cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knowledge and attitudes of chronic mentally ill patients before and after medication education

This study compares the knowledge and attitudes of 60 patients in a state hospital about medication, before and after structured and unstructured medication education. The purpose was to determine which type of education has more positive effects. A pre- and post-test two-group experimental design was used. The results of this study were not statistically significant in supporting the literature that education has some effect on knowledge or on attitude about taking medication. The study showed similar effects of the method (structured versus unstructured) on increasing knowledge and attitude toward medication. Demographic data from the study suggest a variety of other factors may relate to attitudes and knowledge about medication in the hospital. This study suggests medication education should address demographic factors, incorporate multi-dimensional approaches, include more active patient participation, and utilize one-to-one teaching whenever possible.
How Frequently Should Workplace Spirometry Screening Be Performed?: Optimization Via Analytic Models

Background Our objective was to determine how to select the optimal frequency of workplace spirometry screening using diacetyl-exposed workers as an example. Methods A Markov model was constructed to assess the likelihood of progressing from healthy status to early or advanced disease, starting from four different exposure levels, and performing longitudinal or cross-sectional interpretation of spirometry results over time. Projected outcomes at 10 years were evaluated to inform the optimal frequency of workplace spirometry testing. Results The optimal screening interval depends on the population risk and is highly sensitive to the real-life impact (utility) associated with false-positive results (eg, related to the availability of alternative work). Screening interval is particularly important for high-risk individuals with rapid transition from early to advanced disease, where the 10-year prevalence of advanced disease would be reduced from 5.3 to 2.5% using a 6-month interval rather than a 12-month interval. Longitudinal test interpretation, based on observing trends within each person over time, is marginally preferable to traditional cross-sectional spirometry interpretation. Conclusions There is no single best screening interval. For high-risk populations, annual testing may be too infrequent.
DIAGNOSTIC UTILITY OF CAROTID ARTERY ULTRASOUND FOR THE PRIMARY INDICATION OF SYNCOPE

Syncope refers to a transient loss of consciousness and postural tone. The etiology is often elusive, resulting in extensive diagnostic testing. The medical records and results of 495 carotid artery ultrasounds performed in an accredited vascular laboratory for the primary indication of syncope
A dynamic system for delivering controlled bromine and chlorine vapor exposures to weanling swine skin.

AbstractContext: Assessing the hazards of accidental exposure to toxic industrial chemical (TIC) vapors and evaluating therapeutic compounds or treatment regimens require the development of appropriate animal models.Objective: The objective of this project was to develop an exposure system for delivering controlled vapor concentrations of TICs to the skin of anesthetized weanling pigs. Injury levels targeted for study were superficial dermal (SD) and deep dermal (DD) skin lesions as defined histopathologically.Materials and methods: The exposure system was capable of simultaneously delivering chlorine or bromine vapor to four, 3-cm diameter exposure cups placed over skin between the axillary and inguinal areas of the ventral abdomen. Vapor concentrations were generated by mixing saturated bromine or chlorine vapor with either dried dilution air or nitrogen.Results: Bromine exposure concentrations ranged from 6.5 × 10−4 to 1.03 g/L, and exposure durations ranged from 1 to 45 min. A 7-min skin exposure to b...
Thermal Transport in 3D Pillared CNT-Graphene Nanostructures

Thermal transport in two types of 3D pillared SWCNT-graphene nanostructures, which combine graphene floors and (6,6) armchair single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) columns is studied by measuring both in-plane and out-of-plane thermal conductivity using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the AIREBO interatomic potential. Interpillar distance and pillar height dependency of thermal conductivity in 3D pillared SWCNT-graphene super-structure are examined at various temperatures (300K, 600K, 900K, and 1200K). It is shown that the thermal conductivity of these 3D nanostructures can be readily tuned: the in-plane thermal conductivity increases with increasing interpillar distance while the out of plane thermal conductivity increases with increasing pillar height and decreasing interpillar distance. The highest in-plane thermal conductivity obtained is 40 W/m-K for 3D super-structure with Type 1 unit cell with a 3.3 nm interpillar distance and 1.2 nm pillar height at room temperature. The highest out of plane thermal conductivity is 6.8 W/m-K for 3D super-structure with Type 1 unit cell which has 2.1 nm interpillar distance and 4.2 nm pillar height. Later, these values are compared with the thermal conductivity values of pure (6,6) SWCNT and single graphene layer, which are calculated using MD with the same interatomic potential.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Pyrolysis of polyacrylonitrile

Polyacrylonitrile of molecular weight 130,000 has been pyrolyzed under nitrogen, between 200° and 320°. The predominant gaseous products are hydrogen cyanide and ammonia; the rates of formation of these have been measured, and at 270° for example, after 300 minutes, only 10% of the available nitrogen is lost. A liquid distillate containing nitriles, amines, and unsaturated groups was also obtained. Using infrared absorption measurements, it was found that the nitrile groups of the polymer disappear as heating progresses, and CN linkages appear. As heating is continued, evidence for aromatization is found. These experimental facts indicate ring formation to be an important reaction; the heat-stable residues are considered to be mainly fused pyridine systems.
Processing and characterization of epoxy/clay nanocomposites

Nanocomposite materials consisting of an epoxy matrix and silicate clay particles have been processed and characterized mechanically. The clay material used was a modified natural montmorillonite. The clay particles consisted of 1 nm thick layers with aspect ratios in the range of 100–1000. The clay particles were mixed with acetone and sonicated, then mixed with the polymer, deaerated and cured. The ultimate objective of processing was to produce a polymer/clay nanocomposite with separated (exfoliated) platelets, dispersed as uniformly as possible. Samples were prepared with clay concentrations of up to 10 wt%. The process used resulted in limited exfoliation but mostly intercalation, i.e., infusion of polymer between the silicate layers and increase of interlayer spacing. The characteristics of the nanocomposite were assessed by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Results from these observations show that the basal spacing of clay platelets increased from an initial pre-processing value of 1.85 nm to 4.5 nm. Enhancement of mechanical properties was measured by tensile testing of coupons. Stiffness increases of up to 50% over that of the unfilled epoxy were measured for clay concentrations of 5 wt%. Strength increases were also measured for low clay concentrations and low strain rate loading. Micromechanics modeling of mechanical behavior is discussed as a function of clay platelet dispersion.
Quantum Hamiltonian Physics with Supercomputers

Abstract The vision of solving the nuclear many-body problem in a Hamiltonian framework with fundamental interactions tied to QCD via Chiral Perturbation Theory is gaining support. The goals are to preserve the predictive power of the underlying theory, to test fundamental symmetries with the nucleus as laboratory and to develop new understandings of the full range of complex quantum phenomena. Advances in theoretical frameworks (renormalization and many-body methods) as well as in computational resources (new algorithms and leadership-class parallel computers) signal a new generation of theory and simulations that will yield profound insights into the origins of nuclear shell structure, collective phenomena and complex reaction dynamics. Fundamental discovery opportunities also exist in such areas as physics beyond the Standard Model of Elementary Particles, the transition between hadronic and quark–gluon dominated dynamics in nuclei and signals that characterize dark matter. I will review some recent achievements and present ambitious consensus plans along with their challenges for a coming decade of research that will build new links between theory, simulations and experiment. Opportunities for graduate students to embark upon careers in the fast developing field of supercomputer simulations is also discussed.
The effect of electrical stimulation upon the accumulation of adenosine 3',5'-phosphate in isolated cerebral tissue.

— The application of electrical pulses to slices of guinea pig cerebral cortex led to an increase in the levels of adenosine 3′,5′-phosphate (cyclic 3′,5′-AMP) of more than 11-fold within 10 min. This effect of electrical pulses was severely reduced in the presence of theophylline. Cyclic 3′,5′-AMP accumulation in slices was increased in the presence of norepinephrine and histamine about 1·5-fold and six-fold, respectively; the effect of electrical pulses was augmented in the presence of maximal amounts of either amine. For these and other reasons, the accumulation of cyclic 3′,5′-AMP induced by electrical stimulation cannot be ascribed to the release and action of either histamine or norepinephrine.
PRETERM INFANTS HAVE PROLONGED APNEAS WITH OBSTRUCTION AND ASSOCIATED OXYGEN DESATURATION AT HOME. 1012

PRETERM INFANTS HAVE PROLONGED APNEAS WITH OBSTRUCTION AND ASSOCIATED OXYGEN DESATURATION AT HOME. 1012
Separation of low-molecular-weight cholesteryl esters by thin-layer chromatography

Abstract Some literature reports have shown a separation of cholesterol and high-molecular-weight cholesteryl esters as a whole group from the other groups of lipids from biological samples by a two-stage one dimensional TLC techniques. But, all these methods were time-consuming and unable to separate the individual component of either low-molecular-weight cholesteryl esters or high-molecular-weight cholesteryl esters. We have developed and tested three new solvent systems which allowed us to have a better separation of individual low-molecular-weight cholesteryl esters such as cholesteryl formate, cholesteryl acetate and cholesteryl propionate and cholesterol from their mixtures by one-stage one dimensional TLC techniques. These solvent systems also separated high-molecular-weight cholesteryl esters from low-molecular-weight cholesteryl esters pretty well. We have also retested one of the solvent systems which we developed and reported previously for the same experiments on the same cholesteryl esters mixtures and compared the TLC profiles here.
BLMT: statistical sequence analysis using N-grams.

UNLABELLED: Statistical analysis of amino acid and nucleotide sequences, especially sequence alignment, is one of the most commonly performed tasks in modern molecular biology. However, for many tasks in bioinformatics, the requirement for the features in an alignment to be consecutive is restrictive and "n-grams" (aka k-tuples) have been used as features instead. N-grams are usually short nucleotide or amino acid sequences of length n, but the unit for a gram may be chosen arbitrarily. The n-gram concept is borrowed from language technologies where n-grams of words form the fundamental units in statistical language models. Despite the demonstrated utility of n-gram statistics for the biology domain, there is currently no publicly accessible generic tool for the efficient calculation of such statistics. Most sequence analysis tools will disregard matches because of the lack of statistical significance in finding short sequences. This article presents the integrated Biological Language Modeling Toolkit (BLMT) that allows efficient calculation of n-gram statistics for arbitrary sequence datasets. AVAILABILITY: BLMT can be downloaded from http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~blmt/source and installed for standalone use on any Unix platform or Unix shell emulation such as Cygwin on the Windows platform. Specific tools and usage details are described in a "readme" file. The n-gram computations carried out by the BLMT are part of a broader set of tools borrowed from language technologies and modified for statistical analysis of biological sequences; these are available at http://flan.blm.cs.cmu.edu/.
Efficient rescue of gutted adenovirus genomes allows rapid production of concentrated stocks without negative selection.

Gutted adenoviral (Ad) vectors have a greater cloning capacity and elicit less immune response than conventional Ad vectors. Unfortunately, clinical use of gutted vectors has been slowed by production difficulties, including low yield and a tendency for recombinant virus to emerge. These two problems are related, because expansion of dilute vector stocks requires selective pressure against helper virus. The ability to rescue gutted virus at high titer would lessen the requirement for selective pressure, thereby limiting the advantage afforded to undesirable recombinants. We tested gutted virus rescue from plasmids and from synthetic terminal protein (TP)-DNA complexes by transfection/infection or cotransfection with various forms of helper viral DNA. Optimal rescue required cotransfection of gutted and helper genomes with identical origins of replication. Transfection/infection, which introduces unequal origins, was 30 times less efficient than cotransfection of genomes that had been released from plasmid...
Modeling plasma processes in microelectronics

Abstract This paper describes models for three different plasma processing techniques that are commonly used in the microelectronics industry. Specifically, we present models for simulation of topography evolution during plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), ionized physical vapor deposition (IPVD), and reactive ion etching (RIE). Such models can assist in developing process understanding and are very useful in engineering studies that seek to optimize process performance. As an example of such a study we present the application of the RIE model to the problem of aspect-ratio-dependent etching (ARDE).
Development Ballot Measures, Interest Group Endorsements, and the Political Geography of Growth Preferences

In response to rapid population and economic growth, many communities have turned to voter initiatives to resolve their land use disputes. We find that despite strong public concern about growth, voters often support measures that allow or encourage new development. We consider the sources of this support by analyzing patterns of voting on a range of prodevelopment ballot initiatives. These initiatives provide a valuable opportunity to understand how economic self-interest, geography, interest group endorsements, and public goods affect citizen support for development policies. We find that interest group endorsements significantly increase public support for new development. These endorsements help voters evaluate the personal impact of complex development proposals and allow voters to behave in ways that reflect a high degree of sophistication.
Use of Silicon-Based Tethers to Control Diastereofacial Selectivity in Azomethine Ylide Cycloadditions1

A novel approach to controlling the diastereofacial selectivity of intramolecular dipolar cycloadditions of azomethine ylides (cf. 9 → 8) by varying the structure a silicon-based tether is described. A correlation is found between the length of the tether dipolarophile conjugate (TDC) and the observed sense of diastereocontrol. Azomethine ylides incorporating longer [OSiPh2OCH2CH2OCOCHCH2], [OSi(i-Pr)2OSi(i-Pr)2OCH2CHCH2], and [OSiPh2OCH2CHCH2] TDCs favor endo-si attack (14 → 16, 19 → 20, and 21 → 22) while the shorter TDC [OSiR2CH2CHCH2] leads to a reversal in selectivity favoring the endo-re product (23a,b → 24a,b). Structures of the cycloadducts have been assigned on the basis of selected X-ray diffraction data in combination with chemical/spectral correlation experiments. The work described herein represents a conceptually new approach to stereocontrol and extends the use of silicon-based tethers in asymmetric synthesis.
Vehicle Speed and Spacing Control Via Coordinated Throttle and Brake Actuation

Abstract This paper presents a combined engine and brake controller for automated highway vehicles based upon the ideas of multiple-surface sliding control. The controller consists of three elements: a task-dependent “upper” sliding controller that incorporates vehicle acceleration as a synthetic input, a switching logic that chooses between brake or throttle control, and individual “lower” sliding controllers for the brake and engine dynamics. The brake controller and switching logic represent substantial improvements over previous designs and produce a closed-loop system that can smoothly alternate between the two control inputs as the trajectory demands. Experimental results show that the vehicle under control is capable of tracking velocity profiles within 0.1 m/s and following a maneuvering lead car at a distance of 2 meters with only 20 centimeter error.
Asymmetric -helicity loss within a peptide adsorbed onto charged colloidal substrates

Abstract A combination of circular dichroism and solution 1H NMR spectroscopy provides a localized description of the distribution of α -helical structure within the capped peptide DDDDAAAAARRRR (4DAR5) in aqueous solution and adsorbed onto anionic and cationic colloidal substrates. The adsorption-induced conformational changes are different from those observed upon heating 4DAR5 in solution, in which case the alanine segment remains largely α -helical and the transition to a coil structure propagates from the termini. Adsorption is driven by electrostatic complementarity, which places the charged peptide segment adjacent to the substrate of opposite charge. A similar pattern of α -helicity loss is observed whether the peptide is adsorbed onto anionic or cationic colloidal silica, despite inverse orientations; significant α -helicity loss occurs within the central alanine segment and the terminal arginine segment, whereas α -helicity is retained in the aspartate segment. This pattern of adsorption-induced conformational change illustrates the complex and subtle balance among the intramolecular and intermolecular factors that influence the conformations of adsorbed peptides and proteins.
Speech changes following orthodontic treatment with the functional regulator.

Cleft palate children exhibiting maxillary segment collapse underwent orthodontic treatment with the Functional Regulator (FR). Audio and video recordings of speech were obtained periodically in conjunction with appliance management. Judges evaluated the recordings obtained with and without the FR in place by assessing speech intelligibility, resonance and nasal emission. Results indicated: a) changes in maxillary width and cross-bite relationships were not clinically significant; b) articulation, hypernasality and nasal emission were judged to be significantly more severe during appliance wear; c) video taped speech samples were judged to be significantly less intelligible than audio taped samples; d) a substantial amount of accommodation to the FR occurred at one-two weeks post insertion, but maximum improvement in speech intelligibility occurred over the period evaluated; and e) good speech production skills prior to orthodontic treatment minimised the adverse effect of the FR on speech intelligibility.
Hairless mice, human leprosy and thymus-derived-lymphocytes.

Die Vermehrung und Ausbreitung vonMycobacterium leprae in einem haarlosen Mausestamm wurde untersucht. Trotz Fehlen der T-Lymphocyten (zellulare Immunitat) wurden gleiche Resultate wie beim Mausestamm mit T-Lymphocyten-Aktivitat erzielt.
Evapotranspiration from a Green-Roof Storm-Water Control Measure

AbstractThe ability to estimate the components of the hydrologic cycle is the key to the proper design and implementation of storm-water control measures (SCMs). Reuse, infiltration, and evapotranspiration (ET) are used by SCMs to reduce runoff. This study quantifies the ET component of a green-roof SCM water budget using weighing lysimeters for 3 years demonstrating its significance. Each of the years (2009–2011) was different climatologically. The measured ET was compared with potential ET calculated by several methods. Further, the measured ET is analyzed for its dependency on climatological factors and previous rain day. The average daily ET was observed to range from 1 to 10 mm/day depending on season, temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and antecedent moisture condition.
Satellite-association frequency and rDNA content of a double-satellited chromosome

A correlation between the amount of rDNA and the frequency of participation in satellite associations is observed in a double-satellited human acrocentric chromosome.
TSUNAMI MITIGATION IN HAWAII

Hawaii has a long, though sporadic history of deadly tsunami attacks. Since the 1946 tsunami disaster the State of Hawaii has developed increasingly sophisticated and effective mitigation strategies. The evolution and operation of these strategies is described in this paper. Tsunamis will no longer be Hawaii's deadliest natural hazard.
Canavan disease and the role of N-acetylaspartate in myelin synthesis

Canavan disease (CD) is an autosomal-recessive neurodegenerative disorder caused by inactivation of the enzyme aspartoacylase (ASPA, EC 3.5.1.15) due to mutations. ASPA releases acetate by deacetylation of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a highly abundant amino acid derivative in the central nervous system. CD results in spongiform degeneration of the brain and severe psychomotor retardation, and the affected children usually die by the age of 10. The pathogenesis of CD remains a matter of inquiry. Our hypothesis is that ASPA actively participates in myelin synthesis by providing NAA-derived acetate for acetyl CoA synthesis, which in turn is used for synthesis of the lipid portion of myelin. Consequently, CD results from defective myelin synthesis due to a deficiency in the supply of the NAA-derived acetate. The demonstration of the selective localization of ASPA in oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) is consistent with the acetate deficiency hypothesis of CD. We have tested this hypothesis by determining acetate levels and studying myelin lipid synthesis in the ASPA gene knockout model of CD, and the results provided the first direct evidence in support of this hypothesis. Acetate supplementation therapy is proposed as a simple and inexpensive therapeutic approach to this fatal disease, and progress in our preclinical efforts toward this goal is presented.
Effect of dietary vitamin K1 on selected plasma characteristics and bone ash in young turkeys fed diets adequate or deficient in vitamin D3.

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of dietary vitamin K1 (K1) on selected plasma characteristics and bone ash in poults. In Experiment 1, diets were supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg of K1/kg. All diets contained 1,650 IU of vitamin D3 (D3)/kg. Dietary K1 had no effect on tibia ash at 7 d or incidence of a severe, rickets-like condition. Tibia ash of poults fed 2.0 mg of K1/kg, however, was greater at 14 d of age than that of poults fed the basal diet. Dietary inclusion of 0.5 mg of K1/kg was as effective as 1 or 2 mg of K1/kg in reducing plasma prothrombin time. In Experiment 2, a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement was used consisting of 1,650 or 550 IU of D3/kg and 0.1, 0.45, 1.0, and 2.0 mg of K1/kg. Dietary D3 and K1 had no effect on bone ash. Dietary inclusion of 0.1 mg of K1/kg seemed to be enough to minimize plasma prothrombin time. In Experiment 3, dietary treatments consisted of a control (1,650 IU of D3 and 2.0 mg of K1/kg) and K1 concentrations of 0, 0.37, 2.28, or 5.33 mg/kg in diets containing 275 IU of D3/kg. Poults fed the low-D3 diet without K1 consumed less feed, gained less weight, and had increased plasma alkaline phosphatase activity, decreased inorganic phosphorus level, and decreased tibia ash (P
Structure of Bacterial Transcription Factor SpoIIID and Evidence for a Novel Mode of DNA Binding

SpoIIID is evolutionarily conserved in endospore-forming bacteria, and it activates or represses many genes during sporulation of Bacillus subtilis. An SpoIIID monomer binds DNA with high affinity and moderate sequence specificity. In addition to a predicted helix-turn-helix motif, SpoIIID has a C-terminal basic region that contributes to DNA binding. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) solution structure of SpoIIID in complex with DNA revealed that SpoIIID does indeed have a helix-turn-helix domain and that it has a novel C-terminal helical extension. Residues in both of these regions interact with DNA, based on the NMR data and on the effects on DNA binding in vitro of SpoIIID with single-alanine substitutions. These data, as well as sequence conservation in SpoIIID binding sites, were used for information-driven docking to model the SpoIIID-DNA complex. The modeling resulted in a single cluster of models in which the recognition helix of the helix-turn-helix domain interacts with the major groove of DNA, as expected. Interestingly, the C-terminal extension, which includes two helices connected by a kink, interacts with the adjacent minor groove of DNA in the models. This predicted novel mode of binding is proposed to explain how a monomer of SpoIIID achieves high-affinity DNA binding. Since SpoIIID is conserved only in endospore-forming bacteria, which include important pathogenic Bacilli and Clostridia, whose ability to sporulate contributes to their environmental persistence, the interaction of the C-terminal extension of SpoIIID with DNA is a potential target for development of sporulation inhibitors.
Fissioning, Scalar Stress, and Social Evolution in Early Village Societies

Theories of social evolution have predicted that early permanent population concentrations will frequently be unstable, with fissioning the predominant mechanism for resolving intravillage conflict. It has further been suggested that village fissioning will cease with the emergence of higher-level integrative institutions. These processes have remained archaeologically undocumented. In this article I attempt to identify the village fissioning process in the Formative Period of Bolivia's Titicaca Basin. I conclude that village fissioning took place in the Early Formative, and that it ceased with the emergence of a regional religious tradition in the Middle Formative. These results confirm the utility and applicability of the evolutionary model.
Estimation of solar limb brightening at radio wavelengths from solar eclipse measurements

The center-to-limb brightness distribution of the sun at radio wavelengths gives information about the structure of the solar atmosphere. Radio telescopes have poor spatial resolution, however, and cannot provide detailed angular measurements of the brightness distribution. During a solar eclipse, the sharp edge of the moon can be used to greatly increase the angular resolution of the radio telescope in one dimension. This paper describes the technique used to estimate the brightness distribution at 3.3 mm wavelength of the solar limb from measurements made during a total eclipse. The outer edge of the sun is divided into thin concentric bands and parameteric estimation methods are used to estimate the average flux desity of each band. This approach has several advantages for inverting radiometric data, especially in scanning problems.
Approximate Spectral Clustering via Randomized Sketching

Spectral clustering is arguably one of the most important algorithms in data mining and machine intelligence; however, its computational complexity makes it a challenge to use it for large scale data analysis. Recently, several approximation algorithms for spectral clustering have been developed in order to alleviate the relevant costs, but theoretical results are lacking. In this paper, we present a novel approximation algorithm for spectral clustering with strong theoretical evidence of its performance. Our algorithm is based on approximating the eigenvectors of the Laplacian matrix using a randomized subspace iteration process, which might be of independent interest.
An Efficiency-Enhanced Integrated CMOS Rectifier with Comparator-Controlled Switches for Transcutaneous Powered Implants

This paper presents a high-efficient rectifier for high-current transcutaneous power transmission in biomedical implants. By using comparators to control power nMOS transistors functioning as switches with unidirectional current flow, the rectifier dropout voltage is decreased to improve the power efficiency. The unbalanced biasing scheme in the comparator also minimizes the reverse leakage current. Implemented in a standard 0.35 mum CMOS, the rectifier operates at 1.5 MHz, achieves the peak conversion ratio of 95% and can deliver up to 20 mA output current.
Processing of periodic whisker deflections by neurons in the ventroposterior medial and thalamic reticular nuclei.

Rats employ rhythmic whisker movements to sample information in their sensory environment. To study frequency tuning and filtering characteristics of thalamic circuitry, we recorded single-unit res...
Brain Temperature Modulations During Global Ischemia Fail to Influence Extracellular Lactate Levels in Rats

Background and Purpose While brain tissue lactate increases during cerebral ischemia and is known to be important in the pathogenesis of ischemic brain injury, patterns of extracellular lactate accumulation have been less well characterized, and the influence of brain temperature has not been previously investigated. Mild brain temperature modulations are known to affect the outcome of ischemia dramatically. This study examined changes of extracellular lactate during and after global cerebral ischemia, in which intraischemic brain temperature was held at either 30°C, 37°C, or 39°C. Methods Halothane-anesthetized fasted male Wistar rats underwent 20 minutes of global cerebral ischemia produced by bilateral carotid artery occlusions plus systemic hypotension (40 to 50 mm Hg). Rectal temperature was maintained at 37°C throughout, and intraischemic brain temperature was held at either 30°C (n=6), 37°C (n=5), or 39°C (n=5). Before and after the ischemic insult, brain temperature was maintained at 37°C in all g...
Control of Organelle Size: The Golgi Complex

The Golgi complex processes secretory proteins and lipids, carries out protein sorting and signaling, and supports growth and composition of the plasma membrane. Golgi complex size likely is regulated to meet the demands of each function, and this may involve differential changes of its distinct subdomains. Nevertheless, the primary size change is elongation of the Golgi ribbon-like network as occurs during Golgi complex doubling for mitosis and during differentiation involving upregulated secretion. One hypothesis states that Golgi complex size is set by the abundance of secretory cargo and Golgi complex components that, through binding vesicle coat complexes, drive vesicle coat formation to alter Golgi complex influx and efflux. Regulation of transport factors controlling Golgi membrane traffic is also observed and may control Golgi complex size, but more work is needed to directly link these events to Golgi complex size regulation, especially during differentiation of specialized cell types.
Decision-related loss: Regret and disappointment

Both affective neuroscience and decision science focus on the role of emotions in decisions. Regret and disappointment are emotions experienced with negative decision outcomes. The present research examines the neural substrates of regret and disappointment as well as the role of regret and disappointment in decision making. Experiment 1 compared the subjective experience of regret and disappointment. Participants selected one of two gambles and received different types of feedback during the outcome phase. Despite identical nominal losses, regret induced a more intense dislike of the outcomes and a stronger desire to switch choices than disappointment. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, Experiment 2 examined the neural correlates of regret and disappointment. Both regret and disappointment activated anterior insula and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex relative to fixation, with greater activation in regret than in disappointment. In contrast to disappointment, regret also showed enhanced activation in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex. These findings suggest that regret and disappointment, emotions experienced during decision-related loss, share a general neural network but differ in both the magnitude of subjective feelings and with regret activating some regions with greater intensity.
Observations on hunting behavior of juvenile Chanbria (Solifugae: Eremobatidae)

Abstract Juvenile solifuges have rarely been observed hunting in natural conditions. We recorded the hunting behavior of juvenile third or fourth instar solifuges of the genus Chanbria (Eremobatidae) near lanterns set up in the Imperial Sand Dunes, Imperial County, California. At least 10 juveniles were observed between 22:50 and 01:40 h on 18–19 June 2010. The behavior consisted of nearly constant movement, abrupt stops or retreats, and quick excavation of the sand. The juveniles probed the sand using their pedipalps. One juvenile was observed to dig up an immature Hemiptera from just beneath the surface amidst the sand grains. Direct contact with other solifuges or arthropods occasionally triggered an immediate flight response.
Thermodynamic Aspects of Cathode Coatings for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Metal oxide cathode coatings are capable of scavenging the hydrofluoric acid (HF) (present in LiPF6-based electrolytes) and improving the electrochemical performance of Li-ion batteries. Here, a first-principles thermodynamic framework is introduced for designing cathode coatings that consists of four elements: i) HF-scavenging enthalpies, ii) volumetric and iii) gravimetric HF-scavenging capacities of the oxides, and iv) cyclable Li loss into coating components. 81 HF-scavenging reactions involving binary s-, p- and d-block metal oxides and fluorides are enumerated and these materials are screened to find promising coatings based on attributes (i-iv). The screen successfully produces known effective coating materials (e.g., Al2O3 and MgO), providing a validation of our framework. Using this design strategy, promising coating materials, such as trivalent oxides of d-block transition metals Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn and Y, are predicted. Finally, a new protection mechanism that successful coating materials could provide by scavenging the wide bandgap and low Li ion conductivity LiF precipitates from the cathode surfaces is suggested.
GMP: Distributed Geographic Multicast Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, we propose a novel Geographic Multicast routing Protocol (GMP) for wireless sensor networks1. The proposed protocol is fully distributed and stateless. Given a set of the destinations, the transmitting node first constructs a virtual Euclidean Steiner tree rooted at itself and including the destinations, using a novel and highly efficient reduction ratio heuristic (called rrSTR). Based on this locally computed tree and the information regarding the locations of its immediate neighbors, the transmitting node then splits the destinations into a set of groups and calculates a next hop for each of these groups. A copy of the packet and the locations of the corresponding group of destination nodes are directed towards the corresponding hop. The simulation results on NS2 show that the average per-destination hop count obtained using GMP is comparable to the existing PBM [21] algorithm and significantly less than obtained by using LGS [5]. Most significantly, GMP requires 25% less hops and energy than alternative algorithms.
A model selection rule for sinusoids in white Gaussian noise

The model selection problem for sinusoidal signals has often been addressed by employing the Akaike (1974) information criterion (AIC) and the minimum description length principle (MDL). The popularity of these criteria partly stems from the intrinsically simple means by which they can be implemented. They can, however, produce misleading results if they are not carefully used. The AIC and MDL have a common form in that they comprise two terms, a data term and a penalty term. The data term quantifies the residuals of the model, and the penalty term reflects the desideratum of parsimony. While the data terms of the AIC and MDL are identical, the penalty terms are different. In most of the literature, the AIC and MDL penalties are, however, both obtained by apportioning an equal weight to each additional unknown parameter, be it phase, amplitude, or frequency. By contrast, we demonstrate that the penalties associated with the amplitude and phase parameters should be weighted differently than the penalty attached to the frequencies. Following the Bayesian methodology, we derive a model selection criterion for sinusoidal signals in Gaussian noise which also contains the log-likelihood and the penalty terms. The simulation results disclose remarkable improvement in our selection rule over the commonly used MDL and AIC.
Impact of changes in the Pt heterostructure bottom electrodes on the ferroelectric properties of SBT thin films

Abstract The crystallinity and the microstructure of Sr0.8Bi2.3Ta2O9 (SBT) thin films improved with increasing annealing temperature, and strongly influenced the ferroelectric properties. In addition, the properties of SBT films, such as remanent polarization and leakage current density, are closely related to the film/electrode interface and surface roughness of the underlying electrode. SBT films on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si and Pt/ZrO2/SiO2/Si substrates exhibited high remanent polarization, low leakage current density, and low voltage saturation as compared to SBT films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. This is deduced to be related to differences in film orientation, electrode roughness, and out-diffusion of Ti onto the surface of the bottom electrode.
Evolution of recollection and prediction in neural networks

A large number of neural network models are based on a feedforward topology (perceptrons, backpropagation networks, radial basis functions, support vector machines, etc.), thus lacking dynamics. In such networks, the order of input presentation is meaningless (i.e., it does not affect the behavior) since the behavior is largely reactive. That is, such neural networks can only operate in the present, having no access to the past or the future. However, biological neural networks are mostly constructed with a recurrent topology, and recurrent (artificial) neural network models are able to exhibit rich temporal dynamics, thus time becomes an essential factor in their operation. In this paper, we will investigate the emergence of recollection and prediction in evolving neural networks. First, we will show how reactive, feedforward networks can evolve a memory-like function (recollection) through utilizing external markers dropped and detected in the environment. Second, we will investigate how recurrent networks with more predictable internal state trajectory can emerge as an eventual winner in evolutionary struggle when competing networks with less predictable trajectory show the same level of behavioral performance. We expect our results to help us better understand the evolutionary origin of recollection and prediction in neuronal networks, and better appreciate the role of time in brain function.
A study of TSV variation impact on power supply noise

In this work, we study the through-silicon-via (TSV) RC variation impact on 3D power delivery network (PDN). First, we model TSV RC variation due to process variation. Then, we perform sign-off power supply noise analysis of 3D PDN in GDSII layouts which contain power/ground (P/G) TSV RC variation model. We explore the effect of TSV RC variation range, number of variation sources (P/G TSV count), number of C4 bumps and TSV size on the robustness of PDN under TSV RC variation. Our results show that TSV RC variations cause negligible influence on 3D PDN due to much smaller parasitic values of TSVs compared with that of entire PDN.
Perceptually optimized blind repair of natural images

We define the new idea of blind image repair as a process of correcting one or more different and unknown types of distortions afflicting an image. These distortions could introduce linear or non-linear degradations, compression artifacts, noise, etc., or combinations of these. Thus the concept encompasses denoising, deblurring, deblocking, deringing, and other post-acquisition image improvement processes that address distortions. The problem is distortion-blind when the natures of the distortion processes are unknown prior to analyzing the image. Towards solving this problem, we describe a new framework for repairing an image that has undergone an unknown set of distortions, based on identifying the distortion(s) present in the image (if any) and applying possibly multiple distortion-specific image repair algorithms. Our philosophy is based on the principle that the task of general purpose image repair is one of agglomeration, i.e., the algorithm should embody multiple high-performing distortion-specific repair modules such that seamless general purpose image repair is achieved. Our proposed framework – the GEneral-purpose No-reference Image Improver (GENII) – enables the design of algorithms that are blind to distortion type as well as to distortion parameters, and only requires as input the distorted image to be repaired. The GENII framework is modular and easily extensible to image repair problems beyond those considered here. GENII operates by using natural scene statistic models to identify distortion, to perceptually optimize the distortion parameter(s), to assess the quality of the intermediate repaired images, and to perceptually optimize the repair processes. We explain the general purpose image repair framework and one specific realization, dubbed GENII-1, which assumes that the image has been affected by one or more of four possible distortion types.The performance of GENII-1 is evaluated on 4000 distorted images, and shown to deliver substantial improvements in both quantitative and qualitative visual quality.
Impacts from Above-Ground Activities in the Eagle Ford Shale Play on Landscapes and Hydrologic Flows, La Salle County, Texas

We assess the spatial and geomorphic fragmentation from the recent Eagle Ford Shale play in La Salle County, Texas, USA. Wells and pipelines were overlaid onto base maps of land cover, soil properties, vegetation assemblages, and hydrologic units. Changes to continuity of different ecoregions and supporting landscapes were assessed using the Landscape Fragmentation Tool (a third-party ArcGIS extension) as quantified by land area and continuity of core landscape areas (i.e., those degraded by "edge effects"). Results show decreases in core areas (8.7%; ~33,290 ha) and increases in landscape patches (0.2%; ~640 ha), edges (1.8%; ~6940 ha), and perforated areas (4.2%; ~16230 ha). Pipeline construction dominates landscape disturbance, followed by drilling and injection pads (85, 15, and 0.03% of disturbed area, respectively). An increased potential for soil loss is indicated, with 51% (~5790 ha) of all disturbance regimes occurring on soils with low water-transmission rates (depth to impermeable layer less than 50 cm) and a high surface runoff potential (hydrologic soil group D). Additionally, 88% (~10,020 ha) of all disturbances occurred on soils with a wind erodibility index of approximately 19 kt/km(2)/year (0.19 kt/ha/year) or higher, resulting in an estimated potential of 2 million tons of soil loss per year. Results demonstrate that infrastructure placement is occurring on soils susceptible to erosion while reducing and splitting core areas potentially vital to ecosystem services.
Cliamte and highways

Fifteen years ago, Professor ENO of Ohio presented to the Highway Research Board a paper on “The influence of climate on the building, maintenance, and use of roads in the United States.” The following subheadings indicate the scope of Professor ENO'S report: (1) Temperature; (2) frost; (3) sunshine; (4) wind; (5) humidity; (6) precipitation; (7) runoff; (8) evaporation; (9) application of the data to highway activities; and (10) further lines of research. Professor ENO treated these topics in an excellent manner, and the author sees no need for repeating his work, except possibly to bring the information up to date.
German science and black racism—roots of the Nazi Holocaust

The Nazi's cornerstone precept of "racial hygiene" gave birth to their policy of "racial cleansing" that led to the murders of millions. It was developed by German physicians and scientists in the late 19th century and is rooted in the period's Social Darwinism that placed blacks at the bottom of the racial ladder. This program was first manifested in the near-extermination of the African Herero people during the German colonial period. After WWI, the fear among the German populace that occupying African troops and their Afro-German children would lead to "bastardization" of the German people formed a unifying racial principle that the Nazis exploited. They extended this mind-set to a variety of "unworthy" groups, leading to the physician-administered racial Nuremberg laws, the Sterilization laws, the secret sterilization of Afro-Germans, and the German euthanasia program. This culminated in the extermination camps.
Eigenfunction expansions and spectral matrices of singular differential operators

We consider the eigenfunction expansions associated with a symmetric differential operator M[·] of order 2n with coefficients defined on an open interval (a, b). Each singular endpoint of (a, b) is assumed to be of limit-n type. A direct convergence theory is established for the eigenfunction series expansion of a function y in a set Termwise differentiation of the series is established for the derivatives of order up to n. For O ≤ i ≤ n − 1, the i-fold differentiated series converges absolutely and uniformly to y(i) on compact intervals; the n−fold differentiated series converges to yn in the mean. The expansion theory is valid also when an essential spectrum is present. An explicit formula is given for the calculation of the spectral matrix.
Criterion for Distinguishing Sequential from Nonsequential Contributions to the Double Ionization of Helium in Ultrashort Extreme-Ultraviolet Pulses.

We quantify sequential and nonsequential contributions in two-photon double ionization of helium atoms by intense ultrashort extreme-ultraviolet pulses with central photon energies $\ensuremath{\hbar}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{ctr}}$ near the sequential double-ionization threshold. If the spectrum of such pulses overlaps both the sequential ($\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}g54.4\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$) and nonsequential ($\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}l54.4\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$) double-ionization regimes, the sequential and nonsequential double-ionization mechanisms are difficult to distinguish. By tracking the double-ionization asymmetry in joint photoelectron angular distributions, we introduce the two-electron forward-backward-emission asymmetry as a measure that allows the distinction of sequential and nonsequential contributions. Specifically, for $\ensuremath{\hbar}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{ctr}}=50\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$ pulses with a sine-squared temporal profile, we find that the sequential double-ionization contribution is the largest at a pulse length of 650 as, due to competing temporal and spectral constraints. In addition, we validate a simple heuristic expression for the sequential double-ionization contribution in comparison with ab initio calculations.