cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of factors affecting gaseous mercury concentrations in soils

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of soil temperature, soil moisture, redox potential (Eh) and soil organic matter (SOM) on the total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations in background soils. Our measurements were made in a grass field and deciduous forest at the Piney Reservoir Ambient Air Monitoring Station (PRAAMS) in Garrett County, Maryland. Three plots in each area were sampled every third week from July 2009 to June 2010 at the Oe–A soil horizon interface, the A–E soil horizon interface, and 5 and 10 cm into the E soil horizon. The mean soil TGM concentration for all depths in the forest (2.3 ± 2.2 ng m − 3 ) was significantly higher than the mean soil TGM concentration in the grass field (1.5 ± 1.9 ng m − 3 ). Soil TGM at all depths was most strongly and consistently correlated to soil temperature. The soil TGM concentrations were highest and most variable at the forest Oe–A soil horizon interface (4.1 ± 2.0 ng m − 3 ), ranging from 1.5 to 8.4 ng m − 3 . This soil horizon interface had 11 to 26% more SOM and the soil Eh was 100 to 400 mV lower than the other soil depths. Our results suggest that soil temperature, soil Eh and SOM are significant factors affecting TGM concentrations in forest soils. Future studies of TGM dynamics in background soils may benefit from closely monitoring the organic soil horizon.
Textured surface identification in noisy color images

Automatic identification of textured surfaces is essential in many imaging applications such as image data compression and scene recognition. In these applications, a vision system is required to detect and identify irregular textures in the noisy color images. This work proposes a method for texture field characterization based on the local textural features. We first divide a given color image into n multiplied by n local windows and extract textural features in each window independently. In this step, the size of a window should be small enough so that each window can include only two texture fields. Separation of texture areas in a local window is first carried out by the Otsu or Kullback threshold selection technique on three color components separately. The 3-D class separation is then performed using the Fisher discriminant. The result of local texture classification is combined by the K-means clustering algorithm. The texture fields detected in a window are characterized by their mean vectors and an element-to-set membership relation. We have experimented with the local feature extraction part of the method using a color image of irregular textures. Results show that the method is effective for capturing the local textural features.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Detection and identification of seismic P-Waves using Artificial Neural Networks

Detection and identification of seismic P-Wave is useful in event location and event detection. This involves an intensive amount of pattern recognition. For the recognition of seismic phases, no probabilistic distribution model performs as well as Artificial Neural Network(ANN). Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) was applied for the automatic detection and identification of local and regional seismic P-Waves. For a set of three-component seismic data, four attributes were used as input to the ANN: Degree of Polarization (DOP), Auto Regression Coefficient (ARC), Ratio between Short time average and Long time average (STA/LTA) and Ratio of Vertical power to Total power (RV2T). These four attributes were calculated in the frequency band of 1-8 Hz with a 2 second moving window. The results of preliminary training and testing with a set of various local and regional earthquake recordings show that the ANN achieved 95% correct rate of P-Wave detection and identification. 90% of the P-Waves were detected with a maximum deviation of 0.1 sec from correct manual pick up.
Adenovirus-mediated Overexpression of Liver 6-Phosphofructo-2-kinase/Fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase in Gluconeogenic Rat Hepatoma Cells PARADOXICAL EFFECT ON Fru-2,6-P2 LEVELS

6-Phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase has been postulated to be a metabolic signaling enzyme, which acts as a switch between glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in mammalian liver by regulating the level of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. The effect of overexpressing the bifunctional enzyme was studied in FAO cells transduced with recombinant adenoviral constructs of either the wild-type enzyme or a double mutant that has no bisphosphatase activity or protein kinase phosphorylation site. With both constructs, the mRNA and protein were overexpressed by 150- and 40-fold, respectively. Addition of cAMP to cells overexpressing the wild-type enzyme increased the S0.5 for fructose 6-phosphate of the kinase by 1.5-fold but had no effect on the overexpressed double mutant. When the wild-type enzyme was overexpressed, there was a decrease in fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels, even though 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase maximal activity increased more than 22-fold and was in excess of fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase maximal activity. The kinase:bisphosphatase maximal activity ratio was decreased, indicating that the overexpressed enzyme was phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Overexpression of the double mutant resulted in a 28-fold increase in kinase maximal activity and a 3-4-fold increase in fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels. Overexpression of this form inhibited the rate of glucose production from dihydroxyacetone by 90% and stimulated the rate of lactate plus pyruvate production by 200%. In contrast, overexpression of the wild-type enzyme enhanced glucose production and inhibited lactate plus pyruvate production. These results provide direct support for fructose 2,6-bisphosphate as a regulator of gluconeogenic/glycolytic pathway flux and suggest that regulation of bifunctional enzyme activities by covalent modification is more important than the amount of the protein.
Prolactin stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity in cultured rat mammary tumors

Abstract Ovine prolactin increased ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in 13 of 14 primary cultures of 7, 12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced rat mammary tumors. The 27–436 % increase (mean 219%) in ODC activity required a 3-h incubation with at least 1000 ng prolactin/ml. Lower prolactin concentrations were ineffective. Bovine fetal serum or other hormones were not required for the prolactin effect. Addition of dibuturyl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP) (2, 5 mM) to cultures increased ODC activity 2-fold, whereas dibuturyl cyclic GMP (db-cGMP) (2.5 mM) had little effect. When either nucleotide plus 10 or 100 ng prolactin/ml was added, ODC activity increased 3- to 4-fold. These results show that increased ODC activity is an early event in prolactin action in cultured rat mammary tumor cells. The cyclic nucleotides appear to be necessary for the cells to respond to physiologic levels of hormone.
Extracellular ATP activates chloride and taurine conductances in cultured hippocampal neurons.

We investigated regulation by extracellular ATP of channels important for volume regulation of rat hippocampal neurons. Cultures made from fetuses at the eighteenth gestational day were predominantly neuronal after 10–20 days in vitro, as indicated by immunostaining for neuron specific enolase. Neurons recorded with whole-cell patch clamp showed inward currents when membrane voltages were driven to values greater than −50 mV. Chloride conductance increased with 10 μM–100 μM extracellular ATP in a dose-dependent fashion. Similarly, an increase in taurine conductance was observed with 50 μM ATP. These currents were inhibited by the anion channel and purinergic receptor antagonists niflumic acid and suramin, respectively. The chloride conductance response to 10 μM ATP was increased over eight-fold in hypoosmotic medium (250 mOsm); however, chloride conductance in 0 mM ATP was not altered by this osmolality. Thus anion and osmolyte conducting channels activated via purinergic receptors may mediate volume regulation of hippocampal neurons.
The motivational dimensional model of affect: Implications for breadth of attention, memory, and cognitive categorisation

Over twenty years of research have examined the cognitive consequences of positive affect states, and suggested that positive affect leads to a broadening of cognition (see review by Fredrickson, 2001). However, this research has primarily examined positive affect that is low in approach motivational intensity (e.g., contentment). More recently, we have systematically examined positive affect that varies in approach motivational intensity, and found that positive affect high in approach motivation (e.g., desire) narrows cognition, whereas positive affect low in approach motivation broadens cognition (e.g., Gable & Harmon-Jones, 2008a; Harmon-Jones & Gable, 2009). In this article we will review past models and present a motivational dimension model of affect that expands understanding of how affective states influence attentional and cognitive breadth. We then review research that has varied the motivational intensity of positive and negative affect and found that affect of low motivational intensity broad...
Collaborative scalar-gain estimators for potentially unstable social dynamics with limited communication

In this paper, we study the estimation of potentially unstable social dynamics-e.g., social and political movements, environmental and health hazards, and global brands; when they are observed by a geographically distributed set of agents. We are interested in scenarios when the information exchange among the agents is limited. This paper considers a generalization of distributed estimation to vector (non-scalar) and dynamic (non-static) cases. As we will show, when the state-vector evolves over time, the information flow over the communication network may not be fast enough to track this evolution. In this context, the key questions we address are: (i) can a distributed estimator with limited communication track an unstable system? and; (ii) what is the cutoff point beyond which the given observations and the agent topology may not result into a bounded estimation error? To address these questions, we present a scalar-gain estimator and characterize the relation between the system instability and communication/observation infrastructure. We derive and analyze the aforementioned cutoff point as the Scalar Tracking Capacity, and further show that unstable vector systems can be distributedly estimated with bounded error.
Safety of using hepatitis B virus core antibody or surface antigen-positive donors in kidney or pancreas transplantation.

Hepatitis B virus core antibody (HBcAb) or surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive organ donors have the potential to transmit infection to transplant recipients. We investigated the safety of using HBcAb( +) or HBsAg( +) donors in kidney or pancreas transplant recipients with 1 yr lamivudine prophylaxis. While HBsAb(-) recipients of HBcAb( +) donors received prophylaxis, HBsAb(+) recipients did not. HBsAg(+) organs were only used in patients who were both HBcAb and HBsAb(+). Forty-six patients received HBcAb( +) and four received HBsAg( +) organs (47 kidney, two pancreas, and one kidney/pancreas). All but one recipient were HBsAg(-), 25 were HBsAb(+), and 19 HBcAb(+). During a median 36 months of follow-up (range 6-66 months), with 43 of a total 50 patients having at least 1 yr follow-up and were off lamivudine, and none of the patients developed hepatitis B viremia or seroconversion to HBsAg or HBsAb(+). These results suggest that HBcAb(+) or HBsAg(+) organs can be used safely in selected recipients with lamivudine prophylaxis without requiring hepatitis B immunglobulin.
Effects of a nonperssor analogue of vasopressin on plasma renin activity and salt and water excretion in water-loaded, anesthetized dogs

The object of this study was to determine the importance of vasoconstrictor activity in the suppression of renin secretion by vasopressin. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) (0.05 and 0.1 ng/kg/min) and a nonpressor analogue of vasopressin, 1-deamino-[4-threonine, 8-D-arginine]-vasopressin (dTDAVP) (0.01 and 0.05 ng/kg/min), were infused intravenously in anesthetized hypophysectomized dogs. Neither dTDAVP nor AVP influenced arterial pressure or heart rate but both suppressed plasma renin activity. Infusion of dTDAVP at 0.01 and 0.05 ng/kg/min suppressed plasma renin activity to 86 +/- 4% (p less than 0.05) and 63 +/- 6% (p less than 0.01) of the control values respectively. Infusion of AVP at 0.05 and 0.1 ng/kg/min suppressed plasma renin activity to 60 +/- 8% (p less than 0.01) and 59 +/- 12% (p less than 0.05) of the control values respectively. dTDAVP and AVP both produced significant increases in sodium excretion. These data demonstrate that vasoconstrictor activity is not required for the effects of vasopressin on renin secretion and sodium excretion.
Iron transport and storage within the seed coat and embryo of developing seeds of pea ( Pisum sativum L.)

To understand the cellular processes related to iron transport and sequestration within the developing pea seed (Pisum sativum), total iron and ferritin iron were analysed in seed coat and embryo tissues of the iron-hyperaccumulating pea mutant, Sparkle [dgl, dgl], and its wild-type parent, cv. Sparkle. For plants grown hydroponically with 2 μM Fe, embryo Fe concentrations averaged 65 μg g−1 dry weight in mature wild-type seeds and 163 μg g−1 dry weight in mature dgl seeds; iron concentrations were also higher in dgl seed coats. Extracted and electrophoretically separated seed proteins were probed with a polyclonal antibody raised against pea seed ferritin. In both genotypes, ferritin was detected in the embryo, but not in the seed coat. Ferritin iron accounted for 92% of the total iron in mature wild-type embryos, but only 42% of the total iron in mature dgl embryos. Radiotracer studies using 59Fe were used to characterize the movement of iron within the seed coat. Unequal distribution of 59Fe in opposing sections taken from the two hemispheres of the seed coat demonstrated that iron was symplastically phloem unloaded. These results suggest that iron resides transiently within the nonvascular seed coat cells and that all cells at the inner surface of the seed coat may be involved in the release of iron to the embryo apoplast. However, the form of iron resident within the seed coat and/or taken up by the embryo is presently unknown.
The Computerization Of High Speed Cineangiocardiographic Left Ventricular Volume Determination

Angiocardiographic methods of determining left ventricular volume are well established, but the amount of labor involved in any manual procedure reduces the applicability of these techniques to myocardial function studies. An automated method of ventricular volume computation from unaltered x-ray images is clearly needed. This capability is offered by the amalgamation of state-of-the-art radiographic equipment with sophisticated programmable film readers. Problem areas are many, but primary attention should be paid to methods of determining boundaries for the objects in question from x-ray images and to utilization of accurate volume computation algorithms. Preliminary investigations in these areas are reported involving maximum likelihood estimation of boundary location and modified Simpson integration volume determination.© (1969) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Finding large holes

Abstract This paper presents an algorithm that determines whether an undirected graph has any holes of size at least k in O(nk−3M), where M is the time required to multiply two n by n matrices.
Possible function of juvenile hormone-dependent protein in larval insect diapause

JUVENILE HORMONE (JH) has been shown to control the synthesis and storage of a diapause-associated protein (DAP) in the larval fat body of the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar1. Our results indicate that DAP is synthesised de novo in pre-diapausing southwestern corn borers, reaches a maximum titre in newly diapaused larvae, and is used gradually during diapause. In addition, we have demonstrated recently that the protein has a molecular weight of about 35,000, and an isoelectric point of about 5.9 (unpublished). Since JH controls the larval diapause of this insect2,3, DAP may be involved in diapause maintenance. Some properties of DAP are described here and the evidence for its function is appraised. Possible functions include a nutritive store of amino acids or peptides, a reservoir of a proenzyme, or a JH-binding protein. From the available evidence, the most likely model is that of a latent store of a high affinity JH-binding protein4–7 which is released and activated during diapause.
Genome size in mammals.

Nuclear DNA amounts of fifteen species of placental mammals were determined by Feulgen cytophotometry. Relative values for several widely used species have been ascertained with an error of only a few percent. Absolute values (picograms or numbers of nucleotide pairs) can be determined with an error of about ten percent. The largest known mammalian genome contains about twice the DNA of the smallest one. The modal diploid DNA amount for mammals is slightly above eight picograms.
Resonance Raman Studies of the Iron(II)−α-Keto Acid Chromophore in Model and Enzyme Complexes

The bidentate coordination of an α-keto acid to an iron(II) center via the keto group and the carboxylate gives rise to metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transitions between 400 and 600 nm in model c...
Chronic, Painful Ankle Instability in Skeletally Immature Athletes: Ununited Osteochondral Fractures of the Distal Fibula

We report 10 cases of chronic, painful ankle instability in skeletally immature athletes associated with ununited osteochondral fragments of the distal fibula. All the patients experienced multiple inversion injuries with recurrent pain and instability that failed to improve after a supervised exercise and rehabilitation program. Osteochondral fragments of the distal fibula were visible on all standard radiographs of the affected ankles. Treatment consisted of operative excision of the bony fragment and an anatomic nonaugmented repair of the lateral ligament complex and capsule. All 10 patients were available for long-term followup an average of 6.5 years (+/-2) after surgery; all ankles improved functionally, with no recurrences of instability.
Risk of synchronous and metachronous second nonmelanoma skin cancer when referred for Mohs micrographic surgery

Abstract Background: Patients with basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma are at substantial risk for the onset of a second nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Objective: Our purpose was to determine the incidence of multiple (synchronous) NMSC at presentation to an academic Mohs micrographic surgery referral center and to note the incidence of second lesions occurring in a metachronous fashion. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of 456 consecutive patients who presented for Mohs surgery over a 2-year period. Patients were assessed at initial visits for the presence of multiple NMSCs and were subsequently examined over 2 years for the onset of new NMSCs. Results: More than 39% of patients initially referred for Mohs surgery with a basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma either presented with multiple primary lesions or experienced a subsequent NMSC within 2 years. These tumors were divided almost equally between multiple primary NMSC at presentation and subsequent (metachronous) tumors. Conclusion: Patients referred for Mohs surgery in an academic setting are a select group at extremely high risk of additional NMSCs at or shortly after presentation for the index lesion. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2001;44:497-9.)
Effects of red bull energy drink on repeated sprint performance in women athletes

Energy drinks are frequently consumed by athletes prior to competition to improve performance. This study examined the effect of Red Bull™ on repeated sprint performance in women athletes. Fifteen collegiate soccer players participated, with mean age, height, and body mass equal to 19.5 ± 1.1 year, 168.4 ± 5.8 cm, and 63.4 ± 6.1 kg, respectively. After performing a familiarization trial, subjects performed three sets of eight bouts of the modified t test after ingestion of 255 mL of placebo or Red Bull 1 h pre-exercise in a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design. Throughout testing, sprint time, heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were continuously obtained. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine differences in variables between drink conditions. Across athletes, t test time ranged from 10.4 to 12.7 s. Mean sprint time was similar (p > 0.05) between Red Bull (11.31 ± 0.61 s) and placebo (11.35 ± 0.61 s). HR and RPE increased (p 0.05) of Red Bull on either variable versus placebo. Findings indicate that 255 mL of Red Bull containing 1.3 mg/kg of caffeine and 1 g of taurine does not alter repeated sprint performance, RPE, or HR in women athletes versus placebo. One serving of this energy drink provides no ergogenic benefit for women athletes engaging in sprint-based exercise.
The Dynamics of Associative Learning in Evolved Model Circuits

In this article, we evolve and analyze continuous-time recurrent neural networks capable of associating the smells of different foods with edibility or inedibility in different environments. First, we present an in-depth analysis of this task, highlighting the evolutionary challenges it poses and how these challenges informed our experimental design. Next, we describe the evolution of nonplastic neural circuits that can solve this food edibility learning problem. We then show that the dynamics of the best evolved nonplastic circuits instantiate finite state machines that capture the combinatorial structure of this task. Finally, we demonstrate that successful circuits with Hebbian synaptic plasticity can also be evolved, but that such circuits do not utilize their synaptic plasticity in a traditional way.
Enrichment for living murine keratinocytes from the hair follicle bulge with the cell surface marker CD34.

It is widely believed that epithelial stem cells reside in the hair follicle bulge region. We investigated the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell marker, CD34, as a potential marker of hair follicle bulge keratinocytes. Using a CD34-specific antibody, we identified intense membrane staining on keratinocytes in the bulge region of the mouse hair follicle. CD34 expression colocalized with both slowly cycling (label retaining) cells and keratin 15 expression. Live CD34 + keratinocytes were positively selected using antibodies to CD34 and α6 integrin in combination with fluorescent activated cell sorting. Sorted cells were analyzed for DNA content, and a staining profile was generated to confirm these cells as keratinocytes. CD34 + keratinocytes were predominantly in G o /G 1 , in contrast to CD34 – cells, which had well defined G 2 /M and S phases. In addition, CD34 + keratinocytes were found to express α6 integrin more intensely than CD34 – cells (p + keratinocytes formed larger colonies than CD34 – cells (p 0.05), indicating a higher proliferative potential. All flow-sorted cells were positive for keratin 14 expression, and negative for keratin 1, loricrin, vimentin, and CD31. The majority of CD34 + cells (98%) were positive for keratin 6, establishing this population as basal keratinocytes of follicular origin. CD34 message was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction predominantly in the CD34 + keratinocytes, confirming specificity of the antibody. This work is the first to demonstrate that CD34 is a specific marker of bulge cell keratinocytes in the cutaneous epithelium. Furthermore, the use of this marker facilitates isolation of live epithelial cells with stem and progenitor cell characteristics, potentially providing a tool for the study of carcinogen target cells, gene therapy, and tissue engineering applications.
Coping with Prescription Medication Costs: a Cross-sectional Look at Strategies Used and Associations with the Physical and Psychosocial Health of Individuals with Arthritis

Background Prescription medication costs increase financial burden, often leading individuals to engage in intentional nonadherence. Little is known about what specific medication cost-coping strategies individuals with arthritis employ.
Psychometric Properties of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool-General in Adolescents and Young Adults With Sickle Cell Disease

Objectives Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience psychosocial factors that increase their risk for poor disease management and health outcomes. Routine assessment of psychosocial factors that perpetuate health disparities is recommended. The Psychosocial Assessment Tool 2.0_General (PAT2.0_GEN) AYA is a psychosocial screener with potential clinical utility in AYAs with SCD. This article is a preliminary examination of the internal consistency and predictive validity of this measure in a sample of 45 AYAs with SCD. Methods Participants completed the PAT2.0_GEN AYA, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and a demographics form; psychosocial referral data were also collected. Results Internal consistency for the PAT2.0_GEN AYA was acceptable except for the Family Beliefs (0.67) and Structure and Resources subscales (0.37). PAT2.0_GEN AYA scores were associated with an increased likelihood of referral for intervention within 4 months. Conclusions The PAT2.0_GEN AYA holds promise as a screener to identify psychosocial risk factors that may compromise health outcomes in AYAs with SCD.
Yucca Mountain Project Structural Acceptance Criterion for Impact Loading of Waste Packages

A methodology is presented for evaluating the structural integrity of metallic nuclear waste disposal containers (waste packages) subject to impact events. The LS-DYNA finite element analysis (FEA) computer code and massively parallel processing (MPP) is used for nonlinear, dynamic-plastic, large-distortion impact simulations. The acceptance criterion is based on minimum-strength, bilinear, stress-strain curves and the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code primary stress intensity limits. The evaluation uses component stress classifications based on force-moment response trends from a series of reduced-modulus elastic analyses. FEA examples are provided for a waste package that is supported on an emplacement pallet (pallet) and dropped from the transfer vehicle.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
ELECTROMAGNETIC SURFACE METHOD FOR THE PIPELINE PERIODICAL INSPECTION BASED ON THE HETEROGENEOUS TRANSMISSION LINE MODEL

The superficial electromagnetic methods are widely applied for non-destructive control of pipeline technical condition. For this purpose we have developed the theory and field technology for the pipeline inspection that allows: 1) determining the pipeline trajectory (plane position and depth), 2) delimitation of pipeline intervals with an insulation coating damage, and 3) estimating the condition of a cathodic protection system. The proposed method is based on the approximation of a metallic pipeline by a heterogeneous transmission line with variable distributed parameters: resistance and inductance along a tube (tube wall thickness) and leakage conductance. The field operations consist in measurements of magnetic field above a pipeline and voltage only on the control posts. The interpretation process includes the iterative inversion of the magnetic component in order to determine the pipeline depth and current distribution along pipeline. The current difference corresponds to leakage current and allow estimate the leakage resistance. We illustrate the practical application of this method using the obtained results for pipeline inspections in Mexico. Based on the voltage and current simulations for the infralowfrequency band (0-1kHz) we have evaluated the feasibility of the time lapse measurements of the magnetic field in some fixed points for the early prediction of an insulation damaging process.
Selection of lightweighting strategies for use across an automaker's vehicle fleet

Vehicle lightweighting, or mass reduction, via materials substitution is a common approach to improve fuel economy. The many subsystems in a vehicle, choices of materials, and manufacturing processes available, though, lead to numerous paths to achieving the mass reduction and identifying the best ones for an automaker to implement can be a challenge. In this paper, that challenge is addressed through the development of a selection model designed to inform the lightweighting strategy decision for an automaker's fleet. The model, implemented with a genetic algorithm, identifies the strategies that enable an automaker to optimize the net present value of its cash flow, as well as to meet its CAFE obligations over the coming years. A case study of various strategies implemented in three vehicles over a three-year timeframe is used to demonstrate application of the genetic algorithm selection model and contrast it to an alternative period-by-period search implementation.
Scintillation and Luminescence Properties of Undoped and Cerium-Doped ${\rm LiGdCl}_{4}$ and ${\rm NaGdCl}_{4}$

We report the scintillation properties of the undoped and cerium-doped variations of LiGdCl4 and NaGdCl4 . Powder samples of these materials exhibit significant scintillation under X-rays. The samples were synthesized by solid-state methods from a 1:1 molar ratio of lithium or sodium chloride and gadolinium trichloride. Cerium trichloride was used as the dopant. The physical, optical, and scintillation properties of these materials were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, X-ray excited luminescence, and pulsed X-ray luminosity measurements. Increases in light yields are observed as the concentration of cerium increases. The highest light yields occurred at 20% cerium doping for both compounds. At larger concentrations neither compound formed, indicating a breakdown of the lattice with the addition of large amounts of cerium cations. At 20% cerium, LiGdCl4 and NaGdCl4 display scintillation light 3.6 times and 2.2 times the light yield of the reference material, YAlO3 :Ce3+ , respectively. Both emit in the ranges of 340-350 nm and 365-370 nm and display multiexponential decays with cerium-like decay components at 33 ns (LiGdCl4:Ce) and 26 ns (NaGdCl4:Ce).
Engineering Aspects of the Transceiver Design

In this chapter, we gather together various engineering details of our radiolocation transceiver. One may be tempted to think of the present chapter as an implementation blueprint, but we should have no such pretentions. Every implementation of a technology goes through its own development cycles, addressing its own specific requirements of functionality, size, marketability and cost. Every new device has its own set of noise problems, electromagnetic interferences, integration issues and design errors that must be dealt with, and those can never be fully forestalled with written descriptions.
IL-1β enhances β2-adrenergic receptor expression in human airway epithelial cells by activating PKC

Protein kinase C (PKC)-activated signal transduction pathways regulate cell growth and differentiation in many cell types. We have observed that interleukin (IL)-1β upregulates β2-adrenergic recept...
Visual, linguistic data mining using Self- Organizing Maps

Data mining methods are becoming vital as the amount and complexity of available data is rapidly growing. Visual data mining methods aim at including a human observer in the loop and leveraging human perception for knowledge extraction. However, for large datasets, the rough knowledge gained via visualization is often times not sufficient. Thus, in such cases data summarization can provide a further insight into the problem at hand. Linguistic descriptors such as linguistic summaries and linguistic rules can be used in data summarization to further increase the understandability of datasets. This paper presents a Visual Linguistic Summarization tool (VLS-SOM) that combines the visual data mining capability of the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) with the understandability of linguistic descriptors. This paper also presents new quality measures for ranking of predictive rules. The presented data mining tool enables users to 1) interactively derive summaries and rules about interesting behaviors of the data visualized though the SOM, 2) visualize linguistic descriptors and visually assess the importance of generated summaries and rules. The data mining tool was tested on two benchmark problems. The tool was helpful in identifying important features of the datasets. The visualization enabled the identification of the most important summaries. For classification, the visualization proved useful in identifying multiple rules that classify the dataset.
Snapping supernovae at z > 1.7

We examine the utility of very high redshift Type Ia supernovae for cosmology and systematic uncertainty control. Next generation space surveys such as the Supernova/Acceleration Probe (SNAP) will obtain thousands of supernovae at z>1.7, beyond the design redshift for which the supernovae will be exquisitely characterized. We find that any z gtrsim 2 standard candles' use for cosmological parameter estimation is quite modest and subject to pitfalls; we examine gravitational lensing, redshift calibration, and contamination effects in some detail. The very high redshift supernovae - both thermonuclear and core collapse - will provide copious interesting information on star formation, environment, and evolution. However, the new observational systematics that must be faced, as well as the limited expansion of SN-parameter space afforded, does not point to high value for 1.7<z<3 SNe Ia in controlling evolutionary systematics relative to what SNAP can already achieve at z<1.7. Synergy with observations from JWST and thirty meter class telescopes afford rich opportunities for advances throughout astrophysics.
Design and analysis of an integrated differential-common mode filter for on site motor bearing problems

In this paper an integrated differential-common mode filter is introduced for solving on site motor bearing problems that are induced by Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) inverters. This topology significantly reduces or eliminates common mode voltage impressed on the motor bearing race that causes fluting as a result of PWM switching action. Prior filtering techniques required either a special inverter design with dc midpoint accessible or a special motor design using a Wye connected machine with available neutral point to solve the bearing fluting problem. The new filter does not require any modification in inverter power structure or motor if applied in motor-drive systems. It also eliminates the need for an isolation transformer that is also used to mitigate the fluting problem. This topology can be included in the power structure design stage or utilized as an optional add-on module for troublesome field applications. Although the introduced filter topology is applicable to any application that involves a PWM inverter, discussion and analysis in this paper is restricted to motor-drive applications. Theoretical background, description of the bearing problem and filter design, and a complete set of supportive experimental results is included.
Practical stabilizability of a class of switched systems

We extend our previous practical stabilizability results to a class of switched systems with autonomous subsystems. We prove a sufficient condition for the local practical stabilizability of such systems. A switching law which leads to /spl epsiv/-practical stability is constructed in the proof. Finally, we illustrate the effectiveness of the switching law by a tracking problem example.
Preemptive RANSAC for Live Structure and Motion Estimation

A system capable of performing robust live ego-motion estimation for perspective cameras is presented. The system is powered by random sample consensus with preemptive scoring of the motion hypotheses. A general statement of the problem of efficient preemptive scoring is given. Then a theoretical investigation of preemptive scoring under a simple inlier-outlier model is performed. A practical preemption scheme is proposed and it is shown that the preemption is powerful enough to enable robust live structure and motion estimation.
Select Nutrients in the Ovine Uterine Lumen. VI. Expression of FK506-Binding Protein 12-Rapamycin Complex-Associated Protein 1 (FRAP1) and Regulators and Effectors of mTORC1 and mTORC2 Complexes in Ovine Uteri and Conceptuses

FRAP1 (FK506-binding protein 12-rapamycin complex-associated protein 1), a component of the nutrient-sensing cell signaling pathway, is critical for cell growth and metabolism. The present study determined expression of FRAP1 and associated members of the mTORC1 and mTORC2 cell signaling pathways in uteri of cyclic and pregnant ewes and conceptuses, as well as effects of pregnancy, progesterone (P4), and interferon tau (IFNT) on their expression. The mRNAs for FRAP1, LST8, MAPKAP1, RAPTOR, RICTOR, TSC1, TSC2, RHEB, and EIF4EBP1 were localized to luminal, superficial glandular, and glandular epithelia and stromal cells of uteri from cyclic and pregnant ewes, as well as trophectoderm and endoderm of conceptuses between Days 13 and 18 of pregnancy. The abundance of FRAP1, RAPTOR, RICTOR, TSC1, and TSC2 mRNAs in endometria was unaffected by pregnancy status or by day of the estrous cycle or pregnancy; however, levels of LST8, MAPKAP1, RHEB, and EIF4EBP1 mRNA increased in endometria during early pregnancy. In ovariectomized ewes, P4 and IFNT stimulated expression of RHEB and EIF4EBP1 in uterine endometria. Total endometrial FRAP1 protein and phosphorylated FRAP1 protein levels were affected by pregnancy status and by day after onset of estrus, and phosphorylated FRAP1 protein was detected in nuclei of uterine epithelia and conceptuses. In endometria of pregnant ewes, increases in abundance of mRNAs for RICTOR, RHEB, and EIF4EBP1, as well as RHEB protein, correlated with rapid conceptus growth and development during the peri-implantation period. These results suggest that the FRAP1 cell signaling pathway mediates interactions between the maternal uterus and peri-implantation conceptuses and that P4 and IFNT affect this pathway by regulating expression of RHEB and EIF4EBP1.
The construction of an object-oriented specification model

A methodology which merges the data flow diagram (DFD) and the entity-relationship (ER) models as a front-end to an object-oriented software development process is described. In order to take advantage of the benefits of both approaches and to limit the disadvantages, a tool which builds an object-oriented specification model from a set of data flow diagrams is used. The object-oriented specification is in an Ada-like package format which specifies data objects and their operations. An extended ER model and user documents are produced from the DFD to provide information to the user. The ER produced model is used as an intermediate tool to illustrate the connections between each object. >
New and potential uses of fibrin sealants as an adjunct to surgical hemostasis

Commercially prepared fibrin sealants have been available in Europe and Japan for many years. However, current formulations are exclusively two-component, liquid fibrin sealants, and delivery devices are rather rudimentary. To date, this has had the effect of limiting the number of clinical applications that make use of fibrin sealants. The recent licensing of fibrin sealants by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States has the potential to expand the use of these products in established procedures. As surgeons gain experience with fibrin sealants, it is likely that new clinical applications will be developed in a wider range of surgical specialties. The aim of this article is to explore the potential future formulations and uses of fibrin sealants and highlight a range of surgical procedures that may benefit from these products.
Therapeutic studies in hyperthyroidism; propylthiouracil.

INTRODUCTION THE new methods of treating hyperthyroidism with the antithyroid drugs and radioactive iodine represent no fundamental change from the ancient methods of attack upon the disease. They are, respectively, merely forms of chemical and radiation thyroidectomy and, therefore, are no more functional than the method employed by our grandfathers of destroying the thyroid by the injection of boiling water. The ideal treatment for hyperthyroidism would be based on a knowledge of the disorder causing the disease and a procedure to correct that disorder, returning the thyroid to its normal position in metabolic physiology rather than removing it from the endocrine chain. The possibility of such a solution is clinically demonstrable (1). For example, in the case of Mrs. L., shown in Figure 1, a puerperal hyperthyroidism of severe and unmistakable degree disappeared during the endocrine reaction induced by weaning her baby. A similar restoration of normal relations is shown in Figure 2, in which Miss Grace...
Process design and economic studies of alternative fermentation methods for the production of ethanol

Cell recycle and vacuum fermentation processes are described for the continuous production of ethanol. Preliminary process design studies are employed to make an economic comparison of these alternative fermentation schemes with continuous and batch fermentation technologies. Designs are based on a production capacity of 78,000 gal 95% ethanol (EtOH)/day employing molasses as the fermentation substrate. The studies indicate that a 57% reduction in fixed capital investment is realized by continuous rather than batch operation. Further decreases in required capital investment of 68 and 71% over batch fermentation were obtained for cell recycle and vacuum operation, respectively. However, ethanol production costs were dominated by the cost of molasses, representing over 75% of the total manufacturing cost. But, when a reasonable yeast by-product credit was assumed, the net production cost for 95% ethanol was estimated at 82.3 and 80.6 cent/gal, for the cell recycle and vacuum processes, respectively.
Sculpting Waves (Presentation Recording)

In electronics controlling and manipulating flow of charged carriers has led to design of numerous functional devices. In photonics, by analogy, this is done through controlling photons and optical waves. However, the challenges and opportunities are different in these two fields. Materials control waves, and as such they can tailor, manipulate, redirect, and scatter electromagnetic waves and photons at will. Recent development in condensed matter physics, nanoscience, and nanotechnology has made it possible to tailor materials with unusual parameters and extreme characteristics and with atomic precision and thickness. One can now construct structures much smaller than the wavelengths of visible light, thus ushering in unprecedented possibilities and novel opportunities for molding fields and waves at the nanoscale with desired functionalities. At such subwavelength scales, sculpting optical fields and waves provides a fertile ground for innovation and discovery. I will discuss some of the exciting opportunities in this area, and forecast some future directions and possibilities.
Nomenclatural Notes. V. Uncinula Polychaeta and The Genera Pleochaeta and Uncinulopsis

An investigation (Kimbrough, 1963) of the life history of a common powdery mildew attacking Celtis spp. in Mississippi has led to a study of its taxonomic position and nomenclature. The species is that known following Salmon (1900) as Uncinula polychaeta (Berk. & Curt.) ex Ellis, a name which is inadmissable under the International Code of Nomenclature.
Sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension and lung transplantation for sarcoidosis.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a significant complication of sarcoidosis, occurring in approximately 6 to > 20% of cases, and markedly increases mortality among these patients. The clinician should exercise a high index of suspicion for sarcoidosis-associated PH (SAPH) given the nonspecific symptomatology and the limitations of echocardiography in this patient population. The pathophysiology of PH in sarcoidosis is complex and multifactorial. Importantly, there are inherent differences in the pathogenesis of SAPH compared with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, making the optimal management of SAPH controversial. In this article, we review the epidemiology, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment considerations for SAPH. Lung transplantation (LT) is a viable therapeutic option for sarcoid patients with severe pulmonary fibrocystic sarcoidosis or SAPH refractory to medical therapy. We discuss the role for LT in patients with sarcoidosis, review the global experience with LT in this population, and discuss indications and contraindications to LT.
Distribution and drug resistance of pathogens causing ventilator-associated pneumonia

OBJECTIVE To analyze the distribution of pathogens causing ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP)in pediatric intensive care unit(PICU)and observe the change of drug resistance so as to provide guidance for reasonable clinical use of antibiotics.METHODS Totally 136 children complicated with VAP who were treated in the Wuhan Children'Hospital from Jan 20005 to Dec 2010 were enrolled in the study,then the distribution of the pathogens isolated from lower respiratory tract specimens and the change of drug resistance were retrospectively analyzed.RESULTS A total of 368 strains of pathogens have been isolated,among which the gram-negative bacteria accounted for 61.96%,the fungi 32.34%,the gram-positive bacteria 5.70%.The pathogens ranking the top three species changed significantly after three years as compared with those before three years.The gram-negative bacteria have been highly multidrug-resistant since 2008,the drug resistance rates to meropenem,imipenem,cefoperazone-sulbactam,amikacin,ciprofloxacin,levofloxacin,and minocycline were less than 50.00%,and the drug resistance rates to the rest of antibiotics were more than 50.00%;the drug resistance of the gram-positive bacteria did not change significantly;the fungi were generally susceptible to antibiotics.CONCLUSIONThe gramnegative bacteria are the predominant pathogens causing VAP and are multidrug-resistant,the drug resistance is significantly increased since 2008.It is necessary fro the hospital to conduct standard and continuous surveillance of drug resistance for the pathogens causing VAP and reasonably use antibiotics based on the etiology and drug resistance so as to reduce the incidence of VAP.
Improved Thermophilic Micro-aerobic Digestion Process for Treatment of Sewage Sludge

The single-stage autothermal thermophilic micro-aerobic digestion(ATMD) process was improved to treat sewage sludge by 4-day mesophilic anaerobic digestion followed by ATMD(short for MAD-ATMD).The stabilization of sludge was analyzed.The volatile suspended solid(VSS) removal rate of 40% was stabilized by the MAD-ATMD process on the 14 th day,meeting the standards of Class A issued by US EPA,Item 503,and the Discharge Standard of Pollutants for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant(GB 18918-2002),same as that achieved by the ATMD process.The oxidization-reduction potential(ORP) of the sludge in the MAD-ATMD process system,which was similar to that in the ATAD process,was below-50 mV due to the initial hydrolysis reaction,and then gradually increased to about100 mV.The volatile fatty acids(VFAs) and total organic carbon(TOC) produced in the MAD-ATMD process system could reach the highest values of 269 mg /L on the 11 th day and 5 040 mg /L on the 8th day,respectively.While TOC still remained at 1 980 mg /L through the digestion time of 30 d,which showed that some soluble VFAs could not be removed during the 30 d digestion.