cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Benchmarking Delay and Energy of Neural Inference Circuits

Neural network circuits and architectures are currently under active research for applications to artificial intelligence and machine learning. Their physical performance metrics (area, time, and energy) are estimated. Various types of neural networks (artificial, cellular, spiking, and oscillator) are implemented with multiple CMOS and beyond-CMOS (spintronic, ferroelectric, and resistive memory) devices. A consistent and transparent methodology is proposed and used to benchmark this comprehensive set of options across several application cases. Promising architecture/device combinations are identified.
Flavor symmetry in two body decays of bottom mesons

Dominant decays of bottom mesons into two pseudoscalars are studied in the framework of the six-quark model of the weak interactions of Kobayashi and Maskawa. Some simpleSU (3) relations between the amplitudes are obtained without using any dynamical assumptions.
Investigating the Generalizability of Schema-Based Instruction Focused on Proportional Reasoning: A Multi-State Study

This study used integrative data analysis (Curran & Hussong, 2009), which allows combining data from different studies, to examine the generalizability of a research-based mathematics program, sche...
Numerical modeling and performance analysis of a membrane-based air dehumidifier using ionic liquid desiccant

Abstract Membrane-based Liquid Desiccant Air Dehumidifier (MLDAD) has the potential to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional open-tower liquid desiccant air dehumidifier. The MLDAD uses membranes with high water vapor permeability to separate air stream from the liquid desiccant and thus eliminates carry-over and the resulting corrosion issues. Recently, the ionic liquid desiccant becomes a promising alternative to conventional liquid desiccant. The ionic liquid desiccant has a large potential of dehumidification, which is also non-corrosive to metals and non-crystallizable. A two-dimensional numerical heat and mass transfer model of the MLDAD using a recently identified ionic liquid desiccant, [EMIM]OAc, is presented in this paper. This model can simulate the performance of the MLDAD with various designs, including different selections of liquid desiccant and membrane materials, dimensions of the MLDAD, and flow patterns. For porous membranes, this model accounts for several micro-scale mass transfer mechanisms of vapor transportation across the membrane. It can also model the mass transfer performance of dehumidifiers using non-porous membranes based on the experimentally measured membrane permeance. The numerical model was validated against the performance data available from literature and experimental tests. The maximum discrepancy of the latent effectiveness between the measured and the model-predicted results was about 6% when porous membranes were used. A parametric study was conducted with the numerical model. The results indicated that the membrane permeability, air path height, and solution to air mass ratio were the most critical parameters, determining the dehumidification performance of the MLDAD.
Mass Screening for Celiac Disease: The Autoimmunity Screening for Kids Study.

Introduction The Autoimmunity Screening for Kids (ASK) study is a large scale pediatric screening study in Colorado for celiac disease (CD) and type 1 diabetes. This is a report of the CD outcomes for the first 9,973 children screened through ASK. Methods ASK screens children aged 1-17 years for CD using 2 highly sensitive assays for tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies (TGA): a radiobinding (RBA) assay for IgA TGA and an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assay that detects all TGA isotypes. Children who test positive on either assay are asked to return for confirmatory testing. Those with a confirmed RBA TGA level ≥ 0.1 (twice the upper limit of normal) are referred to the Colorado Center for Celiac Disease for further evaluation; all others are referred to primary care. Results Of the initial 9,973 children screened, 242 children were TGA+ by any assay. Of those initially positive, 185 children (76.4%) have completed a confirmation blood draw with 149 children (80.5%) confirming positive by RBA TGA. Confirmed RBA TGA+ was associated with a family history of CD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.83; 95% confidence interval 1.06-3.16), non-Hispanic white ethnicity (OR = 3.34; 2.32-4.79), and female sex (OR = 1.43; 1.03-1.98). Gastrointestinal symptoms of CD, assessed at the initial screening, were reported equally often among the RBA TGA+ vs TGA- children (32.1% vs 30.5%, P = 0.65). Discussion The initial results of this ongoing mass-screening program confirm a high prevalence of undiagnosed CD autoimmunity in a screened US population. Symptoms at initial screening were not associated with TGA status (see Visual abstract, Supplementary Digital Content 5, http://links.lww.com/AJG/B587).
Replicating a Scalable Intervention That Helps Students Reappraise Academic and Social Adversity During the Transition to Middle School

Recent evidence suggests that helping students reappraise common social and academic worries during the difficult transition to middle school can improve their academic achievement. To further test...
Cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42 moderates the relationship between brain functional network dynamics and cognitive intraindividual variability

Abstract As Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology accumulates, resting-state functional connectivity (rs-fc) within and between brain networks decreases, and fluctuations in cognitive performance known as intraindividual variability (IIV) increase. Here, we assessed the relationship between IIV and anticorrelations in rs-fc between the default mode network (DMN)-dorsal attention network (DAN) in cognitively normal older adults and symptomatic AD participants. We also evaluated the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of AD (amyloid-beta [Aβ42] and tau) and IIV-anticorrelation in rs-fc. We observed that cognitive IIV and anticorrelations between DMN × DAN were higher in individuals with AD compared with cognitively normal participants. As DMN × DAN relationship became more positive, cognitive IIV increased, indicating that stronger anticorrelations between networks support more consistent cognitive performance. Moderation analyses indicated that continuous CSF Aβ42, but not CSF total tau, moderated the relationship between cognitive IIV and DMN × DAN, collectively demonstrating that greater amyloid burden and alterations in functional network dynamics are associated with cognitive changes seen in AD. These findings are valuable, as they suggest that amyloid affects cognitive functioning during the early stages of AD.
A model for charge transfer in ultracold Rydberg ground-state atomic collisions

In excited molecules, the interaction between the covalent Rydberg and ion-pair channels forms a unique class of excited states, in which the infinite manifold of vibrational levels are the equivalent of atomic Rydberg states with a heavy electron mass. Production of the ion-pair states usually requires excitation through one or several interacting Rydberg states; these interacting channels lead to loss of flux, diminishing the rate of ion-pair production. Here, we develop an analytical, asymptotic charge-transfer model for the interaction between ultracold Rydberg molecular states, and employ this method to demonstrate the utility of off-resonant field control over the ion-pair formation, with near unity efficiency.
Brief report: Changes in quality of life and social functioning during vocational program - a pilot study of autistic adults.

Quality of life (QoL), social-emotional and occupational functioning are often diminished in young autistic adults. Measuring these constructs as vocational training outcomes may inform future programming and relevancy of measures. This pilot study analyzed changes in social-emotional functioning and QoL during the involvement at a vocational program for autistic adults using the WHOQOL-BREF, a modified version of the Birchwood- Social Functioning Scale (SFS-m) and a piloted measure. Participants completed these self-reported questionnaires upon admission and at 3 months. Significant change was found on the SFS-m and two WHOQOL-BREF domains: psychological and environmental. This pilot study suggests that autistic adults, similar in characterization, can self-report using these QoL and social measures; further, these measures are sensitive to certain changes over time in such group programs.
Thymectomy in Pemphigus Foliaceous: A 30-Year Observation

Myasthenia gravis is an archetypal human autoimmune disease. Thymectomy is proven effective by controlled clinical trials, and is commonly part of the immunotherapeutic approach when myasthenia creates generalized weakness. Pemphigus foliaceus is also autoimmune but treated medically; and thymectomy is not part of therapy unless thymoma is discovered. Autoimmune mechanisms, age distribution, and response to therapy in autoimmune disorders are likely to be different with thymoma. The concurrence of generalized myasthenia with disfiguring pemphigus foliaceus in one young patient but without thymoma offered a natural experiment to assess immunologic antibody responsiveness postoperatively, and observe more than a quarter of a century of clinical remission of both following total thymectomy surgery. J Med Cases. 2021;12(2):41-44 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3585
Distribution of metastases in NSCLC: Economic impact of imaging

e19036 Background: Purpose: to investigate the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of routine pelvic CT scans in patients with NSCLC. Given that many patients have metastases to several organs, one i...
Proteomic interrogation of the pathogen-host interface in cholera

The microbial cell surface is a critical site of microbe-host interactions that often control infection outcomes. Here, using the infant rabbit model of cholera, which provides an abundant source of in vivo Vibrio cholerae cells and diarrheal fluid, we investigated the proteomic composition of this interface. Bulk diarrheal fluid proteomes revealed that cholera toxin accounts for the vast majority of the host proteins present during infection. We developed a surface biotinylation protocol to purify and quantify both bacterial and host proteins present on the surface of diarrheal fluid-derived V. cholerae. We found that SP-D, a toxin-dependent host protein that directly binds the V. cholerae surface, is a novel intestinal defense factor. Other V. cholerae-bound host proteins also bound distinct taxa of the murine intestinal microbiota. Proteomic investigation of the microbial surface-host interface should be a valuable tool for probing microbe-host interactions and their influence on homeostasis and infection.
CE: Assessing Back Pain in Patients Presenting to the ED.

ABSTRACT Although back pain is common, most often benign, and generally resolves in a few days with self-care, nonspecific low back pain that does not resolve with self-care and prompts patients to seek treatment in an ED may result from a serious underlying pathology. In this article, the first in a series on clinical red flags-indicators that can be used in the clinical setting to screen for an elevated risk of severe underlying conditions-the author considers back pain manifestations that may signal the presence of a debilitating or even fatal disease process. Detecting such red flags and communicating their presence to the attending provider can facilitate appropriate diagnosis and management.
XMAP: Programming Memristor Crossbars for Analog Matrix-Vector Multiplication: Towards High Precision using Representable Matrices

Linear transformations are the dominating computation within many important applications. The natural multiply and accumulate feature of memristor crossbar arrays promise unprecedented processing capabilities to resistive dot-product engines (DPEs), which can accelerate approximate matrix-vector multiplication (MVM). Unfortunately, the precision of the analog computation may be degraded by parasitics, non-linear device characteristics, and variations. In this paper, we propose a framework called XMAP for mapping an arbitrary matrix into appropriate memristor conductance values (or state variables for non-linear devices). The specified conductance values are next programmed to the memristor hardware using accurate closed-loop tuning. XMAP is based on formulating the mapping problem as a mathematical optimization problem, which can be elegantly minimized using the concept of representable matrices, i.e., the matrices that can be represented on a crossbar. Compared with the state-of-the-art conversion algorithm, the computational accuracy is improved with up to 3.29X at the expense of overhead in run-time. The precision improvements translate into noteworthy application level benefits within signal compression and neural network inference.
Polyendocrine autoimmunity

Autoimmune polyendocrine disorders are characterized by the presence of more than one autoimmune endocrine disease. Study of such disorders has provided unique insight into the pathogenesis of autoimmunity and the development of tolerance in the normal individual. Autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes I and II have distinctive inheritance patterns, genetic causes, component diseases, and implications for follow-up. Care for individuals with these diseases requires monitoring for additional autoimmune disorders and aggressive treatment of identified diseases to prevent morbidity and mortality in affected individuals.
Surface Organic Reactions Induced by Ion Bombardment

While chemical reactions, for example cationization, are common in desorption ionization methods,complex bonding processes are not [1–3]. Electron or ion transfer, clustering and fragmentation (often by simple gas phase dissociation) are often involved in ion formation when organic molecules are subjected to particle impact. Inorganic complexes and organometallic compounds often undergo more complex processes, including ligand exchange and other condensed phase behavior [4–5]. MICHL [6] has shown that simple nitrogen oxides in frozen matrices are very reactive upon argon ion bombardment, and several authors have demonstrated that chemical reduction can occur in glycerol under fast atom bombardment conditions [7–11].
India Before Europe: Introduction: situating India

Today in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi – in any big city in India – people, old, young and in-between, are everywhere chatting on cell phones or mobiles. The ring tones that chime constantly from every conceivable nook and cranny are ubiquitous, adding to the general cacophony of a modern South Asian street scene. The sound of portable phones is the most recent addition to the hodgepodge of noises one might hear, intermingling with loudspeakers playing music from the latest Bollywood hits, car and bus horns blaring, vendors of food and other items shouting out their wares, temple bells being struck, and the calling of Muslims to prayer. The new telecommunication technologies allow a person in Bangalore or Hyderabad to answer the questions of a customer of a multinational corporation calling from North America, while TV networks based in the West such as MTV, BBC, and CNN are now broadcast throughout the Indian subcontinent. Meanwhile, the Western pop culture transmitted to other parts of the globe is more and more permeated with influences from South Asia: Nora Jones, the daughter of world famous sitarist Ravi Shankar, is among the best selling artists of the early 2000s; the voice of the late Nusrat Ali Khan serves as a backdrop to the hit film Dead Man Walking ; and the grocer Apu figures on the long-running animated TV show, The Simpsons .
Damages in Actions for Wrongful Death of Children

OF DAMAGE PROVISIONS OF WRONGFUL DEATH STATUTES WITH PERTINENT GASES Alabama-ALA. CODE tit. 7, § 119. ".... such damages as the jury may assess.. Adkison v. Adkison, 46 Ala. App. 191, 239 So. 2d.555, rev'd. 239 So. 2d 562, 286 Ala. 305. Damages recoverable in an action by a parent for wrongful death of a minor child are punitive only, the idea being to punish for wrongful death and to deter others from engaging in such conduct ... $10,000 verdict for mother. Alaska-AAsK STAT. § 13.20.330. "Such damages as the court or jury may consider fair and just.. a. including, but not limited to, medical and funeral expenses. b. Loss of assistance, services and expectation of pecuniary benefits without regard to the beneficiaries' ages or relationships to decedent and without regard to the probable accumulations decedent might have saved during his lifetime if he had lived; and loss of support contributions, consortium and prospective training and education . . . if action is for benefit of decedents estate, recovery is limited to pecuniary loss. Arizona-Agiz. REV. STAT. ANN. § 12-542. "... fair and just..." Inspiration Consol. Cooper Co. v. Bergan, 35 Ariz. 285, 276 P. 846 (1929). An award to or for the benefit of parents of a deceased minor child may be based in part on the value of benefits which, according to the evidence, the parents might reasonably have expected from the child after his majority. Arkansas-ARx. STAT. ANN. § 27-909. ".... fair and just... including loss of services and companionship of spouse and/or mental anguish." ('lso next of kin) California-CAL. CIV. PRO. § 377. "Such damages as under all the circumstances may be just, but not including any recoverable under the survival statutes." Fields v. Riley, 81 Cal. Rptr. 671 (Ct. App. 1969). Plaintiff's action for death of son held damages in wrongful death action are limited to pecuniary loss suffered by one because of death of another, and parents in wrongful death action may recover for loss of a child's comfort and society and subsequent protection which child may have afforded parent provided
Methods for Demonstrating Dermal Irritation and Sensitization due to Pesticides

To avoid unnecessary human contact with compounds that are corrosive or severely irritating, chemicals may be screened using a number of different animal assays. Most of the available dermal assays readily predict the effects of the most severe irritants that produce a clear reaction after brief skin contact. The assays vary in ability to predict weak and intermediate irritants that produce reactions only after more prolonged or repeated contact. The gradations between irritant compounds can be best determined from use experience. Nevertheless, it is sometimes difficult to draw definite conclusions from the limited data available for particular compounds. Keywords: pesticide; animal assay; dermal assay; Draize model; local lymph node assay; quantitative structure activity relationship; Buehler test; open epicutaneous test; Freund's complete adjuvant test; Maurer models; split adjuvant technique; Magnusson, Kligman test
Hyperbolicity of the Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura system of Einstein evolution equations

We discuss an equivalence between the Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura (BSSN) formulation of the Einstein evolution equations, a subfamily of the Kidder-Scheel-Teukolsky formulation, and other strongly or symmetric hyperbolic first order systems with fixed shift and densitized lapse. This allows us to show under which conditions the BSSN system is, in a sense to be discussed, hyperbolic. This desirable property may account in part for the empirically observed better behavior of the BSSN formulation in numerical evolutions involving black holes.
Charitable Checkoffs: Taxpayer Convenience or Blueprint for Controversy?

Charitable checkoffs have become a standard feature of today's personal income tax return. But the increased visibility has brought with it questions about their efficiency and effectiveness. Additional concerns have arisen from the government's expanding role as fundraiser for nonprofit organizations. This report explores the recent growth in those programs and describes how the states structure and administer them. Based on their findings the authors set forth several key policy issues that deserve serious attention.
6. Economic implications of microirrigation

The farm-level economic implications of microirrigation will vary among farms and regions, and among crops and resource endowments. Farmers producing high-valued crops in arid and semi-arid regions have a greater likelihood of gaining financially by adopting microirrigation than farmers producing low-valued crops in humid and sub-humid climates. The farm-level value of water saved by reducing irrigation requirements will vary with the cost and availability of irrigation water, and with the cost of energy and the labor required to obtain and deliver the water. Farm-level gains due to increased yields will vary with the crops produced and prices received.
The genetic and structural basis of two distinct terminal side branch residues in stewartan and amylovoran exopolysaccharides and their potential role in host adaptation

Summary Stewartan and amylovoran exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by the plant pathogenic bacteria Pantoea stewartii and Erwinia amylovora are virulence factors in the cause of Stewart's vascular wilt and fire blight. The biosynthesis of amylovoran and stewartan is encoded by a set of homologous operons that have been partially characterized, although some annotations are solely on the basis of sequence homology. The major distinguishing features of these two EPS forms are the presence of a terminal pyruvate in amylovoran and glucose in stewartan, even though the gene systems to account for both are conserved and present in each bacterium. This study explores the genetic, structural and functional differences of amylovoran and stewartan, and their potential role in host adaptation. We report that the pyruvyl transferase gene in P. stewartii is non-functional, while the terminal glucosyl transferase is catalytically active. Conversely, in E. amylovora, the homologous glucosyl transferase activity appears to be relatively ineffective, while the pyruvyl transferase function predominates. We also show that the terminally pyruvylated versus glucosylated EPS require specific repeating unit translocases (Wzx). We discuss the evolutionary, functional and biological implications of the terminally pyruvylated and glucosylated polymers and their potential contribution to plant and insect host adaptation.
Chromosome Analysis and Identification

Chromosome analysis of human cells is used to identify aberrations of chromosome number and structure. These are associated with developmental or reproductive abnormalities and cancer. Analysis usually involves an examination of stained chromosomes in dividing cells under the light microscope. Individual chromosomes can be identified by morphological characteristics and staining patterns. Keywords: chromosome; cytogenetics; karyotype; aberrations; trisomy
Effects of the Non-protein Amino Acids L-Canavanine and L-Canaline on the Nervous System of the Moth Manduca Sexta (L.)

Injection of L-canavanine, a naturally occurring arginine analogue, and of its metabolic derivative, L-canaline, induced almost continuous motor activity in adult tobacco hornworms, Manduca sexta (L.). Initially the moths flew normally, but after a time interval that depended both on the amino acid and on the dose (1-l45/μmol/g fresh weight) the moths became disorientated and muscle activity was less patterned. Canaline produced its initial effects 12-30 min after injection, whereas activity in response to canavanine began after a delay of 1-2 h. Canaline (derived from canavanine by an arginase-mediated hydrolytic cleavage) is probably the biologically active factor. Canaline did not affect axonal conduction of action potentials nor the activity of mechanoreceptors on the forewing. Canaline (22μmol/g fresh weight) prolonged the postsynaptic potential of flight muscle fibres, but after 20-40 min. the electrical activity of muscle fibres was normal. The results show that canaline alters the activity of the central nervous system of adult M. sexta , but its mode of action is unknown.
A homomorphism of the de Bruijn graphs and its applications

In this paper, we present a homomorphism from a higher dimensional de Bruijn graph to a lower dimensional de Bruijn graph. This homomorphism is simple and efficient. Applications of this homomorphism on embedding the large size complete binary trees, rings, and shuffle-exchange networks to the smaller binary de Bruijn networks are presented. >
Virus production and release, cell longevity, and cloning efficiency of chicken embryo fibroblasts infected with Rous sarcoma virus.

Continuous virus production is a characteristic of chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) infected and transformed by a nondefective Schmidt-Ruppin subgroup A Rous sarcoma virus. This virus production has been examined with particular attention to the amount of newly budded virus which remained cell-associated, and to the amount and degree of viral aggregation at the cell surface and in the fluid tissue culture medium. The total biologically active virus associated with a Schmidt-Ruppin subgroup A Rous sarcoma virus-infected CEF culture was divided almost equally between that portion of virus which was present in the fluid medium and that portion which was cell-associated. Various mechanical and enzymatic methods were used to remove cell-bound virus and to disperse aggregates of virus in the tissue culture medium to assess cell production of virus per hour accurately, which was determined as an average of 16.4 focus-forming units per cell per hour. With appropriate culture conditions, it was found that Schmidt-Ruppin subgroup A Rous sarcoma virus-infected and -transformed CEF replicated faster, could be passaged more times, and grew to higher cell densities than did normal CEF and CEF infected with a subgroup A Rous associated virus. Subgroup A Rous sarcoma virus-infected CEF cloned with much lower efficiency than did subgroup A Rous associated virus-infected CEF or normal CEF. Experiments employing a temperature-sensitive mutant of subgroup A Schmidt-Ruppin Rous sarcoma virus- and Rous associated virus-infected CEF indicated that the poor cloning efficiency of Schmidt-Ruppin subgroup A Rous sarcoma virus infected cells was not due to the constant production of virus but was probably related to some property associated with transformation of the cell by Rous sarcoma virus.
Laparoscopic release of celiac artery compression syndrome facilitated by laparoscopic ultrasound scanning to confirm restoration of flow

A 43-year-old woman presented with symptomatic mesenteric ischemia caused by median arcuate ligament compression of her celiac artery. Magnetic resonance angiography clearly demonstrated stenosis of the proximal celiac artery. She underwent laparoscopic decompression by division of the ligament and excision of the celiac plexus. Laparoscopic Doppler ultrasound scanning demonstrated markedly improved flow in the artery. She was discharged in 15 hours and reported complete resolution of her symptoms at the 3-month postoperative visit. Laparoscopy provides a less invasive but equally effective method for decompressing the celiac artery as well as assessing adequacy of flow after its release.
Radiative scattering cross sections: comparison of experiment and theory.

By comparing experimental and theoretical values of the radiative scattering cross sections of spherical particles over a wavelength range of 0.40–0.70 μm, both the scattering particle distribution function and concentration as well as the scattering coefficient are obtained. The experimental cross sections are derived from transmission data by using monodispersed polystyrene latex particles immersed in distilled water and a standard spectrophotometer. A discrete bimodal particle size distribution is used to account for coagulation. It is adjusted to yield the correct distribution function by making the difference between the experimental and theoretical cross section essentially constant with wavelength. The constant difference is proportional to the measurement error in the particle volume concentration and is easily eliminated by correcting the concentration. In addition, the scattering coefficient for the medium is obtained as a function of wavelength.
Molecular chaperones and protein folding in plants.

Protein folding in vivo is mediated by an array of proteins that act either as ‘foldases’ or ‘molecular chaperones’. Foldases include protein disulfide isomerase and peptidyl prolyl isomerase, which catalyze the rearrangement of disulfide bonds or isomerization of peptide bonds around Pro residues, respectively. Molecular chaperones are a diverse group of proteins, but they share the property that they bind substrate proteins that are in unstable, non-native structural states. The best understood chaperone systems are HSP70/DnaK and HSP60/GroE, but considerable data support a chaperone role for other proteins, including HSP100, HSP90, small HSPs and calnexin. Recent research indicates that many, if not all, cellular proteins interact with chaperones and/or foldases during their lifetime in the cell. Different chaperone and foldase systems are required for synthesis, targeting, maturation and degradation of proteins in all cellular compartments. Thus, these diverse proteins affect an exceptionally broad array of cellular processes required for both normal cell function and survival of stress conditions. This review summarizes our current understanding of how these proteins function in plants, with a major focus on those systems where the most detailed mechanistic data are available, or where features of the chaperone/foldase system or substrate proteins are unique to plants.
Steric, electronic, and polar parameters that affect the toxic actions of O-alkyl, O-phenyl phosphonothionate insecticides☆☆☆

Abstract The toxic action of a series of O -alkyl, O -substituted-phenyl alkyl- and aryl-phosphonates and phosphonothionates have been evaluated by correlating the linear free energy parameters for steric ( E s ), electronic (σ), and polar ( σ ∗ ) effects with topical LD 50 to the house fly and oral LD 50 to the white mouse. In molecules free from major steric interactions with the reactive P atom, variations in these linear free energy parameters account for >90% of the variations in the LD 50 values, and the degree of correlation with LD 50 is at least as precise as that with the biomolecular rate constants for inhibition of the target-site enzyme acetylcholinesterase. The value of correlations of linear free energy parameters with LD 50 in understanding quantitative structure-activity relationships is illustrated.
Enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using the combination of fourth-harmonic and fundamental Nd:YAG laser pulses

Abstract We have studied the combination of fourth-harmonic (266 nm) and fundamental (1064 nm) Nd:YAG laser pulses of the same irradiance. On a metallic target (Al), a sequence of ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (NIR) pulses produces deeper craters and can lead under certain conditions to analyte signal enhancements larger than those obtained with a NIR–NIR sequence. Compared to a single NIR pulse, signal enhancements by factors of approximately 30 for the Si I 288.16-nm line and 100 for the Al II 281.62-nm line were observed with double pulses of the same total energy. This effect correlates with a substantial increase in plasma temperature, with ionic lines and lines having a higher excitation energy experiencing a larger enhancement. Moreover, the optimal pulse separation is found to be larger for ionic than for neutral lines (∼3 compared to ∼0.1 μs). Another finding of this study concerns the combination of two different wavelengths (266 and 1064 nm) in a single ‘mixed-wavelength’ pulse, a scheme that also leads to an enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) sensitivity. It is proposed that the double-pulse and mixed-wavelength approaches are both capable of temperature and signal enhancement for the same reason: a larger portion of laser energy is absorbed in the plasma region containing the analyte atoms, instead of being absorbed at the sample surface or in the atmosphere.
Radiation Effects in Reactor Structural Alloys

Structural materials subjected to high doses of energetic neutron radiation in advanced fission reactors and in planned fusion reactors experience profound changes in mechanical and physical properties. The important phenomena are swelling, creep, and embrittlement. Extensive programs of basic and applied radiation effects research are underway in the United States and in a number of other countries. This research has led to both an understanding of the fundamental processes operating and to the broad result that the severity of radiation effects is quite sensitive to irradiation and materials parameters. By manipulating these sensitivities with guidance from a knowledge of the basic processes, physical metallurgists have been able to design improved alloys for radiation effects resistance.
Capillary pH and blood gas determinations in asthmatic children

Earlobe capillary pH and blood gases in asthmatic children were compared to arterial values. Hyperemia of the earlobe was produced by applying thurfyl nicotinate (Trafuril). Approximately 15 min later capillary blood was obtained simultaneously with a radial arterial sample. Earlobe capillary PO2, PO2, and pH correlated well with arterial values. This technique is simple, safe, and appears to be a satisfactory substitute for arterial blood in normotensive asthmatic children.
Densification of iron compacts with various initial porosities under hydrostatic pressure

Abstract This study evaluated the effects of hydrostatic pressures up to 1104 MPa on densification of porous iron containing 0.3–11.1% porosity. For the porosities studied, densification as a result of pressurization increased with hydrostatic pressure and initial porosity. The 0.3% porosity iron was the only one whose density did not increase with pressurization up to 1104MPa. Current deformation models of ductile porous materials based on Gurson's yield criterion and rigid-plastic FEM analysis predicted much faster densification with pressurization than observed for porosity contents of 6.2% or less. A reason proposed for this behavior is the omission in the models of an internal pressure which builds up in the pores during the compaction process. A modification is introduced to Gurson's model to take account of internal pressure effects. The modified model exhibited excellent agreement with the experimental observations and provides a constitutive relation for the simulation of compaction and forming processes of P/M parts.
Slush hydrogen pressurized expulsion studies at the NASA K-Site Facility

An experiment test series of the slush hydrogen (SLH2) project at the NASA LeRC Plum Brook K-Site Facility was completed. This testing was done as part of the characterization and technology database development on slush hydrogen required for the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) Program. The primary objective of these experiments was to investigate tank thermodynamic parameters during the pressurized expulsion of slush hydrogen. To accomplish this, maintenance of tank pressure control was investigated during pressurized expulsion of slush hydrogen using gaseous hydrogen and gaseous helium pressurant. In addition, expulsion tests were performed using gaseous helium for initial pressurization, then gaseous hydrogen during expulsion. These tests were conducted with and without mixing of the slush hydrogen. Results from the testing included an evaluation of tank pressure control, pressurant requirements, SLH2 density change, and system mass and energy balances.
Mammalian synthesis of UMP from orotate: The regulation of and conformers of Complex U

Complex U contains two enzyme activities, namely, orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidylate decarboxylase, which convert orotate to UMP. These two activities copurify in a 300-fold purification from Ehrlich ascites cells, as studied in this laboratory, and in purified preparation studied in other laboratories from other tissues. We have discussed: 1) How OMP is channeled by Complex U so that it is not readily released into solution after it is formed from orotate and phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate. This channeling makes it important to test inhibitors of the decarboxylase of the complex at low OMP concentrations. 2) The sedimentation characteristics of Complex U are a function of the solvent. Five conformer sizes, namely, 3.8, 4.45, 4.8, 5.1 and 5.5 S are seen. These conformers are related to the kinetic effects of substrates, products or inhibitors on one or the other of the two enzymatic centers of Complex U. It is suggested that the 4.8 S conformer might be expected to exist in the cytosol, in vivo. A major problem that remains to be resolved is whether the two enzyme activities reside on separable polypeptide chains or whether Complex U is a multifunctional protein so that the two enzymatically active centers reside on a singly polypeptide chain.
A heat-stable protein inhibitor of cyclic 3',5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase.

Abstract A heat-stable, non-dialyzable inhibitory factor of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase was detected in and partially purified from bovine retina. The factor appears to be a protein, since the inhibitory activity was abolished by trypsin digestion but not by DNAase or RNAase treatment. The protein inhibitor from bovine retina effectively inhibits the Ca 2+ -independent phosphodiesterase from several sources, including bovine retina, bovine rod outer segment, and a human lymphoblastic leukemia cell line, indicating lack of tissue and species specificity.
Identification and Functional Characterization of flgM, a Gene Encoding the Anti-Sigma 28 Factor in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

We describe here the functional characterization of the putative flgM gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. FlgM of P. aeruginosa is most similar to FlgM of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. A conserved region is present in the C-terminal half of the FlgM of P. aeruginosa and in FlgM homologues of other organisms that includes the σ28 binding domain. A role for the flgM gene of P. aeruginosa in motility was demonstrated by its inactivation. The β-galactosidase activity of a transcriptional fusion of the fliC promoter to lacZ was upregulated in the flgM mutant, suggesting that the activity of FliA, the sigma factor that regulates fliC, was increased. Consistent with these results, an increased amount of flagellin was demonstrated in the flgM mutant of P. aeruginosa strain PAK by Western blot, suggesting that FlgM negatively regulates transcription of fliC by inhibiting the activity of FliA. Direct interaction of the P. aeruginosa FlgM with the alternative sigma factor σ28 was demonstrated by utilizing the yeast two-hybrid system. Three putative consensus σ54 recognition sites and one σ28 site were found in the flgM upstream region. However, analysis of the transcriptional fusion of the flgM promoter to lacZ in different mutant backgrounds showed that the flgM promoter was not entirely dependent on either σ28 or σ54. A transcript was detected by primer extension that was 8 bp downstream of the consensus σ28-binding site. Thus, a system for the control of flagellin synthesis by FlgM exists in P. aeruginosa that is different from that in the enteric bacteria and seems to be most similar to that of V. cholerae where both σ28-dependent and -independent mechanisms of transcription exist.
A cancellative amenable ascending union of nonamenable semigroups

We construct an example of a cancellative amenable semigroup which is the ascending union of semigroups, none of which are amenable.
A solar simulator‐pumped atomic iodine laser

An atomic iodine laser, a candidate for the direct solar‐pumped gas laser, was excited with a 4‐kW beam from a xenon arc solar simulator. Continuous lasing at 1.315 μm for over 10 ms was obtained for static filling of n‐C3F7I vapor. By momentarily flowing the lasant, a 30‐Hz pulsed output was obtained for about 200 ms. The peak laser power observed was 4 W for which the system efficiency reached 0.1%. These results indicate that direct solar pumping of a gas laser for power conversion in space is indeed feasible.
Characterization of Boron Doped Amorphous Silicon Films by Multiple Internal Reflection Infrared Spectroscopy

In this study, we employed Multiple Internal Reflection Infrared Spectroscopy (MIR-IR) to characterize chemical bonding structures of boron doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H(B)). This technique has been shown to provide over a hundred fold increase of detection sensitivity when compared with conventional FTIR. Our MIR-IR analyses reveal an interesting counter-balance relationship between boron-doping and hydrogen-dilution growth parameters in PECVD-grown a-Si:H. Specifically, an increase in the hydrogen dilution ratio (H2/SiH4) was found to cause the increase in the Si-H bonding and a decrease in the B-H and SiH2 bonding, as evidenced by the changes in corresponding IR absorption peaks. In addition, although a higher boron dopant gas concentration was seen to increase the BH and SiH2 bonding, it also resulted in the decrease of the most stable SiH bonding configuration. The new chemical bonding information of a-Si:H thin film was correlated with the various boron doping mechanisms proposed by theoretical calculations.
Mössbauer spectroscopy with a microprocessor: A versatile software package☆

A microprocessor controlled Mossbauer spectrometer with interferometric calibration is described. A closed-cycle cryostat allows absorbers to be cooled to any temperature between 12 K and room temperature. The commercial software for acquisition of data and fitting Lorentzian lines to a spectrum has been greatly modified and improved. A new, large software package is described allowing velocity calibration, graphical display on terminal, acquisition of source spectra, plotting of spectra on X, t recorder and communication with an external computer.
Cranial nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in head trauma

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging revealed focal intracranial lesions consisting of extraaxial hematomas or nonhemorrhagic contusions in 3 patients with severe neurological disability following head trauma. In all 3, standard skull radiography and computed tomography had been unremarkable.
Kalman filtering approach for reducing gyroscope noise effects in stabilized platforms

Stabilization systems use gyroscopes typically mounted along side sensing or imaging devices being isolated from external rotations in inertial space. The gyroscopes measure the residual angular motion of the platform stabilized member. The better the stabilization the smaller the sensed residual motion is. Conceivably, the residual motion (angular jitter) could be as small as the noise in the gyroscope outputs. This represents a low signal-to-noise ratio case. Under such conditions, lower noise gyroscopes would be required to further reduce angular jitter, at considerably higher expense. Alternatively, the performance of the stabilization system can be significantly enhanced through noise reducing optimal filtering techniques. The latter approach uses angular velocity estimates that are more accurate than raw measurements to stabilize the platform, without resorting to more precise and costly lower-noise gyroscopes. This paper presents a new Kalman filtering technique that reduces the mean-square-error (MSE) between actual angular velocity values and estimated ones by an order of magnitude (when compared to the MSE resulting from direct measurements) even under extremely low signal-to-noise ratio conditions. The electronically improved angular motion measurements can be fed into the platform stabilization control system (instead of raw measurements) considerably reducing stabilization jitter.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin for Treatment of Superficial Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Prostatic Urethra in Association With Carcinoma of the Bladder

ABSTRACTBetween 1981 and 1989, 83 male patients with stages Ta, Tis and T1 transitional cell carcinoma were treated with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Of 17 patients with carcinoma in situ of the prostatic urothelium 13 had identifiable prostatic ducts and periurethral ductal transitional cell carcinoma was identified in 7. At a median followup of 64 months (range 29 to 90) 12 of 17 patients (70%) had a complete response in the prostatic urethra. Among the 10 patients with mucosal carcinoma without ductal involvement 8 responded as did 4 of the 7 with mucosal and ductal involvement.A total of 9 patients had persistent tumor or recurrence in the bladder or prostate. Two men had recurrence in the prostatic urethra and, due to age and co-morbidity, both were treated by transurethral resection and fulguration. Cystectomy was performed in the remaining 7 patients. Three of 31 patients (10%) whose prostate urethral biopsies were negative before BCG therapy had a positive biopsy afterwards. After treatment wit...
QoS for internet services: done right

In this paper we argue that the best approach to providing Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees to current Internet services is to use admission control and traffic shaping techniques at the entrance points of Internet hosting sites. We propose a black-box approach that does not require knowledge, instrumentation, or modification of the system (hardware and software) that implements the services provided by the site.We maintain that such a non-intrusive QoS solution achieves better resource utilization, has lower cost, and is more flexible than the current approaches of physical partitioning and hardware over-provisioning. Furthermore, we contend that our solution is easier to deploy, less complex to implement, and easier to maintain than more intrusive approaches which embed the QoS logic into the operating system, distributed middleware, or application code. We demonstrate empirically that despite being decoupled from the internal mechanisms implementing the site, a black-box approach provides effective response times and capacity guarantees.
Designing unpaced production lines to optimize throughput and work-in-process inventory

This article considers the optimal design of unpaced assembly lines. Two key decisions in designing an unpaced assembly line are the allocation of work to the stations and the allocation of buffer storage space between the stations. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first article to jointly optimize both the allocation of workload and the allocation of buffer spaces simultaneously when the objective is to maximize the revenue from throughput minus the cost of work-in-process inventory. Exact solutions are provided for small lines (three or four stations) with a fixed kind of processing time distribution (exponential or Erlang). Ten observations are made about the characteristics of the allocation of workload and buffer spaces. Heuristics are suggested for designing lines with more stations or different processing time distributions. A simulation study is done to test the observations and heuristics for longer lines and different processing time distributions (lognormal). Significant savin...
Tropical Sod Webworm (Lepidoptera: Crambidae): a Pest of Warm Season Turfgrasses

Larvae of Herpetogramma species (commonly called webworms, sod webworms, or grass webworms) are widely distributed throughout North America, Eurasia, Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America. Tropical sod webworm, Herpetogramma phaeopteralis (Guenee), larvae are among the most destructive pests of warm-season turfgrasses in the southeastern United States, Caribbean, and central America, especially on sod farms and newly established sod, lawns, athletic fields, and golf courses. Larval feeding affects the esthetics, vigour, photosynthesis, and density of turfgrass. Symptoms of infestation appear as notched and ragged grass blades with damaged areas in lawn appearing as small brown patches of closely mowed grass. Heavy infestations allow the ingress of weeds. Current control recommendations against tropical sod webworm include several cultural methods (including dethatching and cultivar selection) and the foliar application of chemical insecticides against larval stages. We summarize the seasonal biology, taxonomy, and IPM options of this important pest.