cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the H3D ASIC Readout System and 6.0 cm $^{3}$ 3-D Position Sensitive CdZnTe Detectors

Two 20 mm × 20 mm × 15 mm pixelated CZT detectors made by eV-Products were characterized using the new H3D Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) readout system developed by the Instrumentation Division at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The ASIC is capable of reading out energy and timing signals from 121 anode pixels and the planar cathode electrode of one CZT detector simultaneously. The system has a measured electronic noise of ~2.2 keV FWHM with a dynamic range from 20 keV to 3.0 MeV. The two detectors achieved energy resolution of 0.48% FWHM and 0.60% FWHM, respectively, at 662 keV for single-pixel events from the entire 6.0 cm3 detection volume at room temperature with an un-collimated 137Cs source. The average (μτ)e of both detectors were measured to be >; 10-2 cm 2/V. The detection efficiency of the two detectors was evaluated at several different energies up to 1.3 MeV by comparing with simulated data. It was found that the total counts agree well between the measured data and the simulated data over the studied energy range. However, the measured photopeak counts were 10-15% lower than simulated photopeak counts at high gamma-ray energies. The analysis shows that the loss of photopeak efficiency is likely due to the charge loss from peripheral pixels to the boundary of detectors.
Barriers to and supports of family participation in a rural system of care for children with serious emotional problems.

Researchers have not adequately addressed the unique characteristics of rural areas that influence the accessibility of services for families with children who have serious emotional problems. Understanding rurality is particularly important to “systems of care” grant sites because these grants are intended to restructure mental health service delivery by building upon the strengths of a community and addressing the community’s needs. This qualitative study examines the barriers to and supports for participation in services within a rural system of care site through the reported experiences of eight caregivers and nine staff. Findings indicate families face many challenges related to rurality, including stigma, transportation, isolation, poverty, and service availability. In addition to these challenges, however, participants reported many meaningful supports such as the religious community and the close-knit community of families and service providers. We present implications for planning, implementing, and evaluating systems of care in rural areas.
Crystal Structure and Synthesis of 1-Benzyl-4-(5,6-dimethoxy-1H-2-indenylmethyl)piperidine, a Donapezil Impurity

The crystal structure of 1-benzyl-4-(5,6-dimethoxy-1H-2-indenylmethyl)piperidine, C24H29O2N, has been determined. The compound crystallizes from methanol solvent in the monoclinic system, space group P21 with the following unit-cell parameters: a=10.245(8), b=5.523(4), c=18.670(2)A, β=102.472(7)°, Z=2, V=1031.5(16)A3. The crystal structure was solved by direct methods and refined by full-matrix least squares to a final R-value of 0.050 with 3751 unique reflections.
Spectroscopic Studies and Electronic Structure Description of the High Potential Type 1 Copper Site in Fungal Laccase: Insight into the Effect of the Axial Ligand

A variety of spectroscopic techniques combined with density functional calculations are used to describe the electronic structure of the nonaxially ligated, trigonal planar type 1 copper site in three fungal laccases with substantially different type 1 copper reduction potentials. These methods are also applied to a mutant of the high-potential Polyporus pinsitis laccase in which the nonligating axial phenylalanine (Phe) is changed to methionine (Met). Optical absorption, circular dichroism, and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopies of all three fungal laccases reveal that, relative to the classic blue copper protein plastocyanin, the ligand field strength at the type 1 Cu center and the oscillator strength of the charge-transfer transitions increase. Resonance Raman spectra show that the envelope of Cu−S(Cys) stretching bands is shifted to higher energy in the fungal laccases, implying a stronger Cu−S(Cys) bond. Differences in the EPR spectra of the fungal laccases and plastocyanin are found to resu...
Exascale Computing Trends: Adjusting to the &#x0022;New Normal&#x0022;' for Computer Architecture

We now have 20 years of data under our belt about the performance of supercomputers against at least a single floating-point benchmark from dense linear algebra. Until about 2004, a single model of parallel programming, bulk synchronous using the MPI model, was sufficient to permit translation into reasonable parallel programs for more complex applications. Starting in 2004, however, a confluence of events changed forever the architectural landscape that underpinned MPI. The first half of this article goes into the underlying reasons for these changes, and what they mean for system architectures. The second half then addresses the view going forward in terms of our standard scaling models and their profound implications for future programming and algorithm design.
Differential cytokine mRNA expression in swine whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures

Abstract The kinetics of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 gene expression in concanavalin A (Con A)-activated whole blood (WB) and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures were examined using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Unstimulated PBMC or WB cultures failed to show increases in basal cytokine PCR amplicon levels for any cytokine examined. PBMC cultures demonstrated peak expression of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 mRNA levels at 12, 24, 24 and 6 h, respectively. WB cultures exhibited peak IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 mRNA levels at 24, 12, 6 and 24 h, respectively. PBMC cultures consistently exhibited higher levels of IL-2 mRNA at all times examined than did WB cultures. WB cultures consistently had higher levels of IL-6 mRNA than PBMC cultures. IL-8 and IL-10 protein levels in PBMC cultures were first detected 12 h after stimulation and continued to increase in concentration through 48 h. In WB cultures, IL-8 and IL-10 protein levels were first noted at 12 and 6 h, respectively. WB culture IL-8 and IL-10 levels quickly reached equilibrium after being detected and remained at levels lower than those noted in PBMC cultures. These results show WB cultures represent an approach with reduced cost and time when compared to traditional cell culture and isolation methods. It may also produce an in vitro test system that more closely resembles in vivo conditions.
Controllability of the coupled spin- 1 2 harmonic oscillator system

We present a control-theoretic analysis of a system consisting of a two-level atom coupled with a quantum harmonic oscillator. We show that, by applying external fields with just two resonant frequencies, any desired unitary operator can be generated.
Revolutionary origins and conditional mobilization

Abstract We examine the role played by popular expectations in the process of political mobilization and the dilemma this poses for nascent revolutionary organizations. In any target population, we argue, there will be a small ‘hard core’ minority of unconditional supporters of each side. The large majority of individuals (though they may have definite sympathies toward one of the two sides) can be influenced to support either side depending upon their predictions of others' behavior and their related estimates of each side's prospects. The conditional nature of such support, we argue, poses an early mobilization problem for revolutionary challengers. The revolutionary opposition begins the struggle from a position of weakness. The expected returns to membership are, therefore, quite low and the expected costs of association are correspondingly high. Why would anyone join such a high risk enterprise in the first place? Revolutionary groups attempt to overcome this challenge through the use of symbolic violence. Group violence is used as a surrogate variable by would-be supporters to estimate the size and relative prospects of the armed opposition. This process, if properly managed, can result in a situation in which agent expectations eventually become self-confirming, permitting the group to ‘jump start’ the mobilization process and achieve a self-sustaining level of revolutionary activity.
Small UAV Research and Evolution in Long Endurance Electric Powered Vehicles

This paper describes recent research into the advancement of small, electric powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities. Specifically, topics include the improvements made in battery technology, design methodologies, avionics architectures and algorithms, materials and structural concepts, propulsion system performance prediction, and others. The results of prototype vehicle designs and flight tests are discussed in the context of their usefulness in defining and validating progress in the various technology areas. Further areas of research need are also identified. These include the need for more robust operating regimes (wind, gust, etc.), and continued improvement in payload fraction vs. endurance.
1,1-Dichloroethylene hepatotoxicity: hypothyroidism decreases metabolism and covalent binding but not injury in the rat.

Our objective was to determine if the previously reported protective effect of hypothyroidism against 1,1-dichloroethylene hepatotoxicity was associated with a change in distribution and covalent binding. Sprague-Dawley male rats were made hypothyroid (HypoT) by surgical thyroidectomy 2 weeks prior to studies and compared to euthyroid (EuT) rats. Hypothyroidism decreased body weights and liver to body weight ratios while mitochondrial non-protein sulfhydryl groups and cytosolic alcohol dehydrogenase activities were increased by 50%. Rats received a single oral dose of 100 mg [14C]1,1-dichloroethylene (DCE)/kg in mineral oil and were killed at 2, 4, 12 or 24 h; controls received mineral oil only. More rapid liver injury, as measured by serum alanine aminotransferase activity and histology, was present at 2 and 4 h after DCE in HypoT than EuT rats, but a similar magnitude of injury was evident at 12 and 24 h. DCE decreased liver non-protein sulfhydryl groups to a comparable extent in HypoT and EuT rats. Cytosolic glutathione S-transferase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities were decreased only in HypoT rats after DCE. HypoT rats excreted ∼30% less total [14C]DCE-derived label in urine and their livers. kidneys and lungs consistently contained slightly less covalently bound [14C]DCE-derived label. In contrast, between 1 and 4 h after DCE, greater amounts of acid-soluble and acid-precipitable [14C]DCE-derived label were recovered in red blood cells of HypoT rats. Our results indicate that hypothyroidism did not protect against oral DCE hepatotoxicity but was associated with a more rapid injury at early time. Concurrently, hypothyroidism was found to change the fate of [14C]DCE with higher amounts of 14C-label recovered at early times in red blood cells while less 14C-label was excreted in urine and bound to liver.
Spaces precede axons in Xenopus embryonic spinal cord.

Abstract The earliest stages of longitudinal fiber tract development in the tail spinal cord of Xenopus laevis were studied using electron microscopy. Neurites were observed to grow into preexisting longitudinally oriented spaces between adjacent neuroepithelial cells near the periphery of the neural tube. These spaces usually contained small cytoplasmic extensions from the bordering cells and a light amorphic matrix material. As development proceeded, increasing numbers of fibers were added to the original axonal bundle. The first bundle to appear was at the dorsolateral aspect of the cord and is believed to be part of the primary sensory system. This bundle of fibers changed very little during the period examined. Soon after its appearance a single fascicle appeared at the ventrolateral region of the cord and as this fascicle enlarged, three more smaller bundles appeared just dorsal to it. Later, more fascicles were added in the intervening lateral regions of the cord. The pattern of tract formation in Xenopus is compared with that of the Triturus embryo.
Five-dimensional 2-branes and the universal hypermultiplet

Abstract We present a discussion of black 2-branes coupled to the fields of the universal hypermultiplet of ungauged N = 2 supergravity theory in five dimensions. Using a general ansatz dependent on a spherically symmetric harmonic function, we show that there are exactly two such solutions, both of which can be thought of as arising from the dimensional reduction of either M2- or M5-branes over special Lagrangian cycles of a Calabi–Yau 3-fold, confirming previous results. By relaxing some of the constraints on the ansatz, we proceed to find a more general solution carrying both M-brane charges and discuss its properties, as well as its relationship to Euclidean instantons.
A device for producing controlled collisions between pairs of drops

Abstract The design and operation of a device for producing reproducible and controlled collisions between pairs of liquid drops in gaseous media is described. Collisions were promoted between uniformly sized, equally spaced drops from two converging streams in a repeated fashion at frequencies ranging up to several thousand events per sec. The size, velocity, direction of motion and position at impact for each drop were independently controlled.
Safety and efficacy of retrograde cerebral perfusion as an adjunct for cerebral protection during surgery on the aortic arch.

Objective The best adjunct for cerebral protection during aortic arch reconstruction remains controversial. Retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) as an adjunct to profound hypothermic circulatory arrest (PHCA) extends the tolerable period of brain ischemia by flushing emboli and air from the cerebral circulation while maintaining hypothermia. We examined our experience with RCP to determine its efficacy in patients undergoing complex arch reconstruction. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 879 patients undergoing arch reconstruction using RCP from July 1997 to March 2013. Perioperative risk factors were analyzed as predictors of neurologic injury and mortality. Survival for the type of arch reconstruction and for the interval of PHCA was calculated. Results Of the 879 patients, 671 underwent hemiarch and 208 total arch replacement. The mean age was 65 ± 13.3 years, and 61.6% were men. The total arch patients had longer mean periods of PHCA (39 vs 21 minutes, P P P P P 40 minutes of PHCA had outcomes similar to those requiring less. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival was similar, regardless of the procedure performed or interval of PHCA. Conclusions RCP is a safe and effective adjunct for cerebral protection during arch surgery. Patients requiring more extensive arch reconstruction are not at greater risk of permanent neurologic dysfunction or perioperative mortality.
Intensive trapping and increased fish predation cause massive population decline of an invasive crayfish

SUMMARY 1. Invasive species frequently have adverse impacts on native communities and ecosystems. Management options are often limited. Our goal is to evaluate the effect of intensive trapping and fish predation on the population dynamics of an invasive crayfish. 2. From 2001 to 2005, we removed invasive rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) by trapping in Sparkling Lake in northern WI. In addition, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources restricted harvest of fish species known to consume crayfish, thereby increasing predation on crayfish that are too small to trap. 3. After an initial increase, catch rates of rusty crayfish declined by approximately 95%, from 11 crayfish per trap per day in 2002 to 0.65 in 2004. The catch rate in 2005 remained low at 0.5 crayfish per trap. Females comprised nearly 50% of the catch from 2002 to 2004. Unlike rusty crayfish in Sparkling Lake, catch rates of O. rusticus and Orconectes propinquus in three nearby lakes increased or remained relatively constant over the 5-year removal period. 4. We also examined the influence of habitat and temperature on crayfish catch rates. Catch rates were highest at water temperatures between 20 and 25 � C and on cobble, log or macrophyte habitats that may serve as refuge from fish predation. 5. Five summers of intensive trapping and fisheries management practices reduced abundances, but did not extirpate rusty crayfish in Sparkling Lake. To determine the potential of trapping as a management option for invasive crayfishes, these methods must be tested in other systems.
The binding of urinary conjugated steroids to serum albumin: a new method of extraction.

It was shown that urinary steroid conjugates bind avidly to human or bovine serum albumin, especially the conjugated metabolites of estradiol, estrone, progesterone and testosterone. Advantage was taken of this fact to develop a new method of extraction of urinary conjugates. The method consists of dialyzing urine against 1/5 volume of 5% bovine serum albumin at pH 3–5. This is done two or three times with fresh batches of albumin. The conjugates are recovered from the albumin by the addition of large volumes of ethanol. THE most commonly employed method of extraction of steroid conjugates from urine is solvent partition using alcohols such as n-butanol, hexanol or cyclohexanol (1). The disadvantages of this method are the formation of emulsions, the difficulty in removing high boiling liquids and the extraction of undesired substances, such as urinary pigments. Recently, Edwards et al. (2) found that steroid conjugates could be extracted with a 3:1 ether-ethanol mixture from urine containing 50% (w/v) am...
In vivo direct reprogramming of reactive glial cells into functional neurons after brain injury and in an Alzheimer's disease model.

Summary Loss of neurons after brain injury and in neurodegenerative disease is often accompanied by reactive gliosis and scarring, which are difficult to reverse with existing treatment approaches. Here, we show that reactive glial cells in the cortex of stab-injured or Alzheimer's disease (AD) model mice can be directly reprogrammed into functional neurons in vivo using retroviral expression of a single neural transcription factor, NeuroD1. Following expression of NeuroD1, astrocytes were reprogrammed into glutamatergic neurons, while NG2 cells were reprogrammed into glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons. Cortical slice recordings revealed both spontaneous and evoked synaptic responses in NeuroD1-converted neurons, suggesting that they integrated into local neural circuits. NeuroD1 expression was also able to reprogram cultured human cortical astrocytes into functional neurons. Our studies therefore suggest that direct reprogramming of reactive glial cells into functional neurons in vivo could provide an alternative approach for repair of injured or diseased brain.
Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Incident Diabetes

Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for women and men with diabetes. Previous cross-sectional studies of prevalent diabetes have found that women are less likely to meet American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American Heart Association guidelines for control of cardiovascular risk factors (hemoglobin A1c, low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol, and blood pressure), but have not studied the critical period immediately after diagnosis. Methods To assess gender differences in cardiovascular risk factors at the time of diabetes diagnosis (baseline) and 1 year later (follow-up), we conducted a retrospective cohort study of 6,547 individuals with incident diabetes in an integrated care delivery system. We assessed mean cardiovascular risk factor values by gender and adjusted odds ratios of attaining ADA goals. Findings Compared with men, at baseline women had lower hemoglobin A1c (7.9% vs. 8.2%; p p p p = .006). At follow-up, the hemoglobin A1c gender gap had closed (6.9% vs. 6.9%; p = .39), and the gender gaps had decreased for blood pressure (129.8/77.0 vs. 128.9/77.6; p = .009) and LDL cholesterol (104.0 vs. 98.2 mg/dL; p Conclusions In this cohort of individuals with incident diabetes, men and women had important differences in risk factor control at the time of diabetes diagnosis. These differences varied by age and decreased over time.
Orientation of 2,6-Lutidinium Ion on Vermiculite

COMPLEXES of vermiculite with straight-chain, amine cations have been investigated in considerable detail1–3; complexes with cyclic amine cations have been neglected. In the present study, complexes were made using anilinium, cyclohexylammonium, 2,6-lutidinium, N, N-dimethylanilum, piperazinium, piperidinium, p-toluidinium, and 2,6-xylidinium ions. The vermiculite, from Llano County, Texas, has the very high negative charge of l.96/O20(OH)4 unit, equivalent to approximately one charge per two oxygen surface holes. The interlayer Mg2+ ions were replaced by Li1+ to facilitate forming the complex, then small flakes were soaked at 80° C in 0.1 N solutions of the amine hydrochlorides for 50 to 140 h.
Enhanced right hemisphere involvement during cognitive processing may relate to intellectual precocity.

In the present study, intellectually precocious and average ability youths performed a dichotic listening task (Experiment 1) and a free-vision chimeric face task (Experiment 2). Patterns of hemispheric lateralization and the relative involvement of the left and right hemispheres during cognitive processing were assessed. In Experiment 1, the average ability youths demonstrated a right ear/left hemisphere (re/LH) superiority for identification of CV syllables, while the gifted subjects failed to show any ear/hemisphere advantage. In Experiment 2, members of both groups tended to judge the leftside smile/rightside neutral half-faces as "happier", a pattern indicative of enhanced right hemisphere (RH) arousal. Notably, the degree of RH involvement was significantly greater in the gifted as compared to average ability youths. Moreover, laterality scores of the precocious on the chimeric face task correlated with their performance on the College Board Scholastic Aptitude test (SAT), i.e. the greater the leftward bias, the higher the SAT score. These findings, taken in composite, suggest that a high level of RH involvement during cognitive processing may be related to intellectual precocity.
Chemical Quality, Nutrient Preservation, and Feeding Value of Silages Stored in Bunker Silos

Summary Complete input-output weights of four silages combined with chemical analyses and feeding trials were used to determine the performance of bunkers as silage storage structures. Two different silo covers were evaluated with respect to their usefulness for preventing top spoilage. Chopped and unchopped forages also were compared in each of the two experiments. Chemical quality of the silages was within the range usually obtained in tower silos. Nutrient preservation was less efficient in all silages than that usually observed in tower silos. This lowered efficiency was identified with excessive top spoilage in one experiment, but with high fermentation losses in the other experiment. The most satisfactory seal was produced with a plastic cover weighted by a continuous layer of sawdust, which markedly reduced the hazard of accidental puncture and helped to maintain the seal during the feeding period. The elimination of surface spoilage in bunker silos by proper sealing techniques and materials appears practicable. Chopping of forage, although not necessary, was desirable from the standpoint of increasing silo capacity and for convenience in storing and removing of silages. Silage quality and feeding value were improved by chopping relatively dry forage, but no marked improvement resulted from chopping forage of a higher moisture content.
High-Pressure Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Eflornithine in Serum

Abstract Eflornithine [2-(difluoromethyl)-dl-ornithine monohydrochloride, monohydrate; DFMO] is an ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor used to treat Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in AIDS patients unresponsive or intolerant to conventional drug therapy. A reversed-phase HPLC method utilizing precolumn dansylation is described which permits the analysis of DFMO in serum of AIDS patients in support of pharmacokinetic studies. Norvaline (2-amino valeric acid) was added as the internal standard and the sample was extracted with three portions of ice-cold 80% ethanol. The supernatants were evaporated in a vacuum oven at 50°C, and the residue was dissolved in base and derivatized at 25°C for 4 h in the dark using dansyl chloride in acetone. Dilute base was then added and 25 to 50 μL was injected into the HPLC. Chromatography was performed on a C-8, 15-cm column with a linear gradient from a 95:5 solution of 10 mM pH 4 acetate buffer and THF, to a 90:10 solution of acetonitrile and THF over a period of 28 min. Detection was by UV at 330 nm, and DFMO and norvaline eluted at 14.7 and 17.7 min, respectively. The method was linear over a range of 5 to 950 μg/mL, and replicate analyses of a 25-μg/mL control specimen produced a between-run coefficient of variation of 6%.No interferences were encountered in a variety of patient and normal serum blanks.
Policy Framework: United States

This analysis addresses the case of the United States and the interaction of the water supply and agriculture sectors to encourage pollution prevention from agricultural chemicals of drinking water supplies. the term agricultural chemicals is employed here to refer to both fertilizers and also other chemicals - principally pesticides - used in agricultural production.
Characterization and prediction of residues determining protein functional specificity

Motivation: Within a homologous protein family, proteins may be grouped into subtypes that share specific functions that are not common to the entire family. Often, the amino acids present in a small number of sequence positions determine each protein's particular function-al specificity. Knowledge of these specificity determining positions (SDPs) aids in protein function prediction, drug design and experimental analysis. A number of sequence-based computational methods have been introduced for identifying SDPs; however, their further development and evaluation have been hindered by the limited number of known experimentally determined SDPs. Results: We combine several bioinformatics resources to automate a process, typically undertaken manually, to build a dataset of SDPs. The resulting large dataset, which consists of SDPs in enzymes, enables us to characterize SDPs in terms of their physicochemical and evolution-ary properties. It also facilitates the large-scale evaluation of sequence-based SDP prediction methods. We present a simple sequence-based SDP prediction method, GroupSim, and show that, surprisingly, it is competitive with a representative set of current methods. We also describe ConsWin, a heuristic that considers sequence conservation of neighboring amino acids, and demonstrate that it improves the performance of all methods tested on our large dataset of enzyme SDPs. Availability: Datasets and GroupSim code are available online at http://compbio.cs.princeton.edu/specificity/ Contact: msingh@cs.princeton.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Recent progress of heterogeneous integration for semiconductor materials and microsystems

Heterogeneous integration utilizes a paste-and-cut approach to alleviate the limitations of monolithic integration by synthesizing and fabricating each material subsystem independently and then assemble them on a receptor substrate at the proper node of the integration sequence. The technique enables new and novel functionalities by integrating dissimilar semiconductors material systems to assemble a microsystem. We report recent developments of GeOI substrates, high-brightness LED, and opto-MEMS to illustrate versatility of this approach
The transition from isolated patches to a metapopulation in the eastern collared lizard in response to prescribed fires

Habitat fragmentation often arises from human-induced alterations to the matrix that reduce or eliminate dispersal between habitat patches. Elimination of dispersal increases local extinction and decreases recolonization. These phenomena were observed in the eastern collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris collaris), which lives in the mid-continental highland region of the Ozarks (Missouri, USA) on glades: habitats of exposed bedrock that form desert-like habitats imbedded in a woodland matrix. With the onset of woodland fire suppression, glade habitats degenerated and the woodland matrix was altered to create a strong barrier to dispersal. By 1980, lizard populations in the Ozarks were rapidly going extinct. In response to this decline, some glades were restored by clearing and burning. Starting in 1984, collared lizard populations were translocated onto these restored habitats. The translocated populations persisted but did not colonize nearby glades or disperse among one another. In 1994 prescribed woodland fires were initiated, which unleashed much dispersal and colonizing behavior. Dispersal was highly nonrandom by both intrinsic variables (age, gender) and extrinsic variables (overall demography, glade population sizes, glade areas, landscape features), resulting in different classes of lizards being dominant in creating demographic cohesiveness among glades, colonizing new glades on a mountain, and colonizing new mountain systems. A dramatic transition was documented from isolated fragments, to a nonequilibrium colonizing metapopulation, and finally to a stable metapopulation. This transition is characterized by the convergence of rates of extinction and recolonization and a major alteration of dispersal probabilities and pattern in going from the nonequilibrium to stable metapopulation states.
Salinity- and population-dependent genome regulatory response during osmotic acclimation in the killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) gill

The killifish Fundulus heteroclitus is abundant in osmotically dynamic estuaries and it can quickly adjust to extremes in environmental salinity. We performed a comparative osmotic challenge experiment to track the transcriptomic and physiological responses to two salinities throughout a time course of acclimation, and to explore the genome regulatory mechanisms that enable extreme osmotic acclimation. One southern and one northern coastal population, known to differ in their tolerance to hypo-osmotic exposure, were used as our comparative model. Both populations could maintain osmotic homeostasis when transferred from 32 to 0.4 p.p.t., but diverged in their compensatory abilities when challenged down to 0.1 p.p.t., in parallel with divergent transformation of gill morphology. Genes involved in cell volume regulation, nucleosome maintenance, ion transport, energetics, mitochondrion function, transcriptional regulation and apoptosis showed population- and salinity-dependent patterns of expression during acclimation. Network analysis confirmed the role of cytokine and kinase signaling pathways in coordinating the genome regulatory response to osmotic challenge, and also posited the importance of signaling coordinated through the transcription factor HNF-4α. These genome responses support hypotheses of which regulatory mechanisms are particularly relevant for enabling extreme physiological flexibility.
Validation of the Teen Addiction Severity Index (T-ASI)

The Teen Addiction Severity Index (T-ASI) is a semistructured interview that was developed to fill the need for a reliable, valid, and standardized instrument for periodic evaluation of adolescent substance abuse. A preliminary study indicated good clinical utility and satisfactory interrater reliability. This study had three objectives: 1) to determine whether the T-ASI discriminated between hospitalized psychiatric patients with and without comorbid psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUD); 2) to determine whether T-ASI scores were related to other indices of problem behavior; and, 3) to determine whether there was any specificity in the ratings of different domains of the instrument when compared with other criteria. The results of the study provide support for the good psychometric properties of the T-ASI.
Global optimization in the 21st century: Advances and challenges

Abstract This paper presents an overview of the research progress in global optimization during the last 5 years (1998–2003), and a brief account of our recent research contributions. The review part covers the areas of (a) twice continuously differentiable nonlinear optimization, (b) mixed-integer nonlinear optimization, (c) optimization with differential-algebraic models, (d) optimization with grey-box/black-box/nonfactorable models, and (e) bilevel nonlinear optimization. Our research contributions part focuses on (i) improved convex underestimation approaches that include convex envelope results for multilinear functions, convex relaxation results for trigonometric functions, and a piecewise quadratic convex underestimator for twice continuously differentiable functions, and (ii) the recently proposed novel generalized α BB framework. Computational studies will illustrate the potential of these advances.
Harnessing Language in Mobile Environments

We describe StartMobile, a prototype system that enables users of cellular telephones and other mobile devices to access information, create information and execute commands on the basis of written requests expressed in natural language. Interacting with mobile devices through the use of language offers several potential benefits that include: scalability in handling huge numbers of concepts and operations, substantial device-independence, and opportunities for remote interaction. StartMobile uses the START information access system to perform initial interpretation of requests and to generate responses to general information requests. Requests that require further interpretation and/or fulfillment in the distributed mobile environment are encoded in a new, language-based intermediate representation called Moebius, then conveyed to appropriate devices and systems, where special-purpose software serves to complete the interpretation and fulfillment of those requests.
Constraint animation using an object-oriented declarative language

Prototypes can be an effective way of interacting with an end-user to validate that the user's requirements have been correctly captured. In the formal methods community, specification animation has been investigated as a way of creating a kind of prototype that is generated from a formal specification. Enriching UML diagrams with OCL constraints can provide the formality that is needed to animate the diagrams without the need for a more rigorous formal specification language. This paper provides an overview of issues concerning specification animation and describes an initial attempt at an animation environment for UML/OCL. We translate the UML/OCL into an object-oriented declarative language, Prolog++, and utilize a primitive animation environment that allows both a developer and client to explore the validity of the specification. In particular, in this paper we focus on animating the effect of constraints.
Intraoperative hypertensive crisis due to a catecholamine-secreting esthesioneuroblastoma.

Background Although uncommon, esthesioneuroblastomas may produce clinically significant amounts of catecholamines. Methods We report a patient with a catecholamine-secreting esthesioneuroblastoma who developed an intraoperative hypertensive crisis. Results A patient with a history of hypertension was referred to our skull base center for management of a residual esthesioneuroblastoma. A staged endonasal endoscopic approach was planned. At the conclusion of the first stage, a hypertensive crisis occurred. Workup revealed elevated levels of serum and urinary catecholamines. The patient was treated with alpha adrenoceptor blockade before the second stage. Serum catecholamine levels after this second stage were normal. On immunohistochemical analysis, the tumor cells were found to be positive for tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate limiting enzyme in catecholamine synthesis, and achaete-scute homologue 1, a transcription factor essential in the development of olfactory and sympathetic neurons. Conclusion Catecholamine production should be considered in the differential of unexpected extreme hypertension during surgical resection of esthesioneuroblastoma. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: E74–E80, 2015
Acute suppression of insulin and glucose levels by synthetic somatostatin in normal human subjects.

ABSTRACT This study demonstrates that synthetic somatostatin (SRIF) induces a suppressive effect on circulating insulin and glucose levels in normal human subjects.
Towards development of next generation solid-state artificial flying muscles using conducting polymers

We report here the fabrication and characterization of solid-state, conducting polymer actuators. The electrochemical activity of polyaniline (PANI) thin film coated with solid-state polyelectrolyte is very similar to the polyaniline thin film in an aqueous solution. The solid-state actuator is adhered to a lever arm of an force transducer and the force generation is measured. The force generated by the actuator is found to be length dependent. However, the overall torques generated by the actuators with different lengths remains essentially the same. The effect of stimulation signals such as voltage, current, on the bending angle and displacement is also studied using square wave potential
Ground predator abundance affects prey removal in highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) fields and can be altered by aisle ground covers

Habitat management to conserve natural enemies has increased biological control of insect pests in various cropping systems [Annu. Rev. Entomol. 45: 175–201, 2000]. We wanted to determine if insect predation in highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L. (Ericales: Ericaceae), is influenced by manipulation of edaphic arthropod community and whether management of ground cover in aisles between blueberry rows enhances this community. The first question was studied in blueberry plots bounded by trenches permitting selective movement into plots (ingress) or out of plots (egress), as well as unbounded control plots. We observed a significant effect of boundary type on the arthropod communities’ relative abundance as measured with pitfall traps, with relative abundance highest in ingress plots, intermediate in control plots and lowest in egress plots. Effects of ground arthropod abundance on predation rates were assessed with onion fly, Delia antiqua (Meigen) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), pupae as sentinel prey. Pupa recovery was greatest in egress boundary plots, intermediate in control plots and lowest in ingress boundary plots. Regression analyses indicate pupal recovery rate decreased as a function of carabid abundance as well as the abundance of non-insect ground predators. To determine if ground cover management influenced natural enemy abundance, aisles were clean cultivated or planted with three ground covers (clover, ryegrass, or buckwheat). Increasing ground cover had a significant effect on the relative abundance of Harpalus pensylvanicus De Geer (Coleoptera: Carabidae). In addition to conserving natural enemies for control of blueberry insect pests, we discuss additional benefits of ground covers that may increase their utility for blueberry production.
Accurate and easy-to-implement rotor position estimation scheme for sensorless control of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor drives at full speed range

A new sensorless control scheme for Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (IPMSM) drives is presented in this paper. In this method, high-frequency low-amplitude current is injected to the stationary α-axis and the corresponding high frequency voltage and the injected current are used to solve for rotor position based on the mathematical model of the motor in the stationary α-β frame. This method does not neglect any term in the mathematical model of the motor and therefore can estimate the rotor position accurately from standstill to the rated speed. The method solves for the rotor position in the stationary α-β frame and therefore is easy to implement. The method has been verified with simulation results, which show the position estimation error of the method is from 1°(electrical) at standstill to 4° at the rated speed.
A defined growth medium with very low background carbon for culturing Clostridium thermocellum

A growth medium was developed for cultivation of Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 in which “background” carbon present in buffers, reducing agents, chelating agents, and growth factors was a small fraction of the carbon present in the primary growth substrate. Background carbon was 1.6% of primary substrate carbon in the low-carbon (LC) medium, whereas it accounts for at least 40% in previously reported media. Fermentation of cellulose in LC medium was quite similar to Medium for Thermophilic Clostridia (MTC), a commonly used growth medium that contains background carbon at 88% of primary substrate carbon. Of particular note, we found that the organism can readily be cultivated by eliminating some components, lowering the concentrations of others, and employing a tenfold lower concentration of reducing agent. As such, we were able to reduce the amount of background carbon 55-fold compared to MTC medium while reaching the same cell biomass concentration. The final mass ratios of the products acetate:ethanol:formate were 5:3.9:1 for MTC and 4.1:1.5:1 for LC medium. LC medium is expected to facilitate metabolic studies involving identification and quantification of extracellular metabolites. In addition, this medium is expected to be useful in studies of cellulose utilization by anaerobic enrichment cultures obtained from environmental inocula, and in particular to diminish complications arising from metabolism of carbon-containing compounds other than cellulose. Finally, LC medium provides a starting point for industrial growth media development.
Smoking among adolescents in China: an analysis based upon the meanings of smoking theory.

Abstract Purpose. This study utilized the Meanings of Behavior theory to examine whether meanings of smoking differ among adolescents in China who were never smokers, ever smokers, and past-30-day smokers. The Meanings of Behavior theory argues that affect takes precedence over cognitive constructs in motivating behavior. This study also examined whether the associations among meanings of smoking and smoking behavior vary by age and gender. Design. This study was a cross-sectional study using survey data. Setting. Middle and high schools in seven cities in China. Subjects. A random sample of 4724 students comprised this study. Measure. A self-administered questionnaire asked about smoking behavior and incorporated the meanings of smoking scale. Results. Overall prevalence rates of ever smokers and past-30-day smokers in this sample were 24.3% and 9.0%. Smoking was much more prevalent in boys than in girls. Students in the 11th grade were more likely than those in the 7th grade to have tried smoking at som...
Desenvolvimento e inclusão social

A pobreza e a desigualdade social na America Latina e um tema de preocupacao crescente entre gestores sociais, dirigentes de empresas e instituicoes sensiveis as suas nefastas consequencias. Em geral e apontado que uma das solucoes para o problema e a combinacao de desenvolvimento economico com desenvolvimento social. O artigo a seguir e a reproducao de uma coletânea de textos patrocinada pelo Banco Interamericano de Desenvolvimento que discute a necessidade da criacao de uma agenda social e economica ampla focada no problema da inclusao.
Origin of Natural Odorants

Only substances that have a molecular weight below about 400 and an appreciable vapor pressure at room temperature can be perceived as having odor. The spectrum of odorants is thus limited to relatively small, neutral organic compounds, including undissociated acids and nitrogenous bases.1 Relatively few organic acids are sufficiently volatile to contribute to natural aromas. Acetic (vinegary), propionic (goaty), butyric (spoiled butter), and lactic (sauerkraut) acids are odorous at relatively high concentration.
GraphTwist: fast iterative graph computation with two-tier optimizations

Large-scale real-world graphs are known to have highly skewed vertex degree distribution and highly skewed edge weight distribution. Existing vertex-centric iterative graph computation models suffer from a number of serious problems: (1) poor performance of parallel execution due to inherent workload imbalance at vertex level; (2) inefficient CPU resource utilization due to short execution time for low-degree vertices compared to the cost of in-memory or on-disk vertex access; and (3) incapability of pruning insignificant vertices or edges to improve the computational performance. In this paper, we address the above technical challenges by designing and implementing a scalable, efficient, and provably correct two-tier graph parallel processing system, GraphTwist. At storage and access tier, GraphTwist maximizes parallel efficiency by employing three graph parallel abstractions for partitioning a big graph by slice, strip or dice based partitioning techniques. At computation tier, GraphTwist presents two utility-aware pruning strategies: slice pruning and cut pruning, to further improve the computational performance while preserving the computational utility defined by graph applications. Theoretic analysis is provided to quantitatively prove that iterative graph computations powered by utility-aware pruning techniques can achieve a very good approximation with bounds on the introduced error.
Negative effects of excessive soil phosphorus on floristic quality in Ohio wetlands

Excessive soil nutrients, often from agricultural runoff, have been shown to negatively impact some aspects of wetland plant communities. We measured plant-available phosphorus (Mehlich-3: MeP) in soil samples, and assessed the vascular plant community and habitat degradation at 27 emergent and 13 forested wetlands in Ohio, USA. We tested two hypotheses: (1) that an index of vegetation biological integrity based on floristic quality was lower in wetlands with higher concentrations of MeP in the soil, and (2) that higher concentrations of MeP occurred in wetlands with more habitat degradation (i.e., lower quality), as estimated by a rapid assessment method. Hypothesis (1) was supported for emergent, but not for forested wetlands. Hypothesis (2) was marginally supported (P=0.09) for emergent, but not supported for forested wetlands. The results indicate that the effect of concentration of phosphorus in wetland soils and the quality of plant species assemblages in wetlands is more complex than shown in site-specific studies and may depend in part on degree of disturbance in the surrounding watershed and dominant wetland vegetation type. Woody plants in forested wetlands are typically longer lived than herbaceous species in the understory and emergent wetlands, and may persist despite high inputs of phosphorus. Further, the forested wetlands were typically surrounded by a wide band of forest vegetation, which may provide a barrier against sedimentation and the associated phosphorus inputs to the wetland interior. Our results indicate that inferences about soil nutrient conditions made from rapid assessment methods for assessing wetland habitat condition may not be reliable.