cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zirconium and hafnium polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane complexes – green homogeneous catalysts in the formation of bio-derived ethers via a MPV/etherification reaction cascade

The polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane complexes, {[(isobutyl)7Si7O12]ZrOPri·(HOPri)}2 (I), {[(cyclohexyl)7Si7O12]ZrOPri·(HOPri)}2 (II), {[(isobutyl)7Si7O12]HfOPri·(HOPri)}2 (III) and {[(cyclohexyl)7Si7O12]HfOPri·(HOPri)}2 (IV), were synthesized in good yields from the reactions of M(OPri)4 (M = Zr, Hf) with R-POSS(OH)3 (R = isobutyl, cyclohexyl), resp. I–IV were characterized by 1H, 13C and 29Si NMR spectroscopy and their dimeric solid-state structures were confirmed by X-ray analysis. I–IV catalyze the reductive etherification of 2-hydroxy- and 4-hydroxy and 2-methoxy and 4-methoxybenzaldehyde and vanillin to their respective isopropyl ethers in isopropanol as a “green” solvent and reagent. I–IV are durable and robust homogeneous catalysts operating at temperatures of 100–160 °C for days without significant loss of catalytic activity. Likewise, I–IV selectively catalyze the conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into 2,5-bis(isopropoxymethyl)furane (BPMF), a potentially high-performance fuel additive. Similar results were achieved by using a combination of M(OPri)4 and ligand R-POSS(OH)3 as a catalyst system demonstrating the potential of this “in situ” approach for applications in biomass transformations. A tentative reaction mechanism for the reductive etherification of aldehydes catalysed by I–IV is proposed.
When the Achievement Gap Becomes High Stakes for Special Education Teachers: Facing a Dilemma with Integrity:

ContextA fundamental assumption behind a high stakes accountability system is that standardized testing, proficiency goal setting for demographic student subgroups, and sanctions would motivate tea...
Our food systems need inspiring and actionable vision

Global food systems are not fit for human and planetary health. Pessimism is easy, but does not ignite positive change. This critical moment calls for visions that are optimistic, principled and actionable, argues Roy Steiner.
How medical AI devices are evaluated: limitations and recommendations from an analysis of FDA approvals

A comprehensive overview of medical AI devices approved by the US Food and Drug Administration sheds new light on limitations of the evaluation process that can mask vulnerabilities of devices when they are deployed on patients.
Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes Explain Mass Gain Variation in an Obligate Hibernator

Author(s): Johnson, Gina Clarise | Advisor(s): Blumstein, Daniel T | Abstract: Body condition is an important life history challenge that directly impacts individual fitness and is particularly important for hibernating animals, whose maintenance of adequate body fat and mass is essential for survival. It is well documented that symbiotic microorganism’s play a vital role in animal physiology and behavior. Recent work demonstrates that gut microbes are associated with fat accumulation and obesity; Firmicutes is consistently associated with obesity while Bacteroidetes is associated with leanness both in humans and other animals. The focus of most microbiome studies has been on human health or involved lab reared animals used as a model system. However, these microbes likely are important for individual fitness in wild populations and provide potential mechanistic insights into the adaptability and survival of wildlife. Here we test whether symbiotic microorganisms within the phyla of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes are associated with summer mass gain in an exceptionally well-studied wild population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) by quantifying microbial abundance over five years of fecal samples (2015 – 2019) collected during their summer active season. Results show that marmots with higher mass gain rates have a greater abundance of Firmicutes. In contrast, higher abundance of Bacteroidetes was associated with lower mass gain rates, but only for marmots living in harsher environments. Similar patterns were found at the family level where Ruminococcaceae, a member of Firmicutes, was associated with higher mass gain rates, and Muribaculaceae, a member of Bacteroidetes, was associated with lower mass gain rates, and similarly in harsher environments. Although correlative, these results highlight the importance of symbiotic gut microbiota to mass gain in the wild, a trait associated with survival and fitness in many taxonomic groups.
Induced mobilization of stored metal precipitates from beaver (Castor canadensis) created wetlands on a mine drainage impacted stream

This study investigated the potential for increased aqueous metals loading due to induced flushing events following removal of beaver dams created on a net alkaline mine drainage (MD) impacted stream. The study reach of an unnamed tributary (UT) to Tar Creek (Ottawa County, Oklahoma, USA) is approximately 1.6 km and has been negatively impacted by two continuous sources of MD containing elevated concentrations of cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). The most upstream source is the start of the study reach and the second source is located midway, approximately 0.6 km downstream. The anthropogenic removal of beaver dams resulted in increased aqueous concentrations of Fe and Cd downstream, attributed to the mobilization of metal precipitates stored in the beaver-created wetlands, and loss of the wetland’s capability to retain metals due to deceased storage volumes and retention times. The majority of mobilized Fe (55 kg) occurred at the most upstream wetland. This study showed that the removal of beaver dams on a MD-impacted stream may mobilize metals, but that the mobilized mass load of each metal of interest represented a small proportion of the masses of metals retained in wetlands created by beaver. In abandoned mining areas where beaver-created wetlands represent natural infrastructure addressing water quality degradation, human-induced or storm-event driven destruction would likely have little long-term influence if the beaver dams are rebuilt and can quickly re-establish the wetlands.
Investigating the Role of Surface Depletion in Governing Electron Transfer Events in Colloidal Plasmonic Nanocrystals

Doped metal oxide nanocrystals (NCs) attract immense attention because of their ability to exhibit a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) that can be tuned extensively across the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. LSPR tunability triggered through compositional and morphological changes during the synthesis (size, shape and doping percentage) is becoming well-established while the principles underlying dynamic, post-synthetic modulation of LSPR are not as well understood. Recent reports have suggested that the presence of a depletion layer on the NC surface may be instrumental in governing the LSPR modulation of doped metal oxide NCs. Here, we employ post-synthetic electron transfer to colloidal Sn-doped In2O3 NCs with varying size and Sn doping concentration to investigate the role of the depletion layer in LSPR modulation. By measuring the maximum change in LSPR frequency after NC reduction, we determine that a large initial volume fraction of the depletion layer in NCs results in a broad modulation of the LSPR energy and intensity. Utilizing a mathematical Drude fitting model, we track the changes in the electron density and the depletion layer volume fraction throughout the chemical doping process, offering fundamental insight into the intrinsic NC response resulting from such electron transfer events. We observe that the maximum change in electron density that can be induced through chemical doping is independent of Sn concentration, and subsequently, the maximum total electron density in the presence of excess reductant is independent of the NC diameter and is dependent only on the as-synthesized Sn doping concentration. This study establishes the central role that surface depletion plays in the electronic changes occurring in the NCs during post-synthetic doping and the results will be instrumental in advancing the understanding of optical and electrical properties of different colloidal plasmonic NCs.
Intraspecific variation in Fraxinus pennsylvanica responses to emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)

The emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) is a bark and wood boring beetle native to east Asia that was first discovered in North America in 2002. Since then, entire stands of highly susceptible green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Mar- shall) have been killed within a few years of infestation. We have identified a small number of mature green ash trees which have been attacked by EAB, yet survived the peak EAB infestation that resulted in mortality of the rest of the ash cohort. Adult landing and feeding preference bioassays, leaf volatile quantification and EAB egg bioassay experiments were used to characterize potential differences in responses of these select ''lingering'' green ash trees relative to known EAB susceptible controls. Three selections were identified as being significantly less preferred for adult feeding, but no specific leaf volatile profile was associated with this reduced preference. Egg bioassays identified two ash selections that had significant differences in larval survival and development; one having a higher number of larvae killed by apparent host tree defenses and the other having lower larval weight. Correlation and validation of the bioassay results in replicated plantings to assess EAB resistance in the field is still necessary. However, the differences between lingering ash selections and susceptible controls measured by these bioassays indicate that more than one mechanism is responsible for the increased resistance to EAB that resulted in these selections surviving longer than their counterparts. Efforts to further increase ash resistance to EAB through use of these selections in a breeding program are underway.
Anti-Racketeering Legislation in America

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan emphasized the importance of federal efforts to curb organized criminal activity, characterizing or ganized crime as "a continuing threat to the domestic security of our nation", and stating that organized crime "take[s] a tremendous toll on the criminal justice system and its resources."2 To agree that a national problem of organized crime exists, however, is not necessa rily to agree that the government's declarations as to its scope are accurate or that the methods used in fighting it are appropriate or effective. Like other social issues, organized crime is addressed to the extent that it is politically favorable, which is not necessarily an indicator of how great a threat the problem actually poses. In the last two decades, the volume and scope of legislation addressing or ganized crime has drastically decreased, with the most recent major legislation put into effect over fifteen years ago.3 This decrease, how ever, may not reflect success in the federal efforts against racketeer ing and other forms of organized crime, but simply a realization by Congress and the executive that other issues hold more political value. This article is about the methods of the American government in fighting organized crime. It traces the history of federal anti-racke teering legislation, beginning with Congress's ban on lotteries in the
p-Percent Coverage in Wireless Sensor Networks

Due to resource constraint of WSNs, it may be unnecessary or impossible to provide full coverage in many applications. Instead, partial coverage is enough to satisfy user requirements. Meanwhile, by applying partial coverage, network lifetime can be prolonged remarkably which is a primary goal of WSNs. In this paper, we investigate the p-Percent Coverage Problemwhich only requires that p% of the whole area to be monitored at any time and the Connected p-Percent Coverage Problemwhich enforces connectivity in addition. We propose two algorithms. One is pPCAwhich is a greedy algorithm to solve the p-Percent Coverage Problem. The other is CpPCA-CDS, which is a total distributed algorithm based on Connected Dominating Set to address Connected p-Percent Coverage Problem. The Sensing Void Distance after using CpPCA-CDScan be bounded by a constant. Theoretical analysis as well as simulation results are provided to evaluate our algorithms.
Simultaneous attenuation and depth-dependent resolution compensation for 180 degrees myocardial perfusion SPECT

A method has been developed that combines filtered backprojection (FBP) with an iterative 3-D attenuation and resolution compensation method for Tc-99m myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and dual-window scatter correction performed on projection data. The 3-D compensation is accomplished by including both the attenuation and depth-dependent resolution variation in a reprojection procedure and using the difference between the reprojection and the scatter-corrected projection data to revise the previous estimate of tracer distribution. The method was evaluated with both simulated and experimental data using clinical protocols with a homomorphic thorax phantom with cardiac insert. Significant improvements in image resolution and defect-to-normal contrast were observed. A significant improvement in uniformity of maximum pixel count values was also observed where uniform distribution was expected. The method provides the potential for more accurate lesion detection and quantitation of tracer concentration in the myocardium. >
Collective Scientific Knowledge

Philosophical debates about collective scientific knowledge concern two distinct theses: (1) groups are necessary to produce scientific knowledge, and (2) groups have scientific knowledge in their own right. Thesis (1) has strong support. Groups are required, in many cases of scientific inquiry, to satisfy methodological norms, to develop theoretical concepts, or to validate the results of inquiry as scientific knowledge. So scientific knowledge-production is collective in at least three respects. However, support for (2) is more equivocal. Though some examples suggest that groups have scientific knowledge independently of their individual members, these cases are also explained in terms of relational complexes of members’ beliefs.
Microwave MEMS technology for next-generation wireless communications

The use of MEMS technology for microwave applications promises to solve some of the most vexing problems still confronting the field of high-frequency technology for wireless communications. This paper provides a historical view of this field, surveys the state-of-the-art in recent performance, and outlines the research challenges ahead for MEMS to move into widespread use.
Distance learning using Web-based multimedia environment

The "schooling industry" is faced with an inescapable demand to redefine its endeavors in terms of producing learning, rather than providing instructions. We propose a hybrid learning model to attract distance as well as traditional students. One of the major components of this model is the Web-based learning and interaction. We review the available avenues of distance learning and offer a model that we prepared as an example of Web-based distance learning and training. This model combines videoconferencing, interactive classroom, Web-based lectures and traditional instructions in an optimized way to achieve the goal of high quality technical education. The availability of lecture notes and other course material on the Web makes it a 24/spl times/7 hours classroom. Conducting classes via videoconferencing ensures student participation from all locations and optional interactive conventional teaching strengthens the student-teacher relationship and reinforces the concepts in the minds of students. Therefore, we believe this model offers one of the best opportunities in Web-based distance learning. This paper presents the hybrid learning model and discusses the opportunities and challenges of the Web technologies in the education of computer science and engineering. Through this hybrid model we have already successfully offered several courses in the computer science program at SUNY Fredonia with students registering from across the New York State.
Diagnosis and management of pediatric brugada syndrome: a survey of pediatric electrophysiologists.

Background Brugada syndrome (BrS) can be difficult to diagnose and treat, especially in the young patient. As there is currently no consensus on the evaluation and treatment of BrS in the pediatric population, we sought to describe the current practice for the diagnosis and treatment of BrS among pediatric electrophysiologists. Methods A web-based survey was distributed to 204 physician members (MDs) of The Pediatric and Adult Congenital Electrophysiology Society (PACES). Practice characteristics, BrS patient attributes, and diagnostic and therapeutic preferences were collected. Results Responses were obtained from 83 pediatric electrophysiologists. The most common initial presentation was family history. There is a large variation in testing, particularly in the use of electrophysiology (EP) studies, drug challenge testing, and genetic testing. Despite limited treatment options, there is only consensus in the therapeutic approach to the pediatric patient with symptomatic BrS with 97% of physicians recommending an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). In the asymptomatic patient, a wide variation in therapy was seen with only 27% of physicians recommending an ICD Conclusions Significant practice variation exists among pediatric electrophysiologists with deviation from accepted diagnostic and therapeutic practices for adult BrS patients. Further studies are necessary to establish best practice guidelines for BrS in the pediatric EP community.
A water channel in the core of the vitamin B12 RNA aptamer

Abstract Background: The 3.0 A crystal structure of the vitamin B 12 RNA aptamer revealed an unusual tertiary structure that is rich in novel RNA structural motifs. Important details of the interactions that stabilize noncanonical base pairing and the role of solvent in the structure were not apparent owing to the limited resolution. Results: The structure of the vitamin B 12 RNA aptamer in complex with its ligand has been determined at 2.3 A resolution by X-ray crystallography. The crystallographic asymmetric unit contains five independent copies of the aptamer—vitamin B 12 complex, making it possible to accurately define well-conserved features. The core of the aptamer contains an unusual water-filled channel that is buried between the three strands of an RNA triplex. Well-ordered water molecules positioned within this channel form bridging hydrogen bonds and stabilize planar base triples that otherwise lack significant direct base—base contacts. The water channel terminates at the interface between the RNA and the bound ligand, leaving a pair of water molecules appropriately positioned to hydrogen bond with the highly polarized cyanide nitrogen of vitamin B 12 . Analysis of the general solvation patterns for each nucleotide suggests that water molecules are not precisely positioned, as observed in previous RNA duplex structures, but instead might adjust in response to the varying local environment. Unusual intermolecular base pairing contributes to the formation of three different dimerization contacts that drive formation of the crystal lattice. Conclusions: The structure demonstrates the important role of water molecules and noncanonical base pairing in driving the formation of RNA tertiary structure and facilitating specific interactions of RNAs with other molecules.
Baseline TNFα operational capacity in fetal and maternal circulation prior to the onset of labor: "tuned for different purposes".

Objective In this study, we sought to characterize the tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) baseline operational capacity in mature fetuses and their mothers prior to the onset of labor.
In vivo and in vitro Study of the Effects of Vitamin A Deficiency on Rat Third Molar Development

We have examined the effect of in vivo vitamin A status on subsequent rat third molar formation and mineralization in an in vitro organ culture system. Vitamin A deficiency imposed during an eight-day in vitro period caused effects very similar to those of vitamin A deficiency imposed on rats in vivo. Analysis of the data also demonstrates that retinoic acid is capable of reversing the interference in mineralization of third molars induced by vitamin A deficiency in the organ culture system.
Childhood trauma and depressive symptoms in type 1 diabetes

BACKGROUND To examine the relationship of childhood trauma to depressive symptoms in type 1 diabetes, a chronic disease in which the frequency of depression is increased. METHOD One hundred fifty African American patients with type 1 diabetes seen between August 1993 and January 1998 completed the Beck Depression Inventory and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. They were also genotyped for a functional serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) that modulates resiliency. Patients who had Beck Depression Inventory scores above and below 14 were compared. RESULTS Diabetic patients who had Beck Depression Inventory scores ≥ 14 had experienced significantly more different types of childhood trauma than those with Beck Depression Inventory scores < 14 (P < .001), independent of potential interaction with 5-HTTLPR genotype. CONCLUSIONS Childhood trauma appears to be a determinant of depressive symptoms in type 1 diabetes, independently of genotype of a functional locus modulating resiliency.
Health education using microcomputers II: One year in the clinic

Abstract A personal computer system dedicated to health education was placed in the waiting area of a general medical clinic serving a low-income urban community in south-central Minneapolis. The five health lessons available on this system discuss smoking, weight control, exercise, alcohol consumption, and other health behaviors. The system was evaluated through two questions asked at the end of every lesson, a survey of clinic staff after 6 and 12 months of operation, and a survey of a sample of clinic patients at the end of the year trial. Over 1,600 uses were recorded during the first year of operation. The computer has proved to be a cost-effective method of health education acceptable to both patients and staff.
A tutorial on Reed-Solomon coding for fault-tolerance in RAID-like systems

SUMMARY It is well-known that Reed-Solomon codes may be used to provide error correction for multiple failures in RAID-like systems. The coding technique itself, however, is not as well-known. To the coding theorist, this technique is a straightforward extension to a basic coding paradigm and needs no special mention. However, to the systems programmer with no training in coding theory, the technique may be a mystery. Currently, there are no references that describe how to perform this coding that do not assume that the reader is already well-versed in algebra and coding theory. This paper is intended for the systems programmer. It presents a complete specification of the coding algorithm plus details on how it may be implemented. This specification assumes no prior knowledge of algebra or coding theory. The goal of this paper is for a systems programmer to be able to implement Reed-Solomon coding for reliability in RAID-like systems without needing to consult any external references. ©1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
International Capital Mobility and Domestic Institutions:Corporate Finance and Governance in Four European Cases

This article considers the impact of international capital mobility on thecharacter of corporate finance and corporate governance in four European countries (Germany, France, Spain, and Italy). We take issue with the widespread view that the growth of international financial markets and the lifting of capital controls will in themselves produce convergence in national systems of corporate finance and governance. Although we find evidence of convergence in specific aspects of financial regulation (e.g., the abandonment of selective credit regulation and the dismantling of barriers to universal banking), these regulatory changes have not produced any clear convergence toward either the Anglo-Saxon model of corporate finance and governance predicted in much of the literature or the alternative German bank-based model. The reasons for this, we suggest, have much to do with the way in which the politics of financialreform are likely to differ from those postulated in market-driven models of regulatory change and the fact that countries are susceptible to international pressures in different ways.
A Framework for Service Learning in Hospitality and Tourism Management Education

Service learning has gained substantial recognition as an effective type of pedagogy and has aided in the national movement for enhanced civic education across the disciplines. To date, some tourism and hospitality educators have explored integrating service learning, a type of experiential pedagogy, into their courses; however, there remains a lack of understanding of this type of learning in this field. The purpose of this article is to offer a framework for creating and implementing effective service-learning strategies into hospitality and tourism courses and curriculum.
The dimensions of DNA in solution.

Abstract Combined measurement of the rotational and translational frictional coefficients of rod-like DNA molecules in dilute aqueous solution yields 22 to 26 A for the hydrodynamic diameter and 3·34(± 0·1) A for the length per base-pair.
26.3: Effect of Seed Particles on Exaggerated Grain Growth of Redeposited MgO Layer during Accelerated Discharge Testing of AC‐PDPs

Reconstruction and exaggerated grain growth (EGG) behaviors of redeposited MgO layer were observed and analyzed theoretically with the addition of dopant and MgO seed particle. The reconstruction and EGG are closely correlated with the driving force for nucleation and growth, interface energy and initial size distribution of MgO protective layer and this is believed to be caused by the formation of charged clusters in the plasma spaces during discharge in AC-PDPs.
Mediated generalization of a motor response: All stages of the paradigm acquired in the laboratory

Several studies of the mediated generalization of a motor response in the threestage mediation paradigms have utilized a first stage inferred from word association norms. In order to extend the range of situations in which the mediation phenomenon had been studied, this series of five experiments explored the same phenomenon with a first stage acquired in the laboratory by the standard paired-associates (PA) procedure. Experiments I and II failed to produce the expected effects. The last three experiments explore some of the methodological problems that are present in this design and that may account for the Ss' performance in this task. The major factor in this interpretation was that all words appearing in the first stage paired-associates list are interassociated (members of a pool or set) at the end of the acquisition trials. This pool effect then depressed the experimental manipulations of the later stages.
Signaling to a B-cell clone by Ek, but not Ak, does not reflect alteration of Ak genes

The mouse B-cell clone, CH12.LX (Iak, Ly-1+, μ+, δ+), can be induced to differentiate and secrete antibody in an antigen-specific, H-2-restricted manner. Induction requires two signals. One must be provided by the binding of specific antigen to the membrane IgM; the other is delivered by the binding of Ek-specific T-cell hybridomas to the Ek molecules of CH12.LX (Bishop and Haughton 1986). Previous studies demonstrated that Ek-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) could substitute for T cells in delivering the second differentiative signal (Bishop and Haughton 1986). Although CH12.LX cells present Ak to Ak-restricted or alloreactive T-helper cells, neither T cells nor mAbs specific for Ak induce differentiation (Bishop and Haughton 1986). However, since the Akspecifc mAbs tested previously were β-chain-specific and the Ia epitope specificity of the T cells used was unknown, it is possible that the differentiative signal delivered to the CH12.LX class 11 molecule is chain-specific. Here we report the effects of ten additional Iak-specific mAbs upon the differentiation of CH12.LX. In addition, a cl)NA library was prepared from CHI 2.LX cells, clones corresponding to the α and β chains of the Ak molecule were isolated, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Finally, the Ak and Ek molecules of CH12.LX and H-2k spleen cells were compared by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to examine possible post-translational differences in the Iak molecules of CH12.LX.
Effects of dams in river networks on fish assemblages in non-impoundment sections of rivers in Michigan and Wisconsin, USA

Regional assessment of cumulative impacts of dams on riverine fish assemblages provides resource managers essential information for dam operation, potential dam removal, river health assessment and overall ecosystem management. Such an assessment is challenging because characteristics of fish assemblages are not only affected by dams, but also influenced by natural variation and human-induced modification (in addition to dams) in thermal and flow regimes, physicochemical habitats and biological assemblages. This study evaluated the impacts of dams on river fish assemblages in the non-impoundment sections of rivers in the states of Michigan and Wisconsin using multiple fish assemblage indicators and multiple approaches to distinguish the influences of dams from those of other natural and human-induced factors. We found that environmental factors that influence fish assemblages in addition to dams should be incorporated when evaluating regional effects of dams on fish assemblages. Without considering such co-influential factors, the evaluation is inadequate and potentially misleading. The role of dams alone in determining fish assemblages at a regional spatial scale is relatively small (explained less than 20% of variance) compared with the other environmental factors, such as river size, flow and thermal regimes and land uses jointly. However, our results do demonstrate that downstream and upstream dams can substantially modify fish assemblages in the non-impoundment sections of rivers. After excluding river size and land-use influences, our results clearly demonstrate that dams have significant impacts on fish biotic-integrity and habitat-and-social-preference indicators. The influences of the upstream dams, downstream dams, distance to dams, and dam density differ among the fish indicators, which have different implications for maintaining river biotic integrity, protecting biodiversity and managing fisheries. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quartz diorites derived by partial melting of eclogite or amphibolite at mantle depths

Rare earth elements, Rb, Sr, Ba and K have been determined in tonalite, trondhjemite, dacite, tholeiite and graywacke from the 2700 m.y. old Early Precambrian greenstone-granite terrane of northeastern Minnesota-northwestern Ontario, and also in trondhjemite from the 3550 m.y. old Morton Gneiss, southwestern Minnesota; and the Mesozoic Craggy Peak Pluton, Klamath Mountains, California. The Early Precambrian tholeiites have trace element compositions similar to modern oceanic tholeiites, while the quartz dioritic rocks, regardless of age, have total rare earth contents lower than that of tholeiitic basalts, with near chondritic heavy rare earth contents. Rb, Sr, Ba and K contents of the quartz diorites are about five times that of oceanic tholeiites, with similar alkali and alkaline earth ratios. The Early Precambrian graywacke has a rare earth content intermediate between greenstone and quartz diorite, reflecting its provenance. It is proposed that the analyzed quartz dioritic rocks, whether plutonic tonalite, dacite porphyry, gneissic or plutonic trondhjemite, or trondhjemite dikes had similar modes of origin, and were derived by partial melting of amphibolite or eclogite of basaltic or gabbroic composition at depths greater than thirty kilometers, leaving a residue consisting predominantly of garnet and clinopyroxene.
Social Support and the Effectiveness of Group Therapy

Collected self-report data from 37 pretest clients and 26 of the same clients at posttest who participated in six counseling center therapy groups. Questionnaires assessed six functionally different types of social support provided from two sources, therapy group members vs. persons outside the group, together with pre- and posttest levels of three distress symptoms, which were depression, self-esteem, and psychological symptoms of stress. Significant improvement in symptoms was noted during the eight-week interventions, and this improvement was related to the availability of social support, depending on the type and source of support. In general, support from sources outside the therapy group appeared to have the most impact. Levels of certain types of support differed in groups depending on whether or not the group was composed of members with a common presenting concern.
Serum autoantibodies in childhood opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome: an analysis of antigenic targets in neural tissues.

Abstract Objective: Opsoclonus-myoclonus (OM) is a rare neurologic syndrome affecting children and adults. In children it occurs as a parainfectious process or a paraneoplastic syndrome in association with neuroblastoma. Evidence for an immune mechanism includes the presence of serum autoantibodies to several neural antigens and improvement of symptoms with immunosuppressive therapy. We studied the neural antigenic targets of serum IgM and IgG autoantibodies from nine children with OM. Design: We studied sera from nine children with OM, three with associated neuroblastoma and six with a prodromal viral illness. Control subjects (n = 77) included four children with neuroblastoma but not OM, 32 children with other neurologic disorders, and 41 with nonneurologic illnesses. We studied the neural antigenic targets of serum IgM and IgG autoantibodies by the following methods: (1) immunostaining of human cerebellar sections and peripheral nerve, and (2) Western blot analysis with human brain fractions including white matter, gray matter, and cerebellar Purkinje cells and nuclei. Results: Sera from all nine children with OM had IgM and IgG binding to the cytoplasm of cerebellar Purkinje cells and to some axons in white matter. In peripheral nerve, IgM and IgG from all nine OM sera bound to large and small axons. Western blot analysis showed a distinctive pattern of binding to several neural proteins, including a 210 kd antigen identified as the high molecular weight subunit of neurofilament. No control serum showed a similar pattern of reactivity. Conclusion: Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome in childhood is associated with a distinctive pattern of serum IgM and IgG binding to neural tissues and antigens.
Nonlinear Schro¨dinger solitons in the forced Toda lattice

Abstract I demonstrate that the pulsating oscillations observed by Hill and Knopoff in the forced Toda lattice may be interpreted as nonlinear Schrodinger solitons. This is accomplished by taking the small amplitude and the continuum limit of the forced Toda lattice equation. This limit is shown to be the stable form of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation. However, “dark” solitons can be expected to occur for this form since in this case the nonlinear Schrodinger field can be consider to approach a nonzero value at infinity. I then demonstrate that one can interpret these pulsating oscillations in terms of these dark nonlinear Schrodinger solitons.
Effects of bilirubin on transepithelial transport of sodium, water, and urea.

Effects of bilirubin on transepithelial transport of sodium, water, and urea. Urinary concentrating defects and renal salt wasting have been described in the hyperbilirubinemic Gunn strain of rat. Homozygous animals demonstrate significant reductions in renal medullary urea and sodium ion concentrations. These observations are consistent with possible bilirubin associated disorders in the transepithelial transport of water and solute. To test this hypothesis, measurements of active sodium transport and passive water and urea fluxes were made in hemibladders isolated from the Dominican toad, Bufo marinas . Tissues were exposed to amphibian bicarbonate Ringer's solution containing 0.1 mM bilirubin with 0.05% bovine serum albumin (BSA) or BSA alone Vasopressin-stimulated sodium transport, as reflected by short circuit current (SCC), was inhibited by 18 ± 6% in the presence of bilirubin (N = 10; P -5 M) stimulated SCC was inhibited to a similar degree in the presence of bilirubin. The inhibition was noted only when bilirubin was in the serosal bath, and it could be abolished with BSA 0.5%. Bilirubin had no effect on the increase in SCC induced by higher concentrations of cyclic AMP (10 -4 M), aldosterone, or amphotericin B. Furthermore, bilirubin had no effect on the hydro-osmotic response to vasopressin and vasopressin-induced changes in urea permeability. These findings show that short-term exposure to bilirubin exerts a tissue-specific effect on the vasopressin-stimulated active transport of sodium but has no effect on the vasopressin-induced fluxes of water and urea. Effets de la bilirubine sur le transport transepithelial de sodium, d'eau, et d'uree. Des defauts de concentration urinaire et une fuite renale de sodium ont ete observes dans la souche de rats hyperbilirubinemiques Gunn. Les animaux homozygotes presentent une reduction significative des concentrations en uree et en ion sodium dans la medullaire renale. Ces observations sont compatibles avec des desordres peut-etre lies a la bilirubine du transport transepithelial d'eau et de solutes. Afin de tester cette hypothese, des mesures du transport actif du sodium et des flux passifs d'eau et d'uree ont ete effectuees dans des hemi-vessies isolees a partir du Crapaud Dominicain Bufo marinus . Les tissus etaient exposes a une solution de Ringer bicarbonate pour amphibiens contenant 0,1 mM de bilirubine avec 0,05% de serum albumine de boeuf (BSA) ou de la BSA seule. Le transport de sodium stimule par la vasopressine reflete par le courant de court circuit (SCC) etait inhibe de 18 ± 6% en presence de bilirubine (N = 10; P
Non-enzymatic transfer of sequence information under plausible prebiotic conditions.

We simulated in our laboratory a prebiotic environment where dry and wet periods were cycled. Under anhydrous conditions, lipid molecules present in the medium could form fluid lamellar matrices and work as organizing agents for the condensation of nucleic acid monomers into polymers. We exposed a mixture of 2'-deoxyribonucleoside 5'-monophosphates and a ssDNA oligomer template to this dry environment at 90 °C under a continuous gentle stream of CO(2) and we followed it with rehydration periods. After five dry/wet cycles we were able to detect the presence of a product that was complementary to the template. The reaction had a 0.5% yield with respect to the template, as measured by staining with the Pico Green(®) fluorescent probe. Absent initial template, the product of the reaction remained below the detection limit. In order to characterize the fidelity of replication, the synthesized strand was ligated to adapters, amplified by PCR, and sequenced. The alignment of the sequenced DNA to the expected complementary sequence revealed that the misincorporation rate was 9.9%. We present these results as a proof of concept for the possibility of having non-enzymatic transfer of sequence information in a prebiotically plausible environment.
Use of aortic counterpulsation to improve sustained coronary artery patency during acute myocardial infarction. Results of a randomized trial. The Randomized IABP Study Group.

BACKGROUNDAortic counterpulsation has been observed to reduce the rate of reocclusion of the infarct-related artery after patency has been restored during acute myocardial infarction in observational studies. To evaluate the benefit-to-risk ratio of aortic counterpulsation during the early phase of myocardial infarction, a multicenter randomized clinical trial was performed.METHODS AND RESULTSPatients who had patency restored during acute cardiac catheterization within the first 24 hours of onset of myocardial infarction were randomly assigned to aortic counterpulsation for 48 hours versus standard care. Intravenous heparin was used similarly in both groups and was continued for a median (25th, 75th percentile) of 5 (2,7) days. A total of 182 patients were enrolled; 96 were assigned to aortic counterpulsation and 86 to standard care. Repeat cardiac catheterization was performed at a median of 5 (4,6) days after randomization in 89% of patients assigned to aortic counterpulsation and in 90% of control pati...
Distributed and centralized information management of wireless smart camera networks

For the better security and safety of community, huge amount of video surveillance cameras are installed everywhere nowadays. It is thus highly desired to demand the security systems to real-time monitor and analyze events so as to generate real-time alerts and take appropriate real-time actions to minimize the damages caused by crimes and threats. Thanks to the success of wireless broadband access technologies, such as Wi-Fi and WiMAX/LTE technologies, real-time video surveillance and networking for large scale camera networks is now made possible. The applications include large scale community surveillance, environmental monitoring, military maneuvering, etc.In this talk, I will first talk about how a smart camera can effectively perform information exchange in a distributed manner of the processed results to neighboring cameras wirelessly to ensure effective camera calibration and multiple moving objects tracking across different cameras. By slight modification of the CSMA/CA access mechanism, we propose an idle probability based broadcasting method which adaptively adjusts the broadcast probability to improve broadcast effectiveness in a dense saturated camera network. For those event-detected cameras, the suspicious videos need to be uplinked to cloud servers for archiving or real-time dissemination. We propose a systematic cross-layer scheme, which incorporates an opportunistic scheduler and a QoE-driven resource allocation policy for OFDMA based networks, to appropriately adapt the video encoding to the assigned target bit rate from the basestation so as to ensure the efficient use of the limited bandwidth resources.
Notes on the occurrence, distribution, and biology of elasmobranch fishes in the Indian River lagoon system, Florida

Fifteen species of elasmobranchs, eight sharks and seven rays, have been recorded with reasonable certainty from the Indian River lagoon system on the central east coast of Florida. We collected four shark and six ray species during a three and one-half year study of the northern portion of the lagoon system. Five of these appear to be year-round residents, and the remainder utilize the area only at restricted times of the year or as a nursery ground. The most abundant resident species areDasyatis sayi, D. sabina, andCarcharhinus leucas. Pristis pectinata, once a common resident species, has been extirpated from the lagoons. The distribution of ocean inlets and salinity appear to be major factors affecting diversity and numbers of elasmobranchs in the Indian River system.
Design and Construction of a Specified Rough Interface for Calibrated Acoustic Measurements

Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the observed penetration of an incident acoustic wave into sediment at angles below the compressional critical angle. A series of well-controlled laboratory measurements were made and compared with the results of a first-order perturbation theory model to evaluate the accuracy of one of these mechanisms, transmission due to interface roughness. An acrylic disc was used to mimic sediment in the laboratory measurements. Properties of the acrylic were determined in the initial measurements and then used to construct a numerical model. The model was validated by a later set of measurements and then extended for the rough interface case through the addition of first-order perturbation theory scattering terms. The extended model was used to select a roughness spectrum for use in a transmission-type scattering experiment. A realization of the roughness spectrum was machined into one face of the acrylic disc. Considerable care was required in the fabrication of the rough interface as its accuracy was essential to the success of the experiment. The results of the transmission-type scattering experiment compared well with the results of the model and clearly demonstrated subcritical scattering at the water-acrylic boundary due to interface roughness.
Effective Collision Strengths for Hydrogen and Hydrogen-Like Ions

Abstract Recent calculations of electron impact excitation of hydrogen and hydrogen-like ions are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on close coupling and closely related studies (involving an optical potential, or using pseudostates). Effective (thermally averaged) collision strengths deduced from these calculations are discussed, and comments are made concerning their probable reliability.
Discriminative stimulus properties of naloxone

Nonopioid-dependent pigeons were trained to discriminate IM injections of 30.0 mg/kg naloxone from water in a procedure in which 15 consecutive responses on one of two keys resulted in grain presentation. Naloxone-appropriate responding was maximal at doses of naloxone equal to and greater than the training dose. The onset of the naloxone discriminative cue was rapid (less than 5 min) and the duration of the cue was short (less than 60 min). Naltrexone (1.0–10.0 mg/kg), pentazocine (1.0–10.0 mg/kg), levallorphan (1.0–30.0 mg/kg), and nalorphine (3.0–30.0 mg/kg) produced dose-dependent increases in naloxone-appropriate responding, occasioning 100% naloxone-key selections. In contrast, cyclazocine, profadol, and diprenorphine, at doses up to those at which animals did not respond, produced only intermediate degrees of naloxone-appropriate responding. Morphine always produced selection of the water key. These results demonstrate that a pure opioid antagonist, such as naloxone, has discriminative stimulus effects in the nonopioid-dependent animal, that these stimulus effects are shared by certain other opioid antagonists, and that these effects are distinguishable from those produced by pure opioid agonists, such as morphine.
The Relationship of Pressure toward Obedience to Production in Art and Music: A Cross-Cultural Study on the Effects of Certain Child-Rearing Practices

Abstract Child-rearing pressures toward obedience were related to measures of art and music characteristics in a sample comprising 77 societies of the world. An initial attempt to demonstrate a connection between these pressures to obey (on children five to 12 years of age) and complexity of art products was partially successful: 56 out of 92 measures of such pressure were found to be positively related to “complexity of design” (χ2 = 4.35, p < .05, two-tailed test). Other measures of art and music characteristics were found to be related to pressure to obey at more than chance levels. However, since it was not possible to reach a consensus on what art and music complexity is, the results demonstrate only the influence of child-rearing pressures, and not whether such pressures produce complexity of art products.
Fifty years of systemic therapy for breast cancer: from one size fits all to tailored therapy.

Breast cancer treatment has evolved dramatically in the past 50 years. In addition to innovations in medical therapy—including widespread use of endocrine treatments, chemotherapy, and anti-HER2 ag...