cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Perception Test of Infrared Images of Soldiers in Camouflaged Uniforms

Infrared images in the 3 to 5 and 8 to 12 micron band were taken of soldiers wearing various camouflaged uniforms. The soldiers wearing the uniforms were either standing, crouched or prone. The images were presented to 37 observers and their detection decisions analyzed. Results were analyzed to determine which uniforms offered the most protection to a threat sensor at various ranges. The perception laboratory results were modeled using the Fuzzy Logic Approach and the CAMAELEON model with a resulting Pearson correlation of 0.9.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Generation of ultrahigh peak power pulses by chirped pulse amplification

Single picosecond pulses have been amplified to the terawatt level by a table-top-size Nd:glass amplifier by using the technique of chirped pulse amplification (CPA). The divergence of the beam is twice the diffraction limit, making the brightness of this source equal to approximately 2*10/sup +18/ W/(cm-sr), which is thought to be the highest brightness yet reported. The CPA technique allows the efficient energy extraction from extremely compact amplifier systems. Amplification of chirped pulses over nine orders of magnitude, i.e. from nanojoule to the joule level, has been demonstrated. >
The Glass Door Remains Closed: Another Look at Gender Inequality in Undergraduate Business Schools

The authors investigated women's underrepresentation in undergraduate business schools by analyzing a broad sample of Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)–accredited U.S. business programs between 2003 and 2011. They found that while there was an increase in the number of male students enrolled in the AACSB-accredited colleges, women's representation declined from 44.7% in 2003 to 41.1% in 2011. By using a variety of variables that describe school access, educational environment, and women's experience, the authors found that (a) economic incentives play a role in female students’ decision to enroll; (b) female student representation is lower at larger institutions; and (c) women-friendly institutional factors have a positive effect on women's representation at undergraduate business schools. The authors examine the implications of the decline of women's enrollment on business schools, industry, and the economy, and make recommendations on how to address this trend.
The impact of vertebrate herbivores on wetland vegetation in Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana

Delta islands in the Atchafalaya and Wax Lake deltas in Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana, are in an extremely dynamic successional phase. These islands initially supported large marshes dominated by the pioneering plant species Sagittaria latifolia and Sagittaria platyphylla. A general decrease in vegetated areas has occurred in the delta island marshes in the Atchafalaya Delta since about 1980, while in the Wax Lake Delta portion of the complex the vegetation still flourished. The Atchafalaya Delta provides an interesting setting for the study of herbivory because of the complex interaction of biotic and physical factors operating in this delta. We hypothesized that grazing by herbivores has a marked effect on vegetation in these developing marshes. To test this hypothesis, exclosures were erected on islands in both deltas in September 1985 and January 1986. Each set of exclosure treatments included an openly-grazed control area, an ungrazed area, an area allowing nutria grazing, and one allowing waterfowl grazing in each site. Results of the experiment, based on field sampling of vegetation, indicated decreases in plant biomass and changes in plant species composition in grazed treatments. Waterfowl and nutria reduced biomass aboul equally, but there was a more marked effect in the openly grazed areas. These findings may be extrapolated to sediment diversion areas along the Mississippi River.
Heterogeneous nucleation of crazes below notches in glassy polymers

A slip-line field study of craze initiation at plastic zone tips below notches in polycarbonate has been carried out over a wide temperature range. Combination of the critical values of hydrostatic tension with Yee's temperature data for bulk modulus leads to a calculated critical elastic dilation in the region beyond the zone tip that is nearly temperature-independent. Microscopic investigation, however, shows strong evidence that crazes in polycarbonate and other glassy resins initiate at micrometre-size foreign particles. Assuming that the foreign particle is a rigid adherent sphere, a stress analysis for the particle situated on the elastic side of the elastoplastic boundary has been effected; the particle is found to raise the hydrostatic tension over the value in the homogeneous field by 104%. In view of this analysis the polycarbonate experimental results suggest a temperature-independent, critical local elastic dilation of greater than 2% as a crazing criterion. Based on these results it may be suspected that all crazes — surface or internal — in glassy polymers, except at crack tips, are heterogeneously nucleated at impurity sites.
Characterization of three different human T cell membrane antigens, two being present on T lymphocyte subpopulations

Abstract Heteroantisera were raised in rabbits to thymocytes, HSB2 cells, and Sezary cells. Following absorption with Ia-positive leukemia cells, these sera appeared to be specific for different T cell antigens. Both the anti-HSB2 and the anti-Sezary sera reacted with approximately 50% and the antihymocyte serum with 100% of normal peripheral blood T lymphocytes. None of the sera reacted with B cells. The apparent molecular weights of the antigens being derected were determined by immunoprecipitation followed by SDS polyacrylamide gel eletrophoresis. A dimer of 170,000 daltons consisting of two similar 85,000-dalton polypeptide chains was immunoprecipitated by the anti-HSB2 serum whereas single polypeptides of 53,000 and 64,000 daltons were immunoprecipitated by the anti-Sezary and antithymocyte sera, respectively.
Self-assembled insect muscle bioactuators with long term function under a range of environmental conditions

The use of mammalian muscles as device actuators is severely limited by their sensitivity to environmental conditions and short lifetime. To overcome these limitations insect muscle stem cells were used to generate organized 3D muscle constructs with significant enhancements in environmental tolerance and long term function. These tissues self-assembled, self-repaired, survived for months in culture without media replenishment and produced stresses of up to 2 kPa, all under ambient conditions. The muscle tissues continued to function for days even under biologically extreme temperature and pH. Furthermore, the dimensions and geometry of these tissues can be easily scaled to MEMS or meso-scale devices. The versatility, environmental hardiness and long term function provide a new path forward for biological actuators for device needs.
The greater generosity of the spatialized prisoner’s dilemma

Abstract The iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma is the standard model for the evolution of cooperative behavior in a community of egoistic agents. Within that model, a strategy of “tit-for-tat” has established a reputation for being particularly robust. Nowak and Sigmund have shown that in a world of imperfect information it is not tit-for-tat that finally triumphs, however, but “generous tit-for-tat”—a variant which “forgives” with a probability of 1/3. In the present study, a spatial dimension is added to the standard model. The surprising result is that generosity is favored even more: the optimal strategy in a spatialized Prisoner’s Dilemma carries a forgiveness probability of 2/3—twice as generous as “generous tit-for-tat”.
Determining Margin for Target Deformation and Rotation in Respiratory Motion-Tracked Stereotactic Radiosurgery of Pancreatic Cancer

Purpose/Objective: Respiratory motion tracking during radiotherapy may allow reducing the margin required for targets that move with breathing such as tumors in the upper abdomen. However simply tracking translational shifts, as might be indicated by implanted fiducials, may fail to correct for more complex changes in target volume such as deformation and rotation. We describe a method of analyzing these higher order breathing-induced volume changes using 4-dimensional computed tomography (4-D CT), and of determining appropriate margin expansion to compensate.
Using the three e's (emphasis, expectations, and evaluation) to structure writing objectives for pharmacy practice experiences.

While many educators debate the new introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) and advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) requirements of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education’s (ACPE’s) accreditation standards and guidelines for the professional program in pharmacy
Effects of birth order and sex on field independence-dependence.

Birth order and field-independence research has produced seemingly similar findings concerning social dependence. However, of the few empirical efforts examining such similarities, methodological differences have produced ambiguous findings. The effects of sex and three birth-order categories on Rod-and-frame scores were evaluated for 248 male and 389 female psychiatric inpatients. A 2 × 3 analysis of variance showed significant sex and birth-order effects, with males and firstborns less field-dependent than females and both later-borns and only children, respectively. The unpredicted birth-order results essentially contradicted previous findings and were discussed in terms of sample differences and the apparent need for improved social-dependency measures.
A neutron powder diffraction study of the ordering in LixNi1−xO

Abstract Lithium nickel oxide phases, Li x Ni 1− x O( x =0.400, 0.347, 0.320) have been synthesized by direct solid state reaction of Li 2 CO 3 and NiO. The structures and cation distribution have been determined at ambient temperature and 60 K from time of flight neutron powder diffraction data collected on the Neutron Powder Diffractometer at LANSCE, Los Alamos National Laboratory. The rhombohedral distortion and the order parameter characterizing the lithium distribution have been determined as x decreases. The partitioning of Ni 2+ and Ni 3+ between the two layers has been inferred from the average metal-oxygen bond lengths for the two inequivalent sites.
The impact of HMG‐CoA reductase therapy on serum PSA

BACKGROUND 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, otherwise known as statins, inhibit the enzyme that controls the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate, a precursor for cholesterol. Statins may be important to prostate cancer biology by inhibiting cell growth, inflammation, and oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of statin therapy on serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. METHODS The computerized medical records at the University of Rochester Medical Center were used to identify men who filled statin prescriptions between May 31st, 2008 and September 30th, 2008. Men with at least one PSA assay performed within 2 years before and at least one PSA assay performed within 1 year after starting a statin medication were included. The primary endpoint was the change in PSA concentration computed as the difference between PSA levels before and after starting a statin medication. Paired t-tests were used to analyze the mean differences in PSA values. RESULTS A total of 962 patients were identified. The mean difference in serum PSA level after statin administration was −0.29 ng/ml (−8.04%). Subgroup analyses for mean PSA concentration change before and after statin administration by age group revealed: 50–59 years old (−0.1609, 95% CI: −0.2444, −0.0775, P 70 years old (−0.351, 95% CI: −0.490, −0.212, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS These observations suggest a statistically significant reduction in serum PSA level that is associated with the onset of statin therapy. Prostate 70: 608–615, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Relationship between a metabolic rhythm and emergence rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Oxygen consumption and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) activity were determined for Drosophila melanogaster pupae and pharate adults exposed to 12 : 12 or 1 : 23 light-dark (LD) regime. Bimodal circadian fluctuations of oxygen consumption were found in pupae and pharate adults exposed to either LD regime and organisms appeared to demonstrate an anticipatory change in oxygen consumption associated with change in illumination. The oxygen-consumption trend for the entire period spent in the puparium showed a high at the time of emergence, but the diurnal rhythm showed a low at the time of emergence suggesting that emergence occurs at a low in the diurnal cycle. Emergence maximum showed a 3 hr lead over the oxygen-consumption maximum. Changing the LD regime produced similar changes in the phasing of both oxygen consumption and emergence rhythms. LDH activity did not demonstrate a detectable circadian rhythm but did show a steady decrease during pupal and pharate adult development.
The self-concept level of black adolescents with and without African names†

The self-concept level of Black adolescents with African names was explored. Black males with and without African names were first identified. All participants and their parents were then administered the Terrell and Taylor Black Ideology Scale and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Differences between groups on the self-concept measures were then examined using a one way MANOVA with parents' scores on the self-concept measures serving as covariates. Significant differences were found between groups. Supplemental analyses revealed no differences between groups on the Coopersmith. However, adolescents with African names had significantly higher scores on the Black self-concept scales than did those without African names.
Strongly Coupled Standard Model

We analyze an alternative formulation of the standard model in which the SU(2) gauge interaction becomes confining at energies of order ${G}_{F}$${\mathrm{}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1/2}$\ensuremath{\simeq}300 GeV. We show that, making reasonable dynamical assumptions, this model accounts for all electroweak phenomena up to and including the W and Z mass scales. At yet higher energies the model predicts a wealth of new phenomena.
Building an ensemble system for diagnosing masses in mammograms

Purpose Classification of a suspicious mass (region of interest, ROI) in a mammogram as malignant or benign may be achieved using mass shape features. An ensemble system was built for this purpose and tested.
A rare cause of thoracic outlet syndrome

First rib pathology can narrow the thoracic outlet thus producing compression of the brachial plexus and subclavian vessels. There have been only three case reports of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) caused by a nonunion of the first rib and there have been no reports of a first rib malunion causing TOS. A rare case of TOS caused by a malunion of the first rib is presented.
Computer-supported negotiation of course content

Students learn more effectively with personally meaningful tasks. Thus, students learn more if they have a say in deciding what specific topics and examples are being discussed in class. Naturally, the instructor knows what topics are important to cover in a course and which ones might be optional. Finding the right balance between students' preferences and the instructor's requirements is not so easy and thus may prevent this kind of shared control of the classroom from being realized. This article describes how the instructor's and students' interests can be used to generate a list of course topics that satisfies both parties. However, instead of adding technology to the classroom, technology is used to improve the classroom experiences. Specifically, it is shown how course topics can be assigned to specific students maximizing what is meaningful to the students and satisfies the course parameters as defined by the instructor. This problem can be formulated as a variation of the linear assignment problem and solved with a binary linear program. Results from actual and simulated courses are discussed and generalizations of the topic assignment problem presented.
EXTREMISTS OR BELIEVERS? RELIGIOUS SALIENCE, LITERALNESS, ATTRIBUTION STYLES AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE DEATH PENALTY AMONG STUDENTS: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF MAIN AND MODERATING EFFECTS

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationships between religious affiliation, religious salience, religious literalness, attribution styles and attitudes toward the death penalty. We also examine the moderating effects that religion has on the relationship between attribution and attitudes toward the death penalty. Control variables examined are previous victimization, political affiliation, race, gender, and education. Data for the study were collected from a sample of university students that attend a religiously affiliated institution (RAI). All respondents resided in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Results indicate that attribution styles and religious literalness effect attitudes toward the death penalty. Further, the relationship between attribution and attitudes is moderated by religious salience. This study was conducted during the aftermath of the sniper shootings, and the impact that these events had on the study and the respondents are also discussed.
Solid-phase synthesis of a small library of 3-phenylthio-3-nicotinyl propionic acid derivatives acting as antagonists of the integrin αVβ3

We describe the synthesis of a series of low molecular weight inhibitors of the αvβ3 integrin obtained by modifying a high-throughput screening hit with micromolar activity. A solid phase synthesis to prepare 3-phenylthio-3-nicotinyl propionic acid derivatives, exemplified by 13c, was set up. Compounds with nanomolar activity in the biochemical assay and able to efficiently inhibit cell adhesion mediated by vitronectin have been obtained.
Gold Nanoparticle Photopolymerization of Acrylates

We report the photochemical incorporation of stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) into a polymer matrix without the use of conventional photoinitiators. AuNPs in the size range of 2−6 nm are modified with 5-mercapto-2,2′-bithiophene. The charge-separated states of the functionalized AuNPs generated upon exposure to UV light are active intermediates that can cause polymerization of an acrylic monomer. Photopolymerization was monitored by near Fourier transform infrared measurements. Scanning electron microscopy reveals uniform distribution of the AuNPs within the matrix and a unique texture of the polymer composite.
Purification of alditol:NADP oxidoreductase from human placenta

Abstract Alditol:NADP oxidoreductase has been isolated and purified to homogeneity from human placenta. The enzyme has substrate specficities similar to those reported for partially purified alditol:NADP oxidoreductase from other mammalian species and has an approximate molecular weight of 39,000. The isolation of alditol:NADP oxidoreductase from human placenta supports the view that fructose synthesis from glucose in this tissue proceeds via the intermediate formation of sorbitol.
A human melanoma xenograft in a nude rat responds to isolated limb perfusion with TNF plus melphalan.

Abstract Background. Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and melphalan for advanced extremity malignancies achieves significant complete response rates. To study molecular mechanisms underlying this response, a nude rat ILP model with a human melanoma xenograft was developed. Methods. NIH1286 human melanoma was grown subcutaneously in the hind limb of nude rats. Anesthetized rats underwent a 10-minute ILP via femoral vessels with hetastarch, heparin, and melphalan, TNF, or TNF plus melphalan. The tumors and ulcers were measured and viable tumor area was calculated. Post-ILP tumors were analyzed by electron microscopy for vascular damage and also by liquid chromatography atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/APCI/MS/MS) for free melphalan levels. Colorimetric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-dephenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays were performed on NIH1286 cells and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMVEC) to test for direct cytotoxicity to TNF and melphalan. Post-ILP tumors sections were also examined by electron microscopy. Results. The mean maximal decrease in viable tumor area after ILP for control, TNF, melphalan, and TNF + melphalan groups were 0%, 22 ± 13%, 61 ± 14%, and 100 ± 0%, respectively. LC/APCI/MS/MS revealed no difference in the free tumor melphalan concentration between melphalan alone and TNF + melphalan groups. The percent cytotoxicity in MTT assays using TNF, melphalan, and TNF + melphalan against NIH1286 were 0%, 51-59%, and 74-81%, respectively, and against HDMVEC were 28%, 16-23%, and 6-13%, respectively. Electron microscopic analyses showed that addition of TNF to the perfusate caused erythrostasis in tumor blood vessels. Conclusion. We developed a human melanoma nude rat ILP model with tumor responses very similar to the human ILP trials. This model will allow further investigation of the synergistic mechanism of TNF and melphalan in human melanoma in a preclinical setting, and extension of this study to current clinical trials. (Surgery 2003;133:420-428.)
Significance of Modeling Error in Structural Parameter Estimation

Structural health monitoring systems rely on algorithms to detect potential changes in structural parameters that may be indicative of damage. Parameter estimation algorithms seek to identify changes in structural parameters by adjusting parameters of an a priori finite-element model of a structure to reconcile its response with a set of measured test data. Modeling error, represented as uncertainty in the parameters of a finite-element model of the structure, curtails capability of parameter estimation to capture the physical behavior of the structure. The performance of four error functions, two stiffness-based and two flexibility-based, is compared in the presence of modeling error in terms of the propagation rate of the modeling error and the quality of the final parameter estimates. Three different types of parameters are used in the parameter estimation procedure: (1) unknown parameters that are to be estimated, (2) known parameters assumed to be accurate, and (3) uncertain parameters that manifest the modeling error and are assumed known and not to be estimated. The significance of modeling error is investigated with respect to excitation and measurement type and locations, the type of error function, location of the uncertain parameter, and the selection of unknown parameters to be estimated. It is illustrated in two examples that the stiffness-based error functions perform significantly better than the corresponding flexibility-based error functions in the presence of modeling error. Additionally, the topology of the structure, excitation and measurement type and locations, and location of the uncertain parameters with respect to the unknown parameters can have a significant impact on the quality of the parameter estimates. Insight into the significance of modeling error and its potential impact on the resulting parameter estimates is presented through analytical and numerical examples using static and modal data.
Production of renewable petroleum refinery diesel and jet fuel feedstocks from hemicellulose sugar streams

We demonstrate how hemicellulose-derived C5 sugars can be converted into a high-quality petroleum refinery feedstock by a four-step catalytic process. The substitute petroleum consists of normal, branched and cyclic alkanes up to 31 carbons in length and is similar in composition to feedstocks produced in a petroleum refinery today from crude oil. This process can be tuned to adjust the size of the liquid alkanes. In the first step furfural is produced from the acid-catalyzed dehydration of hemicellulose-derived sugar streams in a biphasic reactor. The second step is the aldol condensation of furfural with acetone in a THF solvent and using a NaOH catalyst to produce highly conjugated C13 compounds along with some oligomeric adducts formed through Michael addition reactions. These compounds are then hydrogenated with a Ru/Al2O3 catalyst forming both the fully hydrogenated form of the C13 oligomers and also forming larger oligomers by Diels–Alder reactions. The extent of Diels–Alder reactions can be tuned by changing the temperature and feed concentration, thereby adjusting the distribution of liquid alkanes that can be produced. The final step in this process is hydrodeoxygenation using a Pt/SiO2–Al2O3 bifunctional catalyst to produce the liquid alkanes. A simple biorefinery model has shown that about 55% of a furfural–acetone mixture (10 : 3 wt ratio) can be converted into cycle oils while also producing other refinery products such as gasoline and natural gas.
Effect of hot environment on cell surface differentiation antigens of porcine peripheral lymphocytes from sows and litters

Abstract 1. 1.|Rectal temperatures were higher in sows maintained for 28 days following farrowing in a cycling hot environment (27–32°C, 50–90% RH) than in sows in a cool environment (21°C, 50% RH). Rectal temperatures in the litters were similar regardless of environment. 2. 2.|In sows in the hot environment, the percentages of CD2+ and CD8+ peripheral T lymphocytes and cells expressing SLA class II molecules were reduced, while the percentages of CD4+ cells were not affected. 3. 3.|Overall percentages of expression of CD2+ and CD8+ T cells and SLA class II molecules were lower in the litters than in the sows, with expression increasing with age but not significantly affected by temperature.
The Evolution of Candidate Bush: A Rhetorical Analysis

This article examines George W. Bush’s campaign rhetoric in both 2000 and 2004 and compares his style to that of his predecessors. Using DICTION, a computerized language analysis program, the study finds that Bush was quite tentative during the 2000 campaign and eschewed use of a narrative style. By the time his reelection campaign began, however, Bush had dramatically increased his hortatory and narrative scores, meaning he had found both an important story to tell and a forceful way of telling it. Because these qualities increased steadily with time, and because they seem to have been initiated by the terrorist attacks of September 11, they signal important epistemological, sociological, psychological, and political aspects of the Bush presidency and perhaps, of the national electorate itself.
Absorption‐edge fluoroscopy using a three‐spectrum technique

We have recently reported on a 1‐kVp, two‐filter image subtraction method for visualizing low concentrations of elements like iodine which have K‐shell absorption edges in the diagnostic x‐ray energy range. However, in the application of this technique to human thyroid imaging, superimposed images due to variations in tissue and bone thickness presented serious difficulties. In this paper, a technique is described for implementing a 3‐kVp, three‐filter approach. Using carefully chosen spectra and logarithmic image processing,images are produced which are compatible with our previously described two‐stage storage‐tube subtraction device. Proper manipulation of the resulting difference images results in a final absorption‐edge image in which only the element of interest is visualized, with unwanted background images suppressed. Computer calculations are presented to illustrate the relative sizes of difference signals arising from the element of interest and from tissue and bone backgrounds. Phantom studies using iodine concentrations as small as 1 mg/cm2, with variations of 10 cm of tissue and 2 g/cm2 of bone, suggest that the theory is sound and that, with straightforward apparatus modifications, images of good quality should be possible.
An insect countermeasure impacts plant physiology: midrib vein cutting, defoliation and leaf photosynthesis

One type of specialised herbivory receiving little study even though its importance has frequently been mentioned is vein cutting. We examined how injury to a leaf's midrib vein impairs gas exchange, whether impairment occurs downstream or upstream from injury, duration of impairment, compared the severity of midrib injury with non-midrib defoliation, and modelled how these two leaf injuries affect whole-leaf photosynthesis. Leaf gas exchange response to midrib injury was measured in five Asclepiadaceae (milkweed), one Apocynaceae (dogbane), one Polygonaceae and one Fabaceae species, which have been observed or reported to have midrib vein cutting injury in their habitats. Midrib vein injury impaired several leaf gas exchange parameters, but only downstream (distal) from the injury location. The degree of gas exchange impairment from midrib injury was usually more severe than from manually imposed and actual insect defoliation (non-midrib), where partial recovery occurred after 28 d in one milkweed species. Non-midrib tissue defoliation reduced whole-leaf photosynthetic activity mostly by removing photosynthetically active tissue, while midrib injury was most severe as the injury location came closer to the petiole. Midrib vein cutting has been suggested to have evolved as a countermeasure to deactivate induced leaf latex or cardenolide defences of milkweeds and dogbanes, yet vein cutting effects on leaf physiology seem more severe than the non-midrib defoliation the defences evolved to deter.
CONVECTION, PYROLYSIS, AND DAMKOHLER NUMBER EFFECTS ON EXTINCTION OF REVERSE SMOLDERING COMBUSTION

In this paper, we use a one-dimensional transient model of reverse smoldering to examine possible extinction mechanisms. Experiments of Torero et al. [3] show that increased blowing rates enhanced the smoldering reaction until the propagation speed reached a maximum, after which the propagation speed diminished. Eventually, increasing the blowing rates quenched the reaction. For some range of parameters, it has been proposed in the literature that convective heat transfer from the solid to the gas, the endothermic pyrolysis reaction, and Damkohler number effects may be responsible for extinction. In this study, we use a computational model and analytical results to investigate these proposed extinction mechanisms. In contrast to many earlier models, our numerical model includes solid and gas-phase energy equations and introduces the concept of heat transfer between the phases in a quantitative way. It is therefore able to predict extinction for certain situations. We show that the most likely cause of extinction in the experiments of Torero et al. [3] is that at the higher gas velocities, the transport characteristic time is much faster than the characteristic reaction time. In addition, a criterion for extinction of smoldering in terms of a smoldering Damkohler number is developed.
Effects of tensile stress on the magnetic Barkhausen effect in 2605 CO amorphous alloy

A study of the magnetic Barkhausen effect emissions in 2605 CO amorphous alloys has been made. These emissions, which appear as magnetization pulses in the material, can be detected by a pick-up coil and analyzed in a variety of ways. In this study the Barkhausen effect signals were found to be dependent on both magnetic field and applied tensile stress. This dependence was in accordance with a theoretical model of the Barkhausen effect developed previously. The analysis and modeling of the resulting behaviour was found to be particularly simple because amorphous alloys have no crystalline anisotropy, and therefore the effects of stress on the Barkhausen emissions were not masked by competing effects.
Minimal in vivo activation of CYP2C9-mediated flurbiprofen metabolism by dapsone

Abstract Dapsone has been shown to activate flurbiprofen 4′-hydroxylation by expressed CYP2C9 enzyme and in human liver microsomes. It has been suggested that this observation is due to substrate cooperativity on enzyme activity; however, the in vivo relevance of this observation is unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether dapsone can act cooperatively with flurbiprofen to activate the in vivo metabolism of flurbiprofen to 4′-hydroxyflurbiprofen. Twelve healthy subjects received single-dose flurbiprofen 50 mg on three occasions: alone (visit A); 2 h after a single dapsone 100-mg dose (visit B); and 2 h after the seventh daily dose of dapsone 100 mg (visit C). Concentrations of flurbiprofen and 4′-hydroxy flurbiprofen in plasma and urine and dapsone and N-acetyldapsone in plasma were determined by HPLC. Flurbiprofen pharmacokinetic parameters for the three visits were estimated by non-compartmental methods and compared in the absence and presence of dapsone. Flurbiprofen apparent oral clearance was increased by ∼11% (P
Impact of SAR image quality on recognition

Automatic target recognition (ATR) performance is a function of image quality and its representation in the signature model generation and used in the ATR training process. This paper reports ATR performance as a function of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image quality parameters including clutter-to-noise ratio (CNR) and multiplicative noise ratio (MNR). Images with specified image quality values were produced by introducing controlled degradations to the MSTAR public release data. Two different families of ATR algorithms, the statistical model-based classifier of DeVore, et al., and optimal tradeoff synthetic discriminant function (OTSDF) are applied to those data. Target classification accuracy was measured as a function of CNR/MNR for both the training and test data, indicating sensitivity of performance to a priori knowledge of these particular image quality parameters. Confusion matrices are expanded to include target aspect bins, providing visibility into performance as a function of aspect angle.
Microdenervation of the Spermatic Cord for Chronic Scrotal Content Pain: Single Institution Review Analyzing Success Rate After Prior Attempts at Surgical Correction

Purpose: Microdenervation of the spermatic cord is an effective treatment for men with intractable scrotal content pain. We evaluated a single center experience, analyzing patients in whom prior surgical attempts had failed to correct pain who subsequently underwent microdenervation of the spermatic cord.Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review of 68 patients who underwent microdenervation of the spermatic cord from 2006 to 2010 was performed. Prior ipsilateral surgical procedures with the intent to correct scrotal content pain were selected, identifying 31 testicular units.Results: Chart review was performed on 68 men with mean age of 42 years at presentation and a mean followup of 10 months. Patients in whom prior surgical correction had failed and who subsequently had microdenervation of the spermatic cord had a mean postoperative pain score of 3 (range 0 to 10) with an average decrease in pain of 67%. Those who had not undergone a prior attempt at surgical correction had a mean post-microde...
miRNA Signature of Mouse Helper T Cell Hyper-Proliferation

Helper T cells from a mutant mouse model, LAT Y136F, hyper-proliferate and cause a severe lymphoproliferative disease that kills the mice by six months of age. LAT Y136F mice carry a tyrosine to phenylalanine mutation in the Linker for Activation of T cells (LAT) gene. This mutation leads to a number of changes in T cells that result in altered cytokine production including increased IL-4 production, increased proliferation, and decreased apoptosis. Hyper-proliferation of the mutant T cells contributes to lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and multi-organ T cell infiltration. miRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that regulate expression of cohorts of genes. This study investigates which miRNAs are expressed in LAT Y136F T cells and compares these to miRNAs expressed in wild type T cells that are undergoing proliferation in two other settings. The first setting is homeostatic proliferation, which was modeled by adoptive transfer of wild type T cells into T cell-deficient mice. The second setting is proliferation in response to infection, which was modeled by infection of wild type mice with the nematode H. polygyrus. By comparing miRNA expression in these three proliferative states (LAT Y136F hyper-proliferation, homeostatic proliferation and proliferation in response to H. polygyrus infection) to expression in wild type naive CD4+ T cells, we found miRNAs that were highly regulated in all three proliferative states (miR-21 and miR-146a) and some that were more specific to individual settings of proliferation such as those more specific for LAT Y136F lymphoproliferative disease (miR-669f, miR-155 and miR-466a/b). Future experiments that modulate levels of the miRNAs identified in this study may reveal the roles of these miRNAs in T cell proliferation and/or lymphoproliferative disease.
Electrokinetic measurements of particles in lubricating oils: Implications for filtrations

Abstract Experimental evidence showing the importance of eletrical double-layer forces in filtration of lubricating oil is presented. These forces are shown to be present in a wide variety of lubricating oils and are seen to be a function of the particle and fiber size, the zeta potential of the particle and fiber media, and their separation distance. The implications of these forces and their interaction with the London—van der Waals forces and the resultant interaction potential and its possible effects on the performance of oil filters is discussed.
Simulation of genetic systems X. Inversion polymorphism

Abstract The effects of normalizing selection on populations containing inversions has been simulated for a six locus genetic model. The results show that co-adaptation to form a stable inversion polymorphism will only occur if the inversion is introduced at a frequency greater than 0·12. Over-dominance has been shown not to be a necessary feature of inversion polymorphism. The accession to stable polymorphism involves a newly-formed inversion having an additive advantage which is sufficient to result in an increase in frequency up to 12%, when the process of co-adaptation begins, resulting in the evolution of stable polymorphism.
P300 from auditory and somatosensory stimuli: probability and inter-stimulus interval

The P300 (P3) event-related brain potential (ERP) was elicited with auditory and somatosensory stimuli using an easy discrimination task in two experiments. Experiment 1 manipulated target stimulus probability (0.20 vs. 0.80). Experiment 2 manipulated inter-stimulus interval (2 s vs. 6 s) for both stimulus modalities in different conditions while keeping target probability constant. Probability and inter-stimulus interval had similar effects for auditory and somatosensory stimuli, with lower probability and longer inter-stimulus intervals producing larger P3 amplitudes. No statistically reliable differences in scalp distribution between modalities were obtained, with both modalities producing maximal amplitudes at Pz. The results suggest that auditory and somatosensory stimuli when used in a relatively easy discrimination task yield the same overall P3 values.
Prediction of adsorption from multicomponent solutions by activated carbon using single-solute parameters. Part II--Proposed equation.

Prediction of multicomponent adsorption is still one of the most challenging problems in the adsorption field. Many models have been proposed and employed to obtain multicomponent isotherms from single-component equilibrium data. However, most of these models were based on either unrealistic assumptions or on empirical equations with no apparent definition. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a multicomponent adsorption model based on a thermodynamically consistent equation, and to validate that model using experiment data. Three barbiturates—phenobarbital, mephobarbital, and primidone—were combined to form a ternary system. The adsorption of these barbiturates from simulated intestinal fluid (without pancreatin) by activated carbon was studied using the rotating bottle method. The concentrations, both before and after the attainment of equilibrium, were determined with a high-performance liquid chromatography system employing a reversed-phase column. The proposed equation and the competitive Langmuir-like equation were both fit to the data. A very good correlation was obtained between the experimental data and the calculated data using the proposed equation. The results obtained from the original competitive Langmuir-like model were less satisfactory. These results suggest that the proposed equation can successfully predict the trisolute isotherms of the barbituric acid derivatives employed in this study.
On ion-dust streaming instability in a collisional magnetized plasma with warm dust

This brief communication discusses theoretically a resistive ion-dust streaming instability in a collisional dusty plasma, where the ions and electrons are magnetized, and the dust is unmagnetized. The instability is driven by ions streaming along the magnetic field. The emphasis is on the case where the dust has large thermal speed, and where the ion drift speed is ≲ the ion thermal speed. Application to possible laboratory experimental parameters is considered.
SU(∞),SU+(∞) and area-preserving algebras

Abstract We examine the relation between the algebra of area-preserving diffeomorphisms of a two-dimensional surface and the algebra of SU( N ) as N tends to infinity. We show that the area-preserving algebra of the sphere is equivalent to SU + (∞), whilst that of the torus is equivalent to SU(∞).
Model-based micro profile measurement using multi-focused images for micro gear assembly

A novel model based 3D depth measurement technology for micro parts is introduced in this paper. Unlike chemically released parts and assembled integrity by MEMS technology, micro assembly is still a daunting task due to difficulties in parts visualization and assembly autonomy. Conformal mapping has gained popularity due to its usefulness for depth measure in micro parts of the size of human hairs. The processing time to obtain 10 to 100 photos for each pixel and expensive device value, though, hinder commercialization for various micro application industries. In this research, we investigate a novel model based 3D depth measurement technology for faster and cost effective means to promote micro assembly technology in various application fields. Micro parts, by its nature, are known of its shape in advance for the majority of micro applications. We take advantage of the previously known shape of micro parts and hence apply model based approach for a faster and cost effective 3D depth measure. The proposed 3D depth measuring method is based on pattern recognition and multi-focus technique enabling it to extract only information useful for micro parts assembly such as location, size, and height of a micro part. For demonstration purpose, micro gears are fabricated by bulk micro machining technology. In addition, a functioning micro assembly system is developed and used to prove the usefulness of the proposed 3D depth measurement technology.
On the reconstruction of proofs in distributed theorem proving: a modified clause-diffusion method

Abstract Proof reconstruction is the operation of extracting the computed prooffrom the trace of a theorem-proving run. We study the problem of proof reconstruction in distributed theorem proving because of the distributed nature of the derivation and especially because of deletions of clauses by contraction ,it may happen that a deductive process generates the empty clause, but does not have all the necessary information to reconstruct the proof. We analyse this problem and we present a method for distributed theorem proving, called Modified Clause-Diffusion , which guarantees that the deductive process that generates the empty clause will be able to reconstruct the distributed proof. This result is obtained without imposing a centralized control on the deductive processes or resorting to a round of post-processing with ad hoc communication. We prove that Modified Clause-Diffusion is fair (hence complete) and guarantees proof reconstruction. First we define a set of conditions, next we prove that they are sufficient for proof reconstruction, then we show that Modified Clause-Diffusion satisfies them. Fairness is proved in the same way, which has the advantage that the sufficient conditions provide a treatment of the problem relevant for distributed theorem proving in general.
Description of the intercrystalline structure distribution in polycrystalline materials

A description of the structure of the intercrystalline interface network in polycrystalline solids is defined. The Intercrystalline Structure Distribution Function (ISDF) describes the interface normal orientation and intercrystalline misorientation dependence of the microstructure. This function is complementary to the Crystallite Orientation Distribution Function (CODF) which describes the orientation dependence of the intracrystalline component of structure. A series representation of the ISDF is given using the orthogonal spherical and generalized spherical harmonics. An integral equation is derived which relates the ISDF to the orientation dependence of the distribution of line directions in the section plane. When the series representation is considered, this integral equation reduces to a system of simultaneous linear equations which can be solved when sufficient plane sections have been characterized. Symmetry effects are shown to constrain the coefficients of the series expansion. Explicit relationships relating single boundary orientation/misorientation measurements to the ISDF are given for structures exhibitingD4h, D6h, andO crystal point group symmetries.
Olfaction and selective association in the earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris

Parameters of Lumbricus terrestris behavior and learning in a T-maze are explored by comparing the animals' use of odor as a cue with their use of more traditional stimuli. Available stimuli are a volatile odor, inclination of the maze, and light-shadow at the choice point—as well as kinesthetic-tactile stimuli. It is found that L. terrestris can use odor to choose a specified exit on the first trial. However, more than a taxis is involved. Behavior over trials is characterized by a rapid decrease in choice speed when the consequences of at least one alternative are noxious (saline), and by a rapid increase in choice speed when the consequence of neither alternative is noxious. Contrasting above and below threshold intensities of the odor stimulus, with and without noxious consequences, reveals that only odor permits rapid association of cue and consequence. The specificity and rapidity of the behavior changes found with odor suggests selective association must be considered as a factor in earthworm learning.