cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Axial Deformation Characteristics of Graphene-Sonicated Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites Subjected to High Rate of Loading

The mechanical characteristics of vinyl ester nanocomposites were investigated under a high rate of axial loading. The thermoset composites were sonicated with exfoliated graphite nanoplatelet (xGnP) and added with carboxyl-terminated butadiene nitrile (CTBN). High-strain rate axial tests were accomplished employing a split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test-setup following a direct and a reverse impact method. Finite element analysis (FEA) and parametric optimization of the specimen geometry were performed using ANSYS Mechanical APDL®. Observing multi-surface fractures validated uniformity of stress distribution within the specimen gauge length. A laser occlusion expansion gauge (LOEG) technique was considered for measuring axial strain. The loading pulse within the transmitted bar was significantly low. Hence, an alternative approach (considering the pulse within the incident bar only) was applied for obtaining the stress–time history. A conventional SHPB setup provided a high rate of compressive deformation response. Both flow strength and energy absorbability of the participating material systems showed significantly lower under tension than under compression at a high rate. Nano-reinforcement marginally enhanced these mechanical characteristics for pristine vinyl ester under a high rate of tension. The material system responded detrimental under a high rate of compression.
Apical Aneurysm: An Important Consideration in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patients

A presentation of a young woman with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with an apical aneurysm. Management considerations are reviewed.
Zygadelphus aetheus gen. et sp. nov., an unusual fossil flower from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber

The flower described here as Zygadelphus aetheus gen. et sp. nov. was obtained from amber mines in Myanmar, preserved in marine sedimentary deposits dating to the mid-Cretaceous Period, ca. 99 My in age. The perianth consists of ca. 10 spirally arranged tepals that vary in size and shape. The stigmatic tips of two styles are visible, the remainder of the gynoecium being hidden from view by the crowding of stamens and perianth parts toward the center of the flower. There is a whorl of 4 stamens, the anthers of which have the feature, probably unique among angiosperms, of possessing a small but complete accessory stamen arising as an appendage on their dorsal surface. Anthers of both types of stamens are bilocular and dehisce by dorsally hinged valves. Presence of pollen in the accessory anthers indicates that they functioned in reproduction. Under the assumption that the fossil is not merely a teratological mutant in an otherwise normal-flowered species, it is here given taxonomic status as representing a peculiar type of floral development, now extinct, that existed during an earlier stage of angiosperm evolution.
Successes and challenges of implementing an integrative medicine practice in an allopathic medical center

Abstract Patient demand for integrative medicine is increasing, and presents a service opportunity for health care systems. Implementing integrative medicine in an allopathic health care setting poses unique challenges. Addressing organizational culture, finances, patient experience/physical space, and credentialing issues can help ensure success.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of Penner serotype prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni in low- and middle-income countries

Introduction While Campylobacter jejuni is a leading foodborne bacterial pathogen worldwide, it poses a particular risk to susceptible populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A capsule-conjugate vaccine approach has been proposed as a potential solution, but little information exists on circulating C. jejuni capsule types in LMICs. The capsule is the major serodeterminant of the Penner typing scheme, which is based on serum recognition of Campylobacter heat-stable antigens. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the distribution of Penner serotypes associated with C. jejuni enteritis in LMICs. Vaccine coverage assessments for hypothetical regional and global C. jejuni vaccines were also estimated. Methods A systematic review of the literature published from 1980 to 2019 was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Articles were assessed for eligibility and data were abstracted. Pooled C. jejuni serotype prevalence in LMICs was estimated by region and globally using random-effects models. Results A total of 36 studies were included, capturing 4,434 isolates from LMICs. Fifteen serotypes were present in a sufficient number of studies to be included in analyses. Among these, HS4c was the most common serotype globally (12.6%), though leading capsule types varied among regions. HS2, HS3c, HS4c, HS5/31, HS8/17, and HS10 were all among the 10 most common region-specific serotypes. Conclusions The results of this review suggest that an octavalent vaccine could provide up to 66.9% coverage of typable strains worldwide, and 56.8-69.0% regionally. This review also highlights the paucity of available data on capsules in LMICs; more testing is needed to inform vaccine development efforts.
Intron removal by the spliceosome: A solo job or a team effort?

Wan et al. (2021) establish a powerful new platform to measure the dynamics of transcription and splicing of endogenous genes in single cells in real time. Combining real-time measurements with multiple deep-sequencing tools reveals an unexpectedly high amount of spliceosome activity, prompting a reconsideration of current models of how introns are removed from pre-mRNA.
A comparison of target types, weapon types, and attack types in suicide-terrorism incidents before and after 9/11 terrorist attacks

The empirical research on the effects of 9/11 attacks on suicide terrorism is limited. The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on attack types, weapon types, and target types in suicide terrorism worldwide and the trends in the suicide attack outcomes before and after 9/11. The data were obtained from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) and included suicide-terrorism incidents between 1981 and 2018. The results of monthly interrupted time-series analyses and negative binomial regression tests comparing pre-9/11 and post-9/11 showed that the 9/11 terrorist attacks had significant impacts on the target types, attack types, and weapon types in suicide-terrorism incidents. The results, limitations, and policy implications are discussed.
Hybrid lives: The digitally mediated identity of a Salvadoran adoptee in the United States: Vidas híbridas: La identidad digitalmente mediada de una persona salvadoreña adoptada en los Estados Unidos

Drawing attention to the lived experiences of El Salvador’s disappeared children, in this article I examine the digitally mediated identity of Salvadoran adoptee Nelson de Witt. I examine how the literary theory of racial melancholia that has been used to better understand the transnational/racial adoptee experience is complicated by the use of digital media expression. Using the cultural works of de Witt and his family as a case study, I argue that digital cultural production can act as a third space, wherein the identities of transnational adoptees can exist in full, free of the negotiations required by the psychological limitations of physical geographic spaces. This article further considers the significance of digital cultural production as an act of unforgetting and digital self-making that reclaims past histories of the Salvadoran Civil War and complicates the international adoption as “rescue” paradigm that has been popularized by adoptive parents and mainstream media.
Effects of Two Type Density Characteristics on the Legibility of Print

A great deal of research exists regarding the likelihood that warning information will be noticed, but much less research has examined the conditions under which warnings are likely to be read. One...
Printing as a Medium

This article first defines printing as the mechanical reproduction of texts using a press. It then examines the history of the practice from Gutenberg to the industrial era, identifying three levels on which society sought to shape its development: the levels of domestic morality (within the printing house itself), craft organization (within the guild of master printers), and the polity (within the church and state). It outlines the regulatory mechanisms (patents, licenses, etc.) that shaped early printing, before briefly showing how those mechanisms, in collapsing, gave rise to modern legal regimes, especially copyright. The article then moves on to appraise social–scientific interpretations of printing's cultural impact. It describes the arguments of scholars including Jurgen Habermas, Marshall McLuhan, Elizabeth Eisenstein, Robert Darnton, and Roger Chartier. It concludes by suggesting that in future, as the unquestioned cultural dominance of print finally comes to an end, we may be more prepared to see its effects as deriving as much from our practices of reading as from a cultural logic that might have been imposed on us by the press itself.
Mapping of enkephalins in human brain: an immunohistofluorescence study on brains from patients with senile and presenile dementia

The results of this study of the distribution of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in four human "senile" and "presenile" brains by immunofluorescence microscopy (Coons' Method) showed specifically fluorescing varicosities containing fibres in the following areas: nucleus accumbens, nucleus caudatus, pallidum (mainly the external segment), septal nuclei, substantia innominata, hypothalamus, hypophysis, substantia nigra, nucleus interpeduncularis, locus coeruleus and other nuclei of the brain stem, most of the nuclei of the cranial nerves (mainly the sensitive) and spinal cord (mainly the substantia gelatinosa of the posterior horn). Fibres were observed surrounding cell bodies in the substantia nigra, in the nucleus raphe and in the anterior horn of the spinal cord (motor cells). Cylindrical ("pipe-shaped") structures formed by enkephalin-like immunoreactive fibres were seen in the pallidum, between the pallidum and the nucleus accumbens, and in the substantia nigra. A complete map of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity, based on Riley's Atlas of the human brain, is included. The distribution of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity showed many similarities to that in animal species that have been studied by immunohistochemistry (rat, primate) except for a lack of detectable enkephalin immunoreactivity in the amygdala in our material. No conclusions about the possible relationship of this finding to the clinical condition of dementia can be drawn without further work.
Machine learning techniques for the evaluation of external skeletal fixation structures

In this thesis we compare several machine learning techniques for evaluating external skeletal fixation proposals. We experimented in the context of dog bone fractures but the potential applications are numerous. Decision trees tend to give both binary and multiple-class predictions quickly and accurately. The classifier system method does worse due to the small size of the data set and missing values. The use of Artificial Neural Networks is promising, although it takes considerable time in training. A Genetic Algorithm is also employed to find the best parameters of the Neural Network. Experimental results for the different methods are presented and compared. Index words: External Skeletal Fixation, Decision Tree, Classifier System, Artificial Neural Network, Genetic Algorithm. MACHINE LEARNING TECHNIQUES FOR THE EVALUATION OF EXTERNAL SKELETAL FIXATION STRUCTURES
The Use of Temporal Information in Food Image Analysis.

We have developed a dietary assessment system that uses food images captured by a mobile device. Food identification is a crucial component of our system. Achieving a high classification rates is challenging due to the large number of food categories and variability in food appearance. In this paper, we propose to improve food classification by incorporating temporal information. We employ recursive Bayesian estimation to incrementally learn from a person’s eating history. We show an improvement of food classification accuracy by 11% can be achieved.
Development and Structure of the Cardiac Conduction System

The development and structure of the cardiac conduction system, including the known molecular and cellular factors that regulate development of the conduction system are outlined. Part II includes the structure of the cardiac conduction system and its relationship to the working myocardium, including the influence of the autonomic nervous system. The final section outlines the impact of individual congenital heart defects on the anatomy and function of the conduction system.
End-to-end maxmin fairness in multihop wireless networks: Theory and protocol

To promote commercial deployment of multihop wireless networks, the research/industry communities must develop new theories and protocols for flexible traffic engineering in these networks in order to support diverse user applications. This paper studies an important traffic engineering problem-how to support fair bandwidth allocation among all end-to-end flows in a multihop wireless network-which, in a more precise term, is to achieve the global maxmin fairness objective in bandwidth allocation. There exists no distributed algorithm for this problem in multihop wireless networks using IEEE 802.11 DCF. We have two major contributions. The first contribution is to develop a novel theory that maps the global maxmin objective to four local conditions and prove their equivalence. The second contribution is to design a distributed rate adjustment protocol based on those local conditions to achieve the global maxmin objective through fully distributed operations. Comparing with the prior art, our protocol has a number of advantages. It is designed for the popular IEEE 802.11 DCF. It replaces per-flow queueing with per-destination queueing. It achieves far better fairness (or weighted fairness) among end-to-end flows.
A method for the purification of nicotinamide mononucleotide

Abstract Purified nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) has been prepared by incubation of diphosphopyridine nucleotide (DPN) with potato pyrophosphatase in a nonphosphate buffer and in the presence of fluoride. The NMN formed is adsorbed on charcoal followed by elution with aqueous isoamyl alcohol. This eluate is passed through Dowex 1 chloride, and NMN is washed out of the anion exchanger with water, DPN and adenylic acid being retained by the resin. NMN is precipitated from a slightly acidic solution with acetone.
Stochastic approximation and the final value theorem

Abstract The aim here is to show how to obtain many of the well-known limit results (i.e., central limit theorem, law of the iterated logarithm, invariance principle) of stochastic approximation (SA) by a shorter argument and under weaker conditions. The idea is to introduce an artificial sequence, related to the SA scheme, and which clearly obeys the limit law. This sequence is subtracted from the SA scheme and then simple deterministic limit theory is used to show the remainder is negligible. As a consequence of this approach proofs are shorter and the meaning of conditions becomes clearer. Because the difference equations are not summed up it is simple to state results for general an, cn sequences.
Solar selective properties and high temperature stability of CVD ZrB2

Abstract Coatings of ZrB2 for photothermal solar absorber applications have been prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Solar absorptance and emittance (100°C) are reported for CVD ZrB2 and hot pressed ZrB2. Antireflection coatings of Si3N4 increase the solar absorptance of CVD ZrB2 from initial values of 0.46–0.77 to 0.88–0.93 while only increasing the emittance (100°C) from 0.08 to 0.10. High temperature aging experiments at 400 and 500°C in air show the Si3N4/ZrB2 coatings to be stable for at least 1000 h. Aging experiments at 600°C in air show a slight degradation in optical properties after 300 h. The change at 600°C appears to result from oxidation of the Si3N4 antireflection layer.
Displacement formulations of the thin elastic shell equations.

Displacement formulations of first order linear thin elastic shell equations in terms of stress resultant and middle surface, using modified Kirchhoff hypothesis
Exchange between uranium hexafluoride and some of its complexes

Abstract Rapid exchange between free and complexed uranium hexafluoride was observed by 19 F nmr in several systems. The distribution of the uranium containing species was measured in each of the phases for these systems. No significant enrichment was found when the reactants were distributed between the phases in the two phase liquid system sulfur dioxide-dichloro-difluoromethane.
NONPERTURBATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO A RESUMMED LEPTONIC ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION IN INCLUSIVE Z/γ* BOSON PRODUCTION

We summarize a new analysis of the distribution $\phi_{\eta}^{*}$ of charged leptons produced in decays of Z and γ* bosons in the Collins-Soper-Sterman (CSS) formalism for transverse momentum resummation. By comparing the $\phi_{\eta}^{*}$ distribution measured at the Tevatron with the resummed CSS cross section with approximate $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s}^{2})$ Wilson coefficients, we constrain the magnitude of the nonperturbative Gaussian smearing factor and analyze its uncertainty caused by variations in scale parameters. We find excellent agreement between the $\phi_{\eta}^{*}$ data and our theoretical prediction, provided by the RESBOS resummation program. The nonperturbative factor that we obtained can be used to update resummed QCD predictions for precision measurements in inclusive W and Z production and for comparisons to various models of nonperturbative dynamics.
Creating a Philanthropic Marketplace through Accounting, Disclosure, and Intermediation

The American public increasingly demands greater performance accountability and allocative efficiency from the nonprofit sector. Nearly 100 online information intermediaries in the United States provide nonprofit ratings, rankings, or designations in an attempt to direct philanthropic resources toward more effective and efficient organizations, but their effect has been limited by a lack of relevant performance data. This article seeks to advance these efforts by introducing a uniform, flexible accounting and disclosure framework to provide the philanthropic marketplace with the performance data necessary to promote performance accountability and sector-wide allocative efficiency. The framework is based on prior research establishing that many nonprofit organizations, in practice, define organizational effectiveness as outcome accountability. According to the outcome accountability model, an organization is effective to the extent that it achieves specified levels of progress toward its own goals.
Quantitative approach to temporal diffraction from stepped surfaces

We demonstrate how quantitative information on surface kinetics can be obtained from the intensity fluctuations in a diffraction experiment. As an example we have calculated the diffraction intensity time autocorrelation function from a surface consisting of fluctuating steps. Two different rate limiting atomic processes are considered as the source of the fluctuations. We show that the mechanism for equilibrium of a step can be distinguished by the characteristic time decay of the diffraction intensity autocorrelation function. In addition we discuss limits on experimental parameters necessary to observe the diffraction fluctuations. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
Effects of mild inbreeding on productive and reproductive performance of Guernsey cattle.

Production and reproduction records that spanned a 24-yr period were used to study the effects of low coefficients of inbreeding in two experiment station Guernsey herds. Inbreeding ranged from 0 to 25.3% and averaged 4.1%. Milk and fat yields were all first lactations standardized to a mature equivalent, twice daily milking, and 305 d. Intrasire regressions of production traits on percent inbreeding were -23.8 kg of milk, -1.25 kg of fat, and .002% for fat percentage. Estimates of the effect of inbreeding on reproductive traits had large standard errors but suggested that inbreeding depressed reproductive performance. Age at first calving decreased 3.7 d per 1% increase in inbreeding.
Solute adjustments in leaves of two species of wheat at two different stages of growth in response to salinity

Changes in leaf solute concentrations in response to salinity were measured at two growth stages in two species of wheat, Triticum turgidum L. cv. Aldura (Durum group) and Triticum aestivum L., cv. Probred that differed in their salt tolerances. Both species at 55 days of age were Na+-excluders, but the concentration of Na+ was 10 times higher in T. turgidum than T. aestivum at low to moderate levels of stress. The ratio then decreased until it was 2:1 at – 1.2 MPa. In T. turgidum, K+ concentrations decreased with increasing Na+ concentrations so that the sum of the two cations remained constant at all stress levels, but in T. aestivum K+ decreased more rapidly than Na+ increased. In both species growing in media at 0 to –0.6 MPa, the amounts of Mg2+ and Ca2+ in 55-day-old plants that could be extracted with hot water were below 0.1 mmol (g dry weight)−1. Then, as osmotic potentials of media decreased further, hot water-extractable Ca2+ increased greatly until, at – 1.2 MPa, Ca2+ concentrations were almost equal to the sum of Na+ and K+. In the range of 0 to –1.0 MPa, the ratio of Cl− to total cationic charge remained constant at 1:6 in T. aestivum and 1:2 in T. turgidum. However, at – 1.2 MPa, the ratio in both species had changed to 2:3. Sucrose and betaine concentrations were 4 and 48 μmol (g dry weight)−1, respectively, in non-stressed plants of both species. At – 1.2 MPa, sucrose had increased 30-fold but betaine had increased only 2.5-fold. Proline increased exponentially relative to foliar Na+ in T. turgidum. In T. aestivum only plants grown at –1.2 MPa contained sufficient Na+ to stimulate the accumulation of proline. Although the quantities of the solutes in leaves of non-stressed 96-day-old plants differed from those in non-stressed younger plants, the patterns of change of organic solutes as the older plants were subjected to increasing saline stresses were the same as in younger plants with the exception of sucrose. Sucrose concentrations were much higher in leaves of non-stressed older plants and this sugar first increased and then decreased with decreasing osmotic potentials of media.
Irreversibility and damage of SAFC-40R steel specimen in uniaxial tension

Abstract Macroscopic material damage is detected and assessed for the SAFC-40R steel specimen in uniaxial tension even when the stress responded linearly with strain. As the loading increased monotonically at a rate of 0.2 cm/min, the specimen first absorbed heat from the surrounding and then released heat when the strain is almost five times beyond the so-called “elastic limit”. In other words, the specimen undergoes cooling and heating with reference to the ambient temperature. This phenomenon is predicted theoretically for the first time by application of the energy density theory and the results agreed well with experimental data. Obtained is the H- function that possesses a distinct threshold at time between 21 and 22 seconds after loading. This transition is defined as the onset of disorder at which point the energy dissipation density D increases suddenly by one order of magnitude. The corresponding uniaxial stress and strain are 194.4 MPa and 0.9764·10 −3 cm/cm, respectively. These values are lower than those normally referred to at the yield point.
An optimal variable cell histogram

A simple procedure for specifying a histogram with variable cell sizes is proposed. The procedure chooses a set of cutpoints that maximizes a criterion function based on the sample spacings:Under some conditions, this estimated set of cutpoints is shown to converge in probability to the theoretical set of cutpoints for the histogram estimate that minimizes the Hellingerdistance to the underlying density. An algorithm for finding the set of cutpoints that numerically maximizes the criterion function is presented along with an example. Performance for finite sample sizes is evaluated by simulations.
Hydrophilic polymer supports for solid-phase synthesis: preparation of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate polymer beads using "classical" suspension polymerization in aqueous medium and their application in the solid-phase synthesis of hydantoins.

Lightly cross-linked hydrophilic polymer beads representing new types of supports for solid-phase synthesis have been prepared from commercial oligoethylene glycol monomethacrylates using an aqueous suspension polymerization process and specifically designed polymerization mixtures. These beads swell extensively in solvents with a wide range of polarities from dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, and water to dimethylformamide, and they enable high functional loadings of 1.2−1.8 mmol g-1. Their ability to serve as supports was demonstrated in the model solid-phase synthesis of a small library of hydantoins. This four-step synthesis using primary amines readily affords yields of over 70%.
A two-stage, self-aligned vertical densification process for as-grown CNT forests in supercapacitor applications

Abstract The method of a two-stage, self-aligned liquid densification process for carbon nanotube (CNT) forests has been demonstrated for supercapacitor electrode applications with enhanced energy density. By combining processes of mechanical bending and liquid densification, the vertical height of a 10 mm × 5 mm in size, as-grown CNT forest on top of a silicon substrate was reduced from 320 μm to 21 μm in our prototype experiments. It was found that densified CNTs maintained the film continuity and the self-alignment configuration but the alignment changed into the lateral direction of the growth substrate while the CNT-silicon bottom contacts were preserved. After immersing in a liquid electrolyte, the system capacitances were measured by extracting data from the recorded cyclic voltammetry curves. Results show that, even though densified CNT forest samples had slightly reduced total capacitances as compared with samples from as-grown CNT forests, volumetric specific capacitance increased from 1.07 F/cm 3 to 10.7 F/cm 3 for densified CNT samples. As such, this two-stage, self-aligned vertical densification process could be scaled up to produce highly densified, large area, porous and conductive CNT films for potential energy storage applications.
The Protective Effect of Profound Hypothermia on the Canine Central Nervous System during One Hour of Circulatory Arrest

Circulatory arrest during profound hypothermia is a safe technique of cardiac surgery when used in selected instances. Despite its proven safety, the degree of cerebral protection offered by this technique is still poorly defined. Ten dogs anesthetized with Pentothal (thiopental sodium) were surface cooled to 32 degrees C. They were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass, cooled to 13 degrees C (cerebral temperature), and then underwent one hour of circulatory arrest. At the end of the arrest period, the dogs were rewarmed, resuscitated, and successfully weaned from bypass. A control group of 6 dogs were subjected to the same protocol but without the one-hour period of circulatory arrest. There were no group differences in animal weight, duration of surface cooling, cardiopulmonary bypass, or rewarming, mean flow, or mean arterial pressure. After a 7-day observation period, the dogs were killed with rapid tissue fixation using formalin. No neurological deficits were noted in any of the dogs during the observation period. The fixed brains were examined by a neuropathologist. No gross or microscopic evidence of cerebral hypoxia was seen in any of the animals. We conclude that one hour of circulatory arrest under profoundly hypothermic temperatures produces no detectable neurological changes or histological evidence of cerebral hypoxia.
Morphologic and biochemical alterations in rat prostatic tumors induced by fetal urogenital sinus mesenchyme

Because fetal urogenital sinus mesenchyme (UGM) has been found to be highly inductive when recombined with normal adult prostate tissues or normal and neoplastic bladder epithelium, we investigated whether fetal UGM also interacts with established hormone-responsive and unresponsive rat Dunning and Nb prostate tumors. Our results indicate that: 1) fetal UGM acts directly on selected rat prostatic tumors by inducing histomorphologic changes (e.g., inducing acinar ductal structures and secretory activity) in the tumors toward more differentiated forms resembling that of the adult prostate gland; 2) fetal UGM either increased the growth rate of or maintained the sizes of three of the four interacting rat prostatic tumors; and 3) fetal UGM markedly reduced the lactate dehydrogenase activity of Nb-autonomous tumor toward a level comparable to that of the normal rat prostate gland. Our data suggest that fetal UGM can directly affect the growth and differentiative functions of selected rat prostatic tumors.
A Test of the Friedman-Savage Gambling Model

Two fundamentally different explanations of gambling behavior have developed. The first is generally referred to as the psychological model. It stresses that gambling is an enjoyable activity for many people and is consumed like any other good or service. Participation in gambling provides one with social and personal gratification. "Unfair" bets, or those gambles with negative expected return, are taken because people misperceive probabilities in risk-taking situations. The best predictors of who will gamble according to the psychological model include race, sex, family and demographic characteristics, and one's cultural background. According to the Friedman-Savage model, a rational individual will gamble if he possesses a particular type of utility of wealth function [Friedman and Savage, 1948]. The motivation of the gambler according to this model is the high value he places on the chance of achieving a major increase in personal wealth and thus moving upward on the socioeconomic ladder:
Oxidation kinetics of type 2A natural diamond [100] and [111] surfaces by TG

Abstract The recent advances in the synthesis of deposited diamond films have resulted in renewed interest in the kinetics of oxidation of natural diamond on the various crystallographic faces. Data on [111] faces can be obtained only at small percentage conversions because the etched surfaces convert to [100] as the reaction proceeds. Oxidation of [100] faces is initiated at the site of defects and proceeds laterally along the surface rather than into the bulk. Flynn and Wall kinetics may be carried out on [100] faces, but allowances must be made for the fact that the initial density of defects will depend on sample preparation, particularly on the angle between the actual surface and the true [100] direction.
Aging-related prolongation of calcium spike duration in rat hippocampal slice neurons.

Abstract Calcium (Ca) spike potentials were investigated in cesium-loaded, tetrodotoxin (TTX)-treated CA1 pyramidal cells in hippocampal slices from young-mature and aged rats. The duration of single Ca spike potentials was prolonged in cells from aged rats, indicating that previously observed age-related changes in Ca-dependent mechanisms (e.g. in the K-mediated after hyperpolarization and in frequency potentiation) may result from an age-related increase of voltage-dependent Ca conductance. Since we recently found that Ca spike duration in hippocampus can be modulated strongly by a form of Ca-dependent inactivation of Ca current, spike inactivation paradigms also were examined. However, following 5- or 10-s-long depolarizing pulses, or during a 2-Hz train of elicited Ca spikes, there were no age differences in percent inactivation. These results do not support (but do not fully rule out) the possibility that impaired Ca-dependent inactivation underlies the increase in the Ca spike with aging. Conceivably, this prolongation of voltage-dependent Ca influx could have implications for our understanding of normal and abnormal brain aging.
On the skewness of vorticity in the upper ocean

Conservation of potential vorticity suggests that when the magnitude of relative vorticity approaches the planetary vorticity, cyclonic vorticity should be preferred. Small-scale, 3-km relative vorticity is examined using shipboard Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) velocity measurements and P-code Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation from a cruise in the North Pacific. The skewness of relative vorticity in the mixed layer is positive, consistent with theory. The probability density function of vorticity reveals that positive skewness occurs because large vorticities are more likely to be cyclonic than anticyclonic. The skewness is shown to be significant relative to measurement and random errors. In contrast, skewness in the thermocline has no preferred sign. The skewness peaks at the surface and decays to zero at the base of the mixed layer.
Spectroscopy of cataclysmic variables. I. Observations.

Spectroscopic observations of 69 cataclysmic variables are presented. Representative spectra, accurate coordinates, and finding charts are given for each object. Line strengths, equivalent widths, and line widths for all emission lines in 153 spectra are tabulated. The spectra are discussed briefly, and notes to selected objects are given.
Rectifier Equipment for Electronic D-C Motor Drives

This paper has endeavored to show a functional description of an adjustable voltage rectifier equipment which delivers moderate power and is suitable for the control of one or more d-c motors. These rectifiers incorporate high gain amplifier and excitation circuits which have a high degree of reliability and freedom from frequent maintenance. A well-regulated output voltage is obtained by the use of the Amplistat circuit. The output voltage may be continuously adjusted in response to several system conditions as required. The assembly is made compact and economical by full utilization of the cubicle space. These features make possible a packaged, unit type of rectifier equipment which meets all the service requirements of industrial applications requiring regulated variable voltage source.
Ascending sensory, but not other long-tract axons, regenerate into the connective tissue matrix that forms at the site of a spinal cord injury in mice.

Mice exhibit a unique wound healing response following spinal cord injury in which the lesion site fills in with a connective tissue matrix. Previous studies have revealed that axons grow into this matrix, but the source of the axons remained unknown. The present study assesses whether any of these axons were the result of long tract regeneration. C57Bl/6 mice received crush injuries and were allowed to survive for 6 weeks to 7 months. Biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) was injected into the somato-motor cortex to trace descending corticospinal tract (CST) axons, into the midbrain to label descending brainstem pathways including the rubrospinal and reticulospinal tracts, or into the L5 dorsal root ganglion to trace ascending projections of first-order sensory neurons. Spinal cords from other mice were prepared for immunocytochemistry using antibodies against neurofilament protein (NF), 5-HT to reveal descending serotonergic axons, calcitonin gene-related protein (CGRP) to reveal ascending sensory axons, and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) to assess the distribution of molecules that are inhibitory to axon growth. NF immunostaining revealed axons in the connective tissue matrix at the lesion site, confirming previous studies that used protargol staining. CST axons did not enter the connective tissue matrix, but did sprout extensively in segments adjacent to the injury site. Rubrospinal and reticulospinal tract axons also did not grow into the lesion site. 5-HT-positive axons extended to the edge of the lesion, and a few axons followed astrocyte processes into the margins of the lesion site. In contrast to the other pathways, BDA-labeled ascending sensory axons did extend into and arborized extensively within the connective tissue matrix, although the subgroup of ascending axons that are positive for CGRP did not. These results indicate that the connective tissue matrix is permissive for regeneration of some classes of ascending sensory axons but not for other axonal systems.
Aging and the Right to Terminate Medical Treatment

Belief in the right of patient and/or family to terminate medical care in the case of irreversible terminal illness is analyzed by age level, education, health, and attitudes to patient rights in general. The issue of terminating treatment has become important as the result of new technologies which permit continuance of bodily functions by mechanical means; stopping care involves confrontation with the norm of maintaining life at all costs. Although age is related to support of the right to halt treatment, with those over 65 least likely to agree, the style of relation to professional care in general has more explanatory power.
Non-mammalian genetic model systems in sleep research.

Among the most notable advances to the sleep research field in the past decade has been the addition of several new model systems that are amenable to genetic analysis. These include the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the round worm Caenorhabditis elegans, and the Zebrafish Danio rerio. Though this field is young, research in these model systems has already yielded important contributions into our understanding of the regulation and function of sleep and sleep-like states. Looking forward, these model systems hold promise to contribute for many years to the discovery of new sleep regulators, to understanding the function of genes discovered in human genetic research, and to testing hypotheses regarding the function of sleep. There are three principal uses of genetic model systems relevant to human sleep disorders: discovery of new genes, testing the in vivo function of gene variants associated with human sleep traits, and testing of hypotheses regarding the function of sleep. The goal of this chapter is to review the chief utilities of non-mammalian model system in the study of sleep. The criteria for sleep or a sleep-like state have been extensively reviewed (1, 2) as have the experiments supporting the idea that sleep is fundamentally conserved in phylogeny (1, 3–6). We will therefore start with the premise that sleep can be studied in any of the key non-mammalian model genetic systems including Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Danio rerio.
Heavily doped bilayer manganites: links among structure, charge, and spin

Bilayer manganites La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7 offer an exceptional opportunity to explore the connections among crystal structure, magnetic structure, and charge order. We have recently succeeded in synthesis of the phase diagram for x>0.5, and have used both neutron and X-ray diffraction to explore this highly Mn4+-rich system. In particular, we find a progression of magnetic structures from the type-A layered antiferromagnetic (AF), through the type-C AF rod structure, and finally to the type-G ‘rock salt’ AF structure. We also discover an unexpected region in which no long-range magnetic order is found and discuss a possible frustration scenario based on incompatible orbital ordering. We also address the evolution of charge order in these materials.
Cortisol infusion blocks adrenocorticotropis hormone but not vasopressin responses to hypotension in fetal lambs

In eight experiments in which a paired crossover design was used, we studied the ability of physiologic levels of cortisol to block adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and vasopressin responses to hypotension in fetal lambs. On different days, each fetus received a 4-hour infusion of cortisol or ethanol-saline solution vehicle, and then hypotension was induced with nitroprusside. Mean levels of ACTH before manipulation were 20 ± 10 pg/ml and 18 ± pg/ml in the saline solution- and cortisol-treated animals, respectively. Mean values of ACTH increased significantly to 70, 88, and 127 pg/ml at 2.5, 5, and 10 minutes of hypotension after pretreatment with saline solution. Cortisol pretreatment abolished the fetal ACTH response to hypotension. Mean levels of vasopressin during the control period were similar in the two groups of animals (5.7 ± 1.5 pg/ml versus 5.9 ± 1.3 pg/ml) and rose to comparable levels (69.4 ± 15.6 pg/ml versus 65.2 ± 7.7 pg/ml) during hypotension. Thus, increases in plasma cortisol levels within a physiologic range can suppress hypotension-induced ACTH but not vasopressin release in the fetus.
Effect Of Grain Boundaries on Diffusion‐Controlled Processes in Aluminum Oxide

Oxygen ion diffusion coefficients in single-crystal Al2O3 are several orders of magnitude less than alminum ion diffusion coefficients in polycrystalline Al2O3. In polycrystalline Al2O3, oxygen ion diffusion is enhanced by the presence of grain boundaries as in the chloride ion diffusion in the alkali halides. Creep and sintering of polycrystalline Al2O3 occur at a faster rate than is possible through control by lattice diffusion of oxygen; the rates are in fair quantitative agreement with cation diffusion. It is tentatively concluded that enhanced oxygen diffusion in regions adjacent to boundaries allows aluminum ion bulk diffusion to be rate controlling for these processes. The electrical conductivity in Al2O3 is too high to be related to either anion or cation diffusion and is predominantly electronic.
Crosslinking kinetics of the human transglutaminase, factor XIII[A2], acting on fibrin gels and gamma-chain peptides.

Factor XIII is the terminal enzyme of the coagulation cascade which serves to rapidly crosslink the adjacent gamma-chain C-termini of fibrin clots. In vivo, this process is initiated by the proteolytic action of thrombin which simultaneously converts both soluble fibrinogen to fibrin and activates zymogen FXIII; fibrin then spontaneously polymerizes to form a gel which activated FXIII stabilizes through crosslinking. Due to the kinetic complexity and the difficulty of investigating gel phase reactions, methods employing pre-activation of recombinant human Factor XIII (rFXIII[A'2]) were developed to effectively decouple these reactions. By utilizing these methods, the kinetic parameters of gamma-chain crosslinking in fibrin gels could be determined by both initial rate and integrated rate techniques under physiologically relevant conditions. The crosslinking of the gamma-chain of fibrin gels could be described by apparent Michaelis kinetics with K(m)(app) = 6.2 microM, kcat = 1872 min-1, and Ksp = 302 min-1 microM-1 for a fibrin gamma-chain monomer of M(r) = 170000 Da. In contrast, both the crosslinking rates of alpha-chains within fibrin gels (Ksp = 0.38 min-1 microM-1: Bishop et al. (1993)) and the crosslinking of a soluble synthetic peptide containing the unique gamma-chain fibrin crosslinking site (Ksp = 0.030 min-1 microM-1) could not be shown to saturate and gave apparent first-order rates with respect to rFXIII[A'2]. These observations coupled with the large differences in the turnover rates (approximately 10(4)) suggest two likely mechanisms for FXIII[A'2]-substrate interactions: (1) random (or independent) binding of non- or weakly interacting substrate pairs imposes a high entropic barrier (i. e., delta Gbinding) to the formation of a productive catalytic complex, e.g., for soluble gamma-chain peptides and the flexible alpha-chains within fibrin, and (2) binding to an oriented substrate pair effectively lowers the entropic barrier to formation of a Michaelis complex and thus greatly enhances the rate of catalysis, e.g., for gamma-chain pairs within the fibrin fibrils.
Exploring HIV prevention needs for nongay-identified black and African American men who have sex with men: a qualitative exploration.

Objectives:The objectives of this study were to describe ways in which black men who have sex with men (MSM) identify their sexual identities, explore their views of HIV prevention interventions, and assess barriers to recruiting men for future study participation.Study Design:Focus groups were cond
Mechanisms of the bainite (non-lamellar eutectoid) reaction and a fundamental distinction between the bainite and pearlite (lamellar eutectoid) reactions

Abstract A Hillert analysis of the edgewise growth of pearlite is modified by assuming that α and β, the products of the eutectoid decomposition of a γ phase matrix, grow by means of the ledge mechanism and by temporarily decoupling α and β growth kinetics. When equilibrium proportions of α and β form, the growth rates of the two product phases, Gα and Gβ, are found to be equal only when h α λ α = h β λ β , where h = ledge height and λ = inter-ledge spacing. This result reproduces the Hackney-Shiflet observation that ferrite and cementite plates in pearlite formed in an FeCMn alloy lengthen by means of shared growth ledges. When h α λ α ≠ h β λ β , Gα ≠ Gβ; hence one product phase, say, α, grows more rapidly than β and usually interrupts contact between β and γ. Thus the repeated re-nucleation of β crystals at α−γ boundaries is required. This result is consistent with the Lee-Aaronson observations that the ledge structure on eutectoid α crystals is different from that on eutectoid TiCr2 crystals in bainite formed in a hypereutectoid TiCr alloy. This interfacial structure criterion for eutectoid decomposition by the microstructural bainite mechanism provides a basis for explaining the very wide variations in the microstructure of bainite which can develop in different alloy systems and even within a particular alloy. The external morphologies of bainite usually observed are concluded to derive from the morphology of the proeutectoid crystals serving as their “substrate”. The much less frequently found nodular morphology is proposed to be the true or “intrinsic” external morphology of bainite, and to appear only in the absence of appreciable intervention by the proeutectoid phase in the development of the bainite structure.
Under-informed momentum in PSO

Particle Swarm Optimization is fundamentally a stochastic algorithm, where each particle takes into account noisy information from its own history as well as that of its neighborhood. Though basic information-theoretic principles would suggest that less noise indicates greater certainty, the momentum term is simultaneously the least directly-informed and the most deterministically applied. This dichotomy suggests that the typically confident treatment of momentum is misplaced, and that swarm performance can benefit from better-motivated processes that obviate momentum entirely.
Effectiveness of transnasal butorphanol for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain

A prospective, open-label study of the effectiveness of transnasal butorphanol in the treatment of pain resulting from musculoskeletal injuries. Twenty-eight patients with strains (n = 20), fractures (n = 6), contusions (n = 1), and stab wounds (n = 1) were included. All patients were examined by an attending level emergency medicine physician and deemed to have pain severe enough to warrant parenteral narcotic analgesia. All patients received an initial 1-mg dose of transnasal butorphanol. Subsequent dosing was flexible depending on response to the initial dose. All patients received pain relief from transnasal butorphanol, and only one requested alternative analgesic medication. Fifty-seven percent (n = 16) of patients noticed at least a little relief of pain within 5 minutes of administration and 93% (n = 26) received at least a little relief within 15 minutes. Seventy-one percent of the patients received a 50% reduction of pain within 60 minutes. No serious side effects were noted, but drowsiness occurred in 82% (n = 23) and dizziness in 54% (n = 15) of the patients. One patient discontinued participation in the study because of nausea. In this limited trial transnasal butorphanol proved to be a rapidly effective opioid analgesic. Further controlled studies comparing transnasal butorphanol with standard parenteral narcotics are needed.