cortical EEG feedback training in 8 poorly controlled epileptic subjects. Data examined here include associated training compliance and performance, sleep EEG spectra, clinical EEG and anticonvulsant blood levels. The study employed a double-cross-over, single blind ABA design applied to two subgroups of epileptic patients. Both groups had in common two training periods (A1, A2) in which either 12--15 c/sec (subgroup I, n = 4) or 18--23 c/sec (subgroup II, n = 4) was reinforced in the absence of 6--9 c/sec, movement or epileptiform discharge, and one training period (B) in which 6--9 c/sec was reinforced in the absence of 12--15 or 18--23 c/sec as well as movement and epileptiform discharge. Training periods occurred primarily in the home and lasted 3 months. Compliance with training instructions and response acquisition were demonstrated. Overall anticonvulsant blood levels were low and unrelated to EEG or seizure changes. Clinical EEG findings corresponded to sleep EEG and seizure rate outcomes. Power spectral analysis of sampled non-REM sleep from all-night EEG recordings obtained after each training phase indicated contingency specific changes which were limited to sensorimotor recordings in subgroup I and corresponded to the pattern of seizure rate changes in this group. EEG changes were also limited to sensorimotor cortex in subgroup II, but were linear and paralleled a progressive decrease in seizure rate. Both groups, however, showed the same pattern of EEG changes with seizure reductions; low and high frequencies were reduced and intermediate, rhythmic frequencies increased. Correlational analysis confirmed this relationship. The pattern, duration and topographic specificity of these changes suggested a normalization of sensorimotor EEG substrates related to the EEG feedback traning.
Consumer demand for local produce at extended season farmers' markets: guiding farmer marketing strategies

Locally grown food is gaining popularity and increasing its prevalence holds potential for broad social, economic and environmental benefits. Season extension technologies such as hoop houses offer a solution to limited growing seasons, a major constraint in many areas, enhancing efforts to supply locally grown food. This paper discusses research conducted at three Michigan farmers’ markets, locations where Michigan farmers utilizing hoop houses currently sell their produce. The research measures consumers’ willingness to buy local produce at extended season markets using a set of four complementary methods: dot poster surveys, written surveys, focus groups and experimental auctions. Building upon prior research on attributes that create value for local foods (spatial proximity, food quality and relationships between farmers and consumers), our results inform farmers’ choice of marketing mix. We find consumers willing to pay a premium for large quantities of locally grown produce, with many placing highest value on products grown in Michigan. We conclude that extended season farmers’ markets supplied by hoop house grown produce create an opportunity for farm viability and further development of the market for locally grown food.
Evolutionary numerical simulation approach for design optimization of gas turbine blade cooling channels

Gas turbine blade cooling system design is a multidisciplinary, iterative and often tedious task involving complex relationships among multiple design objectives. Typical blade design requires a broad range of expertise in the materials, structural, heat transfer, and cost optimization disciplines. The multiple objectives involved are often conflicting and must be solved simultaneously with equal importance. The traditional approaches researchers scalarize the multiple objectives into a single objective using a weight vector, thus transforming the original multiple objective problem into a single objective problem. This research addresses the shortcomings of existing traditional approaches of the optimization of blade cooling configuration design.
Heidelberger symposium on the 50th anniversary of fluoropyrimidines.

“Targeted” therapies are dominating new cancer therapeutics during the past decade. However, the term is not precise because drugs referred to as “cytotoxics” are often targeted, and drugs developed as targeted often exert many of their antitumor actions by “off-target” effects; that is
Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Active Tuberculosis

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an emerging chronic health condition of developed and developing countries. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with active, culture-confirmed tuberculosis (TB) in Maryland to determine the impact of DM on TB treatment outcomes. Of 297 TB patients, 42 (14%) had DM. Patients with diabetes had 2.0 times higher odds of death than patients without diabetes (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74–5.2, P = 0.18). Adjusting for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), age, weight, and foreign birth, the odds of death were 6.5 times higher in patients with diabetes than patients without diabetes (95% CI 1.1–38.0, P = 0.039). In pulmonary TB patients, time to sputum culture conversion was longer in patients with diabetes than patients without diabetes (median 49 versus 39 days, P = 0.09). Two-month culture conversion proportions were similar (70% and 69%). Treatment failure occurred in 4.1% of patients without diabetes and 6.7% of patients with diabetes (P = 0.51). In conclusion, DM was a risk factor for death in Maryland TB patients. There was a trend toward increased time to culture conversion; two-month culture conversion proportions, however, were similar.
Imaging evaluation of sensorineural hearing loss

The imaging evaluation of patients with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) focuses on the acoustic pathways from the cochlea to the auditory cortex. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice for most patients with SNHL, though computed tomography (CT) also plays an important role in the evaluation of bony changes and in patients for whom MRI is contraindicated. Conventional enhanced MRI is the most commonly used technique in this clinical setting. High-resolution fast spin-echo T2 MRI is an adjunctive technique that provides exquisite evaluation of the cerebellopontine angle (CPA), internal auditory canal (IAC), cranial nerves, and membranous labyrinth, and plays a significant role in the diagnosis and surgical evaluation of SNHL. Categories of lesions that cause SNHL include brain lesions involving central auditory pathways; neoplasms of the CPA and IAC, the most common being schwannoma; other neoplastic, congenital, and cystic masses of the CPA and IAC; congenital anomalies of the inner ear; intrinsic cochlear nerve defects, inflammatory processes of the inner ear; and temporal bone trauma.
Pricing in multiservice loss networks: static pricing, asymptotic optimality and demand substitution effects

We consider a communication network with fixed routing that can accommodate multiple service classes, differing in bandwidth requirements, demand pattern, call duration and routing. The network charges a fee per call which can depend on the current congestion level and which affects user's demand. Building on the single-node results of I.Ch. Paschalidis and J.N. Tsitsiklis (see IEEE/ACM Trans. Networking, vol.8, p.171-84, 2000), we consider both problems of revenue and of welfare maximization, and show that static pricing is asymptotically optimal in a regime of many, relatively small, users. In particular, the performance of an optimal (dynamic) pricing strategy is closely matched by a suitably chosen class-dependent static price, which does not depend on instantaneous congestion. This result holds even when we incorporate demand substitution effects into the demand model. More specifically, we model the situation where price increases for a class of service might lead users to use another class as an imperfect substitute. For both revenue and welfare maximization objectives we characterize the structure of the asymptotically optimal static prices, expressing them as a function of a parsimonious number of parameters. We employ a simulation-based approach to tune those parameters and to compute efficiently an effective policy away from the limiting regime. Our approach can handle large, realistic, instances of the problem.
Developmental expression of peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) in primary cultures of neonatal rat cardiocytes: a model for studying regulation of PAM expression in the rat heart.

Primary cultures of neonatal rat atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes were used to investigate the expression of peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM), a bifunctional enzyme required for the production of alpha-amidated neuroendocrine peptides. The use of assays for the individual enzymes, peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PHM) and peptidyl-alpha-hydroxyglycine alpha-amidating lyase (PAL), demonstrated that the levels of expression observed in vitro approximated those observed in vivo. Both in vivo and in vitro, atrial and ventricular PAL activity greatly exceeded PHM activity. Atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes secreted PHM and PAL activity at a constant rate throughout the culture period. Immunofluorescence studies localized PAM proteins to the perinuclear region, with intense punctate staining. Both in vivo and in vitro, PAM mRNAs encoding integral membrane proteins predominated throughout the neonatal period, with PAM-1 mRNA becoming more prevalent after the first week i...
A Multiplexer Design for Position-Sensitive Avalanche Photodiode Detectors in a PET Scanner

A small-animal positron emission tomography (PET) scanner using PS-APD (position-sensitive avalanche photodiode) detectors has been developed for simultaneous PET/MRI imaging. In this scanner, up to 16 detector modules (one PS-APD per module) are used, and each detector module produces 4 signals to be digitized with their peak values. This leads to as many as 64 analog outputs to the data acquisition (DAQ) system, requiring 64 DAQ channels. In the future, the system will be extended to 32 modules, resulting in 128 channels. It is possible to sample all channels simultaneously, but most of them do not contain useful data, since only one coincidence event (producing data on 8 channels) is identified each time. The purpose of this work was to develop a general-purpose method for reducing the number of analog inputs to the data acquisition for the sparse fast analog signals produced in a PET scanner. To achieve this, a multiplexer board was designed to sample coincidence events from the PET scanner. The effect of the multiplexer on signal quality was evaluated and the average peak-to-valley ratios in detector flood histograms with and without multiplexer were 2.97 and 3.02 respectively. On-board coincidence, pile-up rejection and multiple coincidence rejection functions were implemented and worked as expected. The dead time performance was also characterized.
Multimodel Approach Based on Evidence Theory for Forecasting Tropical Cyclone Tracks

Abstract In this paper a new multimodel approach for forecasting tropical cyclone tracks is presented. The approach is based on the Dempster–Shafer theory of evidence. At each forecast period, the multimodel forecast is given as an area where the tropical cyclone position is likely to occur. Each area includes a quantitative assessment of the credibility (degree of belief) of the prediction. The multimodel forecast is obtained by combining individual model forecasts into a single prediction by Dempster’s rule. Mathematical requirements associated with the Dempster’s rule are discussed. Particular attention is given to the requirement of independence of evidence sources, which, for tropical cyclone track forecasting, are the model and best-track data. The origin of this requirement is explored, and it is shown that for forecasting tropical cyclone tracks, this requirement is excessive. The influence of the number of models included in the multimodel approach on the forecasting ability is also studied. Data...
Performance of a non‐load‐bearing steel stud gypsum board wall assembly: Experiments and modelling

A gypsum wall assembly was exposed to an intense real-scale compartment fire. For the wall assembly, temperatures were measured at the exposed face, within the stud cavity, and at the unexposed face during the fire exposure. Total heat flux gauges were used to measure the temporal variation of the energy incident on the walls, and cameras, both visual and infrared, were used to image the unexposed face of the wall assembly during the fire exposure. The behaviour of the wall assembly under the fire load is discussed as are current model results for a simulation of the fire test.
Learning what matters for patients: qualitative evaluation of a health promotion program for those with serious mental illness

Sedentary lifestyle, poor dietary behaviors and metabolic alterations associated with psychiatric medications contribute to poor health and high rates of obesity among individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). Interventions that increase engagement in physical exercise, dietary modifications, lifestyle changes and preventive health care can provide health benefits across the lifespan. These interventions have led to substantial physical improvements in some persons with SMI, while others have not improved or have experienced worsening physical health. We set out to identify characteristics of a health promotion program that persons with SMI associated with physical health improvements. Interviews were conducted with eight participants from the In SHAPE health-promotion program who lost at least 10 pounds or diminished their waist circumference by at least 10 cm. Interviews aimed to determine which aspects of the program were perceived to be most helpful in promoting physical health improvement. Among successful participants, three themes emerged, highlighting the importance of: (i) individualized interventions promoting engagement in the program; (ii) relationships with health-promotion program employees and (iii) self-confidence resulting from program participation. Health-promotion programs that target these areas may have better success in achieving health benefits for persons with SMI.
Recent advances in algorithmic learning theory of the Kanban cell neuron network

A novel algorithm of learning is defined as the Kanban cell neuron model (KCNM). The analysis captures the salient properties of the concrete application of the associated look up table (LUT). The purpose of this system is to foster a structure for machine cognition. The Kanban cell (KC) forms the basis of mapping human neurons into logical networks. The Kanban cell neuron (KCN) maps nine input signals of the dendrites into one output signal of the axon. The logical mechanism is the multivalued logic of four-valued bit code as a 2-tuple of the set {00, 01, 10, 11}. The LUT is indexed by 18-bits as input for output of 2-bits. In a preferred hardware implementation, the rate of processing is 1.8 BB KCNs per second on a $29 device.
Assessment of liver fibrosis using fast strain-encoded MRI driven by inherent cardiac motion.

Purpose An external driver-free MRI method for assessment of liver fibrosis offers a promising noninvasive tool for diagnosis and monitoring of liver disease. Lately, the heart's intrinsic motion and MR tagging have been utilized for the quantification of liver strain. However, MR tagging requires multiple breath-hold acquisitions and substantial postprocessing. In this study, we propose the use of a fast strain-encoded (FSENC) MRI method to measure the peak strain (Sp) in the liver's left lobe, which is in close proximity and caudal to the heart. Additionally, we introduce a new method of measuring heart-induced shear wave velocity (SWV) inside the liver. Methods Phantom and in vivo experiments (11 healthy subjects and 11 patients with liver fibrosis) were conducted. Reproducibility experiments were performed in seven healthy subjects. Results Peak liver strain, Sp, decreased significantly in fibrotic liver compared with healthy liver (6.46% ± 2.27% vs 12.49% ± 1.76%; P < 0.05). Heart-induced SWV increased significantly in patients compared with healthy subjects (0.15 ± 0.04 m/s vs 0.63 ± 0.32 m/s; P < 0.05). Reproducibility analysis yielded no significant difference in Sp (P = 0.47) or SWV (P = 0.56). Conclusion Accelerated external driver-free noninvasive assessment of left liver lobe strain and SWV is feasible using strain-encoded MRI. The two measures significantly separate healthy subjects from patients with fibrotic liver. Magn Reson Med 74:106–114, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Narrative and conversational discourse of adults with closed head injuries and non-brain-injured adults: A discriminant analysis

Background: Although there is general agreement regarding the clinical utility of discourse analyses for detecting the often subtle communicative impairments following closed head injuries (CHI), there is little consensus regarding discourse elicitation or analysis procedures. Consequently it has been difficult to compare findings across studies. Aims: In an effort to facilitate a movement towards the adoption of a more consistent methodology for the assessment of discourse abilities, the current study examined several commonly used measures of discourse performance and the accuracy with which these measures were able to distinguish individuals with CHI from non-brain-injured (NBI) controls. Previous studies have suggested that conversation is less demanding than narrative discourse because such narratives require greater manipulation of extended units of language while conversational discourse can be maintained with minimal responses (Chapman, 1997; Galski, Tompkins, & Johnston, 1998). On the basis of th...