cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy savings and productivity increases with computers — A case study of the steel ingot handling process

Abstract A novel, one-dimensional, mathematical model of the solidification, heating and cooling operations of the ingot handling process from teeming to primary rolling has been developed. The model is expressed as a set of discrete, time-variant, state space equations associated with a corresponding mathematical description of the processes involved. The model as developed gives the complete thermal state of the ingot and of the associated mold and soaking pit, such as the pertinent temperature profiles, the progression of the solidification front and the distribution of the heat content of the ingot. Industrial experimental data has shown excellent agreement between simulation results developed from the model and corresponding conditions in the real process. Study of the processes involved using the computer simulation has shown that some remarkable energy savings and productivity increases are possible in this process. Again industrial data has confirmed this. A computer control strategy for carrying out on-line applications of the model to achieve these results has also been produced.
Visual cues for landmine detection

Can human vision supplement the information that handheld landmine detection equipment provides its operators to increase detection rates and reduce the hazard of the task? Contradictory viewpoints exist regarding the viability of visual detection of landmines. Assuming both positions are credible, this work aims to reconcile them by exploring the visual information produced by landmine burial and how any visible signatures change as a function of time in a natural environment. Its objective is to acquire objective, foundational knowledge on which training could be based and subsequently evaluated. A representative set of demilitarized landmines were buried at a field site with bare soil and vegetated surfaces using doctrinal procedures. High resolution photographs of the ground surface were taken for approximately one month starting in April 2006. Photos taken immediately after burial show clearly visible surface signatures. Their features change with time and weather exposure, but the patterns they define persist, as photos taken a month later show. An analysis exploiting the perceptual sensitivity of expert observers showed signature photos to domain experts with instructions to identify the cues and patterns that defined the signatures. Analysis of experts' verbal descriptions identified a small set of easily communicable cues that characterize signatures and their changes over the duration of observation. Findings suggest that visual detection training is viable and has potential to enhance detection capabilities. The photos and descriptions generated offer materials for designing such training and testing its utility. Plans for investigating the generality of the findings, especially potential limiting conditions, are discussed.
Gibberellic Acid, Kinetin, and the Mixture Indole-3-Acetic Acid-Kinetin Assisted with EDTA-Induced Lead Hyperaccumulation in Alfalfa Plants

There are a few plant species considered potential hyperaccumulators for heavy metals, particularly lead (Pb). In this study, alfalfa plants grown in hydroponics were exposed to Pb at 40 mg/L, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) equimolar to Pb, and 1, 10, and 100 microM concentrations of the phytohormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), and kinetin (KN) and a mixture of IAA and KN at 100 microM each. Metal quantification by inductively coupled plasma/optical emission spectroscopy demonstrated that plants treated with Pb/EDTA plus KN at 1, 10, and 100 microM increased the Pb concentration in alfalfa leaves (compared to Pb alone) by factors of 17, 43, and 67, respectively, and by factors of 2, 5, and 8, respectively, compared to the Pb/EDTA treatment. The correlation coefficient between the Pb concentration in leaves and the concentrations of KN in the medium was 0.9993. In addition, the leaves of plants exposed to a Pb/EDTA/100 microM IAA-KN mixture had approximately 9500 mg of Pb/kg of dry weight, demonstrating that non-Pb hyperaccumulating plants could hyperaccumulate Pb when treated with EDTA and a mixture of IAA-KN. The X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies demonstrated that the absorption and translocation of Pb was in the same oxidation state as the supplied Pb(II).
LAMP: The Lyman Alpha Mapping Project on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission

The Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) is a far-ultraviolet (FUV) imaging spectrograph on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission. Its main objectives are to (i) identify and localize exposed water frost in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), (ii) characterize landforms and albedos in PSRs, (iii) demonstrate the feasibility of using natural starlight and sky-glow illumination for future lunar surface mission applications, and (iv) characterize the lunar atmosphere and its variability. As a byproduct, LAMP will map a large fraction of the Moon at FUV wavelengths, allowing new studies of the microphysical and reflectance properties of the regolith. The LAMP FUV spectrograph will accomplish these objectives by measuring the signal reflected from the night-side lunar surface and in PSRs using both the interplanetary HI Lyman-α sky-glow and FUV starlight as light sources. Both these light sources provide fairly uniform, but faint, illumination. With the expected LAMP sensitivity, by the end of the primary 1-year LRO mission, the SNR for a Lyman-α albedo map should be >100 in polar regions >1 km2, providing useful FUV constraints to help characterize subtle compositional and structural features. The LAMP instrument is based on the flight-proven Alice series of spectrographs flying on the Rosetta comet mission and the New Horizons Pluto mission. A general description of the LAMP instrument and its initial ground calibration results are presented here.
Pre-emptive and postoperative analgesia for dentoalveolar surgery

Mark C. Fletcher, DMD, MD*, Joseph F. Spera, DMD Private Practice, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 34 Dale Road, Suite 105, Avon, CT 06001, USA Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA The Maxwell S. Fogel Department of Dental Medicine, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Albert Einstein Medical Center, 5501 Old York Road, Philadelphia, PA, USA Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dentistry, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Developmental thermoregulatory deficits in prenatal ethanol exposed long- and short-sleep mice.

Sensitivity to alcohol may influence the severity of prenatal alcohol effects. To examine this hypothesis, the ontogeny of thermoregulation was measured in prenatal ethanol exposed offspring of mice selected for differences in alcohol sensitivity. Pregnant long-sleep (LS) and short-sleep (SS) mice were exposed to 3 or 4 g/kg ethanol or an isocaloric amount of maltose-dextrin twice per day from day 7 through 18 of pregnancy. Doses were given six hours apart via gavage. Nonintubated lab chow controls were included for both genotypes. Offspring were fostered at birth to lactating mice of an outbred strain. Offspring temperatures were measured at 0, 60, and 120 min away from the nest on alternating days from 7 through 21 days of age. LS and SS offspring prenatally exposed to the high ethanol dose showed lower temperatures at the 60 and 120 min time points on each day of testing compared to all other treatment groups. Temperatures of offspring prenatally exposed to the low ethanol dose did not differ from controls. These results suggest a relatively steep dose-response curve for thermoregulatory deficits in LS and SS offspring prenatally exposed to alcohol. Genetically-based alcohol sensitivity did not influence the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on this response © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Electronic properties and phase transitions in the Mo-chain compound Mo2S3

Abstract The results of electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and Raman scattering measurements on the Mo-chain compound Mo2S3 are presented. Phase transitions are observed in this material at temperatures of 182 K and 145 K on cooling from room temperature. These transitions show considerable hysteresis, occuring at 198 K and 180 K, respectively, on warming from low temperatures. A third phase transition is indicated by a large peak in the resistivity at 80 K.
Photocatalytic Powder Layer Reactor: A Uniformly Mixed Gas Phase Occurring in a Catalytic Fixed-Bed Flow Reactor

Integral conversion photocatalysis rate data in gas−solid studies have often been obtained through the use of a powder layer downflow laboratory reactor illuminated from above. The photocatalyst particles, characteristically 20−40 nm in primary particle size and ∼1 μm in agglomerate size, are illuminated to a characteristic depth of the reciprocal of the absorption coefficient, resulting in opacity at 30−50 μm in a loose-packed powder layer. We establish here that this photocatalytic membrane reactor behaves as a well-mixed system; thus, reaction kinetic models can be directly tested for any degree of reactant conversion, without prior need for rate integration.
Strange Fruit: White, Black, and Asian in the World War II Combat Film Bataan

The World War II combat film Bataan depicts the Japanese "yellow peril" enemy not only as hostile to both white and black Americans, but as even more racist to blacks than white Americans, displacing the history of white racism towards blacks onto the Asian enemy.
The Effects of Firm Optimizing Behaviour in Matching Models

This paper considers a matching model of which the search behaviour of Jovanovic (1979) and Albrecht and Jovanovic (1984) are special cases. The nature of the generality is that each unemployed worker has more information than firms about his average productivity. This results in wage offers falling over the length of an unemployment spell because a long spell is a signal of lower than average productivity. The results of the paper are similar to the scarring effect of Heckman and Borjas (1980) and Greenwald (1986) and the discouraged worker effect of Schweitzer and Smith (1974).
Application of general ligand affinity chromatography for the mutual separation of deoxyribonuclease and ribonuclease free of protease contamination

Abstract α-Chymotrypsin and trypsin could be removed from mixtures of pancreatic RNase and DNase I by chromatography on the general ligand affinity column of 8-(6-aminohexyl)-amino-5′-AMP-Sepharose. Both RNase and DNase are quantitatively recovered by elution with 5′-AMP. The separation of RNase and DNase from each other was carried out by the specific retention of RNase on 8-(6-aminohexyl)-amino-2′-AMP-Sepharose at high ionic strength (0.1 m ); DNase failed to adsorb under these conditions. RNase was then desorbed in the presence of a mononucleotide. This is a facile method for obtaining pure enzymes from commercial preparations and gives rise to the potential application of these columns for the analysis of enzyme-nucleotide interactions.
Enclaves of Rights: Workplace Enforcement, Union Contracts, and the Uneven Regulatory Geography of Immigration Policy

Recent geographic research on U.S. immigration policy highlights the devolution of policy formulation and implementation to local state actors. This study extends this research by analyzing how lab...
Modeling transportation systems: An overview

During the last decade, system analysis has moved into a more dominant role in transportation planning. Many of the larger cities have followed the lead of Detroit and Chicago in establishing citywide planning activities based on comprehensive statistics and systematic use of mathematical models. Attempts at regional planning have been seen in the Penn-Jersey study and the Northeast Corridor Project and a recent national effort was undertaken by the U.S. Department of Transportation for the 1972 National Transportation Report to Congress. In all of these an extensive use of mathematical modeling has been employed to describe intercity transportation.
A characteristic eruption associated with ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide chemotherapy after pretreatment with recombinant interleukin-1α

Abstract Background: Patients who received recombinant interleukin-1α (IL-1α) before chemotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation had a characteristic intertriginous cutaneous eruption that has not previously been described. Objective: Our aim was to document these skin changes and to determine whether IL-1α as a sole agent caused recognizable changes in the skin. Methods: A prospective study of the skin changes in eight patients was performed. We characterized the clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical features of the patients' skin after IL-1α infusions and after chemotherapy. Results: No specific clinical or histologic changes were seen immediately after IL-1α infusions. Immunohistochemical studies showed significant upregulation of endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM-1) expression. Within 1 day of the initiation of chemotherapy (ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide), a cutaneous eruption consisting of mucositis and varying degrees of erythema progressing to painful erosions in body folds and under adhesive tape developed in all patients. Histologic features were consistent with a chemotherapeutic effect on the epidermis as well as eccrine and apocrine glands. Expression of keratinocyte intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and HLA-DR as well as of ELAM-1 on dermal endothelial cells was increased. The perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate consisted mainly of CD4 + T cells. Conclusion: High-dose chemotherapy with ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide resulted in a characteristic cutaneous eruption that is consistent with a toxic reaction to chemotherapeutic agents. Its accentuation in skin folds and under taped areas suggests that eccrine excretion of the drugs or a toxic metabolite is an important contributing factor. IL-1α may induce the expression of ELAM-1 but does not cause a cutaneous eruption.
A missense mutation in a ubiquitously expressed protein, vinculin, confers susceptibility to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The R975W mutation, in the alternatively spliced exon 19 of vinculin (VCL) which yields the isoform metavinculin, was associated previously with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and shown to alter in vivo organization of intercalated discs. We tested the hypothesis that alterations in the ubiquitously expressed, VCL-encoded protein, vinculin, may provide a pathogenic substrate for HCM. Comprehensive mutational analysis of VCL’s 22 translated exons was performed in a cohort of 228 unrelated patients with genotype negative HCM, having no identifiable mutations in 12 HCM-associated myofilament/Z-disc-encoding genes. A novel missense mutation, L277M-VCL, involving a conserved residue was identified in a patient with severely obstructive, mid-ventricular hypertrophy. This mutation was not detected in 400 reference alleles. Immunohistochemical analysis of the proband’s myectomy specimen demonstrated markedly reduced vinculin levels in the intercalated discs. We provide the first report of a cardiomyopathy associated mutation in vinculin. Despite its ubiquitous expression, the HCM-associated VCL mutation clinically yielded a cardiac-specific phenotype.
Impaired Protein Aggregate Handling and Clearance Underlie the Pathogenesis of p97/VCP-associated Disease

Mutations in p97/VCP cause the multisystem disease inclusion body myopathy, Paget disease of the bone and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD). p97/VCP is a member of the AAA+ (ATPase associated with a variety of activities) protein family and has been implicated in multiple cellular processes. One pathologic feature in IBMPFD is ubiquitinated inclusions, suggesting that mutations in p97/VCP may affect protein degradation. The present study shows that IBMPFD mutant expression increases ubiquitinated proteins and susceptibility to proteasome inhibition. Co-expression of an aggregate prone protein such as expanded polyglutamine in IBMPFD mutant cells results in an increase in aggregated protein that localizes to small inclusions instead of a single perinuclear aggresome. These small inclusions fail to co-localize with autophagic machinery. IBMPFD mutants avidly bind to these small inclusions and may not allow them to traffic to an aggresome. This is rescued by HDAC6, a p97/VCP-binding protein that facilitates the autophagic degradation of protein aggregates. Expression of HDAC6 improves aggresome formation and protects IBMPFD mutant cells from polyglutamine-induced cell death. Our study emphasizes the importance of protein aggregate trafficking to inclusion bodies in degenerative diseases and the therapeutic benefit of inclusion body formation.
Brief heat shock affects the permeability and thermotolerance of an in vitro blood–brain barrier model of porcine brain microvascular endothelial cells

Abstract Heat shock was imposed on an in vitro model of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) by submersion into prewarmed growth medium. Transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) was used to assess the functional integrity of the endothelial barrier. Consequences of the heat shock were highly dependent upon the temperature and duration of exposure. Temperatures below 47°C required more than 30 s of exposure to significantly impair barrier function, but full recovery occurred within 1 h. When the temperature was 50–54°C, an exposure of only 10 s significantly diminished barrier function. Ten seconds of 51°C or 54°C caused a significant loss of barrier function (45% and 80%, respectively). Full recovery from the 51°C shock occurred within 5 min, while recovery from the 54°C shock required more than 10 h. When the temperature was 57°C or greater, a 3-s duration diminished barrier function by 80%. In response to heat shock, the brain microvascular endothelial cells developed thermotolerance and over-compensated in their ability to form a physiological barrier. The BBB models lost more than 60% of barrier function when initially exposed to 53°C for 5 s but lost only 30% of function when exposed to the same treatment 24 h later. The BBB models over-compensated to produce a reinforced barrier with double the original TEER following repeated application of heat treatment (57°C for 3 s). In vivo experiments will require exquisite manipulation of the temperature and duration in order to achieve the desired opening of the BBB in therapeutic applications.
CD44+/CD24- ovarian cancer cells demonstrate cancer stem cell properties and correlate to survival.

Cancer cells with the surface marker profile CD44+/CD24− have previously been described to possess cancer stem cell-like properties. This manuscript evaluates those properties in ovarian cancer cell lines. The proportion of CD44+/CD24− cells corresponded to the clinical aggressiveness of each ovarian cancer cell line histologic subtype. CD44+/CD24− cells demonstrated enhanced progressive differentiation as well as showing a 60-fold increase in Matrigel invasion in both SKOV3 and OV90 cell lines (p 25 % CD44+/CD24− were significantly more likely to recur (83 vs. 14 %, p = 0.003) and had shorter median progression-free survival (6 vs. 18 months, p = 0.01). In conclusion, the CD44+/CD24− phenotype in ovarian cancer cells demonstrate cancer stem cell-like properties of enhanced differentiation, invasion, and resistance to chemotherapy. This CD44+/CD24− phenotype correlates to clinical endpoints with increased risk of recurrence and shorter progression-free survival in patients with ovarian cancer.
Increased photic sensitivity for phase resetting but not melatonin suppression in Siberian hamsters under short photoperiods

Light regulates a variety of behavioral and physiological processes, including activity rhythms and hormone secretory patterns. Seasonal changes in the proportion of light in a day (photoperiod) further modulate those functions. Recently, short (SP) versus long days (LP) were found to markedly increase light sensitivity for phase shifting in Syrian hamsters. To our knowledge, photoperiod effects on light sensitivity have not been studied in other rodents, nor is it known if they generalize to other circadian responses. We tested whether photic phase shifting and melatonin suppression vary in Siberian hamsters maintained under LP or SP. Select irradiances of light were administered, and shifts in activity were determined. Photic sensitivity for melatonin suppression was examined in a separate group of animals via pulses of light across a 4 log-unit photon density range, with post-pulse plasma melatonin levels determined via RIA. Phase shifting and melatonin suppression were greater at higher irradiances for both LP and SP. The lower irradiance condition was below threshold for phase shifts in LP but not SP. Melatonin suppression did not vary by photoperiod, and the half saturation constant for fitted sigmoid curves was similar under LP and SP. Thus, the photoperiodic modulation of light sensitivity for phase shifting is conserved across two hamster genera. The dissociation of photoperiod effects on photic phase shifting and melatonin suppression suggests that the modulation of sensitivity occurs downstream of the common retinal input pathway. Understanding the mechanistic basis for this plasticity may yield therapeutic targets for optimizing light therapy practices.
Copper accumulation in the crayfish (Orconectes rusticus)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the crayfish, O. rusticus could fulfill Nehring's (1976) criteria for a good biological monitor of heavy metal pollution. Since there is some evidence that the cupric ion is the most toxic form of aqueous copper, crayfish-accumulated copper was compared to both total and cupric copper in the culture water.
A low-energy high-brightness electron gun for inverse photoemission

Abstract We describe the design and construction of an electron gun which produces a 1 mm focused beam with a 5° full width of angular convergence. The maximum achievable beam current depends on the energy, υ0, and is given as Imax ⋍ 0.1 (μA/V3/2) × V03/2. The gun is used in inverse photoelectron spectroscopy (IPES), and is operated at energies as low as 5 eV. The gun employs a BaO cathode operating at 850–1100°C. The low thermal energy spread of the beam (kT ≈ 0.1 eV) and the narrow convergence angle are ideal for momentum resolved IPES. The focused beam is well suited for use with a grating spectrograph IPES detector. The output beam parameters could easily be modified, within certain fundamental constraints, to suit purposes other than IPES. The design principles and the factors controlling beam parameters are discussed in detail.
Invited Review: The Brain in Eclampsia

The occurrence of a convulsion marks the transition of preeclampsia to eclampsia. Although many women who experience eclamptic convulsions recover without neurologic sequelae including epilepsy, the mortality of eclampsia, much due to cerebral lesions, increases with the number of convulsions. A review of the character of the neurological manifestations of toxemia is followed by proposals for their pathogenesis. The author exposes that the neurologic manifestations of eclampsia are those of hypertensive encephalopathy in previously normotensive young women. Hypertensive encephalopathy occurs if sustained mean arterial blood pressure exceeds the upper limit of autoregulation of cerebral perfusion. Thus, the pathophysiological event which compromises the brain is not a convulsion but rather the point at which a preeclamptic woman's blood pressure exceeds her upper limit of the autoregulation of cerebral perfusion.A convulsion has been the traditional dividing line between preeclampsia and eclampsia. The dan...
Emerging concepts in cardiovascular disease: should elevated serum uric acid be considered a risk factor?

Uric acid is the final breakdown product of purine metabolism in man. There is a growing body of evidence that indicates that elevated uric acid levels increase the probability of developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The frequency of hyperuricaemia in untreated hypertensive individuals ranges from 25 - 50%. Furthermore, elevated serum uric acid has been reported to increase the probability of developing hypertension by 87% and to increase the mortality rate from ischaemic heart disease. Several studies have reported that changes in serum cholesterol parallel changes in serum uric acid in both order and magnitude. Most recently, hyperuricaemia has been added to the constellation of abnormalities that comprise Syndrome X. The pathophysiology of hyperuricaemia and the link between hyperuricaemia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease are poorly understood. It is entirely possible that hyperuricaemia is part of a pathologic process that underlies fundamental alterations in renal function, as ...
Brightness Measurements on the Livermore High Brightness Test Stand

Several techniques using small radius collimating pipes with and without axial magnetic fields to measure the brightness of an extracted 1 - 2 kA, 1 - 1.5 MeV electron beam will be described. The output beam of the High Brightness Test Stand as measured by one of these techniques is in excess of 2 x 105 amp/cm2/steradian.
An Introduction to Atom Probe Tomography

This book describes both current atom-probe tomography (APT) practice and knowledge of related emission science. The atomic-level materials characterization technique of APT is currently the only technique able to detect individual atoms of all elements in a three-dimensional structure. Over the last decade, many major developments have raised APT to its present status as a routine characterization technique. This introductory chapter briefly describes the previous generations of atom probes and the technical developments that led to the modern state-of-the-art local electrode atom probe (LEAP®). The important ion emission process of field evaporation and the basics of field ion microscopy (FIM) are introduced. Some examples of APT characterization are also presented.
Life Insurance and Investment Banking at the Time of the Armstrong Investigation of 1905-1906

An Essential factor in the rise of the investment banker to a dominant position in the American economy in the decades following 1880 was his command of the mobilized savings of the country's financial institutions. While considerable research has been devoted to the investment bankers' domination of transport and industry, little attention has been paid to their organization of financial institutions and their significance for the development of these institutions and their reorientation toward the securities market. This paper is a study of the relationship between the large life insurance companies and investment banking in the years immediately preceding the Armstrong Investigation.
Statistical prediction of NBTI-induced circuit aging

Accurate prediction of circuit aging and its variability is essential to reliable design and analysis. Such a capability further helps reduce the load in statistical reliability test. Based on the physical understanding of circuit aging effects, we develop a predictive short term and long term model to characterize NBTI-induced threshold voltage degradation (?Vth) at transistor level. Due to process variations, we further develop analytical solutions that efficiently predict the statistics of circuit timing under temporal stress and process variations. These solutions prove that circuit aging and its variance can be fully predicted from the characteristics of transistor degradation and circuit performance sensitivity to aged parameters, independent on the type and the amount of process variations. The results are systematically validated by simulation and measurement data from an industrial 65 nm technology, enhancing the predictability and efficiency of statistical reliability analysis.
Using Document Level Cross-Event Inference to Improve Event Extraction

Event extraction is a particularly challenging type of information extraction (IE). Most current event extraction systems rely on local information at the phrase or sentence level. However, this local context may be insufficient to resolve ambiguities in identifying particular types of events; information from a wider scope can serve to resolve some of these ambiguities. In this paper, we use document level information to improve the performance of ACE event extraction. In contrast to previous work, we do not limit ourselves to information about events of the same type, but rather use information about other types of events to make predictions or resolve ambiguities regarding a given event. We learn such relationships from the training corpus and use them to help predict the occurrence of events and event arguments in a text. Experiments show that we can get 9.0% (absolute) gain in trigger (event) classification, and more than 8% gain for argument (role) classification in ACE event extraction.
Redefining Quality in Developing World Education

cause for hope. The Colombian Coffee Growers’ Association wants to hire them. Why? Because these children have developed the independent thinking, communication, and work skills that will make them an asset to the industry. They developed these skills in their multigrade primary schools, where children do most of their learning in competence-based groups, while the teacher functions as guide and coach. In Kenya, a teenage boy is also celebrating. A primary school dropout who once survived outside the law, he now runs his own small business, lives on his own, and even helps support his family financially. He learned the skills he needed in a 12-week entrepreneurship program offered to youth living on the streets in the heart of one of Africa’s largest slums. The life-changing economic opportunities now available to these children are the direct result of the unique quality of their schooling, which has had a direct and positive impact on their immediate circumstances. In other words, these children’s schooling was made relevant to their current life experiences and those they will later encounter.
Elements of irreducible tensorial matrices generated by finite groups with applications to ligand field Hamiltonians

Using symmetry to determine Hamiltonian matrix elements for quantum systems with finite group symmetry is a special case of obtaining group-generated irreducible tensorial matrices. A group-generated irreducible tensorial matrix transforms irreducibly under the group and is a linear combination of group transformations on a reference matrix. The reference matrix elements may be appropriate integrals or parameters. The methods of normalized irreducible tensorial matrices (NITM) are employed to express elements of the generated matrix in terms of those of the reference matrix without performing the actual transformations. Only NTTM components of the reference matrix with the same transformation properties as the group-generated matrix will contribute to its elements. The elements of invariant symmetry-generated matrices are proportional to simple averages of certain elements of the reference matrix. This relation is substantially more efficient than previous techniques for evaluating matrix elements of octahedral and tetragonal d-type ligand-field Hamiltonians.
Electron Barkhausen oscillation as a possible source of kHz radiation from the neutral sheet of the Earth's magnetotail

An analytic estimate is made for radiation from electrons oscillating between magnetic surfaces of the Earth's magnetotail. The oscillation is highly anharmonic and occurs within the neutral sheet. An estimate of 4–10 kHz is obtained for the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation from an anisotropic beam of electrons; this radiation grows to appreciable amplitude within ~ 2 cycles, and results from a phase-bunching instability.
Engendering student retention of course prerequisite material in a web world

This paper argues that the personal retention of technical vocabulary and concepts (remembering) is as important in a web-based learning environment, where students have "instant" access to archived knowledge, as it was in the pre-web world. The paper provides two rationales in defense of this view. The first rationale is based on a core metaphor that draws parallels between a CpE/EE (ECE) technical "civilization" and a societal civilization. The second rationale argues directly from the first level of Bloom's Taxonomy of the cognitive domain that remembering cannot be discarded from the educational process. While the web-based environment does not eliminate the need for personal memory, it does provide a challenging environment for engineering educators trying to convince students that remembering is necessary. The paper addresses this challenge and concludes with a table of specific action items that may be used to improve technical content retention. These are based on three broad strategies: 1) knowing informs doing; 2) information retention is essential to engineering practice; 3) the transient nature of retained information can be controlled and compensated.
Age-related vasodilatory response to acetazolamide challenge in healthy adults: a dynamic contrast-enhanced MR study

PURPOSE: We examined age-related changes in baseline regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and response to acetazolamide stimulation by using dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging. METHODS: Thirty healthy volunteers ranging widely in age (23 to 82 years) were examined before and after intravenous injection of acetazolamide with dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MR imaging. rCBV values were normalized for intersubject and intrasubject comparison by estimating an arterial input function directly from the imaging data. Preacetazolamide baseline rCBV and the percentage volume change index (PVCI) of the postacetazolamide to preacetazolamide state were calculated and examined as a function of age. RESULTS: Older adults (>50 years) had lower baseline rCBV per unit tissue than did younger adults (<50 years), but higher rCBV after acetazolamide stimulation. Baseline rCBV tended to decrease with age in the medial frontal and frontoparietal gray matter regions. Response to acetazolamide stimulation, measured by PVCI, showed a significant age-related increase in gray matter, approximately 0.5% per year. CONCLUSION: rCBV can be significantly increased after acetazolamide stimulation in the healthy aged. These results support the notion that age-related decreases in rCBV measured at rest reflect reduced regional metabolic requirements rather than reduced capacity for regional substrate delivery. These data serve as a normative baseline for comparison studies of rCBV vascular reserve in aging persons with various cerebrovascular disorders.
Comparative pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the newer fluoroquinolone antibacterials.

A number of new fluoroquinolone antibacterials have been released for clinical use in recent years. These new agents exhibit enhanced activity against Gram-positive organisms while retaining much of the Gram-negative activity of the earlier agents within the same class. The pharmacokinetics of most of these agents are well described including serum pharmacokinetics, tissue and fluid distribution, and pharmacokinetics in renal and hepatic disease. When compared with earlier agents within this class (i.e. ciprofloxacin), the newer agents retain the wide distribution characteristics; however, they exhibit a more prolonged elimination, which, in part, supports single daily administration for these agents. Based on their predominant renal elimination, dosage adjustment is necessary in the presence of renal disease for ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, gatifloxacin and sitafloxacin. Drug interactions, particularly with multivalent cations (calcium/aluminium-containing antacids and iron products), remain a problem for the newer agents, resulting in reduced absorption requiring separate administration times to maximise bioavailability. However, the newer agents do not appear to interfere significantly with the cytochrome P450 system, thus minimising the potential for interactions with other drugs metabolised by this system. The pharmacodynamic properties of the fluoroquinolones have been well described. The bactericidal activity is maximised when the ratios of peak plasma drug concentration (Cmax): minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) or area under the concentration-time curve (AUC): MIC exceed specific threshold values. Knowledge of the pharmacodynamic relationships allows for appropriate drug selection and enables design of dosage regimens to maximise the bactericidal activity. Therapeutic drug monitoring of the fluoroquinolones may provide a means of optimising the dosage regimen in certain clinical situations (that is, meningitis and hospitalised pneumonias) with the goals of achieving a more predictable therapeutic response and minimising the potential for the development of resistance.
Analytical and numerical bound analysis of hygroscopic swelling characterization

In this paper, a comprehensive study is developed on the effects of non-uniform moisture distribution and hygroscopic stress in hygroscopic swelling characterization. Two different averaged methods are introduced to analyze the experimental data obtained using TMA/TGA techniques with respect to the different reference states chosen, i.e., absolute dry and saturation conditions, respectively. It turns out that these two methods give the upper and lower bound estimates of the coefficient of hygroscopic swelling of materials. Three-dimensional moisture diffusion solution is employed to consider the non-uniform moisture distribution. The analytical expressions of both methods are obtained for the averaged coefficient of hygroscopic swelling, which are functions of time, diffusivity and specimen dimensions. The effects of aspect ratio, and time-dependency on measurement accuracy are discussed. Mathematical proof and numerical results are given for the lower and upper bound analysis. The analytical predication shows a remarkable agreement with the experiment results. Because the analytical solutions are developed without considering the effect of the hygroscopic stress induced deformation, a sequentially coupled moisture diffusion and hygroscopic stress analysis is utilized to investigate the impact of hygroscopic stresses in the hygroscopic swelling characterization. It is interesting to notice that even through the elastic strain caused by hygroscopic stress accounts for about one third of the total strain, the displacement induced by the elastic deformation at probe measurement point is negligible compared to the displacement of hygroscopic swelling. We conclude that our analytical solutions give the accurate analysis of hygroscopic swelling characterization.
Quadrupole coupling measurements on 35ClNO

Hyperfine structure for J = 0 → 1 and J = 1 → 2 transitions of 35ClNO was measured using a pulsed-beam, Fourier transform spectrometer and beam-maser spectrometer. The high resolution microwave spectra were analysed to obtain eQq aa(Cl) = -49·05(4), eQq bb(Cl) = 30·0(4·0), eQq aa(N) = 0·98(6) and eQq bb(N) = -4·78(22) MHz. The quadrupole coupling values are discussed in relation to results in other small molecules and nitrosyl complexes. Rotational constants obtained from the measurements were B = 5737·70(6) and C = 5376·32(6) MHz.
A star topology dynamic model for efficient simulation of multilimbed robotic systems

Many systems of interest in robotics have a star topology structure (multiple serial chains radiating from a common mobile, non-articulated base). In this paper the author utilize the special structure of star topology-based robots to develop algorithms useful for simulating such systems. The algorithm can handle a variety of walking, grasping, and contact situations. As a specific example, a multipedal walking system is analyzed. >
Commentary: screening and brief intervention for problem drinkers: opportunities lost.

Abstract [Todd KH. Commentary: screening and brief intervention for problem drinkers: opportunities lost. Ann Emerg Med. June 2002;39;686-687.]
Competitive Closeness Testing

We test whether two sequences are generated by the same distribution or by two dierent ones. Unlike previous work, we make no assumptions on the distributions’ support size. Additionally, we compare our performance to that of the best possible test. We describe an eciently-computa ble algorithm based on pattern maximum likelihood that is near optimal whenever the best possible error probability is exp( 14n 2=3 ) using length-n sequences.
Irradiaciones y difuminaciones de la brutalidad en La condesa sangrienta y 2666

Este articulo realiza un analisis comparativo entre La condesa sangrienta de Alejandra Pizarnik y el episodio protagonizado por la baronesa Von Zumpe y el general Entrescu en 2666. Para esto, se busca establecer las convergencias y divergencias que se producen entre ambos textos, poniendo el acento en la nocion de brutalidad que tienen en comun. Asimismo, se destaca el proceso inverso que aplican Pizarnik y Bolano en la construccion del horror y del erotismo. Mientras La condesa sangrienta focaliza su interes en abordar el horror y desdibujar la sexualidad, el relato del castillo de Dracula apunta a solapar el mal e irradiar la voluptuosidad.
Palaeographic Dating of Judaean Seals and Its Significance for Biblical Research

This article presents a palaeographic investigation of the official seal impressions from the late eighth century B. C. E. and compares the script of this corpus with seals from the late seventh ce...
Research on blending asphalt with eucommia ulmoides gum

Currently,overseas and domestic asphalt modifier is mostly gained from petroleum byproduct,which is costly and can not be reborn.So the kind of asphalt modifier can not satisfy the requirement of increasing highway construction.It is necessary to find a new modifier,which is natural and reborn,and has good performance and reasonable price.By introducing the vulcanizing process of eucommia ulmoides gum and the physical mechanics function of vulcanized gum,and explaining the good engineering characteristic and engineering application prospect of eucommia ulmoides gum,a new approach was presented to blend asphalt with eucommia ulmoides gum as a modifier used in pavement material of highway.The analysis of infrared spectrum and scan electricity mirror and asphalt basic index experiment were made.The result indicates that eucommia ulmoides gum can improve low temperature performance and high temperature performance of asphalt,so it is feasibile for asphalt modifying.
Abstract 07: Using copy number alterations to identify targeted therapies in a preclinical model of osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive bone malignancy affecting approximately 400 pediatric patients in the United States annually. Compared with other pediatric cancers, OS has a low 5-year overall survival rate. There are few treatment options for patients that progress on standard therapy, making it important to identify new therapeutic targets for these high-risk patients. At the genomic level, OS is characterized by significant genomic instability, resulting in numerous copy number alterations (CNA) and structural variations (SV). Unfortunately, many of the CNAs and SV events are non-recurrent, making each disease highly patient-specific. We hypothesized that CNAs may be drivers of OS and that we could use patient-specific CNA profiles to identify actionable targets in OS. In order to test this in a preclinical setting, we have developed a robust program for generating and maintaining patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from patients with OS. In a pilot study of 3 patients, we used a combination of tumor/normal whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and commercial gene panel testing to identify potentially druggable targets using CNA. For samples tested with WGS, gene-level CNA was assessed for a number of clinically actionable genes. For each gene, CNA was determined using the normalized ratio of sequencing reads mapped to the gene in the tumor versus the normal sample. The degree of CNA was used to help prioritize potential targets. For the commercially tested samples, genes were either reported as amplified or not. Using these results to inform target selection, we treated each PDX with a drug matched to its corresponding CNA predicted target. In each sample, we saw a significant reduction in the growth rate of the PDX compared to vehicle or a non-matched drug. This suggests that using the patient-specific CNAs to identify drug targets may be an effective strategy in the treatment of OS. Citation Format: Marcus R. Breese, Leanne C. Sayles, Alejandro Sweet-Cordero. Using copy number alterations to identify targeted therapies in a preclinical model of osteosarcoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Integrating Clinical Genomics and Cancer Therapy; Jun 13-16, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2016;22(1_Suppl):Abstract nr 07.
Adrenergic and Cholinergic Stimulation and Blockade of the Human Bladder Base

AbstractThe response of muscle strips from the human anterior and posterior bladder base to autonomic stimulation and blockade was studied. The human bladder base, like that of the dog, possesses an abundance of cholinergic and alpha-adrenergic receptor sites. Neuropharmacologically, the musculature of the anterior base is similar to that of the posterior base (trigone plus detrusor musculature).
Distribution of mixtures of bile salt taurine conjugates between lecithin-cholesterol vesicles and aqueous media: an empirical model

Bile salts are surfactants that partition into phospholipid bilayers. When liposomes or membranes are exposed to mixed solutions of bile salts, the more hydrophobic bile salt species associate preferentially with the lipid bilayer. As a consequence, in the aqueous phase, the free monomeric concentration of bile salt declines and the more hydrophilic species become relatively enriched. Above a critical saturating concentration of lecithin-associated bile salt, a phase transition occurs with loss of membrane integrity and formation of mixed micelles. In this paper we present a quantitative model which, for mixed solutions of bile salt taurine conjugates, predicts the distribution of bile salt monomers between large unilamellar vesicles composed of lecithin and cholesterol and the aqueous phase. The model is based on association isotherms for individual bile salts, determined by an ultrafiltration method with empirical curve fitting, and is critically dependent upon the observation that association coefficients of each bile salt are a function of the total bound bile salt/lecithin mole ratio. Given the concentrations of individual bile salts, lecithin and cholesterol, the model permits calculation of the membrane-bound bile salt/lecithin ratio and the concentration of each bile salt remaining free as soluble monomer in the aqueous phase, as well as the overall hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance (hydrophobicity index) of the bile salts remaining free in aqueous solution. Distribution data determined empirically for a variety of mixtures of bile salt taurine conjugates and large unilamellar vesicles of varying cholesterol:lecithin ratio agree closely with predictions. This model may be of value in predicting the physical, biological and toxic properties of mixed bile salt solutions.