cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early onset myoclonic epilepsy and 15q26 microdeletion: observation of the first case

The authors report the study of a 30-month-old girl with refractory myoclonic epilepsy associated with mental retardation, growth delay, peculiar facial appearance, and minor physical anomalies. Extensive genetic studies were performed, including an array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) that showed a cryptic interstitial deletion of 15q (5 Mb) affecting the 15q26.1-26.2 region. Partial deletions of the long arm of chromosome 15, including the 15q26 region, were observed in syndromic associations that typically include congenital diaphragmatic hernia, but neurologic features were poorly described and epileptic seizures were never reported. Our findings suggest that genes for seizures could be included in the 15q26.1q26.2 deletion interval.
Studies of the corpuscular component of the cosmic radiation

Evidence of the corpuscular nature of the primary cosmic radiation is found both in the geographical and in the angular distribution of its intensity. In his study of auroral phenomena Stormer (Zs. Astrophysik, v. 1, p. 237, 1930) obtained a solution for the orbits of charged particles projected from outside into the magnetic field of the Earth and he, as well as Rossi (Nuovo Cimento, v. 8, No. 3, pp. 3–15, 1931), have pointed out the application of this solution to the distribution of the cosmic-ray intensity. Stormer's equation shows that for rays of electronic mass and of a particular energy, unless this be above 1010 volts, there is an inaccessible equatorial zone on the surface of the Earth into which no ray can enter regardless of its initial position and direction. On either side of the inaccessible zone are zones only partially accessible to rays of the energy in question since here these rays may reach the Earth's surface only on orbit's which lie within a cone of limited aperture. At the edge of the inaccessible zone this cone opens up with infinitesimal aperture in the direction of the western horizon for positive rays and towards the eastern horizon for negative rays, but as the point of observation is moved to higher latitudes the cone of possible orbits opens up continuously and eventually fills the entire sky. As an simple, the surface of the Earth at the equator is completely inaccessible to rays of energy less than 1010 volts and is completely accessible only to rays of energy greater than 6×1010 volts. The 45° parallels, on the other hand, begin to be accessible to rays of energy 3.3×109 and are completely accessible to rays of energy greater than 4.9×109 volts.
Thermodynamics of the solubility behaviour of fluorohydroxyapatite solid solutions

Solubility data determined by Moreno, Kresak, and Zahradnik (1977) on hydroxyapatite (OHA), fluoroapatite (FA) and some of their solid solutions were interpreted in terms of the activities of the quasibinary components OHA and FA. Some solid solutions showed activities for FA considerably larger than unity. The data were explained with the model of a mixed-type regular and subregular solid solution. The best value for the interaction parameter W is 11.7 kJ mol−1. The model is corroborated by the results of IR studies which indicate the importance of F — OH — F and F — OH configurations.
Abdominoscrotal hydrocele. Case presentation and review of the literature.

Abdominoscrotal hydrocele has been known for over a century although it rarely has been reported in children. A review of the world literature revealed 84 such cases, only three cases in the pediatric age group. Our patient, a 5-mo old male, presented with abdominal and scrotal masses of 4 to 6 wk duration. The abdominal mass measured 12×8 cm. The scrotal mass, which clinically seemed to be a hydrocele, measured 3×5 cm. Both masses appeared cystic and communicated. Diagnostic work-up clearly established the diagnosis. Complete surgical excision was accomplished through an inguinal crease incision.
Intimate Partner Violence: Victims’ Opinions About Going to Trial

Criminal justice officials assume that intimate partner violence victims oppose filing charges against their abusers. In a study of 94 respondents, reluctance actually occurred with the prospect of going to trial. While 70% supported filing charges, only 37% wanted a trial. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses help explain the reasons women gave for their opinions about trials. The strongest quantitative predictor was that as the level of the victim’s injury sustained from the crime increased, their support for a trial increased. Gondolf and Fisher’s (1988) survivor theory predicted factors that influenced victims’ support or opposition to a trial in the quantitative section. The nested ecological model explained approximately half of the open-ended responses to those opposing trials while the goals of sentencing model articulated most victims’ support for trials.
A microemulsification approach for removing organolead and gasoline from contaminated soil

Abstract Remediation of soils contaminated with leaded gasoline due to leakage, spillage, and inappropriate disposal is an important environmental consideration. Columns of a loam soil initially saturated with saline solution (aqueous 0.01 M NaCl) were contaminated with 48 ml of leaded gasoline. The contaminated soil columns were then flushed sequentially with saline and surfactant/cosurfactant/water (S/CoS/W) solutions in order to investigate removal efficiencies for residual tetraethyl lead (TEL) and gasoline components. As expected, the saline solution immiscibly displaced only limited amounts of mobile gasoline and associated TEL (dissolving in gasoline) components from the soil columns. However, immobile or residual gasoline and associated TEL entrapped in the soil pores were removed primarily as the S/CoS/W solution produced leaded-gasoline-in-water ( LG W ) microemulsions. The S/CoS/W solution removed 95% of the immobile gasoline and 90% of the immobile Pb from the soil columns when the initial saturation of leaded gasoline was approximately 30% (or 48 ml) in the soil columns. Mass balance analysis shows that one gram of surfactant (sodium lauryl sulfate) removed 0.6 g of immobile gasoline and 2 mg of immobile Pb from the soil. These immobile gasoline and immobile Pb were not removable by NaCl solution.
Laparoscopic adhesiolysis in patients with chronic abdominal pain.

Sir—Though the article on laparoscopic adhesiolysis by Dingeman Swank and colleagues (April 12, p 1247) is of obvious benefit, there are a couple of points that we would like clarified. First, Swank and co-workers note that the median duration of abdominal pain was higher in the laparoscopic group than in the control group, yet how this finding could have affected their results is not discussed. Second, many participants had had previous gynaecological surgery; was there any difference in the results in this group compared with those in patients who had undergone appendicectomy or bowel resections? *Alok Tiwari, Joseph L Peters
Distribution of ingested and injected radiocopper in two patients with Menkes' kinky hair disease.

Summary: The distribution of 64Cu is reported in whole blood, plasma fractions, urine, and stool in an adult volunteer and two patients with Menkes' kinky hair disease (trichopoliodystrophy) after in-tragastric and iv administration. In the adult, after oral circulating 64Cu, showed an initial peak at 40–60 min which was 4% of the total dose (or 5% of the amount calculated to be absorbed), a small secondary peak at 3.5% by 4 hr, then a gradual rise to 32 hr. Approximately 55% of the whole blood radioactivity was in the plasma from 8–48 hr. In the two patients, after ingestion or injection, there was no early blood peak and about 10% of both the absorbed or injected copper persisted in the circulation from the 4th hr to beyond 24 hr in a pattern similar to that in the adult, but less than 40% of the 64 64Cu, was in the plasma fraction after 4 hr. In all subjects, the albumin/globulin ratio of radioactivity fell progressively, suggesting prompt ceruloplasmin synthesis by the liver. No radioactivity was detected in cerebrospinal fluid 10 hr after 64Cu, injection in patient 2. Urinary excretion of 64Cu, in the adult appeared to be linear after 6 hr (approximately 0.08% of the total dose per 24 hr). In patient 1, it was half as great (0.04%/24 hr), but if calculated on the assumption that only 6% of ingested copper was absorbed in patient 1, his urinary excretion rate, 0.67%/24 hr would be eight times that of the control, strongly suggestive of renal inability to conserve copper. In the adult, stool radioactivity totaled 24% of the ingested dose by 48 hr. In patient 1, stool radioactivity was already 94% by 48 hr and in patient 2, after iv 64Cu, stool radioactivity was only 2.8% by 96 hr. This low stool radioactivity after injected copper indicated minimal biliary loss of radiocopper, and ruled out a rapid enterohepatic recycling of copper in this disease. Because 94% of a physiologic dose of 64Cu, was in the 48-hr stool in patient 1, <8% of his ingested copper could have been absorbed, compared with over 80% in the adult control. This confirms that there is an absorption defect for copper in Menkes' disease, resulting in approximately 10% of normal copper uptake. Speculation: The data are interpreted as confirming that there is a mucosl block to copper absorption in Menkes' disease, but that this block is incomplete. Despite depleted circulating copper, erythrocyte uptake appeared normal or high in these patients, and hepatic incorporation into ceruloplasmin seemed to be unimpaired. There may be renal transport abnormalities in Menkes' disease as well, because of the unexpectedly high urinary 64Cu, excretion in the presence of hypocupremia. Perhaps an abnormality of blood-brain copper distribution is responsible for the severe neurologic features of this disease.
Classification performance of a Hopfield neural network based on a Hebbian-like learning rule

The theoretical classification performance of a Hopfield neural network is presented. An important link between empirically based investigations of neural network classification models and the correct application of these models to AI-based systems is established. General expressions are derived relating the performance of the Hopfield model to the number and dimensionality of code vectors stored in memory. The average performance of the network is analyzed by randomizing the subsequent code vectors and examining classification relative to the output bit errors. An exact probabilistic description of the network is derived for the first iteration, and an approximate second-moment analysis generalizable to multiple iterations examines performance near a fixed point. Degradations generated by noisy or incomplete input data are analyzed. The results show that the Hopfield net has major limitations when applied to fixed pattern classification problems because of its sensitivity to the number of code vectors stored in memory and the signal-to-noise ratio of the input data. >
Vibrational properties of amorphous GaN

The vibrational densities-of-states (DOS) of crystalline hexagonal GaN and a simulated amorphous GaN (a-GaN) structure are calculated. Neutron scattering spectra of simulated amorphous GaN structures are also calculated. Our results for hexagonal GaN yield energies of zone-centered phonons which are consistent with experimental Raman and infrared (IR) absorption studies, and a density of states spectrum, which is in accord with neutron scattering measurements.Our results for amorphous GaN show that the vibrational properties of a-GaN may be attributed to the nearly crystalline nearest-neighbor geometry of the amorphous network.
Health behaviors and depressive symptoms in testicular cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVES Testicular cancer has one of the highest 5-year survival rates of all cancer sites. The survival period is marked by an increased risk of secondary cancer and cardiovascular events owing to treatment-related toxicities. The purposes of this cross-sectional study were to determine the prevalence of health behaviors and depressive symptoms and to assess the relationship between depression and health behaviors in survivors of testicular cancer. METHODS A total of 162 survivors of testicular cancer 2 to 10 years after their diagnosis completed a one-time telephone interview. The interview included a battery of questions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System assessing health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, cholesterol screening, colorectal cancer screening, alcohol consumption, and fruit and vegetable intake) and the Centers for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) questionnaire assessing depressive symptoms. RESULTS The interviews revealed a low prevalence of positive health behaviors among survivors of testicular cancer. The percentage (17.5%) of survivors of testicular cancer who scored above the cutoff on the CES-D was greater than that (11%) of large-scale population-based estimates in men aged 19 to 44 years. Smoking was significantly related to depression. Depressive symptoms (CES-D score) differed significantly depending on smoking status (current smokers, mean = 15.2; former smokers, mean = 6.2, P <0.001; and never smokers, mean = 8.7, P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS Given the increased risk of cancer and treatment-related morbidities of these survivors, the findings of this study suggest that healthcare professionals should encourage survivors of testicular cancer to engage in positive health behaviors and check for depressive symptoms.
Flow and diffusion characteristics of alumina catalyst pellets

Steady state constant pressure diffusion measurements were made on a series of alumina pellets using the nitrogen-helium system at 1 atm. and 80°F. The pellets were prepared from the same alumina powder but compressed to different densities. Pore size distribution data indicate that all the pellets had approximately the same micropore sizes and volume, but different macropore volumes. Flow measurements with nitrogen were also carried out for the same pellets over a pressure range, up to 1 atm. The data show that the pellet density, or macropore volume, has a pronounced effect On the basis of a simplified model of the pellet, path lengths were evaluated from the flow data. On the assumption that the diffusion path length is the same, a method is presented for predicting diffusion rates. The results so computed are independent of the path tortuosity. The method correctly evaluates the effect of pellet density on diffusion, but measured rates are 40 to 80% of the calculated values.
Conditioned place preference for cocaine is attenuated in mice over-expressing the 5-HT3 receptor

The serotonin 5-HT3 receptor is thought to play a role in the reward pathway and drug abuse by modulating dopamine release within the mesolimbic pathway. Dopamine release stimulated by cocaine and methamphetamine is blocked by administration of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. Animal studies demonstrate that 5-HT3 receptor antagonists decrease cocaine and methamphetamine preference. We have developed a 5-HT3 receptor over-expressing mouse to study the role of this receptor in substance abuse. No changes in either the dopamine receptors (D1, D2, D3, and D4) or in the dopamine transporter (DAT) were found over a wide range of brain regions. 5-HT3 receptor over-expressing mice failed to develop conditioned place preference to 10 mg/kg or 6 mg/kg cocaine but showed a modest preference for 4 mg/kg cocaine. 5HT3 receptor over-expressing mice were more sensitive to the locomotor activating effects of low dose cocaine and methamphetamine. Further, brain slices from the transgenic mice release more dopamine in response to low concentrations of cocaine. These data suggest that 5HT3 receptor over-expression in the forebrain decreases cocaine preference and increases acute sensitivity with a corresponding increase in the amount of dopamine released in response to cocaine.
Who engages with moral beauty

Aristotle considered moral beauty to be the telos of the human virtues. Displays of moral beauty have been shown to elicit the moral emotion of elevation and cause a desire to become a better person and to engage in prosocial behavior. Study 1 (N = 5380) shows engagement with moral beauty is related to several psychological constructs relevant to moral education, and structural models reveal that the story of engagement with moral beauty may be considered a story of love and connectedness; it is uniquely predictive of caring for, being empathic of, loving, and valuing benevolence toward others. Study 2 (N = 542) demonstrates that the personality trait of engaging with moral beauty moderates susceptibility to elevation. These studies suggest that encouraging students to engage with moral beauty might increase their desire to become better persons and to do good. Convergent with other research showing that moral emotions motivate moral behavior, we suggest that moral education programs increase their focus ...
Assessing Biological Aggression in Adrenocortical Neoplasia

Pathologists are highly skilled at the evaluation of adrenal neoplasms. Occasional adrenocortical tumors can be diagnostically challenging and supplementary tools can assist in these cases. Histologic and molecular studies support a model that includes 2 broad classes of adrenocortical carcinoma with distinct somatic genetic alterations and clinical outcomes. Pathologists should endeavor to grade adrenocortical carcinomas to assign each case into one of these 2 classes. Mitotic grading by mitotic counting and Ki-67 immunohistochemistry represent the most practicable and informative methods currently available.
PHYLLOTACTIC CHANGE INDUCED BY GIBBERELLIC ACID IN XANTHIUM SHOOT APICES

Gibberellic acid (GA) treatment of vegetative shoots of Xanthium leads to a change in phyllotaxis as diagnosed in transverse sections of apical buds. A method of analysis is proposed for estimating the phyllotactic parameters, the plastochron ratio, a, and the divergence angle, a, from measurements of the angular and radial positions of leaf primordia in sections. GA treatment significantly decreases the plastochron ratio, a, from 1.35 in controls, to 1.19 in GA-treated plants, as shown by an analysis of variance, but has no significant effect on the divergence angle. The estimates of a and a are compared with the parameters of theoretical phyllotaxis models, leading to the designation (2, 3) for controls, and (3, 5) for GA-treated plants, where the integers 2, 3, and 5 designate sets of contact parastichies. The change in a is interpreted as indicating a change in the relative position at which leaf primordia are initiated in the apical meristem, and this effect is discussed in relation to theories of leaf initiation.
Parents' beliefs about appropriate education for young children.

Abstract Parents of 551 children in their last year of preschool or in kindergarten completed a questionnaire on their beliefs about appropriate ways to teach basic skills to young children and on the learning-related activities they engaged in with their children at home. A factor analysis revealed that parents varied in terms of a coherent set of beliefs related to teaching basic skills that correspond to the debate among early childhood experts on “child-centered” versus didactic teaching approaches. Parents who embraced didactic, teacher-directed approaches which emphasized performance chose schools that were compatible with their beliefs. They also claimed to engage in relatively more formal teaching activities (e.g., flashcards, workbooks) with their children at home and less informal activities (e.g., reading to their child) than parents who were opposed to didactic teaching. Poorly educated parents evidenced stronger support for didactic methods than well-educated parents. The strong relationships between parents' beliefs and behavior suggest that parent training would be an effective way to influence the learning environment of young children.
The involvement of XPC protein in the cisplatin DNA damaging treatment-mediated cellular response

Recognition of DNA damage is a critical step for DNA damage-mediated cellular response. XPC is an important DNA damage recognition protein involved in nucleotide excision repair (NER). We have studied the XPC protein in cisplatin DNA damaging treatment-mediated cellular response. Comparison of the microarray data from both normal and XPC-defective human fibroblasts identified 861 XPC-responsive genes in the cisplatin treatment (with minimum fold change > or = 1.5). The cell cycle and cell proliferation-related genes are the most affected genes by the XPC defect in the treatment. Many other cellular function genes, especially the DNA repair and signal transduction-related genes, were also affected by the XPC defect in the treatment. To validate the microarray data, the transcription levels of some microarray-identified genes were also determined by an RT-PCR based real time PCR assay. The real time PCR results are consistent with the microarray data for most of the tested genes, indicating the reliability of the microarray data. To further validate the microarray data, the cisplatin treatment-mediated caspase-3 activation was also determined. The Western blot hybridization results indicate that the XPC defect greatly attenuates the cisplatin treatment-mediated Caspase-3 activation. We elucidated the role of p53 protein in the XPC protein DNA damage recognition-mediated signaling process. The XPC defect reduces the cisplatin treatment-mediated p53 response. These results suggest that the XPC protein plays an important role in the cisplatin treatment-mediated cellular response. It may also suggest a possible mechanism of cancer cell drug resistance.
TEXTURAL AND MICROSTRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF RENNET‐INDUCED MILK COAGULUM AS AFFECTED BY THE ADDITION OF SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE

The effect of the addition of soy protein on the textural properties and microstructure of reconstituted nonfat dry milk coagulum with time after rennet addition was studied using an Instron Universal testing machine with a newly developed test cell, and by scanning electron microscopy. Soy protein added to reconstituted nonfat dry milk at 5% of the total solids resulted in a reduction in firmness, a decrease in syneresis and a looser microstructure of the coagulum at any given time up to two hours after rennet addition as compared to the control without added soy protein. An increase in the level of soy protein to 10 and 20% of the total solids resulted in a further reduction in coagulum firmness and in syneresis. Syneresis was also followed during changes in coagulum firmness. Analysis of the textural as well as microstructural data suggests that changes in coagulum firmness and syneresis of rennet-induced milk coagulums (with or without added soy protein) with time after rennet addition were associated with the extent to which casein micelles coalesced during coagulum formation. The Instron test and the syneresis test developed in this study were simple and practical.
Descriptive Physiology and Biochemistry of the Abnormally Ripening Tomato Fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum) cv. Snowball

The relationships between different parameters of fruit ripening have been studied in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Snowball. Chlorophyll degradation, fruit softening, polygalacturonase activity, titratable acids, and the rates of CO2 and ethylene evolution followed a normal pattern during ripening. However, fruits detached before reaching 100% development did not develop any red color and remained yellow-white. Some fruits allowed to ripen on the plants developed a pale color with a normal pigment profile as scanned in an aceton/hexan extraction. Ethephon or propylene, applied to fruits, did not change these parameters but hastened the initiation of ripening.
Complexes of the I,3-Bis(2-Arylimino) Benz (F) Isoindoline Ligand Including the Crystal Structure of the Cu(II)-Acetate Complex

Abstract The new BA1I ligand l,3-bis(2-pyridylimino)benz(f) isoindoline, NBAII, has been synthesized and Zn(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes with the formula (NBAII)MX (where X = OAc− for Cu(II) and Ni(II) and X = Cl− for Pd(II)) have been prepared. The ligand and complexes have been characterized by 1H-NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and electronic absorption spectroscopy. The NBAII ligand can accommodate both planar and distorted tetrahedral geometries in these cases. The quadruply-bonded complex (NBAII)Mo2(OAc)3 has also been prepared. It was found to exhibit an unusual bonding mode for the NBAII ligand. The molecular structure of the Cu(II) compound was determined by single crystal x-ray diffraction techniques: (NBAII)Cu(OAc) crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group C2/m with a = 20.256(4) A, b = 16.166(3) A, c = 7.915(2) A, α = 90°, β = 94.83(2) °, γ = 90°, V = 2583(1) A and Z = 4. The structure of this complex is compared to that of (B AII)Cu(OAc) which has been used as a model for th...
Effects of Passive Fuel-Air Mixing Control on Burner Emissions Via Lobed Fuel Injectors

The present experimental study examines the effects of differing levels of passive fuel-air premixing on flame structures and their associated NO(x) and CO emissions. Four alternative fuel injector geometries were explored, three of which have lobed shapes. These lobed injectors mix fuel and air and strain species inter-faces to differing extents due to streamwise vorticity generation, thus creating different local or core equivalence ratios within flow regions upstream of flame ignition and stabilization. Prior experimental studies of two of these lobed injector flowfields focused on non-reactive mixing characteristics and emissions measurements for the case where air speeds were matched above and below the fuel injector, effectively generating stronger streamwise vorticity than spanwise vorticity. The present studies examine the effects of airstream mismatch (and hence additional spanwise vorticity generation), effects of confinement of the crossflow to reduce the local equivalence ratio, and the effects of altering the geometry and position of the flameholders. NO(x) and CO emissions as well as planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging (PLIF) of seeded acetone are used to characterize injector performance and reactive flow evolution.
Infrared matrix isolation of the 1:1 complexes of HCl and ClF with sulfur and nitrogen-containing macrocycles

Abstract The matrix isolation technique has been combined with IR spectroscopy to isolate and characterize 1 : 1 complexes of HCl, ClF and SO2 with cyclam, tetramethylcyclam and 1,4,8,11-tetra-thiacyclotetradecane (TTP). Each complex was characterized by a red shift of the acid subunit in the complex; for example the HCl stretch in its complex with TTP was observed at 2386 cm−1 while the ClF stretch in its complex with TTP came at 468 cm−1. These shifts, particularly for the ClF complex, were comparable to complexes with the monomer unit of the macrocycle (i.e. containing a single donor atom), which indicates that cooperativity is not an important factor in the formation of these complexes, in agreement with earlier studies of crown ether complexes.
Superfund soil cleanup: developing the Piazza Road remedial design.

A statistical approach was used to develop the remediation and soil sampling strategy at the Piazza Road dioxin site (an EPA Superfund site in Missouri). The source of the dioxin was contaminated waste oil that was used as a dust suppressant. This site was used as a test case to determine if a "surgical" remedial design could be developed. This new approach was compared to the historical approach taken by U.S. EPA Region 7 in Missouri. A pilot study provided information on the local spatial pattern of dioxin, so that sampling designs could be evaluated and costs of remediation could be estimated for different remedial strategies. Sampling designs were evaluated by a Monte Carlo approach, where the laboratory analytical error and sampling error due to spatial variation of dioxin were modeled based on the results of the pilot study and the historical site data. The optimal cleanup unit size was determined to be 14x14 ft, or 1/24th of the historical cleanup unit size. A companion paper describes the performance achieved and the dollar 5,900,000 cost savings that resulted from applying the improved design. This case study clearly shows the value of environmental data, where the use and quality of the data are established as a part of planning the site remediation.
Voronoi Cell Based Staggered Grid SH Wave Numerical Simulation

Summary We proposed a new Voronoi cell based staggered grid SH wave numerical simulation method. It extends Levander’s velocity-stress elastodynamic equations to unstructured grid using constraint Delaunay triangulation and Voronoi Diagram. The algorithm is implemented by the finite volume weights and three points 2D Taylor series interpolation. It can be used to synthesize SH wavefield at arbitrary surface topography and complicated subsurface structure.
Recognizing eyebrow and periodic head gestures using CRFs for non-manual grammatical marker detection in ASL

Changes in eyebrow configuration, in combination with head gestures and other facial expressions, are used to signal essential grammatical information in signed languages. Motivated by the goal of improving the detection of non-manual grammatical markings in American Sign Language (ASL), we introduce a 2-level CRF method for recognition of the components of eyebrow and periodic head gestures, differentiating the linguistically significant domain (core) from transitional movements (which we refer to as the onset and offset). We use a robust face tracker and 3D warping to extract and combine the geometric and appearance features, as well as a feature selection method to further improve the recognition accuracy. For the second level of the CRFs, linguistic annotations were used as training for partitioning of the gestures, to separate the onset and offset. This partitioning is essential to recognition of the linguistically significant domains (in between). We then use the recognition of onset, core, and offset of these gestures together with the lower level features to detect non-manual grammatical markers in ASL.
No One's World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn . By Charles A. Kupchan. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. 272p. $27.95.

In this provocative new book, Charles Kupchan issues a clarion call to the advanced industrial nations of the West. The global order they have built over two centuries—a system based on liberal democracy at home and free trade abroad—is meeting its demise, he warns. New nations have arisen that neither share the West's historical traditions nor aspire to its contemporary values. The advanced industrial West, Kupchan argues, cannot logically expect nations like China, India, Brazil, and Russia to voluntarily comply with an existing order that is alien to their experiences and unaccommodating to their interests. Nor can the West realistically strong-arm such nations. The fulcrum of relative power has shifted too far to make coercion possible. But the West, he asserts, must not stand idly by. Historically, power transitions—save for a few rare exceptions—have tended to engender violent conflict. This time will be no different, says the author, unless the West moves aggressively to foster a new and far more inclusive global order.
High strength, low stiffness, porous NiTi with superelastic properties

Near-stoichiometric NiTi with up to 18% closed porosity was produced by expansion at 1200 degrees C of argon-filled pores trapped by powder metallurgy within a NiTi billet. When optimally heat-treated, NiTi with 6-16% porosity exhibits superelasticity, with recoverable compressive strains up to 6% at a maximum compressive stress up to 1700 MPa. The apparent Young's modulus of NiTi with 16% porosity, measured during uniaxial compression, is in the range of 15-25 GPa (similar to human bone), but is much lower than measured ultrasonically (approximately 40 GPa), or predicted from continuum elastic mechanics. This effect is attributed to the reversible stress-induced transformation contributing to the linear elastic deformation of porous NiTi. The unique combination of low stiffness, high strength, high recoverable strains and large energy absorption of porous superelastic NiTi, together with the known biocompatibility of NiTi, makes this material attractive for bone-implant applications.
Using Probabilistic Demand Predictions for Traffic Flow Management Decision Support

This paper presents candidate information requirements and visualization concepts for explicit representation of uncertainty in decision support for air traffic flow management (TFM). Existing decision support systems for TFM provide a limited representation of uncertainty in predictions about future demand for national airspace system resources. These limitations often result in overly conservative decision-making that restricts traffic flows unnecessarily. It is believed that a better understanding of the sources and magnitude of uncertainty will assist TFM decision-makers in making timely decisions about which decisions to make and which to defer until a better understanding of a situation is developed. The research presented here is a component of a broad effort that seeks to develop risk management tools for TFM. The information presentation concepts described were developed through a set of interviews with operational experts in the TFM domain. The findings provide initial design guidance for the development of human/machine interface concepts for traffic flow management under uncertainty, and help to identify requirements for quantitative modeling of TFM uncertainty.
Metal−Organic Framework‐Derived Nitrogen‐Doped Core‐Shell‐Structured Porous Fe/Fe3C@C Nanoboxes Supported on Graphene Sheets for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reactions

DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201400337 synthesis of MOFs-derived porous Fe, N-based carbon catalysts supported on NRGO sheets as ORR catalysts. Here, we report the fabrication of novel nitrogen-doped coreshell-structured porous Fe/Fe 3 C@C nanoboxes supported on RGO sheets (N-doped Fe/Fe 3 C@C/RGO) by a simple pyrolysis process using graphene oxide (GO) and PB nanocubes as precursors. Such a unique structure not only offers more active sites from both nitrogen-doped Fe/Fe 3 C@C and NRGO sheets, but also shows enhanced electrical conductivity. As a result, the hybrid exhibits much better electrocatalytic activity, long-term stability, and methanol tolerance ability than the commercial Pt/C catalyst (10% Pt on Vulcan XC-72). The fabrication process for the porous N-doped Fe/Fe 3 C@C/ RGO hybrid is demonstrated in Figure 1 a. Highly uniform PB nanocubes were fi rstly synthesized using a hydrothermal method based on previous reports. [ 9a ] The obtained PB nanocubes were further dispersed in the GO solution (PB/GO) under stirring. The resulting PB/GO powders after drying at 80 °C were then annealed at 800 °C in an argon fl ow to form a core-shell-structured porous N-doped Fe/Fe 3 C@C/RGO hybrid. During this process, the continuous decomposition of PB nanocubes was accompanied by releasing nitrogen-containing gases, [ 11 ] which resulted in the formation of a porous structure accompanied with carbide reactions according to the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results (Figure S1, Supporting Information). Simultaneously, the nitrogen-containing species contributed to the reduction of GO and nitrogen doping in both GO and carbon shells, fi nally evolving into nitrogen-doped core-shell-structured porous Fe/Fe 3 C@C/RGO hybrids. The PB nanocubes not only act as templates/precursors, but also provide nitrogen sources for the formation of N-doped Fe/Fe 3 C@C and NRGO. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images show that uniform PB nanocubes with an edge length of about 500 nm are obtained without any aggregation (Figure 1 b). An enlarged image (inset of Figure 1 b) reveals the very smooth surface over a single box. After the thermal treatment, the PB nanocubes are converted to porous N-doped Fe/Fe 3 C@C nanoboxes with a side length of around 300–400 nm (Figure 1 c). The cubic structure still remained, although its size decreased a little due to the decomposition and shrinkage during the annealing process. [ 12 ] This suggests that the PB nanocubes served as both a template and a self-sacrifi cing precursor for the formation of porous nanoboxes, which are composed of numerous Developing catalytic materials with high activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of great signifi cance for commercial fuel cell applications. [ 1 ] Although Pt-based materials are known as the most effi cient ORR catalysts, [ 2 ] they still suffer from several serious problems, including high cost, low abundance, weak durability, crossover effect and CO poisoning; [ 3 ]
Harshlight: a "corrective make-up" program for microarray chips.

Background: Microscopists are familiar with many blemishes that fluorescence images can have due to dust and debris, glass flaws, uneven distribution of fluids or surface coatings, etc. Microarray scans do show similar artifacts, which might affect subsequent analysis. Although all but the starkest blemishes are hard to find by the unaided eye, particularly in high-density oligonucleotide arrays (HDONAs), few tools are available to help with the detection of those defects. Results: We develop a novel tool, Harshlight, for the automatic detection and masking of blemishes in HDONA microarray chips. Harshlight uses a combination of statistic and image processing methods to identify three different types of defects: localized blemishes affecting a few probes, diffuse defects affecting larger areas, and extended defects which may invalidate an entire chip. Conclusion: We demonstrate the use of Harshlight can materially improve analysis of HDONA chips, especially for experiments with subtle changes between samples. For the widely used MAS5 algorithm, we show that compact blemishes cause an average of 8 gene expression values per chip to change by more than 50%, two of them by more than twofold; our masking algorithm restores about two thirds of this damage. Large-scale artifacts are successfully detected and eliminated.
Highly Attenuated Recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus VSV-12′GFP Displays Immunogenic and Oncolytic Activity

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has shown considerable promise both as an immunization vector and as an oncolytic virus. In both applications, an important concern is the safety profile of the virus. To generate a highly attenuated virus, we added two reporter genes to the 3' end of the VSV genome, thereby shifting the NPMGL genes from positions 1 to 5 to positions 3 to 7. The resulting virus (VSV-12'GFP) was highly attenuated, generating smaller plaques than four other attenuated VSVs. In one-step growth curves, VSV-12'GFP displayed the slowest growth kinetics. The mechanism of attenuation appears to be due to reduced expression of VSV genes downstream of the reporter genes, as suggested by a 10.4-fold reduction in L-protein RNA transcript. Although attenuated, VSV-12'GFP was highly effective at generating an immune response, indicated by a high-titer antibody response against the green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressed by the virus. Although VSV-12'GFP was more attenuated than other VSVs on both normal and cancer cells, it nonetheless showed a greater level of infection of human cancer cells (glioma and melanoma) than of normal cells, and this effect was magnified in glioma by interferon application, indicating selective oncolysis. Intravenous VSV-12'GFP selectively infected human gliomas implanted into SCID mice subcutaneously or intracranially. All postnatal day 16 mice given intranasal VSV-12'GFP survived, whereas only 10% of those given VSV-G/GFP survived, indicating reduced neurotoxicity. Intratumoral injection of tumors with VSV-12'GFP dramatically suppressed tumor growth and enhanced survival. Together these data suggest this recombinant virus merits further study for its oncolytic and vaccine potential.
The efficacy of a secondary reinforcer (clicker) during acquisition and extinction of an operant task in horses

Abstract "Clicker training" is a popularly promoted training method based on operant conditioning with the use of a secondary reinforcer (the clicker). While this method draws from theories of learning and is used widely, there has been little scientific investigation of its efficacy. We used 60 horses, Equus callabus , and assigned each horse to one of six reinforcement protocols. The reinforcement protocols involved combinations of reinforcers administered (primary versus secondary plus primary), schedule of reinforcement (continuous versus variable ratio), and reinforcers applied during extinction (none or secondary). There were no differences ( P ≥0.11) between horses which received a secondary reinforcer (click) followed by the primary reinforcer (food) and those which received only the primary reinforcer (food) in the number of trials required to train the horses to touch their noses to a plastic cone (operant response). There also were no differences ( P ≥0.12) between horses which received the secondary reinforcer plus primary reinforcer and those which received only the primary reinforcer in regards to the number of trials to extinction. We conclude that there is no difference in the amount of training required to learn the operant task or in the task's resistance to extinction between horses that received a secondary reinforcer followed by a primary reinforcer versus horses which received only a primary reinforcer.
Impact of flip-chip packaging on copper/low-k structures

Copper/low-k structures are the desired choice for advanced integrated circuits (ICs). Nevertheless, the reliability might become a concern due to the considerably lower strength and greater coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the low-k materials. To ensure successful integration of the new chips within advanced packaging products, it is essential to understand the impact of packaging on chips with copper/low k structures. In this study, flip-chip die attach process has been studied. Multilevel, multiscale modeling technique was used to bridge the large gap between the maximum and minimum dimensions. Interface fracture mechanics-based approach has been used to predict interface delamination. Both plastic ball grid array (PBGA) and ceramic ball grid array (CBGA) packages were evaluated. Critical failure locations and interfaces were identified for both packages. The impact of thin film residual stresses has been studied at both wafer level and package level. Both PBGA and CBGA packaging die-attach processes induce significantly higher crack driving force on the low-k interfaces than the wafer process. CBGA die-attach might be more critical than PBGA die-attach due to the higher temperature. During CBGA die-attach process, the crack driving force at the low-k/passivation interface may exceed the measured interfacial strength. Two solutions have been suggested to prevent catastrophic delamination in copper/low-k flip-chip packages, improving adhesion strength of low-k/barrier interface or adding tiles and slots in low-k structures to reduce possible area for crack growth.
Relating cell‐level swimming behaviors to vertical population distributions in Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae), a harmful alga

Cell motility may facilitate the formation of harmful algal blooms (HABs) by enabling algal cells to swim to favorable microenvironments that support explosive growth. Motility also augments the formation of algal cell aggregations that are often associated with ecological and economic consequence. In this study, we used computerized video analysis to quantify cell-level swimming characteristics by reconstructing cell trajectories in the motile raphidophyte Heterosigma akashiwo, a unicellular alga that forms toxic surface slicks in temperate coastal waters worldwide. Heterosigma cells are capable of rapid changes between at least two active swimming modes, distinguishable by the magnitude of the oscillatory component of motion. Swimming direction varied during a diurnal photoperiod, with swimming direction changing from random to upward directed shortly after the start of the light phase. Motility assays performed 6-8 h into the light phase showed that two Heterosigma strains from geographically distant locations differed significantly in gross swimming speeds, with mean values of 49-66 μm s -1 for strain CCMP452 (West Atlantic, USA), and 88-119 μm s -1 for strain CCAP934-1 (North Sea, Norway). A spatially explicit model of vertical distribution of Heterosigma cells based on strain-specific motility data suggests that cells of the two strains may diverge in water-column position within a few hours and that CCAP934-1 develops dense surface aggregations more rapidly and more robustly than CCMP452. Propensity to form toxic surface slicks, and therefore frequency and severity of HAB impacts, may vary substantially among Heterosigma strains, mediated by differences in cell-level motility.
Estimations of Hazardous Convective Weather in the United States Using Dynamical Downscaling

High-resolution (4km; hourly) regional climate modeling is utilized to resolve March‐May hazardous convective weather east of the U.S. Continental Divide for a historical climate period (1980‐90). A hazardous convectiveweathermodelproxyisusedtodepictoccurrencesoftornadoes,damagingthunderstorm windgusts, and large hail at hourly intervals during the period of record. Through dynamical downscaling, the regional climate model does an admirable job of replicating the seasonal spatial shifts of hazardous convective weather occurrence during the months examined. Additionally, the interannual variability and diurnal progression of observed severe weather reports closely mimic cycles produced by the regional model. While this methodology has been tested in previous research, this is the first study to use coarse-resolution global climate model data to forceahigh-resolutionregional modelwithcontinuousseasonal integration intheUnitedStates for purposes of resolving severe convection. Overall, it is recommended that dynamical downscaling play an integral role in measuring climatological distributions of severe weather, both in historical and future climates.
Observations of Hysteresis in the Annual Exchange Circulation of a Large Microtidal Estuary

A nonlinear relation between the salinity field and the subtidal exchange circulation in the Tampa Bay estuary is demonstrated using observational data from 1999 to 2011. The data are averaged to form mean monthly climatological values of total freshwater discharge ( Q), axial and vertical salinity gradients, and subtidal vertical shear. Well-known steady state solutions indicate that the exchange circulation is linearly proportional to the horizontal salinity gradient, assuming a constant vertical eddy viscosity ( Aeff). The exchange flow is found to be multivalued with respect to the horizontal salinity gradient, forming a hysteresis loop in parameter space that passes through three dynamical regimes. Regime I is relatively dry with weak salinity gradients and exchange circulation. Regime II is the wet season (June–September) in which all quantities rapidly increase. In regime III, the exchange flow persists even though Q and the axial salinity gradient are again low. Gradient Richardson numbers and Simpson numbers also form a loop in parameter space with Ri remaining subcritical (turbulent) until the wet season when Ri rises above criticality (weak vertical mixing) where it remains through the end of regime III. The Simpson number is in a narrow range around 0.2, indicating that the horizontal salinity gradient is always a driver of the exchange circulation. The Aeff, estimated from a parameterization of the Richardson number, decreases by almost an order of magnitude from regimes I to II. It remains low during III, indicating that the persistent stratification is insulating the exchange flow from destruction by tidal mixing during this time period.