cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Modeling of Concept Based Retrieval in Generalized Vector Spaces

One of the main issues in the field of information retrieval is to bridge the terminological gap existing between the way in which users specify their information needs and the way in which queries are expressed. One of the approaches for this purpose, called Rule Based Information Retrieval by Computer (RUBRIC), involves the use of production rules to capture user query concepts (or topics). In RUBRIC, a set of related production rules is represented as an AND/OR tree. The retrieval output is determined by Boolean evaluation of the AND/OR tree. However, since the Boolean evaluation ignores the termterm association unless it is explicitly represented in the tree, the terminological gap between users' queries and their information needs can still remain. To solve this problem, we adopt the generalized vector space model (GVSM) in which the term-term association is well established, and extend the RUBRIC model based on GVSM. Experiments have been performed on some variations of the extended RUBRIC model, and the results have also been compared to the original RUBRIC model based on recall-precision.
Epistemic Semantics for Fixed-Points Non-Monotonic Logics

Default Logic and Autoepistemic Logic are the two best-known fixed-points non-monotonic logics. Despite the fact that they are known to be closely related and that the epistemic nature of Autoepistemic Logic is obvious, the only semantics that have been offered for Default Logic to date are complex and have little to do with epistemic notions [Etherington 1987]. In this paper we provide simple uniform epistemic semantics for the two logics. We do so by translating them both into a new logic, called GK, of Grounded Knowledge, which embodies a modification of preference semantics [Shoham 1987]. Beside their simplicity and uniformity, the semantics have two other advantages: They allow easy proofs of the connections between Default Logic and Autoepistemic Logic, and suggest a general class of logics of which the two logics are special cases.
Quantum Command and Control Theory

This article presents results of a Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) effort on the fundamental theory of C2. A standard method for course of action (COA) selection is the weighted numerical comparison (WNC) method. There are numerous issues with the WNC method. One of these issues is that the expected results are frequently used to select a course of action (COA). The Quantum C2 Theory, like the physics-based quantum theory, treats outcomes not as point estimates but rather as probability distributions. Understanding and employing these probability distributions can aid commanders in shaping and selecting courses of actions that are the best trade-off between mission success and risk. Several alternatives to WNC are presented which mitigate some of the issues with WNC and provide improved support for the commander's COA selection. Keywords: military activities; command and control; quantum C2; desired and unwanted outcomes; efficient frontier; COA selection; risk
Literature reporting normative data for muscle strength measured by hand-held dynamometry: A systematic review

This review was conducted to identify, summarize, and discuss literature purporting to present normative data for measurements obtained using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD). Relevant literature was identified through electronic searches of 4 databases: PubMed, Science Citation Index, Scopus and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health. Articles identified via the searches were reviewed to determine if they presented normative data obtained with a HHD from healthy individuals. Articles were excluded if the data were not presented within age and gender strata. Data on testing and participant specifics were retrieved. Fifteen studies presented normative data within age and gender strata for measurements obtained with a HHD. Norms were presented for neck flexion and numerous actions at the shoulder, elbow, wrist, fingers, hip, knee and ankle. Norms were presented for a wide age span- children to older adults. Many of these norms are compromised. Norms for older adults ( 80 years) are lacking. Although norms are available, they should be used with caution. Specifics of testing and samples tested restrict the applicability of the measures.
Efficient optical implementation method for symbolic substitution logic based on shadow casting

A new method based on shadow-casting principles is introduced for implementing symbolic substitution logic. The key features of this new method are: energy efficiency, system flexibility, generality, and programmability.
Subtypic Linearity in the Bovine B Blood Group System

. The technique of proteolytic digestion employing the enzymes trypsin, chymotrypsin, and protease was used to investigate the physical order of subtypic determinants occurring on bovine erythrocytes. In the B system subgroup Y1, Y2, the determinants behaved as if linearly arranged in the same order as predicted from their serological behavior; furthermore, the differences between the two subtypes appeared to be quantitative rather than qualitative. In the E'1, E'2, E'3 subgroup, however, the subtypic determinants did not appear to be physically linear, although they are serologically linear.
Entorhinal neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer disease with Lewy bodies

Entorhinal cortex is the major source of hippocampal afferents. Its neurons, especially in layer 2, develop neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in Alzheimer disease (AD). We quantified entorhinal NFTs in cases of AD, elderly controls, and in brains with both AD pathology and subcortical and neocortical Lewy bodies, (a Lewy body variant, LBV). A nosologic controversy hinges on whether LBVs are a form of AD or a different disease, since they have few neocortical NFTs and their neuritic plaques often lack paired helical filament immunoreactivity. The LBVs had more entorhinal NFTs than controls (P less than 0.001), but fewer than ADs (P less than 0.02), despite comparable numbers of neuritic plaques. AD pathology in LBVs is of moderate severity, or perhaps in an earlier developmental stage.
Empirical and theoretical lower bounds on energy consumption for networks on chip

This paper focuses on the network on chip of multi-core systems and proposes empirical and theoretical lower bounds on the energy consumption of applications. The empirical method consists of an linear programming model that simultaneously reduces communication distances and network traffic. When applied to standard benchmarks, our method shows that locality exploitation can lead to 50% energy reduction on average compared to no optimization. The theoretical lower bound is based on the Rent's rule model from VLSI design, and is obtained analytically from the communication graph structure of applications. The theoretical results show excellent agreement with the empirical lower bound.
Treatment retention among African-Americans in the Dane County Drug Treatment Court.

Drug treatment courts (DTCs) provide substance abuse treatment and case management services to offenders with substance use disorders as an alternative to incarceration. Studies indicate that African Americans less frequently complete DTC programming. The current study analyzed data from the Dane County Drug Treatment Court (n = 573). The study ascertained factors associated with failure to complete treatment among African American DTC participants. Significant factors were unemployment (p = 0.011), previous criminal history (p = 0.013), and, possibly, the presence of a cocaine use disorder (p = 0.064). Treatment plans for DTC participants should incorporate services addressing needs specific to African Americans, who are over-represented in the U.S. correctional system. The current results indicate that employment, prior corrections involvement, and the presence of a cocaine use disorder may be specific issues to consider.
Power generation using a mesoscale fuel cell integrated with a microscale fuel processor

Abstract An integrated fuel reformer and fuel cell system for microscale (10–500 mW) power generation is being developed and demonstrated as an alternative to conventional batteries. In this system, thermal energy is transformed to electricity by stripping the hydrogen from the hydrocarbon fuel (reforming) and converting the hydrogen to electricity in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The fabrication and operation of a mesoscale fuel cell based on phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) technology is discussed, along with tests integrating the methanol processor with the fuel cell. The PBI membrane had high ionic conductivity at high temperatures (>150 °C), and sustained the high conductivity at low relative humidity at these temperatures. This high-temperature stability and high ionic conductivity enabled the membrane to tolerate extremely high levels of carbon monoxide up to 10% without significant degradation in performance. The combined fuel cell/reformer system was successfully operated to enable the production of 23 mW of electrical power.
Parallel Sliding Load Support in the Mixed Friction Regime. Part 1—The Experimental Data

Capacite de charge de deux plaques paralleles glissant l'une sur l'autre en regime de frottement mixte. Donnees experimentales
Serum concentrations of p, p'-DDE, HCB, PCBs and reproductive hormones among men of reproductive age

Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been associated with changes in reproductive hormone levels, however most groups studied have been highly exposed. We investigated the association of PCBs, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and p, p'-DDE with serum sex hormones in 341 adult men from a US infertility clinic with exposure levels consistent with those observed in the general population. In crude regression models we observed several negative associations of PCBs and HCB with steroid hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and total and free testosterone. After adjustment for lipids, age and BMI, nearly all significant associations were attenuated. A negative relationship remained between PCB 118 and SHBG (p<0.01), and relationships of dioxin-like PCBs with SHBG and total testosterone, and between PCB 118 and total testosterone, were suggestive. These results suggest a minimal relationship between PCB exposures at low background levels similar to those observed in the general population of the US and circulating reproductive hormones.
An evaluation of the social support component of simplified habit reversal

This study examined the role that the social support component of simplified habit reversal (SHR) plays in the treatment of body-focused repetitive behavior disorders (nail biting) in college-aged individuals. This study compared 2 versions of the SHR procedure, the first consisting of awareness training, competing response training, and social support, and the second consisting only of awareness and competing response training. Forty participants were recruited and randomly assigned to one of the two treatment conditions. Participants were assessed at baseline, posttreatment, and at 1-month follow-up. Results indicated that both conditions produced significant decreases in nail biting and increases in nail length from baseline to posttreatment and from posttreatment to follow-up, but no significant differences were found between the conditions. Limitations and areas for future research are discussed.
Analysis of straggling measurements by the backscattering technique

Abstract The energy dependence of the target stopping power for an analyzing beam of ions is shown to contribute significantly to the broadening of sharp features in backscattering spectra. This effect is coupled to the other broadening processes present in the ion-target interaction such that the total broadening is not just the sum, in quadrature, of the individual contributions. A simple procedure is presented for separating the stopping power effect from the other broadening processes, thus allowing precise determination of energy straggling from experimental backscattering spectra.
A code refinement methodology for performance-improved synthesis from C

Although many recent advances have been made in hardware synthesis techniques from software programming languages such as C, the performance of synthesized hardware commonly suffers due to the use of C constructs and coding practices that are not appropriate for hardware. Most previous approaches to addressing this problem require drastic changes to coding practice. We present an approach that instead requires only minimal changes but yields significant speedups. In this approach, a software developer initially writes C code as they normally would, and then applies simple refinement guidelines to only the performance-critical code regions, which are the regions most likely to be synthesized to hardware. Alternatively, if a designer is aware of performance-critical parts of the application, the guidelines could be followed during development. In this study, we analyze dozens of embedded benchmarks to determine the most common C coding practices that limit hardware performance, and introduce coding guidelines to make the code more amenable to synthesis. Those guidelines typically require minimal coding effort, generally consisting of less than ten lines of code for each guideline. The guidelines typically represent modifications that require designer knowledge, making the guidelines difficult or impossible for synthesis tools to automate. We apply these guidelines to six benchmarks, resulting in average speedups of 3.5x compared to synthesis from the original code with a negligible software size and performance overhead.
Organic vegetable production in the U.S.: Certified growers and their practices

Organic farming systems differ fundamentally from conventional ones in their primary focus on management practices that promote and enhance ecological harmony. Organic farmers also tend to have a different socioeconomic profile. In this study, we summarize average socioeconomic characteristics and production practices of a national sample of about 300 certified organic vegetable growers from 14 states and compare them to a large sample of about 6,900 conventional vegetable growers. We also examine the specific materials used by organic growers for pest and nutrient management.Organic vegetable growers tend to be younger, more educated, less experienced in farming, and less likely to have grown up on a farm than conventional vegetable growers, and tend to operate smaller farms. Over three-quarters of the organic vegetable growers surveyed have small operations (less than 10 acres of vegetables), and they are much younger and work fewer days in off-farm jobs than conventional small growers. In contrast to conventional marketing practices, nearly half the surveyed organic growers, and the majority of small ones, market their vegetables directly to consumers through farmers' markets and other direct marketing channels.The organic growers rely primarily on traditional organic processes such as green manuring (legumes), animal manuring, composting, and crop rotation to supply crop nutrients, and on cultural and biological tools, including pest-resistant plant varieties, water management techniques, adjustment of planting and harvesting dates, and beneficial organisms, for pest management. Animal meal, fish products, and lime are their most frequently reported supplemental nutrient sources (14, 20 and 28%, respectively, reported using these materials), and Pyrellin EC and petroleum-based soaps were the most frequently reported supplemental pest management materials (used by 6 and 8%, respectively). The pest and nutrient materials used by the organic growers are generally consistent with current guidelines of major certification organizations that provide services to organic growers, and there is high consistency among those guidelines and national recommendations for most of these materials.
Chronic dizziness: The interface between psychiatry and neuro-otology

Purpose of reviewThis paper reviews the often-enigmatic relationships between dizziness and psychiatric symptoms. Psychiatric causes of dizziness, neuro-otologic causes of anxiety, underrecognized co-morbid conditions, and medical illnesses that masquerade as ‘psychogenic’ dizziness are examined. Ke
Triple-negative/basal-like breast cancer: clinical, pathologic and molecular features

Review of the spectrum of breast cancer tumor subtypes, which include basal-like, triple-negative and BRCA1-positive tumors, suggest that they have overlapping clinical, pathologic and molecular features, which are different from endocrine responsive breast cancers. Although response to chemotherapy is high in the neoadjuvant setting, the overall prognosis of this subset of tumors remains poor. Gene-profiling studies of this heterogeneous subset have lead to a better understanding of the molecular pathology of these aggressive tumors and the identification of possible therapeutic targets. Ongoing clinical studies of newer targeted agents, along with optimal chemotherapy, portend an improved clinical outcome for patients with aggressive basal-like/triple-negative breast cancer in the future.
A bilateral cervical contusion injury model in mice: assessment of gripping strength as a measure of forelimb motor function.

Here, we describe a bilateral cervical contusion model for mice. Adult female mice received graded bilateral contusion injuries at cervical level 5 (C5) using a commercially available impactor (the IH device). Three separate experiments were carried out to define conditions that produce impairments in forelimb function without unacceptable impairment of general health. A grip strength meter (GSM) was used to assess gripping ability as a measure of forelimb motor function; lesion size was assessed histologically by staining cross sections for HE these produced minimal deficits on grip strength. In Experiment 2, mice received injuries of 75 kdyn and 100 kdyn. Injuries of 75 kdyn produced transient deficits in gripping that recovered between 3 and 15 days post-injury (dpi) to about 90% of control; injuries of 100 kdyn produced deficits that recovered to about 50% of control. In Experiment 3, none of the mice that received injuries of 100 kdyn recovered gripping ability. Histological assessment revealed graded injuries that ranged from damage limited primarily to the dorsal column (DC) to damage to the DC, grey matter, ventral column and lateral column. Most lesions filled in with a fibrous tissue matrix, but fluid-filled cystic cavities were found in 13% of the 100 kdyn injury group and a combination of fibrous-filled/fluid-filled cystic cavities were found in 22% and 38% of the 75-kdyn and 100-kdyn injury groups, respectively. There was minimal urine retention following cervical contusion injuries indicating preservation of bladder function. Our results define conditions to produce graded bilateral cervical contusion injuries in mice and demonstrate the usefulness of the GSM for assessing forelimb motor function after cervical contusions.
Knowledge does not necessarily make the heart grow fonder: The moderating role of knowledge on accessibility experiences

Abstract Accessibility experiences have been a subject of interest since Tversky and Kahneman (1973) published their account of the availability heuristic—specifically, individuals often utilize the phenomenological experience of ease or difficulty of recall in constructing a judgment (Schwarz, 1998). The reported studies contribute further to work in this area by examining the moderating role of knowledge on accessibility experiences and their use in evaluative judgments. We argue that knowledgeable individuals are more likely to experience interference effects in early stages of recall. This would result in a reversal of the usual phenomenon such that while low knowledge individuals would find recalling larger sets effortful, which would lead them to form more negative evaluations when recalling larger amounts of information, high knowledge individuals would find recalling smaller sets effortful and would form more negative evaluations when recalling smaller amounts of information. We discuss potential explanations and draw attention to the distinction between generating a response and the appropriateness of the response in accessibility experiences.
The 15-micron bands of C12O216

Abstract The 15-μ bands of CO 2 have been measured using a prism-grating echelle vacuum spectrograph capable of giving a resolution of 0.08 cm −1 at 15 μ. ν 0 , Δ B , and Δ B have been obtained for the 01 1 0-00 0 0, 10 0 0−01 1 0, and 02 0 0−01 1 0 bands, and ν 0 and Δ B have been obtained for the 02 2 0−01 1 0, 03 1 0−02 2 0, and 11 1 0−02 2 0 transitions.
Efficient target estimation in distributed MIMO radar via the ADMM

We consider the problem of target estimation in distributed MIMO radars that employ compressive sensing. The problem is formulated as a sparse signal recovery problem with magnitude constraints on the target reflection coefficients, where the signal to be recovered consist of equal size blocks that have the same sparsity profile. A solution is proposed based on the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), which significantly lowers the computational complexity of sparse recovery and improves the estimation accuracy. Due to the block diagonal structure of the sensing matrix, the iterations of all ADMM subproblems are amenable to parallel implementation, which can reduce the running time. A semi-distributed implementation, which relaxes the need of a powerful fusion center is also discussed.
Somatostatin Content Increases Following Norepinephrine Depletion in Frontal Cortex of l‐Methyl‐4‐Phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐Tetrahydropyridine‐Treated Mice

The effects of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on somatostatin (SS)-containing neurons were examined by measuring dopamine, norepinephrine (NE), SS, and SS mRNA in striatum and frontal cortex of C57/B16 mice at various times following treatment with MPTP-HCl (96 mg/kg i.p.). MPTP caused a 70% depletion of dopamine in striatum by 1 day and a 40% depletion of NE in frontal cortex within 3 days. SS content was increased in frontal cortex 4 days later, but not in striatum; there were no changes in SS mRNA. Maprotiline, a specific NE-uptake blocker, prevented both the depletion of NE and the increase of SS in frontal cortex due to MPTP administration. These results support the possibility that NE can regulate SS in frontal cortex and are discussed in terms of the decrease of SS seen in parkinsonian patients with dementia.
Seismic Analysis and Design of Pile Group Bridge Foundations in Soft and Liquefied Soil

A pile group foundation is a highly indeterminate system with non-linearities caused by soils and pile and cap materials. The cap footing is often sufficiently rigid to develop a linear variation in the pile axial forces induced by the imposed moments. However, a nonlinear foundation-soil interaction analysis is required to perform a reliable evaluation of capacity and displacement demands for seismic design. A detailed nonlinear analysis using advanced numerical techniques, such as the finite element method to model the soil response and soil-foundation interactions during a seismic event, can be complex and time-consuming. The complexity is significantly greater when the foundation supports high and multidirectional dynamic loads induced during seismic events, especially when the foundation soil is soft or predicted to liquefy. Because of time and resource constraints—and for the case of liquefied soils, considering the difficulties and uncertainties associated with developing constitutive models—such a...
Consistency of task-related EEG asymmetries.

Temporoparietal EEG was recorded bilaterally while 11 subjects performed 4 verbal and 4 spatial tasks on two occasions. Significant differences in integrated EEG asymmetry (8-12 Hz) were found between verbal and spatial tasks in both sessions. Subjects’ verbal-minus-spatial differences in the ratio of left to right integrated amplitude were reliable both between- (r =.88) and within-(mean r =.75) subjects. A percent time measure did not show significant task effects and had poor reliability. For integrated amplitude, the means of the left/right ratios of the 8 tasks were also very consistent between sessions.
Stability of a very coarse-grained beach at Carmel, California

Abstract Monastery Beach at Carmel, California, is a pocket beach composed of very coarse to granular sediment. In profile, the beach has a well-defined berm crest; a steep foreshore; and a gently sloping, barless offshore covered by large, long-crested oscillation ripples. Carmel Submarine Canyon heads a few hundred meters offshore of the beach, and San Jose Creek, a small ephemeral steam, ponds onshore of the central part of the berm. Wave conditions vary greatly during a year because the beach lies open to the Pacific Ocean for azimuths between 270°–322°N whence come a variety of wave types. Even with a variable wave climate, Monastery Beach has maintained a swell profile for almost three years. Aperiodic beach surveys show that the beach responds little to seasonal changes in wave climate. Four survey lines maintained the same swell profile throughout the study period. The fifth line maintained a stable profile only across the foreshore; the berm was twice artificially breached during storms to prevent upstream flooding along San Jose Creek. In comparison, Carmel Beach, a nearby beach composed of medium sand, commonly alternates between swell and storm profiles. The increased stability of Monastery Beach relative to Carmel Beach is attributed to two factors: grain size differences and location within Carmel Bay. Rebuilding proceeded very slowly along the breached part of the berm at Monastery Beach. The probable cause of such a low recovery rate is that oscillation ripples trapped the sand that was carried offshore when San Jose Creek eroded the beach. The ripples, which are active under high-energy conditions, approach dormancy under low-energy conditions. Each ripple, therefore, acts like a reservoir, retaining sand during most swell conditions.
Extracorporeal membranous oxygenation mimics aortic dissection on CAT scan.

A 66-year-old woman presented with refractory acute congestive heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was placed through femoral cannulation for salvage and stabilization. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest performed as a part of heart transplant workup demonstrated an unequal distribution of intravenous contrast medium in the aortic arch (Fig 1, A and B). The radiologist’s preliminary reading was of “aortic dissection,” whereas in fact this was truly “normal ECMO flow.”
New insights on the pathogenesis of invasive Cryptococcus neoformans infection

Disseminated cryptococcosis begins with infection of the lungs via inhalation. This is followed by escape from the lungs and entry into the bloodstream allowing dissemination to the brain and central nervous system. We discuss the steps involved in dissemination and the host and microbial factors that influence each step. For the host, containment in the lung is accomplished with a combination of cell-mediated and antibody responses. Dissemination occurs when these systems fail and/or when phagocytic cells that fail to kill the yeast instead act as a niche for replication. One of the main microbial factors affecting dissemination is the polysaccharide capsule, a major virulence factor that promotes dissemination at every step. Secreted enzymes are important, including laccase and phospholipase B, which promote escape from the lungs, and urease, which contributes to crossing the blood-brain barrier. Lastly, a number of regulatory factors contribute, especially to growth of Cryptococcus neoformans in the brain.
Risk-Based Resource Allocation for Collaborative System Design in Distributed Environment

Risk is becoming an important factor in facilitating the resource allocation in engineering design because of its essential role in evaluating functional reliability and mitigating system failures. In this work, we aim at expanding existing quantitative risk modeling methods to collaborative system designs regarding resource allocation in a distributed environment, where an overlapped risk item can affect multiple stakeholders, and correspondingly be examined by multiple evaluators simultaneously. Because of different perspectives and limited local information, various evaluators (responsible for same or different components of a system), though adopting the same risk definition and mathematical calculation, can still yield unsatisfying global results, such as inconsistent probability and/or confusing consequence evaluations, which can then cause potential barriers in achieving agreement or acceptable discrepancies among different evaluators involved in the collaborative system design. Built upon our existing work, a Risk-based Distributed Resource Allocation Methodology (R-DRAM) is developed to help system manager allocate limited resource to stakeholders, and further to components of the targeted system for the maximum global risk reduction. Besides probability and consequence, two additional risk properties, tolerance and hierarchy, are considered for comprehensive systematic risk design. Tolerance is introduced to indicate the effective risk reduction, and hierarchy is utilized to model the comprehensive risk hierarchy. Finally a theoretical framework based on cost-benefit measure is developed for resource allocation. A case study is demonstrated to show the implementation process. The preliminary investigation shows promise of the R-DRAM in facilitating risk-based resource allocation for collaborative system design using a systematic and quantifiable approach in distributed environment.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Quantitative Comparisons Between the Electrical Activity of Supraoptic Neurons and Vasopressin Release in vitro.

The firing rate of antidromically identified neurons in the tuberal portion of the rat supraoptic nucleus and vasopressin release were compared in an in vitro preparation of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. Extracellular potentials were isolated and held while the perifusing medium was collected for radioimmunoassay of vasopressin. Neurons in the tuberal portion of the supraoptic nucleus were induced to first bursts of action potentials by injecting supra-threshold concentrations (0.01, 0.1 and 1 mM) of the ctlagonist phenylephrine into the perifusing line. Phenylephrine caused a dose-dependent release of vasopressin into the perifusate and a dose-dependent increase in the peak firing rate, initial burst duration and the total number of action potentials (compared to a 10 min control period) of the recorded neurons. Peak firing rate and peak vasopressin release both increased linearly with the log of the phenylephrine dose, but the efficiency ratio of the increase in vasopressin release to the increase in firing rate was greater from the middle to the highest dose than it was for the lowest to the middle dose, indicating a possible facilitation of hormone release with higher firing frequencies. The total amount of vasopressin released in 10 min post-injection and the total number of evoked action potentials in the same period also increased linearly, but in this case there was no change in the efficiency ratio between the low to middle and the middle to high doses of phenylephrine. Release of vasopressin to phenylephrine was dependent on an intact neural stalk, and in a separate group of isolated neural lobes, 1 mM phenylephrine did not significantly alter the peak or total amount of vasopressin released to an electrical stimulus given in the pattern of an evoked burst. In another group of explants the temporal relationship between firing rate and vasopressin release was examined after a single dose of 1 mM phenylephrine. In these explants the true time-course of release was estimated using a deconvolution procedure which corrected for diffusion of the hormone. Mean vasopressin release and spike activity were still elevated above baseline 4 to 5 min after the first elicited burst, suggesting that the latter parts of the initial burst andtor the after-discharges contribute to the prolonged vasopressin release. However, there was a dramatic drop in the efficiency ratio (vasopressin releaselpeak firing rate) from the first to the second minute following stimulation. Thus, changes in the frequency of action potentials generated by supraoptic neurons can be directly related to simultaneous changes in the rate of vasopressin release in the same preparation. The results suggest that elevations in firing rate are accompanied by an increased rate of vasopressin release, but as has been demonstrated in isolated neural lobes, this relationship is probably not constant across different stimulation strengths or within a single burst.
The superoxide anion as electron donor to the mitochondrial electron transport chain.

— In isolated respiratory multienzyme complexes of beef heart mitochondria the b-type cytochromes can be photoreduced in presence of flavin via the superoxide anion. O-2 does not reduce cytochrome c1. In an anaerobic system, FMNH2 formed by irradiation with blue light in presence of EDTA reduces cytochromes b and c1 The possible implication of O-2 in the electron transfer from flavin/flavoprotein to cytochrome b in blue light-controlled biological processes is discussed.
Detection of the acrolein-derived cyclic DNA adduct by a quantitative 32P-postlabeling/solid-phase extraction/HPLC method: blocking its artifact formation with glutathione.

Abstract Acrolein (Acr), a hazardous air pollutant, reacts readily with deoxyguanosine (dG) in DNA to produce cyclic 1, N 2 -propanodeoxyguanosine adducts (Acr-dG). Studies demonstrate that these adducts are detected in vivo and may play a role in mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. In the study described here, a quantitative 32 P-postlabeling/solid-phase extraction/HPLC method was developed by optimizing the solid-phase extraction and the 32 P-postlabeling conditions for analysis of Acr-dG in DNA samples with a detection limit of 0.1 fmol. It was found that Acr-dG can form as an artifact during the assay. Evidence obtained from mass spectrometry indicates that the Acr in water used in the assay is a likely source of artifact formation of Acr-dG. The formation of Acr-dG as an artifact can be effectively blocked by adding glutathione (GSH) to the DNA sample to be analyzed. In addition, Acr-dG was detected as a contaminant in the commercial dG and dT 3′-monophosphate samples. Finally, this method was used to detect Acr-dG in calf thymus and human colon HT29 cell DNA with an excellent linear quantitative relationship.
Teaching Professional Ethics

Soltis discusses the importance of teach ing professional ethics in teacher educa tion programs. Formal ethical codes, such as the one established by the NEA, provide a foundation for ethical deci ...
Rule-Based Model for Selecting Integration Technologies for Smart Cities Systems

The aim of this article is to present the stages of development for an information technology integration model for the design of systems for smart cities. The Introduction explains the need for integration technologies and presents a model for selecting integration technologies and the conditions for its use in designing smart cities systems. Then two verification stages of the presented model are discussed. In the first stage, the model underwent a replicative verification in the Eureka project, the purpose of which was to build fuzzy decision-making scenarios for the needs of smart cities. In the second stage, the developed model underwent a predictive verification process that aimed at selecting integration technologies (suggested by the developed model) in the construction of an intelligent operating center (IOC) decision-making system. The article is summarized with conclusions and observations about the importance of integration technologies and the possibility of predicting them.
Structure-activity relationships of anabolic steroids: role of the 19-methyl group.

ABSTRACT Anabolic agents are therapeutically effective in a variety of diseases, and dissociation of the anabolic from undesirable androgenic activity has been shown in several newer steroid derivatives. One such modification is removal of the C-19-methyl group producing 19-nor compounds. With adequate animal data now available, a critical comparative clinical study was essential for evaluating the applicability of these structure-activity relationships to man. Since in the animal studies 17α-ethyl-19-nortestosterone had optimal anabolic activity, all possible compounds with a two-carbon atom side-chain at the 17α-position were studied, viz, 17α-ethyl-, 17α-vinyl-, and 17α-ethynyl derivatives of the testosterone (19-methyl) and 19-nortestosterone series. Each 19-nor compound was compared with the analogous 19-methyl compound (the only structural difference between pair members being presence or absence of the 19-methyl group) and with 17α-methyltestosterone. Comparisons were made at two dosage levels in t...
History, Present Trends, and Scaling of Silicon Bipolar Technology

Recent advances in bipolar technology are reviewed. The Key features of the advanced bipolar devices are identified and the trends for future developmemt discussed. The scaling of high-speed circuits and the properties of the scaled devices are also reviewed.
Post-transplantation lymphocyst: Use of ultrasound as adjunct in diagnosis

Ultrasound examination has proved to be a useful diagnostic tool in the differentiation of lymphocyst from other causes of upper urinary tract obstruction in the renal transplant recipient.
Profit-oriented resource allocation using online scheduling in flexible heterogeneous networks

In this paper, we discuss a generalized measurement-based adaptive scheduling framework for dynamic resource allocation in flexible heterogeneous networks, in order to ensure efficient service level performance under inherently variable traffic conditions. We formulate our generalized optimization model based on the notion of a "profit center" with an arbitrary number of service classes, nonlinear revenue and cost functions and general performance constraints. Subsequently, and under the assumption of a linear pricing model and average queue delay requirements, we develop a fast, low complexity algorithm for online dynamic resource allocation, and examine its properties. Finally, the proposed scheme is validated through an extensive simulation study.
Surface electromagnetic wave launching at the edge of a metal film

Propagating ir surface electromagnetic waves have been launched on and off the edges of a metallic film evaporated on the base of an NaCl prism. The coupler does not make use of an air gap or a grating.
Tb2O3 thin films: An alternative candidate for high-k dielectric applications

We are reporting the growth and structural, optical, and dielectric properties of Tb2O3, a relatively unexplored high-k dielectric material. A pulsed-laser deposition technique was used to grow Tb2O3 thin-films on four different substrates: Si(100), SrTiO3(100), LaAlO3(100), and MgO(100). High-resolution X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy results confirmed that film growth in an oxygen-rich (10−1 Torr) environment yields nearly single-crystal C-phase films, while a low-oxygen (10−6 Torr) environment growth results in the formation of monoclinic polycrystalline B-phase films. Optical transmission measurements showed that the bandgap of Tb2O3 is direct in nature with a value of 2.8 eV and 3.4 eV for the cubic and monoclinic phases, respectively. By measuring the capacitance of test devices, quite high dielectric constants of 13.5 and 24.9 were obtained for the B- and C-phase Tb2O3 films, respectively.
Lenticular fibroxanthomatous nodule.

Abstract Purpose To describe two patients with unique lenticular nodular proliferations. Design Observational case reports. Methods The clinical histories and pathologic findings of two patients with lenticular nodular proliferations were reviewed. Results One patient with persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous and another patient with trauma developed lenticular nodular proliferations. The nodules were vascularized collections of foamy histiocytes, multinucleated cells, lens capsule, and lens epithelium that had undergone fibrous metaplasia. The lesions were classified as lenticular fibroxanthomatous nodules. Conclusions A lenticular fibroxanthomatous nodule is a unique clinicopathologic entity that should be differentiated from Soemmerring ring, Elschnig pearl, and other simulating entities such as juvenile xanthogranuloma.
Inactivation of BANK1 in a novel IGH-associated translocation t(4;14)(q24;q32) suggests a tumor suppressor role in B-cell lymphoma.

Immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene-associated translocations occur frequently in different subtypes of B-cell lymphomas.1 These translocations result in deregulated expression of partner genes and play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of lymphomas. Molecular characterization of IGH-associated translocation breakpoints has been instrumental in the identification of genes important to the development of normal and malignant B cells.
Solubilities of 5-fluorouracil and β-estradiol in supercritical carbon dioxide

Controlled release drug products are gaining importance in the pharmaceutical industry. Impregnation via supercritical fluids is a potential technique for the production of these products. The solubilities of the drugs in supercritical carbon dioxide are being measured, since they control the amount of drug component that can be carried by the mobile phase and therefore the impregnation period and extent. The solubilities of 5-fluorouracil and β-estradiol, used in chemotherapy and estrogen hormone therapy, respectively, are measured at pressures ranging from 100 bar to 220 bar and at 308 K to 328 K. These drugs have mass fraction solubilities of the order 10-6 to 10-4, which are high enough to make the supercritical impregnation process a feasible alternative to impregnation employing organic solvents. The solubilities are presented as a function of solvent density and indicate higher solubilities at higher temperatures for both of the drugs. Solubilities of β-estradiol are also reported at select conditi...
Abstract 91: Advanced computational algorithms for deep interrogation of microbial communities using pyrosequencing

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC The microbial community within the human gastrointestinal tract plays an important role in the balance of health and disease in the individual host. The advent of molecular techniques now facilitates the deep interrogation of the components of the gut microbiota, but the immense amount of data obtained requires the parallel development of advanced computational algorithms in order to maximize information extraction. In this study, we applied a novel computational strategy to analyze a microbial 16S rRNA sequence dataset consisting of more than one million sequences obtained from the fecal material of 154 individuals of known weight status. A large-scale taxonomy independent analysis revealed that collectively the human gut harbors more than 150,000 microbial species, at least one order magnitude larger than previously estimated. Furthermore, discriminant and topology analyses showed that despite the fact that each individual has diverse gut microbial compositions, there exist distinct microbial signatures associated with obese and lean physiological states. The analytic methods we developed for this study have never been used before in the interrogation of microbial communities. The combination of deep sequencing techniques with the computational approach described here will facilitate our understanding of the role the gut microbiota plays in health and disease and may lead to novel interventional strategies to prevent or ameliorate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 91.
901-93 Selective Inhibition of Epicardial Function Reduces Left Ventricular Endocardial Torsion and Principal Strain: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study Using Tissue Tagging

Cardiac motion results from the complex interaction of individual muscle fibers organized into layers. Epicardial (epi) fibers are aligned with the direction of endocardial (endo) torsion and principal strain (PS) angle, suggesting an influence on endo function. Therefore, we hypothesized that selective inhibition of epi function will alter endo deformation. Twelve open chest dogs underwent continuous pericardial lavage at baseline (BL) and with heating of the lavage fluid (HT), while the blood temperature was held constant. Heating decreases contractile function. Imaging was performed at BL and at HT and included 4 short axis images with 4 radially prescribed tags and 4 long axis images with 4 parallel transverse tags. Gradient echo images were obtained at end-diastole and end-systole. The tag-endo and tag-epi intersections were located and reconstructed into 24 3-D myocardial cuboids for 3-D finite strain analysis. Torsion was measured as the apex to base difference in rotation about the cavity centroid at end-systole. Results compare the free wall (exposed to heated lavage) at BL and at HT. Results Lavage temperature increased from 35.7° ± 1.2 at BL to 40.0° ± 0.7 at HT Ip l 0.001). As a direct result of the heating, epi torsion and PS magnitude decreased from -4.1° ± 3.0 to-1.4° ± 2.4 (p l 0.02) and from-0.10 ± 0.03 to-0.08 ± 0.03 (p l 0.001), respectively. Although blood and therefore, endo temperature was constant (34.7°) at both BL and HT. endo torsion and PS magnitude decreased from -9.1° ± 68 to -2.5 ± 4.9 (p = 0.002) and from -0.29 ± 0.06 to -0.23 ± 0.10 (p l 0.05), respectively. Wall thickening decreased from 30.8% ± 14.3 to 18.5% ± 17.6 (p = 0.004). In the septum (unexposed to heated lavage) torsion, PS and thickening were unchanged. In conclusion, selective inhibition of epicardial function by augmented temperature caused a significant decline in endocardial torsion and PS magnitude, local measures of endocardial function, demonstrating the important contribution of epicardial function to endocardial deformation.
Characterization of a thromboembolic photochemical model of repeated stroke in mice

Many stroke research groups utilize the model of middle cerebral artery occlusion induced by insertion of an intraluminal thread, owing to its pragmatism and reliability of cerebral infarct generation. However, 75% of stroke cases result from a thromboembolic event and 10% from occlusive atherothrombosis in situ. Here, we characterize a mouse model of repeated thromboembolic stroke, which closely mimics the intravascular pathophysiology of arterial thrombus generation from an atherosclerotic plaque, and subsequent release of a thrombus into the cerebral circulation as an embolus. Common carotid artery thrombosis (CCAT) was induced photochemically leading to non-occlusive platelet aggregation in C57/BL6 male mice (n=35), and was followed by mechanical assistance to facilitate release of the thrombus (MRT) and thus promote embolism. Six experimental groups, differing by changes in the surgical protocol, were used for the purpose of determining which such procedure yielded the most reliable and consistent brain infarct volumes with the lowest mortality at 3 days after surgery. The group which best satisfied these conditions was a double insult group which consisted of animals that underwent CCAT for 2 min by means of argon laser irradiation (514.5 nm) at an intensity of ca. 130 W/cm(2), with concomitant injection of erythrosin B (EB) (35 mg/kg infused over those same 2 min), followed by MRT 1 min later; the entire procedure was repeated 24h later. This group showed a percent of brain lesion volume of 15+/-4% (mean+/-S.D.) with no associated 3-day mortality. Compared to a single insult group which sustained a percent brain lesion volume of 7+/-3%, there was a statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in the volume of infarction in the double-insult group.