cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies on non-precipitating cumulus cloud acidification

A one-dimensional cumulus cloud model is used to study the chemical transformations occurring during the formation, growth and dissipation of a cloud. A parabolic vertical velocity profile is introduced to create an updraft which entrains and detrains air laterally. The cloud forms in the upper half of the updraft structure where lateral detrainment occurs, all entrainment being from below the cloud base. As the updraft velocity increases in magnitude, the cloud grows and deepens. Downdraft is introduced into the fully developed cloud so that lateral entrainment into the parcel is from regions above cloud top. The cloud dissipates and eventually disappears as the downdraft penetrates and reaches the cloud base. Predicted liquid water contents and cloud structure are consistent with field observations. Detailed gas- and aqueous-phase chemistries are included in the cloud model. First-order rate constants for the oxidation of S(IV) to S(VI) increase with increasing concentrations of H2O2 in the background and with increasing cloudwater content. The cloudwater pH depends primarily on the degree of oxidation of S(IV) to S(VI) by H2O2 which is the most important oxidant of S(IV) in the aqueous phase. HO2, OH, Cl2− and the intermediate SO4− also make significant contributions to the oxidation, while for these runs, O3contributes less than 2% to the overall oxidation. Cumulus clouds are shown to behave like large variable volume reactors with entrainment of background air from below-cloud regions and release of processed air from in-cloud regions. The first-order rate constant for the oxidation of S(IV) to S(VI) ranges from 1 % min−1 to 33% min−1, depending on cloud properties and trace species concentrations.
Selmer groups and Mordell–Weil groups of elliptic curves over towers of function fields

Silverman has discussed the problem of bounding the Mordell–Weil ranks of elliptic curves over towers of function fields (J. Algebraic Geom. 9 (2000), 301–308; J. reine. angew. Math. 577 (2004), 153–169). We first prove generalizations of the theorems of Silverman by a different method, allowing non-abelian Galois groups and removing the dependence on Tate's conjectures. We then prove some theorems about the growth of Mordell–Weil ranks in towers of function fields whose Galois groups are $p$ -adic Lie groups; a natural question is whether the Mordell–Weil rank is bounded in such a tower. We give some Galois-theoretic criteria which guarantee that certain curves ${\mathcal{E}}/{\mathbb{Q}}(t)$ have finite Mordell–Weil rank over ${\mathbb{C}}(t^{p^{-\infty}})$ , and show that these criteria are met for elliptic K3 surfaces whose associated Galois representations have sufficiently large image.
The Influence of Assets and Environmental Factors on Gender Differences in Adolescent Drug Use

Abstract For adolescents, illicit drug use remains a significant public health problem. This study explored prospectively the differential effects of 17 youth assets and 5 environmental factors on drug use in adolescent males and females (Youth Asset Study – a 5-wave longitudinal study of 1117 youth/parent pairs). Baseline analyses included 1093 youth (53% female). Mean age was 14.3 years (SD = 1.6) and the youth were 40% Non-Hispanic White, 28% Hispanic, 24% Non-Hispanic Black, and 9% Non-Hispanic other. Analyses revealed that 16 assets for males and 15 for females as well as the total asset score were prospectively associated with no drug use. No environmental factors were prospectively associated with any drug use for males, and for a subset of females, only Neighborhood Support was significant. This study confirms and extends previous work regarding youth drug use by recognizing the importance of the protective effect of assets for both males and females.
Thidiazuron promotes adventitious shoot regeneration from pothos (Epipremnum aureum) leaf and petiole explants

Regeneration of adventitious shoots of pothos (Epipremnum aureum Linden and Andre) ‘Jade’ was obtained using leaf and petiole explants preprated from shoot tips of 3-yr-old greenhouse-grown plants. Explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ), 6-(4-hydroxy-3-methy-trans-2-butenyl-amino)purine (zeatin) or N-isopentenylaminopurine (2iP) individually with α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) in 18 combinations. Callus was initiated from cut surface and along the midrib or major vein of leaf sections. Shoot regeneration from leaf and petoole explants occurred in 30d on medium containing 1, 5 or 10μM TDZ with 0.5 or 1.0μM NAA except petioles on medium with 10 μM TDZ and 1.0 μM NAA where regeneration failed. More time (50d) was needed for shoot regeneration when explants were cultured on medium containing either 2iP or zeatin with NAA. Regeneration frequencies were up to 20% and 50% for leaf and petiole explants, respectively. Shoot numbers per responding explant attained 30 for leaf and petiole explants on medium containing TDZ but only one to four on medium containing either 2iP or zeatin. These results indicate that TDZ is a more effective cytokinin for in vitro regeneration of pothos than either zeatin or 2iP.. Shoots elongated readily and rooted well on MS basal medium, without plant growth regulators. Plantlets acclimatized rapidly and grew vigorously in the greenhouse after transfer to pots containing a commerecial potting medium.
Transesophageal atrial pacing (TAP) for sinus bradycardia during coronary artery bypass grafting: Comparison of TAP to intermittent bolus gallamine

Objective: To assess the relative efficacy of a pacing esophageal stethoscope and intermittent boluses (40 mg) of gallamine in correcting sinus bradycardia (SB) during coronary artery surgery. Design: The study was prospective, randomized, and controlled. Setting: A community hospital. Participants: Fifty patients scheduled for elective coronary artery surgery. Interventions: The patients were randomly allocated to receive treatment for an SB (less than 60 BPM) with either transesophageal atrial pacing (TAP) or gallamine. Measurements and Main Results: Heart rate, blood pressure, and systemic hemodynamics were measured. The electrocardiogram was monitored for rate, rhythm, and conduction abnormalities. Twenty-four of the 25 TAP patients could be paced at a rate of 70 BPM after SB. Cardiac index increased from 1.90 to 2.56 L/min/m2. In the gallamine group, heart rate was increased from 50 to 66 BPM, but cardiac index only increased to 2.2 L/min/m2, and 2 patients developed nodal rhythms. Eight of these patients had peak heart rates over 80 BPM, and two were over 90 BPM. Conclusions: The ability to reliably and precisely control heart rate was superior with TAP compared with intermittent bolus dosing with gallamine.
Serial arteriography of the dog: a simplified technique.

Abstract A new technique for serial arteriography of the infradiaphragmatic arterial system in the experimental animal has been developed. Utilizing this technique 143 arteriograms have been obtained at weekly intervals in 24 dogs for up to 10 weeks. Advantages of the method are reproducible results, inexpensive equipment required, and ease of obtaining high-quality arteriograms.
The immunoglobulins and immunoglobulin genes of swine

The historical works describing the characterization of swine immunoglobulins are reviewed. The three major isotypes, IgM, IgA and IgG, have been recognized for 25 years and their concentrations in various body fluids, the location of the plasma cells throughout the body which synthesize them and their transport into lacteal secretions and absorption by the gut of the newborn piglet, have been studied by many investigators. Swine like humans, have both kappa and lambda light chains and their frequency of expression is similar to that of humans. Various investigators have provided immunochemical evidence for IgG subclass and allotype diversity, although until the recent advent of molecular biology, the complete sequence of any swine immunoglobulin was unknown. Molecular genetic studies reveal single copies of C alpha and C epsilon but as many as eight copies of C gamma. The sequences of five IgG subclasses, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3 and IgG4, are now available as well as the sequence and genomic organization of C alpha and the sequence of C mu. Swine CH genes all appear to belong to a single small family very similar to human VHIII. Especially interesting is the high degree of similarity among human and swine Ig genes despite the distinct phylogenetic relationship of these species. The rapid expansion of knowledge and technology in the field of molecular biology, together with the attractiveness of the swine as a model for immunoontogeny, in which the influences of both maternal regulatory factors and intestinal gut flora can be experimentally controlled, promises the beginning of an exciting area in swine immunology.
An esthetic solution for single-implant restorations – type III porcelain veneer bonded to a screw-retained custom abutment: A clinical report

A new esthetic solution to restore dental implants in combination with limited interdental, facial or labial, or interocclusal space is presented. This article describes the translational application of novel-design porcelain veneers and adhesive restorative principles in the implant realm. A patient is presented who was treated with a single implant-supported restoration replacing a missing mandibular lateral incisor and partially collapsed interdental space. A screw-retained custom metal ceramic abutment was combined with a bonded porcelain restoration. This unique design was motivated by the limited restorative space and subgingival implant shoulder. It was also developed as a solution to the interference of the screw-access channel with the incisal edge, therefore providing the surgeon with more options during implant axis selection. The porcelain-to-porcelain adhesive approach was used instead of traditional principles of retention and resistance form of the abutment. (J Prosthet Dent 2008;99:2-7)
Can Unilateral Leadership Promote International Environmental Cooperation

Why do governments sometimes exercise unilateral leadership in international environmental cooperation, such as the mitigation of global climate change? It is usually the case that unilateral leadership cannot solve the problem at hand, so it is not clear what the benefits of unilateral leadership are. In this article, I provide a new political rationale for unilateral leadership. I show that if a green politician (worried about environmental destruction) fears that he or she will probably lose power soon, he or she may want to unilaterally implement domestic mitigation policies to reduce the domestic cost of mitigation in the future. By exercising unilateral leadership, this politician ensures that even a future brown politician (only mildly interested in environmental protection) is, due to the domestic cost reduction, willing to engage in international cooperation. The findings imply that while unilateral leadership is not a panacea, it may be a useful commitment device under empirically plausible cond...
Fault Detection and Diagnosis Using Hidden Markov Disturbance Models

Fault detection and diagnosis is critical for maintaining the health of process systems. Common fault signals include process and disturbance parameter changes, as well as sensor and actuator malfunctions typically manifested as persistent drifts or abrupt biases. These may be characterized by the existence of latent "fault" states. This work examines the effectiveness of a hidden Markov model framework for modeling such fault regimes. The proposed methodology may be interpreted as a generalization of the commonly employed mixture-of-Gaussians approach and is demonstrated through a shell-and-tube heat exchanger problem. Furthermore, the flexibility of the method is shown in the context of detecting valve stiction, a significant problem in the process industries.
"Realism and Naturalism and Dead Dudes" Talking About Literature in 11th-Grade English

In this microethnograpic study of literature discussions, the author spent 4 weeks in an 11th-grade English class. Data came from classroom observations, audiotaping of discussions, interviews, and written artifacts. Classroom discussions were affected by students'attitudes toward reading, self-perceptions as readers or nonreaders, and home- work completion rates. The quality and quantity of the interactions were also affected by interruptions, prior student and teacher experiences, required textbook use, time con straints due to preparation for the state examination, and setting or context of the discussions. The perception versus practice disjuncture applied both to teacher and students; the schedule left little reflection time. Curriculum changes were planned for the following school year; one goal is increasing student engagement in class discussions. In consonance with the context of the author's inquiry (literature class), she used poetry to represent these results. This article focuses on content a...
Ultrastructural changes in neurons of the spinal anterior horn of ageing mice with particular reference to the accumulation of lipofuscin pigment.

Structural changes in neurons in the cervical anterior horn of ageing mice have been studied. The main age-related neurocytological change observed during this study is progressive accumulation of lipofuscin. The pigment was present in some nerve cells as early as six weeks after birth. Various types of membrane-bound granules encountered in the anterior horn cells were characterized on the basis of their shape, size and fine structure into primary lysosome-like (L1) granules (dense bodies), autophagic vacuole-like (L2) granules and mature (L3) pigment granules of complex substructure and irregular configuration.L1,L3 andL3 types of granules appear to represent respectively early, intermediate and mature stages in a developmental continuum of lipofuscin pigment granules. Transitional stages suggest that matureL3 pigment granules evolve by gradual alteration of lysosome-likeL1 andL2 granules. A probable sequence of morphologic events accompanying the transformation of lysosome-like granules into mature lipofuscin pigment granules is suggested.
Density Ratio and Turbulence Intensity Effects in Microbubble Drag Reduction Phenomenon

Two-dimensional single phase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of microbubble-laden flow over a flat plate was used to assess the role of mixture density variation in microbubble drag reduction for high Reynolds number flows. The model consisted of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) transport equations, a standard k-e turbulence model, and a convection-diffusion species transport model. Performance of the model was validated with available experimental data and numerical simulations of more advanced multiphase two-fluid model. A parametric study of density ratio and free stream turbulence intensity effects on drag reduction was carried out. The study indicated that the model taking into account only mixture density effect could still predict drag reduction reasonably well. In addition to this, higher values of free stream turbulence intensity are predicted to result in lower drag reduction.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Smooth stabilization implies coprime factorization

It is shown that coprime right factorizations exist for the input-to-state mapping of a continuous-time nonlinear system provided that the smooth feedback stabilization problem is solvable for this system. It follows that feedback linearizable systems admit such fabrications. In order to establish the result, a Lyapunov-theoretic definition is proposed for bounded-input-bounded-output stability. The notion of stability studied in the state-space nonlinear control literature is related to a notion of stability under bounded control perturbations analogous to those studied in operator-theoretic approaches to systems; in particular it is proved that smooth stabilization implies smooth input-to-state stabilization. >
COD and nitrogen removal by biofilms growing on gas permeable membranes

A bioreactor was constructed and used to treat a synthetic wastewater containing ammonium acetate and trace nutrients for about 190 days. The reactor was aerated by means of bundles of gas-permeable hollow-fiber membranes that were installed in the reactor. The membranes provided a specific surface area of 422 m(2)/m(3) and the external surface of the membranes rapidly became covered in an active biofilm. The membrane bundles were agitated by an internal gas recycle. The gas bubbles in the water encouraged fiber-fiber contact and were intended to control biofilm growth. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removals in excess of 95% were achieved in a 6h nominal detention time. Nitrification developed rapidly and complete oxidation of the influent ammonium was evident within 20 days. Even though the reactor was equipped with a large membrane surface area, the oxygen was consumed within the biofilm growing on the membrane surface. As a result, the external dissolved oxygen (DO) dropped to zero and the reactor was able to support essentially complete denitrification. After about 3 months of operation the reactor showed excellent removals of both COD and inorganic nitrogen but the performance could not be sustained. Excess biofilm accumulation eventually contributed to a deterioration in process performance. This study demonstrates that while membrane aeration can provide simultaneous BOD and N removal in the same reactor, the membrane modules/bioreactor must be designed to allow for the development of thick biofilms. In addition, options for controlling the biofilm thickness need to be investigated.
Symmetry of magnetic quantum tunneling in single molecule magnet Mn12-acetate.

The symmetry of magnetic quantum tunneling has been studied in the prototype single molecule magnet ${\mathrm{M}\mathrm{n}}_{12}$-acetate using a micro-Hall effect magnetometer and superconducting high field vector magnet system. An average crystal fourfold symmetry is shown to be due to local molecular environments of twofold symmetry that are rotated by $90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ with respect to one another, confirming that disorder which lowers the molecule symmetry is as important to magnetic quantum tunneling. We have studied a subset of these lower (twofold) site symmetry molecules and present evidence for a Berry phase effect consistent with a local twofold symmetry.
Individualized human karyotyping through quantitative analysis

Abstract Of several objectives of a computer-aided system of chromosome analysis, obtaining objective quantitative information not obtainable by the usual manual methods is shown to be of greatest immediate interest and usefulness. On the other hand, that of mass screening is considered to be of limited applicability at this time. Results on approximately 500 cells measured by the PIQUANT system developed at Tufts indicate that there are indeed significant karyotypic differences between cultures of leucocytes from different people, in terms of the measured total size and centromeric index of positively identifiable chromosome pairs. The results show that nine out of thirty-eight individuals had distinguishable chromosome measurements among the pour pairs 1, 2, 3 and 16. The differences in the mean measurements between individuals are significant in samples of as few as five spreads, and are of the order of 2–9 per cent in both size and index. The variance data also show that on the average the two number 1 and the two number 2 chromosomes in each cell differ significantly from each other, while in other pairs the pair difference is not larger than the measurement error. Normalization procedures necessary to perform the statistical analysis are outlined. The biological significance of these individual differences in chromosomal measurements is a promising area of investigation.
Ruskin and the politics of viewing: Constructing national subjects

In June of 1870, Charles Eliot Norton wrote his friend John Ruskin to thank him for a copy of a recent lecture. Ruskin had delivered the lecture four months earlier, when he was inaugurated as the first Slade Professor of Fine Arts at Oxford. The American, then in Italy, had not yet begun his parallel efforts to incorporate the study of the fine arts into the Harvard undergraduate curriculum. Norton praised Ruskin's lecture, but added, "With what seems to me a too narrow patriotism I should quarrel."2
Modulation of natural killer cell activity by surface phosphorylation reactions.

To determine whether phosphorylation of cell surface proteins is involved in NK cell activity, the phosphorylation patterns of a rat NK cell line (RNK-16) incubated with 12.5 μM [γ-32P]ATP were characterized before and after exposure to YAC-1 cells, which serve as targets for killing, and K562 cells, which are not killed by RNK-16 cells. By 51Cr release assays, the inhibitory effect of ATP on RNK-16 killing activity previously reported was corroborated. RNK-16 cells prelabeled with 12.5 μM ATP show enhanced labeling of a 70- to 72,000-Da protein after exposure to unlabeled target YAC-1 cells but not after exposure to K562 cells. A protein of similar apparent molecular size is also labeled upon exposure of RNK-16 cells to 0X-34, an antibody which binds and inhibits killing, as well as upon exposure to 0X-18, which also binds but does not inhibit NK activity. These findings are indicative of the activation of a kinase with high affinity for [γ-32P]ATP, which phosphorylates an endogenous surface substrate of 70–72,000 Da upon binding of macromolecules to the RNK-16 cells. RNK-16 cells, previously labeled with micromolars [γ-32P]ATP and subsequently treated with millimolars unlabeled ATP, showed loss of label from a 110,000-Da protein component, indicative of the rapid turnover of a phosphate group on a surface protein. Thus, extracellular ATP enhances the phosphorylation of a 70- to 72,000-Da component upon binding of RNK-16 cells to target cells or upon binding of antibodies at micromolar concentrations of ATP and catalyzes the loss of phosphate from a 110,000-Da component at millimolar concentrations of ATP. These findings reflect a complex repertoire of surface phosphorylation changes which occur in RNK-16 cells.
Electron microscopy of virus-infected sunflower leaves.

A short description is given of an apparently new virus disease of the mosaic type attacking the wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Its rapid spread in the field denotes an insect-vector, probably an aphid, but its identity is not yet established. Four major types of pathological changes were observed in the mesophyll cells: (a) cytoplasmic inclusions; (b) changes in the structure and type of plastid; (c) abnormalities in the nucleus; (d) presence of virus-like particles within the leaf cells. Crystalline inclusions were also present in both normal and infected cells. The cytoplasmic inclusions are of three types: whorls resembling “pinwheels”; long rods of composite structure attached to the pinwheels and resembling a “cat-o-nine-tails”; and circular inclusions of lamellate construction. Evidence suggesting that these inclusions do not consist of virus is given; but the possibility that they may consist of viral protein is considered. The pinwheels and rods are shown to have an intimate connection with the endoplasmic reticulum. The plastids undergo longitudinal division with the production of a fifth intervening layer, a phenomenon not hitherto recorded. The nucleus becomes swollen and completely filled with spherical or near-spherical particles with which are associated numerous fine threads. The virus particles are long flexible rods measuring at least 480 × 13 mμ; they are few in number and occur in association with the outer surface of the plastids. A discussion of these findings is appended.
Overview of Particle Transport and Deposition in Environmental and Industrial Applications

Overview of particle transport and deposition in flows in environmental and industrial applications was presented. Aerosol transport including particle deposition, removal and re-entrainment in turbulent flows were discussed. The numerical simulation airflow through the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equation was described. The approximate stochastic models for simulation of instantaneous flow were discussed. The Lagrangian particle equation of motion was presented. It was shown that the particle deposition and removal processes in turbulent flows are strongly affected by the near wall flow structures. Wind tunnel studies of particle transport and deposition were also discussed. Examples of computational modeling of gas-solid flows in indoor and out door air were described. It was shown that computational modeling was an efficient tool for studying alternative scenarios. A simulation procedure for pollutant transport through human upper airways was discussed and sample results were presented.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Calcium Hydroxide as an Intracanal Medication: Effect on Posttreatment Pain

Calcium hydroxide is advocated as an intracanal medication for various purposes, including prevention of posttreatment symptoms. This study assessed whether calcium hydroxide had a pain-controlling effect at different times when compared with no intracanal medication. One hundred forty patients participated. Conditions diagnosed were pulp/periapical pathosis with or without symptoms. At least partial cleaning and shaping was completed. At random, either Ca(OH)2 plus H2O paste or a dry cotton pellet was placed in the canals of half the teeth, respectively. All teeth were temporized with Intermediate Restorative Material. Patients assessed posttreatment pain up to 48 h as none, mild, moderate, or severe. The pain levels in each test group [Ca(OH)2 versus cotton pellet] at each time period were compared statistically with a multiple-regression analysis. There was no significant difference in posttreatment pain between the two groups at any time period or with any diagnosis or symptom. The use of calcium hydroxide as an intracanal medication was unrelated to the incidence and/or severity of posttreatment pain.
The Cultural Dialectics of Knowledge and Desire

The Cultural Dialectics of Knowledge and Desire. Charles W. Nuckolls. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1996. xliv. 306 pp., illustrations, photographs, references, index.
Air stripping of organics from ground water

Abstract As awareness of the problem of contaminated ground water increases, the demand for reliable and cost-effective treatment processes will also increase. Although a number of treatment options exist or are under development, air stripping using countercurrent flow in packed columns is the current technology of choice in many situations. This paper reviews the basic principles of packed-column design and defines the limits of countercurrent contacting when applied to situations in which the resistance to mass transfer in the gas phase is important. The cascade crossflow configuration allows water and air flow to be varied independently, providing added design flexibility. Reductions in pressure drop by as much as two orders of magnitude result in stable column operation at air and water flow rates which would cause flooding in a countercurrent column. Mass transfer efficiencies comparable to, and in some cases greater than, countercurrent operation have been measured. Experimental results for cascade crossflow air stripping of 1,2-dichloroethane and methyl ethyl ketone are presented. The gas-phase, mass-transfer resistance is important for both compounds due to their small Henry's constants. 1,2-dichloroethane is considered to be difficult to strip using countercurrent contacting, while high efficiency air stripping of methyl ethyl ketone is impractical at ambient temperature.
PHARMACOKINETICS OF TRIPTOLIDE. DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHOD FOR QUANTITATION OF TRIPTOLIDE IN PLASMA

In order to evaluate the bioavailability and study the pharmacokinetics of triptolide, an HPLC method was developed for the quantitative determination of this diterpenoid in plasma. The procedure for the plasma assay employed liquid - liquid extraction with chloroform followed by high speed centrifugation. The UV absorbance of the effluent was monitored at 218 nm. An internal standard (acetophenone) was used to calibrate injection and instrument reaction errors. The proposed methodology is sensitive, rapid, and reproducible. The limit of quantitation is 0.005 mg/L in plasma (0.05 mg/L in final solution) and a linear range of determination is observed over the concentration of 0.05 mg/L to 30 mg/L. The inter- and intraday coefficients of variation for the assay of triptolide in plasma were < 16.82 % at low concentration (0.005–0.076 mg/L) and < 8.05% at high concentration (0.152–5.000 mg/L). Recovery of triptolide in plasma is greater than 96.72%. Triptolide was stable in plasma during 30 days of storage a...
A Response to “Beyond the Mission Statement: Alternative Futures for Today's Universities”

ABSTRACT Mission statements are critical elements in the long-term success of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. In “Beyond the Mission Statement: Alternative Futures for Today's Universities,” Finley, Rogers, and Galloway (2001) identify a number of possible identities they believe Institutions of Higher Education should pursue in order to be successful. This article expands on their proposed “Futures” and examines the critical role that mission statements have in defining the role of the organization and establishing the framework for effective market strategy.
Parallel implementation of the diffusion-drift algorithm for modeling the electrophysiological activity of breast tumors

The diffusion-drift algorithm for calculating the electric signals of growing breast cancerous cells is parallelized based on the Message Passing Interface technique. The parallelized algorithm is analyzed with emphasis on the existing bottlenecks. The model involves the solution of several systems of equations to calculate the biopotentials and ion concentration gradients generated by MCF-7 cells, the most studied breast cancer cell line. The Portable, Extensible Toolkit for Scientific Computation library is investigated for the parallel solution of these systems of equations. The results show that the optimum solver for the biopotential system of equations is the Enhanced Bi-Conjugate Gradient Stabilized (L) solver. Also, it is found that the optimum pre-conditioner is the Additive Schwarz Method coupled with the drop tolerance Incomplete LU factorization. A maximum overall speed up of 15 was achieved using 56 processors with an efficiency of 27%. The electrophysiological activity of a tumor a third of a millimeter in size with just over a thousand cancerous cells is simulated. The numerical values of the biopotential could indicate to breast cancer in very early stages.
An empirical model for silver tantalate

A set of parameters for the modified embedded atom method (MEAM) potential was developed to describe the perovskite silver tantalate (AgTaO3). First, MEAM parameters for AgO and TaO were determined based on the structural and elastic properties of the materials in a B1 reference structure predicted by density-functional theory (DFT). Then, using the fitted binary parameters, additional potential parameters were adjusted to enable the empirical potential to reproduce DFT-predicted lattice structure, elastic constants, cohesive energy and equation of state for the ternary AgTaO3. Finally, thermal expansion was predicted by a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation using the newly developed potential and compared directly to experimental values. The agreement with known experimental data for AgTaO3 is satisfactory, and confirms that the new empirical model is a good starting point for further MD studies.
Mineral Element Correlation with Adenohypophyseal-Adrenal Cortex Function and Stress

A statistical correlationl was made between adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and four elements in rats under control, stress, and stress-recovery conditions. Blood serum zinc showed a strong positive correlation with the rise in ACTH during stress and its decline in stress recovery. Serum calcium, copper, and magnesium demonstrated little correlation with ACTH changes. The strong ACTH-zinc correlation points to an as yet undefined interaction between ACTH and zinc
Unequal treatment of human research subjects

Unequal treatment of human research subjects is a significant ethical concern, because justice in research involving human subjects requires equal protection of rights and equal protection from harm and exploitation. Disputes sometimes arise concerning the issue of unequal treatment of research subjects. Allegedly unequal treatment occurs when subjects are treated differently and there is a genuine dispute concerning the appropriateness of equal treatment. Patently unequal treatment occurs when subjects are treated differently and there is not a genuine dispute about the appropriateness of equal treatment. Allegedly unequal treatment will probably always occur in research with human subjects due to disagreements about fundamental questions of justice. The best way to deal with allegedly unequal treatment is to promote honest and open discussions of the issues at stake. Research regulations can help to minimize patently unequal treatment by providing rules for investigators, ethical review boards, institutions, and sponsors to follow. However, patently unequal treatment may still occur because the regulations are subject to interpretation. Federal agencies have provided interpretive guidance that can help promote consistent review and oversight of human subjects research. Additional direction may be needed on topics that are not adequately covered by current guidance or regulations. International guidelines can help promote equal treatment of human subjects around the globe. While minor variations in the treatment of research subjects should be tolerated and even welcomed, major ones (i.e. those that significantly impact human rights or welfare) should be avoided or minimized.
Enzymatic coupling of chloroanilines with syringic acid, vanillic acid and protocatechuic acid

Abstract To clarify the reaction mechanism and the reactivity of phenolic acids with chloroanilines, the reactions of 4-chloroaniline, 3,4-dichloroaniline and 2,4,5-trichloroaniline with vanillic acid, syringic acid and protocatechuic acid were investigated. Anilines alone were not transformed by a laccase isolated from the fungus Rhizoctonia praticola , but numerous cross-coupling products were formed in the presence of a phenolic acid. Protocatechuic and syringic acid readily reacted with anilines, but the reaction with vanillic acid was very weak. From the structures of the generated reaction products, it could be concluded that there was no difference in the cross-coupling reaction between a chloroaniline with a phenolic acid. The nucleophilic attack of the investigated chloroaniline resulted in the formation of an imine linkage at the 6-position of a quinone formed from protocatechuic acid and at the 1-position (through a quinone group) of syringic acid. Dimer formation between vanillic acid and chloroaniline could not be detected, but vanillic acid formed a quinone dimer which then reacted with chloroaniline, generating a hybrid trimer.
Collisional Excitation Transfer to the 4 D 1 State in Helium by Multiple State Mechanism

The electron-excitation function of the $4^{1}D$ state of helium has been measured at various pressures by means of an automatic processing system. The peak of the curve shifts gradually from 50 eV to 100 eV as the pressure is increased due to the collision transfer from the $^{1}P$ states. The transfer can be explained by the multiple state mechanism. Based on this theory the calculated population of the $4^{1}D$ state at 7.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ mm pressure agrees quite well with experiments. The observed amount of transfer from $\mathrm{n}^{1}P$ states to $4^{1}D$ and to $4^{3}D$ are of the same order of magnitude as predicted by the theory. The results of this work provide strong support for the multiple state transfer process.
Mechanisms for database intrusion detection and response

Data represent today a valuable asset for companies and organizations and must be protected. Most of an organization's sensitive and proprietary data resides in a Database Management System (DBMS). The focus of this thesis is to develop advanced security solutions for protecting the data residing in a DBMS. Our strategy is to develop an Intrusion Detection (ID) mechanism, implemented within the database server, that is capable of detecting anomalous user requests to a DBMS. The key idea is to learn profiles of users and applications interacting with a database. A database request that deviates from these profiles is then termed as anomalous. A major component of this work involves prototype implementation of this ID mechanism in the Post-greSQL database server. We also propose to augment the ID mechanism with an Intrusion Response engine that is capable of issuing an appropriate response to an anomalous database request.
The future of Chinese culture

Abstract Since 1978, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has embarked on an ambitious programme known as the ‘Four Modernizations’ (ie the modernization of agriculture, industry, science and technology, and national defence). The government's avowed goal is to bring China abreast of the advanced industrialized powers of the world by the early 21st century, while at the same time building ‘socialist spiritual civilization’ and carrying out its modernization in a distinctly ‘Chinese way’. This article examines the place of Chinese culture in the modernizing process, and argues that the past will play a larger role in the PRC's future than the Chinese leadership would probably care to admit. Or, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of traditional Chinese culture have been greatly exaggerated.
Immune responses to DNA in normal and aberrant immunity.

Because of structural microheterogeneity, DNA can exert powerful effects that lead to immune system activation as well as antibody induction. These activating effects resemble those of endotoxin and result from sequences that occur much more commonly in bacterial DNA than in mammalian DNA. In contrast, mammalian DNA can inhibit the response to bacterial DNA as well as other stimuli and may serve a counterregulatory role during infection. The recognition of the immune effects of DNA is relevant to the pathogenesis of a variety of infectious and inflammatory diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, a prototypic autoimmune disease characterized by anti-DNA autoantibodies.
Use of Zebrafish to Probe the Divergent Virulence Potentials and Toxin Requirements of Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) cause an array of diseases, including sepsis, neonatal meningitis, and urinary tract infections. Many putative virulence factors that might modulate ExPEC pathogenesis have been identified through sequencing efforts, epidemiology, and gene expression profiling, but few of these genes have been assigned clearly defined functional roles during infection. Using zebrafish embryos as surrogate hosts, we have developed a model system with the ability to resolve diverse virulence phenotypes and niche-specific restrictions among closely related ExPEC isolates during either localized or systemic infections. In side-by-side comparisons of prototypic ExPEC isolates, we observed an unexpectedly high degree of phenotypic diversity that is not readily apparent using more traditional animal hosts. In particular, the capacity of different ExPEC isolates to persist and multiply within the zebrafish host and cause disease was shown to be variably dependent upon two secreted toxins, α-hemolysin and cytotoxic necrotizing factor. Both of these toxins appear to function primarily in the neutralization of phagocytes, which are recruited in high numbers to sites of infection where they act as an essential host defense against ExPEC as well as less virulent E. coli strains. These results establish zebrafish as a valuable tool for the elucidation and functional analysis of both ExPEC virulence factors and host defense mechanisms.
Historical document image segmentation using background light intensity normalization

This paper presents a new document binarization algorithm for camera images of historical documents, which are especially found in The Library of Congress of the United States. The algorithm uses a background light intensity normalization algorithm to enhance an image before a local adaptive binarization algorithm is applied. The image normalization algorithm uses an adaptive linear or non-linear function to approximate the uneven background of the image due to the uneven surface of the document paper, aged color or uneven light source of the cameras for image lifting. Our algorithm adaptively captures the background of a document image with a "best fit" approximation. The document image is then normalized with respect to the approximation before a thresholding algorithm is applied. The technique works for both gray scale and color historical handwritten document images with significant improvement in readability for both human and OCR.
Disfluency disrupts the confirmation bias.

Abstract One difficulty in persuasion is overcoming the confirmation bias, where people selectively seek evidence that is consistent with their prior beliefs and expectations. This biased search for information allows people to analyze new information in an efficient, but shallow way. The present research discusses how experienced difficultly in processing (disfluency) can reduce the confirmation bias by promoting careful, analytic processing. In two studies, participants with prior attitudes on an issue became less extreme after reading an argument on the issues in a disfluent format. The change occurred for both naturally occurring attitudes (i.e. political ideology) and experimentally assigned attitudes (i.e. positivity toward a court defendant). Importantly, disfluency did not reduce confirmation biases when participants were under cognitive load, suggesting that cognitive resources are necessary to overcome these biases. Overall, these results suggest that changing the style of an argument's presentation can lead to attitude change by promoting more comprehensive consideration of opposing views.
Dechlorination of DDT in solution by ionizing radiation.

THERE have been several studies of the effects of ultraviolet light on DDT1–5 but little is known of the chemical effects of ionizing radiation on the pesticides. In the light of the availability of long lived radioisotopes such as 60Co and 137Cs, by-products of the nuclear power industry, and of the current concern about pollution of lakes and rivers by persistent pesticides, we undertook to study the feasibility of dechlorinating DDT solutions by exposure to 60Co γ-rays. Because of the low efficiency with which ionizing radiation absorbed by materials is converted into chemical energy6, however, it is evident that to be of economic importance, any radiation-initiated process must involve a chemical chain mechanism.
MOLECULAR INDICATORS OF TREE MIGRATION CAPACITY UNDER RAPID CLIMATE CHANGE

Recent models and analyses of paleoecological records suggest that tree populations are capable of rapid migration when climate warms. Fossil pollen is commonly interpreted as suggesting that the range of many temperate tree species expanded at rates of 100–1000 m/yr during the early Holocene. We used chloroplast DNA surveys to show that the geography of postglacial range expansion in two eastern North American tree species differs from that expected from pollen-based reconstructions and from patterns emerging from European molecular studies. Molecular evidence suggests that American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and red maple (Acer rubrum) persisted during the late glaciation as low-density populations, perhaps within 500 km of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Because populations were closer to modern range limits than previously thought, postglacial migration rates may have been slower than those inferred from fossil pollen. Our estimated rates of <100 m/yr are consistent with model predictions based on life histo...
Dynamics of a tube-wall reactor

The dynamics of an optimized tube wall reactor sustaining a highly exothermic reaction were studied numerically. For many situations the dynamic behavior of the gas phase and pellet temperatures was found to have only a minor influence on the dynamics of the remainder of the system and could be neglected. The rapid response of the tube wall reactor together with its inherent stability suggests that elaborate control policies may be unnecessary. Product quality could be realized by using environmental controllers in conjunction with an on-line steady state optimization program.
Exciton hybridization states in organic–semiconductor heterostructures containing quantum dots

The formation of a hybridization state of Wannier Mott and Frenkel excitons is theoretically studied for different heterostructure configurations involving quantum dots. At the interfaces of the semiconductor quantum dots and the organic medium, the hybridization states are formed, having complimentary properties of both kinds of excitons as well as large optical nonlinearities. The coupling at resonance is very strong, depending on the parameters of the systems (dot radius, dot separation, generation of the organic dendrites and the materials of the systems, etc). The hybrid excitons are as sensitive to external perturbation as Wannier–Mott excitons. Upon the application of magnetic and electric fields, the coupling term between the two kinds of excitons increases. The most important feature of this system is that by adjusting the system parameters as well as the external fields and their orientation, one can tune the resonance between the two kinds of excitons to get different regions of mixing to obtain the expected high nonlinearity.
Catalyst effectiveness factor and contacting efficiency in trickle-bed reactors

Catalyst effectiveness factor in trickle bed reactors, (e.g., for hydrocarbon hydrodesulfurization) is a function of the Thiele modulus (A), incomplete external wetting (B), and fractional pore fill-up (C). An approximate formula is derived, which accounts for all three variables. This indicates that the evaluation of contacting efficiencies by applying reactor performance equations to reaction studies is prone to numerous errors. To predict catalyst effectiveness factors, some independent means of evaluating B and C have to be used. In general, existing correlations for B are unsatisfactory, and correlations for C are nonexistent. Fractional pore fill-up will depend on catalyst pore structure and physical properties (particularly surface tensions) of the gas-liquid-solid system involved. Failure to recognize that either B or C, depending on the range of A, are the primary variables affecting catalyst effectiveness in trickle bed reactors may explain the difficulties previously encountered in interpreting trickle bed data. Table, graph, and 19 references.
BIAS REDUCTION FOR BAYESIAN AND FREQUENTIST ESTIMATORS

We show that in parametric likelihood models the first order bias in the pos- terior mode and the posterior mean can be removed using objective Bayesian priors. These bias-reducing priors are defined as the solution to a set of differential equations which may not be available in closed form. We provide a simple and tractable data dependent prior that solves the differential equations asymptotically and removes the first order bias. When we consider the posterior mode, this approach can be interpreted as penalized maximum like- lihood in a frequentist setting. We illustrate the construction and use of the bias-reducing priors in simple examples and a simulation study.