cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wladimir Kaminer: A Russian Picaro Conquers Germany

Wladimir Kaminer is currently one of Germany's most popular writers. His first book, Russendisko (2000), a collection of vignettes of Russian 6migre life in Berlin, turned him into an instant celebrity. Since then Kaminer has published seven more books, each of which landed on the Spiegel best-seller list.1 His works have sold over 1.2 million copies in Germany alone and have been translated into fifteen languages, including Russian and English.2 Kaminer is also doing a brisk business in audio versions of his books. In addition, he writes regular columns for a multitude of German newspapers and magazines, he runs a weekly radio show, and his Russian Disco at Caf6 Burger has become a legendary staple of Berlin's night life.3 Born in Moscow in 1967, Kaminer had no knowledge of the German language before he emigrated to what was still the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in 1990. After working at various odd jobs, including a stint in a theater, he began in 1998 to write in the language of his adopted homeland. His meteoric career as the "shooting star" of German literature raises several questions. How can we explain his extraordinary success with the German public? What is his national identity as a writer? Does he belong in the company of other successful "translingual" Russian writers, such as Vladimir Nabokov or Andrei Makine? Are his indefatigable graphomania and commercial success an index of literary greatness, or just the opposite? The question of Kaminer's popularity is intertwined with that of his national identity. As the title of his first book indicates, the topic of "Russianness" looms large in his literary self-fashioning and public persona. His latest book, I Am Worried, Mama (Ich mache mir Sorgen, Mama, 2004), features an assemblage of Matryoshka dolls on the cover, thus signaling to the potential buyer the work's Russianness from the outset in a conspicuous, if hackneyed, manner. Kaminer skillfully capitalizes on German cliches
A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial comparing pinacidil to hydralazine in essential hypertension

Pinacidil is a direct vasodilator with good absorption, a half-life of 2 to 4 hours, and side effects similar to those of other vasodilators. We hypothesized that controlled-release pinacidil would be comparable to or better than hydralazine for blood pressure control and side effects. A double-blind, randomized trial comparing pinacidil with hydralazine when combined with hydrochlorothiazide or propranolol to control side effects or the diastolic blood pressure was performed. Pinacidil decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure from 156/100 mm Hg to 132/81 mm Hg. The increase in heart rate and weight with both drugs was controlled with the additional drugs. There was 1/17 successes on monotherapy with both drugs. When combined with other drugs there were 15/18 successes with hydralazine and 16/20 successes with pinacidil. Side effects were typical of vasodilators. Both drugs acutely increased plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine during chronic therapy. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1987) 42, 50–57; doi:10.1038/clpt.1987.107
Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Vitamin E for Lactating Dairy Cows Fed Tall Fescue Hay Infected with Endophyte

In a replicated 2-yr study, 32 Holstein cows in midlactation were fed diets containing tall fescue hay that was free of or infected with endophyte and with or without added vitamin E in a 7-wk trial to examine the effect of vitamin E supplementation on symptoms associated with fescue toxicosis. Treatments were 1) uninfected tall fescue, 2) tall fescue infected with endophyte, 3) infected tall fescue plus 1000 IU of vitamin E/d, and 4) infected tall fescue plus 2000 IU of vitamin E/d. Feed intake, milk yield, rectal temperature, and body weight change were not significantly altered by dietary treatment. Concentration of prolactin in plasma was lower for cows fed the infected tall fescue than for those fed the uninfected tall fescue. No differences in alkaline phosphatase content of plasma were detected because of tall fescue or vitamin E treatment. Vitamin E supplementation had no effect on symptoms that were associated with fescue toxicosis in lactating dairy cows fed tall fescue hay that was infected with endophyte.
Measures of uncertainty for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameter estimates: a new computerized algorithm

Numerous algorithms exist to fit data to nonlinear models of the type used in chemistry, pharmacology, physiology, etc. Most include modules that provide some measure of the reliability of the estimated model parameters. The variance-covariance matrix (VCM) is the common tabulation of information that is used to quantify the parameter uncertainty as well as correlations between parameters. The VCM has its mathematical foundation in the linear regression world, where the dependent variable is a linear function of the parameters. However, when the model is not linear in its parameters, then the VCM is no longer an absolute quantitative measure of reliability of the parameter estimates and should be interpreted with caution. If the goal is to obtain a realistic and quantitative rather than a qualitative measurement of the parameter reliability, then it is necessary to have an alternative approach to describe the parameter likelihood region. We present a computerized algorithm that fills that need, and we compare its performance with the traditional VCM approach for different data sets. We also discuss criteria that may be used to determine when the VCM approach should and should not be used.
The Effect of Nystatin1on Experimental Candidiasis in Tissue Culture2

In a previous paper the effects of three antifungal agents (Endomycin, Candi-cidin A, and Asterol) on C. albicans grown conjointly with human skin or embryonic chick heart in tissue culture were reported (1). This technic made it possible to observe the effects of drugs on the fungi and host cells simultaneously in the same system. The present study deals with the investigation of the action of a new antifungal agent, Nystatin, on human epidermal cells and C. albicans conjointly cultivated in the roller tube.
Pair-rule expression patterns of even-skipped are found in both short- and long-germ beetles.

Now that the genes controlling embryonic patterning have been identified in several model organisms, long-standing questions concerning the evolution of developmental systems are open to investigation. Examination of the expression of even-skipped in a variety of insects reveals that insect germ-type designations apparently do not reflect the variations in the mechanisms of segmentation evident throughout insect phylogeny.
The market valuation of the FGIS grain quality characteristics

The issue addressed in this paper is whether the grain quality factors used by the Federal Grain Inspection Service in determining the quality grades of wheat exported by the United States including test weight, dockage, moisture content, percentage of foreign material, percentage of shrunken and broken kernels, and protein content are characteristics that influence the price of wheat for export. Using shiplot data on the transactions price for hard red winter wheat, hard red spring wheat and soft white wheat and the associated quality characteristics covering the period January 1990 to October 1991 and exported to 63 countires, the results suggest that only the test weight and the protein content are characteristics consistently valued by the market.
Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence

Imagine attending a lecture at the turn of the twentieth century in which Orville Wright speculates about the future of transportation, or one in which Alexander Graham Bell envisages satellite communications and global data banks. Mind Children, written by an internationally renowned roboticist, offers a comparable experience-a mind-boggling glimpse of a world we may soon share with our artificial progeny. Filled with fresh ideas and insights, this book is one of the most engaging and controversial visions of the future ever written by a serious scholar. Hans Moravec convincingly argues that we are approaching a watershed in the history of life-a time when the boundaries between biological and postbiological intelligence will begin to dissolve. Within forty years, Moravec believes, we will achieve human equivalence in our machines, not only in their capacity to reason but also in their ability to perceive, interact with, and change their complex environment. The critical factor is mobility. A computer rooted to one place is doomed to static iterations, whereas a machine on the prowl, like a mobile organism, must evolve a richer fund of knowledge about an ever-changing world upon which to base its actions. In order to achieve anything near human equivalence, robots will need, at the least, the capacity to perform ten trillion calculations per second. Given the trillion-fold increase in computational power since the end of the nineteenth century, and the promise of exotic technologies far surpassing the now-familiar lasers and even superconductors, Moravec concludes that our hardware will have no trouble meeting this forty-year timetable. But human equivalence is just the beginning, not an upper bound. Once the tireless thinking capacity of robots is directed to the problem of their own improvement and reproduction, even the sky will not limit their voracious exploration of the universe. In the concluding chapters Moravec challenges us to imagine with him the possibilities and pitfalls of such a scenario. Rather than warning us of takeover by robots, the author invites us, as we approach the end of this millennium, to speculate about a plausible, wonderful postbiological future and the ways in which our minds might participate in its unfolding.
On equivalent frame conditions for the Gabor expansion

Abstract This paper presents new conditions equivalent to the traditional conditions for existence of frames constructed in the joint time-frequency (JTF) domain and based on biorthogonal functions. In addition to addressing existence of frames, we discuss computation techniques for dual frames based on these equivalent conditions. The equivalent conditions facilitate theoretical analysis of frames. For practical utility, it is desired to have the simple formulation for the implementation. Based on these equivalent conditions, we present two practical methods to verify that a collection is a frame and to compute the dual frame: the Gram determinant method (GD) and the biorthogonal-like function (BLF) method. A major feature of the GD method is that the computation is faster than traditional methods, that the dual frame can be expressed by a few coefficients, and that the estimation of frame bounds for the traditional frame condition is avoided. One of the main contribution of this paper is the discovery that a collection of functions obtained by translating and modulating a single function in the oversampling case is a frame if and only if a similar collection for the same single function satisfies a biorthogonal condition in the undersampling case. The dual frame is generated by the biorthogonal function that is in the space spanned by the collection.
A statistical framework for consolidating "sibling" probe sets for Affymetrix GeneChip data.

Affymetrix GeneChip typically contains multiple probe sets per gene, defined as sibling probe sets in this study. These probe sets may or may not behave similar across treatments. The most appropriate way of consolidating sibling probe sets suitable for analysis is an open problem. We propose the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) framework to decide which sibling probe sets can be consolidated. The ANOVA model allows us to separate the sibling probe sets into two types: those behave similarly across treatments and those behave differently across treatments. We found that consolidation of sibling probe sets of the former type results in large increase in the number of differentially expressed genes under various statistical criteria. The approach to selecting sibling probe sets suitable for consolidating is implemented in R language and freely available from http://research.stowers-institute.org/hul/affy/ . Our ANOVA analysis of sibling probe sets provides a statistical framework for selecting sibling probe sets for consolidation. Consolidating sibling probe sets by pooling data from each greatly improves the estimates of a gene expression level and results in identification of more biologically relevant genes. Sibling probe sets that do not qualify for consolidation may represent annotation errors or other artifacts, or may correspond to differentially processed transcripts of the same gene that require further analysis.
Microstructure/Process Relations in Sol-Gel-Prepared KnbO3 Thin Films on (100) MgO

Epitaxial (110) orthorhombic KNbO3 thin films were prepared using alkoxide solutions. Single-phase films were produced with stoichiometric sols while slight variations in stoichiometry (52/48 Nb/K or 48/52 Nb/K) created residual second phases. Nucleation and growth of KNbO3, as a function of process conditions were monitored by observing the KNbO3 rosettes produced from niobium-rich solutions. Methanolic solutions produced films with the highest rosette density and the highest amount of KNbO3. Hydrolysis of the sol aided the crystallization of the KNbO3 phase but also promoted the formation of second phases. Hydrolysis at 0°C reduced second-phase formation.
Commonalities in the electrostatic characterization of several thin conducting cylinders using the singularity expansion method

Abstract In this paper the Singularity Expansion Method (SEM) is used to describe the electrostatic charge distribution on a conducting body placed in a uniform electric field. Using the SEM, the step plane wave induced transient current on the body is expanded in terms of its singularities (poles) in the Laplace transform or complex frequency plane. Transient charge is derived from the induced current expression using the continuity equation and the final value theorem applied to obtain the electrostatic charge distribution. The SEM factorization is examined for a thin-wire “star” geometry (subsequently referred to as the tetra-arm structure) composed of four equal-length thin cylindrical conductors connected at a common junction. This element is observed to contain the essential electrostatic response modes of the planar symmetric cross, planar tri-arm, and linear elements. Electric polarizability is derived in terms of the SEM electrostatic charge description and is computed, as a function of arm bend angle, for the nonplanar tetra-arm element.
The virtual mass of a closed torus in axisymmetric motion

An exact inviscid solution for the virtual-mass coefficient of a closed torus in axisymmetric motion is presented. It is also shown that the virtual-mass coefficient k for an open torus is bounded by 1.0≤k≤1.0281.
Analysis of 2-deuterated isopentenyl alcohols by 1 H NMR of chiral esters

Abstract A convenient procedure is presented whereby the chirality of isopentenyl alcohols labeled with deuterium in the 2-position can be determined by 1 H NMR analysis of their chiral esters. The MTPA, MPA and O -acetylmandelate esters were investigated in a series of NMR solvents. The best results were obtained using the O -acetylmandelates in C 6 D 6 with homodecoupling of the 1-position.
Pseudopotential calculations of alkali interactions

Abstract Several forms of pseudopotential are presented for the valence electron in lithium and sodium. These potentials are used to calculate potential energy curves for Li+2 and Li2. Comparison with ab initio calculations confirms the usefulness of the pseudopotential technique.
An interpretation of retinopathy of prematurity in terms of spindle cells: relationship to vitamin E prophylaxis and cryotherapy.

Spindle cells in the hyperoxygenated, avascular, vanguard retina are proposed to be the peripheral inducers of the neovascularization associated with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The induction of ROP is conceptualized in terms of three basic events. First, activation of spindle cells results initially in the increase in gap junctions between adjacent spindle cells, secondarily in the increase in cytoplasmic volume of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and ultimately in the synthesis and secretion of angiogenic factors. Second, maturation of spindle cells is associated with a decrease in gap junctions, a diminished cytoplasmic volume of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and a cessation of synthesis and secretion of angiogenic factors. Third, myofibroblasts invade the vitreous concomitantly with spindle cell maturation and provide the tractional force that can produce retinal separation. The extent of interstitial retinol binding protein within the subretinal space explains the gestational-age-dependent efficacy of vitamin E in suppressing the development of severe ROP. The kinetics of both spindle cell activation/maturation and myofibroblast invasion predict the efficacy of appropriately timed and placed transretinal cryotherapy.
Identification of regions in the rat serine dehydratase gene responsible for regulation by cyclic AMP alone and in the presence of glucocorticoids

Abstract Transcription of the rat serine dehydratase (SDH) gene is induced by glucagon, mediated by the action of cAMP. To identify the nucleotide sequences in the SDH gene responsible for this regulation, we constructed chimeric genes containing different portions of the 5′ flanking region of the rat SDH gene fused to the structural sequence encoding the bacterial reporter enzyme, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). The transcriptional activities of the fusion genes introduced into the rat hepatoma cell line 7AD-7 were assayed by measuring CAT activity in the cell lysates. Chlorophenylthio-cyclic AMP (CPT-cAMP), a potent protein kinase A activating agent, stimulated the expression of SDH-CAT fusion genes, and these inductions could be enhanced further by the addition of dexamethasone, although the glucocorticoid alone had no effect on CAT activity. Deletion analysis demonstrated that an 80 bp region located approximately 3.5 kb upstream from the transcription initiation site of the rat SDH gene was responsible for stimulation of transcription by CPT-cAMP, whereas the 120 bp region immediately upstream of the cAMP responsive element (CRE)-containing sequences is essential for the enhancement of CPT-cAMP induction by the glucocorticoid.
Dispersion of nano-clay at higher levels into polypropylene with carbon dioxide in the presence of maleated polypropylene

Abstract The use of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) has proven to be beneficial for surface modified montmorillonite (MMT) nano-clay dispersion up to 6.6 wt% in a polypropylene (PP) matrix and lead to improved material mechanical properties in our earlier research. Our further modifications of the processing procedure including a sequential mixing technique successfully extended the technique to PP composites with as much as 10 wt% of clays and continuously increasing mechanical properties. In order to obtain additional enhancements of the composite properties at this clay level, polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) is included in this work. The results from the studies of the mechanical properties, rheological properties, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) show that PP-g-MA is greatly beneficial in generating an exfoliated nano-clay morphology. Greater enhancements in the mechanical properties and nano-clay dispersion in the polymer matrix are observed when PP-g-MA is combined with the scCO2 and sequential mixing techniques. The PP-g-MA based nano-clay composites have a high degree of exfoliated structure even with the addition of up to approximately 10 wt% nano-clay when using this technique, with mechanical properties such as yield strength and Young's modulus being increased by as much as 12 and 88%, respectively, relative to the polymer matrix. It is believed that the modulus reported here is the highest reported in the literature for conventional PP's.
The Spherical Inclusion With Imperfect Interface

A rigorous solution of the spherical inclusion problem with remote uniform strain or stress and imperfect elastic spring-type interface conditions is presented. In the case of thin elastic interphase, the interface spring constants are expressed in terms of interphase elastic properties and thickness
Optimization of Deepwater Template Drilling

The paper describes the methods and technologies employed during the drilling of the Jolliet development wells. The Jolliet development wells were drilled from a subsea drilling template in water depth of 1760 feet.
Lithium−Air Battery: Promise and Challenges

The lithium−air system captured worldwide attention in 2009 as a possible battery for electric vehicle propulsion applications. If successfully developed, this battery could provide an energy source for electric vehicles rivaling that of gasoline in terms of usable energy density. However, there are numerous scientific and technical challenges that must be overcome if this alluring promise is to turn into reality. The fundamental battery chemistry during discharge is thought to be the electrochemical oxidation of lithium metal at the anode and reduction of oxygen from air at the cathode. With aprotic electrolytes, as used in Li-ion batteries, there is some evidence that the process can be reversed by applying an external potential, i.e., that such a battery can be electrically recharged. This paper summarizes the authors’ view of the promise and challenges facing development of practical Li−air batteries and the current understanding of its chemistry. However, it must be appreciated that this perspective ...
Highly active photocatalytic ZnO nanocrystalline rods supported on polymer fiber mats: Synthesis using atomic layer deposition and hydrothermal crystal growth

Abstract Photocatalytically active zinc oxide nanocrystalline rods are grown on high surface area polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) polymer fiber mats using low temperature solution based methods, where the oxide crystal nucleation is facilitated using conformal thin films formed by low temperature vapor phase atomic layer deposition (ALD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirms that highly oriented single crystal ZnO nanorod crystals are directed normal to the starting fiber substrate surface, and the extent of nanocrystal growth within the fiber mat bulk is affected by the overall thickness of the ZnO nucleation layer. The high surface area of the nanocrystal-coated fibers is confirmed by nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis. An organic dye in aqueous solution in contact with the coated fiber degraded rapidly upon ultraviolet light exposure, allowing quantitative analysis of the photocatalytic properties of fibers with and without nanorod crystals present. The dye degrades nearly twice as fast in contact with the ZnO nanorod crystals compared with samples with only an ALD ZnO layer. Additionally, the catalyst on the polymer fiber mat could be reused without need for a particle recovery step. This combination of ALD and hydrothermal processes could produce high surface area finishes on complex polymer substrates for reusable photocatalytic and other surface-reaction applications.
In-vehicle hand activity recognition using integration of regions

In this paper, we focus on the analysis of naturalistic driver behavior using hand activity. To that end, a dataset of color and depth images under varying operating modes and illumination settings was collected. The proposed framework provides a robust solution for localizing the hands by partitioning visible and depth images into disjoint sub-regions which may be of interest for studying the state of the driver: wheel, lap, hand rest, gear, and infotainment region. Different feature extraction methods are proposed and thoroughly studied in terms of speed and performance for each of the five regions. A model for hand presence is learned for each region separately, and these are integrated using a second-stage classifier. As the appearance of hands varies among regions and the hands can only be found in a subset of the regions chosen, the technique leverages information and confidence from multiple regions to produce hand activity classification.
Prevention of renal damage in murine lupus nephritis by CTLA-4Ig and cyclophosphamide

Objective To compare the effects of combined administration of cyclophosphamide (CYC) and CTLA-4Ig with the effects of these agents alone on the immunopathology and progression of renal damage in (NZB × NZW)F1 (B/W) lupus-prone mice, and to explore the clinical implications of this combination by evaluating the ability of CTLA-4Ig to sustain the benefit of CYC in patients with lupus nephritis. Methods We carried out a detailed, prospective pathologic and immunohistochemical analysis of the effects of CYC and CTLA-4Ig, alone and in combination, in kidney tissue from B/W mice. The acute effects of these agents on immune cells in the kidney were evaluated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. We also compared the effect of brief CYC plus sustained CTLA-4Ig administration with the effect of sustained administration of both agents on the progression of renal disease in B/W mice. Results As a single agent, CTLA-4Ig was generally as effective, and in some cases more effective, than CYC in slowing progression of renal disease. Combined therapy with these two agents very effectively arrested the progression of renal damage and, in some respects, reversed renal pathology. Induction therapy with both CTLA-4Ig and CYC precluded the need for continuous administration of CYC. Conclusion Our results indicate that the combination of CTLA-4Ig and CYC very effectively arrests the progression of murine lupus nephritis. These findings have direct implications for the treatment of lupus nephritis.
The effects of environmentally relevant mixtures of estrogens on Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) reproduction.

Wastewater effluent contains a variety of estrogenic compounds that vary in potency, but each of which contributes to the overall estrogenicity of the effluent. We hypothesized that the effects of mixtures of estrogens on reproduction in pair breeding medaka (Oryzias latipes) could be predicted by their relative estrogenicity. Relative estrogenicity was defined by the ability of estrogenic compounds to induce vitellogenesis in various species of male fish. We exposed reproducing pairs of medaka to mixtures of the environmental estrogens nonylphenol (NP), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), and natural 17β-estradiol (E2), as well as treatments of equivalent estrogenicity that were composed of E2 alone. Reproducing medaka exposed to mixtures of estrogenic compounds and equipotent treatments of estradiol alone had very similar responses in mortality and reproduction (fecundity, number of spawns). However, mixtures of NP, E2, and EE2 elicited lower vitellogenic induction than equipotent concentrations of E2 alone. Therefore, relative estrogenicity was a good model for predicting some, but not all, reproductive responses, and simple additive mixture models may not predict all relevant physiological responses.
Statistical comparison between Hysplit sounding and lidar observation of planetary boundary layer characteristics over New York City

The need to characterize in a robust way Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) heights is crucial as in air quality forecast and transport models. In particular, incorrect determination of PBL heights can severely distort the surface air quality predictions such as PM2.5. Local properties and morphological features can influence PBL dynamics through local circulation phenomena such as the sea-breeze development as well as influences from the Urban Heat Island Canopy resulting in multiple layers that need to be resolved. In this paper, based on a combination of wavelet and image processing methods, we develop methods to quantify multilayer PBL's and assess their dynamics with meteorological measurements including temperature, wind and humidity profiles. In particular, meteorologically based PBL heights based on both the Potential Temperature Gradient and Richardson Number are compared against both lidar and ceilometer measurements. It is shown that in general, the Potential Temperature Gradient method is better correlated to the PBL dynamics. Meanwhile, the Hysplit model provides sounding data which can be used for comparison between actual sounding and lidar measurements. On the other hand, when strong atmospheric instability is present or layering develops, the comparison between different methods can provide information about the PBL internal structure. Further comparisons with air quality models such as MM5 are also made and illustrate the difficulty in these models properly predicting the PBL dynamics seen in urban areas.
Derivation of the Secondary Structure of 5S RNA from its Binding of Complementary Oligonucleotides

Using the oligonucleotide binding procedure outlined in the previous article, the secondary structure of 5S RNA has been explored. Most of the unpaired sequences have been identified, although the findings are not compatible with any of the published models of 5S RNA.
Neuropharmacological evidence for an interaction between the GABA uptake inhibitor Cl‐966 and anxiolytic benzodiazepines

[1-[2-[bis(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl]methoxy]ethyl]- 1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-3-pyridine-carboxylic acid, HCl (Cl-966, Parke-Davis) is a new specific inhibitor of GABA uptake to neurons that is severalfold more potent than for inhibition of glycine or glutamate uptake. Cl-966 crosses the blood-brain barrier and when injected intravenously into rats (doses up to 10.5 μM/Kg = 5.0 mg/kg) produces only marginal behavioral effects. Cl-966 also produces a modest reversal of punished-suppressed drinking behavior in thristy rats both in the conflict and phenylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced proconflict Vogel test. However an inactive dose of Cl-966 (6.3 μM/kg i.v., 90 min prior to the test) significantly potentiated the anticonflict and anti-PTC-induced proconflict action of diazepam and alprazolam. The anticonflict/antiproconflict ED50 ratio for diazepam was shifted from 1.2 to 1.0 and that of alprazolam from 13.0 to 7.0 after pretreatment with Cl-966. These results suggest that Cl-966, while it may produce increasing GABAergic tone throughout the CNS, selectively enhances the action of GABA at GABAA receptor subtypes whose sensitivity is preferentially increased by administration of positive allosteric modulators. Therefore Cl-966 may represent a very useful drug to study modifications of animal behavior in relation to the function of GABAergic transmission in specific brain areas.
Intelligent hazard avoidance system

Weather hazards cause about 70% of flight delays and 21% of accidents in National Airspace System. Modern airborne weather radars enable pilots to detect and assess the severity of surrounding weather hazards in real-time. Military aircraft equipped with tactical data links can receive information about pop-up tactical threats, such as Surface-To-Air Missiles, that can put the safety of the aircraft in jeopardy. Currently, pilots need to mentally combine hazard information received from various sources to determine whether these hazards will endanger the safety of the aircraft and warrant an avoidance maneuver. If an avoidance maneuver is required, pilots also need to decide what necessary maneuvers should be performed to avoid these potential hazards as well as terrain and surrounding traffic. Finally, the proposed avoidance maneuver in the form of a modified flight plan may need the approval of air traffic controllers before it can be executed. Upon approval, the modified flight plan may be manually loaded into Flight Management System to become the active flight plan. Since the current approach for hazard assessment and avoidance imposes a heavy burden on pilot workload, this paper presents an Intelligent Hazard Avoidance System that automates the process of hazard avoidance by using state-of-the-art decision aid algorithms and an open architecture for avionics integration. The performance of the proposed system is also discussed in the paper.
Levels of Transcobalamin II in Normal Human Serum: Measured with Zirconyl Phosphate Gel

Zirconyl phosphate gel at pH 6.25 binds selectively to transcobalamin II and not to transcobalamin I. Using this technique, levels of TC-II in 100 normal donors were determined to be 0.96 ± 0.2 ng of B12 bound per ml of serum. The stability of TC-II at various temperatures, the lack of any difference between levels of TC-II in males and females, and the lack of fluctuation of levels of TC-II in any one individual's serum are shown.
The Use of Learner-Centered Assessment in US Colleges and Universities

Over a decade ago, Barr and Tagg (Change Mag 27(6):12–25, 1995) declared that a shift had occurred in higher education from an instruction paradigm to a learning paradigm. A central element in this new paradigm is learner-centered assessment. While a growing body of literature suggests that this approach to assessment is a best practice in higher education pedagogy, it is still unclear whether faculty members have embraced it fully. Using data from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty, this study examines the extent to which faculty members employed learner-centered assessments in postsecondary classrooms at two points in time, 1993 and 2004. Findings show similar to higher rates of use for some assessment techniques in 2004 compared to reports from 1993, as well as differences by faculty gender, age, discipline, and institution type. Implications for faculty members, student learning, and institutional policy are discussed.
Three period (Al,Ga)As/GaAs heterostructures with extremely high mobilities

Selectively doped three period Al0.2Ga0.8As/GaAs structures have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy and characterised by Hall effect over a temperature range of 10 K-300 K. Electron mobilities as high as 211 000, 95 800 and 6700 cm2V-1s-1 have been obtained at 10 K, 78 K and 300 K, respectively. The total charge concentration in all the structures was about 2.25×1012 cm-2. These extremely high electron mobilities are a result of separating the donors and the electrons appreciably, and very-high-quality interfaces. To date, the figures at 78 K are the highest reported, while the 10 K figures are about twice the best previously reported results.
Design optimum frac jobs using virtual intelligence techniques

Abstract Designing optimal frac jobs is a complex and time-consuming process. It usually involves the use of a two- or three-dimensional computer model. For the computer models to perform as intended, a wealth of input data is required. The input data includes wellbore configuration and reservoir characteristics such as porosity, permeability, stress and thickness profiles of the pay layers as well as the overburden layers. Among other essential information required for the design process is fracturing fluid type and volume, proppant type and volume, injection rate, proppant concentration and frac job schedule. Some of the parameters such as fluid and proppant types have discrete possible choices. Other parameters such as fluid and proppant volume, on the other hand, assume values from within a range of minimum and maximum values. A potential frac design for a particular pay zone is a combination of all of these parameters. Finding the optimum combination is not a trivial process. It usually requires an experienced engineer and a considerable amount of time to tune the parameters in order to achieve desirable outcome. This paper introduces a new methodology that integrates two virtual intelligence techniques, namely, artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms to automate and simplify the optimum frac job design process. This methodology requires little input from the engineer beyond the reservoir characterizations and wellbore configuration. The software tool that has been developed based on this methodology uses the reservoir characteristics and an optimization criteria indicated by the engineer, for example a certain propped frac length, and provides the detail of the optimum frac design that will result in the specified criteria. An ensemble of neural networks is trained to mimic the two- or three-dimensional frac simulator. Once successfully trained, these networks are capable of providing instantaneous results in response to any set of input parameters. These networks will be used as the fitness function for a genetic algorithm routine that will search for the best combination of the design parameters for the frac job. The genetic algorithm will search through the entire solution space and identify the optimal combination of parameters to be used in the design process. Considering the complexity of this task this methodology converges relatively fast, providing the engineer with several near-optimum scenarios for the frac job design. These scenarios, which can be achieved in just a minute or two, can be valuable initial points for the engineer to start his/her design job and save him/her hours of runs on the simulator.
An Experimental Study of the Growth of Zinc Crystals by the Czochralski-Gomperz Method

The conditions necessary to grow zinc single crystals of 2.7 mm diameter and of any desired orientation are determined experimentally. When a constant rate of growth is used and the crystal is initially given the desired orientation by starting it on a suitable nucleus the determining factor for the successful growth of a single crystal rod 10 cm or more in length is found to be the temperature gradient existing in the column of liquid zinc just below the growing crystal. The appropriate temperature gradient is a function of the orientation of the crystal. It is depicted graphically in a figure which shows the upper and lower limiting curves for the region of successful growth when the rate of growth is 1.2 cm/min. The lower curve rises from orientation 0 to 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and falls from 45 to 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. The upper curve lies slightly above and parallel to the lower curve from 0 to 50\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, but then rises very sharply. The shape of this region does not seem such as to be attributed only to variation in heat conductivity with orientation. Attempts to grow crystals outside of the appropriate region result in sudden or gradual changes to new orientations. In the latter the orientation shifts gradually through a considerable range. Illustrations are given of such changes.
Admissible approximations for essential boundary conditions in the reproducing kernel particle method

In the reproducing kernel particle method (RKPM), and meshless methods in general, enforcement of essential boundary conditions is awkward as the approximations do not satisfy the Kronecker delta condition and are not admissible in the Galerkin formulation as they fail to vanish at essential boundaries. Typically, Lagrange multipliers, modified variational principles, or a coupling procedure with finite elements have been used to circumvent these shortcomings.
Control of cell differentiation in lizard epidermis in vitro.

Abstract The periodic skin-shedding of lizards involves the loss and replacement of epidermal generations. A generation consists of several strata, each stratum comprising a specific cell type. The cell types are derived from a morphologically homogeneous germinal-cell layer. Pieces of intact skin (epidermis plus dermis) continue to produce epidermal generations for periods up to 49 days in vitro. The structure of these generations is not significantly different from that formed in vivo. Treatment with EDTA effects dermoepidermal separation. When grown in vitro, the intact isolated epidermis shows normal differentiation and generation formation. Alterations in intercellular relationships, such as occur in regions of cell migration or after removal of the outer epidermal layers, are associated with derangement of the normal changing pattern of cell differentiation. These observations indicate that the capacity for the complex changing pattern of cell differentiation is intrinsic to the epidermis. It is suggested that the pattern of differentiation is regulated by a feedback mechanism effected via communication between the epidermal cells of the different strata.
OUTCOME OF 146 INFANTS TREATED WITH VENOVENOUS EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION (ECMO): MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY. 1478

Venoarterial (VA) ECMO is a treatment modality for newborn cardiorespiratory failure refractory to conventional, intensive medical management. Because VA ECMO requires ligation of the right common carotid artery (RCCA), lately venovenous (VV) ECMO has been introduced (ASAIO Transactions 1989;35:650-53) and is being used with increased frequency because it does not require ligation of the RCCA. 153 neonates were treated with VV ECMO from October, 1990 to July, 1995; seven infants (4.6%) were converted to VA ECMO (86% survival). This report describes the mortality and morbidity of our first 146 infants (mean BW = 3400g; GA=40 weeks; oxygenation index (OI) prior to ECMO = 68; mean airway pressure (MAP) = 19.7 cmH20) who completed treatment with VV ECMO. 135/146 patients were outborn. All infants had a 14 Fr double lumen catheter placed for VV ECMO; 132/146 infants(90.4%) survived. The number of infants (% survival) by diagnosis is: meconium aspiration = 94 (94% survival), sepsis = 15 (87%), diaphragmatic hernia= 15(73%), PPHN = 13(92%), RDS = 4(100%), congenital heart disease = 3(100%), other = 2(50%). Deaths occurred from: respiratory failure = 4, brain death = 1, cardiac failure = 3, recurrent PPHN = 3, NEC = 1, after transfer back to referring hospital = 2. Prior to ECMO, survivors had a significantly higher PaO2 when compared to nonsurvivors (35 vs 25 torr, p<0.01). Mean OI was 63 in survivors vs 118 in non-survivors (p<0.01). Complications include: intracranial hemorrhage 11/146 (7.5%), seizures 7/146 (4.8%), hypertension 8/146 (5.5%), myocardial stun 1/146 (0.7%). 75 newborns were treated during the same period of time with VA ECMO (mean OI = 75, 83% survival). Our findings indicate: 1) VV ECMO provides adequate support for critically ill neonates with severe cardiorespiratory failure and preserves the RCCA, 2) the success rate of VV ECMO is high and the morbidity is low given the severity of illness of these infants. We speculate that VV ECMO by preserving the RCCA may minimize ECMO related morbidity in these infants.
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Immediate-Early and Early Gene Expression during Reactivation from Latency under Conditions That Prevent Infectious Virus Production

The program of gene expression exhibited by herpes simplex virus during productive infection of cultured cells is well established; however, less is known about the regulatory controls governing reactivation from latency in neurons. One difficulty in examining gene regulation during reactivation lies in distinguishing between events occurring in initial reactivating cells versus events occurring in secondarily infected cells. Thus, two inhibitors were employed to block production of infectious virus: acyclovir, which inhibits viral DNA synthesis, and WAY-150138, which permits viral DNA synthesis but inhibits viral DNA encapsidation. Latently infected murine ganglia were explanted in the presence of either inhibitor, and then amounts of RNA, DNA, or infectious virus were quantified. In ganglia explanted for 48 h, the levels of five immediate-early and early RNAs did not exhibit meaningful differences between acyclovir and WAY-150138 treatments when analyzed by in situ hybridization or quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. However, comparative increases in viral DNA and RNA content in untreated ganglia suggested that virus was produced before 48 h postexplant. This was confirmed by the detection of infectious virus as early as 14 h postexplant. Together, these results suggest that high levels of viral gene expression at 48 h postexplant are due largely to the production of infectious virus and subsequent spread through the tissue. These results lead to a reinterpretation of previous results indicating a role for DNA replication in immediate-early and early viral gene expression; however, it remains possible that viral gene expression is regulated differently in neurons than in cultured cells.
A region of 20 bp repeats lies 3' of human Ig Cα1 and Cα2 genes

The murine Ig heavy chain gene locus is regulated by multiple elements. In addition to the intron enhancer, Emu, there is a complex regulatory region 3' of the Calpha gene, which spans approximately 40 kb and contains several enhancers. In contrast to mouse, the human IgH cluster contains two Calpha genes, each associated with duplicated arrays of other CH genes. There is evidence to suggest that each array is individually regulated. In this report, we describe an approximately 2 kb region containing 20 bp repeats that lies 3' of both human Calpha1 and Calpha2 genes. This repeat region appears to be the site of integration of the Epstein-Barr virus in the RGN1 B lymphoma cell line. The repeat region is homologous to a 420 bp segment in mouse that is located downstream of the Calpha membrane exon in the interval preceding the second of three poly(A) termination sites. However, in contrast to human, the murine segment contains degenerate repeats. The human repeat region bears significant homology to switch sequences, in particular to Smu and Salpha. We hypothesize that the human repeat regions may play a role in the class switch process by contributing to the stabilization of interactions between the two switch regions. The presence of a Sau3A site within the repeats presents a barrier to cloning with several existing human genomic libraries, most of which are based on partial Sau3A digestion. Furthermore, the homology of the repeat region with Smu and Salpha sequences may contribute to the difficulty in isolating YAC clones containing Calpha genes since homologous recombination could potentially have deleted this entire segment. Our map of these DNA segments provides a guide to their isolation and characterization.
Tackling Resource Variations Through Adaptive Multicore Execution Frameworks

Multicore architectures have been widely adopted to accommodate the rising performance demand in various application domains, ranging from high-end supercomputing to low-end consumer electronics. Yet due to the ever growing integration density and application complexity, such architectures suffer from increased level of core availability variations. At runtime, issues such as device failures, heat buildup, as well as resource competitions and preemptions can make computational resources unavailable, necessitating execution schedules capable of delivering diverse performance levels to match the varying resource allocations. The adaptive execution framework introduced in this paper delivers high-quality schedules capable of predictably reconfiguring execution and gracefully degrading performance in the face of resource unavailability. By adhering to a novel band structure, a set of possible execution schedules are compactly engendered in readiness at compile time, thus delivering predictable responses to runtime resource variations. More importantly, through the exploitation of an extra degree of freedom in the scheduling process, the scheduler can perform task assignments in such a way that adaptivity can be embedded within the preoptimized schedules at almost no cost. The efficacy of the proposed technique is confirmed by incorporating it into a conventional, widely adopted scheduling heuristic and experimentally verifying it in the context of single core degradations.
Ionization constants for deuterium oxide in deuterium oxide-organic mixtures

A potentiometric method using a glass electrode has been applied to determination of ionization constants for deuterium oxide (D2O) in binary mixtures of D2O with dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, dimethylsulfoxide, CH3CH2OD, and CH3OD at 25°C. The results are compared with values of ionization constants for H2O obtained previously in the corresponding H2O-organic mixtures, and the isotope effect is shown to be small. Further calculations with the D2O results show that the first five solvents mentioned above are neither appreciably acidic nor basic in D2O solution, but that CH3OD shows slightly acidic behavior (pKa=16.0±0.3).