cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interferon-induced cytolysis correlates with the degree of transformation of epidermal cells.

Abstract The cytolytic activity of interferon (IFN) was evaluated for its ability to distinguish between paired sets of nontumorigenic/tumorigenic epidermal cells (JB-1/JB-8; D1/Dlla) as well as a set consisting of nonpromotable, promotable, and tumorigenic epidermal cell lines (JB-6 clones 30, 21, and RT101). The viability of the cell types was measured in a microassay using histoplates. IFN-γ and IFN-α/β, when employed singly, demonstrated an equivalent and limited effect on the viability of all cell lines. Treatment of non-tumorigenic and nonpromotable cell lines with the combination of IFN-γ + IFN-α/β also caused only a limited effect on cell viability, whereas treatment of tumorigenic and promotable cell lines with the combination of IFNs caused a marked decrease in cell viability. Thus, the cytolytic effect of IFNs employed in combination but not singly was discriminatory between tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic cells as well as between promotable and non promotable cells. Addition of cytotoxic effector cells was found to have a relatively moderate effect on the survival of target cells that were treated with IFN-γ or IFN-α/β separately. Addition of cytotoxic effectors to target cells treated with the IFNs in combination had a discriminatory effect. Nontumorigenic and nonpromotable cells were moderately affected; the tumorigenic and the promotable cells, however, were markedly affected, resulting in their complete (or nearly complete) eradication. The results demonstrate that combination IFN treatment: (1) has a discriminatory cytolytic effect on tumorigenic and promotable cells in contrast to their nontumorigenic and nonpromotable counterparts; and (2) when added to cytotoxic effector cells can completely eradicate tumorigenic and promotable cells while having a significantly lesser effect on nontumorigenic and nonpromotable cells.
Dialysis-dependent renal failure in patients with myeloma can be reversed by high-dose myeloablative therapy and autotransplant

To evaluate the role of high-dose melphalan and autologous transplant (AT) in reversing dialysis-dependent renal failure, 59 patients still on dialysis at the time of AT were analyzed. A total of 37 patients had been on dialysis 10 ml/min were significant for renal function recovery: 12 of 36 (33%) 6 months on dialysis recovered renal function; 10 of 26 (38%) with >10 ml/min vs three of 28 (11%) with < or =10 ml/min of creatinine clearance (both P<0.05). Quality of response after autotransplant was also significant: 12 of 31 (39%) being greater than partial remission after AT vs one of 21 patients (5%) attaining partial remission or less became independent of dialysis (P<0.05). Our data suggest that significant renal failure can be reversible and AT should be considered early in the disease course.
Fe-Modified, Pt-Based Cathodic Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction with Enhanced Methanol Tolerance

Iron-modified carbon-supported platinum electrocatalysts were synthesized by the Bonnemann colloidal method. Physical characterization by the methods of Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction measurements were conducted to explore the catalyst surface area and particle size, particle distribution, degree of metal alloy, and phase structure. Electrochemical measurements were carried out to characterize the catalyst oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity under the condition of with and without methanol present. The catalyst performance was evaluated by rotating disk electrode sweep voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry techniques. The PtFe catalysts showed enhanced methanol tolerance and catalytic activity compared to Pt catalyst. The PtFe catalysts with atomic compositions of Pt/Fe = 9:1 and Pt/Fe =1:1 showed more enhanced methanol tolerance and catalytic activity than the Pt/Fe =3:1.
Situations in Which the Arithmetic and Geometric Moving Averages Are Inefficient Estimators

Four estimates of the current process average are compared in the situation when measurements are made at equal intervals of time and two types of variance components, σ2 2, the variance of a random-shift, cumulative component, and σ2 1, a transitory measurement component, are present. The four estimators are the current measurement, the m.v.u.e. (minimum variance unbiased estimate), the geometric moving average and the arithmetic moving average. The coefficients of the m.v.u.e. depend on c = σ2 2/σ2 1 and n, the number of periods of time at which measurements have been made. The inefficiencies caused by using the geometric moving average when c is small and n is small and by using the arithmetic moving average when c is large and n is large are studied and emphasized because of their practical importance.
Imperatoxin A, A Calcin Toxin From Pandinus Imperator Scorpions, Ablates Calcium Sparks In Permeabilized Cells

Imperatoxin A (IpTxa) is a 33 amino acid peptide toxin from the African scorpion Pandinus imperator. Its definitive structural and functional characteristics designate it as a member of the calcin family, a unique group of peptide toxins, which to date includes Hemicalcin (HCa), Hadrucalcin (HdCa), IpTxa, Maurocalcin (MCa), and Opicalcins 1 & 2 (Opi 1 & 2). Calcins are unified by 1) a compact, globular structure containing an inhibitor cystine knot, 2) positive net charge, 3) the ability to activate ryanodine receptors (RyR) with high affinity and selectivity, and 4) presumed or confirmed cell-penetrating capabilities. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of MCa to carry a fluorescent cargo to the interior of intact cells, and we have used a similar method to confirm that IpTxa is also a cell-penetrator. In addition, we have demonstrated IpTxa's ability to transiently enhance calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of intact cells. In the current study, we used confocal microscopy to explore the effects of IpTxa on saponin-permeabilized cells. Perfusion of 10nM IpTxa on cells resulted in a dramatic reduction of sparks to as low as 1% of control within two minutes. This effect was even more pronounced and rapid in the presence of 50nM toxin, with complete ablation of sparks in less than 1 minute. At the same time, mean fluorescence is often increased in our scans relative to control, although rapid application of caffeine reveals that SR calcium content is retained. Our results suggest that IpTxa depletes calcium from the SR, a hypothesis that would explain not only the ablation of sparks, but also the transient nature of enhanced calcium release in intact cells observed upon perfusion with IpTxa.
Reserve Requirements to Efficiently Manage Intra-Zonal Congestion

The security-constrained unit commitment problem schedules power generators to minimize cost subject to operating constraints. Reserve requirements ensure that reserve is available to re-balance the system following a contingency but do not guarantee reliability in congested systems where reserve activation is limited by transmission constraints. Operators improve reserve deliverability by limiting power flows and controlling the location of reserves. Zones are used to address inter-zonal congestion but operators lack efficient ways to handle intra-zonal congestion. We propose dynamically relating minimum reserve levels to transmission stress in a computationally efficient approach that complements existing reserve models from the literature. Analysis on the IEEE RTS 96 test case demonstrates the approach can mitigate intra-zonal congestion more economically than traditional reserve policies.
Teaching data warehousing to undergraduates: tales from the warehouse floor

Data warehousing has rapidly become a 28 billion dollar industry over the last dozen years, yet universities are still not producing the graduates that this industry requires. This presentation explores the approach that the author's University has successfully used to implement this course for their undergraduates. Due to the hands-on focus of the department, the challenge was presented to the author to develop a one-semester course that was a good balance between the theoretical and technical terms, yet not too diluted in its scope. Presenting the lessons learned over the last three years, the author will explore the following topics: developing the course; running the course and a post mortem analysis. Before a course can be developed a skill gap analysis between marketplace expectations and student's pre-requisite knowledge - and the tradeoffs made in order to create a 3 credit hour course need to be conducted. In order to run the course effectively, an analysis of available textbooks, software (both commercial packages and creative use of packages that may already be installed) must be conducted before syllabi and laboratory exercises can be developed. In the final analysis challenges that the students will face, and unexpected benefits to the instructor (such as feeding materials generated in this course into other courses the instructor may be teaching) will be discussed.
Experimental Investigation and Numerical Simulation of Glass-Silicon Bonding by Localized Laser Heating

In this paper, we report a method to bond silicon and glass wafers directly using localized laser heating (pulsed Nd:YAG laser, 1064 nm, 12 ns). Laser energy was transmitted through the glass wafer and absorbed by the silicon wafer, resulting in a localized high temperature area. Pressure was applied upon the silicon and glass wafers to ensure immediate contact and good heat conduction between them. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and chemical analysis were used to study bonding area and bonding mechanism. Numerical simulation was carried out in parallel using finite element method to predict the local temperature change of both the glass wafer and the silicon wafer during laser heating. The simulation was validated to some extent by the matching of melting time, which was obtained by using an additional probing laser (He-Ne, 633 nm, 20 mW) during the transient melting and re-solidification of the silicon. This bonding process is conducted locally while the entire wafer is maintained at room temperature, making it advantageous over traditional anodic bonding or fusion bonding.© 2003 ASME
The Effects of Negative Political Advertisements: A Meta-Analytic Assessment

The conventional wisdom about negative political advertisements holds that no one likes them, but they work, that is, they have the consequences their sponsors intend. Moreover, many analysts have expressed concern over the detrimental effects of such negativism on the American political system. We examine the accuracy of the conventional wisdom and the legitimacy of the fears about the consequences for the political system via meta-analysis, a systematic, quantitative review of the literature. The data do not support either contention. Negative political ads appear to be no more effective than positive ads and do not seem to have especially detrimental effects on the political system. Eleven subsidiary hypotheses about particular circumstances in which significant effects are likely to be found are tested and rejected. Discussion focuses on why negative political advertisements have become so popular in practice when there is so little evidence that they work especially well.
Density Profile of a Field-Reversed Configuration's n = 2 Rotational Instability VIA Tomographic Inversion of FRX-L'S Multichord Optical Interferometer

Summary form only given. An FRC gains angular momentum over time, eventually resulting in an n=2 instability (invariant under rotation by 180 degrees). This is of tentative concern for magnetized target fusion applications since compression by a solid liner may drive the mode further from stability, assuming adiabatic compression, angular momentum conservation, and an idealized model of the coupled effects of gyroviscosity and sheared flow on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. To benchmark future simulations needed to clarify the mode dynamics, density profiles are generated by tomographic inversion of interferometer data. To accomplish this, data is used from a fanned array of 8 chords which record line integrated density at several times over a period when the mode has saturated and rotates roughly as a rigid body. The FRC in the rotating frame, then, may be interpreted as having a fixed profile scanned at different angles, permitting full 2-D inversion. Corrections due to acoustic noise, refractive changes in the quartz vacuum vessel walls, and a gradual density decay over a rotation period are made. Inversion is then accomplished by minimizing the chi 2 deviation of the corrected data from the line integrated inferred density profile (as quantified on a rotating square mesh) plus a "regularizing" scalar functional that increases in value as the spatially integrated finite-element Laplacian magnitude of the density distribution increases. The latter term is needed to avoid high spatial frequency artifacts that would otherwise dominate the inversion
Ray-optical analysis of unstable resonators with spherical mirrors

A previously developed ray-optical method for determining the eigenvalues and eigenmodes of unstable resonators with circular strip mirrors is here applied to spherical mirrors. The results obtained in this manner agree with those of Butts and Avizonis who extended to the three-dimensional case the postulative procedure employed by Horwitz for the strip configuration. The individual and collective treatment of rays in the analysis provides a physical basis that should be applicable also to more complicated resonator structures.
Overcoming the chromatin barrier to end resection.

Repair of double-strand breaks by homologous recombination requires Repair of double-strand breaks by homologous recombination requires 5′-3′ resection of the DNA ends to create 3′ single-stranded DNA tails. While much progress has been made in identifying the proteins that directly participate in end resection, how this process occurs in the context of chromatin is not well understood. Two papers in Nature report that Fun30, a poorly characterized member of the Swi2/Snf2 family of chromatin remodelers, plays a role in end processing by facilitating the Exo1 and Sgs1-Dna2 resection pathways.
Hologram fringe stabilization method.

A common problem in many hologram recording systems is lack of stability in the fringes at the film plane during exposure. This instability may result from thermal drift or vibration in the components of the system, or a combination of unequal pathlengths and laser frequency drift, or even turbulence in the air surrounding the system. The result, in any case, is reduced contrast in the recorded fringes and loss of diffraction efficiency in the final hologram. The method described was designed to provide stabilization and precision control of the phase of the fringes at the hologram plane. It was used in a system for generating synthetic holograms in which phase control and resetability within 10/sup 0/ was essential. Other less critical hologram or grating recording applications might also benefit from the increased fringe contrast obtained by stabilization with or without the control feature.
Technical assistance options

A re farmers in your area applying for a USDA cost-share program such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)? If so, they may have the option to decide who will provide all or part of the conservation technical assistance. In many cases, farmers have the ability to choose the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or a technical service provider (TSP). TSPs are individual consultants, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, or public agencies certified by NRCS to provide technical services. The option to hire a TSP was created in the 2002 US farm bill. Since the TSP initiative hasn't been around long, deciding between NRCS and TSPs is a new experience for many farmers. In this article, we suggest key points for farmers to consider when deciding who will provide technical assistance, explain how farmers can locate certified TSPs, and provide tips for hiring and working with a TSP. ### CHOOSING BETWEEN NRCS AND A TSP For each item in a cost-sharing program, a producer may have the option of having NRCS or a TSP provide the required technical help. When deciding between NRCS and TSP assistance, a producer should consider the following: Timeliness of Assistance . Due to the rising …
Breaks in the chain of comparative advantage

Abstract The chain proposition of comparative advantage states that when factor prices differ between two countries producing many products with two factors, every export of the capital abundant country would be more capital intensive than any of its imports. The present note points out that an economy has the option to break the chain to reach full employment if its factor endowment is not spanned by the production cone of the more intensive products.
First-order phase transition in compact lattice QED with light fermions.

We present a numerical study of lattice (compact) QED with dynamical fermions using hybrid stochastic differential equations. Working with an ${8}^{4}$ lattice and fermions of mass 0.10 (lattice units), we have found an unexpected first-order transition separating the strong- and weak-coupling regions.
Skeletal maturation rate in North American Negro and White children.

VARIABILITY in the rate of skeletal maturation in samples of children (using the Tanner–Whitehouse1,2 bone-specific approach) has recently been reported3,4. From samples of clinically normal North American (Philadelphia) Negro and White children I have obtained further information on this topic.
1α,25(OH)2-Dihydroxyvitamin D3/VDR protects the skin from UVB-induced tumor formation by interacting with the β-catenin pathway

Ultra violet (UV) irradiation, in particular UVB, is the single most important carcinogen for skin tumor formation. UVB induces genetic mutations and immune suppression, which lead to abnormal cell proliferation and eventually tumor formation. Previously studies from our group and others demonstrated that both global and epidermal specific VDR knock out mice are predisposed to either chemical (DMBA)- or long-term UVB-induced skin tumor formation, paralleled by an increase in β-catenin signaling. Using primary cultured human keratinocytes, we further demonstrated that 1,25(OH)2-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) suppresses cyclin D1 and Gli1 which are regulated by β-catenin/TCF signaling and have a critical role in epidermal carcinogenesis. Blockage of VDR by siRNA resulted in hyperproliferation of keratinocytes, and increased expression of cyclin D1 and Gli1. In addition, we also showed that 1,25(OH)2D3/VDR directly regulates transcriptional activity of β-catenin/TCF signaling using the -catenin reporter TopGlow. Using K14 driven tamoxifen-induced cre recombinase to delete both VDR and β-catenin in keratinocytes of mice following the first hair follicle cycle, we found that ablation of epidermal specific β-catenin cannot rescue VDR null mice from UVB-induced skin tumor formation. Further study using VDR or β-catenin single null mice is necessary to compare with the data from double null mice. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Vitamin D Workshop'.
Effect of sequence and intermolecular interactions on the number and nature of low‐energy states for simple model proteins

We have studied the thermodynamically significant low‐energy conformations of 200 random 24‐residue model proteins on a square lattice with the Rosenbluth and Rosenbluth (1955) chain growth algorithm combined with multilink additions and Boltzmann weighting. We use a model proposed by Dill (1985) that represents the protein as a connected sequence of hydrophobic and hydrophilic beads on the lattice with nearest‐neighbor interactions between the constituent beads. Two interaction sets were investigated—attraction between just the hydrophobic beads and attraction between hydrophobic residues and also between hydrophilic residues. The distribution of energies found with attraction only between hydrophobic beads is broad and consistent with the previous results of Lau and Dill (1989). However, the low‐energy states are highly degenerate and noncompact. When attraction between hydrophilic beads is included with the attraction between hydrophobic beads, the energy distribution is sharp. Also, the low‐energy con...
Bilateral frontal transcranial direct current stimulation: Failure to replicate classic findings in healthy subjects

Abstract Objective There has been no modern effort to replicate, further characterize, or quantify the dramatic effects on affect described in controlled studies from the 1960s using bilateral frontal electrodes with an extra-cephalic reference in a mixed group composed primarily of mildly depressed individuals. We performed a comprehensive, quantitative assessment of the effects of bifrontal TDCS on emotion in 21 healthy subjects. Methods In a double-blind crossover study, we administered tests of emotional state, affect, emotional decision-making, arousal, and psychomotor functions during sham, anodal, and cathodal TDCS. Results We found no systematic effects on any measure, despite two subjects who had pronounced mood effects in the predicted direction. There were no adverse events. Conclusions In line with some other studies, we found no consistent effects of bifrontal TDCS on measures of emotional function of psychomotor performance. Significance These results demonstrate the safety of bilateral anterior frontal TDCS with an extra-cephalic reference, but raise questions about its effectiveness as a modulator of mood and emotional cognition, at least in healthy subjects.
Locomotor and phylogenetic considerations in anthropoid evolution

Abstract Common locomotor patterns within extant taxonomic groups appear to be evident within Anthropoidea. These common locomotor patterns, as well as the anthropoid fossil record, provide insights into anthropoid locomotor evolution. The locomotor pattern quadrupedalism-leaping (found today among non-ateline ceboids) appears to represent the earliest locomotor adaptation in anthropoid evolution. Atelines and catarrhines increase the frequency of climbing behavior relative to callitrichines, cebines, and pithecines. Here, foot anatomy is analysed to infer locomotor adaptation in extinct anthropoids and to evaluate these common locomotor patterns in terms of anthropoid locomotor evolution. Similarly, primitive versus derived features in catarrhine foot anatomy are analysed. The foot anatomy of Oligocene parapithecids and propliopithecids may not be suitably representative of the ancestral anthropoid or the ancestral catarrhine condition, respectively.
Effects of acidity of simulated rain and its influence on the phytotoxicity of chlorsulfuron on velvetleaf and barley

Abstract Greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the influence of simulated acid rain on the phytotoxicity of a small grain herbicide, chlorsulfuron, on velvetleaf ( Abutilon theophrasti Medik.) and barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.). Velvetleaf and barley variety Henry were grown in a greenhouse with charcoal-filtered air and exposed to simulated rain of three levels of acidity (pH 4.3, 3.4 and 2.5) and compared with a control (pH 5.6). Chlorsulfuron was applied postemergence to velvetleaf and barley seedlings either before or after six 30-min simulated rain events. Rates of chlorsulfuron were 0, 1 and 0, 20 g/ha on velvetleaf and barley, respectively. Barley showed no discernible response to simulated acid rain and/or chlorsulfuron treatments. The sequence of acid rain exposure in relation to herbicide treatment did not influence the response of velvetleaf to all treatments. At a pH value of 2.5, velvetleaf failed to attain normal height, and leaves were necrotic and wrinkled and abscised prematurely. Chlorophyll concentration of plants treated with acidic rain of pH 2.5 was consistently lower than at higher pH levels. Shoot fresh weight of velvetleaf was reduced by pH 2.5 and the phytotoxicity of chlorsulfuron to velvetleaf was enhanced at pH values of 2.5 and 3.4 compared to pH 5.6. No such synergistic interaction was observed at pH 4.3. Further studies are needed to elucidate the physiological and biochemical bases of this synergistic interaction between chlorsulfuron and simulated acidic rain at these low pH levels.
Electrical endpoint detection of VLSI contact plasma etching

A precise, in situ monitor of plasma contact etching is described. This method of electrical endpoint detection provides a dc electrical current which is proportional to the total open contacts and gives more than an order of magnitude improvement in signal-to-noise ratio over optical techniques. Endpoint detection is clearly deserved for total contact areas of less than 0.3 percent of a 3-in wafer. Using this method, contact resistances and leakage currents for both p+-n and n+-p junctions, are compatible to that of wet-etched or dry-etched contacts.
Nested species subsets, gaps, and discrepancy

The nested-subset hypothesis of Patterson and Atmar states that species composition on islands with less species richness is a proper subset of those on islands with greater species richness. The sum of species absences, referred to as gaps, was suggested as a metric for nestedness, and null models have been used to test whether or not island species exhibited nestedness. Simberloff and Martin stated that finding examples of non-nested faunas was difficult. We revisit previous analyses of nested faunas and introduce a new metric we call “discrepancy” which we recommend as a measure for nestedness. We also recommend that the sample spaces conserve both row sums (number of species per site) and column sums (number of sites per species) derived from the incidence matrix. We compare our results to previous analyses.
Aggressive maneuvers on loose surfaces: Data analysis and input parametrization

In this work we initiate a mathematical analysis of rally racing techniques. An empirical description of trail-braking (TB) and pendulum-turn (PT) cornering, two of the most common rally racing maneuvers, is provided via analysis of data collected during execution of these maneuvers by an expert rally driver. Trail-Braking and Pendulum-Turn maneuvering techniques are reproduced using numerical optimization as special cases of the minimum time cornering problem with specific boundary conditions. We show that a simple parametrization of the control inputs can be used to reproduce these maneuvers using a high fidelity full-car model.
Assessment of structural and functional divergence far from the large subunit active site of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase.

Despite conservation of three-dimensional structure and active-site residues, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco, EC 4.1.1.39) enzymes from divergent species differ with respect to catalytic efficiency and CO2/O2 specificity. A deeper understanding of the structural basis for these differences may provide a rationale for engineering an improved enzyme, thereby leading to an increase in photosynthetic CO2 fixation and agricultural productivity. By comparing 500 active-site large subunit sequences from flowering plants with that of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a small number of residues were found to differ in regions previously shown by mutant screening to influence CO2/O2 specificity. When directed mutagenesis and chloroplast transformation were used to change Chlamydomonas Met-42 and Cys-53 to land plant Val-42 and Ala-53 in the large subunit N-terminal domain, little or no change in Rubisco catalytic properties was observed. However, changing Chlamydomonas methyl-Cys-256, Lys-258, and Ile-265 to land plant Phe-256, Arg-258, and Val-265 at the bottom of the α/β-barrel active site caused a 10% decrease in CO2/O2 specificity, largely due to an 85% decrease in carboxylation catalytic efficiency (Vmax/Km). Because land plant Rubisco enzymes have greater CO2/O2 specificity than the Chlamydomonas enzyme, this group of residues must be complemented by other residues that differ between Chlamydomonas and land plants. The Rubisco x-ray crystal structures indicate that these residues may reside in a variable loop of the nuclear-encoded small subunit, more than 20 A away from the active site.
Diode-laser measurements of temperature-dependent half-widths of H2O transitions in the 1.4 μm region

Abstract Two distributed-feedback InGaAsP diode lasers have been used to perform spectrally resolved measurements of H2O transitions near 1.4 μm. Line-shape analyses of the recorded absorption spectra yielded the temperature-dependent self-, N2-, and CO2-broadened half-widths. Room-temperature (296 K) half-widths for eight rovibrational transitions in the v1 + v3 and 2v1 vibrational bands were determined from measurements recorded in a variable pathlength (0.4–10 m) multi-pass cell. The temperature dependence of the half-widths for four of the transitions were determined from measurements conducted in a heated static cell over a temperature range of 400–1000 K. The room-temperature half-widths and temperature exponents were determined to an average accuracy of +8% − 6% and ± 9% , respectively, and are in good agreement with theoretical calculations and published half-widths for transitions with the same rotational quantum numbers.
Methadone maintenance and other factors associated with intraindividual temporal trends in injection-drug use

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine what sociodemographic, lifestyle, or drug-related characteristics predict temporal changes in self-reported drug injection frequencies among HIV-seronegative injection-drug users (IDUs) who were being given HIV testing and risk reduction counseling. The 277 subjects were given 4–11 quarterly interviews including a detailed history of drug use and other HIV risk factors, HIV risk reduction counseling, and venipuncture for HIV antibody testing. A regression slope of change over time in drug injection frequency was calculated for each subject, and categories were created of decreasing temporal slope, increasing slope, relapse (decrease initially, then increase), or no substantial change. Only 44% of subjects decreased their drug injection frequencies despite repetitive HIV testing and counseling. In multivariate logistic analyses, decreasing temporal trends were associated with consistent enrollment in methadone maintenance ( p p p
Kinetics and computational studies of an aminosilane reaction with a silsesquioxane silanol.

The reaction between (3-aminopropyl)dimethylmethoxysilane (APDMS) with silica and silsesquioxane 3,5,7,9,11,13,15-heptacyclopentylpentacyclo[9.5.1.13,9.15,15.17,13]octasiloxan-1-ol was studied in hexane and tetrahydrofuran (THF) using experimental (reaction kinetics, FTIR) and quantum chemistry methods. In hexane at temperatures above 245 K, the reaction rate decreases with increasing temperature due to a reduction of prereaction complex formation at higher temperature. Below 245 K the reaction itself is rate limiting, resulting in a reaction rate decrease with decreasing temperature. The reaction occurs much faster in hexane than in THF in part because of stronger competitive effects of the O-containing polar solvent with the formation of APDMS/silsesquioxane prereaction complexes due to hydrogen bonding. Analysis of the experimental data and computational results suggest that the catalytic reaction is second-order with respect to APDMS, the second APDMS molecule plays the role of catalyst. Estimation of...
Interaction Between Sorghum Protein Extraction and Precipitation Conditions on Yield, Purity, and Composition of Purified Protein Fractions

ABSTRACT Sorghum proteins have the potential to be used as a bio-industrial renewable resource for applications such as biodegradable films and packaging. This project was designed to evaluate the effect of interactions between sorghum protein extraction and precipitation conditions on the yield, purity, and composition of sorghum protein fractions. Proteins were extracted with 70% ethanol under nonreducing conditions, with ultrasound, or under reducing conditions using either sodium metabisulfite or glutathione as the reducing agent. Several conditions were used to isolate the extracted proteins through precipitation, including lowering ethanol concentrations alone or in combination with lowering to pH 2.5, or by adding 1M NaCl to the extract. Combinations of these conditions were also tested. All precipitation conditions effectively precipitated proteins and lowering the pH and adding 1M NaCl to the extracts enhanced precipitation in some cases. However, the conditions that precipitated the maxium amoun...
Tolerance of Eggs, Embryos, and Alevins of Chinook Salmon to Temperature Changes and Reduced Humidity in Dewatered Redds

Abstract Changes in temperature and relative humidity can occur in gravel during dewatering of salmonid redds. Four intergravel development phases of chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha were exposed to increased or decreased temperatures, and one phase was subjected to reduced relative humidity to define tolerance limits. Abrupt increases in temperature from 10°C to above 22°C for 1–8 h reduced survival of cleavage eggs. Embryos survived 8-h exposures to 25°C and 2-h exposures to 26.5°C. Eleutheroembryo and pre-emergent alevins tolerated 4-h exposures to 23.5°C and 1-h exposures to 25.0°C. Decreases in temperatures from 10.0°C to near freezing (about 0.0°C) did not reduce survival of eggs, embryos, or alevins. Reduced relative humidity adversely affected survival of embryos. Ninety-eight percent of dewatered embryos exposed to 100% relative humidity for up to 24 hours survived. Embryo survival at 90% relative humidity was 0%, 55%, and 100% for exposure periods of 24, 8, and 4 h, respectively. Control ...
A critique of inverse solutions to slab geometry transport problems

Abstract An inverse transport problem requires determination of the angular scattering and absorption coefficients of the medium using measurements of the intensity. Methods for solving such a problem for monoenergetic transport in a thick homogeneous (i.e. multiple-scattering) slab medium are critiqued. The methods include those that require local measurement of the intensity inside the slab plus remote measurement of the angular distributions entering and leaving (the local-&-remote methods) and those (remote methods) that require only the surface angular distributions. The possible use of these methods to determine the properties of a multi-layer slab medium is also examined.
Stochastic geometry based models for modeling cellular networks in urban areas

Recently a new approach to modeling cellular networks has been proposed based on the Poisson point process (PPP). Unlike the traditional, popular hexagonal grid model for the locations of base stations, the PPP model is tractable. It has been shown by Andrews et al. (in IEEE Trans Commun 59(11):3122---3134, 2011) that the hexagonal grid model provides upper bounds of the coverage probability while the PPP model gives lower bounds. In this paper, we perform a comprehensive comparison of the PPP and the hexagonal grid models with real base station deployments in urban areas worldwide provided by the open source project OpenCellID. Our simulations show that the PPP model gives upper bounds of the coverage probabilities for urban areas and is more accurate than the hexagonal grid model. In addition, we show that the Poisson cluster process is able to accurately model the base station location distribution.
Sheep Bedding in the Centennial Mountains of Montana and Idaho: Effects on Vegetation

ABSTRACT. In summer, bands of sheep are grazed in western North American mountains. At night the sheep are concentrated into bedding areas. In the study area, each bedding area is only utilized by sheep for one night a year for 2 out of 3 years. Vegetation in the bedding areas was compared to vegetation outside these areas. Both perennial forb cover and total perennial cover were greater outside (48% and 61%, respectively) than inside (29% and 36%, respectively) the bedding areas. Annual forb cover one year after sheep grazing was greater inside (17%) bedding areas than outside (5%). Immediately after sheep bedding, total forb cover was greater outside the bedding areas. Forb and grass biomass were greater outside the bedding areas compared to inside. Total vegetation biomass outside (240 g · m-2) the bedding areas was more than double the amount inside (86 g · m-2) immediately after bedding. In the year after bedding, vegetation biomass inside the bedding areas increased, but was still less than outside....
Schleiermacher's Christology Revisited: A Reply to his Critics

It has often been remarked by Schleiermacher's critics that his surprisingly high Christology is an awkward interlude in what may otherwise be described as a transcendental philosophy of religion. Schleiermacher's brief intoxication with Romanticism as evidenced in the Speeches , the undeniable influence of Schelling and Spinoza upon his early intellectual development, and the fact that The Christian Faith begins with a general description of the God-consciousness, all contribute to the suspicion that The Christian Faith is primarily an attempt to harmonize Christianity with the prevailing cultural thought forms of the day. This is, for instance, the way that Barth describes Schleiermacher's project: first and foremost, he understands it as an enterprise in apologetics.
Mathematical modeling of particulate suspension flows in vertical circular pipes

An idealized continuum mathematical model of laminar fully developed steady vertical particulate suspension flows is employed to produce both closed form and numerical solutions. These solutions are used to demonstrate that the model is capable of a rich variety of predictions including several commonly observed particle segregation patterns.
Hispanism and Its Literary Icon's Exclusions: Moors and Indians in Reading Don Quixote Today

In this article, the author illustrates a case of the exclusion that most Hispanists do when promoting a sort of predestined universality of Don Quixote. Just what do Don Quixote and "el Dia del idioma" mean and entail for the indigenous people, that is, those who have been resisting national programs of forced assimilation or extermination since the arrival of the Spanish? The author offers an interpretation of Don Quixote that addresses the text's presentation of the indigenous Americans and the related themes of frontier, conquest, and imperial expansion—a level of interpretation used by both current and past readers that is consistent with the imperial ideology of Hapsburg Spain.
Weed seedling emergence and seed survival: separating the effects of seed position and soil modification by tillage

Summary Tillage causes both vertical redistribution of weed seeds and changes in soil physical properties. These two factors are rarely distinguished in studies of the impact of tillage on seedling emergence or seed survival. In this study, seeds of Chenopodium album L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., and Abutilon theophrasti Medik, were planted at particular depths in pots of undisturbed or stirred soil to separate these effects. Emergence and survival data were analysed by non-linear regression to determine the nature of significant differences between treatments. Emergence increased with slight burial and then decreased exponentially at greater depths. Average emergence over all depths was generally greater in tilled sou than in unfilled soil, particularly for C. album and A. retroflexus. Seed survival approached a maximum with increasing depth. Average survival of seeds that did not produce emerged seedlings was greater in tilled soil than in untilled soil for C. album and A. retroflexus. Thus, tillage affects emergence and seed survival of weeds through changes in soil conditions independently of effects resulting from redistribution of seeds in the soil profile.
Adherence to alendronate in male veterans.

Summary In one Veterans Affairs’ medical center, alendronate non-adherence was more likely in male veterans who smoke or report side effects, and less likely in men undergoing bone densitometry during therapy. Providers urgently need programs to increase adherence to osteoporosis medications. Initial programs should target patients with risk factors for non-adherence.
Preconcentration of trace metals using silica-immobilized algae cells in a Chromatographie separation procedure

Abstract The utility of silica-immobilized algae to separate and preconcentrate trace amounts of Pb, Cu, Zn and Cd was evaluated in several different solution environments including mixed metal solutions, simulated riverine water, brine and simulated seawater solutions. Results of the preconcentration experiments showed excellent quantitative recoveries for Cu in all solution matrices studied. Pb was efficiently extracted from all solutions except the brine and seawater solutions. Cd and Zn were weakly bound to the resin and exhibited efficient uptake only in the multimetal matrix and in the solutions that contained less than 400 mg 1 −1 of either Na + or K + . Equilibrium constants governing the algae-metal reaction were calculated from adsorption profiles and a selectivity series of the resin determined. The algae-metal bond strengths decreased in the order Pb>Cu>Cd>Zn>Ca>Mg>Na,K. These results were obtained in an acetate matrix. When Cl − was the major anion present, Cu was more strongly retained on the algae than Pb. The chlorides likely mask the Pb causing a decrease in the adsorption efficiency or chloro-Cu species may contribute to the overall Cu adsorption.
Toward a Theory of Spatial Statistics: Another Step Forward

An update is presented to an earlier piece outlining some steps that needed to be taken toward the establishment of a theoy of spatial statistics. Findings that have appeared since this first paper are summarized and interpreted, and extensions and suggestions are offered for the firther establishment of a basis for a theory of spatial statistics. Topics include bounday considerations, the role of latent spatial dependencies, and smull-sample-size issues. These topics embrace the problems of data transformations, edge effect bias, reference sampling distributions, multivariate autocorrelation models, conditional expectations, and higher-order autoregressive structures. In part, a course is charted for the next step to be taken.
Measurement of High Amplitude Relief Valve Noise for Acoustically Induced Vibration and Comparison to Predictive Methods

The prediction of acoustically induced vibration (AIV) failures in the design or redesign of piping systems requires an accurate estimate of the excitation source. Furthermore, the next generation of AIV analysis may require a physics-based noise-generation predictive technique, which entails the need for validation via direct measurements. The noise generated by a pressure relief valve (PRV) during a full-scale AIV blowdown test was measured inside a pipe downstream of the valve. A maximum flow rate of 33.5 kg/s was achieved using nitrogen gas through a 3×4″ relief valve generating a peak dynamic pressure level exceeding 650 kPa and sustained levels of 450 kPa (peak). Measurements are compared to existing noise calculation techniques which appear to under-predict the generated noise.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Conformal Wasserstein distances: Comparing surfaces in polynomial time

Abstract We present a constructive approach to surface comparison realizable by a polynomial-time algorithm. We determine the “similarity” of two given surfaces by solving a mass-transportation problem between their conformal densities. This mass transportation problem differs from the standard case in that we require the solution to be invariant under global Mobius transformations. We present in detail the case where the surfaces to compare are disk-like; we also sketch how the approach can be generalized to other types of surfaces.
Performance assessment of receivers used in HF radar

The High Frequency Radar Division of the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation has developed an automated HF receiver testing station which can perform exhaustive testing and assessment of multiple performance modes of radio and radar receivers as well as other HF and VHF components and systems. The system developed has the capability of performing detailed examination of a receiver's (or other component's) attributes in an unattended mode with virtually no requirement for user intervention. This has been achieved using graphical user interface based software controlling dedicated interface equipment. Particular attention has been given to make the automated testing exhaustive with the user selecting both the types and extents of testing but the actual user operation easy to set up and perform. External parameters such as power supplies, signal and noise sources, filters etc. are all under user set up and control via a dedicated computer interface. Assessment of parameters may range from simpler functional and operational checks to more stringent checks for linearity, distortion, noise and more. All results are processed and presented to the user in a number of novel and unique ways in order for the user to be able to make a judgement based on all the information available. A description of the hardware architecture is given. The control and processing software is also described as well as some sample results for various receiver characterisations performed to date.
Efficient (j,k)-domination

A dominating set S of a graph G is called efficientif |N[v] ∩S| = 1 for every vertex v ∈ V (G). That is, a dominating set S is efficient if and only if every vertex is dominated exactly once. In this paper, we investigate efficient multiple domination. There are several types of multiple domination defined in the literature: k-tuple domination, {k}-domination, and k-domination. We investigate efficient versions of the first two as well as a new type of multiple domination.
Sensitivity of evapotranspiration of cotton and sorghum in west Texas to changes in climate and CO2

In regions such as west Texas where water is scarce, changes in the water balance may have a significant impact on agricultural production and management of water resources. We used the mechanistic soil-plant-atmosphere simulation model ENWATBAL to evaluate changes in soil water evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) in cotton and grain sorghum that may occur due to climate change and elevated CO2 in west Texas. Climatic and plant factors were varied individually, and in combination, to determine their impact onE andT. Of the climatic factors,E was most sensitive to changes in vapor pressure, andT to changes in irradiance. Simulations suggest that if warming is accompanied by higher humidity, the impact of climate change may be minimal. However, if the climate becomes warmer and less humid,ET may increase substantially. Simulations also suggest that enhanced growth due to elevated CO2 may have a greater impact onET than climatic change.
Improved Decision Support Systems Help to Build Better Artificial Intelligence Systems

Decision support systems (DSS) is the mathematical‐model building tool of business environments. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the tool that will hopefully help computers make better business decisions by allowing the computer to learn from its experiences. The combination of DSS and AI takes us out of the theoretical by integrating the analytical tools into the management decision process, thereby making the decisions practical and useful. Discusses the integration of DSS and AI into the business decision‐making process.
Stress induced self aligned contact failure during tungsten-poly gate process in sub-60 nm memory device

We investigated the mechanism of stress-induced self-aligned contact (SAC) failure in the sub-60 nm W-dual poly metal gate process in DRAM devices. It was found that during NH 3 pre-purge step of gate capping nitride deposition, amorphous WN x barrier and side of gate etched W electrode were transformed into tensile crystallized W 2 N, which relieves high compressive stress of inner gate W. Asymmetrical relief of W stress could create torque leading to gate leaning which is a main culprit of SAC failure during reliability test. Therefore, by reducing NH 3 pre-purge time, we successfully could reduce gate leaning which endures good reliability characteristics