cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical removal of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract Objective To assess the results of surgical excision of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Retrospective, interventional, noncomparative case series. Participants and intervention Sixty-four consecutive patients undergoing surgical removal of AMD-related subfoveal CNV were studied. The surgical method included a small retinotomy, subretinal tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), perfluoro-n-octane, and air-fluid exchange. Main outcome measures Final visual acuity was the main outcome measure; surgical complications and recurrence rates were also assessed. Results Preoperative visual acuity ranged from 20/100 to 1/200, with a mean of 20/400. Average follow-up was 19 months. The best acuity achieved after surgery ranged from 20/20 to hand motions, with a mean of 20/200. Final visual acuity ranged from 20/50 to light perception, with a mean of 20/400. Final acuity was improved 3 or more lines in 19 eyes (30%) (median, 5 lines), stable in 27 eyes (42%), and 3 or more lines worse in 18 eyes (28%) (median, 4 lines). Factors associated with greater visual improvement included poorer initial acuity, larger CNV size, and smaller subretinal hemorrhage. Analysis of groups similar to Macular Photocoagulation Study subgroups A through D showed an average improvement of 1 line for group C (visual acuity, 20/200 or worse; CNV larger than 2 disc areas). Other preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors, including recurrence and retinal detachment, did not have a significant effect on final visual outcome. Conclusions After surgical excision of AMD-related subfoveal CNV, vision improved or stabilized in the majority of patients. Surgery may be of greatest value for patients with poorer vision, larger subfoveal CNV, and minimal hemorrhage. Further evaluation of this technique should be accomplished via completion of a controlled, randomized multicenter study.
Development of Predictive Equations for Milk Yield and Dry Matter Intake in Lactating Cows

Eleven cooperating university agricultural experiment stations provided information on 19 separate experiments in which total feed intake and composition, body weight, season, stage of lactation, milk production, and milk composition were recorded. A total of 492 cows on these experiments provided 4135 Holstein and 704 Jersey 28-day records. By stepwise backward elimination procedures, 192 separate regression models were studied to identify important independent and dependent variables in prediction models for milk yield and dry matter intake. Then by least squares procedures predictive models were developed for milk yield (squared multiple correlation .807) and dry matter intake (.741). A second independent experiment of 480 observations on 40 cows tested the validity of these predictive models. Correlations between predicted and actual values were .76 and .75 for milk yield and dry matter. The percent error in comparing estimated with actual observations was 4.9% for milk yield and 12.5% for dry matter intake. These errors could be significantly reduced by minor adjustments of models.
Partitioning or bundling? Perceived fairness of the surcharge makes a difference

Partitioned pricing charges a base price and a surcharge instead of an equivalent all-inclusive price. In contrast, a bundling strategy offers a bundled price instead of separate prices for products in one package. Which pricing practice is more profitable? Previous research has shown conflicting results. This research identifies the boundary conditions which circumscribe the profitability of partitioned and bundled pricing. Results of three experiments indicate that the relative significance of the surcharge to the base price influences consumers' perception of the fairness of the surcharge, which in turn influences consumer purchase intentions. Furthermore, given the same level of surcharge, consumers' perceptions of the fairness of the surcharge moderates the effect of the pricing strategies. Thus, perceived fairness of the surcharge appears to be the key in determining whether or not the partitioning strategy is more profitable than the bundling strategy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Wavelike movement of bedload sediment, East Fork River, Wyoming

Bedload is moved down the East Fork River in distinct wavelike pulses that have the form of composite dune fields The moving material consists mostly of coarse sand and fine gravel The wavelengths of the pulses are about 500–600 m, a distance that is predetermined by the pattern of stoage of bed sediment in the river during low water As the river discharge increases, the bed sediment is scoured from the storage areas, and it is moved onto and across the interventing riffles As the river discharge decreases, the bed sediment is scoured off the riffles and moved into the next storage area downstream Each successive pulse of water discharge sets into motion a wave of bedload that continues to move unitil it reaches the next storage area
Targeting HSP90 to halt neurodegeneration.

Activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling is associated with neuronal cell death. As described in this issue of Chemistry & Biology, cell-based screening efforts yielded a compound, AEG3482, which interacts with heat shock protein 90 leading to inhibition of JNK and blockade of neuronal apoptosis [1].
Chemical abundance analysis of Kapteyn's Star

We report spectral chemical abundances for 12 elements in Kapteyn's Star (HD 33793), a subdwarf M star. We use stellar temperature and gravity parameters derived using the recent interferometric measurement of its radius. We find [Fe/H] = -1.13 ± 0.01, [Ti/H] = -0.90 ± 0.03, and a weighted mean metallicity [M/H] = -0.98 ± 0.10, where the uncertainties in temperature, gravity and microturbulence are included in the latter. This value falls about mid-way between the metallicity found in the only previous high-resolution analysis, [M/H] = -0.55 ± 0.15, and the value derived from low-resolution spectra of TiO and CaH features, [M/H] = -1.5 ± 0.5. It is essentially identical to that found using low-resolution infrared spectra of water lines, [M/H] = -1.0 ± 0.3. This abundance determination for a nearby subdwarf M star using well-determined stellar parameters and a spectrum with a high signal-to-noise ratio will provide an anchor point for abundance studies of similar stars where the situation is not so favourable.
Reducing Hispanic Children’s Obesity Risk Factors in the First 1000 Days of Life: A Qualitative Analysis

Objectives. Modifiable behaviors during the first 1000 days (conception age 24 months) mediate Hispanic children’s obesity disparities. We aimed to examine underlying reasons for early life obesity risk factors and identify potential early life intervention strategies. Methods. We conducted 7 focus groups with 49 Hispanic women who were pregnant or had children < age 24 months. Domains included influences on childhood obesity risk factors and future intervention ideas. We analyzed data with immersion-crystallization methods until no new themes emerged. Results. Themes included coping with pregnancy may trump healthy eating and physical activity; early life weight gain is unrelated to later life obesity; fear of infant hunger drives bottle and early solids introduction; beliefs about infant taste promote early solids and sugary beverage introduction; and belief that screen time promotes infant development. Mothers identified physicians, nutritionists, and relatives as important health information sources and expressed interest in mobile technology and group or home visits for interventions. Conclusion. Opportunities exist in the first 1000 days to improve Hispanic mothers’ understanding of the role of early life weight gain in childhood obesity and other obesity risk factors. Interventions that link health care and public health systems and include extended family may prevent obesity among Hispanic children.
Involvement of Rhodocyclus-Related Organisms in Phosphorus Removal in Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Plants

The participation of organisms related to Rhodocyclus in full-scale enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) was investigated. By using fluorescent in situ hybridization techniques, the communities of Rhodocyclus-related organisms in two full-scale wastewater treatment plants were estimated to represent between 13 and 18% of the total bacterial population. However, the fractions of these communities that participated in polyphosphate accumulation depended on the type of treatment process evaluated. In a University of Cape Town EBPR process, the percentage of Rhodocyclus-related cells that contained polyphosphate was about 20% of the total bacterial population, but these cells represented as much as 73% of the polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs). In an aerated-anoxic EBPR process, Rhodocyclus-related PAOs were less numerous, accounting for 6% of the total bacterial population and 26% of the total PAO population. In addition, 16S ribosomal DNA sequences 99.9% similar to the sequences of Rhodocyclus-related organisms enriched in acetate-fed bench-scale EBPR reactors were recovered from both full-scale plants. These results confirmed the involvement of Rhodocyclus-related organisms in EBPR and demonstrated their importance in full-scale processes. In addition, the results revealed a significant correlation between the type of EBPR process and the PAO community.
Energy flow and partitioning in selected man-managed and natural ecosystems

Abstract Energy-flow studies in many terrestrial ecosystems have been characterized by emphasis on grazing pathways. In this paper, we demonstrate the preponderance of energy-flow in detrital-saprophagic pathways, even in those systems exploited for grazing by man (e.g., grassland ecosystems). When examining a full spectrum of terrestrial ecosystem types, ranging from agro-ecosystems to herbaceous to forested ecosystems, the costs for belowground primary (root) production and maintenance are high, and predominate in several natural ecosystems studied so far. Surprisingly, agro-ecosystems remain the ecological units we know the least about, for total-system energy-flow. Making a few estimates of more realistic heterotrophic energy costs, we suggest P/R ratios for highly productive ecosystems may be Because total-system energy budgets are known for so few habitats, many more studies are needed for the developing science of ecosystem management.
Interactions of SO2 and H2S with amorphous carbon films

There is significant interest in development of efficient catalyst-sorbents for the capture and conversion of sulfur-compounds such as H2S and SO2. In this work, ultra-high vacuum (UHV) techniques have been used to carefully prepare and thoroughly characterize amorphous carbon (a-C) thin films as models of activated carbon sorbents. Films with modified surface chemistries were prepared by oxidation of a sputter deposited carbon film (a-COx) and by sputter depositing carbon in the presence of N2 (a-CNx) or methane (a-CHx). Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study H2S and SO2 surface chemistry on these films and on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) reference-surface. The modification of the carbons with different heteroatoms influences both the strength of their interactions with SO2 and H2S and their capacities for sulfur-compound adsorption.
Optimization of a Microfluidic Mixer for Studying Protein Folding Kinetics

We have applied an optimization method in conjunction with numerical simulations to minimize the mixing time of a microfluidic mixer developed for protein folding studies. The optimization method uses a semideterministic algorithm to find the global minimum of the mixing time by varying the mixer geometry and flow conditions. We describe the minimization problem and constraints and give a brief overview of the optimization algorithm. We present results of the optimization, including the optimized geometry and parameter sensitivities, and we demonstrate the improvement in mixing performance with experiments using microfabricated mixers. The dye-quenching experiments of the original and optimized mixer designs show respective mixing times of 7 and 4 μs, a 40% reduction. The new design also provides more uniform mixing across streamlines that enter the mixer. The optimized mixer is the fastest reported continuous flow mixer for protein folding.
A Theorem About Uniform Distribution

Many problems of combinatorial number theory can be formulated in terms of behavior of orbits of certain transformations acting on the spaces of integers or their subsets. Their analysis can be reduced to problems embracing number theory, probability theory and dynamical systems. In this paper we consider one such question originated from the famous (3x+1)-problem, which illustrates the difficulties which sometimes arise. The main theorem gives the limiting uniform distribution of certain functionals of independent random variables.
MobiSens: A Versatile Mobile Sensing Platform for Real-World Applications

We present the design, implementation and evaluation of MobiSens, a versatile mobile sensing platform for a variety of real-life mobile sensing applications. MobiSens addresses common requirements of mobile sensing applications on power optimization, activity segmentation, recognition and annotation, interaction between mobile client and server, motivating users to provide activity labels with convenience and privacy concerns. After releasing three versions of MobiSens to the Android Market with evolving UI and increased functionalities, we have collected 13,993 h of data from 310 users over five months. We evaluate and compare the user experience and the sensing efficiency in each release. We show that the average number of activities annotated by a user increases from 0.6 to 6. This result indicates the activity auto-segmentation/recognition feature and certain UI design changes significantly improve the user experience and motivate users to use MobiSens more actively. Based on the MobiSens platform, we have developed a range of mobile sensing applications including Mobile Lifelogger, SensCare for assisted living, Ground Reporting for soldiers to share their positions and actions horizontally and vertically, and CMU SenSec, a behavior-driven mobile Security system.
Schedule Risks Due to Delays in Advanced Technology Development

This paper discusses a methodology and modeling capability that probabilistically evaluates the likelihood and impacts of delays in advanced technology development prior to the start of design, development, test, and evaluation (DDT&E) of complex space systems. The challenges of understanding and modeling advanced technology development considerations are first outlined, followed by a discussion of the problem in the context of lunar surface architecture analysis. The current and planned methodologies to address the problem are then presented along with sample analyses and results. The methodology discussed herein provides decision-makers a thorough understanding of the schedule impacts resulting from the inclusion of various enabling advanced technology assumptions within system design.
A cautionary note on the use of non‐parametric tests in the Analysis of Environmental Data

Observations made on many environmental variables do not often follow a normal distribution. Even the widely used logarithmic transformation does not guarantee normality of the transformed data. Because of this, resort is often made, when comparing groups of observations, to non-parametric test procedures. Although the null hypothesis of interest in such analyses is often that the means of two groups are the same, this is not the null hypothesis tested in these procedures. This implies that use of these tests as procedures for means may be invalid, in that even when the group means are equal, the test does not have the Type I error chosen. Further problems arise with non-independent data. We report the results of a Monte Carlo study where: (a) the means of the two groups are the same, but other characteristics differ; (b) the differences of pairs in a paired-comparison model are dependent; and (c) the marginal distributions of pairs are dependent, but not identical. We note that frequently used non-parametric procedures when the assumptions are violated are not valid. The results demonstrate the importance of understanding the assumptions required for the validity of non-parametric test procedures. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Angioedema presenting in the retropharyngeal space in an adult.

Purpose Hereditary angioedema is a rare disorder of deficient or dysfunctional C1-esterase inhibitor and usually manifests as edema of the face, tongue, supraglottis, extremities, or gastrointestinal tract. We report the case of a 40-year-old man with known hereditary angioedema who presented with a sore throat and a sensation of evolving airway obstruction. After a thorough search of the medical literature, we believe this to be the first reported case of angioedema manifesting in the retropharyngeal space. The pathophysiological factors of angioedema are discussed, along with its variable presentation and management issues. Method Laryngoscopic examination was suggestive of posterior pharyngeal fullness; therefore, a computed tomographic scan of the neck was obtained, which showed a non-contrast-enhancing retropharyngeal edema from the base of the skull to below the level of the glottis. The patient had a history of multiple episodes of angioedema requiring hospitalization and three prior tracheotomies. Results Familiarity with the patient's history directed his rapid treatment course (including intravenous stanozolol, Solu-Medrol, and diphenhydramine), which significantly reduced his edema and avoided the need for tracheotomy. Conclusion Hereditary angioedema may present in atypical locations, and expeditious treatment in a patient with a known history may avert the sequelae of evolving airway obstruction.
Reaction of tert-butyl isocyanate and tert-butyl isothiocyanate at the Ge(100) − 2 × 1 Surface

Abstract The adsorption of tert-butyl isothiocyanate and tert-butyl isocyanate at the Ge(100) − 2 × 1 surface was probed using multiple internal reflection Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT) modeling. Results indicate that there are multiple surface products for each molecule. FTIR studies of tert-butyl isothiocyanate reveal adsorption through an S-dative bonded state, while XPS studies further suggest a reactive desorption product which leaves excess sulfur atoms at the surface. Studies of tert-butyl isocyanate indicate that the molecule dissociatively adsorbs at the surface, resulting in tert-butyl and germyl isocyanate groups, as the major pathway, in addition to forming several minor products, including a [2 + 2] cycloaddition product across the C=N bond. DFT was used to simulate vibrational spectra and map the reaction pathways, and confirms that the assigned products are energetically favorable.
A Proposed Program in Modern Foreign Languages

Author's Summary— Foreign language instructors should press now for a larger number of credits, not merely class hours. A program proposed for the implementation of the various aims of a liberal arts sequence, including a basic skill in speaking.
Anesthetic challenges for deep brain stimulation: A systematic approach

Ablative intracranial surgery for Parkinson's disease has advanced to embedding electrodes into precise areas of the basal ganglia. Electrode implantation surgery, referred to as deep brain stimulation (DBS), is preferred in view of its reversibility, adjustability, and capability to be safely performed bilaterally. DBS is been increasingly used for other movement disorders, intractable tremors epilepsy, and sometimes chronic pain. Anesthesiologists need to amalgamate the knowledge of neuroanatomical structures and surgical techniques involved in placement of microelectrodes in defined cerebral target areas. Perioperative verbal communication with the patient during the procedure is quintessential and may attenuate the need for pharmacological agents. This review will endeavor to assimilate the present knowledge regarding the patient selection, available/practiced anesthesia regimens, and perioperative complications after our thorough search for literature published between 1991 and 2013.
Responses of Carpophilus hemipterus larvae and adults to selected secondary metabolites of maize

Selected secondary metabolites produced by maize (Zea mays L.) were tested for effects on larvae and adults of the dried-fruit beetle [Carpophilus hemipterus (L.)] in no-choice and choice assays. Feeding by adults and larvae was significantly reduced by ferulic acid and 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (MBOA) in no-choice assays. In choice assays, larvae and adults generally preferred diets with trans-cinnamic acid, quercetin, rutin, and thymol, but were repelled by diets with either ferulic acid or MBOA. Resume Reactions des larves et des adultes de Carpophilus hemipterus a certains metabolites secondaires du mais Les reactions de larves et adultes du nitidulide C. hemipterus (L.), vecteur de champignons produisant la mycotoxine, aux composes phenoliques caracteristiques, aux flavonoides et aux acides hydroxamiques, metabolites secondaires qui provoquent la resistance du mais (Zea mays L.) ont ete examinees au cours d'experiences avec et sans choix. L'alimentation des adultes et des larves est generalement reduite par les acides coumarique et ferulique et par la 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone dans des experiences sans choix; les insectes evitent generalement les aliments qui contiennent ces produits. Quoi qu'il en soit, les larves preferent consommer d'autres aliments contenant les autres phenoliques ou flavonoides examines. Les adultes sont plus inconstants dans leur choix alimentaires, mais preferent souvent des aliments contenant de la quercetine. Ainsi, des programmes de selection orientes contre les principaux ravageurs comme Heliothis zea (Boddie) ou Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), impliquant la selection de plantes a teneur elevee en acides phenolique ou hydroxamique, augmentant probablement aussi la resistance aux nitidulides.
General Book Store in Chicago, 1938‐1947: linking neighborhood to nation

Purpose – Through an account of the layout, operations, and four main product lines of a small Chicago bookstore between 1938 and 1947, the purpose of this paper is to show how a neighborhood retail establishment reacted to the sweeping events of the Great Depression and World War II.Design/methodology/approach – The research is based upon multiple primary data sources including store financial records, family photographs, representative artifacts and ephemera, oral history interviews, and period retailing literature.Findings – Located in an area of Chicago heavily populated by Polish and Jewish immigrants and their children, General Book Store was a traditional mom and pop operation. The mix of its product lines – books and magazines, model kits, greeting cards, and camera supplies and photo‐finishing – evolved over time while always connecting customers to the national experience. The store afforded its owners a modest, but upwardly mobile middle‐class life style.Originality/value – Although much has be...
Cellular nicotinic receptor desensitization correlates with nicotine-induced acute behavioral tolerance in rats

Individuals vary in their susceptibility to nicotine addiction. However, there is little evidence that behavioral sensitivity to nicotine is dependent upon the functional state of nicotinic cholinergic receptors (nAChRs). This study aims to determine the relationship between in vivo behavioral desensitization and in vitro desensitization of nAChR function. Male Sprague–Dawley rats trained to discriminate nicotine were tested for development of acute behavioral tolerance. The rats were injected with nicotine (0.4 mg/kg free base, s.c.), tested for nicotine discrimination for 2 min, then injected with the same dose of nicotine 90, 180, and 270 min after the first injection and tested for nicotine discrimination after each injection. Susceptibility of nAChRs of individual rats to desensitization was assessed by use of the 86Rb+ efflux assay using synaptosomes prepared from the “thalamus,” which included the hypothalamus and midbrain as well as the thalamic nuclei. To desensitize nAChRs, synaptsosomes were superfused with low concentrations of nicotine (5, 10, 20, and 30 nM) before stimulation of 86Rb+ efflux with nicotine (10 μM). The slopes of the behavioral desensitization were plotted as a function of the decline of nicotine-stimulated 86Rb+ efflux after in vitro desensitization. A significant correlation was observed between the in vitro desensitization of thalamic 86Rb+ efflux and the extent of behavioral desensitization of individual rats. These findings are consistent with the idea that production of acute behavioral tolerance by nicotine is related to its ability to induce nAChR desensitization at the cellular level.
Sex Appeals That Appeal: Negative Sexual Self-Schema as a Moderator of the Priming Effects of Sexual Ads on Accessibility

Abstract In an experiment (N=73), priming methodology was used to test the prediction that sexual content in advertising would influence the accessibility of sexual constructs in memory. Sexual self-schema was theorized to play a moderating role in this process. After viewing perfume ads that utilized either sex appeals or non-sexual appeals, female undergraduates completed a lexical decision task. Partial support was found for the accessibility hypothesis, but contrary to predictions, positive sexual self-schema did not play as important moderating role in the accessibility of sexual constructs as negative sexual self-schema. Possible explanations for these results are discussed and a new model for the moderating role of negative sexual self-schema is proposed.
Thiazolidinedione safety and efficacy in ambulatory patients receiving hemodialysis.

Study Objectives. To determine whether thiazolidinediones cause significant changes in intravascular volume, anemia, or chronic heart failure; to determine which thiazolidinedione, rosiglitazone or pioglitazone, has a greater propensity to cause these adverse effects; and to evaluate thiazolidinedione efficacy in patients with diabetes mellitus and end-stage renal disease who require hemodialysis. Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. Ambulatory hemodialysis clinic. Patients. Forty ambulatory patients receiving hemodialysis. Measurements and Main Results. Of the 40 patients (26 men, 14 women, mean ± SD age 64.8 ± 11.5 yrs), diabetes mellitus was the cause of end-stage renal disease in 37 (92.5%). The men were older than the women (mean ± SD age 67.65 ± 11.43 yrs and 59.58 ± 10.6 yrs, respectively, p=0.03). Additional demographic data collected were start date and cause of end-stage renal disease, comorbid conditions, drug profile, hospitalization dates, and reason for admission. Laboratory values were obtained for hematocrit, iron indexes (transferrin saturation and ferritin), mean corpuscular volume, and hemoglobin A1c (A1C); body weight before and after dialysis, and predialysis systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured. All monitoring parameters were evaluated for 3 months before and after the start of therapy. Three patients were hospitalized for new or worsening chronic heart failure (two were receiving rosiglitazone therapy, one pioglitazone, p=0.555). Changes in A1C values were reviewed to determine thiazolidinedione efficacy; no statistical difference was observed between thiazolidinedione agents prescribed. Combined thiazolidinedione data yielded nonsignificant effects for all clinical and laboratory findings except A1C (-0.61%, p=0.05) and blood pressure (systolic −5.57 ± 12.09 mm Hg, p=0.01; diastolic −3.24 ± 6.17 mm Hg, p=0.002). Conclusion. Thiazolidinedione therapy is safe and effective for ambulatory patients receiving hemodialysis. However, as we found that these drugs reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, further investigation into this drug effect is warranted.
House price dynamics, unemployment, and the mobility decisions of low-income homeowners

Using data from the Community Advantage Panel Survey and a multivariate proportional hazards framework, we investigate relationships among house price dynamics, unemployment, and the mobility and housing tenure decisions of low-income homeowners in the United States between 2005 and 2012. In recent years, house prices have declined and unemployment rates have increased in many parts of the country, and existing literature provides mixed insights into whether housing market conditions have impeded recovery in the labor market. Our results suggest that negative equity and falling house prices are associated with delayed homeowner mobility, while finding employment or living in an area of increasing unemployment is associated with increased mobility. Those homeowners who experienced a change in employment status during the study period are largely distinct from those who experienced negative equity. In addition, most movers who remained homeowners relocated because of changes in family structure, while those movers who became renters were more likely to move because of housing costs or changes in employment status. Therefore, we infer that a transition out of homeownership may be more likely for those low-income homeowners who move for employment reasons, but that low-income homeowners generally do not appear to be prevented from moving to take advantage of employment opportunities when necessary.
Charity for Profit? Exploring Factors Associated with the Commercialization of Human Service Nonprofits

Human service nonprofits are becoming increasingly involved with selling services and other commercial activities. There has been a debate about the advantages and disadvantages of the transition o...
Active control of sound transmission/radiation from elastic plates by vibration inputs. I - Analysis

Active control of sound radiation from vibrating plates by oscillating forces applied directly to the structure is analytically studied. The model consists of a plane acoustic wave incident on a clamped elastic circular thin plate. Control is achieved by point forces, and quadratic optimization is used to calculate the optimal control gains necessary to minimize a cost function proportional to the radiated acoustic power (the transmitted field). The results show that global attenuation of broadband radiated sound levels for low to mid-range frequencies can be achieved with one or two control forces, irrespective of whether the system is on or off resonance. The efficiency of the control strategy is demonstrated to be related to the nature of the coupling between the plate modes of response and the radiated field.
Fast Catalytic Hydroxylation of Hydrocarbons with Ruthenium Porphyrins

Ruthenium porphyrin complexes such as carbonylruthenium(II) tetrakispentafluorophenylporphyrin [RuII(TPFPP)(CO)] were found to be efficient catalysts for the hydroxylation of alkanes in the presence of 2,6-dichloropyridine N-oxide as the oxidant under mild, nonacidic conditions. Up to 14 800 turnovers (TO) and rates of 800 TO/min were obtained for the hydroxylation of adamantane. The hydroxylation of cis-decalin afforded cis-9-decalol and cis-decalin-9,10-diol, exclusively, thus, excluding a long-lived radicals mechanism. The kinetics of product evolution in a typical catalytic oxygenation showed an initial induction period followed by a fast, apparently zero-order phase with maximum rates and high efficiencies. Deuterium isotope effects (kH/kD) in the range of 4.2−6.4 were found for the hydroxylation of alkanes. A Hammett treatment of the data for the oxidation of para-substituted toluene derivatives showed a linear correlation with a highly negative ρ+ value of −2.0. On the basis of kinetic and spectros...
Grass blades as tree rings: environmentally induced changes in the oxygen isotope ratio of cellulose along the length of grass blades.

Summary • In this study, we tested the hypothesis that environmentally induced changes in the oxygen isotope ratio of leaf water are recorded in grass blade cellulose during leaf-blade expansion. • Grasses were grown hydroponically in chambers that allowed for control of relative humidity while keeping isotopic inputs (namely source water) constant. • In experiments where relative humidity was changed from 35% to 93% during grass blade expansion, a 10‰ shift in cellulose δ 18 O was observed along single grass blades of Lolium multiflorum . However, statistically significant changes were not detectable with relative humidity of 93% to 70%. • It is shown that grass blades, analogously to tree rings, record environmental change on an interseasonal basis. In light of this, care must be taken to compare leaves of the same developmental stage to avoid confusion of environmental effects with physiological effects in interpretations of leaf organic material δ 18 O. The results presented here confirm the ability of the current empirical models to predict the oxygen isotope ratio of cellulose in both grass blades that expanded in constant and variable growth conditions.
Experimental Photoaging in C3H/HeN, C3H/HeJ, and Balb/c Mice: Comparison of Changes in Extracellular Matrix Components and Mast Cell Numbers

Abstract Chronic exposure of human or murine skin to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation alters dermal extracellular matrix composition and increases the number of mast cells and inflammatory cells. Experiments were designed to test the possible role of UVB-induced tumor necrosis factor-α in these photoaging changes based on reports that C3H/HeN, but not C3H/HeJ or Balb/c mice, produce excess TNF-α in response to UVB exposure. Pigmented C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ strains were exposed to a total of 75 J/cm 2 of UVB radiation, and unpigmented Balb/c mice were exposed to 19 J/cm 2 . The UVB-induced increases in collagen, glycosaminoglycans, and neutrophil number were similar or the same in all three strains. The elastin increase was greater in C3H/HeJ than in C3H/HeN mice. The most striking difference between the strains was a 7.7-fold UVB-induced increase in mast cells in C3H/HeN mice compared to no increase in irradiated C3H/HeJ mice and a 2.3-fold increase in Balb/c mice. These results suggest that excess TNF-α (or other mediator) produced in G3H/HeN skin (but not C3H/HeJ skin) in response to UVB exposure is involved in the mast cell increase and partial inhibition of elastin increase, but that neither these mediators nor mast cell products are important mediators for the chronic UVB-induced increases in neutrophils, glycosaminoglycans, and collagen. When a possible source of the excess TNF-α was investigated, it was found that isolated epidermal cells from all three strains produced increases in TNF-α in response to UVB radiation. These results, as well as the previous results showing differences between these strains in UVB-induced effects on cutaneous immune function, are consistent with a model in which UVB-induced mediators from the epidermis stimulate another cell type to produce excess TNF-α (and other mediators) in the C3H/HeN but not C3H/ HeJ or Balb/c mice.
Modeling international loan portfolios through Linear Programming Discriminant Analysis

Abstract This paper presents an application of a recently developed decision-modeling technique known as Linear Programming Discriminant Analysis (LPDA) to the formulation of a commercial bank's international lending policy. This study uses data from fifty- eight countries who borrowed in international financial markets during the period 1983 through 1987. These data were used to demonstrate the decision-making capability of the LPDA technique as an early warning signal for sovereign debt-repayment interruptions. The results of this LPDA study compare favorably with those of other decision-modeling techniques that have been used to support international-loan portfolio management.
Monolithic membrane valves and diaphragm pumps for practical large-scale integration into glass microfluidic devices

Abstract Monolithic elastomer membrane valves and diaphragm pumps suitable for large-scale integration into glass microfluidic analysis devices are fabricated and characterized. Valves and pumps are fabricated by sandwiching an elastomer membrane between etched glass fluidic channel and manifold wafers. A three-layer valve and pump design features simple non-thermal device bonding and a hybrid glass-PDMS fluidic channel; a four-layer structure includes a glass fluidic system with minimal fluid-elastomer contact for improved chemical and biochemical compatibility. The pneumatically actuated valves have
TU‐G‐220‐06: Reference Phantom Measurements of Attenuation and Backscatter with Speed of Sound Disparities

Purpose: A quantitative comparison between echo data from a scanned area in a patient to echo data acquired from a well‐characterized reference phantom is an effective means to account for imaging and transducer system dependencies of clinical echo data and to derive back‐scatter and attenuation parameters. An assumption in this “reference phantom method” (RPM) is that the speeds of sound(SOS) in the referencel and in the patient are “close.” This study addresses the impact of disparities between SOS's in the sample and reference and possible corrections in the case of errors. Methods: Phantoms with SOS's of 1500, 1540, and 1580 m/s and approximately 0.59 dB/cm‐MHz attenuation coefficients were constructed using gels. They were scanned with array transducers on a Siemens S2000 machine equipped with an ultrasound research interface. Data were acquired both with “BF‐sos”, the assumed beam former sound speed set at 1540 m/s and with it set to match the sample SOS. With the 1540 m/s phantom as a reference, echo arrival‐time dependent ratios of intensity from phantom and reference were used to compute attenuation coefficients. Processing was done using a) no adjustments to the signal vs. time data, b) SOS based adjustments so ratios were computed from precisely the same depth, and c) data with BF‐sos matching the SOS of the sample. Results: Variations are seen in attenuation coefficient estimates when the sample and reference phantom have SOS values that differ by the amounts used here. Improvements are noted when data are properly matched depth‐wise. Best results are obtained when this is done AND the BF‐sos matches the sound speed in the sample. Conclusions: Differences between a medium's SOS and that assumed in the beam former result in errors in attenuationmeasurements. Errors are minimized by matching the sound speed of the beam former with the SOS of medium. Supported by Grant R01CA111289 from the National Institutes of Health.
Colour Vision: A Clue to Hue in V2

Where do our brains encode all the colours of the rainbow? We know the neural basis for colour opponency and colour contrast, and recent studies have now provided evidence for the representation of hue in cortical visual area V2.
Molecular dynamics simulations of structural changes in mixed alkali (Li–K) silicate glasses

Abstract The structure of Li-silicate, K-silicate and mixed (Li–K) silicate glasses, of composition 25R 2 O·75SiO 2 , has been investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The environment of each type of alkali ion differs from that of the other type, regardless of whether in the single or mixed alkali glass, though there are structural changes. There exists a site mismatch energy, which can act as a barrier for diffusion of alkali ions. Alkali ions preferentially jump into sites that were previously occupied by the same type of alkali ions. We attribute the mixed alkali effect to site differences and a decrease in the available number of neighboring sites when the alkali ions are mixed. The alkali ions diffuse by various ways in the silicate glasses. Among them, vacancy and exchange mechanisms are directly observed in this study and they seem to have a resemblance to diffusion in a crystalline phase.
Issues in Assessing Social Skills Deficits and Excesses in Handicapped Children.

The present manuscript describes a number of relevant issues that have emerged in recent years regarding assessment of social skills. For the present paper children between 7 and 13 years of age were discussed. Primary methods of assessing social skills with this population are reviewed and a case is made for establishing a temporary moratorium on treatment-studies in the area until more psychometrically-sound, multifaceted method of assessment are available.
Search for human competitive results in open ended automated synthesis of a primordial mechatronic system

The multi domain nature of a mechatronic system makes it difficult to model using a single modeling technique over the whole system as varying sets of system variables specific to each energy domain are required. Bond-Graphs offer an advanced object oriented modeling and simulation technique. They are domain independent allowing straight forward and efficient model composition, classification and analysis. Bond-Graph model of the mechatronic system can be directly simulated on a digital computer using simulation softwares like 20-Sim© and Modelica© graphically or manipulated mathematically to develop state-space representation using a simplified set of power and energy variables. The simulation scheme can be augmented to synthesize designs for mechatronic systems using genetic programming as a tool for open ended topology or functional design search. This research paper presents results of an experiment developed to combine Bond-Graphs with genetic programming for unified and automated design/synthesis of a simple/primordial multi domain dynamic or mechatronic system.
Manipulating magnets with light: photoinduced magnetism of cobalt–iron Prussian blue analogs

Abstract An overview of the magnetic properties and photoinduced magnetism of cobalt–iron Prussian blue analogs is given. The presented results for K 1−2x Co 1+x [ Fe ( CN ) 6 ]·y H 2 O (0.2⩽x⩽0.4, y∼5) indicate that the materials are in a cluster glass state. Upon illumination with visible light, the materials exhibit substantial changes in magnetization, linear and nonlinear ac susceptibilities, characteristic temperatures and magnetic hysteresis. The results are consistent with our model of photoinduced spin-doping of a cluster glass.
Poly(carbon suboxide): A photosensitive paramagnetic ladder polymer†

Carbon suboxide was found to give, on photo- and thermal-polymerization, a photosensitive paramagnetic polymer. Studies of the kinetics of the ESR signal growth accompanying the polymerization process complement documented results obtained from monitoring the rate of polymer production and monomer disappearance. The spin concentration of the polymer increases with higher reaction temperature, reaching 2 × 1019 spin/g at a polymerization temperature of 105°C. The paramagnetism of poly(carbon suboxide) follows the Curie—Weiss law. Relaxation behavior at room temperature and g values for the spin systems have been obtained. The 105°C polymer shows a Weiss constant equal to 17°K and an extremely narrow ESR line width, ca. 10 mG, at 5°K. The 13C coupling constant from the selectively labeled polymer indicates π-electron delocalization over the ladder polymer. The polymer paramagnetism can be further reversibly enhanced by visible light irradiation. The steady-state concentration of the photo-ESR signal is proportional to the square root of incident light intensity, with a quantum yield at room temperature for charge accumulation equal to 5% at an incident light level of 1015 photons/sec-cm2. Fluorescence and excitation spectra of the soluble fraction of poly(carbon suboxide) are presented together with the quantum yield. The polymer has also been found to be an effective photopolymerization initiator at wavelengths longer than 340 nm.
Application of case-based reasoning to multi-sensor network intrusion detection

An intrusion detection system (IDS) is generally limited by having a single detection model and a single information source for detecting attacks. Multi-sensor (or meta) intrusion detection addresses this problem by combining results of multiple IDSs and providing global decisions. Nearly all current meta-IDSs are either statistics-based or logical rule-based and typically require substantial human involvement for setup. This paper reports two experiments that employ a case-based reasoning (CBR) approach, one using the well-known 1998 DARPA datasets, which contain a variety of different types of attacks, and one using the 2000 DARPA datasets, which contain distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks. A critical issue with meta-IDS is alert correlation: determining when alerts from the various sensors are generated by the same attack. The first experiment uses explicit alert correlation based on session information contained in the alerts. In addition, it avoids human involvement in setup by employing data mining techniques to generate the case library automatically from training data. The results show that the CBR approach is very effective in distinguishing false alerts from real attacks, and in many of the latter cases can correctly identify the type of attack. The second experiment applies CBR to achieve a kind of implicit alert correlation. Explicit correlation is not possible here, since DDOS attacks span multiple network sessions. Here again the approach has proven effective. For the second experiment the case library is derived directly from the training data without data mining techniques.
Chromogranin A is an autoantigen in type 1 diabetes

Autoreactive CD4(+) T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases, but the antigens that stimulate their responses have been difficult to identify and in most cases are not well defined. In the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse model of type 1 diabetes, we have identified the peptide WE14 from chromogranin A (ChgA) as the antigen for highly diabetogenic CD4(+) T cell clones. Peptide truncation and extension analysis shows that WE14 bound to the NOD mouse major histocompatibility complex class II molecule I-A(g7) in an atypical manner, occupying only the carboxy-terminal half of the I-A(g7) peptide-binding groove. This finding extends the list of T cell antigens in type 1 diabetes and supports the idea that autoreactive T cells respond to unusually presented self peptides.
The influence of handling during different ages on a halter training test in foals

Ten foals were used to determine effects of handling during different ages on their ability to perform a halter training test. Early-handled (EH) foals (n = 5) were handled in 10 min sessions 5 days weekly from 24 h after birth until 42 days of age, then were not handled from 43 to 84 days of age. Later-handled (LH) foals (n = 5) were not handled from birth to 42 days of age, then were handled in 10-min sessions 5 days weekly from 43 to 84 days of age. At 85 days of age, each foal was subjected to a 10-min halter training test for 5 consecutive days. The test consisted of an unfamiliar handler placing a halter on each foal and attempting to make the foal walk forward for 20 m. Data recorded during each day of the halter training were duration of initial struggle, number of lunges into the air, time to first forward step, time to five consecutive forward steps, and time to travel 20 m. At the end of the 5 day halter training test, the handler assigned a subjective test rating score to each foal based on ease of training. Split-plot analysis indicated that EH foals took less time (P < 0.05) to take one step forward, five consecutive steps forward, and to travel 20 m than LH foals. One-way ANOVA indicated that EH foals had a lower (more desirable) test ratings than LH foals (P < 0.01). Results indicate that handling throughout the first 42 days of life increased foal performance on this halter training task compared to handling from 43 to 84 days of age. These results may imply the existence of a critical handling period during the first 42 days of age or a phenomenon similar to learned helplessness.