cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear Waves and Coherent Vortex Structures in Barotropic β-plane Jets

Abstract We examine the nonlinear evolution of barotropic β-plane jets on a periodic domain with a pseudospectral. A calculation of the linear growth rate yields an infected U-shaped curve on the β versus k0 plane which separates regions of stability and instability. This curve aids in clarifying the morphology of the nonlinear structures which evolve from monochromatic small-amplitude perturbations of wavenumber k0. At very small or zero β, we recover and further quantify previously obtained results, including formation of: dipolar vortex structures or bound pools of opposite-signed vortex regions at small k0; staggered streets isolated vortex pools at intermediate k0; and “cat-eyes” or staggered connected pools of vorticity at large but still unstable k0. As β is increased, the jet exhibits quite different evolutionary patterns. At low k0, where the laminar jet may be stable, we find a multistage instability. First, neutrally stable long-wavelength modes of small amplitude interact nonlinearly to produc...
Refractory wear in sliding gates of steel-teeming ladles

As a result of chemical and petrographic investigations of periclase and corundum plates and collectors, tested in sliding gates of steel-teeming ladles, the authors have established the disintegration mechanism of refractories and given a comparative estimate of their wear. The different zone-formation characters, chemical-mineralogical, and structural changes of the working zones of the refractories indicate that periclase plates are more durable than corundum ones during teeming of metal with a high temperature (more than 1600°C) from large ladles, and also when the gate is in the closed position for the least possible time. Corundum plates exhibit negligibly small wear during teeming of metal with a lower temperature (1580–1590°C) from ladles holding no more than 140 tons.
Removal of adult males from the rearing environment increases preference for same-sex partners in the zebra finch.

The developmental processes producing preferences for opposite-sex mating partners are not well understood. Zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, are colonial and socially monogamous with biparental care. To determine whether the early social environment contributes to sexual partner preference, we removed adult males from breeding colonies when the oldest chicks were less than 1 week old (male-removal rearing) or left them in the breeding cage (control rearing). At independence, male-removal and control offspring were moved to unisex cages. As adults they were given two-choice tests with male versus female stimuli followed by group aviary tests. Male-removal subjects, unlike controls, did not prefer opposite-sex stimuli in the two-choice tests. Male-removal subjects were less likely than controls to successfully pair with opposite-sex birds in the group aviary tests; 38% of them paired with a same-sex bird. Thus early social experience may contribute to a critical component of mate choice, choosing the opposite sex, in this pair-bonding species.
Direct Probing of DNA/Nanopore Interactions Using Optical Tweezers

Solid-state nanopores can be used to analyze the structure of long double-stranded DNA molecules and to probe their interactions with proteins. This method utilizes the native biopolymers' charge to electrically draw the molecules from the cis to the trans side of the pore. In small pores (<5 nm) the transport time of the biopolymer is determined by a balance of the electrical field and the frictional force resulting from interactions with the pore walls and hydrodynamic drag. Despite the central importance of biopolymer dynamics in virtually all nanopore applications, to date there have been no direct measurements of force in small pores during biopolymer transport. Here, we use optical tweezers to dynamically manipulate a λ-DNA molecule threaded through a <5nm pore while simultaneously recording force and ionic current. To characterize the interaction strength in the pore, we measure force/velocity profiles as a function of the applied voltage and ionic strength. By comparing experiments using different-sized pores, we quantify the relative contribution of interactions to the overall translocation dynamics. These measurements provide basic insight into the principles governing translocation in the interaction-dominated regime.
Beam shape coefficients of the most general focused Gaussian laser beam for light scattering applications

Abstract The vector wave equation for electromagnetic waves, when subject to a number of constraints corresponding to propagation of a monochromatic beam, reduces to a pair of inhomogeneous differential equations describing the transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarized beam components. These differential equations are solved analytically to obtain the most general focused Gaussian beam to order s 4 , where s is the beam confinement parameter, and various properties of the most general Gaussian beam are then discussed. The radial fields of the most general Gaussian beam are integrated to obtain the on-axis beam shape coefficients of the generalized Lorenz–Mie theory formalism of light scattering. The beam shape coefficients are then compared with those of the localized Gaussian beam model and the Davis–Barton fifth-order symmetrized beam.
Exosome-mediated inflammasome signaling after central nervous system injury.

Abstract Neuroinflammation is a response against harmful effects of diverse stimuli and participates in the pathogenesis of brain and spinal cord injury (SCI). The innate immune response plays a role in neuroinflammation following CNS injury via activation of multiprotein complexes termed inflammasomes that regulate the activation of caspase 1 and the processing of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. We report here that the expression of components of the nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein-1 (NLRP-1) inflammasome, apoptosis speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), and caspase 1 are significantly elevated in spinal cord motor neurons and cortical neurons after CNS trauma. Moreover, NLRP1 inflammasome proteins are present in exosomes derived from CSF of SCI and traumatic brain-injured patients following trauma. To investigate whether exosomes could be used to therapeutically block inflammasome activation in the CNS, exosomes were isolated from embryonic cortical neuronal cultures and loaded with short-interfering RNA (siRNA) against ASC and administered to spinal cord-injured animals. Neuronal-derived exosomes crossed the injured blood-spinal cord barrier, and delivered their cargo in vivo, resulting in knockdown of ASC protein levels by approximately 76% when compared to SCI rats treated with scrambled siRNA. Surprisingly, siRNA silencing of ASC also led to a significant decrease in caspase 1 activation and processing of IL-1β after SCI. These findings indicate that exosome-mediated siRNA delivery may be a strong candidate to block inflammasome activation following CNS injury. We propose the following signaling cascade for inflammasome activation in peripheral tissues after CNS injury: CNS trauma induces inflammasome activation in the nervous system and secretion of exosomes containing inflammasome protein cargo into cerebral spinal fluid. The inflammasome containing exosomes then fuse with target cells to activate the innate immune response in peripheral tissues. We suggest that these findings may be used to develop new therapeutics to treat the devastating inflammation and cell destruction evoked by CNS injuries. IL-1β and IL-18 = pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Response of Two-Dimensional Separation to Three-Dimensional Disturbances

The present study investigates the development and structure of three-dimensionality due to a three-dimensional velocity perturbation applied to the inlet of an unsteady two-dimensional separation computation. A random noise perturbation and a sine-wave perturbation are considered separately. In both cases, the spanwise variations were amplified in the separation and within the shed vortices. The vortex shedding frequency observed in the two-dimensional computation was not altered by the three dimensional of the flow field. No observable spanwise structure was produced by the random noise perturbation. The sine-wave perturbation, however, produced longitudinal Goertler vortices within the separation. Using a linear stability analysis, the presence of longitudinal vortices in a separated laminar boundary layer was predicted by Inger (1987). When the velocity field was averaged across the span, it was found that the sine-wave perturbation increased the separation length and reduced the strength of shed vortex. The span-averaged streamlines from the random noise perturbation, however, reproduced the unsteady separation of the two-dimensional computations.
Traffic Stop Encounters: Officer and Citizen Race and Perceptions of Police Propriety

The continued legacy of racism and discrimination contribute to racial and ethnic differences in attitudes about the police. This research investigates citizen reports of proper police behavior during traffic stops to understand how officer/citizen race and ethnic pairs influence reports of impropriety. Analysis of 6,301 citizen reports of traffic stop encounters with the police from a unique national survey reveals that net of other important explanatory variables, African-Americans are less likely than whites to report proper police behavior when they encounter officers of any race. In addition, citizen reports indicate that the white/black and black/white officer/citizen encounters are significantly less likely to result in a report of proper police behavior than the white/white officer/citizen pairing. The results show limited support for the importance of citizen race and officer/citizen pairs in determining perception of police behavior.
Formation and properties of composites based on microgels of a responsive polymer and TiO2 nanoparticles.

Abstract Organic–inorganic composites were prepared with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles embedded within colloidal particles of a cross-linked, thermally responsive polymer. To promote the incorporation of unaggregated nanoparticles of TiO 2 , temperature responsive microspherical gels (microgels) of N -isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) with interpenetrating (IP) linear chains of poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) were synthesized. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements revealed that these microgels reversibly shrink and swell in diameter from 300–400 nm to 600–800 nm with temperature. Two types of nanoparticles of TiO 2 were immobilized within the IP-microgels—fine TiO 2 nanoparticles synthesized by the hydrolysis of titanium(IV) isopropoxide and commercially available Degussa P25. Characterization of the composite was conducted using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy from which it was determined that the extent of loading of the TiO 2 within the colloidal particles can be easily manipulated from a low value of 10% (weight) to a value as high as 75%. The TiO 2 nanoparticles were in a dispersed state within the microgels and the composites showed rapid (∼minutes) sedimentation, which is useful for gravity separations. By using turbidometry to characterize the settling behavior of the organic–inorganic composites, it was found that the settling time decreases as the content of TiO 2 increases within the particles.
Discerning the Subfibrillar Structure of Mineralized Collagen Fibrils: A Model for the Ultrastructure of Bone

Biomineralization templated by organic molecules to produce inorganic-organic nanocomposites is a fascinating example of nature using bottom-up strategies at nanoscale to accomplish highly ordered multifunctional materials. One such nanocomposite is bone, composed primarily of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals that are embedded within collagen fibrils with their c-axes arranged roughly parallel to the long axis of the fibrils. Here we discern the ultra-structure of biomimetic mineralized collagen fibrils (MCFs) as consisting of bundles of subfibrils with approximately 10 nm diameter; each one with an organic-inorganic core-shell structure. Through an amorphous calcium phosphate precursor phase the HA nanocrystals were specifically grown along the longitudinal direction of the collagen microfibrils and encapsulated them within the crystal lattice. They intercalated throughout the collagen fibrils such that the mineral phase surrounded the surface of collagen microfibrils forming an interdigitated network. It appears that this arrangement of collagen microfibrils in collagen fibrils is responsible for the observed ultrastructure. Such a subfibrillar nanostructure in MCFs was identified in both synthetic and natural bone, suggesting this is the basic building block of collagen-based hard tissues. Insights into the ultrastructure of mineralized collagen fibrils have the potential to advance our understanding on the biomineralization principles and the relationship between bone’s structure and mechanical properties, including fracture toughness mechanisms. We anticipate that these principles from biological systems can be applied to the rational design of new nanocomposites with improved performance.
A weak propertyL for pairs of matrices

A pair of n x n matrices A, B with complex numbers as elements is said to have the L-property if λA + µB has as characteristic roots λα_i + µβ_i, where α_i are the characteristic roots of A and β_i the characteristic roots of B--taken in a special ordering--and when λ,µ run through all complex numbers. Let one of the matrices, say A, be diagonable (i.e. similar to a diagonal matrix). The following condition on B is then necessary for A and B to have property L (see T. S. MOTZKIN and O. TAUSSKY [1] p. 108--109).
Responses to ozone of varieties of common bean (Phaseolus vulgar is L.)

SUMMARY Varying modes of ozone sensitivity were detected in 12 varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris. Seedlings were exposed to 0.4–0.5 μl 1−1 ozone for 75–135 min in growth chambers, until the most sensitive variety manifested visible damage at the leaf margins. Sensitive varieties showed ozone-induced chlorophyll loss and/or inhibition of photosynthesis. A set of physiological characters thought to mediate ozone response was also assayed in control and fumigated plants: stomatal conductance, the regulator of ozone entry into the leaf; glutathione (as non-protein sulphydryl) and ascorbate, the antioxidants; and polyphenol oxidase activity, a measure of the wound response. Some ozone-tolerant varieties appeared to lower chlorophyll loss solely by blocking ozone entry through decreased stomatal conductances, whereas other ozone-tolerant varieties appeared to mitigate ozone damage through the action of the antioxidants, ascorbate, and non-protein sulphydryl. Similarly, ozone-sensitive varieties showed possible alternative mechanisms of sensitivity. Damage appeared to derive from either comparatively high stomatal conductances, or comparatively low levels of antioxidants in spite of low stomatal conductances. Only one variety showed elevated photosynthesis rates in response to ozone, indicating a potential to repair ozone damage. Elevated ascorbate concentrations appeared to protect some varieties from post-fumigation depressions in photosynthesis. The results were inconclusive regarding the role of polyphenol oxidase as the wound response.
Estimation of the Monin-Obukhov scaling length using on-site instrumentation

Abstract Using the 1973 Minnesota data and the 1968 Kansas data, estimates of the Monin-Obukhov scaling length, L, were compared with values of L computed from the reported values of surface friction velocity and upward heat flux. Two approaches were used to estimate the Monin-Obukhov length, the first employed the gradient Richardson number, Ri, and the second employed the bulk Richardson number, RiB. The errors in the Monin-Obukhov lengths estimated using both approaches were comparable. These results encourage the use of the bulk Richardson number for routine measurement programs since simpler instrumentation is required to compute RiB than is required to compute Ri.
Amiloride and vertebrate gustatory responses to NaCl

Amiloride at < or = 1 microM may block epithelial Na+ channels without affecting other cellular mechanisms, and attenuates gustatory responses to lingual NaCl from the chorda tympani nerves (CT) of gerbil, hamster, rhesus monkey, and several strains of laboratory rat and mouse, and from glossopharyngeally innervated frog taste-receptor cells; at 5 microM to 50 microM, also from Wistar rat and mongrel dog CT. Affected units responded more to NaCl than to KCl. Suppression of CT responses to KCl, HCl, NH4Cl, or saccharides also occurred in some mammals, but amiloride did not elicit responses. Taste-dependent behaviors towards NaCl or KCl were altered. DBA and 129/J laboratory mice, and mudpuppy, were unaffected by amiloride. In humans, 10 microM amiloride both produced taste reports and reduced total intensity of NaCl and LiCl by 15-20%. NaCl and LiCl sourness, and KCl and QHCl bitterness declined, but saltiness generally did not change. Effects on sweetness were inconsistent. Amiloride-sensitive gustatory mechanisms were prominent in some mammals, were not necessary for responses to NaCl, and were of minor importance for human taste.
Structuring financial statement analysis projects to enhance critical thinking skills development

Abstract This paper documents a method of structuring financial statement analysis projects to enhance the development of students’ critical thinking skills. The project is structured in a cooperative learning framework in which a student accesses financial statement information from the World Wide Web, performs a financial statement analysis, and then engages in an exercise with other students who have analyzed firms in the same industry. Both the individual and team phases of the project offer opportunities for students to develop several important critical thinking skills.
Scratch test of soda-lime glass

Abstract A series of single point scratch tests have been performed on soda-lime glass slides using spherical and conical diamond indenters. The conical indenters had different apex angles, 2θ. The force ratio (horizontal to normal) is independent of normal load or driving speed, but increases linearly with cot θ, indicating a plowing mechanism in which the scratch hardness (normal load divided by one half of the vertically projected contact area) is equal to the plowing stress (horizontal force divided by the horizontally projected contact area). As the driving speed increases, the width of the scratch decreases so both the scratch hardness and the plowing stress increase proportionally while the crack density decreases. For spherical indenters, the friction appears to be caused by adhesion rather than plowing. In a liquid environment (water) the horizontal force increases and stick–slip appears. The rate of crack formation seems to follow first order kinetics in which the probability of cracking within an interacting distance is proportional to the fraction of the uncracked portion of the scratch. The damage mechanism changes from deformation to cracking with the increase of scratch depth.
An overview of continuous protein purification processes

As the sphere of influence of recombinant technology moves away from the laboratory bench, towards product commercialization, development of manufacturing and large scale process technology is becoming a major challenge and determinant for commercial success. The challenge is particularly acute for protein purification process development where protein purification costs tend to dominate overall process economics. The primary objective for process scale purification is to minimize cost for a purified product which meets specifications. Continuous processes may be used to facilitate achievement of the overall objectives. This review critically examines the use of continuous processing for protein purification and recovery operations. The processes have been divided into three general areas: adsorptive and chromatographic, electrophoretic, and extractive. Consideration is given to the operational advantages and limitations of the reviewed processes.
N-bridged and H-bridged aminoalanes: Single-crystal X-ray structure determinations for the planar dimer {[(Me3Si)2N]2Al(μ-H)}2 and the puckered four-membered ring compound (Me3Si)2N(Me2N)Al(μ-NMe2)2Al(H)N(SiMe3)2

Abstract The known bis(bis(trimethylsilyl)amino)alane {[(Me 3 Si) 2 N] 2 Al( μ -H)} 2 (1) is obtained from disproportionation of the base-stabilized monomeric bis(trimethylsilyl)aminoalane [(Me 3 Si) 2 NAlH 2 ] · NMe 3 in refluxing toluene. The single-crystal X-ray structure determination for 1 provides a H-bridged planar dimer with exo-cyclic N(SiMe 3 ) 2 groups. The combination of 1 with HNMe 2 in a 1:1 ratio results in competing aminolysis at the Al–H site and transamination at the Al–N(SiMe 3 ) 2 site of 1, as illustrated by the molecular structure of (Me 3 Si) 2 N(Me 2 N)Al( μ -NMe 2 ) 2 Al(H)N(SiMe 3 ) 2 (2) which is isolated from this system. The characteristic structural feature of 2 is a puckered {Al–N–Al–N} ring with different ligands on two aluminum atoms.
Semiannual patterns of erosion and deposition in upper Monterey Canyon from serial multibeam bathymetry

Recently acquired 3-m-resolution 244 kHz multibeam seafloor bathymetry (0.5 m depth precision) reveals geomorphology at sufficient detail to interpret small-scale features and short-term processes in the upper 4 km of Monterey Canyon, California. The study area includes the continental shelf and canyon features from 10 m to 250 m depth. The canyon floor contains an axial channel laterally bounded by elevated complex terrace surfaces. Sand waves with 2 m height and 35 m average wavelength dominate the active part of the canyon floor. The sand waves are strongly asymmetrical, indicating net down-canyon sediment transport in this reach. Terraces, including a broad 25-m-tall terrace complex near the head of the canyon, bear evidence of recent degradation of the canyon floor. Slump scars and gullies having a variety of sizes and relative ages shape the canyon walls. Serial georeferenced digital elevation models were analyzed to detect net changes in bathymetry or morphology occurring during both a six month period (September 2002 to March 2003) and a 24-h period (24 March to 25 March). Significant changes over the six month period include: (1) complete reorganization of the sand waves on the channel floor, (2) local channel degradation creating new 2-m-tall erosional terraces on the channel margins, (3) local channel widening that laterally eroded older channel margin terraces, and (4) 60 m extension of one minor gully head on a steep canyon wall. There were no discernable changes in morphology during the 24-h study period. Raster subtraction of serial bathymetric grids provides estimates of sediment erosion and deposition that occurred between the canyon head and a point 2 km down canyon during the six month study. Erosion of 320,000 m 3 (±80,000 m 3 ) of sediment occurred mainly in the tributaries, along the margins of the axial channel, and in the lowest 700 m of the analyzed reach. This eroded volume was approximately balanced by 260,000 m 3 (±70,000 m 3 ) of sediment deposition that was concentrated in the nearshore region along the rim of the canyon head. There was no measurable sediment gain or loss during the 24-h study period.
Biologies of betrayal: Judas goats and sacrificial mice on the margins of Mexico

Invasive species are the subject of much debate and attention. Social scientific analyses of alien species have focused on rhetoric about invaders, arguing that the discourse about invasive species reflects how people think about nature, culture and agency. In this article, I argue for a focus not only on discourse, but also on what happens in practice in the encounter between field scientists and invasive animals. Through ethnographic fieldwork on Guadalupe Island in Mexico, I analyze both the place of islands in the Mexican nation and invasive species eradication programs as examples of ‘care of the pest’, that is, projects in which scientists carefully tend to invasive organisms in order to produce knowledge about them. This knowledge is then used against the animals to exterminate them in a ‘biology of betrayal’, and occasionally, animals are enlisted into these projects to aid scientists in eradicating fellow members of their species. This article shows how changing perceptions of the value of island ecologies affected the use of the land and the fates of the animals on Guadalupe Island as the island was variously configured as laboratory, field site and slaughterhouse.
Estimating the Most Steady Frame of Reference from Doppler Radar Data

Abstract A method is described to determine the most steady frame of reference of a weather system from data from one or more Doppler radars at three analysis times. The most steady frame of reference is that frame in which the velocity field displays the least mean-square local rate of change. The method makes several improvements on previous attempts: it accommodates data from both stationary and airborne radars, spurious solutions are eliminated, a bias in the solution of the velocity of the most steady frame is removed, and statistical aspects of the formulation are improved.
A monolayer-based lift-off process for patterning chemical vapor deposition copper thin films

We describe a non-lithographic monolayer based patterning process for depositing copper thin film microstructures by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The technique combines the microcontact printin...
False Inferior Pseudoaneurysm: Two-Dimensional and Doppler Echocardiographic Findings

The noninvasive differentiation of true aneurysm from pseudoaneurysm is sensitively and specifically accomplished with two-dimensional echocardiography. Recent reports suggest that Doppler flow patterns may further enhance the specificity of the diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm. We present a patient with ventriculographic and two-dimensional echocardiographic features of an inferior pseudoaneurysm. Doppler examination, however, failed to show phasic flow characteristic of a small communicating orifice between two larger chambers. At surgery, a large posterolateral true aneurysm was found. Thus the addition of Doppler flow patterns to imaging information may help to distinguish pseudoaneurysms from true aneurysms.
Persons, punishment, and free will skepticism

The purpose of this paper is to provide a justification of punishment which can be endorsed by free will skeptics, and which can also be defended against the “using persons as mere means” objection. Free will skeptics must reject retributivism, that is, the view that punishment is just because criminals deserve to suffer based on their actions. Retributivists often claim that theirs is the only justification on which punishment is constrained by desert, and suppose that non-retributive justifications must therefore endorse treating the people punished as mere means to social ends. Retributivists typically presuppose a monolithic conception of desert: they assume that action-based desert is the only kind of desert. But there are also personhood-based desert claims, that is, desert claims which depend not on facts about our actions, but instead on the more abstract fact that we are persons. Since personhood-based desert claims do not depend on facts about our actions, they do not depend on moral responsibility, so free will skeptics can appeal to them just as well as retributivists. What people deserve based on the mere fact of their personhood is to be treated as they would rationally consent to be treated if all they had in view was the mere fact of their personhood. We can work out the implications of this view for punishment by developing a “hypothetical consent” justification in which we select principles of punishment in the Rawlsian original position, so long as we are careful not to smuggle in the retributivist assumption that it is under our control whether we end up as criminals or as law-abiding citizens once we raise the veil of ignorance.
Influence of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis on the androgen regulation of the ocular secretory immune system☆

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the influence of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis on the androgen regulation of the ocular secretory immune system. Studies included the following experiments: (1) Testosterone administration significantly increased the immunoglobulin A (IgA) and free secretory component (SC) levels in tears of adult, orchiectomized and sham-hypophysectomized rats, as compared with those in tears of saline-treated controls. (2) Hypophysectomy completely inhibited this androgen effect. (3) Transfer of the pituitary to under the kidney capsule in orchiectomized and hypophysectomized rats did not restore the physiological conditions required for testosterone's stimulation of tear IgA and SC. (4) Selective ablation of the anterior pituitary gland also interfered with the testosterone-induced elevation of tear IgA and SC content. (5) Treatment of orchiectomized and/or hypophysectomized rats with rat prolactin, growth hormone, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone or vehicle for 4 days had no effect on tear SC and/or IgA levels. Overall, these findings demonstrate that an intact hypothalamic-pituitary axis either supports or mediates the androgen control of the secretory immune system in the eye.
Resonant tunnelling diode oscillator as an alternative LO for SIS receiver applications

The resonant tunnelling diode (RTD) oscillator has been demonstrated for the first time as a local oscillator (LO) in a heterodyne receiver. Noise measurements made on a sensitive 200 GHz superconductor-insulator-superconductor receiver using both a multiplied Gunn diode and an RTD oscillator as the LO revealed no difference in receiver noise as a function of oscillator type.
COLLABORATIVE COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS FOR DISTRIBUTED MICROSENSOR NETWORK SYSTEMS

Abstract Current wireless microsensor network systems with low energy and cost have provided extended capabilities for manufacturing, environmental monitoring, transportation, biomedical care, and security and safety. Because of their miniaturized size, however, microsensors have serious energy constraints and limited computing power. Therefore, microsensor network systems require constraint specific communication protocols to deliver accurate, timely readings despite frequent communication failures. In order to achieve the desired accuracy of data, timeliness, and reliability, this research addresses the importance of fault tolerant and constraints adaptive protocols, and emerging trends in wireless microsensor network systems.
A comparison of cyclobenzaprine and placebo in the management of fibrositis

The efficacy of cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), as compared with placebo, was tested in a 12-week, double-blind, controlled trial of 120 patients with fibrositis. Of the patients who received placebo, 52% dropped out due to lack of efficacy of the drug, compared with 16% of patients taking cyclobenzaprine. The dropout rate due to adverse reactions was similar in the 2 groups. Patients taking cyclobenzaprine experienced a significant decrease in the severity of pain and a significant increase in the quality of sleep. There was a trend toward improvement in the symptoms of fatigue, but morning stiffness was not alleviated. These improvements in symptoms were associated with a significant reduction in the total number of tender points and in muscle tightness. Our findings indicate that cyclobenzaprine is a useful adjunct in treating patients with the fibrositis syndrome.
Presentation of the 2014 Revisions to the RCC-M Code

The paper describes the general approach followed by AFCEN, the French Society for Codified Rules for Design, Construction and In-Service Inspection of Nuclear Island Components, from the technical and organizational points of view. The RCC-M code, reissued in 2012 and modified with addenda in 2013 and 2014, is presented. The main new topics of activity of the RCC-M Subcommittee are considered: conformity with regulation(s), use of International Standards, equivalence with other codes and harmonization, and new requirements for the quality management system.The paper highlights how industrial experience is currently being integrated into the RCC-M code, and how the code is evolving to take into account the enlargement of the AFCEN Membership, new AFCEN organization rules, and the international environment, and best practices. The processes for dealing with requests for modifications and interpretations are described.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Correlation-Based Ranking for Large-Scale Video Concept Retrieval

Motivated by the growing use of multimedia services and the explosion of multimedia collections, efficient retrieval from large-scale multimedia data has become very important in multimedia content analysis and management. In this paper, a novel ranking algorithm is proposed for video retrieval. First, video content is represented by the global and local features and second, multiple correspondence analysis MCA is applied to capture the correlation between video content and semantic concepts. Next, video segments are scored by considering the features with high correlations and the transaction weights converted from correlations. Finally, a user interface is implemented in a video retrieval system that allows the user to enter his/her interested concept, searches videos based on the target concept, ranks the retrieved video segments using the proposed ranking algorithm, and then displays the top-ranked video segments to the user. Experimental results on 30 concepts from the TRECVID high-level feature extraction task have demonstrated that the presented video retrieval system assisted by the proposed ranking algorithm is able to retrieve more video segments belonging to the target concepts and to display more relevant results to the users.
Characteristics of HIV-Positive Patients Treated in a Psychiatric Emergency Department

Objective: Knowledge about the characteristics of patients using psychiatric emergency services is expanding. However, the prevalence of HIV infection among patients treated at psychiatric emergency departments is not known, and neither are the characteristics of HIV-positive patients seen in this setting. Methods: To estimate the prevalence and demographic and clinical correlates of HIV infection among patients utilizing psychiatric emergency services in a level 1 trauma center, the authors analyzed data from a series of 58,301 consecutive visits (28,817 unique patients). Results: Of the total psychiatric emergency visits,
Factors affecting the acceptability of advertisements among professionals

Since restrictions were eliminated by the Supreme Court in 1977, it was to be expected that advertising would increase among professionals in all fields. Both within and across various professions, however, practitioners have been found to advertise their services in markedly varying ways and degrees. The present study attempts to analyze those factors which relate to differentials in the acceptability of various advertisements by three groups of professional practitioners: accountants; dentists; and, lawyers. Utilizing Guttman scaling techniques and multiple regressions analysis, three of five components of professionalism, “collegial maintenance of standards.” adherence to a “code of ethics” and “professional identification,” all emerged as significant differentiators of practitioners’ use of advertisements. In addition, several background factors, years in practice, specific occupation, and location of practice, also were found to be significantly related to professionals’ use of advertisements.
Production of longitudinally polarized electrons for electron-proton collisions

Abstract We discuss methods of designing electron storage rings in such a manner as to produce longitudinally polarized electrons at the interaction point while minimizing depolarization effects. As an example, we present a 10 GeV electron storage ring capable of providing longitudinally polarized electrons for electron-proton collisions in which stochastic depolarization is eliminated (in the absence of machine imperfections). The resultant polarization level of 83% is limited solely by reverse bending.
Food policy and class transformation in revolutionary Nicaragua, 1979–1986

Abstract State grain policy in Nicaragua has represented both a short-run intervention in food production and a longer-run strategy of class transformation. The emphasis given peasant production of corn and beans has depended on both considerations, and has varied over the seven years of the revolutionary process. A class analysis of this policy reveals changing responses by the FSLN to external and internal political and economic conditions. Recent measures point to an acceptance of petty commodity grain production, which may or may not be compatible with socialist agricultural development.
Health status and intimate partner violence: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Study Objective: We identify health variables associated with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV) using self-reported and laboratory measures. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. Participants were a randomized sample of English-speaking women between the ages of 18 and 50 years who presented to a large urban emergency department. Potential participants were screened in the ED for a history of physical abuse and coded as having experienced no IPV (No IPV), as having a recent history of IPV (occurring in the previous 12 months; IPVA), or as having a remote history (most recent occurrence >12 months ago; IPVHx). Participants were interviewed several days later in an outpatient setting regarding demographics, medical care use, and physical and mental health variables. Participants also received urine and blood tests and a pelvic examination. Results: Self-reported health was poorest among women reporting IPVA and best among women reporting no IPVA. Women in the IPVA group differed from women with no IPV history with respect to cocaine use (odds ratio [OR] 4.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4 to 17.3), sexually transmitted diseases (OR 5.1; 95% CI 1.5 to 20.3), and nightmare frequency (OR 11.6; 95% CI 2.3 to 83.4). Women reporting IPVHx were more likely to report a history of sexually transmitted diseases than women with no IPV history (OR 4.1; 95% CI 1.6 to 11.4) and had more frequent nightmares (OR 5.0; 95% CI 1.3 to 24.9). Urine and blood tests identified only 2 variables (hemoglobin levels, mean corpuscular volume) that differed significantly between groups by IPV history; these differences were not clinically significant. Conclusion: Women with a recent history of IPV reported a poorer health status than women with no IPV history; laboratory testing detected few differences. [Brokaw J, Fullerton-Gleason L, Olson L, Crandall C, McLaughlin S, Sklar D. Health status and intimate partner violence: a cross-sectional study. Ann Emerg Med. January 2002;39:31-38.]
A novel large-acceptance threshold gas Cherenkov counter☆

Abstract We have developed a novel design for a threshold gas Cherenkov counter which combines larges phase space acceptance, high detection efficiency for fast electrons, and high rejection of slower particles. The counter consists of an array of compound parabolic light collectors with a scintillation hodoscope placed behind them. We have investigated the properties of this counter by testing a unit cell with electrons, muons and protons. Results of these tests and the design of the counter are discussed.
Pargyline-induced hepatotoxicity: possible mediation by the reactive metabolite, propiolaldehyde.

Abstract Pargyline (N-methyl-N-propargylbenzylamine) is metabolized by the hepatic cytochrome P-450 enzymes to the reactive α,β-unsaturated aldehyde, propiolaldehyde. Since the latter has the potential for causing liver injury, the hepatotoxic effects of pargyline were studied. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered pargyline ranging in dose from 0.125 to 1.40 mmol/kg, ip. Liver glutathione (GSH) levels measured after 2 hr were severely depleted (ED50, 0.53 mmol/kg). SGOT, SGPT, and the liver-to-body weight ratios were assessed 24 hr after pargyline treatment. The serum transferases and the liver weights increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner, with the intial increases occurring between 0.6 and 0.7 mmol/kg pargyline. Light microscopy of histological sections examined at 24 hr revealed significant necrosis, predominantly in the centrilobular region, at doses of 0.70 mmol/kg and greater. Inhibition of the cytochrome P-450 enzymes in vivo by SKF-525A pretreatment blocked these toxic effects thereby implicating metabolism to propiolaldehyde as the toxication reaction. In vitro studies comparing the reactivity of propiolaldehyde and acrolein toward GSH showed that both aldehydes reacted rapidly and nonenzymatically with GSH by 1,4-addition reactions with an observed stoichiometry of 1:1. These results show that the hepatotoxicity of pargyline administered in large doses is likely mediated by its metabolite, propiolaldehyde.
A model of diffusion in the respiratory unit.

Abstract Diffusion between the bronchiole and the exchange surfaces of a typical respiratory unit is simulated by that in a simple model having the shape of a figure of revolution. The model is constructed so as to have the same distributions of surface and volume with distance from the port as does the respiratory unit sketched by Miller. Calculated diffusions in the Miller sketch of a unit and in the model are compared.
Structured-objective rorschach test: a question of choice location.

50 Ss at Utah State University were given the Structured-Objective Rorschach test. An inquiry phase followed each of the responses given by S. Results seem to indicate that: (1) location scores are valid less than 50% of the time, (2) there is an increase in rejection of answers and lessened validity of location scores for the last five blots when compared with the first five, and (3) it is assumed that Ss are making response-choices on bases other than the assigned blot characteristics.
Sudden Cardiac Death in the Athlete Bridging the Gaps Between Evidence, Policy, and Practice

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a young athlete commonly brings to the forefront the many gaps in knowledge regarding how to predict and prevent these rare tragic events.1–3 Although the number of athletic sudden deaths is relatively small, with ≈100 to 150 competitive deaths during sports in the United States annually, they represent an important and emotionally charged public health issue, perhaps out of proportion to the relative risks of other pediatric deaths (Figure 1).1–5 Despite identification of the cardiovascular conditions that predispose to these events, much remains unknown regarding many fundamental issues related to athletic sudden death. The precise frequency with which these events occur in the United States remains unclear because of the absence of athletic death registries (and indeed any SCD registry) with mandatory reporting requirements.1–8 In fact, whether these events are more common in athletes is not at all certain. Additionally, significant gaps in evidence exist related to effectiveness of preventing sudden death in the athlete with preparticipation screening strategies. There are many limitations to the available evidence supporting the notion that athletic restriction improves outcomes. The effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator (AED) programs, evident in casinos and airports, has not necessarily been shown in athletes.9 The ongoing debates related to prediction and prevention of athletic sudden death persists because the standards of evidence-based medicine have not been fulfilled with appropriately designed randomized controlled trials. Figure 1. Causes of death in the US population aged 1 to 21 years. Injury, homicide, and suicide dwarf the number of sudden deaths in athletes. SCD indicates sudden cardiac death. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10.html). On average, every 3 days in the United States a competitive athlete experiences a SCD, and many …
Informed consent in mental health treatment: A sociological perspective

The rise in the mental health movement coincides with a decline in prestige and importance of criminal law. While this may, in part, reflect the greater effectiveness of mental health treatment in dealing with overlapping problems, it also reflects certain problems that criminal law has with the individualistic values of modern society and the value-attractiveness of the mental health professions' commitment to helping the individual. However, many of the same value problems inherent in criminal punishment also apply to some aspects of mental health treatment, especially the paternalism of the doctor-patient relationship and involuntary treatment. Informed consent can be seen as a response to these value conflicts as well as part of the general extension of citizenship rights to the less privileged members of the society. This paper analyzes some of the conflicts inherent in the application of informed consent to mental health treatment from the above perspective.
Magnetophonon resonances of quantum wires in tilted magnetic fields.

The magnetoconductivity of parabolic quantum wires in strong tilted magnetic fields, associated with the magnetophonon resonance effect, is obtained analytically for optical-phonon scattering, by taking the linear-response limit of the results of the nonlinear-response theory developed previously. Neglecting the coupling Hamiltonian term \ensuremath{\sim}${\mathit{B}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathit{B}}_{\mathit{z}}$xz, since its contribution to the total electron energy is minor, the results for the magnetophonon resonance effect display two different periods of oscillation as a function of the strength and direction of the magnetic field and the confinement frequencies. In particular, it is shown that the direction of the magnetic field plays a significant role in determining the relaxation rates and the magnetoconductivity related to the magnetophonon resonances.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage II Right-Sided and Left-Sided Colon Cancer: Analysis of SEER-Medicare Data

Background Survival benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy is established for stage III colon cancer; however, uncertainty exists for stage II patients. Tumor heterogeneity, specifically microsatellite instability (MSI), which is more common in right-sided cancers, may be the reason for this observation. We examined the relationship between adjuvant chemotherapy and overall 5-year mortality for stage II colon cancer by location (right- vs left-side) as a surrogate for MSI.
Economic aspects of the Pacific Northwest-Southwest Intertie

The Pacific Northwest-Southwest Intertie is the largest single electric transmission development project ever undertaken in the United States. It will connect directly or indirectly the major systems of the federal government and public and private electrical systems in 11 western states, promoting a maximum of electrical efficiency. The benefits to these areas of the United States, and to the rest of the nation, will be extensive: over a 50-year pay-out period the total estimated benefits amount to $2.6 billion, with a benefit-to-cost ratio of 2.5 to 1.