cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Buffering the Aqueous Phase pH in Water-in-CO2 Microemulsions

The addition of organic and inorganic buffers to nanometer size water-in-CO2 microemulsion droplets stabilized by ammonium perfluoropolyether (PFPE-NH4) results in an increase in pH from 3 to values of 5−7. The effects of temperature, pressure, buffer type, buffer concentration, ionic strength, and CO2 solubility on the pH inside water-in-CO2 microemulsions and on biphasic water−CO2 systems were measured by the hydrophilic indicator 4-nitrophenyl-2-sulfonate and were predicted accurately with thermodynamic models. In both systems, modest buffer loadings result in a steep pH “jump” from 2.5 pH units. Further increases in pH require large amounts of base to overcome buffering due to the carbonic acid−bicarbonate equilibrium. A pH approaching neutrality was obtained in w/c microemulsions with approximately 1.5 mol kg-1 NaOH. At high buffer loadings, the effects of temperature and pressure on pH values are negligible.
Effects of the TOUCHMATH Program Compared to a Number Line Strategy to Teach Addition Facts to Middle School Students with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to systematically replicate and extend previous studies of the TOUCHMATH program, a multi-sensory mathematics program (Bullock, Pierce, & McClellan, 1989). Three middle school students with moderate and multiple disabilities (e.g., autism and moderate intellectual disabilities) participated. Students were taught how to solve single-digit mathematics problems using TOUCH- MATH and a number line. An alternating-treatments design across participants (Barlow & Hersen, 1984) was utilized to evaluate and compare the effects of both strategies. Results indicated that the TOUCHMATH strategy was more effective and efficient in teaching students' single-digit addition problems compared to the use of the number line. Limitations of the study, implications for practice for classroom teachers, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Correlation of epidermal plasminogen activator activity with disease activity in psoriasis

SUMMARY The specific activity of plasminogen activator was increased in clinically involved psoriatic epidermis compared with the uninvolved skin of the same eight patients. Alterations in plasminogen activator activity correlated with disease activity as measured by extent of body surface involved with psoriasis. Levels of plasminogen activator increased in uninvolved epidermis of psoriatic patients during retinoid therapy.
On the norm and covering radius of the first-order Reed-Muller codes

Let /spl rho/(1,m) and N(1,m) be the covering radius and norm of the first-order Reed-Muller code R(1,m), respectively. It is known that /spl rho/(1,2k+1)/spl les/lower bound [2/sup 2k/-2/sup (2k-1/2)/] and N(1,2k+1)/spl les/2 lower bound [2/sup 2k/-2/sup (2k-1/2)/] (k>0). We prove that /spl rho/(1,2k+1)/spl les/2 lower bound [2/sup 2k-1/-2/sup (2k-3/2)/] and N(1,2k+1)/spl les/4 lower bound [2/sup 2k-1/-2/sup (2k-3/2)/] (k>0). We also discuss the connections of the two new bounds with other coding theoretic problems.
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase mediates anhedonia and anxiety-like behaviors caused by peripheral lipopolysaccharide immune challenge

Upregulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) by proinflammatory cytokines has been implicated as a biological mediator of inflammation-related mood disorders. Clinical reports on this neuro-immune interaction remain correlative, while mechanism-centered preclinical experiments have focused on a relatively narrow, and somewhat controversial, survey of depression-like behaviors that include the forced swim and tail suspension tests. Here, we sought to determine whether peripheral immune challenge with Escherichia coli, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) precipitates the development of translationally relevant depression-like behaviors and to investigate the role of IDO in mediating these LPS-induced behaviors. Intraperitoneal injection of C57BL/6J mice with LPS resulted in a robust, but transient, reduction in exploratory locomotor activity (eLMA) that returned to near baseline levels by 24h. Sucrose preference, a preclinical correlate of anhedonia, was diminished by more than 20% in LPS-treated compared to saline-treated control mice, and LPS induced a significant increase in anxiety-like behavior at 24h that was independent eLMA. Pretreatment of mice with an IDO inhibitor, 1-methyltryptophan (1MT), ablated the anxiogenic effects of LPS, while having no impact on sickness associated changes in body weight or eLMA. Additionally, 1MT pretreatment attenuated the LPS-induced reduction in sucrose preference, which was also confirmed in IDO-1 null mice. Interestingly, acute systemic administration of l-kynurenine, the enzymatic product of IDO, precipitated an anhedonic and anxiogenic effect in naive mice without effect on eLMA. In a preclinical model, these data implicate IDO as a pivotal mediator of LPS-induced depression- and anxiety-like behavior.
Tethered swimming forces in the crawl, breast and back strokes and their relationship to competitive performance

Abstract Forces developed during fully tethered swimming by 18 male athletes were measured uding a load call in the tether cable. Three competitive strokes were studied: crawl, breast and back. Arm and leg components of the crawl and breast stroke were observed separately. Attempts were made to correlate peak and mean tether forces with competitive velocities. A positive correlation was observed between mean tether force and velocity in the crawl, particularly among distance specialists. A negative correlation was found between crawl velocity and the peak/mean force ratio. The data also suggest that the kick contributes significant force in both the crawl and breaststroke. In neither case, however, does the whole stroke produce as much force as the sum of the arm and leg components would indicate.
Leaky rivers: Implications of the loss of longitudinal fluvial disconnectivity in headwater streams

article i nfo Naturally induced longitudinal disconnectivity in the form of channel-spanning logjams creates backwaters along headwater streams that reduce velocity and transport capacity, create at least temporary storage sites for finer sediment and organic matter, and enhance biological processing and uptake of nutrients. Land uses that reduce wood recruitment and instream storage result in reduced stream complexity and in- creased longitudinal connectivity in headwater rivers. We examine three scales of naturally occurring longi- tudinal disconnectivity in headwater streams of the Colorado Front Range and the implications for channel process and form of historical alterations in disconnectivity. Basin-scale disconnectivity at channel lengths of 10 2 -10 3 m results from downstream alternations between steep, narrowly confined valley segments with single-thread channels, and lower gradient, wider, valley segments with multi-thread channels. This variation in valley geometry likely reflects differences in average spacing between joints in bedrock outcrops, which influences bedrock weathering and erosion. Greater volumes of wood stored in the wide valley seg- ments correlate with more closely spaced channel-spanning logjams and greater storage of fine sediments and organic matter. Reach-scale disconnectivity at channel lengths of 10 1 -10 2 m results from the presence of numerous, closely spaced channel-spanning logjams, which cumulatively store substantial amounts of fine sediment and organic matter. The backwater effects associated with an individual jam can result in the accumulation of up to ~11 m 3 of fine sediment upstream from the jam, of which as much as 21% is organic
Development of a Human Growth and Osteoporosis Prevention Curriculum and Computer Program

Osteoporosis is a serious health care problem that affects millions of the elderly population, costing billions of health care dollars annually. Education in preventive measures can reduce the incidence of bone fractures resulting from porous bones. Development of effective health-promoting programs to change population behavior of teenagers with respect to calcium intake and exercise is one of the current goals of the national public health initiative. New interactive methods of education using computer programs have given educators more efficient ways to disseminate information to students. Ohio State University has designed and evaluated a curriculum and supplemental series of computer program modules for students in grades 5-9. The Human Growth Program workbook is a middle school science curriculum that combines laboratory experiments and other activities to encourage students to form lifelong healthy choices, emphasizing adequate nutrition, particularly the importance of calcium intake, and exercise, to preserve bone during adolescence and throughout life. Interactive CD-ROM programs included with the curriculum augment the material with the use of computerized demonstrations and simulations in order to aid in the educational process and attract and lengthen the students’ interest.
Posttranscriptional regulation of hsp70 expression in human cells: effects of heat shock, inhibition of protein synthesis, and adenovirus infection on translation and mRNA stability.

Abstract We have examined the posttranscriptional regulation of hsp70 gene expression in two human cell lines, HeLa and 293 cells, which constitutively express high levels of HSP70. HSP70 mRNA translates with high efficiency in both control and heat-shocked cells. Therefore, heat shock is not required for the efficient translation of HSP70 mRNA. Rather, the main effect of heat shock on translation is to suppress the translatability of non-heat shock mRNAs. Heat shock, however, has a marked effect on the stability of HSP70 mRNA; in non-heat-shocked cells the half-life of HSP70 mRNA is approximately 50 min, and its stability increases at least 10-fold upon heat shock. Moreover, HSP70 mRNA is more stable in cells treated with protein synthesis inhibitors, suggesting that a heat shock-sensitive labile protein regulates its turnover. An additional effect on posttranscriptional regulation of hsp70 expression can be found in adenovirus-infected cells, in which HSP70 mRNA levels decline precipititously late during infection although hsp70 transcription continues unabated.
Control of redundant manipulators using logic-based switching

We study the control of redundant planar robotic manipulators using a switched (or hybrid) control scheme, focusing on manipulators with a degree of redundancy of one. We emphasize the effectiveness of switched control systems with respect to stabilization and performance enhancement for this class of manipulators. We present a simulation study of logic-based switching control of a 3-DOF planar manipulator under end-effector trajectory tracking and demonstrate the capabilities of this scheme.
Diagenesis of calcite cement in Frio Formation sandstones and its relationship to formation water chemistry

ABSTRACT Calcite cement is one of the most volumetrically important diagenetic minerals formed during burial of Frio Formation sandstones from the Corpus Christi area of Texas. Syndepositional calcite is restricted to shore-zone sandstones, whereas later, post-quartz-overgrowth, burial-diagenetic calcite is present in both shore-zone and shelf sandstones. The d18O of burial-diagenetic calcite becomes depleted with depth. Chemical and textural evidence favors partial dissolution and reprecipitation (recrystallization) with consequent isotopic resetting as being responsible for the change in calcite d18O with progressive burial. The change in calcite 87Sr/86Sr with depth also supports progressive recrystallization of calcite. There is a strong relationship between the 87Sr86Sr and trace element composition of calcite and formation water from individual growth-fault blocks. Significant differences in strontium isotopic and trace element composition exist between adjacent fault blocks, implying that each fault block has behaved as a chemically separate system since the time of calcite precipitation.
Temperature-time histories at the interface between a gas and a solid

The effects of compressibility, temperature-jump and gaseous adsorption are considered in an attempt to predict the temperature-time history at the interface between a gas and a solid when both the temperature and the pressure of the gas are suddenly changed. It appears that temperature-jump will be the dominant effect, with adsorption contributing significantly in some circumstances. Compressibility is of minor importance during practically-resolvable time intervals. Some experimental evidence which gives tentative support to the results of the analysis is commented upon.
A Comparison of Management Development and Organization Development

In an attempt to dispel the confusion that has arisen about the conceptualization and practice of organization development (OD), it is here compared with a more familiar strategy for change in organizations-management development. This comparison is made with respect to six dimensions: reasons for use, goals, typical interventions, time frame, staff requirements, and values. The author concludes that the organization of today needs both strategies and that they are, in fact, complementary. Management development is conceived to be one of several interventions available in an OD effort.
Conformational analysis by scaled energy embedding

Distance geometry has been used for some years to find conformations of molecules consistent with given bounds on the interatomic distances. A recent extension of the method, called energy embedding, enforces the geometric constraints as before, but also biases the results toward low-energy structures. Now a significant improvement on energy embedding is presented, which is less dependent on local optimization for satisfying the geometric constraints. Tests on very small systems with well understood energy functions show that the global minimum energy value is often attained, and geometric constraints are always satisfied.
RNA polymerase II pausing during development

The rapid expansion of genomics methods has enabled developmental biologists to address fundamental questions of developmental gene regulation on a genome-wide scale. These efforts have demonstrated that transcription of developmental control genes by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is commonly regulated at the transition to productive elongation, resulting in the promoter-proximal accumulation of transcriptionally engaged but paused Pol II prior to gene induction. Here we review the mechanisms and possible functions of Pol II pausing and their implications for development.
Auto-referenced on-die power supply noise measurement circuit

An accurate, cost-effective, convenient and high-bandwidth on-die power supply noise measurement circuit is presented. The circuit is auto-referenced, thus saving the cost of an extra power supply for reference and making measurement on a real platform convenient. It is also capable of selectively detecting noises from different bands of frequency spectrum, each due to a different resonance peak in the power delivery network, thus allowing characterization of the noises. The circuit is implemented in a 0.13/spl mu/m process as part of a PCI-Express link. The noise measurement range is /spl plusmn/105mV with measured 15-mV resolution, and 1ns pulse bandwidth.
Effect of hypomagnesemia and exercise on slowly exchanging pools of magnesium.

The effects of hypomagnesemia and exercise on the slowly exchanging pools of magnesium, skeletal muscle, bone, erythrocytes, and plasma, were examined in four groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats: sedentary-normal diet (SN), exercise-normal diet (EN), sedentary-hypomagnesemic diet (SH), and exercise-hypomagnesemic diet (EH). The exercise groups swam 5 d/wk−1 for 6 weeks. The hypomagnesemic diet contained 80 ppm and the normal diet about 640 ppm of magnesium. Compared with normal-diet rats (SN and EN), dietary-deficient rats (SH and EH) gained less weight and had lower concentrations of magnesium in all tissue samples and plasma (P < .01). Exercise groups (EN and EH) demonstrated significantly higher magnesium levels in skeletal muscle (P < .01) and a tendency for lower levels of magnesium in plasma, erythrocytes, and bone compared with sedentary groups (SN & SH). EH rats normalized skeletal muscle magnesium, mEq · kg−1 wet tissue, (19.9 ± 5.1) compared with the SN group (20.6 ± 2.1). Assuming that magnesium stores that are rapidly exchanged are maintained at the expense of those that are slowly exchanged, magnesium stores in skeletal muscle appear to be most protected, with the effect accentuated by exercise.
Cardiolipin-Specific Phospholipase D of Haemophilus parainfluenzae II. Characteristics and Possible Significance

A phospholipase specific for cardiolipin (CL) was found in the membrane of Haemophilus parainfluenzae. The enzyme hydrolyzed CL to phosphatidic acid (PA) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG), indicating that it was a phospholipase D (an enzyme activity believed to be confined to higher plants). In addition to its substrate specificity, this enzyme was unusual in its requirement for Mg2+ (Km of 1.3 mm) for maximal activity and its inhibition by chelating agents, heavy metals, some detergents, and organic solvents. When inhibitors of phospholipase activity were added to the growth medium, CL accumulated and PG disappeared in the membrane, suggesting that the phospholipase D was active in vivo. The activity of phospholipase D in cell-free homogenates was greater than expected from earlier studies of CL metabolism and greater than the other phospholipase activities detected in the homogenate. The high activity of the CL-specific phospholipase D suggests there might be a very active degradation of CL to PG and PA and an active resynthesis of CL from the hydrolysis products.
Rapid analysis of controlled substances using desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

The recently developed technique of desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) has been applied to the rapid analysis of controlled substances. Experiments have been performed using a commercial ThermoFinnigan LCQ Advantage MAX ion-trap mass spectrometer with limited modifications. Results from the ambient sampling of licit and illicit tablets demonstrate the ability of the DESI technique to detect the main active ingredient(s) or controlled substance(s), even in the presence of other higher-concentration components. Full-scan mass spectrometry data provide preliminary identification by molecular weight determination, while rapid analysis using the tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) mode provides fragmentation data which, when compared to the laboratory-generated ESI-MS/MS spectral library, provide structural information and final identification of the active ingredient(s). The consecutive analysis of tablets containing different active components indicates there is no cross-contamination or interference from tablet to tablet, demonstrating the reliability of the DESI technique for rapid sampling (one tablet/min or better). Active ingredients have been detected for tablets in which the active component represents less than 1% of the total tablet weight, demonstrating the sensitivity of the technique. The real-time sampling of cannabis plant material is also presented. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fifty Years Later: Access to Education as an Avenue out of Poverty

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESA) of 1965 was intended to ensure access to a quality education for low-income and minority children. President Lyndon B. Johnson, a teacher himself at the beginning of his career, saw education as a critical avenue out of poverty. The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 was intended to do the same for college and university education. Unfortunately, fifty years later the foundation of these important pieces of legislation has been eroded through continuing attacks on public education at all levels. The doors to quality public education are being closed, not only at the K-12 level but also at the college and university level as well. Why can we not do for today’s young people what was done for those of fifty years ago? Is not a quality public education still in the best interest of the common good?
Fluorescent Angiogenesis Models Using Gelfoam ® Implanted in Transgenic Mice Expressing Fluorescent Proteins

Fidler's group described an in vivo angiogenesis assay utilizing Gelfoam(®) sponges impregnated with agarose and proangiogenic factors. Vessels were detected by staining with fluorescent antibodies against CD31. We showed that Gelfoam(®) implanted in transgenic mice expressing the nestin promoter-driven green fluorescent protein (ND-GFP mice) was rapidly vascularized with ND-GFP-expressing nascent blood vessels. Angiogenesis in the Gelfoam(®) was quantified by measuring the total length of ND-GFP-expressing nascent blood vessels in a skin flap by in vivo fluorescence microscopy imaging. The ND-GFP-expressing nascent blood vessels formed a network on the surface of the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-treated Gelfoam(®). We then developed a color-coded imaging model that can visualize the interaction between αv integrin linked to green fluorescent protein (GFP) in osteosarcoma cells and blood vessels in Gelfoam(®) vascularized after implantation in red fluorescent protein (RFP) transgenic nude mice. The implanted Gelfoam(®) became highly vascularized with RFP-expressing vessels in 14 days. 143B osteosarcoma cells expressing αv integrin-GFP were injected into the Gelfoam(®) after transplantation of Gelfoam(®). After cancer cell injection, cancer cells interacting with blood vessels were observed in the Gelfoam(®) by color-coded confocal microscopy through the skin flap window. We developed another color-coded Gelfoam(®)-based imaging model that can visualize the anastomosis between blood vessels. RFP-expressing vessels in vascularized Gelfoam(®), previously transplanted into RFP transgenic mice, were re-transplanted into ND-GFP mice. Skin flaps were made and anastomosis between the GFP-expressing nascent blood vessels of ND-GFP transgenic nude mice and RFP blood vessels in the transplanted Gelfoam(®) could be imaged. Our results demonstrate that the Gelfoam(®) in vivo angiogenesis model in combination with fluorescent protein labeling of blood vessels is a powerful system for use in the discovery and evaluation of agents influencing vascularization.
Losing faith in the intelligence–religiosity link: New evidence for a decline effect, spatial dependence, and mediation by education and life quality

Abstract Research has shown negative intelligence–religiosity associations among both persons (Zuckerman, Silberman, & Hall [Personality and Social Psychology Review 17 (2013) 325–354]) and countries (Lynn, Harvey, & Nyborg [Intelligence 37 (2009) 11–15]). Nevertheless, it remains unclear if these associations are stable over time or explained by education, quality of human conditions (QHC), or spatial dependence. In Study 1, we re-analyzed Zuckerman et al.'s meta-analysis, and after controlling for sample differences, the negative intelligence–religiosity link declined over time. The intelligence–religiosity link was non-significant among samples using men, pre-college participants, grade point average, and those collected after 2010. Education also partially mediated the intelligence–religiosity link. In Study 2, we re-analyzed Lynn et al.'s data from 137 countries and found that QHC positively moderated and partially mediated the positive relation between IQ and disbelief in God; this link became non-significant after controlling for spatial dependence (i.e., the extent to which adjacent countries reflect statistically non-independent observations). Although the negative intelligence–religiosity link appears more robust across people than countries, multiple variables moderate or mediate its strength, and hence, limit its generalizability across time, space, samples, measures, and levels of analysis.
Reactivity of N -cyanoalkyl-substituted imidazolium halide salts by simple elution through an azide anion exchange resin

Certain N-cyanoalkyl-functionalized imidazolium halide salts unexpectedly undergo nitrile hydrolysis to amides, as well as dipolar cycloaddition to tetrazoles when eluted on azide anion exchanged resin.
Enhancement of electrical properties of polyimide films by plasma treatment

Abstract In this study, the effect of oxygen plasma treatment on the electrical and surface properties of polyimide, Kapton HN, film is investigated. The plasma treatment led to an increase in the oxygen presence on the polyimide surface and a marked surface hydrophilicity. The plasma treatment led to an increase in the dielectric breakdown and Weibull modulus as well as a remarkable reduction in the scatter of all electrical measurements. There is a significant reduction in the high field/high temperature leakage current after plasma treatment. These findings have important implications in the development and improvement of dielectric polymer capacitors.
Release of cell cycle constraints in mouse melanocytes by overexpressed mutant E2F1 E132 , but not by deletion of p16 INK4A or p21 WAF1/CIP1

Compared to normal melanocytes, melanoma cell lines exhibit overexpression of hyperphosphorylated retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (Rb) or a marked decrease in, or lack of, expression of Rb. Hyperphosphorylation of Rb results in increased E2F-mediated transactivation of target genes and cell cycle progression. Using a combination of gene disruption and ectopic expression in growth factor-dependent mouse melanocytes, we studied the roles of E2F1 and the p16INK4A and p21WAF1/CIP1 CKIs (cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors) in the acquisition of TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate)-independent growth in culture, a hallmark of melanomas. Surprisingly, melanocytes from p16INK4A- or p21WAF1/CIP1-null mice remained TPA-dependent, and disruption of p21WAF1/CIP1 accelerated cell death in the absence of this mitogen. Disruption of E2F1 had the most profound effect on melanocyte growth, resulting in a fourfold decrease in growth rate in the presence of TPA. Furthermore, enforced overexpression of the DNA-binding-defective E2F1E132 mutant conferred TPA-independence upon melanocytes and was associated with sequestration of Rb and constitutive expression of E2F1 target genes, including p21WAF1/CIP1. We conclude that neutralization of Rb by E2F1E132, but not the disruption of p16INK4A or p21WAF1/CIP1, resulted in the accumulation of free E2F and cell cycle progression. Thus, mechanisms other than the loss of p16INK4A or p21WAF1/CIP1 that activate E2F may play an important role in melanomas.
Westinghouse AP1000 Solution to Long-Term Cooling Debris Concerns

The AP1000 is a pressurized water reactor with passive safety features and extensive plant simplifications that provides significant and measurable improvements in safety, construction, reliability, operation, maintenance and costs. The design of the AP1000 incorporates a standard approach, which results in a plant design that can be constructed in multiple geographical regions with varying regulatory standards and expectations. The AP1000 uses proven technology, which builds on more than 2,500 reactor years of highly successful Westinghouse PWR operation. The AP1000 received Final Design Approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in September 2004. The AP1000 Nuclear Power Plant uses natural recirculation of coolant to cool the core following a postulated Loss Of Coolant Accident (LOCA). Recirculation screens are provided in strategic areas of the plant to remove debris that might migrate with the water in containment and adversely affect core cooling. The approach used to avoid the potential for debris to plug the AP1000 recirculation screens is consistent with the guidance identified in Regulatory Guide 1.82 Revision 3, the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Industry Guidance of NEI 04–07, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Safety Evaluation on NEI 04–07. Various contributors to screen plugging were considered, including debris that could be produced by a LOCA, resident containment debris and post accident chemical products that might be generated in the coolant pool that forms on the containment floor post-accident. The solution developed for AP1000 includes three major aspects, including the elimination of debris sources by design, features that prevent transportation of debris to the screens and the use of large advanced screen designs. Measures were taken to design out debris sources including fibers, particles and chemicals. Available industry data from walkdowns in existing plants is used to determine the characteristics and amounts of the fibrous and particulate debris that could exist in containment prior to the LOCA. Materials used in the AP1000 containment are selected to eliminate post accident chemical debris generation. Large, advanced screen designs that can tolerate significant quantities of debris have been incorporated. Testing has been performed which demonstrates that the AP1000 screens will have essentially no head loss considering the debris that could be transported to them. Testing has also been performed on an AP1000 fuel assembly that demonstrates that it will also have essentially no head loss considering the debris that could be transported to it.© 2009 ASME
High resolution radar imaging based on linear prediction extrapolation

To improve the resolution of the laboratory synthetic opertune radar(SAR) system,the auto-regressive(AR) model was used to extrapolate the sampling data both in signal bandwidth and aperture,and then the extrapolated data were processed by Fast Fourier Transform(FFT).Experimental results show that compared with the conventional FFT method,the method of auto-regressive(AR) model combined with FFT can enhance the resolution of the radar images both in the range profile and the cross range for the same effective bandwidth of transmitted signals and of the same aperture size or the equal quality images from smaller aperture,and that this method has fast computation speed and is easily operational,which is convenient for realizing real-imaging on the system.
Ninety-Day Mortality as a Reporting Parameter for High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Cytoreduction Surgery.

Objective To evaluate the utility of using 90-day as an adjunct to 30-day mortality rates after surgical cytoreduction for serous ovarian cancer and to compare them across hospitals of differing case volumes over time. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study using the National Cancer Database of women undergoing cytoreductive surgery for high-grade serous carcinoma between 2004 and 2012. The primary outcome of the study was mortality rate by hospital volume. The secondary outcome was to evaluate the performance of hospital rankings based on 30- and 90-day mortality rates. Hospitals were categorized by cases per year as low volume (10 or fewer), intermediate (11-20), high (21-30), and ultra-high (31 or more). Results A total of 24,827 women from 602 hospitals were included. Overall 30-day mortality was 2.1% (95% CI 1.95-2.3) compared with 90-day mortality of 5.1% (95% CI 4.8-5.4%, P Conclusion Compared with low-volume centers, ultra-high-volume centers are associated with significantly lower 30- and 90-day risk-adjusted mortality. The 90-day mortality rate is double that of the 30-day rate and may be a better metric for assessing the initial quality of care for patients with ovarian cancer.
Fracture Conductivity Modelling in Experimental Shale Rock Interactions with Aqueous CO 2

Abstract In large scale subsurface injection of carbondioxide (CO2) as obtainable in carbon sequestration programs and in environmentally friendly hydraulic fracturing processes (using supercritical CO2), long term rock-fluid interaction can affect reservoir and seal rocks properties which are essential in monitoring the progress of these operations. The mineralogical components of sedimentary rocks are geochemically active particularly under enormous earth stresses, which generate high pressure and temperature conditions in the subsurface. While geomechanical properties such as rock stiffness, Poisson's ratio and fracture geometry largely govern fluid flow characteristics in deep micro-fractured formations. Simulation results suggested that influx-induced mineral dissolution/precipitation reactions within clay-based sedimentary rocks can continuously close micro-fracture networks, though injection pressure and effective-stress transformation first rapidly expand the fractures. This experimental modelling research investigated the impact of in-situ geochemical precipitation on conductivity of fractures under geomechanical stress conditions. Bulk rock geomechanical hardness was determined using Vickers’ micro-indentation. Differential pressure drop data across fractured composite core were also measured with respect to time over a five day period. This was used in estimating the conductivity of the artificially fractured cores with 25 μm-bore microtubings embedded. Three experimental runs per sample types were carried out in order to check the repeatability of observed changes. The results showed that most significant diagenetic changes in shale rocks after flooding with CO2-brine, reflect in the effluent fluid with predominantly calcium based minerals dissolving and precipitating under experimental conditions. Micro-indentation results suggested slight reduction in the hardness of the shale rocks and this reduction appears dependent on diagenetic quartz content. Estimated fracture conductivity indicated that reactive transport of dissolved minerals can occlude micro-fracture flow paths, thereby improving caprock seal integrity with respect to leakage risk under CO2 sequestration conditions.
Exceptional preservation and the fossil record of tetrapod integument

The fossil record of exceptionally preserved soft tissues in Konservat-Lagerstatten provides rare yet significant insight into past behaviours and ecologies. Such deposits are known to occur in bursts rather than evenly through time, but reasons for this pattern and implications for the origins of novel structures remain unclear. Previous assessments of these records focused on marine environments preserving chemically heterogeneous tissues from across animals. Here, we investigate the preservation of skin and keratinous integumentary structures in land-dwelling vertebrates (tetrapods) through time, and in distinct terrestrial and marine depositional environments. We also evaluate previously proposed biotic and abiotic controls on the distribution of 143 tetrapod Konservat-Lagerstatten from the Permian to the Pleistocene in a multivariate framework. Gap analyses taking into account sampling intensity and distribution indicate that feathers probably evolved close to their first appearance in the fossil record. By contrast, hair and archosaur filaments are weakly sampled (five times less common than feathers), and their origins may significantly pre-date earliest known occurrences in the fossil record. This work suggests that among-integument variation in preservation can bias the reconstructed first origins of integumentary novelties and has implications for predicting where, and in what depositional environments, to expect further discoveries of exquisitely preserved tetrapod integument.
The Benefits of School Mental Health

School mental health (SMH) refers to systematic and streamlined partnerships between schools and communities to support a full continuum of mental health supports in schools. SMH programs have increased substantially over the past few decades, showing promise for enhancing the wellness and reducing the mental illness of children across the United States. In particular, SMH programs help to increase access to quality mental health care for the most vulnerable communities, including those in rural settings. In addition to facilitating access to care, SMH offers numerous benefits including greater follow-through with initiated care, ability to see students in their natural environment (school) and generalize skills to that setting, ability to engage key socialization agents (teachers, parents), opportunities for screening and early identification of mental health concerns, and opportunities to offer mental health activities across a full continuum of care (i.e., multitiered systems and supports). This chapter discusses these benefits of SMH programs both broadly and in the context of rural communities.
Evidence from high frequency seismic waves for the basalt-eclogite transition in the Pacific slab under northeastern Japan

Abstract Seismic multi-pathing effects, attributed to a contrast in seismic attenuation between the back-arc mantle wedge and subducted crust, are detected in central Honshu, northeastern Japan. We observe an initial broadened P-wave which is followed by a delayed higher frequency P-wave signal. Their discrepant frequencies are best explained by attenuation effects: delayed P-wave signals travel in the low-attenuation oceanic crust and therefore contain more high frequency components. The time separation between the initial broadened P-waves and the delayed P-wave signals are affected by the seismic velocity in the subducted oceanic crust. We observe systematic variation in the delay times of the later waves indicating an increase in seismic velocity in the oceanic crust (relative to the mantle wedge) at ∼130–150 km depth. High-frequency seismic simulations incorporating mineral-physics derived models show that a 4% Vp increase due to the blueschist decomposition and a 9% Vp increase associated with the (lawsonite, talc)–eclogite transition replicate the observed delay time variation. The blueschist breakdown may occur at a depth of ∼100 km and the (lawsonite, talc)–eclogite transition might be linked with the reduced seismicity level at depths greater than 150 km. Distinct from traditional guided waves, the multi-pathing effects in this study are mainly controlled by attenuation contrast and therefore may not require the oceanic crust to have low velocity and any special decoupling mechanism. The multi-pathing effects offer us another important tool to image subducted oceanic crust below back-arc mantle wedges, especially where guided waves are not observable. In this study, we demonstrate the value of observing and simulating high frequency seismic waves (>20 Hz) in advancing our understanding of subduction zones.
Some preliminary notes on the development of a general DSS for auditors

Since most accounting systems are computer based, the review of accounting data during an external audit is commonly supported with the use of computers, making it feasible to analyze large pools of accounting data. Early computer support tools such as the Audit Command Language (ACL) developed by Will [1981] supplied the auditor with a set of audit specific primitives for processing sequential files. The list of primitives included instructions for performing statistical analyses as well as basic data and file manipulations. More recent innovations utilize data base management concepts enabling the system to handle more advanced data structures and powerful data manipulation languages for specifying custom audit procedures.
The Impedance Characteristics Of An Electrically Long Dipole Immersed In a Magnetized Plasma

An electrically short dipole antenna (l-2m) mounted on the payload of a sounding rocket is commonly used as a probe to measure plasma properties in the earth's ionosphere. The complete measurement system consisting of the dipole and associated circuitry is called a Plasma Impedance Probe (PIP). Here we report on the behavior and impedance characteristics of an electrically long dipole antenna, obtained through a finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation. The motivation for this study is to design a combined impedance probe - plasma wave receiver system. In order for plasma waves to be efficiently received, the dipole antenna must be optimized to receive signals usually in the electron cyclotron resonance range. However, it is found that the overall antenna behavior changes when the cyclotron and antenna resonances are moved closer to each other. In the case of our simulations, the plasma cyclotron resonance frequency is shifted lower by 20%.
Interconnect Design and Technology Optimization for Conventional and Emerging Nanoscale Devices: A Physical Design Perspective

Interconnect parasitics severely limit the performance and power dissipation in modern circuits at the advanced process technology nodes. Hence, device-level advances must be complemented with appropriate interconnect technology and design innovations for effective enablement at the circuit and system levels. This paper highlights the impact of device technologies on the optimal interconnect design and circuit-level metrics. The FinFET and Tunnel-FETs are studied by building fully placed-and-routed physical designs. The impact of device and interconnect technology co-optimization on circuit performance, power, and variability is shown for a range of emerging devices.
Sign Language and the DEAF-WORLD: ‘Listening without hearing’

Since the 1960s, there has been a vast amount of research conducted, both on different linguistic aspects of sign languages and on the cultural of Deaf people. As a consequence of this work, the traditional disability-based perspective on d/Deafness has been widely rejected, and there is no longer any question among linguists about the legitimacy of sign languages. In this chapter, which focuses primarily on American Sign Language (ASL) and the DEAF-WORLD as it exists in the US, the on-going misunderstandings, erroneous beliefs, and misinformation about ASL (and by extension other sign languages) are addressed. The case is made for many d/Deaf people as a distinctive linguistic and cultural community, and the educational implications for such a view are outlined.
Techies Against Facebook: Understanding Negative Sentiment Toward Facebook via User Generated Content

Researchers have recognized the need to pay attention to negative aspects and non-use of social media services to uncover usage barriers and surface shortcomings of these systems. We contribute to these efforts by analyzing comments on posts related to Facebook on two blogs with a technically savvy readership: Slashdot and Schneier on Security. Our analysis indicates that technically savvy individuals exhibit notably large negative sentiment toward Facebook with nearly 45% of the 3,000 reader comments we coded expressing such views. Qualitative coding revealed Privacy and Security, User Experience, and Personal Disposition as key factors underlying the negative views. Our findings suggest that negative sentiment is an explicit higher level factor driving non-use practices. Further, we confirm several non-use practices reported in the literature and identify additional aspects connected to recent technological and societal developments. Our results demonstrate that analysis of user generated content can be useful for surfacing usage practices on a large scale.
Laser-Induced Resonance Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization in Supersonic Beams

Supersonic jet expansions have served as a means of producing ultracold molecules for spectroscopy[1] and as an injection technique for mass spectrometry[2]. This method has been limited largely to molecules which are sufficiently volatile to be heated into the gas phase where they can be mixed with a light carrier gas such as Ar. The focus of recent work in our laboratory though, has been to extend the supersonic jet technique to nonvolatile and thermally labile molecules[3–8]. A number of techniques have been developed for entrainaient of nonvolatiles into jet expansions including pulsed laser desorption[3–8], thermospray[7,9,10], direction liquid injection[11], and supercritical fluid injection[12–14].
Corticothalamic gating of population auditory thalamocortical transmission in mouse

Abstract Since the discovery of the receptive field, scientists have tracked receptive field structure to gain insights about mechanisms of sensory processing. At the level of the thalamus and cortex, this linear filter approach has been challenged by findings that populations of cortical neurons respond in a stereotyped fashion to sensory stimuli. Here, we elucidate a possible mechanism by which gating of cortical representations occurs. All-or-none population responses (here called “ON” and “OFF” responses) were observed in vivo and in vitro in the mouse auditory cortex at near-threshold acoustic or electrical stimulation. ON-responses were associated with previously-described UP states in the auditory cortex. OFF-responses in the cortex were only eliminated by blocking GABAergic inhibition in the thalamus. Opto- and chemogenetic silencing of NTSR-positive corticothalamic layer 6 (CTL6) neurons as well as the pharmacological blocking of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) retrieved the missing cortical responses, suggesting that the corticothalamic feedback inhibition via TRN controls the gating of thalamocortical activity. Moreover, the oscillation of the pre-stimulus activity of corticothalamic cells predicted the cortical ON vs. OFF responses, suggesting that underlying cortical oscillation controls thalamocortical gating. These data suggest that the thalamus may recruit cortical ensembles rather than linearly encoding ascending stimuli and that corticothalamic projections play a key role in selecting cortical ensembles for activation.
HTS Dipole Prototype Magnet for NSLS X13A Endstation

This article reports the design, three-dimensional magnetostatic simulation results, coil fabrication, assembly, and low-temperature test results of a C-frame, iron-dominated high-temperature superconductor dipole magnet for ultra high vacuum magnetic-sensitive spectroscopy techniques at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The magnet is required to provide fields up to ~1 T along two spatial directions. With an added capability to rotate about its vertical axis of symmetry, the magnet system is capable of delivering field along all three principal axes. The combination of this magnet and fast-switched, elliptically polarized soft X-rays produced by the NSLS elliptically polarized wiggler forms the basis for an excellent tool for polarization-sensitive studies of magnetic materials. The prototype magnet consists of a set of pancake coils fabricated from BSCCO tape reinforced with stainless steel. Those pancake coils are clamped in a low-carbon AISI 1006 grade steel pole and yoke assembly. For testing purposes, a cold He gas environment provided cooling the superconducting magnet to subtransition temperatures; for operation in an ultra high vacuum endstation environment, cooling can be provided by an external cryocooler. The low-temperature tests establish the safe-operating parameters needed to achieve the target magnetic field values. The measured magnetic field values are in close agreement with the magnetic simulation results, thereby confirming that the magnet design fulfills the performance requirements. The final section of this article lists some suggestions to improve the magnet performance.
Geo-Computational Thinking in the Third Grade: Making Computational Thinking Truly "For Everyone, Everywhere"

The concept of computational thinking originated in the computer science community and has therefore focused on concepts and terminology drawn from that discipline. However, to make computational thinking an integrated, accessible concept within other parts of the K-12 curriculum, the concepts and terminology must be adapted to fit the new curricular context. We focus on elementary social studies, specifically a third grade geography lesson on absolute location using a teaching strategy of a scaffolded geocache. We present a selection of computational thinking elements, adapt them to social studies, and then organize them into a four-part heuristic: Data, Patterns, Rules, and Questions. Through this selection, adaptation, and sequencing, computational thinking can become a relevant and accessible integrated concept within the elementary social studies curriculum.