cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circadian rhythms in cardiac metabolic flexibility

Numerous aspects of cardiovascular physiology (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure) and pathology (e.g., myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death) exhibit time-of-day-dependency. In association with day-night differences in energetic demand and substrate availability, the healthy heart displays remarkable metabolic flexibility through temporal partitioning of the metabolic fate of common substrates (glucose, lipid, amino acids). The purpose of this review is to highlight the contribution that circadian clocks provide toward 24-hr fluctuations in cardiac metabolism and to discuss whether attenuation and/or augmentation of these metabolic rhythms through adjustment of nutrient intake timing impacts cardiovascular disease development.
Black Lives Matter goes global: Connective action meets cultural hybridity in Brazil, India, and Japan:

This study examines the global diffusion of Black Lives Matter (BLM) as digitally networked connective action. Combining social network analysis with qualitative textual analysis, we show that BLM ...
MORE! Teaching Fractions and Ratios for Understanding: In-Depth Discussion and Reasoning Activities

* Fractions and Proportional Reasoning: An Overview * Fractions and Rational Numbers * Relative Thinking and Measurement * Quantities and Covariation * Proportional Reasoning * Reasoning with Fractions * Part-Whole Comparisons * Partitioning as Quotients * Rational Numbers as Operators * Fractions as Measures * Ratios and Rates * Challenging Problems Manipulatives Cuisenaire Strips Pattern Pieces Fraction Strips for Partitioning
Sediment Transport and Unit Stream Power Function

Basic fluid mechanics and turbulence theories are applied to show that suspended sediment concentration at a given depth of an open channel flow is a function of the turbulence energy production rate at that depth. Depth-averaged suspended sediment concentration can be obtained by integrating a function of the turbulence energy production rate over the depth of flow which in turn is a function of unit stream power. Total sediment concentration can also be expressed as a function of unit stream power following the foresaid and a procedure similar to that proposed by Einstein. Comparisons of seven total load equations indicate that equations derived from the concept that the rate of sediment transport should be related to the rate of energy dissipation of the flow are more accurate than other equations for both laboratory flumes and natural rivers.
Fundamental Concepts for Environmental Management Education (K - 16)

(1969). Fundamental Concepts for Environmental Management Education (K - 16) Environmental Education: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 65-74.
Nativity Shifts, Broken Dreams, and the New Latino South's Post-First Generation

For game three of the 2013 NBA finals, 11-year-old Sebastian de la Cruz, a musical prodigy born and raised in the great state of Texas, opened the June game with a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner—a la mariachi. As the applause faded for the El Charro de Oro's [The Golden Mariachi's] performance, an outburst of racialized twittering hit the cloud. Although we watched the series of events that surrounded Sebastian de la Cruz's performances from thousands of miles away and despite the geographic distance between San Antonio and our communities, we recognized the hit-and-run commentary as all too familiar. In Georgia and the Carolinas, increasingly corrosive rhetoric surrounds Latino immigration—creating great obstacles to academic achievement including the navigation of a postcolonial nativist American landscape of K-12 education that continues to fail minoritized youth. Or, as Flores and Loss (2010) surmised, “Immigration policies and practices have been, and continue to be, riddled with contradiction...
Asynchronous and synchronous transport experiment

The authors describe a technique for mixing asynchronous and synchronous data streams on clear channels of any speed. Adaptive packet and circuit switching (APCS) is a hybrid switching format and protocol allowing packet and circuit switching between communication nodes in a private network. This technique is compatible with an integrated services digital network (ISDN) but also provides instantaneous allocation between the asynchronous and synchronous channels. Using this concept, function placement in VLSI hardware and code is implemented for an integrated private network. This APCS concept design and prototyping work is a vehicle for understanding and developing the functions of bandwidth management and the layering of these functions in VLSI, microcode, and code. The VLSI implementation provides automatic and instantaneous bandwidth reallocation inside a complex frame. >
Continuous‐time modelling of irregularly spaced panel data using a cubic spline model

Continuous-time modelling remains a somewhat ‘idealized’ representation tool. Even though conceptualizing a dynamic process as a continuous process has clear appeal from a theoretical standpoint, practical tools that allow researchers to effectively map an idealized continuous model onto a set of discrete-time observed data are still lacking observed data. Irregularly spaced longitudinal data frequently arise in empirical settings because of the prevalence of longitudinal studies with partially randomized measurement intervals and other related designs.We present a practical approach that capitalizes on a nonparametric spline interpolation approach to impute the gaps in irregularly spaced panel data. Simulated and empirical examples are provided to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach to studies of group-based dynamics using panel data.
A Longitudinal Examination of the Effects of Social Support on Homicide Across European Regions

Since its introduction, social support theory has received generally consistent empirical support. Tests of social support theory have, however, mostly been cross-sectional and restricted to U.S. and Western European analyses. Measures of social support have tended to be inconsistent across studies and narrowly operationalized. The present project offers a longitudinal test of Cullen’s (1994) social support theory using a more broadly defined measure of social support that is comparable across both Eastern and Western European countries. Using data gathered by Eurostat, this study applies “hybrid” regression panel analysis to test the effects of social support on homicide rates across European regions for 2000, 2005 and 2009. Results provide evidence for an effect of social support on homicide between Western and Eastern European regions and within those regions over time. The analyses also indicate that social support moderates the effect of economic deprivation on homicide across Western European regions, though not Eastern European regions.
A storage structure for nested relational databases

We propose a storage structure for hierarchical structures in Nested Relational Databases. In particular, we define a combination of two data structures: a record-list structure and a tree storing all the atomic values present in the tuples and sub-tuples of the database. This storage structure allows for efficient execution of updates and queries expressed in the extended relational algebra of the nested relational database model.
Temporal Modeling and ORM

One difficult task in information modeling is to adequately address the impact of time. This paper briefly reviews some popular approaches for modeling temporal data and operations, then provides a conceptual framework for classifying temporal information, and proposes data model patterns to address time-impacted tasks such as modeling histories, and tracking entities across time as they migrate between roles. Special attention is given to capturing the relevant business rules. While the data modeling discussion focuses on Object-Role Modeling (ORM), many of the basic principles discussed can be adapted to other approaches such as Entity Relationship Modeling (ER) and the Unified Modeling Language (UML).
Human Alveolar Macrophage Growth Factor for Fibroblasts: REGULATION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION

The number of fibroblasts composing the alveolar structures in controlled within narrow limits by a strictly modulated rate of fibroblast replication. One possible source of growth-modulating signals for alveolar fibroblasts is the alveolar macrophage, a member of the mononuclear phagocyte family of cells, which collectively are known to be important sources of growth factors for a variety of target cells. To evaluate the role of alveolar macrophages in the control of alveolar fibroblast replication, macrophages from normal individuals obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage were maintained in suspension culture with and without added stimuli, and supernates were evaluated for fibroblast growth-promoting effect. Supernates from unstimulated macrophages contained no growth factor activity. In marked contrast, supernates from macrophages stimulated with particulates and immune complexes contained a growth factor that caused a significant increase in fibroblast replication rate. Maximum growth factor activity was observed 3-4 h after macrophage stimulation, at a concentration of 1-2 x 10(6) macrophages/ml. The alveolar macrophagederived growth factor eluted from DEAE-cellulose at 0.27 M NaCl at neutral pH had an apparent molecular weight of 18,000, and appeared to be distinct from other characterized growth factors. The alveolar macrophage-derived growth factor stimulated lung fibroblast DNA synthesis within 12 h, with cell division apparent within 48 h. In serum-free culture, the alveolar macrophage-derived growth factor by itself did not promote fibroblast replication, but rather acted as a progression factor causing a synergistic increase in fibroblast replication rate in the presence of competence factors such as fibroblast growth factor or platelet-derived growth factor. These studies suggest that when stimulated, human alveolar macrophages may modulate, in part, the replication rate of alveolar fibroblasts by releasing a growth factor within the alveolar microenvironment.
The effect of genetically expressed cardiac titin fragments on in vitro actin motility

Titin is a striated muscle-specific giant protein (M(r) approximately 3,000,000) that consists predominantly of two classes of approximately 100 amino acid motifs, class I and class II, that repeat along the molecule. Titin is found inside the sarcomere, in close proximity to both actin and myosin filaments. Several biochemical studies have found that titin interacts with myosin and actin. In the present work we investigated whether this biochemical interaction is functionally significant by studying the effect of titin on actomyosin interaction in an in vitro motility assay where fluorescently labeled actin filaments are sliding on top of a lawn of myosin molecules. We used genetically expressed titin fragments containing either a single class I motif (Ti I), a single class II motif (Ti II), or the two motifs linked together (Ti I-II). Neither Ti I nor Ti II alone affected actin-filament sliding on either myosin, heavy meromyosin, or myosin subfragment-1. In contrast, the linked fragment (Ti I-II) strongly inhibited actin sliding. Ti I-II-induced inhibition was observed with full-length myosin, heavy meromyosin, and myosin subfragment-1. The degree of inhibition was largest with myosin subfragment-1, intermediate with heavy meromyosin, and smallest with myosin. In vitro binding assays and electrophoretic analyses revealed that the inhibition is most likely caused by interaction between the actin filament and the titin I-II fragment. The physiological relevance of the novel finding of motility inhibition by titin fragments is discussed.
Nonsurgical Treatment of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer

The ever-increasing incidence of primary cutaneous malignancies has heralded the need for multiple treatment options. Surgical modalities remain the mainstay of treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer. However, it is important for the dermatologic surgeon to have an understanding of all treatment options to assist the patient in making the most informed decision possible, ultimately leading to the most favorable outcome. This article explores the available nonsurgical treatment options, their indications, and their efficacy.
Adaptive Robust Procedures: A Partial Review and Some Suggestions for Future Applications and Theory

Abstract After providing some background for the need to consider estimates other than those resulting from normal theory, there is a brief review of some nonadaptive robust estimators. We introduce adaptive estimators using those of Tukey and McLaughlin, Jaeckel, Johns, Birnbaum and Mike, Takeuchi, Hajek, van Eeden, and Beran. Adaptive estimators based on preliminary testing and Stein-like procedures are then considered, and recommendations are made on how to select the amount of trimming. Various proposals for estimating regression coefficients are also considered. Adaptive distrubution-free tests look very promising for improving the power of nonparametric tests, and some of these techniques can be used effectively in data analysis. Asymmetric trimmed means, adapted to the particular sample, can easily be used with data and provide good descriptive statistics having an approximate error structure. Finally, it is conjectured that estimators based on “cliff-hangers” might be extremely effective if there ...
Quantum entanglement using trapped atomic spins

We propose an implementation for quantum logic and computing using trapped atomic spins of two different species, interacting via direct magnetic spin-spin interaction. In this scheme, the spins (electronic or nuclear) of distantly spaced trapped neutral atoms serve as the qubit arrays for quantum information processing and storage, and the controlled interaction between two spins, as required for universal quantum computing, is implemented in a three-step process that involves state swapping with a movable auxiliary spin.
Structure and Dynamics of the Actin Filament

We used all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the structure and properties of the actin filament, starting with either the recent Oda model or the older Holmes model. Simulations of monomeric and polymerized actin show that polymerization changes the nucleotide-binding cleft, bringing together the Q137 side chain and bound ATP in a way that may enhance the ATP hydrolysis rate in the filament. Simulations with different bound nucleotides and conformations of the DNase I binding loop show that the persistence length of the filament depends only on loop conformation. Computational modeling reveals how bound phalloidin stiffens actin filaments and inhibits the release of gamma-phosphate from ADP-P(i) actin.
Pediatric carvedilol ingestions reported to Texas poison centers, 2000 to 2008.

OBJECTIVES:: The objective of this study was to describe the pattern of pediatric carvedilol ingestions reported to poison centers. METHODS:: Cases were all carvedilol ingestions by patients aged 0 to 5 years reported to Texas poison centers during 2000 to 2008. Multiple substance ingestions and patients not followed up to a final medical outcome were excluded. The distribution of cases by selected demographic and clinical factors was determined, and the mean dose (MD) in milligrams and milligrams per kilogram calculated for those cases where the dose ingested was reported. RESULTS:: Of a total 111 cases, the dose in mg was reported in 67 (mean, 18.2 mg; range, 0.3-200 mg) and in mg/kg was reported in 41 (mean, 1.5 mg/kg; range, 0.1-14.8 mg/kg). Of total cases, 63.1% were males and 36.9% females. The management site was as follows: 23.4% on site (MD, 7.8 mg and 0.6 mg/kg), 37.8% already at or en route to health care facility (MD, 22.7 mg and 2.6 mg/kg), and 38.7% referred to health care facility (MD, 22.1 mg and 1.6 mg/kg). The medical outcome as follows: 97.3% no effect (MD, 18.7 mg and 1.5 mg/kg), 1.8% minor effect (MD, 3.4 mg and 0.5 mg/kg), and 0.9% moderate effect. Adverse clinical effects were reported in 4 cases (3 drowsiness and 1 hypotension). CONCLUSIONS:: Pediatric ingestions of as much as 200 mg (14.8 mg/kg) reported to Texas poison centers might be expected to result in at most minor effects, although ingestions involving higher doses might be referred to health care facilities. Language: en
Short-Term Response of Artemisia annua to Lime, P, K, and N in a Dystrophic Soil

Artemisia annua L. is currently recommended by the World Health Organization for preparation of a first-line antimalarial drug, where chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum has been detected, ...
Can Predation Explain Life-History Strategies in Mammalian Gliders?

Longevity, reproduction, and mortality rates may indeed be interrelated, but the evidence provided by Holmes and Austad (1994, Journal of Mammalogy, 75:224–226) does not resolve the nature of this relationship for gliding mammals or clarify the relative role of metabolic constraints.
Boundary Effects in Penetration or Perforation

For the analysis of stress distributions around a projectile tip in penetration or perforation, a point force P associated with an expansion source E z , which depends on the geometry of the projectile, is employed to simulate the projectile. Using the method of half-space analysis by Mindlin (1936), the boundary effects on the projectile are analyzed. The analytical solutions of an expansion source associated with a concentrated force are derived for the prediction of the damage zones in a target, as the projectile either approaches or leaves the boundary. As a projectile perforates a target, it forms a cratering area at the impact surface and leaves a cone-like spalling area at the exit surface. The presence of these two areas and the fact that the spalling area is larger than the cratering area in perforation, can be explained by the stress analysis of boundary effects. Solution of the cavity expansion source in a half-space is derived. This solution provides a theoretical evidence for the conclusion obtained from the empirical analysis by Forrestal et al. (1994). Their conclusion states that when the projectile is at about twice its shank diameters, it can be approximately treated as though it were in the infinite medium.
Does Community Policing Motivate Officers at Work and How

This paper examines how community policing programmes motivate officers at work in line with prevailing theories of management. Questionnaires were administered to a total of 112 rank-and-files of the Taipei County Police Department, involving 59 Community Police Officers (CPOs) and 53 non-CPOs. Findings indicate that reforming management can be as effective as redesigning the work for officers in promoting their job satisfaction, and the former may be more important than the latter. CPOs as well as non-CPOs become satisfied with their job as long as they develop positive attitudes toward their supervisors and the department. Community policing is nonetheless a work design strategy suitable for officers of different role orientation and growth need strength. It serves as the best option for police administrators when other strategies for motivating officers at work are absent.
Analysis of complex mixtures by photoionization mass spectrometry with a vacuum-ultraviolet hydrogen-laser source

Abstract Trace organic analysis of a complex matrix presents one of the most challenging problems in analytical mass spectrometry. Inselective electron-impact ionization often requires extensive sample clean-up to isolate the analyte from the matrix. Sample preparation can be greatly reduced when a hydrogen laser is used for selective photoionization of only a small fraction of the compounds introduced into the ion source. This device produces parent ions only for all compounds with ionization potentials that lie below a threshold value limited by the photon energy of 7.8 eV. The only observed interference arises from electron-impact ionization when scattered laser radiation interacts with metal surfaces, producing electrons which are then accelerated by potential fields inside the source. These can be suppressed to levels acceptable for practical analysis through proper instrumental design. Results are presented which indicate the ability of this ion source to discriminate against interfering matrix components in simple extracts from real samples such as brewed coffee, beer, and urine.
Mapping the genome of meta-generalized gradient approximation density functionals: The search for B97M-V

A meta-generalized gradient approximation density functional paired with the VV10 nonlocal correlation functional is presented. The functional form is selected from more than 1010 choices carved out of a functional space of almost 1040 possibilities. Raw data come from training a vast number of candidate functional forms on a comprehensive training set of 1095 data points and testing the resulting fits on a comprehensive primary test set of 1153 data points. Functional forms are ranked based on their ability to reproduce the data in both the training and primary test sets with minimum empiricism, and filtered based on a set of physical constraints and an often-overlooked condition of satisfactory numerical precision with medium-sized integration grids. The resulting optimal functional form has 4 linear exchange parameters, 4 linear same-spin correlation parameters, and 4 linear opposite-spin correlation parameters, for a total of 12 fitted parameters. The final density functional, B97M-V, is further assessed on a secondary test set of 212 data points, applied to several large systems including the coronene dimer and water clusters, tested for the accurate prediction of intramolecular and intermolecular geometries, verified to have a readily attainable basis set limit, and checked for grid sensitivity. Compared to existing density functionals, B97M-V is remarkably accurate for non-bonded interactions and very satisfactory for thermochemical quantities such as atomization energies, but inherits the demonstrable limitations of existing local density functionals for barrier heights.
Fatty acid and sterol specificity in the biosynthesis of steryl esters by enzyme preparations from spinach leaves

Abstract Acetone powders prepared from the 20,000 g participate fraction of spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves catalyzed the formation of steryl esters from free sterol and 1,2-diacylglycerol as the acyl donor. There was no sterol specificity when cholesterol, sitosterol, and campesterol were compared. When rates of sterol ester biosynthesis were compared using different 1,2-diacylglycerols it was found that the shorter chain fatty acids and the more unsaturated fatty acids were preferred. When the substrate concentration of diacylglycerol was varied, the maximal velocities obtained with the different substrates were dipalmitoleoyl- >dilinolenoyl- >dioleoyl- >dilinoleoyl-glycerol. It was demonstrated by silver nitrate thin-layer chromatography that the fatty acids of the supplied diacylglycerols were transferred to the sterol. When diacylglycerol mixtures were supplied, it was found that unsaturated diacylglycerols greatly stimulated conversion of saturated diacylglycerols to saturated steryl esters. For an equimolar mixture of dipalmitoyl-, dioleoyl-, dilinoleoyl-, and dilinolenoyl-glycerol, about equal amounts of the four steryl ester species were synthesized.
Delamination Analysis of Layered Structures with Residual Stresses and Transverse Shear Deformation

AbstractThis study presents an interface fracture mechanics analysis of delamination failure in a multilayered beam subject to general mechanical loads and residual stresses. Analytical solutions of the energy release rate and its phase angle are obtained through a crack-tip-element analysis. Both the transverse shear and thermal residual stresses, as well as their coupling effect, are included in these solutions. Representative interface fracture specimens are analyzed using these new solutions as well as an existing one. Excellent agreement with finite-element analysis has been achieved by the present solutions, whereas the existing solution underestimates the total energy release rate significantly, because it neglects the transverse shear forces. This suggests that the present solutions can significantly enhance the accuracy of the total energy release rate and its phase angle for an interface crack in multilayered structures.
Synthesis of alkyl esters of 4-amino-2-sulfamoylbenzoic acid.

Nine esters of 4-nitro-2-sulfamoylbenzoic acid were prepared by the alcoholysis reaction of passing hydrogen chloride into a refluxing solution of 6-nitrosaccharin in the appropriate alcohol. Reduction of these alkyl 4-nitro-2-suIfamoylbenzoates using hydrogen and palladium-on-carbon catalyst gave the following alkyl 4-amino-2-sulfamoylbenzoates: methyl; ethyl; »-propyl; isopropyl; n -butyl; sec-butyl; n- pentyl; 1-ethylpropyl; and n -hexyl. Also synthesized was isopropyl 6-amino-2-sulfamoylbenzoate. Many of these compounds possessed marked anticonvulsant activity as indicated by their prevention of the effect of strychnine or maximal electric shock in mice.
Conformational analysis of gossypol and its derivatives by molecular mechanics

Abstract Conformations and inversion pathways leading to racemization of all the tautomers of gossypol, gossypolone, anhydrogossypol, and a diethylamine Schiff's base of gossypol were investigated with MM3(2000). All forms have hindered rotation because of clashes between the methyl carbon atom and oxygen-containing moieties ortho to the bond linking the two naphthalene rings. Inversion energies generally agree with available experimental data. Gossypol preferentially inverts in its dihemiacetal tautomeric form through the cis pathway (where similar groups clash). Gossypolone inverts more easily than gossypol, and preferentially through the trans pathway (where dissimilar groups clash) when one of its outer rings has an enol-keto group and the other has an aldehyde group. Anhydrogossypol racemizes through the cis pathway. The bridge bond and the ortho exo-cyclic bonds in all the structures bend from planarity, and the inner naphthalene rings pucker to accommodate the inversion. For gossypol, the transition is achieved through greater bending of the exo-cyclic bonds (up to 12°) and less distortion of the inner benzyl rings ( q ≤0.34 A), (up to 12.7°) . For gossypolone the transition occurs with greater distortion of the inner benzyl rings ( q ≤0.63 A) and less out-of-plane bending (up to 8.4°). By isolating individual clashes, their contribution to the overall barrier can be analyzed, as shown for the dialdehyde tautomer of gossypol.
Evaluation of SeaWiFS chlorophyll algorithms in the Southwestern Atlantic and Southern Oceans

Bio-optical measurements of spectral upwelling radiance and surface chlorophyll-a concentration have been conducted during 15 cruises between 1995 and 2004. The bio-optical data were divided into two sub-sets: the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SwAO), comprising a variety of biogeochemical provinces, from the oligotrophic waters in the South Atlantic gyre to the coastal waters influenced by La Plata River and Patos Lagoon discharge, and the Southern Ocean (SO) data set, comprising sampling stations south of the mean position of the Polar Front, with most stations being located in the vicinity of the Antarctic Peninsula. We derived regional chlorophyll algorithms for both regions and comparisons were made with the NASA's OC4v4 (operational algorithm) and OC2v4. For the Southwestern Atlantic region, the NASA OC4v4 algorithm presented a reasonable performance (r2=0.87, rmse-L=0.475, N=136) as compared to the revised algorithm for SwAO data (r2=0.89, rmse-L=0.426, N=136). A few stations under strong river plume influence were not considered in the analyses. These were detected by a higher reflectance at 670 nm, at low in situ chlorophyll concentration (<2 mg m−3). These results show that empirical algorithms applied to in-situ radiance data have a limited ability to extract accurate chlorophyll estimates below a 30% uncertainty level. For Southern Ocean stations, a 2-band linear-type model was generated (r2=0.64, rmse-L=0.347, N=77), which significantly improved the bias (6.4%) as compared to NASA's OC4v4 algorithm (bias=−21.7%). An evaluation of some published high-latitude algorithms on our data set has shown a better performance by taxon-specific models, even from distant regions. A validation experiment of the normalized spectral water-leaving radiances and chlorophyll-a SeaWiFS products was also conducted using the FURG-SwAO/SO data set, through a match-up exercise. Despite the relatively low number of pairs of radiometric measurements, SeaWiFS estimations compare well with in situ data (0.77<r2<0.98, N=21), although the satellite estimate show a marked bias (−35.6%) in the blue band nLw (412). Regarding the chlorophyll-a concentration, an overall agreement was observed (r2=0.77, rmse-L=0.66, N=28), with a mean absolute percentage difference of 66%, which is above the goal generally accepted of 35% for satellite ocean color chlorophyll estimates. For the studied Southern Ocean area (mainly the Bransfield Strait), NASA's OC4v4 algorithm systematically underestimates chlorophyll above 0.2 mg m−3, as previously demonstrated by other researchers.
Pattern Classification Based on Sparse Representation

This paper presents a pattern classification method based on sparse representation. This new method bypasses the need for feature extraction and selection that are typically presented in the conventional classification methods, and performs classification using raw sensor signals directly. The performance of this new method is evaluated in the context of human physical activity assessment. Experimental results obtained from 105 human subjects demonstrate higher discriminative power than using the conventional k-nearest neighbor algorithm, verifying the effectiveness of the sparse representation method.© 2012 ASME
Discrete time robust detection of stochastic signals in non-Gaussian contaminated noise

Abstract For many applications in signal detection, imprecise knowledge of the underlying noise process often makes desirable the employment of a robust detector. In this paper we consider the discrete time detection of stochastic signals in white noise, where the univariate noise density is known perfectly only on an interval about the origin. We present a method to enhance the asymptotic performance of the detector by exploiting this knowledge, and at the same time preserve robustness properties of the detector to the remaining inexact knowledge of the univariate noise density via a saddlepoint condition. We then provide examples to show that improved performance is indeed obtained.
Root Distribution, Growth, Respiration, and Hydraulic Conductivity for Two Highly Productive Agaves

Cultivated Agave mapisaga and A. salmiana can have an extremely high above-ground dry-weight productivity of 40 Mg ha −1 yr −1 . To help understand the below-ground capabilities that support the high above-ground productivity of these Crassulacean acid metabolism plants, roots were studied in the laboratory and in plantations near Mexico City. For approximately 15-year-old plants, the lateral spread of roots from the plant base averaged 1.3 m and the maximal root depth was 0.8 m, both considerably greater than for desert succulents of the same age. Root and shoot growth occurred all year, although the increase in shoot growth at the beginning of the wet season preceded the increase in growth of main roots
Efficacy of Succimer Chelation for Reducing Brain Pb Levels in a Rodent Model

Increasing evidence indicates that early low-level lead (Pb) exposure produces enduring cognitive impairment in children, underscoring the need to develop improved therapeutic intervention. Although chelating agents have been shown to effectively reduce body Pb levels, it is not yet known whether this treatment ameliorates Pb-induced cognitive dysfunction. Clinical research in this area is hampered by the need to rely on reductions in blood Pb levels as the index of treatment efficacy, despite the fact that brain Pb level is the exposure parameter of greatest relevance to neurocognitive outcomes. The present studies were designed to provide information that will aid future research in this area in both human and animal models. The objectives of these studies were (1) to evaluate the efficacy of different doses and durations of succimer (meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid; DMSA) chelation for reducing brain and blood Pb levels and (2) to determine the extent to which blood Pb can serve as a surrogate of brain Pb following chelation. Long-Evans hooded rats were exposed to Pb from birth until day 31 (Study 1) or day 40 (Study 2) of life, followed by oral treatment with a vehicle or one of two succimer regimens for a duration of either 7 or 21 days. Results indicated that 7 days of succimer treatment produced a 1.5- to 2.5-fold greater reduction of Pb in blood than in brain, relative to time-matched vehicle groups. Prolonged treatment (21) days did not further reduce blood Pb levels (relative to 7-day succimer treatment), but did produce further reductions in brain Pb level compared to time-matched vehicle groups. Thus, chelation-mediated reductions in brain Pb did not parallel reductions in blood Pb over the course of treatment. While the relevance of these data to humans may be confounded by anatomical and physiological differences between rodents and primates, as well as differences in the metabolism of succimer (DMSA), they suggest that clinical studies should exercise caution when using blood Pb as an index of the efficacy of chelation treatment for reducing brain Pb levels.
La regimentación lingüística en un escenario transnacional: La República Dominicana / Haití

Este analisis se centra en los procesos de construccion de las fronteras etnolinguisticas de los dos estados-nacion que comparten la isla de La Espanola. En el contexto del siglo XX, los politicos y los filologos dominicanos unieron sus esfuerzos para crear una tupida red de escuelas que tenian el espanol como idioma de instruccion, prohibir el uso del creole, cambiar el nombre frances o creole de numerosos lugares por otro nombre en espanol, y producir un corpus de textos que describieran y representaran el adecuado panorama linguistico dominicano. Las practicas de alfabetizacion y las practicas discursivas estaban empenadas en el proposito de hispanizar las comunidades fronterizas. Mi acercamiento a la transformacion sociopolitica de esta region cursa a traves del analisis de las representaciones de las practicas del discurso y las correspondientes politicas linguisticas del Estado dominicano hacia las comunidades bilingues y multiculturales en los anos treinta y cuarenta del pasado siglo. En el examen de estos problemas interrelacionados, aplico las herramientas analiticas provenientes de la investigacion sobre el discurso linguistico y las ideologias del lenguaje (Arnoux y Del Valle, 2010; Irvine y Gal, 2000; Woolard, 2008) y las perspectivas de los estudios de frontera (Wilson y Donnan, 2012; Houtum y Naerssen, 2002). Mi pregunta basica es si, en el caso de la frontera dominicano-haitiana en el siglo XX, la diferencia linguistica se represento en el discurso metalinguistico con el doble proposito de crear una identidad dominico-hispanica y avasallar las identidades dominico-haitianas que arraigaban en aquel entonces.
Smooth Muscle DNA Replication in Response to Angiotensin II Is Regulated Differently in the Neointima and Media at Different Times After Balloon Injury in the Rat Carotid Artery Role of AT1 Receptor Expression

We have reported that angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion to rats during the third and fourth weeks after vascular injury stimulates DNA replication in a larger proportion of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the arterial neointima than in the underlying media or the normal arterial media. Whether this increased responsiveness to Ang II is a transient or stable property of neointimal cells after vascular injury remained unclear. The present study examined smooth muscle DNA replication in response to Ang II infusion (250 ng.kg-1.min-1 for 2 weeks) at 3 to 4, 9 to 10, or 27 to 28 weeks after balloon injury to the rat carotid artery. Control rats received Ringer's lactate. BrdU (0.8 mg.kg-1.d-1) was coinfused to label replicating DNA. The increased replicative response to Ang II in the neointima versus the normal arterial media did not persist beyond the period of rapid lesion growth shortly after injury, even in neointimal areas without endothelial regeneration. By 9 to 10 weeks after injury, replication frequencies were comparable in the neointima and the normal arterial wall. In the presence of a regenerated endothelium, neointimal DNA replication was lowered but not abolished. After the early period, however, the most marked difference may be the loss of ability of medial SMCs to respond mitogenically to systemic Ang II. As a consequence, Ang II-induced DNA replication in injured arteries was greater in the neointima than in the underlying media at all times studied after injury. DNA replication levels correlated with AT1 receptor levels in the injured artery neointima but not media, as shown by receptor binding in vascular sections at 3 and 10 weeks after injury. The growth response to systemic Ang II is differentially regulated in adjacent smooth muscle layers in the injured arterial wall in vivo via mechanisms that include, but are not restricted to, the regulation of AT1 receptor expression in SMCs.
Asymmetric-top description of Rydberg-electron dynamics in crossed external fields

Rydberg atoms in external electric and magnetic fields have recently emerged as atomic-scale laboratories where the quantum mechanics of classically nonintegrable systems can be studied. In this article we show, using classical canonical perturbation theory, how the intricate nonlinear dynamics of a Rydberg electron in crossed electric and magnetic fields can be described in terms of two coupled asymmetric tops
Gas Solubility and Diffusion in Oxide Glasses – Implications for Nuclear Wasteforms☆

Abstract Gas solubility and diffusion in oxide glasses define the overall mechanisms of gas transport in these materials. There are numerous practical aspects of this transport with substantial commercial implications, e.g., gas separation, the outgassing and leak testing of vacuum systems, the thermal oxidation of silicon, and the focus of this conference: nuclear wasteforms. The fundamentals of gas transport are defined in regard to gas solubility and diffusion in rigid glasses below the glass transition temperature, including the case of nuclear wasteforms. Gas transport also provides an excellent tool for better understanding the atomic-scale structure of glasses, and, in turn, that understanding helps refine our understanding of the mechanisms of gas solubility and diffusion. This understanding has also had a significant influence on models of geological importance, such as volcanic eruptions and formation of the earth's atmosphere. Specifically, the statistical thermodynamics of gas solubility is analyzed in regard to the interstitial structure of the glass. The gas atoms or molecules serve as structural probes. The structural basis of gas solubility is best understood for vitreous silica, the most-studied noncrystalline solid that can be described reasonably well by the random network model. A detailed analysis of noble gas solubility has indicated that the distribution of interstitial size is log-normal in nature. This experimental result using gas solubility has been confirmed by the analysis of computer-generated models of vitreous silica. Also, the noble gas results have consequences for the transport of molecular species such as oxygen and water, e.g., during the thermal oxidation of silicon. The substantial amount of data for noble gas transport in vitreous silica also provides an especially useful comparison of the relative nature of solubility, diffusivity, and permeability of various sized noble gas atoms. There are also useful, empirical trends for the variation of gas solubility with modifier ion content in silicate glasses. The structural analysis of these data can provide general descriptions of interstitial site geometries. Structural modeling exercises have provided a more specific description of this interstitial geometry that is the basis for a more precise understanding of the atomic-scale mechanisms for solubility, diffusivity, and permeability of gases. Finally, the principles covered above will be discussed in terms of issues central to nuclear wasteforms, viz., the accommodation of helium produced by alpha decay and oxygen generated by radiolysis.
Late outcome of noncoronary sinus replacement in patients with bicuspid aortic valves and aortopathy

Background Aortopathy associated with bicuspid aortic valve commonly involves the ascending aorta above the sinotubular ridge, but it may also affect sinus portions of the aorta. In some persons, the enlarged portion of the aortic root is limited to the noncoronary sinus. In such patients, we have spared the remaining portions of the aortic root by replacing the ascending aorta with a polyethylene terephthalate fiber (Dacron) graft and a tongue-shaped extension of the graft, thereby replacing the noncoronary sinus. In the present study, we evaluated late outcomes of this procedure, with specific attention to the fate of aortic tissue in the remaining sinuses. Methods We reviewed the medical records of 1,756 patients with repair of ascending aortic aneurysms at Mayo Clinic from 1993 through 2012. Among the patients, 631 (35.9%) had bicuspid aortic valve, and in 79 (4.5%) of the patients, the noncoronary sinus was replaced along with the ascending aorta. Results Associated aortic valve operations were performed in 70 patients; 15 had repair and 55 had aortic valve replacement. No early death occurred, but 3 patients died late after operation (5-year survival, 99%). There were 3 late reoperations, all because of native or prosthetic valve problems. Importantly, no instances occurred of aneurysm formation or aortic dissection related to the remaining aorta in the left and right aortic sinuses. Conclusions In patients with bicuspid aortic valve and aortic root enlargement related mainly to enlargement of the noncoronary sinus, limited replacement of the noncoronary sinus and ascending aorta is a safe and simple procedure that is durable in midterm follow-up.
Turbulent film condensation

Abstract : A turbulent film condensation problem was formulated. The physical model and simplifying assumptions are the same as those of W. Nusselt's original investigation, with the exception of including the turbulent transports. The result agrees with the qualitative results both of R.A. Saban and J. Lee, but does not agree totally with A.E. Duckler.
Terminal Deletion of Chromosome 15q26.1: Case Report and Brief Literature Review

Terminal deletions of chromosome 15q are rare events, with only six cases previously described. Here we describe a seventh case of a terminal deletion of the long arm of chromosome 15, with the present case exhibiting clinical features not previously described.
P-102: Amorphous Silicon Thin-Film Transistors-based Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Displays

In this paper, we describe hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film transistor (TFT)-based active-matrix arrays for active-matrix organic light-emitting displays (AM-OLEDs). The proposed pixel electrode circuits based on three a-Si:H TFTs can supply a continuous output current for AM-OLEDs. Each pixel circuit has compensation circuits that can adjust for the OLED and a-Si:H TFTs electrical characteristics shifts.
Myosin binding protein-C phosphorylation is the principal mediator of protein kinase A effects on thick filament structure in myocardium

Phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) is a regulator of pump function in healthy hearts. However, the mechanisms of regulation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA)-mediated cMyBP-C phosphorylation have not been completely dissociated from other myofilament substrates for PKA, especially cardiac troponin I (cTnI). We have used synchrotron X-ray diffraction in skinned trabeculae to elucidate the roles of cMyBP-C and cTnI phosphorylation in myocardial inotropy and lusitropy. Myocardium in this study was isolated from four transgenic mouse lines in which the phosphorylation state of either cMyBP-C or cTnI was constitutively altered by site-specific mutagenesis. Analysis of peak intensities in X-ray diffraction patterns from trabeculae showed that cross-bridges are displaced similarly from the thick filament and toward actin (1) when both cMyBP-C and cTnI are phosphorylated, (2) when only cMyBP-C is phosphorylated, and (3) when cMyBP-C phosphorylation is mimicked by replacement with negative charge in its PKA sites. These findings suggest that phosphorylation of cMyBP-C relieves a constraint on cross-bridges, thereby increasing the proximity of myosin to binding sites on actin. Measurements of Ca(2+)-activated force in myocardium defined distinct molecular effects due to phosphorylation of cMyBP-C or co-phosphorylation with cTnI. Echocardiography revealed that mimicking the charge of cMyBP-C phosphorylation protects hearts from hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction that develops with constitutive dephosphorylation or genetic ablation, underscoring the importance of cMyBP-C phosphorylation for proper pump function.
A chemical CO laser

Abstract Stimulated emissions have been observed following pulsed electrical discharges in mixtures of C 3 O 2 and O 2 with or without He, as a diluent. These emission range from 5.2 to 5.6 μm, and thus correspond approximately to Δν = 11 → 10 to Δν = 7 → 6. The mechanism for lasing action is proposed.
Bonding of air-formed wood fibre/polypropylene fibre composites

Abstract The effectiveness of a maleated polypropylene (MAPP) as a coupling agent in wood fibre/polypropylene fibre composites made by non-woven web technology has been evaluated. The composite panels were made with 70 or 85% wood fibre, wiht the MAPP being incorporated in the panels at a level of 1 or 3% by spraying an emulsified form on the wood fibres. Both levels of MAPP significantly increased bending and tensile strength and moduli, and dynamic modulus. At the 70% wood fibre level, impact energy was increased significantly in panels with 3% MAPP. At the 85% wood fibre level, both 1% and 3% MAPP significantly increased impact energy. The MAPP also led to small improvements in water resistance for composites containing 85% wood fibre. The effectiveness of MAPP is believed to be the result of efficient incorporation at the wood/polypropylene interface, thus providing effective coupling of the polar wood component to the non-polar polymer matrix.
Culturally Determined Differences between Americans and Japanese

Abstract A number of studies on text reading have shown the influence of schema on how information is processed. In this study Japanese and American college students were tested for differential information processing during text reading. There were differences between groups on the recall of information embedded in the text. The pattern fluctuation for Americans as a group was significantly greater than for Japanese. The results were interpreted from the perspectives of collectivistic and synthetic approaches as opposed to individualistic and analytic approaches inherent in the two cultures.