cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SENSOR NETWORK-MEDIATED MULTI-ROBOT TASK ALLOCATION

We address the Online Multi-Robot Task Allocation (OMRTA) problem. Our approach relies on a computational and sensing fabric of networked sensors embedded into the environment. This sensor network acts as a distributed sensor and computational platform which computes a solution to OMRTA and directs robots to the vicinity of tasks. We term this Distributed In-Network Task Allocation (DINTA). We describe DINTA, and show its application to multi-robot task allocation in simulation, laboratory, and field settings. We establish that such network-mediated task allocation scales well, and is especially amendable to simple, heterogeneous robots.
Enzyme localization, crowding, and buffers collectively modulate diffusion-influenced signal transduction: Insights from continuum diffusion modeling

Biochemical reaction networks consisting of coupled enzymes connect substrate signaling events with biological function. Substrates involved in these reactions can be strongly influenced by diffusion “barriers” arising from impenetrable cellular structures and macromolecules, as well as interactions with biomolecules, especially within crowded environments. For diffusion-influenced reactions, the spatial organization of diffusion barriers arising from intracellular structures, non-specific crowders, and specific-binders (buffers) strongly controls the temporal and spatial reaction kinetics. In this study, we use two prototypical biochemical reactions, a Goodwin oscillator, and a reaction with a periodic source/sink term to examine how a diffusion barrier that partitions substrates controls reaction behavior. Namely, we examine how conditions representative of a densely packed cytosol, including reduced accessible volume fraction, non-specific interactions, and buffers, impede diffusion over nanometer length-scales. We find that diffusion barriers can modulate the frequencies and amplitudes of coupled diffusion-influenced reaction networks, as well as give rise to “compartments” of decoupled reactant populations. These effects appear to be intensified in the presence of buffers localized to the diffusion barrier. These findings have strong implications for the role of the cellular environment in tuning the dynamics of signaling pathways.
Specific-locus mutation assay in Zea may: A report of the U.S. environmental protection agency Gene-Tox program☆

The use of the angiosperm Zea mays in assays for the induction of mutations at specific genetic loci is discussed. The effect of chemical mutagens on 3 genetic end points is evaluated. The end points surveyed were the loss of the phenotype of dominant alleles in heterozygotes, the induction of segregating point mutations in M2 plants, and the induction of forward and reverse mutations in pollen grains. Maize is sensitive to a wide range of mutagens and has the capacity to activate promutagens. This plant has been used to study mutagenesis under both laboratory and in situ conditions.
Non-rigid Registration of High Angular Resolution Diffusion Images Represented by Gaussian Mixture Fields

In this paper, we present a novel algorithm for non-rigidly registering two high angular resolution diffusion weighted MRIs (HARDI), each represented by a Gaussian mixture field (GMF). We model the non-rigid warp by a thin-plate spline and formulate the registration problem as the minimization of the L2 distance between the two given GMFs. The key mathematical contributions of this work are, (i) a closed form expression for the derivatives of this objective function with respect to the parameters of the registration and (ii) a novel and simpler re-orientation scheme based on an extension to the "Preservation of Principle Directions" technique. We present results of our algorithm's performance on several synthetic and real HARDI data sets.
Statistical Redundancy Testing for Improved Gene Selection in Cancer Classification Using Microarray Data

In gene selection for cancer classification using microarray data, we define an eigenvalue-ratio statistic to measure a gene’s contribution to the joint discriminability when this gene is included into a set of genes. Based on this eigenvalue-ratio statistic, we define a novel hypothesis testing for gene statistical redundancy and propose two gene selection methods. Simulation studies illustrate the agreement between statistical redundancy testing and gene selection methods. Real data examples show the proposed gene selection methods can select a compact gene subset which can not only be used to build high quality cancer classifiers but also show biological relevance.
Marketing concepts for pharmaceutical service development.

Marketing concepts as a mechanism to help pharmacy develop, communicate, and sell future pharmaceutical services to consumers are discussed. Pharmacy as a profession must define itself broadly to take advantage of future growth opportunities. These growth opportunities will be realized from unmet health-care needs and changing consumer life style trends and values. New services must therefore be oriented toward consumers (i.e., patients, health professionals, and third-party agencies) to gain acceptance. Dispensing and drug-knowledge-distribution pharmaceutical services are reviewed by a product life cycle analysis of sales profits versus time. A marketing mix for new pharmaceutical services is developed consisting of service, price, distribution, and promotion strategies. Marketing can encompass those key elements necessary to meet the organizational goals of pharmacy and provide a systematic, disciplined approach for presenting a new service to consumers.
Family Type and Investment in Education: A Comparison of Genetic and Stepparent Families

Abstract Data from the U.S. National Education Longitudinal Survey were examined to investigate postsecondary educational investment in two-parent families. Consistent with hypotheses derived from the logic of inclusive fitness theory, contrasting children with two genetic parents with children from stepparent households on a multivariate composite of investment indicators revealed that stepchildren receive significantly less parental support for pursuit of higher education. Univariate tests on the three measures comprising the multivariate composite indicated that relative to children with two genetic parents, stepchildren have parents who (1) delay the start of savings accounts for postsecondary education, (2) put aside less money for subsidizing the costs of higher education, and (3) expect to allocate fewer economic resources to support the first year of postsecondary schooling. Statistical control of child ability, resource availability, and number of family members sharing in parental resources was accomplished in a second multivariate analysis by using child achievement, familial socioeconomic status, and number of financial dependents in each family as covariates. Statistically equating genetic and stepparent families on these measures reduced, but did not eliminate, the investment differences.
Heterodimeric, disulfide-linked α/β T cell receptors in solution

Structural and functional analysis of T cell receptor (TcR)-ligand binding would be greatly advanced by the availability of an intact, assembled TcR in soluble form. We have produced such a molecule, by splicing the extracellular domains of a TcR to the glycosyl phosphatidylinositol membrane anchor sequences of Thy-1. The molecule is expressed in the absence of CD3 on the cell surface, and can be cleaved from the membrane by treatment with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. The alpha and beta chains of the soluble molecule are paired in the native conformation as judged by reactivity with the anti-V beta 8 monoclonal antibody F23.1, and with the anti-clonotypic monoclonal antibody 1B2; it is a disulfide-linked dimer with a mol. mass of 95 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions, and 47 kDa after reduction. We conclude that we have generated an alpha/beta TcR in soluble form.
Goal setting, performance and satisfaction in an interdependent task

Abstract This study was designed to determine the effect that goals have on performance and the effect that performance has on reported levels of satisfaction in a competitively structured task. The results of this study give strong evidence to Locke's theory ( Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 1969, 4, 566–574) that the most immediate, direct motivational determinant of task performance is the subject's goal, and to Ilgen and Hamstra's theory ( Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 1972, 7, 359–370) that satisfaction with one's performance is a function of the difference between actual performance and performance goals, and also a function of the difference between actual performance and performance of a reference person. Satisfaction and performance were found to be strongly related only up to the point where a person exceeds his goal or his reference person's outcome.
Twenty-One-Year Simulation of Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Using the CE-QUAL-ICM Eutrophication Model

The CE-QUAL-ICM (Corps of Engineers Integrated Compartment Water Quality Model) eutrophication model was applied in a 21-year simulation of Chesapeake Bay water quality, 1985-2005. The eutrophication model is part of a larger model package and is forced, in part, by models of atmospheric deposition, watershed flows and loads, and hydrodynamics. Results from the model are compared with observations in multiple formats including time series plots, cumulative distribution plots, and statistical summaries. The model indicates only one long-term trend in computed water quality: light attenuation deteriorates circa 1993 through the end of the simulation. The most significant result is the influence of physical processes, notably stratification and associated effects (e.g., anoxic volume), on computed water quality. Within the application period, physical effects are more important determinants of year-to-year variability in computed water quality than external loads.
Validity and Reliability of True-False Tests

A model of examinee behavior based on knowledge and random guessing is used to generate hypotheses about how true-false scores work. Although others have expressed reservations about the simplicity and utility of such a model, it leads to informative ideas. The confirmation of six hypotheses forms a network of support for the contention that true-false scores contain an error component (due to guessing) that makes these scores less reliable than those based on 5-choice items. Examinee response style, a propensity to favor the selection of true or false responses when the answer is unknown, can invalidate a total true-false score. When the answer key for items unknown to an examinee is unequally split between those keyed true and false, this interaction produces scores inaccurate by as much as a sample standard deviation.
Transforming Growth Factor-α Abrogates Glucocorticoid-stimulated Tight Junction Formation and Growth Suppression in Rat Mammary Epithelial Tumor Cells

Abstract The glucocorticoid and transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) regulation of growth and cell-cell contact was investigated in the Con8 mammary epithelial tumor cell line derived from a 7,12-dimethylbenz(α)anthracene-induced rat mammary adenocarcinoma. In Con8 cell monolayers cultured on permeable filter supports, the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, coordinately suppressed [3H]thymidine incorporation, stimulated monolayer transepithelial electrical resistance (TER), and decreased the paracellular leakage of [3H]inulin or [14C]mannitol across the monolayer. These processes dose dependently correlated with glucocorticoid receptor occupancy and function. Constitutive production of TGF-α in transfected cells or exogenous treatment with TGF-α prevented the glucocorticoid growth suppression response and disrupted tight junction formation without affecting glucocorticoid responsiveness. Treatment with hydroxyurea or araC demonstrated that de novo DNA synthesis is not a requirement for the growth factor disruption of tight junctions. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that the ZO-1 tight junction protein is localized exclusively at the cell periphery in dexamethasone-treated cells and that TGF-α caused ZO-1 to relocalize from the cell periphery back to a cytoplasmic compartment. Taken together, our results demonstrate that glucocorticoids can coordinately regulate growth inhibition and cell-cell contact of mammary tumor cells and that TGF-α, can override both effects of glucocorticoids. These results have uncovered a novel functional “cross-talk” between glucocorticoids and TGF-α which potentially regulates the proliferation and differentiation of mammary epithelial cells.
Reverse forearm flap based on an “exteriorized” pedicle

Soft tissue coverage after multiple digital amputations was achieved with a reverse forearm flap based on an "exteriorized" vascular pedicle. The length of exposed radial artery pedicle was calculated to permit full range of motion of the involved digits before flap division and inset. No complications of the exposed vascular pedicle were noted.
Poetic Justice: Slavery, Law, and the (Anti-)Elegiac Form in M. NourbeSe Philip’s Zong!

James Walvin has called the Zong case stemming from a 1781 incident in which the crew of an English slave ship willfully “destroyed” more than one-third of the “cargo” (i.e., slaves) aboard the vessel “[t]he most grotesquely bizarre of all slave cases heard in an English court.” While the judges locked themselves within the discourse of maritime law in evaluating the case’s merits, M. NourbeSe Philip unlocks the legal language in Zong! (2008), which limits itself to the words included in the official narrative but contrastingly uses experimental poetry to suggest a poignant counter-narrative. My article concentrates on the complex interplay between Zong! and its source, the appellate record in the Zong case; by comparing and contrasting the rhetorical and generic conventions in the two texts, I reveal how Philip’s poetry cycle testifies that language’s complicity with violence is an association elided at our peril.
Making Race Without Racism

Drawing on interviews and life stories, Bliss explores how and why genome researchers are affecting the ways we think about race.
The effect of oxide acidity on HMF etherification

The liquid-phase (69 bar) reaction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with 2-propanol for production of furanyl ethers was studied at 413 and 453 K over a series of oxide catalysts, including γ-Al2O3, ZrO2, TiO2, Al2O3/SBA-15, ZrO2/SBA-15, TiO2/SBA-15, H-BEA, and Sn-BEA. The acidity of each of the catalysts was first characterized for Bronsted sites using TPD-TGA of 2-propanamine and for Lewis sites using TPD-TGA of 1-propanol. Catalysts with strong Bronsted acidity (H-BEA and Al2O3/SBA-15) formed 5-[(1-methylethoxy)methyl]furfural with high selectivities, while materials with Lewis acidity (γ-Al2O3, ZrO2, TiO2, and Sn-BEA) or weak Bronsted acidity (ZrO2/SBA-15 and TiO2/SBA-15) were active for transfer hydrogenation from the alcohol to HMF to produce 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan, with subsequent reactions to the mono- or di-ethers. Each of the catalysts was stable under the flow-reactor conditions but the selectivities varied with the particular oxide being investigated.
Development of Circulating Antiheart Antibodies as a Result of Coronary Bypass Surgery

Antiheart antibodies have been implicated as a marker of postcardiotomy syndrome in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass. To assess the frequency of and contributory factors in the development of antiheart antibodies after coronary bypass procedures, 33 patients were examined for evidence of antiheart antibodies before and for seven days after routine coronary artery bypass operations. Overall titers of antiheart antibodies rose in approximately 66% of the patients. However, this rise was not accompanied by any major clinical symptoms. History of previous myocardial infarction or myocardial injury did not correlate with a higher frequency of development of antibodies. Antiheart antibodies appear to be a common consequence of coronary artery bypass operations and are not routinely associated with the development of postcardiotomy syndrome.
Party Identification and Vote Choice in Partisan and Nonpartisan Elections

For decades, scholars have been interested in the effect of party identification on vote choice. Indeed, candidate party affiliation is seen as the most meaningful cue to voters in terms of which candidate they should support. However, there is a large set of elections in the U.S. that are nonpartisan. Using both experimental data and the first national survey of voters in judicial elections, we probe the effectiveness of the nonpartisan ballot format in keeping partisan considerations out of citizens’ minds when voting in judicial elections. Results based on the experimental and observational data are consistent and show that voters’ decisions are influenced strongly by party identification in both partisan and nonpartisan elections. This suggests that in judicial elections voters are able to successfully bring partisan and/or ideological information to bear on their voting decisions in both partisan and nonpartisan ballot formats, rendering nonpartisan elections ineffective at removing the partisan element from elections.
The kinetics of adenovirus recombination in homotypic and heterotypic genetic crosses.

Abstract The kinetics of recombination between temperature-sensitive mutants has been studied in both homotypic (Ad5 x Ad5) and heterotypic (Ad5 x Ad2+NDI) crosses. There is a significant increase in the recombination frequency during the rise period of viral replication in a single-step replication cycle. This observation suggests that adenovirus DNA molecules can undergo progressive rounds of recombination before assembly into virions. To examine this possibility further, advantage was taken of the serotype-specific restriction endonuclease sites and polypeptide sizes of Ad5 and Ad2+ND1 to enumerate and to localize the sites of crossing over in ts+ recombinants isolated early and late in a heterotypic infection. The late recombinants exhibited, on average, more crossovers per genome than did the early recombinants. This finding is predicted if multiple rounds of recombination take place in some genomes. Using blot hybridization with specific probes, the production of recombinant molecules in the intracellular DNA replicating pool has been followed. Recombinants were found before the rise in infectious virus and increased in frequency relative to the parental molecules throughout the exponential period. These data confirm and extend the genetic observations, which were made on a selected set of infectious virus.
The Role of Tire Overturning Moment in Steering

Abstract Tire overturning moment measurements have traditionally been used primarily for rollover threshold analysis and have often been ignored for linear range maneuvers. This paper explains how overturning moment is related to aligning torque for a tire under tractive force. This relationship can be used to develop a better understanding of tire properties necessary to achieve better steering refinement. A free rolling overturning moment measurement is shown to provide useful information for aligning torque performance. For example, force and moment test results are shown to illustrate the concepts.
The Economic Problem of Fixed Costs and What Legal Research Can Contribute

The antitrust laws demand competition but, in general, no competitive outcome is possible in markets characterized by substantial fixed costs. Consequently, restrictions on competition may have an efficiency defense, and a prohibition of cartel agreements may entail costs as well as benefits. Giving examples, this essay illustrates the problem that fixed costs pose for competition, long recognized in economics, and discusses implications for real-world industries. The author addresses Wiley's recent criticism of theoretical and empirical work on the fixed cost problem and outlines an agenda for legal research that can help illuminate the underlying economic and antitrust policy issues posed by industries with high fixed costs. Imagine a parlor game played by three people. The rules of the game are simple. Each player puts $1.00 in the pot, and a majority can decide how to divide the total. This game does not have a well-defined outcome; it is inherently unstable. To see why, suppose that a majority of two players decides to split the total, so that each receives $1.50. The excluded third person would then have an incentive to offer one of these two better terms, say $2.00 if she defects and forms a new coalition. After all, the $1.00 left over is better than nothing. But that second allocation is in turn vulnerable to a counteroffer by the newly excluded player. And so the game goes on. The formal analysis of situations like this can be carried out with analytic concepts from game theory. And in the jargon of game theory, the
The introduction of a transdermal hormonal contraceptive (Ortho Evra™/Evra™)

This brief comment precedes an article on the contraceptive transdermal patch. The author writes that almost half of the approximately 6 million pregnancies that occur each year in the US are considered unintended. In turn approximately 1 million unintended pregnancies are related to combination oral contraceptive use including method failure inconsistent or incorrect use or discontinuation without substituting another effective method. However developments have included more convenient delivery systems with the hope of decreasing contraceptive failures associated with incorrect use. New options have also become available including the once-weekly transdermal patch which has been found to improve compliance compared with a combination oral contraceptive regimen requiring daily pill taking. The patch is different in terms of the pharmacokinetics of estrogen and progestin delivery its uniquely weekly dosing regimen and the need for reliable skin adhesion in diverse lifestyle conditions. The Fertility and Sterility Supplement 2 of The Introduction of a Transdermal Hormonal Contraceptive (Ortho Evra/Evra) summarizes clinical data from numerous trials of the contraceptive patch.
Magnetization and Hysteresis in Hematite Crystals

Magnetization and Hysteresis in Hematite Crystals; Experimental Procedure.---In a previous paper, the author has given the results of an investigation of the magnetic properties of crystallized hematite, the measurements being of the force exerted upon a sphere when it is placed in a non-uniform magnetic field. The present paper contains some results obtained by measuring the couple exerted when a hematite sphere is suspended in a uniform magnetic field. The couple in a uniform field measures the component of magnetization perpendicular to the field; the force measures the component parallel to the field.Experimental Data.---The paper contains (1) magnetization curves (Fig. 4) for two specimens of hematite; (2) hysteresis loops at fields from 9.5 to 1020 gausses, some obtained with a rotating field (Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 11), the others with an alternating field (Figs. 10, 11); (3) a graph representing components of magnetization parallel and perpendicular to the field (Fig. 12).Deduction, The normal magnetization curve of hematite consists of a sharp rise followed by a slow increase, which is proportional to the field strength. The hysteresis energy loss increases with an increase in the maximum field applied up to a certain field, and thereafter the area of the hysteresis loop remains constant. For the specimen on which most of the present measurements were made, the hysteresis loss is constant for field strengths above about 150 gausses.
The freedom of Christ and the problem of deliberation

Call the claim, common to many in the Christian intellectual tradition, that Christ, in virtue of his created human intellect, had certain, infallible exhaustive foreknowledge the Foreknowledge Thesis. Now consider what I will call the Conditional: If the Foreknowledge Thesis is true, then Christ’s created human will lacked an important sort of freedom that we mere humans have. Insofar as many, perhaps all, of the people who affirm the Foreknowledge Thesis also wish to affirm the robust freedom of Christ’s human will, the truth of the Conditional would be most unwelcome to them. I consider an argument in support of the Conditional from the necessary conditions for deliberation, arguing that the argument fails.
Exposure assessment for study of olfactory function in workers exposed to styrene in the reinforced‐plastics industry

Background This study was undertaken in conjunction with an evaluation of the olfactory function of 52 persons exposed to styrene vapors to provide quantitative styrene exposure histories of each subject for use in the interpretation of the results of olfactory function testing. Methods Current and historic exposures were investigated. Historic exposures were reconstructed from employment records and measurements of styrene exposure made in the subject facilities over the last 15 years. Current exposures were estimated for every exposed subject though personal air sampling and through pre- and post-shift measurements of urinary metabolites of styrene. Results The study population had been employed in the reinforced-plastics industry for an average of 12.2 ± 7.4 years. Their mean 8-hr time weighted average (TWA) respirator-corrected annual average styrene exposure was 12.6 ± 10.4 ppm; mean cumulative exposure was 156 ± 80 ppm-years. The current respirator-corrected 8-hr TWA average exposure was 15.1 ± 12.0 ppm. The mean post-shift urinary mandelic and phenylglyoxylic acid (PGA) concentrations were 580 ± 1,300 and 170 ± 360 mg/g creatinine, respectively and were highly correlated with air concentrations of styrene. Conclusions This quantitative exposure evaluation has provided a well-characterized population, with documented exposure histories stable over time and in the range suitable for the purposes of the associated study of olfactory function. Am. J. Ind. Med. 44:12–23, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Role of Medical Schools in Graduate Medical Education

THIS ISSUE ofThe Journalcontains a considerable amount of information about the country's graduate medical education (GME) system and about the resident physicians enrolled in GME programs (Appendix II, page 725). The data in Appendix II document clearly the size and complexity of the GME enterprise and the fact that both the total number of resident physicians and the number on duty in first-year positions increased in 1993. The unremitting growth in the aggregate number of resident physicians enrolled in GME programs, in association with what is viewed as an imbalance in the specialty mix of those programs, has led policymakers once again to express concerns about the adverse impact the GME system has on the size and specialty composition of the physician workforce. These concerns are not new nor are the strategies being proposed to address them. See also p 725. During the past 20 years, the federal
Studying dynamics of soil moisture patterns

Soil moisture variations in space and time are important to the hydrological cycle. To better understand the dynamics of the various factors affecting soil moisture patterns, Rosenbaum et al. conducted a comprehensive study in the small Wustebach catchment in Germany, using a wireless sensor network to monitor soil moisture with high temporal and spatial resolution and broad coverage. They found large variations in spatial soil moisture patterns, which depended on soil depth and catchment wetness. Soil moisture patterns also changed seasonally and during single wetting and drying episodes. The authors showed how soil moisture variations are controlled by a wide range of factors including soil properties, topography, vegetation, groundwater, and rainfall. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2011WR011518, 2012)
Diastema Closure: A Case Report

This clinical study describes two combined modalities of treatment, orthodontic and porcelain laminate placement, to facilitate diastema closure. Geristore, a dual-cure fluoride-releasing composite was mixed to bond orthodontic brackets in place. H6 elastic bands were used with the orthodontic brackets to close the diastemas sufficiently and to allow the placement of Cerinate porcelain laminates to produce a beneficial cosmetic effect.
Study of gas-to-liquid mass transfer by dynamic methods in trickle beds

L'etude permet la determination experimentale du coefficient de transfert de matiere volumetrique en fonction du regime d'ecoulement
The discriminative stimulus effects of KA 672, a putative cognitive enhancer : Evidence for a 5-HT1A component

Stimulus control was established in a group of seven rats using a dose of KA 672 [7-methoxy-6-[3-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl] propoxy]3,4-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one HCl] of 1.0 mg/kg, administered i.p., 15 min before training. A two-lever operant task using a fixed-ratio 10 schedule of sweetened milk reinforcement was used. Based upon a criterion for the presence of stimulus control of five consecutive sessions during which 83% or more of all responses were on the appropriate lever, a mean of 23 sessions was required to reach criterion performance. Subsequently, it was observed that KA 672-induced stimulus control is partially but significantly antagonized by the selective 5-HT1A antagonist, WAY-100635. Furthermore, KA 672 generalized to the selective 5-HT1A agonist, 8-hydroxy-dipropylaminotetralin [8-OH-DPAT], and this generalization was blocked by WAY-100635. Other tests of generalization were conducted with the structural analogs, scoparone, CD-127, and OMPP, as well as with the receptor-selective ligands ketamine, PCP, dizocilpine, prazosin, urapidil, apomorphine, and DTG. Of these drugs only dizocilpine met the criteria for full substitution while an intermediate level of generalization was observed to ketamine, PCP, urapidil, and apomorphine. The present results indicate that KA 672-induced stimulus control is mediated in part by activity at the 5-HT1A receptor and that behaviorally significant interactions occur as well at PCP/NMDA, dopaminergic, and adrenergic receptors.
Can we understand time scales of solar activity

The dynamo theory of the solar cycle faces numerous difficulties with an explanation of the observed behavior of sunspot activity. In particular, there is an essential irregularity in the sequence of 11(22)-year cycles. In this paper we want to show how the complicated long-term evolution of solar activity can be understood within the framework of a simple model demonstrating low-dimensional chaotic behavior. According to this description we are able to give a definition for the periods of low activity (Global Minima), to describe how the transition to (from) a Global Minimum occurs and to show the role of the 11(22)-year cycle and its phase catastrophe. The explanations of the origin of the Gleissberg cycle and thousand-year variations of solar activity are given. In summary, the independence of the proposed scenario from the particular choice of model is shown. Thus one can formulate dynamics in the language of generalized instabilities which can aid the search for the underlying physical processes.
Structural Characterization of Composite Structural Insulated Panels for Exterior Wall Applications

Structural sandwich composite panels are extensively used for modular panelized construction. This paper includes the structural characterization of the innovative composite structural insulated panels (CSIPs) developed for the exterior walls of a modularized structure. The facesheets of the CSIPs consist of E-glass fibers impregnated with polypropylene matrix, while the core consists of expanded polystyrene foam. The overall panel dimensions including the thickness of the facesheets and the core were obtained using sandwich composite design theories. Uniaxial compressive loading and high velocity impact (HVI) loading are the most important loading criteria for an exterior wall of a structure. The proposed CSIPs were tested for a compressive load of 13.13 kN/m (900 plf) in this study. The deflection at this load was ∼3 mm which was within deflection limits of span/150 as prescribed in ACI 318-05 building design code. The proposed CSIP wall panels were also tested under HVI for the loads prescribed by Fede...
Response of the elasmobranch utricle to maintained spatial orientation, transitions and jitter.

1. The spike discharges of single first order afferents from the utricle were recorded in the isolated head of the guitarfish and tested for responses to maintained spatial orientation, to transitions and to a small positional jitter representing natural perturbations. Sensitivity to maintained orientation is referred to as “tonic,” and to transitions and jitter as “phasic.” 2. Most responsive cells were either phasically, or phasically and tonically sensitive. A few were exclusively tonic. Tonic responsiveness implied that maintained orientation was associated with a stationary discharge which differed from one position to another; it sometimes differed also from one station to another at the same position. Transitions from one position to another evoked a rate change that later adapted to the level of the tonic response. Opposite transitions evoked rate changes in the opposite sense. The phasic rate change was usually larger for transitions that increased the rate. Many units were non-responsive. The prevalence of phasic over tonic sensitivity is stressed, and the remarkable heterogeneity of utricular afferents confirms that the macula is not uniform, probably coding a wide variety of head accelerations. 3. The jitter increased the ongoing scatter of intervals and binrates, changing, complicating, or abolishing their periodicity. The jitter could influence the effects of maintained orientation, increasing, decreasing, inverting or even revealing directional sensitivity. It could also force previously independent units into an orientation-dependent correlation; hence, between-cell correlation is potentially useful in coding of spatial orientation. Naturally occurring perturbations may constitute a significant issue of normal operation. 4. Certain afferents from the horizontal semicircular canal showed a slow tonic response to maintained spatial orientation.
Induction of the peroxisomal glycerolipid-synthesizing enzymes during differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Role in triacylglycerol synthesis.

Abstract The glycerophosphate backbone for triglyceride synthesis is commonly believed to be created through the conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) by glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) to sn-glycerol 3-phosphate (GP), which is then converted by glycerophosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) to 1-acyl-GP. Consistent with this, GPD and GPAT are highly induced during differentiation of mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. While the acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate (acyl-DHAP) pathway for glycerolipid synthesis is commonly believed to be involved only in glycerol ether lipid synthesis, we report here that during conversion of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to adipocytes, the specific activity of peroxisomal DHAP acyltransferase (DHAPAT) is increased by 9-fold in 6 days, while acyl-DHAP:NADPH reductase is induced by 5-fold. A parallel increase in the catalase (the peroxisomal marker enzyme) activity is also seen. In contrast, the specific activity of alkyl-DHAP synthase, the enzyme catalyzing the synthesis of the ether bond, is decreased by 60% during the same period. Unlike microsomal GPAT, the induced DHAPAT is found to have high activity at pH 5.5 and is resistant to inhibition by sulfhydryl agents, heat, and proteolysis. On subcellular fractionation, DHAPAT is found to be associated with microperoxisomes whereas GPAT activity is mainly present in microsomes. Northern blot analyses reveal that induction of DHAPAT can be largely explained through increases in DHAPAT mRNA. A comparison of microsomal and peroxisomal glycerolipid synthetic pathways, usingd-[3-3H, U-14C]glucose as the precursor of the lipid glycerol backbone shows that about 40–50% of triglyceride is synthesized via the acyl-DHAP pathway. These results indicate that the acyl-DHAP pathway is important not only for the synthesis of ether lipids, but also for the synthesis of triacylglycerol and other non-ether glycerolipids.
Describing perceptual information about human growth in terms of geometric invariants.

Three experiments are reported that examine the perceptual information by which growth of a human head is distinguished from other possible styles of change. The results demonstrate that the perception of growth may be based on a specific set of invariant geometric relations described previously by Mark, Todd, and Shaw (1981). When observers are asked to judge which of two facial profiles looks older, they are surprisingly accurate if the profiles are related by an appropriate transformation, but their performance is no better than chance if the profiles are related by an inappropriate transformation. If, on the other hand, they are instructed to judge whether a pair of profiles is the same or different, the differences produced by the appropriate and inappropriate transformations are equally discriminable.
Development of a set of PCR-based anchor markers encompassing the tomato genome and evaluation of their usefulness for genetics and breeding experiments

Tomato and potato expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences contained in the solanaceae genomics network (SGN) database were screened for simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs. A total of 609 SSRs were identified and assayed on Solanum lycopersicum LA925 (formerly Lycopersicon esculentum) and S. pennellii LA716 (formerly L. pennellii). The SSRs that did not amplify, gave multiple band products, or did not exhibit a polymorphism that could be readily detected on standard agarose gels in either of these species were eliminated. A set of 76 SSRs meeting these criteria was then placed on the S. lycopersicum (LA925) × S. pennellii (LA716) high-density map. A set of 76 selected cleaved amplified polymorphism (CAP) markers was also developed and mapped onto the same population. These 152 PCR-based anchor markers are uniformly distributed and encompass 95% of the genome with an average spacing of 10.0 cM. These PCR-based markers were further used to characterize S. pennellii introgression lines (Eshed and Zamir, Genetics 141:1147–1162, 1995) and should prove helpful in utilizing these stocks for high-resolution mapping experiments. The majority of these anchor markers also exhibit polymorphism between S. lycopersicum and two wild species commonly used as parents for mapping experiments, S. pimpinellifolium (formerly L. pimpinellifolium) and S. habrochaites (formerly L. hirsutum), indicating that they will be useful for mapping in other interspecific populations. Sixty of the mapped SSRs plus another 49 microsatellites were tested for polymorphism in seven tomato cultivars, four S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme accessions and eight accessions of five different wild tomato species. Polymorphism information content values were highest among the wild accessions, with as many as 13 alleles detected per locus over all accessions. Most of the SSRs (90%) had accession-specific alleles, with the most unique alleles and heterozygotes usually found in accessions of self-incompatible species. The markers should be a useful resource for qualitative and quantitative trait mapping, marker-assisted selection, germplasm identification, and genetic diversity studies in tomato. The genetic map and marker information can be found on SGN (http://www.sgn.cornell.edu).
A scaling law for fatigue crack initiation in steels

The beneficial effect of a fine grain size on crack initiation and low-cycle fatigue (LCF) life is well known. Previous studies have shown that the cycle to failure in many alloys is increased with decreasing grain or microstructural unit size. Despite this qualitative understanding, a quantitative description of the dependence of LCF life on microstructural unit size does not appear available in the literature. Because of this, how crack initiation or LCF life scales with microstructural unit size remains an open question. The objective of this article is to propose a scaling law for treating fatigue crack initiation and LCF failure in metals or alloys. In particular, the dependence of crack initiation or LCF life on microstructural unit size scale is quantified. Evaluation of the scaling law against experimental LCF data for a number of steels is presented. While most of the experimental data were obtained from the literature, LCF data for a Cu-bearing HSLA steel, whose fatigue crack growth behavior is controlled by [epsilon]-Cu precipitates in the nanometer size range, was also generated for the purpose of verifying the proposed model. Finally the different roles of microstructural unit size on fatigue crack initiation an growth are elucidated and discussed.
Regeneracionismo del cuerpo: the arguments for implanting athletics in Spain

Regeneracionismo was a hugely important movement within Spain in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its adherents strove to reform and revitalize the nation, but generally failed to...
Visualization of unstructured text sequences of nursing narratives

This paper presents a keyword-based information visualization technique for nursing record sequences. Visualizing the trend information rooted in unstructured and fragmented abstract text data is a largely unaddressed problem. In our technique, multiple hierarchical keyword based visualizations are used to explore unstructured text data from nursing records. First, each text data set is broken up into a list of keywords to enable the visualization of keyword occurrences over time and the relative distribution of keywords. A graphical user interface is provided to enable selection and classification of keywords. Users may select one or more data sets to compare, in addition to one or more groups of keywords to add to the visualization. Colors are used to distinguish quickly and easily between groups of keywords present in the visualization. At the second level of hierarchy, keywords for visualization are discovered through a predetermined automatic detection and scoring based mechanism. The aggregate frequency trend of keywords from all data sets is also provided in both hierarchies as a way to visualize overall trends and analyze various events in time.
Silencing preBötzinger complex somatostatin-expressing neurons induces persistent apnea in awake rat.

Delineating neurons that underlie complex behaviors is of fundamental interest. Using adeno-associated virus 2, we expressed the Drosophila allatostatin receptor in somatostatin (Sst)-expressing neurons in the preBotzinger Complex (preBotC). Rapid silencing of these neurons in awake rats induced a persistent apnea without any respiratory movements to rescue their breathing. We hypothesize that breathing requires preBotC Sst neurons and that their sudden depression can lead to serious, even fatal, respiratory failure.
Polypyrrole-coated fibers as microwave and millimeterwave obscurants

Microwave and millimeterwave obscurants based on typical millimeterwave materials do not environmentally degrade with respect to their physical and electrical properties. The use of conductive polymer-coated films and fibers with inherent environmental instabilities are being investigated as possible alternatives. Achieving the optimum electrical performance is highly dependent upon the polymer/dopant combination, deposition conditions, morphology and volume of the coating that is used. The electrical performance can be assessed by complex permittivity analysis and this was performed on samples of compacted conductive polymer powders. Several conductive polymer-coated fiber systems were also investigated via thermal analysis. The effects of processing conditions on performance and stability were studied.
Effect of intravenous aminooxyacetic acid on guinea pig cochlear potentials.

Abstract Aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA) injected intravenously in doses of 10–80 mg/kg into anaesthetized and paralyzed guinea pigs produced a reduction in the endocochlear potential, the cochlear microphonics and the compound action potential of cochlear nerve. The reduction in the potentials reached a maximum approximately 1 hr after injection. At present, the mechanism for this action is unknown.
Genetic structure and population history of Ireland: a comparison of blood group and anthropometric analyses

Population structure and history may be studied on a local or a regional level. This paper examines the regional population structure of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with respect to population history and demographic processes. Blood-group and anthropometric data obtained from the literature are analysed. The blood-group data consist of ABO and Rhesus gene frequencies for 32 counties and the Aran Islands. Anthropometric data consist of summary statistics for 15 variables collected from 19 regions. The degree and pattern of population differentiation is assessed using new methods of population-structure analysis. Both blood group and anthropometric analyses show a west-east division of populations corresponding to the known history of inhabitation of Ireland, where successive waves of immigrants pushed earlier populations further west. In both analyses there were two deviations to this basic pattern: the Aran Islands and the midlands. In both cases, alternative historical explanations are examined. The genetic relationship of the Aran Islands to the rest of Ireland and England appears to be due to English admixture following the garrisoning of soldiers several centuries ago. The genetic position of the midlands is more complex, but suggests the effects of early Viking inhabitation. These findings are related to studies of the local, rather than regional, population structure of Ireland.
Differences in alkaline earth stimulation of neurotransmitter release from isolated brain synaptosomes

In the presence of 15 or 55 mM K+ buffer (calcium-deficient), pulses of the alkaline earths (Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+) stimulated secretion of previously accumulated [14C]GABA and [3H]norepinephrine (NE). For a 1 mM alkaline earth pulse in the presence of 15 mM K+, both GABA and NE release were ordered Ba2+>Sr2+>Ca2+. On the other hand, in 55 mM K+ the ordering was Ba2+>Sr2+∼Ca2+. The change in ordering resulted from an increase in Ca-dependent release at higher K+. In fact, Ba-dependent release was smaller in 55 mM K+ solution than in 15 mM K+ solution. D-600 (10 μM), an antagonist of calcium influx, decreased both Ca- and Ba-dependent release of [14C]-GABA and [3H]NE in 15 mM K+ buffer. D-600 inhibited Ca-dependent release 60–70% whereas Ba-dependent release was inhibited only 30–45%. A CaCl2 (1 mM), BaCl2 (1 mM) or KCl (30 mM) pulse in 15 mM K+ buffer increased both [14C]GABA and endogenous GABA release. The Ba2+ pulse released more [14C] and endogenous GABA than did the Ca2+ pulse. The 30 mM KCl pulse released less [14C] and endogenous GABA than did either the Ba2+ or the Ca2+ pulse. However, the specific activity of the K-induced release was significantly higher than the specific activity of either Ca- or Ba-dependent GABA release. In substituting for Ca2+, Ba2+ may gain intracellular access to stimulus-secretion coupling processes via permeation at both Ca2+ and K+ ionophores.
The Role of the Medical Laboratory Director

The American Medical Association notes in its Principles of Medical Ethics that a physician "shall be dedicated to provide competent medical service with compassion and respect for human dignity." As physicians whose profession involves the medical direction of pathology and clinical laboratory services, pathologists strive to provide high-quality, cost-effective services to support the needs of patient care. These services must be provided under the aegis of extensive legal and regulatory mandates of various governmental and nongovernmental entities. To accomplish his/her task, the pathologist can use tools of evidence-based medicine and clinical practice guidelines together with his/her medical and scientific training and experience. At the same time, the Medical Director must be able to measure and demonstrate the value of his/her contribution in today's competitive environment.