cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recurrent neural network based detection of faults caused byparticle attrition in chemical looping systems

Abstract Chemical looping is a novel and promising technology that converts fossil fuels to electricity and high value chemicals with in-situ carbon capture without significant cost penalties. Smooth and controlled solid circulation is the key to the successful operation of the chemical looping system. Bridging or arching, which may occur in the moving bed standpipe of the system, caused by a combination of fines accumulation and gas flows, is a major impediment to the smooth solid circulation and can lead to the failure of the entire system operation. Thus, early detection of the tendency of bridging or arching is important. This paper describes a model that applies the long short-term memory based recurrent neural network scheme to detect the tendency of arching in the standpipe of a chemical looping system. The arching tendency can be ascertained by early detection of the bubble formation in the standpipe. The bubble movement or local fluidization is recognized to precede the arching formation due to local accumulation of fine particles generated from coarse particle attrition. The early detection of the bubbles thus renders it possible to prevent arching through the prompt action of fines removal from the system. In this study, the recurrent neural network model which detects the fines induced fault manifested as bubbles in the standpipe is developed. It is over the data generated from an experimental sub-pilot scale, cold-flow chemical looping unit. To improve the robustness of the diagnosis, a number of networks with different structures are considered, and an ensemble decision strategy is used to conduct the diagnosis. The recall value obtained of the diagnosed result, which represents the extent of the fraction of real bubbles that are detected, can reach higher than 86.7%. This result reflects a good accuracy of the recurrent neural network model in the fault detection for the chemical looping system.
Predictors of Ventricular Dysrhythmias in Neurology Intensive Care Unit Patients with Prolonged QTc.

Acute neurological injury and several medications commonly administered in the Neuro ICU pose a risk of fatal cardiac dysrhythmias. The objective of this study is to identify the predictors of ventricular dysrhythmias in the Neuro ICU patients with prolonged QTc, thereby helping the clinicians make important treatment decisions. We performed a retrospective review of all consecutive adults admitted to the Neuro ICU from January 2015 to September 2015 with a QTc interval ≥ 450 ms on electrocardiogram. A total of 170 patients with a mean age of 66 years (SD ± 16) were included in the final analysis. Eighty-seven patients (51%) were women. Median duration of hospitalization was 9 days (IQR 4–16). Most common primary diagnosis was ischemic stroke (38%) followed by cerebral hemorrhage (19%) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (8%). Mean QTc was 487 ms (SD ± 35, range 450–659 ms). There were 27 episodes (16%) of monomorphic non-sustained ventricular tachycardia and one episode of Torsades (1%). Three cardiac arrests (2%) were recorded, none resulting from ventricular dysrhythmias. In multivariate analysis, prolonged QTc ≥ 492 ms (p = 0.0008), supratentorial acute ischemic stroke (p = 0.005), prolonged hospitalization (p = 0.03), and premature ventricular complexes on ECG (p = 0.047) were all independently associated with increased risk of ventricular dysrhythmias. In this group of patients with prolonged QTc in the Neuro ICU, we observed several episodes of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia and identified important risk factors associated with their occurrence. This knowledge is essential to inform clinical decisions.
Generational Change in Affective Polarization and Partisanship:An Age-Period-Cohort Accounting

Analyzes ANES data from 1964-2016 to show the role of generational replacement in fueling trends in affective polarization, identification as an independent, and the decline of Democratic dominance in the distribution of party identifiers both inside and outside of the South.
Targeting EYA3 in Ewing Sarcoma Retards Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis.

EWSR1/FLI1, the most common fusion gene in Ewing sarcoma, upregulates expression of the Eyes Absent 3 (EYA3) transactivator-phosphatase protein. The purpose of this study was to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms through which EYA3 might promote Ewing sarcoma tumor growth and to determine whether the EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase activity represents a viable therapeutic target. We used genetic and pharmacological modulation of EYA3 in cell-line based xenografts to examine how loss of EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase activity affects tumor growth and angiogenesis. Molecular mechanisms were evaluated in vivo and in vitro through analyses of tumor tissue and multi-cellular tumor spheroids. Our results show that both loss of EYA3 in Ewing sarcoma cells and pharmacological inhibition of the EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase activity inhibits tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis. EYA3 regulates levels of VEGFA in Ewing tumors, as well as promoting DNA damage repair and survival of Ewing sarcoma tumor cells. Target engagement is demonstrated in tumor tissue through elevated levels of the EYA3 substrate H2AX-pY142 upon loss of EYA3 or with Benzarone treatment. The efficacy of EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase inhibition in attenuating tumor growth and angiogenesis is corroborated in an Ewing sarcoma patient-derived tumor xenograft. Together, the results presented here validate EYA3 as a target for the development of novel Ewing sarcoma therapeutic strategies, and set the stage for evaluating the efficacy of combining the anti-angiogenic and anti-cell survival effects of EYA3 inhibition with cytotoxic chemotherapy.
Aberrant anterior cingulate processing of anticipated threat as a mechanism for psychosis.

Abstract Stress and abnormal stress response are associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD), but the brain mechanisms linking stress to symptomatology remain unclear. In this study, we used a stress-based functional neuroimaging task, reverse-translated from preclinical studies, to test the hypothesis that abnormal corticolimbic processing of stressful threat anticipation is associated with psychosis and affective symptoms in SSD. Participants underwent an MRI-compatible ankle-shock task (AST) in which the threat of mild electrical shock was anticipated. We compared functional brain activations during anticipatory threat periods from N = 18 participants with SSD (10 M/8F) to those from N = 12 community controls (9 M/3F). After family-wise error correction, only one region, the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC), showed significantly reduced activation compared with controls. vACC activation significantly correlated with clinical symptoms measured by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale total score (r = 0.54) and the psychosis subscale (r = 0.71), and inversely correlated with trait depression measured by the Maryland Trait and State Depression scale (r=-0.48). Deficient activation in vACC under stress of anticipated threat may lead to aberrant interpretation of such threat, contributing to psychosis and mood symptoms in SSD. This experimental paradigm has translational potential and may identify circuitry-level mechanisms of stress-related mental illness, leading to more targeted treatment.
Intrusion Detection System Classification Using Different Machine Learning Algorithms on KDD-99 and NSL-KDD Datasets - A Review Paper

Intrusion Detection System (IDS) has been an effective way to achieve higher security in detecting malicious activities for the past couple of years. Anomaly detection is an intrusion detection system. Current anomaly detection is often associated with high false alarm rates and only moderate accuracy and detection rates because it’s unable to detect all types of attacks correctly. An experiment is carried out to evaluate the performance of the different machine learning algorithms using KDD-99 Cup and NSL-KDD datasets. Results show which approach has performed better in term of accuracy, detection rate with reasonable false alarm rate.
The epistemic significance of experience

According to orthodoxy, perceptual beliefs are caused by perceptual experiences. The paper argues that this view makes it impossible to explain how experiences can be epistemically significant. A rival account, on which experiences in the “good case” are ways of knowing, is set out and defended.
Unbelievable bodies: audience readings of action heroines as a post-feminist visual metaphor

This article employs a feminist approach to audience research and examines the interviews of women who regularly watch and enjoy action heroine films. I argue that participants in this study draw from ambivalent post-feminist discourses to negotiate the contradictions they find embedded in the representation of powerful women in action. The women interviewed are reluctant to believe that the female bodies onscreen are physically capable of the action they perform when compared with action heroes. Instead of viewing the action of the feminine body as literal, they interpret action heroines as visual metaphors for career and academic success and take pleasure in seeing women succeed despite adversity. Consequently, this study reveals that post-feminist sensibilities promote action heroines as successful in intellectual arenas, yet, simultaneously discipline action heroine bodies to render them unbelievable as physically powerful women. By analyzing participant interpretations of action heroines as visual me...
¿Adiós a la economía política? Problemas de parámetros, métodos y direcciones en la configuración de los estudios culturales centroamericanos

Desde la epoca de los movimientos revolucionarios, la cuestion de como estudiar las sociedades latinoamericanas se ha enfocado con mas y mas frecuencia en lo que antes se consideraban cuestiones secundarias o “superestructurales”. Dentro de este contexto, los estudios culturales de una variedad u otra han pasado a un escenario centrico en un esfuerzo por elaborar modelos teoricos y crear polemicas con respecto a asuntos cruciales para desarrollos futuros. Durante el mismo periodo, Centroamerica ha vivido una transicion crucial que involucra procesos de paz y democratizacion en el contexto de la imposicion de politicas economicas neo-liberales asi como conflictos socio-politicos persistentes y crisis naturales mas graves.
Genetic Markers Associated With Plasma Protein C Level in African Americans: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Protein C is an endogenous anticoagulant protein with anti-inflammatory properties. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affect the levels of circulating protein C in European Americans. We performed a genome-wide association (GWA) scan of plasma protein C concentration with approximately 2.5 million SNPs in 2,701 African Americans in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Seventy-nine SNPs from the 20q11 and 2q14 regions reached the genome-wide significance threshold of 5 × 10(-8) . A missense variant rs867186 in the PROCR gene at 20q11 is known to affect protein C levels in individuals of European descent and showed the strongest signal (P = 9.84 × 10(-65) ) in African Americans. The minor allele of this SNP was associated with higher protein C levels (β = 0.49 μg/ml; 10% variance explained). In the 2q14 region, the top SNPs were near or within the PROC gene: rs7580658 (β = 0.15 μg/ml; 2% variance explained, P = 1.7 × 10(-12) ) and rs1799808 (β = 0.15 μg/ml; 2% variance explained, P = 2.03 × 10(-12) ). These two SNPs were in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) with another SNP rs1158867 that resides in a biochemically functional site and in weak to strong LD with the top PROC variants previously reported in individuals of European descent. In addition, two variants outside the PROC region were significantly and independently associated with protein C levels: rs4321325 in CYP27C1 and rs13419716 in MYO7B. In summary, this first GWA study for plasma protein C levels in African Americans confirms the associations of SNPs in the PROC and PROCR regions with circulating levels of protein C across ethnic populations and identifies new candidates for protein C regulation.
On the (mis)use of cross-price effects to gauge the effectiveness of smokeless tobacco in smoking cessation. A comment on Bask and Melkersson.

In a recent edition of this journal Mikael Bask and Maria Melkersson suggested that moist snuff, snus to the Swedes, is not an effective tool in cigarette smoking cessation. The sole basis for this conclusion is their empirical findings concerning the cross-price elasticity of demand between cigarettes and snus. Specifically, they find that, “The cross-price elasticities are negative, which indicates that snus contributes to increased smoking. Thus, even if snus taking is less harmful than cigarette smoking, it is not advisable to encourage its use in smoking cessation programs.” We find this conclusion to be unwarranted. It is based on a model estimated with inappropriate data; it is based on a misspecified model with questionable theoretical underpinnings; and no evidence is presented as to the statistical significance of the cross-price effects. Furthermore, even if we ignore these technical criticisms, their conclusions are unfounded because they are based on an inappropriate conceptual experiment. We first address some technical problems with the Bask and Melkersson analysis, and then we address the fundamental flaw in their reasoning
Delivering the goods to synapses.

Zhu and colleagues show that delivery of AMPA receptors to synapses early in development is activity dependent and that it shares some, but not all, features with LTP.
Between Artifacts and Texts: Historical Archaeology in Global Perspective

Between Artifacts and Texts: Historical Archaeology in Global Perspective. Anders Andren. Translated by Alan Crozier. New York: Plenum, 1998. 216 pp.
The oxidation of intermetallic compounds—III: The room-temperature oxidation of AIIIBv compounds☆

Abstract The oxidation of vacuum-crushed InSb, GaSb, AlSb, InAs, GaAs and InP has been studied at 26°C, and the kinetics have been analyzed in terms of the empirical function, η ≡ -∂ log V ∂x . (The general utility of η and the associated function, ϵ = ηX , in the kinetics analysis of protective surface reactions is discussed in detail.) Maxima in η are observed at 2.5 × 10 15 and 1.35 × 10 15 oxygen atoms/cm 2 on the antimonides and the arsenides, respectively. The reaction of InP exhibits no distinct maximum in η; otherwise, it resembles that of the arsenides. The results are interpreted in terms of metastable surface complexes whose formation precedes the initiation of true oxide growth. The composition of these intermediates is dictated largely by the nature of the B v atom in the substrate. The associated kinetics depend systematically, however, upon the A III atoms. Thus, the rate of complex formation decreases in the order Al>In>Ga, while the rate of oxide formation decreases in the order In > Ga > Al.
Purification and biochemical heterogeneity of the mammalian SWI-SNF complex.

Abstract We have purified distinct complexes of nine to 12 proteins [referred to as BRG1-associated factors (BAFs)] from several mammalian cell lines using an antibody to the SWI2-SNF2 homolog BRG1. Microsequencing revealed that the 47 kDa BAF is identical to INI1. Previously INI1 has been shown to interact with and activate human immunodeficiency virus integrase and to be homologous to the yeast SNF5 gene. A group of BAF47-associated proteins were affinity purified with antibodies against INI1/BAF47 and were found to be identical to those co-purified with BRG1, strongly indicating that this group of proteins associates tightly and is likely to be the mammalian equivalent of the yeast SWI-SNF complex. Complexes containing BRG1 can disrupt nucleosomes and facilitate the binding of GAL4-VP16 to a nucleosomal template similar to the yeast SWI-SNF complex. Purification of the complex from several cell lines demonstrates that it is heterogeneous with respect to subunit composition. The two SWI-SNF2 homologs, BRG1 and hbrm, were found in separate complexes. Certain cell lines completely lack BRG1 and hbrm, indicating that they are not essential for cell viability and that the mammalian SWI-SNF complex may be tailored to the needs of a differentiated cell type.
Biomedical Imaging Technologies

First page of article Keywords: diagnostic probe; magnetocardiography; computed tomography; electromagnetic radiation; computer-aided detection
On the computation of the parameterized differential Galois group for a second-order linear differential equation with differential parameters

We present algorithms to compute the differential Galois group G associated via the parameterized Picard-Vessiot theory to a parameterized second-order linear differential equation ? 2 ? x 2 Y + r 1 ? ? x Y + r 0 Y = 0 , where the coefficients r 1 and r 0 belong to the field of rational functions F ( x ) over a computable ?-field F of characteristic zero, and the finite set of commuting derivations ? is thought of as consisting of derivations with respect to parameters. This work relies on earlier procedures developed by Dreyfus and by the present author to compute G under the assumption that r 1 = 0 , which guarantees that G is unimodular. When r 1 ? 0 , we reinterpret a classical change-of-variables procedure in Galois-theoretic terms in order to reduce the computation of G to the computation of an associated unimodular differential Galois group H. We establish a parameterized version of the Kolchin-Ostrowski theorem and apply it to give more direct proofs than those found in the literature of the fact that the required computations can be performed effectively. We then extract from these algorithms a complete set of criteria to decide whether any of the solutions to a parameterized second-order linear differential equation is ?-transcendental over the underlying ?-field of F ( x ) . We give various examples of computation and some applications to differential transcendence.
Contemporary clinical outcomes of primary percutaneous coronary intervention in elderly versus younger patients presenting with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the choice reperfusion strategy for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, data on PPCI in elderly patients are sparse. This study determined clinical outcome post-PPCI in elderly versus younger patients with STEMI. Methods and Results: A cohort of 790 consecutive STEMI patients was studied for survival and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after PPCI using a precise cardiac catheterization protocol. Patients were divided into two groups: those ≥75 years (elderly) and those <75 years. Median door-to-balloon time (DBT) was 82 minutes in the elderly versus 66 minutes in the younger group (P = 0.002). In-hospital all-cause mortality was higher in the elderly group (15.5% vs. 2.7%, P < 0.001). In elderly patients, MACE were found to be higher (32.3% vs. 16.1%, P < 0.001). Using a multivariate logistic regression analysis, age (odds ratio [OR]= 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]= 1.02–1.05, P < 0.001), diabetes (OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.33–3.53, P = 0.002), renal failure (OR = 3.75, 95% CI = 1.30–10.79, P = 0.014) and coronary artery disease (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.00–2.59, P = 0.050) were associated with higher in-hospital MACE, while age (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02–1.08, P = 0.001), diabetes (OR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.06–4.47, P = 0.034) and renal failure (OR = 6.65, 95% CI = 2.01–22.09, P = 0.002) were associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Kaplan–Meier 1-year survival rate was lower in the elderly. Conclusions: In a contemporary population of STEMI patients treated with PPCI, overall in-hospital MACE and mortality remain higher in elderly compared to younger patients. Although partly due to higher burden of preexisting comorbidities, a higher DBT may also be responsible. (J Interven Cardiol 2011;24:357–365)
Measurement of high-p T azimuthal anisotropy in charged hadron production from 2.76 Tev PbPb collisions at CMS

Abstract Measurements of the azimuthal anisotropy of charged hadrons are presented for PbPb collisions at s N N = 2.76 TeV over an extended transverse momentum range. The data were collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The anisotropy parameter ( v 2 ) is extracted up to a significantly higher p T region than previously achieved, by correlating charged tracks with respect to the event plane reconstructed using the energy deposited in forward-angle calorimeters. These new data can impose quantitative constraints on the details of in-medium parton energy loss models, particularly the influence of the path length and the shape of the interaction region.
Integrating 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry for progress measurement of construction work

Abstract Progress reporting is an essential management function for successful delivery of construction projects. It relies on tangible data collected from construction job sites, which is then used to compare actual work performed to that planned. One method used to collect actual work data is 3D laser scanning, where the construction site is scanned at different times to generate data, which can then be used to estimate the quantities of work performed within the time interval considered between two successive scans. Photogrammetry is another method for data collection where the geometrical properties of an object on site are generated from its photo image. This paper presents a method, which integrates 3D scanning and photogrammetry in an effort to enhance the speed and accuracy of data collection from construction sites to support progress measurement and project control. The application of the proposed method is demonstrated using a building presently under construction.
How Sugars Pucker: Electronic Structure Calculations Map the Kinetic Landscape of Five Biologically Paramount Monosaccharides and Their Implications for Enzymatic Catalysis

Glycoside hydrolases (GHs) distort carbohydrate ring geometry along particular "catalytic itineraries" during the cleavage of glycosidic bonds, illustrating the relationship between substrate conformation and reactivity. Previous theoretical studies of thermodynamics of isolated monosaccharides offer insights into the catalytic itineraries of particular sugars. However, kinetic accessibility of carbohydrate puckering conformations and the role of exocyclic groups have not yet been thoroughly addressed. Here we present the first complete library of low-energy local minima and puckering interconversion transition states for five biologically relevant pyranose sugars: β-xylose, β-mannose, α-glucose, β-glucose, and β-N-acetylglucosamine. These were obtained by a thorough theoretical investigation each of the 38 IUPAC designated puckering geometries and all possible conformations of the exocyclic groups. These calculations demonstrate that exocyclic groups must be explicitly considered when examining these interconversion pathways. Furthermore, these data enable evaluation of previous hypotheses of why enzymes perturb ring geometries from the low-energy equatorial chair ((4)C1) conformation. They show that the relative thermodynamics alone do not universally correlate with GH catalytic itineraries. For some sugars, particular puckers offer both catalytically favorable electronic structure properties, such as anomeric carbon partial charge, and low kinetic barriers to achieve a given puckering conformation. However, different factors correlate with catalytic itineraries for other sugars; for β-N-acetylglucosamine, the key N-acetyl arm confounds the puckering landscape and appears to be the crucial factor. Overall, this study reveals a more comprehensive understanding of why particular puckering geometries are favored in carbohydrate catalysis concomitant with the complexity of glycobiology.
Topological sectors in superstring theory

Abstract It is shown that there exist inequivalent topological sectors in superstring theory analogous to the θ-vacua in (3+1)-dimensional Yang-Mills theory. In flat space these sectors are classified by the group of exotic ten-spheres. Corresponding to these topological sectors are ten-dimensional gravitational instantons (represented by the exotic ten-spheres) which can be interpreted as tunneling events in a similar way to Yang-Mills instantons in (3+1) dimensions.
Intermittent fasting and dietary supplementation with 2-deoxy-d-glucose improve functional and metabolic cardiovascular risk factors in rats

Hypertension and insulin resistance syndrome are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and it is therefore important to identify interventions that can reduce blood pressure and improve glucose metabolism. We performed experiments aimed at determining whether intermittent fasting (IF) can improve cardiovascular health and also tested the hypothesis that beneficial effects of IF can be mimicked by dietary supplementation with 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) a non-metabolizable glucose analog. Four-month-old male rats were implanted with telemetry probes to allow continuous monitoring of heart rate, blood pressure, physical activity, and body temperature. Rats were then maintained for 6 months on one of three different dietary regimens: ad libitum feeding, IF, or 2DG supplementation. Rats on the IF regimen consumed 30% less food over time and had reduced body weights compared with rats fed ad libitum, whereas rats on the 2DG regimen did not reduce their food intake and maintained their body weight. Heart rate and blood pressure were significantly decreased within 1 month in rats on IF and 2DG diets and were maintained at reduced levels thereafter. Body temperature was significantly decreased in group IF, but not in group 2DG. Levels of serum glucose and insulin were significantly decreased in rats maintained on IF and 2DG-supplemented diets, suggesting that IF and 2DG diets affect insulin sensitivity in a similar manner. Finally, rats in groups IF and 2DG exhibited increased levels of plasma adrenocorticotropin and corticosterone, indicating that these diets induced a stress response. We conclude that reductions in blood pressure, heart rate, and insulin levels, similar to or greater than those obtained with regular physical exercise programs, can be achieved by IF and by dietary supplementation with 2DG by a mechanism involving stress responses.
Theory of modulation effects in electron electron double resonance

Abstract The nonlinear response of spin systems to intense radiation fields is quantitatively treated by a modification of the stochastic Liouville equation for the spin density matrix. In particular, applied modulation terms are included in this equation. The resulting formalism provides a general method for calculating nonlinear spin response for dilute systems of radicals in a high magnetic field. In this communication, frequency and field swept absorption and dispersion electron-electron double resonance spectra are calculated and compared with experimental spectra recorded under conditions of sinusoidal magnetic field modulation and phase-sensitive detection. Good reproduction of the detailed lineshapes of experimental spectra is observed in all cases. The dependence of ELDOR reduction factors upon modulation frequency is discussed. A theoretical analysis such as employed in the present communication is shown to be essential if ELDOR reduction factors are to be related to relaxation times and hence to molecular dynamics, and if the design of ELDOR experiments is to be optimized.
Staphylococcal endocarditis and glomerulonephritis in dogs.

Endocarditis was induced in dogs with aortic insufficiency by intravenous injection of 1 ml. of a culture of Staphylococcus aurens . Endocarditis could be prevented by a single intravenous injection of penicillin given within 8 hours after injecting the bacteria. The infection was aborted or modified when treatment was delayed 16 hours. When treatment was delayed 24 hours or longer, symptoms often recurred after cessation of therapy. The endocarditis was arrested by treatment of relapses, but some animals died from acute heart failure due to valvular deformity or insufficiency. A proliferative glomerulonephritis, which developed in nearly all dogs given delayed treatment, persisted despite therapy. There was evidence that a chronic glomerulonephritis may be a sequel to this proliferative glomerulonephritis.
Multisensor staring exploitation

The focus of this paper is on the exploitation of new staring sensors to address the urban surveillance challenge and help combat the war on terror. A staring sensor visualization environment, known as the Data Table, will be presented which integrates staring sensors with close-in sensors, such as small UAVs, building mounted sensors, and unattended ground sensors (UGS). There are several staring sensors in development, but two in particular will be highlighted in this paper - NightStare and the Gotcha Radar, both under development by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
Electron-Radiation Effects on the AC and DC Electrical Properties and Unpaired Electron Densities of Three Aerospace Polymers

The effects of gigarad-level total absorbed doses from 1-MeV electrons on the post-irradiation alternating-current (ac) and direct-current (dc) electrical properties and the unpaired electron densities have been studied for Kapton,® Ultem,® and Mylar.® The unpaired electron densities (determined from electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy) and the dc electrical conductivities of the irradiated materials were monitored as functions of time following the exposures to determine their decay characteristics at room temperature. The elevated-temperature ac electrical dissipations of the Ultem and Mylar were affected by the radiation. The dc conductivity of the Kapton increased by five orders of magnitude, while the dc conductivities of the Ultem and Mylar increased by less than an order of magnitude, due to the radiation. The observed radiation-generated changes in the ac electrical dissipations are explained in terms of known radiation-generated changes in the molecular structures of the three materials. A preliminary model relating the dc electrical conductivity and the unpaired electron density in the Kapton is proposed.
Investor attention and abnormal performance of timberland investments in the United States

Abstract We use Internet search volume of timberland related terms to test investor attention on timberland asset pricing. With an innovate measure of investor attention based on Internet search volume, we investigate the empirical implication of Internet information search on timberland asset pricing. Our results reveal that investor attention to the finished wood products market, the global climate change, the emerging biomass market, and the overall manufacturing industry has significant effects on the abnormal returns of timberland investments.
Error Characteristics of Two Grid Refinement Approaches in Aquaplanet Simulations: MPAS-A and WRF

AbstractThis study compares the error characteristics associated with two grid refinement approaches including global variable resolution and nesting for high-resolution regional climate modeling. The global variable-resolution model, Model for Prediction Across Scales-Atmosphere (MPAS-A), and the limited-area model, Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF), are compared in an idealized aquaplanet context. For MPAS-A, simulations have been performed with a quasi-uniform-resolution global domain at coarse (1°) and high (0.25°) resolution, and a variable-resolution domain with a high-resolution region at 0.25° configured inside a coarse-resolution global domain at 1° resolution. Similarly, WRF has been configured to run on a coarse (1°) and high (0.25°) tropical channel domain as well as a nested domain with a high-resolution region at 0.25° nested two-way inside the coarse-resolution (1°) tropical channel. The variable-resolution or nested simulations are compared against the high-resolution simulation...
Applied multi-dimensional fusion for urban intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance

The paper intends to show that Applied Multidimensional Fusion will bring the benefits that data fusion and related techniques will bring to Urban Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) systems. In the course of this work it has been shown through the practical application of some of the multi-dimensional fusion research in the United Kingdom. This paper highlights work done in the area of: super-resolution, joint fusion, multi-resolution target detection and identification, and task based image and video fusion assessment. Work done to date has produced practical pertinent research products with direct applicability to the problems posed.
Disappearing Architecture: From Real to Virtual to Quantum - Edited by Georg Flachbart and Peter Weibel

(2007). Disappearing Architecture: From Real to Virtual to Quantum - Edited by Georg Flachbart and Peter Weibel. Journal of Architectural Education: Vol. 60, No. 3, pp. 49-50.
Hormonal basis of hysterectomy-induced maternal behavior during pregnancy in the rat☆☆☆

Abstract Hysterectomy during the last half of pregnancy (i.e., Day 10–19) induces a rapid onset of maternal behavior; ovariectomy in addition to hysterectomy, prevents this effect. Estradiol and progesterone were tested for their ability to restore short-latency maternal behavior in hysterectomized-ovariectomized (HO) females operated on the 10th, 13th, 16th and 19th days of pregnancy. A single injection of either 20 μg/kg or 100 μg/kg estradiol benzoate (EB) immediately following HO either alone or followed by 0.5 mg progesterone (P) 44 hr later restored short-latency maternal behavior similar to that observed following hysterectomy only. The lower dose of EB was found to be equally effective at all stages of pregnancy and P was unnecessary to induce maternal behavior. The effectiveness of EB in inducing maternal behavior was discussed in relation to the hormonal changes which follow hysterectomy during pregnancy and to those which are associated with the normal onset of maternal behavior around parturition.
Prospective evaluation of ureteral stent durability in patients with chronic ureteral obstruction

Abstract Objectives. To prospectively evaluate the durability of ureteral stents in patients with chronic ureteral obstruction. Methods. Twenty-nine renal units from 22 patients with known chronic ureteral obstruction treated with indwelling ureteral stents were studied at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after initial stent placement (7 to 8F Percuflex) by abdominal x-ray, serum creatinine, and renal and bladder ultrasonography. Renal ultrasound scans were performed by a single senior radiologist with specific attention paid to any increase in hydronephrosis and to the presence of ureteral jets. The stent was changed when calcifications were seen along the stent on abdominal x-ray, if an increase in serum creatinine occurred, or if any increase in hydronephrosis or absence of ureteral jets was seen on ultrasonography. In addition, the stents were changed if new-onset flank pain and/or pyelonephritis developed. If none of the above occurred, the stents were changed after 12 months. Results. Two patients died of metastatic cancer, leaving 25 renal units available for follow-up. The mean and median time to stent change were 6 months. At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, the number of renal units that did not meet the criteria warranting stent change was 18 (72%), 12 (48%), 6 (24%), and 2 (8%), respectively. Only 2 (8%) of 25 renal units did not meet any exclusion criteria at 12 months. The most common reasons for requiring the stent to be changed were new-onset flank pain in 8 (35%), an increase in serum creatinine in 7 (30%), and new-onset or increased hydronephrosis in 7 (30%). No criteria were useful in predicting how long stents could be maintained in an individual patient. Conclusions. The stents were maintained for more than 6 months in 12 (48%) of 25 renal units. However, very few patients were able to maintain chronic ureteral stents for 12 months without requiring stent change based on our criteria.
The economics of joint ventures in centrally planned and labor-managed economies

The paper analyzes the allocational and distributional issues connected with the operation of joint ventures by firms in Yugoslavia, several Eastern European countries and the People's Republic of China with Western firms. A variable-bargaining-power model is used to examine the behavior of joint ventures under the various institutional circumstances of these countries. Contrary to Brada's conclusions (J. Comp. Econ. 1(2):167–181, June 1977), the present study indicates that the behavior of joint ventures in most of these countries is likely to be quite similar.
The oblique effect in a mirror-tracing task

In a mirror-tracing task, 53 subjects were tested with vertically, horizontally, and obliquely oriented stimuli (narrow rectangles). Number of errors and time to completion were the dependent measures recorded. Following a 10-min practice period, the subjects were retested with the same stimuli. Results showed that subjects performed less efficiently with the oblique stimuli, in terms of both errors and time. Following practice, greater improvement was shown with the oblique stimuli, although for the temporal measure it still did not equal the performance with the horizontal and vertical stimuli. The tracings of the subjects gave an appearance that suggested that they made inefficient use of reafferent feedback when attempting to trace the oblique stimuli. A few subjects were immune to this perceptual-motor oblique effect.
Pernicious publication practices

Although apparently approving of the peer-review system in general, university professors answering a mail questionnaire were often critical of specific features. In the peer review of their latest revised and published article, 76% encountered pressure to conform to the strictly subjective preferences of the reviewers, 73% encountered false criticisms (and 8% made changes in the article to conform to reviewers’ comments they knew to be wrong), 67% encountered inferior expertise, 60% encountered concentration upon trivia, 43% encountered treatment by referees as inferior, and 40% encountered careless reading by referees. At some time in their general experience with the peer-review system, 65% believed that referees’ comments were contrived to impress the editor, 53% felt that the editor regarded their knowledge and opinion about the reported research as less important than that of the referees, 44% felt they were being treated like a supplicant, and 47% accepted a referee’s suggestion against their better judgment.
Short-term residence in deflector lofts alters initial orientation of homing pigeons

A modification of the deflector-loft technique first outlined by Baldaccini et al. (1975) is presented in which experienced homing pigeons that do not permanently reside in deflector lofts were housed in them for periods of 7–20 days. Upon release these birds consistently exhibited a deflection of mean vanishing bearings in the directions predicted by the olfactory hypothesis of pigeon homing. Two potential explanations for this ‘short-term’ deflector-loft effect are suggested. One is that the olfactory map sense of homing pigeons is very flexible and capable of accurate readjustment in as short a period as seven days. Alternatively, it may be that nonolfactory cues are being altered by the deflector lofts in such a way as to result in behavior by pigeons that is consistent with the olfactory hypotheses. The short-term technique has the practical benefit of making it possible to conduct far more experiments in a single field season than was possible with the original deflector-loft method.
"Once You Know Something, You Can't Not Know It" An Empirical Look at Becoming Vegan

In spite of a growing body of vegetarian literature, there remains a lack of information about how people learn to become vegan. Using qualitative methodology, this research identified a psychological process of how people learn about and adopt veganism. Elements of the process include who I was, catalytic experiences, possible repression of information, an orientation to learn, the decision, learning about veganism, and acquiring a vegan world view. Noteworthy observations include individual and temporal variation in the use of logic and emotion, the centrality of reading, the repression and recollection of undesirable information, and the importance of two types of learning tasks to successful vegans.
A theoretical study of experimentally unknown metallosubphthalocyanines

Abstract We have examined a number of metallosubphthalocyanines, most of which are experimentally unknown except the boron ones. They are compared to their phthalocyanine analogues. The approaching of a relatively large central metal to the subphthalocyanine cavity is probably hindered by the small hole. The structure-sensitive frequency decreases with the increase of the out-of-plane displacement. Subphthalocyanines are promising photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy since they have more encouraging singlet–triplet gaps than phthalocyanines do.
Fibronectin and the α5β1 Integrin Are Under Developmental and Ovarian Steroid Regulation in the Normal Mouse Mammary Gland

Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins have been shown to regulate mammary epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in vitro. However, little is known about the hormonal regulation and functional role of ECM proteins and integrins during mammary gland development in vivo. We examined the temporal and spatial localization and hormone regulation of collagen I, collagen IV, laminin, and fibronectin. Among these ECM proteins only fibronectin changed appreciably. Fibronectin levels increased 3-fold between the onset of puberty and sexual maturity, remaining high during pregnancy and lactation. This increase occurred specifically in the epithelial basement membrane. Fibronectin was decreased 70% by ovariectomy and increased 1.5- and 2-fold by estrogen or estrogen plus progesterone treatment, respectively. The fibronectin-specific integrin,α 5β1, was localized in myoepithelial cells; it increased 2.2-fold between puberty and sexual maturity and decreased in late pregnancy and lactation. The bas...
Scepticism and the Senses

: This paper is an attempt to identify and to suggest reasons to reject those assumptions about the nature and scope of perceptual knowledge that appear to make an unacceptable scepticism the only strictly defensible answer to the philosophical problem of knowledge of the world in general. The suggestion is that our knowing things about the world around us by perception can be satisfactorily explained only if we can be understood to sometimes perceive that such-and-such is so, where what we perceive to be so is the very state of the world that we thereby know to be so. This is not proposed as a better answer to the philosophical problem, but as a way of seeing how that problem as traditionally understood could not really present a threat to anyone who can think about the world at all.
Sensor composer: composing intelligent virtual sensors for collaborative sensing

Sensor networks have been gaining popularity with the proliferation of internet and wireless networks. Millions of sensors (physical, Webs and social Webs) are available in sensor networks via the internet around the globe collecting enormous amount of data. Generally, sensors provide information about various aspects of the physical world. They can provide information about weather, traffic conditions, efficiency of data center operation, enable autonomic management of smart buildings, and are being used in numerous mobile applications. Due to the diversity and the number of available sensors, it is practically impossible for the general users to manually define the set of sensors that best meets their application needs. The ability to select automatically and intelligently the best set of sensors to form a high level reusable virtual sensor will create a new class of applications and expand the horizon of numerous current applications. To meet these challenges, we developed the Sensor Composer, a foundation tool in which we treat each sensor as a sharable and reusable entity and assemble these sensors to form higher level abstract sensor based on the user requirements.
Studies on serum amylase in normal man and in acute pancreatitis.

Summary: Studies on serum amylase in normal man and in acute pancreatitis. I. L MacGregor and D. Zakim, Aust. N.Z. J. Med. 1976, 6, pp. 551–556. Amylase isoenzymes in serum, urine, saliva, jejunal juice, and pancreatic tissue were separated by isoelectric focusing. Isoamylase patterns obtained indicated that the majority of amylase activity in normal serum is of salivary gland origin. Pancreatic amylase is characteristically predominant in acute pancreatitis. The increased renal clearance of amylase in acute pancreatitis may be partly due to the increased proportion of the smaller molecular weight pancreatic amylase. However, a demonstrated increase in the renal clearance of salivary amylase in acute pancreatitis suggests a renal cause also. Autopsy pancreas samples devoid of TAME (p-tosyl arginine methyl ester) esterase activity (e.g. trypsin and plasma enzymes such as thrombin and pi asm in) had isoenzyme patterns different to those samples with free proteolytic activity. Incubation of TAME esterase free pancreas with trypsin caused conversion of the former isoamylase pattern to one with the predominant isoenzymes focusing coincident with the predominant peak in serum from acute pancreatitis, jejunal aspirate, and TAME esterase positive autopsy pancreas. Such conversion suggests that pancreatic amylase is synthesized in a form different from that found in the intestinal lumen and serum.
Vasopressin therapy for vasoplegic syndrome following cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: Hypotension refractory to maximal doses of alpha-adrenergic drugs after cardiac operations employing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been referred as “vasoplegic syndrome.” Vasopressin has been used for its therapy with encouraging results. Material and methods: 16 patients (mean age 71, range 47 to 84 years) were treated with intravenous vasopressin (0.1–1 IU/min) for hypotension refractory to maximal doses (>30 μg/kg/min) of norepinephrine after undergoing complex cardiac operations employing CPB. Preoperative ejection fraction was 40.5% (mean, range 20% to 60%), preoperative NYHA class was 3.5 (mean). Hemodynamic measurements were obtained one hour before and one hour after beginning vasopressin infusion; urine output was measured for the 4 hours before and the 4 hours after beginning the infusion. Duration of vasopressin treatment was 58.8 ± 37.3 hours (mean ± SD) . Results: Systolic blood pressure increased from 89.6 ± 7.9 to 119.6 ± 10.5 mmHg (mean ± SD) (p < 0.001) ; systemic vascular resistance increased from 688.0 ± 261.7 to 1043.3 ± 337.1 dyne/s/cm2 (mean ± SD) (p < 0.001) ; cardiac index decreased from 2.69 ± 0.8 to 2.2 ± 0.5 L/min/m2 (mean ± SD) (p < 0.008) ; urine output increased from 36.8 ± 30.4 to 72.8 ± 38.2 mL/h (mean ± SD) (p < 0.001) . Seven patients (44%) survived the hospital stay. Conclusions: High-dose vasopressin is effective in the treatment of the vasoplegic syndrome after cardiac operations employing cardiopulmonary bypass.(J Card Surg 2002;17:485-489)