cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intermediates of Halogen Addition to Phenylethynes and Protonation of Phenylethynyl Halides. Open Halovinyl Cations, Bridged Halonium, or Phenyl-Bridged Ions: A Substituent Effect Study by DFT and GIAO-DFT

Formation of α-phenyl-β-halovinyl cation, β-phenyl-α-halovinyl cation, as well as the halogen-bridged and the spirocyclic phenyl-bridged cations as intermediates of protonation of phenylethynyl halides or by halogen addition to phenylethynes was evaluated by DFT at B3LYP/6-31+G(d) and, for comparison in representative cases, by B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p). Relative stabilities of the resulting minima were gauged as a function of substituents on the phenyl group with p-OH, p-OMe, p-H, p-CF3, p-CN, and p-NO2 and with p-OMeH+, p-NO2H+, and p-N2+. In the majority of cases, the α-aryl-β-halovinyl cations were identified as the most likely intermediates, irrespective of X and for most R groups. For R = p-N2+ (with X = Br and Cl), R = CNH+ (with X = Cl), and R = MeOH+ (with X = Br), the corresponding β-aryl-α-halovinyl cations become more stable than α-aryl-β-halovinyl cations (but in most cases with a relatively small stability difference). Whereas competitive formation of the spirocyclic aryl bridged cations via this ...
Correlation of structural differences between Nafion/polyaniline and Nafion/polypyrrole composite membranes and observed transport properties

Abstract Polyaniline/Nafion and polypyrrole/Nafion composite membranes, prepared by chemical polymerization, are studied by scanning electron microscopy, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Differences in vanadium ion diffusion through the membranes and in the membranes’ area specific resistance are linked to analytical observations that polyaniline and polypyrrole interact differently with Nafion. Polypyrrole, a weakly basic polymer, binds less strongly to the sulfonic acid groups of the Nafion membrane. Infrared spectroscopy results suggest that the hydrophobic polymer aggregates in the center of the Nafion channel rather than attaching to the hydrophilic walls containing sulfonic acid groups. This results in a drastically elevated membrane resistance and only slightly decreased vanadium ion diffusion compared to a Nafion membrane. Polyaniline, on the other hand, polymerizes along the sides of the Nafion pores and on the membrane surface, binding tightly to the sulfonic acid groups of Nafion, polyaniline's greater basicity possibly causing the difference in polymerization behavior. This leads to a more effective reduction in vanadium ion transport across the polyaniline/Nafion membranes and the increase in membrane resistance is less severe. The performance of selected polypyrrole/Nafion composite membranes is tested in a static vanadium redox cell. Increased coulombic efficiency, compared to a cell employing a pure Nafion membrane, further confirms the reduced vanadium ion transport through the composite membranes.
Impact of Oxygen-Containing Surface Functional Groups on Activated Carbon Adsorption of Phenols

The adsorptive capacity of activated carbons for phenolic compounds increases significantly in the presence of dissolved oxygen (oxic conditions) due to the oligomerization of these compounds through oxidative coupling reactions. With increased capacity comes an increase in the amount of irreversible adsorption, which is defined as adsorbate that cannot be recovered by solvent extraction. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of oxygen-containing functional groups on activated carbon surface on the irreversible adsorption of phenolic compounds in the presence of dissolved oxygen. The adsorptive capacities and surface functional group (SFG) content were evaluated for seven commercially available activated carbons and an activated carbon whose SFG content was modified by outgassing. This study demonstrated that the presence of acidic surface functional groups hinders the ability of activated carbon to adsorb phenolic compounds under oxic conditions by reducing its effectiveness in promotin...
Driving technology for prolonging the lifetime of thermal bubble ink-jet printhead

Abstract Based upon the purpose of prolonging the lifetime of an ink-jet head, we have attempted to apply doublepulse to a heater during a drop ejection cycle. There are five parameters (pulse widths and voltages and the timedelay) to define the double pulse. Taguchi's method is used to investigate the effects of these parameters. Theexperimental results show that under the optimized condition with (18V,2ps), (14V,4s) and delay time I2jtsdouble pulse can prolong the life of ink jet heads up to an averaged drop counts of 4.8 X 108 as compared with thatof 3.0 x 108 using single pulse. Also, improper parameters can dramatically shorten the life of an ink-jet head, ordisturb the drop fonnation. 1. Introduction In present technologies, all commercial thermalbubble-ink-jet printers employ single energy pulse appliedto a heater such that a bubble is generated on the heated surface of the An ink drop and its followingsatellites are expelled onto a paper by the work of the thermally driven bubble. As soon as the energy input is turnoff, the bubble starts to collapse. The bubble volume shrinks from its maximum value to vanish. During the bubblecollapse, extremely high pressure that occurs within such a short time can severely damage the heater elementsafter a period of operation. II the damage force acting on the heaters can be reduced, the lifetime of an ink-jet headis expected to be prolonged.Based upon the purpose of prolonging the lifetime of an ink-jet head, we have aUempted to apply doublepulse to a heater during a drop ejection cycle. The first pulse is used to generate a bubble to expel a drop onto apaper, just the same purpose as single pulse. The second pulse is used to generate a smaller and lasting longerbubble than the first one, before the vanish of the first bubble. The second bubble can be regarded as a buffer toabsorb part of the damage force resulting from the first bubble collapse. The effect of heater damage due to thepressure wave bombardments generated from sequential bubble collapses can then be slow down. There are fiveparameters (pulse widths and voltages and the time delay) to define the double pulse. Taguchi's method is used toinvestigate the effects of these parameters. Ink-jet heads of HP5 1626A were taken to perform the experiments. Theexperimental results show that under the optimized condition with (18V,2s), (14V,4ps) of double pulse and delaytime 12s can prolong the life of ink jet heads up to an averaged drop counts of 4.8 X
Human pancreatic cancer cell proliferation in tissue culture is tonically inhibited by opioid growth factor

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a fatal malignancy that ranks as the fourth most common cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. The median survival after diagnosis is 3-6 months, with a 5-year survival rate of 3% or less. In spite of treatment efforts of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the survival rate remains unchanged. In this study, we discovered that an endogenous opioid peptide, [Met5]-enkephalin, inhibited the growth of human pancreatic cancers in vitro; in view of this pentapeptide's action it has been termed opioid growth factor (OGF). OGF was found to be constitutively expressed, autocrine produced, and tonically capable of suppressing cell replication in an opioid receptor mediated manner. Growth inhibition was dose-related, reversible, not cytotoxic, and independent of serum. All 4 pancreatic cancer cell lines examined, representative of poor to well-differentiated neoplasias, exhibited growth regulation by OGF. Immunocytochemical studies detected both OGF and its related receptor, zeta, in the cytoplasm of log phase cells. Radioimmunoassays revealed that OGF was produced and secreted by the cells. These data suggest that a native opioid peptide, OGF, interacts with a novel opioid receptor, zeta, to arrest the growth of human pancreatic cancer.
Effects of Prenatal Dexamethasone or Terbutaline Exposure on Development of Neural and Intrinsic Control of Heart Rate

This study compares the effects of prenatal exposure to terbutaline (a beta-adrenergic agonist) and dexamethasone (a glucocorticoid) on the development of heart rate control mechanisms in the rat. Both drugs produced a persistent reduction in resting heart rate appearing during the 2nd postnatal wk, but by different mechanisms. Terbutaline affected the development of autonomic input from the CNS, characterized by a premature shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance; thus, heart rate differences between terbutaline-exposed animals and controls resolved with acute treatment with a ganglionic blocking agent (chlorisondamine). Dexamethasone did not alter neural input to the myocardium (its actions were not reversed by ganglionic blockade), but instead reduced the intrinsic heart rate; the prenatal glucocorticoid treatment also reduced the sensitivity of the myocardium to beta-adrenergic stimulation, a factor that could contribute to the alterations in intrinsic rate. These results suggest the potential need for studies of the functional cardiovascular consequences of fetal or neonatal therapeutic interventions with glucocorticoids or adrenergic agents.
Dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal gray matter density changes associated with bipolar depression

Mood states are associated with alterations in cerebral blood flow and metabolism, yet changes in cerebral structure are typically viewed in the context of enduring traits, genetic predispositions, or the outcome of chronic psychiatric illness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained from two groups of patients with bipolar disorder. In one group, patients met criteria for a current major depressive episode whereas in the other no patient did. No patient in either group met criteria for a current manic, hypomanic, or mixed episode. Groups were matched with respect to age and illness severity. Analyses of gray matter density were performed with Statistical Parametric Mapping software (SPM5). Compared with non-depressed bipolar subjects, depressed bipolar subjects exhibited lower gray matter density in the right dorsolateral and bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortices and portions of the left parietal lobe. In addition, gray matter density was greater in the left temporal lobe and right posterior cingulate cortex/parahippocampal gyrus in depressed than in non-depressed subjects. Our findings highlight the importance of mood state in structural studies of the brain—an issue that has received insufficient attention to date. Moreover, our observed differences in gray matter density overlap metabolic areas of change and thus have implications for the conceptualization and treatment of affective disorders.
Quantitative analysis and isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a food matrix using flow cytometry and cell sorting

Flow cytometry is a potentially valuable analytical method in microbiology providing the ability to analyze rapidly large numbers of individual microorganisms by several parameters. With a flow cytometer with enhanced light scatter sensitivity and a conventionally configured sorting cytometer, a series of comparative studies to determine the ability of the two flow systems and the antibody-direct epifluorescent filter technique (Ab-DEFT) to detect and enumerate Escherichia coli O157:H7 were made. Initial experiments used culture-derived mixtures of non-pathogenic E. coli and serial dilutions of E. coli O157:H7. Subsequent studies involved analysis of enrichment cultures from ground beef inoculated with E. coli O157:H7. Comparison of flow cytometry with microscopy and plate counts produced similar results at higher concentrations in both culture mixtures and beef enrichments. At the lowest concentrations Ab-DEFT was more sensitive, however, the time required for analysis was much less with flow cytometry. With a cytometer with enhanced light scatter sensitivity designed for bacterial analysis, O157:H7 could be distinguished from E. coli strain HB101 on the basis of light scatter. This instrument also provided direct count data for selected populations. In experiments using cell sorting to isolate target organisms, the purity of fluorescent-labeled E. coli O157:H7 sorted from beef enrichment cultures and plated was not affected by the level of background organisms, as is often the case in conventional plating procedures.
Histological analysis of coronary artery lesions in fatal postoperative myocardial infarction.

Abstract We sought to evaluate the underlying coronary pathology of fatal postoperative myocardial infarction (MI). It has been hypothesized that most MIs following noncardiac surgery occur in the setting of increased oxygen demand that exceeds coronary blood supply. However, most MIs not associated with surgery are caused by plaque rupture and intracoronary thrombosis. In a retrospective cohort study, we reviewed 1841 consecutive autopsy records from 1981 to 1995 at two institutions and identified 26 cases of postoperative MI with coronary arteries available. Plaque rupture was present in 12 cases (46%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 27%–67%). Of the 9 (35%) patients with intracoronary thrombus, 5 (56%; 19% of entire group) had total occlusion. Thrombus occurred on a >50% stenosis (by cross-sectional area) in a total of 33% (95% CI 16%–55%) of patients. The only statistically significant difference in clinical variables between patients with and without plaque rupture was longer interval from surgery to death in patients with plaque rupture (7.8 ± 4.4 days versus 4.4 ± 4.8 days; p = 0.047). In this autopsy series, coronary plaque rupture was associated with almost half of fatal postoperative MI cases. Strategies aimed at reducing triggers of plaque rupture with coronary occlusion might reduce postoperative MI fatality.
Use of a.c. second harmonic phase angle voltammograms to measure heterogeneous kinetic parameters

Abstract The use of second harmonic phase angle voltammograms to measure heterogeneous kinetic parameters has two main advantages. (1) The IR drop effects are negligible for small amounts of uncompensated resistance (12–15 Ω with concentration 1 mM, area of the electrode 0.025 cm 2 , amplitude of sine wave 10 mV, frequency from 100 to 700 Hz). (2) Distortions caused by potential-control errors, resulting from the use of positive-feedback IR compensation, are eliminated. In the method described here the kinetic parameters are obtained by fitting the phase angle voltammograms with theoretical curves. The data analysis program finds the best fit by optimizing the correlation coefficient using zig-zag optimization. Kenetic parameters measured both in aqueous solution (reduction of K 3 Cr(CN) 6 in 1 M KCN, k s = 0.35 ± 0.06 cm s −1 , α = 0.55 ± 0.02) and non-aqueous solution (reduction of [Ru(bpy) 3 ] 2+ in both DMF and acetonitrile, k s = 0.24 cm s −1 ; α = 0.500) agree well with literature values. The key feature of the technique is its ability to obtain reliable kinetic parameters of “fast” electrode processes from data obtained at fairly low frequencies. Also, a study of the effects of uncompensated resistance R u on the second harmonic phase angle reveals that when R u exceeds approximately 15 Ω, contamination of the perturbation signal with components at the second harmonic frequency is significant.
Hyperdynamics made simple: Accelerated molecular dynamics with the Bond-Boost method

Abstract Hyperdynamics methods have significant potential for accelerating simulations of dynamical evolution in solids and solid-like materials, which is mediated by rare events. In this paper, we illustrate the main concepts associated with understanding hyperdynamics through a series of one-dimensional examples. These examples, which are mostly based on the Bond-Boost method, indicate the rigor of hyperdyamics methods and their potential to resolve key bottle-necks in simulating long-time evolution of materials. A significant advantage of hyperdynamics methods is their capability to resolve the small-barrier problem, which is ubiquitous in materials simulation. We present a simple boost potential with benefits for solving the small-barrier problem and discuss future challenges in hyperdynamics simulations.
The Social Psychology of Sex and Gender: From Gender Differences to Doing Gender.

>> The social psychology of gender is a major, if qualified, success story of contemporary feminist psychology. The breadth and intellectual vigor of the field is reflected in the following six commentaries in the broadly defined area of the Social Psychology of Gender which were commissioned for this third of four 35th anniversary sections to feature brief retrospectives by authors of highly cited PWQ articles. Our goal in this section’s introduction is to provide a brief history of the development of this area, placing the articles described in the commentaries into this historical context. The six articles in this special section, individually and taken together, identify significant turning points in the social psychology of gender. We focus on how, within a few brief years, the study of gender in psychology underwent massive transformation. 1 The social psychology of gender has grown to become a thriving, scientifically sound research theme that encompasses a wide variety of topics and questions. The story of how this came to be has been told from a number of perspectives (e.g., Crawford & Marecek, 1989; Deaux, 1999; Rutherford, Vaughn-Blount, & Ball, 2010; Unger, 1998). Here, we focus on how, from psychology of gender’s murky beginnings in early 20th century Freudian personality theory and even deeper roots in androcentric paternalism of 19th century science (Shields, 1975, 1982; Shields & Bhatia, 2009), feminist psychologists have shaped how sex and gender are scientifically defined, theorized, and studied. Over the course of the second half of the 20th century, feminist psychologists challenged psychology’s long-standing equation of female with defect and the psychology of gender with cataloging sex differences (Marecek, Kimmel, Crawford, & Hare-Mustin, 2003; Rutherford & Granek, 2010). We identify three intertwined streams of investigation from which the contemporary psychology of gender grew: (a) research focusing on gender identity as a feature of personality, (b) research on behavioral sex differences, and (c) research on gender roles and the study of gender in social context. We interweave into this story how each of the six key articles highlighted in this special section illustrate turning points in that history. We then describe the critical importance of networks and mentors toward making the research reported in those articles possible. We conclude with our thoughts on future directions in the social psychology of gender.
Perfect matchings and perfect squares

In 1961, P.W. Kasteleyn enumerated the domino tilings of a 2n × 2n chessboard. His answer was always a square or double a square (we call such a number "squarish"), but he did not provide a combinatorial explanation for this. In the present thesis, we prove by mostly combinatorial arguments that the number of matchings of a large class of graphs with 4-fold rotational symmetry is squarish; our result includes the squarishness of Kasteleyn's domino tilings as a special ease and provides a combinatorial interpretation for the square root. We then extend our result to graphs with other rotational symmetries. © 1994 Academic Press, Inc.
Impacts of woodchip amendments and soil nutrient availability on understory vegetation establishment following thinning of a ponderosa pine forest.

Abstract Mechanical thinning for fire mitigation has become increasingly widespread in recent years throughout the western United States. A common practice in fire-mitigation procedures is the conversion of slash into chipped mulch (referred to as “woodchips”) that is spread on-site. Here, we investigated: (1) the effect of woodchip amendments on soil nitrogen availability, and (2) the influence of potential interactions between woodchip amendments and soil nitrogen availability on patterns of understory plant establishment in a thinned montane forest in the Front Range of Colorado. We created a gradient of soil nitrogen availability among experimental plots by applying sugar to reduce plant-available nitrogen and applying ammonium nitrate to increase plant-available nitrogen. Soil and resin bag analyses confirmed the effectiveness of the nitrogen manipulations. Nitrogen manipulations did not affect understory species richness or diversity, but increased nitrogen availability promoted a disproportionate increase in the cover of non-native forbs over the three-year post-treatment interval. Woodchips did not alter inorganic nitrogen availability at ambient levels of soil fertility during the first two years of the study, but were associated with increased soil N availability in the third growing season. Woodchip additions were associated with significantly lower species richness, diversity, and overall plant cover than found in unchipped plots. The observed reduction in plant cover affected native and non-native species similarly, although certain species had distinctive responses to woodchip amendments. On the whole, woodchips excluded more species than they promoted, and the physical effects of woodchips appeared to be more important than soil nitrogen status in influencing the understory composition of this area following thinning. At this site, approximately 60% of the plant cover in the three years following thinning operations was comprised of non-native plant species. Thus, the thinning activity, itself, promoted non-native understory plant species cover, but the application of woodchip mulch reduced vegetation cover and native species richness relative to the thinned areas that did not receive woodchips. This effect was largely independent of soil nitrogen availability during the first three years following thinning.
Ten cheers for interdisciplinarity: The case for interdisciplinary knowledge and research

Abstract The frequently-encountered wholesale dismissal of either interdisciplinary knowledge or research reflects a profound misunderstanding of their vital contributions to scholarship, society, and individuals. This article presents the only self-contained, comprehensive defense of interdisciplinary knowledge and research, arguing that they are important because: 1. Creativity often requires interdisciplinary knowledge. 2. Immigrants often make important contributions to their new field. 3. Disciplinarians often commit errors which can be best detected by people familiar with two or more disciplines. 4. Some worthwhile topics of research fall in the interstices among the traditional disciplines. 5. Many intellectual, social, and practical problems require interdisciplinary approaches. 6. Interdisciplinary knowledge and research serve to remind us of the unity-of-knowledge ideal. 7. Interdisciplinarians enjoy greater flexibility in their research. 8. More so than narrow disciplinarians, interdisciplinarians often treat themselves to the intellectual equivalent of traveling in new lands. 9. Interdisciplinarians may help breach communication gaps in the modern academy, thereby helping to mobilize its enormous intellectual resources in the cause of greater social rationality and justice. 10. By bridging fragmented disciplines, interdisciplinarians might play a role in the defense of academic freedom. The case against interdisciplinary knowledge and research is made up of many intrinsic drawbacks and practical barriers. Taken together, these rewards, drawbacks, and barriers suggest a mild shift in the contemporary world of learning towards interdisciplinary knowledge and research.
Dynamic Proposal Variance and Optimal Particle Allocation in Particle Filtering for Video Tracking

This paper presents a novel particle allocation approach to particle filtering which minimizes the total tracking distortion for a fixed number of particles over a video sequence. We define the tracking distortion as the variance of the error between the true state and estimated state and use rate-distortion theory to determine the optimal particle number and memory size allocation under fixed particle number and memory constraints, respectively. We subsequently provide an algorithm for simultaneous adjustment of the proposal variance and particle number for optimal particle allocation in video tracking systems. Experimental results are used to evaluate the proposed video tracking system and demonstrate its utility for target tracking in numerical examples and video sequences. We demonstrate the superiority of the proposed dynamic proposal variance and optimal particle allocation algorithm in comparison to traditional particle allocation methods, i.e., a fixed number of particles per frame.
UreR activates transcription at multiple promoters within the plasmid-encoded urease locus of the Enterobacteriaceae

Urease activity is produced by members of the family Enterobacteriaceae that contain the plasmid-encoded urease locus only when urea is present in the growth medium. The plasmid-encoded urease locus contains seven tandem urease structural and accessory genes (ureDABCEFG). Previously we showed that transcription of the first gene in this cluster, ureD, is initiated at a urea-dependent promoter (ureDp). Expression from ureDp requires the product of ureR, which is transcribed divergently from the plasmid-encoded ureDABCEFG. From DNA sequence analysis, UreR is predicted to be a 34 kDa protein with identity to the AraC family of transcriptional activators. In this report we demonstrate that there are two additional urea and UreR-dependent promoters within the plasmid-encoded urease locus: ureRp and ureGp. A low-level constitutive promoter was also identified upstream of ureE (ureEp). Three major mRNA transcripts were induced when urea was present in the growth medium: a transcript containing ureDABCEF, a transcript corresponding to ureG, and a transcript corresponding to ureR. These results indicate that expression of each of the plasmid-encoded urease genes is transcriptionally regulated in response to urea and suggest that there is autogenous regulation of ureR. Therefore UreR is one of three AraC family members described thus far that are positively auto-regulated.
Effect of pollinator-inflicted ovule damage on floral abscission in the yucca-yucca moth mutualism: the role of mechanical and chemical factors.

The long-term persistence of obligate mutualisms (over 40 Mya in both fig/fig wasps and yucca/yucca moths) raises the question of how one species limits exploitation by the other species, even though there is selection pressure on individuals to maximize fitness. In the case of yuccas, moths serve as the plant's only pollinator, but eggs laid by the moths before pollination hatch into larvae that consume seeds. Previous studies have shown that flowers with high egg loads are more likely to abscise. This suggests that yucca flowers can select against moths that lay many eggs per flower through selective abscission of flowers; however, it is not known how yucca moths trigger floral abscission. We tested how the moth Tegeticula yuccasella triggers floral abscission during oviposition in Yucca filamentosa by examining the effects of ovipositor insertion and egg laying on ovule viability and floral abscission. Eggs are not laid at the site of ovipositor insertion: we used this separation to test whether wounded ovules were more closely associated with the ovipositor site or an egg's location. Using a tetrazolium stain to detect injured ovules, we determined whether the number of ovipositions affected the number of wounded ovules in naturally pollinated flowers. Two wounding experiments were used to test the effect of mechanical damage on the probability of floral abscission. The types of wounds in these experiments mimicked two types of oviposition—superficial oviposition in the ovary wall and oviposition into the locular cavity—that have been observed in species of Tegeticula. The effect of moth eggs on ovule viability was experimentally tested by culturing ovules in vitro, placing moth eggs on the ovules, and measuring changes in ovule viability with a tetrazolium stain. We found that ovules were physically wounded during natural oviposition. Ovules showed a visible wounding response in moth-pollinated flowers collected 7–12 h after oviposition. Exact location of wounded ovules relative to eggs and oviposition scars, as well as results from the artificial wounding experiments, showed that the moth ovipositor inflicts mechanical damage on the ovules. Significantly higher abscission rates were observed in artificially wounded flowers in which only 4–8% of the ovules were injured. Eggs did not affect ovule viability as measured by the tetrazolium stain. These results suggest that physical damage to ovules caused by ovipositing is sufficient to explain selective fruit abscission. Whether injury as a mechanism of selective abscission in yuccas is novel or a preadaptation will require further study.
Projected cross point - A new average current-mode control approach

Projected cross point, a new current-mode control technique, is introduced and analyzed in this paper. Despite having an analog nature, the proposed method combines the advantages of both analog and digital control techniques. Unlike the conventional analog control methods, it accurately controls the average value of the inductor current with no need to a current compensator or an external ramp. In addition, while resembling the deadbeat characteristics of digital controllers, projected cross point control does not suffer from computational time delay, limit cycling, and quantization and truncation errors. Dynamic performance of the proposed approach is compared with the existing control methods. Analytical analysis and simulation results show the superior accuracy and transient response of projected cross point control approach.
Fast query by example of environmental sounds via robust and efficient cluster-based indexing

There has been much recent progress in the technical infrastructure necessary to continuously characterize and archive all sounds, or more precisely auditory streams, that occur within a given space or human life. Efficient and intuitive access, however, remains a considerable challenge. In specifically musical domains, i.e., melody retrieval, query-by-example (QBE) has found considerable success in accessing music that matches a specific query. We propose an extension of the QBE paradigm to the broad class of natural and environmental sounds, which occur frequently in continuous recordings. We explore several cluster-based indexing approaches, namely non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) and spectral clustering to efficiently organize and quickly retrieve archived audio using the QBE paradigm. Experiments on a test database compare the performance of the different clustering algorithms in terms of recall, precision, and computational complexity. Initial results indicate significant improvements over both exhaustive search schemes and traditional K- means clustering, and excellent overall performance in the example-based retrieval of environmental sounds.
Contradirectional frequency-selective couplers for guided-wave optics

Frequency-selective optical couplers in which a periodic perturbation in refractive index induces contradirectional power transfer in parallel single-mode waveguides are analyzed. Expressions for the spectral response are obtained by solving the coupled-mode equations. It is shown that by varying the amplitude of the periodic perturbation along he direction of propagation, the sidelobes present for the case of a uniform perturbation can be substantially reduced. Calculations are made of the mode propagation constants and coupling parameters for two rectangular-core waveguides with a periodic surface corrugation in the region between them. By using these results, design parameters and theoretical performance characteristics for a coupler with high transfer efficiency, low cross talk, and low reflection efficiency in the primary waveguide are determined.
Experimental human cytomegalovirus latency in CD14 + monocytes

CD14+ monocytes are a reservoir for latent human cytomegalovirus, and virus replication is reactivated during their differentiation to macrophages or dendritic cells. It has not been clear whether the virus can establish latency upon direct infection of monocytes or whether it must first become quiescent in a progenitor cell that subsequently differentiates to generate a monocyte. We report that infection of primary human monocytes with a clinical strain of human cytomegalovirus exhibits the hallmarks of latency. We established conditions for culturing monocytes that prevent differentiation for at least 25 d, as evidenced by cell surface marker expression. Infection of these monocytes with the FIX clinical strain resulted in transient accumulation of many viral lytic RNAs and sustained expression of four previously described latency-associated transcripts. The amount of viral DNA remained constant after infection, and cell surface and total HLA-DR proteins were substantially reduced on a continuing basis after infection. When treated with cytokine mixtures that stimulate differentiation to a macrophage or dendritic cell phenotype, infected monocytes reactivated virus replication and produced infectious progeny. Treatment of infected monocytes with IL-6 alone also was sufficient for reactivation, and the particles produced after exposure to this cytokine were about fivefold more infectious than virions produced by other treatments. We propose that in vivo microenvironments influence not only the efficiency of reactivation but also the infectivity of the virions produced from latently infected monocytes.
Knowledge discovery-based identification of musical pitches and instruments in polyphonic sounds

Pitch and timber detection methods applicable to monophonic digital signals are common. Conversely, successful detection of multiple pitches and timbers in polyphonic time-invariant music signals remains a challenge. A review of these methods, sometimes called ''Blind Signal Separation'', is presented in this paper. We analyze how musically trained human listeners overcome resonance, noise, and overlapping signals to identify and isolate what instruments are playing and then what pitch each instrument is playing. The part of the instrument and pitch recognition system, presented in this paper, responsible for identifying the dominant instrument from a base signal uses temporal features proposed by Wieczorkowska [Slezak, D., Synak, P., Wieczorkowska, A., Wroblewski, J., 2002. Kdd-based approach to musical instrument sound recognition. Hacid, M.-S., Ras, Z.W., Zighed, D.A., Kodratoff, Y. (Eds.), Foundations of Intelligent Systems. Proceedings of 13th Symposium ISMIS 2002, Lyon, Franc 4519 Berlin, Heidelberg, pp. 28-36.] in addition to the standard 11 MPEG7 features. After retrieving a semantical match for that dominant instrument from the database, it creates a resulting foreign set of features to form a new synthetic basen signal which no longer bears the previously extracted dominant sound. The system may repeat this process until all recognizable dominant instruments are accounted for in the segment. The proposed methodology incorporates Knowledge Discovery, MPEG7 segmentation and Inverse Fourier Transforms.
Did the pre-1980 use of in-stream structures improve streams? A reanalysis of historical data.

In the 1930s, after only three years of scientific investigation at the University of Michigan Institute for Fisheries Research, cheap labor and government-sponsored con- servation projects spearheaded by the Civilian Conservation Corps allowed the widespread adoption of in-stream structures throughout the United States. From the 1940s through the 1970s, designs of in-stream structures remained essentially unchanged, and their use continued. Despite a large investment in the construction of in-stream structures over these four decades, very few studies were undertaken to evaluate the impacts of the structures on the channel and its aquatic populations. The studies that were undertaken to evaluate the impact of the structures were often flawed. The use of habitat structures became an ''accepted practice,'' however, and early evaluation studies were used as proof that the structures were beneficial to aquatic organisms. A review of the literature reveals that, despite published claims to the contrary, little evidence of the successful use of in-stream structures to improve fish populations exists prior to 1980. A total of 79 publications were checked, and 215 statistical analyses were performed. Only seven analyses provide evidence for a benefit of structures on fish populations, and five of these analyses are suspect because data were misclassified by the original authors. Many of the changes in population measures reported in early publications appear to result from changes in fishing pressure that often accompanied channel modifications. Modern evaluations of channel-restoration projects must consider the influence of fishing pressure to ensure that efforts to improve fish habitat achieve the benefits intended. My statistical results show that the traditional use of in-stream structures for channel restoration design does not ensure demonstrable benefits for fish communities, and their ability to increase fish populations should not be presumed.
Innovation to Women Empowerment - A Path Way

The research paper concerns the role of Innovation, change in technology and a shift in social attitudes increase access for women to economic opportunities, employment, savings and credit. More than at any other time in history, the world is poised to leverage innovation to improve the lives of poor women and empower them to realize their potential. As the imperative to ensure women's participation and rights in social, economic and political progress gains urgency, innovation presents a particularly exciting pathway for seizing the present moment and achieving the goals of women's empowerment and gender equality goals that have been so difficult to realize in the past. At the most basic level, innovations can benefit women simply by improving their well-being in terms of health, nutrition, income, even life span. Beyond vital improvements in well-being, innovations can lead to women's empowerment, securing freedom and resources for women to make decisions, build confidence and act in their own interests. It is well known that innovation and shifting gender roles are each catalytic processes that drive change. This research is mainly focus on the connection between innovation and women's empowerment and to understand how innovations have improved women's well-being, empowered women and advanced gender equality.
Frequency of skeletal-related events and associated healthcare resource use and costs in US patients with multiple myeloma.

AbstractObjective:A potential complication for all new multiple myeloma (MM) patients is the clinical presentation of osteolytic lesions which increase the risk for skeletal-related events (SREs). However, the contribution of SREs to the overall economic impact of MM is unclear. The impact of SREs on healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs for US patients with MM was analyzed in Truven Health Marketscan Commercial Claims and Medicare Supplemental Databases.Methods:Adults diagnosed with MM between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2010 with ≥2 claims ≥30 days apart (first claim = index date) were included. SREs included: hypercalcemia, pathologic fracture, surgery for the prevention and treatment of pathologic fractures or spinal cord compression, and radiation for bone pain. Rates of HCRU (outpatient [OP], inpatient [IP], emergency room [ER], orthopedic consultation [OC], and ancillary) and healthcare costs were compared between MM patients with and without SREs. Inverse propensity weighting was a...
Insights from Theory and Experiment on the Photochromic spiro-Dihydropyrrolo-Pyridazine/Betaine System.

We elucidated the photochromic spiro-4a,5-dihydropyrrolo[1,2-b]pyridazine/betaine (DPP/betaine) system by comparing state-of-the-art density functional theory calculations with nanosecond/millisecond UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, as well as steady-state absorption and cyclization kinetics. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations are employed to examine the transformations occurring after photoexcitation. This study shows that the photochromic spiro-4a,5-dihydropyrrolo[1,2-b]pyridazine and spiro-1,8a-dihydroindolizine (DHI) systems react according to similar pathways. However, notable differences exist. Although photoexcitation of the spiro-DPP system also leads to cis-betaines, which then isomerize to trans-betaines, we found two distinct classes of cis isomers (cis-betaine rotamer-1 and cis-betaine rotamer-2), which do not exist in spiro-1,8a-dihydroindolizine. Similar to our previous study on the spiro-DHI/betaine system, a complicated potential-energy landscape between cis and trans iso...
The effects of nitric oxide on radiation damage in Drosophila virilis and Drosophila melanogaster.

Nitric oxide present during irradiation at a concentration of 3% in helium enhanced genetic damage resulting from 1000 r of x rays. Damage was measured by the production of dominant lethals in Drosophila virilis and sexlinked recessive lethals in Drosophila melanogaster. Under similar conditions 3% oxygen in helium showed no effect on the production of dominant lethals by x rays. Nitric oxide had the additional effect, independent of irradiation, of delaying development of germ cells in Drosophila virilis. (auth)
Book Review of Immortality and the Law: The Rising Power of the American Dead (2010) by Ray D. Madoff

Immortality and the Law reﬂects upon the cultural observation that death itself is ‘‘un-American’’ and argues, persuasively, that recent law reform has shifted an historical balance between the living and the dead unevenly and unambiguously in favor of the latter. Madoff’s hypothesis asserts that power over property interests — in the forms of donor-imposed restrictions on private property, postmortem publicity rights, rights to intellectual property, and gifts in trust for charitable purposes rather than outright bequests — vests the dead with unprecedented control at the cost of enjoyment by the living, giving new strength to the apparently unquenchable desire for immortality.
Numerical Model of Template-Based Chemical Vapor Deposition Processes to Manufacture Carbon Nanotubes for Biological Devices

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) hold significant promise in the fields of efficient drug delivery and bio-sensing for disease treatment because of their unique properties. In our lab, single and arrayed CNT-tipped devices are manufactured by deposition of carbon on the heated surfaces of templates using chemical vapor deposition (Template-Based Chemical Vapor Deposition, TB-CVD). Experimental results show CNT formation in templates is controlled by TB-CVD process parameters such as flow rate and temperature. However, there is a need for a more comprehensive and low cost way to characterize the flow in the furnace in order to understand how process parameters may affect CNT formation. In this report, 2D and 3D numerical models with Quadrilateral grids were developed using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) commercial codes. Velocity patterns and flow regimes in the tube were compared with experimental data. In addition, statistical techniques were employed to study temperature profiles and velocity patterns in the furnace as a function of flow rate. The outcome of this work will help to elucidate the TB-CVD process and facilitate the efficient manufacture of carbon nanostructures from a variety of templates. The results are broadly applicable to the manufacturing of CNTs and other nanostructured devices used in energy and biomedical fields, including CNT-based devices used in biological applications.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Abstract A40: Inhibition of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)-induced prostate and colon carcinogenesis in hCYP1A mice by tocopherols

We have previously demonstrated that γ-tocopherol (γ-T), δ-T and γ-TmT (a tocopherol mixture containing 56.8% γ-T, 24.3% δ-T, 13.0% α-T and 1.5% β-T) inhibited colon, lung, mammary and prostate tumorigenesis; δ-T was more active than γ-T, whereas α-T was ineffective. The present work extends the research to studies in the PhIP (a dietary carcinogen)-induced prostate and colon carcinogenesis in hCYP1A (CYP1A-humanized) mice. Both models are newly established in our lab. Male hCYP1A mice, maintained on the AIN93M diet or the same diet supplemented with 0.3% γ-TmT, were treated with a dose of PhIP (200 mg/kg, i.g.). At week 40 after PhIP treatment, all mice developed high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (hgPIN) in the dorso-lateral glands. The hgPIN was associated with elevated 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) as well as with loss of expression of the tumor suppressor PTEN and E-cadherin. The number of glands with hgPIN (per 100 glands) in the γ-TmT group was significantly lower than the control group (14.6 ± 4.87 vs. 34.81 ± 3.87, p Citation Format: Guangxun Li, Yu-Kuo Chen, Hong Wang, Anna B. Liu, Chen X. Chen, Xiangyi Guo, Xi Zheng, Nanjoo Suh, Chung S. Yang. Inhibition of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)-induced prostate and colon carcinogenesis in hCYP1A mice by tocopherols. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A40. Note: This abstract was not presented at the conference.
Sediment-laden fresh water above salt water: linear stability analysis

When a layer of particle-laden fresh water is placed above clear, saline water, both Rayleigh–Taylor and double diffusive fingering instabilities may arise. For quasi-steady base profiles, we obtain linear stability results for such situations by means of a rational spectral approximation method with adaptively chosen grid points, which is able to resolve multiple steep gradients in the base state density profile. In the absence of salinity and for a step-like concentration profile, the dominant parameter is the ratio of the particle settling velocity to the viscous velocity scale. As long as this ratio is small, particle settling has a negligible influence on the instability growth. However, when the particles settle more rapidly than the instability grows, the growth rate decreases inversely proportional to the settling velocity. This damping effect is a result of the smearing of the vorticity field, which in turn is caused by the deposition of vorticity onto the fluid elements passing through the interface between clear and particle-laden fluid. In the presence of a stably stratified salinity field, this picture changes dramatically. An important new parameter is the ratio of the particle settling velocity to the diffusive spreading velocity of the salinity, or alternatively the ratio of the unstable layer thickness to the diffusive interface thickness of the salinity profile. As long as this quantity does not exceed unity, the instability of the system and the most amplified wavenumber are primarily determined by double diffusive effects. In contrast to situations without salinity, particle settling can have a destabilizing effect and significantly increase the growth rate. Scaling laws obtained from the linear stability results are seen to be largely consistent with earlier experimental observations and theoretical arguments put forward by other authors. For unstable layer thicknesses much larger than the salinity interface thickness, the particle and salinity interfaces become increasingly decoupled, and the dominant instability mode becomes Rayleigh–Taylor-like, centred at the lower boundary of the particle-laden flow region.