cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A technique for monitoring the placement of computer-generated laboratory reports in patients' medical records

The correct placement of clinical laboratory reports in patients' medical records is a critical step in the delivery of results to the test-ordering physican. A system has been developed in our hospital for monitoring this process on a daily basis. During a nine-month test period, 5.1% of medical records inspected contained laboratory report errors. The true incidence of errors was undoubtedly much higher. The nature of these errors and the means for their correction are detailed in this report.
Dose spectra from energetic particles and neutrons

[1] Dose spectra from energetic particles and neutrons (DoSEN) are an early-stage space technology research project that combines two advanced complementary radiation detection concepts with fundamental advantages over traditional dosimetry. DoSEN measures not only the energy but also the charge distribution (including neutrons) of energetic particles that affect human (and robotic) health in a way not presently possible with current dosimeters. For heavy ions and protons, DoSEN provides a direct measurement of the lineal energy transfer (LET) spectra behind shielding material. For LET measurements, DoSEN contains stacks of thin-thick Si detectors similar in design to those used for the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation. With LET spectra, we can now directly break down the observed spectrum of radiation into its constituent heavy-ion components and through biologically based quality factors that provide not only doses and dose rates but also dose equivalents, associated rates, and even organ doses. DoSEN also measures neutrons from 10 to 100 MeV, which requires enough sensitive mass to fully absorb recoil particles that the neutrons produce. DoSEN develops the new concept of combining these independent measurements and using the coincidence of LET measurements and neutron detection to significantly reduce backgrounds in each measurement. The background suppression through the use of coincidence allows for significant reductions in size, mass, and power needed to provide measurements of dose, neutron dose, dose equivalents, LET spectra, and organ doses. Thus, we introduce the DoSEN concept: a promising low-mass instrument that detects the full spectrum of energetic particles, heavy ions, and neutrons to determine biological impact of radiation in space.
WCAG 2.0 for Designers: Beyond Screen Readers and Captions

The W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide guidance on making websites accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG 1.0 focused largely on coding requirements that enable websites to interoperate with assistive technologies used by people with disabilities. WCAG 2.0 addresses an environment where website complexity has increased significantly due to higher network bandwidth and the introduction of new interactive technologies. It places more constraints on the default look and feel of a website. Of the 38 Level A and AA provisions, about 50%, impact the website design. This paper reviews those requirements, examining the user needs that they are intended to support and highlighting example strategies for addressing those needs.
Synthesis and characterization of radiation curable polyurethanes containing pendant acrylate groups

Abstract : A series of radiation sensitive and relatively high molecular weight polytetramethyleneadipate polyurethanes containing pendant acrylate functionality was synthesized. These radiation curable materials possess good mechanical properties and behave like common thermoplastic elastomers prior to chemical crosslinking which further enhances their strength insolublizes them. Both the precursor and the cured materials were characterized by stress-strain, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical testing. It was found that the polytetramethylene adipate soft segments with molecular weight of 2000 or higher were crystallizable in the crosslinked network. The soft segment molecular weight and the diisocyanate type were found to be important in determining the tensile and thermal properties of these materials. The crosslinking process was found to depress crystallization of the soft segments and to improve tensile properties. Increasing the soft segment molecular weight resulted in an increased elongation at break but a decreased ultimate stress for both the precursor linear polymers and the crosskinked materials.
Schedule-Controlled Operant Behavior of Rats During 1,1,1-Trichloroethane Inhalation: Relationship to Blood and Brain Solvent Concentrations1

The central nervous system is the principal target of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TRI), and several studies of this volatile solvent have demonstrated effects on learned animal behaviors. There have been few attempts, however, to quantitatively relate such effects to blood or target organ (brain) solvent concentrations. Therefore, Sprague-Dawley rats trained to lever-press for evaporated milk on a variable interval 30-s reinforcement schedule were placed in an operant test cage and exposed to clean air for 20 min, followed by a single concentration of TRI vapor (500-5000 ppm) for 100 min. Additional rats were exposed to equivalent TRI concentrations for 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, or 100 min to determine blood and brain concentration vs. time profiles. Inhalation of 1000 ppm slightly increased operant response rates, whereas 2000, 3500, and 5000 ppm decreased operant response rates in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Accumulation of TRI in blood and brain was rapid and concentration dependent, with the brain concentration roughly twice that of blood. Plots of blood and brain TRI concentrations against operant performance showed responding in excess of control rates at low concentrations, and decreasing response rates as concentrations increased. Linear regression analyses indicated that blood and brain concentrations, as well as measures of time integrals of internal dose, were strongly correlated with operant performance. Neurobehavioral toxicity in laboratory animals, as measured by changes in operant performance, can therefore be quantitatively related to internal measures of TRI exposure to enhance its predictive value for human risk assessment.
Nitrogen excretion as a measure of protein metabolism in man under different conditions of renal function.

In 3 healthy men who were studied on 54 occasions under normal, inhibited, and accentuated states of renal function, the rate of urinary nitrogen excretion was a linear function of creatinine clearance (r = 0.92). The data suggest that if urinary nitrogen excretion is used to estimate protein metabolism in man, then the rate of glomerular filtration during the period of evaluation must be considered for adequate interpretation.
Weighing in on ubiquitin: the expanding role of mass-spectrometry-based proteomics

Mass-spectrometry-based proteomics has become an essential tool for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of cellular systems. The biochemical complexity and functional diversity of the ubiquitin system are well suited to proteomic studies. This review summarizes advances involving the identification of ubiquitinated proteins, the elucidation of ubiquitin-modification sites and the determination of polyubiquitin chain linkages, as well as offering a perspective on the application of emerging technologies for mechanistic and functional studies of protein ubiquitination.
Is There a Role for Protein Restriction in the Treatment of Chronic Renal Failure

Rationale for Protein Restriction in Renal Failure The rationale for protein restriction is very simple: since the kidneys have the major responsibility for removing the waste products of protein metabolism, these products accumulate in patients with chronic renal failure and are the direct cause of most of the signs and symptoms, even though the quantitative relationship between these signs and symptoms and the level of these accumulated metabolites is variable. Obviously a high protein intake will thus aggravate these signs and symptoms, while a low protein diet will ameliorate them. But protein restriction can clearly be overdone. If the intake of essential amino acids is less than the subject’s requirements, progressive protein malnutrition will slowly develop. It follows logically that a diet completely free of whole protein, but supplemented by essential amino acids as such, will be optimal for reducing signs and symptoms. Rose and associates, in their classic studies, had established that normal subjects need no protein at all and only small amounts of nonessential N to maintain N balance on a diet supplemented by essential amino acids [1].
Coexistence of MN Erythrocytes and Apparent Anti‐M Antibody

A patient of blood type MN with an apparent anti-M antibody in his serum is described. The antibody agglutinated all O,M and O,MN cells tested at 4 C and 13 C but did not agglutinate his own or his children's MN cells. The patient's cells were agglutinated by all of three rabbit anti-M and ten of 11 human anti-M sera. The present case resembles one previously described, and further illustrates multiple specificities associated with the M agglutinogen.
The role of ANK interactions with MYBBP1a and SPHK1 in catabolic events of articular chondrocytes

Summary Objective To determine the role of progressive ankylosis protein (ANK)/Myb-binding protein 1a (MYBBP1a) and sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) interactions in catabolic events of articular chondrocytes. Method ANK/MYBBP1a and SPHK1 interactions were identified using yeast two-hybrid screening and co-immunoprecipitation. To determine the role of these interactions in catabolic events of articular chondrocytes, ank/ank and wild type (WT) mouse chondrocytes transfected with full-length or mutant ank expression vectors (EVs) or femoral heads were treated with interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) in the absence or presence of SPHK inhibitor. Catabolic marker mRNA levels were analyzed by real time PCR; proteoglycan loss using safranin O staining and MMP-13 immunostaining were determined in femoral head explants; NF-κB activity was determined by transfecting chondrocytes with an NF-κB-specific luciferase reporter and analyzing nuclear translocation of p65 by immunoblotting; MYBBP1a nuclear or cytoplasmic amounts were determined by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. Results The ANK N-terminal region interacted with SPHK1, whereas a cytoplasmic C-terminal loop interacted with MYBBP1a. Lack of ANK/MYBBP1a and SPHK1 interactions in ank/ank chondrocytes resulted in increased MYBBP1a nuclear amounts and decreased SPHK1 activity, and consequently decreased NF-κB activity, catabolic marker mRNA levels, proteoglycan loss, and MMP-13 immunostaining in IL-1β-treated articular chondrocytes or femoral heads. Transfection with full-length ank EV reduced nuclear MYBBP1a amounts and fully restored SPHK and NF-κB activities in IL-1β-treated ank/ank chondrocytes, whereas transfection with P5L or F376del mutant ank reduced nuclear MYBBP1a or increased SPHK activity, respectively, and consequently either transfection only partially restored NF-κB activity. Conclusion ANK/MYBBP1a and SPHK1 interactions stimulate catabolic events in IL-1β-mediated cartilage degradation.
Development of a socio-ecological environmental justice model for watershed-based management

Summary The dynamics and relationships between society and nature are complex and difficult to predict. Anthropogenic activities affect the ecological integrity of our natural resources, specifically our streams. Further, it is well-established that the costs of these activities are born unequally by different human communities. This study considered the utility of integrating stream health metrics, based on stream health indicators, with socio-economic measures of communities, to better characterize these effects. This study used a spatial multi-factor model and bivariate mapping to produce a novel assessment for watershed management, identification of vulnerable areas, and allocation of resources. The study area is the Saginaw River watershed located in Michigan. In-stream hydrological and water quality data were used to predict fish and macroinvertebrate measures of stream health. These measures include the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI), Family IBI, and total number of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa. Stream health indicators were then compared to spatially coincident socio-economic data, obtained from the United States Census Bureau (2010), including race, income, education, housing, and population size. Statistical analysis including spatial regression and cluster analysis were used to examine the correlation between vulnerable human populations and environmental conditions. Overall, limited correlation was observed between the socio-economic data and ecological measures of stream health, with the highest being a negative correlation of 0.18 between HBI and the social parameter household size. Clustering was observed in the datasets with urban areas representing a second order clustering effect over the watershed. Regions with the worst stream health and most vulnerable social populations were most commonly located nearby or down-stream to highly populated areas and agricultural lands.
At a loss for words: Dominating the conversation and the outcome in negotiation as a function of intricate arguments and communication media

Abstract Under what conditions do intricate pre-planned arguments enable negotiators to dominate the conversation and ultimately the outcome? We proposed the advantage occurs when the communication media involves the expectation of rapid turn-taking, because counterparts cannot generate rebuttals in time and end up making concessions. In an experiment with a negotiation task, sellers were provided with either intricate or simple arguments to support a competitive tactic and negotiated via either a quick-tempo (Instant Messaging) or slow-tempo (E-mail) medium. As predicted, intricate (versus simple) arguments enabled sellers to claim more value in the quick (Instant Messaging) but not the slow (E-mail) medium. Mediational analyses traced this effect through two process measures: the extent to which sellers enacted the competitive strategy (coded from transcripts), and the extent to which buyers consequently felt “at a loss” (measured by self-reports). We discuss the theoretical and practical consequences of these findings for negotiations.
Ill‐treatment and torture at Abu Ghraib prison: irrational policy implementation and administrative breakdown

The objective of this article is to make theoretical sense of the complex and difficult to comprehend abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. While many theoretical perspectives may be useful to understand Abu Ghraib, this article uses traditional administrative theory. This perspective assumes a breakdown in proper administrative protocol led to Abu Ghraib abuses. Deviant outcomes emanated from illogical implementation of flawed policies at the highest levels of government, which resulted in the normalization of deviance within the prison. The article concludes that post‐Abu Ghraib documentation and investigations show that the Bush Administration played a direct role in the scandal.
Two Species Competition in a Periodic Environment

The classical Lotka-Volterra equations for two competing species have constant coefficients. In this paper these equations are studied under the assumption that the coefficients are periodic functions of a common period. As a generalization of the existence theory for equilibria in the constant coefficient case, it is shown that there exists a branch of positive periodic solutions which connects (i.e. bifurcates from) the two nontrivial periodic solutions lying on the coordinate axes. This branch exists for a finite interval or “spectrum” of bifurcation parameter values (the bifurcation parameter being the average of the net inherent growth rate of one species). The stability of these periodic solutions is studied and is related to the theory of competitive exclusion. A specific example of independent ecological interest is examined by means of which it is shown under what circumstances two species, which could not coexist in a constant environment, can coexist in a limit cycle fashion when subjected to suitable periodic harvesting or removal rates.
Distribution of almond polyphenols in blanch water and skins as a function of blanching time and temperature

Abstract The distribution of polyphenols in blanched almond skins and blanch water, as a function of time and temperature, was quantified using negative ion electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI TOF MS). Almonds were blanched in 25° (RT) and 100 °C (HW) water for up to 10 min. At 10 min, ∼30% (25°) and 90% (100 °C) of the polyphenols quantified had leached from the skins into the blanch water. Many of the compounds precipitated from the blanch water due to limited water solubility, as evidenced by a logarithmic fit to kinetic data (1st order kinetics). The rate of procyanidin degradation into smaller polymeric units (e.g., catechin and epicatechin) also increased as a function of time and temperature. Finally, hydration in RT water increased the extraction efficiency of phenolics by 25%. This work shows that the blanch water, in particular the 100 °C blanch water, was rich in polyphenols and supports exploration of alternative uses for blanch water.
Processing of direction and magnitude by the saccadic eye-movement system.

Abstract The function of the saccadic programming system has been studied using a doublestep target movement in two dimensions. The results of these experiments suggest the following hypotheses. The information processing in the programming of a saccade consists of direction computation and magnitude computation. If the new target-step arrives before the direction computation of the previous saccade is complete, this saccade will be cancelled. The partial program concerning the direction of the saccade is kept in a buffer memory: if the direction of the new saccade is not in a direction similar to the old one, this partial program has to be erased, which takes an extra 40–80 msec of processing time. There is a stage in which the direction of the saccade cannot be reprogrammed but the magnitude can still be reduced. In other words, the magnitude computation seems to finish after the direction computation. If the new target-step arrives after the computation of both direction and magnitude are complete, two full saccades will be observed.
Renal Artery Revascularization: Collaborative Approaches for Specialists

Endovascular revascularization for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS) is the revascularization strategy of choice for patients with hemodynamically and clinically significant renal artery stenosis. Surgical revascularization is reserved for failed endovascular therapy or concomitant abdominal aortic surgery. Endovascular renal artery stenting is associated with excellent technical success, low complication rates, and acceptable long-term patency. This technique has been proven to be beneficial for preserving kidney function and stabilizing or improving blood pressure control in selected patients. Nevertheless, deterioration in kidney function after the procedure in 10% to 20% of cases may limit the immediate benefits of this technique. Atheroembolism appears to play an important role in the cause of kidney dysfunction after renal revascularization. Renal revascularization with a distal embolic protection device is a promising strategy in reducing the risk of atheroembolism and deterioration in kidney function.
Nodular lesions of erythema elevatum diutinum in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus

Background: Erythema elevatum diutinum (EED) is a rare, chronic form of cutaneous vasculitis that can result in fibrosis. Four patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) had unusual nodular lesions of EED. Objective: Our purpose was to document the occurrence of these lesions in HIV-infected patients and to characterize the histopathologic and immunophenotypic features of nodular EED. Methods: Clinicopathologic studies were supplemented by special stains of biopsy specimens. Results: EED may be a complication of HIV infection. Nodules of EED are composed of small aggregates of Mac-387 + spindled cells. Within the aggregates can be seen neutrophils, nuclear dust, and fibrin. The marked fibrosis of the lesions may account for the lack of response to dapsone. Conclusion: EED should be considered in the differential diagnosis of juxtaarticular nodules in HIV-infected patients; its diagnosis can be confirmed by biopsy.
Preliminary studies on the recovery of oil from chattanooga shale

Abstract Three exploratory investigations have been performed to examine the recovery of oil from the Chattanooga black shale formation. Thermogravimetric data were analyzed to yield an average activation energy of 57.1 kcal mol −1 for the conversion process; positive deviations from a reaction order of 3.7 were observed suggesting the presence of autocatalytic effects at low conversion levels. Thermal chromatographic analysis indicated that the maximum organic product release occurred at approximately 435°C and resulted in an oil of relatively low distillation range. A packed bed of shale was retorted in the self-sustained combustion mode thus suggesting the feasibility of this mode for in situ oil recovery. Comparisons with oil shale from Colorado's Green River formation have been made throughout.
Experience and practice organization in learning a simulated high-velocity low-amplitude task.

Objective To evaluate the effect of practice schedule, type of feedback, and experience level on simulated force production accuracy in chiropractic students. Methods Thirty-three chiropractic students simulated a high-velocity low-amplitude prone thoracic spine manipulation. Three force goals based on percent of maximum thrusting ability were used in blocked and random variable practice. Participants received either visual feedback or knowledge of performance feedback regarding their force-time history. Serial retention tests without feedback followed blocked and random variable practice. Peak and average rates of thrust development, as well as the constant error, absolute constant error, and variable error of peak force production, were calculated. Conclusion Familiarity and practice of high-velocity low-amplitude spinal manipulation resulted in greater accuracy of peak force production. Lower error scores were observed in acquisition with blocked variable practice. However, short-term accuracy was enhanced in retention when participants had used random variable practice. Random variable practice combined with visual feedback improved force production accuracy in retention. The variability of peak force production increased to 61% of maximum thrusting ability and then decreased. The greatest accuracy with least variability of peak force production was seen near 75% of maximum thrusting ability.
Synthesis of Flow-Duration Curves for Unregulated Streams in New Hampshire

: Flow-duration curves are concise pictures of flow variability at a point on a stream, and provide essential information for all water-resource planning. In New Hampshire, useful estimates of flow-duration curves for ungaged points on unregulated streams can be made using only information readily available from contour maps: 1) area of the basin above the point of interest; and 2) either the measured mean basin elevation or the elevations of the highest and lowest points in the basin. Measured or estimated mean basin elevation is then used in regression equations to estimate mean flow QC and the flow exceeded 95% of the time, Q95. QC is assumed to occur at the 27% exceedance frequency. Q02, Q05, and Q30 are estimated as multiples of QC. Equations are provided for calculating 95% confidence intervals for future estimates using the method. The dependence of mean flow on elevation is due to positive vertical precipitation gradients and negative vertical evapotranspiration gradients. The dependence of Q95 on elevation appears to be due largely to the fact that it rains more often, that snowmelt takes longer, and that evapotranspiration is reduced at higher elevations.
Why do clinicians exclude anxious clients from exposure therapy

Despite research demonstrating the effectiveness of exposure therapy for pathological anxiety, this treatment is underutilized by clinicians. Anecdotal evidence and clinical experience suggest that therapists who possess reservations about exposure therapy tend to exclude clients from this treatment based on client characteristics believed to predict worse response. When exceptions are made based on characteristics that do not reliably predict poor outcomes, clients face the opportunity cost associated with investment in less effective treatments. The present investigation assessed therapists' likelihood of excluding clients from exposure due to different client and therapist characteristics. Exposure therapists (N = 182) completed an online survey that included the Therapist Beliefs about Exposure Scale, Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3, and the Broken Leg Exception Scale (BLES), a novel measure assessing the likelihood of excluding clients from exposure based on 25 different client characteristics. The BLES demonstrated good psychometric properties. Client characteristics most likely to result in exclusion from exposure therapy were comorbid psychosis, emotional fragility, and reluctance to participate in exposure. Greater likelihood of excluding clients from exposure was associated with higher therapist anxiety sensitivity and endorsement of negative beliefs about exposure therapy. Clinical and training implications of these findings are discussed.
Conditional lethality associated with macronuclear development in Tetrahymena thermophila.

Abstract The development of progeny macronuclei is conditionally lethal in wild-type Tetrahymena thermophila . This lethality is expressed at 40°C and is restricted to those cells producing new macronuclei. The temperature-sensitive period begins at 9 hr and ends at 12.5 hr after conjugation is initiated by the mixing of the prestarved parental strains. This period is coincident with early macronuclear development and the destruction of the parental macronucleus. Our data suggest that an essential, temperature-sensitive step in conjugation is executed at the end of the temperature-sensitive period. Our data also indicate that the cells' commitment to macronuclear development is irrevocable by this point in conjugation.
Effect of Processing Variables on Particles Obtained by Extrusion–Spheronization Processing

Four extrusion-spheronization processing combinations were used to produce spherical granular materials from a standard base formulation. Dried, processed materials were evaluated by several physical methods to quantify the effect of the spheronizing processing variables, speed and dwell time, on the resulting granules. The data obtained indicated that, with this base formulation, plate rotational speed was of great importance in establishing the geometric form of final granules. Dwell time did not have an appreciable effect on the granules in this study. Measurements obtained for spheronized materials were compared to measurements on nonpareil beadlets and a conventionally produced granulation.
Acoustic emission from low temperature phase transformations in plutonium

Abstract Acoustic emission has been measured during the α ι β phase transformations in unalloyed plutonium and during the δ → α phase transformation in plutonium-gallium alloys. No acoustic emission was detected during the α ι β transformations, which indicates that these transformations are unlikely to be martensitic. Acoustic emission was produced by the δ → α transformation. The amount of acoustic emission produced per unit volume of material transforming increased with decreasing gallium content and was reduced by prior thermal cycling.
Modification of the furan ring of salvinorin A: Identification of a selective partial agonist at the kappa opioid receptor

In an effort to find novel agents which selectively target the kappa opioid receptor (KOPR), we modified the furan ring of the highly potent and selective KOPR agonist salvinorin A. Introduction of small substituents at C-16 was well tolerated. 12-epi-Salvinorin A, synthesized in four steps from salvinorin A, was a selective partial agonist at the KOPR. No clear SAR patterns were observed for C-13 aryl ketones. Introducing a hydroxymethylene group between C-12 and the furan ring was tolerated. Small C-13 esters and ethers gave weak KOPR agonists, while all C-13 amides were inactive. Finally, substitution of oxadiazoles for the furan ring abolished affinity for the KOPR. None of the compounds displayed any KOPR antagonism or any affinity for mu or delta opioid receptors.
Angiotensin III Depressor Action in the Conscious Rabbit Is Blocked by Losartan but not PD 123319

Abstract —Vasodilator and vasodepressor properties of angiotensins have been reported, and mediation by prostaglandins or nitric oxide has been proposed. Other studies indicate that angiotensin AT2 receptors might mediate a depressor action, and the present study was designed to delineate and explore this possibility in a conscious rabbit model. Large intravenous boluses of angiotensin III (15 nmol/kg) produced a predictable pressor peak (82±4 mm Hg) followed by a depressor phase (20±3 mm Hg), whereas equipressor doses of angiotensin II were less effective at producing depressor responses. Angiotensin-(1–7) did not exert a depressor action, and the reduced potency of angiotensin IV (relative to angiotensin III) was similar for both the pressor and depressor phases (≈100-fold). It is clear that specific angiotensin IV or angiotensin-(1–7) receptors do not mediate depressor effects in this model. The AT1 antagonist losartan (1 mg/kg) blocked both the pressor and depressor components of the angiotensin III response, whereas the AT2 antagonist PD 123319 (35 mg/kg) had no effect on either element of the response. The data obtained with the angiotensin receptor subtype–selective compounds, losartan and PD 123319, suggest that the depressor action is an AT1-mediated effect and give no indication that AT2 receptors could be involved. Paradoxically, the greater potency of angiotensin III as a vasodepressor belies the conclusion that the response is AT1-mediated, because AT1 receptors have a greater affinity for angiotensin II versus angiotensin III.
Active Vibration Suppression With Time Delayed Feedback

Various active vibration suppression techniques, which use feedback control, are implemented on the structures. In real application, time delay can not be avoided especially in the feedback line of the actively controlled systems. The effects of the delay have to be thoroughly understood from the perspective of system stability and the performance of the controlled system. Often used control laws are developed without taking the delay into account. They fulfill the design requirements when free of delay. As unavoidable delay appears, however, the performance of the control changes. This work addresses the stability analysis of such dynamics as the control law remains unchanged but carries the effect of feedback time-delay, which can be varied. For this stability analysis along the delay axis, we follow up a recent methodology of the authors, the Direct Method (DM), which offers a unique and unprecedented treatment of a general class of linear time invariant time delayed systems (LTI-TDS). We discuss the underlying features and the highlights of the method briefly. Over an example vibration suppression setting we declare the stability intervals of the dynamics in time delay space using the DM. Having assessed the stability, we then look at the frequency response characteristics of the system as performance indications.
An efficient, regiospecific synthesis of (±)-Daunomycinone

Abstract The development of a general strategy for the control ofregiochemistry in the Diels-Alder reactions of substituted naphthazarins is described. Application of this strategy to the synthesis of(±)-daunomycinone ( 2 ) employs two successive regiochemically controlled Diels-Alder reactions and leads to a ten-step, regiospecific synthesis of(±)- 2 in 36% overall yield (Scheme 4).
A physically based constitutive model for fcc metals with applications to dynamic hardness

A constitutive model is developed in this work to describe the mechanical behavior of face centered cubic (fcc) metals under a wide range of temperatures and strain rates. The model is based on the dependence of the activation energy on temperature, strain rate, and stress. An expression for the flow stress is proposed in terms of micromechanical terms such as mobile dislocation density and Burgers vector as well as macromechanical based state variables such as stress and material constants that include threshold and transition temperature. The proposed model is used to simulate the experimental results of oxygen free high conductivity (OFHC) copper at different temperatures and strain rates in order to obtain the different model parameters. The model shows good capability in capturing the coupling between strain rate and temperature, plastic strain and strain rate, and plastic strain and temperature. The model is used to characterize the hardness at low and high strain rates for a representative strain of 8%.
Effects of heroin, methadone, LAAM and cyclazocine on acquisition and performance of response sequences in monkeys

Abstract In each of three components of a multiple schedule, monkeys were required to emit a different sequence of four responses in a predetermined order on four levers. Sequence completions produced food on a fixed-ratio schedule. Errors produced a brief timeout. One component of the multiple schedule was a repeated-acquisition task where the four-response sequence changed each session (learning). The second component of the multiple schedule was also a repeated-acquisition task, but acquisition was supported through the use of a stimulus fading procedure (faded learning). In a third component of the multiple schedule, the sequence of responses remained the same from session to session (performance). At high doses, each drug tested produced essentially the same effect. In all three components, response rate was substantially decreased and percent errors increased. At lower doses, however, their effects differed. Heroin and methadone produced dose-dependent sporadic periods of pausing, but had little or no effect on the accuracy of responding. LAAM also produced sporadic periods of pausing, but its effects on accuracy were variable. In contrast, cyclazocine produced no such pauses in responding but rather decreased the local rates of correct responding in a dose-related manner. These same doses of cyclazocine increased percent errors in the learning component, but not in the faded learning or performance components. The results are generally consistent with the view that putative mu opioid agonists do not affect the accuracy of a discrimination in monkeys except at those doses which produce a substantial decrease in the overall rate of responding.
Optical properties of fluids in microfabricated channels

Microfabricated channels are widely thought to be the key to realizing chemical analysis on a microscopic scale. Chemical and biological information in the microchannels is often probed with optical techniques such as fluorescence, Raman and absorption spectroscopy. However, the optical effects of a microchannel are not well characterized. For example, it is important to understand the optics of the channel in order to optimize optical coupling efficiency. The authors consider various designs for enhancing the sensitivity of fluorescence detection in a microchannel.
The Colorado Wind-Profiling Network

Abstract Remote sensing instrumentation has advanced to the point where serious consideration is being given to a next-generation tropospheric sounding system that uses radars and radiometers to provide profiles of tropospheric variables continuously and automatically. A network of five wind-profiling radars has been constructed in Colorado. This network represents a significant step in the development of a new observing system for operational and research meteorology. The radars and their capabilities and limitations are described.
The influence of preform joints on the processing of RTM composites

Abstract In order to develop preforms for large complex parts capable of meeting the demands of global and local loading conditions, resin transfer moulded parts are typically broken down into multiple elements. A separate preform is developed for each of these sub-sections, which are then assembled in the mould cavity and combined by the moulding process. While the decomposition of a structure into sub-sections eases the burden on the preforming operation(s) to form the desired shape with the appropriate microstructure, it also raises the issue of joining these multi-element preform sections. In previous composites applications, the presence of a joint was traditionally considered only in terms of its influence on the performance of the part, since the fibre and resin were already combined into pre-impregnated tape. However, resin transfer moulding (RTM) is a two-step process: fibre preforming followed by resin impregnation and cure. Since the resin must flow through the preform and wet-out the individual fibre bundles, the inclusion of a preform joint in the design of an RTM part's microstructure must be considered in terms of processing (resin flow and wet-out) as well as performance. In this paper we examine the influence of preform joint on resin flow through both computational and experimental approaches. The implications of such joints on the design and processing of RTM parts is discussed.
Combined radiative and conductive heat transfer in a planar medium with a flux boundary condition using finite elements

Combined conduction and radiation in an absorbing, emitting, and scattering planar medium bounded by diffuse surfaces is analyzed for the case of a prescribed heat flux on one boundary and a prescribed temperature on the other. The problem is solved using the Galerkin finite element method which yields the flux and the temperature directly as the unknowns in the formulation. Effects of the conduction-radiation parameter, surface emissivity albedo, and incident flux are discussed. Results are found to be in excellent agreement with other solutions reported in the literature.
Carbonate apatite formulation in cuticle structure adds resistance to microbial attack for American lobster

Abstract Various carbonate apatite formulae contribute to discrete cuticle structures participating in protective functions of the American lobster, Homarus americanus, integument. Canal walls use their lowest Calcium : Phosphate (Ca : P) ratios to protect exposed surfaces of gland and neuronal canals. The linings insulate more soluble calcium carbonate from attack by acid secreting micro-organisms. A trabecular bone-like structure, called here ‘trabeculae’ in analogy to vertebrates, utilizes high Ca : P in the inner exocuticle demonstrating an efficient use of environmentally scarce phosphate and provides the hardness layer of the cuticle that protects the superficial calcite layer from flexure. Strength is derived from phosphatic trabeculae being embedded in a phenolicly hardened inner exocuticle layer. A third location and use of carbonate apatite is at the interface of the calcite and inner exocuticle where it may cap calcite layer development. A fourth phosphatic localization is seen in cuticular nip...
Test validity: g versus the specificity doctrine

The specificity doctrine, a legacy of the positivism and radical behavorism that have dominated the history of American psychology, holds that psychometric tests measure nothing other than the specific bits of knowledge and learned skills reflected in the item content of the tests. This prevailing doctrine has influenced the interpretation of test scores and the conceptualization of test validity, as well as the practical use of tests in educational and personnel selection. Opposed to the specificity doctrine is the view that a wide variety of cognitive tests measure in common a few large factors of mental ability, most prominently general intelligence, or g . The commonality is not ascribable to common contents of the tests but to common brain processes. Recent massive validity evidence from the use of cognitive tests in personnel selection is consistent with the broad common-factor theory and contradicts the specificity doctrine. The practical and theoretical utility of the construct of g as a general information processing capacity also appears warranted by other lines of evidence independent of factor analysis.
Bit-rate-variable and order-switchable optical multiplexing of high-speed pseudorandom bit sequence using optical delays.

We experimentally demonstrate high-speed optical pseudorandom bit sequence (PRBS) multiplexing with coarse and fine bit-rate tuning capability and a switchable order using optical delays. Data multiplexing of 80Gbit/s and 160Gbit/s is shown, each with a tunable rate using a conversion/dispersion-based continuously tunable optical delay and tunable PRBS order with large switchable fiber delays. A 7% bit-rate tunability, i.e., 80–85.6Gbit/s and 160–171.2Gbit/s, is shown for both 27−1 and 215−1 PRBS. The rf spectra before and after multiplexing are measured in each case and show a suppression ratio of >30dB, exhibiting the expected PRBS spectral characteristics.
Phosphorus Biogeochemistry and the Impact of Phosphorus Enrichment: Why Is the Everglades so Unique?

The Florida Everglades is extremely oligotrophic and sensitive to small increases in phosphorus (P) concentrations. P enrichment is one of the dominant anthropogenic impacts on the ecosystem and is therefore a main focus of restoration efforts. In this review, we synthesize research on P biogeochemistry and the impact of P enrichment on ecosystem structure and function in the Florida Everglades. There are clear patterns of increased P concentrations and altered structure and processes along nutrient-enrichment gradients in the water, periphyton, soils, macrophytes, and consumers. Periphyton, an assemblage of algae, bacteria, and associated microfauna, is abundant and has a large influence on phosphorus cycling in the Everglades. The oligotrophic Everglades is P-starved, has lower P concentrations and higher nitrogen–phosphorus (N:P) ratios, and has oxidized to only slightly reduced soil profiles compared to other freshwater wetland ecosystems. Possible general causes and indications of P limitation in the Everglades and other wetlands include geology, hydrology, and dominance of oxidative microbial nutrient cycling. The Everglades may be unique with respect to P biogeochemistry because of the multiple causes of P limitation and the resulting high degree of limitation.
Suppository bases. I. An evaluation of the rates of release of theophylline.

Abstract A method is described for the evaluation of suppositories by allowing the drug to be released from the base and dissolved into normal saline solution at body temperature. The rate of release of the theophylline (as aminophylline) was compared for twenty-five suppository base formulas. Modifications of the water-soluble bases with certain disintegrating agents gave the most rapid release of the theophylline. Storage for one year showed a marked reduction in the rate of release of theophylline from the cocoa butter suppositories. The comparison of the theophylline release from the suppository when compounded as aminophylline, glycophylline, or theophylline sodium acetate, showed that each compound requres a specific base formula to allow the most rapid release of the drug. This test showed that slight changes in the physical-chemical properties of the drug-base relationship may influence the rate of release of the drug.
X-ray Characterizations of Polyethylene Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Copolymers

A novel nanocomposite containing polyethylene and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanoparticles has been characterized using wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). In copolymers formed between ethylene and POSS containing macromonomers, the POSS units, attached as pendant groups off the polyethylene backbones, are found to aggregate and crystallize as nanocrystals. The POSS nanoparticles in such PE-co-POSS copolymers form a lattice separate from the PE lattice with characteristic diffraction signals. From both line broadening of the diffraction maxima and also the oriented diffraction in a drawn material, we conclude that POSS crystallizes as anisotropically shaped crystallites. The presence of POSS disrupts the crystallization of polyethylene and results in less and smaller/disordered polyethylene crystallites. POSS nanocrystals are covalently connected to the PE crystallites via an intermediate disordered interfacial region. The PE crystallites are reinforced by the POSS crystallites, maintaini...
In vitro characterization of a bone marrow stem cell-seeded collagen gel composite for soft tissue grafts: effects of fiber number and serum concentration.

Cell-seeded collagen hydrogels have been used in the engineering of many tissue types, from skin and vasculature to spinal cord. One of the primary limitations of collagen-based hydrogels for use in tissue-engineered grafts is that cells seeded within the gel cause it to contract as much as 70%. By forming a composite gel by adding short collagen fibers, Gentleman et al. (Tissue Eng. 10, 421, 2004) determined that the contraction due to fibroblasts was decreased and permeability was increased. Before these composite hydrogels can be used to design soft tissue replacements, however, the effect of fiber number and serum concentration should be addressed. Consequently, short collagen fibers were included in adult rat bone marrow stem cell-seeded hydrogels for composite support. The mass of fibers was varied from 1.6 to 31.3 mg per gel, and the effect of serum concentration in the growth medium was examined. It was determined that increasing fiber mass and decreasing serum concentration significantly decrease...
Aggregation, fragmentation, and the nonlinear dynamics of electrorheological fluids in oscillatory shear.

We have conducted a time-resolved, two-dimensional light scattering study of the nonlinear dynamics of field-induced structures in an electrorheological fluid subjected to oscillatory shear. We have developed a theoretical description of the observed dynamics by considering the response of a fragmenting and aggregating particle chain to the prevailing hydrodynamic and electrostatic forces. This structural theory is then used to describe the nonlinear rheology of electrorheological fluids.
Fiber optic beam delivery for endoscropic holography

Abstract Fiber optic methods to deliver the object and reference beams in endoholography are described. Two novel approaches are introduced, and quantitatively compared along with two other methods, on the basis of stability, power efficiency, and maximum power density. A method utilizing a three-layer coaxial fiber structure is shown to be most promising. Preliminary holograms have been obtained with a commercial single-mode fiber, the object beam being coupled out of the cladding by a bend in index-matching liquid.
Virulent mycobacteria and the many aspects of macrophage uptake.

Lia Danelishvili, Suat LG Cirillo, Jeffrey D Cirillo & Luiz E Bermudez† †Author for correspondence Oregon State University, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA Tel.: +1 541 737 6538; Fax: +1 541 737 2730; luiz.bermudez@oregonstate. edu ‘...mycobacteria were capable of being ingested by phagocytes after binding directly to macrophage membrane receptors.’