cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Technique Development for Particle Bounce Monitoring of Unknown Aerosol Particles

A particle bounce monitor has been developed to determine the bounce properties of unknown aerosols. In this new device aerosol is sampled through a conical inlet into a nozzle of constant cross section. The aerosol flow leaves the inlet section as a free jet and is separated into a center flow, which is drawn into a constant-flow particle counter, and a side flow, which may be adjusted to different flow rates. The total sampling flow rate, and, therefore, the particle velocity can be controlled by adjusting the side flow. Particles away from the center that have acquired high enough inertia will impact onto the bounce surface; nonbouncy particles will be removed by the surface and bouncy particles will bounce into the center flow. Thus, the particle concentration in the center flow is dependent on the particle bounce properties. The device has been evaluated with different aerosols at different operating conditions. It was found that it is highly sensitive to the bounce characteristics of aerosols and is...
A normative approach for the harmonization of national policies to supra-national frameworks with reference to Greece and the European Union

Abstract This paper looks into the challenges that further economic integration in the European Union (EU) poses upon the member states. The continuing adjustment and integration of the individual economies of the EU does not focus as much on ironing out structural differences as on issues of economic policy fine-tuning. The argument suggests that by harmonizing their economic goals with those of the EU, member states are likely to expedite reaching national economic objectives as well as achieve the EU's supra-national economic goals. The paradigm of Greece is discussed and a policy analysis vis-a`-vis competitiveness, technology and innovation, productivity, learning and knowledge, and labour market flexibility is attempted. In the following sections an effort is made to examine the not-so-visible effects of the EU's supra-national economic policy and discuss its impact upon Greece's national economic policy. Policy prescriptions relevant to economic policy formulation are argued. Those prescriptions re...
What are the cognitive effects of stimulant medications? Emphasis on adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Abstract The relevant literature concerning cognitive effects of amphetamine and methylphenidate, was reviewed, with an emphasis on research conducted in adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. As first-line treatment for ADHD, stimulant drugs are well-known to improve attention and concentration. Yet, there is increasing evidence that (as with children and adolescents), they do not promote learning and academic achievement in adult college students with ADHD. A review of neuropsychological studies indicates that, although response latencies are reduced, performance of ADHD adults on tests of ‘distractibility’ and ‘planning’ is also not consistently improved by stimulants. Studies in non-ADHD adults suggest that stimulants do not promote acquisition of new information, might improve retention of previously acquired information, and facilitate memory consolidation, but may actually impair performance of tasks that require adaptation, flexibility and planning. It is still not clear if improvement only occurs when there is a baseline deficit. Stimulants may influence cognition by their effects on physiological arousal. Regardless, the evidence does not support the conclusion that stimulants are cognitive ‘enhancers.’
Measurement of surface roughness parameter using a neural network and laser scattering

Abstract The quality of surfaces is obtained by the utilization of scattered laser light examinedby a neural network. Features are extracted from the scattered angular spectrum which are then used as inputs to a hierarchical neural net. The net is “trained” by a selected set of machined surfaces whose quality has already been independently established. These samples are repeatedly presented to the sensors and the network will, each time, make a decision about the surface roughness which is then compared to the correct answer, and the error is used to modify the connection weights. Following this training period, the net is able to identify the quality of new surfaces presented to it. Experimental results, using a set of lapped surfaces are discussed with regard to fusion of different features in order to obtain an adequate measure of surface roughness using the neural network. It is shown that the system is able to measure the roughness parameter, R a , in the micron range to sub-micron accuracy. Furthermore, this non-contact measurement is performed in the millisecond time range which can be used for on-line quality control.
Skeletal growth of the protohistoric Arikara

The longitudinal growth of the long bones and growth in breadth of the ilium are assessed for a population of protohistoric Arikara Indians from South Dakota through the correlation of skeletal measurements with estimates of chronological age at death. Comparison of the Arikara growth data with those from other Indian samples (Indian Knoll and Late Woodland, Illinois) reveals similar rates of bone growth, when compensation is made for methodological variation. As predicted from documented variation in adult statures, the Indian samples indicate slower growth rates than those of Whites but faster than those of Eskimos.
Tampa to Anaheim soup-to-nuts Hackshack

The Tampa to Anaheim Hackshack workshop is designed for dogged tinkerers of all descriptions and levels of skill. Be your motives moral, ethical, frivolous, or just plain senseless, the Tampa to Anaheim Hackshack workshop provides the means and expertise to implement a large host of Ad-Hoc solutions to the issues of everyday life. Projects to be built by participants include the creation of a microphone and amplifier, a solenoid drum, a California or Florida citrus battery, machines made out of paper, a confetti cannon, a desk-mounted trebuchet, a clockwork manifesto, a passive water heater, a swamp cooler, and a portable distillery. In addition to instructions for small on-site projects and take-home projects of a larger scope, the workshop provides instruction in basic programming for Arduino, basic electronics, clockwork strategies for mechanization, and armchair engineering.
Explosive eruptions of the Ayarza calderas, southeastern Guatemala

Abstract The Ayarza calderas, southeastern Guatemala, form a figure “8”-shaped depression that is now occupied by Laguna de Ayarza. The smaller eastern caldera is also the older. It formed upon eruption of a “mixed” plinian air fall that is locally overlain by a comagmatic ash-flow deposit. Called the “Mixta” unit, the air-fall portion contains rhyolitic (75.2 wt.% SiO 2 ) pumice, basaltic (52 wt.% SiO 2 ) blobs and compositional hybrids that are either spectacularly banded or homogeneous in color. Although of limited aerial extent and volume (∼ 0.1 km 3 , dense rock equivalent), the unit is of considerable petrologic interest because the basalt contains pristine phenocrysts and quench-crystallites of calcic hornblende. Virtually identical 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios (0.70373) of both rhyolite and basalt end members suggest a common magmatic source. A log from the Mixta ash-flow deposit has been C 14 -dated at 27,000 ± 1,600 y.B.P. Eruption of the younger pyroclastic sequence at Ayarza culminated in formation of the western caldera. This rhyolitic sequence also consists of a plinian air fall overlain by a comagmatic ash-flow deposit. The ash-flow unit is quite fine-grained and probably phreatomagmatic in origin. A thin horizon of air-fall material is locally interbedded within the ash unit. Volume (DRE) of the younger sequence has been estimated at a minimum 2 km 3 . A log from the younger ash-flow unit has been C 14 -dated at 23,100 ± 500 y.B.P., the age of formation of the western caldera and the last recognized activity at Ayarza. Although major-element geochemistry of the Ayarzan rhyolites is very similar to that of other silicic units of northern Central America, minor- and trace-element contents permit all the rhyolites to be distinguished from each other. Sr-isotopic ratios of the Mixta rhyolite reaffirm that older radiogenic crustal rocks are not involved in the petrogenesis of rhyolites in northern Central America.
Partial difference approximations with non-negative coefficients

Abstract On region R, the linear operator L[u(x,y)]uxx+2b(x,y)uxy+c(x,y)uyy, c(x,y)>0 is considered. Conditions are sought under which at (x,ȳ) ∈ R, L has a difference approximation L h [u] ∑ i=0 8 α i u i with non-negative coefficients. If b and c are continuous and u ϵ C2 (R); or, essentially, if b and c are analytic and u is a solution of L[u]=0, then it is proved that a necessary and sufficient condition for Lh to exist is that |( x , y | ≤ min [1, c( x , y )] . When the latter inequality is valid, Lh is given constructively. Application is made to an extension of a numerical method of Bers for mildly nonlinear elliptic differential equations.
Pathophysiology of Osteonecrosis

Osteonecrosis is a common disorder in which a segment of bone loses its blood supply and undergoes significant and at times very disabling and deforming changes. The causes of osteonecrosis are many but are principally associated with bone injury, thrombosis or embolism, external pressure on a vascular wall, or increased venous pressure. There are two types of osteonecrotic entities: medullary osteonecrosis affecting only the medullary cavity and trabecular bone and corticocancellous osteonecrosis affecting an adjacent joint. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the pathophysiology of these two entities, their causation and their effect on the patient.
Tier-adaptive-voltage-scaling (TAVS): A methodology for post-silicon tuning of 3D ICs

This paper presents tier-adaptive-voltage-scaling (TAVS) as a post-silicon tuning methodology for improving parametric yield of 3D integrated circuits considering die-to-die and within-die process variations. The TAVS methodology senses process corners of individual tiers using on-tier delay sensors and adapt the supply voltage of each tier. The overall TAVS architecture is presented and the circuit issues associated with design of 3D level shifters are discussed. Circuit level simulation and statistical analysis of the TAVS architecture in predictive 45nm technology show the possibility of 26%–39% reduction in chip delay distribution.
Integrating maps and location analysis with Oracle business intelligence

In this session we will demonstrate the integration of Oracle's geospatial and enterprise business intelligence technologies. Oracle Spatial, a feature of the Oracle database, contains a wealth of capabilities for geospatial data management, analysis, and provisioning. Oracle MapViewer is a feature of Oracle Fusion Middleware providing light-weight interactive mapping for integration with enterprise applications. Oracle Business Intelligence Suite Enterprise Edition Plus (Oracle BI EE Plus) is a comprehensive suite of enterprise BI products that delivers a full range of analysis and reporting capabilities. Featuring a unified, highly scalable, modern architecture, Oracle BI EE Plus provides intelligence and analytics from data spanning enterprise sources and applications---empowering the largest communities with complete and relevant insight. By location-enabling the BI platform, we are able to enhance traditional BI interactions with location-aware analytics, cartographic views of analytic results, and geography-based drilling and analyses. As opposed to rigid, static integrations, we will demonstrate a highly interactive, customizable, and fully-embedded geospatial BI solution.
Probability Tolerance Maps: A New Statistical Model for Non-Linear Tolerance Analysis Applied to Rectangular Faces

A new statistical model for the tolerance analysis based upon joint probability distribution of the trivariate normal distributed variables involved in the construction of Tolerance-maps (T-Maps) for rectangular face is presented. Central to the new model is a Tolerance-Map (T-Map) (Patent No. 69638242). It is the range of points resulting from a one-to-one mapping from all the variational possibilities of a perfect-form feature, within its tolerance-zone, to a specially designed Euclidean point-space. The model is fully compatible with the ASME/ANSI/ISO Standard for geometric tolerances. In this research, 4D probability T-Maps (prob T-Maps) have been developed in which the probability value of a point in space is represented by the size of the marker and the associated color. Additionally, 3D prob T-Maps (3D cross sections of the 4D prob T-Maps at pre specified values) are used to represent the probability values of two variables at a time for a constant value of the third variable on a plane. Superposition of the probability point cloud with the T-Map clearly identifies which points are inside and which are outside the T-Map. This represents the pass percentage for parts manufactured with the statistical parameters such as mean and standard deviation as of the assumed trivariate probability distribution. The effect of refinement with form and orientation tolerance is highlighted by calculating the change in pass percentage with the pass percentage for size only. Delaunay triangulation and ray tracing algorithms have been used to automate the process of identifying the points inside and outside the T-Map. Proof of concept software has been implemented to demonstrate this model and to determine pass percentages for various cases. The model is further extended to assemblies by employing convolution algorithms on two trivariate statistical distributions to arrive at the statistical distribution of the assembly. Accumulation T-Maps generated by using Minkowski Sum techniques on the T-Maps of the individual parts is superimposed on the probability point cloud resulting from convolution. Delaunay triangulation and ray tracing algorithms are employed to determine the assemleability percentages for the assembly.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
13C NMR study of liquid crystal solutions

L'etude en RMN de 13 C de composes en solution dans des cristaux solides a ete souvent limitee a des molecules tres simples ou des composes marques en 13 C. Pour etendre ces etudes a des molecules plus complexes en solution dans des cristaux liquides il est souhaitable d'utiliser des composes possedant des 13 C en abondance naturelle. Discussion de la methode
Functional Contextualism in Learning and Instruction: Pragmatic Science or Objectivism Revisited?.

0 Eric Fox presents an interesting case for applying functional contextualism (FC) constructs and principles to learning and instruction. He draws on several well-debated issues related to the instructional design and technology (IDT) field's shifting philosophical-epistemological roots and pedagogical practices. His is not the first attempt to question the foundations of the field or propose pragmatic alternatives to reconciling constructivist-inspired practices with time-tested, traditional instructional design methods (see, for example, Lebow, 1993; Rieber, 1993); it will not be the last. However, Fox raises several issues that require clarification. This is perhaps the nature of straw-man arguments: To strengthen the face validity of a particular perspective, the legitimacy of competing perspectives must first be undermined. In this case, Fox provides a selective and somewhat limited analysis of constructivist-inspired approaches to bolster the case for and significance of FC advocacy. While I will not revisit the largely unproductive objectivist-constructivist debates of the past decade, I question several of Fox's assertions and argue that while FC has value for the IDT field, it is consistent with and an extension of objectivist-inspired instructional engineering rather than an alternative to constructivist-inspired approaches.
Determination of toxicity of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from humans and from poultry carcasses acquired at various stages of production

Aim: The research focused on the determination of the toxicity variation associated with Campylobacter jejuni isolated from humans and chickens. Methods and Results: Campylobacter jejuni isolates were obtained from chicken carcasses and from humans exhibiting symptoms of campylobacteriosis. Using HeLa cells as the in vitro model, toxicity was determined for each isolate. The mean toxicity level of the chicken isolates was significantly lower than that of the human isolates (P < 0·001). There was a wide range of toxicity in C. jejuni isolated from chickens and the percentage of isolates exhibiting low toxicity remaining relatively constant. All C. jejuni isolates from humans possessed either medium or high levels of toxicity. Conclusions: All wildtype C. jejuni isolates obtained from poultry carcasses may not be equally important as a human foodborne pathogen. Significance and Impact of Study: Campylobacter jejuni remains a primary foodborne pathogen and increased efforts are needed to determine the impact of wildtype isolates in causing human illness. The present research indicates that all isolates may not be equally important in regards to disease potential. The information found should be included in efforts to develop C. jejuni detection, control and infection modelling.
Influence of Point Defects on GaAs Devices

From electron-irriadiation studies, it is known that point defects can strongly affect the electrical properties of GaAs-based MESFET's, MODFET's, solar cells, resonant-tunneling diodes, MIMIC circuits and other devices. As an example, 1 × 10 16 cm −2 , 1 MeV electrons reduce the transconductance in a 1 μm by 200 μm MESFET by nearly an order of magnitude. Fortunately, annealing at 350 °C for 10 min. can largely restore the device performance, although not without some adverse effects. Point defects, or simple point defect complexes, can also exist in as-grown GaAs and affect devices in several different ways. For example, an As-rich stoichiometry can lead to an abundance of Ga vacancies, and thus to a higher Si donor activation in implanted MESFET devices; however, it can also promote an increase in unwanted impurities which sit on the Ga site. As another example, extremely high (> 3 × 10 19 cm −3 ) concentrations of As arntisites, which are found in MBE GaAs grown at 200°C, lead to very unusual electrical and optical properties, and make possible a highly useful buffer material anid a very fast photoconductive switch. However, there are also adverse effects here, such as slow-transients in some MODFET devices, which may result from defect diffusion. Thus, the effects of point defects in GaAs devices must be understood.
The comorbidity of autism with the genomic disorders of chromosome 15q11.2-q13

A cluster of low copy repeats on the proximal long arm of chromosome 15 mediates various forms of stereotyped deletions and duplication events that cause a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that are associated with autism or autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The region is subject to genomic imprinting and the behavioral phenotypes associated with the chromosome 15q11.2-q13 disorders show a parent-of-origin specific effect that suggests that an increased copy number of maternally derived alleles contributes to autism susceptibility. Notably, nonimprinted, biallelically expressed genes within the interval also have been shown to be misexpressed in brains of patients with chromosome 15q11.2-q13 genomic disorders, indicating that they also likely play a role in the phenotypic outcome. This review provides an overview of the phenotypes of these disorders and their relationships with ASD and outlines the regional genes that may contribute to the autism susceptibility imparted by copy number variation of the region.
The Spatial QRS Loop in Right Ventricular Hypertrophy with Special Reference to the Initial Component

Spatial vectorcardiograms were recorded from 18 subjects with normal electrocardiograms and from 14 subjects with electrocardiograms indicative of right ventricular hypertrophy. In the latter group there was a significant incidence of deviation of the initial portion of the QRS loop from the normal direction of inscription, suggesting that activation of the interventricular septum oftenproceeds in an abnormal manner in right ventricular hypertrophy. A statistically significant difference in the direction of rotation of the entire QRS loop in the transverse and sagittal planes was noted in the two groups. The relationship between the direction of inscription of the QRS loop in the transverse plane and the timing of the intrinsicoid deflections of precordial leads is discussed.
Angiotensinogen gene null-mutant mice lack homeostatic regulation of glomerular filtration and tubular reabsorption

Chronic volume depletion by dietary salt restriction causes marked decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) with little increase in urine osmolality in angiotensinogen gene null mutant (Agt-/-) mice. Moreover, urine osmolality is insensitive to both water and vasopressin challenge. In contrast, in normal wild-type (Agt+/+) mice, GFR remains remarkably constant and urine osmolality is adjusted promptly. Changes in volume status also cause striking divergence in renal structure between Agt-/- and Agt+/+ mice. Thus, in contrast to the remarkably stable glomerular size of Agt+/+ mice, glomeruli of Agt-/- mice are atrophied during a low salt and hypertrophied during a high salt diet. Moreover, the renal papilla, a structure unique to mammals and essential for urine diluting and concentrating mechanisms, is hypoplastic in Agt-/- mice. Thus, angiotensin is essential for the two fundamental homeostatic functions of the mammalian kidney, namely stable GFR and high urine diluting and concentrating capacity during alteration in extracellular fluid (ECF) volume. This is not only accompanied by angiotensin's tonic effects on renal vasomotor tone and tubule transporters, but also accomplished through its capacity to affect the structure of both the glomerulus and the papilla directly or indirectly.
SU‐E‐T‐738: Verification of an Automated Weighted Sector‐Integration Algorithm for Determining Output Factors for Electron Cutouts

Purpose: To verify the accuracy of an automated weighted‐sector‐integration electron output factor calculation algorithm for a variety of cone and cutout sizes, beam energies and clinical cutout shapes in a multi‐site radiation medicine department. Methods: A new weighted sector‐integration algorithm for electron output factor estimation has been implemented on a custom database structure. To automate the cutout shape determination, the cutout contour points are imported electronically from the treatment planning system, or digitized on a computer monitor using a digitally reconstructedradiographimage from an Electronic Medical Records system. The contour points are converted to polar coordinates and a sector‐integration summation performed with a weighting scheme corresponding to the angular size of each contour sector. Sector output factors used in the summation process are taken from a database of circular cutout measurements for a range of cone sizes, radii and energies. The algorithm was validated over a range of cutout sizes (2–20 cm), electron cones (10×10 cm2 to 20×20 cm2), cutout shapes (rectangular, circular and irregular including narrow fields and fields with concavities or convexities) and nominal beam energies (6–18 MeV) used in clinical electron beam therapy.Results: Differences between calculated and measured output factors for the patient cutouts studied were less than 2%, except in the case of long and narrow cutout shapes measured at low energies, which remained within 2.5% Conclusions: In a busy multi‐hospital environment, measurement of output factors for electron cutouts places a considerable time burden on physics staff. An estimation method that provides sufficiently accurate output factors for the wide variety of cutouts is a valuable clinical tool. Further work with handling unusually concave and long, narrow shapes at lower energies will be of value to extend the extreme limits of the algorithm's accuracy.
Insights into two solution procedures for the single machine tardiness problem

This paper explores the well-known modified due date (MDD) rule for minimizing total tardiness on a single machine and shows that it has a decomposition structure. Based on this finding, we propose a decomposition heuristic and draw parallels to the famous optimal decomposition algorithm. We demonstrate that the MDD rule and the decomposition algorithm have striking similarities. We also discuss the key differences between these procedures. Finally, we present a sufficient condition under which the MDD rule is optimal and conclude the paper with some directions for future research.
Thermal decomposition and dehydration of sodium perchlorate monohydrate

The dehydration of sodium perchlorate monohydrate proceeds in two stages corresponding to the removal of 0.2H2O and 0.8H2O per mol at 60 °C and 150 °C, respectively. The thermal decomposition at 490 °C is preceded by a phase transformation at 309 °C (orthorhombic → cubic) and melting at 472 °C. Between 490 °C and 520 °C the fractional decomposition (α) vs. time (t) curves for molten NaClO4 in vacuum are sigmoidal indicating an autocatalytic process. The α, t isothermal data are best fitted by a first order autocatalytic equation ln[(α + k2/k1)/(1 − α)] = (k1 + k2)t + ln(k2/k1) over the temperature range 490–520 ° C, where k1 is the autocatalytic rate constant and k2 a first order rate constant. The activation energies for the two simultaneous occurring processes are 289.3 ∓ 5.4 and 208.9 ∓ 3.8 kJmol, respectively. Gamma irradiation up to doses of 7.5 · 107 rad produced no observable effect on the subsequent thermal decomposition. The final solid product of the decomposition is sodium chloride in all cases.
Cysteamine inhibition of [15N]-glycine turnover in cystinosis and of the glycine cleavage system in vitro

In order to clarify the hyperglycinemic effect of cysteamine treatment in children with nephropathic cystinosis, we measured [15N]-glycine turnover in three affected patients. Administration of cysteamine lowered the glycine flux and the glycine metabolic clearance rate but did not alter the glycine pool size. Formation of [15N]-serine from [15N]-glycine was lower in untreated patients than in control subjects and was reduced still further by cysteamine. Studies in vitro with isolated rat liver mitochondria and acetone extracts of mitochondria indicated that even low cysteamine concentrations (0.1 mM) inhibited the glycine cleavage system in both the direction of glycine oxidation and glycine synthesis. Cysteamine was a more potent inhibitor of the glycine cleavage system than any other sulfhydryl containing compound. Although no ill effects of cysteamine treatment were immediately apparent, patients receiving cysteamine should be monitored carefully for the appearance of any neurologic symptoms which might be referable to inhibition of the glycine cleavage system.
A flexible hardware architecture for 2-D discrete wavelet transform

We present the design and implementation of a flexible hardware architecture used to perform the 2-D Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). A generic VHDL IP core is developed that is configurable to perform the forward and inverse 2-D DWT on an image using a user-defined biorthogonal wavelet. The DWT is performed using the hardware-efficient Lifting Scheme method versus the traditional convolution-based methods minimizing memory requirements, eliminating the need for expensive floating-point arithmetic, and increasing speed. This DWT core is synthesized to a Xilinx Virtex FPGA and configured to perform the Cohen-Dabuechies-Feaveau 5/3 and 9/7 DWTs, which are used in the JPEG2000 still image compression standard.
Rat strain comparisons on drug and sleep sensitive behaviors.

Abstract Rat swimming behaviors have been productive in both sleep research and neuropharmacology. In this report, both of these areas are addressed in the context of inbred strain effects. Thrity-two rats from three stocks were tested in a seven day, repeated measures design. Each rat swam for 5 min each day in shallow 25°C water. There were significant differences between inbred stocks on two measures which can be related to both REM sleep deprivation and adrenergic drug effects. Nonsignificant strain differences were found on two other behaviors which also lack significance under REM sleep deprivation and atropine sulfate treatments. It is concluded that there may be differential stres affecting the treatmentsensitive and the change-resistant behaviors.
Where are the Asian and Hispanic Victims of Katrina? A Metaphor for Invisible Minorities in Contemporary Racial Discourse

Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Central Gulf Coast in August 2005, was undoubtedly one of the worst natural disasters to strike the United States in the age of round-the-clock media journalism. Television coverage of Hurricane Katrina brought to the forefront the costs of disadvantage along racial and class lines. Needless to say, the victims left behind were disproportionately African American, elderly, and impoverished residents of the area. While the focus of media discussions centered around whether African Americans were abandoned by governmental agencies or if they were to blame for not heeding the call to evacuate, there was a complete absence of coverage and discussion of Hispanic and Asian American residents of the area, who are also disproportionately poor and many of whom lacked English skills to navigate the little help available to residents. This essay briefly discusses the few newspaper articles that examined these populations; Hispanic and Asian American journalists wrote almost all of these articles. I then examine how the lack of attention to these populations shapes our common understandings of race and why this may be problematic both in the United States and in a global environment.
q‐bio 2007: a watershed moment in modern biology

Mol Syst Biol. 3: 148 The mean is often nearer to one extreme than the other, or seems nearer because of our natural tendencies .Aristotle, Ethics Cells continually use information from external signals to sense and respond to environmental changes. One of the key questions facing biology is how can we better understand the systems of cellular regulation underlying this behavior? Can cellular responses in complex environments be predicted? How are the response mechanisms tuned when a cell adapts to environmental changes? Are a cell's sensory mechanisms—in Aristototelian terms, its natural tendencies for perception—well‐matched to its information processing tasks? Recently, researchers gathered in Santa Fe, New Mexico and addressed these questions quantitatively. In opening comments, David H Sharp (Chief Scientist, Los Alamos National Laboratory) dedicated The First q‐bio Conference on Cellular Information Processing to green fluorescent protein (GFP)—a tool that has paved the way for numerous advances in quantitative biology. In subsequent days, participants were treated to one example after another of cellular phenomena characterized using fluorescent probes, including GFP, its variants, and quantum dots. Single‐cell assays of fluorescently labeled proteins, in many cases, were an essential research tool, facilitated by commercially available microscopes with advanced optics and digital image capture. In some cases, the techniques were refined to image subcellular spatial dynamics of single fluorescently labeled proteins. Of note was the increasing use of microfluidic devices, which are providing an unprecedented degree of control over the cellular environment, …
Electron bombardment of water adsorbed on Zr(0001) surfaces

A study of the effects of electron bombardment on water adsorbed on Zr(0001) is reported. Zirconium surfaces are dosed with isotopic water mixtures at 160 K followed by electron bombardment (485 eV). The system is then probed by low energy electron diffraction, temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). No evidence is found that would indicate preferential mixing of hydrogen from the bulk with isotopic water dissociation products during TPD. However, electron bombardment results in the sharpening of a hydrogen/deuterium desorption peak near 320 K and the production of water near 730 K at low water exposures. In addition, although water does not oxidize Zr(0001) thermally, electron bombardment of adsorbed water induces a shift of about 2 eV in the Zr AES features indicating that the surface is partially oxidized by electron bombardment.
Two-Phase Solid-Liquid Coexistence of Ni, Cu, and Al by Molecular Dynamics Simulations using the Modified Embedded-Atom Method

Abstract The two-phase solid–liquid coexisting structures of Ni, Cu, and Al are studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the second nearest-neighbor (2NN) modified-embedded atom method (MEAM) potential. For this purpose, the existing 2NN-MEAM parameters for Ni and Cu were modified to make them suitable for the MD simulations of the problems related to the two-phase solid–liquid coexistence of these elements. Using these potentials, we compare calculated low-temperature properties of Ni, Cu, and Al, such as elastic constants, structural energy differences, vacancy formation energy, stacking fault energies, surface energies, specific heat and thermal expansion coefficient with experimental data. The solid–liquid coexistence approach is utilized to accurately calculate the melting points of Ni, Cu, and Al. The MD calculations of the expansion in melting, latent heat and the liquid structure factor are also compared with experimental data. In addition, the solid–liquid interface free energy and surface anisotropy of the elements are determined from the interface fluctuations, and the predictions are compared to the experimental and computational data in the literature.
Efficient evaluation of three-phase coexistence lines

The Gibbs-Duhem integration method is a means for evaluating phase diagrams by molecular simulation. Starting from a state of known phase coexistence, one applies the Clapeyron equation to trace out subsequent points on the saturation line. Each simulation yields a coexistence state, and particle exchanges are not invoked to insure equality of fugacities. We describe and demonstrate here the extension of this method to three-phase coexistence, namely, among a solid, a liquid, and a gas. In one application, we compute the saturation pressure and temperature as a function of composition (more accurately, as a function of fugacity fraction) for six Lennard-Jones two-component mixtures. In a second study, we traverse a mutation pathway; that is, we evaluate three-phase equilibriaas a function of the intermolecular potential. In particular, we define a path that transforms the Lennard-Jones model into a square well, and thus in our calculations we quantify the effect of the shape of the repulsive and attractive portions of the potential on the triple point. In the end we have what is, to our knowledge, the First estimate of a state of solid-fluid coexistence for a square well model. In both applications we assume that the fee crystal structure represents the thermodynamically stable solid phase.
A Sensitivity Analysis of the Modified Chi-square Ratio Statistic for Equivalence Testing of Aerodynamic Particle Size Distribution

Demonstration of equivalence in aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD) is one key component for establishing bioequivalence of orally inhaled drug products. We previously proposed a modified version of the Chi-square ratio statistic (mCSRS) for APSD equivalence testing and demonstrated that the median of the distribution of the mCSRS (MmCSRS) is a robust metric when test (T) and reference (R) cascade impactor (CI) profiles are identical. Here, we systematically evaluate the behavior of the MmCSRS when T and R CI profiles differ from each other in their mean deposition and variability on a single and multiple sites. All CI profiles were generated by Monte-Carlo simulations based upon modified actual CI data. Twenty thousand sets of 30 T and 30 R CI profiles were simulated for each scenario, and the behavior of the MmCSRS was correlated to metrics that characterize the difference between T and R product in mean deposition and variability. The two key findings were, first, that the MmCSRS is more sensitive to difference between T and R CI profiles on high deposition sites, and second, that a cut-off value for APSD equivalence testing based on the MmCSRS needs to be scaled on the variability of the R product. The former is considered as beneficial for equivalence testing of CI profiles as it decreases the likelihood of failing identical CI profiles by chance, in part, due to increasing analytical variability associated with lower deposition sites. The latter is expected to be important for consistently being able to discriminate equivalent from inequivalent CI profiles.
Report on conference on international terrorism: Protection of diplomatic premises and personnel, Bellagio, Italy, March 8–12, 1982

(1983). Report on conference on international terrorism: Protection of diplomatic premises and personnel, Bellagio, Italy, March 8–12, 1982. Terrorism: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 481-496.
Device for Precision Peanut Seed Placement

An important agronomic factor affecting peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) plant growth, pod yield, and seed grade is seed placement. A tractor-mounted device was designed and constructed to aid in performing field experiments to accurately evaluate seed placement on plant growth and yield. Peanut seed were spaced in three alternative diamond-shaped configurations. Although some hand labor was required, seed placement was precise because the human element of spacing seed in the soil was eliminated. The amount of labor required for precise seed placement was less tedious and labor productivity was doubled
Effects of 2.45-GHz microwaves on primate corneal endothelium

Both eyes of anesthetized cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were irradiated with 2.45-GHz microwaves, either pulsed or continuous wave. In vivo corneal endothelial abnormalities were observed by specular microscopy and confirmed through histologic techniques after a 16- to 48-hour postexposure period. Pulsed microwaves with an average power density of 10 mW/cm2 (equivalent to a specific absorption rate (SAR) = 2.6 W/kg) produced these effects, while levels of 20-30 mW/cm2 (equivalent to a SAR = 5.3 to 7.8 W/kg) with continuous wave irradiation were required to produce similar changes.
Transport currents measured in ring samples: test of superconducting weld

Abstract The critical current densities in bulk melt-textured YBa2Cu3Ox and across superconducting “weld” joints are measured using scanning Hall probe measurements of the trapped magnetic field in ring samples. With this method, critical current densities are obtained without the use of electrical contacts. Large persistent currents are induced in ring samples at 77 K, after cooling in a 3 kG field. These currents can be determined from the magnetic field they produce. At 77 K a supercurrent exceeding 2000 A (about 104 A/cm2) was induced in a 2 cm diameter ring; this current produces a magnetic field exceeding 1.5 kG in the bore of the ring. We demonstrate that when a ring is cut, and the cut is repaired by a superconducting weld, the weld joint can transmit the same high supercurrent as the bulk.
The geology of late Cenozoic marine terraces (tablazos) in northwestern Peru

Raised Late Cenozoic marine terraces, known as tablazos, extend along the northern Peruvian coast from Morrope to Mancora. Most of the deposits once assigned to the Mancora Tablazo are best referred to a newly named Taime Formation, which is divisible into three members. Four transgressive-regressive/progradational sequences are identified, each characterized by wave-dominated, tide-dominated, or lagoonal deposition, depending on the coast's configuration. Late in the last depositional sequence, lagoonal deposition was favored by asymmetric uplift and tectonically induced offshore shoaling. Sedimentation increased during early phases of the uplift, then diminished as the terraced shore became isolated from sediment sources. Age determinations for the Taime Formation and younger tablazos are based on mollusks. Species found in dated Pliocene sediments of western South America occur in the Taime Formation and, rarely, on the Mancora Tablazo. No Pliocene species were found on younger terraces. The species composition of molluscan assemblages and inferred tectonic history suggest an early Pleistocene age for the Mancora Tablazo and uppermost Taime Formation.
Vibrational relaxation and coherence and primary electron transfer in photosynthetic reaction centers

Vibrational coherence recently observed by Vos et al. has been analyzed to determine the rate of vibrational relaxation involved in the primary electron transfer (ET) in reaction centers. A modified ET model is introduced to determine multi-mode effects and the temperature dependence of ET for a series of Rb. capsulatus mutants
Rehabilitation of visual impairments: A critical review

Abstract Visual impairments present a significant problem for a large segment of the population. Ocular disorders range from myopia to blindness. Despite having impaired vision, more than 90% of those diagnosed as visually impaired retain useable residual vision. A variety of techniques have been advocated for the improvement of vision. In this paper, four methods of treating visual impairments are evaluated with respect to empirical support: (1) optical aids, (2) contrast effects, (3) vision stimulation, and (4) vision training. The most promising and extensively researched approach to rehabilitation of vision is vision training based on operant conditioning procedures. Although a large number of positive outcomes have been reported, further research is needed to address areas such as: (a) physiological mechanisms, (b) generalization to the natural environment, (c) maintenance of effects, (d) applicability to different populations, and (e) variables predictive of success.
Colocalization of dentin matrix protein 1 and dentin sialoprotein at late stages of rat molar development

Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) are acidic proteins found in the extracellular matrices of bones and teeth. Recent data from gene knockouts, along with those of gene mutations, indicate that these two phosphoproteins are critical for bone and tooth development and/or maintenance. However, the precise functions of the two proteins have not been elucidated. In order to gain insights into their functions in tooth formation, we performed systematic, comparative investigations on the immunolocalization of DMP1 and dentin sialoprotein (DSP, a cleaved fragment of DSPP), using the rat first molar at different developmental stages as a model. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed with specific, monoclonal antibodies against the COOH-terminal fragments of DMP1 and against DSP. In 1-day- and 1-week-old rats, weak immunoreactions for DMP1 were observed in dentinal tubules while stronger reactions for DSP were seen in the tubules and predentin. In rats older than 2 weeks, immunoreactions for DMP1 were found in dentinal tubules, predentin and odontoblasts. In 5-week- and 8-week-old rats, strong immunoreactions for DMP1 were widely distributed in odontoblasts and predentin. The distribution pattern of DSP was strikingly similar to that of DMP1 after 2 weeks and the localization of each was distinctly different from that of bone sialoprotein (BSP). The unique colocalization of DMP1 and DSPP in tooth development suggests that the two proteins play complementary and/or synergistic roles in formation and maintenance of healthy teeth.
Quantification of crystal morphology

Abstract Morphological measurement constitutes an important experimental subject in crystal growth and materials science, and is currently receiving renewed attention because of the rapid advances occurring in computer technology, coupled with the concomitant sharp reductions in the cost of digital image processing. Image processing applied to the quantification of microstructural images is currently being used in our laboratory to increase the understanding of interfacial dynamics during crystal growth and to analyze the kinetics of microstructural evolution. Quantification of microstructural and crystal growth morphologies, such as the measurement of dendritic tip radii, crystallite size distributions, and crystallite shapes, provides the geometric foundation needed for interpreting interfacial dynamics during crystal growth and an objective description of morphogenesis accompanying solid-liquid and solid-solid phase transformations. Automated methods employed, and, in part, developed by the authors to measure these morphological and kinetic parameters, using advanced statistical and stereological methods, are reviewed in this paper. Some of the techniques disclosed here are currently being refined even further to achieve improved precision in the quantification of crystal growth morphology.
Cognitive behavioral therapy delays relapse in female socially phobic alcoholics.

Abstract The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that socially phobic alcoholics treated with Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT) will have better drinking outcomes than those treated with Twelve-Step Facilitation therapy (TSF). Three hundred ninety-seven treatment-seeking alcoholics with concurrent social phobia were compared retrospectively to a matched sample of 397 alcoholics without social phobia. Treatment was delivered in an outpatient setting, and patients were randomized to either CBT, TSF, or Motivational Enhancement therapy (MET). The groups were compared on self-reported drinking measures (e.g., quantity and frequency of drinking, and time-to-event measures) during treatment period and monthly for 1 year following treatment. Survival analyses revealed that female outpatients with social phobia showed delayed relapse to drinking when treated with CBT rather than TSF; the reverse was true for female outpatients without social phobia. Survival analyses in male outpatients with and without social phobia revealed an opposite trend, though it was not statistically significant. These data suggest that Cognitive Behavioral therapy is superior to Twelve-Step Facilitation therapy for the treatment of alcohol problems in specific populations, namely socially phobic women seeking outpatient treatment.
Cutaneous effects of exposure to polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs): The Michigan PBB incident

Abstract In 1973 an environmental accident occurred in northern Michigan in which 1000–2000 pounds of the toxic fire retardant polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) was added to the livestock food supply of much of northern Michigan. PBB is highly lipophilic, poorly metabolized, and biocumulative. It subsequently entered the human food chain of the entire state of Michigan. Health effects were noted in contaminated animals and among exposed farmers some months after the contamination; these often included cutaneous problems. Three years later a multidisciplinary study of the farming population was undertaken. Detected cutaneous abnormalities included halogen acne, hair loss, skin redness, skin peeling, and scaling, itching, increased sweating, and increased growth of fingernails and toenails. The mechanisms underlying these effects are unknown. PBBs appear to be etiologically implicated for significant cutaneous toxicity.