cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Scattering of Slow Electrons. Part II

The scattering equations derived in an earlier paper are here found by a variation method, which is closely related to the Fock-Slater method of determining single electron functions for complex atoms. The equations for scattering in helium and the other inert gases are treated in detail and put into a form suitable for numerical integration. For scattering in helium excellent agreement with experiment is found in the neighborhood of the resonance potential; at 10.75 volts the agreement is poor. This discrepancy at low potentials is undoubtedly to be accounted for by atomic distortion which is neglected in the scattering equation.
Thermodynamic and EPR characterization of mitochondrial succinate-cytochrome c reductase-phospholipid complexes

Succinate-cytochrome c reductase can be easily solubilized in a phospholipid mixture (1:1, iysolecithin:lecithin) in the absence of detergents. The resulting solution contains two b cytochromes with half-reduction potentials of 95 plus or minus 10 mV (b561), and 0 plus or minus mV (566) and cytochrome c1 (Em7.2 equals +280 plus or minus 5 mV). The oxidation-reduction midpoint potentials obtained by optical potentiometric titrations are identical to those determined by the EPR titrations and are 40-60 mV higher than the corresponding midpoint potentials of these cytochromes in intact mitochondria. In contrast to detergent-suspended preparations, no CO-sensitive cytochrome b can be detected in the phospholipid-solubilized preparation or intact mitochondria. The half-reduction potential of cytochrome b566 is pH-dependent above pH 7.0 ( minus 60 mV/pH unit) while that of b561 is essentially pH-independent from pH 6.7-8.5, in contrast to its pH dependence in intact mitochondria. EPR characterizations show the presence of three oxidized low-spin heme-iron signals with g values of 3.78, 3.41 and 3.37. The identification of these signals with cytochromes b566(bT), b561 (bK) and c1 respectively is made on the basis of redox midpoint potentials. In addition, the preparation contains four distinct types of iron-sulfur centers: S1 and S2 (Em7.4 equals minus 260 mV and 0 mV), and two iron-sulfur proteins which are associated with the cytochrome b-c1 complex: Rieske's iron-sulfur protein (Em7.4 equals +280 mV) and Ohniski's Center 5 (Em7.4 equals +35 mV).
Durability of the next-generation flexible fiberoptic ureteroscopes: a randomized prospective multi-institutional clinical trial.

Objectives To evaluate the durability of 4 next-generation flexible ureteroscopes in a randomized, multi-institutional, prospective study. Methods Patients at 3 institutions were randomized to 1 of 4 flexible ureteroscopes: the Wolf Viper, Olympus URF-P5, Gyrus-ACMI DUR-8 Elite (DUR-8E), and Stryker FlexVision U-500. Each center used 1 scope from each manufacturer until it needed major repair (primary endpoint). Intraoperative data included total time of use, number of scope insertions through an access sheath, working time in the lower pole, number of insertions and total time for accessory instrumentation in the working channel, number of laser insertions through the working channel, and total laser energy used. Results A total of 175 patients were randomized. The DUR-8E experienced early catastrophic failure (≤ 10 cases) at all 3 sites; however, this also occurred at 1 site each for the Stryker and Wolf scopes. The DUR-8E required major repair after the fewest average number of cases (5.3), the lowest average total time of usage (108 minutes), the fewest insertions through an access sheath (20.3), the shortest duration of laser firing (31.3 minutes), and the shortest instrument in the working channel time (224.7 minutes). As such, due to variation in durability within manufacturers, no differences could be demonstrated. Visibility ratings for the Wolf iper were significantly better than the DUR-8E (P = .034) and the Flexvision (P = .038). Conclusions The Wolf Viper, Olympus URF-P5, and Stryker Flexvision U-500 flexible ureteroscopes seem comparable with regard to durability. However, larger prospective registry-based studies are needed to document significant differences between them.
Gender differences in students’ rational decisions to cheat

Few rational choice studies of deviant behavior have reported statistical tests of difference in the effects of explanatory variables between men and women. Using scenario‐based survey data from a sample of 330 university students (171 women and 159 men), this study examined gender differences in levels and effects of explanatory variables on intentions to cheat on exams. Findings showed significant gender differences in mean scores of low self‐control, anticipated shame states, perceived external sanctions, grade point average, and reported test‐cheating intentions. Regression analyses showed that the effects of moral beliefs and perceived pleasure of cheating were significantly more pronounced in predicting women's cheating intentions, whereas men were more affected by prior cheating experiences and friends’ cheating behavior. Findings also indicated that anticipated shame states accounted for the association between gender and cheating intentions. These results are consistent with recent studies dealin...
Sleep, genes and death: fatal familial insomnia

Over the past 30 years, significant progress has been made in understanding the physiologic mechanisms of sleep. Insomnia, a common complaint in general medical practice, and other sleep disorders have become increasingly recognized. In 1986, a heritable total insomnia was described and termed fatal familial insomnia; since then, the pathology of this disease has been shown to involve an accumulation of prion particles in the brains of affected patients. Prions have been more commonly associated with the transmission of spongiform encephalopathies such as scrapie (in sheep), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Kuru. We briefly review the physiological and biochemical characteristics of normal sleep, describe the typical clinical characteristics of fatal familial insomnia and describe the current understanding of how prions cause neurodegenerative diseases, including fatal familial insomnia.
Acetonitrile Activation Promoted by Divalent Nickel Species with Bicyclic Guanidinate Ligands

Three compounds are described from reactions of divalent nickel species and bicyclic guanidinate ligands. These compounds encompass a variety of nuclearities with one being triangular and having an hour-glass shape and the formula Ni3(tbn)6·2LiCl, 1, where tbn is a bicyclic guanidinate anion with fused 5/6 membered rings. A dinuclear compound [(η2-Imeth)Ni(μ-tbo)]2Cl2, 2, contains two fused 5/5 membered rings (tbo) that bridge two divalent nickel atoms and also contains a chelating unit in each metal center. The neutral Imeth (1-(2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-1H-imidazo[1,2-a]imidazol-1-yl)ethanimine) is an imino-containing ligand produced by the Ni(II) catalyzed reaction of tbo with acetonitrile. A mononuclear species, [(η2-hpp)Ni(hpp)(Hhpp)]Cl, 3, is obtained from reaction of NiCl2 with the bicyclic guanidinate ligand with two fused six-member rings in contact with moisture. In all compounds each of the Ni atoms has a local square-planar arrangement common in d8 species.
High-resolution physical mapping reveals that the apospory-specific genomic region (ASGR) in Cenchrus ciliaris is located on a heterochromatic and hemizygous region of a single chromosome

An apomictic mode of reproduction known as apospory is displayed by most buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris) genotypes, but rare sexual individuals have been identified. Previously, intraspecific crosses between sexual and aposporous genotypes allowed linkage to be discovered between the aposporous mode of reproduction and nine molecular markers that had been isolated from an aposporous relative, Pennisetum squamulatum. This region was described as the apospory-specific genomic region (ASGR). We now show an ideogram of the chromosome complement for aposporous tetraploid buffelgrass accession B-12-9 including the ASGR-carrier chromosome. The ASGR-carrier chromosome has a region of hemizygosity, as determined by in situ hybridization of BAC clones and unique morphological characteristics when compared with other chromosomes in the genome. In spite of its unique morphology, the ASGR-carrier chromosome could be identified as one of the chromosomes of a meiosis I quadrivalent. A similar partially hemizygous segment was also detected in the ASGR-carrier chromosome of the aposporous buffelgrass genotype, Higgins, but not in the sexual accession B-2S. Two non-recombining BACs linked to apospory were physically mapped on a highly condensed chromatin region of the short arm of B-12-9, and the distance between the BACs was estimated to be approximately 11 Mbp, a distance similar to what previously has been shown in P. squamulatum. The short arm of the ASGR-carrier chromosome was highly condensed at pachytene and extended only 1.7-2.7 fold that of mitotic chromosomes. Low recombination in the ASGR may partially be due to its localization in heterochromatin.
Power and Justice: Toward an Understanding of Legitimacy

Legitimacy generally compels people to feel an obligation to follow the social rules dictated by an authority. While much social psychological research focuses on the consequences of legitimacy, far less pertains to its emergence. Here the authors examine the role of justice and power in establishing the legitimacy of a decision maker. The authors outline the identity-based model offered by Tyler that highlights the role of procedural justice and offer a complementary resource-based model. The authors argue that the power structure in an organization and the nature of power use by authorities affect the availability of the material and nonmaterial resources necessary for subordinates to do their jobs well, which in turn creates social obligations that allow for the germination of legitimacy. With emphasis on resources, the analysis thus reconsiders the role of distributive justice. The authors conclude by emphasizing the conditions under which identity concerns and resource concerns are relevant to the em...
Mono N-aryl ethylenediamine and piperazine derivatives are GABAA receptor blockers: implications for psychiatry.

Ethylenediamine (EDA) and piperazine are known GABA-A receptor agonists and this activity appears to reside in their carbamate adducts. In CO2-free incubation medium EDA and piperazine weakly reverse the inhibitory action of 1 μM GABA on specific, [35S]t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate (35S-TBPS) binding to rat brain membranes in vitro. In 25 mM sodium bicarbonate buffer, EDA and piperazine much more potently inhibit35S-TBPS binding in a way reversible by the GABA-A receptor blocker R5135. Thus, native EDA and piperazine are weak GABA-A receptor blockers, while their presumed carbamate adducts, formed by reaction with bicarbonate, are more potent GABA-A receptor agonists. Virtually all structural modifications of EDA or piperazine result in GABA-A receptor blockers, even in the presence of bicarbonate, judging from their abilities to fully or partially reverse the inhibitory effect of GABA on35S-TBPS binding. Of 12 non-aromatic piperazine or EDA derivatives, the piperazine derivatives are the more potent GABA antagonists, although all are weak compared to the mono N-aryl derivatives. Nineteen mono N-aryl EDA derivatives are moderately potent GABA antagonists, including 10 with demonstrated or potential antidepressant activity. Most of the N-aryl piperazines are moderately to highly potent GABA antagonists one (pitrazepin) being 4 to 5 times more potent than bicuculline. There are several clinically effective antidepressants (e.g. Amoxapine, Mianserine) and antipsychotics (Clothiapine, Loxapine, Metiapine, Clozapine and Fluperlapine) among the more potent N-aryl piperazine GABA antagonists. We suggest that the antidepressant and antipsychotic effects, as well as the convulsions, anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia caused by the much studied 1-(m-chlorophenyl-piperazine) may be due to GABA-A receptor blockade. It might be worthwhile to clinically test additional N-aryl piperazines and N-aryl EDAs for antidepressant/antipsychotic activity.
The valence states of NO

Abstract Spectroscopic constants for the eight lowest electronic states of the NO + ion are tabulated. These constants result from reanalysis of previously reported optical and photoelectron spectra and interpolation from corresponding states of the isoelectronic molecules CO and N 2 . Similar spin-orbit perturbations of the A 1 Π states of NO + and CO are compared. An interpretation is given of previously reported emission from a beam of long-lived states of NO + . The intensities of ionizing transitions from NO X 2 Π ( v = 0) observed in photoelectron spectra are compared with calculated Franck-Condon factors.
Test Sets for Combinational Logic&#8212;The Edge-Tracing Approach

A method for fault analysis of multilevel combinational logic circuits with single stuck-at-faults is described. It determines the sensitizing input combinations (separating edges) from the output function and then traces their paths from the output toward the inputs. The handling of multiple path sensitization in this approach is much simpler than in other path-tracing techniques. Subscripting of variables is not needed and dead-ending (as encountered in the D-algorithm) cannot occur.
SU‐E‐T‐599: Distal and Proximal Margin Requirements for Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy of Nodal Boost during Cervical Cancer Treatment Using Repeat In‐Room CT Imaging

Purpose: Women with intact cervical cancer with involved pelvic lymph nodes require additional boost radiation therapy to involved lymph nodes following pelvic irradiation. These boosts are particularly challenging to plan due to the need to avoid central structures, which are treated to organ tolerance with intracavitary brachytherapy. A single posterior (PA) proton beam may be an ideal treatment technique for nodal boost, which can spare the rectum, bladder and small bowel. However, appropriate margins to account for setup error and range uncertainty are unknown in this setting. The purpose of this study was to determine the margins required to account for interfractional anatomical variations and setup uncertainties during intensity modulated protontreatment (IMPT). Methods: Five patients treated with definitive radiation therapy for cervical cancer were used retrospectively for this study. All patients received 4–5 weekly CTs during treatment. External iliac nodes were contoured by a radiationoncologist on each planning image. Rigid alignments using bony structures near the external iliac nodes are used. A single IMPT PA‐beam was simulated. Ray‐ trace methods were used to determine the water equivalent thickness (WET) of each ray parallel to the beam path. The resulting 2D‐WET matrixes were then mapped back to the planning CTimage and converted back to physical depth to determine the actual margin required to cover the target. Results: Distal margins are represented by a positive number while the opposite is true for proximal margins. The average margin mean for all patients is ‐ 0.7mm (Range −2 to 5mm). The average variation for all patients is 6mm (Range 2 to 12mm). Maximum distal and proximal margins needed to cover all fractions were 8 and 9mm, respectively Conclusions: We determined that a ∼9mm margin would be sufficient for nodal boost IMPT, which produced excellent dosimetric results, compared to corresponding photon plans. Supported in part by NCI P01 CA021239
Environmental and genetic sources of variation for seminal quality in mature Holstein bulls.

Various environmental and genetic factors that influence seminal quality were evaluated for 149 Holstein bulls used extensively in nine artificial insemination organizations (studs). These bulls were sons of 16 sires. Seminal quality was measured by percent progressive motility immediately postthaw and after incubation at 3 h, 37 degrees C, percent intact acrosomal membrane after incubation at 3 h 37 degrees C, and percent primary and secondary abnormalities. Semen was thawed at 37 and 24 degrees C. Spermatozoal concentration was counted with a hemocytometer. Bull age and season of collection were determined. Interaction of stud X thaw existed for both motility assessments and intact acrosomes, but 37 degrees C thaw resulted in higher motility and acrosomal integrity across all studs. Motility at zero hour was affected by season. Secondary abnormalities were influenced by season and stud X season. Interaction of thaw X season existed for incubated motility, which also was influenced by concentration and age. Age influenced secondary abnormalities. Heritabilities and repeatabilities (%) were .21, 44; .40, 34; .81, 74; and .31, 50 for 0-h motility, intact acrosomes, primary abnormalities, and secondary abnormalities. Genetic correlations were 0-h motility with acrosomal integrity and primary and secondary abnormalities, .88, -.70, -.93; acrosomal integrity with primary and secondary abnormalities, -.90, -.05; primary with secondary abnormalities, -.12. Selection for semen quality could improve fertility of bulls.
The Life Cycle of C-Myc: From Synthesis to Degradation

The c-Myc transcription factor is a potent regulator of cellular proliferation and cell fate decision. Precise regulation of c-Myc protein levels is essential to maintain normal cell function. In order to maintain proper levels of c-Myc, its protein stability is tightly controlled. c-Myc is degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. This perspective discusses a sophisticated and complex signaling pathway that controls the life cycle of c-Myc from protein synthesis to ubiquitin-mediated degradation. The pathway involves Ras-activated kinases, the Pin1 prolyl isomerase, the PP2A phosphatase and a series of c-Myc phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events that control its stability.
OPTICS EDUCATION: Encouraging an Integrated Approach

Optics has traditionally fallen under the academic disciplines of physics and engineering. But with optical technology playing an increasing role in modern life, the need for individuals studying and universities teaching optical science and engineering as its own discipline is growing.
Sibutramine reduces food intake in non-dieting women with obesity

Sibutramine (SIB), an inhibitor of serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake, has been shown in clinical trials to be associated with a dose-related decrease in bodyweight. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, Latin square crossover study examined whether the effect on bodyweight could be due in part to a reduction in daily food intake. Twelve non-dieting, women with obesity (body mass index of 30.5 to 41.9) received three treatments (0 [matching placebo], 10, or 30 mg SIB/day) for 14 days, with 14-day washout periods in between. On days 7 and 14, participants came to the laboratory to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner so that daily energy and macronutrient intakes and ratings of hunger and satiety could be measured. Significant reductions occurred in food intake (both grams and energy) over the 14-day study period. On day 7, SIB 30 reduced intake significantly by 1762 kJ (23% reduction from placebo), and on day 14, both SIB 10 and SIB 30 significantly reduced intake compared with placebo (SIB 10, 19% reduction [1490 kJ]; SIB 30,26% reduction [2079 HI). On day 7, the percentage of energy consumed from carbohydrate increased significantly with the 30-mg dose (56.7 %) compared with that of placebo (51.4%), with a reciprocal decrease in energy from fat (27.8% to 24%). The results show that SIB reduced energy intake in women with obesity who were not attempting to lose weight.
Granulocytic sarcoma of the peritoneum

Granulocytic sarcoma is an unusual extramedullary tumor composed of immature cells of the myelogenous series; it usually occurs during the course of myelogenous leukemia. This paper presents a rare case of granulocytic sarcoma of the peritoneum, occurring without evidence of myelogenous leukemia in peripheral blood and bone marrow.
A Spatial Decision Support System Combining GIS and OR Tools to Optimize District Boundaries and Bus Routes for a Suburban School District

This paper describes a GIS-based spatial decision support system (SDSS) developed to optimize school district boundaries and bus routes in a large suburban school district, Sweet Home Central Schools. This school district is one of the three in the suburb Amherst (population 110,000) of the City of Buffalo, New York State, USA. The school district prompted the study as a result of demographic changes that have affected enrollment distribution among its four elementary schools as well as a recent construction project affecting traffic flow into and out of the school bus depot. In consultation with the school district officials two approaches are developed as part of the SDSS: a clean slate and a community approach. The clean slate approach focuses on minimizing transport costs, while the community approach focuses on the least disruption to the people in the community and balancing socio-economic and diversity issues. Scenarios for both approaches are developed based on current enrollment data.
The Influence of Religious Participation on Sexual Activity in a Randomized Effectiveness Trial for Minority Youth

This study examined the influence of religious participation on the outcomes of a comprehensive sex education program for minority youth in Miami, FL. Data collection occurred at pretest and at 3-m...
Balloon-borne laser spectrometer measurements of NO 2 with gas absorption sensitivities below 10 −5

Infrared spectra of NO2 recorded during a recent flight of the Balloon-borne Laser In-Situ Sensor instrument have been analyzed to determine sensitivity limits for various signal integration times. Implications for direct detection of ClO, HOCl, H2O2, COF2, OH, and HO2 are discussed.
Response of materials to single ion events

Abstract Response of materials to single radiation events is fundamental to research and many technological applications that involve energetic particles. Ion–solid interactions lead to energy loss of ions, production of electron–hole pairs, and light emission from excitation-induced luminescence. Employing a unique time-of-flight system, material response to single ion irradiation has been utilized to measure electronic energy loss, and to evaluate materials performance for radiation detection. Measurements of electronic energy loss of single ions in a thin ZrO 2 foil over a continuous energy range exhibit good agreement with SRIM predictions for He and Be ions. For O and F ions, slight over- and under-estimation of SRIM prediction is evident at energies around 250 (near the stopping maximum) and above 800 keV/nucleon, respectively. For a Si semiconductor detector, its response to single ion irradiation shows that pulse height defect is clear for elements heavier than Si, and nonlinear energy response is significant for all elements at energies below ∼100 keV/nucleon. For a single crystal CsI:Tl scintillator, the response to H ion events is used to determine relative light yield and absolute energy resolution over a wide energy region, where energy resolution of ∼5.3% is achieved at 2 MeV.
Demagogues and mental health: A look at both sides

Defining demagogues as individuals who seek popular support by making false or exaggerated claims for their programs, the case is made that demagogues existwithin the mental health professions and in the groupopposed to the mental health movement. The two groups of demagogues, while superficially appearing to be in opposition to each other, have much in common. Both groups attempt to deny the individual freedom of action and place the authority for initiating restrictions within their own select membership. A plea for the integrity of the professions is made so that all men may remain free and unhampered by artificial restrictions.
Cosmological consequences of spontaneous lepton number violation in SO(10) grand unification.

Cosmological constraints on grand-unified theories with spontaneous lepton number violation are analyzed. We concentrate on SO(10), the simplest of the models possessing this property. It has been noted previously that the consistency of these models with the observed baryon asymmetry generically implies strict upper bounds on the light neutrino masses. In this paper, we analyze the situation in detail. We find that minimal models of fermion masses face difficulties, but that it is possible for these models to generate an adequate baryon asymmetry via nonequilibrium lepton-number-violating processes when the right-handed neutrino masses are near their maximum possible values. This condition uniquely picks out the minimal gauge symmetry-breaking scheme. A nonminimal model is also analyzed, with somewhat different conclusions due to the nature of the imposed symmetries.
Heuristics for parallel-machine flexible-resource scheduling problems with unspecified job assignment

Abstract In this paper, we examine the parallel-machine flexible-resource scheduling problem in which job assignment to machines are not specified (UPMFRS). The UPMFRS problem is NP -hard, motivating the development of effective heuristics that approximately determine the job assignment to machines and the allocation of resources to jobs. The paper compares a decomposition heuristic and a tabu-search heuristic, and concludes that the tabu-search heuristic is cost and quality effective in locating the near-optimal solutions. Scope and purpose This paper considers a parallel-machine scheduling problem in which the operational impact of resource flexibility is explored through machine flexibility as well as labor flexibility. The main contribution of this paper is the identification of the existence of the problem in practice, the development of two efficient heuristics, and the comparison and analysis of the proposed heuristics.
The Organization of Statistical Instruction in Colleges and Universities

With the rapid inicrease in the number of departments of statistics 2at colleges and universities, it seems appropriate at this time for the statistical societies to give serious consideration to the present status of course programs for students majoring in statistics and in addition to review offerings of course programs in statistics of a purely service nature. Also it would seem desirable to consider ways of improving such programs and possibly even attempt informal agreement on some common core of knowledge which statisticians graduating with bachelor, master and doctoral degrees might reasonably be expected to have.
Effect of high-fat diet on metabolic indices, cognition, and neuronal physiology in aging F344 rats

The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes increases with age. Despite this, few studies have examined these conditions simultaneously in aged animals, and fewer studies have measured the impact of these conditions on brain function. Using an established animal model of brain aging (F344 rats), we investigated whether a high-fat diet (HFD) exacerbates cognitive decline and the hippocampal calcium-dependent afterhyperpolarization (a marker of age-dependent calcium dysregulation). Young and mid-aged animals were maintained on control or HFD for 4.5 months, and peripheral metabolic variables, cognitive function, and electrophysiological responses to insulin in the hippocampus were measured. HFD increased lipid accumulation in the periphery, although overt diabetes did not develop, nor were spatial learning and memory altered. Hippocampal adiponectin levels were reduced in aging animals but were unaffected by HFD. For the first time, however, we show that the AHP is sensitive to insulin, and that this sensitivity is reduced by HFD. Interestingly, although peripheral glucose regulation was relatively insensitive to HFD, the brain appeared to show greater sensitivity to HFD in F344 rats.
Numerical Analysis and Experimental Studies on the Role of Rheological Properties in Effecting Die Swell of Low Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene and Polystyrene: A Predictive Model Based on Newtonian Fluid

Die swell measurements were performed on low density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene, in a Randcastle microtruder over a range of shear rate, length/diameter ratio (L i /D i ) of die, and polymer melt temperature to accelerate efforts to develop reliable quantitative description of die swell phenomena observed in practical polymer processing operations. Die swell of these polymers increased with increasing shear rates. An increase in polymer melt temperature and the length/diameter ratio of the Microtruder die decreased the die swell of the polymers. A comparison of the experimental data with predictions from various existing models such as the ones reported by Bagley and Duffey, Mendelson et al., Tanner, White and Roman, Vinogradov and Malkin, Macosko and Kumar et al. revealed that existing models are not capable of accurately predicting the die swell of the materials. Therefore, a theoretical model based on strain energy density function, Gaussian network theory, and first normal stress difference with no adjustable parameters appropriate for determining die swell has been developed for Newtonian fluid. The experimental data for the polymers studied conformed excellently well with predictions from this proposed model. Thus for the first time a suitable quantitative model for exploring die swell phenomena in actual polymer processing equipment, such as an extruder, is established. Further, a special linear relationship between die swell and maximum recoverable deformation and a nonlinear relationship between die swell, storage and loss moduli have been established for these polymers. The first normal stress difference, calculated from the maximum recoverable deformation, has been found to vary strongly with shear stress and shear rate but independent of temperature for a specific polymer. Flow activation energies of the polymer melts decrease with increasing frequencies, indicating increased mobility of polymer chains at such frequencies.
Kinetic resolution and isomerization of 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolines.

The efficient kinetic resolution of 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolines was accomplished by employing hydrosilylation with a chiral catalyst, (EBTHI)TiF2 (EBTHI = ethylenebis(tetrahydroindenyl)). An interesting isomerization reaction of the cyclic imines catalyzed by the same chiral catalyst was also discovered. Chirality 12:476–478, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Tempo and mode of sequence evolution in mitochondrial DNA of Hawaiian Drosophila

Sequence comparisons were made for up to 667 bp of DNA cloned from 14 kinds of HawaiianDrosophila and five other dipteran species. These sequences include parts of the genes for NADH dehydrogenase (subunits 1, 2, and 5) and rRNA (from the large ribosomal subunit). Because the times of divergence among these species are known approximately, the sequence comparisons give insight into the evolutionary dynamics of this molecule. Transitions account for nearly all of the differences between sequences that have diverged by less than 2%; for these sequences the mean rate of divergence appears to be about 2%/Myr. In comparisons involving greater divergence times and greater sequence divergence, relatively more of the sequence differences are due to transversions. Specifically, the fraction of these differences that are counted as transversions rises from an initial value of less than 0.1 to a plateau value of nearly 0.6. The time required to reach half of the plateau value, about 10 Myr, is similar to that for mammalian mtDNA. The mtDNAs of flies and mammals are also alike in the shape of the curve relating the percentage of positions at which there are differences in protein-coding regions to the time of divergence. For both groups of animals, the curve has a steep initial slope ascribable to fast accumulation of synonymous substitutions and a shallow final slope resulting from the slow accumulation of substitutions causing amino acid replacements. However, the percentage of all sites that can experience a high rate of substitution appears to be only about 8% for fly mtDNA compared to about 20% for mammalian mtDNA. The low percentage of hypervariable sites may be a consequence of a functional constraint associated with the low content of guanine and cytosine in fly mtDNA.
Hydrogen cycling behavior of zirconium and titanium–zirconium-doped sodium aluminum hydride

The dehydrogenation kinetics of NaAlH4 are significantly enhanced upon doping with zirconium through homogenization with 2 mol% Zr(OPr)4. TPD measurements show that zirconium is inferior to titanium as a catalyst for the dehydriding of NaAlH4 to Na3AlH6 and Al but a superior catalyst for the dehydriding of Na3AlH6 to NaH and Al. The benefit of both catalytic effects can be realized in materials containing a combination of both titanium and zirconium catalysts. After the initial dehydriding/rehydriding cycle, NaAlH4 which is doped with titanium and/or zirconium is stabilized with a greater than 4 wt% cyclable hydrogen capacity. The onset of rapid dehydriding occurs in the titanium containing materials at temperatures below 100°C.
Perceptions of genetic research in three rural Appalachian Ohio communities

Appalachian Americans are an underserved population with increased risk for diseases having strong genetic and environmental precursors. The purpose of this study is to understand the thoughts and perceptions of genetic research of Appalachian Americans residing in eastern Ohio prior to conducting a genetic research study with this population. A genetic survey was developed and completed by 180 participants from Marietta, Cambridge and East Liverpool, Ohio. The majority of respondents were Caucasian women with a median age of 37.5 years. We found that participants had a high interest in participating in 80 %, allowing their children to participate in 78 %, and learning more about genetic research studies (90 %); moreover, they thought that genetic research studies are useful to society (93 %). When asked what information would be useful when deciding to participate in a genetic research study, the following were most important: how environmental pollutants affect their genes and their child’s genes (84 %), types of biological specimens needed for genetic research studies (75 %) and who will have access to their samples (75 %). Of the 20 % who responded that they were “unsure” about participating in a genetic research study, the leading reason was “I don’t have enough information about genetic research to make a decision” (56 %). We also asked respondents to choose their preferred method for receiving genetic information, and the principal response was to read a brochure (40 %). Findings from this study will improve community education materials and dissemination methods that are tailored for underserved populations engaged in genetic research.
Wholesale Price Discrimination: Inference and Simulation

In this paper we make inferences about wholesale price discrimination and uniform wholesale pricing policy. This is an important question when there is a policy goal to enforce uniform wholesale price legislation in a variety of markets and we address this question by simulating the effects of such uniform wholesale price legislation in a local urban grocery retail market of the United States. Given a demand and supply model of multiple retailers' and manufacturers' oligopoly-pricing behavior we consider: (i) wholesale price discrimination and (ii) no wholesale price discrimination (via uniform price regulation). We demonstrate how wholesale price legislation simulations may be performed given observed data on retail and input prices and retail quantities sold and not available data on wholesale prices. We focus our approach using data on yogurt produced by multiple manufacturers and sold in several stores, and estimate there to be positive welfare effects from preventing wholesale price discrimination, originating from positive effects on consumer surplus although negligible effects on joint vertical producer surplus, resulting from counter balancing negative effects on manufacturer and positive effects on retailer surplus.
'Better Butter' Opportunities for Local Food and Entrepreneurship

Kriemhild Dairy Farms, started in New York by Bruce and Nancy Rivington in 2010, has expanded rapidly in response to changing market conditions spurred by growing demand for ‘local’ and ‘pasture-raised’ products. Kriemhild’s entrepreneurial strategy for producing and marketing its pasture-raised butter takes advantage of the company’s ability to leverage alternative (local food system) and conventional resources and infrastructure. The Kriemhild example highlights the importance of: 1) the farm’s scale of operation; 2) the existence of local processing, warehousing, and distribution infrastructure; and 3) the ability to navigate between and capitalize on conventional and ‘alternative’ supply chains.
Metabolism of meperidine in several animal species

Four new meperidine metabolites were identified by GC-MS in the urine of rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, and dogs. In addition to known meperidine metabolites, 4-ethoxycarbonyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrapyridine dehydronormeperidine; IV, the N-hydroxydehydro derivative of normeperidine (X), the dihydroxy derivative of meperidine (XII), and the dihydroxy derivative of normeperidine (XIII) were identified. The possible role of the N-hydroxy derivative of normeperidine (IX) in the pharmacological interaction of meperidine (I) with MAO inhibitors, seen selectively in the rabbit (and humans), is discussed. Following the administration of the p-hydroxy derivative of meperidine (VII), the major metabolite was conjugated VII. Trace amounts of the p-hydroxy derivative of normeperidine (VIII), the methoxy hydroxy derivative of meperidine (XI), XII, and XIII also were detected as metabolites of VII. The degree of N-demethylation of VII, both in vitro and in vivo, was small.
In the Eye of the Beholder: An Analysis of the Relative Value of a Top Sales Rep Across Firms and Products

We ask the question, "when should the most highly skilled salespeople sell the best products?" Our main result is that the highly skilled reps should sell better products when the task is very complex and worse products when the task is very simple. This is shown using a general analytical model of selling in which sales are a joint function of the salesperson's skill and the complexity of the selling task. Complexity varies across products and industries. Intuitively, when the selling task is complex, few salespeople ofany level of ability will be successful with a low-quality product. Therefore, the high-skill rep's value is higher on the better product. Conversely, when the task is simple, salespeople ofany ability can sell the better product fairly easily so the high-skill rep's impact is more pronounced on the worse product. This general result offers insight into many key problems: Which salespeople should we hire? How should we organize our salespeople? How should we allocate training funds? We show that the insights hold for salespeople that eithercreate value or simplypersuade the customer about the product's value. Finally, we contrast this set of questions with the question ofhow many salespeople the firm should hire. We find that the firm that has the biggest sales force does not always have the best.
LGBT Africa: A social justice movement emerges in the era of HIV

LGBT communities are emerging across Africa in 2012. Many are emerging in the context of the continents severe HIV epidemic. Homophobia is a barrier to social acceptance and to health and other social services, but African communities are showing reliance in addressing stigma and discrimination, and in organizing for rights and social tolerance.
Body-worn passive planar harmonic tag design for use with Doppler radar

A body-worn passive planar harmonic tag for sensing and uniquely isolating human respiratory motion using a Doppler radar has been designed, fabricated and tested. Agilent's advanced design system 2006 provided a simulation and performance evaluation platform. This design flow is applicable for any tag design and not just dipoles which has been the design of choice for others in the past. The tag has been designed for 2.45/4.9 ghz and shown to work at distances greater than 1 meter with transmitted power levels of 10 mw. The implications of this result is that the designed tag can be used to monitor and isolate a subject's cardiopulmonary chest motion from extraneous motion, as well as enable positive identification of the subject in a suitable environment (in home or hospital).
Determination of deformability and tensile strength of anisotropic rock using Brazilian tests

This paper is the first of a series of two papers dealing with the determination of the deformability, tensile strength and fracturing of anisotropic rocks by diametral compression (Brazilian test) of discs of rock. It presents a combination of analytical and experimental methods for determining in the laboratory the elastic constants and the indirect (Brazilian) tensile strength of transversely isotropic rocks, i.e. rocks with one dominant direction of planar anisotropy. A computer program based on the complex variable function method and the generalized reduced gradient method was developed to determine the elastic constants of idealized linearly elastic, homogeneous, transversely isotropic media from the strains measured at the center of discs subjected to diametral loading. The complex variable function method was also used to construct charts for determining the indirect tensile strength of anisotropic media from the failure loads measured during diametral loading. Brazilian tests were conducted on four types of bedded sandstones assumed to be transversely isotropic. Based on strain measurements obtained with 45° strain gage rosettes glued at the center of the discs, the five independent elastic constants of the tested rocks could be determined. The elastic constants determined with the Brazilian tests were compared with those obtained from conventional uniaxial compression tests. The indirect (Brazilian) tensile strength of the tested sandstones was found to depend on the angle between the apparent planes of rock anisotropy and the direction of diametral loading.
High-frequency behavior of electrodeposited Fe-Co-Ni alloys

The high-frequency properties (permeability, resonance frequencies, damping parameters) of electrodeposited Fe-Co-Ni films with different composition and structure were studied by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and high-frequency permeability measurements. Soft, high-moment films with small grain size and limited easy axis dispersion exhibit resonance frequencies above 2 GHz. The behavior of these films can be well described by existing phenomenological theories, and the high-frequency properties measured by the two methods are in agreement. On the contrary, the high-frequency characteristics of films with a large dispersion of the uniaxial anisotropy derived from FMR data and permeability measurements using conventional phenomenological correlations are not in agreement; the behavior of these films cannot thus be described by existing theories.
MAP-PF position tracking with a network of sensor arrays

The maximum a posteriori penalty function (MAP-PF) approach is applied to target position tracking with a network of sensor arrays. The track estimation problem is formulated directly from the array data using the MAP estimation criterion. The penalty function method of nonlinear programming is used to obtain a tractable solution. A sequential update procedure is developed in which penalized maximum likelihood estimates of target bearing and power are computed for each array, and then used as synthetic measurements in an extended Kalman filter. The two steps are coupled via the penalty function. The current target state is used to guide the bearing estimation, and estimated signal powers control the influence of the bearing estimates from each array on the final track estimate. The algorithm can be implemented in a decentralized manner where bearing estimation is performed at the arrays, and track estimation is performed at a central processing site.
A Two-Century Precipitation Dataset for the Continent of Africa

A wealth of historical information on climate and weather exists for the African continent. Documentary information, hydrologic indicators, and rain gauge records have been compiled and combined into a semiquantitative precipitation dataset that extends from 1801 to 1900. That dataset describes “wetness” for 90 regions of Africa, using a seven-category index. A regional gauge dataset for 1901–2000 has been converted to the seven-class system, extending coverage to two centuries. These datasets are available through the Paleoclimate Data Center.
Structural Constraints And Computational Problems in Motor Control

A central dogma of computational approaches to motor control is that in order to understand the biological organization of information processing it is crucial to understand the nature of the problems being solved by the motor system and of their possible solutions. Such a statement has defined a common ground for investigations in robotics and neuroscience. Among the computational problems considered in robotics, a prominent role has been occupied by finding the time course of joint configurations given a desired motion expressed in task-coordinates (inverse kinematics) and finding the torques that must be applied to achieve a predefined motion of a mechanism (inverse dynamics).
Stereocomplex PMMA Fibers

We have utilized the fact that syndiotactic and isotactic Poly(methyl methacrylate) {PMMA} form a stereocomplex to spin semi-crystalline PMMA fibers. Our goal is to produce oriented semi-crystalline fibers with a high enough melting point to withstand atactic-PMMA processing conditions. We successfully developed stereocomplex PMMA fibers by wet spinning and gel spinning, and characterized their properties by means of differential scanning calorimetry, optical/electron microscopy, mechanical testing and X-ray crystallography. Stereocomplex fibers from gel spinning have highest melting points and polymer chain orientation, hence are the best reinforcing agents. We are currently working on producing self-reinforced composites using these fibers.
“People Get Emotional About Their Money:” Performing Masculinity in a Financial Discussion Board

This article investigates the discursive practices of company stockholders in one financial cyberspace, the Berkshire Hathaway Board on The Commodity Stand1 website. After a review of relevant research on gender and investing in computer-mediated communication and the history of the site chosen for examination, I analyze how members of the site create and maintain identity and community through their discursive performances, with particular emphasis on aspects of gendered practices. This investigation found that participants performed roles as admirers, intelligent investors, and mentors. The discursive practices are reified and gendered masculine. Feminine forms of talk were subjugated overtly and through the homogeneity of the masculine form. This research is one step toward a communicative foundation for researching the gendered manifestation and perpetuation of economic discourses in everyday life.
Staying Back and Dropping Out: The Relationship Between Grade Retention and School Dropout

Students who repeat a grade prior to high school have a higher risk of dropping out of high school than do students who are continuously promoted. This study tested whether standard theories of dro...