cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The relationship between surface topography, gravity anomalies, and temperature structure of convection

Consideration is given to the relationship between the temperature structure of mantle convection and the resulting surface topography and gravity anomalies, which are used in its investigation. Integral expressions relating the three variables as a function of wavelength are obtained with the use of Green's function solutions to the equations of motion for the case of constant-viscosity convection in a plane layer subject to a uniform gravitational field. The influence of the boundary conditions, particularly at large wavelengths, is pointed out, and surface topographies and gravity produced by convection are illustrated for a number of simple temperature distributions. It is shown that the upper thermal boundary layer plays an important role in determining the surface observables, while temperatures near the bottom of the layer affect mainly that boundary. This result is consistent with an explanation of geoid anomalies over mid-ocean swells in terms of convection beneath the lithosphere.
The DAF syndrome

The DAF syndrome is an acronym suggested for a group of patients who present with the prominent signs of down gaze paralysis, ataxia, and foam cells. To the 30 patients reported in the literature under various headings we are adding nine whom we have studied.Characteristic are: onset in the first two decades of life, progression of the down gaze paralysis to involve up gaze and eventually horizontal gaze in a total supranuclear ophthalmoplegia; development of athetosis and spasticity in addition to the ataxia; extensive infiltration of bone marrow, spleen, liver, and other tissues with foam cells; and a variable degree of intellectual impairment. The sphingomyelinase level in white blood cells and in cultured fibroblasts may be decreased or may be normal. The underlying enzymatic defect and the relationship to other forms of the Niemann-Pick and Sea Blue Histiocyte syndromes are uncertain.
Effect of resistance training frequency on physiological adaptations in older adults

Abstract Resistance training is an effective way to achieve optimal gains in muscle mass and strength and has also been well documented in attenuating various forms of skeletal muscle wasting (e.g., sarcopenia). Moreover, it has been demonstrated that with appropriate training, older adults can reverse strength and muscle mass deficits to younger levels. To attain maximal benefits, careful manipulation of training variables, such as intensity, volume and frequency, is required. Although training intensity and training volume have been extensively studied, there is only scarce information available on the adaptive responses to frequency manipulations in older populations. Thus, we compared the effects of short-term (8 weeks) resistance training programs performed either 2 days/week ( n = 15, 7 males, 8 females) or 3 days/week ( n = 14, 4 males, 10 females) on muscle mass, upper- and lower-body strength and functional abilities in individuals aged > 60 years. Chest press strength increased in both the 2 times/week and 3 times/week groups over the 8-week training period by 20.84% and 20.18%, respectively. Lower-body (leg press) strength also showed improvements in both groups: 22.34% in the 2 times/week group and 28.12% in the 3 times/week group. There was a slight, but nevertheless significant gain of lean body mass from pre- to post-training (2.4% and 1.9% for the 2 days and 3 days groups, respectively). However, functional performance remained unchanged in the groups. We found that short-term resistance training 2 times/week or 3 times/week elicited comparable muscle strength and lean body mass adaptations in older adults.
How the Land Turned Green

The Origin and Early Diversification of Land Plants. A Cladistic Study. PAUL KENRICK and PETER R. CRANE. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, 1997. xiv, 441 pp. $55, ISBN 1-56098-730-8; paper, $27.50, ISBN 1-56098-729-4.
Replacement with recombinant human inhibin immediately after orchidectomy in the hypophysiotropically clamped male rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) maintains follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion and FSH beta messenger ribonucleic acid levels at precastration values

This study directly tested the inhibin hypothesis by examining the ability of replacement with recombinant human (rh-) inhibin, either alone or in combination with testosterone (T), to maintain FSH secretion and FSH beta messenger RNA (mRNA) at intact levels after orchidectomy in the hypophysiotropically clamped juvenile rhesus monkey. Thirteen male monkeys (11-21 months of age) received an intermittent i.v. infusion of GnRH (0.1 microgram/min for 3 min every 3 h). After 4-6 weeks of GnRH stimulation, 10 animals were orchidectomized, and 3 monkeys were sham castrated. Hormone replacement was initiated at castration and maintained for 4 days. Three monkeys received a combination of inhibin and T replacement, 4 monkeys received replacement with inhibin alone, and 3 monkeys received T replacement alone. A continuous i.v. infusion of rh-inhibin (832 ng/h.kg) was used to replace the testicular protein, whereas SILASTIC capsules were implanted sc for T replacement. The FSH response to castration and hormone rep...
A comparison of amnesia in outpatients sedated with midazolam or diazepam alone or in combination with fentanyl during oral surgery

In 80 outpatients, midazolam appeared as approximately two times as potent a sedative as diazepam. The addition of fentanyl to midazolam or to diazepam offered little to the amnesia produced. Midazolam is a new, water-soluble benzodiazepine that has been reported to produce a greater degree of amnesia than does diazepam. This study compares the amnesia produced in patients sedated with midazolam or diazepam or in combination with fentanyl during oral surgery. Twenty-four hours after surgery, each patient answered a questionnaire designed to assess his or her recall of events during and after surgery. Patients who received midazolam alone recalled significantly less than did patients in either diazepam group. The addition of fentanyl to midazolam did not produce any significant difference in recall.
The Social Integration of Practitioners of Non-Western Religions in the United States

Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus have become an increasingly significant part of American religion in recent years. Yet scholarship on these groups has been limited largely to case studies and qualitative observations. We analyze data from a large national survey that permits comparisons among Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and Christians. The data reveal that members of non-Western religions in the United States resemble Jews in having notably higher socioeconomic status than Christians. They resemble the rest of the population on other measures of actual or potential social integration, including political knowledge, generalized trust, neighborhood contacts, and interreligious ties. However, low levels of voting, a tendency to express feelings of alienation, and fewer connections with community elites suggest a continuing lack of political integration.
Pulse Artifact Detection in Simultaneous EEG–fMRI Recording Based on EEG Map Topography

One of the major artifact corrupting electroencephalogram (EEG) acquired during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the pulse artifact (PA). It is mainly due to the motion of the head and attached electrodes and wires in the magnetic field occurring after each heartbeat. In this study we propose a novel method to improve PA detection by considering the strong gradient and inversed polarity between left and right EEG electrodes. We acquired high-density EEG-fMRI (256 electrodes) with simultaneous electrocardiogram (ECG) at 3 T. PA was estimated as the voltage difference between right and left signals from the electrodes showing the strongest artifact (facial and temporal). Peaks were detected on this estimated signal and compared to the peaks in the ECG recording. We analyzed data from eleven healthy subjects, two epileptic patients and four healthy subjects with an insulating layer between electrodes and scalp. The accuracy of the two methods was assessed with three criteria: (i) standard deviation, (ii) kurtosis and (iii) confinement into the physiological range of the inter-peak intervals. We also checked whether the new method has an influence on the identification of epileptic spikes. Results show that estimated PA improved artifact detection in 15/17 cases, when compared to the ECG method. Moreover, epileptic spike identification was not altered by the correction. The proposed method improves the detection of pulse-related artifacts, particularly crucial when the ECG is of poor quality or cannot be recorded. It will contribute to enhance the quality of the EEG increasing the reliability of EEG-informed fMRI analysis.
Correlation of crude oil steam distillation yields with basic crude oil properties

Steam distillation can occur in reservoirs during steam injection and in-situ combustion processes. To estimate the amount of vaporized oil caused by steam distillation, we established correlations of steam distillation yields with the basic crude oil properties. These correlations were based on steam distillation tests performed on 16 crude oils from various parts of the U.S. The gravity of oils varied from 12 to 40/sup 0/API (0.99 to 0.83 g/cm/sup 3/). The viscosity of oil ranged from 5 to 4,085 cSt (5 to 4085 mm/sup 2//s) at 100/sup 0/F (38/sup 0/C). The steam distillations were performed at a saturated steam pressure of 220 psia (1.5 MPa). One oil sample was used in experiments to investigate the effect of steam pressure (220 to 500 psia (1.5 to 3.4 MPa)) on the steam distillation yield. The experiments were carried out to a steam distillation factor (V /SUB w/ /V /SUB oi/ ) of 20, with the factor defined as the cumulative volume of condensed steam used in distillation, V /SUB w/ , divided by the initial volume of oil, V /SUB oi/ . At a steam distillation factor of 20, the distillation yields ranged from 13 to 57% of the initial oilmore » volume. Several basic crude oil properties can be used to predict steam distillation yields reasonably well. A correlation using oil viscosity in centistokes at 100/sup 0/F (38/sup 0/C) can be used to predict the steam distillation yield within a standard error of 4.3%. The API gravity can be used to estimate yields within 5.6%. A gas chromatographic analysis was made for each crude oil to obtain the component boiling points (simulated distillation temperatures). A correlation parameter was selected from the simulated distillation results that can be used to estimate the steam distillation yields within 4.5%.« less
Pathophysiology of nitric oxide and related species: free radical reactions and modification of biomolecules.

Since its initial discovery as an endogenously produced bioactive mediator, nitric oxide (.NO) has been found to play a critical role in the cellular function of nearly all organ systems. Furthermore, aberrant production of .NO or reactive nitrogen species (RNS) derived from .NO, has been implicated in a number of pathological conditions, such as acute lung disease, atherosclerosis and septic shock. While .NO itself is fairly non-toxic, secondary RNS are oxidants and nitrating agents that can modify both the structure and function of numerous biomolecules both in vitro, and in vivo. The mechanisms by which RNS mediate toxicity are largely dictated by its unique reactivity. The study of how reactive nitrogen species (RNS) derived from .NO interact with biomolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, to modify both their structure and function is an area of active research, which is lending major new insights into the mechanisms underlying their pathophysiological role in human disease. In the context of .NO-dependent pathophysiology, these biochemical reactions will play a major role since they: (i) lead to removal of .NO and decreased efficiency of .NO as an endothelial-derived relaxation factor (e.g. in hypertension, atherosclerosis) and (ii) lead to production of other intermediate species and covalently modified biomolecules that cause injury and cellular dysfunction during inflammation. Although the physical and chemical properties of .NO and .NO-derived RNS are well characterised, extrapolating this fundamental knowledge to a complicated biological environment is a current challenge for researchers in the field of .NO and free radical research. In this review, we describe the impact of .NO and .NO-derived RNS on biological processes primarily from a biochemical standpoint. In this way, it is our intention to outline the most pertinent and relevant reactions of RNS, as they apply to a diverse array of pathophysiological states. Since reactions of RNS in vivo are likely to be vast and complex, our aim in this review is threefold: (i) address the major sources and reactions of .NO-derived RNS in biological systems, (ii) describe current knowledge regarding the functional consequences underlying .NO-dependent covalent modification of specific biomolecules, and (iii) to summarise and critically evaluate the available evidence implicating these reactions in human pathology. To this end, three areas of special interest have been chosen for detailed description, namely, formation and role of S-nitrosothiols, modulation of lipid oxidation/nitration by RNS, and tyrosine nitration mechanisms and consequences.
High fluoride ion conduction and conductivity maxima in the glassy system PbF2MnF2Pb(PO3)2

Abstract The glass formation region and the electrical conductivities of glasses in the PbF 2  MnF 2  Pb(PO 3 ) 2 system are reported. A glass with composition 45PbF 2 -45MnF 2 10Pb(PO 3 ) 2 shows maximum anion conductivity ≈ 4 × 10 −4 (Ω-cm) −1 at 200°C. Conductivity maxima observed, with composition variation, for these glasses have been explained by a displacement mechanism between Mn 2+ and Pb 2+ which in turn promotes fluoride anion mobility. Electrical relaxation characteristics have been studied by modulas spectroscopy and the departure from exponential relaxation has been correlated with the activation energy for conductivity.
A Derivation and Analysis of Phase Field Models of Thermal Alloys

Abstract We derive a system of equations describing a binary mixture with thermal properties and a phase transition. The system involves the concentration, c , the temperature, T , and phase or order parameter, φ, and is the generalization of the phase field model for a pure material. Transition layers of width ϵ are exhibited by φ, c , and ∇ T · n . In the limit as ϵ approaches zero, with all other physical parameters held fixed, one attains a limiting set of sharp interface equations which generalize the traditional small c systems of equations. The derivation is accomplished by a systematic use of thermodynamic principles and includes as a special case the phase field equations for a pure material. The phase diagram is recovered in equilibrium.
Tridiagonal and upper triangular inverse M-matrices

Abstract In this paper we characterize the nonnegative nonsingular tridiagonal matrices belonging to the class of inverse M -matrices. We give a geometric equivalence for a nonnegative nonsingular upper triangular matrix to be in this class. This equivalence is extended to include some reducible matrices.
North American glacial history extended to 75,000 years ago

By concentrating carbon-14 through thermal diffusion, it is possible to extend the range of carbon-14 dating to 75,000 years ago. Samples with very low contamination levels have been encountered, and a reliable chronology appears possible. A Pacific Northwest climatic curve has been derived from palynological studies. The Pacific Northwest curve and the Great Lakes glacial history are age-calibrated by radiocarbon dating. The climatic patterns in the Pacific Northwest and Northwest Europe are similar in the early part of the last glaciation, with interstades near 60,000, 65,000, and 70,000 years ago. An age of 74,700 years for the St. Pierre interstade indicates a possible correlation with the previous interglacial.
TEXTURAL CHANGES IN PRECOOKED LOBSTER (Homarus americanus) MEAT RESULTING FROM RADURIZATION FOLLOWED BY REFRIGERATED STORAGE

The textural changes of radurized precooked lobster meat were evaluated by the organoleptic chew count method and the Warner-Bratzler shear test. Significant texture toughening resulted from irradiation with 100 Krads whereas at 75 Krads the changes were not significant. The texture did not change significantly during post-irradiation storage at refrigeration temperatures.
Cell division: experimental induction of cleavage furrows in the eggs of Arbacia punctulata.

Abstract 1. 1. The furrowing reaction, which ordinarily does not occur until the telophase of mitosis, can be initiated much sooner, before any sign of nuclear division has appeared. In the fertilized Arbacia egg, in fact, furrowing can be induced at any time following the union of the gamete nuclei. 2. 2. The method of furrow induction consists of subjecting the eggs to centrifugation at high force (40–50,000 × g ) and high pressure (8–12,000 lbx/in 2 ) for 2–5 minutes. Following such treatment the eggs are quite spherical, but 2–5 minutes later they display deepening furrows which usually succeed in cleaving the egg completely and irreversibly. Prior to prophase the pressure factor is essential for induction, but during prophase (or 2–3 minutes earlier) centrifugation alone may suffice. When high pressure is employed in the centrifugation, no trace of spindles or asters can be found in the cleaving eggs. 3. 3. The plane of such experimentally induced furrows is always at right angles to the axis of centrifugation. Sometimes the furrows come in at the equatorial level, but more often they are displaced more or less into the light hemisphere of the egg. 4. 4. Successful induction appears to depend upon two factors, both consequences of the high-force, high-pressure centrifugation. First, the treatment must rupture the nucleus, and second, it must break a number of cytoplasmic vacuoles, each containing several granules which stain metachromatically (red) with toluidine blue. These are the β-granules, described by Dalcq, Mulnard and others. Presumably the pressure acts by solating the gel structures of the cell, permitting easier rupture and allowing for a more complete separation and stratification of the cellular components. 5. 5. The results are interpreted in terms of a new hypothesis, namely, that induction of the furrowing reaction normally depends upon the transport of materials, of both nuclear and cytoplasmic origin, to the polar regions of the cell cortex. Normally both poles are involved and perhaps the spindle-aster complex represents the transporting agency. The experimentally-induced reaction, on the other hand, seems to involve only the centripetal pole and the transport is achieved by centrifugal force.
The effect of haloperidol in cocaine and amphetamine intoxication

The effectiveness of haloperidol pretreatment in preventing the toxic effects of high doses of amphetamine and cocaine was studied in rats. In this model, toxic effects were induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of amphetamine 75 mg/kg (100% death rate) or cocaine 70 mg/kg (82% death rate). Haloperidol failed to prevent amphetamine-induced seizures, but did lower the mortality rate at most doses tested. Haloperidol decreased the incidence of cocaine-induced seizures at the two highest doses, but the lowering of the mortality rate did not reach statistical significance at any dose. These data suggest a protective role for the central dopamine blocker haloperidol against death from high-dose amphetamine exposure without reducing the incidence of seizures. In contrast, haloperidol demonstrated an ability to reduce cocaine-induced seizures without significantly reducing mortality.
Female pseudohermaphroditism due to congenital adrenal cortical hyperplasia with associated addisonian-like symptoms

Summary 1. A case of female pseudohermaphroditism due to congenital adrenal hyperplasia with associated symptoms of cortical insufficiency is reported. 2. The clinical and laboratory aspects of this entity are discussed. 3. Recommendations for therapy are presented.
Analysis of Global Positioning System-Based Data Collection Methods for Capturing Multistop Trip-Chaining Behavior:

An evaluation is presented of the effectiveness of Global Positioning System (GPS) data in capturing complex travel patterns characterized by multistop trip chains. This evaluation is made by analyzing tripchaining patterns for a sample of individuals from whom travel data were collected using an innovative GPS device that was fitted to one of their household vehicles. By tracking the movements of household vehicles and automatically recording their locations, it is potentially possible to capture short, intermediate, and infrequent trips that would have been missed in a traditional travel diary survey. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of GPS in capturing such trips. A secondary objective was to examine whether GPS trip data are suitable for analyzing trip-chaining behavior in the context of typical activities that people pursue outside the home. Descriptive statistical analysis techniques are used to explore trip-chaining patterns of individuals and model the propensit...
C-11 Radiochemistry in Cancer Imaging Applications

Carbon-11 (C-11) radiotracers are widely used for the early diagnosis of cancer, monitoring therapeutic response to cancer treatment, and pharmacokinetic investigations of anticancer drugs. PET imaging permits non-invasive monitoring of metabolic processes and molecular targets, while carbon-11 radiotracers allow a "hot-for cold" substitution of biologically active molecules. Advances in organic synthetic chemistry and radiochemistry as well as improved automated techniques for radiosynthesis have encouraged investigators in developing carbon-11 tracers for use in oncology imaging studies. The short half-life of carbon-11 (20.38 minutes) creates special challenges for the synthesis of C-11 labeled tracers; these include the challenges of synthesizing C-11 target compounds with high radiochemical yield, high radiochemical purity and high specific activity in a short time and on a very small scale. The optimization of conditions for making a carbon-11 tracer include the late introduction of the C-11 isotope, the rapid formation and purification of the target compound, and the use of automated systems to afford a high yield of the target compound in a short time. In this review paper, we first briefly introduce some basic principles of PET imaging of cancer; we then discuss principles of carbon-11 radiochemistry, focus on specific advances in radiochemistry, and describe the synthesis of C-11 radiopharmaceuticals developed for cancer imaging. The carbon-11 radiochemistry approaches described include the N,O, and S-alkylations of [(11)C]methyl iodide/[(11)C]methyl triflate and analogues of [(11)C]methyl iodide and their applications for making carbon-11 tracers; we then address recent advances in exploring a transmetallic complex mediated [(11)C]carbonyl reaction for oncologic targets.
The roles of perceptual and categorical similarity in colour pop‐out in infants

For both adults and infants, whether a unique target pops out from a background of distractors and captures attention depends on the perceived target-distractor similarity. For adults, this similarity can be categorical as well as perceptual, but whether the same is true for infants is unknown. Here, the authors examined whether infants' colour pop-out is affected by categorical target-distractor similarity using target-distractor pairs in Munsell (r) colours from either the same or a different category and representing different degrees of perceptual similarity. It was found that only targets that were perceptually most dissimilar from the distractor colours popped out, irrespective of category membership; target colours more perceptually similar to the distractor colour did not, even if they were from a different colour category. Although young infants are known to categorize colours in an adult-like fashion, whether or not they preattentively detect a uniquely coloured target is determined by a non-categorical, perceptual colour metric.
La galería comercial de ramón gómez de la serna en el hombre de la galería: La modernidad y la experiencia urbana

En El hombre de la galeria (1926) Ramon Gomez de la Serna nos provee una de sus reflexiones criticas mas concisas y lucidas acerca de la problematica de la modernidad urbana a traves de la logica de la galeria comercial. Demuestra, ademas, de que manera temas como la alienacion, cultura de consumo, politica utopica, y desintegracion existencial informan la experiencia moderna del espacio y tiempo.
A new species of Eupatorium (Compositae) endemic to Grand Bahama Island

A new species,Eupatorium correlliorum, is described from Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas, where it is apparently endemic.
An eye model for uncalibrated eye gaze estimation under variable head pose

Gaze estimation is an important component of computer vision systems that monitor human activity for surveillance, human-computer interaction, and various other applications including iris recognition. Gaze estimation methods are particularly valuable when they are non-intrusive, do not require calibration, and generalize well across users. This paper presents a novel eye model that is employed for efficiently performing uncalibrated eye gaze estimation. The proposed eye model was constructed from a geometric simplification of the eye and anthropometric data about eye feature sizes in order to circumvent the requirement of calibration procedures for each individual user. The positions of the two eye corners and the midpupil, the distance between the two eye corners, and the radius of the eye sphere are required for gaze angle calculation. The locations of the eye corners and midpupil are estimated via processing following eye detection, and the remaining parameters are obtained from anthropometric data. This eye model is easily extended to estimating eye gaze under variable head pose. The eye model was tested on still images of subjects at frontal pose (0o) and side pose (34o). An upper bound of the model’s performance was obtained by manually selecting the eye feature locations. The resulting average absolute error was 2.98o for frontal pose and 2.87o for side pose. The error was consistent across subjects, which indicates that good generalization was obtained. This level of performance compares well with other gaze estimation systems that utilize a calibration procedure to measure eye features.
How semantic categorization influences inhibitory processing in middle-childhood: An event related potentials study.

Abstract Throughout middle-childhood, inhibitory processes, which underlie many higher order cognitive tasks, are developing. Little is known about how inhibitory processes change as a task becomes conceptually more difficult during these important years. In adults, as Go/NoGo tasks become more difficult there is a systematic decrease in the P3NoGo response, indicating the use of effective inhibitory strategies ( Maguire et al., 2009 ). This paper investigates the age at which children employ similar inhibitory strategies by studying behavioral and Event Related Potential (ERP) measures of response inhibition for three Go/NoGo tasks. Seventeen 7–8 year-olds and twenty 10–11-year-olds completed three Go/NoGo tasks that differed in the level of categorization necessary to respond. Both age groups displayed slower reaction times as the tasks became more difficult. Further, both groups displayed the predicted Go vs. NoGo P3 amplitude differences in the two simplest tasks, but no significant P3 differences for the most complex task. The reason for this pattern of responses was different in the different age groups. Similar to adults in previous work, the oldest children showed an attenuation of the P3 NoGo response with task difficulty, and no corresponding changes in the Go amplitude. The younger children displayed the opposite pattern, a significant increase in the Go amplitude with task difficulty, and no changes in the NoGo response. These response patterns indicate that efficient inhibitory strategies are developing throughout middle-childhood.
Photodetector based on networks of carbon nanotubes on decomposed SOI

We report a novel method of fabricating self-assembled carbon nanotube (CNT) on Si nanocrystals and the photocurrent from this network. Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate with 10nm thin top silicon layer is annealed at elevate temperature in an ultra-high vacuum environment. The Si layer dewets and aggregates into Si nanocrystal islands with dimensions about 90 nm high, 100-150 nm wide, and 200nm apart. 1nm thin Fe film is deposited on the decomposed SOI as catalyst for CNT growth. The growth is done by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at 900 °C with a flow of CH 4 at 400sccm and H 2 at 20sccm. The CVD grown CNTs show strong preferential growth on the top portion of the Si nanocrystals and form a suspended network connecting the nanocrystals. No photolithographic process is needed to create this self-assembled CNT network. We find that the reason that few CNT are found on the oxide surface is because of the influence of the island topography on the CH 4 gas flow pattern, with feedstock unable to reach the oxide surface when the islands are close to each other. We demonstrate that, by shining a low power 650nm wavelength commercial red laser pointer on this network, it generates photocurrent on the level of 20nA photocurrent under 1 volt bias condition. Since a 100 mW 1.175 μm wavelength IR laser does not generate any distinguishable photocurrent in our measurement setup, we believe the photocurrent generated by 650 nm red laser mainly comes from the Si nanocrystals instead of the CNTs. We demonstrate that a dense, self-assembled CNT network can be formed on the decomposed Si nanocrystals and can be used as conducting media for electric measurement.
A quantitative study of disruption in the operating room during laparoscopic antireflux surgery.

Background Many activities performed by team members in the operating room (OR) are not directly related to the achievement of the surgical goal.
On the Ricardian rent and the allocation of land under joint price and yield uncertainty

Summary A result on the comparative statics of land rent under joint price and yield uncertainty and expected utility maximisation is provided. An increase in the strength of the negative price–yield dependence is modelled using the concordance stochastic order. The effect of a greater price–yield dependence on equilibrium rent depends on the degree of producer risk aversion. Specifically, rent increases (decreases) under an increase in negative dependence between price and yield if the relative risk aversion is greater (less) than one and non-farm income is less (greater) than production costs.
Comparison of Alternative Control Structures for an Ideal Two-Product Reactive Distillation Column

Although steady-state design and open-loop dynamics of reactive distillation columns have been explored in many papers, very few papers have dealt with closed-loop control. Most of these control papers consider reactive distillation columns in which there is only one product, and an excess of one of the reactants is sometimes assumed. This paper explores the closed-loop control of a reactive distillation column in which two products are produced in a single column and stoichiometric amounts of fresh feeds are desired. The reversible reaction is A + B ⇌ C + B. The relative volatilities are favorable for reactive distillation; i.e., the reactants are intermediate boilers between the light product C and the heavy product D. Simple ideal physical properties, kinetics, and vapor−liquid equilibrium are assumed so that the basic control issues of reactive distillation can be explored without being clouded by complexities of a specific chemical system. Six alternative control structures are evaluated via rigorous...
Triazole-containing BODIPY dyes as novel fluorescent probes for soluble oligomers of amyloid Aβ1–42 peptide

A straightforward functionalization of BODIPY dyes via incorporation of a triazole moiety produced fluorescent dyes that were capable of distinguishing between secondary structure conformations of soluble oligomeric species of Abeta1-42 peptide. Small concentrations of the dyes, relative to Abeta1-42, provided up to an 8-fold and 35-fold fluorescence increase in the presence of the unordered and ordered, beta-sheet-rich conformations of soluble Abeta1-42 oligomers, respectively. These triazole-containing dyes could prove to be useful probes for monitoring amyloid conformational transitions in vitro.
On Atomic potential energies, proton affinities and photoemission

Abstract Atomic inner-shell photoemission and proton affinities are discussed in terms of electrostatic and polarization potential energies.
A 13C CP-MAS NMR study of irradiated polyethylene

Solid-state 13C-NMR was used to analyze several polyethylene samples, irradiated at room temperature with gamma rays in vacuum or with electrons in air up to a maximum dose of 200 Mrad. The main observed events were the formation of methyl ends and interior double bonds (vinylenes), as well as the disappearance of the initial vinyl ends. No signals associated with “H” or “Y” crosslinks were found in any of the samples. The partitioning of methyl ends and interior vinylenes between the crystalline and noncrystalline regions was determined only for the irradiated ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) samples. Although concentration of methyl ends in the crystalline regions was approximately half that in the noncrystalline regions, the vinylenes had very similar concentrations in the two phases. Although some evidence for both cis and trans vinylenes appears in the spectrum of the noncrystalline regions, only one configuration (trans) seems to exist in the crystalline regions. No appreciable effect on the partitioning was detected after annealing the electron-irradiated UHMWPE samples for 16 h at 130°C.
On Coreference Resolution Performance Metrics

The paper proposes a Constrained Entity-Alignment F-Measure (CEAF) for evaluating coreference resolution. The metric is computed by aligning reference and system entities (or coreference chains) with the constraint that a system (reference) entity is aligned with at most one reference (system) entity. We show that the best alignment is a maximum bipartite matching problem which can be solved by the Kuhn-Munkres algorithm. Comparative experiments are conducted to show that the widely-known MUC F-measure has serious flaws in evaluating a coreference system. The proposed metric is also compared with the ACE-Value, the official evaluation metric in the Automatic Content Extraction (ACE) task, and we conclude that the proposed metric possesses some properties such as symmetry and better interpretability missing in the ACE-Value.
Comparative carcinogenicities of 4-N-pyrrolidinylazo-benzene, its 4′-ethyl derivative, N-methyl-5-phenylazoindoline, and N,N-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene in the rat

Ashby et al. (Carcinogenesis 1:1-7, 1980) have reported that 4-N-pyrrolidinylazobenzene is a powerful toxin and transforming agent in BHK cells. They have also proposed a scheme for the prediction of carcinogenic activity which is based on structural analysis of this and other compounds, including N-methyl-5-phenylazoindoline, tested in their BHK system. Contrary to their prediction, we found that 4-N-pyrrolidinylazobenzene and N-methyl-5-phenylazoindoline were not carcinogenic when fed to adult rats under conditions where N,N-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene induced a high incidence of hepatic carcinomas. 4'-Ethyl substitution of the pyrrolidine derivative yielded a weak carcinogen. These data suggest that complex structure-activity analyses for carcinogenic activity in this class of compounds are premature in the absence of data on whole animals. The transformation of BHK cells appears to require further validation as a predictor of the carcinogenic activity of chemicals for animals.
NMR study of the preferred membrane orientation of polyisoprenols (dolichol) and the impact of their complex with polyisoprenyl recognition sequence peptides on membrane structure.

Earlier NMR studies showed that the polyisoprenols (PIs) dolichol (C 95), dolichylphosphate (C95-P) and undecaprenylphosphate (C 55 -P) could alter membrane structure by inducing in the lamellar phospholipid (PL) bilayer a nonlamellar or hexagonal (Hex II) structure. The destabilizing effect of C 95 and C 95 -P on host fatty acyl chains was supported by small angle X-ray diffraction and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Our present 1 H- and 31 P-NMR studies show that the addition of a polyisoprenol recognition sequence (PIRS) peptide to nonlamellar membranes induced by the PIs can reverse the hexagonal structure phase back to a lamellar structure. This finding shows that the PI:PIRS docking complex can modulate the polymorphic phase transitions in PL membranes, a finding that may help us better understand how glycosyl carrier-linked sugar chains may traverse membranes. Using an energy-minimized molecular modeling approach, we also determined that the long axis of C95 in phosphatidylcholine (PC) membranes is oriented ~ parallel to the interface of the lipid bilayer, and that the head and tail groups are positioned near the bilayer interior. In contrast, the phosphate head group of C95-P is anchored at the PC bilayer, and the angle between the long axis of C95-P and the bilayer interface is about 75, giving rise to a preferred conformation more perpendicular to the plane of the bilayer. Molecular modeling calculations further revealed that up to five PIRS peptides can bind cooperatively to a single PI molecule, and this tethered structure has the potential to form a membrane channel. If such a channel were to exist in biological membranes, it could be of functional importance in glycoconjugate translocation, a finding that has not been previously reported.
Perceptions of prescription warning labels within an underserved population

Objective: To understand whether underserved populations attend to prescription warning label (PWL) instructions, examine the importance of PWL instructions to participants and describe the challenges associated with interpreting the information on PWLs.Methods: Adults from an underserved population (racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with low income, older adults) who had a history of prescription medication use and were able to understand English took part in semi-structured interviews. Participants were presented with eight different prescription bottles with an attached PWL. Participants were asked, “If this prescription was yours, what information would you need to know about the medicine?” The number of participants who attended to the warning labels was noted. Other questions assessed the importance of PWLs, the challenges with understanding PWLs, and ways a pharmacist could help participant understanding of the PWL.Results: There were 103 participants. The mean age was 50.25 years (SD=18.05). Majority attended to the PWL. Participants not currently taking medications and who had limited health literacy were likely to overlook the warning labels. Majority rated the warning instructions to be extremely important (n=86, 83.5 %), wanted the pharmacist to help them understand PWLs by counseling them on the information on the label (n=63, 61.2%), and thought the graphics made the label information easy to understand.Conclusions: PWLs are an important method of communicating medication information, as long as they are easily comprehensible to patients. In addition to placing PWLs on prescription bottles, health care providers need to counsel underserved populations on medication warnings, especially individuals with limited health literacy who are not currently using a prescription medication.
Synthesis and applications of difluorobenzothiadiazole based conjugated polymers for organic photovoltaics

A new electron deficient building block, difluorobenzothiadiazole (FBT) was designed and synthesized for the first time. Two low band gap polymers containing this unit or benzothiadiazole (BT) and an electron rich unit, benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT) were synthesized by Stille coupling reaction. It was found that fluorine substitution significantly lowered the energy levels but did not affect the UV absorption properties of the polymer. Comparatively, the fluorinated polymer showed a higher melting point and a reduced solubility. The electrical and photovoltaic properties of these polymers were studied by fabricating thin film transistors and polymer solar cells. The solar cell based on FBT polymer and PC71BM gives power conversion efficiency up to 3.4% under AM 1.5 G illumination (100 mW cm−2).
Serum resistance in an invasive, nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae strain

A common feature of many different organisms causing bacteremia is the ability to avoid the bactericidal effects of normal human serum. In Haemophilus influenzae encapsulated strains are particularly serum resistant; however, we found that a nonencapsulated strain (R2866) isolated from the blood of an immunocompetent child with meningitis who had been successfully immunized with H. influenzae type b conjugate vaccine was serum resistant. Since serum resistance usually involves circumventing the action of the complement system, we defined the deposition of various complement components on the surfaces of this H. influenzae strain (R2866), a nonencapsulated avirulent laboratory strain (Rd), and a virulent type b encapsulated strain (Eagan). Membrane attack complex (MAC) accumulation correlated with the loss of bacterial viability; correspondingly, the rates of MAC deposition on the serum-sensitive strain Rd and the serum-resistant strains differed. Analysis of cell-associated immunoglobulin G (IgG), C1q, C3b, and C5b indicated that serum-resistant H. influenzae prevents MAC accumulation by delaying the synthesis of C3b through the classical pathway. Among the initiators of the classical pathway, IgG deposition contributes most of the C3 convertase activity necessary to start the cascade ending with MAC deposition. Despite similar IgG binding, strain R2866 delays C3 convertase activity compared to strain Rd. We conclude that strain R2866 can persist in the bloodstream, in part by inhibiting or delaying C3 deposition on the cell surface, escaping complement mediated killing.
Accumulated Strain, Negative Emotions, and Crime: A Test of General Strain Theory in Russia

Drawing on a random sample of 340 adults, this study examines the relationships between strain, negative emotions, and criminal coping in the context of Russia. Extending the argument of general strain theory (GST), it also assesses the criminogenic potency of strain accumulation and raises the possibility that negative affect, accumulating from stressors closely grouped in time, heightens individual’s sensitivity to concurrent or subsequent strains. Although the data suggest that the core variables of GST are operant in Russia, support for the theory is mixed. Strain appears to be generally associated with negative emotions, but negative emotions are not uniformly criminogenic. Negative emotions do not appear to mediate the association between strain and crime but moderate the strain–crime link and, in some cases, increase the enabling effects of strains on illegal coping. Overall, the findings suggest that negative affect likely produced by accumulation or clustering of negative events and conditions ma...
A hybrid grid/particle filter for Lagrangian data assimilation. I: Formulating the passive scalar approximation

In this two-part paper, we present a new nonlinear method for the assimilation of Lagrangian data. In part I, we formulate the method as a generalization of other particle filters. A particularly novel feature of the formulation is the use of a hybrid discretisation of the probability density function (PDF) in physical/phase space. Moreover, we show that, under the assumption that the drifters are uncorrelated, the projection of the Fokker–Planck equation onto the observation space associated with the drifter positions reduces to a set of passive scalar equations. This property allows us to efficiently compute the transitional PDF. To compute the analysis states, we present a grid/particle filter specifically formulated for use with the hybrid representation of our PDF. In common with other particle filters, our filter can suffer from sample impoverishment. To remedy this problem, we extend the Gaussian resampling procedure of Xiong et al. to produce a very efficient filter. This produces a fully functional scheme for Lagrangian data assimilation when combined with our forecasts of the prior. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Cost-Effectiveness of Vaccination versus Treatment of Influenza in Healthy Adolescents and Adults

At present time, there is uncertainty regarding whether influenza-like illness in healthy adults is best managed by preventive efforts that use the trivalent influenza vaccine, administration of neuraminidase inhibitors at the onset of illness, or recommendation of supportive care alone at the onset of illness. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis that examined these 3 strategies for managing influenza-like illness. Vaccination with inactivated trivalent vaccine would save approximately 25 dollars per person while resulting in a net gain of approximately 3.2 quality-adjusted hours relative to providing treatment with the neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir. A quality-adjusted hour is a fraction of a quality-adjusted life-year, which is the equivalent of 1 year lived in perfect health. Treatment with oseltamivir was associated with an incremental cost-effectiveness of approximately 27,619 dollars per quality-adjusted life-year gained relative to providing supportive care. Vaccination is cost-saving relative to providing either treatment with oseltamivir or providing supportive care alone.
Genomic drift and copy number variation of sensory receptor genes in humans.

The number of sensory receptor genes varies extensively among different mammalian species. This variation is believed to be caused partly by physiological requirements of animals and partly by genomic drift due to random duplication and deletion of genes. If the contribution of genomic drift is substantial, each species should contain a significant amount of copy number variation (CNV). We therefore investigated CNVs in sensory receptor genes among 270 healthy humans by using published CNV data. The results indicated that olfactory receptor (OR), taste receptor type 2, and vomeronasal receptor type 1 genes show a high level of intraspecific CNVs. In particular, >30% of the ≈800 OR gene loci in humans were polymorphic with respect to copy number, and two randomly chosen individuals showed a copy number difference of ≈11 in functional OR genes on average. There was no significant difference in the amount of CNVs between functional and nonfunctional OR genes. Because pseudogenes are expected to evolve in a neutral fashion, this observation suggests that functional OR genes also have evolved in a similar manner with respect to copy number change. In addition, we found that the evolutionary change of copy number of OR genes approximately follows the Gaussian process in probability theory, and the copy number divergence between populations has increased with evolutionary time. We therefore conclude that genomic drift plays an important role for generating intra- and interspecific CNVs of sensory receptor genes. Similar results were obtained when all annotated genes were analyzed.