cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulated behavioral energetics of nonbreeding American robins : The influence of foraging time, intake rate and flying time on weight dynamics

Abstract We describe the development of a simple model representing individual energetic and time budget activities of a nonbreeding American robin ( Turdus migratorius ). In the model, values for energetic costs and physical activity were derived from various literature sources, and are influenced by the proportion of time spent in each activity, time of day, and bird weight. We used multiple combinations of intake rates, foraging times and activity budgets to simulate weight dynamics. In our simulations, a robin had to forage between 21–50% of daylight hours merely to maintain its weight, far more than some studies predict. A robin gained weight by increasing time spent foraging, increasing food intake rates or decreasing flight activity. This model can be a useful tool in exploring the effects of various combinations of behavioral and energetic activities on robin weight. It can also serve as a baseline for future analyses involving the influence of various human activities in American robin behavior and weight dynamics.
Is hiding fair? Exploring consumer resistance to unfairness in opaque pricing

Abstract The recent emergence of opaque websites and their implications in practice have been studied extensively. However, a less highlighted aspect of this distribution method is that it is a special form of price discrimination. Focusing on this aspect, the current study explores the reactions of potential customers subjected to an unfair situation created by the practice of opaque pricing. By utilizing a variation of the Ultimatum Game, the study found through analysis of variance (ANOVA) that approximately 30% of the respondents were willing to avoid a hotel that may be seen as unfair based on using the opaque method, despite sacrificing transaction value. Additional testing suggests that the results are robust when controlling for gender and familiarity with opaque websites. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed along with the findings of the study.
Sulfhydryl modulation of K+ channels in rat ventricular myocytes.

Abstract G. J. Rozanski and Z. Xu. Sulfhydryl Modulation of K+ Channels in Rat Ventricular Myocytes. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2002) 34, 1623–1632. Oxidative stress markedly alters protein function through redox modification of sulfhydryl groups present in cysteine residues. To explore the role of redox state in modulating cardiac K+ channels, this study examined the effects of sulfhydryl modifiers on the repolarizing transient outward current (Ito) in voltage-clamped myocytes from rat ventricle. Oxidized glutathione (GSSG; 5 mM), an endogenous disulfide that specifically reacts with protein sulfhydryls, decreased maximum Ito amplitude from baseline by 49% when added to the external solution (P
Double-tilt in situ TEM holder with multiple electrical contacts and its application in MEMS-based mechanical testing of nanomaterials.

Abstract MEMS and other lab-on-a-chip systems are emerging as attractive alternatives to carry out experiments in situ the electron microscope. However, several electrical connections are usually required for operating these setups. Such connectivity is challenging inside the limited space of the TEM side-entry holder. Here, we design, implement and demonstrate a double-tilt TEM holder with capabilities for up to 9 electrical connections, operating in a high-resolution TEM. We describe the operating principle of the tilting and connection mechanisms and the physical implementation of the holder. To demonstrate the holder capabilities, we calibrate the tilting action, which has limits of ±15°, and establish the insulation resistance of the electronics to be 36 GΩ, appropriate for measurements of currents down to the nano-amp (nA) regime. Furthermore, we demonstrate tensile testing of silver nanowires using a previously developed MEMS device for mechanical testing, using the implemented holder as the platform for electronic operation and sensing. The implemented holder can potentially have broad application to other areas where MEMS or electrically-actuated setups are used to carry out in situ TEM experiments.
A new liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method for 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) in urine

4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a carcinogenic nitrosamine produced upon curing tobacco. It is present in tobacco smoke and undergoes metabolism to 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) in the lungs. NNAL undergoes further uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT)-mediated metabolism to give N- and O-glucuronide metabolites, which together with free (non-conjugated) NNAL are then excreted in the urine. The ability to conduct validated analyses of free and conjugated NNAL in human urine is important in order to assess inter-individual differences in lung cancer risk from exposure to cigarette smoke. The use of stable isotope dilution (SID) methodology in combination with liquid chromatography/multiple reaction monitoring/mass spectrometry (LC/MRM-MS) provides the highest bioanalytical specificity possible for such analyses. We describe a novel derivatization procedure, which results in the formation of a pre-ionized N-propyl-NNAL derivative. The increased LC/MS sensitivity arising from this derivative then makes it possible to analyze free NNAL in only 0.25 mL urine. This substantial reduction in urine volume when compared with other methods that have been developed will help preserve the limited amounts of stored urine samples that are available from on-going longitudinal biomarker studies. The new high sensitivity SID LC/MRM-MS assay was employed to determine free and conjugated NNAL concentrations in urine samples from 60 individual disease-free smokers. Effects of inter-individual differences in urinary creatinine clearance on NNAL concentrations were then assessed and three metabolizer phenotypes were identified in the 60 subjects from the ratio of urinary NNAL glucuronides/free NNAL. Poor metabolizers (PMs, 14 subjects) with a ratio of NNAL glucuronides/free NNAL 5 (mean = 11.1).
Differential Susceptibility of Anthurium Cultivars to Bacterial Blight in Foliar and Systemic Infection Phases

Susceptibility of anthurium cultivars to systemic infection by the bacterial blight pathogen, Xanthomonas campestris pv. dieffenbachiae, was examined using a bioengineered bioluminescent strain (V108LRUH1) and compared with susceptibility to foliar infection. Eight cultivars with different levels of susceptibility to foliar infection were evaluated for their susceptibility to systemic infection. Petioles of second youngest leaves cut near the main stem were inoculated with strain V108LRUH1, and subsequent movement of this bacterium into other petioles was monitored by observing bioluminescence from the plants. The actual extent of systemic movement was determined by reisolating V108LRUH1 from dissected segments of the remaining petioles. In susceptible cultivars, the pathogen advanced very rapidly and nearly reached the distal end of petioles. In resistant cultivars, the pathogen was detected in none (or very few) of the petiole segments. However, the susceptibility ranking among the tested cultivars for systemic infection did not always correspond to the ranking determined for foliar infection: i.e., one cultivar that was susceptible to foliar infection was highly resistant to systemic infection, and vice versa. This suggests that cultivar susceptibility of anthuriums to bacterial blight may differ depending on the phase of disease progression, and thus evaluation for both disease phases is essential for complete understanding of cultivar susceptibility.
Loose Talk: Linguistic Competence and Recognition Ability

Most every day, I have occasion to indulge in loose talk. I tell someone about something I have never seen and could not recognize were I to bump into it. On the other hand, some portions of my world are quite familiar, but I am hard pressed to talk about them for lack of their names. Considering the number of named categories I cannot recognize and the number of familiar objects I cannot properly name, it is almost a surprise to find that I routinely name and recognize a vast portion of my world. Not everything I say is loose talk. Yet, it is clear that the ability to talk about and the ability to recognize are independent skills. This paper considers the significance of the fact that one may know and use a word without being able to recognize its empirical referent. The first section presents some data collected from urban American college students concerning kinds of trees. At least within this limited domain, the average American knows the names for more kinds of trees than he or she is
Detecting data fabrication in clinical trials from cluster analysis perspective

Detecting data fabrication is of great importance in clinical trials. As the role of statisticians in detecting abnormal data patterns has grown, a large number of statistical procedures have been developed, most of which are based on descriptive statistics. Based upon the fact that substantial data fabrication cases have certain clustering structures, this paper discusses the potential for the use of statistical clustering method in fraud detection. Three clustering patterns, angular, neighborhood and repeated measurements clustering, are identified and explored. Correspondingly, simple and efficient test statistics are proposed and randomization tests are carried out. The proposed methods are applied to a 12-week multi-center study for illustration. Extensive simulations are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the procedures.
Resampling-based multiple hypothesis testing procedures for genetic case-control association studies

In case-control studies of unrelated subjects, gene-based hypothesis tests consider whether any tested feature in a candidate gene--single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), haplotypes, or both--are associated with disease. Standard statistical tests are available that control the false-positive rate at the nominal level over all polymorphisms considered. However, more powerful tests can be constructed that use permutation resampling to account for correlations between polymorphisms and test statistics. A key question is whether the gain in power is large enough to justify the computational burden. We compared the computationally simple Simes Global Test to the min P test, which considers the permutation distribution of the minimum p-value from marginal tests of each SNP. In simulation studies incorporating empirical haplotype structures in 15 genes, the min P test controlled the type I error, and was modestly more powerful than the Simes test, by 2.1 percentage points on average. When disease susceptibility was conferred by a haplotype, the min P test sometimes, but not always, under-performed haplotype analysis. A resampling-based omnibus test combining the min P and haplotype frequency test controlled the type I error, and closely tracked the more powerful of the two component tests. This test achieved consistent gains in power (5.7 percentage points on average), compared to a simple Bonferroni test of Simes and haplotype analysis. Using data from the Shanghai Biliary Tract Cancer Study, the advantages of the newly proposed omnibus test were apparent in a population-based study of bile duct cancer and polymorphisms in the prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) gene.
Using Maxent to model the historic distributions of stonefly species in Illinois streams: The effects of regularization and threshold selections

Abstract Species distribution model (SDMs) is increasingly used to determine the distribution range of individual species and identify biodiversity hotspots. Of many technical issues, model over-fitting or over-parameterization is a major concern, which can lead to severe under-prediction. However, under-fitting and over-prediction may also occur if species requirements for environment are inadequately modeled. We used the collection data of stoneflies (Plecoptera, Insecta) from Illinois, USA to examine how often and severely maximum entropy (Maxent) over- or under-predicts species richness and species-occurrence frequency. A recently proposed AICc-based method ( Warren and Seifert, 2011 ) was used for model-complexity control or regularization. Twenty-nine historically well-sampled watersheds were used to validate the predictions. The standard models, which used the default regularization (β = 1), over- or under-predicted, depending on the watershed, species, and threshold used for converting suitability score into species presence–absence. The AICc-selected models (β = 7–40) used 77% less parameters, but often strongly and consistently over-predicted. Three thresholds, equal training sensitivity and specificity, maximizing training sensitivity and specificity (MTSS) and minimum training presence, yielded most accurate estimates. Accordingly, we developed standard models for 41 species and identified the historically species-rich watersheds in Illinois. Our results offer new insight into the effects of regularization and choices of thresholds on Maxent performances.
Raman Gas Species Measurements in Hydrocarbon-Fueled Rocket Engine Injector Flows

Rocket engine propellent injector development at NASA-Marshall includes experimental analysis using optical techniques, such as Raman, fluorescence, or Mie scattering. For the application of spontaneous Raman scattering to hydrocarbon-fueled flows a technique needs to be developed to remove the interfering polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon fluorescence from the relatively weak Raman signals. A current application of such a technique is to the analysis of the mixing and combustion performance of multijet, impinging-jet candidate fuel injectors for the baseline Mars ascent engine, which will burn methane and liquid oxygen produced in-situ on Mars to reduce the propellent mass transported to Mars for future manned Mars missions. The Raman technique takes advantage of the strongly polarized nature of Raman scattering. It is shown to be discernable from unpolarized fluorescence interference by subtracting one polarized image from another. Both of these polarized images are obtained from a single laser pulse by using a polarization-separating calcite rhomb mounted in the imaging spectrograph. A demonstration in a propane-air flame is presented, as well as a high pressure demonstration in the NASA-Marshall Modular Combustion Test Artice, using the liquid methane-liquid oxygen propellant system
The Influence of Social Networks on Patients’ Attitudes Toward Type II Diabetes

Social networks are increasingly recognized as important determinants of many chronic diseases, yet little data exist regarding the influence of social networks on diabetes. We surveyed diabetic patients to determine how social networks affect their overall level of concern regarding diabetes and its complications. We adapted a previously published instrument and surveyed 240 diabetic patients at two primary care practices. Patients recorded the number of family and friends who had diabetes and rated their level of concern about diabetes on a scale of 0% (no concern) to 100% (extremely concerned). Our primary outcome variable was patients’ level of concern (<75% or ≥75%). We developed logistic regression models to determine the effect of disease burden in patients’ social networks on expressed level of concern about diabetes. We received 154 surveys (64% response rate). We found that for each additional family member with diabetes, patients expressed a greater level of concern about diabetes (AOR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–2.0) and its potential complications (AOR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1–1.7). Similarly, patients with an increased number of friends with diabetes expressed greater concern about diabetes (AOR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.9) and its complications (AOR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1–1.7). Patients with a higher prevalence of diabetes within their social networks expressed greater concern about diabetes and diabetic complications. Determining disease burden within patients’ social networks may allow physicians to better understand patients’ perspectives on their disease and ultimately help them achieve meaningful behavioral change.
The effect of endotoxemia on concanavalin A induced alterations in cytoplasmic free calcium in rat spleen cells as determined with Fluo-3.

The effects of acute (3 h) and chronic (30 h) in vivo infusions of Escherichia coli endotoxin on the Ca2+ homeostasis of rat spleen cells was investigated. Conditions were established for obtaining reliable estimates of [Ca2+]i in these cells using the newly-developed Ca2+ indicator Fluo-3. The resting [Ca2+]i of splenocytes and T lymphocyte-enriched preparations were 119 +/- 35 and 102 +/- 31 nM, respectively. Treatment of the cells with concanavalin A (Con A) resulted in a rapid increase in [Ca2+]i. The magnitude of the increase was positively correlated with the concentration of Con A, whereas the time required to reach the maximum [Ca2+]i was inversely related to the amount of Con A. The peak [Ca2+]i was attained more rapidly in splenocytes (i.e. less than or equal to 30 s) than in the T cell-enriched fraction (i.e. 1.5-2.0 min). Both the resting [Ca2+]i and the Con A-induced increase in [Ca2+]i were similar to values previously reported for other lymphocyte cell types using different Ca2+ indicators, thereby supporting the values obtained with Fluo-3. Infusions of saline or endotoxin prior to the isolation of the cells did not result in significant alterations of either resting [Ca2+]i or the cells' response to Con A. Since chronic infusions of endotoxin have previously been shown to cause a reduction in blastogenic responsiveness of splenocytes to Con A, these data suggest that the endotoxin-induced lesion occurs distal to the mobilization of intracellular Ca2+.
The Twin-block appliance, used during the mixed dentition in Class II Division I malocclusions, may provide psychosocial benefits

Original Article O'Brien K, Wright J, Conboy F, Chadwick S, Connolly I, Cook P, et al. Effectiveness of early orthodontic treatment with the Twin-block appliance: a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. Part 2: Psychosocial effects. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2003;124:488-94; discussion 494-5. Level of Evidence 1b Purpose To determine the psychosocial benefits that result from the use of the Twin-block appliance in Class II Division I malocclusions during the mixed dentition Source of Funding Information not available Type of Study/Design Randomized controlled trial
Nonlinear inverse scattering and three-dimensional near-field optical imaging

The nonlinear inverse scattering problem for electromagnetic fields with evanescent components is considered. A solution to this problem is obtained in the form of a functional series expansion. The first term in the expansion corresponds to the pseudoinverse solution to the linearized inverse problem. The higher order terms represent nonlinear corrections to this result. Applications to the problem of three-dimensional optical imaging with subwavelength resolution are described and illustrated with numerical simulations.
Application of the Rotating Cylinder Electrode—E-Brite 26-1/Concentrated Sulfuric Acid

Abstract The corrosion of E-Brite 26-1 has been examined in concentrated sulfuric acid (70 to 93 wt%) using the rotating cylinder electrode (RCE). Two stable corrosion potentials were found: (1) in the passive voltage region and (2) in the active voltage region. Only the active potential is stable after the alloy is cathodically polarized. The corrosion rate at this potential is controlled by the rate of mass transfer of FeSO4 from a saturated surface salt film to the bulk fluid. Enhanced mass transfer caused by surface roughening was detected. The corrosion rate calculated from the active anodic current density (CD) limit obtained from polarization scans agrees with that calculated from weight loss. Practical and rapid velocity testing is possible using only the polarization scans generated from the RCE.
High performance computing for mission-enabling space applications

These demands are driven by factors tied directly to JPL’s future mission set. For example, in some regimes physical testing cannot be performed and/or the cost of performing extensive validation in a physical testbed is prohibitively expensive. The design exploration space for project risk reduction, first principles simulation and data mining to discover new physical phenomena of interest, the need to produce high quality animations in a timely fashion, and design-trade studies for engineering analysis are also driving JPL’s needs for High Capability Computing (HCC) to meet our mission challenges. High Capability Computing involves the use of parallel computer systems (those with hundreds to thousands of processors) to solve a large problem more rapidly than a desktop computer system and/or to solve many variations of a specific problem simultaneously. This is an enabling capability for addressing the most advanced problems in science and engineering. High Capability Computing also includes development of computational technologies that both improve the fidelity of existing applications and spawn the generation of new ones. JPL maintains HCC systems within labs at the group, flight project, and institutional level. Furthermore, with various partners, JPL develops world-class science and engineering analysis software. Many, particularly Earth observing missions, have used HCC in some form since JPL acquired initial systems in the early 1990s. Although one of the main drivers at that time was computational electromagnetics modeling even a few planetary missions, such as Magellan (1989), later benefited from HCC for comnbining radar surface topography data with digital elevation maps to produce visualizations of virtual flyovers of the Venetian surface. Such efforts span from re-processing of past data sets to very recent work such as the calculation of gravity fields, and other measurements, from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. As the technology and our infrastructure advanced so have our capabilities. JPL and Caltech helped pioneer and establish the area of supercomputing in the mid-80s with development
Oxidative stability of wax esters by thermogravimetric analysis

Relative oxidative stabilities of sperm whale oil and eight wax ester preparations were determined by comparing oxygen uptake profiles that had been corrected for ester volatility. Wax esters with unsaturation near the ester bond, even though more volatile, are as stable toward oxidation as those with double bonds near the center of each aliphatic chain.
Radionuclide content of selected root vegetables as influenced by culinary preparation

Abstract A greenhouse study involving root vegetables (carrot, red beet, and turnips) was conducted primarily to evaluate the effect of culinary processing (light washing, scrubbing, and peeling) on the radionuclide content of the edible portions. In terms of concentration ratio of the radionuclides left in roots after peeling, the trend follows: 90 Sr > 137 Cs ⪢ 234 U ≅ 238 U ⩾ 238 Pu . The actinide contents in the roots were apparently due to surface adherence of the contaminated soil particulates as indicated by the diminution of the contents upon brushing the surface, which were further decreased by peeling the skin. Rigorous culinary processing of roots, such as scrubbing or peeling, could substantially diminish the contents of the actinides, but not of the more mobile 90 Sr and 137 Cs .
Thermal Conductivity and Specific Heat Measurements of Single Nanowires

For the effective use of nanowires and nanotubes in their many possible applications in sensing, computation and memory, optoelectronics, and energy conversion, it is important to understand their thermal properties, which may differ considerably from bulk [1]. For example, there is good agreement between theory and experiments on Si nanowires showing that the classical size effect of phonon boundary scattering may reduce the thermal conductivity by up to several orders of magnitude for diameters of 40 nm and up [2, 3, 12, 13]. However, more experiments are needed at 20 nm and smaller diameters. There is also a need for experiments on the specific heat of single nanowires, which is intimately related to thermal conductivity by kinetic theory, and may be altered by quantum confinement effects. We have previously measured the specific heat of a pellet of TiO2 nanotubes of ∼3 nm wall thickness and found it similar to the bulk material at temperatures above ∼80 K [4]; however, questions remain about the possible interactions between adjacent tubes, which single-tube studies would resolve.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Magnetic susceptibilities of titanium-doped corundum crystals

Abstract The temperature dependent magnetic susceptibilities of single crystals of Ti3+-doped Al2O3 have been measured between 14° and 296°K. Analysis of the data with theoretical expressions for the susceptibilities gives g2∥ = 2.55 ± 0.20 and ϱ = 0.85 ± 0.05. Limits are also obtained on the two additional parameters λ and λ/ΔT.
d -fold Hermite-Gauss quadrature

Abstract We extend results presented in Gustafon and Hagler (J. Comput. Appl. Math. 105 (1999) 317–326); Hagler (Ph.D. Thesis, University of Colorado, 1997; J. Comput. Appl. Math. 104 (1999) 163–171; Hagler et al. (Lecture Notes in Pure and Applied Mathematics Series, Vol. 1999, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1998, pp. 187–208) by giving a construction of systems of orthogonal rational functions from systems of orthogonal polynomials and explicating the (2dn)-point d-fold Hermite–Gauss quadrature formula of parameters γ,λ>0: ∫ −∞ ∞ f(x) e −[v [d](γ,λ) (x)] 2 d x= ∑ k=1 2 d n f(h d,n,k (γ,λ) )H d,n,k (γ,λ) +E d,n (γ,λ) [f(x)], where v[d](γ,λ)(x) is the d-fold composition of v(γ,λ)(x)=(1/λ)(x−γ/x) and where the abscissas hd,n,k(γ,λ) and weights Hd,n,k(γ,λ) are given recursively in terms of the abscissas and weights associated with the classical Hermite–Gauss quadrature. Error analysis, tables of numerical values for nodes, and examples and comparisons are included.
A modified enzymatic assay for quantifying choline in fish tissue and common feed ingredients

An enzymatic assay was developed to quantify total choline content in fish tissue and common feed ingredients. The sensitivity of the assay is within a range of 0.5-4 micrograms choline/mL, a level sensitive enough to analyze total choline for most nutritional studies. A coupled assay was performed linking acetylcholine esterase to choline kinase and pyruvate kinase. The production of ADP by choline kinase is equivalent to the total amount of choline present in the sample. ADP stoichiometrically drives the pyruvate kinase reaction, producing pyruvate. Pyruvate can then be quantified following conversion of a nitro-substituted phenylhydrazine (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine) into phenylhydrazone (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone), which can be monitored at 450 nm. This discontinuous assay is efficient, sensitive, and simple to perform.
Multihop Analog Network Coding via Amplify-and-Forward: The High SNR Regime

In the simplest relaying strategy, a network node amplifies and forwards a received signal over a wireless channel. Multihop amplify-and-forward allows for a (noisy) linear combination of signals simultaneously sent from multiple sources to be propagated through the network over multiple layers of relays. The performance of multihop amplify-and-forward is limited by noise propagated to the destination over multiple hops, and we expect this strategy to perform well only in high SNR. In this paper, this intuition is formalized and high-SNR conditions under which multihop amplify-and-forward approaches capacity in a layered relay network are determined. By relating the received signal power and the received power of the propagated noise at the nodes, the rate achievable with multihop amplify-and-forward is determined. In particular, when all received powers are lower bounded by 1/δ, the noise power propagated to the destination over L layers is of the order Lδ. The result demonstrates that multihop amplify-and-forward approaches the cut-set bound as received powers at relays increase. As all powers in the network increase at the same rate, the multihop amplify-and-forward rate and the upper bound are within a gap that is independent of channel gains. This gap grows linearly with the number of nodes.
Polymerase gamma 1 mutations: clinical correlations.

Background:Mitochondrial disorders result from primary defects in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or from defects in nuclear genes which cause disease by affecting the mtDNA. POLG1 is a nuclear gene which encodes for the catalytic subunit of the mtDNA polymerase gamma, essential for mtDNA replication.
Variable selection for quantitative determination of glucose concentration with near-infrared spectroscopy

Near-IR spectroscopy has been used in combination with multivariate calibration techniques such as partial-lest squares regression (PLSR) to quantify glucose concentration in various media. However, for reasonable prediction capability in measuring glucose many calibration samples are needed. n addition, spectroscopic data often contain over 1000 data points, presenting a very large data matrix for calibration. It is desirable to reduce the available data to contain only the information necessary for accurate prediction of chemical concentration before PLSR is applied. This will eliminate noisy variable sand consequently the data can be processed more quickly and efficiently. A variable selection method that reduces prediction bias in single factor partial least square regression models was developed and applied to near-IR absorbance spectra of glucose in two different media: pH buffer and cell culture medium. Comparisons between calibration and prediction capability for full spectra and reduced sets were completed, resulting in statistically equivalent mean squared errors. The number of response variables needed to fit the calibration data and accurately predict concentrations form new spectra was reduced in each case. The algorithm correctly chose the glucose peak areas as the informative variables and computation time was decreased by an order of magnitude.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
How the shape of catalyst nanoparticles determines their crystallographic orientation during carbon nanofiber growth

Abstract A theoretical model is presented that explains spontaneous changes in the crystalline orientation of nanoparticles. The spontaneous changes in crystalline orientation are attributed to the crystal anisotropy of the surface energy of nanocrystalline particles. We consider an important specific case of the chemical vapor deposition growth of carbon nanofibers, where previous studies have shown that both the catalyst nanoparticle shape and the nanofiber growth rate change with changes in the chemical potential of diluted carbon. Energetic considerations of the nanoparticle’s free surface and its interfacial energy with the nanofiber during these shape changes are shown to force a reorientation of the nanoparticle crystallographic axes at a critical growth rate. The model therefore reveals the mechanism by which the shape and crystallographic orientation of the catalyst nanoparticle are linked to the nanofiber growth rate. The model suggests a new way, based upon measurable geometry of nanoparticles during in situ growth experiments, to estimate the role of chemisorption in the attraction of the graphene film to the curved catalyst surface and the anisotropy energy of this interface.
Marijuana and chronic nonmalignant pain in adolescents.

C hronic nonmalignant pain in children and adolescents occurs worldwide and can be associated with a lower selfreported quality of life. Headache, abdominal pain, or musculoskeletal pain is the most common complaint. Comorbid symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, and anxietymay exacerbate pain andcontribute tonotable disability, psychological distress, and impaired functioning. Patients may find it difficult to attend school, concentrate on homework, socialize with friends, or engage in physical activityd ie, activities at the core of being a normal adolescent (patients 13-17 years of age)ddue to ongoing pain. In affected adolescents, evaluations and medical tests may be undertaken over months or longer, with protracted investigations often failing to determine the etiology. Many patients have had unsuccessful medication trials and procedures engendering frustration that “something is being missed.” Patients expect a “quick fix” that, when not forthcoming, may cause them to turn to alternative treatments. Marijuana is one such treatment. Given its widespread availability throughout the United States and expanded use for medical conditions, it is reasonable to anticipate increasing numbers of adolescents turning to marijuana to treat chronic pain. There is a paucity of original research data regarding risks and benefits of marijuana use for treating chronic pain in adults, and there is even less data for treating adolescents. Although benefits may accrue in specific conditions, adverse effects influencing daily functioning (eg, impaired concentration or lengthened reaction time when performing tasks) often limit treatment. More studies are needed in all ages of patients to determine if marijuana effectively reduces chronic nonmalignant pain, withoutmajor adverse effects worsening debility. We could find only one study describing marijuana use to manage pain, mood, and sleep disturbances in an adolescent population. A limitation of this study was its failure to describe participants’ ability to function daily while using marijuana. In this commentary, we describe how marijuana use in 3 adolescent patients presenting to a pediatric chronic pain clinic may have contributed to their functional difficulties. We offer speculative synthesis about the consequences of marijuana consumption and appropriate methods for patient management. During their evaluations, the described patients volunteered that they used marijuana regularly. Urine drug screens are not routinely performed in our clinic and were not used to evaluate these 3 patients. Institutional review board approval was obtained before reporting.
Dynamic model analysis and control of a grid connected wind energy system integrated with a super-capacitor bank

This work presents a wind conversion system with integrated energy storage. The generated power from renewable source is processed by independent dc-dc converters and provided to a dc bus in common with energy storage. The energy storage acts as an auxiliary source to mitigate the wind power fluctuations and to follow the load demand changes, once wind source employment is not desired, the supper capacitor bank is used as backup, in order to keep a dc critical load continuously supplied. From proper process, the dc bus power is delivered to the main grid with high power factor. This paper presents all theoretical analysis referring the proposed system, including the dynamic model for and the control strategy for the system operation on grid-connected mode. Performance of the system in various modes of operation is evaluated based on simulation results in MATLAB environment in order to validate the system operation.
Influence of side chains on phorbol ester binding to protein kinase C

The phorbol esters, natural products derived from plants of the family Euphorbiaceae, are potent tumor promoters and modulators of biological response. Their major site of action is protein kinase C. Three classes of derivatives were examined to better assess the influence of the ester side chains on phorbol ester binding affinity for protein kinase C. A series of phorbol diesters substituted at the 13-OH with biotin separated from the phorbol nucleus by linker arms of variable length were prepared. Although all showed good potency by themselves (half-maximally effective doses of 12–67 nM), addition of avidin greatly inhibited activity, suggesting significant steric constraints on the side chains for retention of activity. At the other extreme, very high concentrations of the unsubstituted parent alcohol phorbol were examined to determine whether phorbol was actually inactive or whether it might simply possess weak binding activity. Inhibition was in fact observed with an apparent Ki of approximately 10 mM. The inhibition was time dependent and not stereospecific, however, suggesting that the inhibition was not due to competitive binding. The third class of compounds examined were phorbol 12- and 13-monoesters. Although approximately 20-fold less potent than the 13-monoesters, the 12-monoesters showed substantial binding activity, in contrast to their reported lack of activity in vivo.
Cell adhesion molecule expression in the sheep thymus.

Abstract Cell adhesion molecules are potential regulating factors in both prethymic and intrathymic T cell development. An experimental challenge has been the development of a large animal model that facilitates in vivo studies of both intrathymic development and lymphocyte migration. To extend earlier studies of thymic development, we have developed a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to a variety of sheep cell adhesion molecules. Immunohistochemistry was used to define mAb reactivity and flow cytometry was used to quantify expression of cell adhesion molecules within the thymus. To facilitate flow cytometry definition of cortical thymocytes, mAbs were developed to the sheep CD1 antigen. Dual parameter flow cytometry provided a phenotypic characterization of cell adhesion molecule expression on both CD1 + and CD1 − sheep thymocyte populations. These studies demonstrated significantly enhanced cortical thymocyte expression of three cell adhesion molecules: β1 integrin (CD29), ICAM-2 and LFA-3. The β1 integrin cell adhesion molecule was also expressed at higher levels on CD1 + thymocytes in post-natal lambs as compared to adult sheep. These studies of thymocyte membrane molecule expression should facilitate future investigations of sheep intrathymic development and T lymphocyte immigration.
Four Black Revolutionary Novels, 1899-1970:

The Black Power Movement of the late 1960s was characterized by its emphasis on black consciousness and black pride, and by its demand for a black self-determination that resisted, violently if necessary, the incursions of the dominant white culture upon the rights of Afro-Americans. The new mood was often extralegal in outlook, proposing to combat violence with counterviolence, to take lives for lives, to pit organized force against the agents of an oppressive government (the police and the national guard). This new mood of the more militant black leadership is understandably reflected in much of the black fiction written during the last three years of the 1960s, notably, in J. Denis Jackson's The Black Commandos, John A Williams' Sons of Darkness, Sons of Light, and Sam Greenlee's The Spook Who Sat by the Door. The first black revolutionary novel, however, Sutton Griggs' Imperium in Imperio, was published more than seventy years ago. Its reissue in several editions is quite timely, for Griggs' seminal work foreshadows the contemporary black revolutionary novel. Griggs describes a secret black society, the "Imperium in Imperio," which plans to engage in open revolt (in collusion with America's enemies)
The passage of a star by a massive black hole

The gridless, smoothed particle hydrodynamic method of Lucy (1977) and Gingold and Monaghan (1977, 1980, a, b, 1981) is used to solve the three-dimensional problem posed by the effects on a 1.0 solar mass star of a 10,000 solar mass black hole's passage, in an initially parabolic orbit with a variety of pericenter distances. It is found that the tidal forces induce rotation and radial and nonradial pulsations in the star, and that the loss of orbital energy to these internal motions leads to the star's capture by the black hole. While the outer layers of the star are disrupted at small pericenter distances, the entire star is destroyed at even smaller distances. These results are applicable to X-ray sources, active galactic nuclei, and quasars
Feedback control for plasma equilibrium in ORMAK

Absolute feedback control of the horizontal plasma position has been implemented on the ORMAK tokamak. Position control was accomplished by combining a pre-programmed vertical field current with a corrector current. The pre-programmed current was that predicted from optimum control theory, based on an approximate knowledge of plasma conditions. The corrector current, which usually is different for each shot, was derived from an on-line computation of the position of the outer poloidal magnetic flux surface. As a result of these controls, this surface can be held constant to within a few millimetres throughout the bulk of the discharge. In practice, the outer poloidal flux surface is deliberately shifted inward so that the centre of the magnetic field it produces is at the geometric centre of the torus.
Postoperative Adjuvant Therapy for Patients With Resected Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Still Controversial After all These Years

Patients with clinical stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) generally are considered candidates for surgical resection, with cure rates as high as 80% reported for some subsets. Locoregional and systemic adjuvant therapies have been evaluated in patients with lymph node involvement or pathologic T3 status, although considerable controversy regarding an appropriate standard of care continues to exist. Several trials have evaluated postoperative radiation therapy, the majority of which suggest that overall survival may be only minimally improved with this adjuvant therapy, but local failure is probably reduced. Trials evaluating the role of adjuvant chemotherapy have been few, often enrolling small numbers of patients. Several recent reviews summarizing the results of these trials suggest that, although some adjuvant chemotherapy regimens may have biological activity, results have not been consistent, and further study is warranted for regimens that include newer chemotherapy agents. CNS relapse is one of the most common sites of metastasis in NSCLC, and prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) has been evaluated in a number of trials to reduce the risk of local failure at this site. Data from these trials strongly suggest that a prospective trial of PCI in patients with NSCLC at high risk for isolated CNS relapse is warranted. Future clinical trials evaluating new radiographic, immunologic, and molecular technologies for early detection of second primary tumors also should be considered, particularly in patients with resected T1N0M0 lesions.
The Flu's Proton Escort

The influenza A virus, which causes seasonal flu, poses a major threat to human health. One recent focus of research has been the M2 protein, a small membrane protein that enables hydrogen ions to enter the viral particle ( 1 , 2 ); this “proton channel” plays a critical role in enabling the virus to infect cells and replicate and in other processes ( 3 , 4 ). In recent flu seasons, a mutation in the M2 protein has rendered the virus resistant to two common antiviral drugs, amantadine and rimantadine. Efforts to develop new antiviral drugs would benefit from a better understanding of M2's structure and how drugs act on the protein, but recent studies have often produced conflicting results. This trend continues with two papers in this issue, by Sharma et al. ( 5 ) on page 509, and Hu et al. ( 6 ) on page 505. There are, however, possible explanations for the apparent inconsistencies in these and other recently reported structures ( 7 , 8 ).
Laser light scattering of polymer solutions

Laser light scattering (LLS), small-angle x-ray scattering, and small-angle neutron scattering are complementary techniques. Together they become unmatched among the physical methods that can be used to investigate the structure and dynamics of polymeric materials over a large range of length and time scales. The unique features of LLS are its ability to determine not only molecular weight, size, and internal motions of polymers in solution or of colloids in suspension, but also the size distribution. The applications of LLS to polymer physics and colloid science have been extensive and noteworthy, especially in particle-size analysis. Two unique examples of (1) Teflon solution characterization and (2) coil-to-globule transition are presented.
New treatments for panic

Panic disorder is a chronic condition for many patients and can be socially, emotionally and occupationally disabling. Until recently, clomipramine and alprazolam were the only drugs approved for its treatment. While widely used in the US and Europe, both belong to drug classes (tricyclics and benzodiazepines) with well-recognised side effects that can be problematic and thus limit their use. Recently, paroxetine became the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor to receive approval and licensing for panic disorder. The short- and long-term efficacy and tolerability of paroxetine in panic disorder has been established in clinical trials of almost 1,000 patients meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-IIIR criteria for panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia. In a 12-week double-blind study of 120 panic patients receiving standardised cognitive therapy, paroxetine was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing panic attack frequency. In a 12-week placebo-controlled comparison in 367 panic patients, paroxetine was at least as effective as clomipramine and better tolerated. There was also some evidence that paroxetine had an earlier onset of action than clomipramine. A 9-month extension of the placebo-controlled comparison with clomipramine showed that the efficacy of paroxetine and clomipramine is maintained when treatment is continued into the longer term. In a relapse prevention study, 105 responders to 3 months' treatment with paroxetine or placebo were re-randomised, either to continue existing treatment or to receive placebo for 3 months. Only 5% of patients who continued to take paroxetine experienced a relapse compared with 30% of those who switched to placebo (P = 0.002). Paroxetine was generally well tolerated. In the short-term trials, the frequency of withdrawals due to adverse events (7.3%) was lower than that for placebo (11.4%) or clomipramine (14.9%). In the longer term, the dropout rate due to adverse events increased in the clomipramine group (19.0%) but was unchanged in the paroxetine group (7.4%). Since most patients with panic disorder will require prolonged treatment, the long-term tolerability of paroxetine and its lack of potential for dependence are important advantages that will encourage good compliance with treatment and improve the quality of life of patients.
FDA Drug Safety Podcasts: Resources for drug information

Abstract Objective To describe a Web-based drug information service provided by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to increase the reach of Drug Safety Communications to pharmacists and other health professionals. Setting The Division of Drug Information (DDI) within the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Office of Communications, Silver Spring, MD, between January 2010 and April 2012. Practice description DDI provides drug information services regarding human drug products and expert advice and guidance on all aspects of CDER activities. Customers include consumers, health professionals, regulated industry, insurance companies, academia, law enforcement, and other government agencies (national and international). Practice innovation Use of audio podcasts to disseminate timely drug safety information targeted toward pharmacists and other health professionals. Results Since 2010, DDI has recorded and published 119 FDA Drug Safety Podcasts that have reached more than 620,000 individuals. Conclusion FDA Drug Safety Podcasts serve as portable and convenient options for pharmacists to stay current on the latest drug safety information. Pharmacists are encouraged to explore incorporating Web-based technologies, such as audio podcasts, into their practices.