cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensitivities in Fitting a Parabolic Trough Facet

The collector accuracy requirements for parabolic trough systems are a function of the concentrator and receiver geometry. As the current trend is to use larger trough designs the need for higher accuracy is generally more important. Concentrating solar power (CSP) companies developing and deploying collectors need to meet stringent optical performance requirements and thus require accurate surface characterization instruments to validate that performance. All reflective characterization processes are sensitive to the instrument resolution, experimental setup, data fitting process, and analysis. Small changes in any of these factors can impact the estimated optical performance. It is desirable to have total local surface measurement uncertainties less than 0.5 milliradians (mrad) for a parabolic trough reflector and many instruments are capable of achieving this. Most surface characterization instruments perform a fitting process on measured data that yields a best fit description of the collector surface using some sort of polynomial. Because of this relationship it is desirable to have a robust fitting process. The type and order of the fitted polynomial and fitting process are the two major contributors to describing a facet’s surface based on the measured data. The order of the polynomial can increase or decrease the accuracy of surface description relative to the true surface. This is a function of the existing aberrations in the facet and the surface naturally described by the polynomial. An accurate description of a surface is typically obtained by performing a least squares fit on measured surface data relative to the polynomial. The best analytical description of the surface is achieved when residual errors relative to the polynomial are minimized. The difference between measured data and the best fit description is completed using an iterative process. However, not all surface imperfections on a single reflector can be accurately described with a polynomial as an exact mathematical description of the surface can never be truly achieved. Local positional errors exist in isolated areas of a facet cannot always be fit accurately. The sensitivity in the best fit description of the surface and the surface resulting from the fitting process using higher order polynomials will be discussed in this paper. The change in calculated facet location and surface slope are compared to determine the sensitivity of the process. The results are then used to calculate the intercept factor using ray tracing and estimate the sensitivity in this calculated performance metric.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Expression of nuclear and chloroplastic genes coding for fraction-1 protein in somatic hybrids of Nicotiana tabacum + rustica

In the sexual interspecific cross, Nicotiana rustica L.xN. tabacum L., N. rustica can serve as the female but not as the male parent. By fusion of protoplasts, the barrier to fertilization was overcome and somatic hybrids containing N. tabacum cytoplasm were produced as shown by isoelectric focusing of the Fraction-1 protein (F-1-protein). All somatic hybrids displayed polypeptides of the large subunit of F-1 protein (which is coded by the chloroplast genome) characteristic of only one or the other parental species. Two hybrids had large subunits of the N. tabacum type and two hybrids had those of the N. rustica type. Three hybrids contained three smallsubunit polypeptides (coded by the nuclear genome), one being characteristic of N. rustica, one characteristic of N. tabacum, and one with an isoelectric point common to both species. A fourth hybrid contained only two small-subunit polypeptides of the N. tabacum type but in a F-1 protein macromolecule whose large subunits were of the N. rustica type. One somatic hybrid was self-fertile and its F2 progeny contained large- and small-subunit polypeptides indistinguishable in their isoelectric points from those in the parent F1 hybrid. All somatic hybrids showed an aneuploid chromosome number and morphological characteristics intermediate between those of N. rustica and N. tabacum.
Si and GaAs 0.5 μm-gate Schottky-barrier field-effect transistors

Si and GaAs Schottky-barrier field-effect transistors with gate lengths of 0.5 μm have been experimentally realised. Noise and gain properties were measured in the microwave range up to 20 GHz. When compared with 1 μm-gate f.e.t.s, the devices show considerable improvements in gain and in noise figure. At 10 GHz, the following values were measured: Si m.e.s.f.e.t.: maximum available gain = 5.9 dB, noise figure = 5.8 dB; GaAs m.e.s.f.e.t.: maximum available gain = 12.8 dB, noise figure = 3.7 dB.
ON THE POSSIBILITY OF FEMINIST EPISTEMOLOGY

Abstract: In this article, I propose one way of understanding the expression “feminist epistemology.” I begin from the premise that improper philosophical attention has been paid to the implications of what I call The Fact of Preconditions for Agency: that moral and rational agents become such only through a long, deliberate, and intensive process of intervention and teaching, a process that requires commitments of time, effort and emotion on the part of other agents. I contend that this is a sufficiently important aspect of what it is to be a person that accounting for its philosophical implications may have repercussions not only for moral and political theory, but for epistemology as well. I contend further that, given the current configuration of social possibilities, a theory that acknowledges this Fact might appropriately be deemed “feminist.” My argument is presented in four segments. In Section II, I show how such a theory could be feminist by providing a discussion of categories of social identity; in Section III, I show how such a theory could be epistemology by describing a strategy of argument from parity. In Section IV, I apply this strategy to a case from political philosophy to show why its counter-intuitive implications do not provide good grounds for rejecting the suggested redistricting. And in Section V, I apply the same strategy to a case from epistemology to bring out how it might lead to a theory that might legitimately claim to be feminist epistemology.
Ab initio study of the vibrational spectra of NO3

Abstract The vibrational spectra and geometry of the NO 3 molecule is studied using ab initio SCF and CASSCF methods. For all levels of theory and basis set the highest symmetry found is C 2v . Vibrational levels agree well with recent experimental results.
Effects of Immunosuppression on the Development of Cochlear Disease in the MRL-Faslpr Mouse†

Objectives: The MRL-Faslpr mouse, an animal that spontaneously develops multisystemic autoimmune disease, has been proposed as model of immune-mediated inner ear disease. Previous studies revealed that this mouse manifested elevated auditory brainstem response thresholds, hydropic degeneration of strial cells, and antibody deposition within strial capillaries. As the etiology of the observed strial disease may be immune, genetic, or uremic, a study was designed to attempt to delineate between these possible etiologic factors. Study Design: Prospective, controlled animal study. Methods: Dexamethasone, which is known to suppress autoantibody production and glomerulonephritis in these animals, was administered systemically on a daily basis to experimental animals, beginning at 6 weeks of age. Control animals received no treatment. Animals were allowed to age, with control animals predictably manifesting systemic disease at 20 weeks of age, at which point all animals were sacrificed. Results: Animals receiving dexamethasone treatment manifested a significant reduction in serum immunoglobulin levels, lymphoid hyperplasia, and a significant improvement in the level of renal function. However, morphologic analysis revealed a persistence of strial disease despite the elimination of strial antibody deposition. Conclusion: The results of this experiment support the hypothesis that genetic mechanisms may be responsible for the observed strial disease. Further studies are under way to confirm these findings.
Impact of FACTS Devices on Transmission Pricing and Loop Flows

Transmission pricing has been an important issue after the power system restructuring and deregulation. Due to competition and to maximize the profit, generation companies (GENCOs) are looking for technical and economical solution to minimize the transmission cost for power delivery to customers. FACTS are one such device that provides a solution to a certain extent. There has been an increased use of the FACTS devices for this purpose as they are effective means of controlling the path of flow of power, thereby reducing problems such as loop flows. In this paper, a 9-bus power system is simulated in Matlab/Simulink to demonstrate the impact of the FACTS devices on the transmission pricing as well on the loop flows. Paper also presents a study done on the dynamic performance of FACTS devices.
Humans, mice, and mechanisms of intestinal atresias: a window into understanding early intestinal development.

Introduction Intestinal atresias have long been hypothesized to result from either failure of recanalization of the intestinal lumen or in utero vascular accidents. Recent work in animal models is now calling for a reassessment of these widely held paradigms.
Evaluations of maximization procedures for estimating linkage parameters under heterogeneity

Locus heterogeneity is a major problem plaguing the mapping of disease genes responsible for complex genetic traits via linkage analysis. A common feature of several available methods to account for heterogeneity is that they involve maximizing a multidimensional likelihood to obtain maximum likelihood estimates. The high dimensionality of the likelihood surface may be due to multiple heterogeneity (mixing) parameters, linkage parameters, and/or regression coefficients corresponding to multiple covariates. Here, we focus on this nontrivial computational aspect of incorporating heterogeneity by considering several likelihood maximization procedures, including the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm and the stochastic expectation maximization (SEM) algorithm. The wide applicability of these procedures is demonstrated first through a general formulation of accounting for heterogeneity, and then by applying them to two specific formulations. Furthermore, our simulation studies as well as an application to the Genetic Analysis Workshop 12 asthma datasets show that, among other observations, SEM performs better than EM. As an aside, we illustrate a limitation of the popular admixture approach for incorporating heterogeneity, proved elsewhere. We also show how to obtain standard errors (SEs) for EM and SEM estimates, using methods available in the literature. These SEs can then be combined with the corresponding estimates to provide confidence intervals of the parameters.
Diurnal variation in thermal and metabolic parameters of the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)

The purpose of this study is to examine diurnal variation in several thermal and metabolic parameters of the golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus. Metabolic rate, core temperature, and evaporative water loss were measured during night and day at several ambient temperatures. Wet minimal thermal conductance, dry minimal thermal conductance, basal metabolic rate, minimal net heat production and the lower critical temperature difference were estimated from these measurements. Wet and dry minimal thermal conductance, evaporative water loss, core temperature, basal metabolic rate, and lower critical temperature difference were greater during the active phase than during the resting phase. The diurnal variation in wet minimal thermal conductance was much smaller than that predicted from published allometric equations. The diurnal variation in wet minimal thermal conductance was 9% of the 24-h mean. The diurnal variation in dry minimal thermal conductance was 26% of the 24-h mean. The higher active-phase core temperature and basal metabolic rate may function to enhance peak metabolic performance during the active phase. The lower resting phase metabolism and core temperature may reduce energetic costs. The greater active-phase lower critical temperature difference may be a result of the greater active-phase basal metabolic rate. Diurnal variation in minimal thermal conductance may be caused by changes in peripheral circulation.
Examination of lens calcium balance using 45Ca uptake studies.

The utility of Ca efflux studies to examine lens calcium balance is limited because of the dominant contribution of efflux from the extracellular space of the lens. On the other hand, examination of lens “Ca uptake characteristics can generate valuable information regarding the mechanism by which calcium is largely restricted from the intracellular compartment. Such studies have enabled us to demonstrate that the access of calcium to the intracellular compartment is dependent to some extent upon the concentration of calcium in the extracellular environment. Additionally, experimental evidence speaks against extracellular binding of calcium. Finally, lens membrane permeability to calcium appears to be independent of membrane voltage.
CEPH family 1362 STR database: An online resource for characterization of PCR products using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

An online database has been established in order to validate electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) for genotyping and to publicize the procedures developed in our laboratory for the characterization of PCR products by ESI-MS. Genotypes derived from short tandem repeat (STR) loci that were obtained using ESI Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) have been posted for fifteen members of the CEPH family 1362 pedigree. The website provides specific information such as PCR parameters, PCR product cleanup approaches, and ESI solution compositions to enable other laboratories to reproduce our data. Links are provided to related websites in an effort to integrate information regarding the CEPH family, STR genotyping, and mass spectrometry. The database, currently available at http://www.people.vcu.edu/~dcmuddim/genotype/ will be routinely updated with genotypes from additional STR loci including PCR parameters as well as PCR cleanup strategies as further developments are completed.
Differentiating Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder From Premenstrual Exacerbations of Other Disorders: A Methods Dilemma

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual exacerbations of other disorders are difficult to distinguish. Previous methods, such as excluding women with other disorders from a PMDD diagnosis, do not enable a dual diagnosis. Our objective is to advance conceptual and clinical thinking and stimulate dialogue regarding this methods dilemma. The discussion sheds light on comorbidity in general, regardless of the disorders. Considering fundamental criteria for severe premenstrual disorders helps distinguish the phenomena of interest. A proposed method allows identification of PMDD co-occurring with other disorders. PMDD symptoms can be differentiated by their nature and timing (e.g., cyclic depressed mood could be a PMDD symptom, but cyclic binge eating or depressed mood all month long could not be). Impairment must increase premenstrually for a PMDD diagnosis. The proposed method is an advance, but specified unanswered questions remain.
Renal cortical and medullary blood flow responses to L-NAME and ANG II in wild-type, nNOS null mutant, and eNOS null mutant mice

Experiments in wild-type (WT; C57BL/6J) mice, endothelial nitric oxide synthase null mutant [eNOS(-/-)] mice, and neuronal NOS null mutant [nNOS(-/-)] mice were performed to determine which NOS iso...
Synthesis, structure and reactivity of [Ir(dippe)(μ-Cl)]2, [Ir(dippe)2][Ir(dippe)Cl2] and [Ir(dippe)2]Cl

Abstract [Ir(COD)(μ-Cl)]2 reacts with two equivalents of 1,2-bis(diisopropylphosphino)ethane (dippe) to produce [Ir(dippe)(μ-Cl)]2 (1a) in yields that are dependent upon the solvent. Its single crystal X-ray structure shows a hinge angle θ of 132.2°, which is larger than in other reported iridium analogs, but smaller than in [Rh(dippe)(μ-Cl)]2 (1b). [Ir(dippe)2][Ir(dippe)Cl2] (2), whose anion is without literature precedent, is an intermediate species in the conversion of 1a to [Ir(dippe)2]Cl (3). Complex 3 reacts with dihydrogen to produce [Ir(dippe)2H2]Cl (4).
Controller Hardware-In-the-Loop simulation for design of power management strategies for fuel cell vehicle with energy storage

Designing digital control system for fuel cell vehicle (FCV) with energy storage (ES) power management strategy can be costly and time consuming. In this paper, Controller Hardware-In-the-Loop (CHIL) simulations are used to design power management strategies using Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) for a FCV system with ES. CHIL simulation is a rapid, low-cost prototyping and testing method for digital controller design for FCV. The idea is to replace the simulated control system with a real hardware controller, which interacts with the rest of the system that are simulated on the RTDS. In particular, two power management strategies were developed for the FCV system with ES. The FCV power train was modeled and simulated on RTDS in real time. The power management strategies were implemented using a hardware controller digital signal processor (DSP). The CHIL simulation waveforms were consistent with pure software simulation waveforms. The experiment results demonstrated that CHIL using RTDS provides a fast, safe and reliable method to design and test power management strategies for FCV with ES.
Performance analysis of MAC protocols in wireless line networks using statistical mechanics

In this paper we consider the application of the Ising model from statistical mechanics to model interactions among interfering stations in a wireless network with a line topology. Each station employs a medium access control (MAC) protocol such that it decides to transmit or not depending on the states of its nearest neighbors and itself in the previous time slot. We use the Ising model to demonstrate how the interactions between neighboring stations affect the one-hop throughput of the network and to optimize the underlying MAC protocol. Both the cases of single-packet and multipacket reception are considered. For single-packet reception, the throughput achieved by an optimized protocol is shown to be 15.8% better than that achieved by slotted ALOHA. In the multipacket reception case, the MAC protocol achieves the same throughput as TDMA, which doubles the throughput of slotted ALOHA.
Aortic arch and descending thoracic aortic aneurysms: experience with stent grafting for second-stage "elephant trunk" repair.

Reconstruction of aortic arch and descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) is technically challenging and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We report our experience with extensive TAAs using a two-stage “elephant trunk” repair, with the second stage completed using an endovascular stent graft (ESG). Over 6 years, 111 patients underwent ESG treatment of TAAs at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Twelve of these patients were referred for ESG placement for the second stage of elephant trunk reconstruction because comorbidities placed them at high risk of open surgical repair. Our database was analyzed for technical and clinical success and perioperative complications. The mean follow-up was 11.8 months (range 1–64 months). Twelve patients (five women and seven men) with a mean age of 69 ± 10 years underwent repair of their distal aortic arch and descending TAAs. These aneurysms included nine atherosclerotic aneurysms, one pseudoaneurysm, and two penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers. Three patie...
Decreased serum E-selectin concentration after 89Sr-chloride therapy for metastatic prostate cancer bone pain.

UNLABELLED Palliative systemic radionuclide therapy with 89Sr-chloride is a useful intervention for patients with bone pain from metastatic prostatic cancer. Although this radionuclide is highly effective, its mechanism of action remains unresolved. This investigation sought to determine whether systemic radionuclide therapy decreases the production of cell adhesion molecules (E-selectins) that participate in the metastatic process. METHODS Sera were collected from 25 men with metastatic (stage IV) prostate carcinoma who received 89Sr-chloride palliative therapy and from 10 age-matched healthy volunteers. The serum concentration of E-selectin was quantified by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sera from 5 patients who received 2 courses of radionuclide therapy were also included in the analysis. RESULTS A 2.8-fold decrease in serum E-selectin concentration occurred within 2 mo of radionuclide therapy (P < 0.0001). At 10 mo, however, the concentration increased to a mean (+/- SD) of 151.2 +/- 51.3 ng/mL, surpassing the baseline concentration. This pattern coincided with symptomatic improvement and subsequent health status deterioration. For patients who received 2 courses of radionuclide therapy, a second fall in serum E-selectin concentration followed the second radionuclide treatment. CONCLUSION A significant decrease in serum E-selectin concentration was observed after systemic radionuclide therapy. This finding suggests that expression of cell adhesion molecules, an important determinant of metastatic progression, may be inhibited by 89Sr-chloride.
Inference of Expressive Declassification Policies

We explore the inference of expressive human-readable declassification policies as a step towards providing practical tools and techniques for strong language-based information security. Security-type systems can enforce expressive information-security policies, but can require enormous programmer effort before any security benefit is realized. To reduce the burden on the programmer, we focus on inference of expressive yet intuitive information-security policies from programs with few programmer annotations. We define a novel security policy language that can express what information a program may release, under what conditions (or, when) such release may occur, and which procedures are involved with the release (or, where in the code the release occur). We describe a dataflow analysis for precisely inferring these policies, and build a tool that instantiates this analysis for the Java programming language. We validate the policies, analysis, and our implementation by applying the tool to a collection of simple Java programs.
A Simple Method of Deriving Three-Dimensional Temperature Fields Using Remotely Sensed and In Situ Data for Application to Numerical Hydrodynamic Models of Estuaries and Bays

Abstract This paper describes the subjective interpolation method (SIM) for generating three-dimensional temperature distributions from remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST) fields. SIM incorporates MATLAB-based cloud removal software and a method of generating synthetic temperature profiles based on observations. This approach depends on the human facility for recognizing patterns in complex images. Three-dimensional temperature fields produced by SIM are compared to analogous fields based on optimal interpolation (OI) methods by using temperature fields interpolated by the two methods to initialize a baroclinic coastal ocean circulation model. The initial SST surface fields from both methods have a bias of less than −0.5°C and rms errors of less than 1.5°C. After running for 48 h, the bias and rms errors for the OI simulations are 0.3° and 1.2°C, respectively, whereas the same errors for the SIM run are 0.7° and 0.9°C. The OI and SIM approaches can be combined to allow preprocessing of SST data ...
Nitrosyl factors mediate active neurogenic hindquarter vasodilation in the conscious rat.

Exposure to noxious environmental stimuli such as air-jet stress (AJS) produces a pattern of hemodynamic changes referred to as the "defense reaction". In the rat these changes include a relatively modest increase in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), tachycardia, renal and mesenteric vasoconstriction, and a marked hindquarter vasodilation. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the AJS-induced decrease in hindquarter resistance is mediated by a sympathetic neurogenic vasodilator system that uses nitric oxide (NO) and/or related nitrosyl factors. AJS produced a small, rapid increase in MAP, which quickly returned to baseline (within 5 seconds), and a substantial increase in hindquarter blood flow and decrease in hindquarter resistance, which occurred almost instantaneously (1 to 2 seconds) and were sustained for at least 30 seconds. The intravenous injection of either bretylium (5 mg/kg), which prevents impulse propagation-mediated release of neurotransmitters/neuromodulators from sympathetic terminals, or NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 25 mumol/kg), which blocks NO synthesis, essentially abolished the AJS-induced increase in hindquarter blood flow and fall in hindquarter resistance. In contrast, the hindquarter vasodilation produced by the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (4 micrograms/kg i.v.) was markedly exaggerated in the bretylium- or L-NAME-treated rats. We also found that rat lumbar sympathetic fibers projecting to the hindquarter vasculature contain NADPH diaphorase, a marker for NO synthase in paraformaldehyde-perfused tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Synthesis of Deoxy Sugars I: New Synthesis of 3-Deoxy-D-glucose and 3-Deoxy-D-mannose

Condensation of 2-deoxy- D -ribose with nitromethane gave, after deionization, a syrupy mixture of epimeric 1-nitro-1,3-dideoxy-hexitols. Acid hydrolysis under Nef reaction conditions produced a mixture of 3-deoxy- D -glucose and 3-deoxy- D -mannose, separable by cellulose chromatography or fractional crystallization. The glucose compound was characterized via the p -nitrophenylhydrazone and tetraacetyl derivatives. The 3-deoxy- D -mannose was characterized as the p -nitrophenylhydrazone and by conversion to 3-deoxy-D-mannitol and its pentabenzoate.
B Meson Mixing in Effective Theories of Supersymmetric Higgs Bosons

We study a minimal flavor-violating extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, where higher-dimensional operators in the K\"ahler potential induce tree-level nonholomorphic Higgs couplings that are controlled by the scale of the physics beyond the minimal supersymmetric standard model and analyze their possible impact on $CP$ violation in ${B}_{s}$ and ${B}_{d}$ mixing. We consider results on the time-dependent $CP$ asymmetries in ${B}_{s}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\psi}\ensuremath{\phi}$ and ${B}_{s}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\psi}{f}_{0}$ from LHCb, in ${B}_{s}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\psi}\ensuremath{\phi}$ from CDF and D0 and in $B\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\psi}{K}_{S}$ from the $B$ factories as well as the measurement of an anomalous like-sign dimuon charge asymmetry at D0. Taking into account the stringent bounds on the branching ratio of the rare ${B}_{s}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ decay, we investigate to which extent the framework allows to address the observed $(2--3)\ensuremath{\sigma}$ discrepancies in fits of the unitarity triangle. We find that a nonstandard ${B}_{d}$ mixing phase, that is in agreement with the current bounds on $CP$ violation in ${B}_{s}$ mixing, requires the presence of higher-dimensional operators both in the K\"ahler potential and the superpotential. The corresponding region of parameter space is characterized by small $\mathrm{tan}﻿\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\sim}5$, a light Higgs spectrum with masses below $\ensuremath{\lesssim}400\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ and will be probed by future measurements at LHCb.
An efficient channel access protocol for an optical star network

We have previously proposed a new scalable protocol for an optical star network, termed AFAP (adaptive fixed assignment protocol). It requires a smaller amount of control information than other reservation-based protocols: C bits per control packet, where C is the number of channels. This paper provides a complete study of the AFAP. Simulation results show the performance of AFAP when (a) the network size increases and (b) the traffic is non-uniform. We propose an extension of AFAP that better handles non-uniform traffic. In the extended AFAP, the fixed receiver for data reception is replaced by a tunable receiver; however, this tunable receiver does not have to retune very fast.
Sleep after Exercise

After moderate treadmill exercise, marked decreases in operant responding and in latency to onset of behavioral sleep occurs in cats. The sleep produced is characterized by enhancement of synchronized electroencephalographic activity with suppression of the desynchronized phase. The result is consistent with the theory that a function of synchronized sleep is to facilitate recovery from fatigue.
Thermodynamic properties of dendrimers compared with linear polymers: General observations

The pressure-volume-temperature and thermal properties of dendrimers based on benzyl ether were measured and compared with literature values for monodisperse, linear polystyrenes. In addition, property measurements are presented for an exact linear analogue to the fifth-generation dendrimer. The thermodynamic properties' molecular weight behavior for the dendrimers is unique when compared with that of linear polystyrene. All of the evidence presented in this work suggests that some form of structural transition occurs in the bulk at a molecular mass near that for the fourth-generation dendrimer. No such transition is seen for polystyrene. Dendrimers exhibit an increased packing efficiency as evidenced by a decreased specific volume (increased density) as compared with an exact linear analogue of the fifth-generation dendrimer analogue, and the dendrimer highlights the entropic differences between the two molecules. In addition, differences in the change in heat capacity with temperature for the two systems further allude to their entropic differences. A crystalline state can be formed for the lower generation dendrimer and linear analogue. This crystalline state is not seen in dendrimers above the third generation. These behaviors compiled with the difference in the glass-transition temperature for the linear analogue suggest that the dendrimers' microstructure has a significant influence on the bulk thermodynamic state of the material. The Tait equation was fitted to the volume data for comparative purposes; the Tait equation has known limitations but was selected because of its widespread application. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 1766–1777, 2001
THE NOVELS OF JUAN DE FLORES AND THEIR EUROPEAN DIFFUSION

Author's summary.— What moving tale of thwarted love, hastening with dramatic speed to a tragic end, will be written in the twentieth century that shall have children and grandchildren legitimately its own unto the fourteenth generation? In all likelihood it is no longer possible to keep track of such progeny as Doctor Barbara Matulka has traced for Juan de Flores, and, back of him, such literary ancestry.
In Their Own Words: The Reasons Why People Will (Not) Sign an Organ Donor Card

This multisite, qualitative study of 78 family-pair dyads provides rich data on the reasons people cite for (not) wanting to sign an organ donor card in the context of family conversations. In this study, dyads were videotaped as they discussed 8 questions pertaining to their views on organ donation, beginning with the most general opinions and progressing to more detailed questions. Analysis of the transcribed data revealed that the most common reasons for wanting to donate organs were based on religion or a desire to help other people in need. The most common reasons cited for not wanting to donate organs were mistrust (of doctors, hospitals, and the organ allocation system), a belief in a black market for organs in the United States, and deservingness issues (that one's organs would go to someone who brought on his or her own illness, or who could be a “bad person”). One of the most surprising findings is that religion is offered far more often as a rationale for wanting to help sick people through org...
Effect of ectopic pituitary glands upon prolactin concentration by the in situ pituitary of the lactating rat.

The possibility that the circulating level of prolactin influences prolactin secretion by the pituitary was investigated by implanting either 1, 4 or 8 adult rat anterior pituitaries (AP) or 10 young (7 days old) rat AP under the kidney capsule during days 12–16 of pregnancy and measuring the prolactin content of the in situ AP on days 7, 14 or 21 of lactation. All but one implanted group were castrated during lactation. The in situ AP’s of all rats were removed after a nonsuckling period of 8 hr. On each post-partum day the in situ AP of rats with implanted AP’s contained a significantlylower concentration of prolactin than did that of control intact lactating rats without AP implants. Concentrations of 15–38 % of control were obtained but without obvious relationship to number of AP’s implanted, to the presence of the ovaries or to whether the implanted AP’s came from 7-day-old rats or from cycling female rats. These data suggest that a sufficiently high level of circulating prolactin exerts an inhibito...
The Impact of Non-Tax Costs on the Tax-Efficiency of Venture Capital Investments

Current practice dictates that loss-generating startup firms organize as C corporations rather than the theoretically more tax efficient alternative—the limited liability company. We measure the cost of this divergence between theory and practice and find that 83.32% of our sample of 1,067 startup firms that conduct an IPO report accumulated tax losses of $31.96 billion at issuance. The losses are estimated to represent foregone tax benefits with a present value from $1.4 billion to $4.4 billion, depending on the type of investor assumed to utilize them. This is the first quantification of the tax benefits foregone by the current organizational structure and represents a lower bound estimate of the non-tax costs market participants assign to switching to the limited liability company (LLC). We also investigate the distinguishing characteristics of the 19 firms in our sample that receive venture capital funding and remain LLCs until IPO. These firms are generally more profitable and less reliant on venture capital than those that organize as C corporations.
Parent preferences for telephone coaching to prevent and manage childhood obesity

Objective To assess parent preferences for utilisation of a parent-focused, telephone-based coaching service, or ‘FITLINE,’ to prevent or manage childhood obesity. Methods A cross-sectional survey of parents of children aged 2–12 years was conducted at a paediatric practice in Greater Boston, Massachusetts, USA, between July 2012 and May 2013. Parents received questionnaires with clinic visit paperwork and opted-in to the study by returning them to clinic staff or by mail. The anonymous pen-to-paper questionnaire assessed parents’ potential FITLINE utilisation, preferences regarding educational content and logistics, and parent/child demographics. Simple logistical regression was used to assess associations between parent and child factors and FITLINE interest. Results Among n=114 participants, most parents reported being very likely (n=53, 48%) or somewhat likely (n=44, 40%) to use a FITLINE-promoting healthy habits for children if it was made available. Interest in a FITLINE was greatest among overweight or obese parents (OR 3.12, CI 1.17 to 8.30) and those with children aged Conclusions Given strong interest among parents in a FITLINE and the urgency of the youth obesity epidemic, implementation of a pilot phone-based service should be strongly considered.
Estimation of snow water equivalence using SIR-C/X-SAR

Snow water equivalence, which is the product of snow density and depth, is the most important parameter in snow hydrology. This paper demonstrates the algorithms for estimating dry snow density, depth, grain size, under-ground dielectric constant and surface RMS height using multi- frequency and -polarization SAR measurements. The algorithms were developed based on the numerically simulated backscattering coefficients. We use L-band VV and HH to estimate snow density and the underground surface parameters: dielectric constant and roughness RMS height. The underground surface can be either soil or rock. Then, C- band VV, HH and X-band VV are used to estimate snow depth and grain size. The validation from the field snow density measurements averaged from the top and bottom snow layers indicate that an absolute and relative accuracy of 0.042 gcm-3 and 13.15 percent can be expected. The comparison with the ground scatterometer measurements showed RMSE of 4.1 percent by volume for solid moisture estimation and 0.42 cm for the surface RMS height with this newly developed algorithms. The validation by using three SIR-C/X- SAR image data indicated that this algorithm performed well for incidence angle greater than 30 degrees with RMES 34 cm and 0.27 mm for estimation of snow depth and ice optical equivalent particle radius, respectively.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Loss of liquid from the lung lumen in labor: more than a simple “squeeze”

physiologists have known for over a century that the lungs are filled with liquid during fetal life ([53][1]), but the origin of this liquid was uncertain until 1948 when Jost and Policard ([35][2]) challenged the then prevailing view that liquid in the lumen of the fetal lung came from intrauterine
Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) anthocyanins as colorants for beverages and gelatin desserts

A dry powdered pigment extract was prepared from a Roselle liquid concentrate obtained from Trinidad. The pigment base was added to two dry pack foods, a beverage mix and a gelatin dessert, and evaluated under various temperature and humidity conditions. During a 16-week storage period, color, flavor, and pigment stability were evaluated versus those of Red No. 2. All samples were less stable than those with Red No. 2 but showed good stability up to 4 weeks of storage, after which, the rate of pigment degradation accelerated. Reconstituted products showed good light and refrigeration stability but the roselle powder imparted an unacceptable flavor to the products.
Conferencing on the Internet

Any distributed real-time application operating over an Internet protocol (IP) network has to address the problems of quality of service, packet loss, jitter, and synchronization of different media [1]. However, there are a number of key problems which are of particular significance to IP conferencing applications1: ◊ user or conference location — the discovery of the address of someone who is to be invited to join the conference, or the discovery of the location of a conference that can be joined without invitation; ◊ latency — the end-to-end delay of control messages and conference media; ◊ scalability and robustness — the ability to robustly support widely varying requirements in terms of number of users, number of simultaneous conferences, geographical distribution of participants, etc.
Ru3(CO)12 Adsorption and Decomposition on TiO2

Triruthenium dodecacarbonyl (Ru3(CO)12) adsorption and decomposition on titania (TiO2) were studied using infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, temperature-programmed desorption, Auger electron spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. It was found that the vapor-deposited cluster adsorbs with the Ru3 plane oriented normal to the surface. The clusters form an amorphous layer at 90 K, order at 195 K, and begin to decompose in a vacuum at ca. 250 K. The clusters decompose in two stages, with complete decomposition occurring above 600 K. The clusters are highly dispersed on the surface and decompose cleanly to form small ruthenium clusters up to 3 nm across and single atom rows up to 20 nm long.
P3-11-03: A Phase I Trial of D-Limonene in Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients: A Chemoprevention Study.

Background: D-limonene (DL) is a highly lipophilic monoterpene found naturally in citrus that has been demonstrated in preclinical studies to have anticancer properties. Early phase clinical trials support the investigation of DL in the chemoprevention of breast cancer. We sought to evaluate whether DL and its presumed active metabolite perillic acid (PA) would distribute extensively to the breast tissue and reach an effective drug concentration. We hypothesized that the mechanism of DL is related to the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 40 patients with newly diagnosed Stage 0–2 breast cancer to take 2 grams daily of oral DL for 2–6 weeks prior to planned surgical intervention. Blood was drawn pre/post intervention to assess for toxicity and plasma concentration of DL and PA. Adverse effects related or possibly related to the study drug were noted. A small piece of breast tissue adjacent to the tumor mass was used to measure drug concentration for each patient. DL and PA levels in breast tissue were analyzed by gas chromatography and liquid chromatography, respectively, in tandem with mass spectrometry. Analysis of variance testing was used to determine if DL or PA preferentially concentrated in the breast tissue compared to plasma. We tested for a possible modulation of the biomarkers estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor, HER2, Ki67 or grade pre/post treatment by comparing results from the core biopsy to the surgical pathology and applying pairwise Student9s T tests. The caspase 3 and the annexin V assays were performed by plating 10,000 cells per well for the cell lines MCF7, MDA-231, BT474, and T47D and separately administering DL and PA acid in serial dilutions in their treatment concentration ranges in triplicate and read by microplate. Results: DL was found to preferentially concentrate in breast tissue versus plasma (tissue/plasma concentration ratio (TPCR) of 1297, p Discussion: D-limonene preferentially concentrates in the breast tissue and is a candidate chemopreventive agent based on its favorable side effect profile. PA does not readily concentrate in the breast when administered as oral DL. Our correlative studies establish that DL induces apoptosis in ER positive breast cancer cell lines; no definite relationship between PA and apoptosis was found. Further clinical trials of DL are necessary to establish its potential role as a chemopreventive agent in breast cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-11-03.
Novel Mechanisms of Disease: Network Biology and MicroRNA Signaling in Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a fatal disease, which leads to right heart failure and eventually death. It is a proliferative vascular remodeling disease, characterized by vasoconstriction, inflammation and arterial remodeling with histological changes evident in the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. There is currently no cure for PAH. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally, negatively regulate gene expression. They target numerous genes, are essential for physiological processes and are implicated in a wide variety of diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated the role of microRNAs in the initiation and progression of PAH. In this chapter we will discuss the basics of microRNAs, their role in PAH and their therapeutic strategies.
Training needs analysis of public health personnel in community health service institutions

Objective To explore the training needs of public health personnel in community health service institutions in Zhejiang province,and to provide the basis for the development of training policy.Methods Self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 1 186persons from community health service institutions in Zhejiang Province,with a recovery rate of 91.2%.Results 95.2%of the interviewees wanted to take training.The rate of people considering that professional training is more suitable for training was 76.10%.57.72%thought that 2to 3days of training would be better,and 83.48% wanted to go to the higher level of institutions for education.Scene investigation and processing needs accounted for the greater demand in skills training,and the greatest demand for professional training was prevention and control of infectious diseases.There was a significant difference in professional training needs.Conclusions Public health personnel training needs of the community health service centers are great,which needs to further improve the relevance of training content.
Conservation Tillage's Application Research and Discussion on Sanjiang Plain

Protective cultivation which combines crop straw backing-field with No-tillage and mini-tillage technology to carry out agricultural production,is a new cultivated technology related to traditional cultivation.Essential and pivotal technique composition of conservation tillage technology was expounded.Enforceable feasibility of conservation tillage was analyzed,according to present situation of farm production in Sanjiang plain.It has actuality significance that conservation tillage technology was enforced in Sanjiang plain,to its expansion in land reclamation region.
Foot Progression Angle Walking Test- An Effective Dynamic Test for the Diagnosis of Femoroacetabular Impingement and Hip Instability

Objectives: Clinical diagnosis of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and hip instability is determined by accurate history, physical examination, and imaging assessment. Currently, there is no ideal physical examination maneuver and certainly no dynamic method of testing. In this prospective study, we evaluate the Foot Progression Angle Walking (FPAW) test as a novel diagnostic tool that is sensitive and specific for the detection of FAI and hip instability.
Chapter 5 Oxidation of fatty acids in eukaryotes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the pathway of β-oxidation, uptake and activation of fatty acids in animal cells, fatty acid oxidation in mitochondria, fatty acid oxidation in peroxisomes, and inherited diseases of fatty acid oxidation. In animal cells, fatty acids are degraded in both mitochondria and peroxisomes, whereas in lower eukaryotes β-oxidation is confined to peroxisomes. Mitochondrial β-oxidation provides energy for oxidative phosphorylation and generates acetyl- coenzyme A (CoA) for ketogenesis in liver. The enzymes of β-oxidation either are associated with the inner mitochondrial membrane or are located in the mitochondrial matrix. The four acyl-CoA dehydrogenases, including short-chain, medium-chain, long-chain, and very-long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenases, assure a complete degradation of all fatty acids that can be metabolized by mitochondrial β-oxidation. The molecular characterization of most β-oxidation enzymes has yielded a wealth of structural information while the dynamics of this pathway remain less well understood. The cooperation between peroxisomes and mitochondria in fatty acid oxidation also remains to be studied.
Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia

Thrombocytopenia is one of the most frequently encountered hematological disorders and occurs as a consequence of numerous pathophysiological mechanisms. One of the more common causes of thrombocytopenia is “immune thrombocytopenia” (ITP). Landmark studies on this disease performed more than 50 years ago demonstrated an important role for antibody-mediated platelet destruction in ITP (Harrington et al. 1951). Subsequent studies have revealed that bone marrow megakaryocytes are also affected by platelet autoantibodies (McMillan et al. 2004; Nugent et al. 2009) and that T cells may also contribute to platelet destruction and inhibit platelet production by megakaryocytes (Cines et al. 2009a; Semple and Provan 2012). As with other thrombocytopenic disorders, ITP may occur as a primary syndrome or may be secondary to underlying infectious, autoimmune, or malignant disorders (Cines et al. 2009a; Rodeghiero et al. 2009).