cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical Emission Of Exploding Film And Wire Initiated Discharges

Optical sources of several megawatts-cm"" 2 over large surface areas are available from electrical discharges initiated by exploding films and wires immersed in a gas. Discharging high current capacitor banks into the metal conductors causes them to melt, vaporize, and then eventually ionize to a high-conductivity plasma of less than a milliohm/cm-length resistance. As such over 1,000 MW of ohmic heating goes into the discharge, elevating its blackbody temperature up to 35,000 K.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Shading correction of camera captured document image with depth map information

Camera modules have become more popular in consumer electronics and office products. As a consequence, people have many opportunities to use a camera-based device to record a hardcopy document in their daily lives. However, it is easy to let undesired shading into the captured document image through the camera. Sometimes, this non-uniformity may degrade the readability of the contents. In order to mitigate this artifact, some solutions have been developed. But most of them are only suitable for particular types of documents. In this paper, we introduce a content-independent and shape-independent method that will lessen the shading effects in captured document images. We want to reconstruct the image such that the result will look like a document image captured under a uniform lighting source. Our method utilizes the 3D depth map of the document surface and a look-up table strategy. We will first discuss the model and the assumptions that we used for the approach. Then, the process of creating and utilizing the look-up table will be described in the paper. We implement this algorithm with our prototype 3D scanner, which also uses a camera module to capture a 2D image of the object. Some experimental results will be presented to show the effectiveness of our method. Both flat and curved surface document examples will be included.
Effects of dopants and excitation wavelength on the temperature sensing of Ln3+-doped 7YSZ

Abstract Rare-earth ions doped yttrium-stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) has been proven as a promising candidate in temperature sensing of TBCs. In this work, the influences of different dopants and the excitation wavelength on the temperature sensing of Ln 3+ -doped 7YSZ are investigated. The luminescence from 7YSZ doped with trivalent rare-earth ions, Sm 3+ , Eu 3+ , and Er 3+ , was measured both at room temperature and up to 1200 °C. Strong luminescence was observed in all the three materials using either 532 nm or 355 nm excitation, indicating little effect of excitation wavelength on the luminescence temperature sensing. Sm 3+ , Eu 3+ doping is found to give rise to superior luminescence decay characteristics to temperatures up to 1000 °C, while the sample doped with Er 3+ shows longer decay time above that temperature and measurement can be made up to 1200 °C. The luminescent lifetime-temperature dependences for all the three materials were also discussed based on the multi-phonon relaxation model.
Discourse in aphasia: Integration deficits in processing reference

The present study investigated moderately impaired aphasic subjects' ability to integrate information across sentences by having them identify antecedents for ambiguous pronouns in brief narratives. In order to disambiguate the pronouns, the subjects had to consult either textual cues and/or extratextual cues. In addition, the subjects' ability to retrieve factual information was measured by having them identify explicitly stated noun referents. The results show that the aphasic subjects had significant difficulty using textual cues to resolve referents when the referents were not readily accessible through world knowledge. The patients had little difficulty interpreting referents which were recoverable from world knowledge or were stated explicitly. The explanatory power of world knowledge effects, grammatical class effects, memory effects, and linguistic integration effects in accounting for the deficit pattern observed is considered.
Antibacterial enzymes from the functional screening of metagenomic libraries hosted in Ralstonia metallidurans

Phenotype-based screening of bacterial metagenomic libraries provides an avenue for the discovery of novel genes, enzymes, and metabolites that have a variety of potential clinical and industrial uses. Here, we report the identification of a functionally diverse collection of antibacterially active enzymes from the phenotypic screening of 700 000 cosmid clones prepared from Arizona soil DNA and hosted in Ralstonia metallidurans. Environmental DNA clones surrounded by zones of growth inhibition in a bacterial overlay assay were found, through bioinformatics and functional analyses, to encode enzymes with predicted peptidase, lipase, and glycolytic activities conferring antibiosis. The antibacterial activities observed in our R. metallidurans-based assay could not be replicated with the same clones in screens using Escherichia coli as a heterologous host, suggesting that the large-scale screening of metagenomic libraries for antibiosis using phylogenetically diverse hosts should be a productive strategy for identifying enzymes with functionally diverse antibacterial activities.
Mediation of the A/B-DNA helix transition by G-tracts in the crystal structure of duplex CATGGGCCCATG.

The crystal structure of the DNA dodecamer duplex CATGGGCCCATG lies on a structural continuum along the transition between A- and B-DNA. The dodecamer possesses the normal vector plot and inclination values typical of B-DNA, but has the crystal packing, helical twist, groove width, sugar pucker, slide and x-displacement values typical of A-DNA. The structure shows highly ordered water structures, such as a double spine of water molecules against each side of the major groove, stabilizing the GC base pairs in an A-like conformation. The different hydration of GC and AT base pairs provides a physical basis for solvent-dependent facilitation of the A↔B helix transition by GC base pairs. Crystal structures of CATGGGCCCATG and other A/B-DNA intermediates support a ‘slide first, roll later’ mechanism for the B→A helix transition. In the distribution of helical parameters in protein–DNA crystal structures, GpG base steps show A-like properties, reflecting their innate predisposition for the A conformation.
Living donor liver transplant with clinical tolerance, laboratory evidence of chimerism, and spontaneous clearance of HBV.

We present a case of functional and histopathologic tolerance, chimerism, and spontaneous clearance of HBV in a patient four years after living donor liver transplant (LDLT). A 19-year-old male patient underwent a LDLT for HBV cirrhosis. He voluntarily ceased immunosuppression and antiviral therapy after 6 months. He is now four years status post transplant without any episodes of rejection or clinical manifestation of liver disease. PCR and VNTR were used to show donor-recipient chimerism and a large degree of genetic similarity between the pair. MLC and cytokine elaboration were used to show recipient hyporeactivity towards donor antigen. He also has clinical evidence of clearing his HBV without continued use of HBIG. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:1432–1435.)
Synthesis, Conformational Analysis, and Biological Evaluation of Heteroaromatic Taxanes.

The asymmetric syntheses of heteroaromatic 3-[(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)oxy]-2-azetidinones 12−16 via chiral ester enolate−imine cyclocondensation chemistry are described. The azetidinones contain heteroaromatic moieties which, in certain cases, contribute to a decrease in enantioselectivity due to possible alternate coordinations in the transition states. The (3R,4S)-3-[(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)oxy]-4-heteroaryl-2-azetidinones were subsequently converted to the heteroaromatic taxanes 31−36 and 43−45. Conformational analyses of the 3‘-(2-pyridyl) analogue 31 and 3‘-(2-furyl) analogue 43 indicate they have solution conformational preferences virtually identical to paclitaxel and docetaxel. Heteroaromatic N-acyl paclitaxel analogues 47−51 were prepared from N-debenzoylpaclitaxel via Schotten−Baumann acylation. The majority of the 14 analogues displayed good to excellent activity in a microtubule assembly assay in comparison to paclitaxel. The analogues were also tested for cytotoxicity against B16 melanoma c...
A Kriging-Based Approach to MINLP Containing Black-Box Models and Noise

A new MINLP algorithm is presented for a class of problems whose formulation contains black-box models. Black-box models describe process behavior when closed-form equations are absent and can be functions of continuous and/or integer variables. To address the lack of explicit equations, kriging is used to build surrogate data-driven global models because a robust process description can be obtained even when noise is present. The global models are used to identify promising solutions for local refinement, and the continuous variables are then optimized using a response surface method. The integer variables are optimized using Branch-and-Bound if a continuous relaxation exists and direct search otherwise. The four algorithms are unified into a comprehensive approach that can be used to obtain optimal process synthesis and design solutions when noise and black-box models are present. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated based on its application to two industrial case studies.
Buckling of an ionic polymer metal composite shell under uniaxial compression

In this paper, we analyze buckling of an ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) shell subjected to uniaxial compression. A new technique is developed to fabricate tubular IPMCs using hot molding and a chemical reduction process. The short-circuit current and the mechanical deformation of the sample are recorded during the compression test. Experimental findings demonstrate that IPMC buckling can be accurately sensed via the short-circuit current, which is approximately zero during the loading phase, before exhibiting a sudden increase at the onset of the elastic instability.
Promoter elements required for phloem‐specific gene expression from the RTBV promoter in rice

Previous studies indicated that a DNA fragment comprising nucleotides (nt) -164 to +45 of the RTBV promoter is sufficient to drive phloem-specific expression of a reporter gene in transgenic rice plants. In addition, two potential cis elements, Box I (nt -3 to +5) and Box II (nt -53 to -39) were identified by DNA-protein interaction assays. In this study, the results of further in vivo studies involving mutagenesis of selected DNA sequences and analysis of expression of a reporter gene in transgenic rice plants revealed that, in addition to Box I and Box II, other elements are required for phloem-specific gene expression, among which are a direct repeat (ASL Box, nt -98 to -79) and a GATA motif (nt -143 to -135). All the these elements bind rice nuclear factors specifically, and mutations of the elements were identified that resulted in loss-of-competition in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. A DNA fragment comprising nt -164 to -32, which contains Box II, the ASL Box and the GATA motif, conferred phloem-specific reporter gene expression independent of Box I when fused to a heterologous CaMV 35S minimal promoter and introduced to transgenic rice plants. Studies that introduced point mutations suggested that in the context of the -103 to +45 promoter fragment, Box II and the ASL Box act synergistically to confer tissue-specific gene expression. Similar studies in the -164 to +45 promoter fragment indicated that the -164 to -103 region, which includes the GATA motif, contains sequences that are functionally redundant with those in the -103 to -32 region, including the ASL Box and Box II. It is concluded that these regions act additively to direct phloem-specific gene expression.
Local regularity theorems for the stationary thermistor problem with oscillating degeneracy

Abstract In this paper we present some regularity results for solutions to the system − Δ u = σ ( u ) | ∇ φ | 2 , div ( σ ( u ) ∇ φ ) = 0 in the case where σ ( u ) is allowed to oscillate between 0 and a positive number as u → ∞ . In particular, we show that u is locally bounded if σ ( u ) is bounded below by a suitable exponential function.
A computer-based goal-oriented productivity index

Abstract This paper presents a Weighted Multi-Factor Productivity Index. This index monitors the performance of an organization and identifies productivity problems. Key resource factors are defined and a weighting technique, with both subjective and objective attributes, is presented. This productivity index is dynamic and responsive to the changing needs of an organization and is a goal oriented measuring tool.
The Israel and Palestine land settlement problem: An analytical history, 4000 B.C.E.–1948 C.E.

This paper traces the history of the modern conflict between Israel and Palestine from 4000 B.C.E. to 1948 C.E.. It shows how Jews and Arabs diverged from a common source to become arch-enemies during the British Mandate over Palestine. It outlines the impact of world war II, the holocaust, treason, and terrorism on the Palestinian problem, and explains why Britain relinquished the Mandate in 1947, leaving the United Nations to resolve the land settlement problem. The paper outlines the manipulation by the USSR and the USA of the United Nations General Assembly vote on Resolution 181, in November 1947. It demonstrates why this corrupted land settlement set the scene for almost 60 years of continuous war and terrorism in the Middle East.
A model to describe how a point mutation of the estrogen receptor alters the structure-function relationship of antiestrogens

The antiestrogen tamoxifen [(Z)-1(p-β-dimethylamino-ethoxyphenyl)-1,2-diphenylbut-1-ene] is an effective anticancer agent for the treatment of hormone responsive breast cancer. Previous studies have demonstrated that a point mutation in the estrogen receptor (ER) resulted in an alteration of the pharmacology of 4-hydroxytamoxifen, the active metabolite of tamoxifen (Jianget al, Mol Endocrinol 6:2167-2174, 1992). We have extended our studies to evaluate the effect of a point mutation, a Val substitution for Gly at amino acid 400 in the ligand binding domain of ER, on the pharmacology of other antiestrogens in ER stable transfectants derived from the ER-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 CL10A. The compounds were tested with or without estradiol-17β (E2) for their effects on cell growth in cells expressing the wild type ER (S30) or the mutant ER (MLα2H) or in control antisense ER transfectant AS23 which does not express ER protein. MCF-7 cells, which express the wild type ER, were also used as a control. The growth of AS23 cells was not affected by any of the compounds at a concentration of 1 µM. E2 stimulated the growth of MCF-7 cells but inhibited the growth of ER transfectants S30 and MLα2H. The MLα2H cells were about 10 to 100-fold less sensitive to E2 and antiestrogens than S30 and MCF-7 cells. Keoxifene, an antiestrogen with a high affinity for the ER, maintained antiestrogenic activities in both ER transfectants and MCF-7 cells. However, the pharmacology of the steroidal antiestrogen RU 39411 was altered in the MLα2H cells. The compound did not block the effects of E2 but acted as an estrogen. Overall, this and previous studies from this laboratory demonstrate that it is possible to predict that the mutation will enhance the estrogenic activity of antiestrogens which have a side chain projecting in a position analogous to that of 4-hydroxytamoxifen. In contrast, compounds that do not have a side chain that occupies the same area, e.g. keoxifene and ICI 164,384, are unaffected by the mutation. We have extended our previous model (Liebermanet al, J Biol Chem 258:4741-4745, 1983) to incorporate our new observations.
Measuring scatter with a cryogenic probe and an ICCD camera: recording absorption spectra in Shpol'skii matrixes and fluorescence quantum yields in glassy solvents.

Recording absorption spectra via transmittance through frozen matrixes is a challenging task. The main reason is the difficulty in overcoming the strong scattering light reaching the detector. This is particularly true when thick samples are necessary for recording absorption spectra of weak oscillators. In the case of strongly fluorescent compounds, additional errors in absorbance measurements arise from the emission reaching the detector, which might have an intensity comparable to that of the transmitted light. This article presents a fundamentally different approach to low-temperature absorption measurements as the sought for information is the intensity of laser excitation returning from the frozen sample to the ICCD. Laser excitation is collected with the aid of a cryogenic fiber optic probe. The feasibility of our approach is demonstrated with single-site and multiple-site Shpol'skii systems. The 4.2 K absorption spectra show excellent agreement with their literature counterparts recorded via trans...
Biosynthesis of orcylalanine

Abstract Serine and actate have been established as precursors of orcylalanine in Agrostenma githago by feeding experiments and subsequent degradation studies. Serine provides the amino acid side chain while the aromatic ring and C-methyl group are derived from acetate. A biosynthetic mechanism is proposed involving condensation of serine with orsellinic acid with simultaneous decarboxylation of the latter.
Ligand displacement reactions from the coordination sphere of cobalt complexes. Part II: The displacement of ligands of [cis-Co(en)2Cl2]Cl by potassium squarate. The crystal and molecular structure of a compound with idealized formula of [cis-Co(en)2(H2O)Br]2[trans-(C2O4 2−(C2O4H−)Co-trans-(H2O)2(OH)2]Br2 (I)

Compound (I), idealized as Br4Co3O14N8C16H41 (see text), crystallizes in the triclinic space groupP¯ 1 (No. 2) with cell constants ofa=7.4470(7),b=7.9648(4),c=15.2223(8),α=96.338(4)ℴΒ=93.504(6)ℴ,γ=112.894(6)ℴ,V=821.328 a3, and d(calc; MW=1065.97,z=1)=2.155 gm-cm−3. Data (3880 total reflections) were collected over the range 2ℴ ≤ 2θ ≤ 55ℴ and corrected for absorption (Μ=63.69 cm−1) using data from Psi scans. The unexpectedly isolated compound contains a [cis-Co(en)2Br(OH)]+ cation, while the anion contains a central Co(III) surrounded by two mondentate,trans-squarato ligands, twotrans-hydroxo, and two waters. The waters and hydroxy ligands were identified by determining, experimentally, the presence and positions of their respective hydrogens. Given the need for overall electroneutrality, one squarato ligand must be a dianion (Sq2−) and the other a monoanion (SqH−); however, since the ion bearing the squarato ligands sits at an inversion center, the hydrogen of the latter must be disordered. Refinement of the heavy atoms with anisotropic thermal parameters and fixed hydrogen positions (B's fixed at) led to the finalR(F) andR W(F) factors of 0.036 and 0.042, respectively. (I) was obtained during efforts to prepare [Co(en)2(squarate)]Br by the displacement of two chloro ligands from the coordination sphere of [cis-Co(en)2Cl2]Cl by K2 (squarate) followed by addition of NaBr. Compound (I) appears to be the first example of a coordination compound in which squarate2− and squarate H− anions are present as ligands to a transition metal ion. A search of the Cambridge file (to 1992) produced no known examples of Co(III) squarates. Thus, (I) appears to also be the first example of its kind.
Nonenzymic glycation of albumin by acyl glucuronides in vitro comparison of reactions with reducing sugars

Acyl glucuronides are ubiquitous metabolites formed from acidic xenobiotics and endogenous compounds, such as bilirubin. Previous studies indicated that the covalent binding of acyl glucuronides to proteins occurs via an imine intermediate in a manner analogous to the glycation of proteins via reducing sugars. When glucuronic acid was incubated in solution with albumin, it formed 10 and 4 times more fluorescent, Maillard reaction products with albumin after 25 days than did glucose or fructose, respectively. However, radiolabeled glucuronic acid exhibited less covalent binding to albumin than either glucose or fructose. Circular dichroism measurements indicate that glucuronic acid is about 0.02% open chain form with exposure of the reactive aldehyde, whereas fructose and glucose have 2 and 0.0026% present in solution as the open chain; thus, differences in reactivity of the reducing sugars were not correlated with exposure of the free aldehyde. Methyl glucuronate formed little fluorescent product with albumin, suggesting that the C-6 carboxylate of glucuronic acid may facilitate the reactions after covalent binding that lead to the formation of fluorescent products. When acyl glucuronide metabolites of two previously marketed acidic drugs, zomepirac and suprofen, were incubated with albumin at a concentration of 2.5 mM, more fluorescent product was formed than by 500 mM glucose. Reversible binding of the acyl glucuronides to albumin was 60-90%, but almost zero for the free reducing sugars, which indicates that reversible binding may explain the enhanced reactivity of the acyl glucuronides in forming fluorescent products with albumin. These results indicate that acyl glucuronides are reactive metabolites that may cause significant glycation of proteins with glucuronic acid in vivo.
Influence of delayed bleeding on sensory characteristics of beef.

Sensory characteristics of bovine longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscles from 30 heifers exsanguinated 0, 3 or 6 min after stunning and 36 steers exsanguinated 0, 3 or 30 min after stunning were evaluated to determine if delayed bleeding influenced palatability. More blood was retained in carcasses of animals where exsanguination was delayed after stunning than in control animals, but no consistent differences existed for total pigment or per cent hemoglobin in muscle. Tenderness, juiciness, flavor, shear values and cooking loss were not affected by treatment.
Stability analysis of a rotating multi-layer annular plate with a stationary frictional follower load

Abstract This paper is concerned with examining the critical rotational speeds of a annular laminated disk and instability due to the existence of a stationary frictional follower load. A refined higher order layerwise zigzag theory (RHOT) is used to derive the governing equations of motion of a laminated disk. A four-node sector finite element incorporating RHOT is developed and applied for the stability analysis of a rotating multi-layer disk. The critical rotational speeds of a laminated disk made of isotropic layers and a laminated disk made of polar—orthotropic layers are calculated using the state—space method with respect to a moving frame and an inertial frame. The effect of a frictional follower load on the system stability is investigated using the frequency—speed diagram and the state—space method. It is found that the frictional follower load makes all forward modes with nodal diameters unstable over the entire rotational speed range. Total Lagrangian kinematics with the modified Newton method is used in the solution finding procedure.
Comparisons of envelope through 5B sequences of infectious bronchitis coronaviruses indicates recombination occurs in the envelope and membrane genes

A 1.78 kb sequence, including the E, M, 5a and 5b genes, and the intergenic region between the M and 5a genes, of six US strains of infectious bronchitis (corona)virus (IBV) were sequenced and compared to the published sequences for two additional strains. The overall identities as determined through pairwise analyses of nucleotide sequences of the entire 1.78kb region ranged from 90 to 99%, with the 5b open reading frame (ORF) having the greatest identity (94-99%) while the identities of the E, 5a and M ORFs ranged from 87 to 100%. Nucleotide sequencing of recent field isolates from Alabama (Ala1) and California (Cal3) revealed distinct shifts in homology in the M gene, indicating two apparent recombination events between the Holland 52/Mass41-like strain and an Ark-like strain, both origins of commonly used vaccine strains. Putative sites of recombination could also be identified in both the E and M ORFs of laboratory strains of IBV.
Siderophore-based detection of Fe(III) and microbial pathogens

Siderophores are low-molecular-weight iron chelators that are produced and exported by bacteria, fungi and plants during periods of nutrient deprivation. The structures, biosynthetic logic, and coordination chemistry of these molecules have fascinated chemists for decades. Studies of such fundamental phenomena guide the use of siderophores and siderophore conjugates in a variety of medicinal applications that include iron-chelation therapies and drug delivery. Sensing applications constitute another important facet of siderophore-based technologies. The high affinities of siderophores for both ferric ions and siderophore receptors, proteins expressed on the cell surface that are required for ferric siderophore import, indicate that these small molecules may be employed for the selective capture of metal ions, proteins, and live bacteria. This minireview summaries progress in methods that utilize native bacterial and fungal siderophore scaffolds for the detection of Fe(III) or microbial pathogens.
Time frequency based detection scheme for missile approach warning system (MAWS)

Typically MAWS radars use high pulse recurrence frequencies (PRFs) to ensure unambiguous Doppler measurements of high speed targets. This combination of high PRFs and relatively large range gates means that the most significant constraint against increasing the coherent processing interval is the Doppler smearing phenomena. This paper describes two methods to address this problem. The first method achieves this by explicitly removing the higher order frequency modulation whereas the latter uses a time-frequency distribution to solve the problem. Both the methods show marked improvement in detection performance over standard Doppler processing, with the latter scheme being an implementation of a maximum likelihood solution, approximating optimum performance, though at the cost of added computational complexity. The paper describes the development of the two algorithms and presents an analytic treatment of both. This is followed by a performance analysis of the algorithm based on actual data from an experimental MAWS radar.
Photonic Synthesis of Spread Spectrum Radio Frequency Waveforms With Arbitrarily Long Time Apertures

A photonic technique is proposed to generate spread spectrum radio frequency waveforms with both high RF bandwidth and arbitrarily long temporal period. By switching the polarity of full duty cycle chirped waveforms according to a pseudorandom sequence, we can increase the waveform repetition period under electronic control while preserving RF bandwidth and average power. Proof-of-principle ranging experiments are presented to demonstrate the improvement our technique provides with respect to range ambiguity.
Four-field model for dispersive field-line resonances: Effects of coupling between shear-Alfvén and slow modes

A new theoretical model is proposed for dispersive field-line resonances in collisionless magnetospheric plasmas on the basis of reduced four-field equations. The model improves upon the predictive capabilities of earlier two-field models. In particular, due to the coupling of the shear-Alfven mode to the slow mode in the four-field system, it is now possible to account for the observed low frequencies of field-line resonances. Furthermore, parallel electric fields can be large without requiring the field-aligned current density to be unrealistically large. Qualitative implications for recent FAST and ground-based observations are discussed.
USING FISHBURN'S TECHNIQUES FOR ANALYSIS OF DECISION TREES: SOME EXAMPLES*

Techniques for the analysis of payoff matrices with “imprecise” assessment of state probabilities are applied to the analysis of decision trees in normal form. The analytical techniques, due to Peter Fishburn, are summarized and then illustrated by analyzing two decision trees. Problem I, a two state problem, provides geometrical analogs for the two most “imprecise” probability assessments and simple analytical and geometrical analogs for the least “imprecise” probability assessment. Problem II, a three state problem, illustrates the application of all four precision levels, from most “imprecise” through least “imprecise.”
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF THE BRAIN AND COELOMIC CAVITY OF THE DOMESTIC PIGEON (Columba livia domestica)

The technical feasibility of performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in domestic pigeons was investigated. Imaging was performed with a 1.5 Tesla magnet using a human knee surface coil. The head and coelomic cavity of isoflurane-anesthetized birds were imaged in the dorsal, sagittal, and transverse planes to produce T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images. The birds were then euthanatized, formalin perfused, frozen, and sectioned in the corresponding anatomic planes. The anatomy defined by MRI was correlated with gross anatomic sections made from the same birds. The following CNS structures were identified: cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, optic chiasm, optic lobes, brain stem, and cranial spinal cord. The cornea, lens, and vitreous were also well differentiated in dorsal section MRI's. The abdominal organs identified included proventriculus, ventriculus, intestines, cloaca, liver, kidneys, spleen, testes, and ovary. The hepatic and renal vasculature were well defined.
Measurement of subpicosecond electron pulses.

A bunch-length measuring method has been developed to measure the subpicosecond electron pulses generated at the Stanford University Short Intense Electron Source (SUNSHINE) facility. This method utilizes a far-infrared Michelson interferometer to measure coherent transition radiation emitted at wavelengths longer than or equal to the bunch length via optical autocorrelation. To analyze the measurement, a simple and systematic way has also been developed, which considers interference effects on the interferogram caused by the beam splitter; hence the electron bunch length can be easily obtained from the measurement. This simple, low-cost, frequency-resolved autocorrelation method demonstrates subpicosecond resolving power that cannot be achieved by existing time-resolved methods.
The impact of ineffective and inefficient care on the excess costs of elective surgical procedures.

Background Ineffective and inefficient elective surgical care has been identified as a major factor accounting for excessive costs of elective surgical procedures. The identification of cost-effective hospitals permits objective measurement of excessive surgical costs and development of strategies to improve outcomes and efficiency. Study Design We used the 2002 to 2005 National Inpatient Sample from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project for colorectal resections, elective coronary bypass grafts, total hip replacement, and hysterectomy to assess hospitals' risk-adjusted adverse outcome rates and costs. Adverse outcomes were defined as inpatient deaths or prolonged risk-adjusted postoperative lengths of stay (RApoLOS). Risk-adjusted costs were determined for all patients, using hospital-specific cost-to-charge ratios to convert charges to costs. Effective, efficient hospitals were identified to serve as a reference standard. Outlier hospitals for ineffectiveness (p Results Hospital costs for the 4 operations combined were $325 million greater (8%) than predicted based on the reference standard. A total of 95% of excessive costs were due to inefficiency and only 5% were due to higher-than-predicted adverse outcomes rates. Elimination of predicted excess costs of all adverse outcomes for all 4 procedures at all hospitals studied would result in smaller savings than elimination of inefficiency-associated costs at inefficient hospitals alone. Conclusions Inefficiency is substantially more important than suboptimal outcomes in accounting for the excessive hospital costs of elective surgical care in this study population.
Comparison of face-to-face versus interactive video continuing medical education delivery modalities

The challenge to provide accessible continuing medical education (CME) programs for physicians and other health care providers in rural communities is ongoing. One possible solution to facilitate physician access to CME is through distance instructional media such as interactive video (ITV). A review of the literature revealed that there is a dearth of research investigating the differences in effectiveness between CME programs delivered through ITV and CME delivered in the traditional classroom setting. The purpose of this study was to compare physician perceptions of the effectiveness of CME programs delivered by ITV and CME programs delivered in the traditional classroom setting. Results from the survey indicate that ITV and traditional face-to-face CME participants did not feel that the majority of attributes related to the content, speaker, and program were significantly different between the two delivery modalities. The implications from these findings are also discussed.
Sibling facilitation mediates the association between older and younger sibling alcohol use in late adolescence

Previous research has shown adolescent siblings are similar in their alcohol use and that this similarity is largely due to their shared environment. Using a genetically-informed sibling sample (196 full-biological pairs, 384 genetically unrelated pairs), we confirmed that the extent to which older siblings facilitate younger siblings' alcohol use (i.e., help them get alcohol) was one factor contributing to this shared environmental association. All analyses controlled for parent and peer influences. Findings were not moderated by sibling differences in genetic relatedness, gender, or ethnicity. Proximity in sibling age strengthened these associations, somewhat. Results were especially strong for sibling pairs where the older sibling was of legal drinking age. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.
Convergent Evolution of Adenosine Aptamers Spanning Bacterial, Human, and Random Sequences Revealed by Structure-Based Bioinformatics and Genomic SELEX

Summary Aptamers are structured macromolecules in vitro evolved to bind molecular targets, whereas in nature they form the ligand-binding domains of riboswitches. Adenosine aptamers of a single structural family were isolated several times from random pools, but they have not been identified in genomic sequences. We used two unbiased methods, structure-based bioinformatics and human genome-based in vitro selection, to identify aptamers that form the same adenosine-binding structure in a bacterium, and several vertebrates, including humans. Two of the human aptamers map to introns of RAB3C and FGD3 genes. The RAB3C aptamer binds ATP with dissociation constants about 10 times lower than physiological ATP concentration, while the minimal FGD3 aptamer binds ATP only cotranscriptionally.
Ratio and time requirements on operant schedules: effort-related effects of nucleus accumbens dopamine depletions.

Accumbens dopamine (DA) depletions produce deficits that are related to the ratio requirement of the operant schedule; however, it is also possible that time without reinforcement is a factor. The present study examined the effects of accumbens DA depletions in rats using variable interval (VI) schedules with additional fixed ratio (FR) requirements. Four VI schedules were used (VI 60 ⁄FR 1, VI 120 ⁄FR 1, VI 60 ⁄FR 10, VI 120 ⁄FR 10). Attachment of the additional work requirement increased response rates under control conditions. After surgery, there was no interaction between interval level (i.e. 60 vs. 120 s) and DA depletion, but there was a significant interaction between ratio requirement (i.e. 1 vs. 10) and DA depletion within the first week after surgery. DA depletions substantially impaired performance on the schedules with added FR 10 requirements, an effect that was largely dependent upon a reduction in fast responses (i.e. interresponse times less than 1.0 s). There was little effect of DA depletion on overall responding on VI 60 ⁄FR 1 and VI 120 ⁄FR 1 schedules. DA depletions also increased the tendency to take long pauses in responding (i.e. > 20.0 s), and this effect was evident across all schedules tested. Thus, accumbens DA depletions interact with work requirements and blunt the rate-enhancing effects of moderate size ratios, and also enhance the tendency to pause. Attachment of ratio requirements to interval schedules is a work-related response cost that provides a challenge to the organism, and DA in nucleus accumbens appears to be necessary for adapting to this challenge.
Energy and demand implication of using recommended practice occupancy diversity factors compared to real occupancy data in whole building energy simulation

Whole building energy simulation tools have become increasingly useful in assessing and improving existing and designing new high-performance buildings. Occupancy diversity factors are one category of parameters needing additional consideration in energy modelling as they can have a large impact on the output of the simulation. In this study, two sources of occupancy diversity factors, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) references and measured data from Duarte, Van Den Wymelenberg, and Rieger. [2013a. “Revealing Occupancy Patterns in an Office Building Through the Use of Occupancy Sensor Data.” Energy and Buildings 67 (December): 587–595. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2013.08.062], are used in three Department of Energy (DOE) reference office building models and four calibrated models of existing buildings. The total energy consumption between the two schedules for an assumed private office dominate floor plan layout ranges between 21.5–39.1% and 0.8–5.8% for an ope...
A three asset determination of the transactions demand for money

Abstract This paper uses the idea behind the well-known Baumol-Tobin model to develop a three-asset model of the transactions demand for money. A number of monetary issues that are not easily discussed in the two-asset framework can be discussed in the context of a three-asset model. Two versions of the model are employed. An LM curve is derived from both versions so that several issues can be explored using IS/LM analysis and the three-asset model can be more easily compared with the two-asset model.
Cremasteric muscle hypertrophy accompanies inguinal hernias in children

Abstract Purpose: The physical finding of a thickened spermatic cord as indicator of an inguinal hernia in children is well documented. This thickening has been attributed to the presence of a hernia sac. Based on our clinical observations, cremasteric fibers appeared thickened in the presence of an inguinal hernia. The authors postulated that hypertrophy of cremasteric fibers contributed to the physical finding of cord thickening. Methods: The authors evaluated 18 patients ages 5 months to 9 years, 17 boys and one girl. Each patient was found to have a unilateral inguinal hernia with palpable thickened cord on the affected side. The contralateral side contained no detectable hernia or palpable cord thickening. Each patient underwent repair of the clinical hernia and exploration of the contralateral groin. Cremasteric fiber biopsy sections were taken from both sides for cross-sectional measurement and comparison. The biopsy specimens were evaluated by a pathologist unaware of the hypothesis. Results: In 15 of 18 patients microscopic measurement of the cremasteric fibers showed hypertrophy on the side of the clinical hernia when compared with the contralateral side. The contralateral side was found to have either no hernia or a small patent or obliterated processus vaginalis. Conclusion: The authors conclude that the palpable thickening of the spermatic cord, the "silk glove sign", in most cases is caused not only by an empty hernia sac but also by hypertrophied cremasteric muscle fibers.
Semianalytic mode matching techniques for detecting nonmetallic mines buried in realistic soils

The Ultra-Wideband detection of plastic land mines buried in lossy, dielectric soils is simulated design a new semi- analytic mode matching (SAMM) algorithm. Here, we apply SAMM to the 3D canonical problem of finding the nonspecular reflection of an obliquely-incident plane wave ona lossy dielectric half-space containing a small, shallowly-varying convex-shaped mines buried under modestly rough ground. In the SAMM algorithm, the frequency-dependent scattered fields are constructed form moderately rough ground. In the SAMM algorithm, the frequency-dependent scattered fields are constructed form moderately low-order modal superpositions of spherical waves, each satisfying the Helmholtz equation in its respective material. By least squares fitting, mode coefficients are found which optimally match all boundary conditions at designated points along the boundary surfaces. Spherical wave expansions are chosen at multiple coordinate centers so that small numbers of modes are needed to given convergent results.
TOXIGENIC FUNGI ISOLATED FROM LATE-SEASON PECANS

Of 1978 fungal colonies isolated on malt-salt agar from twenty 5-kg samples of pecans harvested late in the season, 39% were Cladosporium, 21% were Penicillium, 9% were Alternaria or Epicoccum, 8% Pestalotia or Monochaeta, 4% Trichothecium, 4% Aspergillus niger, and less than 2% were Fusarium, Phomopsis, Rhizopus, Aspergillus, and miscellaneous genera. Forty-four of 260 representative isolates were persistently toxic to day-old cockerels. Toxigenic Penicillium spp. included P. citrinum, P. terrestre, P. cyclopium, P. funiculosum, P. roquefortii, P. purpurogenum, P. rubrum, and P. rugulosum. Toxigenic isolates of other genera included Aspergillus fiavus, A. cervinus, Alternaria alternata, Trichothecium roseum, Pestalotia sp., and Fusarium spp. Additional key words are Carya illinoensis, mycotoxins.
Computational gray-scale mathematical morphology on lattices (a comparator-based image algebra). Part 1: architecture

Abstract Computational mathematical-morphology has been developed to provide a directly computable alternative to classical gray-scale morphology that is range preserving and compatible with the design of statistically optimal filters based on morphological representation. It serves as an image algebra because of the expressive capability of its image-operator representations. Because representations are based on binary comparators used in conjunction with AND and OR operations, it provides a low-level, efficient computational environment that is a direct extension of the finite Boolean operational environment. The paper focuses on development of the comparator-based representation, providing the relevant representation theory for lattice operators and lattice-vector operators. Computational lattice-operator theory represents a comparator-based alternative to the classical morphological lattice theory, one that is directly implementable in logic. For totally ordered valuation spaces, the lattice theory reduces to a simplified form appropriate to straightforward optimization. The present paper treats architectural considerations and a second part considers the implications for latticevalued image operators.
Differential associations between infant affective and cortisol responses during the still face paradigm among infants born very low birth weight versus full-term

Psychological stress responses may have both emotional and cortisol reactivity correlates, but there are limited data addressing the association between generalized negative and positive emotional states and cortisol reactivity to a psychological stressor among infants born very low birth weight (VLBW; <1250 g) compared to infants born full-term. Examining this relationship between behavioral (affect) and physiological (cortisol) responses may provide insight into the nature of regulation difficulties identified in infants born VLBW. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between infant affective and cortisol responses to the Still Face paradigm (SF) in a cohort of six- to eight-month old infants born VLBW compared with infants born full-term (N=53 total; N=29 and N=24, respectively). Infant affect was coded in 1-s intervals while mother-infant dyads participated in the SF paradigm, and percent positive affect and percent negative affect were calculated separately for each SF episode. We had hypothesized that because infants born VLBW are at increased risk for dysregulation, they would show, compared to full-term controls, greater dysregulation in the form of less synchrony (i.e., less correlated affective and cortisol responses) across the two SF stressors (episodes 2 and 4). This hypothesis was largely supported: the associations between affective and cortisol responses were different for the two groups across the two stressors for percent positive affect (both stressor episodes 2 and 4) and percent negative affect (episode 4 only). For the full-term group, follow up correlations revealed significant negative associations between percent positive affective and cortisol responses for both stressors. Mothers' responsiveness did not explain the term group association differences between infant affective and cortisol responses across stressors. The (lack of) association of stress reactivity systems may index dysregulation or dysregulation correlates in preterm children. Understanding how this lack of coordination among stress systems relates to greater dysregulation, learning, and attentional difficulties may be important in recognizing early precursors to such problems in preterm children, and in this way, aid in early intervention efforts. Future research is warranted to determine how these findings relate to infants' stress reactions in naturalistic settings, and the directionality and temporal relationship between cortisol and infant affective stress responses.
Phosphatidylcholine head groups can induce short-range order in interfacial water in vesicles

Abstract The results of a Monte Carlo study of the positional and orientational order of water between two phosphatidylcholine head group interfaces is presented.
Degradation of hydrocarbons in oxidized and reduced sediments

Abstract The oxidation-reduction status of Gulf Coast wetland sediment greatly influenced hydrocarbon breakdown. Degradation of 14 C-labelled octadecane and 14 C-labelled naphthalene was faster in oxidized (+500 mV) sediment compared with reduced (−200 mV) sediment. Naphthalene showed no breakdown in reduced anaerobic sediment. However, a shift from strict anaerobic to aerobic conditions markedly increased napthalene degradation. An oxidized layer of sediment overlying reduced sediment was identified in several zones in a Louisiana salt marsh. Hydrocarbon degradation is likely to be greater in the oxidized surface layer.
Boundary Lubrication Studies on Undulated Titanium Surfaces

It is customary in tribological research, and especially in practice, to employ smooth surfaces, for it is generally believed that smooth surfaces should have low sliding friction. However the wear particles produced during sliding get trapped at the interfaces, and plowing by the wear particles becomes the principal mechanism of friction. Through experimental and theoretical investigations, it is shown that the plowing friction component can be substantially reduced by means of surface undulations. Steel-titanium and titanium-titanium pairs were tested to investigate the role of surface undulations in boundary lubricated sliding. Compared with the experimental results of flat titanium surfaces, friction coefficient and wear rate were considerably reduced with the undulated titanium surfaces, especially when lubricants considered ineffective for titanium were used. In addition, the effects of pad width and cavity volume fraction of the undulated surface were also investigated. A plowing model proposed for...