cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identified target motor neuron regulates neurite outgrowth and synapse formation of aplysia sensory neurons in vitro

To determine the influence that an appropriate target cell has on the axonal structure of a presynaptic neuron in vivo, we examined the morphologies of individual Aplysia sensory neurons in dissociated cell culture in the presence or absence of identified target motor neurons. We find that an appropriate target, the motor cell L7, regulates the morphological differentiation of the presynaptic sensory neurons in two ways: the target induces the axons of the sensory neurons to develop a more elaborate structure and to form active zones, and the target guides the outgrowth of the sensory neurons. The influence of the appropriate target, L7, on the morphological differentiation of sensory neurons appears to be related to the formation of chemical synaptic connections between the sensory neurons and L7, since sensory neurons co-cultured with an inappropriate target motor neuron do not exhibit a comparable elaboration of their axonal processes.
Role of inter-hemispheric transfer in generating visual evoked potentials in V1-damaged brain hemispheres

Partial cortical blindness is a visual deficit caused by unilateral damage to the primary visual cortex, a condition previously considered beyond hopes of rehabilitation. However, recent data demonstrate that patients may recover both simple and global motion discrimination following intensive training in their blind field. The present experiments characterized motion-induced neural activity of cortically blind (CB) subjects prior to the onset of visual rehabilitation. This was done to provide information about visual processing capabilities available to mediate training-induced visual improvements. Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs) were recorded from two experimental groups consisting of 9 CB subjects and 9 age-matched, visually-intact controls. VEPs were collected following lateralized stimulus presentation to each of the 4 visual field quadrants. VEP waveforms were examined for both stimulus-onset (SO) and motion-onset (MO) related components in postero-lateral electrodes. While stimulus presentation to intact regions of the visual field elicited normal SO-P1, SO-N1, SO-P2 and MO-N2 amplitudes and latencies in contralateral brain regions of CB subjects, these components were not observed contralateral to stimulus presentation in blind quadrants of the visual field. In damaged brain hemispheres, SO-VEPs were only recorded following stimulus presentation to intact visual field quadrants, via inter-hemispheric transfer. MO-VEPs were only recorded from damaged left brain hemispheres, possibly reflecting a native left/right asymmetry in inter-hemispheric connections. The present findings suggest that damaged brain hemispheres contain areas capable of responding to visual stimulation. However, in the absence of training or rehabilitation, these areas only generate detectable VEPs in response to stimulation of the intact hemifield of vision.
Automated seizure detection using a self-organizing neural network.

Abstract An algorithm for automated seizure detection using the self-organizing map (SOM) neural network (NN), with unsupervised training, was used to detect seizures in 24 long-term EEG recordings. The detection paradigm was tested on a constant 8 channel subset of 18 channel scalp EEG recordings. The NN was trained to recognize seizures using 98 training examples. A strategy was devised using wavelet transform to construct a filter that was ‘matched’ to the frequency features of examples used to train the NN. Four second epochs of training examples and EEGs being tested were transformed into time-independent representations of spectrograms resulting in a time-frequency representation of the time-series. Rule-based long and short term contextual features were used for detection in association with the NN. Fifty-six seizures were detected from a possible 62 (90%) associated with an average 0.71 ± 0.79 false-positive errors per hour using the same ‘population’ detection parameters. When the sensitivity for detection was increased, all but one of the 62 seizures were detected (98%). Less than 1.0 false-positive error per hour occurred in all but 5 records when using the ‘population’ parameters. The combination of rule-based detection criteria employing contextual parameters and unsupervised training of NNs to recognize time-frequency patterns is a promising direction for automated seizure detection.
Structure, redox, pKa, spin. A golden tetrad for understanding metalloenzyme energetics and reaction pathways.

After a review of the current status of density functional theory (DFT) for spin-polarized and spin-coupled systems, we focus on the resting states and intermediates of redox-active metalloenzymes and electron transfer proteins, showing how comparisons of DFT-calculated spectroscopic parameters with experiment and evaluation of related energies and geometries provide important information. The topics we examine include (1) models for the active-site structure of methane monooxygenase intermediate Q and ribonucleotide reductase intermediate X; (2) the coupling of electron transfer to proton transfer in manganese superoxide dismutase, with implications for reaction kinetics; (3) redox, pK a, and electronic structure issues in the Rieske iron–sulfur protein, including their connection to coupled electron/proton transfer, and an analysis of how partial electron delocalization strongly alters the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum; (4) the connection between protein-induced structural distortion and the electronic structure of oxidized high-potential 4Fe4S proteins with implications for cluster reactivity; (5) an analysis of cluster assembly and central-atom insertion into the FeMo cofactor center of nitrogenase based on DFT structural and redox potential calculations.
888 FORMATION AND REMOVAL OF POCKED ERYTHROCYTES STUDIES IN HUMAN SUBJECTS AND LABORATORY ANIMALS

The “pit count” or pocked erythrocyte (Pk RBC) count (PC) is the percentage of RBCs containing one or more vesicles visualized by phase interference microscopy. The PC is <1.5% in normal subjects and 25-60% in surgically splenectomized patients; values between these extremes may result from splenic hypofunction. Although the PC is being increasingly utilized as a test of splenic function, little information is available about the patterns of formation and removal of these organelles. We performed serial PCs following splenectomy (S) in 4 patients. Levels began to rise within 1 week and reached a plateau (30-50%) by 6 to 8 weeks. Similar results were obtained following S of dogs, except that the steady state plateau value was only 10-13%. Rats initially exhibited a similar pattern of rise in PC post-S, but from the 4th to 10th week the PC gradually declined to 3%; splenosis or accessory spleens were not visualized at autopsy. Rabbits had only a slight and inconsistent rise in PC after S. Rate of removal from the circulation of Pk RBCs was determined by exchange transfusion of blood from a splenectomized dog into a eusplenic animal. Clearance of the Pk RBCs was linear, with a t1/2 of 8 hours. We conclude that Pk RBCs rise slowly following S, rapidly disappear from the circulation in the presence of a normal spleen, and vary in the pattern of rise and peak levels following S among different animals.
Automated Tetrahedral Mesh Generation for CFD Analysis of Aircraft in Conceptual Design

The paper introduces an automation process of generating a tetrahedral mesh for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of aircraft configurations in early conceptual design. The method was developed for CFD-based sonic boom analysis of supersonic configurations, but can be applied to aerodynamic analysis of aircraft configurations in any flight regime.
Total War and the Total Environment: Fairfield Osborn, William Vogt, and the Birth of Global Ecology

AbstractThis article uses Fairfield Osborn's Our Plundered Planet and William Vogt's Road to Survival to examine the environmental history of two crucial developments in twentieth-century US histor...
Water Resource Development: Problems and Solutions

(1978). Water Resource Development: Problems and Solutions. Water International: Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 18-27.
Dispersion and soliton propagation in stimulated Raman scattering

I discuss the role of group-velocity dispersion when a soliton propagates in a Raman-active medium. Using a modified beam-propagation method, I generate a pump soliton by inducing a phase shift of order π in an input Stokes seed. As the pulses propagate with different velocities because of the frequency dependence of the refractive index, pulse walk-off effects cause the soliton to decay and to break up. This gives rise to a new effect: the generation of a Stokes pulse whose width is comparable with the pump soliton width and whose height may be a factor of 2 larger than the maximum input pump field amplitude.
Synthesis and Characterization of Copper (II) Chelates Derived from Tetradentate Ligands Having Nitrogen and Sulfur Donors

Abstract Twenty copper(II) chelate compounds were prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, magnetic moments, infrared, and UV-visible spectra. The general formulation CuLX2 obtains when X = Cl−, Br−, NO3 −, and ClO4 −, but Cu2LX2 appears to obtain when X = SO4. The 1igands (L) used include 1,8-diamino-3,6-dithiaoctane, 1,8-bis(2-pyridyl)-3,6-dithiaoctane, 4-methyl-1,8-bis(2-pyridyl)-3,6-dithiaoctane and 1,9-bis(2-pyridyl)-3,7-dithianonane. Variation of anions, ligand chelate ring size, and obligatory steric bulk is discussed in relation to the complexes physical properties and stereodynamics.
Binaural interaction in the medulla of the cat.

L'etude de l'orientation laterale dans l'audition binaurale a deja montre une interaction binaurale dans les reponses electrophysiologiques de l'ecorce cerebrale et des tubercules quadrijumeaux inferieurs. Nous avons cherche le niveau le plus bas d'une telle interaction. S'il existe une interaction binaurale aux tubercules acoustiques, elle doit etre tres faible. Par contre, nous avons trouve une interaction reelle dans le corps trapezoide, l'olive superieure et le lemniscus lateral. Une base anatomique de l'interaction binaurale a ete decouverte recemment au noyau medial de l'olive superieure ou se trouve une convergence des fibres des deux noyaux cochleaires.
Ionization, excitation, and electron transfer in MeV-energy collisions between light nuclei and C 5 + ( 1 s ) ions studied with a Sturmian basis

Cross sections have been determined for direct excitation, ionization, and electron transfer in collisions between H, He, Li, and Be nuclei and ${\mathrm{C}}^{5+}(1s)$ target ions at nuclear energies $1--24$ MeV/nucleon, extending earlier work [Phys. Rev. A 56, 2903 (1997)] to higher energies. Coupled Sturmian pseudostates of principal quantum number at least up to 30 have been included for each angular momentum $s$, $p$, $d$, and $f$ centered on the C nucleus, as well as a $1s$ state centered on the projectile. Detailed basis-convergence studies have been carried out. Cross sections have been compared with the corresponding Born results, and scaling rules have also been examined.
Shock processes in porous quartzite: Transmission electron microscope observations and theory

A high-resolution study of shocked Coconino Sandstone from Meteor Crater, Arizona, was undertaken using transmission electron microscopy to investigate the textural relations of high-pressure phases produced by meteorite impact. In weakly shocked rocks (estimated average pressure, P < 100 kb), quartz in the interiors of grains retains its initial microstructure, but near original grain boundaries, quartz is altered by fractures and planar features resembling Brazil twins, and is partially transformed to coesite and glass. In moderately shocked rocks (estimated average pressure, 100 < P <250 kb), as much as 50% of the residual quartz is fractured but otherwise undeformed. Near grain boundaries relatively undamaged quartz exists in direct contact with coesite and stishovite. Filamentary, microvesicular “froth” fills cracks and fractures in the regions containing high-pressure phases. Coesite present in regions which are collapsed pores has a unique texture, not previously reported for a shock-formed phase: the grains are equidimensional and form a mosaic pattern characteristic of products of high-temperature recrystallization. In strongly shocked rocks (estimated pressure P <250 kb) quartz contains abundant glass lamellae, identical to optical “planar features” except that they are so closely spaced that they would not be resolved optically. Vesicular glassy regions in strongly shocked rocks contain remnants of large (∼5 μm) coesite crystals, indicating that the shock-formed glass in these regions formed by melting of coesite rather than quartz.
Management of giant sialoliths: review of the literature and preliminary experience with interventional sialendoscopy.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To report our experience with management of giant salivary stones via a combined approach technique using salivary endoscopy (CA) and results of a review of current literature related to giant salivary stones. Study Design: Retrospective case series. Methods: An institutional review board-approved chart review was performed on patients managed with a CA to treat giant salivary stones (≥15 mm). In addition, we reviewed the English literature from 1942 to 2009. Results: Table 1 consists of 54 stones; 47 of which were identified during the review of literature and 7 from our case series. Of those 47 stones, 23 were hilar in location, 23 were glandular in location, and 1 stone was missing data. The gland preservation rate in the 47 reported stones was 57% (17/30). Among patients where gland resection was reported, the majority of the patients (12/13) had hilar glandular stones. Only one patient with a ductal stone had a gland resection. In our series, CA enabled a gland preservation rate of 86% (6/7). Among these patients, stone location was hilar glandular in six (86%) and ductal in one (14%). The mean size of stones from the literature review was 35 mm and from our series was 19 mm. Conclusions: Our review reflects current treatment recommendations for giant stones, i.e., transoral sialolithotomy for ductal stones and gland resection for hilar glandular stones. Our preliminary experience with CA for giant stones suggests improved gland preservation rates (86% vs. 57%) independent of stone location and with preservation of salivary function. Laryngoscope, 2010
Mechanism of interaction of the cyanine dye diS-C3-(5) with renal brush-border vesicles.

The equilibrium binding mechanism and kinetics of binding of diS−C3-(5) (3,3′-dipropylthiodicarbocyanine iodide) to rabbit renal brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were examined using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence, and fluorescence stopped-flow methods. In aqueous solution, diS−C3-(5) exists as a monomer at concentrations <5 μm with fluorescence emission peak at 670 nm (excitation 622 nm), anisotropyr=0.102, and lifetime τ=1.2 nsec (23°C). Upon addition of increasing BBMV (voltage clamped to 0 mV using K+/valinomycin), the 670 nm emission peak decreases, corresponding to formation of a nonfluorescent membrane dimer, and subsequently a new emission peak at 695 nm increases, corresponding to membrane monomer. Dynamic depolarization studies show that aqueous diS−C3-(5) rotation is unhindered with a rotational rateR=0.57 nsec−1 while membrane monomer is hindered with steady-state anisotropyr=0.190, lifetime τ=2.1 nsec,R=0.58 nsec−1 and limiting anisotropyr∝=0.11. Based on equilibrium fluorescence titrations, the membrane monomer-dimer (M-D) dissociation constant,Kd=[M]2/[D][BBMV], is 0.0013, where BBMV is expressed as membrane phospholipid concentration. Three distinct kinetic processes are identified by stopped-flow experiments in which BBMV are mixed with diS−C3-(5). There is rapid binding of diS−C3-(5) to the membrane to form bound monomer with a 6-msec exponential time constant. The membrane monomer at the membrane outer surface then aggregates to form bound dimer at the outer surface with a concentration independent time constant of 30 msec. The overall dimerization reaction probably consists of a rate-limiting reorientation process (30 msec) followed by a rapid dimerization which occurs on a nanosecond time scale. Finally, there is a 0.8 to 1 sec translocation of membrane dimer between symmetric sites at the inner and outer membrane surfaces. The translocation reaction is the step which is probably sensitive to changes in transmembrane electrical potential.
Manufactured solutions for the three-dimensional Euler equations with relevance to Inertial Confinement Fusion ☆

Abstract We present a set of manufactured solutions for the three-dimensional (3D) Euler equations. The purpose of these solutions is to allow for code verification against true 3D flows with physical relevance, as opposed to 3D simulations of lower-dimensional problems or manufactured solutions that lack physical relevance. Of particular interest are solutions with relevance to Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) capsules. While ICF capsules are designed for spherical symmetry, they are hypothesized to become highly 3D at late time due to phenomena such as Rayleigh–Taylor instability, drive asymmetry, and vortex decay. ICF capsules also involve highly nonlinear coupling between the fluid dynamics and other physics, such as radiation transport and thermonuclear fusion. The manufactured solutions we present are specifically designed to test the terms and couplings in the Euler equations that are relevant to these phenomena. Example numerical results generated with a 3D Finite Element hydrodynamics code are presented, including mesh convergence studies.
Benthic oxygen fluxes on the Washington shelf and slope: A comparison of in situ microelectrode and chamber flux measurements

Benthic oxygen fluxes calculated from in situ microelectrode profiles arc compared with benthic flux chamber O2 uptake measurements on a transect of eight stations across the continental shelf and three stations on the slope of Washington State. Station depths ranged from 40 to 630 m and bottom-water oxygen concentrations were 127-38 FM. The fluxes measured by the two methods were similar on the slope, but on the shelf, the chamber flux exceeded the microelectrode flux by as much as a factor of 3-4. We attribute this difference to pore-water irrigation, a process which apparently accounts for the oxidation of a significant amount of organic C in the continental shelf sediments. Combining our diffusive flux data with other data demonstrates clearly that the bottomwater oxygen concentration must play some significant role in determining the sedimentary oxygen consumption rate. Numerical simulation of the microelectrode 0, profiles suggests that roughly half the diffusive 0, flux must be consumed within - 1 mm of the sediment surface. If this conclusion is correct, then the magnitude of the diffusive flux depends both on the bottom-water oxygen concentration and on the supply rate of labile C to the sediment surf’ace.
Increased frequency of deletions in the mitochondrial genome with age of Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract We have developed a long-extension-PCR strategy which amplifies approximately half of the mitochondrial genome (6.3 kb) of Caenorhabditis elegans using an individual worm as target. We analyzed three strains over their life span to assess the number of detectable deletions in the mitochondrial genome. Two of these strains are wild-type for life span while the third is mutant in the age-1 gene, approximately doubling its maximum life span. At the mean life span in wild-type strains, there was a significant difference between the frequency of deletions detected in the mitochondrial genome compared with the mean number of deletions in young animals. In addition, deletions in the mitochondrial genome occur at a significantly lower rate in age-1 mutants as compared with wild type. We cloned and identified the breakpoints of two deletions and found that one of the deletions had a direct repeat of 8 bp at the breakpoint. This is the largest single study (over 900 individual animals) characterizing the frequency of deletions in the mitochondrial genome as a function of age yet carried out.
THE REMOVAL OF AGGLUTININ FROM SENSITIZED MOTILE BACTERIA.

It was shown that flocculating (flagellar) agglutinin and granulating (somatic) agglutinin display certain differences with respect to their removal from sensitized bacteria ( B. paratyphi ). A 5 per cent solution of NaCl added to sedimented, sensitized bacteria followed by heating to 60°C. for 1 hour removed approximately 50 per cent of the combined agglutinin. There was little or no removal of granulating agglutinin either from the sensitized motile bacteria or from a sensitized non-motile organism ( Staphylococcus ). Evidence was presented that the agglutinin removal was not dependent solely on disintegration of flagella by the conditions of extraction with a subsequent freeing of antibody.
Chemical shift anisotropies in silicon containing three-membered rings. An ab initio study

Abstract Ab initio NMR shielding calculations were carried out for cyclic compounds containing the cyclotrisilane, silaoxirane, disilacyclopropane, silacyclopropane, cyclotetrasilane, cyclopentasilane and cyclohexasilane skeletons. Calculations were performed for all permethylated compounds, as well as for the fully tert-butyl substituted cyclotrisilane. Geometries were optimized at the SCF/3–21G( ∗ ) level while NMR shieldings were evaluated using large basis sets. The results reproduce the high 29 S i chemical shift anisotropies observed in three-membered rings. Calculations on strongly distorted models with local geometries similar to those in small rings suggest that the high anisotropy is due to the distorted geometry around the Si atom, not to special bonding effects in the three-membered rings.
Whole-Body Positron Emission Tomography-Magnetic Resonance in Breast Cancer

Whole-BodyMagnetic Resonance Technology Hybrid positron emission tomography (PET)-magnetic resonance (MR) technology has recently been introduced into the market, appearing in the clinical setting in 2007. Whether designed as a sequential or simultaneous system, the hybrid PET-MR produces high-resolution anatomical, biological, and functional imaging. Given the limited approved indications of PET/computed tomography (CT) in patients with breast cancer, it is understandable that the potential role of PET-MR in such patients remains to be determined. The impetus to develop whole-body MR imaging (WB-MRI) scanning techniques lies in its advantages over CT. Namely, MRI makes no use of ionizing radiation, provides exceptional soft tissue contrast, and offers the ability to perform multisequence andmultiplanar imaging, which allows for improved lesion characterization. The feasibility of a hybrid PET-MR scanner to evaluate the WB was dependent on the development of WB-MR sequences that could be conducted within a reasonable period while providing diagnostic images. The development of such sequences has been made possible by hardware innovations including multireceiver channel WB scanners as well as acquisition acceleration techniques. Such advances allow the assessment of multiple organ systems during 1 scan to be conducted in an efficient and clinically applicable manner. In terms of clinical applications, WBMRI holds promise in evaluating tumors with frequent metastatic spread to the bone, liver, and central nervous system, such as lung cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, and definitively breast cancer. The recent advent
Three-dimensional flow field downstream of an embedded stator in a multistage axial flow compressor: Part 1: Steady and unsteady flow fields

AbstractA comprehensive investigation of the three-dimensional unsteady flow and thermal field downstream of an embedded stator in a multistage compressor, acquired with a high-response hot-film probe and aspirating probe, is presented and analysed. Some of the earlier data (from a five-hole probe and a high-response Kulite probe) from the same compressor is used with the present data to provide an integrated interpretation of the flow and thermal fields. Part 1 includes a brief description of the facility, the development of the hot-film technique for the multistage flow field measurement and an interpretation of the various flow field features, such as the hub clearance flow and the suction surface-casing end-wall corner region. Part 2 covers velocity-velocity and velocity-temperature correlations and the assessment of their magnitudes in the average-passage equations. The results presented in this part of the paper (Part 1) indicate that major blockage in the stator hub end wall is caused by leakage fl...
Algorithm for estimation of energy consumption of industrial wireless sensor networks nodes

Industrial wireless sensor networks make use of batteries to provide mobility and low maintenance. The available energy depends on battery specification, device electrical characteristics, and communication scheduling. The development of field devices and communication protocols demands tools to verify the energy wasted along the time. Also, if such tool is embedded in the field device, it is possible to predict battery life. In this work, an energy measurement circuit for industrial wireless field device is developed and served as a reference for an energy wasting estimation algorithm. Preliminary results showed a 4% error in average by the estimation algorithm when compared to a reference circuit for measuring the total energy of sensor node during a communication period.
Three-dimensional super-resolution imaging with a double-helix microscope

We demonstrate three-dimensional single-molecule fluorescence imaging beyond the diffraction-limit with a double-helix point spread function microscope. Two molecules seperated 14nm (X), 26nm (Y), and 21nm (Z) are resolved within a field of view of 20x20x2?m3(XxYxZ).
A clozapine overdose with markedly elevated serum levels

Clozapine (Clozaril) is an atypical antipsychotic agent used to treat schizophrenia refractory to other pharmacological agents. This report describes an accidental clozapine overdose. The half-life of clozapine in this patient was determined from two blood levels, one obtained on admission and the second 10.5 hours later. The calculated half-life of 8.11 hours is consistent with published levels for single doses and suggests an apparent stability in clozapine elimination half-life in the face of overdose. The maximum clozapine blood level attained was probably among the highest nonfatal levels reported. The patient recovered fully following hospital admission for monitoring and supportive care. This case report illustrates the usefulness of following the time course of the changes in blood level at selected time intervals, as well as the importance of entertaining a diagnosis of drug overdose in patients presenting with acute mental status changes.
A 0.042-mm 2 fully integrated analog PLL with stacked capacitor-inductor in 45nm CMOS

We present a fully integrated Phase Locked Loop in an advanced 45 nm CMOS technology. The loop filter is integrated on chip under the voltage-controlled oscillator inductor, resulting in significant area savings. The whole PLL measures only 280 mum by 150 mum. The PLL has a dual-band output for 2-2.5 GHz and 4-5 GHz. The circuit operates from a 0.85 V supply and consumes 15.3 mW for a -120 dBc/Hz phase noise at a 1 MHz offset from a 2.0 to 2.5 GHz carrier.
RESOLUTION, SAMPLING, HIGHER TAXA AND ASSUMPTIONS IN STRATOCLADISTIC ANALYSIS

A recent stratocladistic analysis of blastoids by Bodenbender and Fisher (2001) provides one of the most complete treatments yet of stratocladistics, a method developed by Fisher (1994) to include stratigraphy as primary evidence in phylogeny reconstruction. Stratocladistics uses information on the sequential order of fossils in the stratigraphic record as evidence for the sequence of evolutionary events, and thus assumes that the fossil record is adequate for such an operation. The method has been defended philosophically as a way to reduce the number of ad hoc assumptions of nonpreservation in the fossil record relative to standard parsimony methods. Operationally, it is thought to have greater phylogenetic resolving power over non-stratigraphic parsimony and the ability to posit direct ancestor-descendant relationships among the terminal taxa in the analysis. Bodenbender and Fisher (2001) held their results as an example of these putative strengths. But the manner in which the results of their work were presented raises doubts about the degree of improved resolution stratocladistics provides, and the way terminal taxa were handled in their analysis calls their identification of possible ancestor-descendant relationships into question. There are further issues surrounding the current sample of known blastoid taxa related to the adequacy of the blastoid record for stratocladistics to work. Although these reflect some of the general problems with stratocladistics (e.g., Smith, 2000; Adrain and Westrop, 2001), we focus our discussion on shortcomings in Bodenbender and Fisher's analysis. Stratocladistics is said to recover fewer optimal trees, and to have better-resolved consensus trees, than standard parsimony analysis (Fox et al., 1999)*. Precision is not the same as accuracy (Hillis and Bull, 1993), and we cannot know if a reduced number of optimal trees includes the true phylogeny contained in a larger set; but since higher resolution facilitates evolutionary interpretation, higher resolution is viewed …
Review of the Graphic Brain: Neurophysiology

This article reviews The Graphic Brain: Neurophysiology (Teyler, 1992), a computer program designed to introduce neurophysiology to medical students and beginning graduate and advanced undergraduate students in various fields. Users choose among 19 self-contained teaching modules that utilize text and visual representations to present various structures and concepts encountered in the study of neurophysiology. We offer general comments and suggestions for improvement and a discussion of this program's utility for students in psychology.
Heat Treatment of Cotton: Effect on Endotoxin Content, Fiber and Yarn Properties, and Processability

A specially designed device is used to heat several hundred pounds of cotton at temperatures previously shown to reduce endotoxin content during small-scale treat ment of cotton lint. Dust from hea...
WA 80 BGO calorimetry electronics

The authors describe instrumentation designed for BGO scintillator-based calorimetry of particles covering a very wide range of energies (from less than 50 MeV to 50 GeV). The instrumentation was designed to have a measurement accuracy of 0.1% over as much of the energy range as possible so that the energy resolution of BGO would be the limiting factor. Two 1.5-cm/sup 2/ photodiodes were used per 2.5-cm*2.5-cm*25-cm BGO crystal. Both a charge-sensitive preamplifier and a pulse processor were developed specifically for the needs of the WA80 experiment. The preamplifier was designed for high detector capacitance (100 to 700 pF), low integral and differential nonlinearity, and low power consumption (200 mW). The pulse processor is a time-invariant shaping amplifier with integral peak-detect-and-hold and automatic gain selection circuits. The amplifier uses quasi-triangular shaping with 4- mu s peaking time, and the hold circuit is gated with a fast level trigger. The system has more than 20 b of effective resolution when used with an external 12-b ADC (analog-to-digital converter). Preliminary results from beam tests at CERN are presented. >
A hierarchical analysis of population genetic structure in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii

Little is known about the population processes that shape the genetic diversity in natural populations of rhizobia. A sample of 912 Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii isolates were collected from naturalized red clover populations (Trifolium pratense) and analysed for 15 allozyme loci to determine the levels and distribution of genetic diversity. Hierarchical analyses compared different sampling levels, geographical separation, and temporal separation. Total genetic diversity across all isolates was H = 0.426, with 57.6% of the total diversity found among isolates obtained from individual red clover plants. Relatively low genetic differentiation among populations and high differentiation among plants within populations was observed; this suggests that gene flow and founder effect act differently at geographical and local scales. Significant differences were observed in (i) allele frequencies among populations and among plants within populations, and (ii) the frequency distribution of the most widespread and the most abundant strains. When multilocus linkage disequilibrium was calculated, significant levels of disequilibrium were observed in the total sample and in three of the eight populations.
Intractability in linear switch-level simulation

The linear switch-level model represents a MOS transistor as a voltage-controlled linear resistor and a storage node as a grounded, linear capacitor. For logic simulation, the linear switch-level model offers an attractive tradeoff between resolution/accuracy and computational complexity over gate-level and circuit-level models. However, analysis of MOS networks using the linear switch-level model becomes increasingly difficult in the presence of unknown values, and heuristic methods are often employed. It is shown that the complexity of computing maximum and minimum steady-state voltages of a general MOS network using the linear switch-level model in the presence of unknown values is NP-complete. These results partially justify the use of heuristic methods when unknown values are present. >
Altered DNA Methylation: A Secondary Mechanism Involved in Carcinogenesis

This review focuses on the role that DNA methylation plays in the regulation of normal and aberrant gene expression and on how, in a hypothesis-driven fashion, altered DNA methylation may be viewed as a secondary mechanism involved in carcinogenesis. Research aimed at discerning the mechanisms by which chemicals can transform normal cells into frank carcinomas has both theoretical and practical implications. Through an increased understanding of the mechanisms by which chemicals affect the carcinogenic process, we learn more about basic biology while, at the same time, providing the type of information required to make more rational safety assessment decisions concerning their actual potential to cause cancer under particular conditions of exposure. One key question is: does the mechanism of action of the chemical in question involve a secondary mechanism and, if so, what dose may be below its threshold?
Non-CFC Air Conditioning for Transit Buses

In the United Sates, more than 80% of transit city buses are air conditioned. Vapor compression refrigeration systems are standard for air conditioning buses and account for up to 25% of fuel consumption in the cooling season. Vapor compression devices use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), chemicals that contributes to Earths`s ozone depletion and to global warming. Currently, evaporative cooling is an economical alternative to CFC vapor compression refrigeration for air conditioning buses. It does not use CFCs but is restricted in use to arid climates. This limitation can be eliminated by dehumidifying the supply air using desiccants. We studied desiccant systems for cooling transit buses and found that the use of a desiccant-assisted evaporative cooling system is feasible and can deliver the required cooling. The weight and the size of the desiccant system though larger than vapor compression systems, can be easily accommodated within a bus. Fuel consumption for naming desiccant systems was about 70% less than CFC refrigeration system, resulting in payback periods of less than 2.5 years under most circumstances. This preliminary study indicated that desiccant systems combined with evaporative cooling is a CFC-free option to vapor compression refrigeration for air conditioning of transit buses. The concept is ready tomore » be tested in a fun prototype scale in a commercial bus.« less
Bedrock Geologic Map of Maine and Surficial Geologic Map of Maine

For the tectonic, structural, or surficial geologist, a geologic map is the ultimate document, encompassing within its bounds a concise display of the current status of geologic information for the region that it embraces. Because the state of Maine, areally, is half of the New England region, the new bedrock and surficial maps of that state, produced under the direction of State Geologist Walter Anderson with the collaboration of 13 bedrock area compilers, 12 surficial areal compilers, and aided by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Maine Geological Survey, are important contributions to our knowledge of this portion of the northern Appalachian Mountains. These maps follow closely upon recently published bedrock maps of Massachusetts (E.-A. Zen et al., U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C., 1983) and Connecticut U. Rodgers, Connecticut Geological and Natural History Survey, Hartford, 1985). Revisions of maps for the other New England states are in progress.
Nonlinearity or Structural Break? - Data Mining in Evolving Financial Data Sets from a Bayesian Model Combination Perspective

Much work in the exploration of data mining has been focused on quality data. Data non-stationary is prevalent in reality and is further complicated by model uncertainty. The emphasis on organizational impact and benefit maximization of data mining urges us to develop models that are easy to be understood by managerial decision makers. To provide a better solution to these application challenges, we propose a new approach integrating Bayesian structural break models with change point detection methods to chronologically ordered observations. We apply our approach to three exchange rate predictions. Our approach incorporates both structural break and model uncertainty explicitly. It not only has a clear intuitive appeal but also has a fairly firm statistical foundation. The benchmark comparison shows strong empirical evidence that our approach could match the approximating ability of neural networks in mining data with structural break. Furthermore, comparing to neural networks, our approach provides better interpretability.
A two‐level distillation design method

Recently, Lucia et al. have used a distillation line method to develop the concept of shortest stripping line distance approach to minimum energy designs of distillation columns and multiunit processes. It is well known that distillation line methods can be very sensitive to specified product compositions. A two-level distillation design procedure is proposed for finding portfolios of minimum energy designs when specifications are given in terms of key component recoveries. Thus, product compositions are not specified but calculated. It is shown that the proposed two-level design procedure is flexible and can find minimum energy designs for both zeotropic and azeotropic distillations. It is also shown that the two-level design method encompasses Underwood's solution but can find minimum energy designs when Underwood's method fails. Numerical results for several distillation examples involving ternary and quaternary mixtures are presented to support these claims, and geometric illustrations are used to elucidate key points. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008
Epidermal nerve innervation in impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes-associated neuropathy

The authors describe skin biopsy findings in patients with peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Six patients with IGT, eight with early diabetes-associated neuropathy, and five controls were recruited. Most subjects underwent nerve conduction studies (NCS) and quantitative sensory tests (QST). Skin biopsy was abnormal in all neuropathy subjects and correlated poorly with NCS. Neuropathy associated with IGT primarily affects small fibers and is similar to early diabetes-associated neuropathy.
A review of efficient FE modeling techniques with applications to PM AC machines

In this work, a literature review of recent developments in the area of efficient finite element (FE) based modeling, analysis, and model-based optimization of PM AC machines is presented. Efficient FE analysis techniques reviewed in this paper aim to minimize the computational effort required to obtain the maximum possible information about the performance of the device being modeled, through the least number of FE solutions. Techniques described in the literature and developed by the authors are presented and compared in terms of assumptions/simplifications used in the analysis, execution times, and computational performance parameters that can be extracted with reasonable accuracy.
Water at High Dynamic Pressures and Temperatures

This paper is dedicated to Prof. G. Demazeau for his many contributions to the study of materials at high pressures and to the International Association for the Advancement of High-Pressure Science and Technology. This paper discusses two of Prof. Demazeau’s interests, water and high pressures. Experimental measurements are reviewed for water compressed dynamically from pressures of a few GPa up to 1.4 TPa and temperatures from 100 K up to 50000 K.
Sleep Deprivation, Low Self-Control, and Delinquency: A Test of the Strength Model of Self-Control

Recent work provides evidence that sleep deprivation is positively related to delinquency. In this study, we draw on Baumeister and colleagues' strength model of self-control to propose an explanation for this association. Specifically, we argue that low self-control is the construct that bridges the relationship between sleep deprivation and delinquency. To test the proposed model, we examine survey data drawn from a longitudinal multi- city cohort study of adolescents who were followed from birth through age 15 (N = 825; 50 % female; 82 % non- Hispanic white, 59 % two-parent nuclear family). The results from regression models using latent factors indicate: sleep deprivation is positively related to low self-control; low self-control is positively related to delinquency; and the relationship between sleep deprivation and delinquency is indirect and operates through low self-control. Impres- sively, these relationships emerged when accounting for potential background sources of spuriousness, including neighborhood context, depressive symptoms, parenting practices, unstructured socializing with peers, and prior delinquency. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Impact of Physician Education and a Dedicated Inferior Vena Cava Filter Tracking System on Inferior Vena Cava Filter Use and Retrieval Rates Across a Large US Health Care Region

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effects of physician familiarity with current evidence and guidelines on inferior vena cava (IVC) filter use and the availability of IVC filter tracking infrastructure on retrieval rates. Materials and Methods Fourteen continuing medical education–approved in-hospital grand rounds covering evidence-based review of the literature on IVC filter efficacy, patient-centered outcomes, guidelines for IVC filter indications, and complications were performed across a large United States (US) health care region serving more than 3.5 million members. A computer-based IVC filter tracking system was deployed simultaneously. IVC filter use, rates of attempted retrieval, and fulfillment of guidelines for IVC filter indications were retrospectively evaluated at each facility for 12 months before intervention (n = 427) and for 12 months after intervention (n = 347). Results After education, IVC filter use decreased 18.7%, with a member enrollment–adjusted decrease of 22.2%, despite an increasing IVC filter use trend for 4 years. Reduction in IVC filter use at each facility strongly correlated with physician attendance at grand rounds ( r = −0.69; P = .007). Rates of attempted retrieval increased from 38.9% to 54.0% ( P = .0006), with similar rates of successful retrieval (82.3% before education and 85.8% after education on first attempt). Improvement in IVC filter retrieval attempts correlated with physician attendance at grand rounds ( r = 0.51; P = .051). IVC filter dwell times at first retrieval attempt were similar (10.2 wk before and 10.8 wk after). Conclusions Physician education dramatically reduced IVC filter use across a large US health care region, and represents a learning opportunity for physicians who request and place them. Education and a novel tracking system improved rates of retrieval for IVC filter devices.
Culture Growth Inhibition of Ceratocystis Montia By Induced Water Stress

Evidence suggests that the herbicide paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4-4'bipyridylium-ion), a known plant desiccant (2), reduces the moisture content of the bole wood of pine (1). In studies where paraquat was applied to the boles of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) by spraying exposed xylem, the development of blue-staining fungi was inhibited subsequent to their introduction by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk.) (unpublished data of FAK and CPPR), and appeared to be correlated with paraquat distribution in the tree bole.
Sildenafil citrate: current clinical experience.

There is little question as to the efficacy of sildenafil citrate (Viagra™) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Two years of post-marketing experience provide data which indicates that the efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate is consistent with the data obtained in clinical trials. This paper provides an update of the clinical efficacy and safety of sildenafil collected since its market approval in March of 1998.
Relationship between behavioral problems of preschool children and PM2.5 exposure

Objective To study the effect of PM2.5 exposure in the indoor environment on 4-5 years old children behavior in a district of Shenzhen. Methods The levels of PM2.5 in indoor environment was determined by rapid detection method in 22kindergardens(37 rooms) by using stratified sampling methods. The Achenbachs' child behavior check list(CBCL) and family questionnaire were used to determine behavior problems of 1 290 preschool children. Results 17.67 % children behavioral problems were detected among 1 290 children. The daily average exposure level of PM2.5 was 113 μg/m3,the maximum individual was 206 μg/m3. The scores of aggressive, violation and total score were positively correlated with PM2.5 level in boys(β=0.207,0.161,0.118;P0.05), and in girls, the scores of depression,schizoidia, hyperactivity and total score were positively correlated with PM2.5 level respectively(β =0.126,0.171,0.150,0.143;P 0.05). Conclusion Environment PM2.5 exposure may have adverse effects on behavior in preschool children.
Etiology of premature separation of the normally implanted placenta. Preliminary observations.

Abstract Two mechanisms were discovered to impede venous flow from the uterus in late pregnancy: compression of deep veins by the lower uterine segment and obstruction of veins at the lateral pelvic walls by collapse of the flaccid uterus in an accordian-like fashion along its long axis. The implications of this observation are discussed in relation to the etiology of premature separation of the placenta.