cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Word Boxes Improve Phonemic Awareness, Letter–Sound Correspondences, and Spelling Skills of At-Risk Kindergartners

Early literacy skills are critical for success in school, yet many children fail to obtain these skills in a timely manner leaving them unable to perform at minimal academic expectations. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of word box instruction, a research-based intervention designed to promote phonemic awareness, on the phonological, reading, and spelling skills of three kindergartners. A multiple probe design across the three skills was sequentially replicated across students to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. Results demonstrated a functional relation between the word box instruction and increases in all three students’ segmenting skills and letter–sound correspondences, along with demonstrated improvements in spelling and reading.
Isaacson expansion in quantum cosmology.

This paper is an application of the ideas of the Born-Oppenheimer (or slow-fast) approximation in molecular physics and of the Isaacson (or short-wave) approximation in classical gravity to the canonical quantization of a perturbed minisuperspace model of the kind examined by Halliwell and Hawking. Its aim is the clarification of the role of the semiclassical approximation and back reaction in such a model. The Isaacson approximation to the quantum model, although it includes the semiclassical approximation, and requires the solution of something resembling a time-dependent Schrodinger equation, has solutions which are not semiclassical, and semiclassical solutions in which the quantum perturbations are highly excited.
Diagnostic evaluation for infectious etiology of sickle cell pain crisis

Occult infections during sickle cell pain crisis can be associated with significant morbidity. It has been suggested that empiric workup for pneumonia and urinary tract infection (UTI) is required. A study was undertaken to determine whether clinical criteria can be used to exclude such infections as precipitants of pain crisis in adults. This retrospective, observational clinical study was conducted in an inner-city teaching hospital emergency department (ED) with 95,000 visits/year. Patients 18 years of age or older presenting to the ED with sickle cell pain crisis who had not used antipyretics within 6 hours before presentation were eligible. Ninety-four visits were evaluated. During initial evaluation the treating physician completed a questionnaire addressing systemic, pulmonary, and urinary tract signs and symptoms. Temperature and physical examination were recorded on an ED memo. Treatment modalities were at the discretion of the treating physician. All patients had a complete blood count, reticulocyte count, urinalysis, and chest radiograph. If the urinalysis was positive (>2 white blood cells) or the patient had clinical evidence of a UTI, a urine culture was obtained. UTI was confirmed through a urine culture with >100,000 colony-forming units/mL. Chest X-rays were reviewed by a staff radiologist. Definitive diagnosis of pneumonia was made by the presence of an infiltrate and a positive clinical response to antibiotic therapy. Thirty-eight patients totalling 94 visits to the ED were studied during an 18-month period. Six diagnoses of pneumonia and 3 diagnoses of UTI were made. All six patients with pneumonia had at least 4 of the signs and symptoms including fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sputum production, chest pain, hemoptysis, abnormal pulmonary examination, and temperature of >37.8 degrees C. Of the three patients with UTI, two had signs and symptoms inconsistent with UTI (asymptomatic bacteriuria). In patients with sickle cell pain crisis, medical history and physical examination can be useful to predict the absence of pneumonia, but may not be as beneficial in predicting the absence of UTI. These results suggest that empiric chest x-ray may be unnecessary to exclude pneumonia; however, routine urinalysis may be indicated. Because of the low incidence of these infections, larger studies are required to confirm these findings.
Bradyarrhythmias during rheolytic pharmacomechanical thrombectomy for deep vein thrombosis.

Purpose:To explore possible mechanisms of bradycardia occurring during rheolytic pharmacomechanical thrombectomy (PMT) for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and to propose a treatment algorithm for this...
Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnancy and Lactation and Health Consequences

Pregnancy and lactation represent time periods where health status affects two persons instead of one. With the monumental development and growth that occurs in fetal and in early life, optimizing health status is imperative. An important part of health status is achieving and sustaining vitamin D sufficiency with vitamin D’s critical function in bone health, immune function, and cell proliferation. Investigation regarding the short-term and long-term effect of vitamin D status during these times is exponentially growing and, so far, demonstrates important roles for vitamin D in both maternal and infant bone health, glucose tolerance, and immune function. In addition, evidence points to a critical role for vitamin D in sustaining pregnancy and avoiding pregnancy-related diseases. As information grows concerning vitamin D function in these time periods, worldwide study reveals vitamin D deficiency in mothers and infants at epidemic proportions. However, of promise, there is ongoing investigation to further identify the maternal vitamin D supplementation that can safely support mother and infant during both pregnancy and lactation.
Columnar organization in the motor cortex.

Despite many attempts to find spatial structure in the functional properties of neurons within the primary motor cortex (MI), there is still no compelling evidence for such structure despite the anatomical similarities between motor cortex and other neocortical areas. This is a longstanding puzzle in motor cortical physiology because topographic structure of function is a hallmark of primary sensory cortices including the visual, somatosensory, and auditory cortices. In particular, experimental evidence has supported the idea of vertical columns perpendicular to the cortical surface which contain neurons that share similar sensory tuning properties. Moreover, horizontal spatial structure has been observed in sensory cortices, most elegantly manifested by the pinwheel structure of orientation tuning across V1 (Bonhoeffer and Grinvald, 1991). Although early work by Asanuma provided some evidence for somatotopic, columnar organization in MI using intracortical microstimulation (Asanuma, 1975), further research by many others did not support this perspective but rather suggested distributed and overlapping representations of body parts. Namely, nearby sites in motor cortex could represent or evoke very different muscles and joints, and multiple, spatially-distributed sites could represent very similar body parts (Donoghue, Leibovic et al., 1992; Schieber and Hibbard, 1993; Sanes, Donoghue et al., 1995). By focusing on movement parameters instead of body parts, recent studies have provided evidence that a topographic organization of directional tuning does exist within the motor cortex (Amirikian and Georgopoulos, 2003; Georgopoulos, Merchant et al., 2007). However, it still remains controversial as to which movement parameters, if any, are truly encoded in single MI neurons.
Role of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase in Oxidative Stress-induced Disruption of Tight Junctions

A recent study (Nusrat, A., Chen, J. A., Foley, C. S., Liang, T. W., Tom, J., Cromwell, M., Quan, C., and Mrsny, R. J. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 29816-29822) suggested that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) may interact with occludin; however, there exists no evidence of direct interaction of PI 3-kinase with the tight junctions. Activation of PI 3-kinase by oxidative stress and its role in disruption of tight junctions was examined in Caco-2 cell monolayer. The oxidative stress-induced decrease in electrical resistance, increase in inulin permeability, and redistribution of occludin and ZO-1 were reduced by a PI 3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002. Oxidative stress-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and dissociation from the actin cytoskeleton of occludin and ZO-1 were reduced by LY294002. The regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase, p85, and the PI 3-kinase activity were co-immunoprecipitated with occludin, which were rapidly increased by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress resulted in increased translocation of p85 from the intracellular compartment into the intercellular junctions. Pair-wise glutathione S-transferase pull-down assay showed that glutathione S-transferase-occludin (C-terminal tail) binds to recombinant p85. This study shows that oxidative stress increases the association of PI 3-kinase with the occludin, and that PI 3-kinase activity is involved in oxidative stress-induced disruption of tight junction.
ON THE BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PHOSPHATE ANALYSIS; COMPARISON OF STANDARD AND NEW METHODS WITH A BIOASSAY1

The phosphate concentration of 13 waters was measured by several chemical procedures including a new six-second method and a solvent extraction procedure. Results were compared with estimates from an algal bioassay procedure to determine which method most accurately measured biologically available phosphorus. Where estimates obtained by these methods differed appreciably, arsenate interference rather than hydrolysis of organic phosphate compounds accounted for the discrepancies. The new extraction method proved less sensitive to arsenate interference than that of Stephens and gave results in agreement with the bioassay.
The enthalpies of formation of Mo2C(c) and Mo3C2(c) by fluorine bomb calorimetry

Abstract The energies of combustion in fluorine of well-characterized samples of MoC 0.502 ± 0.004 , (α-Mo 2 C), and MoC 0.651 ± 0.004 , (Mo 3 C 2 ), were measured in a bomb calorimeter. The standard enthalpies of formation were derived to be ΔH f o (MoC 0.502 , α, 298.15 K) = −(6.37 ± 0.73) kcal th mol −1 and ΔH f o (MoC 0.651 , c, 298.15 K) = −(4.98 ± 0.76) kcal th mol −1 .
The stimulus control paradigm in sleep-onset insomnia: a multimethod assessment.

Abstract Three studies were conducted to assess a stimulus control conceptualization of sleep-onset insomia. In the first study, eight sleep-onset insomniac and ten noninsomniac subjects were interviewed about their sleep patterns and presleep behaviors. Each subject then spent five nights in a sleep laboratory while standard psychophysiological measures were recorded along with subjective report of sleep-onset latency. The second study was a replication of the first using seven sleep-onset insomniac and eight noninsomniac subjects. In both studies, there were nonsignificant differences between insomniac and noninsomniac groups on self-reported frequency of sleep-incompatible behaviors, nap frequency or location, or variability in sleep habits. There were also nonsignificant relationships between these variables and laboratory measures of sleep-onset latency. In the third study, 23 insomniac and noninsomniac subjects self-monitored time spent in sleep-incompatible behaviors and sleep-onset latencies at home for 14 consecutive nights. There were no significant relationships among these variables. The results of all three studies are generally inconsistent with a stimulus control paradigm of sleep-onset insomia and alternative explanations for the effectiveness of stimulus control treatments must be considered.
SELF-REGULATION OF GROWTH IN THREE DIMENSIONS

Multi-cell spheroids were grown in soft agar. When each spheroid was cultured in a large volume of medium, frequently renewed, all spheroids eventually reached a dormant phase at a diameter of approximately 3-4 mm and a population of approximately 10(6) cells. In the dormant spheroid, newly generated cells at the periphery balanced those lost by necrosis in the center. We propose that this dormant phase is due to a gradual reduction in the ratio of surface area to volume: a size is achieved beyond which there is insufficient surface area for the spheroid to eliminate catabolites and absorb nutrients. Thus, in the face of unlimited space and of new medium, three-dimensional cell populations become self-regulating. This phenomenon contrasts with standard tissue culture in which cell populations, living on a flat plane in two dimensions, will not stop growing in the face of unlimited space and new medium because the ratio of surface area to volume remains constant. These experiments provide a mechanism for our observations in vivo: before vascularization, solid tumors live by simple diffusion as three-dimensional spheroids or ellipsoids. They become dormant at a diameter of only a few millimeters; once vascularized, they are released from this dormant phase and begin exponential growth. Thus, tumor dormancy resulting from absence of angiogenesis in vivo, may operate by the same mechanism responsible for dormancy of spheroids in vitro.
Donating hearts after cardiac death--reversing the irreversible.

Under current law, it is not possible to procure a transplantable heart after cardiac death. Robert Veatch discusses two possible ways out ofthis dilemma.
Parallel Mining of Neuronal Spike Streams on Graphics Processing Units

Multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) provide dynamic and spatial perspectives into brain function by capturing the temporal behavior of spikes recorded from cultures and living tissue. Understanding the firing patterns of neurons implicit in these spike trains is crucial to gaining insight into cellular activity. We present a solution involving a massively parallel graphics processing unit (GPU) to mine spike train datasets. We focus on mining frequent episodes of firing patterns that capture coordinated events even in the presence of intervening background events. We present two algorithmic strategies—hybrid mining and two-pass elimination—to map the finite state machine-based counting algorithms onto GPUs. These strategies explore different computation-to-core mapping schemes and illustrate innovative parallel algorithm design patterns for temporal data mining. We also provide a multi-GPU mining framework, which exhibits additional performance enhancement. Together, these contributions move us towards a real-time solution to neuronal data mining.
Environmentally controlled phenotypic plasticity of morphology and polypeptide expression in two populations of Daphnia pulex (Crustacea: cladocera)

Two local Daphnia pulex populations which are subject to different types of seasonally varying predation pressures were studied. Individuals from both populations were raised in laboratory environments which simulated either summer or winter temperatures and photoperiods. When individuals from the same parthenogenetic clone were raised in different seasonal environments, each clone exhibited phenotypic variation specific to each of the seasonal environments. Intraclonal phenotypic plasticity was found in both populations at two different levels: variation in morphological characters, and variation in the expressed polypeptide phenotypes. Summer environmental conditions induced predator-resistant morphological traits, while winter conditions induced predator-susceptible ones. From 65% to 71% of over 200 major polypeptides were specifically expressed in either one seasonal environment or the other. This is evidence for the existence of environmentally induced switching between alternate developmental programs. Clones from the population with the least year to year predictability of seasonal predation pressure showed more interclonal variation in environment specific phenotypic expression than clones from the more predictably fluctuating environment.
Positive and negative prognostic variables for patients undergoing spine surgery for metastatic breast disease

The histology of the primary tumor in metastatic spine disease plays an important role in its treatment and prognosis. However, there is paucity in the literature of histology-specific analysis of spinal metastases. In this study, prognostic variables were reviewed for patients who underwent surgery for breast metastases to the spinal column. Respective chart review was done to first identify all patients with breast cancer over an 8-year period at a major cancer center and then to select all those with symptomatic metastatic disease to the spine who underwent spinal surgery. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess several prognostic variables. Presence of visceral metastases, multiplicity of bony lesions, presence of estrogen receptors (ER), and segment of spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral) in which metastases arose were compared with patient survival. Eighty-seven patients underwent 125 spinal surgeries. Those with estrogen receptor (ER) positivity had a longer median survival after surgery compared to those with estrogen receptor negativity. Patients with cervical location of metastasis had a shorter median survival compared with those having metastases in other areas of the spine. The presence of visceral metastases or a multiplicity of bony lesions did not have prognostic value. In patients with spinal metastases from breast cancer, aggressive surgical management may be an option for providing significant pain relief and preservation/improvement of neurological function. Interestingly, in patients undergoing such surgery, cervical location of metastasis is a negative prognostic variable, and ER-positivity is associated with better survival, while presence of visceral or multiple bony lesions does not significantly alter survival.
Nitrogen and sulfur influence nutrient usage and accumulation in onion

Abstract To study the effects of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) fertility on onion (Allium cepa L.) bulb pungency, bulb fresh and dry weight, nutrient uptake and accumulation in the bulb, “Granex 33” onions were greenhouse grown using nutrient solution culture. A factorial arrangement of solutions containing 1.7, 15.0, and 41.7 mg L−1 S and 10, 50, 90, and 130 mg L−1 N were used. Bulb pungency and bulb fresh and dry weight were affected by both S and N treatments. Depletion patterns for most of the macronutrients from the nutrient solutions during plant growth were affected by N and S levels, and differed depending on the N and S combination. In certain N and S combinations, magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) usage were unaffected over time. Bulb N levels increased with N fertility and decreased slightly with S availability, while bulb phosphorous levels responded linearly to N fertility. Overall changes in bulb Ca and Mg levels were minor, but were influenced by N and S fertility. Bulb S content was affected b...
Characteristics of Patients Successfully Treated for Cervicogenic Headache by Surgical Decompression of the Second Cervical Root

We have recently reported 90% success in a series of patients undergoing microsurgical decompression of the second cervical (C2) nerve root and ganglion for cervicogenic headache. Review and analysis of our database was carried out in order to cull factors characterizing patients amenable to this surgical treatment. Thirty-five sequential C2 decompressions performed on 31 patients who were pain-free or significantly improved in follow-up were evaluated retrospectively. Preoperative factors and intraoperative findings were analyzed for prognostic significance. The diagnosis of cervicogenic headache was made using established criteria and success of CT-guided C2 anesthetic blockade in alleviating the headache. Numerous historical factors noted preoperatively including age, sex, history of trauma, autonomic symptoms, visual changes, and many others were not able to be well correlated with outcome in univariate analysis. Likewise, no strong correlation could be made for findings on physical examination. Thus, no specific prognostic factors could be established, other than the accepted diagnostic criteria and successful anesthetic blockade of the C2 root and ganglion. These factors should identify the subset of patients with cervicogenic headache predominantly due to C2 root or ganglion effect and thus may favor a surgical treatment.
Diatoms from the Shelton Mastodon Site

A fairly diverse and abundant diatom flora is associated with remains of Mammut americanurn at the Shelton Mastodon Site in northern Oakland County, Michigan. The most abundant elements of this flora are species commonly recorded from late-glacial deposits in North America and Europe. The nearest modern analogues of this flora are assemblages deposited in small lakes in the high arctic and present day periglacial environments. Based on the diatoms present, the most probable depositional habitat was the margin of a moderately alkaline (pH > 7.0) and moderately productive pond which existed under arctic conditions.
Reduction of Induced Vibration Using Motion-Doubling Linkage Mechanisms

In recent studies, the authors presented a special class of planar and spatial linkage mechanisms in which for a continuous full rotation or continuous rocking motion of the input link, the output link undergoes two continuous rocking motions. Such linkage mechanisms were referred to as the “motion-doubling” linkage mechanisms. It was also shown that in a special case of such mechanisms, the fundamental frequency of the input motion is doubled. This class of mechanisms generally has dynamics advantage over regular mechanisms designed to achieve similar gross output motions. In the present study, it is shown that in general and for the same gross output motion, motion-doubling mechanisms require lower input torques, and that the high harmonics of the input torque have smaller amplitudes. The high harmonic components present in the input torque are the main source of vibration and control problems in the system or device that the mechanism operates and its own structure. It is therefore concluded that when vibration and motion precision is of concern, such as in high-speed and precision machinery, motion-doubling mechanisms are generally more suitable from the potential vibration excitation and control points of view and actuating torque requirements.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Killing Us Softly? Investigating Portrayals of Women and Men in Contemporary Magazine Advertisements.

Our research aimed to systematically investigate how women and men are portrayed in magazine advertisements, deriving hypotheses from Jean Kilbourne’s observed media analysis presented in her Killing Us Softly film series. A total of 790 advertisements in 19 magazines were coded. Results revealed support for many of Kilbourne’s hypotheses. For example, compared to men, women were portrayed as more flawless, passive, and dismembered, particularly in women’s fashion and men’s magazines. Other hypotheses from Kilbourne’s analysis were not supported; for example, there were no differences in the portrayal of female versus male models in defensive stances, as childlike, in bondage, or transforming into an object. These findings have implications for the readers of these magazines as well as instructors who use the Killing Us Softly film series in their courses. Additional online materials for this article are available to PWQ subscribers on PWQ's website at http://pwq.sagepub.com/supplemental.
Parameterization of the monthly mean vertical heat transfer at the earth's surface

The monthly mean vertical flux of heat at the earth's surface is parameterized using a simplified representation of the atmospheric thermal eddy diffusivity in terms of the temperature lapse rate. The formula obtained expresses the dependence of this mean vertical heat flux not only on the mean temperature difference between the surface and the free atmosphere (as is specified in several statistical-dynamical models of the zonal climate and the diabatically-forced standing waves), but also on the intrinsic properties of the earth's surface (albedo, conductive capacity, and water availability) and on the free atmospheric variance of temperature associated with synoptic air mass movements. These latter factors enter as “rectifier” effects associated with the diurnal and synoptic temperature oscillations; they lead to significant net upward fluxes of heat, particularly over the continents in summer and lower latitudes in all seasons (the diurnal effect) and over the oceans off the east coasts of the continents in winter (the synoptic effect). A calculation of the heat flux from the formula expressing all of the above combined effects, for January and July mean conditions, shows good agreement with the distributions obtained independently by Budyko. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1976.tb00681.x
The use of cytokines, fusion proteins and antibodies to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

ABSTRACT: It has long been known that certain immune augmenting therapeutics, particularly interferon alpha, can exert profound salutary effects on the clinical progress of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Emerging evidence that the host immune response may play an important role in the control of this disorder has led to the clinical application of other cytokines including interleukin-12 and interferon gamma. In this review, the authors will summarize current knowledge regarding the use of cytokines, fusion proteins and antibodies for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
A Labile Component of AMPA Receptor-Mediated Synaptic Transmission Is Dependent on Microtubule Motors, Actin, and N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Factor

Glutamate receptor channels are synthesized in the cell body, are inserted into intracellular vesicles, and move to dendrites where they become incorporated into synapses. Dendrites contain abundant microtubules that have been implicated in the vesicle-mediated transport of ion channels. We have examined how the inhibition of microtubule motors affects synaptic transmission. Monoclonal antibodies that inactivate the function of dynein or kinesin were introduced into hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells through a patch pipette. Both antibodies substantially reduced the AMPA receptor-mediated responses within 1 hr but had no effect on the NMDA receptor-mediated response. Heat-inactivated antibody or control antibodies had a much smaller effect. A component of transmission appeared to be resistant even to the combination of these inhibitors, and we therefore explored whether other agents also produce only a partial inhibition of transmission. A similar resistant component was found by using an actin inhibitor (phalloidin) or an inhibitor of NSF ( N -ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein)/GluR2 interaction. We then examined whether these effects were independent or occluded each other. We found that a combination of phalloidin and NSF/GluR2 inhibitor reduced the response to ∼30% of baseline level, an effect only slightly larger than that produced by each agent alone. The addition of microtubule motor inhibitors to this combination produced no further inhibition. We conclude that there are two components of AMPA receptor-mediated transmission; one is a labile pool sensitive to NSF/GluR2 inhibitors, actin inhibitors, and microtubule motor inhibitors. A second, nonlabile pool resembles NMDA receptor channels in being nearly insensitive to any of these agents on the hour time scale of our experiments.
Using Phylogenies to Study Convergence: The Case of the Ant-Eating Mammals1

Identifying when homoplasy is due to convergence requires confidence in trees and precise analysis of potentially convergent characters. Some features of mammals that eat mostly ants and termites are used as examples of convergence; the most speciose assemblages of these mammals are in the orders Xenarthra and Pholidota. My studies on cranial muscles in xenarthrans and pholidotans aim to 1) precisely describe the anatomy in ant-eating and non-ant-eating lineages, 2) assess variation among ant-eating lineages, and 3) compare the most derived conditions (in xenarthran anteaters and pholidotan pangolins). These data clarify the nature of morphological adaptation in ant-eating mammals, and when combined with accumulating phylogenetic studies, allow us to distinguish features that have evolved convergently from those that are variable but not correlated with diet. Interpreting the extreme similarity in anteaters and pangolins remains problematic due to lingering disagreement among phylogenetic hypotheses. Prevailing opinion favors interpretation of these similarities as convergent.
Use of adiabatic experiments for kinetic studies in fixed catalyst beds

A method is presented for using an adiabatic reactor to study the kinetics of reactions of gases on solid catalysts. The method is based on measurement of the steady state axial profile of temperature or composition in a specially designed adiabatic packed bed reactor. Reaction rates are calculated from these measured profiles by graphical differentitation. The method is applicable for multireaction systems and for any type of kinetic behavior. The method was demonstrated by an experimental study of cumene cracking an silica-alumina catalyst at 420° to 480°C. The measured reaction rates are in satisfactory agreement with results obtained by other investigators who used isothermal reactors. Areas of application of the adiabatic method are suggested.
DNA sequence alignment using the matching pursuit decomposition

Sequence alignment is the positioning of primary biological sequences, such as DNA, RNA and protein sequences, to identify regions of similarity in large databases. Common signal processing techniques include cross-correlations in time or frequency. However, these techniques can result in many misalignments when capturing a grouping in local or repetitive portions of the sequence. We propose a time-frequency based alignment technique using the matching pursuit decomposition method and a mapping algorithm. The aim of this alignment technique is to identify local and global alignments more efficiently and with greater precision than existing methods. Its success is based on the fact that sequence elements are mapped to unique Gaussian basis atoms that uniformly sample the time-frequency plane.
Hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α regulates transcription of the guanylin gene

To study the molecular mechanisms controlling guanylin expression, we have cloned the mouse guanylin gene, including 2.7 kb of upstream sequence. We show that the first 133 base pairs (bp) of the u...
Remote Sensing Of Geobotanical Trends In East Africa

The spatial and phenological distribution of vegetation was examined in a remote sensing geobotanical study of the East Africa Rift region. Six normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) AVHRR (advanced very high resolution radiometer) scenes (February, June, and September of both 1984 and 1987) were used as a measure of vegetation presence. NOAA ETOPO-5 elevation and geographic coordinate data were coregistered with the multitemporal NDVI images. Univariate and multivariate statistics indicate that the NDVI values are significantly associated with elevation, latitude, and longitude. This supports the concept of quantifiable, regional gradients that affect large-scale geobotanical studies. A quadratic regression line was fitted to the NDVI, elevation, latitude, and longitudinal data. In this way a regional trend, as affected by elevation, was determined. The deviation of the actual data from this regional trend was displayed as an image, and shows the local climatic and geological influences.
Miniaturization of Planar Horn Motors

There is a great need for compact, efficient motors for driving various mechanisms including robots or mobility platforms. A study is currently underway to develop a new type of piezoelectric actuators with significantly more strength, low mass, small footprint, and efficiency. The actuators/motors utilize piezoelectric actuated horns which have a very high power density and high electromechanical conversion efficiency. The horns are fabricated using our recently developed novel pre-stress flexures that make them thermally stable and increases their coupling efficiency. The monolithic design and integrated flexures that pre-stresses the piezoelectric stack eliminates the use of stress bolt. This design allows embedding solid-state motors and actuators in any structure so that the only macroscopically moving parts are the rotor or the linear translator. The developed actuator uses a stack/horn actuation and has a Barth motor configuration, which potentially generates very large torque and speeds that do not require gearing. Finite element modeling and design tools were investigated to determine the requirements and operation parameters and the results were used to design and fabricate a motor. This new design offers a highly promising actuation mechanism that can potentially be miniaturized and integrated into systems and structures. It can be configured in many shapes to operate as multi-degrees of freedom and multi-dimensional motors/actuators including unidirectional, bidirectional, 2D and 3D. In this manuscript, we are reporting the experimental measurements from a bench top design and the results from the efforts to miniaturize the design using 2x2x2 mm piezoelectric stacks integrated into thin plates that are of the order of3 x 3x 0.2 cm.
Analysis of Dispersion of Small Spherical Particles in a Random Velocity Field

The equation of motion of a small spherical rigid particle in a turbulent flow field, including the Stokes drag, the Basset force, and the virtual mass effects, is considered. For an isotropic field, the lift force and the velocity gradient effects are neglected. Using the spectral method, responses of the resulting constant coefficient stochastic integro-differential equation are studied
Effect of P2O5 on the Crystallization of Lead Silicate Glasses

The effect of P2OS on the devitrification of binary lead silicate glasses containing 64 and 59 mol% PbO was studied. Glasses underwent isothermal crystallization treatments at 400°, 450°, 500°, and 550°C. A polymorph of 3PbO2SiO2 was the major product of crystallization for all compositions of glasses. Secondary products of crystallization were found to be a polymorph of PbOSiO2 in the 59 mol% and a low-temperature polymorph of 2PbOSiO2 in the 64 mol% PbO glasses. Dominant mode of crystallization in both binary glasses was surface devitrification at all temperatures studied. Addition of P2O5 promoted internal crystallization in the form of spherulites. 400°C was found to be the most effective temperature for nucleating spherulitic growth. Crystallization at 400°C led to high concentrations of spherulites in all glasses containing at least 0.5 mol% P2O5. Concentrations of 0.5 mol% P2O5 were needed to produce detectable levels of spherulitic nucleation at r<400°C.
Two distinct SECIS structures capable of directing selenocysteine incorporation in eukaryotes

Translation of UGA as selenocysteine requires specific RNA secondary structures in the mRNAs of selenoproteins. These elements differ in sequence, structure, and location in the mRNA, that is, coding versus 3' untranslated region, in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and archaea. Analyses of eukaryotic selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) elements via computer folding programs, mutagenesis studies, and chemical and enzymatic probing has led to the derivation of a predicted consensus structural model for these elements. This model consists of a stem-loop or hairpin, with conserved nucleotides in the loop and in a non-Watson-Crick motif at the base of the stem. However, the sequences of a number of SECIS elements predict that they would diverge from the consensus structure in the loop region. Using site-directed mutagenesis to introduce mutations predicted to either disrupt or restore structure, or to manipulate loop size or stem length, we show that eukaryotic SECIS elements fall into two distinct classes, termed forms 1 and 2. Form 2 elements have additional secondary structures not present in form 1 elements. By either insertion or deletion of the sequences and structures distinguishing the two classes of elements while maintaining appropriate loop size, conversion of a form 1 element to a functional form 2-like element and of a form 2 to a functional form 1-like element was achieved. These results suggest commonality of function of the two classes. The information obtained regarding the existence of two classes of SECIS elements and the tolerances for manipulations of stem length and loop size should facilitate designing RNA molecules for obtaining high-resolution structural information about these elements.
Reactive energy scheduling using bi-objective programming with modified particle swarm optimization

Interactive Bi-objective with Valuable Trade-off programming, together with a modified particle swarm optimization for the daily scheduling of switched capacitors is presented. The two main contradictory concerns of line loss reduction and minimum number of switching operations are considered for realistic request. Both the operating and load constraints for distribution feeders are formulated for practical operation. The proposed approach can provide a set of flexible and valuable trade-off solutions as dictated by decision makers of electric utilities. Quantitative measures can also be provided to aid the decision-making process. To demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed approach, comparative studies were systematically conducted on an actual feeder. The experiment showed encouraging results suggesting that the proposed approach was capable of efficiently determining better quality solutions.
Water-Quality Assessment of Two Slow-Moving Sandy-Bottom Sites on the Saw Mill River, New York

Abstract — We selected 2 sites on the Saw Mill River and conducted biological assessments of water quality using macroinvertebrate composition. Assessment metrics used were: Shannon-Weiner diversity, evenness, species richness, Hilsenhoff biotic index (HBI), Ephemeroptera—Plecoptera—Trichoptera richness (EPT), and non-Chironomidae and Oligochaete (NCO) richness. Water temperature, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, and water flow and velocity were not significantly different across sites. Shannon-Weiner diversity values were 2.32 (evenness = 0.20) for Chappaqua and 2.68 (evenness = 0.31) for Hawthorne. Species and NCO richness for Chappaqua were 49 and 22, respectively, and for Hawthorne were 44 and 23, respectively. HBI was 7.99 for Chappaqua and 7.69 for Hawthorne. Both sites had equal EPT values of 5. Based on macroinvertebrate assessment indices, we classified water quality at these sites as non-impacted.
Capacity of several neural networks with respect to digital adder and multiplier

Many neural network designers are often curious about the capacity of a neural network. If they are able to know move about the capacity of neural networks, they would have an easier time deciding what neural network architecture to use as well as how many hidden neurons are needed for a neural network to perform a given function. Knowing the best architecture saves time with training, and allow for less expensive circuitry. The paper is a review of what neural network architectures are necessary to perform certain functions. There are two neural network architectures considered: (1) multilayer, multiple output feedforward, (2) multilayer, single output feedforward. The objectives are to examine the advantages of each network and to prove or disprove the following fact: that a single bit per output neural network uses less overall neurons to perform the same function as a multilayered network. The problem studied include a multiple bit digital adder and a multiple bit digital multiplier. The size of the problem range from 1 bit to 4 bits. >
Heat flow through an insulating nanocrystal

We calculate the low temperature, quantum mechanical rate of heat flow through a nanocrystal due to phonon transport by solving a many-body Schr\"odinger equation for oscillators in Fermi resonance. By analogy to Raman scattering through molecules, we find that normal processes due to anharmonicity of the nanocrystal give rise, over an intermediate range of lengths, to a largely length-independent thermal conductivity that resembles Fourier's law, but is in fact of a different origin. For longer crystals conductivity rises with length, as predicted for a harmonic solid. For shorter nanocrystals thermal conductivity also rises with length, followed by a turnover regime in which thermal conductivity is size specific.
Animal Experimentation and Prevention of Colorectal Cancer

Epidemiologic studies indicate that dietary factors play an important role in the etiology of colorectal cancer (Wynder and Reddy, 1974). This suggests that its incidence can be reduced by dietary alterations in countries like the U.S. where the incidence is high. The questions that need an answer are: What changes in the diet are required to reduce the risk of developing cancer? Second, can such a diet be nutritionally adequate and at the same time acceptable to the general public?
Reorganization of cytoskeletal and junctional proteins during cochlear hair cell degeneration.

Experiments were carried out to elucidate changes in cytoskeletal elements and intercellular junctions in the organ of Corti, when hair cells degenerate and phalangeal scars form. Hair cell damage was induced by exposing guinea pigs to high intensity noise. The spatial and temporal changes in the organization of microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and tight junction-specific proteins were investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy and histochemistry . The results show that microfilaments, cytokeratins, adherens junctions, and tight junctions rearrange their distribution in damaged areas. From the temporal sequence of these changes it appears that phalangeal scars develop simultaneous with hair cell degeneration, and that the integrity of the luminal membranes in the organ of Corti is not interrupted. Each scar is formed by two supporting cells which expand and invade the sub-apical region of the dying hair cell. This region becomes cytokeratin-positive. The two supporting cells meet at the mid-line of the scar, where a new junctional complex is formed. The junctional complex consists of tight junction and adherens-type junction, but desmosomes are absent.
Computational insights into the development of novel therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease.

Background: β-amyloidosis and oxidative stress have been implicated as root causes of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Current potential therapeutic strategies for the treatment of AD include inhibition of amyloid β (Aβ) production, stimulation of Aβ degradation and prevention of Aβ oligomerization. However, efforts in this direction are hindered by the lack of understanding of the biochemical processes occurring at the atomic level in AD. Discussion: A radically different approach to achieve this goal would be the application of comprehensive theoretical and computational techniques such as molecular dynamics, quantum mechanics, hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics, bioinformatics and rotational spectroscopy to investigate complex chemical and physical processes in β-amyloidosis and the oxidative stress mechanism. Conclusion: Results obtained from these studies will provide an atomic level understanding of biochemical processes occurring in AD and advance efforts to develop effective therapeutic strateg...
The Use of Culmen Length to Determine Sex of the American White Pelican

Abstract Culmen length has been suggested as being diagnostic for sex in the American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). However, the literature on the use of culmen length to determine sex is inconsistent, with reported overlap in culmen lengths for males and females ranging from 1 mm to >120 mm. Morphological measurements from 188 American White Pelicans collected in Mississippi and Louisiana whose sex was determined by dissection and gonadal inspection were measured. The use of culmen length alone was used to determine gender for this sample by establishing the minimum observed culmen length for males and the maximum observed culmen length for females that provided the fewest incorrect determinations for each gender. A multivariate discriminant function model was developed to determine sex from our data and compared the diagnostic accuracy of the model with the accuracy based on culmen length alone. Both methods were validated using an independently collected sample of 22 pelicans from Florida...
Analyzing the electrooxidation of ethylene glycol and glucose over platinum-modified gold electrocatalysts in alkaline electrolyte using in-situ infrared spectroscopy

Abstract Platinum modified gold (Pt/Au) catalysts are evaluated for the electrooxidation of ethylene glycol (EG) and glucose (Glc). The Pt/Au catalysts are synthesized on an Au disk and supported Au/C particles through the galvanic displacement of a copper monolayer with Pt. The Pt/Au catalysts are compared to monometallic Pt and Au catalysts for the oxidation of EG and Glc in alkaline electrolyte. The Pt/Au disk has an onset potential for these reactions that is similar to Pt and is lower than Au. The supported catalysts are less active toward the electrooxidation of EG and Glc than the corresponding disk electrodes, but the Pt/Au/C also has an onset potential similar to Pt/C. In-situ FTIR is used to analyze the C–C bond scission in both reactions on the surfaces of Pt, Au, and Pt/Au disks. While the Pt/Au disk is found to have a low onset potential for the oxidation of EG, it does not produce as much CO 2 as bulk Pt. On the other hand, the FTIR results show that CO 2 is produced for the oxidation of Glc on the Pt/Au disk. These results show promise for the possibility of decreasing the amount of Pt needed for the electrooxidation of polyol molecules.
Lectures on the Isometric Embedding Problem $$(M^{n},g)\rightarrow \mathrm {I\!R\!}^{m},\,m=\frac{n}{2}(n+1)$$

This work derives the basic balance laws of Codazzi, Ricci, and Gauss for the isometric embedding of an n-dimensional Riemannian manifold into the \(m=\frac{n}{2}\left( n+1\right) \)-dimensional Euclidean space. It is shown how the balance laws can be expressed in quasi-linear symmetric form and how weak solutions for the linearized problem can be established from the Lax-Milgram theorem.
Structural Characteristics Are Not Associated With Pain and Function in Rotator Cuff Tears: The ROW Cohort Study

Background:Structural characteristics of rotator cuff tears are used in surgical decision making. However, data on the association of tear size with patient-reported pain and function are sparse.Purpose:To assess the association of tear size, fatty infiltration, and muscle atrophy with shoulder pain/function in patients with cuff tears undergoing operative and nonoperative treatment.Study Design:Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A total of 67 patients with rotator cuff tears were recruited for this longitudinal cohort study. Patients were determined to have a cuff tear using clinical assessment and blinded magnetic resonance imaging review. The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) was used as a measure of shoulder pain and function.Results:Tear size and thickness were not significantly associated with pain (SPADI pain score, 60.6 [95% CI, 49.8-71.5] for partial-thickness tear; 56.8 [95% CI, 42.8-70.7] for <2 cm full-thickness tear; 60.4 [95% CI, 51.7-69.0] for ≥2 cm full-thickness ...