cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Where writing and rhetoric meet multimedia production designing an effective, interdisciplinary capstone experience

The Multimedia Authoring minor capstone course will be a collaborative effort, co-taught by two faculty members; one in the English department and one in the Computing Sciences department. Students will be asked to develop an interactive multimedia project which incorporates text with computer graphics, video, and audio. This project will address a multimedia challenge in the student's major field of study or related area of interest. The challenge for the two faculty members teaching this course will be to develop a thoughtful senior seminar that integrates each of the courses in the minor's curriculum.This paper looks at how to design a capstone course for the Multimedia Authoring minor that is intellectually challenging and provides students with the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned in their interdisciplinary coursework. One of the main challenges in achieving this objective is that this minor is interdisciplinary and draws upon fields of study which are not traditionally associated with one another. Therefore, we have the task of designing a Senior Seminar that encourages students to synthesize the knowledge and experiences gained from these eclectic courses: ENG 212 Writing, Rhetoric, & Interface Design, ART 263 Digital Art I, CIS 310 Web Server Development, CIS 320 Enterprise Web Development.We want to design in-class activities, short projects, and one large client project that ask students to apply the diverse knowledge and expertise that they have acquired and create a multimedia production. Ideally, students will have the opportunity to develop further their communication, design, and technology skills in the context of disciplinary content as well. Another challenge will be to successfully design this co-taught course for students with varied interests and expertise.As a senior seminar, we expect that the course should serve several pedagogical purposes, including, but not limited to, reviewing major issues and topics studied throughout the minor; a research component exploring in-depth the effects of multimedia on a particular discipline; capstone readings in the field of multimedia; and a major client project culminating in the design and development of a multimedia project and accompanying reflection paper.This co-taught capstone for the Multimedia Authoring Minor is unique not only because it is interdisciplinary, but because it combines diverse disciplines (Computer Science, Professional Writing and Rhetoric, Digital Art) which are not often associated with one another in students' minds or in more traditional university curricula. How will we know if we are effectual? Surveys will be designed to gather information to facilitate in the development and evaluation of the senior seminar. The survey results, along with the outcome of the senior seminar project(s), will be our assessment tool in evaluating the effectiveness of the senior seminar.
Double resonance with a frequency-scanned ion cyclotron resonance detector applied to the study of metal clusters

Abstract The replacement of a fixed-frequency amplitude-modulated marginal oscillator detector with a frequency-scanned null detector facilitates the use of mul
In the Spotlight: Bioinformatics

During 2012, next generation sequencing (NGS) has attracted great attention in the biomedical research community, especially for personalized medicine. Also, third generation sequencing has become available. Therefore, state-of-art sequencing technology and analysis are reviewed in this Bioinformatics spotlight on 2012. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is high-throughput nucleic acid sequencing technology with wide dynamic range and single base resolution. The full promise of NGS depends on the optimization of NGS platforms, sequence alignment and assembly algorithms, data analytics, novel algorithms for integrating NGS data with existing genomic, proteomic, or metabolomic data, and quantitative assessment of NGS technology in comparing to more established technologies such as microarrays. NGS technology has been predicated to become a cornerstone of personalized medicine. It is argued that NGS is a promising field for motivated young researchers who are looking for opportunities in bioinformatics.
Comparative estrogenicity of estradiol, ethynyl estradiol and diethylstilbestrol in an in vivo, male sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), vitellogenin bioassay.

An in vivo bioasssay for vitellogenin (VTG) synthesis was developed to screen individual chemicals or mixtures of chemicals for potentially estrogenic effects in a marine teleost model. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantitate VTG synthesis in male sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) exposed to five concentrations of the natural estrogen (17β-estradiol), a synthetic, steroidal pharmaceutical estrogen (17α-ethynyl estradiol), or a synthetic, non-steroidal, pharmaceutical estrogen (diethystilbestrol) for 16 days. At an exposure concentration of 20 ng/l, only diethystilbestrol elicited a vitellogenic response. At all test concentrations greater than 100 ng/l, VTG appeared in the plasma in a dose-dependent manner for the three estrogen treatments. Liver VTG mRNA measurements were also made, exhibiting no clear correlations between quantities, nor temporal appearance of the message and mature protein were apparent. This assay is short-term, relatively inexpensive, shows a direct response, and easily quantitated.
Discovery of Potent CLC Chloride Channel Inhibitors

Anion-transport proteins are central to all of physiology, for processes ranging from regulating bone-density, muscle excitability, and blood pressure, to facilitating extreme-acid survival of pathogenic bacteria. 4,4-Diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS) has been used as an anion-transport inhibitor for decades. In this study, we demonstrate that polythiourea products derived from DIDS hydrolysis inhibit three different CLC chloride-transport proteins, ClC-ec1, ClC-0, and ClC-Ka, more effectively than DIDS itself. The structures of the five major products were determined by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and chemical synthesis. These compounds bind directly to the CLC proteins, as evidenced by the fact that inhibition of ClC-0 occurs only from the intracellular side and inhibition of ClC-Ka is prevented by the point mutation N68D. These polythioureas are the highest affinity inhibitors known for the CLCs and provide a new class of chemical probes for dissecting the molecular mechanis...
Numerical Simulation of Rock Fragmentation Process for TBM Cutters Based on Three-Dimensional Dynamic Fracturing Method

The rock breakage process is the interaction process between TBM and rock mass, which is affected by TBM specifications, such as thrust force, cutter tip width and profile, cutter spacing, RPM, and torque, and rock mass properties mainly including rock material strength, rock brittleness, joint spacing and orientation. In this study, based on the systematic study of the existed rock constitutive model achievements and introduction of rock breaking mechanism, main failure mode of rock in the breaking process of disc cutter is added and revised in order to meet the actual situation. The method of establishing finite element model of disc cutter breaking process using ANSYS AUTODYN-3D software is introduced. After the dynamic simulation, we can obtain that geotechnical interface disturbance insulted by disc cutter. Based on plenty of experiments, it confirms reliability of numerical methods and provides a method to study cutting performance for different geological conditions.
Hybrid transactional memory

High performance parallel programs are currently difficult to write and debug. One major source of difficulty is protecting concurrent accesses to shared data with an appropriate synchronization mechanism. Locks are the most common mechanism but they have a number of disadvantages, including possibly unnecessary serialization, and possible deadlock. Transactional memory is an alternative mechanism that makes parallel programming easier. With transactional memory, a transaction provides atomic and serializable operations on an arbitrary set of memory locations. When a transaction commits, all operations within the transaction become visible to other threads. When it aborts, all operations in the transaction are rolled back.Transactional memory can be implemented in either hardware or software. A straightforward hardware approach can have high performance, but imposes strict limits on the amount of data updated in each transaction. A software approach removes these limits, but incurs high overhead. We propose a novel hybrid hardware-software transactional memory scheme that approaches the performance of a hardware scheme when resources are not exhausted and gracefully falls back to a software scheme otherwise.
Recent developments in modeling binary alloy surface segregation: Low index planes, steps, kinks, and chemisorption

Abstract This paper reports the application of a Monte Carlo method for the calculation of surface segregation effects for binary alloy low index planes, steps and kink surfaces. The effect of chemisorption is also modelled. The essential feature of this method is that metallic bond energies are allowed to vary near the alloy surface. The coordination dependent bond energies are determined from an empirical potential model. Composition profiles and surface ensemble size distributions are reported for the (100), (110) and (111) surface of Ag-Au and Au-Pt binary alloys. Surface composition probability maps are given for the more highly structured step and kink surfaces of Ag-Au and Cu-Ni alloys. The results of this work are compared with experimentally determined surface compositions and the results of other models.
Notes on the Plankton observed at Plymouth during June, July, August and September, 1892

The absence of systematic records showing the variations of the floating fauna and flora, or plankton, of the Plymouth waters is much to be regretted. My observations on the amount of animal and plant life suspended in the sea from the surface to the bottom would show that in comparison with similar observations made elsewhere, the quantity of plankton in this locality was during the past summer surprisingly small. The absence of data upon which comparisons could be based between the state of the water in this season and that obtaining in former years is all the more to be deplored because the present season has in many respects been a remarkable one. In the first place, the Plymouth mackerel fishery has so far been a complete failure; it has further been found that dog-fishes (both Scyllium and Acanthias ) were not obtainable during June and July; and lastly, Aurelia aurita , which in summer is usually common, was extremely scarce in the Sound and tidal waters of Plymouth. If my Burmise that the amount of plankton was for the locality exceptionally small proves correct, then these three salient instances of scarcity of animals which are directly or indirectly dependent on the plankton for their food will suffice to show the importance of a series of more or less continuous observations on the physical and biological condition of the inshore and Channel waters. Were accurate information on these points available, it would in all probability enable us to explain, and we might even in time be able to foresee, the occurrence of so important an event as the exceptionally sporadic appearance of the mackerel in 1892.
F. W. J. Schelling: Presentation of My System of Philosophy (1801)

Traduction anglaise de l'article de Schelling, paru dans le «Journal de physique specualtive» fonde par lui-meme l'annee precedente, ou le philosophe distingue son nouveau «Systeme de l'identite» des theories scientifiques et transcendantales de ses precurseurs, Reinhold et Fichte.
External gates and transport in biased bilayer graphene

We formulate a theory of transport in graphene bilayers in the weak momentum scattering regime in such a way as to take into account contributions to the electrical conductivity to leading and next-to-leading order in the scattering potential. The response of bilayers to an electric field cannot be regarded as a sum of terms due to individual layers. Rather, interlayer tunneling and coherence between positive- and negative-energy states give the main contributions to the conductivity. At low energies, the dominant effect of scattering on transport comes from scattering within each energy band, yet a simple picture encapsulating the role of collisions in a set of scattering times is not applicable. Coherence between positive- and negative-energy states gives, as in monolayers, a term in the conductivity which depends on the order of limits. The application of an external gate, which introduces a gap between positive- and negative-energy states, does not affect transport. Nevertheless, the solution to the kinetic equation in the presence of such a gate is very revealing for transport in both bilayers and monolayers.
Effects of senescence and density on the aggression of adult female sockeye salmon

Aggression of individual female sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka in Hansen Creek, Alaska, was unrelated to body size or density but it decreased over the last 7 days of life from an average of 8·89–1·47 counts 15 min−1. In addition, as females neared death they tended to use less violent forms of aggression.
Bayesian Inference for Information Retrieval Evaluation

A key component of experimentation in IR is statistical hypothesis testing, which researchers and developers use to make inferences about the effectiveness of their system relative to others. A statistical hypothesis test can tell us the likelihood that small mean differences in effectiveness (on the order of 5%, say) is due to randomness or measurement error, and thus is critical for making progress in research. But the tests typically used in IR - the t-test, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test - are very general, not developed specifically for the problems we face in information retrieval evaluation. A better approach would take advantage of the fact that the atomic unit of measurement in IR is the relevance judgment rather than the effectiveness measure, and develop tests that model relevance directly. In this work we present such an approach, showing theoretically that modeling relevance in this way naturally gives rise to the effectiveness measures we care about. We demonstrate the usefulness of our model on both simulated data and a diverse set of runs from various TREC tracks.
Magneto-excitons in droplets of a chiral Luttinger liquid formed in quantum dots in a magnetic field

Magneto-excitons in droplets of a spin polarized chiral Luttinger liquid formed in quantum dots in a magnetic field are studied. The coupling of magneto-excitons to low energy excitations of an interacting droplet (edge magneto-rotons) leads to a strong enhancement of the oscillator strength at the Fermi level (Fermi edge singularity). The condensation of edge magneto-rotons signals the reconstruction of the droplet and is accompanied by new structures in the absorption spectrum.
Efficacy of two nuclear polyhedrosis viruses againstOstrinia nubilalis [Lep.: Pyralidae] in the laboratory and field

Nuclear polyhedrosis viruses isolated from the alfalfa looper,Autographa californica (Speyer) (AcMNPV), and a mint looper,Rachiplusia ou (Guenee) (RoMNPV), were assayed against the European corn borer,Ostrinia nubilalisHubner), and applied to field corn for suppression of this insect. Fourteen days post-treatment, LC50 values were 46.50 abd 0.95×105 PIB/ml diet for AcMNPV and RoMNPV, respectively. Both viruses caused significant reductions in number of larvae per plant and in plant damage when the material was applied with a backpack sprayer. Data indicate that RoMNPV kills in less time than AcMNPV. When the viruses were applied with a commercial highboy applicator, the centimeters of damage to cornstalks was reduced by 65% with RoMNPV during the 1st generation and by 32.9% in the 2nd generation.
Grain boundary properties of Ni-16Cr-9Fe at 360 °C

Recently, it has been shown that strain localization effects at grain boundaries are important in intergranular cracking of nickel-base alloys and that both cracking propensity and creep properties depend strongly on grain boundary misorientation and its distribution. During high temperature deformation, lattice dislocations interact with grain boundaries creating extrinsic grain boundary dislocations (EGBDs) which may then be dissociated, absorbed or trapped in the boundaries depending on the type and structure of the grain boundaries. The purpose of this work is to quantitatively determine the extent to which the kinetics of dislocation absorption by grain boundaries is related to the high temperature mechanical strength of high-purity Ni-16Cr-9Fe alloys with different grain boundary character distributions. This study focuses on the grain boundary behavior after small plastic deformation at 360 C since a considerably higher local strain, i.e. dislocation density, is observed in the grain boundary regions as compared to the grain interiors.
Artificial Intelligence On The AirLand Battlefield

The U.S. Army must examine the utilization of artificial intelligence to assist combat leaders on the AirLand battlefield of the year 2000. Automated reporting, FM secure digital-burst communications and mission planning aids will provide the combat leader with the capability to fight and win on an extremely fluid and lethal battlefield.
Emerging Sensitivity to Socially Complex Expressions: A Unique Role for Adolescence?

Complex facial expressions provide signals about emotions that are related to nuanced social behav- ior (e.g., shame, desire) and inner thoughts (e.g., pensive). In this article, we review the empirical evidence evaluating whether the ability to recognize these complex expressions changes during adolescence, given the increasing evidence of heightened sensitivity to social signals during this time. We propose considerations for interpreting findings from this work and shaping research. Finally, we offer a new hypothesis about the influences of age and pubertal matu- ration on the development of processing complex facial expressions during adolescence, and propose that puberty influences the emergence of sensitivity to particular kinds of complex expressions, namely social sexual expressions. This hypothesis is embedded in a broader theory about how age-appropriate social developmental tasks, like forming loyal peer friendships and exploring romantic and sexual relationships in adolescence, influence face-pro- cessing behavior.
A fundamental theorem on the structure of symplectic integrators

I show that the basic structure of symplectic integrators is governed by a theorem which states precisely, how symplectic integrators with positive coefficients cannot be corrected or processed beyond second order. All previous known results can now be derived quantitatively from this theorem. The theorem provided sharp bounds on second-order error coefficients explicitly in terms of factorization coefficients. By saturating these bounds, one can derive fourth-order algorithms analytically with arbitrary numbers of operators.
Lung volume reduction surgery restores the normal diaphragmatic length-tension relationship in emphysematous rats.

Abstract Objective: Improved respiratory muscle function is a major effect of a lung volume reduction surgery. We studied length adaptation in rat diaphragmatic muscle in an attempt to elucidate the mechanism by which diaphragmatic function improves after this controversial operation. Methods: We developed a model of elastase-induced emphysema and bilateral volume reduction through median sternotomy in rats. Five months after emphysema induction, maximum exchangeable lung volume was determined in intubated and anesthetized control animals and animals with emphysema. Costal diaphragmatic length was measured in vivo, and the length at which maximal twitch force is generated was determined on muscle strips in vitro. Also 5 months after elastase administration, another cohort underwent volume reduction or sham sternotomy. Five months after the operation, these animals were similarly studied. Results: Lung volume was increased in emphysematous rats versus control rats (50.9 ± 1.7 vs 45.4 ± 1.3 mL, P =.001). Lung volume was decreased in emphysematous animals that had undergone volume reduction versus sham sternotomy (44.7 ± 0.60 vs 49.4 ± 1.0 mL, P =.001). In situ diaphragm length (1.99 ± 0.04 vs 2.24 ± 0.07 cm, P =.001) and the length at which maximal twitch force is generated (2.25 ± 0.06 vs 2.48 ± 0.09 cm, P =.038) were shorter in emphysematous than control animals. After volume reduction, in situ diaphragm length (2.13 ± 0.06 vs 1.83 ± 0.02 cm, P P =.013) were longer than in animals undergoing sham sternotomy. Conclusions: In this experimental model of emphysema and lung volume reduction surgery, emphysema shortens the length at which maximal twitch force is generated and shifts the diaphragmatic length-tension curve to lower lengths; volume reduction returns the length at which maximal twitch force is generated toward normal and shifts the diaphragmatic length-tension curve back to longer lengths. This restoration toward normal physiology may enable the improvement in diaphragmatic function seen after lung volume reduction surgery. The mechanism by which these length adaptations occur merits further investigation. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2001;121:217-24)
Peptide Separation and Isolation with an Automated Amino Acid Analyzer

A technique is presented for separation and collection of amino acids and peptides using a microcolumn amino acid analyzer. By use of the program and the column selection valve of the amino acid analyzer, and without any modification of the instrumentation, the stream of the eluate is diverted into the reaction coil and absorbance is recorded at regular intervals. The rest of the eluate is collected in a fraction collector for further characterization of the separated peptides. Splitting ratios can be varied by simple alteration of the program. Small amounts of material (1 to 2 nmol) are needed for monitoring the separation and collection of the eluate.
A comment on the center for vertical eye movements in the medial prerubral subthalamic region of the monkey considering some of its frontal cortical afferents

Abstract Human clinicopathological studies and experimental studies in monkeys have accumulated evidence that a critical area for vertical eye movements is located in the primate prerubral subthalamic region, but a considerable proliferation of terms applied to the same paramedian structures has impeded progress in the description of its connectivity. Our anterograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) studies, following HRP get implants into paraarcuate frontal cortical areas, shed light on the question of its afferents. If one considers the entire spectrum of connectivity of the area as studied by various investigators under different terminologies, it appears that the ell group is question receives convergent inputs from the premotor and prefrontal cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, vestibular complex and paramedian pontine reticular formation.
Discrimination of quantum states and probabilistic quantum algorithms

In quantum information and quantum computing, the carrier of information is some quantum system and information is encoded in its state. The state, however, is not an observable in quantum mechanics, thus a fundamental problem arises: after processing the information it has to be read out or, in other words, the state of the system must be determined. When the possible target states are orthogonal, this is a relatively simple task, provided the set of possible target states is known. But when the possible target states are not orthogonal their discrimination is far from being trivial even if their set is known. Thus the problem of discriminating among non-orthogonal states is ubiquitous in quantum information and quantum computing, underlying all communication and computing schemes. It is the subject of this talk to review recent theoretical and experimental advances in this field.
A NEW APPROACH TO NUMERICAL FIELD AND POTENTIAL CALCULATIONS

A. Conformal Transformation Methods A standard analytic method for the determination of field and potential distributions uses the Schwarz‐Christoffel (SC) conformal transformation integral. When applied to configurations such as the capacitor with fringing accounted for or a metal stripe separated by a dielectric from a ground plane, it leads to complicated expressions containing elliptic integrals, and when applied to a metal disc separated from a ground plane, Hankel transforms are also involved. Since elliptic integrals must be evaluated numerically in practice, it is desirable to replace these complicated analytic processes with one that is numerical from the start. Such a method has been published by Foster, Anderson, and Warner. It is based on the standardization of a two‐step conformal transform; Step 1 takes the original geometry and lays it out along the real axis and Step 2 converts this arrangement—using a reverse Schwarz‐Christoffel transform—into a rectangular structure from which the field lines and equipotentials can be determined by inspection. Step 1 is different for each problem but Step 2 is common to all problems, and represents one of several advantages of this procedure. The simplest example given by the originators is the tri‐plate strip line of Figure 1, which—by symmetry—can be reduced to the quadrant of Figure 2. The SC
Feasibility of 81Br(v,e−)81Kr Solar Neutrino Experiment

The standard stellar model of the sun, that of BAHCALL [1], predicts the neutrino flux and energy spectrum emitted by the hot interior core where energy production occurs. It is believed that neutrinos provide the only means of observing the thermonuclear region of the sun. An experiment by DAVIS et al. [2] to measure the flux due to one of the high—energy neutrino sources (due to 8B) uses the reaction 37C1(V,e−)37Ar in a radiochemical method. The standard model predicts that the flux of 8B neutrinos on the earth is about 6 × 106 cm−2 s−1. The more energetic neutrinos can interact via 37C1(V,e−)37Ar, producing a favorable atom for decay counting with T1/2 = 35 days. Another important feature of 37Ar is that it is a noble gas, thus a few atoms can be recovered from tons of a chlorine—rich target for radiochemical experiments. A large tank was installed in the Homestake Gold Mine and was filled with 615 tons of C2C14, in anticipation of about 1.5 events per day, based on standard model predictions; however, the observed capture rate was only 0.4 events per day, in serious disagreement.
Energy and Security in the 1980s

Because alternative sources of energy cannot be developed fast enough in the short term, the problems of energy security in the next decade will continue to focus on oil. The problem is not that the world will run out of oil in this century, but that low-cost oil is heavily concentrated in the Persian Gulf, an area of domestic and international political instability. The current oil glut and soft markets will not solve the energy security problem. Market forces are a necessary but not sufficient element in an effective strategy for energy security. The same can be said about an effective American military presence in the area. Current enthusiasm for enhancing military capabilities can provide only part of a solution when we are dealing with a transnational system such as international energy. Successful analysis must draw on insights both from traditional realism and from studies of power and interdependence. Theories of interdependence and transnational systems are not based upon a world of detente, but remain relevant to the complex threats to national security we face, such as energy in the 1980s.
Multifunctional essentiality of succinate metabolism in adaptation to hypoxia in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a chronic, facultative intracellular pathogen that spends the majority of its decades-long life cycle in a non- or slowly replicating state. However, the bacterium remains poised to resume replicating so that it can transmit itself to a new host. Knowledge of the metabolic adaptations used to facilitate entry into and exit from nonreplicative states remains incomplete. Here, we apply 13C-based metabolomic profiling to characterize the activity of M. tuberculosis tricarboxylic acid cycle during adaptation to and recovery from hypoxia, a physiologically relevant condition associated with nonreplication. We show that, as M. tuberculosis adapts to hypoxia, it slows and remodels its tricarboxylic acid cycle to increase production of succinate, which is used to flexibly sustain membrane potential, ATP synthesis, and anaplerosis, in response to varying degrees of O2 limitation and the presence or absence of the alternate electron acceptor nitrate. This remodeling is mediated by the bifunctional enzyme isocitrate lyase acting in a noncanonical role distinct from fatty acid catabolism. Isocitrate lyase-dependent production of succinate affords M. tuberculosis with a unique and bioenergetically efficient metabolic means of entry into and exit from hypoxia-induced quiescence.
Performance of hardware accelerated particle swarm optimization with digital pheromones on dissimilar computing platforms

Programmable Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have lately become promising means to perform scientific computations. When appropriately formulated, population based algorithms such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) can leverage the data parallel architecture of GPUs dramatically improving the solution efficiency characteristics. Prior work by the authors demonstrated the feasibility for using GPUs for solving multidimensional optimization problems with digital pheromones in PSO using OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL). However, the programmability of GPUs in recent years fostered the development of a variety of programming languages making it challenging to select a computing language and use it consistently without the pitfall of being obsolete or unstable. This especially applies to design industries that aim at reducing investment and maintenance costs on high performance computing and training their designers to use such equipment. Although different GPU computing languages are available, some hardware specific languages are designed to rake in performance boosts when used with their host GPUs (e.g., Nvidia CUDA). On the other hand, a few are operating system specific (e.g., HLSL). A few are platform agnostic lending themselves to be used on a workstation with any CPU and a GPU (e.g., GLSL, OpenCL). This paper attempts to compare the performance of digital pheromone PSO when implemented on different GPU computing languages. Recommendations will be made on a viable platform for searching multi-dimensional design spaces. In other words, the paper aims to be a useful resource for designers aspiring for using GPUs in their optimization processes.
Nature of alumina in phosphate glass. I: Properties of sodium aluminophosphate glass

Glasses along four compositional tie lines, I: xAl(PO3)3’(1 – x)NaPO3, II: xAlPO4′(1 – x)NaPO3, III: xAl2O3′(1 – x)NaPO3, and IV: xNaAlO2,(1 – x)NaPO3, have been prepared and a number of their properties evaluated. In general, Al2O3 additions increase the glass transition temperature, decrease thermal expansion, and improve aqueous durability. However, the composition/property relationships are strongly influenced by relative cation ratios and thus the overall O/P ratio. The nature of these glasses undergoes significant transformations at both the pyrophosphate (O/P = 3.5) and the orthophosphate (O/P = 4.0) compositions, producing significant changes in the property behavior. Spectroscopic analyses of glass structure, described in part II of this report, reveal that changes in Al coordination coincide with the breaks in the property behavior.
Endoscopic management of peripancreatic fluid collections

Peripancreatic fluid collections are a well-known complication of pancreatitis and can vary from fluid-filled collections to entirely necrotic collections. Although most of the fluid-filled pseudocysts tend to resolve spontaneously with conservative management, intervention is necessary in symptomatic patients. Open surgery has been the traditional treatment modality of choice though endoscopic, laparoscopic and transcutaneous techniques offer alternative drainage approaches. During the last decade, improvement in endoscopic ultrasound technology has enabled real-time access and drainage of fluid collections that were previously not amenable to blind transmural drainage. This has initiated a trend towards use of this modality for treatment of pseudocysts. In this review, we have summarised the existing evidence for endoscopic drainage of peripancreatic fluid collections from published studies.
A comparative study of the chemical defensive system of tenebrionid beetles III. Morphology of the glands

The morphology of the abdominal defensive glands and associated structures of 115 species of tenebrionid beetles was studied on KOH cleared material. The glands and reservoirs of all Tenebrionidae are homologous and evolved as a pair of sacs from the intersegmental membrane between sternites VII and VIII. On the basis of reservoir morphology and secretory cell tubule termination, seven provisional gland types were established. Several of the types include species from several tribes, and several tribes contain several gland types, indicating possible incongruencies between the taxonomy and phylogeny of the family. Morphological trends in the evolution of the glands include: increase of reservoir capacity, constriction of the proximal portion of the sacs into distinct exit ducts, release of secretion by exuding or spraying rather than everting, and concentration of the secretory cell tubule terminations into restricted fields, collecting ducts or ampullae. The morphology of the glands of 58 species is illustrated and the results are discussed in light of the current taxonomy of the Tenebrionidae.
Prognostic value of 12-lead electrocardiogram and peak troponin I level after vascular surgery.

Objective The aim of this investigation was to determine if the presence of ischemic electrocardiographic (ECG) changes in patients undergoing vascular surgery provides incremental prognostic information about the long-term risk of death compared with a single peak troponin level within 48 hours after surgery. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of 337 patients undergoing moderate-risk to high-risk vascular surgery at our institution whose ECG and biomarker data were complete. Peak cardiac troponin (cTn) I values that exceeded the upper reference limit (URL) were categorized as low-positive (+), at or exceeding the URL but less than three times the URL, or high-positive (+), at or exceeding three times the URL. ECGs were classified as ischemic or nonischemic. The primary outcome was death at 1 year after the vascular operation. Independent predictors of long-term mortality were determined by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results The most common vascular problem was an expanding abdominal aortic aneurysm (n = 185 [55%]). With regard to cTnI, 53 patients (16%) were classified as high (+) and 82 (24%) as low (+). The ECG in 21 patients (6%) showed evidence of myocardial ischemia. An increase in 1-year mortality of 3% for normal, 11% for low (+), and 17% for high (+) ( P P P P P P = .04). The presence of ischemia on ECG was not a predictor of long-term mortality. Conclusions In the presence of an elevated cTn I, the ECG is not an independent predictor of long-term mortality after vascular surgery. These results support a strategy of routine surveillance of cTns after vascular surgery for the detection of cardiac events and postoperative risk stratification.
Constructed wetlands as a component of the agricultural landscape: Mitigation of herbicides in simulated runoff from upland drainage areas

Constructed wetlands are a recommended practice for buffering pollutant source areas and receiving waters. A wetland consisting of a sediment trap and two treatment cells was constructed in a Mississippi Delta lake watershed. A 3-h simulated runoff event was initiated (2003) to evaluate fate and transport of atrazine and fluometuron through the wetland. Water samples were collected during a runoff simulation and then afterward at selected intervals for 21 d, and analyzed for the herbicides. Breakthrough patterns for herbicide concentrations in water samples during the first 20 h after simulated runoff showed peak concentrations in the first 6 h, with gradual tailing as the herbicide pulse was diluted in the second, excavated (deeper) cell. Atrazine and fluometuron concentrations in the first (shallower, non-excavated) cell averaged 12- and 20-fold greater, respectively, than those in the second cell following simulated runoff, indicating entrapment in the first cell. Atrazine and fluometuron concentrations in the shallower cell decreased 32% and 22%, respectively, 9 d following simulated runoff, indicating either degradation or sorption to soil or wetland flora. In the excavated cell, concentrations were even lower, and atrazine declined more rapidly than fluometuron. Results indicate constructed wetlands can improve downstream water quality though sequestration or processing of pollutants.
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: Political Perceptions, Economic Reality, and Capital Bias in U.S. Transit Subsidy Policy

The most recent federal surface transportation legislation significantly increased the emphasis in U.S. public transit subsidy policy on capital projects, especially rail transit. This emphasis on capital investments arises largely from perceptions by electedof ficials that transit capital investments bring significant local economic (and, hence, political) benefit. While analyses of the economic effects of transit investments shouldpr operly emphasize their transportation effects, transit investments are more often judged in the political arena in terms of the expenditure effects of high-profile capital projects on local employment. This analysis uses a regional input-output model to show that, in general, the emphasis on transit capital expenditures is not an effective way to stimulate local employment. These findings call into question both the assumptions of many electedof ficials regarding employment effects of transit capital projects andthe perceptions of many transit officials regarding the relati...
Slepian's inequality via the central limit theorem

We define a partial ordering of distributions which is preserved under convolutions and scale transformations. Some properties of this partial ordering are developed and then used to give a new argument for Slepian's inequality (1962). Ľauteur definit un ordre partiel sur la classe des lois de probabilite. Cet ordre demeure inchange lorsque ľon effectue une convolution ou une transformation ďechclle. Ľauteur examine quelqucsuncsde ses proprietes et il s'en sert pour donner une nouvelle demonstration de ľinegalite de Slepian (1962).
Habitat selection by three littoral zone fishes: effects of predation pressure, plant density and macrophyte type

— We conducted laboratory experiments which demonstrated that three littoral zone fishes differentially selected among three macrophytes when seeking refuge from predation. In the presence of a predator (a juvenile Micropterus salmoides), mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna). and dollar sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) displayed ferential use of four tank areas containing patches of either Hydrilla verticillata, Potamogeton illinoensis, Panicum hemitomon, or no plants. Patterns habitat selection, and the consistency of these patterns among replicates, differed among the three fishes and among three plant-density treatments - natural (each macrophyte presented at its mean field density), equal (all three macrophytes at the same density), and control (no plants). Selection for H. verticillata by mosquitofish was significant for both the equal and natural treatments, and thus was not caused by differences in plant density alone. Sailfin mollies displayed significant selection for H. verticillata only in the natural plant-density treatments. Dollar sunfish showed less consistent habitat selection than either mosquitofish or sailfin mollies. Significant habitat selection was not found in the absence of a predator, and there was no evidence for lection among the tank areas in control treatments. Patterns of habitat selection by the three fishes in our laboratory study corresponded to observed habitat use in Lake Okeechobee.
Effect of a volume heat source on free‐convection heat transfer

Heat transfer to a horizontal cylinder from an ordinary fluid containing a volume heat source was studied analytically. The first approach to this problem was to assume that the heat source existed only in the boundary layer surrounding the cylinder. By solving the equations for a vertical flat plate cooling the ambient fluid and applying the results to a horizontal cylinder, one could determine the effect of a volume heat source on the heat transfer coefficient for the cylinder case. The variables studied were volume heat sources from 0 to 300 B.t.u./(sec.)(cu. ft.) and temperature difference across the boundary layer in the range 20° to 100°F. In the laminar-flow region a volume heat source was found to increase the heat transfer coefficient for any given temperature difference across the boundary layer. This increase, due to the decrease in boundary-layer thickness caused by the volume heat source, was moderate, being about 20% for a 1 1/4-in. O.D. cylinder with a heat source strength of 100 B.t.u./(sec.) (cu. ft.) and a temperature difference across the boundary layer of 20°F.
The Continuity of Change: Public Budgeting and Finance Reforms over 70 Years

Paul L. Posner is a professor of public and international affairs at George Mason University. Previously, he was the director of federal budget and intergovernmental relations in the U.S. Government Account- ability Offi ce. His scholarship focuses on federalism, public budgeting, and public administration. He is the author of The Politics of Unfunded Mandates: Whither Federalism? (Georgetown University Press,
Experiences teaching a course in programmer testing

We teach a class on programmer testing with a primary focus on test driven development (TDD) as part of the software engineering curriculum at the Florida Institute of Technology. As of this writing, the course has been offered 3 times. Each session contained a mixture of undergraduate and graduate students. This paper discusses the evolution of the course, our lessons learned and plans for enhancing the course in the future.
Melanopsin ganglion cells use a membrane-associated rhabdomeric phototransduction cascade.

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are photoreceptors of the mammalian eye that drive pupillary responses, synchronization of circadian rhythms, and other reflexive respon...
FRACTAL DIMENSIONALITY OF PORE AND GRAIN VOLUME OF A SILICICLASTIC MARINE SAND

Three-dimensional (3D) spatial distributions of pore and grain volumes were determined from high-resolution computer tomography (CT) images of resin-impregnated marine sands. Using a linear gradient extrapolation method, cubic three-dimensional samples were constructed from two-dimensional CT images. Image porosity (0.37) was found to be consistent with the estimate of porosity by water weight loss technique (0.36). Scaling of the pore volume (Vp) with the linear size (L), V ~ LD provides the fractal dimensionalities of the pore volume (D = 2.74 ± 0.02) and grain volume (D = 2.90 ± 0.02) typical for sedimentary materials.
Angiotensin II type 2 receptor-bradykinin B2 receptor functional heterodimerization.

Angiotensin II type 2 (AT2R) or bradykinin B2 (B2R) receptor activation enhances NO production. Recently, we demonstrated enhancement of NO production when AT2R and B2R are simultaneously activated in vivo. However, the mechanism involved in this enhancement is unknown. Using confocal fluorescence resonance energy transfer microscopy, we report the distance between the AT2R and B2R in PC12W cell membranes to be 505 A, providing evidence and quantification of receptor heterodimerization as the mechanism for enhancing NO production. The rate of AT2R-B2R heterodimer formation is largely a function of the degree of AT2R-B2R expression. The physical association between the dimerized receptors initiates changes in intracellular phosphoprotein signaling activities leading to phosphorylation of c-Jun terminal kinase, phosphotyrosine phosphatase, inhibitory protein B, and activating transcription factor 2; dephosphorylation of p38 and p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase and signal transducer inhibitor of transcription 3; and enhancing production of NO and cGMP. Controlling the expression of AT2R-B2R, consequently influencing their biologically active dimerization, presents a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of hypertension and other cardiovascular and renal disorders. (Hypertension. 2006;48:316-322.)
Severe insomnia is associated with more severe presentation and greater functional deficits in depression

Abstract Depression is among the most common reasons for seeking psychiatric treatment, and insomnia symptoms are common in the clinical picture of depression. The present study examines the clinical presentation and psychosocial functioning among depressed outpatients with severe symptoms of insomnia in comparison to depressed outpatients without severe insomnia symptoms. The present sample included 2900 treatment-seeking individuals, with 1057 patients having a principal diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). All patients were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders (SCID), Schedule for Affective Disorders (SADS), and self-report measures of mood and psychosocial functioning. SADS Insomnia ratings were used to determine the presence of severe insomnia symptoms. Clinical, demographic, and psychosocial variables were obtained from the SCID and self-report measures. Among the patients with MDD, 24.7% endorsed severe insomnia symptoms. These individuals were older at time of presentation, were less likely to be married, had a lower education level, had a longer duration of the current depressive episode, were rated as more severe on the CGI, had poorer current functioning via GAF, and had higher HAM-D 21 scores. After controlling for severity, MDD patients with severe insomnia symptoms had poorer social functioning over the past 5 years, though this did not reach the significance level of p
Modifying Preconceptions about the Safe and Effective Use of Aspirin: Product Label Comprehension as Knowledge Updating

Background: Errors in reading label information for nonprescription drugs are often ascribed to poorly written labels or to low health-literacy levels. However, the contribution of drug product preconceptions to these errors has received little attention. This study improves on existing label-comprehension research by assessing label effectiveness in terms of the updating of preconceptions about nonprescription drugs. Method: Ninety undergraduates rated the truth of 35 aspirin claims before and after reading a simulated aspirin label. Some claims were congruent with the Drug Facts; other claims were discrepant from those Drug Facts. Still other claims contained information absent from the Drug Facts. Results: Increases in truth ratings for congruent claims and decreases for discrepant claims were significant, but this knowledge-updating effect is significantly greater for congruent claims. Ratings for absent claims were unchanged. Neither reading care nor verbal ability significantly influenced updating effects. In addition, label inspection was significantly more likely to produce comprehension-beneficial and less likely to produce comprehension-detrimental reversals of initial judgments for congruent claims than was the case for discrepant claims. Conclusions: Literate young adults who carefully read aspirin Drug Facts information are less able to correct aspirin preconceptions refuted by those Facts than to confirm aspirin preconceptions affirmed by those Facts.