cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The analysis of polystyrene and polystyrene aggregates into the mega dalton mass range by cryodetection MALDI TOF MS

Mass spectra of atactic polystyrene were collected into the mega-dalton mass range with a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI TOF) mass spectrometer, which incorporates a cryodetector comprised of an array of 16 superconducting tunnel junctions (STJ). The STJ cryodetector, theoretically, has no loss in signal response at any mass compared with the reduced signal found at high mass when using a conventional secondary-ionization detector. Since ion detection at high m/z is one of the fundamental limitations of mass spectrometry (MS), the cryodetector was used to explore the high m/z limit of the MALDI TOF technique for the analysis of two polymer types. Mass spectra were collected for polystyrene at Mn 170, 400, 900, and 2000 kDa and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) at Mn 62.6 kDa and 153.7 kDa. For polystyrene, the data showed a trend toward increased aggregation and charge state with mass. The Mn 2 MDa polystyrene data revealed a peak at m/z 2.2 MegaTh and a charge state analysis revealed that these ions were primarily polystyrene aggregates with a mass of ∼4 MDa. This aggregate assignment was possible because the cryodetector response allows for the determination of a charge state up to about four. The contribution of each charge state for a selected peak can be determined in this fashion. This analysis revealed the preferential formation of doubly charged even-numbered aggregates over odd-numbered aggregates for high molecular mass polystyrene. A potential mechanism for the aggregation process for doubly charged species is discussed.
Studies of odd bases in yeast mitochondrial tRNA: III. Characterization of the tRNA methylases associated with the mitochondria.

Whereas m1G, m2G, m22G, m7G, T, m1A, m5C and Cm methylase activities were found in total cell enzyme of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using under-methylated E. coli tRNA and E. coli B tRNA in reaction with or without Mg++, only m1G, m2G, m22G and T methylases occurred in mitochondria. Mitochondrial and cytoplasmic tRNA cannot be methylated by their homologous enzymes; only mitochondrial tRNA can be methylated in a heterologous reaction by total cell enzyme with formation of T, m5C, m1A and low amounts of m2G and m22G.
The terrestrial planet finder coronagraph optical surface requirements

Coronagraph telescope and instrument optics for spatial frequencies within and beyond the spatial control bandwidth of the wave front control system. Three different wave front control systems are considered: a zero-path difference Michelson interferometer with two deformable mirrors at a pupil image; a sequential pair of deformable mirrors with one placed at a pupil image; and the Visible Nuller spatially-filtered controller. We show that the optical bandwidth limits the useful outer working angle.
Ultrafast photoinduced electron transfer to C60

Abstract Femtosecond transient absorption spectra of C 60 complexed with N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) demonstrate the formation of the DMA + :C − 60 ion pair on a time scale of 1 to 2 ps. At later times a strong near infrared absorption (λ = 1.1 μm to 800 nm) is observed which is attributed to C − 60 . The charge recombination occurs on a time scale in the range from 20 ps (neat DMA) to 55 ps (toluene diluted DMA). Significant solvation effects are observed which will require further to unravel.
Readmissions After Hospital Discharge With Acute Exacerbation of COPD: Are We Missing Something?

AbstractAcute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is an important part of the disease's morbidity, mortality, and progression, and is associated with increasing utilization of health care resources. The concept of integrated care based on a chronic care model is relatively new to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but has proved successful in improving clinical outcomes and probably in decreasing health care utilization in other chronic conditions. A comprehensive approach is needed to target a change in behavioral patterns in patients, increase physician's awareness and adherence to evidence-based recommendations, and address system related issues. This article discusses the evidence for various facets of nonpharmacological management of AECOPD and proposes a model of care that might be the missing link for reducing hospital readmissions for AECOPD. This model may decrease the morbidity, slow disease progression, and curb the increasing health care resource utilization with...
Quantitative analysis of scanning electron micrographs

SUMMARY Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provides a considerably greater depth of field than optical microscopy at the same magnification. It is therefore particularly suitable for the examination of specimens with irregular surfaces. This review of procedures for quantitative measurements on SEM images falls into two parts. The first deals with mensuration; that is, with the determination of the lengths, dihedral angles and other properties of specific features in the image. Particular emphasis is given to means of correcting for non-linearity and other distortions caused by instrumental defects. The second part considers the analysis for bulk properties such as volume fraction and boundary area per unit volume. In the case where observations are made on a planar section, these properties can be determined by use of the standard stereological relationships after making a computable correction (where necessary) for the tilt of the specimen and non-linearities in the scan. However, for irregular surfaces (for example, those produced by fracture) rigorous estimations are not possible without certain assumptions which, unfortunately, are in many cases unrealistic.
Bioterrorism: toxins as weapons

The potential for biological weapons to be used in terrorism is a real possibility. Biological weapons include infectious agents and toxins. Toxins are poisons produced by living organisms. Toxins relevant to bioterrorism include ricin, botulinum, Clostridium perfrigens epsilson toxin, conotoxins, shigatoxins, saxitoxins, tetrodotoxins, mycotoxins, and nicotine. Toxins have properties of biological and chemical weapons. Unlike pathogens, toxins do not produce an infection. Ricin causes multiorgan toxicity by blocking protein synthesis. Botulinum blocks acetylcholine in the peripheral nervous system leading to muscle paralysis. Epsilon toxin damages cell membranes. Conotoxins block potassium and sodium channels in neurons. Shigatoxins inhibit protein synthesis and induce apoptosis. Saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin inhibit sodium channels in neurons. Mycotoxins include aflatoxins and trichothecenes. Aflatoxins are carcinogens. Trichothecenes inhibit protein and nucleic acid synthesis. Nicotine produces numerous nicotinic effects in the nervous system.
Prednisone pretreatment leads to histaminic airway hyporeactivity soon after resolution of the immediate allergic response.

We assessed the effect of prednisone pretreatment (50 mg/day for three days) on the development of the early increase in histamine reactivity that occurs soon after resolution of the immediate response in allergic humans. Four allergic subjects who were known to develop only isolated immediate responses upon Kentucky bluegrass inhalation, as well as four mild allergic asthmatic subjects known to develop typical dual phase responses, were evaluated. All testing was done more than nine weeks after the grass pollen season had ended. Allergen inhalation produced an immediate response in all subjects. However, upon resolution of the immediate response to allergen in these pretreated subjects, the PC 200 His in all dual responding asthmatics and in three of the four isolated immediate responders had substantially increased above baseline values. We conclude that prednisone pretreatment leads to histaminic hypor eactivity soon after resolution of the immediate allergic response in both dual responding asthmatics and isolated immediate responders. It would seem that this prednisone effect is independent of its potential influence on the influx of inflammatory cells into diseased airways. (Chest 1989; 95:314-19) PC 200 His = dose of histamine that doubled SRaw; EOR=early onset increase in airway reactivity.
Electron transfer dynamics of single quantum dots on the (110) surface of a rutile TiO 2 single crystal

The interfacial electron transfer (IET) dynamics of single CdSe core/multilayer shell (CdS2MLZnCdS1MLZnS1ML) quantum dots (QDs) on the (110) surface of a rutile TiO2 single crystal and TiO2 nanoparticles have been compared. The fluorescence decay rates of single QDs on TiO2 are faster than those on glass, an insulating substrate, due to IET from the QDs to TiO2. Whereas the average IET rates are similar for QDs on the single crystal and nanoparticles, the distribution of IET rates is much broader in the latter, indicating a broad distribution of QD adsorption sites on the TiO2 nanoparticles.
Solidification of Nb-bearing superalloys: Part II. Pseudoternary solidification surfaces

Equilibrium distribution coefficients and pseudoternary solidification surfaces for experimental superalloys containing systematic variations in Fe, Nb, Si, and C were determined using quenching experiments and microstructural characterization techniques. In agreement with previous results, the distribution coefficient, k, for Nb and Si was less than unity, while the “solvent” elements (Fe, Ni, and Cr) exhibited little tendency for segregation (k ≈ 1). The current data were combined with previous results to show that an interactive effect between kNb and nominal Fe content exists, where the value of kNb decreases from 0.54 to 0.25 as the Fe content is increased from ≈2 wt pct to ≈47 wt pct. This behavior is the major factor contributing to formation of relatively high amounts of eutectic-type constituents observed in Fe-rich alloys. Pseudoternary γ-Nb-C solidification surfaces, modeled after the liquidus projection in the Ni-Nb-C ternary system, were proposed. The Nb compositions, which partially define the diagrams, were verified by comparison of calculated amounts of eutectic-type constituents (via the Scheil equation) and those measured experimentally, and good agreement was found. The corresponding C contents needed to fully define the diagrams were estimated from knowledge of the primary solidification path and k values for Nb and C.
Children in non-clinical functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) studies give the scan experience a "thumbs up".

Advances in brain imaging techniques have provided a significant opportunity for the study of brain development in humans. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the most promising and broadly used imaging technology that is also safe for use in pediatric populations. Insights gained from the veritable explosion of research in this area have significant applications in issues concerning courtrooms and classrooms, as described in the target article (Fenton et al. 2009). The current ethical debate focuses on the experience of participating in volunteer-based research and the application of research results to real-life situations. In this commentary, I analyze the experience of children who participate in non-clinical fMRI research and consider aspects that improve the experience for children. A child who comes into the research laboratory participates for any of a number of reasons. Most often, one or both parents have identified a research opportunity at a university, college, or medical center, and have presented that opportunity to their child. The child will sign an assent form specific to that research study that outlines the risks and benefits of participation. This form also emphasizes the point that the child may discontinue involvement at any time and for any reason. For more discussion of issues of medical consent and assent in children see Hinton 2002; Rosen and Gur 2002.
Enhanced DFT-Based Channel Estimation for LTE Uplink

Discrete Fourier transform (DFT) based channel estimation (CE) has been widely studied as a practical CE scheme over the OFDM based wireless systems. The conventional DFT-based channel estimation utilizes a transform domain cut-off filter to suppress the noise in the time domain. However, this method can suffer significant performance loss due to the channel impulse response (CIR) energy leakage, especially when the available pilot sub-carriers are confined to a small portion of the system bandwidth. In this paper, we propose an enhanced DFT-based channel estimation technique for the long term evolution (LTE) based cellular uplink. A sinc-null based noise power estimation method in conjunction with a dynamic noise removal technique is proposed to suppress the noise in the time domain and achieve better performance while keeping the complexity in check. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme not only achieves better mean square error (MSE) and block error rate (BLER) performance but also exhibits robustness to timing offsets compared to existing DFT based CE schemes.
Human chromosome 1 localization of the gene for a prostaglandin F2α, receptor negative regulatory protein

A protein that copurifies with the bovine prostaglandin F2α receptor (FP) has been isolated and the corresponding rat cDNA has been cloned. Transfection experiments suggest that this protein inhibits binding of [3H]prostaglandin F2α ([3H]PGF2α) to FP. Histologically, this protein (FP regulatory protein or FPRP) shows a distribution coinciding well with those cells and tissues that respond to PGF2α. A portion of the 3′ untranslated region of the human homolog to fprp was subcloned, sequenced, and oligonucleotide primers chosen that allow polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification specifically of the human fprp sequence. These primers were then used in a PCR-based mapping protocol. The human fprp gene was first localized through human/rodent somatic cell hybrids to human chromosome 1 (100% concordance), and further through yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) pools to region 1p13.1-q21.3 (level 1 mapping). In view of the specific histologic localization of this negative regulator, possible pathological conditions are mentioned that may cosegregate with this chromosomal region.
Reducing readmissions to detoxification: An interorganizational network perspective

Background The high cost of detoxification (detox) services and health risks associated with continued substance abuse make readmission to detox an important indicator of poor performance for substance use disorder treatment systems. This study examined the extent to which the structure of local networks available to detox programs affects patients’ odds of readmission to detox within 1 year.
Melting behavior and crystallization kinetics of starch and poly(lactic acid) composites

Differential scanning calorimetry was used to characterize the melting behavior and isothermal crystallization kinetics of pure poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and blends of PLA with various corn starch contents at varying isothermal crystallization temperatures (90-125°C). The experimental data were evaluated using the well-known Avrami kinetic model. The Avrami exponent, constant, half-time of crystallization, and degree of crystallinity were obtained. Talc, a nucleating agent, was also blended with PLA at 1% by volume (v/v) as a comparison. Starch effectively increased the crystallization rate of PLA, even at a 1% content, but the effect was less than that of talc. The crystallization rate of PLA increased slightly as the starch content in the blend was increased from 1 to 40%. An additional crystallization of PLA was observed, and it affected the melting point and degree of crystallinity of PLA.
A review of the physical geography of malta and its significance for tectonic geomorphology

Abstract This article reviews the literature on the structure, tectonics and stratigraphy of the Maltese Islands in order to assess their influence on the evolution of geomorphic features. Vertical movements have dominated the development of the islands. Specifically, an extinct pre-Pliocene rift system is cross-cut by a Quaternary rift system, in which both normal and transcurrent faulting are still active. Faunal remains indicate that a land bridge with Sicily and perhaps North Africa existed during the Pleistocene, but since then the land has subsided continuously and the coasts of the islands are now dominated by features of submergence, especially to the north-east, where downward rotation has quickened the process. The origin and explanation of syndepositional dolines and of shore platforms remain controversial, but the drainage patterns and stream profiles in the interior of Malta and Gozo Islands can be explained with reference to the pattern of sub-vertical faults and fractures and the varying resistances of the five main lithostratigraphic units that make up the entire geological succession of the archipelago. Thus the islands serve as a relatively simple example of the Quaternary evolution of limestone scenery of uncomplicated lithology and heavy dependence on vertical tectonic movements.
The American Pediatric Society. Presidential address to the American Pediatric Society, May 18, 1973 (Abraham Jacobi), (Job Lewis Smith), (Thomas Morgan Rotch), (William Osler).

The American Pediatric Society Presidential Address to the American Pediatric Society, May 18, 1973
Thermal Radiation in Packed and Fluidized Beds

Etude du transfert radiatif dans les lits fluidises ou a garnissage. Presentation des techniques experimentales existantes pour la determination des proprietes radiatives. Analyse de l'interaction du rayonnement avec d'autres modes de transfert de chaleur
On the Numerical Solution of Euler-Lagrange Equations∗

ABSTRACT ABSTRACT The Euler-Lagrange equations that describe the motion of constrained mechanical systems are locally reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations by means of local parametrizations. The class of local pa-rametrizations considered contains as particular cases the tangent plane parametrization and the local parametrization that is induced by the method of generalized coordinate partitioning. Explicit and implicit multi-step algorithms are developed in this framework. A numerical example shows that explicit methods may fail, while implicit methods are successful.
Electrical properties of Fe-doped semi-insulating InP after proton bombardment and annealing

Abstract The effects of proton bombardment and subsequent 30-min annealing on the electrical properties of semi-insulating InP doped with Fe at concentrations from 9 × 1015 to 2 × 1017 cm−3 have been measured for proton doses from 1.0 × 1012 to 4.4 × 1015 cm−2 and for annealing temperatures from 80 to 750°C. Proton bombardment decreases the sheet resistivity to as low as 3 × 10 4 Ω □ . The sheet resistivity is further decreased by annealing at temperatures up to 200–250°C but is increased by annealing at higher temperatures. Semi-insulating behavior is restored by annealing at 450°C or above. These changes can be explained by the formation of donor and acceptor defects at relative rates that vary with proton dose and by the removal of these defects at relative rates that vary with annealing temperature, although a variation in the effectiveness of the Fe acceptors or a hopping contribution to the conductivity may also play a role.
Computer Aided Ship Design and Numerically Controlled Production of Towing Tank Models

A Computer Aided Ship Design (CASD) and a Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) program are described. The objective of the program is to provide the capability to design and manufacture towing tank models using interactive CASD and CAM techniques. A three dimensional interactive graphics device supported by a mini-computer is used to drive the design portion of the system. A microprocessor based graphics system, simply and directly interfaced to a CNC controller on the shop floor, is used to perform the postprocessing and drive the milling machine. Experiences with actual use of the system and the benefits derived from this use are discussed for an actual production job.
A Study of Implementation of Madeline Hunter's Model and Its Effects on Students

AbstractThis article reports the results of a Madeline Hunter program implementation study. The study was conducted by the NAPA County Unified School District as one of the NTE-funded Follow Through grants. The research sought to identify the relationships between staff development programs, teacher implementation of the program, students’ engaged rates, and student achievement. This article reports the findings at the completion of the first full year of data collection.The sample includes 13 teachers in two schools representing two school districts. All of the teachers were observed before and after a three-month intervention where the Madeline Hunter five-step lesson plan was taught. The 257 students included in the analyses have pretest and posttest scores for observed engaged rates and achievement tests in both reading and mathematics.The correlational results suggest a significant relationship between program implementation and engaged rate in both reading ip < .05) and mathematics ip < .01). Progra...
Several blood and circulatory changes in the hibernation of the 13-lined ground squirrel, Citellus tridecemlineatus.

Abstract 1. 1. Blood from a hibernator (13-lined ground squirrel) was examined at different temperatures in active, hibernating and arousal states. 2. 2. In hibernation there was reduced hemotocrit, leukopenia and increased mean corpuscular volume. 3. 3. In hibernation erythrocytes showed increased resistance to hemolysis, 40–50 per cent were “folded-over”. They unfolded on warming, but did not refold on subsequent cooling. 4. 4. Two hemoglobins were found in the three states. 5. 5. Erythrocytes did not rouleaux nor agglutinate at 5°C. Human cells, contrarily, rouleaux in cold, but not if mixed with ground squirrel serum. 6. 6. There is no I antigen. 7. 7. Three particles in hibernation blood are characteristic: (a) round lipid, (b) 5-sided crystalline and (c) small amorphous.
Developmental disruption of the serotonin system alters circadian rhythms.

Abstract Serotonin (5-HT) plays an important role in circadian rhythms, acting to modulate photic input to the mammalian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), as well as playing a role in non-photic input. The transcription factor Pet-1 is an early developmental indicator of neurons that are destined for a 5-HTergic fate. Mice lacking the Pet-1 gene show a 70% loss of 5-HT immunopositive cell bodies in adult animals. 5-HT neurotoxic lesion studies using 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) have highlighted species-specific differences in response to 5-HT depletion and studies using knockout mice lacking various 5-HT receptors have helped to elucidate the role of individual 5-HT receptors in mediating 5-HT's effects on circadian rhythms. Here we investigate the effects of a developmental disruption of the 5-HT system on the SCN and circadian wheel-running behavior. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed depletion of 5-HT fiber innervation to the SCN as well as greatly reduced numbers of cell bodies in the raphe nuclei in Pet-1 knockout mice. These mice also display significantly longer free-running periods than wildtype or heterozygote counterparts. In light–dark cycles, knockouts showed a shift in peak wheel running behavior towards the late night as compared to wildtype and heterozygote animals. When kept in constant darkness for 70 days, wildtype animals showed decreases in free-running period over time while the period of knockout animals remained constant. Immunohistochemical analysis for neuropeptides within the SCN indicates that the behavioral changes observed in Pet-1 knockout mice were not due to gross changes in SCN structure. These results suggest that developmental loss of serotonergic input to the clock has long-term consequences for both circadian clock parameters and the temporal organization of activity.
Neuromuscular function after regeneration of interrupted nerve fibers into partially denervated muscle.

Abstract In rats, spinal nerve L4 was crushed to induce collateral sprouting of the residual L5 nerve fibers within the plantaris and soleus. One month postoperatively (before regeneration) and 4 months postoperatively (following regeneration) the spinal nerves were stimulated and muscular contractions recorded isometrically. The experiment was performed to determine whether the regenerated L4 fibers (a) would cause withdrawal of the “foreign” L5 collateral sprouts, (b) would hyperneurotize the muscle, or (c) would be unable to establish connections with the collaterally reinnervated muscle fibers. One month postoperatively the L5 collaterals sufficed to prevent significant loss of muscular strength. By 4 months postoperatively the regenerated L4 fibers had established connections both with denervated muscle fibers and with muscle fibers innervated by L5 (hyperneurotization). The fact that the “foreign” L5 collaterals were not withdrawn in favor of the appropriate L4 fibers is evidence of lack of specificity in the relationship between nerve fiber and muscle fiber. The degree of hyperneurotization of muscle fibers by L4 and L5 was sufficiently high as to suggest that muscle fibers which were normally, as well as those which were collaterally, innervated by L5 had become doubly innervated. It would therefore appear that partial denervation alters the nerve-muscle relationship that renders normally innervated muscle refractory to hyperneurotization. The reinnervated muscles were normal in weight but deficient in strength. In a continually growing animal such as the rat, it may be that different influences are responsible for increase in weight and increase in strength of muscle.
Peripheral nerve and muscle ultrasound in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Introduction: High-resolution ultrasound has been used to evaluate several neuromuscular conditions, but it has only been used on a limited basis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. It has not been used to assess their peripheral nerves. This study was designed to use neuromuscular ultrasound to investigate nerve cross-sectional area and muscle thickness in ALS. Methods: Twenty individuals with ALS and 20 matched controls underwent neuromuscular ultrasound to measure the cross-sectional area of their median and sural nerves and the thickness of their biceps/brachialis muscle complex. Results: The cross-sectional area of the median nerve in the mid-arm was smaller in the ALS group than in controls (10.5 mm2 vs. 12.7 mm2, P = 0.0023), but no difference was seen in the sural nerve (4.5 mm2 vs. 5.0 mm2, P = 0.1927). The ALS group also had thinner biceps/brachialis than controls (2.1 cm vs. 2.9 cm, P = 0.0007). Conclusions: Neuromuscular ultrasound demonstrates nerve and muscle atrophy in ALS and should be further explored as a disease biomarker. Muscle Nerve 44: 346–351, 2011
Kinetic Trajectory Decoding Using Motor Cortical Ensembles

Although most brain-machine interface (BMI) studies have focused on decoding kinematic parameters of motion such as hand position and velocity, it is known that motor cortical activity also correlates with kinetic signals, including active hand force and joint torque. Here, we attempted to reconstruct torque trajectories of the shoulder and elbow joints from the activity of simultaneously recorded units in primary motor cortex (MI) as monkeys (Macaca Mulatta) made reaching movements in the horizontal plane. Using a linear filter decoding approach that considers the history of neuronal activity up to one second in the past, we found torque reconstruction performance nearly equal to that of Cartesian hand position and velocity, despite the considerably greater bandwidth of the torque signals. Moreover, the addition of delayed position and velocity feedback to the torque decoder substantially improved the torque reconstructions, suggesting that simple limb-state feedback may be useful to optimize BMI performance. These results may be relevant for BMI applications that require controlling devices with inherent, physical dynamics or applying forces to the environment.
Fermionic center in the superconformal algebra on the supertorus

Abstract Krichever and Novikov (KN) have introduced a generalization of the Virasoro algebra which describes conformal transformations on a Riemann surface of arbitrary genus. We examine their genus one algebra, find explicit expressions for its center, and discuss connections and symmetries among the algebra constants. We then proceed to construct explicitly the corresponding superconformal algebra on the supertorus. An intriguing feature of the NS odd spin structure algebra is that it is enriched by a central element which is anticommuting.
Physical properties of alkaline-earth and alkali borate glasses prepared over an extended range of compositions

Abstract By using rapid cooling we have greatly extended the reported glass-forming ranges in the binary magnesium, calcium, strontium, and barium borate systems. We observed phase separation for low alkaline-earth oxide contents, typically below about 15 mol% alkaline-earth oxide, but we have been able to increase the alkaline-earth oxide limit of glass formation to approximately 60–65 mol%. We have determined the density and the glass transition temperature for a large number of glasses within each of these systems. We compare these data with atomic arrangement studies based on spectroscopy. Using a model derived from the NMR data of Greenblatt and Bray [Phys. Chem. Glasses 8 (5) (1967) 190–193] we have determined the associated volumes of the four basic borate structural units thought to be present in each system. These groups include trigonal borons with three (f1), two (f3), and one bridging oxygens (f4) as well as the tetrahedral boron unit (f2). We compare these volumes with those obtained from the binary alkali borates. In addition, we have calculated the volumes of the borate groups using Shannon and Prewitt radii. This allowed us to determine and compare the packing fractions of each borate arrangement in the alkaline-earth and alkali borate systems. The Tg data display two distinct regions, a high temperature region for the alkaline-earth borates and one for the alkali borates. These regions are separated by approximately 150 °C.
Rapid goal-oriented automated software testing using MEA-graph planning

With the rapid growth in the development of sophisticated modern software applications, the complexity of the software development process has increased enormously, posing an urgent need for the automation of some of the more time-consuming aspects of the development process. One of the key stages in the software development process is system testing. In this paper, we evaluate the potential application of AI planning techniques in automated software testing. The key contributions of this paper include the following: (1) A formal model of software systems from the perspective of software testing that is applicable to important classes of systems and is amenable to automation using AI planning methods. (2) The design of a framework for an automated planning system (APS) for applying AI planning techniques for testing software systems. (3) Assessment of the test automation framework and a specific AI Planning algorithm, namely, MEA-Graphplan (Means-Ends Analysis Graphplan), algorithm to automatically generate test data. (4) A case study is presented to evaluate the proposed automated testing method and compare the performance of MEA-Graphplan with that of Graphplan. The empirical results show that for software testing, the MEA-Graphplan algorithm can perform computationally more efficiently and effectively than the basic Graph Planning algorithm.
Singular value description of a digital radiographic detector: theory and measurements.

The H operator represents the deterministic performance of any imaging system. For a linear, digital imaging system, this system operator can be written in terms of a matrix, H, that describes the deterministic response of the system to a set of point objects. A singular value decomposition of this matrix results in a set of orthogonal functions (singular vectors) that form the system basis. A linear combination of these vectors completely describes the transfer of objects through the linear system, where the respective singular values associated with each singular vector describe the magnitude with which that contribution to the object is transferred through the system. This paper is focused on the measurement, analysis, and interpretation of the H matrix for digital x-ray detectors. A key ingredient in the measurement of the H matrix is the detector response to a single x ray (or infinitestimal x-ray beam). The authors have developed a method to estimate the 2D detector shift-variant, asymmetric ray response function (RRF) from multiple measured line response functions (LRFs) using a modified edge technique. The RRF measurements cover a range of x-ray incident angles from 0 deg. (equivalent location at the detector center) to 30 deg. (equivalent location atmore » the detector edge) for a standard radiographic or cone-beam CT geometric setup. To demonstrate the method, three beam qualities were tested using the inherent, Lu/Er, and Yb beam filtration. The authors show that measures using the LRF, derived from an edge measurement, underestimate the system's performance when compared with the H matrix derived using the RRF. Furthermore, the authors show that edge measurements must be performed at multiple directions in order to capture rotational asymmetries of the RRF. The authors interpret the results of the H matrix SVD and provide correlations with the familiar MTF methodology. Discussion is made about the benefits of the H matrix technique with regards to signal detection theory, and the characterization of shift-variant imaging systems.« less
EFFECTS OF FLOW REGIME ON FISH ASSEMBLAGES IN A REGULATED CALIFORNIA STREAM

The fishes in Lower Putah Creek, a regulated stream in the Central Valley of California, were sampled over a 5-yr period, 1994-1998. Distinct fish assemblages were observed in the lower 37 km of stream using two-way indicator species analysis (TWIN- SPAN) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The assemblages segregated in an upstream-to-downstream manner. Distinct differences were found between assemblages of native and nonnative fishes and their association with environmental variables and habitat use. Native fishes tended to cluster in areas with colder temperatures, lower conductivity, less pool habitat, faster streamflow, and more shaded stream surface. Numbers of nonnative fish were negatively correlated with increased streamflow, and numbers of native fish were positively correlated with increased flow. Hydrologic variability between years and seasons indicated that flow regime had a large effect on the fish assemblages. This study provides a clear demonstration of how native fishes in streams of the western United States exhibit different habitat requirements and respond to temporal variation in flow in a different manner than nonnative fishes. It supports the concept that restoration of natural flow regimes, in company with other restoration measures, is necessary if the continued downward decline of native fish populations in the western United States is to be reversed.
An apparatus for the study of the human operator

THE QUANTITATIVE UNDERSTANDING of the behavior of a human being functioning as an element of a closed-loop control system has become a matter of considerable importance in recent years. In addition to the purely military problems of high-speed flight, fire control, and similar tasks, there are many situations where a specific knowledge of human characteristics would make possible improvements in design and performance of the over-all system. The rapid development of the theory and practice of feedback control systems has given new impetus and interest to the study of the nature of human behavior in analogous situations.
Correlation of Mixed Layer Growth in a Double-Diffusive, Salt-Stratified System Heated From Below

Determination des vitesses d'entrainement a partir des mesures de la croissance de la couche mixte dans des solutions a gradient de salinite chauffees par dessous. Etablissement d'une correlation pour ces vitesses en fonction du nombre de Richardson. Comparaison avec des donnees experimentales publiees
Embryonic-Fetal Toxicity and Teratogenic Effects of Adipic Acid Esters in Rats

Abstract Seven adipates (dimethyl, diethyl, dipropyl, diisobutyl, di-n-butyl, di-2-ethylhexyl, and dicyclohexyl) were evaluated for their embryonic-fetal toxicity and teratogenic effects in rats, and the results were compared to those of a previous study with phtha- late esters. The data suggest that the adipates are less teratogenic than the comparable phthalates when administered during gestation in equivalent fractions of the respective I.D 50 doses.
DAME: A Runtime-Compiled Engine for Derived Datatypes

In order to achieve high performance on modern and future machines, applications need to make effective use of the complex, hierarchical memory system. Writing performance-portable code continues to be challenging since each architecture has unique memory access characteristics. In addition, some optimization decisions can only reasonably be made at runtime. This suggests that a two-pronged approach to address the challenge is required. First, provide the programmer with a means to express memory operations declaratively which will allow a runtime system to transparently access the memory in the best way and second, exploit runtime information. MPI's derived datatypes accomplish the former although their performance in current MPI implementations shows scope for improvement. JIT-compilation can be used for the latter. In this work, we present DAME --- a language and interpreter that is used as the backend for MPI's derived datatypes. We also present DAME-L and DAME-X, two JIT-enabled implementations of DAME. All three implementations have been integrated into MPICH. We evaluate the performance of our implementations using DDTBench and two mini-applications written with MPI derived datatypes and obtain communication speedups of up to 20x and mini-application speedup of 3x.
Coping With the Great Recession: Theory and Practice for County Governments

This article explores “best” and actual practices of county governments coping with fiscal stress. Using survey results from county commissioners in California and Georgia, it is possible to assess the recession's impact and identify strategies that have been used to deal with revenue shortfalls and how different taxes may have changed these tactics. It becomes clear that reducing expenditures is more commonplace than increasing taxes, and almost no counties are able to “do nothing” as the academic literature prescribes (Marlowe, 2009). Overall, the counties that are most successful at coping with the recession began to take action before they felt the recession's impact and subsequently are able to maintain service levels without dramatic changes to the way they budget.
The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care

The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care By T.R. Reid. , The Penguin Press, 2009, Hardcover 288 pp., $25.95, ISBN-10:1594202346 The health-care delivery system in the USA is in trouble. Despite this being recognized by the vast majority of the American public (a CNN poll in August 2009 found that 91% of respondents felt that the American health-care system was in need of ‘major’ or ‘some’ reform), various interest groups with significant political power and a strong economic stake in maintaining the status quo , as well as a historic popular mistrust of big government, have succeeded thus far in stymieing efforts to extend coverage to a broader segment of the American public while trying to contain or even reduce costs. This time, however, it may be different. With the Obama administration's attempts to bring about health-care delivery reform in the USA, this subject has risen to the forefront of American public debate. It seems that no matter where one turns these days, one comes across another article, report or book about the woeful state of the American health-care delivery system. Depending upon the author(s)' point of view, insurance companies, physicians, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, hospital administrators and/or malpractice lawyers (variously described as ‘greedy’ and ‘heartless’) are to blame for the current sorry state of affairs. Suggestions on how to remedy the situation are not lacking either, and these differ significantly depending upon their proponents' underlying ideological world view, which colors both their understanding of how the American health-care delivery system arrived at this point, as well as their conviction of what the USA as a society should strive to become. In this very well-written and thought-provoking book, T.R. Reid, a journalist for American National Public Radio and the Washington Post set out to examine how the health-care systems …
Confined guided modes in W-fibre with square core

For the first time, confined propagation of guided optical modes in W-fibre with square core that has a higher refractive index is proposed and analysed. The method of calculation for characteristic guided modes and prospective applications is presented.
Relations of Care: The Contexts for Immigrant Care Workers in Northern Italy

This article provides insight into the experiences of South American low-wage, immigrant care workers who provide care to elders in private homes in Genoa, Italy. An analysis of data collected during fieldwork in 2009–2010 focuses on the larger context of labor unions in Italy, the very intimate context of the home as worksite, and care worker strategies in this work sector. Using Aihwa Ong's concept of “self-engineering” by workers in a neoliberal economy to examine how workers in this context negotiate their work lives demonstrates both the usefulness and limitations of this important concept in home-based labor.
Toward a molecular explanation for cross-presentation of antigens to the immune system.

Cross-presentation is increasingly recognized as a key mechanism by which specific antigen-presenting cells (APCs) activate the cellular immune system against virally infected or neoplastic cells. These APCs have the capacity to acquire exogenous proteins by phagocytosis or endocytosis, derive antigenic peptides, and then cross-present them in the context of class I major histocompatibility complex molecules. Because APCs provide both an antigenic stimulus and costimulatory signals, they can effectively activate naive CD8 + T lymphocytes, resulting in a brisk cellular immune response. The precise cellular pathways that permit an exogenous antigen to be presented in the context of class I major histocompatibility complex is the focus of intense investigation that has illuminated our understanding of the cell biology of APCs. This article reviews our understanding of how APCs cross-present antigen, illustrating how this process differs from the canonical pathways of antigen presentation. We define the central players required for cross-presentation and then focus on recent studies that reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Understanding these mechanisms will likely inform the development of effective cell-based vaccines and other cellular immunotherapies and is therefore of interest to practitioners of transfusion medicine.
Filter Bank Design for Minimizing Mean-Squared Estimation Error in Subband Adaptive Filtering

This paper considers the problem of prototype filter design for subband adaptive filtering applied to system identification. The minimum mean-squared estimation error (MMSE) depends only the subband analysis filter and the response of the unknown system. We use MMSE as a design criterion to select the best analysis filter response. We show how this can be done independently of the unknown system. The connection between a minimizing MSE and a least-squares estimation problem inspires a new adaptive filter structure in which different analysis filters are used in the two branches of the subband adaptive filter
Practical Arithmetic and Transfer: A Study among West African Tribesmen

Transfer of mathematical problem-solving ability was studied among adult unschooled cloth merchants and tailors in West Africa. The purpose was to examine the role of familiarity of problem components and of the overall problem form. Experimental tasks tested arithmetic ability, measurement facts, and ability to solve variations of typical cloth-selling arithmetic problems. Results showed cloth merchants and tailors to be equivalent in basic arithmetic and measurement skills but that cloth merchants were better able to organize these skills to effectively solve price problems with both familiar and unusual materials. Using unfamiliar numerical content interfered with the ability to execute component arithmetic operations for both professional groups.
Tissue Culture of the Organ of Corti: Part II

In 1975, Sobkowicz et al. (1) described long-term organotypic cultures of the organ of Corti of the newborn mouse. This paper provides detailed methods for dissection and maintenance of the isolated organ of Corti with its corresponding segment of spiral ganglion in culture. Descriptions and illustrations of cellular characteristics of the developing organ are carefully documented. The work is based on 19 years of experience and over one thousand cultures. Review of the literature and the application of the technique to research on the inner ear are provided.
The Loss of Property Rights and the Collapse of Zimbabwe

What in the world happened to Zimbabwe? Although the country certainly had its share of difficulties during the first 25 years since independence in 1980, it largely dodged the famines, civil strife, and grossly mismanaged government policies so common in other subSaharan African countries. Through the 1980s, its annual real GDP growth averaged more than 5 percent, and, unlike other African countries, agricultural yields were large enough to allow the country to export grain. In the following decade, economic growth slowed, and government policies were less than efficient, but Zimbabwe still managed to grow an average of 4.3 percent, in real terms. 1 The government also offered free education and relatively good access to medical care. Population growth was slowing, and foreign direct investment increasing. With rich mineral assets, an educated workforce, and beautiful natural wonders, Zimbabwe appeared to have the best chance to be an African success story. However, in 2000 through 2003, the Zimbabwean government initiated a land reform policy that involved forcibly taking over whiteowned commercial farms, ostensibly to redistribute this property to landless blacks. The rationale for this policy was to redress the British seizure of fertile farmland in the late 1890s, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of blacks being pushed onto lower grade communal lands. No compensation was paid to the commercial farmers, and hundreds of thousands of employed black farm workers were left without