cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cesium thermomigration and reaction in nuclear fuels

Abstract In fast reactor fuel pins with 0.3 m long fuel sections, fission-product cesium has been observed to migrate axially and concentrate at the interface between the uranium-plutonium oxide fuel and the uranium oxide blanket. To aid in the understanding of this behavior, kinetics of the reaction of gaseous cesium with urania have been studied in out-of-pile experiments over the temperature range 600 to 1070 K. The rate of reaction increased with increasing urania temperature, cesium pressure, and O U atom ratio, and is given by: rate = D[P Cs (Pa)] 0.96±0.13 ( O U — 2.000) exp[−34 ± 3 kJ/mol)/RT] , where D = 9.5 mol Cs m−2 s−1 Pa−1. For in-pile conditions, the rate of reaction of gaseous cesium with a uranium oxide blanket pellet was calculated to be at least 103 times greater than the maximum cesium transport rate, the fissioninduced birthrate of cesium. As a consequence of the rapid kinetics, fission-product cesium is expected to form cesium uranate preferentially in the first several urania blanket pellets, but not in the entire blanket. This is in accord with in-pile data.
Assessing Pellegrino's reconstruction of medical morality.

Edmund Pellegrino's career has provided a substantial contribution to the reformulation of a morality for physicians and other health professionals. I have long considered his early essay, “Toward ...
Calcium carbonate deposition in Ca2+ polluted Onondaga Lake, New York, U.S.A.

Abstract Seasonal and long-term trends in the rate of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) deposition are documented for Ca 2+ polluted Onondaga Lake, New York. These observations are based on particulate inorganic carbon and particulate calcium analyses of sediment trap collections, made weekly over the May-September interval for 10 years. Continuous deposition of CaCO 3 was evident for the monitoring period of all 10 years. The average rate of CaCO 3 deposition for the deployment interval decreased from about 0.196 to 0.082 mol·m −2 ·d −1 following the closure of the industrial source of Ca 2+ pollution. This decline was generally consistent with the reductions in Ca 2+ loading and lake Ca 2+ concentrations over the same period. The prevailing rate of CaCO 3 deposition in Onondaga Lake remains substantially higher than the rates documented for three other hardwater lakes in the literature. Calcium carbonate is the primary component and principal regulator of the dynamics of total solids deposition in the lake.
Impact of glycosylation on the immunogenicity of a DNA-based influenza H5 HA vaccine

Abstract Avian H5N1 influenza viruses isolated from humans in Hong Kong in 1997 were divided into two antigenic groups based on the presence or absence of a potential glycosylation site at amino acid residues 154–156 in the HA1 region of the viral hemagglutinin (HA) surface glycoprotein. To assess the impact of glycosylation on the immunogenicity of an HA-expressing DNA vaccine, a series of plasmid vaccine constructs that differed in the presence of potential glycosylation sites at amino acid residues 154–156, 165–167, and 286–288 were used to immunize BALB/c mice. Postvaccination serum IgG, hemagglutination inhibition, and neutralizing antibody titers as well as the morbidity and mortality following a lethal H5N1 viral challenge did not vary significantly among any of the experimental groups. We conclude that the glycosylation pattern of the influenza virus HA1 domain has little impact on the murine antibody response raised to a DNA vaccine encoding the H5 HA, thereby minimizing the concern that the pattern of glycosylation sites encoded by the vaccine match those of closely related H5 viruses.
Using the Addie Model for Teaching Online

This paper assembles best ideas and practices from successful online instructors and recent literature. Suggestions include strategies for online class design, syllabus development, and online class facilitation, which provide successful tips for both new and experienced online instructors. This article incorporates additional ideas, tips, and tricks gathered since the paper was originally published in the October 2004 issue of the International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning as Tips and Tricks for Teaching Online: How to Teach Like a Pro!
Conceptual mastery and the knowledge argument

According to Frank Jackson’s famous knowledge argument, Mary, a brilliant neuroscientist raised in a black and white room and bestowed with complete physical knowledge, cannot know certain truths about phenomenal experience. This claim about knowledge, in turn, implies that physicalism is false. I argue that the knowledge argument founders on a dilemma. Either (i) Mary cannot know the relevant experiential truths because of trivial obstacles that have no bearing on the truth of physicalism or (ii) once the obstacles have been removed, Mary can know the relevant truths. If we give Mary the epistemological capabilities necessary to draw metaphysical conclusions about physicalism, she will, while trapped in the black and white room, be able to know every truth about phenomenal experience.
Chinatowns and Borderlands: Inter-Asian Encounters in the Diaspora

This paper explores two dynamic places and spaces in the Americas, destination of several Asian diasporas—the Chinese, Japanese, and South Asian—as contact and exchange zones. One would be the ethnic enclaves commonly called ‘Chinatowns’, which stretch over time from the early sixteenth century to the present, and over space from Manila in the Spanish empire across the Pacific to all over the Americas. These Chinatowns, imagined and real and riddled with stereotypes, are well-known tropes on the American landscapes, and need no further preliminary introduction; they are also firmly located within fixed national (or colonial) entities.The second space has not been historically associated with Asian diasporas in the Americas, although well known for different reasons. Here I refer to ‘borderlands’, the overlapping space between, over, and above two political national boundaries or borders, in particular the US-Mexican and US-Canadian borderlands, both, coincidentally, clearly marked and delineated by the mid-nineteenth century (1848 and 1846 respectively). Furthermore, as these two transnational/transborder regions are also trans-Pacific, their recognition as an integral part of Asian diasporas is belated and overdue. To make the case further, the study of Asians in the Americas has revealed that Asian migrants, labour, and capital have been historically drawn to these borderlands because they represent dynamic zones of economic development, first in the heyday of maturing American capitalism at the turn of the twentieth century, and again in the glaring eye of current late-capitalist globalization. In other words, Asians have amassed on both sides of these borders for over 100 years, where they have become adept at multiple border crossings, both trans-Pacific and transnational.
A Monte Carlo investigation on the impact of scattered radiation on mammographic resolution and noise

Scattered radiation plays a significant role in mammographic imaging, with scatter fractions over 50% for larger, denser breasts. For screen-film systems, scatter primarily affects the image contrast, reducing the conspicuity of subtle lesions. While digital systems can overcome contrast degradation, they remain susceptible to scatter's impact on the image resolution and noise. To better understand this impact, we have created a Monte Carlo model of a mammographic imaging system adaptable for different imaging situations. This model flags primary and scatter photons and therefore can produce primary-only, scatter-only, or primary plus scatter images. Resolution was assessed using the edge technique to compute the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF). The MTF of a selenium detector imaged with a 28 kVp Mo/Mo beam filtered through a 6 cm heterogeneous breast was 0.81, 0.0002, and 0.65 at 5 mm-1 for the primary beam, scatter-only, and primary plus scatter beam, respectively. Noise was measured from flat-field images via the noise power spectrum (NNPS). The NNPS-exposure product using the same imaging conditions was 1.5 x 10-5 mm2x mR, 1.6 x 10-5 mm2x mR, and 1.9 x 10-5 mm2x mR at 5 mm-1 for the primary, scatter, and primary plus scatter beam, respectively. The results show that scatter led to a notable low-frequency drop in the MTF and an increased magnitude of the NNPS-exposure product. (This work was supported in part by USAMRMC W81XWH-04-1-0323.)
14 C-ethylene incorporation and metabolism in pea seedlings

ETHYLENE is now generally accepted as an important, integral part of the natural hormonal complement of many plants1. Although the morphological, physiological and biochemical effects of the gas are well known, surprisingly little is known about its metabolism. There is no agreement as to whether or not ethylene is even incorporated into plant tissues. Several reports2–4 of work using 14C or 3H-labelled ethylene indicate that it is not incorporated whereas others5–10 suggest that a small, yet significant amount is fixed and metabolised. The criticism1,11,12 of these papers, on the basis that adequate precautions were not taken to insure that the label fixed and metabolised was derived from ethylene, has led Abeles1 to conclude that ethylene incorporation is probably not a prerequisite for ethylene action. A second major criticism of these studies is that no precautions were taken to exclude microbial contamination which could have accounted for the observed metabolism. Here, I report the results of experiments in which 14C-labelled ethylene of very high purity was applied to etiolated pea seedlings under aseptic conditions to study its possible incorporation and metabolism. They reveal a previously unrecognised active metabolic system in pea which converts 14C2H4 to 14CO2, as well as to unidentified tissue components.
Advancing Research in Gene–Environment Interplay: Can Developmental Science Lead the Way?

With the inundation of genetic information over the last decade, the behavioral and social sciences have the opportunity to not only advance their own areas of scientific inquiry but also to transform the study of gene–environment interplay. This is particularly true for developmental science, as its conceptual biopsychosocial principles are increasingly recognized as reflective of the functioning of genes and their complex partnership with environmental factors throughout development. This special issue on gene–environment interplay provides an overview and charts a course for the future and for the contribution that developmental scientists can make to advance the science.
Effects of physiological state on oral habituation in developing rats: Cellular and extracellular dehydration

Hydrational state has been demonstrated to influence intake of various solutions in young rat pups. For instance, both cellular and extracellular dehydration produce an enhancement of intake in pups tested at 6 days of age. However, the behavioral mechanisms that result in increased intake following manipulations of hydrational state have been less extensively studied. The impact of hydrational state on behavioral responsiveness in young rat pups was examined by assessing the pattern of responding to a series of repeated oral infusions of diet. Pups were tested at 6, 12, or 18 days of age following either acute cellular dehydration produced by injection of 1 M NaCl or acute extracellular dehydration produced by injection of 10% polyethylene glycol (PEG). Oral responsiveness to a series of 30 brief infusions of one of four taste solutions (water, 10% sucrose, 0.135 M NaCl, or 1 M NaCl) was measured. Each infusion lasted 3 s and there was 1 min between infusions. The pattern of oral responding to solutions was affected by the developmental age of the pup, the hydrational state of the pup, and the solution offered, with the largest effects of dehydration observed in the youngest animals. In all conditions except one, pups habituated to repeated infusions. The exception was the failure of extracellularly dehydrated 6-day-old pups to display habituation to oral infusions of sucrose. These results suggest that, although intake is enhanced by both cellular and extracellular dehydration in very young pups, the behavioral changes responsible for the enhancement of intake after cellular dehydration are different from the behavioral changes resulting from extracellular dehydration. This dissociation of behavioral effects of dehydration in young pups demonstrates that intake measures alone may obscure subtle differences in behavior and argues for the utility of dissection of behavioral components in understanding the neural and physiological control of behavior. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Dealkylation and N-oxidation in the metabolism of i-diethylcarbamyl-4-methylpiperazine in the rat.

1. When [14C]1-diethylcarbamyl-4-methylpiperazine was orally administered to rats, 97% of the radioactivity was excreted in the 24 h urine. Unchanged drug excreted in the urine accounted for about 15% of the dose.2. Two major metabolites present in the urine have been identified as 1-ethylcarbamyl-4-methylpiperazine (about 23% dose) and as 1-diethylcarbamyl-4-methylpiperazine-4-oxide (about 50% dose).
Using USDA Forecasts to Estimate the Price Flexibility of Demand for Agricultural Commodities

We estimate the general equilibrium price flexibility of demand for corn and soybeans using monthly changes in expected supply published by the USDA. Our estimates reflect the demand response to a one-year supply shock and thus correspond to the inverse demand elasticity. We derive the conditions under which our estimates are consistent, and we show how demand flexibility varies by season, inventory, time horizon, and demand composition. At average inventory and without accounting for corn-ethanol use, we obtain price flexibility estimates of - 1.35 and - 1.03 for corn and soybeans, respectively. Current corn-ethanol production levels are associated with much larger absolute flexibilities for both commodities. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.
Design models for interactive problem-solving: context & ontology, representation & routines

We describe and illustrate a new framework for the design of interactive problem-solving based on recent research on the psychology of distributed cognition.
Mercury in the Northeastern Chukchi Sea: Distribution patterns in seawater and sediments and biomagnification in the benthic food web

Abstract Mercury contamination in the atmosphere, snow and marine mammals of the Arctic has been a continuing environmental concern and the focus of many investigations. Much less is known about the distribution of Hg in seawater, sediments and organisms from lower trophic levels in the Arctic, especially the Chukchi Sea. The onset of sea-ice retreat, severe coastal erosion, enhanced primary productivity and offshore energy development in the northeastern Chukchi Sea (NECS) signal changes to a system for which we have limited data for potentially toxic chemicals. To help us better understand and explain any future changes, we present here a combined data set for Hg in seawater, sediments and the following organisms from the NECS: amphipods (Ampelisca macrocephala), clams (Astarte borealis), snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio), arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and whelks (Buccinum spp. and Neptunea heros). Concentrations of total dissolved Hg (THgd) averaged (±standard deviation) 2.8±1.4 pM in the NECS, ~2 times greater than values of 1.5±0.5 pM for the Bering Strait. Overall, consistently lower concentrations of THgd were found at depths with markedly higher concentrations of chlorophyll a. Concentrations of total Hg (THg) in sediments from the NECS averaged 31±10 ng g−1, correlated well with silt+clay, Al and TOC, and showed a long-term record consistent with the natural, background environment. Very localized occurrences of sediment with elevated THg concentrations were identified near two exploratory drilling sites where drilling mud and formation cuttings were discharged in 1989. Concentrations of sediment monomethylmercury (MMHg) averaged 0.15±0.07 ng g−1 and accounted for only 0.43±0.17% of the sediment THg. The lowest average value (± standard error) for THg in biota was found for A. borealis at 44±4 ng g−1 dry weight (d. wt.) with 33% of the THg present as MMHg. The highest average values for THg were identified for the whelks N. heros (195±29 ng g−1, d. wt) and Buccinum spp. (269±54 ng g−1, d. wt) with 95% of the THg present as MMHg in N. heros, the highest trophic level organism in this study as determined using data for δ15N. Biomagnification of MMHg was observed in this benthic food web with the following relationship: log[MMHg]=0.19[δ15N]−0.84 (R2=0.80, p=0.02).
Early detection and quantitative assessment of apical root resorption using crown-root ratio and tuned-aperture computed tomography (TACT)☆

EARLY DETECTION AND QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF APICAL ROOT RESORPTION USING CROWNROOT RATIO AND TUNED-APERTURE COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (TACT). Andre Mol, Julie H. Mol, Onanong Chai-u-dom, and Donald A. Tyndall, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, and Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand Background. Apical root resorption (ARR) is a complication of orthodontic treatment without clear causative factors. The relationship between causative factors and ARR may be obscured by inaccuracies in current methods of detection and quantification. Twodimensional imaging, lack of image standardization, as well as orthodontic tooth movement and remodeling of the surrounding tissues all pose considerable challenges. Objective. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a tuned-aperture computed tomography (TACT) application and to assess the validity of the crown-root ratio (CRR) method for the detection and quantification of small oblique apical root resorption lesions. Methods and materials. A registered (R) and a nonregistered (NR) version of TACT were tested. In TACT-R, the detector moved with the tooth through mechanical standardization. TACT-NR allowed the tooth to move independently of the detector. Ten basis images with a maximum angular disparity of 20° were used. Oblique slicing of TACT-NR follow-up stacks was required for registration with baseline stacks. A slice shifting algorithm was applied to prevent drifting of cross-talk shadows. Twenty extracted maxillary incisors placed in a widened alveolus of a maxillary jaw segment served as test and control sites. Baseline images were acquired without lesions. Follow-up images were acquired with and without lesions. Lesions were created by cutting an oblique buccolingual segment of the root just below the apex. Teeth were moved between baseline and follow-up (rotation and torque), and a bone-putty mixture was used to simulate remodeling of the surrounding bone. CRR, TACT-R, and TACT-NR were tested by 6 radiologists using ROC-analysis. CRR and TACT-R were also tested for their quantitative ability. Results. Low Az-values were obtained for CRR (0.68; SD .09), TACT-R (0.64; SD .09), and TACT-NR (0.60; SD .09). Differences between modalities were not statistically significant (ANOVA: P .05). Lesion quantification was poor for both CRR (R .03) and TACT-R (R .13). Conclusions. Crown-root ratio and TACT are not valid for the detection and quantification of small oblique apical root resorption lesions. Imaging techniques with greater angular disparity between basis images reduce cross-talk effects and are likely to improve performance.
Visualization of pinholin lesions in vivo

Lambdoid phage 21 uses a pinholin-signal anchor release endolysin strategy to effect temporally regulated host lysis. In this strategy, the pinholin S(21)68 accumulates harmlessly in the bilayer until suddenly triggering to form lethal membrane lesions, consisting of S(21)68 heptamers with central pores <2 nm in diameter. The membrane depolarization caused by these pores activates the muralytic endolysin, R(21), leading immediately to peptidoglycan degradation. The lethal S(21)68 complexes have been designated as pinholes to distinguish from the micrometer-scale holes formed by canonical holins. Here, we used GFP fusions of WT and mutant forms of S(21)68 to show that the holin accumulates uniformly throughout the membrane until the time of triggering, when it suddenly redistributes into numerous small foci (rafts). Raft formation correlates with the depletion of the proton motive force, which is indicated by the potential-sensitive dye bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid)pentamethine oxonol. By contrast, GFP fusions of either antiholin variant irsS(21)68, which only forms inactive dimers, or nonlethal mutant S(21)68(S44C), which is blocked at an activated dimer stage of the pinhole formation pathway, were both blocked in a state of uniform distribution. In addition, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching revealed that, although the antiholin irsS(21)68-GFP fusion was highly mobile in the membrane (even when the proton motive force was depleted), more than one-half of the S(21)68-GFP molecules were immobile, and the rest were in mobile states with a much lower diffusion rate than the rate of irsS(21)68-GFP. These results suggest a model in which, after transiting into an oligomeric state, S(21)68 migrates into rafts with heterogeneous sizes, within which the final pinholes form.
Cultural inheritance of the desire for male offspring and the incidence of a sex-linked lethal disease.

Abstract This paper studies the effect of having at least one male offspring on a sex‐linked recessive disease and the fraction of affected males due to fresh mutations. The equilibrium frequency of heterozygous females depends not only on the intensity of the reproductive compensation, but also on the time of mutational change. It has been shown that the frequency ranges from 4u without reproductive compensation to √2u or √3u with strict compensation, where u is the mutation rate from the wild type allele to lethal gene. The frequency √2u is achieved when mutation occurs in mature germ cells, whereas, √3u achieved when mutation occurs in early development of germ cells. This increased frequency of heterozygous females due to reproductive compensation reduces considerably the proportion of affected males due to fresh mutation.
Further Results for Ladder Processes in Continuous Time.

Abstract The distribution of ladder variables is obtained for the class of processes with stationary independent increments for which they are almost surely positive. This result is used to derive some related distributions. It is proved that a Wiener-Hopf factorization completely analogous to the one for random walks holds if and only if the process is compound Poisson with zero drift.
Dependence of X-Ray Yields in Argon, Krypton, and Xenon upon the Charge State of Fluorine Ions at 35.7 MeV

In high-velocity ion-atom single collisions, a strong dependence of target x-ray production cross sections upon the ionic charge state has been observed. Experiments were performed in thin gas targets of argon, krypton, and xenon with 35.7-MeV fluorine ions incident in charge states +5 to +9. Production cross sections for Ar $K$, Kr $L$, and Xe $L$ characteristic lines increase by as much as a factor of 5 with increasing incident charge state but cannot be fitted by a ${q}^{2}$ dependence.
Revisiting Risk-Weighted Assets

In this paper, we provide an overview of the concerns surrounding the variations in the calculation of risk-weighted assets (RWAs) across banks and jurisdictions and how this might undermine the Basel III capital adequacy framework. We discuss the key drivers behind the differences in these calculations, drawing upon a sample of systemically important banks from Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. We then discuss a range of policy options that could be explored to fix the actual and perceived problems with RWAs, and improve the use of risk-sensitive capital ratios.
Avalanche Ionization and the Limiting Diameter of Filaments Induced by Light Pulses in Transparent Media

A limiting intensity is shown to exist for light propagation in transparent liquids and solids. In pure bulk materials it is determined by avalanche ionization over a wide range of pulse durations, wavelengths, and band gaps. The ionization rate per unit time is deduced from the thickness dependence of the dc breakdown. The negative real part of the index of refraction of the carriers stabilizes the size of self-focused filaments.
Studies on tryptophan accumulation in brain during methiothepin-induced enhancement of 5-hydroxyindole synthesis.

The elevation of brain tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophan and 5-hydroxyindoles (serotonin + 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid) that results from a tryptophan load is potentiated by prior administration of methiothepin, a serotonin receptor antagonist. Coadministration of valine with tryptophan attenuates these effects even in animals receiving methiothepin pretreatment. Administration of methiothepin and tryptophan to rats with widespread reduction of brain 5-hydroxyindole levels resulting from raphe lesions or 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine pretreatment still enabled brain tryptophan levels to rise considerably above the sum of increases found in animals receiving one or the other. Following transection of the spinal cord, the cranial portion still exhibited enhanced uptake of tryptophan and 5-hydroxyindole synthesis following methiothepin plus tryptophan treatment, however, both these events were absent in the caudal segment. Apparently, enhanced tryptophan uptake can proceed in the presence of minimal neuronal activity; however, when nerve impulse flow is eliminated, both 5-hydroxyindole synthesis and tryptophan uptake is impaired.
Metal-ligand induced supramolecular polymerization: a route to responsive materials.

The use of metal–ligand binding as the driving force for the self-assembly polymerizations of a ditopic ligand offers a facile route to the preparation of organic/inorganic hybrid materials. Such metallo-supramolecular polymers potentially offer the functionality of the metal ion along with the processibility of a polymer. We report, herein, the preparation of gel-like metallo-supramolecular polymers prepared from a monomer unit, which consists of a 2,6-bis-(benzimidazolyl)-4-hydroxypyridine unit attached to either end of a polyether chain, mixed with a lanthanoid metal (e.g. La(III), Eu(III)) and a transition metal ion (e.g. Co(II) or Zn(II)). Such materials show dramatic reversible responses to a variety of stimuli, including thermal, mechanical, chemical and light. The nature of the response can be controlled by the nature of the combination of transition metal ion and lanthanoid metal ion used.
Using simulation software to solve engineering economy problems

Some information required for solving problems in engineering economy problems can be fairly well defined. Much required information is uncertain, such as the actual cash flows from revenues and costs, the salvage value of equipment, the interest rate or even the project life. Engineering economy problems with all deterministic inputs are actually special cases. Probability descriptions of input variables and Monte Carlo sampling together provide a practical method of finding the distribution of the desired output given the various random and deterministic input variables. This paper provides three examples that demonstrate how commonly available simulation software could be used in engineering economy problems. One example is demonstrated that generates the distribution future worth of an annual series of payments when there is uncertainty about the future earning power (interest rate) from year to year. Also, an example is demonstrated that models the uncertainty of interest rates and the uncertainty of project life in order to generate the NPV distribution of a project. Finally, an example is presented to show the use of simulation in comparing alternative investment opportunities under uncertainty. These examples can be used to demonstrate how risk is handled in an engineering economy course. The examples can also be used as additional applications in an industrial simulation course.
Job Loss at Mid-life: Managers and Executives Face the "New Risk Economy"

We use a lifecourse framework to examine how the "new risk economy" has left middle-age professionals, managers and executives more vulnerable to job loss and unemployment despite high levels of human capital. Using in-depth qualitative data from 77 recently-unemployed white-collar workers, we examine perceptions of macro-economic forces and their implications for respondents' career-recovery plans and expectations for their own and their children's future career pathways. We find that most respondents attributed their job loss to factors associated with globalization and used coping strategies that involved adapting a "free-agent" mentality in the face of declining employer loyalty and deprofessionalization to manage perceptions of age bias. Respondents also make mastering the "new risk economy" a developmental goal for themselves and their children.
Thermoelectric power of selected metals and binary alloy systems

Abstract The available experimental data and information on the thermoelectric power of the following ten binary alloy systems: aluminum-copper, aluminum-magnesium, copper-gold, copper-nickel, copper-palladium, copper-zinc, gold-palladium, gold- silver, iron-nickel, and silver-palladium, and of the following eleven metals: aluminum, copper, gold, iron, lead, magnesium, nickel, palladium, platinum, silver, and zinc have been compiled, critically evaluated, analyzed, correlated, and synthesized to generate reliable reference data (recommended values). The recommended values for each of most of the alloy systems are generated for 27 compositions: 0 (pure element), 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10(5)95, 97, 99, 99.5, and 100% (pure element) covering the temperature range from near the absolute zero to above 1000 K for most of the alloy compositions.
Regulation of the human acute phase serum amyloid A genes by tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and glucocorticoids in hepatic and epithelial cell lines.

The major acute-phase protein serum amyloid A, A-SAA, is upregulated by a variety of inflammatory stimuli, including cytokines and glucocorticoids (GCs). Elevated systemic concentrations of both A-SAA and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α are a feature of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Here, we examine the roles of TNF-α, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and GCs on the transcriptional regulation of the two human A-SAA genes (SAA1 and SAA2) and show that these stimuli have different effects on the SAA1 and SAA2 promoters in HepG2 hepatoma and KB epithelial cell lines. Both genes are induced modestly by TNF-α and IL-6 alone and synergistically by TNF-α plus IL-6. The TNF-driven induction of SAA1, but not that of SAA2, can be enhanced by GCs in both cell lines, whereas GCs alone can upregulate SAA1 only in epithelial cells. The upregulation of both genes by cytokines, and of SAA1 by GCs, is more rapid in epithelial cells than hepatoma cells. We established that the order in which either cell line was treated with TNF-α and IL-6 influenced A-SAA promoter transcriptional activation. Treatment with TNF-α followed by IL-6 resulted in a much greater induction of both A-SAA genes than treatment with IL-6 followed by TNF-α.
Assessing learned associations between conditioned cocaine reward and environmental stimuli in the Wistar Kyoto rat.

Clinical studies demonstrate that anxiety disorders increase the risk of substance use disorder. However, few studies have directly assessed anxiety as a vulnerability factor in processing of rewarding stimuli. The Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rat has been proposed as a model of anxiety vulnerability because it exhibits extreme behavioral inhibition in novel and social environments; yet, it displays paradoxical rapid active avoidance learning that is resistant to extinction. The present study was designed to characterize the acquisition and persistence of cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) in WKY rats. In the first of a series of three experiments, adult male WKY and Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were given six pairings of cocaine (3, 5, 10, 15 mg/kg) or saline on alternating days. SD rats developed cocaine-induced CPP to each of the four doses of cocaine tested. In contrast, WKY rats demonstrated CPP when conditioned with 3, 5, and 10 mg/kg, but displayed no preference to the 15 mg/kg dose. Next, separate groups of rats were subject to an extended CPP paradigm, which included acquisition, extinction and reinstatement phases. Rats were conditioned with cocaine and saline on alternating days using either a 6/6 (as above) or 4/4 conditioning regimen. Both SD and WKY rats acquired a lasting CPP with the 6/6 conditioning regimen. Results from the 4/4 conditioning regimen show that SD, but not WKY, rats acquired CPP. Preference scores for SD rats during the cocaine primed reinstatement test were significantly different from pretest scores indicating reinstatement of CPP in this group. Paradoxically, WKY rats demonstrated a latent sensitization to the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine during the drug-primed reinstatement test. Taken together, WKY rats appear to be more sensitive to high doses of cocaine and need more experience with the drug to acquire a preference than SD rats.
Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty Balloon Inflation with Syringes: Who Needs an Inflator?

Purpose High pressures are important in percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, particularly in hemodialysis access. Although many operators rely on commercially available inflators, small syringes can deliver high pressures, which might make inflators unnecessary. Recently introduced polycarbonate (PC) syringes may allow higher pressure delivery than traditional polypropylene (PP) ones, so the present study was performed to determine predictors of inflation pressures achievable with various syringe designs. Materials and Methods Forty-two subjects participated: 12 residents, 12 interventional radiology fellows, 12 interventional radiology attending physicians, and six others. Each subject made three attempts to deliver maximum pressure with use of a calibrated gauge for each syringe type (1-, 3-, 5-/6-, 10-, and 20-mL PP and PC syringes). A control experiment was conducted to assess fatigue effects. Age, sex, grip strength measured on a dynamometer, and physical parameters (height, weight, body mass index [BMI]) were collected for each participant. Results Pressures of 40 atm or greater were achieved by more than 90% of subjects with 1-mL PC syringes (mean, 47 atm ± 7 [SD]). Female subjects generated lower mean pressures with every syringe type ( P value range, Conclusions Irrespective of sex, grip strength, and BMI, 1-mL PC syringes can be used to generate pressures in excess of 40 atm. High correlation between grip strength and pressure generation may make it possible to predict the pressure an individual can generate with any syringe size or design.
Poling effect on d33 in textured Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based materials

Textured (1 − x − y)Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–(x)BaTiO3–(y)K0.5Na0.5NbO3 ceramics have been produced by tape casting with pure-phase Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 templates. Rietveld texture refinement was used to analyze the crystallographic preferred orientation of the fired ceramics. The effect of poling field on d33 was investigated for applied fields between 0–8 MV m−1 for pure Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 and 0–5 MV m−1 for Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 alloys, and compared against randomly oriented samples. Texturing enhanced the piezoelectric response of all measured compositions with Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–(5)BaTiO3 reaching a maximum d33 of 245 pC N−1.
Control System Design for Full Range Operation of a Narrow Commuter Vehicle

One way of addressing the traffic congestion problem is by efficiently utilizing the existing highway infrastructure. Narrow commuter vehicles can be part of this solution if they can be designed to be safe, stable and easy to operate. In this paper the design of a control system that ensures the tilt stability of a narrow tilting vehicle from start up to highway speed without requiring any learned skill from the driver and without affecting the handling of the vehicle is presented. This proposed control scheme constitutes of two different controllers. For low speed operation of the vehicle a new and improved Direct Tilt Control system is designed that results in minimal transient torque requirement and zero steady state torque requirement. For higher operating speed of the vehicle a Steering Tilt Control based control law is designed to ensure tilt stability of the vehicle. Finally a new method of integrating these two control schemes that guarantees smooth switchover between the controllers is proposed. The performance of the compound control system is evaluated by simulations carried out for different vehicle operating conditions. Preliminary results on direct tilt control are presented.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
ATR-FTIR investigations of plasticizer diffusion in polymers

An attenuated total reflectance FTIR (ATR-FTIR) technique has been developed for measuring the diffusion coefficients of liquids in polymer films. Data is being obtained for diffusion of plasticizers in nitrocellulose (NC), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), and NC/CAB mixtures.
The effect of temperature on the fatty acid composition of Tetrahymena pyriformis WH-14.

SYNOPSIS. A reduction in the growth temperature of Tetrahymena pyriformis strain WH-14 from 35 C to 15 C resulted in distinct alterations in the fatty acid composition of the glycerophospholipids. The proportion of normal saturated acids declined from 26 to 19%; palmitoleic acid increased by 6%, and the composition of the polyunsaturated fatty acids increased in 18:2 Δ6,11(n) and decreased in 18:2 Δ9,12(n) and 18:3 Δ6,9,12(n). The unsaturation index (the average number of double bonds/100 molecules) did not change with a shift in temperature. Two biosynthetic pathways exist in Tetrahymena for the formation of unsaturated fatty acids. The observed changes in fatty acid composition that accompany a lowering of the environmental temperature can be accounted for by a reduction in the accumulation of products of the fatty acid pathway leading to the formation of γ-linolenic acid [16:0(n) → 18:0(n) → 18:1 Δ9(n) → 18:2 Δ9,12(n) → 18:3 Δ6,9,12(n)] and an increase in the components of the pathway leading to the formation of 18:2 Δ6,11(n) [16:0(n) → 16:1 Δ9(n) → 18:1 Δ11(n) → 18:2 Δ6,11(n)]. The data suggest that the regulatory mechanism in Tetrahymena differs from that found in some bacteria where a simple substitution of unsaturated fatty acids for saturated fatty acids occurs at low culture temperatures.
Guidelines for acute inpatient psychiatric treatment review

Inpatient psychiatric care accounts for a major part of the health care dollars spent for mental illness. In this article the authors review the history and literature behind the process of psychiatric peer review and quality assurance and discuss the development of standard criteria for admission to the hospital. These criteria include (1) imminent danger to oneself and others, (2) acute impairment of ability to perform activities of daily life, (3) impulsive or assaultive behavior, and (4) management of withdrawal states. The authors then present an outline of the typical course of the hospital stay. Finally, through a series of questions, criteria for continued stay on an acute care unit are indicated. The essential criterion is medical necessity based on a standard of severity of illness and intensity of treatment required. Criteria for admission, a sense of the typical course of the hospital stay, and criteria for continued stay then become the relevant issues for psychiatric peer review and quality assessment.
Correction of B 0 inhomogeneity distortion in magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging

In this paper we reconstruct the 3-D MR spectroscopic data acquired using an echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) sequence. We propose to compensate for B 0 inhomogeneity artifact by using the B 0 field map and T 2 * decay estimated from a higher resolution, multi-slice proton imaging data scanned with similar shimming to the EPSI one. We employ total variation (TV) regularization to obtain more uniform spectral peaks and lineshapes, and exploit the sparsity of the spectral data by using the l 1 norm in the reconstruction.
Three-year follow-up of borderline congenital hypothyroidism.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether children with borderline hypothyroidism in the neonatal period had persistent hypothyroidism after 3 years of levothyroxine replacement therapy. Fourteen term infants with slightly abnormal newborn screening results (thyroxine 4.6 microU/mL or a thyroid releasing hormone test result consistent with primary hypothyroidism), and levothyroxine was reinitiated. Only one patient had normal thyroid function studies. Although prospective studies are still lacking, we recommend levothyroxine replacement in newborns with borderline hypothyroidism.
Comparative Assessment of ActiV GP/Glass Ionomer Sealer, Resilon/Epiphany, and Gutta-Percha/AH Plus Obturation: A Bacterial Leakage Study

The objective of this study was to compare the sealing ability of ActiV GP/glass ionomer (GI) sealer (Brasseler USA, Savannah, GA), Resilon/Epiphany (Pentron Clinical Technologies, Wallingford, CT), and gutta-percha (GP)/AH Plus (Dentsply Maillefer, Tulsa, OK). Seventy-three human single-rooted teeth were randomly divided into three test groups (20 canals each) and two control groups (5 positive and 8 negative). Using Enterococcus faecalis, a split-chamber bacterial leakage model was developed to evaluate the sealing ability of the three obturation systems. Samples were monitored every 24 hours for 65 days. Thirteen teeth leaked in both the Resilon/Epiphany and GP/AH Plus groups, whereas 17 teeth leaked in the ActiV GP/GI group at the end of the observation period. There were no statistically significant differences in the resistance to leakage between the three obturation systems (p > 0.05).
Glucocorticoids enhance somatomedin-C binding and stimulation of amino acid uptake in human fibroblasts.

The regulation of growth by the GH-dependent mitogen somatomedin-C (Sm-C) may involve not only changes in circulating levels of Sm-C, but also alterations in cellular sensitivity to Sm-C induced by humoral factors. Glucocorticoids have been reported to enhance the stimulatory effect of Sm-C on DNA synthesis and cell replication in cultured human fibroblasts, but the cellular alteration responsible for this effect was not fully defined. Using an assay for cellular sensitivity to Sm-C based on stimulation of uptake of the amino acid analog aminoisobutyric acid, a 20-h preincubation with 100 nM dexamethasone was found to enhance both the sensitivity and the maximal responsiveness of human fibroblasts to a 3-h incubation with Sm-C. This effect was found using fibroblasts from multiple normal donors of different ages, and dexamethasone was approximately 10-fold more potent than hydrocortisone. The glucocorticoid antagonist RU486 (100 nM) largely reversed the enhancing effect of 100 nM dexamethasone on Sm-C act...
Improving dietary habits of children: Effects of nutrition education and correspondence training☆

Evidence that a significant number of children are exposed to risk factors associated with coronary heart disease has prompted health care professionals to develop programs designed to encourage the early development of a healthy life style. The present study used a multiple baseline approach to examine the effects of two procedures on the snack selection behavior of 25 third grade children. In children who selected non-nutritious rather than nutritious snacks for more than 40% of the baseline observations, nutrition education alone had little or no impact on their selection of snacks. However, with the implementation of correspondence training, in which a reward was made contingent upon carrying out a stated intent to choose a nutritious snack, the children consistently chose nutritious snacks. These results indicate that correspondence training may be an efficient and cost-effective way to improve dietary habits of young people.
Detoxification of Russell's viper (Vipera russellii) and water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus) venoms by photooxidation.

Abstract Photooxidation of six venoms of domestic and foreign snakes resulted in the detoxification of all venoms. Immunization of rabbits with two of the detoxified venoms, Agkistrodon piscivorus and Vipera russellii , resulted in the production of antibodies which protected mice against the action of unaltered venom
Law enforcement, social control and the withering of the state: Recent Soviet experience∗

(1963). Law enforcement, social control and the withering of the state: Recent Soviet experience. Soviet Studies: Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 379-397.
How are Sociosexuality, Sex Drive, and Lifetime Number of Sexual Partners Related?

In two studies (ns = 277 and 221), the authors examined the relationships among sex drive, sociosexuality, lifetime number of sex partners, and gender identity. They found that sex drive is highly and positively correlated with sociosexual orientation, and that both sex drive and sociosexual orientation are positively correlated with lifetime number of sex partners. However, partial correlations revealed that sociosexual orientation is an independent predictor of lifetime number of sex partners, whereas sex drive is not. The authors were also able to replicate and extend Mikach and Bailey’s (1999) finding that gender identity is related to women’s lifetime number of sex partners. More masculine women had more sex partners and had a less restricted sociosexual orientation than did less masculine women; less masculine men had a higher sex drive than did more masculine men. The findings are discussed with regard to theory and research on sex drive and sociosexuality.
Medical conditions associated with venous leg ulcers

Summary Background In patients who have a venous leg ulcer, very little is known about the frequency of their concomitant medical conditions. Objectives To evaluate the frequency that other medical conditions are associated with a new venous leg ulcer. Methods We studied a 10% random sample of elderly patients registered in the General Practice Research Database between 1988 and 1996. We describe the frequency of medical conditions using simple percentages. In order to assess the associations between medical conditions and the onset of a venous leg ulcer, we used logistic regression models. Results Several medical conditions occur commonly in patients who develop venous leg ulcers, including anaemia, angina, asthma, cellulitis of the lower extremity, depression, diabetes, limb oedema, hypertension, osteoarthritis, pneumonia and urinary tract infection. After statistical adjustment many medical conditions were significantly associated with those who had recent onset of a venous leg ulcer, including asthma, cellulitis of the lower extremity, congestive heart failure, diabetes, deep venous thrombosis, lower limb oedema, osteoarthritis, peripheral vascular arterial disease of the lower extremity, rheumatoid arthritis, history of hip surgery, and history of venous surgery/ligation. Unexpectedly, some illnesses were inversely associated with those that had recent onset of a venous leg ulcer, including angina, cerebral vascular accident, depression, malignancy, myocardial infarction, pneumonia and urinary tract infection. Conclusions Physicians caring for individuals with venous leg ulcers need to be aware that it is likely that these individuals may have one of the comorbid illnesses listed above.
Erratum for Toplin et al., Biogeographic and Phylogenetic Diversity of Thermoacidophilic Cyanidiales in Yellowstone National Park, Japan, and New Zealand

Volume 74, no. 9, p. 2822–2833, 2008. Page 2822, column 2, line 19: “trichloroacetic” should read “tricarboxylic
Estimating the Argument of Some Analytic Functions

We consider a class of analytic functions that are closely related to approximate conformal mappings of simply connected domains onto the unit disk. Using a result of Warschawski, we improve upon our estimates of the argument in the considered class for the important case when the mapping is nearly circular. This new estimate is asymptotically sharp.