cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formation of the digestive system in zebrafish. I. liver morphogenesis

Despite the essential functions of the digestive system, much remains to be learned about the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for digestive organ morphogenesis and patterning. We introduce a novel zebrafish transgenic line, the gutGFP line, that expresses GFP throughout the digestive system, and use this tool to analyze the development of the liver. Our studies reveal two phases of liver morphogenesis: budding and growth. The budding period, which can be further subdivided into three stages, starts when hepatocytes first aggregate, shortly after 24 h postfertilization (hpf), and ends with the formation of a hepatic duct at 50 hpf. The growth phase immediately follows and is responsible for a dramatic alteration of liver size and shape. We also analyze gene expression in the developing liver and find a correlation between the expression of certain transcription factor genes and the morphologically defined stages of liver budding. To further expand our understanding of budding morphogenesis, we use loss-of-function analyses to investigate factors potentially involved in this process. It had been reported that no tail mutant embryos appear to lack a liver primordium, as assessed by gata6 expression. However, analysis of gutGFP embryos lacking Ntl show that the liver is in fact present. We also find that, in these embryos, the direction of liver budding does not correlate with the direction of intestinal looping, indicating that the left/right behavior of these tissues can be uncoupled. In addition, we use the cloche mutation to analyze the role of endothelial cells in liver morphogenesis, and find that in zebrafish, unlike what has been reported in mouse, endothelial cells do not appear to be necessary for the budding of this organ.
Laryngospasm and Hypoxia After Intramuscular Administration of Ketamine to a Patient in Excited Delirium

An advanced life support emergency medical services (EMS) unit was dispatched with law enforcement to a report of a male patient with a possible overdose and psychiatric emergency. Police restrained the patient and cleared EMS into the scene. The patient was identified as having excited delirium, and ketamine was administered intramuscularly. Sedation was achieved and the patient was transported to the closest hospital. While in the emergency department, the patient developed laryngospasm and hypoxia. The airway obstruction was overcome with bag-valve-mask ventilation. Several minutes later, a second episode of laryngospasm occurred, which again responded to positive-pressure ventilation. At this point the airway was secured with an endotracheal tube. The patient was uneventfully extubated several hours later. This is the first report of laryngospam and hypoxia associated with prehospital administration of intramuscular ketamine to a patient with excited delirium.
‘Window’ shopping and browsing opportunities in cyberspace

This article reviews the integral nature of browsing to the shopping experience and then explores the different types of browsing and searching that are supported in the online environment. Browsing contexts and episodes occur when consumers use browsers, URLs, search engines, menu categories and shopping bots to identify merchants and products. Browsing may be both intentional and unintentional, from the consumer's perspective, and controlled or uncontrolled, on the merchant's part. A matrix proposes four different categories of searching: partnership, consumer owned, merchant owned, and no-one's land. These categories need to be taken into account when designing further research to profile browsing behaviour and to investigate the effect that it has on purchase decisions.
Hydrocarbons from epicuticular waxes of Citrus peels

Abstract The hydrocarbon fraction of the epicuticular wax layer of peel from 5 cultivars of Citrus was monitored at various stages of fruit development. GLC
Turbulent drag reduction research at NASA langley: progress and plans☆

Prospective research efforts planned at NASA-Langley in view of results obtained to date in passive turbulent drag reduction experiments are discussed. It has been established that conventional flow-aligned riblets are effective even in the presence of a degree of flow inclination and pressure gradients, and at transonic speeds. No increase in net drag reduction is expected from nonconventional riblet geometries. Large eddy breakup devices promise drag reductions in the 8-15 percent range. Heat transfer-augmentation, noise-reduction, turboprop/fuselage interaction noise reduction, are other advantages expected from this line of research.
Coke deposition on Co-Mo/Al2O3 and Co-Mo/C catalysts

Abstract A commercial Co-Mo/Al 2O3 HDS catalyst displayed catalytic activity towards the coking of anthracene. This is related to its hydrogenation/dehy As with the Al2O3 support, little or no coking activity was displayed by a carbon black composite. Following the addition of Co and Mo to the c
Ethical Decision Making in a Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Situation: The Role of Moral Absolutes and Social Consensus

Individuals are downloading copyrighted materials at escalating rates (Hill 2007; Siwek 2007). Since most materials shared within these networks are copyrighted works, providing, exchanging, or downloading files is considered to be piracy and a violation of intellectual property rights (Shang et al. 2008). Previous research indicates that personal moral philosophies rooted in moral absolutism together with social context may impact decision making in ethical dilemmas; however, it is yet unclear which motivations and norms contextually impact moral awareness in a peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing context (Shang et al. 2008). In sum, factors affecting the decision to share copyrighted material require further clarification and investigation (Shang et al. 2008). The purpose of this study was to use a consumer-based scenario and multiple ethics measures to explore how idealism, formalism, and perceived social consensus impact users’ propensity to recognize that the sharing of copyrighted media through P2P networks was an ethical issue and their subsequent ethical intentions. Results showed that high levels of idealism and formalism were associated with an increased recognition that file sharing was an ethical issue, but neither construct had a direct effect on ethical intention. Strong social consensus among respondents that other people consider file sharing to be unethical was also positively related to the recognition that file sharing was an ethical issue, and ethical recognition was a moderate predictor of intention not to engage in file sharing. Finally, a post hoc mediation analysis indicated that idealism, formalism, and social consensus operated through recognition of an ethical issue to impact ethical intention (indirect-only mediation).
Mechanism of Autoregulation of Renal Blood Flow

IT has been noted by Winton1 and has since been confirmed many times2–5, that the renal vascular resistance is not constant but increases with increasing arterial pressure in the range 80–120 mm. mercury mean pressure. The phenomenon does not depend on an intact nerve supply to the kidney but occurs in the denervated, perfused kidney. The autoregulation of renal blood flow has been considered attributable either to an active vasomotor process3–5 or, in some recent work, to a flow-dependent separation of plasma from red cells in the renal circulation. The first of these theories appears to have been developed only by the process of elimination, and the second appears no longer tenable in the light of experiments by several groups5–7. The œdematous kidney displays a high resistance to flow which probably results from compression of vessels by extravascular fluid. This factor has not been considered important in the function of kidneys subjected to normal arterial and venous pressure, since measurements of renal tissue pressure5 indicated that it does not vary directly with renal vascular resistance.
Neuronal Networks: Enhanced Feedback Feeds Forward

Summary Modulatory projection neurons gate neuronal networks, such as those comprising motor central pattern generators; in turn, they receive feedback from the networks they gate. A recent study has shown that, in the crab stomatogastric ganglion, this feedback is also subject to modulation: the enhanced feedback feeds forward through the projection neurons to modify circuit output.
Masks, marriage and the byzantine mandylion: Classical inversions in the tenth century : Narratio de translatione constantinopolim imaginis edessenae

Cet article examine les allusions theâtrales et matrimoniales dans l’hagiographie de la « relique-tactile » du Christ au Xe siecle byzantin : le Mandylion. Selon la legende, le Mandylion aurait ete cree au moment ou le Christ se serait lave le visage et qu’une empreinte de son visage se serait ainsi deposee sur le tissu dont il s’etait servi pour se secher. Le Mandylion acquiert une grande popularite a Byzance et dans l’Orient chretien. Il incarne la protection de Dieu envers son nouveau peuple elu, son immanence dans le monde materiel, et offre une ratification divine de l’art figuratif chretien. Cet article avance l’hypothese que l’arrivee du Mandylion a Edesse et son accueil dans la chambre du roi investissent le visage du Christ d’un potentiel puissant d’union avec Dieu. Cette potentialite se trouvait exprimee dans des termes que des Byzantins instruits auraient pu reconnaitre, avec des inversions viscerales du passe classique et du present chretien. Elle venait souligner egalement la legitimite du regne absolu de Constantin VII, par analogie avec le premier roi chretien, Abgar d’Edesse.
Evaluation of ingredient concentration in powders using two-speed photon migration theory and measurements†

Two-speed photon migration in densely packed powder blends wherein the particle diameters are much larger than the incident wavelength are simulated with (i) dynamic simulation of particle sedimentation for generating powder structure, (ii) the complete-random-mixture model for predicting the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) distribution within the powder bed, and (iii) Monte Carlo for tracking the photon trajectories. The simulation results reveal that while both absorption and isotropic scattering coefficients increase with solid-volume fraction ranging from 0.12 to 0.64, the absorption-to-isotropic-scattering ratio is (i) independent of the solid-volume fraction for particle refractive index ranging from 1.2 to 1.8 and (ii) linearly dependent upon the API volume concentration ranging from 0% to 5%. Frequency domain photon migration measurements of resin powder beds of varying particle size verified the developed simulation method. Measurements of lactose powder beds of varying particle size, solid-volume fraction, and ferric oxide particles content verified the simulation results that evidence independence of the absorption-to-isotropic-scattering ratio upon solid-volume fraction.
Contributions of unfrozen fraction and of salt concentration to the survival of slowly frozen human erythrocytes: Influence of warming rate

The general belief is that slow freezing injury is either the result of exposure to high salt concentrations or the result of excessive cell shrinkage. Increased salt concentration arises as increasing amounts of pure ice precipitate out of solution during freezing and cause the liquid-filled channels in which the cells are sequestered to dwindle in size. Cell shrinkage is an osmotic response to the concentration of external solutes. The consensus has been that the injury is related to the composition of the solution in these channels and not to the amount of residual liquid. Ordinarily, salt concentration and the amount of liquid in the unfrozen channels are reciprocally related; but they can be separated within limits by varying the total concentration of solutes in the suspending medium while holding the mass ratio of additive to salt constant, and by then slowly freezing samples to various subzero temperatures, chosen to produce various molalities of salt, while holding the unfrozen fraction constant, or vice versa. We have recently reported (9) that when human red cells are frozen under these conditions and thawed rapidly, survival is more dependent on the unfrozen water fraction than it is on the salt concentration in that fraction. The present work compares these results with those obtained with slow thawing. While the general conclusion remains unaltered, slowly thawed cells were able to survive the freezing of a higher fraction of extracellular water than were rapidly thawed cells. Calculations were made of the changes in cell volume during the equilibration with glycerol and the subsequent freezing involved in these experiments. Cell size and cell solute concentration were found to be independent of the fraction of unfrozen extracellular water, but cell survival was strongly dependent on that fraction. If applicable to other than human red cells, this finding is likely to require major modifications in current views of slow-freezing injury and its prevention.
Preemption and Rent Equalization in the Adoption of New Technology

We study the adoption of a new technology to illustrate the effects of preemption in games of timing. We show that the threat of preemption equalizes rents in a duopoly, but that this result does not extend to the general oligopoly game. If the gain to preemption is sufficiently small, then the optimal symmetric outcome, which involves "late" adoption, is an equilibrium. This contrasts with Reinganum's result that in precommitment equilibria there must be "diffusion". We develop a new and richer formalism for modeling games of timing, which permits a continuoustime representation of the limit of discrete-time mixed-strategy equilibria.
National Histories, International Genre: Thackeray, Balzac, and the Franco-British Bildungsroman

The Bildungsroman genre poses a productive challenge for the study of Victorian internationalisms. On the one hand, scholars of German literature often contend that the genre is inextricably tied to German concepts of culture and nationhood; on the other hand, half a century of scholarly practice has linked the term “Bildungsroman” to novels of personal education across Europe and beyond. Seeking to interrogate, rather than simply assume, the internationalism of the Bildungsroman genre, I focus on the Franco-British literary exchanges inscribed in a major Victorian Bildungsroman, William Makepeace Thackeray’s Pendennis. Drawing on a variety of theoretical and historical models, including Margaret Cohen and Carolyn Dever’s concept of the “Channel zone,” I suggest that Pendennis forms a point of intersection between the British and French national traditions of the Bildungsroman, thus allowing us to see how a genre with a German name was modified in its passage between France and Britain. Although Thackeray is often thought of as an apolitical writer—a satirist concerned only with the manners and morals of the middle and upper classes—I argue that Pendennis was crucially shaped by his engagement with the French Revolution of 1848. In order to face and exorcise the threat of revolution, I further suggest, Thackeray turned to the French Bildungsroman tradition; my hypothesis is that Thackeray reworked Balzac’s Lost Illusions, transforming Balzac’s narrative of revolutionary dislocation into a self-consciously British narrative of peaceful change. By working both with and against French literary models, Thackeray reveals the formation of British identity as a complex process of cross-Channel negotiation, rather than a simple negation of the French “other.”
Preparing Semisolid Light Alloys by Vibrating Wavelike Sloping Plate Process and Thixoforming

By using self-made vibrating wavelike sloping plate setup, semisolid billets with fine spherical or rosette grains have be prepared by semi-continuous casting, and the solidified shell on the sloping plate surface can be effectively avoided. Burst nucleation in the whole melt and dendrite fracture causes the formation of fine spherical microstructures. Under the current experimental conditions, proper casting temperature ranges of 660°C~680°C and the amplitude value of under 2mm proper are suggested. When the reheating temperature is 575°C and the holding time is 60min for AZ91D alloy, 597°C and 90min for Al-6Si-2Mg (wt-%) alloy, semisolid forging process can be successfully implemented. Thixo-forming products of two alloys are fine with smooth appearance, good microstructures and properties.
The elasticity of the tax system of Zambia, 1966–1977

Abstract This paper studies the built-in responsiveness of the major types of taxes in Zambia to movements in their bases, particularly how it affected the contribution of these taxes to offsetting the decline in revenue from the mining sector over the sample period. Income taxes and domestic consumption taxes are shown to be elastic with respect to their proxy bases; the opposite holds for import duties. These findings are explained, inter alia, by the growth of the industrial and service sectors, rapid growth in the consumption of bottled beer, and the impact of the government's policy of import substitution.
Effect of nitric oxide synthesis inhibition on post-occlusive choroidal blood flow in rats.

ABSTRACT Experiments were designed to study involvement of nitric oxide on vascular responses to ocular ischemia in the anesthetized rat. Anterior choroidal blood flow was measured using laser-Dopp...
Special Flashing Warning Lights for Construction, Maintenance, and Service Vehicles: Are Amber Beacons Always Enough?

Ways to improve the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT's) current vehicle warning light policy were researched. Tasks included a survey of motorist perceptions of different warning light color combinations and also field studies of the effect of selected color combinations on traffic behavior. The motorist survey, conducted at driver licensing stations in Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston, indicated that the combination of blue and amber lights implied a slightly greater sense of hazard to motorists than did the amber light alone. However, this greater sense of hazard did not necessarily translate into differences in how motorists believed they needed to respond. Field studies conducted at freeway locations in San Antonio and Houston investigated the effect of selected, alternative vehicle warning-light color combinations on vehicle speeds, lane choice, and braking activity. Researchers found significant reductions in speeds at a few sites—but not all—for the amber and blue warning ligh...
Adherence to Performance Measures and Outcomes among Men Treated for Prostate Cancer

Purpose: We assessed the relationship between health care system performance on nationally endorsed prostate cancer quality of care measures and prostate cancer treatment outcomes.Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 48,050 men from SEER-Medicare linked data diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 2004 and 2009, and followed through 2010. Based on a composite quality measure we categorized the health care systems in which these men were treated into 1-star (bottom 20%), 2-star (middle 60%) and 3-star (top 20%) systems. We then examined the association of health care system level quality of care with outcomes using multivariable logistic and Cox regression.Results: Patients who underwent prostatectomy in 3-star vs 1-star health care systems were at lower risk for perioperative complications (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.64–1.00). However, they were more likely to undergo a procedure addressing treatment related morbidity, eg for sexual morbidity (11.3% vs 7.8%, p = 0.043). In patie...
Variation in stable carbon isotopes in organic matter from the Gunflint Iron Formation

Results are presented for an isotopic analysis of the kerogen separated from 15 samples of the Gunflint Iron Formation, Ontario, and the conformably overlying Rove Formation. Reasons for which the Gunflint Iron Formation is suitable for such a study of a single Precambrian formation are identified. The general geology of the formation is outlined along with sample selection, description, and preparation. Major conclusions are that the basal Gunflint algal chert and shale facies are depleted in C-13 relative to the chert-carbonate and taconite facies, that differences in the delta C-13 values between Gunflint facies correlate with marked differences in their biological source materials as evidenced by their respective microbiotas, that the anthraxolites are anomalously depleted in C-13 relative to the kerogen of their encompassing cherts and shales, and that the effects of igneous intrusion and concomitant thermal alteration are shown by a marked loss of C-12 at the contact. The demonstration that not all kerogens are isotopically alike stresses the importance of facies data to the interpretation of C-13/C-12 ratios of ancient organic matter.
Traditional Eligibility Criteria for Identifying Students as Specific Learning Disabled

Assessment batteries of 200 elementary children, previously identified as having a specific learning disability (SLD), were analyzed to determine the different practices associated with the use of individual intelligence and achievement tests. Among the conclusions: Many students identified as SLD have below-average intelligence, do not exhibit discrepancies on the WISC-R, and do not have severe discrepancies between achievement and ability.
Crystal structure of the MS2 coat protein dimer: implications for RNA binding and virus assembly

Abstract Background: The coat protein in RNA bacteriophages binds and encapsidates viral RNA, and also acts as translational repressor of viral replicase by binding to an RNA hairpin in the RNA genome. Because of its dual function, the MS2 coat protein is an interesting candidate for structural studies of protein–RNA interactions and protein–protein interactions. In this study, unassembled MS2 coat protein dimers were selected to analyze repressor activity and virus assembly. Results The crystal structure of a mutant MS2 coat protein that is defective in viral assembly yet retains repressor activity has been determined at 2.0 a resolution. The unassembled dimer is stabilized by interdigitation of α -helices, and the formation of a 10-stranded antiparallel β -sheet across the interface between monomers. The substitution of arginine for tryptophan at residue 82 results in the formation of two new inter-subunit hydrogen bonds that further stabilize the dimer. Residues that influence RNA recognition, identified by molecular genetics, were located across the β -sheet. Two of these residues (Tyr85 and Asn87) are displaced in the unliganded dimer and are located in the same β -strand as the Trp→Arg mutation. Conclusion When compared with the structure of the coat protein in the assembled virus, differences in orientation of residues 85 and 87 suggest conformational adjustment on binding RNA in the first step of viral assembly. The substitution at residue 82 may affect virus assembly by imposing conformational restriction on the loop that makes critical inter-subunit contacts in the capsid.
Electronic structure and properties of Li-insertion materials: Li 2 Ru O 3 and Ru O 2

We synthesize, measure, and use first principles density functional theory calculations to study two Ru-based metal oxides, layered ${\mathrm{Li}}_{2}\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and rutile $\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, in terms of their electrochemical performance as potential battery cathode materials. Despite being composed of identical constituent elements, and having the same local structure ($\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ octahedra), the two compounds have very different voltage profiles and conductivities that can be traced back to differences in their long range structures. We find that three basic factors contribute to the superior cathode properties of ${\mathrm{Li}}_{2}\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ in comparison to $\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$: a lower $\mathrm{Ru}∕\mathrm{O}$ ratio that raises the oxidation state of Ru, more localized electron states and longer Li-Li distances due to quasi-two-dimensionality, and strong Ru-Ru bonding in the metal-oxide plane that shifts the electronic energy levels. The principles extracted from the comparison of these two materials are generalizable and can be used to help guide the search for superior cathode compounds.
Relationship between selected clinical and electrocardiographs findings and postmortem lesions associated with ischemic heart disease

Abstract The relationships between a few selected clinical and ECG abnormalities and cardiac lesions associated with IHD were tested prospectively in 41 hospitalized patients. The procedure for collecting clinical data was brief. Only 3 queries, requiring a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, were used. Overall interpretation of the electrocardiogram was not necessary. Physical examination was not employed. A fairly sharp distinction was made between grossly diseased hearts and normal ones depending on the presence or absence of two or more ECG abnormalities.
Associations between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and renal cell carcinoma.

Thanks to multiple improvements in clinical management (e.g. treatment, diagnosis and detection), patients diagnosed with cancer today are living longer than ever before. At the same time, second c...
Optical biopsy in high-speed handheld miniaturized multifocal multiphoton microscopy

Histological analysis is the clinical standard for assessing tissue health and the identification of pathological states. Its invasive nature dictates that its use should be minimized without compromising diagnostic accuracy. A promising method for minimally invasive histological analysis is optical biopsy, which provides cross sectional or 3D images without any physical sectionings. Optical biopsy method based on multiphoton excitation microscopy can image cross-sectional image for deep tissue structures with subcellular resolution based on tissue endogenous fluorescence molecules. Despite its suitability for tissue imaging, multiphoton microscopy has not been used for in vivo clinical applications due to both compactness and imaging speed problems. We are developing a high-speed, handheld, miniaturized multifocal multiphoton microscope (H 2 M 4 ) as an optical biopsy probe to enable optical biopsy with subcellular resolution. We incorporate a compact raster scanning actuator based on optimizing a piezo-driven tip tilt mirror by increasing its bandwidth, and reducing its nonlinearity. For flexible light delivery, we choose a photonic bandgap crystal fiber, which transmits ultrashort pulsed laser delivery with reduced spectral distortion and pulse width broadening. We further demonstrate that this fiber produces minimal spatial mode distortion and can achieve comparable image point spread function (PSF) as free space delivery. We further investigate the applicability of multiphoton microscopy for clinical dermal investigation by imaging ex vivo human skins with both normal and abnormal physiologies. This demonstrates the performance of H 2 M 4 and the possibility of optical biopsy for diagnosing skin diseases.
Concentric circles based simple optical landing aid for vertical takeoff and landing aircrafts

Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircrafts such as helicopters and drones, add a flexible degree of operation to airborne vehicles. In order to operate these devices in low light situations, where it is difficult to determine slope of the landing surface, a lightweight and standalone device is proposed here. This small optical device can be easily integrated into current VTOL systems. An optical projector consisting of low power, light weight, solid state laser along with minimal optics is utilized to illuminate the landing surface with donut shaped circles and coaxial centralized dot. This device can placed anywhere on the aircraft and a properly placed fiber system can be used to illuminate the surface beneath the bottom of the VTOL aircraft in a fashion that during operation, when the aircraft is parallel to the landing surface, the radius between the central dot and outer ring(s) are equidistant for the entire circumference; however, when there the landing surface of the VTOL aircraft is not parallel to the landing strip, the radial distance between two opposite sides of the circle and central dot will be unequal. The larger this distortion, the greater the difference will be between the opposite sides of the circle. Visual confirmation or other optical devices can be used to determine relative alignment of the projector output allowing the pilot to make proper adjustments as they approach the landing surface to ensure safe landings. Simulated and experimental results from a prototype optical projector are presented here.
An experimental study of the motion of long bubbles in inclined tubes

Abstract The rise velocity of tube-draining bubbles in Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids has been studied for vertical and inclined tubes. The experimental data are described in terms of the Froude ( Fr ), Eotvos ( Eo ), and Morton ( M ) numbers. The Froude number is given as a function of the angle of inclination ( θ ) and Eo in order to represent the effect of tube size, inclination angle, and fluid properties on the rise velocity of the bubble. As the angle of inclination from the horizontal increases, Fr increases, reaches a maximum, and then decreases for all fluids. The maximum Fr value occurs at larger angles of inclination when the fluid is non-Newtonian. For Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids possessing similar values of surface tension and zero-shear rate viscosity, the Fr values are similar for vertical tubes. However, the Fr values are generally lower for non-Newtonian fluids in inclined tubes under these same conditions.
Strain-compensated GaAs 1-y P y /GaAs 1-z Bi z /GaAs 1-y P y quantum wells for laser applications

GaAs1−zBiz/GaAs1−yPy strained-compensated quantum well (QW) structures for laser applications were grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. The band offsets for the GaAs1−zBiz/GaAs1−yPy heterojunction were calculated by the density functional theory, and the design of strain-compensated structures was undertaken by the zero stress analysis. The post-growth thermal annealing of the structures dramatically increases the photoluminescence intensity compared to that from as-grown GaAs1−zBiz QW samples. Transmission electron microscopy studies verified layer thicknesses as well as the presence of abrupt interfaces in the annealed GaAs1−zBiz/GaAs1−yPy QW structure. Electroluminescence measurements from ridge-waveguide devices show broad spectral emission characteristics and lasing was not observed up to a current injection of 4 kA cm−2.
Description and evaluation of a hydrometeorological forecast system for mountainous watersheds

Abstract This paper describes and evaluates an automated riverflow forecasting system for the prediction of peak flows during the cool season of 1998–99 over six watersheds in western Washington. The forecast system is based on the Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research (Penn State–NCAR) fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) and the University of Washington Distributed-Hydrology-Soil-Vegetation Model (DHSVM). The control simulation used the forecasts produced by the University of Washington's real-time MM5 forecasts system as input to the hydrologic model. A second set of simulations applied a correction scheme that reduced the long-term precipitation bias identified in the MM5 precipitation field. A third set of simulations used only those observations that are available in real time for forcing the hydrologic model. The various MM5–DHSVM forecasts are also compared with those issued by the National Weather Service Northwest River Forecast Center. Results showed that the ...
Absolute sapphire optical fiber sensor for high-temperature applications

This paper describes sapphire fiber-based EFPI sensors incorporated with wavelength scanning absolute signal demodulation. Silica-based optical fiber extrinsic Fabry- Perot interferometric (EFPI) sensors have been very successfully used in measuring a wide range of physical and chemical parameters. However, these fibers can only sustain temperatures of 800 degrees C because of germanium thermal diffusion affecting both the attenuation and waveguide multi-mode properties of the fiber. Since sapphire has a melting point above 2000 degrees C, sapphire optical fiber can be potentially used up to 2000 degrees C in an EFPI scheme. We obtain a resolution of 0.02 micrometers with a dynamic range of 27 micrometers for micro-displacement measurement.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A synthesis procedure for flexible logic functions

Certain applications allow flexibility in the specification of a function f by allowing any function in a subset F to be substituted for f. We call such functions flexible functions. Among the acceptable functions in F, the goal of synthesis is to find the function whose implementation minimizes a cost criterion such as area. We propose a method to select the implemented function based on a specific architecture that uses logic blocks called comparison units. We also demonstrate the advantages of using comparison unit based implementations as an intermediate synthesis step for conventional, non-flexible functions.
Advances in Quantitative Electroencephalogram Analysis Methods

▪ Abstract Quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) plays a significant role in EEG-based clinical diagnosis and studies of brain function. In past decades, various qEEG methods have been extensively studied. This article provides a detailed review of the advances in this field. qEEG methods are generally classified into linear and nonlinear approaches. The traditional qEEG approach is based on spectrum analysis, which hypothesizes that the EEG is a stationary process. EEG signals are nonstationary and nonlinear, especially in some pathological conditions. Various time-frequency representations and time-dependent measures have been proposed to address those transient and irregular events in EEG. With regard to the nonlinearity of EEG, higher order statistics and chaotic measures have been put forward. In characterizing the interactions across the cerebral cortex, an information theory-based measure such as mutual information is applied. To improve the spatial resolution, qEEG analysis has also been combin...
Creatine for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease

Background Creatine, a naturally-occurring nitrogenous organic acid involved in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, has been shown to increase survival in mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND). Results from human trials, however, have been mixed. Given conflicting results regarding the efficacy of creatine, we conducted a systematic review, which was updated in 2012. Objectives To systematically examine the efficacy of creatine efficacy in prolonging ALS survival and in slowing ALS disease progression. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Neuromuscular Disease Group Specialized Register (16 July 2012), CENTRAL (2012, issue 7 in the Cochrane Library), MEDLINE (January 1966 to July 2012) and EMBASE (January 1980 to July 2012) for any trial involving creatine in the treatment of ALS. We also contacted experts in the field for any additional studies. Selection criteria Randomized trials of treatment with creatine or placebo in patients diagnosed with ALS. Our primary outcome was tracheostomy-free survival time; secondary outcomes were ALS progression as measured by changes in ALS functional rating revised scores (ALSFRS-R) and per cent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) over time. Data collection and analysis Two authors independently selected studies, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. We obtained and analyzed individual participant data from each study. Main results We included three trials involving 386 participants randomized to either creatine 5 to 10 g per day or placebo. When we updated the searches in 2012 we found no additional trials. Creatine was reportedly well-tolerated in all three included studies, with no evidence of renal failure or serious adverse events specifically attributable to creatine. Using a pooled log-rank statistical test, we found no statistical difference in survival between the placebo and creatine groups across all three studies (Chi2 = 0.09, P = 0.76). In addition, we found no statistical difference in ALSFRS-R slopes between the two groups across all three studies using a pooled linear mixed-effects model (slope difference of +0.03 ALSFRS-R/month in the creatine group; P = 0.76). Interestingly, there was a trend towards slightly worsened FVC slope in the creatine group (slope difference of -0.63 FVC/month in the creatine group) using a pooled linear mixed-effects model across the two studies which included FVC as an outcome, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.054). Authors' conclusions In patients already diagnosed with clinically probable or definite ALS, creatine at doses ranging from 5 to 10 g per day did not have a statistically significant effect on survival, ALSFRS-R progression or percent predicted FVC progression.
Minimum-energy mobile wireless networks revisited

We propose a protocol that, given a communication network, computes a subnetwork such that, for every pair (u, /spl upsi/) of nodes connected in the original network, there is a a minimum-energy path between u and /spl upsi/ in the subnetwork (where a minimum-energy path is one that allows messages to be transmitted with a minimum use of energy). The network computed by our protocol is in general a subnetwork of the one computed by the protocol given by Rodoplu and Meng (see IEEE J. Selected Areas in Communications, vol.17, no.8, p.1333-44, 1999). Moreover, our protocol is computationally simpler. We demonstrate the performance improvements obtained by using the subnetwork computed by our protocol through simulation.
Putative steroidogenic cells associated with the ductuli efferentes of the ground squirrel (Citellus lateralis)

During a study on the fine structure of different regions of the reproductive tract of the ground squirrel, Citellus lateralis, cells possessing cytological features associated with steroid production were observed among the ductuli efferentes. Comparison of the morphology of these cells with that of Leydig and adrenocortical cells, demonstrated that they resembled Leydig cells in many anatomical details. Further evidence for the similarity of the cells associated with the ductuli efferentes to Leydig cells emerged during sexual regression, when both types of cells underwent the same regressive changes in organization and morphology. This suggests that the cells present among the ductuli efferentes are active in the synthesis of androgenic hormones, and possibly play a role in the endocrine control of reproduction in this species of ground squirrel.
Greater pathogen burden but not elevated C-reactive protein increases the risk of clinical restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention

Abstract Background Restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) constitutes a serious complication in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, but known risk factors do not fully account for the observed restenosis risk. Preliminary studies of infection or inflammation in restenosis report varied results. We tested whether C-reactive protein (CRP) or pathogen burden (seropositivity to 0, 1, 2, or 3 pathogens, of Chlamydia pneumoniae [Cpn], cytomegalovirus [CMV], or Helicobacter pylori [Hpy]) predict clinical restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods Blood samples were collected from 415 patients undergoing PCI, and levels of plasma CRP and antibodies to Cpn, CMV, and Hpy were measured. The patient's medical history, demographics, and procedural data were recorded. Patient end points were determined for as long as 6 months as a means of evaluating the incidence of clinical restenosis and major adverse cardiac events. Results The average patient age was 62 years, and 80% of patients were male. Fifty-eight patients (14%) experienced clinical restenosis, whereas 17 patients (4%) died or had an acute myocardial infarction. After adjusting for 19 possible predictors, we found the pathogen burden ( P -trend =.04, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.5 per number of pathogens) and minimum luminal diameter ( P =.003, OR 1.8 per mm decrease) to be significant predictors of clinical restenosis. Male sex was a nonsignificant predictor of restenosis ( P =.06, OR 2.2), but CRP was not significant after adjustment ( P -trend =.10, OR 0.73 per tertile). Conclusion Pathogen burden was associated with clinical coronary restenosis, an association that deserves further exploration and evaluation. CRP, a marker of inflammation, was not associated with an increased risk of restenosis. (Am Heart J 2002;144:491-500.)
Far-infrared spectrum of sodium hydride

Abstract Rotational spectra in the v = 0, 1, 2, and 3 levels of the ground (1Σ) state of sodium hydride have been observed using tunable far-infrared radiation generated from the difference frequency between two CO2 lasers. The Dunham coefficients, which have been determined without the use of optical data or isotopic scaling relations, are Y01 = 146 999.138(38) MHz, Y02 = −10.29481(54) MHz, Y03 = 6.243(49) × 10−4 MHz, Y11 = −4109.912(68) MHz, Y12 = 0.14695(68) MHz, Y21 = 33.341(34) MHz, Y22 = −2.69(20) × 10−3 MHz, and Y31 = −1.0517(55) MHz. The constants are typically an order of magnitude more accurate than the best values previously available, and where comparison is possible, agreement is found to be excellent.
Chemomechanical properties and microstructural stability of nanocrystalline Pr-doped ceria: An in situ X-ray diffraction investigation

Abstract The chemomechanical properties and microstructural stability of nanocrystalline Pr x Ce 1 − x O 2 − δ solid solutions are studied as a function of temperature by in situ X-ray diffraction measurements under oxidizing conditions at P(O 2 ) ~ 200 mbar. The chemical expansion coefficient of nanocrystalline powder specimens, operative at intermediate temperatures during which Pr 4+ is reduced to Pr 3+ , is found to be similar to that obtained for coarse-grained Pr x Ce 1 − x O 2 − δ . This is contrary to reports regarding variation of physical and chemical properties with crystallite size. The thermal expansion coefficient, measured under conditions for which Pr x Ce 1 − x O 2 − δ is highly oxygen deficient, was found to be greater than that measured for fully oxidized Pr x Ce 1 − x O 2 − δ , with potential sources of these changes discussed. Moreover, the microstructure of nanocrystalline Pr x Ce 1 − x O 2 − δ is observed to have excellent stability at working temperatures below 800 °C, enabled by the inherent microstrain in the structure, highlighting the potential application of this material for solid state electrochemical devices.
A δ f particle method for gyrokinetic simulations with kinetic electrons and electromagnetic perturbations

A δf particle simulation method is developed for solving the gyrokinetic-Maxwell system of equations that describes turbulence and anomalous transport in toroidally confined plasmas. A generalized split-weight scheme is used to overcome the constraint on the time step due to fast parallel motion of the electrons. The inaccuracy problem at high plasma β is solved by using the same marker particle distribution as is used for δf to evaluate the βmi/meA|| term in Ampere's equation, which is solved iteratively. The algorithm is implemented in three-dimensional toroidal geometry using field-line-following coordinates. Also discussed is the implementation of electron-ion collisional effects which are important when kinetic electron physics is included. Linear benchmarks in toroidal geometry are presented for moderate β, that is, β ≪ 1, but βmi/mc ≫ 1. Nonlinear simulation results with moderate β are also presented.
User heterogeneity and its impact on electronic auction market design: an empirical exploration

While traditional information systems research emphasizes understanding of end users from perspectives such as cognitive fit and technology acceptance, it fails to consider the economic dimensions of their interactions with a system. When viewed as economic agents who participate in electronic markets, it is easy to see that users' preferences, behaviors, personalities, and ultimately their economic welfare are intricately linked to the design of information systems. We use a data-driven, inductive approach to develop a taxonomy of bidding behavior in online auctions. Our analysis indicates significant heterogeneity exists in the user base of these representative electronic markets. Using online auction data from 1999 and 2000, we find a stable taxonomy of bidder behavior containing five types of bidding strategies. Bidders pursue different bidding strategies that, in aggregate, realize different winning likelihoods and consumer surplus. We find that technological evolution has an impact on bidders' strategies. We demonstrate how the taxonomy of bidder behavior can be used to enhance the design of some types of information systems. These enhancements include developing user-centric bidding agents, inferring bidders' underlying valuations to facilitate real-time auction calibration, and creating low-risk computational platforms for decision making.
Wading Bird Nesting Effort as an Index to Wetland Ecosystem Integrity

Abstract A comprehensive wading bird nesting database for the Everglades watershed in south Florida was compiled for the time period of 1903 through 2001. The limitations and applications of this database were assessed with the purpose of ultimately strengthening wading bird performance measures used as an index of ecosystem integrity for the Everglades restoration effort. The database is limited for some inferences, such as comparing between individual years, because of a lack of standardization in sampling methodology. As such, it should be used as an index of wading bird numbers rather than as an absolute population measure. However, the database is adequate to understand long-term, system-wide trends and the range of variability in nesting effort by the wading birds. Results from the analyses indicate that trends in numbers of nesting wading birds differ among species. It is estimated that the number of White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) and Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) nests have decreased by 87% and 78...
Viewing the Field: A Literature Review and Survey of the Use of U.S. MARC AMC in U.S. Academic Archives

U.S. MARC AMC (MAchine-Readable Cataloging for Archives and Manuscript Control) has "come of age," taking its place in the mainstream of both archival and cataloging thinking, theory, and practice. The meteoric rise in the use of MARC AMC is evident in the statistics reported by the bibliographic utilities. The literature of MARC AMC, although extensive, has not been reviewed since 1989 and does not systematically document the use of the format in U.S. academic archives. This paper presents a review of that literature and reports the results of a 1992 survey of 200 archivists, representing 200 academic archives in the United States. These respondents were randomly selected from the Society of American Archivists' 1991 Directory of Individual Members; they cooperated in a survey examining the use of MARC AMC for cataloging archival and manuscript collections. This paper profiles the institutional use of MARC AMC, including the choice of a cataloging standard, such as Steven Henson's Archives, Personal Pape...