cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spall strength in alloyed magnesium: A compendium of research efforts from the CMEDE 10-year effort

Abstract Magnesium alloys are an attractive material system for protection applications due to their high specific strength and stiffness, but exhibit low ductility in these applications. The potential to address this shortcoming through materials-based-design has motivated the Center for Materials in Extreme Dynamic Environments (CMEDE) to focus on improving Mg systems over the past decade. The plastic anisotropy from the low-symmetry hexagonal-close-packed crystal structure of Mg, as well as defects in the microstructure such as voids and precipitates, may all play roles in spall (dynamic tensile failure at high strain rates), but experimental data assessing the effect of individual microstructure features on spall remains challenging to obtain. We begin the present study by reviewing spall investigations on pure and alloyed Mg from the literature, and then present a large number of spall experiments performed with a laser-driven micro-flyer apparatus on Mg-9Al (wt.%) thin foil specimens with various precipitate morphologies in order to address this shortcoming. The model Mg-9Al binary alloy is warm-rolled and processed in two conditions: (a) fully solutionized with no precipitates, and (b) peak-aged to generate high aspect-ratio precipitates (Mg17Al12 second phase particles/inclusions) with nm-scale thickness and μ m-scale length on the basal plane. The loading direction is varied between the normal-to and transverse-to rolling directions of the specimen in order to interrogate the effects of both plastic anisotropy of the matrix material and geometric anisotropy of the precipitates on the spall strength. Bayesian analysis of the results enables us to account for instrument uncertainty and microstructure variation in our study. We compare the experiments to numerical simulations using realistic precipitate geometries and spacings from electron microscopy observations, finding a significant decrease in spall strength in the Mg-9Al with precipitates despite the expected increase in quasi-static yield strength.
Linear Algebraic Proofs of VC-Dimension Based Inequalities

We apply linear algebra(polynomial) techniques to various VC-Dimension based inequalities. We explore connections between the sample compression and this technique for so called maximum classes and prove that maximum classes are connected subgraphs of a Boolean cube.We provide a fast (linear in the cardinality of the class for the fixed VC-dimension) interpolational algorithm for maximum classes.A new method to bound a pseudo-dimension for a class of cell-wise constant functions is proposed.
Co-Evolution of a Virus-Alga System

Abstract Plectonema boryanum, a filamentous blue-green alga, was cloned and then allowed to reach a steady state in a quasi-continuous culture in the presence of the algal virus, LPP-1. The culture was maintained for a 3.5-month period during which time at least four distinct culture lysings were evident. After the fourth lysis the culture reached a steady-state level which was identical in its algal concentration to the preinfection level. Upon testing the characteristics of the evolved alga and virus variants, the following was determined: cell variants resistant to both the original virus and the derived virus had evolved, and there was no evidence of lysogeny present among these cells. The evolved virus strains still grew on the parental algal strain, though with altered plaque morphology. Furthermore, they were antigenically similar to the parental virus, and showed no significant difference in adsorption rate or growth characteristics on parental cells. However, a low-grade chronic viral infection persisted in the culture. Rapid re-establishment of a dense, stable culture is apparently the normal laboratory response of a procaryotic cell-virus system.
A dual-pathway neural network model of control relinquishment in motor skill learning

Cognitive psychologists have long recognized that the acquisition of a motor skill involves a transition from attention-demanding controlled processing to more fluent automatic processing. Neuroscientific studies suggest that controlled and automatic processing rely on two largely distinct neural pathways. The controlled pathway, which includes the prefrontal cortex, is seen as acquiring declarative representations of skills. In comparison, the automatic pathway is thought to develop procedural representations. Automaticity in motor skill learning involves a reduction in dependence on frontal systems and an increased reliance on the automatic pathway. In this paper, we propose a biologically plausible computational model of motor skill automaticity. This model offers a dual-pathway neurocomputational account of the translation of declarative knowledge into procedural knowledge during motor learning. In support of the model, we review some previously reported human experimental results involving the learning of a sequential key pressing task, and we demonstrate, through simulation, howthe model provides a parsimonious explanation for these results.
Familial Norms and Normality

Social norms exert a powerful influence on families. They shape major life decisions, such as whether to marry and how many children to have, as well as everyday decisions, such as how to discipline children and divide household labor. Emotion is a defining feature of these familial social norms, giving force and content to norms in contexts as varied as reproductive choice, parenting, and same-sex relationships. These emotion-laden norms do not stand apart from the law. Falling along a continuum of involvement that ranges from direct regulation to choice architecture, state sway over social norms through their emotional valence is an under-recognized aspect of the family-state relationship.Although scholars have explored aspects of familial social norms, current accounts offer an incomplete picture of both families and family law because they insufficiently account for the elemental relationship between social norms, emotion, and the state. By exploring the confluence of these forces, this Article makes two contributions to the literature. Descriptively, this Article identifies the centrality of emotion in creating and defining familial social norms. First, emotion is often the content of a familial social norm; therefore it is impossible to understand the norm without understanding emotion. Second, emotions can trigger social norms, with particular emotions leading to changes in behavior. Third, familial social norms carry tremendous emotional weight, which explains why the cost of noncompliance can be particularly high in the family context. Finally, the emotion-laden nature of familial social norms complicates any predictive enterprise for law and policy.Normatively, a more complete understanding of the operation of familial social norms allows for more effective regulation of families. The state should recognize that emotion is a powerful point of entry when it seeks to influence norms and shape behavior. There are risks to this influence, but exposing the uncomfortable reality that the law often tries to manipulate our affective lives creates an opportunity to use this dynamic for more appealing ends, such as cultivating greater tolerance for parental conduct that falls outside dominant norms.
Teaching Digital Multimedia as a Component of Business Education

The growth of the Internet and the explosion of digital communication technologies in the 1990s have given rise to the importance of digital multimedia in the American economy. We define multimedia as the transmission of content through a combination of text, graphics, pictures, sound, animation, video, and hyperlinks, resulting in communication that is multisensory and potentially interactive. Multimedia has had an impact on Internet marketing, the music and motion picture industries, the education industry, and healthcare. It is therefore relevant to marketing and information systems and would seem to have a place in business curricula. The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of teaching digital multimedia in a business discipline. A review of multimedia offerings in higher education indicates that the concepts, technical aspects, and creation of digital multimedia are taught variously in computer science, the creative arts, communication, or psychology but are largely absent from the domain of business disciplines. We report on our experiences teaching a three-credit, 15-week, junior/senior-level Digital Multimedia course under the Computer Information Systems heading. Topics associated with the course include conceptual understanding of digital multimedia, business and legal issues surrounding digital multimedia, and technical underpinnings and skills in the creation of multimedia. A key component of the course is a semester-long team project on a topic selected by each group of students. Challenges in teaching the course include cost of hardware, software, and facilities; containment of the scope of topics; differing expectations of students entering the course; and availability of support materials.
Evaluation of radiochemical purity for 99mTc-sulfur colloid prepared using a water heating bath or dry heating block

2720 Objectives 99mTc-sulfur colloid (SC) is typically prepared using a boiling water bath as the heating method. However, USP general chapter stipulates that “the buffer area shall not contain sources of water (sinks) or floor drains” as water would promote microbial growth. For this reason, Mayo Clinic uses a dry heating block in the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals requiring heat treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare radiochemical purity (RCP) values of 99mTc-SC prepared using either a water heating bath or a dry heating block. Methods 99mTc-SC preparations were produced using the standard-heating time (5 min) (n=3) or reduced-heating time (3 min) (n=3) during the reconstitution process. RCP was determined using Whatman 31ET chromatography paper and an 85% methanol solvent as the mobile phase. RCP for filtered (0.2 μm) and unfiltered 99mTc-SC was assessed at 0, 1, 3 and 6 hr. Results The table below shows the RCP values for each heating method at the designated time points. Using these values, the difference in RCP was calculated for the 5 min heating block compared to the 5 min heating bath to range from -0.4% to 2.0 %. The difference calculated for values seen in the 3 min heating time when comparing to the two heating methods was determined to be 22.2% to 36.3%. Conclusions The results of our study indicate that there is no significant difference in RCP values for filtered and unfiltered 99mTc-SC prepared by a water heating bath or dry heating block when using the standard 5 min heating time. However, significantly lower RCP values were observed in both filtered and unfiltered 99mTc-SC heated for 3 min when using the dry heating block.
Rhodopsin structure, dynamics, and activation: a perspective from crystallography, site-directed spin labeling, sulfhydryl reactivity, and disulfide cross-linking.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents rhodopsin structure and dynamics at the cytoplasmic face in solution, the comparison between the solution structure and the crystal structure, and the structural changes underlying receptor activation. The data from site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) and disulfide cross-linking together indicate that the crystal and solution structures are very similar at the level of the backbone fold for C1, H8, and the cytoplasmic termination of TM1-TM7. However, substantial differences are seen in C3 and the C-terminal tail, wherein the backbones are flexible on the nanosecond time scale in solution. The chapter also illustrates systematic application of time-resolved SDSL to monitor helix movements, together with the use of chemically modified chromophore structures, is a promising approach to exploring the relationship between chromophore structure, the critical salt bridge, and helix movements leading to activation.
Tracing absence: enduring methods, empirical research and a quest for the first neon sign in the USA

In this paper I review approaches to absence in geography to argue that, while apprehending absence requires creative and varied approaches, actually tracing absence may demand traditional, methodical and time-intensive empirical research. Without undermining the value of novel methods or expanded understandings of the empirical, I demonstrate how sometimes only exhaustive empirical research (archival in this case) can address our research questions – as much as we may favour the new, sometimes we must rely on the methods that endure. To make this point I present my quest for evidence of the much-lauded first neon sign in the USA. The story of the 1922–3 Earle C. Anthony ‘Packard’ sign had not been questioned by print or Internet source – but neither had any primary evidence (such as photographs or media coverage) been presented of its existence. That lack of evidence became a six-month quest to trace the sign's absence, one that reveals how exhaustive archival research, utilising sources previously not consulted (or perhaps even known), could upset previous histories of neon signs in the USA.
When a child errs: the ERN and the Pe complex in children.

We report an analysis of the componential structure of the event‐related potentials (ERPs) elicited when 8–10‐year‐old children err. We demonstrated previously that the positive deflection that follows the error‐related negativity (ERN) in young adults is a combination of two ERP components, a fronto‐central positive component and a P300. As these findings affect the interpretation of error‐related ERP data, it is essential to determine if the componential structure of the ERPs elicited by children's errors is similar to that found in young adults. The results of the current study confirm that, as is the case in adults, both an ERN and a fronto‐central positivity are elicited by errors committed by children. In contrast to what has been previously found in adults, errors committed by children elicited a central positivity in addition to a parietal negativity that was elicited by correct responses.
Learning-based event response for marine robotics

Robotic vehicles have become a critical tool for studying the under-sampled coastal ocean. This has led to new paradigms in scientific discovery. The combination of agility, reactivity, and persistent presence makes autonomous robots ideal for targeted sampling of elusive, episodic events such as algal blooms. In order to achieve this goal, they need to be deployed at the right place and time. To that end, we have designed and will soon deploy a shore-based event recognition technology to continuously monitor remote sensing imagery for algal blooms as targets for robotic field experiments. A Support Vector Machine underlies a field-tested decision support system which scientists will consult prior to deploying robots in the coastal ocean. Our aim is to target oceanographic field experiments for evaluation and verification.
Activation of p38 and Smads mediates BMP-2 effects on human trabecular bone-derived osteoblasts

The bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are potent osteoinductive factors that accelerate osteoblast maturation, accompanied by increased cell-substrate adhesion. BMP-2 treatment of osteoblastic cells increases phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic BMP-2 signaling molecules, Smad1 and Smad5. We have previously reported that BMP-2 treatment increase cytoskeletal organization of human trabecular bone-derived osteoblast-like cells (osteoblasts), which is also accompanied by an activation of the focal adhesion kinase p125(FAK). We report here that activation of p125(FAK) occurs with the same kinetics as the phosphorylation of Smad1, suggesting that BMP-2 initiates cross-talk between Smad signaling and the adhesion-mediated signaling pathway. As an adjunct to these effects, we examined activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family members in response to focal adhesion contact formation. Although phosphorylated forms of all three kinases were apparent, only SAPK2alpha/p38 (p38) was activated in response to BMP-2 treatment. Inhibition of p38 kinase activity suppressed BMP-2 induced Smad1 phosphorylation, as well as its translocation to the nucleus, suggesting the integration of p38 activation with Smad1 signaling. Finally, inhibition of p38 in osteoblasts also led to the complete abrogation of BMP-2 induced osteocalcin gene expression and matrix mineralization. These findings suggest that BMP-2 must activate p38 in order to mediate osteogenic differentiation and maturation.
A comprehensive representation of transient

A general mathematical statement is presented to describe transient weldpool development. In the formulation, axi-symmetric systems are considered and allowance is made for buoyancy, surface tension, and electromagnetic forces. An extensive set of computed results is presented describing the behavior of aluminum, steel, and titanium, thus covering a broad range of thermal conductivities. These computed results are complemented with order of magnitude estimates of key process parameters, providing an improved insight into the overall system behavior. It is shown that through these order of magnitude estimates it is possible to predict conditions under which convection is important by recourse to the Peclet number and melt velocity estimates. It is shown, furthermore, that when surface tension effects are present, as may be the case for steel, these are likely to be dominant in determining the melt velocity.
Dynamic propagation of a finite crack

Abstract A transient analysis of a propagating finite crack of opening mode is considered. A two-dimensional singular integral equation is formulated for the rotation of the crack surface by the method of integral transform. The dynamic stress intensity factor is determined by use of the value of the strength of the square root singularity in the rotation at the crack tip after solving the integral equation numerically. The motion of the crack tips and the load on the crack face are not prescribed in the formulation of the problem. Therefore, the method of solution is applicable to nonuniform rates of propagation of a crack under an arbitrary time dependent load on the crack face. As example problems, the diffraction of a uniform dilatational wave by (1) a stationary crack, (2) a propagating crack with constant speed and (3) a suddenly stopping crack after propagating with constant speed is considered. The dynamic stress intensity is computed for a wide range of time in each problem.
Off-Line Risk Assessment of Cloud Service Provider

The acceptance of cloud as a platform to migrate applications has seen a boom in the past few decades. Hosting applications on the cloud cuts down its maintenance and infrastructure costs. Nonetheless security of these applications on the cloud is one of the primary concerns which prevents complete adoption of cloud. Although cloud provides security, they do not address it in terms of application security and thus organizations cannot fully comprehend them. In this paper, we propose an off-line risk assessment framework to evaluate a cloud service provider's security from the point of view of an application to be migrated there. Once the most secure cloud service provider is determined for an application, the framework will perform a cost-benefit tradeoff analysis to estimate an optimal cloud migration strategy.
Ultrasonic studies of radiation damage in an aluminum-manganese alloy

A technique has been developed for ultrasonic studies of the properties of crystals containing defects produced by electron radiation of dilute alloys. The method permits measurements of both relaxation and resonance effects for multiple defects for all three independent elastic modes in cubic crystals at low enough defect concentrations to avoid defect interaction effects. A multiple-peak structure was found in an aluminum-manganese alloy. This together with annealing data indicates that more than one defect configuration was present, despite optimum conditions for avoiding complications due to multiple-interstitial and multiple-solute-atom complexes. The major defect is a strongly trapped 〈100〉-symmetry mixed dumbbell which rotates between equivalent positions near 130 K at 10 MHz. Existing theories predict some but not all of the effects found. In particular, the fact that the mixed dumbbell rotates between equivalent positions at high and not low temperature, and that this defect configuration does not increase in concentration with annealing, remains as challenges to theory. Also the fact that the multiple peaks found differ greatly from those found in Al-Fe suggests that other aspects besides size effects should be taken into account. The results show that the technique should also be valuable for studies of other alloys.
Somatic embryogenesis in anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) : The effect of proline on embryogenic callus formation and aba on advanced embryo development

Somatic embryos of anise (Pimpinella anisum) are an excellent system to investigate the biosynthesis of food-related phenolic metabolites like anethol which is linked to differentiation. Somatic embryogenesis in anise is a two part system. The first is a 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid)-induced embryogenic callus formation which requires optimal levels of endogenous auxin and cytokinin levels. The second is the advanced embryo development stage in the absence of 2,4-D which requires abscisic acid to stimulate embryo growth. Our work has shown that proline and the precursors of proline (ornithine and arginine), in combination with the proline analog, azetidine-2-carboxylate (A2C) significantly stimulated 2,4-D-induced embryogenic callus formation and subsequent somatic embryo development in hormone-free medium. Further, abscisic acid stimulated somatic embryo development in anise in the second stage. Total phenolic assays done on embryogenic tissue during 2,4-D-induced embryogenic callus, formation, and during abscisic acid-mediated embryo development showed that levels were highest in embryogenic tissue induced in the presence of proline plus A2C. Total phenolic levels of developing embryos in the absence of 2,4-D and in the presence of abscisic acid were higher than that of the control. A hypothesis for further investigation is proposed based on the potential role of the proline-linked pentose phosphate pathway in stimulating the biosynthesis of purines and phenolic metabolites during anise somatic embryogenesis.
Funding of acupuncture research by the National Institutes of Health: a brief history

Abstract Past and present funding of acupuncture research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is reviewed. Key events are noted that have impacted this funding, including the post-Cultural Revolution opening of China to the West and the discovery in Hong Kong of ear acupoints to treat substance abusers, both in the early 1970s; the creation of the NIH Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) in 1992; the reclassifying of the acupuncture needle from a class III (investigational) to a class II (safe and effective) medical device by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996; the NIH Consensus Development Conference on Acupuncture in 1997; and the congressionally-mandated upgrade of OAM to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in 1999. A search of the CRISP database of NIH-funded research projects (from 1972 to 1999) for the topic `ACUPUNCTURE' produced 182 hits representing 79 separate projects. The distribution by year of these 79 grants, 35 prior to 1980, 38 post-1992, is seen as reflecting the influence of the above events. Among the 42 pilot projects initially funded by OAM, six were trials of acupuncture and an additional five were trials of other modalities of Oriental Medicine. Of the nine currently funded academically-based NCCAM Centers, seven include clinical trials of acupuncture, Chinese herbs or Qigong in their research plans. The OAM-initiated 1998 request for clinical trial pilot studies to develop improved methodology for acupuncture research resulted in seven funded projects. In fiscal year 1999, OAM/NCCAM funded a major trial of acupuncture for osteoarthritis, and a new group of Center grants was awarded.
What Preservice Teachers and Knowledgeable Others Professionally Notice During Lesson Study

The purpose of this study was to understand what preservice teachers and knowledgeable others professionally notice as they engaged in repeated cycles of a modified version of lesson study, as a component of a field experience in a teacher education program. The study also centered on comparing the professional noticing practices of preservice teachers with other lesson study participants, including classroom teachers and university facilitators. Data analyzed included videos of weekly lesson study analysis meetings for seven weeks for each of four teams. Each team included six preservice teachers, a classroom teacher, and a university facilitator. Findings indicate that preservice teachers primarily noticed elements about the classroom environment and teacher pedagogy, but included instances of noticing centered on students' mathematical thinking. In contrast, classroom teachers and university facilitators, as knowledgeable others, typically noticed general events and were less focused on students' mathe...
Anger and the ABC Model Underlying Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy:

The ABC model underlying Ellis's Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy predicts that people who think more irrationally should display greater trait anger than do people who think less irrationally. This study tested this prediction regarding the ABC model. 186 college students were administered the Survey of Personal Beliefs and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-Second Edition to measure irrational thinking and trait anger, respectively. Students who scored higher on Overall Irrational Thinking and Low Frustration Tolerance scored significantly higher on Trait Anger than did those who scored lower on Overall Irrational Thinking and Low Frustration Tolerance. This indicates support for the ABC model, especially Ellis's construct of irrational beliefs which is central to the model.
Characterization of a Triple DNA Polymerase Replisome

The replicase of all cells is thought to utilize two DNA polymerases for coordinated synthesis of leading and lagging strands. The DNA polymerases are held to DNA by circular sliding clamps. We demonstrate here that the E. coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme assembles into a particle that contains three DNA polymerases. The three polymerases appear capable of simultaneous activity. Furthermore, the trimeric replicase is fully functional at a replication fork with helicase, primase, and sliding clamps; it produces slightly shorter Okazaki fragments than replisomes containing two DNA polymerases. We propose that two polymerases can function on the lagging strand and that the third DNA polymerase can act as a reserve enzyme to overcome certain types of obstacles to the replication fork.
Challenges and opportunities for donors in reducing maternal death and morbidity: lessons from the PMM experience.

Abstract The experience of the PMM Network offers several insights for donors seeking to work on maternal mortality, particularly in Africa where the risk of maternal death is highest. First, the projects provide evidence that multidisciplinary operations research can result in the development and implementation of successful, relatively low-cost interventions. In addition, the work of PMM highlights the need for greater donor funding to build and support partnerships — to include researchers, communities and policymakers — that enhance sustainability of efforts. Finally, the work of the teams confirms the benefits of donor commitment to building local capacity. © 1997 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics
Tools for assessing the quality and accessibility of online health information: initial testing among breast cancer websites

Health websites are used frequently, but there are many concerns about their value as information sources. Additionally, there are numerous personal barriers that prevent individuals from wholly benefitting from them. In order to assess the quality of health websites and their accessibility to users, we created tools based on previous research that examine design aspects, information validity, motivational health content and literacy content. To test these tools, we examined 155 breast cancer websites and created scores for each assessment tool to describe the percent of constructs on the average website. Results demonstrated that websites performed best on the design tool followed by the information validity, motivational health content and literacy assessment tools. The average website contained the majority of the design and information validity constructs, but only about a third of the motivational health or literacy constructs. Multiple items from the motivational health content and literacy assessment tools were not found on any of the websites, and many were only represented on a handful of sites. Overall, the assessment tools were useful in evaluating the quality of websites, and could serve as valuable resources for health website developers in the future.
Explaining obesity with urban form: a cautionary tale

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in studies exploring associations between the built environment and obesity. Many studies have found that built environment characteristics, such as high-density land developments, mixed-land uses, and connected street networks, are associated with lower rates of obesity. However, depending on the research field and the researcher, how one specifies the experimental model and how sociodemographic characteristics of the population are defined and included in the model has led to different policy conclusions and implications. This is not a surprising observation; however, it is one that does seem to have been lost in current discussions. This article highlights several data-processing, model-specification, and model-estimation factors that should be comprehensively considered in studies of the built environment and obesity. Empirical results based on data from Atlanta, GA, USA, illustrate that the association between the built environment and obesity is sensitive to how age, income, and educational attainment are included in the model. Also, a detailed examination of land-use-mix measures shows that it is difficult to create this measure and that results are sensitive to the treatment of missing values. Models that distinguish between overweight and obese individuals are shown to provide richer insights into the associations among obesity, built environment, and sociodemographic characteristics for the Atlanta area. The article concludes by offering modeling recommendations for future studies.
The primate ventral pallidum encodes expected reward value and regulates motor action.

Summary Motor actions are facilitated when expected reward value is high. It is hypothesized that there are neurons that encode expected reward values to modulate impending actions and potentially represent motivation signals. Here, we present evidence suggesting that the ventral pallidum (VP) may participate in this process. We recorded single neuronal activity in the monkey VP using a saccade task with a direction-dependent reward bias. Depending on the amount of the expected reward, VP neurons increased or decreased their activity tonically until the reward was delivered, for both ipsiversive and contraversive saccades. Changes in expected reward values were also associated with changes in saccade performance (latency and velocity). Furthermore, bilateral muscimol-induced inactivation of the VP abolished the reward-dependent changes in saccade latencies. These data suggest that the VP provides expected reward value signals that are used to facilitate or inhibit motor actions.
Multidimensional Psychophysics as a Method of Studying Institutions

(1962). Multidimensional Psychophysics as a Method of Studying Institutions. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 56, No. 1, pp. 49-56.
Changing epidemiology of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis in Northeast Florida: a comparative study

The objective of this study was to review the epidemiological patterns of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) in a pediatric population. We compared incidence, pathogenesis, clinical presentation and outcomes in two APSGN pediatric patient cohorts in northeastern Florida. Retrospective medical records were reviewed of children who were admitted to our institution with a diagnosis of APSGN. Patients admitted between 1999 and 2006 (recent cohort) were compared with a previously reported cohort of patients admitted between 1957 and 1973 (earlier cohort). The recent cohort comprised 45 children with APSGN of whom 87% were male and 13% were female; the median age was 7 years, and there was an average incidence of 6.4 patients per year. The earlier cohort comprised 153 children with APSGN of whom 62% were male and 38% were female; the median age 4.25 years, and there was an average incidence of 10.9 patients per year. The recent cohort was predominantly White-American (62%) and the earlier cohort predominately African American (87%). In the recent cohort, 64% of patients had antecedent pharyngitis, and in the earlier cohort, 66% of patients had antecedent pyoderma. In the recent cohort, 11% of APSGN cases occurred between August to October, and in the earlier cohort, 50% occurred during these months. In the recent cohort, symptoms of APSGN at presentation were milder and all cases recovered, but in the earlier cohort two deaths (1.3% mortality) were reported. In conclusion, there has been a decline in the incidence and severity of APSGN at our institute in recent decades. Pharyngitis has replaced impetigo as the predominant cause of APSGN. The etiological agent for impetigo has changed over the last decade, which has impacted the incidence, racial distribution, seasonal variation and severity of APSGN.
Understanding leaky modes: slab waveguide revisited

Computational methods for determining the complex propagation constants of leaky waveguide modes have become so powerful and so readily available that it is possible to use these methods with little understanding of what they are calculating. We compare different computational methods for calculating the propagation constants of the leaky modes, focusing on the relatively simple context of a W-type slab waveguide. In a lossless medium with infinite transverse extent, a direct determination of the leaky mode by using mode matching is compared with complete mode decomposition. The mode matching method is analogous to the multipole method in two dimensions. We then compare these results with a simple finite-difference scheme in a transverse region with absorbing boundaries that is analogous to finite-difference or finite-element methods in two dimensions. While the physical meaning of the leaky modes in these different solution methods is different, they all predict a nearly identical evolution for an initial, nearly confined mode profile over a limited spatial region and a limited distance. Finally, we demonstrate that a waveguide that uses bandgap confinement with a central defect produces analogous results.
A model recycling program for Alabama

Solid waste disposal is becoming a difficult problem for many states. Since 1960, the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) has been increasing at a rate of 1% per year. More than 75% of the waste is comprised of recyclable materials. Several states have mandated recycling to decrease the volume of waste intended for disposal. Those mandated programs are very popular, but depend on many political, social, and economic factors for success. While Alabama has the manufacturing infrastructure to support a mandated recycling program, no recycling legislation has been promulgated. At this time recycling is only being done on a voluntary basis. A mandatory program with the proper support, education and funding could allow Alabama to recycle much of the 5.2 million tons of waste that are generated within its borders each year.
The histochemical demonstration of cytochrome oxidase in fresh-frozen sections of nematodes.

Histochemical procedures for the demonstration of cytochrome oxidase in fresh-frozen sections prepared from nematodes are described.
Dolichol-linked glycoprotein synthesis in G1 is necessary for DNA synthesis in synchronized primary cultures of cerebral glia.

Primary cultures of newborn rat cerebrum, which are composed of glial cells (principally astroglia), were used for examining the relationship between dolichol-linked glycoprotein synthesis and DNA synthesis in developing cerebral glia. The cells were synchronized by reducing the content of fetal calf serum in the culture medium from 10 to 0.1% (vol/vol) for 48 h between days 4 and 6 in culture. Reversal of the quiescent state by return of the cultures to 10% serum causes a marked increase in DNA synthesis 12-24 h later. A sharp increase in glycoprotein synthesis (incorporation of [3H]mannose) occurred in the first 12 h after serum repletion, preceding the increase in DNA synthesis. Tunicamycin, an inhibitor of the dolichol-linked pathway to glycoprotein synthesis at the first committed step in oligosaccharide formation, promptly and completely prevented the increase in glycoprotein synthesis and, in addition, the subsequent increase in DNA synthesis. The effects of tunicamycin on glycoprotein and DNA syntheses were reversible, and no comparable effect on total protein synthesis was observed. When tunicamycin was added only during a temporally circumscribed period in G1, i.e., from 3 to 9 h after serum repletion, the increase in DNA synthesis between 12 and 24 h after repletion was still markedly inhibited, i.e., to approximately 45% of the value in untreated cultures. The data thus show that there is a requirement for dolichol-linked glycoprotein synthesis for the subsequent occurrence of DNA synthesis and that this requirement is expressed late in the G1 phase of the cell cycle.
The Preparation and the Properties of an Aspirin Homolog β-(o-Acetoxyphenyl)propionic Acid *

A homolog of acetylsalicylic acid, β -( o -ace-toxyphenyl)propionic acid, has been made successfully. Its toxicity and, analgesic properties have been determined on rats. It has been found to have analgesic properties in rheumatic patients. No free salicylic acid is eliminated in the urine. It appears that this compound does not exert its analgesic properties as a salicylate.
Comparison of Forecasting Methodologies Using Egg Price as a Test Case

Abstract Egg price forecasting of shelled eggs is a complex problem. Traditionally, future egg price has been predicted using a combination of regression analysis and experienced-based intuition to build a model, which is then fine-tuned to prevalent market conditions. Even after collecting reliable and expensive data, the subsequent analysis, in many cases, does not produce a high confidence to explain the variations in egg price. In the current project, a different approach using neural networks was used to forecast egg price. A neural network is a mathematical model of an information-processing structure that is loosely based on our present understanding of the working of human brain. An artificial neural network consists of a large number of simple processing elements connected to each other in a network. Urner Barry egg quotes from 1991 to 2002 as well as number of hens, egg storage capacity, and number of eggs placed for hatching from the USDA databases (1993 to 2000) were used to forecast egg price. Regression analysis explained only 37% of the variation in egg price due to the above-mentioned 3 factors. Neural networks, on the other hand, recognize the pattern in previous years' egg prices and then predict the future price more efficiently. The 3 networks used in this research (Ward, back-propagation, and general regression neural networks) fit the forecast line more tightly to the previous year's egg price line than did regression analysis. In the case of general regression neural networks, the R2 value was as high as 60%. Results suggest that neural networks may be a more reliable method of egg price forecasting than simple regression analysis if reliable data are collected and manipulated for such models.
Sentence-Based Image Description with Scalable, Explicit Models

Associating photographs with complete sentences that describe what is depicted in them is a challenging problem. This paper examines how an approach that is inspired by image tagging techniques which can scale to very large data sets performs on this much harder task, and examines some of the linguistic difficulties that this bag-of-words model faces.
Part I. Development of a model system for studying nitric oxide in tumors: high nitric oxide-adapted head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.

The free radical nitric oxide (NO) is over-expressed in many tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC); however, the role NO plays in tumor pathophysiology is still not well understood. We, herein, report the development of an in vitro model system which can be used to probe the role of NO in the carcinogenesis of HNSCC. Five HNSCC cell lines were adapted to a high NO (HNO) environment by gradually introducing increasing concentrations of DETA-NONOate, a nitrogen-based NO donor, to cell media. The adaptation process was carried out until a sufficiently high enough donor concentration was reached which enabled the HNO cells to survive and grow, but which was lethal to the original, unadapted (“parent”) cells. The adapted HNO cells exhibited analogous morphology to the parent cells, but grew better than their corresponding parent cells in normal media, on soft agar, and in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, an oxygen-based free radical donor. These results indicate that the HNO cell lines are unique and possess biologically different properties than the parent cell lines from which they originated. The HNO/parent cell lines developed herein may be used as a model system to better understand the role NO plays in HNSCC carcinogenesis.
Electrical switching in sol-gel-derived SiO 2 films

We have investigated electrical switching behavior of sol-gel derived SiO 2 films in c-Si(p)/SiO 2 /metal structures. The SiO 2 film is fabricated from silicafilm (a soluble Si polymer in dissolved in denatured alcohol) using spin-coating technique. The thickness of the film is in the range of 300~2000 a which depends on both spinning speed and the degree of dilution. We find that, with Ag as the top contact, when the applied voltage reaches a critical value of 1.5 ~ 2.5 V, current increases rapidly many orders of magnitude higher, and an irreversible switching occurs. The switching is also found to be polarity-dependent. The switching occurs only when the top contact (Ag) is biased positively, indicating the switching involves diffusion or electromigration of Ag. Both switching voltage and current are found to scale with the top contact area of the device. The switching dynamics is studied using voltage-pulse over a duration of 300 ns to 500 ms and amplitude of 2 to 20 V. We find that the switching electrical field is strongly dependent of the delay time prior to switching, and not related to the film thickness.
Measurement of cardiac output from dynamic pulmonary circulation time CT

Purpose: To introduce a method of estimating cardiac output from the dynamic pulmonary circulation time CT that is primarily used to determine the optimal time window of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Methods: Dynamic pulmonary circulation time CT series, acquired for eight patients, were retrospectively analyzed. The dynamic CT series was acquired, prior to the main CTPA, in cine mode (1 frame/s) for a single slice at the level of the main pulmonary artery covering the cross sections of ascending aorta (AA) and descending aorta (DA) during the infusion of iodinated contrast. The time series of contrast changes obtained for DA, which is the downstream of AA, was assumed to be related to the time series for AA by the convolution with a delay function. The delay time constant in the delay function, representing the average time interval between the cross sections of AA and DA, was determined by least square error fitting between the convoluted AA time series and the DA time series. The cardiac output was then calculated by dividing the volume of the aortic arch between the cross sections of AA and DA (estimated from the single slice CT image) by the average time interval, and multiplying the result by a correction factor. Results: The mean cardiac output value for the six patients was 5.11 (l/min) (with a standard deviation of 1.57 l/min), which is in good agreement with the literature value; the data for the other two patients were too noisy for processing. Conclusions: The dynamic single-slice pulmonary circulation time CT series also can be used to estimate cardiac output.
OPTIMAL POSITION FOR THE ONE-BONE FOREARM: An analysis using a hinged brace in normal subjects

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether there is an optimal position for fixation of the one-bone forearm. Eight normal individuals were fitted with a hinged brace which fixed the position of pronation and supination and underwent functional hand testing using the tests of Jebsen et al. Our results indicate that a one-bone forearm in a position of 30° of pronation will provide the best function for writing and working with small objects using the dominant arm.
Pettis integral operators and resolvents

On obtient l'existence des resolvantes d'une classe d'operateurs elliptiques lineaires du second ordre par factorisation de l'operateur de Laplace. On suppose les coefficients des operateurs elliptiques bornes et mesurables
Low-grade cerebral astrocytomas : survival and quality of life after radiation therapy

Of 77 patients with supratentorial Grades I and II astrocytoma diagnosed from January 1975 to December 1984, 66 were treated with postoperative radiation therapy. The patients received a tumor dose of 5000 to 5500 cGy in 180 cGy fractions, five fractions per week, over 5.5 to 6 weeks. Overall actuarial survival at 2, 5, and 10 years was 71%, 55%, and 43%, respectively. Progression-free survival at 2, 5, and 10 years was 69%, 50%, and 39%, respectively. Survival for patients receiving postoperative radiation therapy in the range of 4500 to 5900 cGy was 78% and 66% at 2 and 5 years, respectively. Quality of life was determined at two points in time: 1 to 2 years postoperatively, and at last follow-up (2-12 years postoperatively). The occurrence of mental retardation was specifically addressed in long-term survivors, and was observed in 50% of children. Overall, however, 80% of short-term survivors and 67% of long-term survivors were intellectually and physically intact, without major neurologic deficit. Specific prognostic factors were assessed by multivariate analysis. Improved survival was observed with young patients, females, normal preoperative mental status, surgical resection (versus biopsy alone), involvement of only one lobe with tumor, and a history of preoperative seizures. A weighted prognostic factor score derived from these observations permits a clinically useful assessment of risk for individual patients.