cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-dimensional Fermi liquids at low densities: The single-particle self-energy

Abstract The two-dimensional (2D) nature of the high-Tc materials has lead to renewed interest in the properties of fermions in two dimensions. Calculations of the corrections to the leading Fermi-liquid (FL) behaviour of the single-particle self-energy Σ(p, E), and the specific heat have shown that the differences between 2D and three-dimensional FLs arise from the difference in phase space between two and three dimensions. Here we investigate the imaginary part Σ″(p, ξp) of Σ(p, E) on shell at a low density which has a (p - pF)2 In (p - pf) dependence in two dimensions where pF is the Fermi wavenumber. We find that both particle-hole (ph) and particle-particle (pp) contributions are important in this limit so that in principle no class of diagrams can be neglected in the low-density limit in two dimensions, and one is effectively limited to second order in the interaction for reliable quantitative results. This is in contrast with three dimensions where the ph contribution becomes negligible compared wi...
Investigation of High-Pressure and Temperature Behavior of Surfactant-Containing Periodic Mesostructured Silicas

Surfactant-containing periodic mesostructured silica materials, namely SBA-16 and FDU-12, were studied under pressures between 1 and 4 GPa and temperatures between 100 and 400 °C. At 4 GPa crystallization of coesite can be achieved already at 200 °C. The mild transition of amorphous to crystalline silica is believed to be accomplished by the inbuilt hydroxyl groups present in the starting material. At 2 GPa the crystallization of quartz is accomplished at a temperature of 400 °C. Both quartz and coesite are obtained in nanocrystalline form.
Creep behavior of 6 micrometer linear low density polyethelene film

Creep tests were performed to provide material characteristics for a 6.4-micron polyethylene film used to construct high altitude balloons. Results suggest simple power law relationships are adequate for stresses below about 4.83 MPa.
Podandrogyne formosa (Capparidaceae), A new species from Central America

Podandrogyne formosa, a new species from central Costa Rica and western Panama, is described and illustrated, and its chromosome number (n = 29) is reported.
Reassessing Prospects for the Open Access Movement

Open access may well be a turning point for the scholarly communication system, but not on the basis claimed by its advocates. As opposed to the claim that open access means a less costly system, in reality it entails redundant expenditures and inflationary pressures. The true significance of open access, involving processes of institutional development of the system, has not entered into the public debate. Such processes are chiefly twofold: the adjustment of the open-access movement to the different needs and cultures of the various stakeholder groups, and the advent of a more complex system architecture that facilitates research productivity and scholarly innovation.
Fluconazole Population Pharmacokinetics and Dosing for Prevention and Treatment of Invasive Candidiasis in Children Supported with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Candida infections are a leading cause of infectious disease-related death in children supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The ECMO circuit can alter drug pharmacokinetics (PK), thus standard fluconazole dosing may result in suboptimal drugexposure. The objective of our study was to determine the PK of fluconazole in children on ECMO. Forty children with 367 PK samples were included in the analysis. PK data were analyzed using nonlinear mixed effect modeling (NONMEM). A one-compartment model best described the data. Weight was included in the base model for clearance (CL) and volume of distribution (V). The final model included the effect of creatinine (SCR) on CL, and ECMO on V, as follows: CL(L/h)=0.019*Weight*(SCR/0.4) -0.29 *exp(η CL ) and V(L)=0.93*Weight*1.4 ECMO *exp(η V ). Fluconazole V was increased in children supported with ECMO. Consequently, children on ECMO require a higher fluconazole loading dose for prophylaxis (12mg/kg) and treatment (35mg/kg) paired with standard maintenance doses to achieve exposures similar to children not on ECMO.
Protective action of 6-keto-prostaglandin E1 in traumatic shock.

Abstract Since prostaglandin E 1 (PGE 1 ) is known to have a beneficial effect in hemorrhagic shock, a biologically active derivative of PGE 1 , 6-keto-PGE 1 , was examined for its effect on traumatic shock in rats. In sham-operated rats, infusion of 6-keto-PGE 1 , at a rate of 250 ng/kg/min intravenously decreased arterial blood pressure by 23 mm Hg at 5 hr. In rats subjected to Noble-Collip drum trauma, infusion of 6-keto-PGE 1 , starting 15 min after the trauma, significantly improved the survival time from 1.0 ± 0.1 hr to 2.6 ± 0.3 hr compared to rats given only the vehicle (i.e., Tris buffer). The improved survival was accompanied by a diminished plasma accumulation of the cardiotoxic peptide, myocardial depressant factor (MDF), and the lysosomal protease cathepsin D. 6-keto-PGE 1 also exerted a direct lysosomal stabilizing effect in isolated cat liver lysosomes, as well as reducing cardiac afterload in rats. It is concluded that 6-keto-PGE 1 protects in traumatic shock by hemodynamic as well as cytoprotective actions.
Phenology of trees and urbanization: a comparative study between New York City and Ithaca, New York

The ‘global warming’ effect has been found to influence vegetation phenological processes. Heat island phenomenon associated with urbanized area presents a unique place to investigate its local warming effects. This study compares the date of budburst (DOBB) of street London plane trees (Platanus × acerifolia) between highly urbanized New York City (NYC) and relatively less urbanized Ithaca, New York in 2007 and 2008. It also linked DOBB with land surface temperature and fractional vegetation cover derived from Landsat satellite images. The DOBB in NYC and Ithaca differed significantly as budburst occurred 3 and 4 days earlier in NYC than in Ithaca in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The intensity of the heat island effect and its effect on tree phenology were greater in NYC. Results show that DOBB can be explained by temperature, and findings could be extrapolated to make inferences on the potential impact of global warming on vegetation communities.
The chromatic number of graphs which induce neither K 1,3 nor K 5 - e

Abstract If G is a graph which induces neither K 1,3 nor K 5 − e and if Δ ( G )⩽2 ω ( G )−5, then χ ( G ) = ω ( G ). Conversely, for each k ⩾ 4 there is a graph G which induces neither K 1,3 nor K 5 − e such that ω ( G ) = k , Δ ( G ) = 2 k − 3 and χ ( G ) = k + 1.
Mixed-Signal SoCs With In Situ Self-Healing Circuitry

This article discusses the goals and recent achievements of the HEALICs program. The program's aim is to enhance wireless systems with sensors, actuators, and mixed-signal control loops in order to improve their performance yield.
Syntheses and structures of two organic-inorganic hybrid vanadates, [Cu(1,10-phenanthroline)(H2O)V2O6] and [Co(1,10-phenanthroline)(H2O)V2O6]

Abstract Two new organic–inorganic hybrid vanadates, [Cu(1,10-phenanthroline)(H2O)V2O6] (1) and [Co(1,10-phenanthroline)(H2O)V2O6] (2) were synthesized hydrothermally. The cell parameters of the compounds are: 1, a=7.8353(5), b=9.2300(6), c=10.7162(7) A, α=88.830(1), β=70.891(1), γ=76.444(1)°, V=710.55(8) A3, Z=2 and 2, a=7.8357(4), b=21.0896(12), c=9.4155(5) A, β=112.904(1), V=1433.26(13) A3, Z=4. Compound 1 is one-dimensional consisting of [V4O12]4− rings connected through [Cu(phen)(H2O)]2+ subunits. The structure of 2 is two-dimensional, with a network constructed from one-dimensional chains of corner-sharing [VO4]3− tetrahedra, which are linked through [Co(phen)(H2O)]2+ groups.
Intermating Compatibility Between North American Helicoverpa zea and Heliothis armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Russia

Inbred crosses through three generations and reciprocal backcrosses through five generations using Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) from Stoneville, MS, and H. armigera (Boddie) from Tashkent, Russia, were studied for backcross sterility. A high percentage of mated females reproducing indicated a high degree of genetic compatibility between the two species. No indication of backcross sterility was detected in these studies.
Interactive development of object handling programs

We describe work on development of a software system for writing and testing programs for a computer controlled manipulator. We examine in particular how the development of working programs is facilitated by the use of an interactive system based on an interpreter. The paper presents the main features of POINTY, the system developed at Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory as a tool for writing assembly programs. The user, interacting with the manipulator, constructs an incremental model of the objects involved in the assembly and develops the corresponding symbolic program.
An integrated paleomagnetic analysis program for stratigraphy labs and research projects

This paper describes a Windows-based paleomagnetic analysis program integrates on-screen visualization and analysis of paleomagnetic data and printing graphic outputs. The program is easy to understand and use with its graphic user interface. It accepts fixed length or delimited data files, each of which can contain up to 500 samples with a variable number of demagnetization steps (up to 50). The integrated toolboxes accept keyboard or copy-and-paste data input, and allow the user to calculate paleolatitudes, convert between spherical and Cartesian coordinates, and perform many functions of the main program.The main program converts an ASCII data file into a specially formatted file (*.mag) for random read/write access. After conversion, the *.mag file is automatically opened, and a list of sample is displayed in a small window. When a sample on the list is clicked, the associated demagnetization data are displayed in a nearby window. The user can visualize the data using the Zijderveld (/modified Zijderveld) projection and the stereographic (/Lambert equal-area) projection simultaneously or individually. The data visualized can be in either geographic or tilt-corrected coordinates, from all or certain demagnetization steps of a sample, or from a single demagnetization step of all samples. Characteristic directions of each sample are derived from a three-dimensional least-squares fit of selected demagnetization steps by principal component analysis (PCA). Mean directions from "Fisher" analysis are computed from click-selected samples using a designated demagnetization step or the characteristic directions. These mean directions are automatically computed for each polarity by a routine that compensates for pervasive overprint directions, and that can also utilize subjective weighting of sample directions. The graphic outputs can be printed on paper or screen-captured into graphic software, and the analytical results can be copied and pasted into word-processing programs.
Fourier Transform Infrared Photoluminescence

A commercial Fourier transform spectrometer has been modified to measure recombinant radiation (photoluminescence) under argon laser excitation from semiconducting and insu-lating solid samples at low temperatures. The experimental method is described detailing the criteria for optimizing the instrumentation and the limitations of the technique. The photoluminescence of following materials was studied as a function of laser intensity and wavelength and at various temperatures: (a) the large gap, indirect semiconductors Si, Ge, and SizGei_x, (b) the amorphous semiconductor a-Si:H, (c) the large gap, di-rect semiconductors, GaAs, InP, CdTe and Ga,Ini_,As, (d) the narrow gap, direct semiconductor, InSb, and (e) the insulator, KZni_1Co1F3, an infrared laser material.
Real-time polymerase chain reaction testing for early detection of invasive aspergillosis in patients with febrile neutropenia

Introduction: The identifi cation of patient risk factors for the development of invasive aspergillosis (IA) has led to more effective use of antifungal prophylaxis, empirical therapy, and preemptive treatment in targeted populations. [1,2]. However, IA breakthrough infections and the continued diffi culty in making an early diagnosis contribute to a mortality rate of more than 50%. Lung biopsy to demonstrate fungal elements and/or growth remains the diagnostic gold standard, but biopsy is often precluded in seriously ill thrombocytopenic patients. As earlier IA diagnosis is clearly linked to improved survival, recent efforts have focused on developing noninvasive techniques to detect infection at its earliest stages (ie, before the patient presents with symptoms) [3]. These include high-resolution CT (HRCT) scans of the chest and assays to detect circulating fungal cell wall antigens, such as galactomannan (GM) and (1→3)-β-D-glucan [3–5]. Although HRCT may identify characteristic IA lesions earlier than previous imaging techniques, it still only detects lesions when the disease is already far advanced. Also, because a variety of pulmonary abnormalities are common in high-risk patients, the HRCT lacks specifi city for IA. Serial serum GM tests have high sensitivity and specifi city in some high-risk populations, but limitations include false positives with certain β-lactam antibiotics (which are commonly used for empiric treatment of fever and neutropenia) and false negatives with antifungal prophylaxis [4]. Recently, molecular methods to detect fungal nucleic acids (DNA specifi cally) in blood or serum via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques have been applied to the diagnosis of Candida and/or Aspergillus [6–8]. Generally, serial detection of Aspergillus DNA by PCR has had low predictive value because of limited use of the test to times just before the diagnosis of IA. However, the high negative predictive value (NPV) of Aspergillus PCR tests has been noted, helping to rule out IA. It was hypothesized in the Cuenca-Estrella et al. study that if serial Aspergillus PCR tests are performed very early (ie, during the period of fever and neutropenia following intensive chemotherapy), then the diagnostic value of the test might be increased.
College Students’ Experiences and Attitudes Regarding Middle and High School–Based Breastfeeding Education

This study examined the attitudes and experiences of male and female college students relative to breastfeeding education within middle and high school programs of study. Findings revealed that 36.7% of the participants were taught about breastfeeding while enrolled in a specific course in high school; 11.3% received information about breastfeeding in middle school. Overall, participants expressed positive attitudes toward breastfeeding and were supportive of the promotion of breastfeeding within a formal educational setting. However, 54% disagreed with offering information about breastfeeding to middle school students. Furthermore, most (67.8%) participants found public breastfeeding to be unacceptable; 77.7% indicated that breastfeeding is an intimate behavior that should be kept private. School nurses are in a unique position to influence school health and science-related curricula designed to promote the health benefits of breastfeeding. More education is needed to teach young people about the advantages of breastfeeding and to make breastfeeding a socially and culturally acceptable lifestyle behavior.
Effects of small‐scale prehistoric runoff agriculture on soil fertility: The developing picture from upland terraces in the American Southwest

Prehistoric stone alignments and their associated terraces are common in upland ecozones of the American Southwest. These features are generally considered the archaeological consequences of “runoff agriculture” dedicated to domesticated-plant production. Furthermore, researchers have theorized that such production decreased soil fertility and ultimately promoted abandonment of the alignments, terraces, and surrounding landscapes. Recent investigations show that cultivated Mollisols indeed have less organic matter and less available P, and elevated pH, as well as several textural changes. In contrast, cultivated Aridisols have elevated CaCO3, available Ca, and cation-exchange capacity, as well as no textural changes. The developing picture, however, is that small-scale runoff agriculture has had largely benign effects on soil fertility and that anthropogenic terraces likely were abandoned for reasons unrelated to their productivity. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
On the calculation of wave patterns

The calculation of the pattern of waves produced by a point disturbance in a steady field which may be non-uniform can be performed straightforwardly by a single process of integration along the characteristic rays. For illustration, the method is applied to gravity waves produced by a source moving either in a straight line or in a circular path, to the symmetrical waves produced by a source in an expanding sheet and to the waves resulting from an instantaneous disturbance in :I stratified fluid.
Chromatin and cancer: causes and consequences.

In this review, we discuss recent evidence implicating chromatin structure in the etiology of cancer. In particular, we present evidence indicating that inappropriate regulation of chromatin structure inhibits normal cell differentiation pathways and stimulates uncontrolled cell proliferation, with the outcome being oncogenesis. Such inappropriate chromatin structures arise as a consequence of (i) chromosomal rearrangements that fuse gene-specific activators with global co-regulators, drastically altering activator function; (ii) hypermethylation of tumor suppressor gene promoters, resulting in their inactivation; or (iii) mistargeted nuclear compartmentalization of growth-control genes and their regulators, resulting in the up- or down-regulation of such genes. How does chromatin silence genes? Recent results from model in vivo systems argues that chromatin can repress transcription at two levels: (i) by sterically interfering with the binding of transcription factors to the promoter, thereby blocking initiation; and (ii) at a step subsequent to the binding of activators and recruitment of the preinitiation complex. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 35:61-68, 2000.
Gene Expression in Leaves of Susceptible Glycine max during Infection with Phakopsora pachyrhizi Using Next Generation Sequencing

Soybean rust is caused by the obligate biotrophic fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, an exotic pathogen causing important yield losses in soybean production. We used an mRNA-Seq strategy to analyze the expression pattern of soybean genes and better understand molecular events occurring in soybean following the infection. cDNA libraries were constructed from RNA isolated from whole infected soybean leaves 10 days after inoculation with P. pachyrhizi and sequenced using an Illumina platform to identify soybean genes that are affected by pathogen growth. We obtained 15 million sequences corresponding to soybean genes. Forty-two percent of the genes were downregulated including genes encoding proteins involved in amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and transport facilitation; 31% were upregulated including genes encoding proteins involved in lipid metabolism, glycan biosynthesis, and signal transduction. Candidate host genes identified in this study will be manipulated to assay their potential to control soybean rust disease.
Grinding forces and the machining of magnesium oxide crystals

The forces acting on magnesium oxide crystals during a surface grinding operation have been studied as a function of rate of material removal and crystal orientation, using two different conventional grinding wheels.
Williams, truth-aimedness and the voluntariness of judgement

I contend that while at least one of the arguments advanced by Bernard Williams in his paper ‘Deciding To Believe’ does establish that beliefs, or more precisely, judgements cannot be decided upon ‘at will’, the notion of truth-aimedness presupposed by that argument also, ironically, provides the key to understanding why judgements are necessarily voluntary.
Bit error recovery in internet facsimile without retransmission

This paper proposes a bit error recovery method for Internet facsimile images compressed with Group 3, Extended 2 Dimensional MMR coding scheme. When an error occurs in an MMR coded bitstream, the bitstream cannot be correctly decoded after the error point. To prevent losing valid information after an error, we developed an error recovery system that detects bit errors and applies bit-inversion algorithms to correct the errors. In case the bit-inversion cannot correct the error, the system applies new algorithms that utilize syntactical structure information of the coded bitstream. Testing results show that around 95% of bit errors are corrected with our bit-inversion algorithms. The error recovery system also recovers nearly all the data for the remaining 5% of the images.
Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics for Computer Modeling of Nanomechanical Systems

Unique challenges for computer modeling and simulation arise in the course of the development and design of nanoscale mechanical systems. Materials often exhibit unconventional behavior at the nanoscale that can affect device operation and failure. This uncertainty poses a problem because of the limited experimental characterization at these ultra-small length scales. In this Article we give an overview of how we have used concurrent multiscale modeling techniques to address some of these issues. Of particular interest are the dynamic and temperature-dependent processes found in nanomechanical systems. We focus on the behavior of sub-micron mechanical components of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NEMS), especially flexural-mode resonators. The concurrent multiscale methodology we have developed for NEMS employs an atomistic description of millions of atoms in relatively small but key regions of the system, coupled to, and run concurrently with, a generalized finite element model of the periphery. We describe two such techniques. The more precise model, Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics (CGMD), describes the dynamics on a mesh of elements, but the equations of motion are built up from the underlying atomistic physics to ensure a smooth coupling between regions governed by different length scales. In many cases the degrees of smoothness ofmore » the coupling provided by CGMD is not necessary. The hybrid Coupling of Length Scales (CLS) methodology, combining molecular dynamics with conventional finite element modeling, provides a suitable technique for these cases at a greatly reduced computation expense. We review these models and some of the results we have obtained regarding size effects in the elasticity and dissipation of nanomechanical systems.« less
Osmotic responses of haemolymph in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and white river crayfish (P. zonangulus) to changes in temperature and salinity

Abstract Haemolymph concentrations of chloride and sodium and osmotic pressure were measured in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and in white river crayfish (P. zonangulus) exposed to different temperatures and sodium chloride concentrations. Temperature affected the pattern of ionic concentrations of both species similarly with minimum concentrations at 24°C. Red swamp crayfish exhibited no statistically significant changes in sodium or osmotic pressure; howerver, chloride was significantly lower at 24°C than at higher or lower temperatures. White river crayfish had significantly higher values of all variables at temperatures higher and lower than 24°C. Crayfish exposed to salinities up to 20 ppt NaCl tended to hyperregulate their haemolymph osmotic pressure and chloride and sodium concentrations at the lower salinities. At about 20 ppt, the haemolymph became isosmotic or hyposmotic to the external solution. In crayfish transferred from freshwater to 20 ppt NaCl at different temperatures, haemolymph osmotic pressure and concentrations of chloride and sodium initially increased and were stabilized by 48 h in animals acclimated to 10, 15, 25, and 30°C.
Republican schoolmaster: the U.S. Supreme Court, public opinion, and abortion.

The United States Supreme Court has a historical role as a “republican schoolmaster,” inculcating virtues in the citizenry. The role as teacher to the republic also serves the interests of the Court. As the “weakest branch,” the Supreme Court needs public support if its decisions are to be effective. We investigate the Court's ability to win popular support for its rulings, specifically in the case of Roe v. Wade. The analysis shows that the Court's decision did affect public attitudes but not as previous work would predict. While support for abortions to protect health increased as a result of the Court's decision, the public became more polarized over “discretionary” abortions. The puzzle is what process can account for these disparate reactions. We develop a theory resting on interpersonal influences to explain these results, arguing that the social interpretation of events drives the differing outcomes. This theory is then tested against a purely psychological alternative. The closing discussion considers how these results can be extended to the general problem of public decisions and popular responses, including presidential actions and the influence of the media.
APPLICATION OF LINEAR GOAL PROGRAMMING TO FOREST HARVEST SCHEDULING

Forest management and planning is complex, involving the application of many scarce and diverse resources to the production and maintenance of a multitude of products and services from the forest over a relatively long period of time.
Lung cancer risk by years since quitting in 30+ pack year smokers

ObjectiveCurrent United States recommendations for low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screening limit eligibility to ever-smokers with 30+ pack-years, with former smokers eligible only...
THE DYNAMICS OF UNCERTAINTY: MEASURING ORBIT KNOWLEDGE AND QUALITY IN UNSTABLE ORBITS'

The dynamics of orbit uncertainty in an unstable orbital environment is discussed with specific application to the orbit determination of a halo orbit about the Earth-Sun LI point. The goal of the paper is to understand the basics of orbit determination and orbit uncertainty dynamics in this environment and to present some basic results. The dynamics model is based on the Hill equations of motion and the orbit determination measurement model is based on the classical Hamilton-Melbourne analysis for the information content of a Doppler pass of data. Results are presented and the major departures from the classic two-body orbital environment are highlighted. These differences include: non-alignment of the direction of the largest orbit uncertainty and the geometrical down-track direction, dominance of the unstable manifold for uncertainty dynamics in the absence of tracking, anti-correlation of unstable and stable manifolds and the direction of largest orbit uncertainty when tracking is present.
Efficient single-jet mixing in turbulent tube flow

A similarity law is proposed to provide effective jet penetration and mixing of a tracer in turbulent tube flow. The scaling law is derived from approximate solutions to the equations of motion for the case of a single, fully developed turbulent jet issuing normally to the flow. Jet properties are correlated with experimental measurements on a methane tracer.
Displacement of a two-dimensional immiscible droplet adhering to a wall in shear and pressure-driven flows

The dynamic behaviour and stability of a two-dimensional immiscible droplet subject to shear or pressure-driven flow between parallel plates is studied under conditions of negligible inertial and gravitational forces. The droplet is attached to the lower plate and forms two contact lines that are either fixed or mobile. The boundary-integral method is used to numerically determine the flow along and dynamics of the free surface. For surfactant-free interfaces with fixed contact lines, the deformation of the interface is determined for a range of capillary numbers, droplet to displacing fluid viscosity ratios, droplet sizes and flow type. It is shown that as the capillary number or viscosity ratio or size of the droplet increases, the deformation of the interface increases and above critical values of the capillary number no steady shape exists. For small droplets, and at low capillary numbers, shear and pressure-driven flows are shown to yield similar steady droplet shapes. The effect of surfactants is studied assuming a fixed amount of surfactant that is subject to convective–diffusive transport along the interface and no transport to or from the bulk fluids. Increasing the surface Peclet number, the ratio of convective to diffusive transport, leads to an accumulation of surfactant at the downstream end of the droplet and creates Marangoni stresses that immobilize the interface and reduce deformation. The no-slip boundary condition is then relaxed and an integral form of the Navier-slip model is used to examine the effects of allowing the droplet to slip along the solid surface in a pressure-driven flow. For contact angles less than or equal to 90°, a stable droplet spreads along the wall until a steady shape is reached, when the droplet translates across the wall at a constant velocity. The critical capillary number is larger for these droplets compared to those with pinned contact lines. For contact angles greater than 90°, the wetted area between a stable droplet and the wall decreases until a steady shape is reached. The critical capillary number for these droplets is less than that for pinned droplets. Above the critical capillary number the droplet completely detaches for a contact angle of 120°, or part of it is pinched off leaving behind a smaller attached droplet for contact angles less than or equal to 90°.
CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS , Tradition and change in legal English: Verbal constructions in prescriptive texts

Christopher Williams, Tradition and change in legal English: Verbal constructions in prescriptive texts. Bern: Peter Lang, 2005. pp. 216. $46.95.Christopher Williams analyzes the use of constructions such as modals and semi-modals such as shall and may and the use of the present simple as these constructions appear in English prescriptive legal texts. Using a large corpus of texts from a variety of English-speaking countries and international organizations, Williams focuses primarily on legislative texts, which are often characterized as including archaic or rarely used words and foreign words, the repetition of particular words and phrases, the use of long, complex sentences, and the passive voice (p. 31). Williams's analysis, thoughtfully designed and carried out, is an informative examination of how and why legal language has resisted change. The book also provides an engaging look at the Plain Language Movement and the impact this movement has had on legal texts.
Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus Changes the Firing Pattern of Pallidal Neurons

To clarify the mechanism underlying improvement of parkinsonian signs by high-frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN), we investigated the effects of STN HFS on neuronal activity of the internal and external segment of the globus pallidus (GPi and GPe, respectively) in two rhesus monkeys rendered parkinsonian by administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. A scaled-down version of the chronic stimulating electrode used in humans, consisting of four metal contacts 0.50 mm in length each separated by 0.50 mm, was implanted through a cephalic chamber targeting the STN. Histological reconstruction revealed that the cathode was located in the STN in both monkeys. Extracellular recordings from a total of 110 pallidal neurons during STN stimulation were performed. Poststimulus time histograms of single neurons triggered by 2 Hz STN stimulation pulses at 2.4–3.0 V revealed short-latency excitations at 2.5–4.5 and 5.5–7.0 msec after stimulation onset and inhibitions at 1.0–2.5, 4.5–5.5, and 7.0–9.0 msec for both GPe and GPi neurons. These short-latency responses were present with 136 Hz stimulation, at voltages effective for alleviation of parkinsonian signs, resulting in a significant increase in mean discharge rate and a stimulus-synchronized regular firing pattern. These results indicate that activation of the STN efferent fibers and resultant changes in the temporal firing pattern of neurons in GPe and GPi underlie the beneficial effect of HFS in the STN in Parkinson's disease and further support the role of temporal firing patterns in the basal ganglia in the development of Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders.
Mutation in the Fas Pathway Impairs CD8+ T Cell Memory

Fas death pathway is important for lymphocyte homeostasis, but the role of Fas pathway in T cell memory development is not clear. We show that whereas the expansion and contraction of CD8+ T cell response against Listeria monocytogenes were similar for wild-type (WT) and Fas ligand (FasL) mutant mice, the majority of memory CD8+ T cells in FasL mutant mice displayed an effector memory phenotype in the long-term in comparison with the mainly central memory phenotype displayed by memory CD8+ T cells in WT mice. Memory CD8+ T cells in FasL mutant mice expressed reduced levels of IFN-γ and displayed poor homeostatic and Ag-induced proliferation. Impairment in CD8+ T cell memory in FasL mutant hosts was not due to defective programming or the expression of mutant FasL on CD8+ T cells, but was caused by perturbed cytokine environment in FasL mutant mice. Although adoptively transferred WT memory CD8+ T cells mediated protection against L. monocytogenes in either the WT or FasL mutant hosts, FasL mutant memory CD8+ T cells failed to mediate protection even in WT hosts. Thus, in individuals with mutation in Fas pathway, impairment in the function of the memory CD8+ T cells may increase their susceptibility to recurrent/latent infections.
The metabolism of purines and pyrimidines by growing yeast.

In order to extend previous studies carried out in this laboratory on the metabolism of purines and pyrimidines (l), bakers’ yeast was selected as a suitable material for metabolic tracer experiments because of its rapid growth and high ribose nucleic acid content. When these experiments were begun, the nature of the carbon precursors of the uric acid excreted by the pigeon (2, 3) and of the purines of the nucleic acids of the rat (1) had been established. In addition, the nitrogen of glycine had been shown to be a precursor of nitrogen 7 of uric acid in man (4), and of the yeast, Todopsis utilis (5). Recently bacteria have been shown to utilize glycine for purine synthesis (6). The role of preformed purines in the biosynthesis of the nucleic acid of the rat has been studied extensively by Brown and coworkers (7-9). Studies of this type have now been extended to yeast (10) by Kerr et al., who have shown both adenine and guanine to be utilized by Saccharomyces wrevisiae for nucleic acid synthesis. Knowledge of the biosynthesis of pyrimidines remains more limited. Heinrich and Wilson (1) showed that CO2 is the precursor of the ureide carbon of uracil and thymine. Neither formate nor glycine was observed to be incorporated into the pyrimidines of the nucleic acids of the rat in their experiments. LePage and Heidelberger (11) have also failed t,o find significant incorporation of glycine-2-Cl4 into pyrimidines. The methyl group of thymine has been shown to arise from the P-carbon of serine and the a-carbon of glycine by Elwyn and Sprinson (12). Totter et al. (13) have reported the incorporation of radioformate into thymine, and a partial degradation indicated that the radioactivity was very likely in the methyl carbon. That formate is necessarily the intermediate in the transfer of the P-carbon of serinc to the methyl group of thymine has been * E’rom the dissertation
Cam: An animal learning model of excessive and compulsive implementassisted drug-taking in humans

Abstract Animal learning studies reveal that locating the reward cue (discriminative stimulus positively correlated with the presentation of positive reinforcement) at the site of the response manipulandum (object contacted in performing the instrumental response), an arrangement referred to as CAM (cue and manipulandum), induces excessive instrumental responding. CAM induces excessive responding even when responding is negatively related to reinforcement and serves only to delay or cancel reinforcement, revealing that excessive responding induced by CAM is unrestrainable and compulsive. In addition, the response form induced by CAM resembles patterns of consummatory behaviors. Thus, animal learning studies reveal that CAM induces excessive and compulsive appetitive-consummatory responding that is triggered by objects predictive of rewarding substances. The CAM model defines conditions under which the drug-taking implement the response manipulandum at which instrumental drug-taking behavior is directed) will contribute to the development of excessive and compulsive drug-taking in humans. Implementassisted drug-taking procedures in humans provide for CAM whenever the drug-taking implement is positively correlated with the drug's reinforcing effects. This correlation is highest when the drug-taking implement is employed only to consume the drug and the drug is consumed in no other fashion. Evidence relating drug-taking implements to drug abuse is reviewed and implications for prevention and therapy are considered.
Differential effects of extreme drought on production and respiration: synthesis and modeling analysis

Extremes in climate may severely impact ecosys- tem structure and function, with both the magnitude and rate of response differing among ecosystem types and processes. We conducted a modeling analysis of the effects of extreme drought on two key ecosystem processes, production and res- piration, and, to provide a broader context, we complemented this with a synthesis of published results that cover a wide variety of ecosystems. The synthesis indicated that across a broad range of biomes, gross primary production (GPP) was generally more sensitive to extreme drought (defined as pro- portional reduction relative to average rainfall periods) than was ecosystem respiration (ER). Furthermore, this differen- tial sensitivity between production and respiration increased as drought severity increased; it occurred only in grassland ecosystems, and not in evergreen needle-leaf and broad-leaf forests or woody savannahs. The modeling analysis was de- signed to enable a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this pattern, and focused on four grassland sites arrayed across the Great Plains, USA. Model results consis- tently showed that net primary productivity (NPP) was re- duced more than heterotrophic respiration (Rh) by extreme drought (i.e., 67 % reduction in annual ambient rainfall) at all four study sites. The sensitivity of NPP to drought was di- rectly attributable to rainfall amount, whereas the sensitivity of Rh to drought was driven by soil drying, reduced carbon (C) input and a drought-induced reduction in soil C content - a much slower process. However, differences in reductions in NPP and Rh diminished as extreme drought continued, due to a gradual decline in the soil C pool leading to further re- ductions in Rh. We also varied the way in which drought was imposed in the modeling analysis; it was either imposed by simulating reductions in rainfall event size (ESR) or by re- ducing rainfall event number (REN). Modeled NPP and Rh decreased more by ESR than REN at the two relatively mesic sites but less so at the two xeric sites. Our findings suggest that responses of production and respiration differ in magni- tude, occur on different timescales, and are affected by dif- ferent mechanisms under extreme, prolonged drought.
Alpha interferon augments cidofovir's antiviral and antiproliferative activities.

The antiviral and antiproliferative activities of alpha 2a interferon (IFN-α2a) and cidofovir in human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16)-transformed keratinocytes were evaluated. The compounds in combination were more effective than comparable levels of either drug alone. Evaluation of effective drug ratios revealed a synergistic cooperation between IFN-α2a and cidofovir in inhibiting the proliferation of HPV-infected cells.
Adaptive Methodologies for Energy-Efficient Object Detection and Tracking With Battery-Powered Embedded Smart Cameras

Battery-powered wireless embedded smart cameras have limited processing power, memory and energy. Since video processing tasks consume considerable amount of energy, it is essential to have lightweight algorithms to increase the energy efficiency of camera nodes. Moreover, just grabbing and buffering a frame require significant amount of energy. Thus, it is not sufficient to only focus on the vision algorithms. Methodologies are needed to determine when and how long a camera can be idle. In this paper, we first present a feedback method for detection and tracking, which provides significant savings in processing time. We take advantage of these savings by sending the microprocessor to idle state at the end of processing a frame. Then, we present an adaptive methodology that can send the camera to idle state not only when the scene is empty but also when there are target objects. Idle state duration is adaptively changed based on the speeds of tracked objects. We then introduce a combined method that employs the feedback method and the adaptive methodology together, and provides further savings in energy consumption. We provide a detailed comparison of these methods, and present experimental results showing the gains in processing time as well as the significant savings in energy consumption and increase in battery life.
Impact of alcohol-impregnated port protectors and needleless neutral pressure connectors on central line-associated bloodstream infections and contamination of blood cultures in an inpatient oncology unit.

Background A major risk factor for the development of bloodstream infection is the presence of a central venous catheter (CVC), especially in immunocompromised patients. CVC hub contamination is a risk factor for central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). Methods This observational before–after trial in a tertiary care hospital's oncology unit included adult patients with a CVC. During the intervention period, the practice of central line hub care was changed from cleaning with alcohol wipes to using alcohol-impregnated port protectors. To accommodate the protectors, the needless hubs were changed to a neutral pressure connector. The intervention period (January-July 2010) was compared with a historical control (January-December 2009). Results A total of 3,005 central line-days and 1 CLABSI (a rate of 0.3 infections/1,000 central line-days) were documented during the intervention period, compared with 6,851 central line-days and 16 CLABSIs (2.3 infections/1,000 central line-days) during the control period (relative risk, 0.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02-1.07; P = .03). The rate of contaminated blood cultures (CBCs) from central lines was 2.5% (17 of 692) during the control period, but only 0.2% (1 of 470) during the intervention period (relative risk, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.01-0.65; P = .002). Conclusions The implementation of alcohol-impregnated port protectors and needleless neutral pressure connectors significantly reduced the rates of CLABSIs and CBCs in our oncology patient population.
Transmission CT reconstruction for offset fan beam collimation

Offset fan beam collimation has shown to be an effective means of obtaining transmission CT (TCT) data for SPECT attenuation correction. This paper compared three methods for handling the truncation problem and reconstructing this TCT data: iterative Os-FM and filtered backprojection (FBP) with two different pre-processing approaches. The first approach (FBP1) extends the fan beam projection by sinogram interpolation, and the second (FBP2) uses parallel beam rebinning. With a TCT spatial resolution phantom, FBP2 demonstrated a small degree of resolution loss which was equalized across methods after post-reconstruction filtering. With a thorax phantom, all methods performed adequately at high count level; however, at low count level, FBPI showed degraded image quality due to its handling of zero count projection bins. This finding was corroborated in patient images. It is concluded that at practical count levels, the iterative OS-FM method offers a clear advantage in TCT image quality compared to FBP methods.
Supply and demand for commodity components: implications of free trade versus the AUSFTA for the US dairy industry*

During the negotiations on the Australia–US free trade agreement (AUSFTA), the US dairy industry vigorously opposed opening the US market to imports of Australian dairy products on the grounds that the US industry would be devastated. Subsequently, the agreement signed in February 2004 made an exception for dairy, providing for only limited quota expansion and no free trade, even at the end of the long implementation period. This paper presents a simulation model of world dairy markets, represented by supply and demand equations for fat and non-fat components of milk and manufactured dairy products. We use the model to analyse the effects on US milk markets of both a hypothetical agreement, allowing free bilateral trade in dairy products, and the actual AUSFTA. An important contribution to the literature is the derivation of explicit supply and demand relationships for milk components. The components model allows an analysis of long-term production, consumption, and trade patterns that is not tied to specific, fungible products. Simulations indicate that increased imports from Australia resulting from bilateral trade liberalisation would have resulted in small reductions in US milk prices and production. The much smaller increases in Australian access to the US market under the actual AUSFTA will have even smaller, almost negligible, impacts.
The thermal entrance region in fully developed turbulent flow

The temperature profile and the local rate of heat transfer from the wall were measured at 0.453, 1.13, 4.12, and 9.97 tube diameters downstream from a step increase in wall temperature for air in fully developed turbulent flow at Reynolds numbers of 15,000 and 65,000 in a 1.52-in. tube. The velocity profile and the pressure were also measured at these lengths. Radial and longitudinal temperature gradients, radial heat fluxes, and eddy diffusivities for heat and momentum transfer were computed from the measurements. The longitudinal temperature gradients at all radii were found to differ significantly from the mixed mean temperature gradient. Although the radial heat flux was a maximum at the wall, the radial heat-flux density, in terms of which the eddy diffusivity for heat transfer is usually defined, was found to go through a maximum near the wall and then to decrease almost linearly across the thermal boundary layer. The eddy diffusivity for heat transfer was found to be independent of length in the thermal entrance region and hence a function only of the fluid motion, as previously hypothesized.