cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emissions from the Brick Manufacturing Industry

Brick manufacturing is the fastest-growing industrial sector in Bangladesh and among the major contributors to the air pollution and health problems in Dhaka, along with vehicle exhaust, resuspended road dust, and domestic fuel burning. There are about 1,000 brick kilns in Dhaka region from the districts of Dhaka, Gazipur, Manikganj, and Narayanganj. Brick manufacturing is confined to the non-monsoonal months and produces 3.5 billion bricks per year, using energy-inefficient fixed-chimney Bull trench kiln technology fuelled with coal and agricultural waste. The total annual emissions are estimated as 23,300 tons of PM2.5, 15,500 tons of SO2, 302,000 tons of CO, 6,000 tons of black carbon, and 1.8 million tons of CO2. The associated health impacts largely fall on the densely populated districts of Dhaka, Gazipur, and Narayanganj. Using the ATMoS dispersion model, the impact of brick kiln emissions was estimated over Dhaka region – ranging from 7 to 99 μg/m3 (5th and 95th percentile concentration per model grid) at an average of 38 μg/m3 – and provincial cluster contributions of 27 % originating from Narayanganj (to the south with the highest kiln density), 30 % from Gazipur (to the north with equally large cluster spread along the river and canals), and 23 % from Savar of Dhaka district. The modelling results were validated using evidence from receptor modelling studies conducted in Dhaka region. An introduction of emerging vertical shaft combustion technology and a possible relocation of the northern clusters to the southeast can provide faster benefits for public health and reduce climate precursor emissions.
Inorganic elements in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas): Relationships among external and internal tissues

Inorganic elements from anthropogenic sources have entered marine environments worldwide and are detectable in marine organisms, including sea turtles. Threatened and endangered classifications of sea turtles have heretofore made assessments of contaminant concentrations difficult because of regulatory restrictions on obtaining samples using nonlethal techniques. In the present study, claw and skin biopsy samples were examined as potential indicators of internal tissue burdens in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). Significant relationships were observed between claw and liver, and claw and muscle concentrations of mercury, nickel, arsenic, and selenium (p < 0.05). Similarly, significant relationships were observed between skin biopsy concentrations and those in liver, kidney, and muscle tissues for mercury, arsenic, selenium, and vanadium (p < 0.05). Concentrations of arsenic, barium, chromium, nickel, strontium, vanadium, and zinc in claws and skin biopsies were substantially elevated when compared with all other tissues, indicating that these highly keratinized tissues may represent sequestration or excretion pathways. Correlations between standard carapace length and cobalt, lead, and manganese concentrations were observed (p < 0.05), indicating that tissue concentrations of these elements may be related to age and size. Results suggest that claws may indeed be useful indicators of mercury and nickel concentrations in liver and muscle tissues, whereas skin biopsy inorganic element concentrations may be better suited as indicators of mercury, selenium, and vanadium concentrations in liver, kidney, and muscle tissues of green sea turtles. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014; 33:2020–2027. © 2014 SETAC
Advancing implementation science through measure development and evaluation: a study protocol

Background Significant gaps related to measurement issues are among the most critical barriers to advancing implementation science. Three issues motivated the study aims: (a) the lack of stakeholder involvement in defining pragmatic measure qualities; (b) the dearth of measures, particularly for implementation outcomes; and (c) unknown psychometric and pragmatic strength of existing measures. Aim 1: Establish a stakeholder-driven operationalization of pragmatic measures and develop reliable, valid rating criteria for assessing the construct. Aim 2: Develop reliable, valid, and pragmatic measures of three critical implementation outcomes, acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. Aim 3: Identify Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and Implementation Outcome Framework-linked measures that demonstrate both psychometric and pragmatic strength.
Halo nuclei He 6 and He 8 with the Coulomb-Sturmian basis

The rapid Gaussian falloff of the oscillator functions at large radius makes them poorly suited for the description of the asymptotic properties of the nuclear wave function, a problem which becomes particularly acute for halo nuclei. We consider an alternative basis for ab initio no-core configuration interaction (NCCI) calculations, built from Coulomb-Sturmian radial functions, allowing for realistic exponential falloff. NCCI calculations are carried out for the neutron halo nuclei $^{6,8}\mathrm{He}$, as well as for the baseline case ${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$, with the JISP16 nucleon-nucleon interaction. Estimates are made for the root-mean-square radii of the proton and matter distributions.
Organizing a Design Space of Disparate Component Topologies

In a previous DCC paper, the authors presented an approach to generate a large space of conceptual designs by a set of grammar rules. These results indicated a large number of topologically unique solutions that could be created from a single black box that consists of a simple description of the function of the product and the input and output flows. The problem remains as to how to efficiently organize and search this space to find the best design for a given set of user preferences. In this paper we present new results that organize the candidate space using clustering methods such as K-means algorithm that group a large number of points in space based on a certain spatial property. Candidate component topologies, referred to as Component Flow Graphs (CFGs), are categorized using this method based on properties that physically distinguish them. From a theoretical and computational standpoint, this is an open research question as the CFGs may be vastly different graph topologies and the nodes and arcs of the graph may represent many different types of components and component connections. This paper details an experiment wherein ten products are designed from function structure to CFG. A space of over 8000 candidate solutions is developed. From this large set, clustering algorithms are employed to organize the space, and eventually aid an automated or interactive search algorithm that can find a best candidate solution for a particular user. A vast space of clustered concepts would allow an interactive process to query the user about particular CFGs and gauge whether the user would like to see more similar CFGs (i.e. from the same cluster) or is more interested in different ones (i.e. ones from other clusters). Such an interactive tool would be useful in mass customization.
McCarthy as Scientist and Engineer, with Personal Recollections

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, there were very few people actually doing AI research—mostly the handful of founders (McCarthy, Minsky, and Selfridge in Boston, Newell and Simon in Pittsburgh) plus their students, and that included me. Everyone knew everyone else, and saw them at the few conference panels that were held. At one of those conferences, I met John. We renewed contact upon his re-arrival at Stanford, and that was to have major consequences for my professional life.
Urbanization and Crime: Conclusion: Crime Rates, Crime Theories, and German Society

This study of crime and criminal justice in Germany's Second Empire contributes to both historical sociology and social history. As a work of historical sociology, it employs the abundant social and economic statistical data of nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Germany, buttressed by qualitative data generated from an analysis of popular perceptions of criminal justice activity and unlawful behavior, to test several important theories about the effects of urban–industrial development and societal modernization on the incidence of criminal activity. As a study of social history, it investigates the nature and values of the German criminal justice system and the ways in which the law and criminal justice institutions and practices were applied to uphold the social and political order. Whereas it demonstrates that the law, police, attorneys, and judges all rated high marks for technical expertise and high educational standards, and that their efforts helped to ensure that German society remained quite orderly, the often discriminatory justice they dispensed exhibited some disturbing parallels between the Kaiserreich and the Third Reich. Imperial Germany, despite a trend toward increasing violence around the turn of the century, was one of the safest societies in modern history, with some of the lowest rates of interpersonal violence. This statement can be made with some confidence: Foreign travelers often remarked on how secure they felt in German cities; the contemporary sociologist Emile Durkheim found Germany and Holland to have the lowest homicide rates in Europe in the last decades of the nineteenth century; and our own more detailed examination of Germany's homicide rates can now be shown to have compared favorably with the rates of other countries, which recently have been reconstructed painstakingly by other criminal justice historians for countries like Sweden, Holland, England, and the United States.
What Biomonitoring Can and Cannot Tell Us about Causality in Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments

ABSTRACT Biomonitoring can provide exposure and effects information on various stressors (chemical or biological) that can be useful for human health and ecological risk assessments. It has been applied over the years where harmful changes in human health or the environment were observed and which may have warranted more detailed investigation. Sometimes biomonitoring programs may have been useful in determining the significance and/or cause of these harmful observations. These data can help to infer, but not confirm, causality as exemplified in classical studies conducted in humans and wildlife. However, in most cases we note that additional work was needed to provide the information necessary to support or refute causality. Today modern technology provides the ability to measure a wide variety of parameters in environmental media, plants, animals, and humans. Finding a chemical in an environmental medium or biological tissue may be helpful in understanding potential exposure (and perhaps to begin estima...
Ultrastructure of the corpus luteum of Antarctic seals during pregnancy.

The fine structure of granulosa lutein cells from three crabeater seals, Lobodon carcinophagus, and two leopard seals, Hydrurga leptonyx, has been studied from early through mid-pregnancy. Analysis of the arrangement and modifications of the cytoplasmic organelles and inclusions has revealed three types of lutein cells throughout the corpus. Type I cell typically possesses a central nucleus and cytoplasm containing very large amounts of smooth and/or fenestrated endoplasmic cisternae which frequently extend from the juxta-nuclear to the periphery of the cell. Type II cell contains a central or eccentric nucleus, moderate amounts of peripheral, smooth and fenestrated cisternae which often form large and concentric membranous whorls, numerous mitochondria and small lipid droplets. Frequently these cells show polarity in the arrangement of the cytoplasmic organelles and inclusions. Type III cell contains predominant large lipid droplets, many mitochondria, and small amounts of smooth and fenestrated cisternae. In light microscopy the type I cell is evenly granular, while the type III cell is highly vacuolated. Type II cells have both granular and vacuolated conditions. Ultrastructural features of type I and II cells suggest that they probably secrete most of the steroids, whereas the primary role of the type III cells appear to be lipid storage.
Changes in the Starch Fraction During Extrusion-cooking of Corn

Whole ground corn was extruded at 23.7, 18.5, 15.4,13.9 and 7.6% moisture contents (EMC). Decreasing EMC resulted in increases in water solubility index (WSI), enzyme susceptibility (ES), degree of gelatinization and blue values, while water absorption index and water insoluble carbohydrates decreased. ES and WSI of several blends prepared by combining raw (R), gelatinized (G), and dextrinized (D) corn were compared to those of extruded products. Corn extrudates had properties similar to blends containing G and D corn only. The relative proportion of D corn increased from about 10 to 60%, as EMC decreased. “Dextrinization” appears to become the predominant mechanism of starch degradation during low-moisture, high-shear extrusion. Viscoamylographs, scanning electron and light photomicrographs support these findings.
Feminist thought in transition: Never a dull moment

Abstract In this essay, I summarize how I believe feminist thought has developed during the period 1960–2000 and where it might go in the future. First, I summarize the evolution of second-wave feminist thought during the period from the early 1960s to the late 1980s, focusing on liberal, radical, and Marxist–socialist feminisms. Next, I summarize multicultural, global, and postmodern feminisms as they emerged in the U.S. and elsewhere during the late 1980s and early 1990s, viewing them as a transition from second-wave to third-wave feminist thought. Third, I claim that young women today, including those who are doing feminism in the manner of third-wave feminists, are shaping a very particularistic, even individualistic form of feminism, with mixed consequences. Fourth, I will conclude that the future of feminist thought depends on its ability to resolve the sameness–difference debate, for unless women and the category of gender have some role to play in feminism, it is not clear that labeling one's self a “feminist” makes sense anymore.
Ordering of the Numerosities 1 to 9 by Monkeys

A fundamental question in cognitive science is whether animals can represent numerosity (a property of a stimulus that is defined by the number of discriminable elements it contains) and use numerical representations computationally. Here, it was shown that rhesus monkeys represent the numerosity of visual stimuli and detect their ordinal disparity. Two monkeys were first trained to respond to exemplars of the numerosities 1 to 4 in an ascending numerical order (1 → 2 → 3 → 4). As a control for non-numerical cues, exemplars were varied with respect to size, shape, and color. The monkeys were later tested, without reward, on their ability to order stimulus pairs composed of the novel numerosities 5 to 9. Both monkeys responded in an ascending order to the novel numerosities. These results show that rhesus monkeys represent the numerosities 1 to 9 on an ordinal scale.
The game of go: an ideal environment for capstone and undergraduate research projects

In this paper, we discuss how Go, a strategy game widely played in Asia and other parts of the world, provides a rich, challenging environment for capstone and undergraduate research projects. We first describe the game itself and the characteristics that make it appropriate for more advanced undergraduate projects. We then discuss several projects that our students have pursued over the last three years, and we share observations that may be helpful to other computer science educators.
Exposure and Emission Evaluations of Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime (MEKO) in Alkyd Paints

Abstract Small environmental chamber tests were conducted to characterize the emissions of a toxic chemical compound – methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO) – from three different alkyd paints. It was found that MEKO emissions occurred almost immediately after each alkyd paint was applied to a pine board. Due to the fast emission pattern, more than 90% of the MEKO emitted was released within 10 hours after painting. The peak concentrations of MEKO in chamber air correlated well with the MEKO content in the paint. Material balance showed that good recovery (more than 68%) was achieved between the MEKO applied with the paint and the MEKO emitted. The chamber data were simulated by a first order decay emission model assuming the MEKO emissions were mostly gas-phase mass transfer controlled. The model was used to predict indoor MEKO concentrations during and after painting in a test house. It was found that the predicted test house MEKO concentrations during and after the painting exceeded a suggested indoor exposure limit of 0.1 mg/m3 for all three paints. The predicted MEKO concentrations exceeded even the lower limit of a suggested sensory irritation range of 4 to 18 mg/m3 with two of the three paints tested. The model was also used to evaluate and demonstrate the effectiveness of risk reduction options including selection of lower MEKO paints and higher ventilation during painting.
Creating a professional development program to support a handheld computing initiative

Indiana State University is providing handheld computers to every faculty member in its School of Education. What started as a small pilot program a year ago has grown into a project that is challenging the way faculty are thinking about technology and its application in the teaching and learning process. In addition, a substantial pool of handheld computers has been created for faculty to use with students in the classroom. Recognizing that a strong professional development program was needed to support the handheld computing initiative was instrumental to the initiative's success.This paper centers on the professional development program that was created to support the initiative's efforts. Initial distribution of the handheld computers took place at departmental meetings. A basic overview of the handheld computer was given at that time. Seven different workshops are continually offered as well as one-on-one training opportunities. Once a month, a brown bag lunch and handheld computer brainstorming and idea exchanging session is held with interested faculty and students. In addition, guest speakers have been brought to campus to speak on issues related to handheld computing.
β-Endorphin in Hypophyseal Portal Blood: Variations throughout the Menstrual Cycle

Concentrations of β-endorphin were measured in the venous effluent of the hypothalamus (hypophyseal portal blood) at various phases of the menstrual cycle and after ovariectomy in rhesus and pigtailed monkeys. In the rhesus, β- endorphin concentrations were high during the mid- to late follicular phase [737 ± 256 pg/ml (mean ± SE)] and the luteal phase (1675 ± 1108) of the menstrual cycle, but were undetectable (<133) at menstruation. Concentrations were also high in pigtailed monkeys during stages of the menstrual cycle other than at menstruation (4870 ± 1090 pg/ml), but undetectable (<133) 4–12 months after ovariectomy. These results indicate that β-endorphin concentrations in hypophyseal portal blood are related to menstrual cycle events, probably changes in ovarian steroids; this in turn suggests that β-endorphin may participate in the ovarian feedback regulation of gonadotropin secretion.
User satisfaction aware routing and energy modeling of polymorphic network on chip architecture

Display Omitted We develop User satisfaction model for VC allocation in NoC routers.Energy model for NoC router based on user satisfaction is investigated.Sigmoid function is used to capture user behavior in our model.Better user satisfaction results from our model for light and medium NoC traffic.The proposed energy model can maximize utilization of fixed energy source by applications. In mobile devices, multiple applications contend for limited resources in the underlying embedded system framework. Application resource requirements in mobile systems vary by computation needs, energy consumption and user interaction frequency. Quality of service (QoS) is the predominant metric of choice to manage resources among contending applications. Resource allocation policies to support static QoS for applications do not reflect the changing demands of the user in contemporary network on chip (NoC) based embedded architectures. User satisfaction with the user interactions and user interface design ought to be the primary design driver. Some recent research has integrated a saturating, non-linear user satisfaction function in the application thread scheduler. The application and operating system level user satisfaction research assumes that the throughput of inter-thread edges is limited only by the computational constraints of the nodes. With NoC, however, NoC resource allocation policies play an important role in determining the inter-thread communication flow's throughput and the resulting application level user satisfaction. In this paper, we filter down the user satisfaction from an application layer attribute to a router level attribute to improve the resource and energy utilization for routing in order to leverage the user satisfaction at the application and system level. We demonstrate that this technique improves the user satisfaction of audio (MP3) application by 10% while maintaining the user satisfaction of video (MPEG-2) application. Experiments also show that a fixed energy source can be extended for an average of 18% of the time using the NoC user satisfaction based energy optimization proposed in this research.
Detection of vehicles and personnel using polarization

The visual detection of vehicles and personnel depend upon a number of factors: reflected/emitted color (photometry) contrast (spectral resolution), shapes and motion. Optical polarization has not been used although its relative radar has been readily been accepted and applied. There are clear analogs between radar optics and light optics.
Limitations of brief intelligence testing with young children.

The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Columbia Mental Maturity Scale overestimated seriously the prevalance of retardation in 28 poverty-area kindergarten-age children. Statistically significant differences were found between the mean IQ scores on those two tests and Stanford-Binet IQs. Less severe differences obtained for 29 Ss enrolled in a poverty-area first-grade.
Carbon and Nitrogen Fixation Differ between Successional Stages of Biological Soil Crusts in the Colorado Plateau and Chihuahuan Desert

Abstract Biological soil crusts (cyanobacteria, mosses and lichens collectively) perform essential ecosystem services, including carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fixation. Climate and land-use change are converting later successional soil crusts to early successional soil crusts with lower C and N fixation rates. To quantify the effect of such conversions on C and N dynamics in desert ecosystems we seasonally measured diurnal fixation rates in different biological soil crusts. We classified plots on the Colorado Plateau (Canyonlands) and Chihuahuan Desert (Jornada) as early ( Microcoleus ) or later successional ( Nostoc / Scytonema or Placidium / Collema ) and measured photosynthesis ( P n ), nitrogenase activity (NA), and chlorophyll fluorescence ( F v / F m ) on metabolically active (moist) soil crusts. Later successional crusts typically had greater P n , averaging 1.2–1.3-fold higher daily C fixation in Canyonlands and 2.4–2.8-fold higher in the Jornada. Later successional crusts also had greater NA, averaging 1.3–7.5-fold higher daily N fixation in Canyonlands and 1.3–25.0-fold higher in the Jornada. Mean daily F v / F m was also greater in later successional Canyonlands crusts during winter, and Jornada crusts during all seasons except summer. Together these findings indicate conversion of soil crusts back to early successional stages results in large reductions of C and N inputs into these ecosystems.
Exchange rate volatility and imports demand for the Islamic Republic of Iran

This study provides an analysis of imports demand for Iran. It uses time series methods to determine the imports demand. The idea is to capture and account for volatility of real effective exchange rate. The main models are Autoregressive Distributed Lag model and Generalised Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity. GARCH models account for volatility by dealing with heteroscedasticity. The quarterly data from 1981 Q1 to 2007 Q4 are first checked for stationarity.
A linear symbolic-based approach to matrix inversion

Abstract For inverting a given matrix A n×n with numerical and/or symbolic entries the Gaussian Row Operations (GRO) method has been widely applied. One problem with this approach is that the necessary GRO must be performed on an augmented matrix of order n ×2 n . We present a new method using the standard GRO with considerable reduction in the number of columns. The augmented matrix in the proposed method is of order n ×( n +1), where the elements of the last column are all symbolic. Implementation issues for packaging this representation with existing symbolic computation systems are discussed. Computational experience using randomly generated matrices is reported, showing the superiority of this new approach over the conventional technique, namely in terms of both execution time and memory requirement.
Cultural Humility and Shared Learning as Hallmarks for International Teaching: The SWEP Experience

This article highlights critical elements for effective and culturally sensitive teaching when transferring educational programs from a Western country to another context. The Social Work Education Project (SWEP), a master's level professional education program, was developed to train social workers in the conflict-affected area of Mindanao in the Philippines. Designed to enhance the leadership capacity of local social workers and contribute to the peace process, SWEP represents collaboration between the National Catholic School of Social Service in Washington, DC; Community and Family Services International, a Philippines-based NGO; and other Philippine community and educational partners. Qualitative program evaluation findings reveal that students assessed their learning as culturally relevant and personally meaningful while also enhancing their capacities for effective social work practice. Grounded in these findings and the experiences of involved faculty, the article concludes with five key lessons f...
Intrauterine growth restriction, visceral blood flow velocity and exocrine pancreatic function

Background Animal models and observations in human neonates suggest fetal exocrine pancreas vulnerability to reduced maternofetal blood flow. We investigated the relationship between superior mesenteric artery blood flow velocity (sma bfv) and exocrine pancreatic function, in a cohort of very low birth weight (VLBW) babies. Group 1: 9 babies < 3rd percentile for birth weight. Antenatally, all had absent or reversed diastolic flow on Doppler ultrasound of the umbilical artery (UA). Group2: 18 babies > 10th percentile for birth weight.
Monte Carlo modeling of secondary electron imaging in three dimensions

Measurements of critical dimensions (CDs), roughness, and other dimensional aspects of semiconductor electronics products rely upon secondary electron (SE) images in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). These images are subject to artifacts at the nanometer size scale that is relevant for many of these measurements. The most accurate measurements for this reason depend upon models of the probe-sample interaction in order to perform corrections. MONSEL, a Monte Carlo simulator intended primarily for CD metrology, has been providing the necessary modeling. However, restrictions on the permitted sample shapes are increasingly constraining as the industry's measurement needs evolve towards inherently 3-dimensional structures. We report here results of a collaborative project, in which the MONSEL physics has been combined with the 3D capabilities of NISTMonte, another NIST Monte Carlo simulator that was previously used principally to model higher energy electrons and x-rays. Results from the new simulator agree very closely with the original MONSEL for samples within the repertoire of both codes. The new code's predicted SE yield variation with angle of incidence agrees well with preexisting measurements for light, medium, and heavy elements. Capabilities of the new code are demonstrated on a model of a FinFET transistor.
Ocean drilling reorganized

The National Science Foundation has combined its proposed Ocean Margin Drilling Program (OMPD) with the existing Deep-Sea Drilling Program (DSDP). This reorganization calls for the retirement in 1983 of DSDP's mainstay, the Glomar Challenger, which is nearing its 14th year of operation. The Glomar Explorer, the former CIA ship, with 5 times the carrying capacity of the Challenger, will become the sole NSF drilling ship. Engineering and science planning for OMDP will continue largely unchanged with the new plan, though the schedules for achieving some scientific objectives may change, according to the Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc. (JOI), a consortium of 10 academic oceanographic institutions. Additional industry and foreign support will be sought under the new plan.
On stochastic models of light absorption

Previously developed light absorption models have treated the effective quantity of light-absorbing material within the experimental environment as a constant, i.e. a parameter. These models are, however, probabilistic in nature and are properly applied and interpreted only in a statistical sense. Thus, it is clearly logical to regard the effective quantity of light-absorbing material to be a random variable. In this paper an asymptotic distribution is derived for this random quantity, and it is shown how this distribution may be incorporated into present models. These results may be applied to light absorption by plant and crop canopies as well as to liquid or solid media. Furthermore, previous models are based upon the assumption that light is parallel, or effectively so, as for solar light. Such models may be inadequate for an artificial (laboratory) environment which utilizes point source light. Present models for estimating light interception and radiation intensity are modified so as to accommodate a proximate point source of light. Numerical examples are included to illustrate the theory.
Involvement of calpains in the destabilization of the acetylcholine receptor clusters in rat myotubes.

The effects of calpain inhibitors on the total number of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) on cultured rat myotubes and on the stability of AChR clusters in these myotubes were investigated. The degradation rate of total AChRs labeled with (125)I-alpha-bungarotoxin was assessed from radioactivity remaining in the myotubes as a function of time. Treatment with calpain inhibitors resulted in a two- to three-fold increase in the half-life of total AChRs. Incubation with these inhibitors produced 40% increases in intracellular AChRs but no major changes in surface AChRs, indicating that the increased AChR half-life is due to intracellular accumulation. The rate loss of AChRs from the clusters was assessed by measuring the loss of fluorescence intensity in rhodaminated-alpha-bungarotoxin-labeled clusters with time. Treatment with calpain inhibitors resulted in twofold increases in cluster half-life. Thus, there was generally no change in total surface receptors with the calpain inhibitors, whereas cluster half-life was substantially increased. Furthermore, with a low dose of calpeptin there was no change in turnover of total cellular AChRs, whereas cluster half-life was doubled. Taken together, these results suggest that the increased half-life of clusters produced by the calpain inhibitors may be due to retardation of the lateral movement from AChRs in the clusters.
High frequency (GHz) and low resistance integrated inductors using magnetic materials

Integrated microinductors, using magnetic materials were fabricated with cutoff frequencies over 3 GHz. Magnetic materials are typically not used in high-frequency inductors because their frequency range has been limited to <100 MHz. The high-frequency magnetic film, an amorphous CoZrTa, was integrated into standard silicon process technology. Inductors consume large amounts of chip area, but with magnetic materials, the inductors can be made smaller thereby reducing their capacitance and resistance. A novel 3-dimensional structure for reducing the inductor's resistance by an order of magnitude was also developed. Simulations of inductors with magnetics and measurements are presented.
A 38 000-year record of floods and debris flows in the Ilo region of southern Peru and its relation to El Niño events and great earthquakes

Abstract Previous work throughout the Ilo region of south coastal Peru has documented the existence of flood and debris-flow deposits produced by two El Nino events evidently much more severe than any in recent history. These two events have been dated to ca. AD 1300–1400 and AD 1607–08. The Late Pleistocene to Holocene record of older sedimentary deposits in this region is dominated by flood and debris-flow deposits of similar scale. These older deposits have been described and dated from three coastal, alluvial-fan sites. These deposits, which are as old as 38 200 years, are dominated by massive debris-flow deposits, several tens of cm thick, typically composed of cobble- and boulder-sized clasts in a matrix of silty sand, with characteristics indicating generation by heavy rainfall in an arid environment. Twenty-two radiocarbon dates and a single infrared-stimulated luminescence date show that particularly severe El Nino events occurred throughout the Late Pleistocene and two of three divisions of the Holocene with significantly different frequencies. The period of greatest activity was during the Early Holocene when at least six such events took place during a period of ca. 3600 years, beginning near the end of the Younger Dryas ca. 12 000 years ago. One of these events produced a debris flow that may have caused abandonment of the Paleo-Indian site at Quebrada Tacahuay, one of the oldest on the Andean coast. No severe events took place during the Middle Holocene between ca. 8400 and 5300 years ago, when a wide variety of other paleoclimate proxy records indicate that the El Nino–Southern Oscillation regime was particularly weak. Since ca. 5300 years ago, four of these severe events have taken place. The Late Pleistocene sequence is constrained by only two dates, which indicate that at least ten severe events took place between ca. 38 200 and 12 900 years ago. Mechanisms probably responsible for generating these large-scale deposits include: (1) ‘Mega-Ninos’ that produced anomalously heavy rainfall along most or all of the central Andean coast; (2) El Ninos that occurred shortly after great earthquakes that produced large amounts of sediment; or (3) El Ninos that produced anomalously heavy local rainfall. The existence of these large-scale deposits in the Ilo region implies a level of hazard much higher than indicated by the historical record alone.
Studies of the Chick Edema Disease 6. Preventive Treatment with Oral Diuretics

Abstract PREVIOUS studies of the chick edema disease (CED) reported from these laboratories (Douglass and Flick, 1961; Flick et al., 1962, 1963a, b, 1965a, b, 1966a, b, 1967) have dealt primarily with the detection and development of the disease. Other investigators (Campbell and Friedman, 1966a, b; Firestone, 1966) have studied the distribution of the chemical agent, known as the chick edema factor (CEF), in various tissues and organs of the rat and chick. They attempted to ascertain the mechanism of action of the factor in the production of the disease. A primary symptom of CED is the formation of edema, from which the name of the disease is derived. Several years ago, Alexander (1962) in limited studies found little effect of oral diuretics on this accumulation of fluid. The following studies were made to learn if feeding various diuretics concomitantly with the toxic fatty material (TFM) containing the CEF would tend to prevent . . .
Enzyme systems involved in phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of two endogenous phosphoproteins in neuronal membranes

Abstract Adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase and phosphoprotein phosphatases were solubilized by Triton X-100, from a particulate fraction of bovine cerebral cortex enriched in synaptic membranes, and partially purified. The properties of these partially purified enzymes were studied using two substrates, Protein I and Protein II, prepared from the synaptic membrane fraction, as well as the substrates protamine and histone. The results suggest that the phosphorylation of Protein I and Protein II, as well as protamine and histone, are catalyzed by a single species of cAMP-deperident protein kinase. Thus, a single peak of protein kinase activity was observed, upon DEAE-cellulose hromatography of the Triton X-100 extract of the synaptic membrane preparation, which catalyzed the phosphorylation of all four substrate proteins. Moreover, the activity of this partially purified protein kinase toward the various substrate proteins was altered in a parallel fashion, either when the protein kinase preparation was subjected to heat inactivation or pH inactivation, or when the enzyme was assayed in the presence of various concentrations of cyclic nucleotides or of a protein kinase modulator. The individual protein substrates acted as competitive inhibitors with respect to one another. Upon sucrose density gradient centrifugation, the protein kinase activity toward the various substrates sedimented as a single peak. Finally, the relative specific activities toward the various substrates did not change significantly during a 2000-fold purification of the enzyme. In contrast to these observations with protein kinase, two peaks of protein phosphatase activity, with markedly different specificities toward Protein I and Protein II, were found upon DEAE-cellulose and Bio-Gel P-200 column chromatography of the Triton X-100 extract of the synaptic membrane fractions. One peak catalyzed the dephosphorylation of Phosphoprotein I but not of Phosphoprotein II, whereas the other peak catalyzed the dephosphorylation of Phosphoprotein II but not of Phosphoprotein I. The dephosphorylation of Phosphoprotein I by Phosphoprotein I phosphatase was not affected by adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate, whereas the dephosphorylation of Phosphoprotein II by Phosphoprotein II phosphatase required the presence of this nucleotide. Moreover, the two phosphatases differed from one another with respect to Stokes' radius as well as sedimentation coefficient.
Testing the causal role of expectancies in smoking motivation and behavior.

Abstract The causal role of outcome expectancies in smoking motivation and behavior was tested in a laboratory experiment. Two expectancy manipulations—Health Consequences Expectancy Increase (HC) and Mood Management Expectancy Challenge (MM)—were crossed in a 2 × 2 factorial design. One hundred twenty-three heavy smokers were randomly assigned to the conditions and shown videotaped interviews of smokers and exsmokers followed by an interview that personalized the information. Both manipulations produced changes in targeted expectancies on at least one of two expectancy instruments. As predicted, only the HC manipulation produced increases in motivation to quit smoking and a reduction in smoking 3 months later. This study provides initial evidence that smoking expectancies play a causal role in smoking motivation, consistent with previous research with alcohol.
Management of blunt pancreatic injury in children

Background and Methods: Controversy persists regarding the management of pancreatic transection. Over the past 10 years, 51 patients admitted to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh sustained blunt pancreatic injuries. We reviewed their medical records to clarify the optimal management strategy and to define distinguishing characteristics, if any, of patients with pancreatic transection. Results: Patients who sustained pancreatic transection had a significantly higher Injury Severity Score, length of stay, serum amylase, and serum lipase, than those patients who sustained pancreatic contusion. Patients who underwent laparotomy within 48 hours of injury for pancreatic transection had a significantly shorter length of stay than those who underwent laparotomy more than 48 hours after injury. Conclusion: Serum amylase greater than 200 and serum lipase greater than 1,800 may be useful clinical markers for major pancreatic ductal injury when combined with physical examination. Early operative intervention for pancreatic transection results in shorter length of stay and fewer complications.
Internalization of a C17α-alkynylestradiol-porphyrin conjugate into estrogen receptor positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Abstract We hypothesized that expression of nuclear estrogen receptor (ER) in hormone-sensitive breast cancer cells could be harnessed synergistically with the tumor-accumulating effect of porphyrins to selectively deliver estrogen–porphyrin conjugates into breast tumor cells, and preferentially kill tumor cells upon exposure to visible light. In this study we synthesized a conjugate of C 17α -alkynylestradiol and pyropheophorbide and demonstrated that this conjugate is internalized by ER-positive MCF-7 cells while pyropheophorbide did not, suggesting an ER-mediated uptake and internalization of the conjugate by incipient nuclear ER in MCF-7 cells. This study is a direct demonstration of our hypothesis about ER-mediated internalization of estrogen–porphyrin conjugates.
Heroin addicts' views of commonly abused drugs: a semantic differential approach.

Summary 52 heroin addicts were given a form of the Semantic Differential asking for their perceptions of heroin, methadone, LSD, amphetamines and marijuana. Marijuana was viewed most favorably, heroin least favorably. Views of heroin and marijuana were positively correlated; but not so heroin and methadone. There was a positive relationship between length of time on methadone maintenance and the potency score for heroin.
Slow Surface Charge Trapping Kinetics on Irradiated TiO2

Free and trapped charge carriers in polycrystalline TiO2 following band gap irradiation are characterized by diffuse reflectance IR spectroscopy (DRIFTS). A spectrum-wide absorption signal proportional to λ1.7 (λ = wavelength/μm) indicates the presence of free conduction band electrons coupled with acoustic phonons in the lattice. Free electrons appear to decay according to saturation kinetics. The fitted parameters indicate a limited number of trapping states. The concentration of these states appears to be diminished by sequential UV treatments. The free carrier decay lifetime is lengthened as the samples are dehydrated, which suggests an excited-state relaxation event during electron trapping. Photogenerated free electrons are comparable to conduction band electrons injected from surface-bound chromophores, and the lifetime of these electrons can be extended across several orders of magnitude. A broad IR absorption peak centered at 3380 cm-1 is attributed to an electronic transition from an occupied su...
MR imaging with i.v. superparamagnetic iron oxide: efficacy in the detection of focal hepatic lesions.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of superparmagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) in the detection of focal hepatic lesions on MR images.The study included 21 patients with 115 focal hepatic lesions and eight patients without focal hepatic lesions. T1- and T2-weighted MR images were obtained at 1.5 T before and 60 min after the end of injection of an SPIO agent. Contrast-enhanced CT scans were obtained in all patients within 10 days after MR imaging. The effect of SPIO on the signal intensity of the liver and spleen was assessed by using quantitative analysis of the region of interest. Efficacy was evaluated by using multiple criteria and unenhanced and SPIO-enhanced images. Evaluations included subjective assessment of image quality, counting the number of lesions detected, and statistical analysis of quantitative changes in the signal intensity of lesions and of normal liver.By all criteria, SPIO-enhanced T2-weighted MR images were superior to unenhanced T2-weighted images and to contrast-enh...
The vicissitudes of the pacemaker current I (Kdd) of cardiac purkinje fibers.

The mechanisms underlying the pacemaker current in cardiac tissues is not agreed upon. The pacemaker potential in Purkinje fibers has been attributed to the decay of the potassium current I Kdd. An alternative proposal is that the hyperpolarization-activated current I f underlies the pacemaker potential in all cardiac pacemakers. The aim of this review is to retrace the experimental development related to the pacemaker mechanism in Purkinje fibers with reference to findings about the pacemaker mechanism in the SAN as warranted. Experimental data and their interpretation are critically reviewed. Major findings were attributed to K+ depletion in narrow extracellular spaces which would result in a time dependent decay of the inward rectifier current I K1. In turn, this decay would be responsible for a “fake” reversal of the pacemaker current. In order to avoid such a postulated depletion, Ba2+ was used to block the decay of I K1. In the presence of Ba2+ the time-dependent current no longer reversed and instead increased with time and more so at potentials as negative as −120 mV. In this regard, the distinct possibility needs to be considered that Ba2+ had blocked I Kdd (and not only I K1). That indeed this was the case was demonstrated by studying single Purkinje cells in the absence and in the presence of Ba2+. In the absence of Ba2+, I Kdd was present in the pacemaker potential range and reversed at E K. In the presence of Ba2+, I Kdd was blocked and I f appeared at potentials negative to the pacemaker range. The pacemaker potential behaves in a manner consistent with the underlying I Kdd but not with I f. The fact that I f is activated on hyperpolarization at potential negative to the pacemaker range makes it suitable as a safety factor to prevent the inhibitory action of more negative potentials on pacemaker discharge. It is concluded that the large body of evidence reviewed proves the pacemaker role of I Kdd (but not of I f) in Purkinje fibers.
New Insights into the Androgen-Targeted Therapies and Epigenetic Therapies in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States, and it is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in American men. The androgen receptor (AR), a receptor of nuclear family and a transcription factor, is the most important target in this disease. While most efforts in the clinic are currently directed at lowering levels of androgens that activate AR, resistance to androgen deprivation eventually develops. Most prostate cancer deaths are attributable to this castration-resistant form of prostate cancer (CRPC). Recent work has shed light on the importance of epigenetic events including facilitation of AR signaling by histone-modifying enzymes, posttranslational modifications of AR such as sumoylation. Herein, we provide an overview of the structure of human AR and its key structural domains that can be used as targets to develop novel antiandrogens. We also summarize recent findings about the antiandrogens and the epigenetic factors that modulate the action of AR.