cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification and partial characterization of the phospholipase A2 and co-lytic factor from sea anemone (Aiptasia pallida) nematocyst venom.

Abstract Functional nematocysts of one specific morphological class, the penetrant microbasic mastigophores, were isolated from the sea anemone, Aiptasia pallida . These nematocysts contain a multicomponent venom composed of several proteins, including those with neurotoxic, hemolytic, and lethal activities. Hemolytic activity is produced by at least three synergistic venom proteins. One of these proteins is identified as a phospholipase A 2 (EC 3.1.1.4) which exists in two isozymic forms, α and β, with molecular weights of 45,000 and 43,000, respectively. The β isozyme has been purified to homogeneity. It is a single-chained glycoprotein with an isoelectric point (p I ) of 8.8 and represents 70% of the phospholipase activity of the venom. The activity of the β isozyme is relatively labile and is inactivated by 3.5 M urea or by heating at 45°C. It is most stable at pH 4.0 and loses 50% of its activity at pH values below 3.5 and above 8.0. A second venom protein has also been purified. It is essential for the hemolytic activity of the venom and is termed co-lytic factor (CLF). It is a monomeric glycoprotein having a p I of 4.5. CLF has a molecular weight of approximately 98,000, a sedimentation coefficient of 4.8 S, and is prolate in shape, having a frictional ratio of about 1.6. CLF constitutes about 1.25% of the total venom protein and is assayed by reversing fatty acid inhibition of the venom hemolysis activity.
Spontaneous neural activity of a mechanoreceptive system is undiminished by replacement of external calcium with equimolar magnesium in the presence of EGTA

Abstract Primary afferent neurons of the lateral-line mechanosensory organs, which are believed to be closely related to the auditory and vestibular organs, exhibit “spontaneous” action potentials in the absence of mechanical stimulation of the receptor cells (hair cells). Sinusoidal mechanical stimulation of the hair cells enhances the impulse rate of the afferent neurons. The spontaneous activity is found to be a decreasing function of increasing concentration of either external magnesium or calcium, when each cation is varied in the absence of the other and bath-applied to the synaptic side of the lateral-line mechanoreceptors. One mM to 6 mM magnesium with 5 mM EGTA (the latter for chelation of remaining traces of calcium) permits undiminished spontaneous afferent activity of later-line neurons for as long as 3 to 4 hours. With bath-applied calcium, mechanical stimulation results in evoked incremental activity - defined as total activity with stimulation minus spontaneous activity - which significantly increases with increasing calcium concentration. However, with magnesium and EGTA in the bath, mechanical stimulation produces no increase in the neural firing rate above spontaneous rate for any magnesium concentration tested. Taken together, these results suggest that spontaneous activity, in contrast to evoked incremental activity, does not require external calcium in the bath, and production of spontaneous neural action potentials may proceed via mechanisms that are modifications of those of classical stimulus-secretion coupling.
Planning with adaptive dimensionality for mobile manipulation

Mobile manipulation planning is a hard problem composed of multiple challenging sub-problems, some of which require searching through large high-dimensional state-spaces. The focus of this work is on computing a trajectory to safely maneuver an object through an environment, given the start and goal configurations. In this work we present a heuristic search-based deterministic mobile manipulation planner, based on our recently-developed algorithm for planning with adaptive dimensionality. Our planner demonstrates reasonable performance, while also providing strong guarantees on completeness and suboptimality bounds with respect to the graph representing the problem.
Mixed land uses, land-use externalities, and residential property values: A reevaluation

Empirical evidence concerning the impact of neighborhood land-use externalities on residential property value is mixed. That is, no concensus has emerged in the literature as to whether locating non-residential land-use activities in residential neighborhoods can be expected to increase, decrease or leave unaltered surrounding property values. The purpose of this research was two-fold: 1) to construct a theoretical model of consumer behavior in which both the positive and negative effects of neighborhood land-use externalities are taken into account, and 2) to test this generalized model empirically, using hedonic pricing equations. The principal implication of the theoretical model is that the effect of non-residential activity on residential property values isa priori indeterminate, the outcome depending on the relative strength of the associated positive and negative external effects generated. The empirical test of the model was conducted for the city of Tucson, Arizona, where it is shown that over low ranges, increasing the amount of industrial, commercial, multifamily and public land-use activity in a neighborhood tended to increase surrounding residential property values. It is concluded that in locating future economic activity an optimal mix of landuse activities should be sought, not the regional separation of activities.
Abstract ES3-1: Early Phase Trials – What Are They For?

Early in drug development, there are lots of things we need to learn about new agents or new combinations of agents in order to make ‘good’ decisions about whether and how to proceed. The landscape of clinical trials is changing, with greater focus on targeted therapies and biomarker defined patient populations. Trial design, as we will hear in this session, must adapt to these new challenges. However, fundamentals still apply. We still need to demonstrate that drugs are safe and effective. As an introduction to the session, we will review the basic steps in drug development, especially early development, and the basic questions that must be answered at each step, in order to develop evidence for safety and efficacy. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr ES3-1.
Effects of haloperidol on motor and cognitive functioning in aged mice.

Abstract The effects of haloperidol on motor and functioning and cognitive functioning were studied in young (3–5 months old) and aged (20–22 months old) male mice by examining haloperidol-induced catalepsy and haloperidol-induced decrements in performance on a radial arm maze. The aged mice were much more sensitive to these adverse effects of haloperidol than were the young mice. Studies of the distribution of radioactivity from [ 3 H]haloperidol to the brain indicated that the differences in sensitivity to this drug were not due to pharmacokinetic differences. The results demonstrate that mice are suitable for studies of aging-induced changes in the behavioral effects of neuroleptic agents.
The comparison of mobile devices to computers for web-based assessments

Used a questionnaire that was not optimized for the device used to complete it.Assessed web-based assessment using score, usability ratings, and time.Smart phones took longer to complete than computers.Smart phones were rated as less usable than computers.No difference in personality scores between two devices. This research investigated the completing of a web-based personality assessment using smart phones and computers. Data were collected from 47 undergraduate students using a within subjects design. Results indicated that the usability and the time to complete the assessment of a web-based non-optimized questionnaire is significantly different when completed with a smart phone versus a computer. However, there were no significant differences in personality scores.
Non-parametric stochastic subset optimization for optimal-reliability design problems

The stochastic subset optimization (SSO) algorithm has been recently proposed for design problems that use the system reliability as objective function. It is based on simulation of samples of the design variables from an auxiliary probability density function, and uses this information to identify subsets for the optimal solution. This paper presents an extension, termed Non-Parametric SSO, that adopts kernel density estimation (KDE) to approximate the objective function through these samples. It then uses this approximation to identify candidate points for the global minimum. To reduce the computational effort an iterative approach is established whereas efficient reflection methodologies are implemented for the KDE.
Optimization of power system reliability level by stochastic programming

Abstract An optimal reliability level of a composite power system should correspond to a system expansion scheme which minimizes the total cost, including operation and maintenance cost, system expansion cost, and customer outage cost. At this optimal reliability level, the value of service is maximized. A stochastic programming approach for identifying the required optimal reliability level and the corresponding expansion scheme is proposed in this paper. This approach employs linear programming and Benders' decomposition algorithm. It has been applied to two sample systems and the results are presented.
PAHs in Astronomy - A Review

Carbonaceous materials play an important role in space. Polycyclic Aromatic Hy- drocarbons (PAHs) are a ubiquitous component of organic matter in space. Their contribution is invoked in a broad spectrum of astronomical observations that range from the ultraviolet to the far-infrared and cover a wide variety of objects and environments from meteorites and interplanetary dust particles to outer Solar System bodies to the interstellar medium in the local Milky Way and in other galaxies. Extensive efforts have been devoted in the past two decades to experimental, theoretical, and observational studies of PAHs. A brief review is given here of the evidence obtained so far for the contribution of PAHs to the phenomena aforementioned. An attempt is made to distinguish the cases where solid evidence is available from cases where reasonable assumptions can be made to the cases where the presence - or the absence - of PAHs is purely speculative at this point. 1. Overview Carbon molecules and ions play an important role in space. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydro- carbons (PAHs) are an important and ubiquitous component of the organic materials. Twenty years have passed since the PAH model was put forward to account for the ubiquitous infrared (IR) emission bands associated with a wide range of interstellar en- vironments in our local galaxy and in other galaxies (Leger & Puget 1984, Allamandola et al. 1985). The infrared bands are observed at 3.29, 6.2, 7.7, 8.7, 11.3, and 12.7 µm and are often accompanied by minor, weaker, bands and underlying broad structures in the 3.1 - 3.7, 6.0 - 6.9, and 11 - 15 µm ranges. In the model dealing with the interstellar spectral features, PAHs are present as a mixture of radicals, ions, and neutral species (Al- lamandola et al. 1999). The ionization states reflect the ionization balance of the medium while the size, composition, and structure reflect the energetic and chemical history of the medium. The proposed excitation (pumping) mechanism of the IR bands is a one-photon mechanism that leads to the transient heating of the PAH molecules and ions by stellar ultraviolet (UV), visible, and/or NIR photons. The IR bands are associated with the molecular vibrations of PAH structures present either as free molecules and ions (for the discrete bands) or as subunits of larger carbonaceous grains (for the broad, continuum- like structures). PAHs thus constitute the building blocks of interstellar dust grains and play an important role in mediating energetic and chemical processes in the interstellar medium (ISM). The PAH model has considerably evolved over the years (see Figure 1), thanks in large part to the extensive laboratory and theoretical efforts that have been devoted to this issue over the years. There is a wide consensus now, in the post-Spitzer era, that PAHs are the best candidates to account for the IR emission bands (Draine & Li 2007). The bands that were once dubbed the "unidentified" IR bands (UIR) are now
Observer consistency in judging extent of cloud cover

Abstract Subjective judgments of extent of cloud cover in 60 slides were compared to measurements of the area of clouds in the same slides. The subjective judgments were consistent with themselves, and the average of the judgments correlated 0.97 with the average of the measurements. None of the judges had been trained to estimate cloud cover. Statistical analysis of the data revealed how aggregates of subjective judgments can achieve such predictive accuracy.
Atherosclerosis in diabetes and insulin resistance

Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes and those with insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome. Both conditions profoundly accelerate the development of atherosclerosis and increase the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular events. The question, therefore, is what are the molecular/biochemical mechanisms that underlie the potentiating influence of diabetes, the metabolic syndrome and/or insulin resistance on the development and progression of atherosclerosis? The following review will focus on the molecular mechanism whereby hyperglycaemia and/or hyperinsulinemia either directly or indirectly promote atherosclerosis.
Dayside reconnection enhancement resulting from a solar wind dynamic pressure increase

[1] It is well known that the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) is the major contributor to geomagnetic activity on Earth. Recent studies, however, have shown that solar wind dynamic pressure variations also cause global effects when they encounter the terrestrial magnetosphere. In particular, it has been shown that solar wind dynamic pressure enhancements significantly increase particle precipitation and cause global intensification of the aurora. Further studies using Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) measurements have demonstrated that solar wind pressure increases also significantly affect the size of the polar cap and the cross-polar cap potential drop. This implies that the dynamic pressure has an important effect on the coupling efficiency between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetosphere, which is in addition to that due to the IMF. It was previously suggested, on the basis of the DMSP data, that solar wind dynamic pressure enhancements induce enhanced magnetotail reconnection and magnetospheric convection. We now present Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) observations for a number of events that demonstrate significantly enhanced ionospheric convection in the dayside ionosphere associated with the impact of solar wind pressure fronts. The enhanced convection extends to the vicinity of the expected location of the dayside separatrix, suggesting that the solar wind dynamic pressure strongly affects dayside reconnection as well as polar-cap convection.
Protein C in critical illness.

Purpose. The role of protein C in critical illness is assessed. Summary. Conversion of protein C to activated protein C (APC) requires thrombin and thrombomodulin. When thrombin is not bound to thrombomodulin, it can convert fibrinogen to fibrin, factor V to factor Va, and factor VIII to factor VIIIa but will not convert protein C to APC. When thrombin is bound to thrombomodulin, it can convert protein C to APC but cannot convert fibrinogen, factor V, or factor VIII. Activation of protein C is accelerated by the presence of endothelial protein C receptors. In conjunction with protein S, APC limits coagulation by inactivating factors Va and VIIIa, which decreases thrombin-mediated inflammation. By inhibiting the formation of thrombin and the release of proinflammatory cytokines, APC reduces the inflammatory response to infection. By inducing cell signaling, APC directly modulates the cellular response to infection, resulting in antiinflammatory, cytoprotective, and barrier-protective activities. APC is metabolized by protease inhibitors and other proteins in the plasma. Conversion of protein C to APC is impaired in severe sepsis. During severe sepsis, endogenous levels of the inactive precursor protein C are reduced because of decreased production by the liver and degradation by enzymes. More than 85% of patients with severe sepsis have low levels of protein C. Absolute levels of protein C correlate with morbidity and mortality outcomes of the sepsis population, regardless of age, infecting microorganism, presence of shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, degree of hypercoagulation, or severity of illness. Conclusion. The protein C pathway is a natural homeostatic regulator with multiple mechanisms of action. Blood protein C concentration is inversely correlated with morbidity and mortality in sepsis and other critical illness.
Inclusion of turnover time does not influence identification of surgical services that over- and underutilize allocated block time.

Allocation of operating room (OR) block time is an ongoing challenge for OR managers. In this study, we sought to determine whether inclusion or exclusion of turnover time in comparisons of block utilization would identify different surgical services as under- or overused. For a 13-mo period, we evaluated data extracted from the OR information system of a large academic medical center. During that time period, 15 surgical services performed 12,245 surgical procedures. Allocated block hours, number of first cases performed, total number of cases, and average case durations were determined. The average turnover time for each service was determined by a manual, case-by-case review of data from 1 mo. Raw utilization (RU; case durations only) and adjusted utilization (AU; case duration plus turnover time) were calculated for each service. Turnover time was credited to the service performing surgery after room turnover. Case du-ration was limited to surgeries performed during resource hours. Two indices of utilization (i.e., the usage rate of the service divided by the overall use of all ORs in the suite) were used to compare services: the RU or AU Index (RUI or AUI). Outliers were services with indices that were >1.15 or <0.85. The RUI identified three services as underutilizers and one service as an overutilizer. Using the AUI, the same outliers were identified, and no new services were identified. Examining the changes in index (between AUI and RUI), the percentage of to-follow cases highly correlated with changes in index (r2 = 0.60); the average turnover time did not (r 2 = 0.002). Inclusion of turnover time did not change the services that were identified as under- and overutilizer.
Ward identities and the retrieval of Green’s functions in the correlations of a diffuse field

Abstract That diffuse field correlations are essentially identical to Green’s functions is becoming widely accepted. Here, a new derivation is provided for that identity, a derivation that generalizes to a larger variety of wave systems and furthermore permits derivation of other, related but distinct, identities that may be useful.
Enacting Care Through Collaboration in Communities of Makers

Communities of makers-including hackerspaces, maker spaces, repair shops, and similar groups-have demonstrated a unique approach to collaboration and community maintenance. The dissertation research I discuss in this paper seeks to analyze this community labor through a care ethics lens in order to unpack both the espoused and the enacted social ethical systems that underlay these communities of making and reproduce these practices. My work then addresses how these particular types of care relate to the broader "maker culture."
Poromechanics Solutions to Plane Strain and Axisymmetric Mandel-Type Problems in Dual-Porosity and Dual-Permeability Medium

The two-dimensional Mandel-type problem geometry is well-known to bio-geomechanicians for testing rocks, cartilages, and bones with solutions in Cartesian coordinates for rectangular specimens or polar coordinates for cylindrical and disk samples. To date, all existing solutions are only applicable to single-porosity and single-permeability models, which could fall short when the porous material exhibits multi-porosity and/or multipermeability characteristics, such as secondary porosity or fracture. This paper extends the plane strain and axisymmetric Mandel-type solutions from single-to dual-porosity and dual-permeability poromechanics. The solutions are presented in explicit analytical forms and account for arbitrary time-dependent external loading conditions, e.g., cyclic and ramping. The derived analytical solutions and results exhibit general behaviors characterized by two time scales. Stresses, pore pressures, and displacements are plotted for various time scale ratios to illustrate the interplaying effects of permeability and stiffness contrast of both porous regions, in addition to the interporosity exchange, on the overall responses of the system. Also, examples with realistic loading conditions for laboratory testing or field simulation such as cyclic and ramping are provided to demonstrate the engineering applications of the presented dual-poroelastic formulation and solutions.
Practical evaluation and management of cutaneous lymphoma

Accurate evaluation of patients with suspected or known cutaneous lymphoma requires the integration of many sources and types of information, including clinical evaluation, microscopic analysis of tissue, immunophenotyping, gene rearrangement studies, clinical staging, and longitudinal observation. Diagnoses should be based on knowledge of specific lymphoma types as described in modern classification systems. Management of patients with cutaneous lymphoma requires collaboration among dermatologists, dermatopathologists, hematopathologists, and medical, surgical and radiation oncologists. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;46:325-57.) Learning objective: At the conclusion of this learning activity, participants should better understand how to evaluate and manage patients for suspected or established lymphoma of the skin. Components include the clinical history and physical examination, optimal biopsy and tissue handling, interpretation of pathology and adjunctive test results, clinicopathologic correlation, and therapy. Participants should also understand the basis for establishing a specific diagnosis of cutaneous lymphoma based on current classification and staging.
Delineation of dynamic envelope of light rail transit cars and trains

Visual delineation of the outline of the dynamic envelope occupied by light rail transit cars or trains as they travel along or across roadways and walkways was examined. An argument was formulated against the routine installation of delineation features, except in situations deemed beneficial. Conditions when such delineation on paving surfaces is useful were identified, as well as conditions when it is unnecessary and sometimes detrimental. Various methods to accomplish delineation were also addressed.
An Expression for the Dispersion Force between Colloidal Particles

Abstract A result for the integral ofR−12over two spheres of radiiaandbis given. This result, together with Hamaker's result for the integral ofR−6, leads to an expression for the integral of the Lennard–Jones potential over two spheres that is suitable for calculations involving colloidal particles.
Possible role of hydrogen cyanide in chemical evolution. The oligomerization and condensation of hydrogen cyanide.

Abstract The rate of cyanide oligomerization is independent of the presence of added nucleophiles such as azide, monomethylamine or triethylamine and is dependent only on the pH of the reaction mixture. The products formed, with the exception of urea, are also independent of the nucleophiles used to initiate reaction. In the presence of monomethylamine, monomethylurea is the main neutral product instead of urea, suggesting the intermediacy of cyanate. Evidence is presented which suggests that cyanogen may be the precurser to both cyanate and oxalic acid in the cyanide Oligomerization.
Auriculotemporal Neuralgia Secondary to TMJ Synovial Cyst: A Rare Presentation of a Rare Entity

Synovial cysts of the temporomandibular joint are rare, and to our knowledge, only 14 cases have been reported. The most common presentation is local pain and swelling. We present a case of a synovial cyst presenting with neuralgia in the distribution of the auriculotemporal nerve, initially misdiagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia.
Uncertainty and traceability in alloy analysis by borate fusion and XRF

Owing to the increasing demand for compliance with quality system standards, analytical laboratories may need to demonstrate the traceability of their results to the International System of Units (SI) or to the values of a certified reference material. To do that, they need to demonstrate the components of uncertainty in their analytical work. At NIST, the goal is to demonstrate traceability to SI units to ensure that results are accepted on a worldwide basis. For XRF spectrometry with borate fusion, traceability to SI is achieved through calibration with spectrometric solution standards or high-purity compounds. The method is capable of achieving relative expanded uncertainty estimates (95% confidence level) of 1% or lower. In this paper, the capability is demonstrated for low alloy-steel and an AlTiNbW aerospace alloy. XRF results are compared with certified values and with results from atomic emission methods through a simple bias test. NIST uses the borate fusion/XRF method as part of the value assignment process for Standard Reference Materials®. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The voices of teen mothers: the experience of repeat pregnancy

The purpose was to explore the insights of young mothers with regard to their life aspirations the changes in their lives as a result of parenting and their beliefs of the impact of repeat pregnancy on their aspirations and life course. Ethnographic descriptive research with a purposive sample of key informants (n = 16) using semistructured interviews to solicit rich qualitative data. Iterative methods recursive data sifting and Ethnograph 5.0 were used in data analysis. Young mothers were asked questions about four domains of their lives: (a) their existing life context including support and background characteristics (b) their relationships including family friends and intimate others (c) their vocation including education work and money and (d) their personal characteristics and parenting. Young mothers perceptions reflected costs rewards and neutral aspects associated with young mothering and repeat pregnancies. The three themes that emerged from the interview data included Looking for or finding a better life Making a hard life harder and No big difference in my life. Nurses may use these results to understand better the young mothers with whom they work to develop intervention programs and to support policies that attend to the needs of young mothers. By responding to young mothers issues and challenges from their perspective nurses may be more effective in preventing or delaying repeat pregnancy in the teen years. (authors)
India and China: Governance Issues and Development

The world's two most populous countries each made international headlines in 2008, thanks to the Sichuan earthquake and Beijing Olympics, the Mumbai terror attacks, and reports of how the global financial crisis affected the Chinese and Indian economies. However, China and India were also seen in 2008 as making up, together, one of the ongoing development stories of the twenty-first century―and there are good reasons to think this trend will continue throughout 2009. Thanks to years of strikingly high growth rates for India and even higher ones for China, comparisons of the two countries have proliferated. This has resulted in a slew of books and articles, often aimed at investors, that worry over or enthuse about the way the "dragon" and the "elephant" have been upending or bringing new energy into the global economic order. Scholars immersed in the study of Asia often find these publications lacking in depth, but there is no question that economic shifts in the two countries and surging interest in their current trajectories are important. With this in mind, we decided this would be a useful time to revisit a familiar governance issue that has long been associated with joint diseussions of China and India: the relationship between democracy and development. We invited economist Pranab Bardhan, author of a forthcoming book on the political economy of India and China titled Awakening Giants, Feet of Clay, to reflect on the subject, concentrating in particular on issues of governance― a topic he has explored in plenary and keynote addresses given everywhere from Montreal to Manchester, Beijing to Bogota, Canberra to Calcutta.
Effect of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-related peptides on cholinergic neurogenic and direct mucus secretion in ferret trachea in vitro

We investigated whether vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and its related peptides, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP) and secretin, regulate cholinergic neural mucus secretion in ferret trachea in vitro, using 35SO4 as a mucus marker. We also studied the interaction between VIP and secretin on cholinergic mucus output. VIP (1 and 10 μM) increased secretion, whereas neither PACAP1–27, PACAP1–38 nor secretin (up to 10 μM) increased mucus output. In contrast, VIP, PACAP1–27 and PACAP1–38 concentration-dependently inhibited cholinergic neural secretion, with an order of potency of VIP>PACAP 1–38>PACAP1–27. Neither PACAP1–27 nor PACAP1–38 altered the secretion induced by acetylcholine (ACh). Secretin increased cholinergic neural secretion with a maximal increase of 190% at 1 μM. This potentiation was blocked by VIP or atropine. Similarly, secretin (1 μM) potentiated VIP (1 μM)-induced mucus output by 160%. Secretin did not alter exogenous ACh-induced secretion. VIP vs secretin competition curves suggested these two peptides were competing reversibly for the same receptor. We conclude that, in ferret trachea in vitro, VIP and PACAPs inhibit cholinergic neural secretion via pre-junctional modulation of cholinergic neurotransmission. VIP and secretin compete for the same receptor, possibly a VIP1 receptor, at which secretin may be a receptor antagonist. British Journal of Pharmacology (1999) 128, 1353–1359; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0702942
Effects of temperature dependent properties in electromagnetic heating

Abstract Electromagnetic heating such as microwave processing and radio frequency heating becomes very popular because of its non-contact, pollution free and fast distribution of thermal energy within the object of interest. In electromagnetic heating, the temperature distribution within a sample greatly depends on the dielectric properties which are functions of electromagnetic frequency, temperature and the composition of the object. There are many experimental and numerical investigations on electromagnetic heating because of its widespread use in food and other industries, but only few researchers have looked at this problem from analytic point of view specifically for the temperature dependent properties. In this paper, we developed an analytic expression for temperature distribution in a three dimensional rectangular object under electromagnetic heating and presented a method to incorporate temperature dependent properties of the object in determining the temperature distribution at different times. A simplified Maxwell’s equation is solved for plane wave to obtain electric field distribution in the body, and the electromagnetic power absorption is computed from the electric field distribution which was then used as a source term in the energy equation. Next an unsteady, three dimensional, non-homogenous energy equation is solved by integral transform technique to obtain temperature distribution. Finally, this closed form analytical solution is used to study the effects of electromagnetic frequency, dielectric properties, and heat transfer coefficient on temperature distribution in a rectangular salmon fillet. It is found that incident frequency, sample thickness and processing time have significant influence on the heating pattern. For radio frequency heating, the temperature dependent dielectric properties influence the temperature distribution significantly, but the effect of temperature dependent dielectric properties is less dominant for the microwave frequency used in the household microwave oven. Our results also show that microwave heating provides heterogeneous temperature distribution with alternate hot and cold spots. On the other hand, the radio frequency heating allows almost uniform temperature distribution within the body, which makes it a better choice for quick and convenient heating process especially for commercial and industrial heating.
Synthesis and powder diffraction study of a pyrite-like phase in the Ir-Se system

Abstract A pyrite-like phase of composition Ir 2.7 Se 8 has been prepared; it has been characterized by X-ray and neutron powder diffraction techniques. The Ir-Se phase differs from the corresponding Rh-Se phase in the distribution of metal atom defects, the nature of structural distortions influenced by such defects, and the energetic relationship between the distorted and undistorted structures.
Historicism, Entrenchment, and Conventionalism

W. V. Quine famously argues that though all knowledge is empirical, mathematics is entrenched relative to physics and the special sciences. Further, entrenchment accounts for the necessity of mathematics relative to these other disciplines. Michael Friedman challenges Quine’s view by appealing to historicism, the thesis that the nature of science is illuminated by taking into account its historical development. Friedman argues on historicist grounds that mathematical claims serve as principles constitutive of languages within which empirical claims in physics and the special sciences can be formulated and tested, where these mathematical claims are themselves not empirical but conventional. For Friedman, their conventional, constitutive status accounts for the necessity of mathematics relative to these other disciplines. Here I evaluate Friedman’s challenge to Quine and Quine’s likely response. I then show that though we have reason to find Friedman’s challenge successful, his positive project requires further development before we can endorse it.
Does endometrial biopsy miss endometrial carcinoma

There has been an increase in office endometrial biopsy as the first line of investigation of abnormal uterine bleeding. A concern is whether a negative biopsy indicates a false-negative. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how often endometrial biopsies failed to diagnose endometrial carcinoma within 6 months of the biopsy, and how this compared to in-hospital dilatation and curettage (D&C). Cases diagnosed as endometrial carcinoma were selected from the records of the Division of Ob/Gyn Pathology, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, from January 1981 through April 1994. Only those cases where prehysterectomy sampling was available were included. There were 325 eligible cases: 90 had the initial evaluation recorded as endometrial biopsy, 235 as curettage. Pathology reports were evaluated to determine the accuracy of sampling. Chart reviews were performed on non-diagnostic cases when available. Of the 325 patients, the carcinoma was diagnos-
Effects of picture content and intensity on affective physiological response

This study evaluated the effects of affective intensity and thematic content of foreground photographic stimuli on various physiological response systems. This was accomplished by assessing responses to pictures that varied systematically in these parameters. Along with overall effects of picture valence reported in previous work, we found effects of thematic content (i.e., specific nature of objects/events depicted) for all measures except heart rate. In addition, we found that the magnitude of startle blink, skin conductance, and corrugator muscle reactions increased with increasing affective intensity of pictures. Additionally, for these three measures, intensity effects also interacted with effects of picture content. These results indicate that stimulus parameters of intensity and thematic content exert separate—and in some cases interactive—modulatory effects on physiological reactions to emotional pictures.
External beam radiation therapy for small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

Abstract Purpose Small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder (SCCB) is rare. We report our experience using definitive external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) as part of multimodality management of SCCB. Methods and materials Nineteen patients with locoregional SCCB were treated at our institution with EBRT between January 1994 and September 2012. Five patients had radiographic nodal disease. Eighteen patients received neoadjuvant (17/19; 89%) or concurrent (11/19: 58%) platinum-based chemotherapy. Acute ( 90 days) toxicity was recorded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and a log-rank test used to compare subsets of patients. Results Median follow-up was 26 months. Three patients had in-bladder recurrence (2-year local recurrence, 25%), 2 being noninvasive and successfully managed with transurethral resection and the third being invasive but managed with chemotherapy alone due to simultaneous distant metastases. No patient underwent salvage cystectomy. Six patients had recurrence distantly (2-year distant recurrence, 40%), predominantly bone metastases (n = 3). No patients developed brain metastases. Actuarial 2-year disease-free and overall survival was 51% and 78%, respectively. The 2-year distant metastasis-free survival for node-negative and node-positive patients was 76% and 26%, respectively ( P = .04). The 2-year incidence of distant metastases for patients receiving ≥4cycles of doublet chemotherapy was 27%, compared with 75% with less chemotherapy ( P = .01). The incidence of grade ≥2 acute and late genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicity was 69% and 7%, respectively. Conclusions Definitive chemoradiation for locoregional SCCB is well tolerated, with encouraging local control and overall survival at 2 years.
Comparison of frontal EMG biofeedback and several types of relaxation instructions in reducing multiple indices of arousal.

During the training phase, 96 subjects were given one of four types of relaxation instructions (single instructions, repeated instructions, relaxation training, no instructions) and in addition either did or did not receive frontal EMG biofeedback training. Results indicated that each of the instructions and biofeedback procedures were equally effective in reducing frontal EMG, but that none of these procedures had any effect on subjective anxiety or autonomic indices of arousal (pulse rate, skin temperature, and finger pulse volume). During the generalization/stress phase, subjects were threatened with electric shock and were told to apply the relaxation techniques they learned during the training phase even though no additional instructions and/ or biofeedback training would be provided. To assess the effectiveness of the shock manipulation, a no-threat control group was included. Results indicated that: a) the shock manipulation was effective in increasing arousal, b) previous instructions and/or biofeedback were equally effective in reducing frontal EMG levels, but that c) only relaxation training was consistently effective in reducing subjective and autonomic indices of arousal. These findings: a) suggest that in stressful situations, relaxation training may be more effective than either EMG biofeedback or simple relaxation instructions in producing a general relaxation effect as opposed to a specific EMG effect; and b) indicate the importance of assessing the effectiveness of relaxation procedures during stressful situations during which subjects’ levels of arousal are elevated above resting baseline levels.
Effect of day length on germination of seeds collected in Alaska

Day length control can effectively limit seed germination to favorable seasons, but this phenomenon has been studied in relatively few wild plants. I tested species from interior Alaska for day length control of germination under controlled conditions, and I also monitored germination phenology in natural habitats. Unstratified and cold-stratified seeds were germinated on short (13 h) and long (22 h) day length and in the dark at constant and alternating temperatures. On long day length, unstratified Ledum decumbensand Saxifraga tricuspidata seeds germinated from 5 8 Ct o 20 8C, but on short day length few or no seeds germinated at 58C and 108C and germination was reduced at higher temperatures. Unstratified seeds of Diapensia lapponica and Chamaedaphne calyculatagerminated only at 158C and 208C on long day length, and short day length completely inhibited germination. Cold stratification widened the temperature range for germination on both long and short day lengths, but germination was still lower on short than long day length. Germination phenology in natural habitats was consistent with germination in controlled conditions. In these species, short day length and low temperatures interact to inhibit germination in the fall. After overwintering, seeds germinate in the spring at low temperatures and on long day lengths. The inhibitory effect of short day length is not important in the spring because day length is already long at snowmelt.
Learning about life

The growing interest in Artificial Life is part of a broader intellectual movement toward decentralized models and metaphors. But even as decentralized ideas spread through the culture, there is a ...
Use of Furry--Sommerfeld--Maue wave functions in pair production and bremsstrahlung

An analytic expression for the differential pair-production cross section is obtained using full Furry-Sommerfeld-Maue wave functions for the electron and positron. It is shown that this expression reduces to the Bethe-Maximon approximation and the Born approximation in the appropriate limits, and that it goes into the corresponding Elwert-Haug approximation for bremmstrahlung via the substitution rule. It is found that the cross sections of the Born approximation and the Bethe-Maximon approximation may be related to the cross section of the present approximation by a normalization theory similar to that used to relate point-Coulomb and screened "exact" calculations for pair production. No such theory works for bremsstrahlung because a larger-$r$ region is of importance in the bremsstrahlung process. The region of validity of each approximation is found by comparison with "exact" numerical calculations. There exists a region of low energies and small $Z$ where the present theory for pair production and the Elwert-Haug approximation for bremsstrahlung are valid and are significantly better than the Born and the Bethe-Maximon approximations. The failure of these calculations at low energies for intermediate and high $Z$ is attributed to the fact that the lowest partial waves for the electron and positron, which are dominant at low energies, are very poorly represented in the Furry-Sommerfeld-Maue approximation.
Temperature dependence of the anchoring strength coefficient at a nematic liquid crystal-wall interface

The anchoring strength coefficient B is measured as a function of temperature using a Freedericksz technique in a very thin (l La force d'ancrage du MBBA en fonction de la temperature est mesuree par la methode de la transition de Freedericksz dans une cellule mince traitee par un surfactant
The action variable and frequency of a relativistic harmonic oscillator

We present three series representations of the frequency of a relativistic harmonic oscillator. The first two representations use two equivalent forms of the action variable. The third representation involves determining its period by direct integration. The energy dependance of the oscillator frequency is manifestly seen in all three representations. We demonstrate that all three forms yield the same expression for the frequency in the case of the weakly relativistic oscillator and have an identical nonrelativistic limit.
Improving thermal model prediction through statistical analysis of irradiation and post-irradiation data from AGR experiments

Abstract As part of the High Temperature Reactors (HTR) R&D program, a series of irradiation tests, designated as Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR), have been defined to support development and qualification of fuel design, fabrication process, and fuel performance under normal operation and accident conditions. The AGR tests employ fuel compacts placed in a graphite cylinder shrouded by a steel capsule and instrumented with thermocouples (TC) embedded in graphite blocks enabling temperature control. While not possible to obtain by direct measurements in the tests, crucial fuel conditions (e.g., temperature, neutron fast fluence, and burnup) are calculated using core physics and thermal modeling codes. This paper is focused on AGR test fuel temperature predicted by the ABAQUS code's finite element-based thermal models. The work follows up on a previous study, in which several statistical analysis methods were adapted, implemented in the NGNP Data Management and Analysis System (NDMAS), and applied for qualification of AGR-1 thermocouple data. Abnormal trends in measured data revealed by the statistical analysis are traced to either measuring instrument deterioration or physical mechanisms in capsules that may have shifted the system thermal response. The main thrust of this work is to exploit the variety of data obtained in irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) for assessment of modeling assumptions. As an example, the uneven reduction of the control gas gap in Capsule 5 found in the capsule metrology measurements in PIE helps identify mechanisms other than TC drift causing the decrease in TC readings. This suggests a more physics-based modification of the thermal model that leads to a better fit with experimental data, thus reducing model uncertainty and increasing confidence in the calculated fuel temperatures of the AGR-1 test.