cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Foraging behavior of the communal spider,Philoponella republicana (Araneae: Uloboridae)

The communal orb-weaving spider, Philoponella republicana,was observed in the subtropical moist forest of Southeast Peru. These spiders live in colonies of conspecifics whose individual orbs are connected by silk. The wrapping of a prey prior to feeding is a large component of the prey capture process because P. republicanahas no venom with which to kill an insect. Wrapping time was the only aspect of prey capture that was strongly correlated with the size of the insect captured. Occasionally we observed several individuals working together to wrap a prey item. These joint efforts were more frequent on prey larger than the capturing spider. Although group captures accounted for only 5.5% of captures, they represented 14.7% of the biomass obtained. A comparison of the relationship between wrapping time and prey size for solitary and group efforts suggested that, by working together, the spiders reduced their total handling time. In most cases only one spider fed on the captured prey.
Migrating course materials to the World Wide Web: a case study of the department of technical graphics at Purdue University

This paper examines the implications, advantages, and limitations of utilizing the World Wide Web for course delivery and administration. Significant discussion is given to the negative aspects of web development. These include the interdisciplinary nature of creating Web media and the time required to create those materials, the bandwidth and data rate limitations surrounding Web delivery, and issues concerning the appropriateness, validity, and authorship of Web materials. The latter portion of this paper presents a method for describing the level to which the Web is utilized in university courses, as well as the current level of integration being used in the Department of Technical Graphics at Purdue University.
Singing over the bones: James Cameron's Titanic

Taking issue with accounts of the 1997 film Titanic that denigrate the love story in favor of the technological rendering of the ship's sinking, we historicity the film within cultural myths surrounding the original Titanic, as well as within three classical myths‐“Pygmalion and Galatea,” “Tristan and Iseult,”; and “Eros and Psyche”— recovering the gendered tensions between romantic love and technological progress. We then show how Cameron, by allowing the action to flow from the memory of Old Rose, casts his film as a feminine descent that constrains the masculine excesses of technology by rehumanizing cultural myths of romantic love.
How Much Does the Far Future Matter? A Hierarchical Bayesian Analysis of the Public' s Willingness to Mitigate Ecological Impacts of Climate Change

How much does the far future matter? This question lies at the heart of many important environmental policy issues, such as global climate change, biodiversity loss, and the disposal of radioactive waste. Although philosophers, experts, and others offer their viewpoints on this deep question, the solution to many environmental problems lies in the willingness of the public to bear significant costs now to make the far future a better place. Short of national plebiscites, the only way to assess the public's willingness to mitigate impacts in the far future is to ask them. Using a unique set of survey data in which respondents were provided with sets of scenarios describing different amounts of forest loss due to climate change, along with associated mitigation methods and costs, we can infer the respondents' willingness to bear additional costs to mitigate future ecological impacts of climate change. The survey also varied the timing of the impacts, which allows us to assess how the willingness to mitigate...
Electromagnetic Plane Wave Force in Homogeneous Negative Index Materials

A model predicts that a uniform electromagnetic plane wave will exert a negative force on a homogeneous negative index medium with gain and a positive force when it has overall loss.
Impacts of the source and amount of crude protein on the intestinal supply of nitrogen fractions and performance of dairy cows.

Abstract The objective of this article was to review and summarize the significance of the amount and source of dietary crude protein supplements on the supply of nitrogen fractions passing to the small intestine and the performance of lactating dairy cows. A meta-analysis was used to evaluate 2 data sets, one for nitrogen flow to the small intestine and one for performance of cows. The response of dairy cows to rumen-undegradable protein supplements is variable. A portion of this variable response from research trials is explained by the source of crude protein in the control diet, the proportion and source of rumen-undegradable protein in the experimental diet, the effect of rumen-undegradable protein on microbial protein outflow from the rumen, the degradability and amino acid content of the rumen-undegradable protein, and the crude protein percentage of the diet. Compared with soybean meal, the mean milk production responses to feeding rumen-undegradable protein supplements ranged from −2.5 to +2.75%. Because of the large variation and small magnitude of response when rumen-undegradable protein supplements are fed compared with soybean meal, efficiency of nitrogen utilization and the cost to benefit ratio for these crude protein supplements may determine the source and amount of crude protein to feed to dairy cows in the future.
Mineralization kinetics: The role of octacalcium phosphate in the precipitation of calcium phosphates

Abstract A constant composition method in which the activities of precipitating lattice ions were held constant during the reactions, has provided the first direct method for the growth of macroscopic amounts of pure, stable, octacalcium phosphate. The careful control of supersaturation and pH has eliminated interference by the formation and subsequent hydrolysis of other calcium phosphate phases.
How λ repressor and λ Cro distinguish between OR1 and OR3

Abstract Although λ repressor and λ Cro bind to the same six operators on the phage chromosome, the fine specificities of the two proteins differ: repressor binds more tightly to O R 1 than to O R 3, and vice versa for Cro. In this paper, we change base pairs in the operators and amino acids in the proteins to analyze the basis for these preferences. We find that these preferences are determined by residues 5 and 6 of the recognition helices of the two proteins and by the amino-terminal arm, in the case of repressor. We also find that the most important base pairs in the operator which enable repressor and Cro to discriminate between O R 1 and O R 3 are position 3 (for Cro) and positions 5 and 8 (for repressor). These and previous results show how repressor and Cro recognize and distinguish between two related operator sequences.
Marrow stromal cell transplantation after traumatic brain injury promotes cellular proliferation within the brain.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the effects of intracerebfral as well as intravenous administration of bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) on endegenous cellular proliteration after traumentic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: Two experimental groops of Wister rats were studied. One group teceived MSCs intracerebrally, and the other group received MSCs intravenously after injury by controlled cortical impact. MSCs were harvested from the bone marrow of male wistar rats. For the intracerebral study, 24 male rats were divided into three groups (eight rats per group): rats injected with MSCs (1 × 10 5 ) intracerebrally 1 day after TBI; 2) rats injected with phosphate-buffered saline intracerebrally 1 day after TBI; and 3) sham group not subjected to injury and not administered treatment. For the intravenous study, 10 female Wistar rats were injected 1 day after TBI with either MSCs (2 × 10 6 ) (n = 5) or phosphate-buffered saline (n = 5) via the tail vein. Neurological function of the rats was evaluated with modified neurological severity scores and rotared motor test. All rats were injected with bromodenxyuridine intraperitoneally, to label the newly generating cells. Rats were killed 15 days after RBL and coronal brain iii, sections were stained immunohistochemically with diaminobenzidine to identify newly generating bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells. To study the differentiation of newly generating cells into neurons, sections were also double-stained for neuronal markers (Tuj1, doublecortin, NeuN) with fluorescein isothiocyanate. RESULTS: The data demonstrate that newly generating cells were mainly present in the subventricular zune, hippocampal formation, and boundary zone of contusion of both treated and control animals. Intracerabral MSC treatment significantly increased the progenitor cell proliferation in the subventricular zone and boundary zone compared with the controls, whereas intravenous MSC treatment enhanced this endogenous proliferation in subventricular zone, hippocampus and boundary zone. In both groups, some of the new cells revealed positive staining for neuronal markers. A statistically significant functional improvement was observed in both the intracerebrally as well as intravenously treated groups. CONCLUSION: Intracerebral and intravenous MSC administration promores endogenous cellular proliferation after TBI in rats. This may contrilbute to the functional improvement observed in these rats.
The metabolism of the polysaccharides of connective tissue in rheumatic diseases

Abstract There has been a marked and rapid increase in our understanding of the chemistry and metabolism of the polysaccharides of connective tissue. This review has described some of these advances and something of the impact of this new knowledge upon our concepts of several connective tissue diseases. Further pursuit of information in these basic areas may yield answers to many clinical problems in rheumatology.
The Effects of a Web-Based Intervention on College Students' Knowledge of Human Papillomavirus and Attitudes toward Vaccination

ABSTRACT Research suggests that college students know relatively little about human papillomavirus (HPV), and that educational interventions increase knowledge of HPV. However, to date, there are n...
Indium 111 oxine-labeled leukocytes for early diagnosis of ischemic enterocolitis☆

Abstract The feasibility of the use of indium 111 oxine-labeled autologous leukocytes for the diagnosis of ischemic enterocolitis in vivo was examined in an experimental model of ischemia in dogs. A 30-cm segment of small intestine was devascularized by ligating the arteries and veins from the last arcade in 7 dogs. A sham operation was performed in 3 control dogs. 111 In oxine-labeled autologous white blood cells were infused 3.5 hours after operation. Anterior and lateral nuclear scanning was performed at 6 and 24 hours postinfusion with a gamma camera equipped with a low-energy magnifying multihold collimator. The animals were killed after 24 hours. The gross and microscopic appearance of the bowel was evaluated. The radioactivity in the serial specimens of the bowel was measured. In vivo scans were positive (ie, increased uptake in the bowel loop) in all dogs with intestinal ischemia at 6 and 24 hours. No significant uptake was noted in control dogs. Rectilinear scan of the bowel removed at autopsy showed a correlation between the area of infarction and tracer accumulation. In addition, there was a progressive decrease in uptake of 111 In oxine from the center of the ischemic lesions to the periphery. Forty percent of the total radioactivity was measured at the center of the lesion, whereas only 6.5% was present at 22.5 cm from the center. Thus the ratio between the ischemic and normal tissue was 10:1 (range, 6.5 to 16). These studies demonstrate that 111 In oxine-labeled autologous white blood cells can be used for the diagnosis of ischemic enterocolitis. Further evaluation of the usefulness in carefully controlled circumstances in newborn infants with necrotizing enterocolitis is required.
Quasistatic temperature stresses in a multilayer thermally sensitive cylinder

An approach to the evaluation of nonstationary temperature fields and the thermoelastic state of multilayer hollow long thermally sensitive cylinders based on the use of the Kirchhoff substitution, generalized functions, and Green’s functions of the corresponding problems for a hollow cylinder with piecewise constant physicomechanical characteristics is illustrated. The problem of heat conduction is reduced to the solution of a Fredholm-Volterra nonlinear integral equation of the second kind for the Kirchhoff variable. In the problem of thermoelasticity, the coefficients of the equation (continuous inside each layer) are approximated by piecewise constant functions. The boundary conditions at the ends of the cylinder are satisfied in the integral form. Numerical analysis is performed for the case of a three-layer cylinder.
Long-term groups and complex problem solving☆

Abstract Previous research with ad hoc laboratory groups had suggested that a model assuming the emergence of an equalitarian social structure predicted better the problem solving performance of small groups than an alternative model assuming a hierarchical structure. This experiment studied long-term groups having substantial interpersonal experience during a business game that continued for several weeks; the hierarchical but not the equalitarian model could be rejected as an accurate description of group performance. A strong cultural value stressing equalitarianism was proposed as one of several possible explanations.
Rising powers and global governance: negotiating change in a resilient status quo

Economic convergence of the large emerging economies (Brazil, China and India) on the incumbent industrialized economic powers has produced divergent predictions: rising powers are viewed as challengers of existing global governance or nascent supporters of the status quo. The preferences of rising powers, as revealed in global economic negotiations and international security regimes, indicate that they are moderate reformers that seek greater influence within existing forums and also attempt to safeguard their policy-making autonomy. Even if their preferences change, the translation of growing economic weight into usable capabilities is not automatic. Domestic political constraints often make the mobilization of capabilities difficult in international bargaining. Strategies of collective action, whether South-South or regional, have not yet produced a consistent increase in bargaining power at the global level. The counter-strategies of delay and cooptation implemented by the incumbent powers have maintained incumbent influence and enhanced the legitimacy of existing global governance institutions. Risks of conflict remain along three negotiating divides: system friction, distributional conflict and institutional efficiency. Institutional innovations such as greater transparency, institutional flexibility and construction of informal transnational networks may provide modest insurance against a weakening of global governance and its institutions.
Interaction of stabilized ZrO2 with silica

Methods of chemical phase analysis and radiography were used to determine the sequence and rate of the solid-phase reactions developing in mixtures of Nd2Zr2O7 with SiO2 at 1200–1600°C. It was established that the cubic solid solution in fine-ground mixtures of SiO2 with ZrO2 stabilized with 12 mole % Nd2O3 is decomposed rapidly at 1750°C and forms tetragonal ZrO2 which on cooling is converted to monoclinic ZrO2. An investigation of the influence of the added SiO2 on the properties of zirconia refractories showed that with 20% of the neodymium stabilizer combined with the silica the thermal-shock resistance and strength of the refractory increase appreciably. Data was obtained relating to the nature and degree of the interaction of a melt of quartz glass with ZrO2 stabilized with Nd2O3. The rate of wear of this type of zirconia refractory depends mainly on the rate of the reaction of the SiO2 with the Nd2O3 stabilizer. The process does not result in the contamination of the molten glass.
Routinizing a New Technology in the Newsroom: Twitter as a News Source in Mainstream Media

This study examined how news organizations employed Twitter as a news source, based on information subsidy and gatekeeping perspectives. News content analysis from 7 major media entities in 2010–2011 demonstrated that journalists embraced Twitter as a new channel for information gathering. TV frequently cited Twitter as a sole or a primary source. However, despite active usage of Twitter overall, journalists in both TV and newspapers maintained conventional routines by relying primarily on Twitter accounts of official sources. The popularity of Twitter accounts, as indicated by the number of followers, did not contribute to attracting more attention from journalists.
Cold Plate Used to Slow Activity of Arthropods for Manipulation in the Laboratory

A large, freon-based cold plate is described that can be used to separate large, mixed populations of arthropods for manipulation in the laboratory.
Competitive assessment in service industries

Grinstead Inns, a low‐priced motel chain, is a recent addition to the lodging product line of the Columbia Corporation (a fictional firm). Grinstead Inns is targeted toward the $30 to $40 per night economy segment of the lodging market. This case study describes the process of competitor assessment Columbia used to position Grinstead Inns in the economy lodging segment and why Columbia considered it worth the investment. This case is designed to show how a service business performs the competitor analysis process, and how strategy guides data collection. The Grinstead Inns “product” was based on market opportunities uncovered during the competitive assessment.
Optical design of two-mirror beam-shaping systems. convex and non-convex solutions for symmetric and non-symmetric data

The problem of design of a two-mirror optical systems for reshaping the irradiance distribution of a laser beam in a prescribed manner is considered. These designs are developed under the geometrical optics approximation. The novelty is that our method is not limited to input and/or output radiance profiles which are rotational or rectangular symmetric. Moreover, the method leads to two beam-shaping systems for one of which the first mirror is concave and the second is convex.
Reconsidering the textbook

Is the printed science textbook a massive, slow moving dinosaur headed for extinction, doomed by its inability to evolve in the face of a fast moving technology bolide? In 10 years, will students still carry printed tomes in their backpacks, or will electronic media have replaced the textbook, leaving it about as useful as yesterday's typewriter or adding machine? With the explosion of digital technology in students' lives and the increasing awareness among geosciences faculty that established teaching techniques are becoming less effective for this generation of students, the time is ripe to reconsider the textbook. More than 50 leading scientists, educators, and technology professionals ‘reconsidered the textbook’ during a recent intensive threeday workshop funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), which was held at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS), in Washington, DC. Through small and large group discussions, the assembled group examined the current state of the textbook and its relationship to the growing number of electronic tools that also serve as learning resources for today's students. Together, the participants looked forward and—based on their knowledge of student learning, technology, and effective educational strategies—imagined the textbook of the future.
Two New Species of Pit Scales on Bromeliads from South America (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Asterolecaniidae)

A generic diagnosis is presented for the pit scale insects of Sclerosococcus together with descriptions and illustrations of the adult females of 2 new species, S. chilensis and S. tillandsiae. S. chilensis may be separated from other species assigned to the genus by the presence of a complete marginal band of 7-locular pores. S. tillandsiae differs by possessing a marginal band of 7-locular pores restricted to the cephalothorax in combination with the lack of heavy sclerotization on the apical abdominal segments. A key to differentiate the species and a discussion of species affinities are provided.
Dynamic Lagrangian computations for solids, with variable nodal connectivity for severe distortions

This paper presents an algorithm for dynamic Lagrangian computations for solids, in plane strain geometry, with variable nodal connectivity to allow for severe distortions. The nodes are somewhat analogous to flexible circular disks. When they move closer together than their equilibrium distance they generate compressive, repulsive forces. Conversely, when they move apart, they generate tensile, attractive forces. Material strength effects are also included. Because a node can only be affected by its ‘neighbour’ nodes, the approach has been designated the ‘NABOR’ approach. The key to this approach is that it is possible to have variable nodal connectivity—a node can acquire new neighbours, thus allowing all forms of distortion. The NABOR algorithm has been incorporated as an option into the explicit finite element code, EPIC-2. By using both the NABOR grid and the EPIC-2 finite element grid together, it is possible to perform Lagrangian computations for a wide range of problems.
A study of the neutral lipids and phospholipids of the acanthocephala Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus and Moniliformis dubius

Abstract 1. 1. The neutral lipids and phospholipids of male and female Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus and Moniliformis dubius have been studied. 2. 2. M. dubius contained some four times more lipid than M. hirudinaceus and the bulk of the higher fat content was glycerides. A sex dimorphism was observed in both species. The male worms contained almost twice the total lipid that was present in the females. 3. 3. The esterified fatty acids from the neutral lipid fractions were analyzed gas-chromatography of their methyl esters. Acids from C10 through C20 were present in both species and the C18 acids accounted for over 70 per cent of the total acids. 4. 4. The phospholipids of both species contained ethanolamine, serine, choline and inositol phospholipids. Plasmalogens were also found in the phosphate containing lipids.
Advances in differential forms and the A-harmonic equation

In this paper, we first briefly introduce definitions and notations that will be involved in this paper. Then, we summarize current advances achieved in the studies of the A-harmonic equation and differential forms.
Amplified histidine effect in electron-transfer dissociation of histidine-rich peptides from histatin 5

Abstract We report electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) mass spectra of histidine-containing peptides DSHAK, FHEK, HHGYK, and HHSHR from trypsinolysis of histatin 5. ETD of both doubly and triply protonated peptides provided sequence ions of the c and z type. In addition, electron transfer to doubly protonated peptides produced abundant long-lived cation-radicals, (M+2H) + , whose relative intensities depended on the peptide sequence and number of histidine residues. CID-MS 3 spectra of (M+2H) + cation-radicals were entirely different from the ETD spectra of the doubly charged ions and involved radical-driven losses of C 4 H 6 N 2 neutral fragments from the histidine residues and charge-driven backbone cleavages forming b and y ions. Product ions from CID of (M+2H) + were further characterized by CID-MS 4 spectra to distinguish the histidine residues undergoing loss of C 4 H 6 N 2 . The ETD-CID-MS n mass spectra are interpreted by considering radical-induced rearrangements of histidine side chains in the long-lived charge-reduced ions.
A Simultaneous Coupled Nonlinear Algorithm for the Analysis of Steel Frames with Flexible Joints considering Joint Unloading

This paper presents a finite element plasticity-based computer algorithm to analyze steel frames with flexible joints under static proportional loading, unloading, and reverse loading. Each connection mechanism is modeled using a rotational spring element with two nodes of identical spatial coordinates and the same translational degrees of freedom and different rotational degrees of freedom for modeling the relative rotation of the beam and ends of the connection. Instead of using a classical coupled nonlinear algorithm for the connection element and member geometric stiffness, a unique solution method is introduced that simultaneously iterates to find the incremental connection element and member geometric stiffness of the structure through solving the nonlinear system equation. To model unloading and reverse loading at the joints between beams and columns, a three-parameter, kinematics hardening model for moment-rotation behavior is considered. For proof-of-concept, a one-story, one-bay frame with two c...
Repeated furrow formation from a single mitotic apparatus in cylindrical sand dollar eggs.

The methods used previously to demonstrate the ability of a single mitotic apparatus to elicit multiple furrows involved considerable cell distortion and did not permit the investigator to control the positioning of the parts or to observe satisfactorily the early stages of furrow development. In this investigation, Echinarachnius parma eggs were confined in 82 microns i.d. transparent, silicone rubber-walled capillaries, and the mitotic apparatus was moved by pushing the poles inward with 55-microns-diameter glass balls. When the mitotic apparatus was shifted immediately after the furrow first appeared, a new furrow appeared in the normal relation to the new position in 1-2 minutes. The same mitotic apparatus could elicit up to 13 furrows as it was shifted back and forth by alternately pushing in the poles. The previous furrow regressed as the new furrow developed. The operations protracted the furrow establishment period to as long as 24.5 minutes after establishment of the first furrow. The characteristics of furrow regression were related to the distance the mitotic apparatus was moved. It is unlikely that regression was caused either by stress imposed on the surface or the removal of the mitotic apparatus from the vicinity of the furrow.
Neuroimaging research in human MDMA users: a review

Rationale Determining whether, under what circumstances, and to what extent 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) exposure produces chronic changes in human brain function is a critical public health issue. MDMA is a widely used recreational drug commonly sold as “Ecstasy”. Because findings from the animal literature have indicated that specific dosage regimens of MDMA can produce long-lasting alterations in serotonergic function, existing studies of MDMA effects in humans have examined brain serotonin (5-HT) transporters (5-HTT) and receptors or have examined brain structures or functions potentially affected by MDMA.
Automated viewer-centric personalized sports broadcast

Abstract Mobile handheld devices and online media are currently reaching a stage where it is possible to watch streaming video/TV on them, such as a live sports game broadcast. However, current sports broadcast methods are designed to replicate the same feed to many different TV viewers, which makes it difficult to personalize the feed for each individual viewer. Clearly, since TV viewers have different tastes, this generic broadcast is not likely to satisfy the preferences (e.g., favorite player, specific camera angle) of every viewer. Advertisers already target their audiences with commercials during sports broadcasts in a personalized way (e.g., targeting commercials to specific demographics that are the expected viewers of a game), and it seems reasonable to expect the next step to be the personalization of the sports broadcast feed itself in a viewer-centric way. Adding human directors to create different personalized feeds in the broadcast-production trucks will not scale due to the associated costs. We propose instead a solution that uses a computer program to target the sports broadcast to suit the preferences of each viewer. In this paper, we explore designing an automated computer-driven broadcast director that provides different, personalized automated broadcasts, depending on the viewer’s preferences as well as the specific actions unfolding in the game. By using a combination of video analysis to detect the relative player locations and “size” of player templates to predict the next few seconds of game action, along with viewer-specified preferences (e.g., favorite player, favorite camera angle), we automatically select the most interesting camera angle to display to that viewer in real-time. We present the preliminary experimental results of our prototype system using the different video-camera feeds of both an ice-hockey and an American football broadcast.
The anisotropy of the 31P 31P indirect nuclear coupling

In a recent “P single-crystal study of tetraethyldiphosphine disulfide (TEPS), the indirect nuclear coupling tensor 3 between the two bonded phosphorus atoms was fully characterized (1). The two possible assignments of 3 both show substantially axial symmetry with the unique axis nearly parallel to the P-P bond direction. This seems to support the intuitive notion that the indirect nuclear coupling is primarily determined by the electrons which directly take part in the chemical bond between the two coupled nuclei. A direct consequence of this assumption is that if these electrons reside in an electron pair sigma bond, the 3 tensor should possess axial symmetry about the bond axis. In an effort to confirm the observation of a substantial P-P 3 coupling tensor and to test the locality assumption, a similar single-crystal study was carried out on tetrabutyldiphosphine disulfide (TBPS). TBPS crystals were grown by slow evaporation from a methanol solution. One crystal with dimensions about 4 X 3 X 0.5 mm was mounted on an NMR goniometer head whose design has been previously described (I, 2). Three rotation patterns about mutually orthogonal axes (Fig. 1) were obtained under multiple-contact cross-polarization conditions with a proton-phosphorus contact time of 3 msec and typically three contacts per scan with a delay time of about 3 set for a total of 75 to 100 scans. The spectra consist of four lines of equal intensity suggesting the presence of at least two TBPS molecules (we shall refer to them as A and B) in the unit cell with each molecule possessing an inversion point at the middle of the P-P bond. Under these conditions, the Hamiltonian may be written as
Microdosimetric evaluation of relative biological effectiveness for 103Pd, 125I, 241Am, and 192Ir brachytherapy sources

Abstract Purpose: To determine the microdosimetric-derived relative biological (RBE) of 103 Pd, 125 I, 241 Am, and 192 Ir brachytherapy sources at low doses and/or low dose rates. Methods and Materials: The Theory of Dual Radiation Action can be used to predict expected RBE values based on the spatial distribution of energy deposition at microscopic levels from these sources. Single-event lineal energy spectra for these isotopes have been obtained both experimentally and theoretically. A grid-defined wall-less proportional counter was used to measure the lineal energy distributions. Unlike conventional Rossi proportional counters, the counter used in these measurements has a conducting nylon fiber as the central collecting anode and has no metal parts. Thus, the Z-dependence of the photoelectric effect is eliminated as a source of measurement error. Single-event spectra for these brachytherapy sources have been also calculated by: (a) the Monte Carlo code MCNP to generate the electron slowing down spectrum, (b) transport of monoenergetic electron tracks, event by event, with our Monte Carlo code DELTA, (c) using the concept of associated volume to obtain the lineal energy distribution f(y) for each monoenergetic electron, and (d) obtaining the composite lineal energy spectrum for a given brachtherapy source based on the electron spectrum caculated at step (a). Results: Relative to 60 Co, the RBE values obtained from this study are: 2.3 for 103 Pd, 2.1 for 125 I, 2.1 for 241 Am, and 1.3 for 192 Ir. Conclusions: These values are consistent with available data from invitro cell survival experiments. We suggest that, at least for these brachytherapy sources, microdosimetry may be used as a credible alternative to timeconsuming (and often uncertain) radiobiological experiments to obtain information on radiation quality and make reliable predictions of RBE in low dose rate brachytherapy.
Relationships between radioimmunoassays of alpha lactalbumin and prolactin in bovine skim milk.

Abstract A radioimmunoassay developed for alpha-lactalbumin was sensitive between 5 and 140ng alpha lactalbumin. Addition of increasing volumes of milk to assay tubes progressively decreased binding of iodine-125-labeled alpha-lactalbumin to the antisera in a manner which paralleled the binding curve generated by increasing concentrations of standard alpha-lactalbumin. The addition of 10, 20, 30, or 40ng of alpha-lactalbumin to diluted milk samples gave 90, 100, 105, and 102% recoveries. Alpha-lactalbumin antisera did not crossreact with 1000ng of bovine casein, blood serum albumin, beta-lactoglobulin, prolactin, or growth hormone. Milk from each of approximately 100 Holstein-Friesian cows at different stages of lactation was sampled monthly for 12 mo. Concentrations of alpha-lactalbumin (1.63 mg/ml) and prolactin (24.9ng/ml) in samples of skim milk collected in the 1st mo of lactation were greater than those in the remaining months of lactation. Monthly concentrations of alpha-lactalbumin and prolactin in skim milk did not change significantly during seasons of the year. The correlation between concentrations of prolactin and alpha-lactalbumin pooled within subclasses of month of lactation within month of year was .08 for 1125 pairs.
Mathematical analysis & model of packet delay variation experienced by IEEE 1588 packets

The IEEE1588 precision time protocol clock recovery algorithm is sensitive to Packet Delay Variation. The Packet Delay Variation can cause jitter/wander in recovered clock. Also accuracy of phase recovery and time it takes for PTP servo to acquire the phase lock, is dependent on the percentage of packets that fall inside the “floor window” or Floor Packet Percentage. So it is important to understand the characteristics of delay, one can expect for 1588 packets, when they pass through the network between 1588 Master and Slave. This paper proposes mathematical methods to analyze different delay characteristics such as lower and upper bounds on delays, probability distribution of the delays etc. The paper also shows how the delay probability of 1588 packets change when the number of links between master & slave or when percentage of load on these links changes. Output of a simple program which implements these methods is also given. The article shows that even with the best possible QOS treatment given to 1588 packets, which is strict priority scheduling at egress of each intermediate node, just changes in the load on the links can greatly affect Floor Packet Percentage and distribution of delay in general.
Cyclophilin content of normal and psoriatic epidermis.

Abstract The unique, immunosuppressive agent cyclosporine A has been shown to be of important therapeutic value in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory dermatoses. To investigate the basis for its therapeutic efficacy, the tissue and cellular content of cyclophilin, a cytosolic receptor for cyclosporine A, has been determined in keratome biopsies from normal and psoriatic epidermis and in cultured, adult human keratinocytes. The mean cyclophilin content of normal (n = 10), involved (n = 10), and uninvolved (n = 10) psoriatic epidermal samples was not significantly different (0.126 ± 0.016, 0.106 ± 0.009, and 0.153 ± 0.018 μg cyclosporine A bound/mg cytosolic protein). Similarly, the cyclophilin content of keratinocytes cultured from normal and psoriatic epidermis (0.21 ± 0.016 and 0.18 ± 0.024 μg/mg protein, respectively) did not differ significantly. Western blot analysis of normal and psoriatic epidermal extracts with monospecific rabbit anti-cyclophilin antisera revealed a single band of 17,000 daltons, which co-migrated with highly purified bovine cyclophilin. The intensity of this band was similar in normal and psoriatic samples, indicating that immunoreactive cyclophilin content was similar. Cyclophilin mRNA was readily detected in normal and involved psoriatic epidermis by RNA blot hybridization, and expression was not significantly different in normal and psoriatic epidermis. These findings indicate that cyclophilin is present in human keratinocytes and epidermis, where it may account for the accumulation of cyclosporine during therapy. However, the similar cyclophilin content of normal and diseased tissue suggests that differences in cyclosporine uptake probably do not account for its therapeutic efficacy in psoriasis.
A comparison of treadmill scores to diagnose coronary artery disease

Background: Recently, several treadmill scores have been proposed as means for improving the diagnostic accuracy of the exercise treadmill test (ETT). Questions remain regarding the diagnostic accuracy of treadmill scores when applied to a different patient population than that from which they were derived; furthermore, many treadmill scores have not been compared with one another in the same population. Hypothesis: The diagnostic accuracy of treadmill scores may not be the same. Methods: A retrospective analysis of data collected prospectively was performed on consecutive patients referred for evaluation of chest pain. All patients underwent a standard ETT followed by coronary angiography. Using angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) as a reference, the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operator characteristic (ROC) plots of the ST response alone, the Duke Treadmill Score (DTS), the Morise score, the Detrano score, the VA score, and a Consensus score consisting of the Morise, Detrano, and VA scores together were calculated and compared. The predictive accuracies of the DTS and the Consensus score to stratify patients for the likelihood of CAD were calculated and compared. Results: In all, 1,282 patients without a prior myocardial infarction had an ETT and coronary angiography. The AUC (± standard error) was 0.67 ± 0.01 for the ST response, 0.73 ± 0.01 for DTS, 0.76 ± 0.01 for Detrano score, 0.77 ± 0.01 for Morise score, 0.78 ± 0.01 for VA score, and 0.78 ± 0.01 for Consensus score. The AUC for each treadmill score was significantly higher (z-score > 1.96) than for the ST response alone. The AUC of DTS was significantly lower than all other treadmill scores (z-score > 1.96). The predictive accuracy (± 95% confidence interval) of the DTS to risk stratify patients into high and low likelihood for CAD was 71 (65-77)%, versus 80 (74-86)% for the Consensus score (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: In this population, the DTS remains useful for diagnosing CAD and stratifying for the likelihood of CAD, although it is less accurate than other treadmill scores.
Evaluation of the importance of time-frequency contributions to speech intelligibility in noise

Recent studies on binary masking techniques make the assumption that each time-frequency (T-F) unit contributes an equal amount to the overall intelligibility of speech. The present study demonstrated that the importance of each T-F unit to speech intelligibility varies in accordance with speech content. Specifically, T-F units are categorized into two classes, speech-present T-F units and speech-absent T-F units. Results indicate that the importance of each speech-present T-F unit to speech intelligibility is highly related to the loudness of its target component, while the importance of each speech-absent T-F unit varies according to the loudness of its masker component. Two types of mask errors are also considered, which include miss and false alarm errors. Consistent with previous work, false alarm errors are shown to be more harmful to speech intelligibility than miss errors when the mixture signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is below 0 dB. However, the relative importance between the two types of error is conditioned on the SNR level of the input speech signal. Based on these observations, a mask-based objective measure, the loudness weighted hit-false, is proposed for predicting speech intelligibility. The proposed objective measure shows significantly higher correlation with intelligibility compared to two existing mask-based objective measures.
Enrichment of 235 U and the concentration of 239 Pu in volcanic samples

There have been at least two reports1,2 of volcanic materials containing enhanced levels of plutonium. In both cases, the Pu/U ratio ranged from 10−10 to 10−8, compared with a ratio of 10−12 in uranium ores of non-volcanic origin3. The natural occurrence of significant concentrations of plutonium in the Earth's crust or mantle would have profound implications for many geophysical processes, but all the samples analysed so far were collected after the first nuclear explosions, and thus may have been contaminated by atmospheric fallout. We have therefore now measured the plutonium content and uranium isotope ratio of a number of samples collected before the first nuclear explosions. The results conform with those reported for non-volcanic uranium ores.
How to do the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

. At the 2007 annual meetings of the American Sociological Association, we presented a workshop entitled "How to do the Scholarship of Teaching." The workshop had three main goals: to introduce participants to the literature on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and to various SoTL outlets, to guide participants in the process of doing their own SoTL research, and to enhance participants' chances of getting their SoTL work published, especially in the discipline's teaching journal, Teaching Sociology. The overarching purpose of the workshop and this paper is to help participants and readers think about how their own experiences in the classroom could be transformed into research.
Eclipse spectrophotometry of the Galilean satellites

Narrowband spectrophotometry of satellite eclipses is presented for each of the Galilean satellites. Comparing the partially eclipsed full-phase satellite disk to the uneclipsed disk can reveal colorimetric inhomogeneities on the surface. The trailing half-disk of Ganymede is slightly blue compared to the leading half-disk. The trailing and leading half-disks of Callisto are similar to each other, as are the northern and southern half-disks. The northern half-disk shows evidence of blue and red portions. The trailing half-disk of Europa is redder than the leading half-disk.
Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for simultaneous measurement of estradiol and estrone in human plasma.

Background: Estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) measurements form an integral part of the assessment of female reproductive function and have expanding roles in other fields. However, many E1 and E2 immunoassays have limited functional sensitivity, suffer from cross-reactivity, and display poor intermethod agreement. To overcome these problems, we developed a sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay for the simultaneous measurement of E1 and E2. Methods: After dansyl chloride derivatization, samples were separated by fast gradient chromatography and injected into a tandem mass spectrometer after formation of positive ions with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. The limits of detection and quantification, recovery, linearity, precision, and reference intervals were determined, and performance was compared with several immunoassays. Results: Total run time per sample was 5 min. The multiple-reaction monitoring ion pairs were m/z 506/171 for 3-dansyl-estradiol and m/z 504/171 for 3-dansyl-estrone. The limits of detection for E1 and E2 were 12.9 pmol/L (3.5 ng/L) and 10.3 pmol/L (2.8 ng/L), respectively. Interassay imprecision (CV) was 4–20% (n = 20). The limits of quantification (functional sensitivities) for E1 and E2 were 44.1 pmol/L (11.9 ng/L) and 23.2 pmol/L (6.3 ng/L), respectively. The assay was linear to >2200 pmol/L (∼600 ng/L) for each analyte. Recoveries were 93–108% for E1 and 100–110% for E2. No cross-reactivity was observed. Method comparison with several immunoassays revealed that the latter were inaccurate and prone to interferences at low E1 and E2 concentrations. Conclusions: LC-MS/MS allows rapid, simultaneous, sensitive, and accurate quantification of E1 and E2 in human serum.
Tumor metabolism of lactate: the influence and therapeutic potential for MCT and CD147 regulation

Tumor metabolism consists of complex interactions between oxygenation states, metabolites, ions, the vascular network and signaling cascades. Accumulation of lactate within tumors has been correlated with poor clinical outcomes. While its production has negative implications, potentially contributing to tumor progression, the implications of the ability of tumors to utilize lactate can offer new therapeutic targets for the future. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) of the SLC16A gene family influence substrate availability, the metabolic path of lactate and pH balance within the tumor. CD147, a chaperone to some MCT subtypes, contributes to tumor progression and metastasis. The implications and consequences of lactate utilization by tumors are currently unknown; therefore future research is needed on the intricacies of tumor metabolism. The possibility of metabolic modification of the tumor microenvironment via regulation or manipulation of MCT1 and CD147 may prove to be promising avenues of therapeutic options.
Topological coupling in spin valve type multilayers

The origin and the effect of topological coupling induced by interfacial roughness in spin valve type multilayers have been investigated. The upper bound of the coupling field, which is scale invariant, is predicted by a simplified model using a uniform magnetization approximation. Macroscopic sandwich structures ("macrosteps") of various complexity were fabricated to test these predictions. The coupling field was determined from the shift of the "free layer" B-H loop, or the difference in apparent coercivities. The dependence of the magnitude and the sign of the coupling on the characteristics of the roughness was measured. Implications for real spin valve films and devices are discussed, as well as the potential application of the "macrosteps", or artificial roughness, to provide desired coupling between films.
Experimental and Computational Studies of Ion-Solid Interactions in Silicon Carbide

Experimental and computational results on ion-beam-induced defect production, damage accumulation, and thermal recovery in SiC are reviewed. The accumulation and recovery of disorder on the Si and C sublattices have been determined experimentally by ion-channeling methods. Atomic-level simulations are used to determine defect production, cascade-overlap effects, and defect migration energies. Energetic Si and C collision cascades, with energies up to 50 keV, primarily produce single interstitials, mono-vacancies, antisite defects, and small defect clusters. Overlapping of Si and C cascades results in the interaction of defects and clusters that stimulates cluster growth and produces long-range structural disorder. For energetic Au cascades, nanoscale amorphous clusters are produced directly within about 25% of the Au cascades, along with point defects and smaller clusters. The disordering behavior and the changes in volume and elastic modulus obtained experimentally and from molecular dynamics simulations are in good agreement, thus providing atomic-level interpretation of experimentally observed features. Simulations of close-pair production and recombination in SiC indicate that the activation energies for recombination of most close pairs range from 0.24 to 0.38 eV. Multiaxial channeling measurements indicate annealing below 300 K results in relaxation of some interstitials to lower-energy configurations. Long-range migration energies for interstitials and vacancies have likewise been determined by computational methods.