cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
State of the States 2008: Renewable Energy Development and the Role of Policy

This report provides insights into the status of renewable energy development at the state level. Renewable resources are increasing in development overall, but state development varies by resource and rates of change. The factors contributing to renewable energy development at the state level are identified and discussed, including the challenges of understanding the role of different factors in development. The report also compiles and evaluates the status of 'best practice' state policy design and connects the existence of some policies with increased renewable energy development through correlation analysis. The report also proposes a strategy for better understanding the role of policy in renewable energy development, based on market-transformation principles. Correlation analysis illustrates the potential for further application of these principles to renewable energy. The final section provides resources for state policy makers for better understanding and developing renewable energy resources.
Vibration Characteristics of Cardboard Inserts in Shells

A study has been conducted to determine the noise and vibration effect of inserting a cardboard liner into a thin, circular cross-sectioned, cylindrical shell. The relevance of such a study is to improve the understandingof the effects when a cardboard liner is used in a propeller shaft for noise and vibration control purposes. It is found from the study that the liner adds significant modal stiffness, while an increase in modal mass is also observed for a particular shell type of mode. Further, the study has shown that the additional modal damping provided by the liner is not appropriately modeled by Coulomb friction damping, a damping model often intuitively associated with cardboard materials. Rather, the damping is best modeled as proportional viscous damping.
Effects of Cooling Rate and Grain Refining on Constituent Phase Particle Size in As-Cast 3004 Alloy

The directional solidification technique has been used to investigate the effects of cooling rate and grain refining on constituent phase particle size in as-cast 3004 alloy. Within the cooling rate range (0.10–28°C/s) obtained, dendrite arm spacing and particle size (area and length) in grain refined and nongrain refined castings are inversely proportional to cooling rate to some exponent, n, in accordance with the following empirical relationship:
A Commonwealth within itself: the early brazilian sugar industry, 1550-1670

This article studies the basic characteristics of the Brazilian sugar economy between 1560 and 1660, when it became the main sugar producer in the Atlantic world. Firstly, it analyzes the conditions that made possible the position held by Brazil in the context of a Euro-American trade system. Secondly, it studies the local conditions in which it developed, and the challenges posed by three factors: land, work and capital, all of which furnished the early Brazilian sugar industry with the characteristics that have made it peculiar. Finally, the article studies the quick expansion it underwent up to 1620, and the reasons of its stagnation even before the appearance after 1650 of new competitors in the Caribbean.
Distinctive feature use in speech perception of children.

For adults, the time required to judge whether two phonemes are "same" or "different" has been shown to vary inversely with the number of features on which the phonemes contrast. The present study measured the choice reaction time (CRT) judgments involving all possible pairs of 12 selected English consonants by five-, six-, and seven-year-old children. The same inverse relationship between CRT and feature contrasts typical of adults was exhibited by the children as a group. However, feature profile differences were exhibited according to sex and age. In addition, a multidimensional analysis (INDSCAL) of the proximity judgments as reflected by the CRTs was performed to determine the specific dimensions used by the children. A six-dimensional solution revealed the following perceptual strategies as the bases of their judgments: sibilant frequency, continuancy, voicing, stop, place of articulation, and age of acquisition or markedness.
Will Electric Cars Transform the U.S. Market

For the past forty years, United States Presidents have repeatedly called for a reduction in the country's dependence on fossil fuels in general and foreign oil specifically. Stronger efficiency standards and higher taxes on motor fuels are a step in this direction, but achieving even greater reductions in oil consumption will require changing the way Americans power their transportation system. Some officials advocate the electrification of the passenger vehicle fleet as a path to meeting this goal. The Obama administration has, for example, embraced a goal of having one million electric-powered vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015, while others proposed a medium-term goal where electric vehicles would consist of 20% of the passenger vehicle fleet by 2030 - approximately 30 million electric vehicles. The technology itself is not in question - many of the global automobile companies are planning to sell plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and/or battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2012. The key question is, will Americans buy them? The answer depends on four additional questions: 1. Is the cost of purchasing and operating an electric vehicle more or less expensive than the cost of a comparable conventional gasoline-powered vehicle? 2. Are the comparative costs likely to change over the next twenty years? 3. Do electric vehicles provide the same attributes as conventional cars, and if not, do the differences matter? 4. Will electric car owners be able to access the electricity needed to power their vehicles? This paper attempts to answer these four questions.
Undergraduate Rural Medical Education Program Development: Focus Group Consultation With the NRHA Rural Medical Educators Group

Context: Over a decade ago, leaders in rural medical education established the Rural Medical Educators (RME) Group, an interest group within the National Rural Health Association, to support faculty in rural medical education programs. This group has convened an annual RME conclave since 2006. In 2008, this conclave convened 15 national leaders in rural medical education at The University of Alabama. Methods: In preparation for the conclave, potential participants were e-mailed a set of questions regarding their respective medical education program's initiating motivation, support, resistance, resources, accomplishments, and continuation plans. Analysis of participants’ responses resulted in a question guide that was used at a focus group conducted at the conclave. Purpose: The purpose of the focus group was to explore the experiences of established rural medical educators related to program development and maintenance. The focus group was recorded and transcribed, and then analyzed using the constant comparative method. Findings: Five essential elements for rural medical education programs emerged from the analysis. The elements were: admit the right student, include curricular elements that occur and are required in rural training sites, establish a cadre of rural physicians who are dedicated to education of their successors, secure financial and relational support for the program, and evaluate program progress. Discussion and Conclusions: Discussion about these 5 elements can provide program guidance to neophyte rural medical education programs. Five recommendations are presented in an effort to continue discussion about the essential elements and identify actions that rural medical educators can take to further assist developing programs.
N-3 Fatty Acids from Fish and Plants: Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Fish and fish oils contain the very-long-chained and highly polyunsaturated n–31 fatty acids which are derived from phytoplankton, the base of the food chain in the oceans, lakes, and rivers (1). Phytoplankton synthesize the n–3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic (20:5) (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (22:6) (DHA), which are subsequently incorporated into fish, shellfish, and sea mammals. The plants synthesize an n–3 fatty acid, linolenic acid (18:3), that can be converted by the body to EPA and more slowly to DHA (2,3). The n–3 fatty acids have profound biological and biochemical effects in the body. Despite a wealth of scientific information [a review listed over 120 references about cardiovascular effects alone (4)], clinical interest in n–3 fatty acids has not been high in the United States despite considerable attention to their use in Europe and Japan. This chapter will focus on the considerable and underappreciated potential benefits of the n–3 fatty acids in cardiovascular disease.
Endovascular Arterial Occlusion Accomplished Using Microcoils Deployed with and without Proximal Flow Arrest: Results in 19 Patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Prior to their relatively recent FDA approval, detachable balloons for endovascular arterial occlusion had been available on only a limited basis. We evaluated the feasibility of permanent endovascular carotid and vertebral artery occlusion using microcoils deployed with and without proximal flow arrest in 19 patients. METHODS: Permanent endovascular occlusion was performed in 19 arteries of 19 patients. The treated lesions included nine aneurysms, one carotid-cavernous fistula/pseudoaneurysm, seven neoplasms, and two dissections. Nondetachable balloons were used to arrest proximal blood flow during occlusion of only six arteries. Anticoagulation (heparin, 5000 U IV) was used during occlusion of 18 arteries. Three to 88 coils were used per lesion. Complex fibered platinum microcoils were used for all cases, and GDCs were also used in two patients. RESULTS: Sixteen patients had no new neurologic deficits after arterial occlusion. No patient had an acute event that suggested an embolic complication. Coils provided rapid and durable arterial occlusion in 17 patients. In both patients with acute carotid artery rupture, large numbers of coils placed during flow arrest failed to produce complete occlusion, which was accomplished subsequently with detachable balloons. One of these patients incurred a fatal hemispheric infarct after occlusion. One patient treated for a ruptured posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm by vertebral artery occlusion continued to have progressive neurologic deficits. One patient with a cavernous aneurysm had upper extremity weakness and mild dysphasia 24 hours after internal carotid artery occlusion. CONCLUSION: In our small series, microcoils were found to be safe and effective for neurovascular occlusion. When both intravenous heparin (5000 U IV bolus) and heparinized catheter flush solutions (5000 U/L) are used, flow arrest during coil placement is unnecessary to prevent clinically apparent embolic complications.
Sedimentation Counting and Morphology of Mycoplasma

Abstract Clark, Harold W. (The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C.). Sedimentation counting and morphology of Mycoplasma. J. Bacteriol. 90:1373–1386. 1965.—The sedimentation technique for counting viral particles was applied to the quantitation and morphological identification of Mycoplasma in broth cultures. Mycoplasma, apparently in their native form, firmly adhered to the surface, when sedimented on glass cover slips or onto electron microscope grids. The sedimented cover slip preparations stained with crystal violet could be readily counted in the light microscope. The cultures sedimented onto electron microscope grids were readily counted at low magnification and provided excellent preparations for morphological examination at higher magnifications. It was found that air-dried Mycoplasma particles were enlarged considerably because of excessive flattening. Fixation of sedimented Mycoplasma particles in diluted OsO4 prior to air drying yielded a more realistic morphology, with various sizes and shapes in the stages of the growth cycle exhibited. A new technique of differentially staining Mycoplasma colonies on agar plates was developed to facilitate the quantitation of viable colony-forming units for comparison with total counts. The use of plastic or Parafilm gaskets for dry mounting was developed to facilitate the handling and examination of the stained cover slip preparations. The results of this investigation indicated that the growth cycle of some Mycoplasma species includes a stage of hexadic fission with the cleavage of minimal reproductive units (less than 100 mμ) containing a limited deoxyribonucleic acid genetic coding molecule (approximately 4 × 106).
Salt-Sensitive Hypertension and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase: Form-Function Dichotomy of a Coding Region Mutation, Mutatis Mutandis

The earliest recorded association of dietary salt with blood pressure was reported by Huang Ti Nei Ching Su Wein (ca. 1500 B.C.), who noted that “if large amounts of salt are taken, the pulse will stiffen or harden” (page 82).1 In 1904, Ambard and Beaujard first demonstrated rigorously that dietary salt can increase blood pressure in normal volunteers.2 Throughout the 20th century, the relationship between dietary salt and essential hypertension has been debated; however, evolving epidemiological data3 and recent evidence in nonhuman primates,4 coupled with a growing understanding of the molecular determinants of sodium handling, clearly support the view that certain individuals defined as salt-sensitive5 have a propensity to hypertension when exposed to dietary salt. It is estimated that 50% to 75% of hypertensives are salt-sensitive.5 In the 1960s, Dahl first showed that the hypertensive response to salt was genetically determined.6 He developed two strains of inbred rat, a salt-sensitive (Dahl S) strain in which blood pressure increased in response to dietary salt and a salt-resistant (Dahl R) strain in which blood pressure did not increase in response to dietary salt. These rats have served as the basis for many genetic studies of salt-sensitive hypertension and its end-organ sequelae for many years; yet, until recently, the molecular basis for this genetic sensitivity remained unknown. In this issue of Circulation Research , Ying et al7 provide functional genetic evidence for the molecular basis of salt sensitivity in this animal model. They identified a mutation in the coding sequence of the inducible nitric oxide synthase gene ( NOS2 ) that leads to a gene product that is more rapidly cleared by the proteasome than the wild-type gene product. Functional studies of the expressed protein in conjunction with studies of protein stability were used to support the …
Rapid Analysis for Total Mercury in Urine and Plasma by Flameless Atomic Absorption Analysis

A rapid, simplified method is described for analysis for total mercury in urine and plasma. A sulfuric acid—potassium permanganate digestion of small sample volumes efficiently prepares them for measurement of both organic and inorganic mercury, which can be done at the rate of about 100 samples per hour.
Decision support for managing organizational design dynamics

Abstract Changes in the business environment and the advent of new Information Technologies (IT) create new challenges and opportunities for redesigning the organization. Organizational design encompasses a large number of factors including IT, incentives, business processes, and the scope of decision authority. Further, a design configuration based on a given business and technological environment may have to be modified with changes in the environment. We suggest using an approach called business value complementarity [8] as a systematic basis to ensure that design decisions contribute maximally to bottom-line performance measures such as profitability. It is based on the notion of creating a business value model showing relationships between key performance measures and design decision variables involving IT, incentives, etc. Complementarity between the variables in the business value model provides a basis for choosing the levels of design variables. We derive some results which specify conditions under which the overall performance measure(s) are complementary in the design variables. We suggest that a Decision Support System (DSS) would be appropriate for helping senior management in the complex process of developing and maintaining a business value model and in choosing a suitable organizational design. We also enumerate high level functional requirements of such a DSS.
Recombinant cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens: a highly palatable encapsulation for delivery of genetically engineered toxins to subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

J. K. GRACE AND D. M. EWART. 1996. In the CellCa® process (Mycogen Corp., San Diego, CA), recombinant cells of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens are induced to express the δ-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), then killed and fixed to encapsulate the δ-endotoxin. Two commercial agricultural formulations prepared by the CellCap® process were evaluated for palatability to the termite Coptotermes formosanus. The MVP® formulation, active against Lepidoptera, contained the Ps. fluoresens-encapsulated δ-endotoxin of Bt var. kurstaki. The M-Trak™ formulation, active against Coleoptera, contained the δ-endotoxin of Bt var. san diego. Papers treated with either formulation at concentrations as great as 1 g cm−3 were readily fed upon by C. formosanus. As expected, the two formulations tested were not significantly toxic to the termites, both having optimal activity at a pH range outside that of the termite gut. The palatability of the CellCap® formulations indicates that the host bacterium, Ps. fluorescens, is a suitable delivery system for genetically engineered termiticides.
W-band low-loss wafer-scale package for RF MEMS

This paper reports on the design and fabrication of a wafer-scale package for RF MEMS devices at W-band. Coplanar waveguide (CPW) lines on a high resistivity silicon wafer are covered with another silicon wafer using gold-to-gold thermo-compression bonding. Oxide is used as a dielectric inter-layer for CPW feedthroughs underneath the gold sealing ring. A 130 /spl mu/m high cavity is etched in the cap wafer to remove an impact of capping wafer on CPW lines or RF MEMS components. The designed feedthrough has an insertion loss of 0.19-0.26 dB at 75-110 GHz with a return loss of < -20 dB (per transition). The gold sealing ring is connected to the CPW ground to eliminate any parasitic ring effect of the gold sealing ring. The whole package has a measured insertion loss of 0.6-0.8 dB and return loss of < -20 dB at 75-110 GHz.
Reification and Realism in Marketing: In Defense of Reason:

Recent Journal of Macromarketing articles by Monieson (1988) and Dholakia (1988) attack "positivism" and "positivistic social science" which, they contend, dominate contemporary marketing and social science. Although their articles constructively extend marketing's "Xcrisis literature" on several dimensions, numerous aspects of their articles are problematical and a historical. This article reviews and evaluates three major themes that emerge in the articles by Monieson and Dholakia: (1) the law-like generalizations issue, (2) the rigor/relevance issue, and (3) the reification/realism issue.
The largest convex patches: A boundary-based method for obtaining object parts

The importance of boundaries for shape decomposition into component parts has been discussed from different points of view by Koenderink and van Doorn (1982), and by Hoffman and Richards (1984). The former define part boundaries as parabolic contours, whereas the latter propose that part boundaries should be defined by contours of negative minima (or maxima) of principal curvature. In this article, building on aspects of both approaches, we develop a new method for shape decomposition. This method relies exclusively on global properties of the surface which are fully characterized by local surface properties. We propose that a useful parcellation of shapes into parts can be obtained by decomposing the shape boundary into the largest convex surface patches and the smallest nonconvex surface patches. The essential computational steps of this method are the following: (i) build initial parts from the largest locally convex patches, (ii) consider an initial part as a constituent part if it is essentially convex, and (iii) obtain the remaining constituent parts by merging adjacent initial parts generated by the largest locally convex and the smallest nonconvex patches of nearly the same sizes. The method is illustrated on both smooth and continuous shapes. We show that the decomposition of shapes into the largest convex patches aims to maximize the "thingness" in an object, and to minimize its "non-thingness". The method is conducive to a natural parcellation of shapes into constituent parts useful for recognition and for inferring function.
Unipolar induction: a case study of the interaction between science and technology

Unipolar induction, discovered in 1832 by Michael Faraday, is the case of electromagnetic induction in which a conductor and magnet are in relative rotatory motion. Attempts by scientists and engineers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to understand unipolar induction by using magnetic lines of force displayed striking national differences that influenced where the first largescale unipolar dynamo was built. This episode is described, as well as the effect of unipolar induction on Albert Einstein’s thinking toward the special theory of relativity, in sections 1–6. The analysis of electromagnetic induction in cases where the source of the magnetic field is in motion relative to the conductor is provided in sections 7–9.
Stochastic distributed multi-agent planning and applications to traffic

This paper proposes a method for multi-agent path planning on a road network in the presence of congestion. We suggest a distributed method to find paths for multiple agents by introducing a probabilistic path choice achieving global goals such as the social optimum. This approach, which shows that the global goals can be achieved by local processing using only local information, can be parallelized and sped-up using massive parallel processing. The probabilistic assignment reliably copes with the case of random choices of unidentified agents or random route changes of agents who ignore our path guidance. We provide the analytical result on convergence and running time. We demonstrate and evaluate our algorithm by an implementation using asynchronous computation on multi-core computers.
Development and Expert Evaluation of “Moms on the Move,” a Physical Activity Intervention for WIC Mothers

The purpose of this descriptive study was to develop and evaluate "Moms on the Move," a provider-counseled physical activity intervention for mothers enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. The intervention was based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change. The evaluation occurred in two stages. In the first stage, physical activity behavioral experts (n=4) evaluated the: (a) rationale for intervention components; (b) linkages between behavior change constructs, intervention activities, and study outcomes; (c) literature support for the TTM behavior change constructs; and (d) the intervention brochure. The expert evaluation tool was adapted from the "Educational Materials Review Form." Each item in the expert evaluation met the <or= 3.0 mean criterion for acceptability (range, 1.33-2.67). Revisions were made based on expert comments before stage 2. In the second stage, WIC mothers (n=5) evaluated the intervention brochure. The 9-item WIC mothers' evaluation tool was adapted from a simple tool for community members. In the second stage evaluation, the mean total score for the intervention brochure evaluation was 44.0 (SD=1.22), which met the a priori criterion to retain as is. Mean item responses ranged from 4.8 to 5.0 (5.0=great). This evaluation indicates that "Moms on the Move" is a promising physical activity intervention for WIC mothers, which should be implemented for efficacy testing.
Studies of structure and oxygen adsorption of {0001} CdS surfaces by LEED

Abstract Low-energy electron diffraction patterns were obtained from the polar {0001} surfaces of CdS after cleaning by argon ion bombardment and annealing at 550 °C. The patterns indicated a (2 × 2) structure on both the (0001)Cd and (0001)S surfaces. Heating the CdS between 500 °C and 700 °C, plus ion bombardment and annealing produced {1014} facets on the (0001)S surface. Heating near 800°C produced {1013} facets on this surface. The sticking coefficient, S , for oxygen on both {0001} surfaces of CdS in darkness was less than 10 −13 . However, visible illumination increased S to 10 −11 to 10 −12 for the (0001)Cd surface and 10 −9 to 10 −10 for the faceted (0001)S surface. Due to photoadsorption, the diffraction pattern intensity decreased without changing the shape of the intensity vs. incident electron energy curves thereby indicating amorphous adsorption. One monolayer of oxygen photoadsorbed on the (0001)Cd surface increased the work function in darkness by 1.2 eV and the saturation photovoltage to 0.20 eV. Approximately 0.2 eV of the work function change was interpreted as band bending at the surface, whereas the remaining change was attributed to an increase in electron affinity due to the formation of a dipole layer at the surface.
Concerning the dissociation of grown-in dislocations in melt spun ribbons of the intermetallic compound Nb3Al

Abstract The nature of ‘grown-in’ dislocations formed in melt spun ribbons of the compound Nb3Al have been studied using transmission electron microscopy. These dislocations have b = 〈100〉 and are predominantly screw in character. They are dissociated into two partial dislocations which bound a complex stacking fault according to the reaction The habit plane of the fault is shown to be {012}. These observations are compared with previous studies performed on the isostructural compound V3Si and the consequences of the observed dissociation for the plastic deformation of A15 compounds are discussed.
Correlation between morphologic and other prognostic markers of neuroblastoma a study of histologic grade, DNA index, N‐myc gene copy number, and lactic dehydrogenase in patients in the pediatric oncology group

Background. Histologic grades (HG), N-myc (NM) gene copy number, DNA index (DI), and serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) have been shown to be related to prognosis in neuroblastoma. The relationship between HG and nonmorphologic prognostic markers has not been investigated previously. Methods. Each prognostic marker was determined independently and without the knowledge of clinical features and outcome by different investigators in 275 (HG), 96 of 275 (DI), 94 of 275 (NM), and 224 of 275 patients (LDH) with neuroblastoma by methods described previously. Patients younger than 2 years of age were included in the analysis for DI. Patients of all ages were included in the analysis of HG, NM, and LDH. Results. A statistically significant association of low HG (1 and 2) was found with DI of more than 1 (hyperdiploid), single copy of NM gene per haploid genome, and an LDH of less than 1500 IU/l (P value for each, < 0.001), factors that are associated with better prognosis. High HG was associated with DI of 1 (diploidy), amplified NM gene, and an LDH of 1500 or more, factors that are associated with aggressive behavior. Conclusion. The value of HG is strengthened by its statistically significant association with features that reflect tumor cell biology of neuroblastoma. In view of the tissue sample size required for determination of HG, consideration should be given to obtaining such a sample in as many patients as is feasible if there is no contraindication to surgery. Nonmorphologic prognostic markers, when used in concert with HG, would provide a basis for individualized risk-specific therapy of this disease.
Polarization mapping: a method to improve sum frequency generation spectral analysis.

A “polarization mapping” method has been applied to improve the fitting quality of sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectra of complicated systems and validate the data analysis of simple SFG spectra. Using such a method, two-dimensional SFG spectra can be constructed, from which more reliable spectral information can be obtained from a surface/interface. Model calculations as well as experiments have been employed to illustrate the power of the polarization mapping method for spectral analysis of SFG spectra. By using a deuterated polystyrene surface and interfacial protein molecules as examples, we demonstrate that this method is especially important for complicated molecules, such as polymers and proteins.
Studies on the uptake of 125 I‐triiodo‐L‐thyronine and 14C‐L‐thyroxine by Mexican axolotl tissues

Various Mexican axolotl tissues were collected at different times after a single injection of either 125I-triiodothyronine (T3) or 14C-thyroxine (T4) to: (a) 5 day old embryos, (b) 150–170 day old larvae, (c) 1400–1440 day old neotenic adults. Pattern of total radioactivity was similar in gill, tail and body of embryos injected with T3 or T4. In both the body continued to accumulate the label whereas gill and tail tissues showed a minor peak by three to five hours, a drop by 16 hours and an increase by 96 hours and a reduction by 240 hours. However, a hours and an increase by 96 hours and a reduction by 240 hours. However, a TLC fractionation of butanol extracts of tissues mentioned above indicated that T3 concentration reached a maximum at three hours and later continued to drop. A large amount of radioactivity was associated with the solvent front fraction. TLC fractionation of tissues from T4 injected embryos showed that very little of the radioactivity was associated with T4 up to 48 hours after which time there was an increase in T4 fraction. Thus, it is seen that the uptake of labeled T3 and T4 by embryonic tissues showed variations even though the total radioactivity appeared to be similar. Larval and adult axolotls injected with T3 showed that radioactivity reached a peak by 16 hours in the larval gill, skin and tail and continued to decline later. The liver showed a peak at 24 hours and decreased after that time. All of the above mentioned tissues from adult axolotls showed a peak radioactivity at 16 hours and later continued to drop. Thus, it is seen that the pattern of labeled thyroid hormone uptake is different in embryonic and post embryonic axolotl tissues. The implications of these results are discussed.
Electrical potentials within the intact frog retina.

Abstract There is now an extensive literature on the electrical characteristics of the vertebrate eye. Much of it is concerned with the frog, since the eye of that animal remians functional for a limited time after it has been excised and deprived of its blood supply. The present experiments were primarily on the eye of the frog in situ, with the circulation remaining intact. The main purpose of the experiments was to compare the resulting electrical measurements with the corresponding ones that have been reported for the excised eye. The results confirmed most of the earlier findings, with the exception of measurements of the resting potential, which showed no constant diference in potential across the intact retina. The electroretinogram was shown to be a mass response resulting from large-area stimulations; its origin localized at the receptor-bipolar layers. The predominantly negative intraretinal action potential, reported by Tomita, was demonstrated in response to a tiny, focused spot of light on this retina.
Radiological aspects of fusion reactor safety: Risk constraints in severe accidents

A methodology is proposed for determination of the constraints on severe accidents in lithium cooled fusion reactors, based on the potential hazards associated with such accidents. The method utilizes a probabilistic approach to risk calculation. The most effective mechanism for activation product release is found to be volatilization of structure as a result of lithium fires. Several factors were found to influence the consequence of lithium fires, most notably the reactor structural material type and total volume. It is concluded that the consequences of estimated maximum possible release from a properly designed fusion reactor are substantially less than the maximum light water reactor accident consequences.
Chemotherapy, Testicular Damage and Gynecomastia: An Endocrine “Black Hole”

That young patients with Hodgkin's or other neoplastic diseases should have to be concerned with the effect of therapy on their future fertility is an indication of the immensity of medical progress in recent years. That progress, however, has its "black holes." In the endocrine galaxy, the hormonal function of the testicular tubule and the reason why damage to the tubule may result in gynecomastia stubbornly remain in such a hole, and modern knowledge of the structure, sources, production rates and specific receptors for, and mode of action of, the sex steroids has not enticed them out. Radioimmunoassay of peptide . . .
Sea urchin egg fertilization studied with a fluorescent probe (ANS)

Abstract Changes in the plasma membrane of the egg at fertilization were studied with the molecular probe, 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS). When sea urchin eggs were fertilized in the presence of ANS, the ANS-associated fluorescence increased between 3 and 10 min after insemination. The major part of this fluorescence resulted from an ANS-interaction with extracellular proteins released from the eggs at fertilization. We propose that proteins released within the first 2 min after fertilization undergo conformational and/or binding changes between 3 and 10 min. Because of this extracellular background, it may prove difficult to monitor fertilization-induced plasma membrane changes with this technique.
Lymphangiosarcoma arising in chronic lymphedematous extremities.

Data from 23 cases of lymphangiosarcoma associated with chronic lymphedema seen at the Mayo Clinic and 163 cases from the world literature are reviewed. The available information in 162 cases of postmastectomy lymphedematous lymphangiosarcoma revealed that the lesion occurred at an average age of 63.9 years (range 44 to 84 years) and an average of 10 years 3 months after mastectomy. Fifty per cent of the 129 patients eligible for follow-up were dead within 19 months after treatment, and only 11 patients have survived 5 years or more. Amputation gave a slightly better prognosis than did radiation therapy. Of 24 patients (two from the Mayo Clinic) with lymphangiosarcoma and non-postmastectomy lymphedema, 12 (50%) were dead within 34 months after treatment. Only two of the patients were long-term survivors (5 and 15 years), and both were treated by amputation. Early recognition of the lesion and prompt radical ablative surgery seem to offer the best chance for survival.
Ultrasonography of the internal jugular vein in patients with dyspnea without jugular venous distention on physical examination

Abstract Study objective Accurate physical examination of patients with dyspnea is important. Jugular venous distention, however, can be difficult to assess in patients. The purpose of this case series is to serve as a pilot study of how ultrasonographic examination of the internal jugular vein compares with other measures of dyspnea. Methods This was a case series of 8 patients presenting with dyspnea without jugular venous distention on physical examination. Each patient underwent ultrasonographic examination of the internal jugular vein and inferior vena cava by an emergency physician sonographer blinded to all other clinical information after initial evaluation by another emergency physician for dyspnea. Results of ultrasonographic examination of the internal jugular vein and inferior vena cava were subsequently compared with initial emergency physician physical examination findings, initial chest radiography interpreted by radiologists, initial B-type natriuretic peptide levels, and final hospital discharge diagnosis. Results Ultrasonographic examination of the internal jugular vein compared more favorably with B-type natriuretic peptide levels and chest radiographic findings than ultrasonographic examination of the inferior vena cava in these patients with dyspnea but not jugular venous distention on physical examination. It was able to identify every patient diagnosed with cardiogenic pulmonary edema on hospital discharge. Conclusion Ultrasonographic examination of the internal jugular vein appears to be helpful in patients who present with dyspnea but do not have evidence of jugular venous distention on physical examination.
Evidence for the different physiological significance of the 6- and 2-minute walk tests in multiple sclerosis.

Researchers have recently advocated for the 2-minute walk (2MW) as an alternative for the 6-minute walk (6MW) to assess long distance ambulation in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). This recommendation has not been based on physiological considerations such as the rate of oxygen consumption (V·O2) over the 6MW range. This study examined the pattern of change in V·O2 over the range of the 6MW in a large sample of persons with MS who varied as a function of disability status. Ninety-five persons with clinically-definite MS underwent a neurological examination for generating an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, and then completion of the 6MW protocol while wearing a portable metabolic unit and an accelerometer. There was a time main effect on V·O2 during the 6MW (p = .0001) such that V·O2 increased significantly every 30 seconds over the first 3 minutes of the 6MW, and then remained stable over the second 3 minutes of the 6MW. This occurred despite no change in cadence across the 6MW (p = .84). The pattern of change in V·O2 indicates that there are different metabolic systems providing energy for ambulation during the 6MW in MS subjects and steady state aerobic metabolism is reached during the last 3 minutes of the 6MW. By extension, the first 3 minutes would represent a test of mixed aerobic and anaerobic work, whereas the second 3 minutes would represent a test of aerobic work during walking.
Paternity exclusion in primates: Two strategies

Two strategies for the use of polymorphic biochemical and serological markers in paternity testing problems in non-human primate groups, where pedigree information is incomplete, are discussed. The positive approach, of attempting to prove paternity, is shown to be impracticable given the levels of detectable genetic variation among primates. The more conventional approach of paternity exclusion is examined and found to be useful under certain conditions. This approach is illustrated using the published data on the levels of biochemical and serological variation in Macaca nemestrina.
Geochemistry of the waste isolation pilot plant (WIPP) site, southestern New Mexico, U.S.A.

Abstract An extensive geochemical data base, including analyses of major and minor solutes, mineralogical studies of core samples, and isotopic studies of waters, carbonates and sulfates, has been assembled for evaporites and related rocks in the northern Delaware Basin of southeastern New Mexico. These data were compiled for the geological and hydrological characterization of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which is excavated in the evaporites of the Salado Formation. These data were evaluated in order: (1) to determine the stability of the evaporite mineralogy over geological time; (2) to compare the aqueous geochemistry with host rock mineralogy; (3) to delineate the nature and timing of water-rock interactions, such as dissolution and recrystallization; (4) to determine the geological and climatic conditions that have governed groundwater recharge. The resulting synthesis of data and current hypotheses concerning the origin, composition and history of waters in the evaporite rocks and related units of the Delaware Basin provides a tentative conceptual model for the behavior of the water-rock system since the deposition of the evaporites in the Permian. Essential components of this model include: (1) widespread Late Triassic/Early Jurassic evaporite recrystallization; (2) accumulation of deep-basin brines isolated from meteoric recharge; (3) evaporite dissolution by meteoric waters flowing in carbonates and sulfates interbedded in the uppermost Permian section and at the basin margin; (4) lateral rather than vertical infiltration of pre-Holocene meteoric waters in the uppermost Permian section; and (5) climatic conditions presently less conducive to recharge than in the Late Pleistocene.
Effect of Activated Gas Plasma on Surface Characteristics and Bondability of RTV Silicone and Polyethylene

Abstract An RTV silicone and high density polyethylene are exposed in an activated gas plasma for varying times and varying conditions. Both oxygen and argon are used. Changes in critical surface tension of wetting as determined by contact angle measurements are reported. Bondability of the treated surfaces is evaluated with both the aged bonds and aged surfaces prior to bonding being evaluated. In contradiction to some of the recent work reported in the literature on the effect of activated inert gas on surface characteristics, contact angles always decreased on the materials studied indicating an increase in surface energy. The significance of the results on present adhesion theories is discussed.
UCINET: A software tool for network analysis

(1987). UCINET: A software tool for network analysis. Communication Education: Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 92-94.
Partially folded equilibrium intermediate of the villin headpiece HP67 defined by 13C relaxation dispersion.

Identification and characterization of ensembles of intermediate states remains an important objective in describing protein folding in atomic detail. The 67-residue villin headpiece, HP67, consists of an N-terminal subdomain (residues 10–42) that transiently unfolds at equilibrium under native-like conditions and a highly stable C-terminal subdomain (residues 43–76). The transition between folded and unfolded states of the N-terminal domain has been characterized previously by 15N NMR relaxation dispersion measurements (Grey et al. in J Mol Biol 355:1078, 2006). In the present work, 13C spin relaxation was used to further characterize backbone and hydrophobic core contributions to the unfolding process. Relaxation of 13Cα spins was measured using the Hahn echo technique at five static magnetic fields (11.7, 14.1, 16.4, 18.8, and 21.1 T) and the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) relaxation dispersion method at a static magnetic field of 14.1 T. Relaxation of methyl 13C spins was measured using CPMG relaxation dispersion experiments at static magnetic fields of 14.1 and 18.8 T. Results for 13C and 15N spins yielded a consistent model in which the partially unfolded intermediate state of the N-terminal subdomain maintains residual structure for residues near the unprotonated His41 imidazole ring and in the interface between the N- and C-terminal subdomains. In addition, a second faster process was detected that appears to represent local dynamics within the folded state of the molecule and is largely confined to the hydrophobic interface between the N- and C-terminal subdomains.
Do I press return

The introductory programming course at this university attempts to serve some 1500 students each semester. The attrition rate, due in part to the overload on the system and in part to the students' difficulties in “keeping up”, has, at times, approached 25%. In response to this situation we have revised and reordered the curriculum for use in an experimental course designed for the novice user. The course is directed toward discovering and addressing the confusions of new programming students. It facilitates our ongoing study of the novice programmers' response to graphics, friendly interface packages and the revised curriculum which includes the teaching of procedures and control structures at the beginning of the course. In studying these responses we have learned some techniques in aiding the novice user to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding the acquisition of programming skills. The course is constantly undergoing development in addition to being in its second semester as a departmental offering. It is detailed in this paper.
NSC348884, a nucleophosmin inhibitor disrupts oligomer formation and induces apoptosis in human cancer cells

Nucleophosmin (NPM), a multifunctional nucleolar phosphoprotein is dysregulated in human malignancies leading to anti-apoptosis and inhibition of differentiation. We evaluated the precise three-dimensional structure of NPM based on the highly conserved structure of Xenopus NO38 and its requirement to form dimers and pentamers via its N-terminal domain (residues, 1-107). We hypothesized that a small molecular inhibitor (SMI) that could disrupt the formation of dimers would inhibit aberrant NPM function(s) in cancer cells. Molecular modeling, pharmacophore design, in silico screening and interactive docking identified NSC348884 as a putative NPM SMI that disrupts a defined hydrophobic pocket required for oligomerization. NSC348884 inhibited cell proliferation at an IC(50) of 1.7-4.0 muM in distinct cancer cell lines and disrupted NPM oligomer formation by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis assay. Treatment of several different cancer cell types with NSC348884 upregulated p53 (increased Ser15 phosphorylation) and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner that correlated with apoptotic markers: H2AX phosphorylation, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and Annexin V labeling. Further, NSC348884 synergized doxorubicin cytotoxicity on cancer cell viability. The data together show that NSC348884 is an SMI of NPM oligomer formation, upregulates p53, induces apoptosis and synergizes with chemotherapy. Hence, an SMI to NPM may be a useful approach to anticancer therapy.
Lösungseigenschaften eines Segmentpolyurethans auf Polycaprolactonbasis

Das Verhalten von verdunnten Losungen eines Polycaprolacton-Polyurethans wird hinsichtlich viskosimetrischer Messungen, Fraktionierung, Molekulgrosenverteilung und Bestimmung einiger thermodynamischer Parameter beschrieben. The behaviour of diluted solutions a of polycaprolactone polyurethane is described in this paper, particularly with regard to viscosimetric measurments, fractionation, molecular mass distribution and determination of some thermodynamic parameters.
Structural design of cage and coat scaffolds that direct membrane traffic.

Trafficking within the exocytic and endocytic pathways of eukaryotic cells involves the generation of caged transport carriers that mediate communication between compartments through vesicle budding and fusion. Structural studies of vesicle cage structures using X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy approaches reveal new insight into cargo-dependent coat assembly mechanisms. Clathrin and coat protein complex II (COPII) use conserved primary element α-solenoid and WD40 structural motifs found in self-assembling cage scaffolds to generate unique geometries that sort cargo and produce vesicles. These studies emphasize molecular and structural principles that reflect the properties of self-assembling nanomachines to regulate cargo capacity in trafficking pathways.
Cross-linking of phospholipids to proteins in the erythrocyte membrane

Abstract Erythrocytes treated with the cross-linking agents difluorodinitrobenzene and suberimidate are rendered refractory to lysis. When ghosts are treated with these reagents 8.4% and 2.3% of the total lipid phosphate is cross-linked to protein by difluorodinitrobenzene and suberimidate respectively. This represents 20 and 5.8% of the amino-phospholipids. The lipids extracted from treated ghosts do not react with ninhydrin as do lipids extracted from control ghosts. Thus essentially all the amino-phospholipids of the ghosts react with these cross-linking agents and up to 20% becomes cross-linked to proteins.