cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intersecting-loop solutions of the hamiltonian constraint of quantum general relativity

Abstract Recently, using Ashtekar's new canonical formulation of general relativity, a large class of solutions of the quantum hamiltonian constraint were found by Jacobson and Smolin. These solutions are the traces of the holonomy for Ashtekar's connection that are based on differentiable loops. In this paper, additional solutions of the quantum hamiltonian constraint are described. These new solutions also involve the holonomy, but are based on multiple loops that intersect at a point. It is shown that no solutions exist for three intersecting loops that have more than two linearly independent tangent vectors at the intersection point.
Radiative ignition of polymeric materials in oxygen/nitrogen mixtures

The radiative ignition behavior of two polymeric fuels—polystyrene and an epoxy—in oxygen/nitrogen mixtures has been determined experimentally. A CO2 laser was adapted for use as the radiation source to simplify interpretation of the results. Ignition delay (as determined by first light emission) was measured as a function of oxygen percentage, pressure, radiant flux, and fuel absorptivity. The observed ignition delays, and the variations with pressure, oxygen fraction, and radiation intensity, conform to the predictions of a theoretical model based on the need to heat the surface to a critical ignition temperature. The most important finding is that ignition of a solid fuel by radiation is much slower than ignition by an identical heat flux applied by a hot gas source. Two main reasons for the retardation can be deduced from the experimental results: (1) the radiative transparency of the fuel, even for seemingly opaque substances, results in slower surface heating, and (2) the cool gas environment in the usual radiation ignition test suppresses the incipient ignition.
Developing teacher‐student relationships through out of class communication

This study investigated student perceptions of control, trust, and intimacy as dimensions of teacher‐student relationships, and. the correlation between these relational variables and reports of learning. Control, trust, and intimacy are viewed as core dimensions of interpersonal relationships, and it is hypothesized that students who engage in out of class communication have relationships that are more interpersonal in nature than students who do not engage in out of class communication with teachers. This hypothesis was supported. Additionally, students who perceived their teachers as exhibiting higher levels of shared control, trust, and intimacy reported greater learning.
Poliovirus Unlinks TIA1 Aggregation and mRNA Stress Granule Formation

In response to environmental stress and viral infection, mammalian cells form foci containing translationally silenced mRNPs termed stress granules (SGs). As aggregates of stalled initiation complexes, SGs are defined by the presence of translation initiation machinery in addition to mRNA binding proteins. Here, we report that cells infected with poliovirus (PV) can form SGs early that contain T-cell-restricted intracellular antigen 1 (TIA1), translation initiation factors, RNA binding proteins, and mRNA. However, this response is blocked as infection progresses, and a type of pseudo-stress granule remains at late times postinfection and contains TIA but lacks translation initiation factors, mRNA binding proteins, and most polyadenylated mRNA. This result was observed using multiple stressors, including viral infection, oxidative stress, heat shock, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Multiple proteins required for efficient viral internal ribosome entry site-dependent translation are localized to SGs under stress conditions, providing a potential rationale for the evolution and maintenance of the SG inhibition phenotype. Further, the expression of a noncleavable form of the RasGAP-SH3 domain binding protein in PV-infected cells enables SGs whose constituents are consistent with the presence of stalled 48S translation preinitiation complexes to persist throughout infection. These results indicate that in poliovirus-infected cells, the functions of TIA self-aggregation and aggregation of stalled translation initiation complexes into stress granules are severed, leading to novel foci that contain TIA1 but lack other stress granule-defining components.
Determination of silica in glasses, ceramics and refractories

Abstract A rapid method for the determination of silica in glasses, glass ceramics and refractories is described. The utilization of direct coulometric titration of the excess of 8-quinolinol employed to precipitate the silico-12-molybdate complex, enables duplicate determinations in the presence of diverse ions to be completed in about 3h. Studies of the optimum, conditions indicated that the acidity and choice of acid were critical. For greatest versatility a sulfuric acid medium was better than hydrochloric or perchloric acids. The addition of glycerol allowed analysis of titanium-containing refractories. The accuracy of the method for a wide variety of materials is similar to that of the conventional acid-dehydration method.
Perspectives on Literary Reading and Book Culture

In their article "Perspectives on Literary Reading and Book Culture" Geert Vandermeersche and Ronald Soetaert provide a narrative framework for analyzing literary scholars' argumentation in the debate on literature and the humanities. Starting from MacIntyre's narrative description of epistemic "crises" they analyze the stories authors construct and the positions they take and ascribe to others within larger developing (grand) narratives on the value and function of literary reading. Both traditional narratives and new alternative (i.e., enlarged) narratives are discussed in how they set up and frame the argument and how they create dichotomies.
Concrete Bridge Decks Reinforced with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars

Corrosion of metallic reinforcement is a primary cause of reinforced concrete bridge deck deterioration. A potential innovative solution to this problem is to eliminate this corrosion by using nonmetallic fiberreinforced polymer (FRP) bars. FRP bars consist of continuous fibers of glass (GFRP), aramid (AFRP), carbon (CFRP), or a combination of these (hybrid FRP), impregnated with and bound by a resin matrix through a pultrusion, braiding, or weaving manufacturing process. Each of these fiber types is linearly elastic to failure. Characteristics of FRP bars include electrochemical inertness, high tensile strength, low weight, low elastic modulus (primarily GFRP and AFRP), and low shear strength. For increased bridge deck service life, electrochemical inertness is the most important characteristic of FRP bars. The structural design of a concrete bridge deck with FRP top mat reinforcement is presented. The deck is supported on five prestressed concrete Type C beams. The 200-mm (8-in.) nominal-depth deck is d...
A GPU-Enhanced Cluster for Accelerated FMS

The forces modeling and simulation (FMS) community has often been hampered by constraints in computing: not enough resolution, not enough entities, not enough behavioral variants. High performance computing can ameliorate those constraints. The use of Linux clusters is one path to higher performance; the use of graphics processing units (GPU) as accelerators is another. Merging the two paths holds even more promise. The high performance computing modernization program (HPCMP) accepted a successful proposal for a new 512 CPU (1,024 core), GPU-enhanced Linux cluster for the joint forces command's joint experimentation directorate (J9). The basic concepts underlying the use of GPUs as accelerators for intelligent agent, entity-level simulations are laid out. The simulation needs of J9, the direction from HPCMP and the careful analysis of the intersection of these are explicitly discussed. The configuration of the cluster is addressed and the assumptions that led to the conclusion that GPUs could increase performance by a factor of two are offered. Issues, problems and solutions will all be reported objectively, as guides to the FMS community and as confirmation or rejection of early assumptions. Early characterization runs of a single CPU with GPU-enhanced extensions are reported.
Nitrogen Management in No-Tillage and Ridge-Tillage Systems Affects Short-Season Corn Grown on Claypan Soil

Success of conservation tillage systems requires good fertilizer management, especially nitrogen applied to crops grown on claypan soils in the eastern Great Plains. Recently introduced, short-season corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids, that mature earlier and potentially avoid drought problems common on these soils in late summer, provide producers with another viable cropping option. However, information on N management in conservation tillage systems is lacking for short-season corn grown on claypan soils. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of fertilizer N at rates of 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 lb/acre applied by surface broadcast, surface band (dribble), and subsurface band (knife) placement methods on short-season corn grown in no-tillage and ridge-tillage systems. Average corn yield in 1997 was about 25 bu/acre more with ridge tillage than with no tillage when fertilizer N was applied at any rate. However, this trend was not apparent in 1996 and 1998, when yields were lower because of less rainfall. In 1996 and 1998, yield was not increased at N rates greater than 60 lb/acre, but in 1997, maximum yield was obtained at the 120 lb/acre N rate. Nitrogen placement effects on yield were inconsistent. Yield improvements resulting from increased N rate can be attributed to improved yield components, especially the number of kernels per ear, which was doubled with N at 120 lb/acre compared to no fertilizer N. Increasing N rate resulted in small increases in crude protein concentration in the corn grain. Even though more samples were contaminated with aflatoxin and at higher levels in the drier years, tillage and N management had little effect on aflatoxin concentrations. Corn grown on a claypan soil can respond to increased N rate and conservation tillage systems, especially in higher rainfall years, but the effect due to N placement is inconsistent.
A Meta-RaPS for the early/tardy single machine scheduling problem

This paper investigates a meta-heuristic solution approach to the early/tardy single machine scheduling problem with common due date and sequence-dependent setup times. The objective of this problem is to minimise the total amount of earliness and tardiness of jobs that are assigned to a single machine. The popularity of just-in-time (JIT) and lean manufacturing scheduling approaches makes the minimisation of earliness and tardiness important and relevant. In this research the early/tardy problem is solved by Meta-RaPS (meta-heuristic for randomised priority search). Meta-RaPS is an iterative meta-heuristic which is a generic, high level strategy used to modify greedy algorithms based on the insertion of a random element. In this case a greedy heuristic, the shortest adjusted processing time, is modified by Meta-RaPS and the good solutions are improved by a local search algorithm. A comparison with the existing ETP solution procedures using well-known test problems shows Meta-RaPS produces better solution...
Individual-domain-wall motion in Ni0.77Mn0.23 observed via resistance fluctuations.

Both equilibrium magnetic noise and Barkhausen noise in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{0.77}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{0.23}$ films were observed via electrical resistance. The duty cycle of one two-state switcher could be adjusted by changing the magnetic field, as is expected for thermally activated single-domain-wall motion. Two switchers showed non-Arrhenius behavior near the Curie point. Temperature and frequency dependence of the noise indicated the presence of smaller fluctuating domains throughout the ferromagnetic regime. At some temperatures when a large oscillating magnetic field was applied, individual Barkhausen jumps were seen at reproducible points in each field cycle.
A New Monoctenus (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) Damaging Juniperus Flaccida (Cupressaceae) in San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Monoctenus sanchezi Smith, n. sp., is described. It was found damaging Juniperus flaccida Schlechtendal (Cupressaceae) in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. This is the second Mexican species of the genus. A review of Monoctenus from southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America is presented, with M. sadadus Smith a new country record for the United States and new records of the genus for Utah and as far south as Guatemala.
New approaches to investigating UVL photo protective substances in vitro.

Photo protective capabilities of more than 30 chemicals, many of which arenot used as UVL protective agents, were tested against UVL (290–370nm and 320–450 nm) by two in vitro systems: photohemolysis and candida albicans growth inhibition. Results of the two test systems revealed that: 1. agents may protect against UVL damage without absorbing light and 2. an agent which protects in one system may not protect in the other.
Two-dimensional coarsening and phase separation in thin polymer solution films

A comprehensive experimental study on the late stages of phase separation in two dimensions was performed by phase separating thin (1.5 and 10 \ensuremath{\mu}m) films of off- and near-critical polymer solutions. The resulting domain-size growth rate (coarsening rate) of the dispersed phase was directly measured for several systems using optical microscopy. Domain sizes of off-critical solutions coarsen predominantly via Ostwald ripening, growing approximately as ${\mathrm{Kt}}^{1\mathrm{/}3}$ , regardless of system. For near-critical solutions, domain sizes grow approximately as ${\mathrm{Kt}}^{1\mathrm{/}3}$ at early times, with coarsening via both coalescence and Ostwald ripening, and feature a crossover to an ultimate ${\mathrm{t}}^{2\mathrm{/}3}$ growth rate. The crossover domain size decreases with increasing quench depth in a manner consistent with a transition from a thermally driven to a flow-driven coarsening mechanism. In general, K increases with area fraction of the dispersed phase for a given off-critical or near-critical system. Both average and crossover domain sizes increase with increasing film thickness, and coalescence is significantly dependent on film thickness while Ostwald ripening is not. The substrate polarity does not greatly affect off-critical coarsening, although near-critical coarsening (particularly near the crossover) is greatly affected. Other effects of polymer molecular weight, solvent viscosity, and quench depth are discussed.
An Experiential Exercise for Enlightening Sales Students about the Screening and Selection Process for Sales Jobs

Sales managers are increasingly involved in recruiting and selection decisions, yet sales courses do not typically provide training in how sales managers evaluate entry-level sales applicants. We describe an experiential selection exercise that provides students (and recruiters) with realistic and humbling insights concerning the selection decision and evaluation process. We also note the relative lack of research concerning the processes by which recruiters evaluate sales applicants.
T Lymphocyte Receptor-Ligand Interactions for Migration on Microcontact Printed Intracellular Adhesion Molecule-(ICAM)-1 Surfaces

Recruitment of T lymphocytes into lymphoid organs and peripheral tissues during immune surveillance and inflammation is dependent upon a tightly regulated multistep adhesion cascade. Upon endothelium exposure to certain cytokines, cell adhesion molecules are upregulated providing a means for T lymphocytes to tether, roll, adhere, and migrate. Upon binding of the integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) to the ligand, intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), “outside-in” signaling is primed to induce firm adhesion and migration. Here, through the use of microcontact printing (μCP) we have studied the random motility of human peripheral T lymphocytes and the effects of the homeostatic chemokines CCL19, CCL21, and CXCL12 on ICAM-1 coated surfaces. Studies have demonstrated that the LFA-1/ICAM-1 “outside-in” signaling is in concert with the “inside-out” signals produced downstream from chemokine binding to promote chemokinesis. The random motility coefficient (μ) on ICAM-1 surfaces was found to be 200.37 ± 13.30 μm2/min. Unexpectedly, the random motility coefficient had no significant differences between chemokine concentrations even around the KD of the receptors CCR7 and CXCR4. We hypothesize that the “outside-in” signaling dictated by LFA-1/ICAM-1 binding overwhelms the “inside-out” signaling from the chemokines preventing a difference in the random motility coefficient to be observed. In addition, microcontact printing will permit us to pattern ICAM-1 to observe T lymphocytes on controlled substrates. Furthermore, through the use of a microfluidic device we can begin to elucidate the effects of chemokine gradients on directed T lymphocyte migration. By producing single and competing chemokine gradients, we can calculate the chemotactic index to assess the potency of these chemokines on chemotaxis.
IL-1 interacts with ethanol effects on GABAergic transmission in the mouse central amygdala.

Neuroinflammation is hypothesized to enhance alcohol consumption and contribute to the development of alcoholism. GABAergic transmission in the central amygdala (CeA) plays an important role in the transition to alcohol dependence. Therefore, we studied the effects of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) a proinflammatory cytokine mediating ethanol-induced neuroinflammation, and its interaction with ethanol on CeA GABAegic transmission in B6129SF2/J mice. We also assessed ethanol intake in B6129SF2/J mice. Intake with unlimited (24 hours) ethanol access was 9.2-12.7 g/kg (3-15% ethanol), while limited (2 hours) access produced an intake of 4.1±0.5 g/kg (15% ethanol). In our electrophysiology experiments, we found that recombinant IL-1β (50 and 100 ng/ml) significantly decreased the amplitude of evoked inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (eIPSPs), with no significant effects on paired-pulse facilitation (PPF). IL-1beta (50 ng/ml) had dual effects on spontaneous miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs): increasing mIPSC frequencies in most CeA neurons, but decreasing both mIPSC frequencies and amplitudes in a few cells. The IL-1β receptor antagonist (IL-1ra; 100 ng/ml) also had dual effects on mIPSCs and prevented the actions of IL-1β on mIPSC frequencies. These results suggest that IL-1β can alter CeA GABAergic transmission at pre- and postsynaptic sites. Ethanol (44 mM) significantly increased eIPSP amplitudes, decreased PPFs, and increased mIPSC frequencies. IL-1β did not alter ethanol’s enhancement of the eIPSP amplitude, but, in IL-1β-responsive neurons, the ethanol effects on mIPSC frequencies were lost. Overall, our data suggest that the IL-1 system is involved in basal GABAergic transmission and that IL-1β interacts with the ethanol-induced facilitation of CeA GABAergic transmission.
Image force effects in heterostructures and quantum wells

Abstract Image force effects in heterostructures and quantum wells with abrupt interfaces are analyzed theoretically. The image force is due to different permittivities in different planar regions. A simple expression for the image force potential is constructed. The expression incorporates a distance scale below which crystalline media cannot be treated as homogeneous dielectrics. In contrast with published work, the image force is found to be small and nonsingular at interfaces. This supports the common practice of neglecting image force effects in heterostructures.
Spatial Clusters and Variability Analysis of Tree Mortality

Spatial patterns of tree mortality are important factors in analysis of forest health and sustainable forest management. We analyzed spatial cluster characteristics of forest tree mortality among hardwoods, softwoods, and all species groups between 1989 and 1997 in Georgia. We used for this purpose the 1989 and 1997 USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) permanent sample plot data, spatial scan statistic and semivariogram analysis methods, and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. In Georgia, forest tree mortality for softwoods and all species groups formed clusters in North Georgia in 1989. These clusters became more widespread, but the aggregation intensity of tree mortality was decreased compared with that of the 1989 clusters. Another finding is that the locations for mortality clusters of softwoods were almost the same as those of all species combined both in 1989 and in 1997. In 1989 the forest tree mortality of softwoods and all species groups agglomerated with small clus...
Positron annihilation study of defects in titanium

Abstract Positron annihilation linewidth measurements have been used to study defect behaviour in titanium samples which were first cold-worked and then annealed at temperatures ranging up to 850°C. The line width for a highly deformed high purity (0.9998) sample showed a gradual increase with increasing annealing temperature up to the recrystallization temperature, above which there was a rapid increase. In contrast, a commercially pure (0.9984) sample deformed by 20% displayed a smooth increase in linewidth over the entire annealing range. Hardness measurements correlate reasonably well with the overall trend of the positron lineshape parameter, but the positron annihilation measurements reveal defect changes that occur at temperatures too low to give any observed changes in hardness.
The influence of religiosity and spirituality on drinking behaviors: differences between students attending two southern universities.

The purpose of this study was to determine if students (n = 431) from two southern universities—one in the “buckle” of the Bible-belt, the other a southern “border” state—have different drinking be...
Electronic absorption of alkyl nitrite radicals in the 300–700 nm region

Electronic absorption spectra of cis- and trans-2-butyl, cyclopentyl, and cyclohexyl nitrite radical are reported. These new species were generated photochemically in an Ar matrix at 12 K. All alkyl nitrite radicals exhibit a long wavelength absorption that extends into the red spectral region. It is assigned to excitation of a charge transfer state involving transfer of the electron on the C radical center to the nitrite group. The 300–400 nm region shows a vibronic progression similar to the well known S1(n(N)π*)→S0 system of closed shell alkyl nitrites.
AG : SB AND SB : AG IMPLANTATIONS INTO HIGH PURITY SILICA

Silica composites containing nanometer dimension colloids have been fabricated by implantation of Ag ions followed by Sb ions, and by implantation of Sb ions followed by Ag ions. Doses for the sequential element implantations were in ratios of 9 : 3 Ag : Sb and 3 : 9 Sb : Ag with the total dose held constant at 12 × 1016 ions/cm2. Energies of implantation were 305 keV for the Ag ions and 320 keV for the Sb ions. Single element colloids were also fabricated by implantation of Ag or Sb using the same nominal dose and implantation energy of the sequential implantations. Approximately spherical particles were formed in all implanted samples. Microstructures of the nanoclusters in the various samples were markedly different. Selected area diffraction techniques revealed that alloyed phases of Ag–Sb were formed in some of the sequential implantations. The microstructure and the optical response of the nanocluster glass composites were found to be strongly dependent upon the order of the ion species implanted. The optical spectra of the 3 : 9 Sb : Ag sample displays two resonance peaks indicative of a Ag resonance peak and a resonance peak of an alloyed phase of Ag–Sb. Optical spectra for the 9 : 3 Ag : Sb sample displays two broad absorption peaks indicative of coated particles.
Gating Mechanism and Movements in Acid Sensing Ion Channel 1A

Acid Sensing Ion Channels (ASICs) are proton sensitive ion channels found in central and peripheral nervous system. They are involved in a variety of physiological processes including sensory perception, synaptic transmission and nociception. It is also involved in pathological processes like stroke and hypoxia leading to cell death. Thus understanding the mechanism of working of these ion channels are of importance in order to be able to design modulators. Here we present results from a combination of biophysical, molecular, functional and computational studies that looks at various aspects of ASIC functions. Earlier studies pointed towards possible involvement of carboxylate residues in the extracellular domain, in pH sensing. Our results indicate that there are three carboxylate pairs that are involved in gating. The carboxylates upon proton binding, induce a conformational change that causes the finger and thumb domains of ASIC come closer to each other. Our results indicate that these carboxylate pairs and the conformational change are key factors that mediate gating of the ion channel. We then proceeded to study the inter subunit conformational changes that might be involved in desensitization process. Biophysical investigations indicate that the subunits move away from each other upon desensitization. This movement is not global between the subunits. The segments closer to the central vestibule stay relatively in the same position whereas the residues towards the periphery of the ion channel moves away from each other more prominently. These results show that the ion channel undergoes a lateral flowering-like motion during desensitization in comparison with the resting state of the ion channel.
Comparative study of secondary epileptogenesis.

SUMMARY The genesis of independent secondary epileptic foci from artificially induced primary epileptic lesions has been demonstrated in animals which are representative of different stages of evolutionary development. These data suggest that the length of time necessary for the occurrence of an autonomously discharging secondary epileptic focus following the artificial creation of a primary epileptic lesion varies directly with the differentiation and organizational complexity of the forebrain of the animal selected as representative of the particular stage of evolutionary development. The data also indicate that secondary epileptogenesis results from an alteration of normal physiological processes and that the propensity for epileptogenesis is inherent in vertebrate neural tissue. The data presented are discussed in relation to the question of secondary epileptogenesis in humans with focal epilepsy. To the authors' knowledge this study is the first which has used the opossum and cayman as models for the study of epileptogenesis. The relative advantages are mentioned. RESUME Ľexistence de foyers aepileptiques secondaires indaependants de laesions aepileptogaenes expaerimentales primaires a ete prouvaee chez des animaux aa diffaerents etages du developpement phylogaenaetique. Les donnaees recueillies suggaerent que le temps naecessaire pour ľapparition des daecharges secondaires en relation avec le foyer aepileptogene primaire varie en fonction directe de la differentiation et de la complexitae dans ľorganisation du taelencaephale des animaux en relation avec leur situation dans le phylum. Cette aetude qui est la premiaere,a a la connaissance des auteurs, aa utiliser ľOpossum et la Caiman comme modaele pour aetudier ľaepileptogaenaese, est utilisaee pour discuter le problaeme de ľaepileptogaenaese secondaire chez des Hommes souffrant ďune aepilepsie focale. Ces donnees suggerent egalement que ľepileptogenaese secondaire resulte ďune altaeration des processus physiologiques normaux et qu'elle est inherente aux tissus nerveux des vertaebraes.
Spinning fluids in general relativity

General relativity field equations are employed to examine a continuous medium with internal spin. A variational principle formerly applied in the special relativity case is extended to the general relativity case, using a tetrad to express the spin density and the four-velocity of the fluid. An energy-momentum tensor is subsequently defined for a spinning fluid. The equations of motion of the fluid are suggested to be useful in analytical studies of galaxies, for anisotropic Bianchi universes, and for turbulent eddies.
Studies on the Protein and Sulfur Amino Acid Requirements of Young Bobwhite Quail

Abstract Four experiments were conducted with purified diets to examine the influence of protein level and to estimate the sulfur amino acid (S.A.A.) requirement of young Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). These studies demonstrated (1) that 26% protein was sufficient for rapid growth when the diet was supplemented with methionine; (2) that diets containing higher levels of protein (29.3% and 31.3%) failed to support satisfactory growth unless they contained supplemental methionine; and (3) that young Bobwhite quail require no more than 1.0% sulfur-containing amino acids for optimal growth and efficiency of feed utilization. A fifth experiment was conducted to examine the protein and S.A.A. requirements of young Bobwhite quail using practical rations and to compare results with those obtained with purified diets. Diets containing 24%, 26% and 28% protein were supplied with and without supplemental methionine in a five week study. Results showed significant growth responses to protein and supplemental methionine. Responses showed that Bobwhite quail require no more than 26% protein for maximum growth and efficiency of feed utilization when the S.A.A. level of the diet was approximately 1.0%. The results were in close agreement with those obtained with purified diets. These findings define more precisely than had been known the quantitative requirements of young Bobwhite quail for protein and for the S.A.A. necessary for optimal growth.
Metastatic osteosarcoma to lung. A clinicopathologic study of surgical biopsies and resections

Metastatic tumor to the lungs is one of the most important factors in the poor prognosis of primary osteosarcoma of bone. Until recently, pulmonary resection alone was the only therapeutic method available to salvage these patients. Previous investigators have reviewed a number of clinical and pathologic parameters which may possibly relate to the prognosis of osteosarcoma and the occurrence of pulmonary metastases. The pathologic features of these latter lesions have received little attention other than to state that they generally are less differentiated than the primary tumor. A review of multiple pulmonary nodules resected from 15 patients has demonstrated that 66% of all lesions were essentially identical to the primary tumor. The 5-year survival from the original amputation was 33% in this series; however, it was not possible to prognosticate a favorable outcome from the metastasis, a similar type of observation which has been made by others in relation to the primary osteosarcoma.
A study of nonmyelinated nerves in the rat and rabbit heart.

Submicroscopic studies of the papillary muscle and ventricular myocardium of the rat and rabbit have revealed: (1) a dearth of nervous elements—an observation which contradicts the comparatively rich innervation suggested by investigators studying silver-stained preparations by light microscopic techniques; (2) the presence of nonmyelinated nerve fibers only; and (3) the apparent termination of nonmyelinated fibers at a significant distance from the myocardial cells.
A Study of the Mechanism of the Reaction between Ozone and the Chlorine Atom Using Density Functional Theory

Density functional calculations of the potential energy surface for the reactions 2Cl + 1O3 → 2ClO +3O2 and 2ClO + 3O → 2Cl + 3O2 have been carried out using the Perdew−Wang functionals for exchang...
A comparison of computed and measured aerodynamic characteristics of a proposed aeroassist flight experiment configuration

The use of experimental or computed data to evaluate the performance of aeroassist orbital transfer vehicles (AOTVs) is discussed. Aerodynamic and surface pressure data are derived from computed flowfield solutions (the HALIS inviscid flowfield code), the Newtonian theory, and ground-based, wind tunnel studies (hypersonic He tunnel, 31-inch Mach 10 tunnel, and a hypersonic CF4 tunnel). The wind tunnel and HALIS models were tested at angles-of-attack that ranged from -10 to 10 deg. The effects of the ellipticity of the nose, the radius of the circular arc, and the angle through which the arc passes on the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicles are examined. It is observed that the HALIS and CF4 tunnel generated surface pressure on the AOTVs produced the most useful aerodynamic data. Good correlation is obtained for the experimental and computational data; however, the Newtonian results do not correspond to the tunnel/HALIS data.
MHC class II‐expressing thymocytes suppress invariant NKT cell development

NKT cells are positively selected on cortical thymocytes expressing the non-classical MHC class I CD1d molecules. However, it is less clear how NKT cells are negatively selected in the thymus. In this study, we investigated the role of MHC class II expression in NKT cell development. Transgenic mice expressing MHC class II on thymocytes and peripheral T cells had a marked reduction in invariant NKT (iNKT) cells. Reduced numbers of iNKT cells correlated with the absence of in vivo production of cytokines in response to the iNKT cell agonist α–galactosylceramide. Using mixed bone marrow chimeras, we found that MHC class II expressing thymocytes suppressed the development of iNKT cells in trans in a CD4-dependent manner. Our observations have significant implications for human iNKT cell development since human thymocytes express MHC class II, which can lead to inefficient selection of iNKT cells.
Detection of targets in forward-looking infrared imaging using a multiple instance learning framework

In this paper we describe a method for generating cues of targets present in the field-of-view of an infrared (IR) camera installed on a moving vehicle. A typical two class classifier requires the building of an image library containing manually extracted examples of both types of objects, i.e., targets and non-targets. This approach, usually tedious on static images, becomes intractable when using video sequences taken from a moving vehicle. To avoid a detailed manual segmentation of video sequences, we employ a multiple instance learning (MIL) framework that allows training a two class classifier just by specifying if a frame contains targets or not. The proposed method has three steps. First, for each frame of a training run, we generate a set of possible points of interest using a corner detection algorithm. Second, for the same training run, we tag each frame as positive (target hits present) or negative (only non-target hits present). Each hit is described using the local binary pattern (LPB) features computed around its image location. The generated LPB feature vectors, together with their frame tag, are used by the MIL training framework to generate a set of target LPB prototypes. Although many regular classifiers may be trained using MIL, in this paper we employed a simple approach based on the nearest prototype. In the last step, we used the computed prototypes to classify the corner hits detected in several test video sequences. To validate our approach, we present results obtained on several runs gathered with a long wave infrared (LWIR) camera mounted on a moving vehicle.
How Nurses Assist Parents Regarding Life Support Decisions for Extremely Premature Infants

ABSTRACT Objective To describe nurse behaviors that assisted parents to make life-support decisions for an extremely premature infant before and after the infant's birth. Design Qualitative, longitudinal, collective case study where interviews were done pre- and postnatally and medical chart data were collected. Setting Interviews were conducted face-to-face in a private room in the hospital, in the mother's home, or over the telephone. Participants A sample of 40 cases (40 mothers, 14 fathers, 42 physicians, 17 obstetric nurses, 6 neonatal nurses, and 6 neonatal nurse practitioners) was recruited from three hospitals that provided high-risk perinatal care. Parents were at least 18 years of age, English speaking, and had participated in a prenatal discussion with a physician regarding treatment decisions for their infant due to threatened preterm delivery. Physicians and nurses were those identified by parents who had spoken to them about life-support treatment decisions for the infant. Methods Using a semistructured interview guide, a total of 203 interviews were conducted (137 prenatal, 51 postnatal, and 15 end-of-life). For this analysis, all coded data related to the nurse's role were analyzed and summarized. Results Parents and nurses described several nurse behaviors: providing emotional support, giving information, and meeting the physical care needs of mothers, infants, and fathers. Physicians' description of the nurse behaviors focused on the way nurses provided emotional support and gave information. Conclusions Nurses play a critical role in assisting parents surrounding life-support decisions.
Strained Premixed Laminar Flames Under Nonadiabatic Conditions

Abstract The method of activation energy asymptotics is used to describe the behavior and characteristics of nonadiabatic flamelets involving counterflowing reactants and products under the assumption of a unity Lewis number. For moderate and low rates of strain the results are analogous to those obtained in earlier applications of the method, namely reaction zones which are maintained in a first approximation by a diffusive-reactive balance. Indeed for low rates of strain many features of flamelet behavior are independent of the extent of the nonadiabaticity since the reaction zone is insulated from the stream of altered enthalpy by a diffusive-convective zone near the stagnation point. Two limiting processes are considered. One pertains to nearly adiabatic flamelets and exposes the principal qualitative results of this study. The second pertains to the full, nonadiabatic case. Flamelets with product streams having elevated enthalpies are shown to possess essentially the same features as the adiabatic fl...
Differential regulation of pathogens: the role of habitat disturbance in predicting prevalence of Sin Nombre virus

Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are the primary reservoir for Sin Nombre virus (SNV), a North American hantavirus that causes disease with high mortality in humans. Recent studies have proposed that habitat disturbance affects prevalence of SNV in deer mice; however, the outcomes proposed in these studies are in opposition to each other. Our objectives were to test these divergent hypotheses by: (1) measuring SNV infection in deer mice within a patchwork of disturbance; and (2) evaluating the relationships between SNV prevalence, population density and demography as possible mechanisms. In 2003 and 2004, we sampled 1,297 deer mice from 17 sites with varying levels of disturbance in the Great Basin Desert. Across sites and years, SNV prevalence varied from 0.0 to 38.9%. We found a negative relationship between SNV prevalence and disturbance. Although we found no direct relationship between SNV prevalence and deer mouse density, we found that density was highest on sites with the lowest levels of disturbance. The number of deer mice that survived across seasons (e.g., trans-seasonal survivors) differed across levels of disturbance and was greatest on our least disturbed study sites $$ (\ifmmode\expandafter\bar\else\expandafter\=\fi{x} = 14.00\% ), $$ moderate on sites with intermediate levels of disturbance $$ (\ifmmode\expandafter\bar\else\expandafter\=\fi{x} = 5.61\% ) $$ and zero on highly disturbed sites. On low-disturbance sites, a greater proportion of trans-seasonal survivors were SNV seropositive (28.80%) compared to the intermediate-disturbance sites (16.67). Collectively, our results indicate that habitat disturbance plays a predictive role in SNV prevalence, with highly disturbed sites having reduced long-term survival of deer mice, including survival of infected individuals.
Hematocrit correlates well with circulating red blood cell volume in very low birth weight infants.

Although circulating red blood cell (RBC) volume is a better measure of total body oxygen delivering capacity than hematocrit (HCT), circulating RBC volume is more difficult to measure. Thus, the HCT is often used in RBC transfusion decisions. However, several previous studies of low birth weight infants have reported that the correlation between HCT and circulating RBC volume is poor. Using a robust nonradioactive method based on in vivo dilution of biotinylated RBC enumerated by flow cytometry, the present study reexamined the correlation between HCT and circulating RBC volume in very low birth weight infants. Venous and capillary HCT levels were compared with circulating RBC volume measured using the biotin method. Twenty-six stable very low birth weight infants with birth weights less than 1300 g were studied on 43 occasions between 7 and 79 d of life. Venous HCT values correlated highly with circulating RBC volume (r = 0.907;p < 0.0001). However, the mean 95% confidence limits for prediction of circulating RBC volume from venous HCT (the average error of prediction) was ±13.4 mL/kg. The correlation between HCT and circulating RBC volume is strong in older stable very low birth weight infants. However, clinically important uncertainty exists in estimating circulating RBC volume and the associated RBC transfusion needs of an individual infant based on venous HCT. Because direct measurement of circulating RBC volume is not yet practical, the HCT (or the blood Hb concentration) remains the best available indirect indicator.
Light Scattering Evidence for Polyethylene Spherulites

A RECENT communication1 comments on the reports2–4 that polyethylene does not produce spherulites resolvable with a light microscope but rather produces a complex mass of birefringent units of sizes less than 1 µm. The observation of spherulites by others5, 6 had been attributed to degradation and excessive thinning of samples, but Booth and Hay1 dispute this hypothesis and present scanning electron microscope evidence that spherulites do occur in linear polyethylene films. The lack of resolution of spherulites with a conventional microscope was attributed to clouding of the contours of spherulites by other birefringent spherulites in thicker samples.
The development of a high current H− injector for the proton storage ring at LAMPF☆

A new high-current H− injector has been installed at LAMPF for the proton storage ring. The injector is equipped with a multicusp surface-production H− ion source that was developed at LAMPF. The ion source is capable of long-term operation at 20 mA of H− current at 10% duty factor and with normalized beam emittance of 0.08 cm mrad (95% beam fraction). Details of the development program, the injector design, and initial operating experience are discussed. Included in the discussion is a comparison of intensity and emittance measurements of the same H− beam at 100 keV and 750 keV.
Differential Effect of Low and Conventional Doses of Fluphenazine on Schizophrenic Outpatients With Good or Poor Information-Processing Abilities

• Thirty-six stabilized schizophrenic outpatients were randomly assigned to receive either 5 or 25 mg of fluphenazine decanoate biweekly and were followed up for two years. The best and worst outcomes were found in groups with good or poor information-processing abilities (as measured by a partial-report span-of-apprehension task) given the same 25-mg dose of fluphenazine decanoate. The 86% two-year survival rate of the patients with poor span performance was considerably better, while the 44% one-year and the 21% two-year survival rates of patients with good span performance were considerably lower than previously reported survival rates for schizophrenic patients receiving a conventional dose of fluphenazine. The significant correlations in a patient's span performance for periods up to one year were consistent with the hypothesis that this task taps processes associated with vulnerability to schizophrenic disorder.
Binding of the anticancer drug ZD1694 to E. coli thymidylate synthase: assessing specificity and affinity

Abstract Background Thymidylate synthase (TS) catalyzes the reductive methylation of deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) by 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH 2 H 4 folate) to form deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP) and dihydrofolate (H 2 folate). The essential role of TS in the cell life cycle makes it an attractive target for the development of substrate and cofactor-based inhibitors that may find efficacy as anticancer and antiproliferative drugs. Antifolates that compete specifically with the binding of CH 2 H 4 folate include the cofactor analog CB3717 (10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate). However, the development of potent cofactor analog inhibitors of TS, such as CB3717, as drugs has been slowed by their toxicity, which often becomes apparent as hepatic and renal toxicity mediated by the specific chemistry of the compound. Attempts to abolish toxicity in human patients while preserving potency against the target enzyme, have led to the development of ZD1694, which has already shown significant activity against colorectal tumours. Results The three dimensional crystallographic structure of ZD1694 in complex with dUMP and Escherichia coli TS has been determined to a resolution of 2.2 a . This was used to evaluate the specific structural determinants of ZD1694 potency and to correlate structure/activity relationships between it and the closely related ligand, CB3717. ZD1694 binds to TS in the same manner as CB3717 and H 2 folate, but a methyl group on its quinazoline ring, its thiophene ring and the methyl group at N10 are compensated for by plastic accommodation of the enzyme active site coupled with specific rearrangement in the solvent structure. A specific hydrogen bond between the protein and the inhibitor CB3717 is absent in the case of ZD1694 whose monoglutamate tail is reoriented and more well ordered. Conclusions The binding mode of ZD1694 to thymidylate synthase has been determined at atomic resolution. ZD1694 forms a ternary complex with dUMP and participates in the multi-step TS reaction through the covalent bond formation between dUMP and Cys146 thereby competing with CH 2 H 4 folate at the active site. Analysis of this inhibitor ternary complex structure and comparison with that of CB3717 reveals that the enzyme accommodates the differences between the two inhibitors with small shifts in the positions of key active site residues and by repositioning an active site water molecule, thereby preserving a general binding mode of these inhibitors.