cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sonic colour zones: Laura Boulton and the hunt for music

AbstractAt the intersection of sound studies and the history of ethnomusicology, this article explores the production of sonic colour zones through Laura Boulton’s recordings in Africa and the Caribbean in the 1920s and 30s. Her own accounts, correspondence, field notes and recordings offer an opportunity to attend to alternative understandings of the relationship between humans and animals, and to situate recording practices within the field of natural history. At the same time, attention to technology and Boulton’s relationship to it allows for further theorisation of the gendering of ethnographic recording. And evidence about her interlocutors opens up an interpretive strand that considers their motivations and agendas as distinct from Boulton’s.
MICROSTRUCTURAL-HARDNESS CORRELATIONS IN SHOCK-LOADED AND QUASI-STATICALLY DEFORMED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM

Optical metallography, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, positron annihilation and microhardness techniques were used to examine the residual properties of 6061-T6 aluminum which had been deformed by shock-loading or by quasi-static cold working. The hardness of the quasi-statically deformed material saturated while the hardness of the shock-loaded material reached a maximum then fell. Microscopy showed the microstructures evolved similarly regardless of strain rate history with localized shear banding being the dominant feature. Dislocation density generally increased with strain, and the total dislocation density in material quasi-statically deformed exceeded that density in shocked material. At all shock stresses investigated, positrons were trapped more effectively in the shocked material.
Analysis of Krypton-85 Legacy Waste Forms: Part I

AbstractIn 2010, the Idaho National Laboratory was in the process of removing legacy materials from one of their hot cells. As part of this clean-out effort, five metal capsules and some loose zeolite material were identified as test specimens produced in the late 1970s as part of research and development (R&D) conducted under the Airborne Waste Management Program. This specific R&D effort examined the encapsulation of 85Kr within a collapsed zeolite structure for use as a potential waste form for long-term storage. These reclaimed capsules and loose material presented a unique opportunity to study a potential 85Kr waste form after three half-lives have elapsed. Of the five capsules, the walls of two had been cut or breached during previous experiments. The aim of this study was to produce mounted samples from the two breached samples that could be handled with minimal shielding, assess the physical condition and chemical composition of the capsule walls for each breached sample, and determine if any loss...
Vaccination timeliness and co-administration among Kenyan children.

Abstract Background Timely administration of recommended vaccines requires children to have multiple vaccines co-administered in the first year of life. The objectives of this study were to estimate the proportion of timely vaccinations and the proportion of co-administered vaccines, and to assess the relationship between vaccine co-administration and vaccine timeliness in Kenyan children. Methods Using the 2014 Kenyan Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), we calculated the proportion of children who received co-administered and timely vaccine doses. Co-administration was defined as doses administered on the same day with dates recorded on vaccination cards. Vaccines were considered timely if given within four days before to four weeks after the recommended interval for administration. Results 10,385 children aged 1–4 years in the Kenyan 2014 DHS dataset had vaccination cards which comprised the study sample. Analysis revealed wide a range for receipt of timely doses, from 90.2% for OPV0 to 56.0% for Measles. Co-administration of the 6-week dose was associated with 2.81 times higher odds of a timely Penta dose 1 (95% CI: 2.28, 3.46) and birth-dose co-administration was associated with a substantial increase in timely BCG vaccination: AOR 7.43 (95% CI: 6.31, 8.75). Conclusions Though vaccine coverage in Kenya was high, timely vaccination was markedly low, with resultant implications for population immunity and potential spread of communicable diseases in unvaccinated infants. Co-administration of vaccines, place of residence, wealth index, and child age were consistently related to the odds of timely vaccine receipt. These relationships reinforce the importance of dedicating resources to programs that educate low socio-economic groups about the importance of vaccine co-administration.
Abstract 3433: The Effects of an 8-week Aerobic Exercise Intervention on Cardiovascular Function and Physical Performance in Sub-Acute Stroke - A Preliminary Study

Purpose/Hypothesis: Impaired vascular function and decline in cardiorespiratory (CR) fitness can result in considerable limitations in physical function in people post-stroke. These cardiovascular changes may result from reductions in oxidative capacity, blood flow, and altered muscle fiber type expression in the hemiparetic limb. CR fitness is significantly lower in people with stroke and limits walking speed, endurance and performance of daily activities. Aerobic exercise training is an excellent intervention to improve cardiovascular outcomes in people with stroke. The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the effects of an 8-week total body recumbent stepper(TBRS) aerobic exercise intervention on vascular function using flow-mediated dilation(FMD), CR fitness, and the 6-minute walk test(6-MWT) during sub-acute stroke. Subjects: We have enrolled 8 participants and 5 have completed the exercise intervention. These 5 individuals (male, n = 3) were 63.0±6.3 years of age; 65.0±45.2 days post-stroke (range: 10-123) and had a total Fugl-Meyer score of 107±22.6. Methods: The exercise intervention consisted of aerobic exercise using the TBRS 3 times/week for 8 weeks. Using the results from the exercise test, target HR range was calculated at 50-59% of HR reserve for the first 4 weeks and then increased to 60-69% of HR reserve for the final 4 weeks. Brachial artery diameter and reactive hyperemia using FMD were assessed in bilateral upper extremities. The vessel was scanned using Doppler ultrasound with a 7.5 Mhz linear array transducer. A pneumatic cuff was placed around the forearm and inflated to suprastolic pressure for 5 minutes. After cuff deflation, images were recorded to the computer for off-line analysis using an automated edge-detection and wall-tracking software. CR fitness was assessed using a metabolic cart during an incremental peak exercise test. To assess physical performance, participants completed a 6-MWT. All outcome measures were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Results: Preliminary results demonstrated improvements in vascular function, CR fitness and the 6-MWT. Although brachial artery diameter was smaller in the stroke-affected side (3.63±0.52 vs 4.04±0.66), both sides increased in diameter (stroke affected: 3.68±0.44; non-affected: 4.37±0.55) and FMD increased by 7.2% (stroke affected) and 8.6% in non-affected side after the intervention. CR fitness increased by 10%(baseline:15.6±2.8 to 17.2±4.6 ml*kg -1 *min -1 ). The 6-MWT increased from 281±144.1 to 314.3±160.4 (12%) meters. Conclusion: Aerobic exercise in sub-acute stroke appears to be beneficial for improving cardiovascular function and physical performance. Aerobic exercise interventions should be considered an integral component of stroke rehabilitation.
Chromosomes in the chronic phase of CML

The chromosome findings in CML are primarily related to the absence or presence of the Ph1, since it contributes such an important index regarding the prognosis and course of the disease. Ph1-negative CML is associated with a much shorter survival and poorer response to therapy than the Ph1-positive entity. Chromosome changes, in addition to the Ph1, are seen in a small, but significant, percentage of patients with Ph1-positive CML consisting most often of an extra Ph1, +8, +19 and other karyotypic changes. The type of Ph1-translocation does not appear to affect the course of the disease.
Language: Cortical Processes

The neural structures that support language are being revealed by studies of lesions in patients with language disorders and by functional neuroimaging in normal individuals. These studies show that there are a large number of cortical areas that support language, ranging from the anterior inferior temporal lobe through perisylvian association cortex, in both hemispheres. Different areas appear to be specialized for particular language operations, though the details of these functional localizations are not fully understood, and may differ for different aspects of language.
BRACKET-CONTEXT TREE FUNCTIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses bracket-context tree functions and presents an algebraic characterization of tree transformations. Bracket functions abstract the bracket structure transformation of a tree transformation. Tree transformations are special cases of bracket-tree transformations for particular bracket abstraction. Bracket selectors, bracket-context selectors, and finite sums of bracket-context selectors form Boolean algebras. The transition diagram of the bracket-context automaton can be directly translated to a program flowchart; therefore, the development of tree transforming programs can be mechanized. The chapter also presents two extensions to the basic b–c scheme, a refinement of the bracket structure definition, and bracket templates corresponding to discontinuous bracket contents. Handling bracket templates expands the scope of the application of b–c formalism on some infinitely representable bracket functions.
Modeling and Identification for NonlinearModel Predictive Control: Requirements,Current Status and Future Research Needs

In this paper, we present a critical look into modeling/identification strategies for nonlinear model predictive control applications. General modeling requirements for nonlinear model predictive control applications are discussed. Then, strengths and weaknesses of fundamental modeling as well as various empirical modeling methods are examined in light of these requirements. A promising new paradigm of nonlinear subspace identification is put forth. We conclude the paper with a discussion of future research needs.
Forecasting Shopping Center Supply

Forecasting the supply of shopping centers is potentially important to developers, owners, property managers, lenders, appraisers, and other real estate professionals associated with the owning, operation, and financing of shopping centers. During the last decade, an oversupply of retail space has lowered rents, raised vacancies, and damaged the financial integrity of retail property owners and lender financial institutions. This chapter reviews two models — the Koyck distributed lag model and the investment model — that help to predict the creation of shopping center space. The models provide evidence about how the supply of new shopping space responds to changes in retail sales, in the cost of capital, and in local tax rates. Both models indicate that prolonged cycles exist in the construction of shopping space that could lead to the oversupply of retail space.
Immunocytochmistry for the Selection of Hybridomas and the Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies: Problems, Solutions and Suggestions

Immunocytochemical methods can play a central role both in the characterization of monoclonal antibodies to unknown cellular and tissue antigens and in the screening of hybridomas for relevant clones. At the same time monoclonal antibodies are converting immunocytochemistry into a very precise and reproducible experimental and diagnostic technique. However, a critical approach to methodology and to the interpretation of results is essential if immunocytochemical data is to have decisive value in the biomedical application of monoclonal antibodies.
IN VITRO STUDIES SUGGESTING A TWO-COMPARTMENTAL MODEL FOR INSULIN SECRETION

SUMMARY Our previous studies with the in vitro perfused pancreas of the rat have shown that insulin release in response to a constant stimulation is multiphasic. Response to glucose or tolbutamide is characterized by a rapid release of insulin followed by a rapid decrease in secretion rate. During this later phase, the pancreas can be relatively refractive to further stimulation. After 15 min, glucose but not tolbutamide produces a second rise in the rate of insulin release which increases during subsequent perfusion. When, after prolonged glucose stimulation, the pancreas is rested and then restimulated with a glucose pulse, a super-normal secretion of insulin occurs. Thus glucose produces either a refractory or hypersensitive state in the pancreas depending on the phase studied. If glucose concentration is increased slowly from 0 to 250 mg per 100 ml, the multiphasic response no longer occurs. A mathematical model was devised which closely duplicated the various multiphasic patterns of insulin release. The model assumes two compartments of stored insulin which are concentration related. The smaller labile compartment is more sensitive to agents stimulating insulin release and is the primary site of insulin secretion. The model also includes an action of agents such as glucose to increase the production of theoretical potentiator which in turn activates the provision of newly available insulin to the small compartment. Examination of the constants derived from the model for perfused rat pancreas shows: (1) the small compartment is only a few % of total extractable insulin; (2) exchange rates between the large and the small compartment are slow, thus a rapid stimulation of insulin release results in a partial depletion of the small compartment; (3) glucose and tolbutamide probably act on the same small compartment though not necessarily by the same mechanism; (4) the rate of non-specific degradation of the potentiator is slow, thus for some time after stopping glucose, addition of insulin to the small compartment continues (producing a hypersensitive pancreas). The model suggests, but does not prove, the novel hypothesis that newly provided insulin directly enters the small labile compartment and is the insulin preferentially excreted. It is also easily modified to incorporate our previons suggestion of a stimulator-induced feedback inhibition.
Pilot Study of a Patient Decision Aid for Valve Choices in Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement

Background Objective superiority of tissue vs mechanical prostheses in surgical aortic valve replacement remains controversial, placing a greater emphasis on patients to consider personal lifestyle and risk preferences, including the burden of lifelong anticoagulation and the possible need for reoperation. A shared decision-making tool may therefore be of value in making this important choice. Methods A patient decision aid (PtDA) was developed using the International Patient Decision Aids Standards and used in a prospective pilot study. An intervention group received the PtDA and a survey. A control group received the same survey without a PtDA. The survey assessed patients’ knowledge, treatment preferences, stage of decision-making, and decisional conflict. Both groups received these materials in the mail before their preoperative consultation for surgical aortic valve replacement. Survey results were compared between the 2 groups. Results Response rates were 13 of 17 (76%) and 10 of 18 (56%) for the control and intervention groups, respectively. Patients in the intervention group who reported reviewing the PtDA (n = 6) demonstrated significantly higher knowledge scores (median 100% vs 25%, P = .02) and were able to produce more accurate risk estimates (median 62.5% vs 0%, P = .01). These patients also had less decisional conflict, with median SURE scores (Sure of myself; Understand information; Risk-benefit ratio; Encouragement) of 4 vs 0 P = .04). Stage of decision-making, concern about risk,s and treatment preferences were similar Conclusions Use of a PtDA for selection of valve type in surgical aortic valve replacement may improve patient understanding and decisional conflict. Revision of our tool and further studies are warranted to validate these findings in a large cohort of patients.
Two-dimensional temperature imaging using diagnostic ultrasound- Preliminary studies using phantom materials

Temperature monitoring plays an important role during thermal treatment of diseased tissue. Ultrasound (US) can be used to estimate the temperature and one common approach is based on the local detection of instantaneous frequency changes in reflected US signals along the axial beam direction. Herein we propose a novel US-based temperature estimation technique that improves on this established method by filtering the reflected US signals with Gaussian-weighted nth-order Hermite (GH n ) polynomial functions. This filtering step helps isolate the US signal from tissue structures while minimizing presence of degrading signal components. In vitro experiments were conducted by slowly heating a series of tissue-mimicking phantom materials that were fabricated using hydrogels embedded with US scatterers. US data were collected using a programmable research scanner (Vantage 256, Verasonics Inc) equipped with an L11-4v linear array transducer and processed offline to extract local temperature estimates. Overall, our US-based temperature mapping technique exhibited improvement in measurement accuracy compared to the more US-based approach.
Consolidating Roadway Energy Harvesting and Dynamic Wireless Charging to Enhance Energy Autonomy of Electric Vehicles

This paper proposes to consolidate a piezoelectric roadway energy harvesting system and a dynamic wireless charging system to improve the energy autonomy of electric vehicles. A conceptual design of the integrated system is presented and the benefits of the integrated system in enhancing the vehicle energy autonomy are analyzed. By comparing the typical power densities of the energy harvesting and wireless charging systems, this paper shows that the vehicle energy dependence on the power grid can be reduced by approximately 20%. To exploit the benefits of the integrated system, this paper outlines multiple open research and development issues.
The peace education imperative: a democratic rationale for peace education as a civic duty

This paper articulates a normative philosophical justification for Peace Education as a civic duty understood from within the imperatives of democratic political legitimacy. A normative philosophic...
Efficient Control of Atom Arrangement in Ternary Metal Chalcogenide Nanoparticles Using Precursor Oxidation State

Controlling both the concentration and the distribution of elements in a given material is often crucial to extracting and optimizing synergistic properties of the various constituents. An interesting class of such multielement materials is metal chalcogenide nanoparticles, which exhibit a wide range of composition-dependent optoelectronic properties including both bandgap-mediated processes and localized surface plasmon resonance properties, each of which is useful in applications ranging from energy conversion to sensing. Because metal chalcogenide nanoparticles can support several different metal elements in a variety of chalcogen lattices, this material class has particularly benefited from the ability to control both atom concentration and atom arrangement to tailor final particle properties. The primary method to access complex, multimetallic chalcogenide particles is via a postsynthetic cation exchange strategy. One-pot syntheses have been less explored to access these complex particles, although t...
Accelerators, Amplifiers, and Conductors: A Model of Tertiary Deviance in Online White Supremacist Networks

As recent perpetrators of racially-motivated mass-shootings were visitors and contributors to online white supremacist networks, this article presents a preliminary model that attempts to understan...
Chapter 4 – Hydrogenolysis

Publisher Summary The most important C–O bond breaking reaction is the hydrogenolysis of the carbon–oxygen σ-bond. During the hydrogenolysis of alcohols, the OH group is substituted by a hydrogen atom; therefore, the hydrogenolysis is referred to sometimes as deoxygenation or reduction to alkanes. The deoxygenation of cyclic ethers means the cleavage of both C–O bonds and leads to alkenes or alkanes depending on the hydrogenating activity of the catalyst. The cleavage of the C–O bond takes place through two mechanisms. The first mechanism (the hydrogenolytic cleavage) is a hydrogen-assisted bond–cleavage reaction, whereas the second mechanism is an ionic insertion of the metal into the C–O bond. The bonds between oxygen and an sp3 carbon atom in alcohols, ethers, or esters are quite resistant to hydrogenolysis. Elevated temperatures and pressures are required to induce C–O bond cleavage, and the high temperature can cause the cleavage of the C–C bonds. Removing the acetal-protecting group is easily achieved by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis, although catalytic hydrogenolysis is better for acid-sensitive compounds.
Using value-belief-norm theory to explore visitor responses to education programs at animal-themed facilities

I use value-belief-norm theory to frame how environmental education program participants interpret important messages and set behavioral intentions in response to environmental education program co...
Measurable and Deployable Security: Gaps, Successes, and Opportunities

Security measurement helps identify deployment gaps and present extremely valuable research opportunities. However, such research is often deemed as not novelty by academia. I will first share my research journey designing and producing a high-precision tool CryptoGuard for scanning cryptographic vulnerabilities in large Java projects. That work led us to publish two benchmarks used for systematically assessing state-of-the-art academic and commercial solutions, as well as help Oracle Labs integrate our detection in their routine scanning. Other specific measurement and deployment cases to discuss include the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which was involved in high-profile data breach incidents, and fine-grained Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR). The talk will also point out the need for measurement in AI development in the context of code repair. Broadening research styles by accepting and encouraging deployment-related work will facilitate our field to progress towards maturity.
What controls the width of ductile shear zones

Abstract It is widely recognized that major brittle faults in the upper crust transition downwards into ductile shear zones that then widen with depth. However, the controls on shear zone width at any specific depth, and the mechanisms that may cause the width to change over time, are less well understood. This study therefore reconstructs the geometry and rheology of the crustal-scale, normal-sense Simplon Shear Zone between the depths of ~3 and ~ 26 km, by combining field- and microstructural mapping, quartz paleopiezometry, and published estimates for the pressure, temperature, and timing of deformation at different crustal levels. The geometry is complex, with multiple strands actively deforming at any one depth, although overall the cumulative width does increase downwards. A scaling law is developed relating shear zone width to rheology and displacement rate, assuming simple shear and neglecting stretching parallel to the shear plane, and rheological parameters for granitoids with a quartz, feldspar, or mica dominated microstructure are quantified. Localization during exhumation was primarily accompanied by hydrous retrogression of feldspar to white mica, and the associated formation of interconnected weak mica layers. This weakened the shear zone, allowing the degree of strain localization to increase (and the shear zone width to decrease) by a factor of ~4–9.
Novel Strategies in the Treatment of Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Introduction The median age at presentation for newly diagnosed AML is 68 years, with the majority of patients aged 65 years or older.1–3 A progressively aging population coupled with a projected increase in the incidence of leukemia in older patients has brought into focus the development of safe and effective therapies to improve outcomes in this growing, at-risk population.4 Older AML presents several challenges that have long hampered meaningful progress in survival that has been steadily observed in younger patients with AML. In addition to comorbidities and performance status that often limit chemotherapy intensification and tolerability, the biology of AML in this population has been identified to be distinctly adverse. High incidence of secondary AML (s-AML) arising from prior myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rising prevalence of patients with treated-secondary AML (ts-AML) who have received therapy for prior MDS, along with adverse genomic profiles (complex or monosomal karyotype, mutations in TP53, ASXL1, others) characterize a high-risk disease with poor prognosis.5–7 Finally, older age and higher prevalence of comorbidities limit the proportion of older AML patients who can receive an allogeneic stem cell transplant – eliminating an important post remission strategy for some patients who may need it the most.
Drosophila Keap1 xenobiotic response factor regulates developmental transcription through binding to chromatin.

Abstract The Keap1-Nrf2 complex is a central regulator that mediates transcriptional responses to xenobiotic stimuli and is highly related with multiple human diseases. The molecular mechanisms and biological functions of Keap1 and Nrf2 are not fully understood. The Drosophila Keap1 homolog (dKeap1) is conserved with mammalian Keap1 except that dKeap1 contains a 156 aa C-terminal tail (CTD). A dKeap1 truncation with the CTD removed (dKeap1-ΔCTD) shows abolished nuclear localization and chromatin-binding. Expression of dKeap1-ΔCTD in the dKeap1 null background significantly rescues this mutant to the adult stage, but the files showed partial lethality, sterility and defects in adipose tissue. In the rescued flies, expression levels of ecdysone-response genes, ecdysone-synthetic genes and adipogenesis genes were down-regulated in specific tissues, indicating that the chromatin-binding of dKeap1 mediates the activation of these developmental genes. At the same time, dKeap1-ΔCTD can still suppress the basal expression of detoxifying genes and mediate the activation of these genes in response to xenobiotic stimuli, suggesting that the chromatin-binding of dKeap1 is not required for the regulation of detoxifying genes. These results support a model in which dKeap1 on one hand functions as an inhibitor for the Nrf2-mediated transcription in the xenobiotic response pathway and on the other hand functions as a chromatin-binding transcription activator in the developmental pathway. Our study reveals a novel mechanism whereby Keap1-Nrf2 xenobiotic response signaling regulates development using a mechanism independent of redox signaling.
Timeline of Changes in Biomarkers Associated with Spinal Cord Injury–Induced Polyuria

Deficits in upper and lower urinary tract function, which include detrusor overactivity, urinary incontinence, detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia, and polyuria, are among the leading issues that arise ...
Acoustic, Electron and Optical Microscopy Visualization of Surface and Sub-Surface Cracks

The purpose of the present study was to carefully document the early stages of fatigue damage in flush head riveted Alclad 2024-T3 aluminum alloy panel specimens. The fatigue cracks originate and initially propagate below the surfaces that are observable by optical and electron microscopy. Acoustic microscopy images such cracks and was employed to follow the observable sub-surface growth of fatigue cracks. In addition the cracks were monitored on the observable surface by optical and electron microscopy both in-situ and ex-situ during and after the test was completed. Careful fractographic analysis of the fracture surfaces was also done and correlated with the microscopic observations. The specimens used in this study were fabricated according to the specifications for the fuselage of an aircraft, and these specimens were not precracked or notched.
Chemical and Biological Properties of Some Atopic Allergens

Publisher Summary Many different proteins from animal, plant, or microbial sources can be allergens in man. The known allergens are usually in the molecular size range of 20,000 to 40,000 daltons, and they do not have any distinguishing chemical features. This chapter examines the chemical and biological properties of some purified allergens and also indicates some practical uses of the purified allergens and control of atopic allergy. The purified allergens are useful reagents as they help to understand the heightened responsiveness of susceptible persons to minute doses of immunizing allergens for IgE and IgG productions. Some common allergens discussed are ragweed pollen allergens, grass pollen allergens, tree pollen allergens, mammalian dander allergens, and food allergens. The chemical modification of the isolated proteins for possible therapeutic immunization is also discussed. Purified allergens are primarily used in the standardization of allergen extracts and are important reagents for the diagnosis and treatment of a number of allergic disorders, such as hay fever, asthma, and hives. The continued chemical and immunological studies of the purified allergens indicate the types of chemical modification required to prepare derivatives useful for altering the immune responsiveness of allergic man.
Land Use and Cover Change

This article considers the merging of scientific perspectives that has been necessary to understand the dynamics of human land-use practices and the social and natural environments that shape, and are shaped by, those practices. Land cover refers to the biophysical attributes of the earth's surface and immediate subsurface. This includes vegetative layers (both natural and artificial), exposed soil or rock, and ice, as well as human constructions such as buildings and pavement. Land cover is often studied through the use of remote sensing, which refers to the use of instruments carried on aircraft and earth-orbiting satellites that detect energy reflected or emitted from the earth's surface in different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Land use refers to the human imprint at a given location, both in terms of the modification of the land cover that would otherwise exist, and of the driving forces for such modification, including a range of motivations, constraints, and enabling conditions. Land use dynamics are studied in a broad range of social science disciplines, often through case studies. Land use/cover change research aims at estimating past human impacts on the earth, with a view to identifying trajectories of change, and projecting possible future impacts.
Growth of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans Under Heterotrophic and Anaerobic Conditions

Alico, Robert K. (St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, N.Y.), and Francis W. Liegey. Growth of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, under heterotrophic and anaerobic conditions. J. Bacteriol. 91:1112-1114. 1966.-Growth of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans was investigated under heterotrophic and anaerobic conditions. For initial growth to occur, it was found that the E(h) or redox potential must be at least 0 mv. Some carbon sources were tested, and those which could be metabolized by D. desulfuricans were pyruvate, lactate, glycerol, glyceraldehyde, and ribose. Observations were also made on the sulfate used during growth. Various amounts of sulfate were added and depleted within 48 hr. This may be correlated with the decline in growth. As the terminal electron acceptor was exhausted the organisms could not respire, and, with the subsequent energy depletion, the population decreased.
CD1d1-Dependent Control of the Magnitude of an Acute Antiviral Immune Response

CD1d1-restricted NK T (NKT) cells rapidly secrete both Th1 and Th2 cytokines upon activation and are therefore thought to play a regulatory role during an immune response. In this study we examined the role of CD1d1 molecules and NKT cells in regulating virus-induced cytokine production. CD1d1-deficient (CD1KO) mice, which lack NKT cells, were infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, and spontaneous cytokine release from splenocytes was measured. We found that CD1KO mice produce significantly higher amounts of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ compared with wild-type controls postinfection. Depletion studies of individual lymphocyte subpopulations suggested that CD4+ T cells are required; however, isolation of specific lymphocyte populations indicated that CD4+ T cells alone are not sufficient for the increase in cytokine production in CD1KO mice. Splenocytes from lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-infected CD1KO mice continued to produce enhanced cytokine levels long after viral clearance and cleared viral RNA faster than wild-type mice. There was no difference in the number of splenocytes between uninfected wild-type and CD1KO mice, whereas the latter knockout mice had an increased number of splenocytes after infection. Collectively, these data provide clear evidence that the expression of CD1d1 molecules controls the magnitude of the cell-mediated immune response to an acute viral infection.
Among the Periodicals: Fears and Phobias in Children and Adolescents

Fears and phobias in children and adolescents are much more diverse than most people may think, as the articles discussed here demonstrate. While all children experience fears of some sort, certain...
Vector filter banks and multirate filter banks with block sampling

We study general vector filter banks where the input signals and transfer functions in conventional multirate filter banks are replaced by vector signals and transfer matrices, respectively. We show that multirate filter banks with block sampling and linear time invariant transfer functions studied by Khansari and Leon-Garcia (see IEEE Trans. on Signal Processing, vol.41, p.3365-3376, Dec. 1993) are special vector filter banks where the transfer matrices are pseudo-circulant. We then present necessary and sufficient conditions for the alias free property, FIR systems with FIR inverses, paraunitariness for vector filter banks. We also present a necessary and sufficient condition for paraunitary multirate filter banks with block sampling. >
Virtual Endoscopy of Mucin-Producing Pancreas Tumors

We have used computer based virtual endoscopy techniques as a novel approach to clarify the 3D surgical anatomy of the pancreas and improve preoperative surgical planning. 13 cases (18 lesions) with mucin-producing pancreas tumors were investigated by “virtual pancreatoscopy”. All cystic tumors and the pancreatic ducts were displayed by virtual endoscopy. The surfaces of intraductal papillary adenocarcinomas were illustrated more irregularly than benign cystic lesions. Virtual pancreatoscopy was useful for surgical planning of minimally invasive resection of the pancreas.
Acceleration compensation by matched filtering

High radar sensitivities are required in the detection of small cross section targets or in ECM environments. An effective way of improving the radar sensitivity is to use long coherent integration times. Results of the work to be presented include studies of target decorrelation using actual magnitude/phase flight test data from aircraft and the resolution of the "filter fly-through" problem due to translational acceleration. The acceleration compensation technique described in this radar generates matched filters that compensate for each acceleration. The matched filters optimize the signal-to-noise ratio by weighting and combining the Doppler filters over which the target is spreading. Both coherent and non-coherent matched filters can be formed. This provides direct and precise measurement of target acceleration for enhanced detection and tracking of maneuvering targets.
Non-consumptive interactions between grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and wolf spiders (Lycosidae) produce trophic cascades in an old-field ecosystem

Abstract Top-down control by spider predators on grasshopper herbivores can produce trophic cascades, which may enhance plant biomass and alter plant community composition. These trophic level effects may be the result of either predator reduction in prey numbers (i.e., consumptive effects) or decreased prey foraging time in response to predator presence (i.e., non-consumptive effects). However, predator-prey interactions can be context dependent and do not always affect the plant trophic level. We conducted a field and laboratory experiment in a Northern Wisconsin (USA) old field ecosystem to uncover whether consumptive or non-consumptive effects of spider predation on grasshopper herbivores result in a trophic cascade, and if so to determine the underlying mechanisms that drive these trophic cascades. In a field experiment, four treatments examined the effects of multiple trophic-level interactions on plant biomass: 1) control treatment of vegetation only, 2) a two trophic-level interaction (grasshopper...
A Machine for Adiabatic Toroidal Compression

The Adiabatic Toroidal Compressor (ATC) is being built to investigate the feasibility of a proposed technique for increasing the density and ion temperature of conventional tokamaks. By applying a suitable magnetic field normal to the plane of a usual tokamak discharge, the major radius is caused to shrink to about 0.4 of its original value, thereby resulting in an increase both in temperature and density. The experiment is important because, if successful, the technique could be applied to achieve plasma temperatures and densities significantly greater than otherwise obtainable in a given size facility. Selection of the machine size, field strength and time scale for the operating cycle was based both on the desire to achieve values of temperature and density well exceeding those already reported by others and on the conviction that experimental results should be forthcoming by mid-1972 to be useful in the design of larger experimental facilities. The first goal is expected to be met in the choice of a field strength of 50 kG at 37 cm major radius, the location of the 241 kA discharge after compression. The second goal required the use of presently available (or readily constructed) power supplies and an amount of engineering manpower consistent with existing laboratory programs. Buildup of the initial discharge within about 5 ms, a thermalizing time of up to 20 ms, and a compression time of about 2 ms are attainable within the above framework and are consistent with the energy replacement time of the plasma.
Presence and Image Quality: The Case of High-Definition Television

Previous research has demonstrated that form variables can increase television viewers' sense of presence. The current broadcasting of high-definition television (HDTV) programming makes testing this relation between form and presence possible in a new context, image quality. In this experiment, television viewers watched either HDTV or standard-definition television images and then rated their viewing experience on a pencil-and-paper questionnaire. The results demonstrate that HDTV provided viewers with a greater sense of presence than the current standard, thus providing empirical evidence for the claim that improved image quality will lead to television viewers' experiencing presence. Additionally, the results suggest that with the coming of HDTV, sensations of presence will be both stronger and more common.
An empirical analysis of algorithms for partially Clairvoyant scheduling

We contrast the performance of three algorithms for the problem of deciding whether a Partially Clairvoyant real-time system with relative timing constraints, as specified in the E-T-C scheduling framework, has a feasible schedule. In the E-T-C scheduling model, real-time scheduling problems are specified through a specialized class of constraint logic programs (CLPs) called Quantified Linear Programs (QLPs) [Subramani, K., 2003, An analysis of quantified linear programs. In: C.S. Calude (Ed.) Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DMTCS), volume 2731 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, July (Springer-Verlag), pp. 265-277]; thus algorithms for determining the schedulability of instances are procedures to determine the satisfiability of CLPs. Two of these algorithms, viz., the primal algorithm and the dual algorithm have already been discussed in the literature, while a third algorithm called the randomized dual algorithm has been recently proposed [Subramani, K. and Desovski, D. 2005, A new verification procedure for partially Clairvoyant scheduling. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Formal Modelling and Analysis of Timed Systems (FORMATS), October; Subramani, K. and Desovski, D., 2005, Out of order quantifier elimination for standard quantified linear programs, Journal of Symbolic Computation, 40, 1383-1396]. Our experiments demonstrate that the dual-based algorithms (i.e. the dual and the randomized dual) are more effective from an implementational perspective; this is surprising since all three algorithms have the same worst case asymptotic complexity.
The Reaction of Hmpa With Lactones: Unsaturated Amide Formation

Abstract A series of lactones have been reacted with HMPA at elevated temperatures. In most of the examples studied, unsaturated amides were produced in relatively good yields.
Tumor-specific apoptotic gene targeting overcomes radiation resistance in esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: To overcome radiation resistance in esophageal adenocarcinoma by tumor-specific apoptotic gene targeting using tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Methods and Materials: Adenoviral vector Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD with a tumor-specific human telomerase reverse transcription promoter was used to transfer TRAIL gene to human esophageal adenocarcinoma and normal human lung fibroblastic cells (NHLF). Activation of apoptosis was analyzed by Western blot, fluorescent activated cell sorting, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate labeling (TUNEL) assay. A human esophageal adenocarcinoma mouse model was treated with intratumoral injections of Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD plus local radiotherapy. Results: The combination of Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD and radiotherapy increased the cell-killing effect in all esophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines but not in NHLF cells. This combination also significantly reduced clonogenic formation ( p p in vitro and TUNEL assay in vivo . Combined Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD and radiotherapy dramatically inhibited tumor growth and prolonged mean survival in the esophageal adenocarcinoma model to 31.6 days from 16.7 days for radiotherapy alone and 21.5 days for Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD alone ( p Conclusions: The combination of tumor-specific TRAIL gene targeting and radiotherapy enhances the effect of suppressing esophageal adenocarcinoma growth and prolonging survival.
Prolonged Transcranial Doppler Monitoring After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Fails to Adequately Predict Ischemic Risk

Stroke is common after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) monitoring is often employed to identify vasospasm and allow intervention to avoid infarction. The required duration of monitoring has not been established. We aim to determine if 10 days of TCD monitoring identifies all patients at risk for infarction. A 3 year retrospective analysis of aSAH patients admitted to a neurovascular center was undertaken. Eligible patients were aged 18–85 years, presenting within 2 days of hemorrhage who had underwent TCD monitoring through post bleed day 10. Patients were assessed to determine if vasospasm onset occurred after 10 days with resulting stroke. Assessment of variables potentially impacting vasospasm onset and infarction were completed. 107 patients met criteria with 51 (48%) demonstrating vasospasm and 31 (29%) developing stroke. Of those suffering stroke, 22 (71%) demonstrated vasospasm while 9 (22%) did not. Two (2%) patients developed vasospasm only after day 10, neither experiencing stroke. Time to vasospasm onset (5.5 ± 2.5 days) was not impacted by common radiologic or clinical scales. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Hunt and Hess Score (H&H), WFNS, ventriculostomy placement, intubation, and intraventricular hemorrhage were associated with likelihood of stroke (P < 0.05). The negative predictive value of TCD for identifying stroke risk was 84% while the sensitivity was 71%. TCD identification of vasospasm after day 10 is rare. Stroke is more likely to result from poor detection than from brevity of TCD monitoring. Improved or alternative monitoring is needed to effectively identify ischemia and prevent stroke.
Multiple regions of subunit interaction in Drosophila mitochondrial DNA polymerase: Three functional domains in the accessory subunit

Drosophila mitochondrial DNA polymerase, pol gamma, is a heterodimeric complex of catalytic subunit and accessory subunits. Physical interactions between the two subunits were investigated by deletion mutagenesis in both in vivo reconstitution and in vitro protein overlay analyses. Our results suggest that the accessory subunit may consist of three domains, designated the N, M, and C domains. The M and C regions comprise the major contacts involved in subunit interaction, likely with multiple sites in the exonuclease (exo) region and part of the spacer between the exo and DNA polymerase (pol) regions in the catalytic subunit. Furthermore, the N region in the accessory subunit may modulate subunit assembly and/or conformation through weak interaction with the pol region in the catalytic subunit. Sequence comparisons identify a significant similarity between the M region of the accessory subunit and the RNase H domain of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. On the basis of these results, the proposed function of the C-terminus of the accessory subunit in RNA primer recognition, and previous observations that mitochondrial DNA polymerase is itself a reverse transcriptase, we propose that the overall conformation and arrangement of functional regions in the Drosophila pol gamma complex resemble those of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.
Macroporous Silicon as a Model for Silicon Wire Array Solar Cells

Macroporous silicon samples have been investigated in photoelectrochemical cells, and their behavior has been compared to that of conventional, planar, Si/liquid junctions. The liquid electrolyte junction provided a conformal contact to the macroporous Si and allowed assessment of the trade-offs between increased surface area and decreased carrier collection distances in such systems relative to the behavior of planar semiconductor/liquid photoelectrochemical junctions. The electrolyte contained the dimethylferrocene/dimethylferrocenium redox system in methanol because this system has been shown previously to produce bulk recombination-diffusion-limited contacts at planar Si(100) electrodes under 100 mW cm-2 of simulated air mass 1.5 illumination. Introduction of a network of ∼2−3 μm diameter, ∼80 μm long pores into the Si was found to slightly reduce the short-circuit photocurrent density and the open-circuit voltage of the system, but energy-conversion efficiencies in excess of 10% were nevertheless obt...