cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Defect formation and annealing kinetics in ion irradiated carbon nanotube buckypapers

Abstract We studied the frequency shifts in G, D and D ∗ Raman modes in freestanding multiwall carbon nanotube buckypapers. Upon ion irradiation by 140 keV He + or 3 MeV H + ions, the intensity ratio of D–G modes linearly increases with fluence before amorphization. The ratio is used to quantitatively measure the level of disorder in the buckypaper. The study shows that, upon post-irradiation annealing, defect removal requires little energy addition in lightly damaged buckypaper, which is evidenced by an activation energy of 0.36 eV. Once amorphized, defect removal becomes very difficult. The D–G intensity ratio has no reduction in heavily damage sample after annealing up to 850 °C.
Algorithm for de-shadowing spectral imagery

A new matched filter-based algorithm has been developed for detecting and approximately correcting for shadows or other illumination variations in spectral imagery. Initial evaluations have been conducted with a handful of data cubes, including AVIRIS data. The de-shadowed images have a generally realistic appearance and reveal a wealth of previously hidden surface details.
Thermodynamic Properties of the Ni−H Bond in Complexes of the Type [HNi(P2RN2R‘)2](BF4) and Evaluation of Factors That Control Catalytic Activity for Hydrogen Oxidation/Production

Thermodynamic data for hydride complexes of the general formula [HNi(P2RN2R‘)2](BF4), 3, which have been reported previously to function as effective catalysts for the electrochemical oxidation or production of hydrogen, have been determined. Values of ΔG°H+, ΔG°H•, and ΔG°H- have been determined for 3a where R = Cy, R‘ = Bz, for 3b where R = R‘ = Ph, and for the new complex 3c, R = Ph, R‘ = Bz. In addition, the ΔG values for the heterolytic addition of hydrogen to the Ni(II) precursor complexes [Ni(P2RN2R‘)2](BF4)2, 1a−c, have been determined experimentally or calculated. The data are useful for understanding the factors that control the catalytic activities observed for these complexes and for the design of additional catalysts.
Comparative Study of Trapping Methods for Ground-Nesting Shorebirds

Abstract. Several methods exist to capture ground-nesting birds, yet questions remain concerning their effectiveness, cost and safety. An experiment was conducted comparing traps commonly used to capture ground-nesting shorebirds. Data were collected on Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus) nesting at Great Salt Lake, Utah during the 2009 breeding season. The three most common traps used to capture nesting Snowy Plovers (spring trap, walk-in funnel trap, leg-hold noose mats) were compared in the time required to use the trap (e.g. time to install at nest), capture success and construction costs. These results indicated that the funnel trap had the lowest total time at the nest (P < 0.01) and per trapping attempt, highest capture rate, fewest failed set up attempts, low disturbance to the nest site and was the least expensive to build. Based on these findings, the funnel trap should allow avian researchers to maximize their time, resources and efforts when trapping ground-nesting shorebirds.
Postnatal experiences and genetic effects on squirrel monkey social affinities and emotional distress.

Most nonhuman primate research on risk factors underlying vulnerability to stress has focused on early psychosocial experiences in various species of macaques. To test for genetic and experiential effects on emotional vulnerability in randomly bred squirrel monkeys, here we combined a paternal half-sibling analysis with three postnatal rearing protocols that altered aspects of maternal availability. In one condition offspring were periodically removed from natal groups, whereas differences in maternal availability were produced in two other conditions by manipulating the effort required of lactating mothers to successfully locate food. After completion of these protocols at 21 weeks of age, social affinities, maternal separation induced peep-calls, and plasma levels of cortisol were assessed from 29 to 37 weeks of age. Significant postnatal rearing effects and the lowest heritabilities were detected in peak elevations of cortisol measured 1 day after the removal of mothers from otherwise undisturbed groups. Individual differences in cortisol 3-7 days later revealed negligible postnatal rearing effects and the highest heritabilities (h(2) approximately. 70), as offspring sired by certain fathers failed to return to the preseparation level found in undisturbed natal groups. Paternal half-siblings that responded with long lasting increases in cortisol spent more time near their mother in undisturbed groups and exhibited long-lasting increases in separation induced peep-calls. These findings concur with human twin studies that suggest genetic and experiential factors contribute to individual differences in vulnerability to emotional distress.
Engendering Democracy in Brazil: Women's Movements in Transition Politics

Engendering Democracy in Brazil: Women's Movements in Transition Politics. Sonia E. Alvarez. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990. 304 pp. $14.95 (paper). ISBN 0–691–02325–5.
Evolutionary genomics: When abnormality is beneficial.

One might think that aneuploidy — having an abnormal number of chromosomes — would be harmful, and would reduce an organism's fitness. Not necessarily: it all depends on the type of aneuploidy and the associated conditions. See Letter p.321 Aneuploidy, the presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes, has been associated with developmental defects and cancer, but also with adaptive evolution in experimental organisms. Recent studies raised doubts over whether aneuploidy affects gene expression at the proteome level or whether it can bring phenotypic variation and improved fitness over euploid counterparts. A profiling study of a large set of aneuploid yeast strains grown under a variety of conditions demonstrates that aneuploidy can affect both the transcriptome and the proteome, and generate significant phenotypic variation that can lead to fitness gains.
Two-step insertion at the SecY translocon

SecY and Sec61 translocons mediate the orderly insertion of transmembrane segments into the lipid bilayer during membrane-protein biogenesis. Reporting in this issue, Ismail et al. now use a SecM-based molecular force sensor to show that the translocon exerts a pulling force on the nascent chain that is capable of mechanical action at two distinct stages of the insertion process.
Initialization of the Primitive Equations by the Bounded Derivative Method

Large-amplitude high-frequency motions can appear in the solution of a hyperbolic system containing multiple time scales unless the initial conditions are suitably adjusted through a process called initialization. We observe that a solution of such a system which varies slowly with respect to time must have a number of time derivatives on the order of the slow time scale. Given a variable which is characteristic of low-frequency motions (e.g., vorticity), we can apply this observation at the initial time to find constraints which determine the rest of the initial data so that the amplitudes of the ensuing high-frequency motions remain small. Boundary conditions of the system must be taken into account in the derivation of the constraints. This procedure is referred to as the bounded derivative method. For a general linear version of the shallow-water equations, we prove that if the initial kth order time derivative is of the order of the slow time scale, then it will remain so for a fixed time interval. For the corresponding constant coefficient system, we compare the present initialization procedure with the normal mode approach. We then apply the new procedure to initialize the nonlinear shallow-water equations including the effect of orography for both the midlatitude and equatorial beta plane cases. In the midlatitude case, the initialization scheme based on quasi-geostrophic theory can be obtained from the bounded derivative method by certain simplifying assumptions. In the equatorial case, the bounded derivative method provides an effective initialization scheme and new insight into the nature of equatorial flows.
Organized mischief: comparing shared and private displays on a collaborative learning task

We describe a study in which students in two science classes worked on a collaborative learning task using either a shared display or individual displays. The purpose is to inform how display interactions support group collaboration and individual learning when using media technologies. We examined individual learning outcomes as well as behavioral differences between students using the two display types. Preliminary results indicate collaborating with a shared display may result in more effective task organization and subsequently higher conceptual understanding.
Importance of antithrombin therapy during coronary angioplasty

Abstract Angioplasty procedures with balloons, cutters or lasers all may greatly enlarge the arterial lumen, but luminal diameter may decrease because of mural thrombus in 70% to 80%, smooth muscle proliferation, vasoconstriction or recoil. Thrombin binds to arterial wall matrix and fibrin within a thrombus. Heparin dose-dependently decreases platelet and thrombus deposition but does not eliminate these even at high doses. Specific thrombin inhibition started before angioplasty experimentally prevents mural thrombus and limits platelet deposition to a single layer or less. Experimentally, anticoagulant and antifibrin effects occur at lower antithrombin blood levels and lower activated partial thromboplastin times (1.7 times control). Because platelets are so sensitive to thrombin, the higher level of thrombin inhibition required may occur at a specific level (activated partial thromboplastin time ≥ 2 times control); this is not defined in humans. The duration of therapy is not defined in animals or humans. Thrombus and thrombin may be related to cellular proliferation.
Influence of Sampling on the Blood Chemistry of Atlantic Salmon

Abstract Blood samples were taken from laboratory-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to determine the physiological status of the fish. The Atlantic salmon were also subjected to one of eight treatments before blood sampling to determine the influence of various handling stresses on the blood analyses. Treatments included holding the fish in nets in water or air for 2 or 4 min, or anesthesia with benzocaine, benzocaine hydrochloride, or tricaine for 3 min. Fish stunned by a blow to the head were used as controls. These treatments resulted in no major changes in selected blood chemistry characteristics: hematocrit, plasma glucose and chloride levels, and osmolality. Atlantic salmon exhibit a limited stress response to netting, as indicated by minor changes in plasma glucose concentrations.
Incorporation of Hands-On Activities in Learning Nanomaterials

For decades, nanomaterials, especially nanoparticles, have received extensive attention from the research community and have gained increasing importance in many industries. Growing production and utilization of nanomaterials result in a significant need for a relevant and skilled workforce. To meet these growing needs, the course “Fundamentals of Nanotechnology” was developed in the School of Engineering (SOE) at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) as one part of the Nanotechnology curriculum development plan sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Nanomaterials is one of the main topics covered in this course. Many concepts related to nanomaterials are both theoretical and abstract, which are difficult for students to grasp. This paper describes the hands-on lab activities incorporated to enhance the students’ learning and mastery of the subject. Through these hands-on activities, students learned to synthesize zero-dimensional and two-dimensional nanomaterials and characterized different properties of these nanomaterials. Students explored the physical and optical properties of nanoparticles, particle-to-particle aggregation, and applications of nanoparticles as sensors used in different fields. This paper presents the role of these hands-on activities in enhancing the students’ understanding of the theoretical nanomaterial concepts. These lab activities were assessed and results of this assessment from the first offering of the course are presented.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Angularly resolved x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigation of PTFE after prolonged space exposure

Monochromatized angularly resolved x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) was used to study PTFE (Teflon) that had been exposed to an Earth orbital environment for approximately six years. The primary interest of the research is on a very reactive component of this environment (atomic oxygen) which, because of the typical orbital velocities of a spacecraft, impinge on exposed surfaces with 5 eV energy. Generation of such particles in a laboratory is not practical, thus, the atomic oxygen aspect must eventually be resolved in a space flight environment. This presentation deals with the method of analysis, the findings as they pertain to a rather complex carbon, oxygen, and fluorine XPS peak analysis, and the character of the valence bands. An improved bias referencing method, based on ARXPS, will also be demonstrated for evaluating specimen charging effects. It was found that the polymer molecule tends to resist the atomic oxygen attack by reorienting itself, so that the most electronegative CF3 groups are facing the incoming hyperthermal oxygen atoms. The implications of these findings to ground‐based laboratory studies will also be discussed.
Low-energy e − -CO scattering in the static-exchange approximation

This paper presents a theoretical study of e^−-CO scattering at collision energies from 1 to 7 eV in the static-exchange approximation. The T-matrix discrete-basis-set approach to electron-molecule scattering introduced by Rescigno, McCurdy, and McKoy is used together with the variational correction method of Fliflet and McKoy. The authors show the behavior of the ^2Σ and ^2Π channel eigenphases and extract the width and position of the ^2Π shape resonance. Comparison is made with other theoretical and semiempirical results and with the corresponding resonance parameters for e^−-N_2 scattering. The momentum-transfer cross section is calculated and compared with the experimental data of Land and with other theoretical results.
Two Thousand X‐ray Stars in the Central 20 pc of the Galaxy

We present a catalog of 2357 point sources detected during 620 ks of Chandra observations of the 17 × 17 arcminutes field around Sgr A*. This field encompasses a physical area of 40 × 40 parsecs at 8 kpc. The completeness limit of the sample at the Galactic Center is ≈1031 erg s−1 (2–8 keV), while the detection limit is an order of magnitude lower. We estimate that 20–100 of the observed sources are background AGN. The spectra of the majority of the Galactic Center sources are very hard and are best described by a power law (E−Γ) with photon index Γ < 1. Such hard spectra are only seen from magnetically accreting white dwarfs (polars and intermediate polars) and neutron stars (pulsars). The spatial density of the Galactic Center X-ray sources falls off as R−2, similar to that of the infrared stars in the field. This highlights the possibility that these X-ray sources can be used to study the history of star formation at the Galactic Center. The log(N) − log(S) distribution of the Galactic Center sources is extremely steep, such that point sources could account for all of the previously reported diffuse emission if the number counts extend down to 1029 erg s−1 with the same slope. However, there are numerous fllamentary structures in the field that also contribute to the total flux, which implies that the luminosity distribution between 2–8 keV must turn over below our completeness limit.
Value of a single troponin T at the time of presentation as compared to serial CK-MB determinations in patients with suspected myocardial ischemia.

Background: Prior studies with cardiac markers have focused predominantly on subjects presenting to the emergency department with chest pain or unstable angina, and have relied on serial markers for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. We evaluated the diagnostic utility of a single cardiac troponin T (cTnT) determination at the time of presentation as compared to serial creatine kinase (CK) MB determinations in a broad spectrum of patients with suspected myocardial ischemia. Methods: A total of 267 consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department with suspected myocardial ischemia had a single, blinded cTnT determination drawn at the time of presentation to the emergency department in addition to routine serial electrocardiographic and CK-MB determinations. Results: The specificity (93.7% vs. 87.1%; p<0.05) and positive predictive value (80.0% vs. 69.4%; p<0.05) of a single cTnT determination were superior to that of serial CK-MB determinations without compromising sensitivity. Forty-six percent of patients with confirmed myocardial infarction and an abnormal cTnT at presentation had a normal initial CK-MB determination. Conversely, 20% of patients without acute coronary syndromes had an abnormal CK-MB determination in the setting of a normal cTnT. The initial cTnT was abnormal in all patients with confirmed myocardial infarction and a symptom duration of at least 3.5 h. Conclusions: In a heterogeneous population of patients with suspected myocardial ischemia, the initial cTnT determination drawn at the time of presentation is a powerful diagnostic tool that, when used in context with symptom duration, allows for more rapid and accurate triage of patients than serial CK-MB determinations.
Pulsed plasma synthesis of low dielectric constant materials

The utility of a variable duty cycle, pulsed plasma polymerization technique to produce low dielectric constant materials (k < 2.3) is described. The molecular compositions (and thus the dielectric constants) of the plasma polymers are controllable via changes in the plasma duty cycles employed during synthesis, all other reaction variables being held constant. In the present study, this compositional controllability under pulsed conditions is illustrated with two fluoroaromatic monomers. The dielectric constants of the films decrease as the plasma duty cycles employed during polymerization are decreased. Although the as deposited films exhibit relatively poor thermal stability, it was discovered that post-plasma annealing of the films, particularly at 400 °C under N2, provides dramatic improvements in the thermal stability of these materials. Most importantly, this enhanced thermal stability is achieved with relatively minor changes in the dielectric properties of these materials. In fact, synthesis of high thermal stability films having k < 2.0 is demonstrated in this work using the perfluoroaromatic monomer perfluoroallyl benzene.
Dehydroepiandrosterone in systemic lupus erythematosus. Results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial

Objective. To determine if dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is beneficial in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, 28 female patients with mild to moderate SLE were given DHEA 200 mg/day or placebo for 3 months. Outcomes included the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score, patient's and physician's overall assessments of disease activity, and concurrent corticosteroid dosages (which were adjusted as clinically indicated). Results. In the patients who were receiving DHEA, the SLEDAI score, patient's and physician's overall assessment of disease activity, and concurrent prednisone dosage decreased, while in the patients taking placebo, small increases were seen. The difference in patient's assessment between the groups was statistically significant (P = 0.022, adjusted). Lupus flares occurred more frequently in the placebo group (P = 0.053). Mild acne was a frequent side effect of DHEA. Conclusion. DHEA may be useful as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of mild to moderate SLE. Further studies of DHEA in the treatment of SLE are warranted.
Crazing, yielding, and fracture in polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate at low temperatures

Abstract Tensile behavior over the temperature range 4.2 to 350°K is reported for amorphous polyethylene terephthalate and polycarbonate. Three regimes in tensile behavior are distinguished and the transitions between these regimes are correlated with molecular relaxation processes. The [dtilde]-process at about 50°K is associated with the onset of anelasticity in the stress strain behavior. Below the β-temperature, fracture stresses fall off markedly with decreasing temperature, suggesting that stress concentration effects are active. The effect of the [dtilde]-relaxation on tensile properties is more pronounced in polycarbonate than in polyethylene terephthalate and agrees with the relative relaxation peak intensities. Over the gamma relaxation region, 170 to 200°K, there occurs a broad drop in yield stress in polycarbonate. In polyethylene terephthalate a transition from brittle to yield behavior is observed. Crazing occurs in both polymers over two distinct temperature regimes, one over an approximate...
Physical and chemical properties of surface and column aerosols at a rural New England site during MODIS overpass

Abstract Surface-based measurements of aerosol optical depth at a rural site in southern New Hampshire (43.11°N, 70.95°W) are compared to retrievals of the same parameter by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) during April–August, 2001. Hourly averages of aerosol optical depth (AOD) were derived using a multi-filter rotating shadowband radiometer (MFRSR) at the time of NASA's Terra satellite overpass. The MODIS Level 2 aerosol product at a wavelength of 550 nm was directly compared to the MFRSR interpolated AOD at 550 nm. We were able to compare the two AOD measurement platforms on 46 days (out of a possible 128 days) and observed a good agreement between the two methods ( R =0.81; slope=0.95±0.10). However, there were 11 days during this study period when MODIS measured AOD at the site, but the MFRSR did not due to excessive cloud cover. There were also 7 days when clear skies prevailed at the site during the time of MODIS overpass, but there was no AOD retrieved by MODIS. Surface measurements of fine particle (PM 2.5 ) mass, chemical composition, and optical properties were also performed during summer 2001. A good correlation ( R =0.87) between fine particle mass and AOD measured by the MFRSR was observed. A comparison between fine particle light extinction at the surface and MFRSR AOD (at the same wavelength) also showed good agreement ( R =0.80). Aerosol chemical analysis revealed that ammonium sulfate was the main aerosol component during times of very high turbidity, while organic carbon dominated during times of below-average turbidity.
Phonon line width in superconductors

Abstract It is shown that a measurement of the phonon line width of strong coupling superconductors by inelastic neutron scattering can be used to detect parallel parts in the Fermi surface of the metal. Recent measurements for Nb3Sn are analyzed.
RESONANT ABSORPTION IN THE PRESENCE OF FARADAY ROTATION.

A general treatment of electro- and magneto-optical phenomena in the presence of resonant absorption is given. The resulting expressions in terms of the real and imaginary parts of a matrix index of refraction are easily utilized in calculations. We consider in detail the effects of these phenomena in M\"ossbauer experiments with polarized $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays, presenting expressions for absorption as a function of polarization as well as for the polarization of the transmitted beam, which are valid for arbitrarily thick absorbers. Comparisons with experimental data are presented.
Free radical theory of aging: nutritional implications.

Life expectancy at birth, now about 72 years, is slowly approaching a plateau value of 74–75 years. Further increases in life expectancy may be achieved by a nutritional approach based on the possibility that the free radical reactions going on continuously in biological systems contribute to the degradation of these systems. Growing evidence indicates that random free radical reactions are a major factor in the breakdown of such systems, suggesting that the aging process may be simply the sum of these everpresent deleterious reactions throughout the cells and tissues and that longevity is a reflection of the ability to cope with such reactions. Dietary changes based on this possibility have been shown to: 1) increase the life span of mice, rats, fruit flies and nematodes, 2) inhibit the development of cancer, at least of some forms, 3) slow formation of amyloid, and 4) enhance immune responses. The available data strongly supports the possibility that such dietary changes also have a beneficial effect on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Formulation of human diets, adequate in essential nutrients but designed to minimize random free radical reactions in the body, may reasonably be expected to add five to ten or more years of healthy, productive life to the life span of the average person.
Inhibitory effects of chronic administration of morphine on uridine and thymidine incorporating abilities of mouse liver and brain subcellular fractions

Abstract Attempts have been made to examine the in vitro and in vivo effects of morphine sulfate on the incorporation of 14 C-labeled uridine and thymidine into acid-insoluble fractions of mouse liver and brain. Morphine, in vitro or after administration in vivo, produced no significant changes in the uridine and thymidine incorporating abilities of liver and brain homogenates. The chronic administration of morphine produced dose-dependent decreases in uridine and thymidine incorporating abilities of liver and brain homogenates and of their subcellular fractions such as nuclei, mitochondria and microsomes.
Efficient luminescence from easily prepared three-coordinate copper(I) arylamidophosphines

A series of brightly luminescent, three-coordinate copper(I) arylamidophosphine complexes have been prepared from readily available precursors in high yield. Emission maxima span 102 nm in the visible spectrum from 461 (blue) to 563 nm (yellow) while photoluminescence quantum yields range from 0.11 to 0.24 in fluid solution at room temperature.
Effect of preform microstructure on the hot working mechanisms in ELI grade Ti–6Al–4V: transformed β v. equiaxed (α + β)

AbstractProcessing of Ti–6Al–4V includes hot working above and below the β transus and the various stages of manufacture involve preforms with either transformed β (Widmanstatten colony type) or equiaxed (α + β ) microstructure. For achieving defect free products during manufacture, it is important to understand the response of these two preform microstructures to the imposed hot working conditions. In this paper, the influence of the preform microstructure on the hot working mechanisms of extra low interstitial (ELI) grade Ti–6Al–4V has been studied with the help of hot compression experiments conducted in the temperature range 750–1100°C and strain rate range 0·001–100 s-1. The data have been analysed using the standard kinetic approach as well as the more recent approach of processing maps. In the α–β range, the stress–strain behaviour of transformed β preform is marked by a higher flow stress and a continuous flow softening while the equiaxed (α + β ) preform exhibits steady state flow at lower strain...
Management of CNS-related Disease Manifestations in Patients With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

Historically, before the advent of modern imaging and genetic testing, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) was more of a diagnostic challenge and less of a treatment challenge. This is because the natural history of TSC was poorly understood and TSC-specific treatments were non-existent. In the current era, diagnosis is more straightforward but management is much more complex. Disease manifestations vary by age, severity, and organ system. Management issues in the first few months of life, including neurologic manifestations, are very different than late childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. With increasing numbers of TSC diagnoses being made prenatally or shortly after birth, the opportunity for interventions that may improve long-term developmental and epilepsy outcomes now may precede the onset of neurological clinical symptoms. Familiarity and anticipation of these neurologic complications and rapid response to their emergence is crucial. Periodic imaging surveillance for development of subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA), preferably by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) every 1–3 years, is now standard of care. Early SEGA detection provides opportunity to initiate pharmacologic treatment with everolimus if appropriate, thereby negating the need for invasive surgery. Routine electroencephalography (EEG) in asymptomatic infants for the first year or two of life is becoming increasingly accepted, with treatment initiation of vigabatrin dependent on concerning EEG findings instead of waiting until onset of clinical seizures, the traditional approach. Effective SEGA treatment and optimal seizure control remain principal during the first few decades of life for the clinical neurologist involved in the management of TSC. However, during the same period and extending through adulthood, assessment of TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorder (TAND) is also key to the best clinical outcome and quality of life for affected individuals and their surrounding family and caregivers.
How does NAADP release lysosomal Ca2

Ca2+ is a ubiquitous yet unusual second messenger in that it is not metabolized. Instead, Ca2+ levels in the cytosol are regulated by dynamic redistribution of Ca2+ across the plasma membrane and t...
Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (DDP) induced acute renal failure (ARF): attempts at amelioration.

Nephrotoxicity is a dose limiting feature of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (DDP) cancer chemotherapy. We have previously developed a model of DDP induced acute renal failure in the rat, which is characterized by non oliguric progressive azotemia. Protocols have been established in humans to prevent or diminish DDP associated renal alterations during the course of cancer chemotherapy. The present studies were designed to evaluate the effect of prior diuretic therapy, with furosemide, and enhanced solute diuresis, using dextrose and water as the sole source of drinking fluid, on DDP induced acute renal failure in the rat. As compared to water drinking controls neither the diuretic nor the en nancement of osmotic excretion effected DDP associated mortality. The courses of the acute renal failure observed in all three study groups were similar; however, there was a suggestion in the surviving animals that these maneuvers may have contributed to a more rapid return in renal function among rats not dying of DDP ...
Matrix variational method for electron-atom scattering☆

Computational and data-handling algorithms are given for a matrix variational method designed for a broad class of problems in the quantum theory of electron-atom scattering. As implemented, the method is applicable to low energy elastic or inelastic electron scattering by a neutral atom of arbitrary shell structure.
Organizing principles of cortical integration in the rat neostriatum: Corticostriate map of the body surface is an ordered lattice of curved laminae and radial points

The neuroanatomic organizing principles underlying integrative functions in the striatum are only partially understood. Within the three major subdivisions of the striatum-sensorimotor, associative, and limbic--longitudinal zones of axonal plexuses from the cerebral cortex end in bands and clusters that innervate cell groups. To identify organizing principles of the corticostriate bands and clusters, we localized somatosensory cortical cells receptive to light touch on the hindlimb, forelimb, or vibrissae by extracellular recording, and we labeled their projections by iontophoretic application of dextran anterograde tracers. The results show that cortical cells in columnar groups project to the striatum in the form of successive strips, or laminae, that parallel the curve of the external capsule. The vibrissae somatosensory cortex projects to the most lateral lamina. Just medial to the vibrissae projection, the major axonal arborizations arising from hindlimb and forelimb somatosensory cortex are organized within a common lamina, where they interdigitate and overlap as well as remain separate. In addition, the hindlimb and forelimb cortex send small projections to the vibrissae lamina, and vice versa, forming broken, radially oriented lines of points across the laminar strips. The major somatosensory projections are in the dorsolateral, calbindin-poor sensorimotor striatum, whereas the radially oriented projection points extend into the medial, calbindin-rich associative striatum. Extending previous studies of corticostriate projections, this report shows a grid translation of columnar somatosensory cortical inputs into striatum and a detailed map for the rat sensorimotor zone. The lattice-like grid is a novel functional/neuroanatomic organization that is ideal for distributing, combining, and integrating information for sensorimotor and cognitive processing.
Effects of ethanol on central dopamine functions

Abstract Apomorphine-elicited stereotypic behavior and motor activity were studied in rats given one-dose (3g/kg,p.o.) or 14 days (6g/kg/day, p.o.) of ethanol. Apomorphine-elicited stereotypic behavior was enhanced while motor activitu was not significantly affected in both the acute- and chronic ethanol-treated animals. Acute ethanol treatment did not affect but chronic treatment increased the concentration of 3 H-spiroperidol binding sites in the striatum. No significant change in binding affinity was observed.
On the Stability of Linear Discrete Dynamic Systems

Equilibria stability of linear discrete dynamic systems involving elastic, nonconservative, dissipative and gyroscopic forces, using Liapunov-type energy method
Compensating variation consumer's surplus via succesive approximations

Many economists agree that the best measure of consumer's surplus is the compensating Variation Consumer's surplus (CVCS). Howerver, Because the compensated demand function is not observable, there are problems in using this measure in emperical applications. There are ways around this limitations that work well under certain circumstances, However, until now there has been no solution that always works well. We introduce a sucessive approximations method of calculating compensating variation consumer’s surplus using data from the ordinary demand curve. In doing so we numerically identify the compensated demand fuction over the price interval involved. This procedure can be made extremely ‘small’. We also use our method to calculate CVCS for three applications in the literature where Marshallian surplus was reported.
Tethered mobility and riparian resource exploitation among Neolithic hunters and herders in the Galana River basin, Kenyan coastal lowlands

AbstractHuman activity along the Galana River inside Tsavo National Park, Kenya extends from 6000 years BP until at least 1300 years BP. This time period in East Africa predates and includes the Pastoral Neolithic – geographically and temporally linked early cattle-herding cultures comprised of autonomous communities with loose cultural connections to one another. Data from some sites located in the Great Rift Valley, Lake Victoria Basin and Central Kenyan Highlands indicate that after 3000 years BP, residential mobility patterns increased and pastoralists adopted a strong dependence on maintaining and culling herds of domesticated animals. This pattern is not borne out in Tsavo, where artefact analyses indicate that people had restricted mobility and relied primarily on exploitation of an endoaquatic resource base. This study hypothesises that subdecadal periodicity in El Nino/Southern Oscillation index (ENSO) along with a general trend toward aridification of East African landscapes provided the environ...
Heterostyly and pollen flow in Hypericum aegypticum (Guttiferae)

Distyly in Hypericum aegypticum is associated with a moderately strong incompatibility system. Pollen size is dimorphic and pin flowers produce more pollen grains than thrum flowers. A population studied in Morocco has plants with pin flowers and those with thrum flowers present in a 1: 1 ratio. In the field, stigmas of pin flowers receive 1.5 times as many pollen grains as those of thrum flowers. At least half the pollen grains in the pollen load on stigmas of both forms are incompatible grains originating from the same floral form. Although ample compatible pollen is received by stigmas of both forms to account for a full seed set, the overall pattern of pollen flow in the species does not fit the Darwinian ideal. In Hypericum, the unique occurrence of distyly in H. aegypticum, H. aciferum and H. russeggeri, the three species comprising section Adenotrias, and the derivative nature of these species within the genus, indicate that heterostyly has evolved within the genus and is not a primitive trait.
Regulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor function in acetylcholinesterase knockout mice.

Abstract Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) hydrolyzes acetylcholine to terminate cholinergic neurotransmission. Overstimulation of cholinergic receptors by excess acetylcholine is known to be lethal. However, AChE knockout mice live to adulthood, although they have weak muscles, do not eat solid food, and die early from seizures. We wanted to know what compensatory factors allowed these mice to survive. We had previously shown that their butyrylcholinesterase activity was normal and had not increased. In this report, we tested the hypothesis that AChE−/− mice adapted to the absence of AChE by downregulating cholinergic receptors. Receptor downregulation is expected to reduce sensitivity to agonists and to increase sensitivity to antagonists. Physiological response to the muscarinic agonists, oxotremorine (OXO) and pilocarpine, showed that AChE−/− mice were resistant to OXO-induced hypothermia, tremor, salivation, and analgesia, and to pilocarpine-induced seizures. AChE+/− mice had an intermediate response. The muscarinic receptor binding sites measured with [ 3 H]quinuclinyl benzilate, as well as the protein levels of M1, M2, and M4 receptors measured with specific antibodies on Western blots, were reduced to be approximately 50% in AChE−/− brain. However, mRNA levels for muscarinic receptors were unchanged. These results indicate that one adaptation to the absence of AChE is downregulation of muscarinic receptors, thus reducing response to cholinergic stimulation.
Into the wild: The soybean genome meets its undomesticated relative

Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most widely grown crop species in the world. One of the major agricultural challenges of the 21st century will be to increase the yield of soybean and other major crop species to feed a growing population on a finite amount of farmland. Soybean breeding and improvement is hindered by a narrow domesticated germplasm relative to other crop species (1). Despite its importance, many outstanding questions remain regarding important aspects of soybean germplasm, including the extent of genomic variation within the domesticated germplasm and among domesticated and wild relatives. Glycine soja is the closest extant wild relative of soybean and is generally considered to be the undomesticated progenitor of the domesticated soybean. G. max and G. soja are phenotypically disparate in many ways, but they readily cross with one another and give rise to fertile hybrids, thus making G. soja a promising source of novel genes and alleles for soybean breeding and improvement.
Audio-based classification of speaker characteristics

The human voice is primarily a carrier of speech, but it also contains non-linguistic features unique to a speaker and indicative of various speaker demographics, e.g. gender, nativity, ethnicity. Such characteristics are helpful cues for audio/video search and retrieval. In this paper, we evaluate the effects of various low-, mid-, and high-level features for effective classification of speaker characteristics. Low-level signal-based features include MFCCs, LPCs, and six spectral features; mid-level statistical features model lowlevel features; and high-level semantic features are based on selected phonemes in addition to mid-level features. Our data set consists of approximately 76.4 hours of annotated audio with 2786 unique speaker segments used for classification. Quantitative evaluation of our method results in accuracy rates up to 98.6% on our test data for male/female classification using mid-level features and a linear kernel support vector machine. We determine that mid- and high-level features are optimal for identification of speaker characteristics.
Virtual memory mapped network interface for the SHRIMP multicomputer

The network interfaces of existing multicomputers require a significant amount of software overhead to provide protection and to implement message passing protocols. This paper describes the design of a low-latency, high-bandwidth, virtual memory-mapped network interface for the SHRIMP multicomputer project at Princeton University. Without sacrificing protection, the network interface achieves low latency by using virtual memory mapping and write-latency hiding techniques, and obtains high bandwidth by providing a user-level block data transfer mechanism. We have implemented several message passing primitives in an experimental environment, demonstrating that our approach can reduce the message passing overhead to a few user-level instructions.
Identification of genomic indels and structural variations using split reads

Recent studies have demonstrated the genetic significance of insertions, deletions, and other more complex structural variants (SVs) in the human population. With the development of the next-generation sequencing technologies, high-throughput surveys of SVs on the whole-genome level have become possible. Here we present split-read identification, calibrated (SRiC), a sequence-based method for SV detection. We start by mapping each read to the reference genome in standard fashion using gapped alignment. Then to identify SVs, we score each of the many initial mappings with an assessment strategy designed to take into account both sequencing and alignment errors (e.g. scoring more highly events gapped in the center of a read). All current SV calling methods have multilevel biases in their identifications due to both experimental and computational limitations (e.g. calling more deletions than insertions). A key aspect of our approach is that we calibrate all our calls against synthetic data sets generated from simulations of high-throughput sequencing (with realistic error models). This allows us to calculate sensitivity and the positive predictive value under different parameter-value scenarios and for different classes of events (e.g. long deletions vs. short insertions). We run our calculations on representative data from the 1000 Genomes Project. Coupling the observed numbers of events on chromosome 1 with the calibrations gleaned from the simulations (for different length events) allows us to construct a relatively unbiased estimate for the total number of SVs in the human genome across a wide range of length scales. We estimate in particular that an individual genome contains ~670,000 indels/SVs. Compared with the existing read-depth and read-pair approaches for SV identification, our method can pinpoint the exact breakpoints of SV events, reveal the actual sequence content of insertions, and cover the whole size spectrum for deletions. Moreover, with the advent of the third-generation sequencing technologies that produce longer reads, we expect our method to be even more useful.
Variations in time to receiving first surgical treatment for breast cancer as a function of racial/ethnic background: a cohort study

ObjectiveTo evaluate surgical treatment delay disparities by race/ethnic group in a group of breast cancer patients treated in the New York region.DesignCohort study.SettingTwo affiliated hospitals in the New York region.ParticipantsPatients admitted at two affiliated hospitals in the New York region for breast cancer treatment during 2007–2011.Main outcome measureTime to receiving first surgery for breast cancer, defined as the time in days between initial diagnosis (biopsy) and definitive surgical treatment (lumpectomy or mastectomy). Predicted time to first surgery by race group was also analysed using a multivariate linear regression model with adjustments made for several demographic and clinical factors.ResultsTotally, 3071 patients who were first treated with surgery were identified. Racial background was classified as White, African American or Asian/other. Overall median time to surgery was 28 days: 28 days in whites, and 34 and 29 days in African Americans and Asian/others, respectively (p = 0.0...
Contour-based hidden Markov model to segment 2D ultrasound images

The segmentation of ultrasound images is challenging due to the difficulty of appropriate modeling of their appearance variations including speckle as well as signal dropout. We propose a novel automatic segmentation method for 2D cardiac ultrasound images based on hidden Markov models (HMMs). By directly exploiting the local image characteristics around contour points in images and integrating them into contour-based HMMs, we solve the segmentation problem by graph matching using an efficient dynamic programming algorithm. Due to the direct integration of local properties in our HMMs, our segmentation method automatically deals with inhomogeneity but avoids the complexities of explicit appearance modeling in classical Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) approaches. The optimization for contour extraction is straightforward and guarantees the global optimal results. We implemented our method to segment the endocardium in short-axis cardiac ultrasound images successfully. The method can also be used for other image modalities with the presence of image inhomogeneity.
Plastic deformation in an Al–Cu–Fe icosahedral alloy

Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystalline alloys have been deformed by high-temperature creep between 680 and 740 °C. Deformations greater than 30% were achieved without cracking. Analysis of the data in the quasi-steady state regime reveals power law behavior with a stress exponent of 2.5. The activation energy for deformation was determined to be 640 ± 20 kJ/mole in the temperature region investigated. Transmission electron microscopy revealed lamellar defects which appear similar to twins.