cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analytical characterization of coatings and thin overlayers

Abstract Recent coating characterization projects were selected as examples for demonstration of several modern coating characterization methods. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed differences in chemistry and atomic bonding in two commercial titanium nitride sputter deposits. Secondly, an interference-enhanced laser Raman method of phase identification for TiO 2 was used to provide detail in thin film deposits not possible by X-ray diffraction methods. Thirdly, the internal stresses and microstructure obtained by transmission electron microscopy of sputter-deposited ZrO 2 -8mol.%Y 2 O 3 films were related to the parameters used during deposition. Lastly, an optical transmission method is shown to improve the resolution of an SiO 2 glass phase that had formed on sintered SiC coatings during high temperature oxidation.
Localization of a peripheral target during parametric adjustment of saccadic eye movements

The aim of the experiment was to find out whether saccadiceve movements have any effect on perceived visual directions. ihe method was to alter the parameters of the oculomotor system so that the eye movement made in response to a peripheral target was inappropriate to the retinal locus of its image. It was found that this procedure had no effect on the perceived location of the peripheral target; and it was concluded that a specific retinal locus is more or less rigidly associated with a corresponding visual direction, but not with a particular magnitude of ocular rotation.
Empirical bayes estimation of coefficients in the general linear model from data of deficient rank

Empirical Bayes methods are shown to provide a practical alternative to standard least squares methods in fitting high dimensional models to sparse data. An example concerning prediction bias in educational testing is presented as an illustration.
Positioning tree improvement programs to utilize advances in new technologies

Abstract Forestry will be characterized by many changes in early part of the 21st century. Forest industries will continue to merge in order to capture greater percentages ofthe woodand paper market. For example, iflnternational Paper Company acquires Champion International Corporation the new group will control 19% of the North American coated paper market (Pulp & Paper Week, 2000). Success of such business transactions will be determined by the returns on shareholder investments. With the merger of industries will come the realignment of research departments including tree improvement programs. Their cost effectiveness will come under even greater scrutiny than before. Forest biotechnology will continue to develop and much money will be invested in programs by the private sector, governmental agencies and universities. Molecular markers for indirect selection of quantitative trait loci (QTL) will continue to be important but the field of biotechnology will advance to identify the genes that directly con...
Fast recursive identification of state space models via exploitation of displacement structure

Abstract The seemingly computational burden of state space model identification has limited its real-time application though it offers some important advantages over methods based on input-output transfer functions. It has been shown recently that ideas from the theory of displacement structure can be used in state space identification to reduce the computational burden of batch processing from O ( MN 2 ) to O ( MN ) flops when the data matrix is of size M × N , where N > M . However, in many on-line identification scenarios with slowly time-varying systems, it is desirable to update the model as time goes on with the minimal computational burden. In this paper, we extend our results of the batch processing algorithm to allow updating of the identified state space model with O ( M 2 ) flops. Again, the theories of displacement structure and of the fast subspace decomposition (FSD) technique play crucial roles in the realization of the fast updating algorithm. Some computer simulation results are also presented.
Derivation of a clinical prediction rule for evaluating patients with abdominal pain and diarrhea

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to develop a simple prediction rule to reliably identify abdominal pain patients with diarrhea who may require surgical intervention. Methods We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of adults with acute nontraumatic abdominal pain and diarrhea in an urban emergency department (ED). Structured data collection included 109 historical and 28 physical examination items, laboratory and radiographic results, and final diagnosis. The main outcome was operative intervention. Results One thousand patients were enrolled; 174 patients with diarrhea were included in this analysis. Patients had a mean age of 39 ± 16 years and were likely to be female (64%) and black (60%). Fifteen (9%) patients received a surgical intervention from the ED. Clinical variables associated with the need for surgical intervention using univariate analysis were age older than 40 years, constant pain, and peritonitis on examination. Using recursive partitioning multivariate analysis, the derived prediction rule included 2 variables: age older than 40 years and constant pain. This rule had a sensitivity of 1.0 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.0) and specificity of 0.23 (95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.30). Conclusion Patients older than 40 years with constant abdominal pain and diarrhea are likely to have a surgical cause of their symptoms.
Structure and mechanical properties of stress-ordered Ni4Mo

Abstract The ordering of Ni 4 Mo by isothermal annealing with and without an applied stress at 700°C has been studied. The microstructural features developed during ordering have been correlated with the mechanical properties. Ordering under an applied stress affects both the kinetics and the number of c-axes variants which exist within any one grain. The number of variants has an influence on the mechanical behavior.
Effect of 10-day forced treadmill training on neurotrophic factors in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

The impact of exercise on disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) is unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the clinical effects of forced wheel running on rats induced with experimenta...
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study of the effect of ion etching of silicon carbide on a carbon fiber

Abstract Silicon carbide (SiC) was chemical vapor deposited (CVD) onto a carbon fiber to investigate oxidation protection of the coating. This thin film of SiC was analyzed before and after argon and oxygen ion beam etching with core and valence band X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The valence band of SiC could be reasonably interpreted by a spectrum generated by a multiple scatter-wave Xα calculation. Oxygen ions were found to oxidize the coating to SiO 2 , whereas argon ion etching was found to thin and damage the SiC coating. The SiC coating was found to be susceptible to implantation of argon ions at energies of 6–8 keV, and was also mechanically damaged, causing the exposure of the underlying fiber after etching for up to 10 minutes. The topographical changes associated with argon ion etching were determined using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). We conclude that SiC may have some significant advantages in oxidation protection as compared to silicon nitride.
Laser excited atomic and ionic fluorescence in an inductively coupled plasma

Abstract The characteristics of atomic and ionic fluorescence excited by a pulsed dye laser in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and their application to plasma diagnostics have been investigated. The vertical distributions of atomic and ionic fluorescence for calcium and yttrium are directly obtained in the central region without the need of an Abel inversion procedure. Thermally assisted fluorescence intensities are found not to be in a Boltz mann distribution, despite the good linearity shown for the emission plot at the same wavelengths. The usefulness of the ICP as an atomization or ionization cell in fluorescence spectrometry is also discussed. However. fluorescence detection limits in the analytical region of the plasma are about two orders poorer than those for emission
Schubert, Mignon, and Her Secret

Schubert set Mignon's lyric “Heis mich nicht reden” (from Goethe's Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre) twice. The first setting constitutes an extremely ambivalent and mysterious interpretation of Mignon, and the secret of which she speaks; many components of this initial setting are radically reused in the second to create an alternative reading that speaks more clearly of the secret's tragic nature. Schubert's contraction of syphilis between the two settings may have had an impact on his understanding of Mignon and her own illness, although the very consideration of this possibility is primarily testament to the compelling nature of Schubert's differing poetic interpretations.
Effective particle potentials for Brueckner calculations of finite nuclei

From solutions of the Bethe-Faddeev equations we extract effective particle potentials by fitting the factorized ansatz $2{U}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}{S}_{2}$ to the nonfactorizable three-body amplitude $V{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{3}$. It turns out that earlier estimates of a spatially constant potential of about -8 MeV per particle were justified. The smallness of this effective particle potential as compare to the hole potential of -40 MeV indicates the excellent convergence of Brueckner theory for finite nuclei, if the proper generalizations and self-consistency prescriptions of the exp($S$) method are taken into account.
The Economic Culture of U.S. Agricultural Cooperatives

Two contesting philosophies that shaped cooperative culture during the past 70 years are explored, Edwin Nourse’s populist concept of cooperatives as a “competitive yardstick” restoring competition to the marketplace on behalf of farmers and Aaron Sapiro’s philosophy that cooperatives should be businesslike, purely economic and preferably large-scale organizations for maximum effectiveness bargaining with processors. As cooperatives expanded over the 20th century, the tension between these two philosophies set into motion cultural constraints on cooperative growth that came to a crisis point with the industrialization of the pork industry. This brought rapprochement with businesses cooperatives had formerly defined themselves in opposition to, resulting in a new phase of cooperative identity, the “valueadded” cooperative. [Keywords: cooperatives, agriculture, farmers, competitive yardstick, value-added, Nourse, Sapiro]
Rare-earth elements in the Skaergaard intrusion

Abstract The chilled marginal gabbro of the Skaergaard intrusion, East Greenland, is very similar in absolute and relative rare-earth abundances to other gabbros that have been studied. The rocks from the layered series that were analyzed all had rare-earth contents similar to that of the chilled gabbro, except for the specimen from the very top of the series, which was enriched more than ten times. The rare earths appear to have become increasingly concentrated in the magma as solidification progressed, but there was little change in relative abundances. No quantitative sympathetic variation between the rare earths and any major element was observed. Some minor fluctuations in rare-earth abundances appear to be correlated with variations in feldspar contents of the intrusion. It does not appear to be possible to explain the partition of the rare earths by the logarithmic theory.
Heterotopic splenic autotransplantation in prevention of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection

An experimental study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effect of heterotopic splenic autotransplantation in weanling rats. Rats were divided into three experimental groups: splenectomy, control, and splenic autotransplantation. Rats were challenged with i.v. type I pneumococcus. Bacterial bloodstream clearance and survival were determined. Splenic bacterial uptake was measured by determining the isotopic activity of technetium-99m-labeled pneumococci. Autoradiographs and material stained with hematoxylin and eosin and Gram stains were examined for histologic features. All autografts survived and were histologically compatible with normal splenic tissue. Bloodstream clearance of pneumococci was significantly greater in rats with splenic autotransplantation. Splenic autografts had 10 to 30 times greater uptake of pneumococci than did the liver. Rats with autotransplantation had a prolonged survival time. Heterotopic splenic autotransplantation may prove to be an important adjunctive surgical measure in the treatment of children undergoing splenectomy.
Gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry in studies of complex mixtures of tris(β-diketonato)chromium(III) geometrical isomers with fused silica capillary columns

Abstract A mixture of synthesized mixed ligand Cr(III) complexes was studied by GC/MS. The mixture was made from an equimolar mixture of Cr(III), Hhfa(1,1,1 5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedione), Htfa(1,1,1-trifluoro-2,4-pentanedione), and Hfod(2,2-dimethyl-6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-3,5-octanedione). Of the 25 possible products, 24 were resolved in a fused silica capillary GC column. Mass spectrometric detection led to facile assignment of identities and yielded information concerning the gas phase stability of the complexes.
Cathodoluminescence from organic bilayer induced by field electron emission of carbon nanotubes

Abstract We report the observation and studies of cathodoluminescence (CL) of organic bilayer structures, such as tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq3) and 2-tert-butylphenyl-5-biphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD) deposited on ITO-coated glass, with and without hole transport layer, N , N ′-diphenyl- N , N ′-bis(1-naphthyl)-(1,1′-phenyl)-4,4′-diamine (α-NPD). To excite the CL of such bilayer organic heterostructure, low energy electrons field emitted by single walled carbon nanotube cathodes were utilized. The dependence of CL spectrum and intensity on voltage ( V ), current ( I ), type of transport layer and the cathode–anode geometry has been studied. We propose carbon nanotubes as efficient cathodes for stable CL emission from organic multilayer heterostructures. The role of both electron and hole transport layers on stability and spectrum of CL is also discussed.
Is the concept of regulation overused in molecular and cellular biology

The essence of molecular and cellular biological research, as indeed of any other scientific field, is to understand the causes of observed effects and to derive rules that allow future predictions. Biological systems are invariably complex, and observed outcomes are the result of a series of events
Validation and Assessment of Integer Programming Sensor Placement Models

We consider the accuracy of predictions made by integer programming (IP) models of sensor placement for water security applications. We have recently shown that IP models can be used to find optimal sensor placements for a variety of different performance criteria (e.g. minimize health impacts and minimize time to detection). However, these models make a variety of simplifying assumptions that might bias the final solution. We show that our IP modeling assumptions are similar to models developed for other sensor placement methodologies, and thus IP models should give similar predictions. However, this discussion highlights that there are significant differences in how temporal effects are modeled for sensor placement. We describe how these modeling assumptions can impact sensor placements.
Unanticipated consequences of ocean acidification: A noisier ocean at lower pH

[1] We show that ocean acidification from fossil fuel CO2 invasion and reduced ventilation will result in significant decreases in ocean sound absorption for frequencies lower than about 10 kHz. This effect is due to known pH-dependent chemical relaxations in the B(OH)3/B(OH)4− and HCO3−/CO32− systems. The scale of surface ocean pH change today from the +105 ppmv change in atmospheric CO2 is about −0.12 pH units, resulting in frequency dependant decreases in sound absorption (α = dB/km) exceeding 12%. Under reasonable projections of future fossil fuel CO2 emissions and other sources a pH change of 0.3 units or more can be anticipated by mid-century, resulting in a decrease in α by almost 40%. Ambient noise levels in the ocean within the auditory range critical for environmental, military, and economic interests are set to increase significantly due to the combined effects of decreased absorption and increasing sources from mankind's activities.
Substrate specific associations of epebionts on Middle Devonian brachiopods: Implications for paleoecology

A detailed study of over 2500 host brachiopods, from the Middle Devonian Hamilton Group of New York State, revealed distinct patterns of epibiont encrustation, that provide insight into taphonomy and paleoautecology of the host brachiopod shells and depositional environments. The concavo‐convex orthid, Tropidoleptus carinatus (Conrad), as well as strophomenid, and smooth athyrid brachiopods are among the most heavily encrusted. However, terebratulids of nearly identical size and shape are relatively clean of epibionts. This selective distribution strongly suggests that epibionts were discouraged from settling on punctate brachiopods. Brachiopods with small spines and frills were also nearly clean of epibionts, possibly because of entrapment of a mud layer, which made the outer layer of the host inhospitable for larval settling. Concavo‐convex taxa reveal high percent coverage and diversity of epibionts on the convex valve, which probably rested on the substrate during the life of brachiopod. This pattern ...
Remarks on the density of sphere packings in three dimensions

This paper shows how the density of sphere packings of spheres of equal radius may be studied using the Delaunay decomposition. Using this decomposition, a local notion of density for sphere packings in ℝ3 is defined. Conjecturally this approach should yield a bound of 0.740873... on sphere packings in ℝ3, and a small perturbation of this approach should yield the bound of $${\pi \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {\pi {\sqrt {18} }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\sqrt {18} }}$$ . The face-centered-cubic and hexagonal-close-packings provide local maxima (in a strong sense defined below) to the function which associates to every saturated sphere packing in ℝ3 its density. The local measure of density coincides with the actual density for the face-centered cubic and hexagonal-close-packings.
NO modulates myocardial O2consumption in the nonhuman primate: an additional mechanism of action of amlodipine

Recent evidence from our laboratory and others suggests that nitric oxide (NO) is a modulator of in vivo and in vitro oxygen consumption in the murine and canine heart. Therefore, the goal of our s...
Survival, growth, and reproduction of two aphid species on sucrose solutions containing host or non-host honeydews

Aphids, like most phloem-feeding insects, commonly exhibit a high degree of host specificity. Plant-specific chemical compounds are likely to serve as important host selection cues for monophagous aphids and such substances could be present in aphid honeydew. Apterous virginoparae of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Phorodon humuli (Schrank) were reared on a buffered sucrose solution containing various aphid honeydews or a mixture of amino acids. In two separate experiments, the host-specific P. humuli (hop aphid) could grow and reproduce only on diets containing honeydew collected from hop (Humulus lupulus L.). M. persicae (the green peach aphid, GPA) did not perform well on diets containing hop honeydew, perhaps because hop is a poor GPA host. Honeydew collected from preferred GPA host plants rape, Brassica napus L., and jimsonweed, Datura stramonium L., allowed GPA growth and reproduction. Hop aphids, however, performed poorly on rape and jimsonweed honeydew diets. Bell pepper, Capsicum annuum L., honeydew supported neither the hop aphid nor GPA. The study of aphid honeydew components may contribute towards a more complete understanding of host preference and selection phenomena in aphids.
An invasive urban forest pest invades natural environments — Asian longhorned beetle in northeastern US hardwood forests

An infestation of Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) (Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky)) was detected in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 2008. The discovery of this pest, previously only seen in urban environments of North Amer- ica, led to the unprecedented establishment of a 243 km 2 quarantine zone that included urban parks, neighborhoods, and nat- ural forests. Because ALB behavior in forested stands is virtually unknown, two closed-canopied forested stands (Bovenzi and Delaval) infested with ALB within this zone were sampled during 2008-2010 to document stand conditions, assess ALB host selection, and determine ALB impact on tree growth. Thirty-two percent of the Acer sampled in Bovenzi were in- fested with ALB compared with 63% in Delaval. In Delaval where three maple host species were available, ALB was found more often in Acer rubrum L. than in Acer saccharum Marsh. or Acer platanoides L. Radial growth patterns did not differ between ALB-infested and uninfested Acer trees in Bovenzi. In contrast, ALB-infested trees in Delaval were significantly older and larger than uninfested trees and exhibited slower radial growth and ring width index patterns compared with unin- fested trees. Results suggest that if left uncontrolled, ALB can readily disperse into natural forest landscapes and alter the makeup of North America's hardwood forest region.
Theoretical and numerical studies of coupling multizone and CFD models for building air distribution simulations

Multizone network models employ several assumptions, such as uniform temperature and pressure and quiescent air inside a zone, which may lead to inaccurate results in flow calculations. These assumptions can be eliminated in the zones, where the assumptions are inappropriate, by coupling a multizone network program with a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) program. Through theoretical analysis, this paper proves that the solution of air distribution by using the coupled program exists and is unique. Three possible coupling methods are then discussed in the paper. The best method is pressure-pressure coupling that exchanges pressure between the multizone and CFD since it is most stable and can always lead to a converged solution. Numerical tests were further performed to verify the theory and it demonstrated that the coupled program is able to effectively improve the accuracy of the results. The results of this paper provides theoretical basis for improving the accuracy for modeling airflow and contaminant distributions in buildings. The coupled multizone and computational fluid dynamics can give high fidelity results so field measurements may not needed in the future. Designers of indoor environment in the future can use such a tool to evaluate different alternatives in design and identify the best solution for a building that can provide a healthy indoor environment. Nomenclature
On the characterization of survival distributions in reliability by properties of their renewal densities

Let X be a random variable representing the life of a component operating in a system, the sequence of component life lengths forming a renewal process. Then for large values of t, the residual time of faultless operation of the component is given by f (y) = F¯(y)/μ, where F(·) is the distribution function of X, , μ=E(x)<∞ and F(0)=0. Let λ(t) and λ2(t) be the failure rates of X and Y, respectively. In this paper we exhibit an interpretation of λ1(t), in the continuous as well as in the discrete case, and show that if X has an increasing failure rate distribution, so does Y. In addition, some characterizations of the exponential and the geometric distributions are obtained by certain properties of failure rates of X and Y.
A dynamic resource allocation scheme for delay-constrained multimedia services in CDMA 1/spl times/EV-DV forward link

CDMA2000 1/spl times/EV-DV has been proposed as one of the global standards of third-generation (3G) networks, which adopts TDM/CDM and adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) techniques to enhance the data rate. The current CDMA2000 1/spl times/EV-DV standard specifies all possible combinations of system parameters, but there is no any further specification in the standard on how to dynamically change the system parameters to support the quality-of-service (QoS) requirements imposed by the upper-layer applications. In the meantime, one of the major deficiencies of previous research work done in this area is that they all are based on the channel models of physical layer such as Rayleigh model, which is unable to capture the link-layer QoS parameters such as queueing delay. Since the dynamic resource allocation usually resides in the data link layer, a wireless channel model at the link layer would be desirable to handle the QoS requirements. In this paper, we develop a dynamic resource allocation scheme using the effective capacity link model to support delay-bounded multimedia services in CDMA2000 1/spl times/EV-DV networks. Extensive simulations have been set up and the simulation results show that the proposed dynamic resource allocation scheme significantly improves the delay and throughput performance for all types of application traffic with various QoS requirements.
Effect of season, age, and gender on renal colic incidence.

Our objective was to examine the effect of ambient temperature, age, and gender on the incidence of emergency department (ED) renal colic visits. We retrospectively analyzed a database of 15 New Jersey EDs from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2002. We analyzed the number of renal colic visits as a fraction of total visits in monthly intervals. We used the Chi-squared test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, with P<.05 taken as statistically significant. Of the 3.5 million patient visits in the database, 30,358 (0.9%) had renal colic. Renal colic visits were 16% more likely in warmer than colder months (P<.001) and this effect was greatest in older patients and males. We conclude that higher ambient temperature, older age and male gender are associated with increased incidence of ED renal colic visits. Advice to patients, especially older males, to avoid dehydration particularly during hot weather may help prevent bouts of renal colic.
Systematic comparison of RNA-Seq normalization methods using measurement error models

Motivation: Further advancement of RNA-Seq technology and its application call for the development of effective normalization methods for RNA-Seq data. Currently, different normalization methods are compared and validated by their correlations with a certain gold standard. Gene expression measurements generated by a different technology or platform such as Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR) or Microarray are usually used as the gold standard. Although the current approach is intuitive and easy to implement, it becomes statistically inadequate when the gold standard is also subject to measurement error (ME). Furthermore, the current approach is not informative, because the correlation of a normalization method with a certain gold standard does not provide much information about the exact quality of the normalized RNA-Seq measurements. Results: We propose to use the system of ME models based on qRT–PCR, Microarray and RNA-Seq gene expression data to compare and validate RNA-Seq normalization methods. This approach does not assume the existence of a gold standard. The performance of a normalization method can be characterized by a group of parameters of the system, which are referred to as the performance parameters, and these performance parameters can be consistently estimated. Different normalization methods can thus be compared by comparing their corresponding estimated performance parameters. We applied the proposed approach to compare five existing RNA-Seq normalization methods using the gene expression data of two RNA samples from the microArray Quality Control and Sequencing Quality Control projects and gained much insight about the pros and cons of these methods. Contact:[email protected]; [email protected]
Aluminum-Germanium eutectic bonding for 3D integration

Low-temperature Aluminum-Germanium (Al-Ge) eutectic bonding has been investigated for monolithic three-dimensional integrated circuits (3DIC) applications. Successful bonds using Al-Ge bilayer films as thin as 157 nm were achieved at temperatures as low as 435 °C, when applying 200 kPa down-pressure for 30 minutes. The liquid phase of the eutectic composition ensured a seamless and void-free bond. The fracture energy of the Al-Ge bond (630 nm thick) was measured to be G c = 50.5 ± 12.7 J/m2, using double cantilever beam thin-film adhesion measurement technique. An array of silicon islands was attached onto an amorphous SiO 2 wafer using low-temperature Al-Ge bonding. These islands could be used to form devices on upper layers of monolithically integrated 3DICs.
Evidence among Blood Donors for a 30-Year-Old Epidemic of Human T Lymphotropic Virus Type II Infection in the United States

The demographic and geographic determinants of human T lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I and -II) are not well defined in the United States. Antibodies to HTLV-I and -II were measured in 1.7 million donors at five US blood centers during 1991-1995. Among those tested, 156 (9.1/10(5)) were HTLV-I seropositive and 384 (22.3/10(5)) were HTLV-II seropositive. In contrast to monotonously increasing age-specific HTLV-I seroprevalence, HTLV-II prevalence rose until age 40-49 years and declined thereafter, suggesting a birth cohort effect. HTLV-II infection was independently associated with an age of 40-49 years (odds ratio [OR], 12.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.8-18.9), female sex (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.6-4.1), high school or lower education (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.1), hepatitis C seropositivity (OR, 25.0; 95% CI, 17.5-35.8), and first-time blood donation (OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 2.8-4.7). HTLV-II seroprevalence was highest at the two West Coast blood centers. These data are consistent with a 30-year-old epidemic of HTLV-II in the United States due to injection drug use and secondary sexual transmission and with an apparent West Coast focus.
Maturation and Death of Adult-Born Olfactory Bulb Granule Neurons: Role of Olfaction

Young neurons born in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of adult mice migrate to the olfactory bulb (OB) where they differentiate into granule cells (GCs) and periglomerular interneurons. Using retroviral labeling of precursors in the SVZ, we describe five stages and the timing for the maturation of newly formed GCs: (1) tangentially migrating neuroblasts (days 2-7); (2) radially migrating young neurons (days 5-7); (3) GCs with a simple unbranched dendrite that does not extend beyond the mitral cell layer (days 9-13); (4) GCs with a nonspiny branched dendrite in the external plexiform layer (days 11-22); and (5) mature GCs (days 15-30). Using [3H]thymidine, we show that the maximum number of labeled GCs is observed around day 15 after injection. Interestingly, between days 15 and 45 after birth, soon after the cells developed spines, the number of [3H]thymidine-labeled GCs declined by 50%. Using anosmic mice, we found that sensory input was critical for the survival of GCs from day 15 to 45 after labeling. However, the number and morphology of 15-d-old cells in the granule cell layer was similar in anosmic and wild-type mice. We infer that the lack of activity did not have an effect on the generation, migration, and early differentiation of granule cells. Soon after young GCs matured, and presumably became synaptically connected, their survival depended on the level of activity that they received. This selection mechanism might allow the construction of specific OB circuits based on olfactory experience and suggests possible functions of OB cell replacement.
Using a Network Analysis Approach for Organizing Social Bookmarking Tags and Enabling Web Content Discovery

This article describes an innovative approach to reorganizing the tag space generated by social bookmarking services. The objective of this work is to enable effective search and discovery of Web content using social bookmarking tags. Tags are metadata generated by users for Web content annotation. Their potential as effective Web search and discovery tool is hindered by challenges such as, the tag space being untidy due to ambiguity, and hidden or implicit semantics. Using a novel analytics approach, we conducted network analyses on tags and discovered that tags are generated for different purposes and that there are inherent relationships among tags. Our approach can be used to extract the purposes of tags and relationships among the tags and this information can be used as facets to add structure and hierarchy to reorganize the flat tag space. The semantics of relationships and hierarchy in our proposed faceted model of tags enable searches on annotated Web content in an effective manner. We describe the implementation of a prototype system called FASTS to demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness of our approach.
Model with Three Charmed Quarks

The spectroscopy and weak couplings of a quark model with three charmed quarks are discussed in the context of recent results from Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
Reducing Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory defensiveness: effect of specialized instructions on retest validity in a sample of preoperative bariatric patients

Abstract Background Because of the possibility of being denied or delayed surgery, bariatric patients might have a motivation to minimize any emotional difficulties in the preoperative psychological evaluation. This study examined changes in the psychometric test scores when extremely defensive patients were asked to repeat the testing. Methods Changes in the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) scale scores were studied in a subsample of patients referred to the author for a preoperative psychological evaluation. After producing defensive MMPI-2 test profiles, these bariatric patients (n = 31) were provided feedback on their defensiveness and asked to be more open and honest on the repeat testing. Results The vast majority (94%) of the patients produced valid profiles on the second test. On the second test, significant differences were found on 6 of the 13 MMPI-2 scales, as well as on separate measures of depression, anxiety, and anger. Conclusion It appears to be important to include a psychometric measure that includes a validity scale in the evaluation process, because patients might be motivated to present in a defensive or overly virtuous light in fear that a negative evaluation from the psychologist would adversely affect a decision regarding their candidacy for surgery. It is recommended that patients who are defensive in their testing be asked to repeat the test battery.
Gene conversion between direct noncoding repeats promotes genetic and phenotypic diversity at a regulatory locus of Zea mays (L.)

While evolution of coding sequences has been intensively studied, diversification of noncoding regulatory regions remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the molecular evolution of an enhancer region located 5 kb upstream of the transcription start site of the maize pericarp color1 (p1) gene. The p1 gene encodes an R2R3 Myb-like transcription factor that regulates the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in maize floral organs. Distinct p1 alleles exhibit organ-specific expression patterns on kernel pericarp and cob glumes. A cob glume-specific regulatory region has been identified in the distal enhancer. Further characterization of 6 single-copy p1 alleles, including P1-rr (red pericarp/red cob) and P1-rw (red pericarp and white cob), reveals 3 distinct enhancer types. Sequence variations in the enhancer are correlated with the p1 gene expression patterns in cob glume. Structural comparisons and phylogenetic analyses suggest that evolution of the enhancer region is likely driven by gene conversion between long direct noncoding repeats (approximately 6 kb in length). Given that tandem and segmental duplications are common in both animal and plant genomes, our studies suggest that recombination between noncoding duplicated sequences could play an important role in creating genetic and phenotypic variations.
The use of Optison to reduce the power requirements for focused ultrasound lesion production in the brain - an MRI/histology study in rabbits

An ultrasound contrast agent (Optison/sup /spl reg//) was use with focused ultrasound to target the vasculature directly and produce localized lesions in the brain at low power levels. Also, MRI was tested to detect the induced temperature rise and the resulting lesions. Fifty-seven locations in the brains of 15 rabbits were sonicated using 1.5 MHz focused transducer (ROC/D=8 cm/10 cm). The 10 s or 20 s sonications were performed with either continuous wave (CW, 23 locations) or at a 50% duty cycle (PRF 1 Hz, 34 locations). Peak pressure amplitudes ranged from 1.6 to 9.8 MPa (in water). MRI was used to monitor the temperature rise during sonication and to detect tissue effects. At 4 h or 48 h after sonication, the animals were sacrificed and the brains were examined under light microscopy. Focal lesions were produced, with the necrosis appearing to result from a cessation of the blood supply within the sonicated regions. The lesions were seen in contrast-enhanced MRI and matched the shape of the MRI-mapped temperature distributions. In some cases (mostly CW sonications), damage along the ultrasound beam path was observed. This method may be useful for destroying tumors by targeting blood vessels directly. The threshold for tissue effects was reduced by approximately a factor of ten below that found in the same experimental conditions without the contrast agent. MRI thermometry appears useful for guiding such sonications.
Diagnosing Criterion-Level Effects on Memory What Aspects of Memory Are Enhanced by Repeated Retrieval?

Previous research has shown that increasing the criterion level (i.e., the number of times an item must be correctly retrieved during practice) improves subsequent memory, but which specific components of memory does increased criterion level enhance? In two experiments, we examined the extent to which the criterion level affects associative memory, target memory, and cue memory. Participants studied Lithuanian-English word pairs via cued recall with restudy until items were correctly recalled one to five times. In Experiment 1, participants took one of four recall tests and one of three recognition tests after a 2-day delay. In Experiment 2, participants took only recognition tests after a 1-week delay. In both experiments, increasing the criterion level enhanced associative memory, as indicated by enhanced performance on forward and backward cued-recall tests and on tests of associative recognition. An increased criterion level also improved target memory, as indicated by enhanced free recall and recognition of targets, and improved cue memory, as indicated by enhanced free recall and recognition of cues.
Comment on John T. Metzger's “planned abandonment: The neighborhood life‐cycle theory and national urban policy”

Abstract I take strong exception to the idea that theories of neighborhood change, in and of themselves, caused the decline of inner cities. Rather, the demographic, social, and economic forces that existed in the postwar years caused some inner‐city neighborhoods to decline. The replacement of working‐class and middle‐income households by households with much lower incomes, on average, was the single biggest cause of neighborhood decline. Metzger ignores this fact as an alternative explanation for why some neighborhoods declined. It is highly implausible that my theories and those of other urban experts had such a strong impact on the public policy, building, and finance communities. Because people were responding to real conditions, it is likely that the same events would have occurred even if my model of neighborhood change had never been developed.
Copper repletion enhances apical iron uptake and transepithelial iron transport by Caco-2 cells.

The influence of copper status on Caco-2 cell apical iron uptake and transepithelial transport was examined. Cells grown for 7–8 days in media supplemented with 1 μM CuCl2 had 10-fold higher cellul...
Investigation of Factors Affecting the Bioregeneration Process for Perchlorate-Laden Gel-Type Anion-Exchange Resin

Ion exchange is the most common process for perchlorate removal from waters. Selective ion-exchange resins are widely used for perchlorate removal from waters, but are incinerated after one-time use, making the ion-exchange process incomplete for perchlorate removal. As perchlorate ions are readily biodegradable, direct contact of spent ion-exchange resins with perchlorate-reducing bacteria for its regeneration has been studied recently. In this research, some factors affecting the bioregeneration of perchlorate-laden gel-type anion-exchange resin were investigated. Bioregeneration is a sustainable process when compared to one-time use of resin and disposal by incineration. Batch bioregeneration experiments were performed to determine (a) the effect of initial perchlorate load in the resin, (b) the effect of microbial concentration, and (c) the effect of nitrate load on the degradation of perchlorate in the resin bead. The results of the bioregeneration tests suggested that the bioregeneration process may be controlled by both kinetics and diffusion. Higher perchlorate load in the resin had a positive effect on perchlorate degradation rates, whereas varying microbial concentration did not have a significant effect on perchlorate degradation in gel-type resin. The presence of nitrate suppressed perchlorate degradation initially, but once all nitrate was utilized, perchlorate degradation took place.
Analysis of an Agmatine Deiminase Gene Cluster in Streptococcus mutans UA159

An operon encoding enzymes of the agmatine deiminase system (AgDS) has been identified in the cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans UA159. The AgDS is regulated by agmatine induction and carbohydrate catabolite repression. Ammonia is produced from agmatine at low pH, suggesting that the AgDS could augment acid tolerance.
Augmented back equation of state for polar fluids

The pressure of water is decoupled into a polar pressure and a nonpolar pressure, the latter being obtained from the BACK equation based on the size and nonpolar energy of the water molecule determined by Jorgensen and coworkers. The polar pressure is obtained upon subtracting the nonpolar pressure from the total pressure given by the steam table equation of Keenan et al. The polar pressure function thus obtained for water is generalized to augment the BACK equation for the general description of polar fluids. Equation constants are reported for 26 substances. Calculated vapor pressure, liquid molal volume, and pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) behavior are compared with data. Mixing rules are introduced to express poles interacting with poles and dispersion modes interacting with dispersion modes, but not poles interacting with dispersion modes. PVT relationship, vapor-liquid equilibrium, and liquid-liquid equilibrium in mixtures of water and nonpolar substances are calculated.
Photosynthetic characteristics of some common temperate freshwater red algal taxa (Rhodophyta)

Abstract: We measured photosynthetic–irradiance curves of freshwater red algae in the Batrachospermales and Acrochaetiales from five low-order streams with one to five taxa collected from each stream in the central portion of the Ohio River basin. Four populations of Batrachospermum helminthosum, two populations of B. gelatinosum and Audouinella hermannii and one population of Batrachospermum sp. and Tuomeya americana were sampled. All five species of freshwater red algae were found within a single stream. We observed two distinct groups of algae from this stream: a low photosynthetic efficiency/high initial saturation group and a high photosynthetic efficiency/low initial saturation group distinguished by morphology. Mucilaginous forms, such as B. helminthosum, had significantly greater maximum photosynthesis and efficiency compared to those of the more “tuftlike” or compact morphology, such as A. hermannii. Photosynthetic responses of B. helminthosum in four streams showed a positive relationship with m...
Participation in Outdoor Recreation Program Predicts Improved Psychosocial Well-Being Among Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACTPurpose: Evaluate the effectiveness of a 2-day, 3-night outdoor recreation intervention involving fly-fishing in reducing the psychological concomitants of stress among 74 veterans (M = 47.27, SD = 14.55 years) with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: Participants completed repeated assessments of attentiveness, mood, depression, anxiety, and somatic stress across 3 time periods, corresponding to 2 weeks before the trip (baseline), the last day of the trip, and a 6-week follow-up. Assessments of perceptual stress, PTSD symptoms, and sleep quality were also administered during the baseline and follow-up periods. Results: Acute effects were observed for improvements in attentiveness and positive mood states, coupled with significant and sustained reductions in negative mood states, anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms of stress. Comparisons between the baseline and follow-up periods revealed significant improvements in sleep quality and reductions in perceptual stress and PTSD sympt...
Multiple Parentage in Broods of House Wrens: Genetic Evidence

Estimation des frequences des descendances multiparentales chez le troglodyte domestique (Troglodytes aedon) etudie par electrophorese de la LDH
PREDICTORS OF LONG-TERM MORTALITY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING MINIMALLY INVASIVE VALVE SURGERY

Minimally invasive valve surgery (MIVS) has demonstrated excellent outcomes, and is increasingly been used for the treatment of valvular heart disease. However, there is paucity of data in regards to the possible predictors of mid- or long-term mortality. We retrospectively reviewed all consecutive
Crustal and uppermost mantle structure beneath the United States

This paper presents a new model of the shear velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the contiguous U.S. The model is based on more than a decade of USArray Transportable Array (TA) data across the U.S. and derives from a joint Bayesian Monte Carlo inversion of Rayleigh wave group and phase speeds determined from ambient noise and earthquakes, receiver functions, and Rayleigh wave ellipticity (H/V) measurements. Within the Bayesian inverse theoretic framework, a prior distribution of models is posited and a posterior distribution is inferred beneath all of the more than 1800 TA stations across the U.S. The resulting mean and standard deviation of the mean of the posterior distribution at each station summarize the inversion results, which are then interpolated onto a regular 0.25°×0.25° grid across the U.S. to define the final 3-D model. We present arguments that show that the standard deviation of the posterior distribution overestimates the effect of nonsystematic errors in the final model by a factor of 4–5 and identify uncertainties in density and mantle Q as primary potential sources of remaining systematic error in the final model. The model presents a great many newly resolved structural features across the U.S. that require further analysis and dedicated explication. We highlight here low-velocity anomalies in the upper mantle that underlie the Appalachians with centers of anomalies in northern Georgia, western Virginia, and, most prominently, New England.