cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Set-parametered martingales and multiple stochastic integration

The starting point of this paper is the problem of representing square-integrable functionals of a multiparameter Wiener process. By embedding the problem in that of representing set-parameter martingales, we show that multiple stochastic integrals of various order arise naturally. Such integrals are defined relative to a collection of sets that satisfies certain regularity conditions. The classic cases of multiple Wiener integral and Ito integral (as well as its generalization by Wong-Zakai-Yor) are recovered by specializing the collection of sets appropriately.
Structural Health Monitoring by Laser Shearography: Experimental and Numerical Investigations

Non-destructive testing (NDT) is critical for many precision industries because it can provide important information about the structural health of critical components and systems. In addition, NDT can also identify situations that could potentially lead to critical failures. Specifically, NDT by optical methods have become popular because of their non-contact and non-invasive nature. Shearography is a high-resolution optical NDT method for identification and characterization of structural defects in components and has gained wide acceptance over the years; however, in practice, application of laser shearography for structural health monitoring requires loading the sample, which in some cases is not applicable or requires an experienced operator to properly perform structural testing. In this paper, a hybrid approach is proposed in which Finite Element Modeling (FEM) is used to simulate different loading conditions to obtain deformation data and in-turn, to obtain the simulated shearographic fringes. Different types of defects are embedded on the FE models and corresponding shearographic fringes are predicted. Correlating the defect and loading type to the predicted fringe pattern, in real shearographic measurements, different fringe patterns can be interpreted and classified. Also, camera calibration and image registration algorithms are used to project shearographic data onto the sample itself to locate and visualize the position of defects.
Estimating the False Positive Rate of Absent Somatosensory Evoked Potentials in Cardiac Arrest Prognostication.

Objectives Absence of somatosensory evoked potentials is considered a nearly perfect predictor of poor outcome after cardiac arrest. However, reports of good outcomes despite absent somatosensory evoked potentials and high rates of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies have raised concerns that estimates of the prognostic value of absent somatosensory evoked potentials may be biased by self-fulfilling prophecies. We aimed to develop an unbiased estimate of the false positive rate of absent somatosensory evoked potentials as a predictor of poor outcome after cardiac arrest. Data sources PubMed. Study selection We selected 35 studies in cardiac arrest prognostication that reported somatosensory evoked potentials. Data extraction In each study, we identified rates of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies and good outcomes despite absent somatosensory evoked potentials. We appraised studies for potential biases using the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool. Using these data, we developed a statistical model to estimate the false positive rate of absent somatosensory evoked potentials adjusted for withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies rate. Data synthesis Two-thousand one-hundred thirty-three subjects underwent somatosensory evoked potential testing. Five-hundred ninety-four had absent somatosensory evoked potentials; of these, 14 had good functional outcomes. The rate of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies for subjects with absent somatosensory evoked potential could be estimated in 14 of the 35 studies (mean 80%, median 100%). The false positive rate for absent somatosensory evoked potential in predicting poor neurologic outcome, adjusted for a withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies rate of 80%, is 7.7% (95% CI, 4-13%). Conclusions Absent cortical somatosensory evoked potentials do not infallibly predict poor outcome in patients with coma following cardiac arrest. The chances of survival in subjects with absent somatosensory evoked potentials, though low, may be substantially higher than generally believed.
Reflections—On the Role of Theory in Contemporary Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

AbstractResearch in the field of environmental and natural resource economics has seen a very notable shift over the past several decades, with a diminished focus on theoretical analysis and a conc...
Henry Stapp and the Three Great Mysteries Facing Science

For me, the three main mysteries facing science are (a) quantum mechanics with its “collapse” mystery of going from probabilities to actualities, (b) qualia, the subjective aspect of consciousness, and (c) claims of paranormal (psychic) phenomena. Section 1, the Introduction, will focus on how I became interested in these mysteries. Not surprisingly, Henry Stapp played an important role in my education on these issues. Section 2 explores the three realms of quantum mechanics: Realm 1—amplitudes, dealing with the wave nature of particles (and vice versa), Realm 2—decoherence, whereby amplitudes become probabilities, and Realm 3—actualities, when probabilities mysteriously collapse to specific outcomes. Section 3 discusses the collapse mystery of Section 2 and why Stapp’s interpretation of quantum mechanics is special insofar as it includes qualia, our second mystery. Section 4 focuses on the third deep mystery, psychic phenomena. Although I am skeptical of the past parapsychology data, I am hopeful some types of psychic phenomena will finally be replicable, in which case quantum mechanics would need to be modified and hopefully become less mysterious. Stapp’s version of quantum mechanics is special in having a reasonable home for the resolution of the three mysteries.
Antibiotic prophylaxis in experimental bone infections

The rationale for the use of prophylactic antibiotics in clean orthopaedic surgery was explored by means of an experimental model suited to the investigation of (1) antibiotic penetration and persistence in operative hematomas in bone and (2) the effect of cephaloridine administration on standard wound infections. Cephaloridine was found to penetrate hematomas in bone readily and to persist there in bacteriocidal concentrations. When cephaloridine was given preoperatively, all wounds were converted to bacteriological sterility and did not become clinically infected. When cephaloridine was begun six hours or later after contamination, infection occurred uniformly.
Prostaglandins and Bone

Prostaglandins (PGs) are highly bioactive fatty acids. PGs, especially prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), are abundantly produced by cells of both the bone-forming (osteoblast) lineage and the bone-resorbing (osteoclast) lineage. The inducible cyclooxygenase, COX-2, is largely responsible for most PGE2 production in bone, and once released, PGE2 is rapidly degraded in vivo. COX-2 is induced by multiple agonists - hormones, growth factors, and proinflammatory factors - and the resulting PGE2 may mediate, amplify, or, as we have recently shown for parathyroid hormone (PTH), inhibit responses to these agonists. In vitro, PGE2 can directly stimulate osteoblast differentiation and, indirectly via stimulation of RANKL in osteoblastic cells, stimulate the differentiation of osteoclasts. The net balance of these two effects of PGE2 in vivo on bone formation and bone resorption has been hard to predict and, as expected for such a widespread local factor, hard to study. Some of the complexity of PGE2 actions on bone can be explained by the fact that there are four receptors for PGE2 (EP1-4). Some of the major actions of PGE2 in vitro occur via EP2 and EP4, both of which can stimulate cAMP signaling, but there are other distinct signaling pathways, important in other tissues, which have not yet been fully elucidated in bone cells. Giving PGE2 or agonists of EP2 and EP4 to accelerate bone repair has been examined with positive results. Further studies to clarify the pathways of PGE2 action in bone may allow us to identify new and more effective ways to deliver the therapeutic benefits of PGE2 in skeletal disorders.
Demographics influence reproductive output in queen conch (Lobatus gigas): implications for fishery management

The queen conch (Lobatus gigas) is harvested intensively throughout most of the tropical western Atlantic for its meat, shell, and pearls. If sustainable harvest is to be achieved, fishery managers will have to incorporate into management strategies the species' biology and demography. However, no long-term information exists that links reproductive behavior with age structure in queen conch. As such, we examined queen conch demographics across large spatial and temporal scales in the Florida Keys, where queen conch fishing has been banned since 1986. Our results corroborate earlier reports showing density-dependent reproductive behavior. We never observed mating when aggregation densities fell below 204 adults ha–1; spawning was not observed at aggregation densities less than 90 adults ha–1. Evaluating reproductive behavior by age class, based on lip thickness (i.e., young adult, >10–15 mm; adult, >15–25 mm; very old adult, >25 mm), showed that young adults mated and spawned less often than adults and very old adults. However, the number of eggs in an egg mass showed no significant association with lip thickness. So, while age did not seem to affect the number of eggs in an egg mass, young adults as a group would have lower reproductive output because they do not engage in reproductive activities as often as older queen conch, probably because some of the younger, thinner-lipped conch were not yet sexually mature. Our results indicate that the maintenance of age structure and density is crucial to the stability of queen conch populations and thus sustainable harvest. Therefore, the soundest management approaches are those that maximize reproductive output from aggregations of mature queen conch whose densities exceed minimum thresholds to avoid depensatory effects.
Microscale vacuum distillation apparatus for high-boiling, air- and heat-sensitive liquids.

We describe a simple apparatus that enables the vacuum distillation of ~0.2 mL of air- and water-sensitive, high-boiling liquids. The apparatus should be useful in teaching laboratories, and also to practicing chemists.
South Korea’s Responses regarding Mitigating the COVID-19 Crisis behind Bars

As one of the earliest countries to identify cases of COVID-19 infection, South Korea is often considered a success story in responding to the global pandemic. This article examines South Korea’s r...
Exploring work zone late merge strategies with and without enabling connected vehicles technologies

Abstract Typical traffic control and operations at work zones are not effective in mitigating the work zone bottleneck, as the common early merge behavior limits utilizing the available capacity in the closed lane. Recently, using late merge strategy is encouraged to fully utilize the closed lane, therefore increasing efficiency of the work zone. In practice, the late merge strategy does not work effectively due to the lack of compliance by drivers. This paper is aimed at exploring two work zone late merge strategies with and without enabling connected vehicles (CV) technology. This first strategy is the late merge without CV enabled. The second strategy incorporates CV-enabled cooperative merge to enhance the work zone efficiency through communications between vehicles in the open and closed lanes. The CV-enabled strategy employs a rule based decentralized control algorithm. The paper has implemented both late merge strategies in microsimulation and evaluated the operational performances. Three major performance measures, which are throughput, delay and queue length, are used in the evaluation. The results indicate that the operational performance of the CV-enabled cooperative late merge is superior to the late merge strategy without CV in most cases, especially when traffic demand is moderate, while both late merge strategies outperform the traditional early merge strategy. Moreover, effects of the control variables including the traffic demand, heavy vehicle percentage, lane distribution percentage, late merge length, reduction of gap acceptance factor, and compliance rate, have been analyzed. Ultimately, sensitivity analysis has been performed to investigate the trend of effects from the significant variables control.
Pregnancy in Renal Transplant Recipients

Most women of childbearing age who receive a renal transplant have a return of normal menses and have the ability to become pregnant. Most studies indicate that pregnancy does not adversely affect the transplant kidney's survival as long as renal function is good and serum creatinine is stable before pregnancy. The experience with immunosuppressive drugs has been surprisingly reassuring with no increase in congenital anomalies with cyclosporine, prednisone, and azathioprine. There is little experience with newer drugs. Pregnant transplant recipients need to be monitored for opportunistic infections, which may adversely affect the fetus, including herpes, toxoplasmosis, and CMV. Hypertension, urinary tract infections, and anemia are other common problems in pregnant transplant recipients. Despite a high frequency of premature births, over 80% of pregnancies result in surviving infants.
أثر استخدام نظام التعليم عن بعد خلال الفترات الاولي لانتشار فيروس کوفيد-19 علي کل من : فعالية العملية التعليمية ورضا الطلاب ومعدلهم الأکاديمي في ضوء بعض المتغيرات التعليمية المعدِّلة

سعي الباحث من خلال الدراسة الحالية الي البحث في أثر "استخدام نظام التعليم عن بعد" خلال الفترات الاولي لانتشار فيروس کوفيد-19 علي کل من : "فعالية العملية التعليمية" و "رضا الطلاب " و"معدلهم الأکاديمي" و، وأثر کل من : "الاستعداد التقني للکلية للتعليم عن بعد"، و"إمکانيات واستعدادات أعضاء هيئة التدريس"، و"هيکل وتصميم المساق الدراسي" ، و"مدي توافر أدوات للقياس"، کمتغيرات تعليمية معدلة علي تلک العلاقة، وذلک خلال ثلاثة فصول دراسية متتالية بالکلية الکندية الدولية CIC، أو للاجابة عن عدة تساؤلات بحثية مفادها : هل أثر استخدام الکلية الکندية الدولية CIC لنظام التعليم عن بعد - بدرجاته المختلفة - خلال الفصول الدراسية الثلاثة الاولي لانتشار فيروس کوفيد-19 بالايجاب ام بالسلب علي رضا طلاب الکلية ؟ وهل أدي الي تحسن ام تدهور في ادائهم ومعدلهم الاکاديمي؟ وبأي شکل أثر علي تحقق المخرجات التعليمية ؟ وکيف أثر کل من "درجة استعداد الکلية تقنيا" و"إمکانيات واستعدادات أعضاء هيئة التدريس بالکلية"، و"هيکل وتصميم المساقات الدراسية" ، و"مدي توافر أدوات للقياس"، کمتغيرات تعليمية معدلة علي تلک العلاقات ؟ - وقد تمت الدراسة بالتطبيق علي کلية ادارة الاعمال من ضمن مجموعة الکليات الکندية الدولية خلال 3 فصول دراسية متتالية منذ بدء انتشار فيروس کورونا وهي : ربيع 2019 / 2020 و صيف 2019 / 2020 و خريف 2020 / 2021، وذلک بالنسبة للمتغير المستقل وهو (مدي استخدام الکلية لنظام التعليم عن بعد) الذي تم قياسه 3 مرات خلال تلک الفصول الدراسية ، وکذلک بالنسبة للاربعة متغيرات تعليمية الوسيطة (تم قياس کل منهم 3 مرات خلال 3 فصول دراسية)، اما بالنسبة للمتغيرات الثلاثة التابعة وهي : (مدي تحقق المخرجات التعليمية) و ( مدي رضا الطلاب ) و (المعدل الاکاديمي للطلاب) فقد تم قياسهم بالتطبيق علي عينة عشوائية قوامها 100 طالب وطالبة من اجمالي طلاب کلية ادارة الاعمال البالغ عددهم 2380 طالبا ، اما بالنسبة لـ ( المعدل الاکاديمي للطلاب GPA ) فقد تم اعتبار التقديرات الخمس الاساسية للطلاب هي الاوزان الخمسة علي مقياس ليکارت . - وقد جاءت نتائج البحث لتؤکد علي ان استخدام الکلية الکندية الدولية لتقنيات التعليم عن بعد قد أثر بالسلب علي "تحقق المخرجات التعليمية" وأثر بالسلب کذلک علي "رضا الطلاب " ، في حين أثر بالايجاب علي " المعدلات الاکاديمية للطلاب" ، کما أکدت ايضا نتائج الدراسة علي ان المتغيرات التعليمية المعدلة قد اثرت علي العلاقة بين المتغير المستقل والمتغيرات التابعة، حيث أدي کل من "التدني في استعداد الکليا تقنيا للتعليم عن بعد" و "التدني في امکانيات واستعدادات أعضاء هيئة التدريس للتعليم عن بعد" و"عدم مناسبة هيکل وتصميم المساق الدراسي للتعليم عن بعد" و "القصور في ادوات قياس نتائج التعليم عن بعد" الي مزيد من الاثر السلبي الذي احدثه "نظام التعليم عن بعد" علي کل من " تحقق المخرجات التعليمية " و "رضا الطلاب " ، في حين أدت تلک المتغيرات التعليمية المعدلة الي مزيد من الاثر الايجابي الذي احدثه " نظام التعليم عن بعد" علي " المعدلات الاکاديمية للطلاب " .
Comprehensive Assessment in Social Work Practice: The Multi-Problem Screening Inventory

Findings are reported from an initial evaluation of a new multidimensional assessment tool, the Multi-Problem Screening Inventory (MPSI). The inventory gathers information on 27 different areas of ...
Interleukin 1β inhibits interleukin 6–mediated rat γ fibrinogen gene expression

Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 are the 2 major inducers of a group of hepatic genes during acute inflammation; however, each cytokine uses different intracellular signaling molecules. In most instances, the 2 cytokines interact positively to enhance hepatic gene expression, but in one class of acute-phase reactants, which includes fibrinogen, IL-1β exerts a transient inhibitory effect over the IL-6 stimulatory signal. This study explored the effects of IL-1β/nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and IL-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) combinatory signaling on the transcriptional regulation of the rat γ fibrinogen gene. Northern blot and functional analyses employing luciferase reporter constructs driven by the rat γ fibrinogen promoter demonstrated that IL-1β inhibited the IL-6-mediated transcription of this gene. Exposing primary rat hepatocytes to IL-1β had no effect on IL-6-mediated STAT3 activation; instead, IL-1β-activated NF-κB associated with 2 IL-6 responsive elements (STAT3 binding site) on the rat γ fibrinogen promoter and blocked STAT3 binding to these regions. The competitive binding of NF-κB and STAT3 on the overlapping binding site provides a mechanism for the inhibition by IL-1β of the IL-6-mediated transactivation of rat γ fibrinogen.
Adaptive Data Compression for Video Signals

Adaptive compression system for predicting and encoding video data for transmission in noiseless channel
Low-power digital signal processing via dynamic algorithm transformations (DAT)

We have proposed dynamic algorithm transformations (DAT) for low power VLSI signal processing. The principle behind DAT is that the conventional signal processing system designed for the worst-case is not optimum (from energy viewpoint) for the nominal and the best cases. Therefore, significant energy savings can be achieved by optimally reconfiguring the hardware in these situations. The reconfiguration strategies are derived by solving an optimization problem with energy as the objective function, and a constraint on the SNR. In this paper, we present reconfiguration strategies for a system comprising of multiple adaptive filters. An example is 155.52 Mb/s ATM-LAN transceiver, where two adaptive filters-namely near-end crosstalk canceller and fractionally spaced equalizer are employed. The input variabilities for this example are due to the different cable lengths at various locations. Simulation results indicate that energy savings range from 0%-85% for cable lengths ranging from 110 m to 40 m. On an average 69% energy savings are achieved.
Hybrid Modeling of TCP Congestion Control

In this paper we propose a hybrid model for TCP's congestion control mechanism operating under drop-tail queuing policy. Using this model we confirmed the standard formula T := 1 23/RTT√ used by TCP-friendly congestion control algorithms, which relates the average packet drop rate p, the average round-trip time /TT, and the average throughput T. The hybrid model also allows us to understand the transient behavior and theoretically predict the flow synchronization phenomena that have been observed in simulations and in real networks but, to the best of our knowledge, have not been theoretically justified. This model can also be used to detect abnormalities in TCP traffic flows, which has important applications in network security.
Absorption and reflection of infrared radiation by polymers in fire-like environments

SUMMARY In large-scale fires, the input of energy to burning materials occurs predominantly by radiative transfer. The in-depth (rather than just surface) absorption of radiant energy by a polymer influences its ignition time and burning rate. The present investigation examines two methods for obtaining the absorption coefficient of polymers for infrared radiation from high-temperature sources: a broadband method and a spectral method. Data on the total average broadband transmittance for 11 thermoplastics are presented (as are reflectance data), and the absorption coefficient is found to vary with thickness. Implications for modeling of mass loss experiments are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Low-Rank matrix factorization and co-clustering algorithms for analyzing large data sets

With the ever increasing data, there is a greater need for analyzing and extracting useful and meaningful information out of it. The amount of research being conducted in extracting this information is commendable. From clustering to bi and multi clustering, there are a lot of different algorithms proposed to analyze and discover the hidden patterns in data, in every which way possible. On the other hand, the size of the data sets is increasing with each passing day and hence it is becoming increasingly difficult to try and analyze all this data and find clusters in them without the algorithms being computationally prohibitive. In this study, we have tried to study both the domains and understand the development of the algorithms and how they are being used. We have compared the different algorithms to try and get a better idea of which algorithm is more suited for a particular situation.
Evaluation of the split cantilever beam for mode III delamination testing

A test rig for testing a thick split cantilever beam for scissoring delamination (mode 3) fracture toughness was developed. A 3-D finite element analysis was conducted on the test specimen to determine the strain energy release rate, G, distribution along the delamination front. The virtual crack closure technique was used to calculate the G components resulting from interlaminar tension, GI, interlaminar sliding shear, GII, and interlaminar tearing shear, GIII. The finite element analysis showed that at the delamination front no GI component existed, but a GII component was present in addition to a GIII component. Furthermore, near the free edges, the GII component was significantly higher than the GIII component. The GII/GIII ratio was found to increase with delamination length but was insensitive to the beam depth. The presence of GII at the delamination front was verified experimentally by examination of the failure surfaces. At the center of the beam, where the failure was in mode 3, there was significant fiber bridging. However, at the edges of the beam where the failure was in mode 3, there was no fiber bridging and mode 2 shear hackles were observed. Therefore, it was concluded that the split cantilever beam configuration does not represent a pure mode 3 test. The experimental work showed that the mode 2 fracture toughness, GIIc, must be less than the mode 3 fracture toughness, GIIIc. Therefore, a conservative approach to characterizing mode 3 delamination is to equate GIIIc to GIIc.
Large friction anisotropy of a polydiacetylene monolayer

Friction force microscopy measurements of a polydiacetylene monolayer film reveal a 300% friction anisotropy that is correlated with the film structure. The film consists of a monolayer of the red form of N-(2-ethanol)- 10,12 pentacosadiynamide, prepared on a Langmuir trough and deposited on a mica substrate. As confirmed by atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, the monolayer consists of domains of linearly oriented conjugated backbones with pendant hydrocarbon side chains above and below the backbones. Maximum friction occurs when the sliding direction is perpendicular to the backbone. We propose that the backbones impose anisotropic packing of the hydrocarbon side chains which leads to the observed friction anisotropy. Friction anisotropy is therefore a sensitive, optically-independent indicator of polymer backbone direction and monolayer structural properties.
Identification of Amino Acids and Nucleotides Required for Interaction Between BAFF-R and its RNA Aptamer

Current cancer therapies such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can leave residual tumor cells and have off-target effects. Aptamers are used in a type of targeted cancer therapy that more pr...
The burke dysphagia screening test: validation of its use in patients with stroke

The objective of this study was to validate a dysphagia screening test to identify patients in the rehabilitation phase post stroke at risk for pneumonia, recurrent upper airway obstruction, and death. The setting was an inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit. One hundred thirty-nine consecutive patients met the following criteria: stroke confirmed by clinical history and neurological exam with compatible computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan; ages 20 to 90 years inclusive; and no known history of significant oral or pharyngeal anomaly. The main outcome measures were pneumonia, recurrent upper airway obstruction, and death. The Burke Dysphagia Screening Test (BDST) identified 11 of 12 patients who subsequently developed pneumonia, recurrent upper airway obstruction, or death (Fisher's exact test: p = .03). The relative risk for the occurrence of any of these complications was 7.65 times greater for those failing versus passing the BDST. The BDST identified 9 of 9 patients who developed pneumonia (Fisher's exact test: p = .01). We concluded that the BDST is of value in identifying patients in the rehabilitation phase poststroke at risk for pneumonia, recurrent upper airway obstruction, and death.
Use of sibling risk ratios and components of genetic variance in the characterization of a simulated oligogenic disease.

Sibling risk ratios are used to quantify the genetic effect of two simulated disease loci, identified through TDT and association methods and characterized via components of variance derived from a relative penetrance matrix. Inconsistencies between the data set and the simulating model are also discussed. ©1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
VinaMPI: facilitating multiple receptor high-throughput virtual docking on high-performance computers.

The program VinaMPI has been developed to enable massively large virtual drug screens on leadership-class computing resources, using a large number of cores to decrease the time-to-completion of the screen. VinaMPI is a massively parallel Message Passing Interface (MPI) program based on the multithreaded virtual docking program AutodockVina, and is used to distribute tasks while multithreading is used to speed-up individual docking tasks. VinaMPI uses a distribution scheme in which tasks are evenly distributed to the workers based on the complexity of each task, as defined by the number of rotatable bonds in each chemical compound investigated. VinaMPI efficiently handles multiple proteins in a ligand screen, allowing for high-throughput inverse docking that presents new opportunities for improving the efficiency of the drug discovery pipeline. VinaMPI successfully ran on 84,672 cores with a continual decrease in job completion time with increasing core count. The ratio of the number of tasks in a screening to the number of workers should be at least around 100 in order to have a good load balance and an optimal job completion time. The code is freely available and downloadable. Instructions for downloading and using the code are provided in the Supporting Information. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diffusion networks for on-chip image contrast normalization

A new method for normalizing and quantizing images is presented. The method is based on calculating a local reference frame for the image gray levels. The levels of the reference frame are calculated using biased diffusions that are linked to the original image. The method is conceived to be integrated with sensing elements on the image plane of a camera. Its mathematical properties are analyzed and its performance is experimentally demonstrated. A circuital implementation has been designed, constructed and tested; it consists of a 20 nodes 1-D non-linear resistive grid. Experimental results are shown. >
Visions of the future in the ‘new’ Swahili novel: Hope in desperation?

The ‘new’ novel in Swahili, the most significant phenomenon in Swahili literature in the recent decades, has dealt with the questions of the future of the African continent and the world as one of its central themes. Kenyan and Tanzanian authors, whose novels are analysed in the article, present in their works a rather gloomy, apocalyptic-type visions of the future of humanity— but at the same time, leave the readers with hope that the catastrophic situations described in their books may be prevented or solved by joint effort of all the people of Africa joined into one nation. Keywords: Apocalyptic vision, East African writing, the ‘new’ novel, Swahili literature.
Turing patterns in a modified Lotka–Volterra model

Abstract In this Letter we consider a modified Lotka–Volterra model widely known as the Bazykin model, which is the MacArthur–Rosenzweig (MR) model that includes a prey-dependent response function and is modified with the inclusion of intraspecies interactions. We show that a quadratic intra-prey interaction term, which is the most realistic nonlinearity, yields sufficient conditions for Turing patterns. For the Bazykin model we find the Turing region in parameter space and Turing patterns in one dimension.
Quaternary glaciation, west-central Maine

The highlands of west-central Maine, including the Longfellow and Boundary Mountains, were overridden at least twice, probably three times, by a continental ice sheet during Wisconsinan time. These episodes are indicated by at least five widely separated exposures displaying two-drift sequences composed of thick lodgment tills separated by glaciolacustrine and fluvial sediment. Radiocarbon dates on an intertill pollen- and wood-bearing deposit at New Sharon, Maine, record a major nonglacial interval that ended more than 52,000 B.P. The last ice sheet, actively building end moraines along the Maine coast 13,500 yr ago, had thinned, separated, stagnated, and dissipated over the Longfellow and Boundary Mountains at least by 12,500 B.P. Contemporaneous stagnation, throughout and southeast of the mountains, is evidenced by the distribution and volume of ice-contact stratified drift. Coupled with this is the lack of evidence for receding active ice margins associated with either the Laurentide Ice Sheet or a late-glacial locally centered ice cap suggested by some workers. In addition, the highest cirques in the study area, floored at approximately 930 m, reveal no evidence of reactivation during and subsequent to the dissipation of the last ice sheet.
Molecular conformation of L-dopa.

Abstract The structure of L-DOPA, a biological precursor of melanins has been determined by a new systematic analysis of the Patterson function. Its molecular conformation is different from that so far reported for any aromatic aminoacid, peptide or related compound. Its crystal structure is characterized by a three dimensional network of hydrogen bonds in which all the oxygens, the nitrogen and all the hydrogens of the NH3 and OH groups participate.
Estrogen-Induced Increase in the Magnitude of Long-Term Potentiation Occurs Only When the Ratio of NMDA Transmission to AMPA Transmission Is Increased

Elevated levels of estradiol enhance learning in mammals, including humans, likely a result of hormone-induced heightened plasticity at CA3-CA1 synapses. The increase in long-term potentiation (LTP) magnitude is considered to be a consequence of the estradiol-induced increase in dendritic spine density and NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-mediated transmission; however, direct evidence linking these changes together is lacking. Alternatively, alterations in GABAergic inhibition or presynaptic release probability could contribute. Here, we show in time course studies using hippocampal slices from estradiol-treated ovariectomized rats that the LTP magnitude is increased only when spine density is increased simultaneously with an increase in NMDAR transmission relative to AMPA receptor (AMPAR) transmission, with no role for alterations in GABAergic inhibition or release probability. With time after hormone treatment, AMPAR transmission gradually increases during the maintained increase in spine density and NMDAR transmission. Eventually, the balance between NMDAR and AMPAR transmission is reestablished, and the LTP magnitude is no longer increased. Blocking genomic estrogen receptors prevents the heightened spine density, NMDAR transmission, and LTP magnitude, suggesting a tight mechanistic coupling between these morphological and functional changes. Thus, we propose that the hormone-induced increase in functional synapse density alone is not sufficient to support heightened plasticity. Rather, estradiol increases LTP via enhancing NMDAR transmission, likely through receptor insertion into newly formed or preexisting synapses. Later, when excitability in the circuit is at its highest and spine density remains elevated, the LTP magnitude is no longer increased, probably as a consequence of the delayed increase in AMPAR transmission that resets the balance between NMDAR and AMPAR transmission.
Effect of Electroshock and Electronarcosis on Intraocular Ovarian and Endometrial Transplants.

Summary and Conclusions1. Intraocular ovarian transplants of gonadectomized rabbits subjected to ECT show follicular stimulation. Twice as many ES treatments were required as EN to obtain growth. Follicles were observed in all stages of development, including both maturing and cystic. Hemorrhagic follicles occurred frequently but terminated in follicular atresia rather than ovulatory corpora lutea. The experimental animals gave good evidence of estrogen production by the ovarian intraocular transplants in the proliferative condition of both the endometrial transplants and the uteri in situ. (No attempt was made to exclude possible adrenal cortical activity.) This was in direct contrast to the lack of activation and even atrophy of transplants (and uteri in situ) in similarly prepared but non-treated controls. 2. It is known that menstruation may be prevented by maintenance of high estrogen levels. This sometimes occurs in the presence of cystic ovarian follicles as well as during continued administration ...
Human Caring in the Social Work Context: Continued Development and Validation of a Complex Measure

Objectives: (a) to continue the development of a measure of human caring in the context of social work practice and (b) to expand a line of inquiry exploring the relationship between human caring c...
PHENOLIC ANTIOXIDANTS OF DRIED SOYBEANS

Whole dried soybean seeds were investigated to determine the nature of their antioxidant activity. Activity was measured by rates of carotene bleaching in the coupled oxidation of linoleic acid and β-carotene. Methanolic extracts of the soybeans were found to possess potent antioxidant ability. Paper and Sephadex column chromatography gave incomplete resolution of individual components. Therefore, thin-layer chromatography of the whole methanolic extract rather than individual column fractions was used in isolating this component. Three fluorescent bands were found to possess the major activity. The most potent complex was further analyzed. Thin-layer chromatography was used to separate the complex into four fluorescent components. One compound was determined to be responsible for the antioxidant activity exhibited by the parent band. Further analysis of this component by paper chromatography, chromogenic spray reagent tests, and ultraviolet spectral analyses indicated that the antioxidant was an isoflavone pentoside.
Neomycin Concentrations in Inner Ear Tissues and Other Organs of the Guinea Pig After Chronic Drug Administration

The kinetics of neomycin entry into tissues, including those of the inner ear, was studied in the guinea pig. The animals received daily subcutaneous injections of 100 mg neomycin/kg body weight and were killed after I, 3, and 6 days and 1, 2, and 3 weeks. In agreement with previous studies, kidney accumulated the drug rapidly and to a high level (450 mu.g neomycin/g tissue at day 7) while levels in heart, liver, lung, and spleen were lower by more than one order of magnitude. The drug was virtually absent from brain at all times. The salient finding was that neomycin content of cochlear tissues was relatively low. For instance, at 2 weeks, concentrations in organ of Corti (0.7 mug/mg protein) and lateral wall tissues (0.4 mug) were similar to those in heart (0.3 mug), liver (0.5 mug), lung (0.8 mug) and spleen (0.6 mug) while the concentration in kidney was 6.8 mu.g neomycin/mg protein. The results show that mechanisms of drug entry are different for kidney and cochlea. They also show that the frequently...
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance in relapsing-remitting and chronic-progressive multiple sclerosis.

Comparaison des resultats obtenus au «Wisconsin Card Sorting Test» par deux types de patients atteints de sclerose en plaques: des difficultes de la pensee categorielle ont ete trouvees pour les cas chroniques et non pour les cas episodiques
A Direct Eulerian MUSCL Scheme for Gas Dynamics

We present a second order extension of Godunov’s method for gas dynamics in Eulerian coordinates patterned after van Leer’s MUSCL scheme for gas dynamics in Lagrangian coordinates. The present method performs the Eulerian calculation in a single step by solving Riemann problems and characteristic equations for the fluxes in the Eulerian frame. We also make several modifications in the formulation of MUSCL, applicable to both this scheme and to the original Lagrangian scheme, all aimed at making a more robust and accurate scheme. We present the results of test caclulations in one and two space variables.
Molecular analysis of plants regenerated from embryogenic cultures of hybrid sugarcane cultivars (Saccharum spp.).

The genomic stability of tissue culture regenerants of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids, cvs ‘CP721210’, ‘CP68-1067’ and ‘B43-62’) was analyzed by DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Plants regenerated from calli, cell suspensions, cryopreserved cell suspensions and protoplasts were used. Total DNA isolated from 19 different sources was digested with EcoRI, HindIII, BamHI, BamHI, EcoRI and PstI and probed with six known maize mitochondrial genes (coxI, coxII, atpA, atp6, atp9 and rrn18-rrn5), three random maize mitochondrial cosmid clones, two random maize chloroplast cosmid clones and a wheat Nor locus clone. Hybridization patterns indicated that the variation observed was minor and appeared only in the secondcycle regenerants. No differences were observed among the three cultivars and the regenerants from calli, suspension culture, cryopreserved suspension culture and protoplasts. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) isolated from ‘CP72-1210’ plants and its embryogenic cell suspensions, and bulk samples from all ‘CP72-1210’ regenerants pooled together were digested with EcoRI, HindIII, PstI, BamHI and SalI and probed with three recombinationally active wheat mtDNA clones, K′, K3 and X2. No variation in the mtDNA restriction patterns was observed between the ‘CP72-1210’ plants and its regenerants. However, restriction pattern variation was observed only from EcoRI digestion, and hybridization patterns of K3, K′ and X2 revealed minor variations in the mtDNA of cell suspensions when compared with the DNA of the ‘CP72-1210’ plant. Except for a qualitative variation detected by the X2 probe and minor stoichiometric variations detected by the K3 probe, sugarcane DNAs were found to be stable after plant regeneration.
A facile synthesis of radioiodinated alkynyl iodides using potassium alkynyltrifluoroborates

Radioiodinated alkynyl iodides have been synthesized for the first time from the corresponding potassium alkynyltrifluoroborates. High yields of radiochemically pure products are obtained. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Examining the characteristics of unstaged colon and rectal cancer cases

Abstract Background : There are only three published studies that have examined unstaged cancers, including breast, prostate and colorectal cancer, but none have specifically examined which aspects of tumor staging were missing. The objective of the study was to identify which stage components were missing, to characterize and to identify predictors of unstaged cancer, and to evaluate prognosis of unstaged in colon and rectal cancer patients. Methods : Data on all colon and rectal cancer cases diagnosed during 1991 to 2002 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Information included in the analysis encompassed socio-demographics; tumor size (T); number of lymph nodes (N); metastases (M); SEER summary stage; SEER sites; cancer treatment; month and year of diagnosis; and last date known alive. Results : The study included 128,418 colon and 44,616 rectal cancer patients. Overall, 5.1% of colon and 7.8% of rectal cancer patients were unstaged. Compared to staged cases, both unstaged colon and rectal cancer cases were more likely to be older, African American, female, diagnosed in the Northeast and South, and have unknown treatment (all p p p >0.99). Conclusions : Given that unstaged cases differ from staged, the findings have methodological implications in accounting for unstaged cases in epidemiological and health services research.
BaSrTiO 3 /YIG microwave phase shifter with large two-degree-of-freedom tuning

Ferroelectric material Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 has been grown on a polycrystalline ferrite yttrium iron garnet (YIG) substrate to achieve independent tuning of permittivity and permeability through the electric and magnetic field, respectively. A large dielectric constant and dielectric-constant tuning of the BST layer has been achieved with a simple deposition procedure by RF magnetron sputtering. Coplanar waveguides were fabricated on the bilayer structure to demonstrate the benefits of additional permeability tuning by external applied magnetic field: (i) to alleviate the impedance-mismatch caused by electric-field tuning of permittivity; (ii) to improve differential phase shift. A large differential phase shift of 77°/cm at 5 GHz for an applied electric field of 60 kV/cm has been achieved with the aid of the magnetic field.
The kinetics of synthesis and degradation of aspartate aminotransferase isozymes in rat peripheral red blood cells during cytodifferentiation.

SummaryThe kinetics of synthesis and degradation of aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) isozymes were investigated in peripheral red blood cells of rats made reticulocytotic with phenylhydrazine. Immunochemical studies showed that reticulocytes contain predominantly the cationic isozyme, whereas mature erythrocytes contain only the anionic isozyme. Following initiation of phenylhydrazine treatment, the cationic isozyme increased 47-fold above its control level on Day 5, and the anionic isozyme increased threefold above its control level on the 8th day. The half-lives were 24.6 and 154.9 hr for the cationic and anionic isozyme, respectively. The faster turnover of the cationic isozyme appears to be related to its rapid rate of degradation.We thank Miss Frances Grainger for her excellent technical assistance.
Quality assurance for gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Purpose of review This review concerns quality assurance for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, especially colonoscopy and will emphasize research and guidelines published since January 2011. Important articles from previous years have been included for background. Recent findings Critical lapses in endoscope processing and administration of intravenous sedation alerted us to the infection risk of endoscopy. Increases in cost of colonoscopy, evidence for overuse and studies demonstrating missed cancers have led some to question the value of endoscopy. Despite these setbacks, the National Polyp Study (NPS) consortium published their long-term follow-up of the original NPS patients and confirmed that colonoscopy with polyp removal can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer for an extended period. In this article, we will focus on ways to improve the value of outpatient colonoscopy. Summary The United States national quality improvement agenda recently became organized into a more coordinated effort spearheaded by several public and private entities. They comprise the infrastructure by which performance measures are developed and implemented as accountability standards. Understanding wherein a gastroenterology (GI) practice fits into this infrastructure and learning ways we can improve our endoscopic practice is important for physicians who provide this vital service to patients. This article will provide a roadmap for developing a quality assurance program for endoscopic practice.
Proton Transfer from Histidine 244 May Facilitate the 1,2 Rearrangement Reaction in Coenzyme B12-dependent Methylmalonyl-CoA Mutase

Methylmalonyl-CoA mutase is an adenosylcobalamin-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the 1,2 rearrangement of methylmalonyl-CoA to succinyl-CoA. This reaction results in the interchange of a carbonyl-CoA group and a hydrogen atom on vicinal carbons. The crystal structure of the enzyme reveals the presence of an aromatic cluster of residues in the active site that includes His-244, Tyr-243, and Tyr-89 in the large subunit. Of these, His-244 is within hydrogen bonding distance to the carbonyl oxygen of the carbonyl-CoA moiety of the substrate. The location of these aromatic residues suggests a possible role for them in catalysis either in radical stabilization and/or by direct participation in one or more steps in the reaction. The mechanism by which the initially formed substrate radical isomerizes to the product radical during the rearrangement of methylmalonyl-CoA to succinyl-CoA is unknown. Ab initio molecular orbital theory calculations predict that partial proton transfer can contribute significantly to the lowering of the barrier for the rearrangement reaction. In this study, we report the kinetic characterization of the H244G mutant, which results in an acute sensitivity of the enzyme to oxygen, indicating the important role of this residue in radical stabilization. Mutation of His-244 leads to an approximately 300-fold lowering in the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme and loss of one of the two titratable pK(a) values that govern the activity of the wild type enzyme. These data suggest that protonation of His-244 increases the reaction rate in wild type enzyme and provides experimental support for ab initio molecular orbital theory calculations that predict rate enhancement of the rearrangement reaction by the interaction of the migrating group with a general acid. However, the magnitude of the rate enhancement is significantly lower than that predicted by the theoretical studies.
Considerations for Effective Simulation Study Analysis

This article discusses estimation of several percentiles simultaneously, develops a simple test to compare the sizes of two test statistics, and considers the use of logit models to adjust power curves to have the same null hypothesis level.