cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Two Tropical Storms on the Residual Flow in a Subtropical Tidal Inlet

The mechanisms responsible for the modulation of laterally sheared non-tidal (residual) exchange flow in a subtropical inlet, with special emphasis on tropical storm influence, are studied using a combination of current velocity profiles and hydrographic and meteorological data. The mouth of the inlet, St. Augustine Inlet in northeast Florida, is characterized by a 15-m-deep channel flanked by shoals (<6 m deep). Residual flows across the inlet mouth were laterally sheared with inflow in the channel and outflow over the shoals. This pattern persisted during four separate semi-diurnal tidal cycle surveys effected over 3 years. During spring tides, residual exchange flows intensified relative to neap tides. Residual inflow in the channel only reversed immediately after tropical storms because of their extreme winds and major temporal changes in water level. After the residual flow reversed in the channel, along-channel baroclinicity drove gravitational circulation that persisted for 4.5 days and was enhanced by offshore winds. A depth-averaged along-basin momentum budget highlighted the importance of bottom friction to help balance the barotropic pressure gradient. The rest of the momentum budget was likely provided by advective terms. During and after tropical storms, accelerations from wind stress and baroclinic pressure gradients also became influential in the along-basin momentum budget.
Simulation of the solar wind interaction with the outer regions of the Coma

Interaction of the solar wind with newly born cometary ions, O(+), is studied through hybrid simulations (particle ions, fluid electrons). The results show that depending on the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) with respect to the solar wind velocity, two kinds of interaction are possible. When IMF is exactly or nearly parallel to the solar wind velocity, momentum transfer between the protons and the O(+) ions takes place solely through the excitation of large amplitude electromagnetic waves. On the other hand, as IMF becomes more oblique to the solar wind velocity, momentum transfer occurs on a faster time scale through the motional electric field in the solar wind. This more rapid deceleration can lead to the formation of a shock.
Robust TV commercial detection based on audiovisual features

A robust TV commercial detection system is proposed in this research. Even though several methods were investigated to address the TV commercial detection problem and interesting results were obtained before, most previous work focuses on features within a short temporal window. These methods are suitable for on-line detection, but often result in higher false alarm rates as a trade-off. To reduce the false alarm rate, we explore audiovisual features in a larger temporal window. Specifically, we group shots into scenes using audio data processing, and then obtain features that are related to commercial characteristics from scenes. Experimental results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system.
Risk assessment, remedial decisions and the challenge to protect public health: The perchlorate case study

While scientists have a responsibility to defer judgment in the absence of conclusive data, public health and ecological protection require that government regulators make decisions based on available information. The risk assessment paradigm has evolved to help risk managers balance risks to public health with the cost of pollution control and remediation. Risk assessments are designed to be reasonably protective of public health, however the time and money required to develop and evaluate a robust scientific database can significantly delay regulatory action while exposures continue. The federal assessment of perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel and a thyroid toxicant, is presented here as a case study that demonstrates some of the limitations of risk assessment in protecting public health. Perchlorate was detected in a city well field that lies beneath a military training range at Aberdeen Proving Ground, a U.S. Army garrison in Maryland. Cleanup was put on hold, pending promulgation of a national drinking water standard for perchlorate. This case study (1) illustrates the challenge of preventing chemical exposures in the absence of promulgated standards, and (2) makes recommendations for approaches to preventing exposures to chemicals of unknown, or uncertain toxicity before they occur.
A novel dynamic optical low-pass filter

Most contemporary still and video cameras employ various optically birefringent materials as optical low-pass filters (OLPF) in order to minimize alias artifacts in the image. Due to the slope characteristics of these filters, camera designers are faced with the choice of either under correcting to maintain image resolution, allowing some aliasing, or eliminating aliases with a more aggressive design that will also compromise the image modulation transfer function (MTF). Furthermore, most OLPFs are designed as optical elements with a frequency response that does not change even if the frequency responses of other elements of the capturing systems are altered. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of a parallel optical window or, alternatively, a rigid mirror positioned between a lens and an imager as an OLPF. Controlled x- and y-axis rotations of the window and the mirror result in a manipulation of the point spread function (PSF) of the system and frequency content of imaged continuous scenes. We evaluate the system MTF when various window functions are used to shape PSF, such as rectangle, triangle, Blackman-Harris etc. We also present results of our experiments when the dynamic OLPF's support and shape are altered to accommodate the optical performance of lenses and imager characteristics.
Development and Plasticity of the Primary Visual Cortex

Hubel and Wiesel began the modern study of development and plasticity of primary visual cortex (V1), discovering response properties of cortical neurons that distinguished them from their inputs and that were arranged in a functional architecture. Their findings revealed an early innate period of development and a later critical period of dramatic experience-dependent plasticity. Recent studies have used rodents to benefit from biochemistry and genetics. The roles of spontaneous neural activity and molecular signaling in innate, experience-independent development have been clarified, as have the later roles of visual experience. Plasticity produced by monocular visual deprivation (MD) has been dissected into stages governed by distinct signaling mechanisms, some of whose molecular players are known. Many crucial questions remain, but new tools for perturbing cortical cells and measuring plasticity at the level of changes in connections among identified neurons now exist. The future for the study of V1 to illuminate cortical development and plasticity is bright.
WE-C-BRB-08: Sensitivity of Dosimetric Margin Distribution and Coverage Estimates to Sampling Parameters

Purpose: The dosimetric margin distribution (DMD) is a planning tool for evaluating target and normal tissue dose coverage probabilities in the presence of geometric uncertainties. This work evaluates sensitivity of coverage estimates derived from the DMD to the angular increment w at which the DMD is sampled, and the distance search increment d. Method and Materials: The study utilized three plans for localized prostate cancer, with prescribed dose of 79.2Gy and 1cm clinical target volume to planning target volume (CTV‐to‐PTV) margins, planned according to the high dose arm of RTOG0126. Dose was first recalculated with beam fluences convolved with a normal probability density function to simulate the effect of random uncertainties. Dosimetric margins were then calculated between the CTV and the 79.2Gy isodose surface at elevations f from −90° to +90°, and azimuthal angles q from −180° to +180°. In each direction (f,q) the CTV was moved relative to the dose distribution in steps of d until its minimum dose fell below 79.2Gy. Estimated coverage Qest was calculated from the DMD assuming systematic uncertainties (rigid body translations) were normally distributed with standard deviation S along each axis. Minimum and maximum deviations DQest were obtained over a range of S values for w = 5°, 10°, 20° relative to w = 2°, and for d = 0.2, 0.5, 1mm relative to d = 0.1mm. Results: Coverage uncertainty due to finite angular sampling interval w is approximately 0.5% at w = 10° and 1.5% at w = 20°. Uncertainty due to finite step size d is negligible for d £ 0.2 mm, and is approximately 0.6% for d = 1mm. Conclusion: Coverage estimates accurate to ±0.5% will be obtained if the DMD is sampled with w = 10° and d = 0.2 mm. Coverage estimates accurate to this level are desirable for target and normal tissue coverage evaluation in current treatment plans, and to support future treatment planning based on probabilistic coverage criteria. (Supported by NIH P01CA116602).
Apparent redundancy in the somatosensory system in monkeys.

Abstract Monkeys were used for recording the cortical responses to electrical stimulation of the superficial radial nerve skin territory. High cervical section of fasciculi gracilis and cuneatus, with or without concurrent lesions of the spinocervical tract, did not modify the cortical evoked responses. Combined dorsal funiculuslateral lemniscus lesions either eliminated or markedly attenuated the early responses and only late residual components were present in primary and non-primary cortex. We conclude that fast and efficient conduction of information from the skin to the cortex occurs both through the dorsal funiculus-medial lemniscus and the neospinothalamic system.
Involvement of GABAA receptors in myoclonus

Alterations in multiple neurochemical systems have been reported in animal and human studies of posthypoxic myoclonus. It is impossible, however, to establish causative relationships between the observed changes and the myoclonic movements from these studies. Therefore, to establish causative links between neurochemical changes and myoclonus, ligands that target neurotransmitter systems that are altered in posthypoxic myoclonus were microinjected into the lateral ventricles of normal rats to identify the changes that can produce myoclonus. Of the ligands that were tested, only the GABA A antagonists produced myoclonus after intracerebroventricular administration, suggesting the importance of disinhibition of GABAergic systems in myoclonus, To further examine the role of GABA in myoclonus, GABAergic antagonists were microinjected into the nucleus reticularis of the thalamus (NRT), an area of the brain in which extensive pathologic changes are seen in posthypoxic animals. GABA A , but not GABA B , antagonists produced myoclonus after microinjection into the NRT. Earlier investigators have further reported the ability of GABA A antagonists to produce myoclonus after microinjection into the caudate. The data therefore suggest that disruption of activity at GABA A receptors at any one of a number of levels in the neural axis can produce myoclonus.
GAP43 phosphorylation is critical for growth and branching of retinotectal arbors in zebrafish

Visual activity acts via NMDA Receptors to refine developing retinotectal maps by shaping retinal arbors. Retinal axons add and delete transient branches, and the dynamic rates increase when MK801 blocks NMDARs, as if this prevents release of a stabilizing signal. Ca(++) entry through NMDARs activates phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) to release arachidonic acid (AA), which taps into a presynaptic growth control mechanism. NCAM, L1, N-cadherin, and FGF all stimulate axon growth via AA activation of protein kinase C to phosphorylate GAP43 and polymerize/stabilize F-actin. Our previous results show that blocking cPLA2 mimics NMDAR blockers, whereas exogenous AA reverses the increased dynamics, and PKC inhibitors also arrest growth. To test whether this activity-driven F-actin control mechanism shapes retinotectal arbors in zebrafish, we used the alpha-1-tubulin promoter to express GAP43-GFP fusion proteins in retinal ganglion cells, and imaged arbors in time-lapse to test for effects of GAP43 levels and its phosphorylation. Overexpressing wildtype GAP43 gave faster growth and larger arbors (#branches, spatial extent, total length of branches) at three days and especially four days. Surprisingly, the N-terminal 20 amino acid segment alone caused the same increase in branching, but no increase in growth. Earlier studies implicate this region in activating G(o) resulting in collapse of growth cones, which is now known to precede branch initiation. In contrast, GAP43 with ser41 mutated to ala (S41A) to prevent phosphorylation did not increase either branching or growth but resulted in immature, elongated arbors even at four to five days. In support of this atrophic effect, only half of brain/spinal neurons expressing S41A successfully initiated axonal outgrowth (vs. nearly 100% for wtGAP43). These results suggest that the region around the ser41 phosphorylation site, which binds CaM and PIP2, promotes growth only when phosphorylated, and also activates the branching control region in the first 10-20 amino acids. Whereas phosphorylation introduces a bulky negative charge group, mutation of serine to arginine introduces a bulky positive charge. But this also produced the same growth and branching as phosphorylation, suggesting that the effect of phosphorylation is through hydrophilic bulk rather than negative charge, in agreement with other IQ motifs. The results implicate the cPLA2-AA-PKC-GAP43 pathway as part of an F-actin based mechanism that both stabilizes new synapses and initiates new branches near effective synapses.
Slicing: A New Approach for Privacy Preserving Data Publishing

Several anonymization techniques, such as generalization and bucketization, have been designed for privacy preserving microdata publishing. Recent work has shown that generalization loses considerable amount of information, especially for high-dimensional data. Bucketization, on the other hand, does not prevent membership disclosure and does not apply for data that do not have a clear separation between quasi-identifying attributes and sensitive attributes. In this paper, we present a novel technique called slicing, which partitions the data both horizontally and vertically. We show that slicing preserves better data utility than generalization and can be used for membership disclosure protection. Another important advantage of slicing is that it can handle high-dimensional data. We show how slicing can be used for attribute disclosure protection and develop an efficient algorithm for computing the sliced data that obey the l-diversity requirement. Our workload experiments confirm that slicing preserves better utility than generalization and is more effective than bucketization in workloads involving the sensitive attribute. Our experiments also demonstrate that slicing can be used to prevent membership disclosure.
A1-3: Small-scale Implementation Study of the Cancer Survival Query System

Background/Aims The Cancer Survival Query System (CSQS) is a second generation prototype cancer prognostic tool developed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It was designed for physicians to use so they could better understand and communicate with prostate and colorectal cancer patients valid estimates of their cancer survival within the context of all causes of death. The aim of this study was to assess the market readiness and enhance the likelihood of large-scale adoption of CSQS.
p38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Mediates Bid Cleavage, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Caspase-3 Activation during Apoptosis Induced by Singlet Oxygen but Not by Hydrogen Peroxide

p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase is activated and involved in cleavage of caspase-3 during apoptosis induced by a number of stimuli. However, the signaling events triggered by p38 that result in caspase-3 activation are still unknown. In human leukemia cells, two reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), selectively stimulated the phosphorylation of p38. Preincubation of cells with SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38, dose dependently inhibited DNA fragmentation induced by singlet oxygen but not by H2O2. Protection from apoptosis by SB203580 correlated with inhibition of caspase-3, and several events that are associated with caspase-3 activation, including Bid cleavage, decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential and release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, whereas caspase-8 cleavage was not affected by this inhibitor. In contrast, blockade of caspase-8 with Ile-Glu-Thr-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone is sufficient to prevent formation of DNA fragments and to inhibit all the above signaling events, with exception of p38 phosphorylation, in both singlet oxygen- and H2O2-treated cells. These data suggest that caspase-3 activation is regulated through redundant signaling pathways that involve p38 and caspase-8 acting upstream of Bid during singlet oxygen-induced apoptosis, whereas the activation of caspase-3 by H2O2 is only governed by a caspase-8-mediated apoptotic pathway.
Proteomic and Systems Biology Analysis of the Monocyte Response to Coxiella burnetii Infection

Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen and the causative agent of Q fever. Chronic Q fever can produce debilitating fatigue and C. burnetii is considered a significant bioterror threat. C. burnetii occupies the monocyte phagolysosome and although prior work has explained features of the host-pathogen interaction, many aspects are still poorly understood. We have conducted a proteomic investigation of human Monomac I cells infected with the Nine Mile Phase II strain of C. burnetii and used the results as a framework for a systems biology model of the host response. Our principal methodology was multiplex differential 2D gel electrophoresis using ZDyes, a new generation of covalently linked fluorescent protein detection dyes under development at Montana State University. The 2D gel analysis facilitated the detection of changes in posttranslational modifications on intact proteins in response to infection. The systems model created from our data a framework for the design of experiments to seek a deeper understanding of the host-pathogen interactions.
Electrostatic plasma turbulence in the topside equatorial F region ionosphere

[1] Two-dimensional, turbulent plasma flows in the topside equatorial F region ionosphere associated with fully developed equatorial spread F are analyzed and simulated numerically. In the inertially dominated flow regime, the governing equations of motion resemble the Navier Stokes equation but are cubicly nonlinear. Large amplitude density irregularities are prerequisite for inertial effects to be important, but when these are present, the third-order nonlinear effects become significant, mean-squared velocity and vorticity cease to be conserved by nonlinear mode coupling, and the foundations of the turbulent cascade theory of Kraichnan [1967] are undermined. Nonetheless, one-dimensional, angle-averaged velocity spectra computed from simulated flows exhibit similarity ranges with k−5/3 and k−3 power laws, resembling inertial ranges and suggesting turbulent cascades. Invariants of the flow (quantities conserved by nonlinear mode coupling) are found which are generalizations of the quadratic forms of kinetic energy and enstrophy and which are dimensionally equivalent to them. Statistical properties of the flow appear to permit turbulent cascades to arise.
Au/Be ohmic contacts to p-type indium phosphide

Abstract The use of evaporated layers of Au and Be for alloyed ohmic contacts to p -type InP with 10 17 –10 18 cm −3 doping has been examined. It was found that the Au/Be ratio influences the optimum heat-treatment time and temperature but not the value of the specific contact resistance. The minimum value of the contact resistance for the Au/Be contact, as well as other Au-based alloy contacts to p -type InP, was found to be inversely proportional to substrate doping. A possible explanation for this result is the formation of small, localized p + regions during the Au/InP alloying process.
High-alumina tailored nuclear waste ceramics

A dense high-alumina ceramic has been developed for the immobilization of Savannah River Plant nuclear waste. The ceramic, fabricated by reactive hot-pressing, consists of four compatible crystalline phases, alumina, spinel, magnetoplumbite, and uraninite. The magnetoplumbite phase can incorporate the elements Cs, Sr, Si, Na, Ca, Ba, La, Nd, Mn, Fe, Ce, K, and Ni in its crystal structure, whereas the uraninite phase hosts the elements U, Th, and Zr. The remaining phases in the ceramic provide microstructural isolation of both the uraninite and magnetoplumbite. The mineralogy of the system is modeled by phase-compatibility investigations of the pseudoquaternary system Al2O3-Nd2O,-alkali + alkaline earth-(Mg, Fe, Ni)O, enabling the extent of waste loading and the phase stability to be predicted.
The lattice of ideals of a polynomial semiring

We show that for a semiringR, the following statements are equivalent: (1)R is a ring, (2) every left ideal ofR[X], the semiring of polynomials overR, is subtractive, (3) the lattice of left ideals ofR[X] is modular.
Acute respiratory effects of a fire involving silicone rubber.

Acute pulmonary irritation was found in five firefighters who inhaled combustion products from silicone rubber. Pulmonary function measured by spirometry was depressed, a variety of respiratory symtoms were reported, and two firefighters had persistent shortness of breath and rales at the lung bases posteriorly. Environmental measurements and comparisons with observations from other fires strongly suggest that these effects were caused by silicone rubber combustion products alone or in combustion with other fire products.
The human placenta: A major source of prostaglandin D2

Human intra-uterine tissues have been superfused and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) has been measured in the effluents by a specific radioimmunoassay. The rate of production of PGD2 by placenta was three fold greater than that by amnion, chorion laeve or decidua vera. It is suggested that PGD2 produced by the placenta may play an important part in the regulation of utero-placental hemodynamics in human pregnancy.
Scuteflorins A and B, Dihydropyranocoumarins from Scutellaria lateriflora

Two new dihydropyranocoumarins, scuteflorins A (1) and B (2), together with the known compounds decursin (3), chrysin (4), oroxylin A (5), wogonin (6), 5,7-dihydroxy-8,2′-dimethoxyflavone, dihydrochrysin, dihydrooroxylin A, lupenol, scutellaric acid, pomolic acid, ursolic acid, β-sitosterol, daucosterol, and palmitic acid, were isolated from the aerial parts of Scutellaria lateriflora, commonly used as a dietary supplement. The structures of 1 and 2 were established by means of 1D and 2D NMR spectra as well as HRMS data. The absolute configuration of coumarins 1 and 2 was determined by comparison of experimental and theoretical calculated CD spectra. The cytotoxicity and antioxidant effects of the methanol extract of this plant and some of the constituent flavonoids were evaluated in vitro.
Internal catalysis of reactions of activated vinyl compounds via tertiary amino substituents in cotton cellulose

The tertiary amino groups of 2-diethylaminoethyl substituents in cotton cellulose have been found to be effective catalysts for reactions of activated vinyl compounds with cellulosic hydroxyl groups. These reactions proceed more slowly and to lesser extents at equilibrium than the corresponding reactions catalyzed by quaternary ammonium substituents. The crosslinking of cotton cellulose with divinyl sulfone is catalyzed by (C2H5)2NCH2CH2 substituents and by (C2H5)2NCH2CH(OH)CH2 substituents, with the development of moderate levels of wrinkle recovery. On the other hand, only the former substituents catalyze the reorganization of the crosslinkages during recure (160°C, 10 min), with substantial increases (40°) in wrinkle recovery angles. These same 2-diethylaminoethyl substituents are effective in catalyzing the reorganization of crosslinkages from divinyl sulfone which are introduced into the cotton by conventional external catalysis (i.e., NaOH); this effectiveness can be overcome by the introduction of excessive crosslinkages into the cellulosic composition.
An omitted level: an examination of relational orientations and viral suppression among HIV serodiscordant male couples.

Couples’ adopting a relational orientation – when partners regard themselves as a collective unit – is associated with optimal health. HIV-positive men and their HIV-negative partners (N = 116 serodiscordant male couples) were surveyed. Logistic regression showed greater relational orientations of HIV-positive (aOR=7.87; 95% CI = 1.63, 38.05) and HIV-negative partners (aOR=6.16; 95% CI: 1.43, 26.59) and HIV-positive partners’ higher income (aOR=2.95; 95% CI = 1.13, 7.70) and lower depression (aOR=0.39; 95% CI = 0.15, 0.97) were associated with viral suppression with no evidence of mediation by adherence. Incorporating relationship dynamics into biomedical strategies is a promising avenue for research and intervention.
Combustion of Han-Based Liquid Propellant Sprays at 28 to 38 MPA

ABSTRACT Experiments were conducted to elucidate the jet breakup, atomization, and combustion of liquid gun propellant (LGP) sprays through the use of imaging techniques. Hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN)-based monopropellants were injected al velocities ranging from 100 to 240 m/s through circular orifices into 33 MPa. 500°C nitrogen. Spray dynamics were recorded via high speed cinematography. Breakthroughs in the imaging of combusting sprays were achieved by side illumination of The sprays with pulsed laser light sheets and by seeding the propellants with various nitrate salts to enhance flame luminosity. The sprays were observed to ignite in the far field, and flame advanced upstream, sustained by extensive turbulent gas recirculation in the closed chamber. The experiments revealed the significance of intense, random burning in vortices. The formation and combustion of large liquid droplets in the vortices were also observed. In addition to the LGP sprays, experiments were conducted with liquids whose the...
Squaric acid-based peptidic inhibitors of matrix metalloprotease-1.

A series of squaric acid-peptide conjugates were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of MMP-1. The cyclobut-3-enedione core was substituted at the 3-position with several functional groups, such as −N(alkyl)OH, −NHOH, and −OH, that are designed to bind to the zinc atom in the active site of the metalloprotease. The 4-position of the cyclobut-3-enedione was derivatized with mono- or dipeptides that are designed to bind in the S1‘ and S2‘ subsites of the enzyme, and position the metal chelating group appropriately in the active site for binding to zinc. Positional scanning revealed that −N(Me)OH provided the highest level of inhibition among the chelating groups that were tested, and Leu-Tle-NHMe was the preferred amino acid sequence. A combination of these groups yielded an inhibitor with an IC50 value of 95 μM. For one inhibitor, conversion of one of the carbonyl groups on the cyclobut-3-enedione core to a thiocarbonyl group resulted in a 18-fold increase in potency, and yielded a compound with an IC5...
Modeling of laser keyhole welding: Part II. Simulation of keyhole evolution, velocity, temperature profile, and experimental verification

This article presents the simulation results of a three-dimensional mathematical model using the level set method for laser-keyhole welding. The details of the model are presented in Part I.[4] The effects of keyhole formation on the liquid melt pool and, in turn, on the weld bead are investigated in detail. The influence of process parameters, such as laser power and scanning speed is analyzed. This simulation shows very interesting features in the weld pool, such as intrinsic instability of keyholes, role of recoil pressure, and effect of beam scanning.
Dynamic Translational and Proteasomal Regulation of Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein Controls mGluR-Dependent Long-Term Depression

Genetic deletion of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) has been shown to enhance mGluR-dependent long-term depression (LTD). Herein, we demonstrate that mGluR-LTD induces a transient, translation-dependent increase in FMRP that is rapidly degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Moreover, proteasome inhibitors abolished mGluR-LTD, and LTD was absent in mice that overexpress human FMRP. Neither translation nor proteasome inhibitors blocked the augmentation of mGluR-LTD in FMRP-deficient mice. In addition, mGluR-LTD is associated with rapid increases in the protein levels of FMRP target mRNAs in wild-type mice. Interestingly, the basal levels of these proteins were elevated and their synthesis was improperly regulated during mGluR-LTD in FMRP-deficient mice. Our findings indicate that hippocampal mGluR-LTD requires the rapid synthesis and degradation of FMRP and that mGluR-LTD triggers the synthesis of FMRP binding mRNAs. These findings indicate that the translation, ubiquitination, and proteolysis of FMRP functions as a dynamic regulatory system for controlling synaptic plasticity.
Classroom Assessment of Socialization.

Socialization and emotional development have historically been important goals in early childhood programs. However, while the cognitive area has been the focus of research and assessment, socializ...
Renormalization group and linear integral equations

We develop a position-space renormalization-group transformation which can be employed to study general linear integral equations. In this Brief Report we employ our method to study one class of such equations pertinent to the equilibrium properties of fluids. The results of applying our method are in excellent agreement with known numerical calculations where they can be compared. We also obtain information about the singular behavior of this type of equation which could not be obtained numerically.
The effects of extinction training in reducing the reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior: Involvement of NMDA receptors

Although the process of extinction has been well documented for various forms of behavioral responses, the effects of extinction on the reinstatement of drug seeking behavior are relatively understudied. In this report, the effectiveness of an extinction training protocol to reduce primed reinstatement responses was compared with the effectiveness of an equivalent period of enforced abstinence. We found that extinction training performed in the drug taking environment significantly reduced reinstatement behavior subsequently primed by either contextual cues, conditioned cues, or cocaine infusion. The ability of extinction to reduce cocaine primed reinstatement was blocked by the systemic administration of the competitive NMDAR antagonist ((±)CPP, 5 mg/kg i.p.) administered prior to each extinction training session. Interestingly, this pharmacological intervention had no impact on the effectiveness of extinction to reduce drug-seeking behavior primed by either contextual cues or conditioned cues. These results suggest that an extinction training experience involves multiple mechanisms that can be dissociated into nonNMDAR and NMDAR dependent components with respect to the type of reinstatement (i.e. context-, CS-, or drug-induced) being assessed.
Effect of heliox on end-tidal CO2 measurement in healthy adults.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic gases and other modalities delivered by inhalation may affect the accuracy of capnographic measurements in 2 ways. First is the specificity of the measurement of CO2 within the device, and second is the dilution effect of supplemental gases in the ambient air during CO2 sampling by the device. Our goal was to determine if variables such as inhaled gas composition, gas flows delivered via non-rebreather mask, and mouth open or closed affect measurements of end-tidal CO2 pressure (PETCO2) measured with the Capnostream 20 capnograph. METHODS: We measured PETCO2 and breathing frequency by capnography in 20 adult normal subjects, with coaching to maintain respiratory frequency between 10 and 20 breaths/min. SpO2 was monitored to detect hypoxemia. A 6 min wash-out period occurred between each 6 min level of testing. RESULTS: A mixed models analysis revealed that the mean ± SD PETCO2 for all subjects and flows while breathing heliox (37 ± 5 mm Hg) was not different ( P = .50) from the value while breathing room air (36 ± 5 mm Hg). Repeated measurements with given subjects over 6 min periods of breathing spontaneously 0 L/min, with 10 L/min, and with 15 L/min of either air or heliox showed no difference in PETCO2 related to flow: P = .97 for 0 L/min vs 10 L/min, P = .87 for 0 L/min vs 15 L/min. CONCLUSIONS: In normal subjects, PETCO2 measurements with the Capnostream 20 were not affected by heliox or gas flow at 10 or 15 L/min through a non-rebreathing mask.
Toward Safe and Human Friendly Hydraulics: The Passive Valve

Hydraulic systems, as power sources and transmissions, offer many advantages over electromechanical or purely mechanical counterparts in terms of power density, flexibility, and portability. Many hydraulic systems require touching and contacting the physical environments; and many of these systems are directly controlled by humans. If hydraulic systems are passive, they would be both safer to interact with, and easier for humans to control. In this paper, it is shown that a critical hydraulic component, the directional control valve, is not passive. However, the directional valve, as a one-port or a two-port device can become passive if appropriate spool valve dynamics are imposed. Methods to passify the valve for both first-order and second-order spool dynamics are considered. In the case of second-order spool dynamics, a passive method that relies on hardware modification, and an active feedback method, are proposed.
Raw Rock Phosphate as a Phosphorus Supplement for Growing Pullets and Layers

Abstract Duplicate groups of Leghorn-type strain-cross chicks were reared on four diets with 0, .6, 1.2, and 1.8% of raw rock phosphate replacing appropriate quantities of dicalcium phosphate and corn. The fluorine levels added by the rock phosphate were 0, 216, 432, and 648 ppm for the four diets, respectively. The four groups were kept on the same levels of raw rock phosphate through starting, growing, and laying. After the first year of production, the hens were force molted and kept for another year on the same diets. The initial phases of the experiment were repeated and samples of pullets were kept in individual cages until their sexual maturity was determined. The fluorine content of the diet had no significant (P Egg weight, interior quality of the egg, shell quality, fertility and hatchability, and performance of the progeny were not affected by the different levels of dietary fluorine. Hens receiving raw rock phosphate produced eggs containing up to .48 ppm and .66 ppm fluorine in the albumin and yolk, respectively, compared with the controls (.23 ppm fluorine in the albumin and .27 ppm fluorine in the yolk). The levels of fluorine added to many community water supplies range from .8 to 1.2 ppm fluorine.
Phospholipid fatty acid profiles and carbon utilization patterns for analysis of microbial community structure under field and greenhouse conditions

The description of soil microbial community structure by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles is based on the relationship between the phylogeny of microorganisms and their PLFA profiles. Based on this relationship, two community based microbiological measurements, namely, potential C source utilization patterns in Biolog microtiter plates and PLFA profiles were used to examine metabolic fingerprints of soil microbial communities and changes in species composition between field and greenhouse soils. Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted using Palouse and Ritzville silt loams. Soil sampled under wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), pea (Pisum sativa L.), jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica L.), downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.), and control soils (no plants) were used for these analyses. Principal component analysis (PCA) of PLFA profiles and C source utilization patterns were used to describe changes in microbial biomass and metabolic fingerprints from the two soil types under field and greenhouse conditions. Biomass measurements from extractable PLFA profiles per g dry weight ranged from 28.8 nmol in wheat soil in the greenhouse to 71.4 nmol in pea soil in the field. In general, biomass was higher in all the field samples than in greenhouse samples. Principal component analysis of the two soils with different plants in the field and greenhouse showed clear separation. Principal component analysis of C utilization patterns on the effects of environment on soil microbial community yielded similar results with PLFA measurements. However, higher variability observed among different plants with the Biolog data resulted in the low amount of variance for Biolog data explained by the first two dimensions of the PCA. This suggests that PLFA may be more sensitive for community analysis than the Biolog technique.
Inhibition of Preretinal and Optic Nerve Head Neovascularization in Pigs by Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide

Purpose: The authors tested the antiangiogenic properties of intravitreally administered triamcinolone acetonide in a pig model of preretinal neovascularization to determine the effectiveness of this therapy in preventing neovascularization. Methods: In 14 eyes of seven pigs, branch retinal vein occlusions were created in a standardized manner using photodynamic thrombosis with rose Bengal dye and thermal burns from the argon green laser. Intravitreal injection of approximately 4 mg of triamcinolone acetonide was performed in one eye of each animal, and eyes were followed clinically for 12 weeks with ophthalmoscopy and fundus photography. A standardized grading system was developed to permit masked assessment of disc proliferations from fundus stereophotographs. After death, all neovascularization was confirmed histopathologically and a final grade was assigned to each eye. Statistical analysis employed use of a nonparametric test of the paired data. Results: Significant inhibition of neovascularization was observed in triamcinolonetreated eyes ( P = 0.0156). Although none of the steroid-injected eyes demonstrated clinically evident new vessels, histopathologic and photographic analysis results demonstrated fine new vessels on the optic disc in four eyes. In all of the untreated eyes, neovascularization of a moderate (II) to high (III to IV) grade developed. Conclusions: Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide effectively inhibited preretinal and optic nerve head neovascularization in the pig model. The grading system used permitted masked assessment of outcome and paired analysis allowed a conclusion to be drawn from a relatively small number of eyes. The mechanisms by which triamcinolone acetonide inhibits neovascularization remain to be elucidated.
Occult carpal pathology: tomographic evaluation

Pluridirectional tomography in coronal and sagittal planes has been used to identify occult carpal pathology in 23 patients with chronic wrist pain following recent or remote trauma. The tomographic studies have detected or further defined the carpal pathology in 22 of the 23 patients studied adding useful information concerning their clinical management.
Survival prediction in the intensive care unit: A comparison of neural networks and binary logit regression

Abstract As a component of hospital cost containment policy, the National Institutes for Health recommends that hospitals limit intensive care unit (ICU) resources to patients who have a reasonable probability of recovery. In order to provide more ethical and objective measures of the likelihood of ICU recovery, hospitals have turned increasingly to decision support software such as APACHE (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation), which derives predictions from binary logit regression (BLR), a parametric estimation technique. Rapid advancements in computer software and hardware technology have encouraged researchers to use more computationally intensive non-parametric techniques such as neural networks (NNs) whose prediction capabilities are purported to be greater than those of parametric models. The present study applies this methodology to a sample of ICU patients and shows that neural networks appear to more correctly predict survival than does BLR.
Competition, cooperation and learning: the new dynamics of strategy and organisation design for the innovation net

The proliferation of breakthrough technologies and innovations among many industries has spurred the formulation of new types of competitive strategies and imperatives to learn new sources of competitive advantage. It is increasingly the case that the rising costs and risks of innovation make it increasingly difficult for any firm to undertake this knowledge-intensive endeavour completely on its own. As firms move towards establishing closer relationships with their suppliers, partners, and even their competitors, a new paradigm of strategy, value creation, and organisation design appears to be emerging. In this paper, we propose and define the concept of an "innovation net", whereby competition is based on creating new product architectures and technological platforms that often transcend the boundaries of any given industry. Within the innovation net, firms are becoming increasingly specialised in their value-creation activities, and yet simultaneously interdependent on other economic entities to shape the underlying value proposition offered to customers. Competitive advantage in the innovation net is based on learning and absorbing new sources of knowledge, no matter where they may emanate. A focus on modularity, cultivation of tacit knowledge, and learning alliances provides the key organisational design drivers that sustain competitive advantage.
Specific absorption rate benefits of including measured electric field interactions in parallel excitation pulse design

Specific absorption rate management and excitation fidelity are key aspects of radiofrequency pulse design for parallel transmission at ultra-high magnetic field strength. The design of radiofrequency pulses for multiple channels is often based on the solution of regularized least-squares optimization problems for which a regularization term is typically selected to control the integrated or peak pulse waveform amplitude. Unlike single-channel transmission, the specific absorption rate of parallel transmission is significantly influenced by interferences between the electric fields associated with the individual transmission elements, which a conventional regularization term does not take into account. This work explores the effects upon specific absorption rate of incorporating experimentally measurable electric field interactions into parallel transmission pulse design. Results of numerical simulations and phantom experiments show that the global specific absorption rate during parallel transmission decreases when electric field interactions are incorporated into pulse design optimization. The results also show that knowledge of electric field interactions enables robust prediction of the net power delivered to the sample or subject by parallel radiofrequency pulses before they are played out on a scanner.
Timescale analysis of aerosol sensitivity during homogeneous freezing and implications for upper tropospheric water vapor budgets

[1] Using timescales for the generation and depletion of water vapor, we predict aerosol sensitivity in clouds formed by homogeneous freezing. Our timescale analysis explains why aerosol sensitivity increases dramatically with ice deposition coefficients (αi) ≪ 0.1, and also why aerosol sensitivity increases as vertical velocity increases, temperature decreases, aerosol number decreases, and aerosol size decreases. We combine existing in-situ observations with adiabatic parcel modeling to constrain αi ≥ 0.1 for small ice crystals forming at high ice supersaturations. Two important implications for understanding and modeling upper tropospheric water vapor budgets emerge from our results: 1) aerosol sensitivity can be appreciable at low temperatures and moderate updrafts (∼5 cm/s) in the upper tropical troposphere, 2) reconciling our results with recent laboratory measurements supports theory that αi increases with ice supersaturation and/or decreases with ice crystal size.
Comparison of One‐Day and Three‐Day Calorie Counts in Hospitalized Patients: A Pilot Study

Objective: To determine whether a 1-day calorie count can replace the labor-intensive 3-day calorie count commonly performed in hospitalized patients when estimates of caloric and protein intake are required. Design: Pilot study using prospective, non-concurrent review of medical records. Setting: Hospital. Participants: Thirty patients (mean age 67 years). Results: Mean 3-day intake (952 ± 91 calories, 41 ± 4 g protein) was about half of calculated requirements; first-day intake was similar (918 ± 116 calories, 40 ± 5 g protein). The first day had high sensitivity (calories 96%; protein 93%) and positive predictive value (calories 100%; protein 96%). Malnutrition was evident; three-fourths of patients had weights below recommended ranges, and 83% were hypoalbuminemic. Conclusions: Three-day calorie counts are frequently performed in patients suspected of eating poorly. Results of this pilot study suggest that 1-day calorie counts may be a valid alternative. However, readily available anthropometric and biochemical data may be as good an indicator of inadequate dietary intake.
The representation of third person and its consequences for person-case effects

In modeling the effects of the Person-Case Constraint (PCC), a common claim is that 3rd person "is not a person". However, while this claim does work in the syntax, it creates problems in the morphology. For example, characterizing the well-known "spurious se effect" in Spanish simply cannot be done without reference to 3rd person. Inspired by alternatives to underspecification that have emerged in phonology (e.g., Calabrese, 1995), a revised featural system is proposed, whereby syntactic agreement may be relativized to certain values of a feature, in particular, the contrastive and marked values. The range of variation in PCC effects is shown to emerge as a consequence of the parametric options allowed on a Probing head,
N‐Nitrosodimethylamine Formation in Cooked Frankfurters Containing Alaska Pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) Mince and Surimi

Studies were conducted to determine the feasibility of using Alaska pollock mince as a partial substitute for red meats in the formulation of frankfurters. Studies included the effects of fish form (unwashed and washed mince and surimi), percentage substitution (15 and 50) and five different methods of cooking the fish-meat franks on their N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) content. The amount of formed NDMA depended on the method of cooking. Broiling and frying generated the highest levels. Microwave and boiling generated the lowest levels of NDMA, which were equivalent to the level in uncooked franks. Broiling was observed to increase the amount of dimethyl-and trimethylamine formed.