cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ring-opening and double-metallation reactions of the N-Heterocyclic carbene ligand in Cp∗(IXy)Ru (IXy = 1,3-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) complexes. Access to an anionic fischer-type carbene complex of ruthenium

Abstract An N-heterocylic carbene (NHC) ring-opening reaction was observed upon treatment of the silyl complex Cp∗(IXy-H)(H)RuSiH2Mes [1; IXy = 1,3-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene; IXy-H = 1-(2-CH2C6H3-6-methyl)-3-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene-1-yl (the deprotonated form of IXy); Cp∗ = η5-C5Me5] with LiCH2SiMe3. This reaction results in formation of a novel, anionic Fischer-type carbene complex Cp∗(H)Ru{κ2-CHN(Xyl)CH[Si(CH2SiMe3)Mes]N(Xyl)Li} (4). This ring-opening reaction demonstrates a new pathway for NHC degradation via the cooperation of ruthenium, silicon, and lithium. Additionally, treatment of the dinitrogen complex Cp∗(IXy-H)Ru(N2) with LiCH2SiMe3 led to the doubly-metallated complex [Cp∗(IXy-2H)Ru]Li (5), which exhibits a solid-state polymeric structure and metallation of both xylyl groups of the IXy ligand. Finally, removal of a hydride from 4, achieved with two equiv of B(C6F5)3, led to C–H activation of the Cp∗ ligand and formation of an unusual, formally dianionic η5-Me4C5CH2B(C6F5)3 ligand in a ruthenium carbene complex [η5-Me5C5CH2B(C6F5)3](H)Ru{κ3-CHN(Xyl)CH[SiH(CH2SiMe3)Mes]N(Xyl)} (7).
Refereed papers: The reduced Enigma

This article describes a simplified cryptographic machine, based closely on the World War II Enigma. This 'reduced Enigma' exposes some of the design flaws of the original Enigma in a new way. Had the Axis powers built a reduced Enigma, the outcome of the war might have been different. A fully working reduced Enigma has been used very successfully in numerous public lectures, in school talks, and in university seminars. Hands-on demonstrations of the reduced Enigma dramatically brings alive ideas about design, codes, permutations and groups. As a working trapdoor function, the reduced Enigma also provides an unusually clear introduction to public key cryptography. This article provides background information, lecture suggestions, and details for building it.
A chip prototyping substrate: the flexible architecture for simulation and testing (FAST)

We describe a hybrid hardware emulation environment: the Flexible Architecture for Simulation and Testing (FAST). FAST integrates field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), microprocessors, and memory to enable rapid prototyping of chip multiprocessors, multithreaded architectures, or other novel computer architectures and chip-level memory systems. FAST combines configurable and fixed-function hardware and software to facilitate rapid prototyping by utilizing components optimized for their particular tasks: FPGAs for interconnect and glue logic; processors for rapid program execution; and SRAMs for fast memory. Unlike software simulators, FAST can simulate complex designs at multi-megahertz speeds regardless of the simulation detail. We illustrate FAST's utility by describing mappings of both a small-scale CMP with speculation support and a large-scale CMP connected using a network. We then show performance results from a very simple, decoupled 4-way CMP executing small test programs.
REPLICATION RATE AND EVOLUTION IN THE HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS

Population genetic and virological methods yield estimates for the mean replication rate of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) that differ by six fold. I present a simple model that can reconcile the estimates obtained from each method by considering the role of intra-host population structure on viral dynamics. The model shows how latently infected cells, which may produce only a small fraction of infective viruses, can nonetheless have an important influence on estimates of mean replication rate. This contribution of latently infected cells is most important when considering the evolution of HIV and the clinical consequences of viral evolution.
Atomic-Scale Structural Investigations on the Nucleation of Cubic Boron Nitride from Amorphous Boron Nitride under High Pressures and Temperatures

By controlling the microstructure of the starting materials, i.e., by ball-milling a commercial hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) to an amorphous boron nitride (a-BN), the subsequent high-pressure and high-temperature (HP−HT) induced phase transformation has been significantly facilitated. Namely, cubic boron nitride (c-BN) forms at 900 °C and achieves accomplishment at 1350 °C under 7.7 GPa, which are significantly less-extreme conditions than that of crystalline h-BN under similar HP−HT treatments. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) clarified the nucleation mechanism at an atomic scale. It demonstrated that the c-BN phase nucleates directly from the sp3-hybridized amorphous matrix, which is originally induced by ball-milling and is therefore responsible for the reduced HP−HT conditions. This c-BN nucleation mechanism is completely different from the so-called diffusionless “puckering” mechanism involved in the HP−HT experiments starting fro...
Projected Changes in Climate Extremes over the Northeastern United States

AbstractProjections of historical and future changes in climate extremes are examined by applying the bias-correction spatial disaggregation (BCSD) statistical downscaling method to five general circulation models (GCMs) from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). For this analysis, 11 extreme temperature and precipitation indices that are relevant across multiple disciplines (e.g., agriculture and conservation) are chosen. Over the historical period, the simulated means, variances, and cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) of each of the 11 indices are first compared with observations, and the performance of the downscaling method is quantitatively evaluated. For the future period, the ensemble average of the five GCM simulations points to more warm extremes, fewer cold extremes, and more precipitation extremes with greater intensities under all three scenarios. The changes are larger under higher emissions scenarios. The inter-GCM uncertainties and changes in probability distri...
Adenosine-Recruitable Flow Reserve Is Absent During Myocardial Ischemia in Unanesthetized Dogs Studied in the Basal State

Abstract We conducted the present study to determine if pharmacologically recruitable flow reserve was present during ischemia in unanesthetized dogs studied in the absence of adrenergic activation. Microsphere measurements of regional perfusion at reduced coronary pressures in a distal circumflex region subjected to intracoronary adenosine infusion (0.265 mg/min IC) were compared with measurements in a proximal circumflex region where pressure was reduced but flow was being autoregulated normally. Ischemia began when coronary pressure was reduced below 40 mm Hg. At a coronary pressure of 28±1 (mean±SEM) mm Hg, subendocardial flow with autoregulation intact was 0.59±0.05 mL · min · g−1 and similar to that in the region receiving adenosine, which averaged 0.61±0.05 mL · min−1 · g−1 ( P =NS). Although adenosine increased subepicardial flow from 0.81±0.05 to 1.16±0.09 mL · min−1 · g−1 ( P <.001), the magnitude of the increase was minimal when coronary pressure fell to a level that caused subepicardial flow during autoregulation to be reduced below resting values. These results demonstrate that the substantially lower autoregulatory break point found in unanesthetized dogs studied in the basal state reflects the ability of intrinsic autoregulatory mechanisms to match local vasodilator reserve to that recruitable pharmacologically. This contrasts with the presence of pharmacologically recruitable subendocardial flow reserve in anesthetized animals and is most likely related to a low level of circulating catecholamines and lack of sympathetic activation in unanesthetized animals studied under basal conditions.
Characterizing a ground water basin in a New England mountain and valley terrain

A ground water basin is defined as the volume of subsurface through which ground water flows from the water table to a specified discharge location. Delineating the topographically defined surface water basin and extending it vertically downward does not always define the ground water basin. Instead, a ground water basin is more appropriately delineated by tracking ground water flowpaths with a calibrated, three-dimensional ground water flow model. To determine hydrologic and chemical budgets of the basin, it is also necessary to quantify flow through each hydrogeologic unit in the basin. In particular, partitioning ground water flow through unconsolidated deposits versus bedrock is of significant interest to hillslope hydrologic studies. To address these issues, a model is developed and calibrated to simulate ground water flow through glacial deposits and fractured crystalline bedrock in the vicinity of Mirror Lake, New Hampshire. Tracking of ground water flowpaths suggests that Mirror Lake and its inlet streams drain a ground water recharge area that is about 1.5 times the area of the surface water basin. Calculation of the ground water budget suggests that, of the recharge that enters the Mirror Lake ground water basin, about 40% travels through the basin along flowpaths that stay exclusively in the glacial deposits, and about 60% travels along flowpaths that involve movement in bedrock.
Reprocessable and Easy Processing Silica Filled Brominated Isobutylene para Methyl Styrene (BIMS)

Without the use of any curatives, silica filled BIMS compounds can achieve tensile strength and bound rubber level close to conventional crosslinked elastomer compounds. This outstanding tensile performance of silica filled BIMS compounds results from the strong interaction between BIMS polymer and silica filler. Silica filled BIMS compounds can be reprocessed and still retain their high tensile strength performance. The good compatibility between BIMS and silica also leads to better filler dispersion and inhibition of filler-filler interaction. This in turn leads to the lower processing viscosity observed. We speculate that BIMS can interact with silica via nucleophilic substitution reaction between benzylic bromide of the polymer and surface silanol group of silica.
Neighborhood Selection and Residential Segregation

Residential segregation has long been a topic of investigation for urban scholars. In attempting to understand this phenomenon, most researchers have examined the characteristics of different residential neighborhoods (typically census tracts) and have often compared the composition of the population within the census tract over time. This study looks at the household characteristics of the mobile family, as well as the aggregate characteristics of the census tract into which the family moves. The findings reveal that households display a tendency to move to areas where the existing population has characteristics similar to their own. A multiple logit analysis reveals that the race/ethnicity of the household is generally the best predictor of the neighborhood where the household will move.
The influence of social relationships on international students’ intentions to remain abroad: multi-group analysis by marital status

International graduate students are regarded as highly educated global human resources who are necessary for many organizations to survive the global competition. Even though it is regarded that being married is a key factor influencing international mobility, there is little research on differences in intentions to remain abroad between the single and the married. The purpose of this study was to examine how international graduate students' intentions to remain in the USA after graduation differ by marital status. Using a multi-group path model analysis, the hypothesized model was individually tested by marital status, and relationships between the variables were compared. Data from a self-report survey (n = 451) provided that single students' relationships and married students' relationships differed. There was a negative significant relationship between home country family ties and intention to remain for single students. The relationship between satisfaction with the university and intention to remain...
The Association Between Female College Students' Reports of Depression and Their Perceptions of Parental Attitudes Regarding Gender

This study related female college students' (n= 377) reports of symptomatology to their reports of parental attitudes suggesting limitations inherent in being female. Young women completed a scale measuring their perceptions that their fathers would have been prouder of them if they were male, and a scale measuring their distress over the limitations experienced by their mothers. Respondents who scored high on either scale exhibited much higher prevalence than other respondents of self-reported depression accompanied by anxiety, somatic symptoms including headaches, insomnia, dyspnea, fatigue, disordered eating, and poor body image/preference for thinness (labeled anxious somatic depression). Compared to men (n= 191), women exhibited much higher prevalence of anxious somatic depression, but not higher prevalence of depression unaccompanied by the other symptoms.
TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY OF THE CHILDREN'S FORM OF THE ROSENZWEIG PICTURE-FRUSTRATION STUDY

Summary.-For 26 children in Grade 2 and 20 in Grade 4 test-retest correlations over 1 yr. were moderate to low but significant save for the category of Obstacle-dominance on the Children's Form of the Rosenzweig Picture-frustration S~dy. The Rosenzweig Picmre-Frustration (P-F) Study is a semi-projective instrument for assessing modes of reaction to frustration. In 24 cartoon-like pictures the figure at the left of each item is shown making statements that describe the frustration of the other figure or which statements actually frustrate him. The figure on the right has a blank caption box (balloon) above his head in which subjects write what they think the figure on the right would say in response to the frustrasion. The P-F Study is scored according to Direction of Aggression and Type of Aggression. Aggression may be directed toward the environment (Extraggression) , upon oneself (Intra,gession), or evaded (Imaggression) . It may take the form of attending to the frustrating barrier (Obstacle-dominance), of defending the organization 0': personality (Ego-defense), or of finding solutions (Need-persistence). In the only study examining the reliability of the Children's Form, Rosenzweig (1978) found that the 3-mo. test-retest correlations were statistically significant for all categories except Obstacle-dominance. The retest reliability data reported in the present s~dy were collected at 1-yr. intervals, as parts of studies of video games (Graybill, Kirsch, 8: Esselman, 1985; Graybill, Strawniak, Hunter, 8: O'Leaq, 1986). Details of the procedure may be found in these reports. Subjects were 26 seco~d-grade children (retested in the third grade) and 20 fourth-grade children (retested in the fifth grade). Two graduate students independently scored the protocols from the first administration, and two other graduate students independently scored the protocols from the second adrninistration. Interrater reliabilities for these 46 children ranged from .51 to .92 (M = .74), except for O~stacle-dominance from the second administration which was .39. All corre'ations were statistically significant (p < .01). Scores from the two graduate students who scored each protocol were averaged for analysis. The Pearson correlations between the first and second administrations
Investigation of the effectiveness and mechanisms of enzyme products for subgrade stabilization

The subgrade stabilization effectiveness and mechanisms of two enzyme products (enzyme A and B) were investigated using chemical analysis and resilient modulus testing. Two types of soil were tested in this study. A soil with a high percentage of fines (96.4% passing 200 sieve) and high clay content (75.2%) (Soil I) and a soil with a relatively low fines content (59.7% passing 200 sieve) and low clay content (14.5%) (Soil II). The addition of enzyme A did not improve significantly the resilient modulus of Soil I, but increased the resilient modulus of Soil II by an average of 54%. On the other hand, the addition of enzyme B significantly increased the resilient modulus of both soils. The soil clay content and percent of fines appear to play an important role in the effectiveness of enzyme-based stabilizer treatment. The limited effectiveness of enzyme A (for low clay content soil) appears to be due to its surfactant-like characteristics while enzyme B, which was effective for both soils, exhibited no surf...
Quantum critical benchmark for electronic structure theory

Two electrons at the threshold of ionization represent a severe test case for electronic structure theory. Variational methods can yield highly accurate energies, but may be less accurate for other operators of interest. A pseudospectral method yields very accurate expectations values for the two-electron ion with nuclear charge at and close to the critical value which yields zero ionization energy. As an illustration, the ground-state density is calculated and an extremely accurate parametrization is given. Other components in Kohn-Sham density functional theory are also calculated, and the efficacy of approximations is discussed.
Stiffness Modeling and Force Distribution for the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

The All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) is a six limbed vehicle designed for both mobility and manipulation. Each limb has six active degrees-of-freedom, plus a powered wheel. Along the axis if each wheel is a mechanical interface that allows the integration of tools that can make use of the wheel actuator. Thus each limb can act as a leg for walking, an active suspension for a driven wheel, or a manipulator with an actuated tool. Fundamental to the operation of the system is the ability to control limb pose, overall body pose, as well as regulate limb forces. Joint torques are estimated from the difference between the incremental and absolute encoder readings on each joint. Forces are then computed from joint torques and force regulation is performed by modifying the limb positions. Force regulation allows the vehicle to lift larger payloads and traverse terrain while actively complying to terrain features.
Predicting the structure of supramolecular dendrimers via the analysis of libraries of AB3 and constitutional isomeric AB2 biphenylpropyl ether self-assembling dendrons.

The synthesis of 4′-hydroxy-4-biphenylpropionic, 3′,4′-dihydroxy-4-biphenylpropionic, 3′,5′-dihydroxy-4-biphenylpropionic, and 3′,4′,5′-trihydroxy-4-biphenylpropionic methyl esters via three efficient and modular strategies including one based on Ni-catalyzed borylation and sequential cross-coupling is reported. These building blocks were employed in a convergent iterative approach to the synthesis of one library of 3,4,5-trisubstituted and two libraries of constitutional isomeric 3,4- and 3,5-disubstituted biphenylpropyl ether dendrons. Structural and retrostructural analysis of supramolecular dendrimers revealed that biphenylpropyl ether dendrons self-assemble and self-organize into the same periodic lattices and quasi-periodic arrays observed in previously reported libraries, but with larger dimensions, different mechanisms of self-assembly, and improved solubility, thermal, acidic, and oxidative stability. The different mechanisms of self-assembly led to the discovery of two new supramolecular structu...
Is there a role for estrogen activity assays? Recombinant cell bioassay for estrogen: Development and applications.

Abstract There are many questions which cannot be answered without a very sensitive estradiol assay. A recombinant cell bioassay (RCBA) for estradiol was developed in 1994. The sensitivity of the bioassay is 0.02–0.2 pg/ml (0.07–0.7 pmol/L), more than 20 times more sensitive than commercial RIAs and 10 times more sensitive than newer mass spectrometry assays. The RCBA for estradiol opened the door to study low levels of estradiol equivalents (EE) across the physiological spectrum of life from prepubertal children through menopause and across the spectrum from normal physiology, in boys as well as girls, to pathology, including: premature thelarche; estradiol suppression in children treated with GnRH analogues for precocious puberty; aromatase inhibition in boys with growth hormone deficiency; the differences between oral and transdermal routes of estrogen administration in girls with Turner’s syndrome; women with breast cancer treated with aromatase inhibitors; and women with urogenital atrophy treated with low dose vaginal estrogen. A bioassay also allows study of endocrine disruptors, like phytoestrogens and other environmental compounds, which are relevant to public health and alternative medicine options. This paper reviews the assay and the last 20 years of applications. A bioassay for estrogen has a role because measuring biological effect is theoretically useful, increasing the understanding of physiology in addition to biochemical levels, giving different information than other assays, and opening the door to measure very low levels of estrogen activity in both humans and the environment.
A New Active Convex Hull Model for Image Regions

This paper presents a new active convex hull model with the following advantages: invariant with respect to the number of pixels to be enveloped; the number of time iterations is invariant, with respect to the image size; time-cheap for large image regions. The model is based on the geometric heat differential equations, derived from parabolic equation, and parameterized by arc length. To prevent the active contour from intruding into concavities and evolve it to the proper convex hull we use a vector field given as a difference between normal and tangent forces. The vector field is also used to segment an image to shells, such that a single region is present in each shell. A penalty function is developed to stop evolvement of those arc segments, whose vectors encountered boundary points of an image region. Based on the model a discrete algorithm is designed and coded by Mathematica 5.2. A condition is developed, with respect to the image size, to guarantee stable convergence of the active contour to the convex hull of the desired region. To validate the advantages and contributions a set of experiments is performed using synthetic, groundwater and medical images of different size and modalities. The paper concludes with a discussion and comparison of the active convex hull model with set of existing convex hull algorithms.
The cat step cycle: Electromyographic patterns for hindlimb muscles during posture and unrestrained locomotion

The telemetered electromyographic activity (EMG) of select hindlimb muscles of unrestrained cats during standing, walking, trotting, and galloping have been recorded. Simultaneous cinematographic records permitted close correlation of muscle activity and locomotor behavior. In general, the pattern of extensor activity of the ankle, knee, and hip during locomotion is fairly consistent, while that of the flexors is more variable. Changes in basic EMG patterns from walk, to trot, to gallop are most evident in the two-jointed muscles associated with the knee and hip. Progressively greater variation of activity onset and cessation can be seen among extensor muscle groups from the walk, to trot, to gallop. Co-activation of the joint extensors and flexors, especially of the hip, at the end of the stance phase (E3) is slight in the walk, moderate in the trot, and considerable in the gallop. These EMG changes are necessary to meet the demands imposed upon the musculature at the faster gaits, particularly galloping, which include limb rigidity as related to loading, momentum as related to the limb's directional change from the stance phase to the swing phase, and lower spinal movements. The peroneal muscles of the ankle and the gluteal muscles of the hip show extensor activity and act as joint stabilizers during locomotion. Both biceps femoris anterior muscle and biceps femoris posterior muscle show consistent hip extensor patterns at all gaits. During quiet standing, extensor activity about the knee, ankle, and metatarsophalangeal joints is evident; but the hip extensor and flexor musculature is remarkably silent. EMG data for unrestrained cats are compared to those of dogs on a treadmill (Tokuriki, '73a,b, '74; Wentink, '76) and those recorded from decerebrate cats (mesencephalic preparation) during controlled locomotion (Gambaryan et al., '71). The EMG patterns from decerebrate cats are more consistent at the walk and gallop within functional groups of muscles at the ankle, knee, and hip than the EMG patterns observed in unrestrained cats or animals moving on a treadmill.
Engineered nanowires, carbon nanotubes and graphene for sensors, actuators and electronics

We are exploring nanoelectronic engineering areas based on low dimensional materials, including carbon nanotubes and graphene. Our primary research focus is investigating carbon nanotube and graphene architectures for field emission applications, energy harvesting and sensing. In a second effort, we are developing a high-throughput desktop nanolithography process. Lastly, we are studying nanomechanical actuators and associated nanoscale measurement techniques for re-configurable arrayed nanostructures with applications in antennas, remote detectors and biomedical nanorobots. The devices we fabricate, assemble, manipulate and characterize potentially have a wide range of applications including sensors, detectors, system-on-a-chip, system-in-a-package, programmable logic controls, energy storage systems and allelectronic systems.
Prognosis in exercise-induced silent myocardial ischemia and implications for screening asymptomatic populations.

T HE EXERCISE TEST is the established procedure for assessing ischemic responses, arrhythmic potential, and cardiac performance in persons with known or suspected heart disease. It is also used for determining prognosis. In this regard, it is important to note that the exercise test is important not only in clinical studies focused on subjects with known heart disease but also in epidemiological surveys of apparently healthy populations. In the latter populations, this procedure is often used to evaluate the reliability of electrocardiographic and hemodynamic responses to stress in predicting the occurrence of overt cardiac events without necessarily subjecting positive responders to coronary angiography. Whether the prognostic data gleaned from the epidemiological studies (and the less numerous angiographic studies) of apparently healthy individuals justifies any type of screening policy for the population at large remains a controversial issue.
Motivating Ill-Structured Problem Solving in a Web-Based Peer-Group Learning Environment: A Learning-Goal Perspective

Motivation effort is one of the critical components that enable students to engage in the process of ill-structured problem solving. This article chronicles the development and evaluation of a motivation-supported problem-solving environment promoting learning goals. The environment was created by developing learning-goal oriented contexts that included (1) presenting task messages that stressed the intrinsic value of learning, (2) allowing learners to control their own learning activities, and (3) providing self-referenced evaluations. Forty-six middle-school students participated. One major finding was that a learning-goal oriented context was a powerful motivational strategy that boosted students’ intrinsic motivation for ill-structured problem solving.
Upper bounds to transport capacity of wireless networks

We derive upper bounds on the transport capacity of wireless networks. The bounds obtained are solely dependent on the geographic locations and power constraints of the nodes. As a result of this derivation, we are able to conclude the optimality, in the sense of scaling of transport capacity with the number of nodes, of a multihop communication strategy for a class of network topologies.
Applying affective feedback to reinforcement learning in ZOEI, a comic humanoid robot

As robotic technologies of varying shapes and forms continue to make their way into our everyday lives, the significance of a humanoid robot's ability to make a human interaction feel natural, engaging and entertaining becomes an area of keen interest in sociable robotics. In this paper, we present our findings on how affective feedback can be used to drive reinforcement learning in human-robot interactions (HRI) and other dialogue systems. We implemented a system where a humanoid robot, named ZOEI, acts as a standup comedian by entertaining a human audience in a bid to generate humor and positively influence the emotional state of the humans. The mood rating of the audience is recorded prior to the interaction session. Using a survey, the eventual emotional state of the human participant is captured after the HRI session. For each audience member, we capture feedback regarding how funny each joke was. We present the implementation of the content selection framework. We share our findings to substantiate the idea that by using expressive behaviors of the humanoid to influence the delivery of content (in this case, jokes) as well as employing reinforcement learning techniques for driving targeted content selection, the robot was able to improve the human mood score progressively across the 16 people who engaged in the study.
Theoretical studies on radical formation in the interaction of cysteine with dicarbonyl compounds of biological relevance

A possible pathway for the interaction between cysteine and dicarbonyl compounds of glyoxal and methylglyoxal type was studied by quantum chemical methods (INDO,ab initio). The condensation reaction is likely to occur through intermediate products, formation of which competes with the dimerization reaction. Results fromab initio UHF calculation of Fermi contact interaction for the radical cation of the final product suggest an assignment of the hyperfine coupling constants for protons that differs from the one deduced from the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrum.
The centrality of learner characteristics in computer-assisted instruction

CHARACTERISTICS OF LEARNERS interact with instruction to influence its effectiveness. These characteristics include not only subject-specific prerequisite knowledge and motivation but also prior knowledge, metacognitive skills, learning strategies, and expectations. This article shows how these characteristics affect learning and discusses the implications for designing and evaluating computer-assisted instruction.
Dragma Hippomanicum IV. New taxa of Astragalus sect. Humillimi

Astragalus wittmannii, from northern New Mexico, representing a new subsectionNothorophaca, andA. cremnophylax var.myriorrhaphis, from northwestern Arizona, are described, figured and discussed.
Adsorption studies of aluminum oxide on rhenium by means of field emission microscopy

Aluminum oxide deposited on a clean rhenium field emission microscope tip at room temperature starts to migrate on the metal surface at about 600° C. Various face specific layer formations occur above this temperature. They either increase or decrease the local electron emission. Complete desorption of the aluminum oxide is obtained at about 1350°C. The remaining oxygen can be removed by heating at 1900°C. Average work function changes are discussed together with the corresponding FEM patterns of the various adsorption stages. Comparisons are made with the adsorption system aluminum oxide on tungsten.
Ostial stenosis after Bentall technique using glue: percutaneous stenting may be ineffective.

BACKGROUND Hemorrahage after coronary re-implantation during a Bentall surgery is a rare complication. In case of friable tissue, the use of a felt disc usually solves the problem. The use of resorcinol-formol-glue should be avoided to prevent tissue damage. Extrinsic compression of the coronary arteries has been reported with the use of this surgical glue. CASE We report a rare case of extrinsic compression of both coronary arteries after a Bentall procedure. A 50-year-old man with severe aortic valve stenosis, without coronary disease and an ascending aortic aneurysm, underwent a modified Bentall procedure with insertion of a valved tube and coronary re-implantation using surgical glue. Seven weeks later he suffered severe acute coronary ischemia and both coronary ostium were compressed by a dense and hard fibrose material. Three months after stenting, the patient required coronary surgery because of severe myocardial ischemia. Transesophageal and intracoronary ultrasounds were useful for the diagnosis of this rare complication. CONCLUSIONS Use of glue should be avoided for coronary reimplantation during Bentall surgery. In cases of external ostial compression by glue reaction, stenting may be ineffective and surgical coronary revascularization may be needed.
Neurobiological Models of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The authors review current neurobiological models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The rationale for anatomically based models is outlined and selected brain regions of interest are discussed. The authors conclude that there is abundant evidence to implicate multiple brain regions as sites of abnormality in OCD. A review of neuropharmacological concepts related to the serotonergic (5-HT) hypothesis of OCD is also presented. The authors conclude that antiobsessional agents may well have therapeutic effects via the 5-HT system, yet there is little unequivocal evidence to suggest an underlying abnormality in the 5-HT system. A comprehensive neurobiological model of OCD must acknowledge the interrelationship between multiple transmitter systems and integrate anatomical with neuropharmacological concepts.
Transient thermal management of portable electronics using heat storage and dynamic power dissipation control

Under static power dissipation and steady-state thermal management designs high performance chip sets with high power dissipation are difficult to incorporate into portable electronics with low heat removal rate. We propose a transient thermal management strategy that enables chip sets with high peak power dissipation to be used in electronic systems with low heat removal rate. Packaging design, thermal management and system design are closely integrated to utilize heat storage and dynamic power dissipation control. This facilitates much higher burst mode workload processing performance than is possible with conventional low-power designs based on static thermal management techniques. Portable system heat storage design, dynamic power dissipation control, and system/integrated circuit (IC) design implementation issues are also discussed. A quantitative evaluation of transient thermal operation metrics based on integrated workload, queuing, dynamic power dissipation control, heat transfer, and thermal-mechanical reliability simulation indicates that transient thermal management promises significant performance enhancement for portable electronics while maintaining low total power dissipation, low heat removal rate, and thermal-mechanical reliability.
FARM INCOME ENHANCEMENT POTENTIAL FOR SMALL, PART-TIME FARMING OPERATIONS IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

Linear programming and stochastic farm farm, to the researcher projecting changes in growth simulation models are used to assess the structure of agriculture, and to the agrithe impact of alternative enterprise selec- cultural specialist developing strategies to tion, variation in farm income, inflation, and assist individual farmers. off-farm income on the growth of small, part-time farms in East Central Oklahoma. OBJECTIVES Results indicate that alternative rates of inflation or variation in farm income do not In 1981, research was undertaken by Okasignificantly impact the operation or expan- homaState University and Langston Universion of part-time farming operations. Adop- sity to determine for East Central Oklahoma tion of alternative enterprises on part-time (ECO) the current structure and future farms can lead to full-time farming opera- plans for farm operators and the possible tions where expansion initially is aided impact on future economic viability and through use of off-farm income. Small full- structure of alternative enterprise selection time operators could greatly enhance family and of-farm employment. The specific objecincome by obtaining off-farm employment tive of the study was to test the following and income. three major hypotheses:
MMAD: microarray microdissection with analysis of differences is a computational tool for deconvoluting cell type-specific contributions from tissue samples

Background: One of the significant obstacles in the development of clinically relevant microarray-derived biomarkers and classifiers is tissue heterogeneity. Physical cell separation techniques, such as cell sorting and laser-capture microdissection, can enrich samples for cell types of interest, but are costly, labor intensive and can limit investigation of important interactions between different cell types. Results: We developed a new computational approach, called microarray microdissection with analysis of differences (MMAD), which performs microdissection in silico. Notably, MMAD (i) allows for simultaneous estimation of cell fractions and gene expression profiles of contributing cell types, (ii) adjusts for microarray normalization bias, (iii) uses the corrected Akaike information criterion during model optimization to minimize overfitting and (iv) provides mechanisms for comparing gene expression and cell fractions between samples in different classes. Computational microdissection of simulated and experimental tissue mixture datasets showed tight correlations between predicted and measured gene expression of pure tissues as well as tight correlations between reported and estimated cell fraction for each of the individual cell types. In simulation studies, MMAD showed superior ability to detect differentially expressed genes in mixed tissue samples when compared with standard metrics, including both significance analysis of microarrays and cell type-specific significance analysis of microarrays. Conclusions: We have developed a new computational tool called MMAD, which is capable of performing robust tissue microdissection in silico, and which can improve the detection of differentially expressed genes. MMAD software as implemented in MATLAB is publically available for download at http://sourceforge.net/projects/mmad/. Contact: moc.liamg@renbeil.divad Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Enzyme-Catalyzed Reactions in Ionic Liquids

Ionic liquids, also called molten salts, are mixtures of cations and anions that melt below 100°C. Typical ionic liquids are dialkylimidazolium cations with weakly coordinating anions such as [BF4] or [PF6]. Deep eutectic solvents are also included in this review because their properties are similar. Deep eutectic solvents are mixtures of salts such as choline chloride and uncharged hydrogen bond donors such as urea, oxalic acid, or glycerol. The advantage of using ionic liquids is enhanced solubility of substrates or products without inactivation of the enzymes. Ionic liquids as cosolvents with water help to dissolve nonpolar substrates, but do not inactivate enzymes like water-miscible organic solvents do. The enhanced solubility of substrates usually increases the rate of reaction and often increases the regio- or enantio-selectivity. Ionic liquids can also serve as solvents for nonaqueous reactions. In these cases, they are especially suitable for dissolving polar substrates. Polar organic solvent alternatives inactivate enzymes but ionic liquids do not, even when they have similar polarities. Hydrolases and oxidoreductases are particularly well-studied in ionic liquids. Besides their solubility properties, ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents may be greener than organic solvents because ionic liquids are nonvolatile and can be made from nontoxic components. Keywords: ionic liquids; deep eutectic solvents; enzymes; biocatalysis; enzyme reaction
Self-experimentation as a source of new ideas: Ten examples about sleep, mood, health, and weight

Little is known about how to generate plausible new scientific ideas. So it is noteworthy that 12 years of self-experimentation led to the discovery of several surprising cause-effect relationships and suggested a new theory of weight control, an unusually high rate of new ideas. The cause-effect relationships were: (1) Seeing faces in the morning on television decreased mood in the evening (>10 hrs later) and improved mood the next day (>24 hrs later), yet had no detectable effect before that (0–10 hrs later). The effect was strongest if the faces were life-sized and at a conversational distance. Travel across time zones reduced the effect for a few weeks. (2) Standing 8 hours per day reduced early awakening and made sleep more restorative, even though more standing was associated with less sleep. (3) Morning light (1 hr/day) reduced early awakening and made sleep more restorative. (4) Breakfast increased early awakening. (5) Standing and morning light together eliminated colds (upper respiratory tract infections) for more than 5 years. (6) Drinking lots of water, eating low-glycemic-index foods, and eating sushi each caused a modest weight loss. (7) Drinking unflavored fructose water caused a large weight loss that has lasted more than 1 year. While losing weight, hunger was much less than usual. Unflavored sucrose water had a similar effect. The new theory of weight control, which helped discover this effect, assumes that flavors associated with calories raise the body-fat set point: The stronger the association, the greater the increase. Between meals the set point declines. Self-experimentation lasting months or years seems to be a good way to generate plausible new ideas.
Reduction of surface scattering loss in polymer microrings using thermal-reflow technique

A thermal-reflow technique is used to greatly reduce surface roughness scattering loss in polymer microring devices. Smoother surfaces were achieved and verified by scanning electron microscopy. Reduction in surface roughness scattering was further supported by the loss measurement of both straight waveguides and microring resonators. The variance of surface roughness in a polymer microring device is estimated to decrease by 35-40 nm after the thermal-reflow treatment, corresponding to a loss reduction of /spl sim/74 dB/cm.
Cells in behaviourally relevant brain regions coexpress nuclear receptor coactivators and ovarian steroid receptors.

Oestradiol and progesterone act in the brain to elicit profound effects on behaviour and physiology. One physiological function of oestradiol is the induction of progesterone receptor (PR) expression in a variety of behaviourally relevant brain regions, including the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN), the medial preoptic nucleus of the preoptic area (MPOA), the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and the medial central grey (MCG). Ligand-dependent transcriptional activity of steroid receptors, including oestrogen receptors (ER) and PR, is dramatically influenced by nuclear receptor coactivators. In previous studies, we have found that two of these nuclear receptor coactivators, steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1) and CREB-binding protein (CBP), are important in ER-mediated induction of PR in the VMN and in steroid-dependent behaviours. For nuclear receptor coactivators to function in hormone-dependent transcription in the brain and regulate behaviour, both receptor and coactivator must be expressed in the same cell. In the present study, we used a dual-label immunohistochemical technique to investigate if individual cells in behaviourally relevant brain regions coexpress nuclear receptor coactivators and steroid receptors. Confocal analysis revealed that in oestrogen-primed rats, most of the E-induced PR cells in the VMN (89.6%), MPOA (63%), ARC (82.6%), and many in the MCG (39%), also express SRC-1. In addition, the majority of the cells containing E-induced PR in the VMN (78.3%), MPOA (83.1%), ARC (83.6%), and MCG (60%) also express CBP. These results, taken together with the findings that virtually all oestradiol-induced PR containing cells in the brain express ER, suggest that these neurones represent sites of functional interaction of nuclear receptor coactivators with ovarian steroid receptors in the brain. The present findings provide neuroanatomical evidence that nuclear receptor coactivators are integral in mediating steroid hormone action in behaviourally relevant brain regions.
Outage probability for the uplink of a DS-CDMA system operating over a LEO mobile satellite channel

A DS CDMA satellite uplink with power control error is considered. CDMA system performance is normally interference limited, and individual users typically experience the average performance over all users. This is particularly true in a Gaussian, additive white noise channel, with many users, sufficient processing gain, and effective power control. In this case, the other users appear as Gaussian noise and each user experiences the same environment. Under fading channel conditions however, the average behavior notion is flawed, since the fade conditions for each user are different, even if the fading statistics are identical. An alternative measure of performance under these conditions is the probability of outage. For coded signals, the fading must be averaged over all the symbols in the codeword. For properly interleaved signals and i.i.d. Rayleigh fade statistics, the average must be performed over a chi-squared variate. The probability of outage, defined as the probability that the decoded bit error rate exceeds a specified threshold, is monotonic with the probability that the chi-squared variate is less than a specified threshold. The authors derive upper and lower bounds on the outage probability for soft decision decoding.
SQLCM: a continuous monitoring framework for relational database engines

The ability to monitor a database server is crucial for effective database administration. Today's commercial database systems support two basic mechanisms for monitoring: (a) obtaining a snapshot of counters to capture current state, and (b) logging events in the server to a table/file to capture history. We show that for a large class of important database administration tasks the above mechanisms are inadequate in functionality or performance. We present an infrastructure called SQLCM that enables continuous monitoring inside the database server and that has the ability to automatically take actions based on monitoring. We describe the implementation of SQLCM in Microsoft SQL Server and show how several common and important monitoring tasks can be easily specified in SQLCM. Our experimental evaluation indicates that SQLCM imposes low overhead on normal server execution end enables monitoring tasks on a production server that would be too expensive using today's monitoring mechanisms.