cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robotics and machine learning in a core college curriculum

In recent years, there has been an increase of interest in Robotics and Machine Learning in our society. Since the early days of industrial robotics, robots have been introduced to numerous areas of our everyday lives, ranging from robots in medicine and space exploration, to robots for household tasks and early childhood learning systems. While robotics and machine learning courses are not new in the college curriculum, such courses often require significant expertise and are mostly tailored to advanced Computer Science and Engineering majors. In this paper, we describe the Robotics and Machine Learning course for non-science majors, which is also a part of our core natural science college curriculum. We begin by describing the need for such a course in a core college curriculum, describing the course in its current form, and presenting the results, including student evaluations, which demonstrate its effectiveness.
Scaling theory of armed-conflict avalanches

Armed conflict data display features consistent with scaling and universal dynamics in both social and physical properties like fatalities and geographic extent. We propose a randomly branching armed conflict model to relate the multiple properties to one another. The model incorporates a fractal lattice on which conflict spreads, uniform dynamics driving conflict growth, and regional virulence that modulates local conflict intensity. The quantitative constraints on scaling and universal dynamics we use to develop our minimal model serve more generally as a set of constraints for other models for armed conflict dynamics. We show how this approach akin to thermodynamics imparts mechanistic intuition and unifies multiple conflict properties, giving insight into causation, prediction, and intervention timing.
CT Colonography in Review With Tips and Tricks to Improve Performance.

Abstract CT colonography (CTC) is growing in its utilization and availability as a screening or diagnostic test for colorectal cancer detection. Its performance stands up to optical colonoscopy and it has become a growing alternative in many situations. This leaves a rising need for training and proficiency in how to perform and interpret CTC. Optimization of exam technique and colonic preparation raises the detection rate of colorectal lesions and renders interpretation easier. Since colorectal cancer remains the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States in men and women combined, the role for CTC is further fortified.
A Cyber-Insurance Scheme for Water Distribution Systems Considering Malicious Cyberattacks

As one of the national critical infrastructures, the water distribution system supports our daily life and economic growth, the failure of which may lead to catastrophic results. Besides the uncertainty from the system component failures, cyberattacks are vital to the secure system operation and have great impacts on the reliability of the water supply service. Malicious attackers may intrude into the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system of pump stations in the water distribution networks and interrupt the water supply to the customers. Cyber insurance is emerging as a promising financial tool in system risk management. In this paper, cyber insurance is proposed for the cyber risk management of the water distribution system. A semi-Markov process (SMP) model is devised to model the cyberattacks against pump stations in the water distribution system. Both the impacts of the independent cyber risks in the individual distribution network and the correlated cyber risks shared across different water distribution networks are evaluated and modeled. A sequential Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) based algorithm is developed to evaluate the system loss. Cyber insurance premiums for the water distribution networks are designed based on the actuarial principles and potential system losses. Case studies are also performed on multiple representative water distribution networks, and the results demonstrate the validity of the proposed cyber insurance model.
Incorporating Present-on-Admission Indicators in Medicare Claims to Inform Hospital Quality Measure Risk Adjustment Models.

Importance Present-on-admission (POA) indicators in administrative claims data allow researchers to distinguish between preexisting conditions and those acquired during a hospital stay. The impact of adding POA information to claims-based measures of hospital quality has not yet been investigated to better understand patient underlying risk factors in theInternational Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revisionsetting. Objective To assess POA indicator use on Medicare claims and to assess the hospital- and patient-level outcomes associated with incorporating POA indicators in identifying risk factors for publicly reported outcome measures used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Design, Setting, and Participants This comparative effectiveness study used national CMS claims data between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2018. Six hospital quality measures assessing readmission and mortality outcomes were modified to include POA indicators in risk adjustment models. The models using POA were then compared with models using the existing complications-of-care algorithm to evaluate changes in risk model performance. Patient claims data were included for all Medicare fee-for-service and Veterans Administration beneficiaries aged 65 years or older with inpatient hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia within the measurement period. Data were analyzed between September 2019 and March 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Changes in patient-level (C statistics) and hospital-level (quintile shifts in risk-standardized outcome rates) model performance after including POA indicators in risk adjustment. Results Data from a total of 6 027 988 index admissions were included for analysis, ranging from 491 366 admissions (269 209 [54.8%] men; mean [SD] age, 78.2 [8.3] years) for the acute myocardial infarction mortality outcome measure to 1 395 870 admissions (677 158 [48.5%] men; mean [SD] age, 80.3 [8.7] years) for the pneumonia readmission measure. Use of POA indicators was associated with improvements in risk adjustment model performance, particularly for mortality measures (eg, the C statistic increased from 0.728 [95% CI, 0.726-0.730] to 0.774 [95% CI, 0.773-0.776] when incorporating POA indicators into the acute myocardial infarction mortality measure). Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this quality improvement study suggest that leveraging POA indicators in the risk adjustment methodology for hospital quality outcome measures may help to more fully capture patients’ risk factors and improve overall model performance. Incorporating POA indicators does not require extra effort on the part of hospitals and would be easy to implement in publicly reported quality outcome measures.
98 Growth and mineral content of tall fescue grown in manure extracts from horses fed varying trace mineral sources and levels

Horse manure spread on pasture can provide nutrients and minerals to plants, but the effect of horse diet on fecal mineral availability to plants is unknown. This study's objective was to determine if the amount and source of trace minerals (TM) fed to horses would affect the growth and mineral content of plants grown hydroponically in manure extracts. Nine horses were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design for the study's feeding portion. Horses had ad libitum access to forage and were fed a protein pellet containing one of 3 dietary treatments: a low TM treatment with no added TM (CON) or industry relevant TM level treatments with TM added as either organic TM (ORG) or inorganic TM (ING). Added TM were Co, Cu, Mn, Se, and Zn at equivalent amounts for ORG and ING. There were 3 21-d feeding periods, including a 5-d washout; each horse received each treatment. Feces were collected on d 21 of each period. Manure extracts were made from each horse by mixing wet feces with distilled water (30 g DM/L), incubating for 20 h, and straining. Extracts were combined by treatment and TM concentrations reflected dietary levels, with ING and ORG being similar and greater than CON. Manure extracts, distilled water/negative control (WAT) and Steinman's nutrient solution/positive control (NUT) were applied as liquid treatments. Tall fescue seeds were germinated in a growth chamber, and seedlings transferred to rockwool in pans (40 seedlings/pan) on d 9. Pans were randomly assigned to treatment with 4 replicate pans/treatment. Plants were grown in an environmentally controlled room, and watered with the liquid treatment to keep fluid amount consistent in the pans. Plant height was recorded every 10 d. At the experiment's end (d 41), plants were harvested to determine plant DM biomass and TM content using ICP-MS. Biomass, final height and TM data were analyzed using ANOVA and growth rate data were analyzed using regression and orthogonal contrasts. The NUT and ORG plants had greater final DM biomass and height compared with WAT plants, while ING and CON were intermediate (P 0.05). The level and source of TM in horse diets affected plant availability of nutrients in the manure, which can influence pasture growth and composition.
Global Dynamics, Phase Space Transport, Orbits Homoclinic to Resonances, and Applications

Introduction Homoclinic tangles and transport in two-dimensional, time-periodic vector fields Transport in cellular flows Homoclinic tangles and transport in two-dimensional, time-quasiperiodic vector fields Phase space transport in the quasiperiodically forced Morse oscillator Adiabatic dynamical systems Transport in the eccentric journal bearing flow: An applicaton of adiabatic dynamical systems Orbits homoclinic to resonances: Global analysis and geometric singular perturbation methods.
Morphological Coupling in Development: Lessons from Prokaryotes

Abstract At certain junctures in development, gene transcription is coupled to the completion of landmark morphological events. We refer to this dependence on morphogenesis for gene expression as "morphological coupling." Three examples of morphological coupling in prokaryotes are reviewed in which the activation of a transcription factor is tied to the assembly of a critically important structure in development.
Widespread Chemical Detoxification of Alkaloid Venom by Formicine Ants

The ability to detoxify defensive compounds of competitors provides key ecological advantages that can influence community-level processes. Although common in plants and bacteria, this type of detoxification interaction is extremely rare in animals. Here, using laboratory behavioral assays and analyses of videotaped interactions in South America, we report widespread venom detoxification among ants in the subfamily Formicinae. Across both data sets, nine formicine species, representing all major clades, used a stereotyped grooming behavior to self-apply formic acid (acidopore grooming) in response to fire ant (Solenopsis invicta and S. saevissima) venom exposure. In laboratory assays, this behavior increased the survivorship of species following exposure to S. invicta venom. Species expressed the behavior when exposed to additional alkaloid venoms, including both compositionally similar piperidine venom of an additional fire ant species and the pyrrolidine/pyrroline alkaloid venom of a Monomorium species. In addition, species expressed the behavior following exposure to the uncharacterized venom of a Crematogaster species. However, species did not express acidopore grooming when confronted with protein-based ant venoms or when exposed to monoterpenoid-based venom. This pattern, combined with the specific chemistry of the reaction of formic acid with venom alkaloids, indicates that alkaloid venoms are targets of detoxification grooming. Solenopsis thief ants, and Monomorium species stand out as brood-predators of formicine ants that produce piperidine, pyrrolidine, and pyrroline venom, providing an important ecological context for the use of detoxification behavior. Detoxification behavior also represents a mechanism that can influence the order of assemblage dominance hierarchies surrounding food competition. Thus, this behavior likely influences ant-assemblages through a variety of ecological pathways.
Recommending resolutions for problems identified by monitoring

Service Providers are facing an increasingly intense competitive landscape and growing industry requirements. Modern service infrastructure management focuses on the development of methodologies and tools for improving the efficiency and quality of service. It is desirable to run a service in a fully automated operation environment. Automated problem resolution, however, is difficult. It is particularly difficult for the weakly-coupled service composition, since the coupling is not defined at design time. Monitoring software systems are designed to actively capture events and automatically generate incident tickets or event tickets. Repeating events generate similar event tickets, which in turn have a vast number of repeated problem resolutions likely to be found in earlier tickets. We apply a recommendation systems approach to resolution of event tickets. In addition, we extend the recommendation methodology to take into account possible falsity of some of the tickets. The paper presents an analysis of the historical event tickets from a large service provider and proposes two resolution-recommendation algorithms for event tickets utilizing historical tickets. The recommendation algorithms take into account false positives often generated by monitoring systems. An additional penalty is incorporated in the algorithms to control the number of misleading resolutions in the recommendation results. An extensive empirical evaluation on three ticket data sets demonstrates that our proposed algorithms achieve a high accuracy with a small percentage of misleading results.
A Novel Bcl-x Isoform Connected to the T Cell Receptor Regulates Apoptosis in T Cells

Abstract We define a novel Bcl-x isoform, Bcl-xγ, that is generated by alternative splicing and characterized by a unique 47 amino acid C-terminus. Bcl-xγ is expressed primarily in thymocytes, where it may depend on an interaction between the TCR and host MHC products, and in mature T cells, where its expression is associated with ligation of the T cell receptor. Overexpression of Bcl-xγ in T cells inhibits activation-induced apoptosis; inhibition of Bcl-xγ, after stable expression of Bcl-xγ antisense cDNA, enhances activation- induced apoptosis. In contrast to other Bcl-x isoforms, cells that fail to express Bcl-xγ after CD3 ligation undergo programmed cell death, while activated T cells that express Bcl-xγ are spared. Identification of Bcl-xγ helps provide a molecular explanation of T cell activation and death after antigen engagement.
Improvisation in service performances: lessons from jazz

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to establish the efficacy of jazz improvisation as a useful metaphor to understand and implement features that contribute to excellent service performances.Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins by presenting services as performances that often require flexibility and adaptability in their enactment. It then offers the metaphor of jazz improvisation as a means to comprehend and communicate the dynamics of such flexibility and adaptability. Jazz elements are used to illustrate their application to service delivery issues.Practical implications – Similar to jazz, services deal with complex and real time delivery circumstances; this makes services prone to uncertainty at the service encounter. Lessons from jazz offer service managers guidelines for improvisation by each player in their ensemble that can enable them to adapt to customers and produce a coherent and cohesive performance.Originality/value – The jazz improvisation metaphor offers a template and gui...
Recent Developments In Urea

Recent developments relating to the application of the urea crystal to non-linear optics reviewed. The urea crystal has been shown to be a useful material for non-linear optics applications. Urea has been studied within the context of both frequency upconversion1 and, more recently, optical parametric oscillation (0P0).2-4 It is particularly the latter application which will be discussed. Urea is an organic crystal within the 42m space group class, the same as the ADP ismorphs. It is optically clear from 200 nm to 1.4 μm, which is consistent with parametric oscillation in the visible and near infrared. Its birefringence is approximately twice that of ADP, which leads to an OPO producing light at shorter wavelengths than for most other non-linear crystals. The non-linear coefficient of urea is approximately 2.5 times that of ADP. While a relatively soft crystal, urea can be optically polished to a flatness of less than an optical wavelength using methods similar to those of ADP. The thermal behavior of urea is excellent; the temperature-dependence of the phase-matching angle is much smaller then ADP. Urea is a hygroscopic crystal, a fact which complicates its practical use. Typically, this problem is overcome by immersing the crystal in an index matching liquid such as hexane. The most difficult problem with regards to the use of urea has been and continues to crystal growth. However, high quality urea crystals of length greater than 20 mm in the (110) direction have been grown from solution in the laboratory. Solution growth requires precise temperature control over very long growth times (on the order of one year). Recently, crystal sizes on the order of 1 cm3 have become commercially available. The urea crystal is positive uniaxial, a characteristic which is advantageous for OPO ications. By utilizing type II (o -> o + e) phase-matching and resonating the ordinary wave, the degree of Poynting vector walk-off of the signal from the pump due to double action is significantly reduced. Furthermore, noncritical phase matching is allowed use the effective d coefficient is a maximum at 90°. The urea optical parametric oscillator has generally consisted of a very simple design. Feedback is accomplished by the use of flat dichroic mirrors, which allow for only one of the generated waves to be resonated. The pump wave is collinear with these generated waves. The pump frequency has usually been 355 nm. Frequency tuning is accomplished through the angular rotation of the crystal. The frequency range covered extends from 498 to 1.23 μm, which is obtained with a single crystal and a single set of dichroic mirrors. Never, a small gap between 640 and 790 nm exists in this range; this is due to metrical obstructions of the particular crystals used and is not thought to be intrinsic.) The mirror reflectivity at the resonated wavelength need not be high, as the total number of round trips allowed during the 7 ns pump pulse is small. The linewidth of the oscillator output was measured to be about 1.2 A near 90° phase-matching.
Laser vibrational overtone activation of ethyl acrylate/benzoyl peroxide mixture

Abstract Intra- and extracavity laser vibrational overtone polymerization of ethyl acrylate/benzoyl peroxide mixture has been demonstrated. Five photolysis wavenumbers on and near the fifth CH stretch overtone absorption of benzoyl peroxide was investigated. The polymer yield was monitored by observing the decrease in the intensity ratio of the olefinic/methyl and methylenic first CH stretch overtone absorptions of ethyl acrylate. The rate of the polymerization did not depend on the photolysis wavenumber. Molecular weights of the overtone initiated polymers were an order of magnitude larger than those obtained by thermal polymerization. The polymerization rate is compared to the intracavity laser vibrational overtone polymerization of methyl methacrylate.
Fall management effects on 'Grasslands Matua' prairie grass production and sward characteristics

Ruminant animal production costs in the northeastern USA can be lowered by extending the fall grazing season. Two field experiments were initiated with prairie grass [Bromus unioloides (Willd.) H.B.K. cv. Grasslands Matua; syn. B. willdenowii Kunth] to determine effects of fall management (i.e., clipping) on forage production and winter survival. Plantings were made in May 1986 for Exp. 1 and June 1990 for Exp. 2. Experiment 1 addressed date of fall harvest and residual stubble height effects on fall yields and tiller density, winter survival, and spring yields and tiller density. Experiment 2 addressed the interaction of harvest frequency and residual stubble height on the same parameters as for Exp. 1. Fall yields of Matua peaked at 4.0 Mg ha⁻¹ in late October to early November (Exp. 1 and 2). Mean fall yields were reduced 20, 40, and 60% as residual stubble height was increased from 7.5 cm to 12.5, 20.0, or 25.0 cm, respectively (Exp. 1). Spring yields were high from plots clipped to a 7.5-cm stubble in September and decreased as fall harvest was delayed to November (Exp. 1). Spring yields from plots clipped to a 7.5-cm stubble in late November were only 20 to 25% of yields from plots clipped in September. Leaving a higher residual stubble in fall compensated considerably for the deleterious effect of harvesting in late fall. Clipping to a 20.0-, 12.5- or 7.5-cm stubble in fall resulted in linear decreases in spring yields as fall harvest was delayed from September to November, and clipping to 25.0 cm gave a quadratic response, with a peak at mid-October. Matua plots that were harvested once in late fall or not at all (check) recovered very slowly in spring and had a lower yield potential than plots that had been harvested two, three, or four times in fall. To optimize production of Matua in fall and spring it is recommended that one summer rest period be extended to allow natural reseeding and that two or three fall harvests or grazings be taken to increase stand density and winter survival. Mention of a proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement or a recommendation for its use by USDA.
HTLV-1 infection of human retinal pigment epithelial cells and inhibition of viral infection by an antibody to ICAM-1.

Purpose To examine whether human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) could infect a human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell line, ARPE-19, in vitro and to investigate its regulation. Methods A coculture system with ARPE-19 and irradiated cells of an HTLV-1-producing T-cell line, MT2 was used to determine the permissivity of RPE to HTLV-1 infection in vitro. The susceptibility to HTLV-1 was assessed by detection of viral DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), viral mRNA transcripts with reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and viral antigen by immunofluorescence staining. An HTLV-1 Tax-activated HTLV-LTR-luciferase reporter assay was developed to measure viral infection quantitatively. The ICAM-1 expression on cocultured ARPE-19 cells was detected by flow cytometry and an ICAM-1-neutralizing antibody was used to test ICAM-1's role in the HTLV-1 infection of ARPE-19 cells. The regulation of HTLV-1 infection was investigated by culturing ARPE-19 cells with proinflammatory cytokines. Results HTLV-1 infected ARPE-19 cells in vitro. The infection correlated with elevated expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 on the surface of ARPE-19 cells. ICAM-1-neutralizing antibody dramatically inhibited viral infection. Furthermore, proinflammatory cytokines dramatically suppressed HTLV-1 viral infection. Conclusions The tropism of HTLV-1 to retinal pigment epithelium could provide an explanation for the pathogenesis of HTLV-1-related ophthalmic diseases. A better understanding of specific roles of proinflammatory cytokines in the development of ophthalmic diseases may be beneficial for treatment.
A Model of Resources and Human Needs

An examination of the relationship between human needs (above and beyond the basic physiological needs and concomitant consumption of resources) has re-emphasized the importance of control of human population in order to meet several other, also important, human needs. Development of human resources to their fullest potential requires utilization of additional resources beyond those necessary for the provision of basic physiological needs.A preliminary model of resource requirements to meet human needs suggests that resource requirements for meeting the human needs for safety are considerable, those for meeting the cognitive and esteem needs are moderate, while those for meeting belongingness and love, aesthetic, and self-actualization, needs are minimal. Both industrialized and non-industrialized societies can adequately meet basic human needs, but industrialized societies may the better meet some of the higher human needs.
A bayesian nonparametric estimator of survival probability assuming increasing failure rate

Bayesian nonparametric estimators of the survival function, the failure rate function, and the density function are obtainedusing jump processes as prior distributions on the space of increasing failure rate functions. The jump processes are intui-tively appealing and have a meaningful physical interpretation. Examples are given and the estimates are compared with the maxi-mum likelihood estimates. In addition, the Bayesian nonpara-metric estimators are presented for arbitrarily right-censored observations.
New Approach to Feature Extraction Using Wavelet Transforms for ATR Problems

The subject of wavelet transform has received a lot of attention in research in the past few years. Wavelets are being widely applied in image compression, fractal analysis, speech synthesis, texture discrimination etc. In this paper, we discuss the feasibility of applying wavelet transformation to obtain a viable target feature vector for use in an automatic target recognition problem. The objective of target recognition problem is to discriminate the targets such as tanks, trucks, missile launchers, etc. from the background. We have applied our technique to the images supplied by the Air Force. The targets are segmented from the background clutter and subjected to wavelet decomposition. Energy values are computed for the wavelet decomposed target images and they form the target signature. Each target has a unique feature vector. Numerical results with field images are provided which show the potential of wavelets for feature extraction.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
K/K/sub a/-band antenna system for mobile satellite service

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed a K/K/sub a/-band mobile vehicle antenna system that is much smaller and of higher gain than the L-band antennas. The new development is the ACTS Mobile Terminal (AMT) reflector antenna system, designed for use with NASA's Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS). It was scheduled to demonstrate mobile communications (voice, video, and data) from a mobile vehicle in southern California through the ACTS satellite soon after its launch in 1993. The reflector antenna system installs on the roof of the AMT vehicle. Initial tests show that the antenna and its satellite tracking system perform very well; it is small in size and rugged for operation in the mobile environment. >
FREE SOIL, UNFREE LABOR

Although it prohibited chattel slavery, California permitted the virtual enslavement of Native Americans under the 1850 Act for the Government and Protection of Indians. Scholars have described some of the key components of the Indian Act, but none has provided a systematic examination of the law9s labor provisions or examined how individual employers actually used the law. This article does both by offering a careful survey of the Indian Act, followed by a detailed case study focusing on Cave Couts, the owner of Rancho Guajome in San Diego County. The Couts example reveals that the 1850 Act did not simply legalize the exploitation of Indians as prisoners and indentured "apprentices." Perhaps more importantly, it also preserved the system of debt peonage that had �ourished in California under Mexican rule. Not until after the Civil War did California become a truly free state.
Improving Sixth-Grade Students Perceptions of High-Effort Assignments by Assigning More Work: Interaction of Additive Interspersal and Assignment Effort on Assignment Choice.

Abstract Sixth-grade students were exposed to two pairs of mathematics assignments. Assignment Pair A included a high-effort and a moderate-effort assignment, each containing 18 three-digit by two-digit (3×2) problems. Assignment Pair B was similar except the high-effort assignment contained six additional one-digit by one-digit (1×1) problems interspersed following every third 3×2 problem. After exposure to each pair of assignments, students ranked assignments and chose a new assignment for homework. Analysis of Assignment Pair A data showed students preferred the moderate-effort assignment. Analysis of interactions showed that interspersing the additional brief problems to the high-effort assignment caused significantly more students to choose the high-effort assignment for homework and rank it as requiring less effort and time to complete and as being less difficult than the moderate-effort assignment. Results support the hypothesis that a discrete task is a reinforcer and suggest that educators can increase the probability of students engaging in more challenging assignments that require more effort to complete by interspersing additional brief tasks. Applied and theoretical implications are discussed along with future research.
Mode‐Coupling and Wave‐Particle Interactions for Unstable Ion‐Acoustic Waves

A theory for the spatial development of linearly unstable, coupled waves is presented in which both quasilinear and mode-coupling effects are treated in a self-consistent manner. Steady-state excitation of two waves is assumed at the boundary x = 0, the plasma being homogeneous in the y and z directions. Coupled equations are derived for the x dependence of the amplitudes of the primary waves and the secondary waves, correct through terms of second order in the wave amplitude, but without the usual approximation of small growth rates. This general formalism is then applied to the case of coupled ion-acoustic waves driven unstable by an ion beam streaming in the direction of the x axis. If the modifications of the ion beam by the waves (quasilinear effects) are ignored, explosive instabilities (singularities in all of the amplitudes at finite x) are found even when all of the waves have positive energy. If these wave-particle interactions are included, the solutions are no longer singular, and all of the amplitudes have finite maxima.
Analysis of Positive Ions Emitted by a new Source

Certain iron oxide crystals containing about one percent of some alkali metal or alkaline earth have been developed by the Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory for use as catalysts in the synthesis of ammonia. It has been found that these substances also have great experimental utility as constant and abundant emitters of positive ions. The writers have tested various methods of mounting and heating these emitters. They have also analyzed their emission by the use of a mass spectrograph which has been described by Smyth. Separate catalyst samples containing respectively Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, and in one case both Ba and Sr have been shown in this way to emit only the corresponding singly charged positive ion. No doubly charged ions were observed, nor any ions of the other elements composing the catalysts. The alkali metal ions were emitted at lower temperatures than the alkaline earth ions. Particularly in the case of the latter, a preliminary treatment consisting of reduction at red heat in an atmosphere of hydrogen increased the emission.
Extended use of bilateral internal mammary arteries for coronary artery disease

The internal mammary artery is the conduit of choice for coronary artery revascularization. Wide angulation between the left anterior descending coronary artery and obtuse marginal branches and the diseased segments of the coronary arteries can prevent optimal positioning of the left internal mammary artery for sequential anastomoses for revascularization. We describe a technique using a segment of the left internal mammary artery as a free graft sewn in an end-to-side fashion to the in situ left internal mammary artery. This approach has technical and physiological advantages over previously described techniques.
Preparation and trapping of 3-lithium-O-lithiophenoxide

Abstract 3-Bromophenol and 3-Bromothiophenol are converted into the title compounds by proton abstraction followed by halogen-metal exchange with tert-butyllithium. The resulting dianions are then trapped on carbon with various electrophiles.
Growth, nutritional status, body composition, and energy expenditure in prepubertal children with Alagille syndrome.

Abstract Objectives: To describe the patterns of growth, nutritional status, body composition, and resting energy expenditure (REE) in prepubertal children with Alagille syndrome (AGS) before the onset of end-stage liver disease. Study design: Thirteen prepubertal subjects with AGS (8 male; mean age, 6.8 ± 2.8 years) were evaluated for growth parameters, body composition by skinfolds and by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and REE by indirect calorimetry. The children with AGS were compared with a healthy, age-matched reference group of 37 prepubertal children. Results: Compared with healthy children, children with AGS had significantly reduced (P
Recent advances in atomic layer epitaxy devices

Abstract Atomic layer epitaxy continues to emerge as a promising epitaxial technique when atomic layer thickness control is required in semiconductor device structures. However, ALE still faces several problems such as low growth rate, relatively high carbon background and difficulties in growing high bandgap ternary alloys. This paper will outline recent progress in these areas illustrated by the state-of-art devices recently grown by the ALE technique.
Right hemisphere sensitivity to feedback.

Abstract The present studies sought to determine whether feedback-related emotional states influence perceptual and/or response processes within the right hemisphere. The task involved the presentation of a positive, neutral or negative feedback signal followed by a target in the left (LVF) or right (RVF) visual field which was spatially compatible or incompatible with its assigned response. The first two studies demonstrated that when a LVF target required a left-hand response, RTs were delayed following negative feedback and facilitated following positive feedback. These effects occured when the target followed the feedback signal by either 100 or 500 msec, and were evident when the response selection was based on either the target's spatial location or its form. Experiment 3 showed that these feedback effects disappeared when verbal information conveyed the appropriate response. These findings indicate that feedback-related emotional processes modulate sensory- response translation processes within the right hemisphere.
Brain Stem Electric Response Audiometry (Bsera)

Brain stem electric responses, recorded with external electrodes on vertex and ear lobes, are excellent for audiometry of young children. The vertex-positive wave with latency of 6 to 9 msec resembles closely the action potential of the auditory nerve, with the same high-intensity short-latency component and low-intensity long-latency component. Thresholds are reliable with filtered clicks at 1 000 Hz and higher. Practical advantages and theoretical limitations are summarized.
Analysis of the Spin Exchange Interactions in the Extended Magnetic Solids K2NiF4, K2CuF4, La2CuO4, Nd2CuO4, KNiF3, and KCuF3

Abstract The spin exchange parameters J of the extended magnetic solids K2NiF4, K2CuF4, La2CuO4, Nd2CuO4, KNiF3, and KCuF3 were analyzed by examining the structures of their spin monomers and calculating the energy differences Δe in the spin levels of their spin dimers. The trends in the observed J parameters are well explained in terms of the Δe values obtained from extended Huckel molecular orbital calculations. The Δe value of a spin dimer is related only to the antiferromagnetic component of its J, but the spin dimer analysis based on Δe allows one to correlate the nature of the magnetic interaction with the structure of the spin dimer.
The shape of the TeraGrid: analysis of TeraGrid users and projects as an affiliation network

I examine the makeup of the users and projects of the TeraGrid using social network analysis techniques. Analyzing the TeraGrid as an affiliation (two-mode) network allows for understanding the relationship between types of users and field of science and allocation size of projects. The TeraGrid data shows that while less than half of TeraGrid users are involved in projects that are connected to each other, a considerable core of the TeraGrid emerges that constitutes the most-commonly-related projects. The largest complete subgraph of TeraGrid users and projects constitutes a more dense and more centralized network core of TeraGrid users. I perform social network analysis on the largest complete subgraph in order to identify additional groupings of projects and users within the TeraGrid. This analysis of users and projects provides substantive information about the connections of individual scientists, projects groups, and fields of science in a large-scale environment that incorporates both competition and cooperation between actors.
Regulation of myosin-bound protein phosphatase by insulin in vascular smooth muscle cells: evaluation of the role of Rho kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-dependent signaling pathways.

In this study, we examined the molecular mechanism of myosin-bound protein phosphatase (MBP) regulation by insulin and evaluated the role of MBP in insulin-mediated vasorelaxation. Insulin rapidly stimulated MBP in confluent primary vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) cultures. In contrast, VSMCs isolated from diabetic and hypertensive rats exhibited impaired MBP activation by insulin. Insulin-mediated MBP activation was accompanied by a rapid time-dependent reduction in the phosphorylation state of the myosin-bound regulatory subunit (MBS) of MBP. The decrease observed in MBS phosphorylation was due to insulin-induced inhibition of Rho kinase activity. Insulin also prevented a thrombin-mediated increase in Rho kinase activation and abolished the thrombin-induced increase in MBS phosphorylation and MBP inactivation. These data are consistent with the notion that insulin inactivates Rho kinase and decreases MBS phosphorylation to activate MBP in VSMCs. Furthermore, treatment with synthetic inhibitors of pho...
The power law for the perception of rotation by airline pilots.

The purpose of this study was to determine the power laws for the perception of rotation about the three major body axes. Eighteen airline pilots made magnitude estimates of 5-sec pulses of nine angular accelerations having a range of acceleration x time of 10-150 deg/sec. The results showed that (1) the power law with an exponent of 1.4 describes the subjective motion of these pilots for all three major body axes, (2) the power law also describes the perception of motion for individual pilots with a substantial range of exponents, (3) there were significant correlations among the exponents for the three body axes, and (4) the data suggest that the power law over the wide range used may be more complex than implied by a formula with a single exponent.
Modulation of the respiratory burst in human neutrophils by isoproterenol and dibutyryl cyclic AMP.

Abstract The effects of a β-adrenergic agonist and a cyclic AMP analogue on activation, activity, and termination of FMLP-stimulated superoxide anion production were investigated. Incubation with isoproterenol resulted in a 50% reduction in the maximal rate of superoxide production and a 3–4-fold increase in the rate of termination of superoxide production. Exposure to 1 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP resulted in a 40% decrease in the maximal rate and a 3-fold increase in the rate of termination of FMLP-induced superoxide production. Neither agent had a significant effect on the lag time prior to superoxide anion generation.
Breast cancer: presentation and intervention in women with gastrointestinal metastasis and carcinomatosis.

Background Breast cancer metastatic to the gastrointestinal tract or peritoneum is rare. We reviewed the natural history of ductal and lobular carcinoma in women with breast cancer metastatic to the gastrointestinal tract, peritoneum, or both.
The Production of Protons from Carbon by Monoenergetic Gamma Rays

A technique is described for selecting from the interactions produced by a bremsstrahlung spectrum only those arising from essentially monoenergetic quanta. These interactions are selected by requiring a coincidence with the degraded electron which produced the interacting quanta.A study of the photoproduction of protons from carbon was made using 190-Mev monochromatic quanta from the 310-Mev Cornell synchrotron. An energy distribution of the emitted protons was observed at 60 degrees and an angular distribution of 70-Mev protons was also obtained. Interpretation of these results in terms of a deuteron model gives satisfactory agreement and indicates that the photoproduction process involves only a few nucleons on the average and probably involves just two nucleons a large fraction of the time. Rough quantitative agreement is obtained with experiments on the photodisintegration of the deuteron.
Structural aspects of the serpin reaction coordinate

The important physiological roles and unique folding properties of the 50+ known members of the serpin superfamily have inspired a decade of interest in their structural biology. X-ray crystal structures of reactive-loop cleaved serpins, as well as reactive-loop intact (although inactive) serpins illuminate the inherent plasticity of their β-sheet superstructures, and this plasticity is critical for serpin function. Recent X-ray crystal structures of α1-antichymotrypsin and antithrombin III in their active and partially active forms, respectively, reveal two contrasting serpin conformations which may correlate with native and protease-bound conformations of the serpin reactive loop. In this Perspective, we review the current state of serpin structural biology and highlight the structural inferences on the reaction coordinate of the inhibitory mechanism.
Removal of gagging: a response to variable behavior patterns.

Abstract Suggestion through hypnosis serves as the logical basis for combined uses of desensitization, retraining, reality testing, reality validation, and learning. Reciprocal inhibition and operant conditioning are combined with classical conditioning, time distortion, posthypnotic suggestion, and specific hypnotic interventions-such as analgesia-to facilitate the attainment of the desired goals. The results sought involve the patient's adaptation to dentures but at a minimal emotional price to the patient. The results tend to be reinforced by increased self-esteem and improved interpersonal relationships, and are usually self-perpetuating. A number of case histories are presented showing the production of gagging in patients with different behavior patterns. The clinical handling and conditioning are discussed.
Italian Immigrant Radical Culture: The Idealism of the Sovversivi in the United States, 1890–1940

Marcella Bencivenni, Italian Immigrant Radical Culture: The Idealism of the Sovversivi in the United States, 1890–1940 (New York: New York University Press, 2011) Over the past few decades, scholar...
Pituitary LH response to LHRH in male rats following pentobarbital anesthesia.

Abstract Plasma LH concentrations were determined in unanesthetized or pentobarbital (PB) anesthetized male rats following several doses of LHRH administered into the lateral ventricle of jugular vein. Regardless of the route of injection of LHRH, plasma LH concentrations were similar whether animals received PB anesthesia or not. No evidence was found that PB enhanced or diminished the response of the pituitary to LHRH in male rats.
The Existence of Transverse Homoclinic Points in the Sitnikov Problem

Abstract Using Melnikov′s method we are able to prove the existence of transverse homoclinic orbits and therefore the existence of a horseshoe in a special restricted three-body problem. This analysis is an alternative to the one described by Moser ("Stable and Random Motions in Dynamical Systems," Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ, 1973), based on Sitnikov′s original work (Dokl. Akad. Nauk. USSR 133, No. 2 (1960), 303-306), where the task is accomplished using a more direct construction of the horseshoe.
Linear analysis of opto-mechanical systems

A general framework is presented for the matrix-form, linear optical model analysis of controlled optomechanical systems; the models are conjoined with linear models of structures and controls to compute system performance as a function of optics, structures, and control parameters. Covariance analysis, optimization, and estimation/simulation are used. Attention is given to a tolerancing example for the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera, which involves the creation of a linear model of residual pupil shear.
Flow Field Visualization in Structured Packing Using Real Time X-ray Radiography

This research developed an experimental method for validating the CFD representation of single-phase (vapor) flow through structured packing. Real time X-ray radiography was used to visualize fluid streamlines in structured packing by tracking neutrally buoyant X-ray absorbing particles entrained in water flow. Flow through the packing was found to be uniform, whereas flow at the packing element joints exhibited chaotic flow and recirculation zones. Individual radiographs were analyzed to determine particle displacement and compute local velocities. This data could be used to validate existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models, including fluids other than water through the use of similarity theory.
Disruption of Ion Homeostasis in the Neurogliovascular Unit Underlies the Pathogenesis of Ischemic Cerebral Edema

Cerebral edema is a major cause of morbidity and mortality following ischemic stroke, but its underlying molecular pathophysiology is incompletely understood. Recent data have revealed the importance of ion flux via channels and transporters expressed in the neurogliovascular unit in the development of ischemia-triggered cytotoxic edema, vasogenic edema, and hemorrhagic conversion. Disruption of homeostatic mechanisms governing cell volume regulation and epithelial/endothelial ion transport due to ischemia-associated energy failure results in the thermodynamically driven re-equilibration of solutes and water across the CSF–blood and blood–brain barriers that ultimately increases the brain’s extravascular volume. Additionally, hypoxia, inflammation, and other stress-triggered increases in the functional expression of ion channels and transporters normally expressed at low levels in the neurogliovascular unit cause disruptions in ion homeostasis that contribute to ischemic cerebral edema. Here, we review the pathophysiological significance of several molecular mediators of ion transport expressed in the neurogliovascular unit, including targets of existing FDA-approved drugs, which might be potential nodes for therapeutic intervention.