cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lunar Surface and Subsurface Magnetic Susceptibility Instrumentation

Multicoil induction measurements of the lunar surface and subsurface magnetic susceptibility are under study. Major considerations are the improvement of the accuracy and logging ability of various probe configurations. Special boundary conditions of high vacuum, extreme ambient temperature variation, restriction to mechanically passive systems, simple electronics, low power and light weight all contribute to degradation of the accuracy of the instrument. Measurements in the range of 10 to 100,000 micro-oersted/gauss are of interest. Nonsedimentary rocks range from 40 to 1000 ?-oersted/gauss and the presence of nickel-iron meteoritic material may extend the range beyond the present limits of measurement. The determination of the presence or absence of meteoritic material is necessary to validate not only the accuracy of the susceptibility measurement, but also the accuracy of low level magnetometer measurements.
In vivo incorporation of different amino acids into electrophoretically characteristic polypeptides synthesized by HeLa cell mitochondria.

Abstract The in vivo incorporation of each of the twenty common amino acids into electrophoretically characteristic polypeptides synthesized by HeLa cell mitochondria has been investigated. Under labeling conditions which allow translation only on mitochondrial ribosomes, incorporation of all the amino acids, except aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine, has been detected. These exceptions are probably due to problems related to amino acid pool size and/or equilibration.
Disruptive Burning Mechanism of Free Slurry Droplets

Abstract A stream of free, monodisperse droplets of boron/JP-10 slurries, prepared in the laboratory, was projected downward into a high-temperature, atmospheric-pressure, oxidizing gas stream. High molecular-weight organic dispersing agents were found to be responsible for the violent disruption of the primary slurry droplets burning with an envelope diffusion flame. The time to disruption increased as (1) the concentration of the dispersant was decreased, (2) a dispersant with higher initial pyrolysis temperature was used, and (3) the size of the suspended solid particles in the slurry was increased. The quiescent vapor-phase combustion of unstabilized slurry droplets generated spherical “solid” boron agglomerates, while the disruptive burning of stabilized slurry droplets resulted in quasi-spherical hollow shells along with their fragments. In the light of the combined role of dispersing agents and solid particles in the formation of the agglomerate shells, a physical mechanism of the process leading t...
Testing a multidimensional model of putative evolved human motives

The Assessment of Individual Motives-Questionnaire (AIM-Q) was designed to assess 15 latent dimensions based on a relatively new evolutionary theory of human motivation. The present studies are the first to examine these dimensions using confirmatory factor analysis in an attempt to test the model proposed by the theory. Study 1 (N = 1,411) explored ways of producing a short version tapping the 15 dimensions. Fit indices suggested that a model consisting of 60 items tapping 15 weak to moderately correlated dimensions best described the data. Four alternative models that tested a completely orthogonal structure and a unidimensional structure were found to poorly represent the data. Study 2 (N = 490) successfully cross-validated the 60-item 15 dimension version using a different sample. These results support the multidimensional motivational theory on which the AIM-Q is based as well as the shorter version used to assess its dimensions.
Nonuniversal critical dynamics of the alternating-bond Ising chain: Relaxational and diffusive kinetics

Nonuniversal dynamic critical exponents are obtained for both the Glauber and Kawasaki dynamics of the Ising chain with alternating near-neighbor interactions, ${J}_{1}$, ${J}_{2}$, with the exponents related to the ratio of the two interaction strengths. We expand upon the recent work of Droz et al. [Phys. Lett. 115A, 448 (1986)] for the ferromagnetic system (${J}_{1}$g0,${J}_{2}$g0). For Glauber (spin-flip) dynamics we obtain the exact exponent z=1+\ensuremath{\rho} (\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\equiv}\ensuremath{\Vert}${J}_{1}$/${J}_{2}$\ensuremath{\Vert}) which generalizes the result of Droz et al. and is valid irrespective of the signs of ${J}_{1}$ and ${J}_{2}$, where it is assumed that \ensuremath{\Vert}${J}_{1}$\ensuremath{\Vert}g\ensuremath{\Vert}${J}_{2}$\ensuremath{\Vert} (\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\ge}1). For Kawasaki (spin-exchange) dynamics, we obtain dynamic critical exponents from conventional theory which provides a rigorous lower bound for the exponent z. For the case of the conserved (ferromagnetic) order parameter, however, we present arguments that the conventional exponent is exact. We obtain z=4+\ensuremath{\rho} in this case. For ${J}_{1}$g0,${J}_{2}$0 we derive the conventional exponent z=1+\ensuremath{\rho}, whereas for ${J}_{1}$0 we find z=2 irrespective of ${J}_{2}$. A key aspect of this system is the narrowing of the dynamic critical region as compared with the isotropic system (${J}_{1}$=${J}_{2}$). The extra bond periodicity splits the isotropic order parameter into components such that only comparatively closer to criticality does the order parameter become the dominant slow mode. The nonuniversal critical dynamics is intrinsically linked to the nonuniform bond distribution, being shown to arise from a kinetic coefficient which vanishes with a nonuniversal critical exponent. Nonuniversality of the dynamic exponent for Ising systems with inhomogeneous couplings is argued to be specific to zero-temperature critical points.
Associations Between the Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank and Measures of Personality and Psychopathology

The Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank (RISB; Rotter, Lah, & Rafferty, 1992) is a sentence completion test intended to detect psychological maladjustment. To investigate the construct validity of the measure, we investigated what aspects of personality and psychopathology are correlated with the RISB and also tested the incremental validity of the RISB in a combined sample of clinical (n = 72) and undergraduate participants (n = 69). Interrater reliability of the RISB was good (intraclass correlation > .80). The RISB overall adjustment score discriminated between clinical and undergraduate participants, and high scores on the RISB were associated with higher negative affect, more anxiety and depression, irrational thinking, and interpersonal problems. The incremental validity of the RISB was modest, but it did explain variance in satisfaction with life and personality disorder symptoms above and beyond an extracted measure of general psychological distress. Our findings support the construct validity of the RISB.
The microwave spectrum of cyanophosphaacetylene, H2PCCCN

Abstract The a type transitions of the microwave rotational spectra of cyanophosphaacetylene, H 2 P C C C N, have been investigated in the frequency region between 5 and 26.5 GHz by Fourier transformation microwave (FTMW) spectroscopy. Rotational, centrifugal distortion and 14 N nuclear quadrupole coupling constants have been determined. Density functional theory level ab initio calculations were performed to predict the molecular constants, and the predicted values are in good agreement with our experimentally determined results. The 13 C and 15 N isotopomer transitions were also observed. The derived r 0 structure is quite comparable to the calculated H 2 P C C C N equilibrium geometry.
Combining biology, chemistry, and meteorology in modeling and measuring dry deposition

The range of chemical, biological, and meteorological processes contributing to the net exchange of trace chemical species between the atmosphere and the underlying surface is examined, in the context of a multiple-resistance exchange model. For those chemical species known to be always depositing, the resistance model provides a means to formulate appropriate deposition velocities in a convenient manner; however, extension to other situations is not straightforward. Field data indicate that the multiple-resistance approach is appropriate for application to assess the dry deposition of ozone and sulfur dioxide, but is not as appropriate for nitrogen dioxide. Data obtained over agricultural crops suggest that canopy factors frequently dominate the overall exchange process. A trial program of dry deposition measurement based on application of parameterized deposition velocities was initiated late in 1984, and has demonstrated shortcomings in under-standing concerning several factors, most importantly the roles of surface emissions and wetness, and the scaling-up of laboratory results to describe vegetative canopies.
The effect of high glucose and oxidative stress on lens metabolism, aldose reductase, and senile cataractogenesis

Diabetic cataractogenesis, a multifactorial process, was examined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). P-31 NMR spectroscopic studies showed substantial alteration of both energy and membrane metabolism in the diabetic lens. Findings from a C-13 NMR spectroscopic determination of the sorbitol pathway flux in lenses incubated in 35.5 mmol/L glucose revealed that (1) one-third of total glucose consumed was channeled through this pathway, and (2) the turnover rate of NADPH to NADP was 3,000%/hr. Furthermore, a competition for NADPH between aldose reductase and glutathione reductase was demonstrated. It is important to note that all metabolic changes in hyperglycemic/diabetic lenses can be prevented by aldose reductase inhibitors, eg, sorbinil.
Retrieval analysis of trabecular metal patella in a post-patellectomised knee

Clinical performance and microscopic analysis of a porous tantalum patella, retrieved from a 34-year-old male eight months after implantation is reported. The metallic tantalum represented 20 vol.% of the analysed patellar component. Tissue ingrowth was only in the large pores (up to 92%). Total tissue ingrowth was to the extent of 80%. The entire volume (including tantalum, small and large pores) had 64% tissue ingrowth. From the perspective of tissue ingrowth, the study supports the porous tantalum for clinical applications. This is the first report that evaluates the soft tissue ingrowth in a human retrieved trabecular metal patella.
BRAFV600E mutation is associated with preferential sensitivity to mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibition in thyroid cancer cell lines.

Context: Mutually exclusive mutations of RET, RAS, or BRAF are present in about 70% of papillary thyroid carcinomas, whereas only the latter two are seen in poorly differentiated and anaplastic cancers. Although the signal output common to these oncoproteins is ERK, a recent report showed that only BRAF mutations consistently predicted responsiveness to MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitors. Objectives: Here we investigated whether sensitivity to MEK inhibition was determined by oncogene status in 13 human thyroid cancer cell lines: four with BRAF mutations, four RAS, one RET/PTC1, and four wild type. Results: Growth of BRAF (+) cells was inhibited by the MEK antagonist PD0325901 with an IC50 of less than 5 nm. By contrast, RAS, RET/PTC1, or wild-type cells had IC50 of 4 nm to greater than 1000nm. Sensitivity was not predicted by coexisting mutations in PIK3CA or by PTEN status. Similar effects were obtained with the MEK inhibitor AZD6244. PD0325901 induced a sustained G1/S arrest in BRAF (+) but not BRAF (−) lines. PD0325901 was equipotent at inhibiting pERK1/2 after 2 h, regardless of genetic background, but pERK rebounded at 24 h in most lines. MEK inhibitor resistance was associated with partial refractoriness of pERK to further inhibition by the compounds. AZD6244 was more potent at inhibiting growth of NPA (BRAF +) than Cal62 (KRAS +) xenografts. Conclusion: Thyroid cancers with BRAF mutation are preferentially sensitive to MEK inhibitors, whereas tumors with other MEK-ERK effector pathway gene mutations have variable responses, either because they are only partially dependent on ERK and/or because feedback responses elicit partial refractoriness to MEK inhibition.
Damping characteristics of a fractional oscillator

Abstract A study of sinusoidally forced oscillations of a fractional oscillator shows that the system exhibits a rich variety of damping characteristics. While some aspects of the damping mimic the characteristic features of a damped harmonic oscillator, there are others, which do not find any parallel in the damped harmonic oscillator system. It is clearly demonstrated that the “free” and “forced” oscillations of a fractional oscillator are characterized by different damping parameters. While both depend on the fractional index α , the “free” oscillation damping depends on the “natural frequency”, ω 0 , of the oscillator, the “forced” oscillation damping depends in addition, on the “driving frequency”, ω . Furthermore, there is a different power-law tail associated with each of these cases.
Admission chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 4 levels predict survival in pediatric septic shock.

Objective:Stratification with an effective outcome biomarker could improve the design of interventional trials in pediatric septic shock. The objective of this study was to test the usefulness of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 4 as an outcome biomarker for mortality in pediatric septic shock.Design:A
A complete basis set estimate of cation-π bond strengths: Na+(ethylene) and Na+(benzene)

Abstract Large-scale second-order perturbation theory and couple-cluster theory calculations were performed on the Na+(ethylene) and Na+(benzene) complexes in an effort to estimate binding enthalpies in the complete basis set limit. The resulting best estimates are ΔH0[Na+(ethylene)]=−13.6±0.2 kcal/mol and ΔH0[Na+(benzene)]=−24.4±0.3 kcal/mol, which include small corrections for core/valence correlation effects. The former value can be compared to a measurement of −10.3±1.0 kcal/mol obtained from collision-induced dissociation, while the latter value is approximately midway between the two existing experimental values which differ by 6.5 kcal/mol.
Geochemistry as a Valuable Tool in Forensic Engineering

AbstractConstruction activities bring many changes to the development areas and can create unexpected engineering problems. Accurate identification and successful resolution of those problems sometimes requires the incorporation of geochemical methods in geotechnical investigations related to preconstruction conditions. Geochemical analysis should also be added to the forensic engineer’s toolbox to understand changes that might have occurred or might be occurring in a site’s geologic, hydrologic, and loading conditions. Correct evaluation and understanding of geochemical processes at the problem sites can help protect the undamaged structures or ensure the use of the most efficient and cost effective methods of repair.
Slow excision repair in an mfd mutant of Escherichia coli B/r.

A mutant of Escherichia coli B/r designated mfd is very deficient in the ability to exhibit “mutation frequency decline”, the characteristic loss of potential suppressor mutations which occurs when protein synthesis is briefly inhibited after irradiation with ultraviolet light (UV). This mutant is known to excise pyrimidine dimers at an abnormally slow rate, although it is as UV-resistant as its mfd+ B/r parent strain. We have found that the mfd mutant performs the initial incision step of excision repair normally, but repairs the resulting single-strand breaks much more slowly than the mfd+ strain. We conclude that the mfd mutant performs the excision step of pyrimidine dimer excision inefficiently, but our data do not rule out the possibility that one or more subsequent steps of repair may also be slow. In spite of the slow dimer excision in the mfd mutant, single-strand DNA breaks do not accumulate during post-irradiation incubation, implying that incision and excision are well coordinated. The prolonged post-irradiation lag in cell division and DNA synthesis which accompany slow excision in the mfd strain indicates that resumption of these processes at optimal rates is linked to the timing of excision repair. The normal UV-resistance of the mfd mutant also suggests such coordination and shows that the rate of excision repair is independent of its ultimate efficiency.
Estimated contribution of Atlantic Coastal loggerhead turtle nesting populations to offshore feeding aggregations

Seasonal feeding grounds for loggerhead sea turtles present relatively unchecked anthropogenic hazards. Commercial fisheries, recreational boating and environmental contamination indirectly threaten subadult feeding areas. The potential effects of these types of threats are difficult to establish without an understanding of the relationship between the feeding areas and individual nesting areas. We perform a mixed stock analysis on seasonal subadult feeding grounds from North Carolina to northern Florida. A total of 216 individuals were captured using either commercial shrimping vessels or vessels with standardized sea turtle trawls. A fragment of the mitochondrial control region was sequenced from each of the individuals and compared with haplotypes at nesting beaches identified previously. Twelve haplotypes were resolved among individuals captured. Mixed stock analysis indicates that the nearby NEFL-NC nesting populations disproportionately contribute to the feeding aggregate and thus perturbations to this feeding ground would weigh most heavily on this nesting area.
The electrostatic interaction between the reaction-center bacteriochlorophyll derived from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides and mammalian cytochrome c and its effect on light-activated electron transport.

Abstract 1. By means of Q-switched ruby-laser flash excitation, the photooxidation of P870 in the reaction-center complex isolated from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides takes place within 1 μsec. The reduction of photooxidized P870 in the dark follows a first-order kinetics, with a pseudo first-order rate constant of 1.85×108 l×mole-1×sec-1 and an activation energy of 6 kcal/mole. 2. Through an electrostatic interaction of the bacteriochlorophyll reaction-center complex and mammalian cytochrome c, an intimate contact between the two components resulted, and a collision-independent electron-transfer with a halftime of 25 μsec can be attained by laser-flash excitation. The absorbance changes at 870 and 550 nm indicated a good stoichiometry of the reaction. The oxidation of the c-type cytochrome in cells of Rps. spheroides (R-26 mutant) has a halftime of 12 μsec. 3. The portion of P870 which recovered rapidly was closely related to the mole ratio of cytochrome/P870. Complete recovery with a halftime of 25 μsec occurred when the cytochrome/P870 ratio was above approx. 10. At cytochrome/P870 ratios lower than 10, only the fraction of the reaction-center complex which have cytochromes bound at the active site can recover with the rapid decay time. Ultrafiltration measurements showed that each particle of the reaction-center complex can bind approx. 24 cytochrome molecules. 4. An electro static interaction is expected simply from the large difference between the isoelectric points of cytochrome c ( ≧ 10 ) and that of the reaction-center complex (4.1 measured by electro-focusing). The electro static interaction was further evidenced by the effects of pH, ionic strength, and by polylysine displacement of binding sites on the coupled oxidation of ferrocytochrome c by P870. From the limiting polylysine concentration giving complete blocking of cytochrome coupling, it was calculated that each reaction-center complex with a particle weight of 6.5×105 contained approx. 500 negative charges. 5. Arrhenius plot of the first-order rate constants vs. the reciprocal absolute temperature yielded an activation energy of 12 kcal/mole for the cytochrome/P870 reaction, which is presumably the energy needed for cytochrome to achieve the most favorable orientation for the rapid electron transfer. Below the freezing temperature of the sample, the cytochrome reaction appeared to be uncoupled. The temperature dependence is consistent with the effect of viscosity on the reaction rate. 6. Double flash excitations spaced 200 μsec apart showed that at a cytochrome/P870 ratio of 24, the first flash caused maximum oxidation, indicating that all the reaction-center particles have at least one cytochrome attached to the active site. However, only 60% of the particles have a second cytochrome closely attached and capable of undergoing the rapid electron transport.
Prenatal sonographic findings of congenital duplication of the cecum.

BACKGROUND: Alimentary tract duplications are rare congenital lesions that may arise at any location throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The most common site of enteric duplications is the ileum, with only 13% of cases occurring in the colon. CASE: Prenatal sonography at 39 weeks' gestation showed a cystic structure with thick walls exhibiting clear peristaltic movements in the right lower fetal abdomen. Inner walls of the cystic structure had small folds suggestive of colonic haustra. The sonographic findings and location of the finding were consistent with duplication of the colon and, possibly, the cecum. Congenital duplication of the cecum was proven at neonatal laparotomy. Ileocecal resection with ileocolonic anatomosis was performed and congenital duplication of the cecum confirmed by pathology examination of the resected specimen. CONCLUSION: Unusual sites of alimentary tract duplications detected by prenatal ultrasound include the cecum.
Is Urban Politics a Black Hole? Analyzing the Boundary Between Political Science and Urban Politics

For many years, the scholarship of urban politics has drifted away from political science, both theoretically and methodologically. In this article, we systematically examine the boundary between urban political studies and the broader discipline of political science through an analysis of journal citations. We find that the analogy of a “black hole” is apt: No ideas escape the event horizon surrounding urban politics; furthermore, ideas from outside rarely penetrate the subfield's borders. Our evidence suggests that this is mostly due to a stunted solipsism that has engulfed too much of urban politics, but some of the blame must rest with the increasing insularity of political science. We suggest a research agenda that highlights the inherent dynamism in urban politics, and conclude with an endorsement of framework-driven citation analysis as a method of examining the flow of ideas across scholarly boundaries.
International Cooperation Among Relative-Gains Maximizers

A centerpiece result of recent international-relations theorizing is the possibility of cooperation under anarchy Taking the Prisoner’s Dilemma as a stylized representation of international anarchy, a decentralized self-enforcing cooperative outcome is viable provided that long-run incentives of maintaining cooperation outweigh short-run incentives to break agreements. This result depends on a series of assumptions, of course, and its applicability stands or falls with our assessment of those assumptions as reasonable approximations to international politics.
What Matters More: The Job Training Program or the Background of the Participant? An HLM Analysis of the Influence of Program and Client Characteristics on the Wages of Inner-City Youth Who Have Completed JTPA Job Training.

Abstract This study examines the extent to which the wages received by graduates of Chicago Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) youth programs are more closely correlated with the type of program in which the client participated or with the client's personal history. The relative importance of program characteristics vs client characteristics is modeled for African-American, Hispanic and Caucasian youth Title IIA participants. The study found that while both client and program characteristics affect employment placement wages, the type of program in which the client participated was a particularly critical factor for the wages received by African-American youth trainees. Members of this group who participated in occupational skill training and training programs which had operational ties to industry did particularly well with regard to wage rate at placement. In contrast, for the other youth program graduates, the wage received after training was primarily associated with client characteristics.
Mapping Stress as a Function of Depth at the Surface of Steel Structures Using a Frequency Dependent Magnetic Barkhausen Noise Technique

Profiling of stress as a function of depth is an important tool for nondestructive evaluation and can be used to prevent catastrophic failures in structures. In this work, the underlying theory of a new model for the depth profiling of stress in ferromagnetic structures based on the magnetic Barkhausen method is investigated and commented upon. In the model, a ferromagnetic structure is divided into layers of different stress states. By analysis of the constituent equations it was found that the measured Barkhausen voltage increases as the frequency span increases, for both the one- and the two layer cases. It was also found that two layers with the same amplitude of Barkhausen emission at the origin can be approximated as one layer, provided that the upper and lower depths, as well as the frequency range are identical.
Lek formation in sage grouse: the effect of female choice on male territory settlement

Abstract Previous studies of female choice in sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus , have identified two processes that could drive the local clustering of male territories at leks: (1) fidelity of females to previous mating sites (‘temporal spillover’ hypothesis), and (2) ‘spatial spillover’ of matings from an attractive male to his immediate neighbour (‘hotshot’ hypothesis). The effects of each process on male territory settlement were investigated using observations of the resettlement of vacant territories and of individual site fidelity during a 7-year field study. The frequency with which vacant territories were resettled both within and between seasons increased with mating success of the site's previous occupant, but not with the success of neighbouring males. Territories vacated by the most successful males acted as foci for clusters of territories in the following year. Fidelity of males to their territories within seasons also increased with their previous mating success, but was unaffected by the mating success of neighbours. However, between seasons the rate at which males returned to the lek (though not necessarily to the same territory) increased with both their own previous mating success and that of neighbours. Returning neighbours of males that failed to return were at an advantage in competing for the vacant territory. These data support the role of temporal spillover in lek formation and also suggest that territorial males use a ‘win-stay’ rule that should favour the use of established males as cues to settlement by naive individuals. The spatial spillover hypothesis was not supported, perhaps because this process creates conflicts of interest between attractive males and kleptoparasitic neighbours that prevent the formation of stable groups.
Robust adaptive transmission of images and video over multiple channels

Reliable transmission of images and video over wireless networks must address both potentially limited bandwidths and the possibilities of loss. When bandwidth sufficient to transmit the bit stream is unavailable on a single channel, the data can be partitioned over multiple channels with possibly unequal bandwidths and error characteristics at the expense of more complex channel coding (i.e., error correction). This paper addresses the problem of efficiently channel coding and partitioning pre-encoded image and video bit streams into substreams for transmission over multiple channels with unequal and time-varying characteristics. Within channels, error protection is unequally applied based on both data decoding priority and channel packet loss rates, while cross-channel coding addresses channel failures. In comparison with conventional product codes, the resulting product code does not restrict the total encoded data to a rectangular structure; rather, the data in each channel is adaptively coded according to the channel's varying conditions. The coding and partitioning are optimized to achieve two performance criteria: maximum bandwidth efficiency and minimum delay. Simulation results demonstrate that this approach is effective under a variety of channel conditions and for a broad range of source material.
Making Knowledge a Commodity: Increased Corporate Influence on Universities

In the last few years, private sector involvement in scientific research at many American universities has both increased and taken new forms. Although some of these patterns have existed previously in regard to applied research and technological development, their utilization in scientific fields-which have previously operated under different mores and expections-lead, in the author's opinion, to troublesome social inplications. Criticisms of these new interactions are presented and explored in a three-fold typology: the distortion of scientific research agendas to fit corporate interests; the exacerbation of unequal access to university intellectual resources by different social sectors; and the reduction in the availability of university faculty to serve in a critical capacity for society. These new trends have primarily developed in the field of biotechnology, and thus much of the article refers to activities in this field. Some particular reference is made to relevant events at the author's home institution.
Student Performance and Attitudes Using Personalized Mathematics Instruction

This study investigated the effects of personalized instruction on the achievement and attitudes of Taiwanese students on two-step mathematics word problems. A total of 136 fourth-graders in a Taiwanese public school participated in the study. Subjects initially completed a Student Survey on which they chose their favorite foods, sports, stores, classmates, and other selections. The most popular items were then used to create personalized math word problems for the pretest, personalized instructional program, and posttest. Subjects were blocked by ability based on their pretest scores and were randomly assigned within ability levels to either a personalized or nonpersonalized version of the print-based instructional program. After finishing the program, subjects completed a student attitude survey and the posttest. A repeated-measures univariate analysis of variance revealed that subjects in the personalized treatment made significantly greater pretest-to-posttest gains than those in the nonpersonalized treatment. Subjects also performed significantly better on the personalized pretest and posttest problems than on the nonpersonalized problems. Personalized subjects and higher-ability students both had significantly more positive attitudes toward the instructional program than did their nonpersonalized and lower-ability counterparts.
Crystallographic characterization of human eosinophil Charcot-Leyden crystals.

Abstract Natural Charcot-Leyden crystals are made up of the eosinophil protein lysophospholipase. Hexagonal bipyrimidal crystals of the same habit as the natural crystals can be grown from solutions of the purified protein, and X-ray photographs of them yield unit cell parameters of a = b = 49·7 A , c = 265 A , space group P6122 or P6522.
Cortisol and prolactin concentrations during three different seasons in relocated Brahman and Hereford bulls

The objective of this study was to evaluate seasonal changes of cortisol and prolactin (PRL) concentrations in Brahman and Hereford bulls moved to locations that differ in geographical and environmental conditions. Postpubertal Hereford bulls from Montana (n = 15) and Nebraska (n = 15) and Brahman bulls from Texas (n = 18) were located in or relocated to Montana, Nebraska or Texas so that each location had 5 Montana Herefords, 5 Nebraska Herefords and 6 Texas Brahman bulls. Blood samples were collected at 20-minute intervals for 8 hours in November (Fall 1), April (Spring) and November (Fall 2) of the next year. These dates corresponded to 6, 12 and 18 months, respectively, after relocation in May of the first year. Cortisol concentrations were higher (P<0.05) in Fall 1 than in Fall 2 and were higher (P<0.05) for bulls in Montana than for bulls in Texas. The decrease in cortisol concentrations from Fall 1 to Fall 2 was negatively related (P<0.05) to age and weight. There was a three-way interaction (P<0.05) of breed-type origin, location and season for PRL concentrations. Seasonal patterns of PRL concentrations differed between relocated Texas Brahman and Hereford bulls, and patterns for relocated bulls differed from those of the nonrelocated bulls. Seasonal patterns of PRL were influenced to a greater extent by relocation in Texas Brahman bulls than in Hereford bulls.
A generalized Gibbs prior for maximum a posteriori reconstruction in SPECT

The authors introduce a Gibbs prior for use in MAP (maximum a posteriori) reconstruction in SPECT. This new prior, with three parameters, is able to approximate the results of previously-proposed priors with two parameters, as well as a continuum of others. Also, it allows the user increased flexibility in selecting the properties to be emphasised in the final reconstructed image estimate. The additional flexibility offered by the new prior is important in addressing the problem of selecting a prior and its associated parameters in a clinical situation. The paper demonstrates the importance of the derivative potential function (DPF) of the Gibbs distribution in determining which properties will be emphasized in the iterated image estimates. The effects of each of the three parameters are demonstrated on reconstructions from acquired SPECT data. The authors conclude that the parameters must be chosen carefully with consideration for the object distribution and the relative requirements for low-contrast detail, smoothing and edge sharpness in the reconstructed image.
Liquid- and vapor-phase hydrogenation of 1-epoxy-3-butene using self-assembled monolayer coated palladium and platinum catalysts

Abstract Alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have recently been shown to be effective catalyst modifiers for increasing the selectivity of the hydrogenation of 1-epoxy-3-butene (EpB) to 1-epoxybutane in the gas phase. In the results reported here, we demonstrate that SAM coatings can similarly be applied to other supported metals (Pt) and in liquid-phase reaction environments. Coating a Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalyst with n -octadecanethiol resulted in a large improvement in selectivity during vapor-phase EpB hydrogenation, similar to that observed for supported Pd. The liquid phase hydrogenation of EpB using SAM-coated catalysts showed similar selectivity trends in some cases, but interactions of the solvent with the SAM were also important in controlling selectivity. In particular, using a heptane solvent, epoxybutane selectivity increased from 36% with an uncoated Pd/Al 2 O 3 catalyst to 74% with a thioglycerol SAM-coated catalyst. SAM quality was shown to have a strong impact on the rate of reaction but little effect on selectivity. The results generally indicated that selectivity modification with thiol SAMs is extendable to other supported metals and a variety of reaction environments.
Comparison of Tumor-Associated Vasculatures in Uveal and Cutaneous Melanomas

Much attention has been focused on the role of angiogenesis in tumor growth and dissemination. Alternative forms of tumor-associated microcirculation exist and were first demonstrated by light microscopic histological techniques such as PAS-positive patterns in uveal melanomas. Since then several advances have been made in unraveling the true nature of these patterns, and have been documented in other tumors such as cutaneous melanomas and hepatic melanomatous metastases. These patterns, termed as “vasculogenic mimicry,” are distinctly different from endothelial cell-lined blood vessels and may contribute significantly as an alternative supply to the tumors' overall microcirculation. The molecular events that regulate the formation of these patterns in tumors, their constituent nature and the ability to demonstrate these patterns by non-invasive techniques provide further opportunities for enhanced detection, early prognostication and the development of targeted therapies.
Neutral cloud interaction with Saturn's main rings

[1] The dense water cloud just outward of Saturn's main rings could strongly influence the surface composition of main ring constituents. Cassini pictures display brightening toward the outer edges of the main rings, suggesting that the outer edges have more icy material. We show that this enhanced brightening might not be a ring evolutionary feature, but a consequence of water molecules deposited from the dense neutral cloud emanating from Enceladus. We estimate the deposition rate and densities for water-group neutrals near the main rings, which could be important for determining the surface composition and chemistry of the ring particles.
Purine and pyrimidine modification of growth and surface properties of baby hamster kidney cells (BHK21/C13).

Abstract Hypoxanthine or adenosine and thymidine added to soft agar medium stimulated the growth of non-transformed BHK21/C13 cells. Increases in concanavalin A agglutinability and synthesis of a plasminogen activator also occurred. Thymidine was required for colony formation in agar but not for increased lectin agglutinability or activator activity.
Assessment of Loosely-bound and Firmly-bound Fluoride Uptake by Tooth Enamel from Topically Applied Fluoride Treatments

The amounts of loosely-bound fluoride (F) deposited on human enamel by two topical F treatments were measured with use of a constant-composition F washing method. Enamel biopsies conducted before treatment and after the washing were used for determination of the firmly-bound F uptake. The results showed that (1) the washing system did not remove F from untreated enamel surface, (2) a four-minute application of an acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) gel deposited 27.2 (2.4) (mean, S.E.) μg of loosely-bound Fper cm2 of enamel surface and 186 (111) ppm of firmly-bound F in the outer 10 μm of enamel, and (3) a four-minute application of a pH-2.1 dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD)-forming solution followed by APF produced 44.9 (3.1) μg/cm2 of loosely-bound F and 1280 (354) ppm of firmly-bound F in the outer 10 μm of enamel. The results showed that the DCPD pre-treatment effectively enhanced the enamel reactivity with F, so that the DCPD-APF treated enamel acquired greater amounts of both loosely-bound F and ...
Capacity Building as A Policy Instrument in Water Conservation: A Case Study on Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Consumers

Efforts by municipal water agencies to improve demand end water use efficiency have focused largely on incentive programs and regulatory interventions. However, another important approach to achieving conservation targets is capacity-building, which may be particularly effective when target populations are motivated to improve their consumption efficiency but are lacking information or technology to do so. This case study considers a program by the Santa Clara Valley Water District (CA, USA) which aims to enable conservation among a group of consumers by providing information about current use and potential savings as well as optional access to water saving devices. The impact of this capacity building approach on consumption patterns was quantified by comparing water histories of program participants to a control group of similar sites within the District. Participating sites showed a net savings of 18.22 % when compared to the control group. The study demonstrates that capacity building approaches can effectively compliment other interventions such as conservation incentives to improve demand end water use efficiency.
Embracing local variability to enable a robust high-gain positive-feedback amplifier: Design methodology and implementation

A novel digital calibration technique based on component redundancy and random diversity (CRRD) is used to enable robust high-gain positive-feedback (PF) amplifiers. Gain enhancement is achieved through output conductance cancellation which requires accurate calibration across process, voltage, and temperature. CRRD employs a set of redundant elements intentionally exhibiting high local variability, and the subset of the elements that best cancels amplifier's output conductance is employed. We develop a novel design methodology to rigorously predict: (1) how to partition the full configuration range between a fixed load and a tunable load, and (2) how, for a given partition, to size the tunable load elements. We prove that having a sizable coarse load is essential for reaching optimality. We apply the developed theory to the design of a 0.18µm CMOS test-chip implementing a 6×10 array of high-gain PF amplifiers based on CRRD. We demonstrate that the use of CRRD allows only linear increase of the array size, and its associated capacitance, with dB gain improvement, in contrast to exponential increase in earlier designs. Gains of ninety amplifiers from three different dies were measured and exceeded 64dB for 95% of the samples, up from an intrinsic gain of 28.5dB. A gain-bandwidth product of 186MHz was measured while consuming 65µA from a 1.8V supply.
Lack of impact on polyp detection by fellow involvement during colonoscopy: a meta-analysis.

Conflicting data regarding the impact of fellow involvement during colonoscopy on the adenoma detection rate (ADR) and polyp detection rate (PDR) have been reported in the literature. Our aim was to perform a meta-analysis to determine the impact of fellow participation during colonoscopy on the ADR and PDR. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, pertinent articles that reported ADR and/or PDR between attending physicians alone compared to gastroenterology fellows with attending physicians were obtained through database searches. Data was abstracted and pooled using a random effects model. The quality of each included study was ascertained using a modified version of the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool, and potential publication bias was assessed. A total of 14 articles that included 21,504 colonoscopies met the inclusion criteria. The overall PDR and ADR were 44.4 and 30.8 %, respectively. No significant differences were found between participant characteristics and colonoscopies performed with or without fellow participation. No significant differences were found in the relative rate of ADR (1.04, 95 % CI 0.94–1.15) or PDR (1.03, 95 % CI 0.93–1.14) with or without a fellow. An important limitation is that none of the included studies randomized fellow involvement. Involvement of a fellow during colonoscopy did not affect adenoma and polyp detection rates.
Current and future applications of natural language processing in the field of digestive diseases

Natural language processing (NLP) is a technology that uses computer-based linguistics and artificial intelligence to identify and extract information from free-text data sources such as progress notes, procedure and pathology reports, and laboratory and radiologic test results. With the creation of large databases and the trajectory of health care reform, NLP holds the promise of enhancing the availability, quality, and utility of clinical information with the goal of improving documentation, quality, and efficiency of health care in the United States. To date, NLP has shown promise in automatically determining appropriate colonoscopy intervals and identifying cases of inflammatory bowel disease from electronic health records. The objectives of this review are to provide background on NLP and its associated terminology, to describe how NLP has been used thus far in the field of digestive diseases, and to identify its potential future uses.
EARLY FIBERSCOPE ENDOSCOPY FOR UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING.

245 patients (29 postgastrectomy and 216 with intact stomachs) were examined with the gastroduodenal fiberscope within 14 days of bleeding, 91 of these within 24 hr. Direct visualization of lesions was possible in 50%, and in a further 40% the diagnosis could be made by inference or exclusion. Only 4 wrong diagnoses were made. Sites of bleeding were roughly 60% duodenal, 40% stomach; acute erosions accounted for 33% of the total. This procedure, which is safe and well tolerated by the patient is easily learned and should if possible be performed in every patient with acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. In the first 24 hr. it may be an important guide to therapy or aid to surgery.
Supernova 1987A bound on neutrino spectra for r-process nucleosynthesis

The neutrino driven wind during a core collapse supernova is an attractive site for r-process nucleosynthesis. The initial electron fraction ${Y}_{e}$ in the wind depends on observable neutrino energies and luminosities. The mean antineutrino energy is limited by supernova SN 1987A data while lepton number conservation constrains the ratio of antineutrino to neutrino luminosities. If ${Y}_{e},$ in the wind, is to be suitable for rapid neutron capture nucleosynthesis, then the mean electron neutrino energy could be significantly lower than that predicted in present supernova simulations. Alternatively, there could be a rapid increase of the mean antineutrino energy at late times. However, this is not seen in the SN 1987A data. Finally, there could be new neutrino physics such as oscillations to sterile neutrinos.
Qualification and reliability testing of a microchip laser system for space applications

This paper discusses the process being used and the results of the selection and qualification of a low cost prepackaged diode laser with a custom packaged microchip laser crystal.
Social position and shared knowledge: Actors' perceptions of status, role, and social structure

In this study of a university administration office, we explore the implications of variation among informants in their understandings of the structure of the group. Each office actor completed two similarity judgement tasks (pile sort and triad test) and two advice ranking tasks (personal and work advice) evaluating the other actors. We compare the patterns of judged similarity, the patterns of advice seeking, and the patterns of agreement among the actors on the four tasks. We find there is a consensus about the similarities of actors and that the structural position of actors influences their approach to the consensus. However, we also find that individuals who agree with each other are not necessarily those who are judged similar by other informants.