cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrated acousto-optic heterodyning device modules in LiNbO 3 substrate

This paper reports the realization of integrated acousto-optic (AO) device modules that combine a wideband AO Bragg cell, an ion-milled Bragg diffraction grating, and a titanium-indiffused protonexchanged waveguide lens in a Y-cut LiNbO(3) substrate, 1 x 8 x 16 mm(3) in size, to perform optical heterodyning, and their application to rf signal processing. These integrated AO heterodyne modules have demonstrated the capabilities for channelized detection of the amplitude, the frequency, and the phase of wideband rf signals and thus the capability to perform interferometric rf spectral analysis with significantly improved performances over the conventional AO Bragg cells. The single-unit (basic) modules have provided single-tone simultaneous and two-tone third-order spurious-free dynamic ranges of 51 and 40 dB, respectively, and a bandwidth of 205 MHz centered at 350 MHz at the optical wavelength of 0.6328 microm, the optical power of 1.0 mW, and the drive power of 50 mW/rf signal input. Furthermore the dual-unit modu es that consist of a pair of identical basic heterodyne devices in the same LiNbO(3) waveguide substrate, also 1 x 8 x 16 mm(3) in size, have been constructed and used to measure the angle of arrival of the rf signals.
The wavefront and delta -wavefront algorithms: a comparative study

The author studies and compares, using rigorous analytical models, the performances of two algorithms, wavefront and delta -wavefront, suitable for processing an important class of recursive queries, the partially-instantiated transitive closure ones. Such a study reveals, among other findings, that the performance of these algorithms individually as well as relative to each other is strongly dependent on the characteristics of the processed base-relation and, to a lesser degree, the processed query. Moreover, the delta -wavefront has been found to outperform the wavefront with speed advantages reaching several orders of magnitude. >
Flow equations as a generic programming tool for manipulation of attributed graphs

The past three decades have seen the creation of several tools that extract, visualize, and manipulate graph-structured representations of program information. To facilitate interconnection and exchange of information between these tools, and to support the prototyping and development of new tools, it is desirable to have some generic support for the specification of graph transformations and exchanges between them.GenSet is a generic programmable tool for transformation of graph-structured data. The implementation of the GenSet system and the programming paradigm of its language are both based on the view of a directed graph as a binary relation. Rather than use traditional relational algebra to specify transformations, however, we opt instead for the more expressive class of flow equations. Flow equations---or, more generally, systems of simultaneous fixpoint equations---have seen fruitful applications in several areas, including data and control flow analysis, formal verification, and logic programming. In GenSet, they provide the fundamental construct for the programmer to use in defining new transformations.
Entropy, Efficiency, Thermodynamics for First-year Engineering Students

Entropy, energy, and efficiency are concepts with broad applicability. As such, it is reasonable to expect that these concepts would be extremely useful to engineering students from a wide range of backgrounds. However, the classical definition of entropy in terms of heat transfer in a physically reversible operation does not provide intuition about the nature of entropy. Instead of starting with heat, work, and reversible operations, the authors suggest that entropy, conceptualized in terms of unpredictability, can provide an intuitively useful starting point. Starting with entropy, the authors derive the efficiency of an ideal Carnot engine without reference to reversible heat transfer. The authors show how the framework can be applied to understand the efficiency of a hurricane as a heat engine.
Household composition and economic change in a rural community 1900-1980: testing two models

Historical changes in the composition of households in Western society have largely been analyzed without reference to social theory. Two empirically-based theoretical models of changing household composition have recently been presented; the first predicts change as a result of class conflict in the development of a capitalist economy, and the other predicts change as the result of adaptation to changes in a community's level of economic diversification. Using data from a rural U.S. community, both models are tested to evaluate their relative explanatory power. [household structure, social change, social organization, cultural ecology, rural United States]
NERVE ENDINGS IN NUTRITIONAL MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY IN GUINEA PIGS

The nutritional muscle dystrophy of guinea pigs and rabbits is primarily a degeneration of the muscle fibers and is not associated with visible alterations of the peripheral nerves or their motor terminals.
Raman and Infrared Spectroscopic Studies of the Crystalline Phases in the System Pb2SiO4‐PbSiO3

The stable and metastable phase relations in the system Pb/sub 2/SiO/sub 4/-PbSiO/sub 3/ were reexamined using Raman and ir spectroscopy to characterize the phases. Three stable phases, H-Pb/sub 2/SiO/sub 4/, M-Pb/sub 2/SiO/sub 4/, and PbSiO/sub 3/ (alamosite) and four metastable phases, L-Pb/sub 2/SiO/sub 4/, phase X, L-PbSiO/sub 3/, and hexagonal PbSiO/sub 3/, occur in the portion of the system investigated. The Raman and ir spectra allow some conclusions to be drawn about the structures of silicate groups in the lead silicate crystalline phases.
Forssman synthetase expression results in diminished shiga toxin susceptibility: a role for glycolipids in determining host-microbe interactions.

Forssman glycolipid (FG), the product of Forssman synthetase (FS), is widely expressed among nonprimate mammalian species. Here, we describe a molecular and genetic relationship between FG expression and Shiga toxin (Stx) susceptibility. We have isolated the FS cDNA from human, canine, and murine cells. Whereas the murine and canine FS genes express a functional enzyme, the human FS cDNA was found to express a protein that lacks FS activity, despite a high degree of sequence identity with the enzymatically active murine and canine FS genes. In order to examine the relationship between FG expression and Stx susceptibility, Vero cells were transfected with the three FS orthologues or a vector control. Complementation with the human FS cDNA had no effect on Stx susceptibility, whereas stable expression of the canine and murine FS resulted in markedly decreased susceptibility to toxin. Among individual cells, an inverse correlation between FG expression and Stx binding was demonstrated. Moreover, only strongly FG-reactive cells were capable of growing in the presence of Stx. These cells were found to have high levels of FG expression and a correspondingly diminished GbO3 content. We conclude that expression of a functionally active FS modifies Stx receptor glycolipids to FG and results in markedly decreased susceptibility to toxin. We speculate that inactivation of the FS gene during primate evolution may account, at least in part, for the marked susceptibility of human cells to Stx.
Local Refractive Index Dependence of Plasmon Resonance Spectra from Individual Nanoparticles

We present an experimental optical darkfield microscope study of the dependence of the plasmon resonance spectrum of individual silver nanoparticles on the local index of refraction. We systematically characterize the position of the resonance peaks associated with the same set of individual silver nanoparticles embedded sequentially in index oils with increasing refractive index. This technique effectively allows the local refractive index to be stepped in increments of 0.04. As the local index is increased, the spectrum from each of the nanoparticles generally undergoes a very regular and reproducible red shift; however, we find that the amount of red shift per index increase varies depending on the shape of the nanoparticle and the mode of excitation. In particular, we find that the spectral peak that occurs in triangular nanoparticles exhibits a noticeably larger red shift than that associated with the dipole mode corresponding to spherical nanoparticles. Our results are consistent with experiments performed on ensembles of similar nanoparticles and suggest that individual nanoparticles may be utilized in biosensing applications where currently ensembles are being investigated.
Faculty Research Productivity and Organizational Structure in Schools of Nursing

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between faculty research productivity and orga-nizational structure in schools of nursing. The need for nursing research has been widely recognized by members of the nursing profession, yet comparatively few engage in conducting research. Although contextual variables have been investigated that facilitate or inhibit nursing research, the relationship between organizational structure and nursing research productivity has not been examined. This problem was examined within the context of the Entrepreneurial Theory of Formal Organizations. A survey methodology was used for data collection. Data on individual faculty research productivity and organizational structure in the school of nursing were obtained through the use of a questionnaire. A random sample of 300 faculty teaching in 60 master's and doctoral nursing schools in the United States was used. The Instruments for data collection were Wakefield-Fisher's Adapted Scholarly Productivity Index and Hall's Organizational Inventory. The data were analyzed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficients and multiple correlation/regression tech-niques. The overall relationship between faculty research productivity and organizational structure in schools of nursing was not significant at the .002 level of confidence. Although statistically significant relationships were not identified, scholarly research productivity and its subscale prepublication and research activities tended to vary positively with procedural specifications in a highly bureaucratic organizational structure. Further research may focus on identification of structural variables that support highly productive nurse researchers.
A comparison in chimpanzees of the immunogenicity and efficacy of live attenuated respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) temperature-sensitive mutant vaccines and vaccinia virus recombinants that express the surface glycoproteins of RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of viral bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children. The present study compares the level of attenuation, genetic stability and efficacy of three conditional-lethal temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of the RSV A2 wild-type virus, designated ts-1, ts-1-NG1, and ts-4, in seronegative chimpanzees and also compares their efficacy with that of vaccinia virus recombinants that express the surface glycoproteins of RSV. Each of the ts mutants was highly attenuated in the lower respiratory tract, but still retained the capacity to induce significant rhinorrhoea. Each of the three ts mutants underwent partial reversion to a non-ts (ts+) phenotype during replication in a minority of the chimpanzees. The ts+ virus present in the upper respiratory tract of the chimpanzees did not spread to the lower respiratory tract and represented only a minority fraction of the virus present in the nasopharyngeal swab specimens. The ts mutants were highly immunogenic and provided resistance that effectively restricted RSV replication following virus challenge. In contrast, the vaccinia-RSV recombinants were less immunogenic. They protected the lungs of two of four chimpanzees challenged with RSV, but failed to protect the upper respiratory tract. The chimpanzee can serve as a model for the rapid evaluation of further attenuated live RSV vaccines.
Particle-based optical pressure sensors for 3D pressure mapping

This paper presents particle-based optical pressure sensors for in-flow pressure sensing, especially for microfluidic environments. Three generations of pressure sensitive particles have been developed- flat planar particles, particles with integrated retroreflectors and spherical microballoon particles. The first two versions suffer from pressure measurement dependence on particles orientation in 3D space and angle of interrogation. The third generation of microspherical particles with spherical symmetry solves these problems making particle-based manometry in microfluidic environment a viable and efficient methodology. Static and dynamic pressure measurements have been performed in liquid medium for long periods of time in a pressure range of atmospheric to 40 psi. Spherical particles with radius of 12 μm and balloon-wall thickness of 0.5 μm are effective for more than 5 h in this pressure range with an error of less than 5%.
Double Jeopardy in Hollywood: Age and Gender in the Careers of Film Actors, 1926–1999

There have been few studies of the concept of “double jeopardy” as it pertains to the effects of gender and aging on occupational outcomes. This research examines the utility of this concept in the field of film acting, traditionally a gender-integrated occupation. The results confirm significant negative effects of being female and being older on the number of film roles received by actors and their average star presence. Moreover, the gendered effects of aging on the career opportunities of actors have diminished somewhat over time with respect to number of film roles but not with respect to star presence.
COMPARISON OF MALE AND FEMALE LEADERSHIP STYLES

This article presents a comparison of the male and female leadership style. Research on female leadership behaviors indicates that women tend to adopt more accommodative strategies than their male ...
On learning perceptual distance function for image retrieval

For almost a decade, Content-Based Information Retrieval has been an active research area, yet two fundamental problems remain largely unsolved: how best to learn users' query concepts, and how to measure perceptual similarity. To learn subjective query concepts, most systems use relevance feedback techniques. However, these traditional techniques often require a large number of training instances to converge to a concept, and a typical online user may be too impatient to provide much feedback. Thus traditional relevance feedback techniques are ineffective. To measure perceptual similarity, most researchers employ the Minkowski metric or the L-norm distance function. Our extensive data-mining experiments on visual data show that, unfortunately, the Minkowski-type metric is ineffective in modeling perceptual similarity. In this paper, we report the progress we have made recently in developing more effective methods for learning and measuring perceptual similarity, and our future research plans.
Consistency of Hand Use and Frequent Falls

We examined relationships between consistency of hand use and falling in groups of right-handed university undergraduates who were either consistent (n = 45) or inconsistent (n = 32) in the use of their hands. A scoring procedure developed for the Briggs-Nebes Handedness Scale permitted us to classify individuals as consistent or inconsistent in the use of their hands. The inconsistent group was 2.81 times more likely to have experienced frequent falls during the last 12-mo. period and was 1.64 times more likely to rate themselves higher on proneness to falling. These data suggest that inconsistent hand use may be a sign of a developmental inconsistency in motor coordination.
Wireless Communications Programming

For its popular robotics systems, ROBOTIS offered three types of wireless communication protocols, NIR, ZigBee and BlueTooth:
Economic and Demographic Characteristics of Cerumen Extraction Claims to Medicare.

Importance Cerumen extractions are performed in a large portion of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery practices. The burden on the health care system of cerumen extractions is unknown and demographics have not been characterized at a population level. Objective To quantify the cost burden and health care burden of cerumen extraction among Medicare recipients in the United States. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted of all cerumen disimpactions documented in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Provider Utilization and Payment database from January 1 to December 31, 2012. Data analysis was conducted from August 4, 2014, to July 24, 2015. Exposure Cerumen disimpaction. Main Outcomes and Measures Cerumen extractions were analyzed by state, medical or surgical specialty, reimbursement, and type of health care professional performing the extraction. Results The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reimbursed $46.8 million for 1.3 million cerumen disimpactions in 2012 (mean, $35.38 per procedure). The mean reimbursement rate per cerumen disimpaction varied by state from $25.41 in Puerto Rico to to $40.24 in New Jersey. The percentage of Medicare beneficiaries receiving cerumen extractions per state ranged from 0.55% in Puerto Rico to 4.92% in New Jersey. California had the overall highest total number of cerumen disimpactions (n = 132 823). The majority of cerumen extractions were performed by otolaryngology-head and neck practitioners (67.60%), although internal medicine (32.66%) and family practice (33.87%) had a higher amount of practitioners performing the procedure. The majority of cerumen extractions are performed by physicians (90.53%). Conclusions and Relevance Cerumen extraction is one of the most common procedures performed by otolaryngology health care professionals. Practice patterns and reimbursement rates vary greatly across the country.
Pertussis toxin shows distinct early signalling events in platelet-activating factor-, leukotriene B4-, and C5a-induced eosinophil homotypic aggregation in vitro and recruitment in vivo.

The present study was performed to investigate the early signalling events responsible for eosinophil activation in response to platelet-activating factor (PAF ), C5a, and leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4 ). We evaluated the effect of pertussis toxin (PTX) on eosinophil aggregation in vitro and cutaneous eosinophil recruitment in vivo. Further studies using the protein kinase inhibitors Ro 31-8220 and staurosporine were performed in vitro to assess in more detail the early signalling events induced by these three mediators. Our results show that C5a and LTB 4 signal predominantly or exclusively through a PTX-sensitive G protein that is negatively modulated by protein kinase C, possibly at the level of phospholipase C-β. In contrast, PAF activates eosinophils independent of Gi by a mechanism that is abolished by Ro 31-8220, a selective protein kinase C inhibitor. In addition, these results show for the first time that a receptor-operated event on the eosinophil is essential for chemoattractant-induced eosinophil recruitment in vivo.
The one-dimensional cyclic cellular automaton: A system with deterministic dynamics that emulates an interacting particle system with stochastic dynamics

Consider a cellular automaton defined on ℤ where each lattice site may take on one ofN values, referred to as colors. TheN colors are arranged in a cyclic hierarchy, meaning that colork follows colork−1 modN (k=0,...,N−1). Any two colors that are not adjacent in this hierarchy form an inert pair. In this scheme, there is symmetry in theN colors. Initialized the cellular automaton with product measure, and let time pass in discrete units. To get the configuration at timet+1 from the one at timet, each lattice site looks at the colors of its two nearest neighbors, and if it sees the color that follows its own color, then that site changes color to the color that follows; otherwise, that site does not change color. All such updates occur synchronously at timet+1. For each value ofN≥2, the fundamental question is whether each site in the cellular automaton changes color infinitely often (fluctuation) or only finitely often (fixation). We prove here that ifN≤4, then fluctuation occurs, and ifN≥5, then fixation occurs.
Charles Chauncy: A Theology in Two Portraits

Factual and theological riddles continue to cluster around Charles Chauncy (1705–1787), pastor of the First (“Old Brick”) Church in Boston and the one most deserving of the title “theologian of the American Revolution.” No one knows the exact place of his burial. It has not yet been determined whether he wrote several anonymous treatises attributed to him (including the anti-revivalistic tract A Wonderful Narrative), and in many recent publications and index files of major libraries he is still confused with his great-grandfather of the same name, the second president of Harvard University from 1654 to 1671–72.
Longitudinal stability of effect sizes in educational research

Educators use meta-analyses to decide best practices. It has been suggested that effect sizes have declined over time due to various biases. This study applies an established methodological framework to educational meta-analyses and finds that effect sizes have increased from 1970–present. Potential causes for this phenomenon are discussed.
Fast Decentralized Power Capping for Server Clusters

Power capping is a mechanism to ensure that the power consumption of clusters does not exceed the provisioned resources. A fast power capping method allows for a safe over-subscription of the rated power distribution devices, provides equipment protection, and enables large clusters to participate in demand-response programs. However, current methods have a slow response time with a large actuation latency when applied across a large number of servers as they rely on hierarchical management systems. We propose a fast decentralized power capping (DPC) technique that reduces the actuation latency by localizing power management at each server. The DPC method is based on a maximum throughput optimization formulation that takes into account the workloads priorities as well as the capacity of circuit breakers. Therefore, DPC significantly improves the cluster performance compared to alternative heuristics. We implement the proposed decentralized power management scheme on a real computing cluster. Compared to state-of-the-art hierarchical methods, DPC reduces the actuation latency by 72% up to 86% depending on the cluster size. In addition, DPC improves the system throughput performance by 16%, while using only 0.02% of the available network bandwidth. We describe how to minimize the overhead of each local DPC agent to a negligible amount. We also quantify the traffic and fault resilience of our decentralized power capping approach.
Digital Scan Conversion and Smoothing for a Real Time Linear Array Imaging System

One form of real time ultrasonic imaging system uses a linear array of transducer elements operated in their near field [1]. Sequential transmission and reception from the elements provides a limited number of distinct ultrasonic reflection patterns from which a B-scan cross-sectional image is assembled. Prior systems utilized an XY oscilloscope as the display device, where the X deflection position is a repetitive sawtooth function plotting echoes linearly as a function of time after transmission, and the Y deflection corresponds to the element location and therefore the ultrasonic beam. Intensity modulation with the received echo signal amplitude then produces a B-scan image. Since the ultrasound beams are generally parallel and equally spaced, proper adjustment of the deflection factors preserves the geometric image properties and permits dimensional measurements.
Randomized trial comparing caregiver-only family-focused treatment to standard health education on the 6-month outcome of bipolar disorder

Objectives Caregivers of people with bipolar disorder often have depression and health problems. This study aimed to evaluate the sustained effects of a 12-15 week psychoeducational intervention on the health and mental health of caregivers of persons with bipolar disorder. We also evaluated the effects of the intervention on patients' mood symptoms over 6 months post-treatment. Methods Caregivers of 46 persons with bipolar disorder were randomized to 12-15 weeks of a caregiver-only adaptation of family-focused treatment (FFT), in which caregivers were instructed on self-care strategies and ways to assist the patient in managing the illness, or to 8-12 sessions of standard health education. Independent evaluators assessed caregivers' depression and physical health and patients' mood symptoms before treatment, immediately after the treatment, and at 6 months post-treatment. Results Randomization to FFT was associated with greater decreases in depression for both caregivers and patients over a 6-month follow-up period post-treatment. Reductions in patients' depression scores over 6 months post-treatment were mediated by reductions in caregivers' depression scores (z = -2.74, P Conclusions Interventions that are effective in reducing mood symptoms and improving health behavior in caregivers may have important health and mental health benefits for patients with bipolar disorder. Specifically, a treatment focused on caregiver education about bipolar disorder and the need for the caregiver to attend to his/her own health and mental health can benefit patients, even without their direct participation.
Complications of the exaggerated lithotomy position: a review of 177 cases

To examine the incidence and nature of complications associated with placing patients in the exaggerated lithotomy position, a retrospective review of 177 procedures requiring the use of that position was done. Factors analyzed were patient age, height, weight and time in position. Height-to-weight ratio was calculated in an effort to establish a relationship between body habitus and common peroneal nerve neurapraxia, the most common complication (15.8%) noted in the study. Statistical analysis failed to show any relationship between these factors and the incidence of neurapraxic complications. The study demonstrates the safety of this highly useful surgical position for perineal operations. The technical points relative to positioning are emphasized.
Green’s Functions

Green’s functions are useful in solving the first boundary value problem (Dirichlet problem) of potential theory in itself and in the case of conformal mapping of a region onto a disk. In the latter case a relationship is needed between the conformal map and Green’s function for the region. An approximate determination of Green’s functions is an important numerical tool in solving both the Dirichlet problem for different types of regions and the related mapping problem. An integral representation of Green’s function for the disk leads to the Poisson integral. The Dirichlet problem is a special case of the Riemann—Hilbert problem which is discussed in Appendix C. Analogous to Green’s functions, the solution of the second boundary value problem (Neumann problem) of potential theory is the Neumann function which also possesses an integral representation.
Factors Influencing Blood Pressure Level among the Black Caribs of St. Vincent Island

Variation in blood pressure level, like many other physical and behavioral traits, is the product of both environmental and genetic factors. Both components have been extensively examined by a number of researchers (Lowe, 1964; Miall, 1967; Langford et al, 1968; Pickering, 1968; Joossens, 1973;Biron et al, 1976; Lee, 1978; Feinleib et al, 1979; Havlik et al, 19796; Voors et al, 1979; Canessa et al, 1980). A major problem in understanding the etiology and epidemiology of blood pressure is determining the quantitative contribution of genetic versus environmental influences. Such quantification can be used to illuminate factors that affect blood pressure distributions and variation. The genetic contribution to blood pressure is customarily estimated by means of heritability (h 2) (Harburg et al, 1977; Rose et al, 1979; Havlik et al, 1919b; Weinberg et al, 1979).
Recent Developments in the Neurobiology of Dissociation

There is a growing recognition by researchers and clinicians that dissociative states are an integral component of traumatic stress response. The term dissociation has been employed to describe a spectrum of subjective experiences in which perceptual, affective, memory, and identity functions are altered. Particular symptoms or syndromes associated with dissociative states include distorted sensory perceptions, altered time perception, amnesia, derealization, depersonalization, conversion symptoms, fugue states, and multiple personality (Freud & Breuer, 1953; Mayer-Gross, 1935; Hilgard, 1977; Spiegel & Cardena 1991; Bremner et al., 1992). Despite the broad array of symptoms associated with dissociative states in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), some recent data suggest that these symptoms may be expressed across individuals as a single symptom cluster, rather than as independent clusters of symptoms (Bremner et al., in review).
Study of Gammopathies with Immunofixation Electrophoresis

Immunofixation electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis were compared in 60 samples (51 sera and 9 urines) containing apparently homogenous bands, detected by electrophoresis. To determine the correlation with clinical findings, the patients were divided into three groups: (1) symptomatic with monoclonal immunoelectrophoretic patterns; (2) asymptomatic with monoclonal immunoelectrophoretic patterns; (3) asymptomatic with polyclonal immunoelectrophoretic patterns. The results from immunoelectrophoresis and immunofixation electrophoresis were consistent with each other in all cases of Groups I and III in terms of clonality (i.e., whether monoclonal or polyclonal) and immunoglobulin class; whereas in Group II, which was composed of asymptomatic patients, two sera and three urines were identified to have monoclonal changes by immunoelectrophoresis but polyclonal changes by immunofixation electrophoresis. It is recommended that immunoelectrophoresis still be used for routine clinical service, but supplemented by immunofixation electrophoresis in equivocal cases, namely: (1) light-chain changes masked by an umbrella effect of immunoglobulin G (IgG); (2) abnormal bands located in atypical areas or overlapped with a normal serum protein; (3) a normal-looking "free" light chain present in the urine, mimicking Bence Jones protein; (4) controversial cases of biclonal gammopathy; (5) mini-monoclonal or oligoclonal protein bands; (6) immune complexes.
Evaluating the fracture toughness of layered pressure vessel steels

Abstract This paper describes testing conducted on dis-assembled layered pressure vessels to determine the fracture toughness properties of the component structural steels used in their construction. These vessels are part of a large number of similar vessels used at NASA laboratory facilities which were constructed during the 1950s and 1960s to support the then expanding space program. Fracture toughness properties are determined for the ferritic structural steels according to the ASTM standards E1820 and E1921 and the intention is to use the properties obtained from a small number of sacrificed vessels to assure the safety of the remaining vessels. This paper describes the NASA program briefly and the preliminary data obtained more extensively. The steels used to construct the vessels are no longer used in pressure vessel construction but are present in many structures that exist throughout the world that date from the same time period. The properties are hence important and useful beyond the more narrow NASA application. A discussion is also included on the applicability of the modern ASTM fracture toughness tests to evaluate the fracture toughness properties of these early high strength pressure vessel steels.
Random Vibration Approach to Seismic Safety Evaluation

Abstract The paper proposes a stochastic representation of earthquake ground motion as a supplement and an alternative to conventional response spectra for purposes of seismic analysis and design. The strong motion duration captures the essential transient character of earthquake ground motion, while the spectral density function represents its “equivalent stationary” frequency content. This representation permits effective use of methods of random vibration to predict seismic response of many types of structures, and yields analytical predictions of response spectra. It provides a starting point for modeling the space-time variation of earthquake ground motion and is well suited for use in seismic risk analysis and quantification of reliability under seismic loads.
An easily accessible isospiropyran switch

In the presence of SiCl4, three molecules of 5′-bromo-2′-hydroxyacetophenone underwent an unexpected tandem aldol condensation to give a novel isospiropyran switch (69%), with X-ray crystallography confirming its structure. The strong Bronsted acid CH3SO3H turned the colorless isospiropyran into its protonated and open form possessing red color. This process was reversed using the Et3N base, with the acid/base toggling repeatable for at least six times (UV-Vis). When printed on a silica plate, however, the isospiropyran formed a blue-colored product due to, as posited, its stabilization by hydrogen bonding (HB) to silica. An exposure to HB-competing ethyl acetate temporarily “erased” the print only to be brought back by subjecting the plate to a higher temperature for evaporating the solvent. The isospiropyran described here is an easily accessible, chromic, modular and switchable compound that one can incorporate into dynamic materials or use for building chemosensors, molecular machines and organic electronic devices.
Factors Informing the Return of Adopted Dogs and Cats to an Animal Shelter.

Although the adoption rate of dogs and cats from animal shelters has increased, a proportion of animals are returned to the shelter after they are adopted. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors informing the return of 102 dogs to an animal shelter over a four-month period, and the return of 72 cats to an animal shelter over a three-month period. Descriptive statistics revealed dogs are most commonly returned for behavior issues related to aggression (38.2%), and cats are most commonly returned due to the adopter’s personal reasons (56.9%). The results also indicated that more than half of the dogs (51.0%) and cats (57.0%) returned in this study were owned for more than 60 days. Further research is needed to compare the effectiveness of different pet retention programs in addressing the factors that inform returned adoptions.
GPCRs get fatty: the role of G protein-coupled receptor signaling in the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), characterized by the abnormal deposition of lipids within the liver not due to alcohol consumption, is a growing epidemic affecting over 30% of the US pop...
Automatic Identification of Referral-Warranted Diabetic Retinopathy Using Deep Learning on Mobile Phone Images.

Purpose To evaluate the performance of a deep learning algorithm in the detection of referral-warranted diabetic retinopathy (RDR) on low-resolution fundus images acquired with a smartphone and indirect ophthalmoscope lens adapter. Methods An automated deep learning algorithm trained on 92,364 traditional fundus camera images was tested on a dataset of smartphone fundus images from 103 eyes acquired from two previously published studies. Images were extracted from live video screenshots from fundus examinations using a commercially available lens adapter and exported as a screenshot from live video clips filmed at 1080p resolution. Each image was graded twice by a board-certified ophthalmologist and compared to the output of the algorithm, which classified each image as having RDR (moderate nonproliferative DR or worse) or no RDR. Results In spite of the presence of multiple artifacts (lens glare, lens particulates/smudging, user hands over the objective lens) and low-resolution images achieved by users of various levels of medical training, the algorithm achieved a 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83-0.95) area under the curve with an 89% sensitivity (95% CI 81%-100%) and 83% specificity (95% CI 77%-89%) for detecting RDR on mobile phone acquired fundus photos. Conclusions The fully data-driven artificial intelligence-based grading algorithm herein can be used to screen fundus photos taken from mobile devices and identify with high reliability which cases should be referred to an ophthalmologist for further evaluation and treatment. Translational relevance The implementation of this algorithm on a global basis could drastically reduce the rate of vision loss attributed to DR.
Cannabis-induced oceanic boundlessness.

Background:Despite tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)’s reputation for creating dramatic effects at high doses, empirical work rarely addresses cannabis’s impact on subjective responses common to the trypt...
Thiolutin is a direct inhibitor of RNA Polymerase II

Abstract Thiolutin is a well-known and long-used natural product transcription inhibitor with an unresolved mode of action. Recent studies have identified Zn2+-chelation activity for both thiolutin and the related dithiolopyrrolone holomycin, with direct inhibition of RNA polymerases ruled out as a mode of action. However, negative results for direct transcription inhibition of RNA polymerases in recent studies are contradicted by previously observed thiolutin inhibition of extract fractions containing yeast RNA Polymerases I, II, and III. Here, we present chemical genetic and biochemical approaches to investigate the mode of action of thiolutin. We identify diverse classes of mutant that alter sensitivity to thiolutin. We functionally dissect the multidrug resistance and thioredoxin pathways controlling thiolutin sensitivity. We provide genetic evidence that thiolutin causes oxidation of thioredoxins in vivo and suggest that thiolutin both induces oxidative stress and alters Zn2+, Cu2+ and Mn2+ homeostasis in vivo, recapitulating previously observed thiolutin interactions with Zn2+. Finally, our results resolve contradictory biochemical results for thiolutin inhibition of transcription by direct demonstration of thiolutin inhibition of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) in vitro. Inhibitory activity requires both appropriate reduction of thiolutin and the presence of Mn2+. Thio/Mn2+ inhibition is abrogated when template DNA is pre-bound to Pol II or when excess DTT is present, and renders Pol II pause prone in elongation if initiation is bypassed using a pre-formed Pol II elongation complex. Together, we propose that thiolutin directly inhibits Pol II transcription through a novel mechanism distinct from known transcription inhibitors.
Analysis of anomalous head posturing in patients with infantile nystagmus syndrome

Purpose To investigate anomalous head posturing in patients with INS. Methods This was a prospective, cohort analysis of clinical and anomalous head posture (AHP) data in 34 patients with INS and an AHP. Particular outcome measures included measurement of AHP in three dimensions of pitch (anterior posterior flexion/extension), yaw (lateral rotation), and roll (lateral flexion) during best-corrected binocular acuity testing and during their subjective sense of straight. Patients were also queried as to their subjective sense of head posture in forced straight position and in their preferred AHP. The paired t test was used to determine significance in differences between measures. Results A total of 34 patients (19 males [56%]) 9-56 years of age (mean, 16.5 ± 6) were included. Associated systemic or ocular system deficits were present in 30 patients (88%). AHP during best-corrected visual acuity testing averaged 16.5° ± 8.20° (range, 10°-51°), which was significantly different from the mean voluntary “comfortable” position only in the pitch and roll directions (P Conclusions The clinical AHP of patients with INS exists in all three spatial dimensions of pitch, yaw, and roll. Although the visual system may be causally related to the onset, amount, and direction of a compensatory AHP in patients with INS, its persistence over time or after surgical intervention is likely due to a combination of visual system (eg, nystagmus, strabismus) and nonvisual system (egocentric and musculo-skeletal) factors.
The role of β-hairpin conformation in ester hydrolysis peptide catalysts based on a TrpZip scaffold

To explore the role of peptide conformation on catalytic activity in the context of ester hydrolysis catalysts, pairs of sequences were designed that contained or lacked β-hairpin character. For the hydrolysis of para-nitrophenylacetate in aqueous media, we found small but consistent trends wherein His-containing sequences based on a TrpZip scaffold showed higher catalytic activity without β-hairpin character.
The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Asplenium komarovii Akasawa, a rare fern in South Korea.

We sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of Asplenium komarovii Akasawa (syn: Asplenium scolopendrium L. subsp. japonicum (Komarov) Rasbach, Reichstein & Viane), which is designated as a rare s...
The Bill of Rights and Originalism

Professor Bradley begins the final installment of the University of Illinois Law Review's year-long tribute to the Bill of Rights by proposing that the first ten Amendments, like the Constitution itself, be interpreted according to the original understanding of their ratifiers. Professor Bradley, though, narrows the scope of the exegetical inquiry to what he proposes is the only sound originalism-plain meaning, historically recovered. Professor Bradley argues that interpreting the Bill of Rights according to the text's plain meaning among persons politically active at the time of drafting avoids both the inflexibility and philosophical deficiencies of ''snapshot" conservative originalism and the inebriating rhetoric of liberal recovery of highly abstract value judgments of the founders. The Bicentennial of the Bill of Rights is upon us, and I propose we all take a vow of sobriety. I am not talking about staying off the sauce. I am talking about foreswearing intoxicating rhetoric. The following "Litany of the Amended Constitution" by then Justice Brennan is a potent sample of this inebriant. In its "majestic generalities," "the Constitution embodies the aspiration to social justice, brotherhood, and human dignity that brought this nation into being." It "is the lodestar of our aspirations." It is a sublime oration on the dignity of man.... Brennan worshiped at a hallowed shrine. In 1878 William Gladstone uttered what Cornell historian Michael Kammen calls the most commonly quoted observation about the United States Constitution, ever. Gladstone, who was then a Member of Parliament, wrote that as the British Constitution is the most subtle organism which had proceeded from the womb and the long gestation of progressive history, so the American Constitution is, so far as I can see, the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man. Never mind that Gladstone may have cribbed a little here. Forty­ five years earlier, Supreme Court Justice William Johnson said that the Constitution was "the most wonderful instrument ever drawn by the hand of man." At least Gladstone did not say that the Constitution was found in a burning bush, or that it was delivered from heaven on a spirit­ propelled juristic meteor. Not all the effects of hosannas like these-and of symposia like this one-are stupefying. One good effect may be to (re)kindle in us a desire to retrieve the historical context in which our forefathers worked their impressive, but well short of divine, wonders. What distinguishes their achievements, after all, is that they were not angels but people working in a fixed set of historical circumstances. As Publius taught, if they had been angels, no Constitution or Bill of Rights would have been necessary. Those of us — especially judges — who shape the present meaning of the amended Constitution may then ground our efforts in the document itself, glossed by what its creators thought it meant. If the Bicentennial abets such "originalism," we are better off for it.
Energy Loss and Range of Energetic Neutral Atoms in Solids

Publisher Summary The passage of atomic particles through matter is of considerable interest, because knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the slowing down of the energetic particle gives information about the particle and the medium through which the particle travels. At velocities greater than the orbital velocity of a hydrogen electron, υ > e 2 /ħ, where e is the electronic charge, the energetic particle is ionized and loses energy primarily via inelastic collisions, in which energy is transferred to one or more of the electrons of the atom with which it collides. At such velocities, the energy transfer is a smooth process for which the energy loss and range of a given particle is closely approximated by the mean value for all the particles, and the initial direction of the ion is essentially preserved. As the velocity of the particle is further slowed to υ ∼ e 2 /ħ, the competing mechanism of elastic energy transfer becomes increasingly more important and eventually predominates a t velocities υ ≪ e 2 /ħ. The moving particles, which are now neutral, are slowed via interaction with an atom as a whole and their energy may cause the recoiling “knock-on” atom to be ejected from its lattice site with a resulting cascade of damage to the solid. The relative effects of the two mechanisms in the competitive energy range (WkeV) are discussed in this chapter. However, the main purpose of this chapter is to round out the present picture by reviewing relatively recent work on the range and energy loss in solids of the neutral atoms that lose energy via elastic scatterings.