cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A review of macroinvertebrate- and fish-based stream health indices

Abstract The focus of this review is to discuss the current uses and developments of macroinvertebrate and fish indicators in riverine ecosystems. Macroinvertebrates and fish are commonly used indicators of stream heath, due to their ability to represent degradation occurring at the local or regional scales, respectively. A total of 78 macroinvertebrate and fish indices were reviewed, and the frequently used macroinvertebrate and fish indices are discussed in detail in the context of aquatic ecosystem health evaluation. This review also discusses several types of common components, or metrics, used in the creation of indices. Following this, the review will focus on the different methods used for macroinvertebrate and fish collection, in both wadeable and non-wadeable aquatic ecosystems. With the basics of macroinvertebrate and fish indices discussed, emphasis will be placed on the application of indices and the different regions for which they are developed. The final section will provide a summary of the benefits and limitations of macroinvertebrate and fish indices. In general, the majority of studies have been performed in wadeable streams; therefore, our knowledge about these indices in non-wadeable streams is limited, which should be the subject of future research.
Quantification of stress-induced damage and post-fire response of 5083 aluminum alloy

Abstract One of the major concerns regarding the use of lightweight materials in ship construction is the response of those materials to fire scenarios, including the residual structural performance after a fire event. This paper presents a study on creep damage evolution in 5083 marine-grade aluminum alloy and its impact on residual mechanical behavior. Tests conducted at 400 °C and pre-selected tensile stress levels were interrupted at target amplitudes of accumulated engineering creep strains to investigate the stress-induced damage using ex-situ characterization. Two-dimensional optical and electron microscopy and three-dimensional X-ray tomography were utilized on samples extracted from these test specimens to characterize the external and internal creep damage. The stress-induced damage is primarily manifested as cavitation and dynamic microstructural evolution. Cavitation morphology, orientation and grain structure evolution were investigated on three perpendicular sample surfaces. A 3D examination of the damage state provided consistent damage information to that obtained from the 2D analysis. The post-fire mechanical properties were also evaluated and linked to the microstructural change. The competing processes of cavitation and grain structure evolution were investigated to develop an understanding of the stress-induced damage associated with high temperature creep.
Issues and considerations in dental implant occlusion: what do we know, and what do we need to find out?

Abstract Implant dentistry continues to struggle with what are the appropriate occlusal concept(s) for implant-supported restorations. The biological and mechanical consequences of the loading environment leads to establishing and maintaining an implant interface in a wide variety of bone quality and quantity, implant and prosthesis designs. To the restorative dentist, the role of occlusion is more focused on extending the service life of the restoration and the connecting abutment(s) than protecting the osseous integration of the implant(s). This study reviews the relevant issues regarding implant occlusion along with implant and prosthesis design in order to provide optimal patient care.
Web 2.0 Applications and Practices for Learning Through Collaboration

This chapter provides a review of the theoretical bases and international research on the uses of Web 2.0 applications for learning through collaboration. Web 2.0 applications empower users with a venue for personal expression, sharing, communicating, and collaborating with others, thus offering enriched opportunities for learning. In our review, we found evidence of engaging and effective uses of Web 2.0 applications such as blogs, wikis, collaborative documents and concept mapping, VoiceThread, video sharing applications (e.g., YouTube), microblogging (e.g., Twitter), social networking sites, and social bookmarking that applied contemporary and foundational educational theory. We also identified opportunities and challenges associated with learning through collaboration with Web 2.0 applications, which can inform research directions and areas to explore for ECT researchers.
Health care expenditure inertia in the OECD countries: a heterogeneous analysis.

Health care expenditure studies of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries remain important because their findings often suggest cost containment and other policy initiatives. This paper focuses on the compatibility of OECD health data with the “expenditure inertia” (or lagged adjustments) hypothesis, by modeling individual country time‐series data of 21 nations for the 1960–1993 period. Maximum likelihood estimates of the Box–Cox transformation regression models reveal that: (a) the hypothesized impact of health “expenditure inertia” is both pervasive and strong, averaging 0.64 across the countries; (b) the real GDP elasticities of health care expenditures vary widely among the countries and average 0.34 in the short run – implying that health care is a necessity; (c) the long run GDP elasticities are less than 1 in 8 countries, unitary elastic in 8 countries and elastic in 5 countries – suggesting that health care is not universally a necessity or a luxury commodity for the OECD countries; (d) physician‐inducement effects (dis‐inducement in a few countries) are weak, with a mean elasticity estimate of 0.17; and (e) no unique functional form approximation model is globally compatible with the data across the countries. Health care cost containment policy implications of these findings are explored.
South Pole aerosol measurements during 1987

An aerosol experiment was conducted during 1987 at the Amundsen-Scott station, South Pole. We measured condensation nuclei (CN) concentration, aerosol scattering extinction ((Yp), aerosol chemistry, aerosol size distribution in the Aitken size range, and aerosol carbon concentration. In addition, a complete set of meteorology data was obtained.
SU-C-207-02: A Method to Estimate the Average Planar Dose From a C-Arm CBCT Acquisition

Purpose: The planar average dose in a C-arm Cone Beam CT (CBCT) acquisition had been estimated in the past by averaging the four peripheral dose measurements in a CTDI phantom and then using the standard 2/3rds peripheral and 1/3 central CTDIw method (hereafter referred to as Dw). The accuracy of this assumption has not been investigated and the purpose of this work is to test the presumed relationship. Methods: Dose measurements were made in the central plane of two consecutively placed 16cm CTDI phantoms using a 0.6cc ionization chamber at each of the 4 peripheral dose bores and in the central dose bore for a C-arm CBCT protocol. The same setup was scanned with a circular cut-out of radiosensitive gafchromic film positioned between the two phantoms to capture the planar dose distribution. Calibration curves for color pixel value after scanning were generated from film strips irradiated at different known dose levels. The planar average dose for red and green pixel values was calculated by summing the dose values in the irradiated circular film cut out. Dw was calculated using the ionization chamber measurements and film dose values at the location of each of the dose bores. Results: The planar averagemore » dose using both the red and green pixel color calibration curves were within 10% agreement of the planar average dose estimated using the Dw method of film dose values at the bore locations. Additionally, an average of the planar average doses calculated using the red and green calibration curves differed from the ionization chamber Dw estimate by only 5%. Conclusion: The method of calculating the planar average dose at the central plane of a C-arm CBCT non-360 rotation by calculating Dw from peripheral and central dose bore measurements is a reasonable approach to estimating the planar average dose. Research Grant, Siemens AG.« less
Einstein's Theory Rings True

In much the same way as a glass lens can focus light, a sufficiently great mass--say a galaxy--can focus the light from a source far beyond it. Reporting in the 1 April Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, a team of U.S. and European astronomers has now used three telescopes to pin down an "Einstein ring," the complete circular image formed when source, gravitational lens, and telescope are in perfect alignment.
Expansin Mode of Action on Cell Walls (Analysis of Wall Hydrolysis, Stress Relaxation, and Binding)

The biochemical mechanisms underlying cell wall expansion in plants have long been a matter of conjecture. Previous work in our laboratory identified two proteins (named "expansins") that catalyze the acid-induced extension of isolated cucumber cell walls. Here we examine the mechanism of expansin action with three approaches. First, we report that expansins did not alter the molecular mass distribution or the viscosity of solutions of matrix polysaccharides. We conclude that expansins do not hydrolyze the major pectins or hemicelluloses of the cucumber wall. Second, we investigated the effects of expansins on stress relaxation of isolated walls. These studies show that expansins account for the pH-sensitive and heat-labile components of wall stress relaxation. In addition, these experiments show that expansins do not cause a progressive weakening of the walls, as might be expected from the action of a hydrolase. Third, we studied the binding of expansins to the cell wall and its components. The binding characteristics are consistent with this being the site of expansin action. We found that expansins bind weakly to crystalline cellulose but that this binding is greatly increased upon coating the cellulose with various hemicelluloses. Xyloglucan, either solubilized or as a coating on cellulose microfibrils, was not very effective as a binding substrate. Expansins were present in growing cell walls in low quantities (approximately 1 part in 5000 on a dry weight basis), suggesting that they function catalytically. We conclude that expansins bind at the interface between cellulose microfibrils and matrix polysaccharides in the wall and induce extension by reversibly disrupting noncovalent bonds within this polymeric network. Our results suggest that a minor structural component of the matrix, other than pectin and xyloglucan, plays an important role in expansin binding to the wall and, presumably, in expansin action.
Distributions of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase activities in the retinal layers of the red-tailed hawk and road runner

The activities of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase were assayed in submicrogram samples from layers of red-tailed hawk and road runner retina. Both enzyme activities were concentrated in and near the inner plexiform layer. Within the inner plexiform layers of both species, activities of each enzyme were concentrated in two bands, one in each half of this layer. Little choline acetyltransferase activity was found superficial to the middle third of the inner nuclear layer. The distributions of acetylcholinesterase activities corresponded well to those of choline acetyltransferase, except in the outer plexiform layer and the outer margin of the inner nuclear layer of the hawk. These distributions of enzyme activities indicate that populations of amacrine cells in the retinae of these species are cholinergic. In addition to these same cells and presumably cholinoceptive amacrine and ganglion cells, acetylcholinesterase activity in the hawk was associated with a population of horizontal cells that may be unrelated to synaptic cholinergic neurotransmission. Choline acetyltransferase activities associated with amacrine somata and processes were about four times greater in the hawk than in the road runner, suggesting important differences in the density and function of cholinergic elements between species. Possible synaptic relationships in the inner plexiform layer consistent with the interspecies differences in enzyme activities are considered.
Development of a Multiple Application Reservoir Simulator for Use on a Vector Computer

This paper describes a new reservoir simulator possessing four distinctive features. It uses a recently developed formulation that is efficient in both black-oil and compositional modeling. It possesses a design that permits it to solve efficiently very large problems on a vector computer while being reasonably efficient on smaller problems and on scalar machines. It uses a novel approach to data management that permits writing most of the program as if it rar in core despite the fact that, in general, data is continually being temporarily stored on and retrieved from disk. Its well management package uses a flexible data structure and logic sequence that permits modeling of complex well and surface facility networks. The paper presents an overview of the simulator, discussing each of the features mentioned above. It also briefly discusses experience to date in using the new program and the conclusions reached based on this experience.
Natural abundance 15N in soil and litter across a nitrate-output gradient in New Hampshire

Abstract Stable isotopes of nitrogen are potentially a valuable tool for regional assessments of nitrogen saturation because they provide an integrated measure of the past nitrogen cycling history of a site. We measured δ15N of soil and litter, as well as net nitrification potential, at three sites across a nitrate-loss gradient in the White Mountains, New Hampshire to test the hypotheses: (1) that δ15N in soil and litter increase across a spatial gradient of nitrate loss; and (2) that δ15N in soil and litter is elevated when nitrification is elevated. δ15N was found not to vary significantly among the three sites. Patterns of leaf litter and forest floor δ15N, however, were strongly influenced by species composition in individual plots. Beech litter had significantly higher δ15N than yellow birch, sugar maple, and red maple. The conifer-dominated plots had significantly lower δ15N in both the organic soil horizons and in litter than did the hardwood-dominated plots. When we adjusted for spatial heterogeneity in mineral soil δ15N values by using an enrichment factor, δ15Nfoliar − δ15NBs, in place of absolute soil δ15N values, a positive relationship was found with net nitrification for hardwoods. δ15N may also be a useful tool for evaluating species differences in nitrogen cycling and nitrogen uptake. The distinct pattern we observed of decreasing δ15N across the continuum from hardwood-dominated to conifer-dominated sites may suggest that local drivers (for example, nitrification rate) regulate the absolute value of foliar δ15N, while species-driven factors (e.g., timing and type of uptake) control the foliar δ15N value of one species relative to another in the same plot.
Effects of residual dry matter on net primary production and plant functional groups in Californian annual grasslands

A five-year experiment tested the response of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and plant functional groups to manipulations in residual dry matter (RDM), reflecting typical grazing practices in Californian annual grasslands. The RDM treatments were 225, 560, 900 and 5000 kg ha )1 with the latter treatment representing no grazing by livestock. ANPP in autumn, winter and spring showed a strong year · RDM interaction indicating that, in periods with higher herbage mass, the highest RDM treatment, representative of no grazing, was usually more productive. However, the opposite pattern was observed for the autumn period when ANPP was lowest. Random effects models indicated that at most 0AE20 of the variation in ANPP for any of the three seasons stemmed from RDM treatments, with the remaining variation partitioned among temporal and spatial dimensions or not explained. Cover of grass species was highest under the highest RDM treatment in four of the five years, and lowest for the lowest RDM treatment compared with the two intermediate RDM treatments in the two years with the highest herbage masses. Cover of forbs and clover was higher on the lowest RDM treatment and lower on the highest RDM treatment than on the intermediate treatments. The results suggest that residual RDM values above 550 kg RDM ha )1 are appropriate for annual grasslands with a mean annual precipitation of more than 400 mm and offer a compromise between herbage use and promotion of future productivity and diversity, but direct control of ANPP and composition via management is not attainable because the environmental factors are predominant.
The design of single crystal materials for magnetic bubble domain applications

The criteria for the existence of stable magnetic bubble domains and their potential in data storage applications are outlined. The development of single crystal materials capable of supporting such domains is reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to both the static and dynamic properties of bubble domains and to how, by careful materials design and preparation, the optimum balance of these properties can be attained.
Precursors and Metabolites of Norepinephrine in Sympathetic Ganglia of the Dog

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine, dopamine, epinephrine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid as well as norepinephrine were measured in dog lumbar sympathetic ganglia. The responses of these compounds to several classes of stimuli were investigated using an isolated time-resolved superfusion system. Nonselective (i.e., amphetamine and high K+) and receptor-mediated selective (oxotremorine) stimuli were used to evoke releases. The overflows of all compounds were measured by HPLC with electrochemical detection. The efficiency of each stimulus was estimated by normalizing the amount of evoked release to the total neurotransmitter pool when the stimulus was applied; i.e., fractional release was calculated. Overflows of all compounds except 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine were enhanced by a 10-min 100 microM amphetamine stimulus, and each of the catecholamine pools (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) was affected to the same degree. By contrast, the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and dopamine pools were more readily releasable than the norepinephrine pool with a 10-min 80 mM K+ stimulus, and these releases were Ca2+ dependent. Epinephrine was released in preference to norepinephrine by a 10-min 1 mM oxotremorine stimulus. The data suggest the existence of at least three types of neurons in dog lumbar ganglia and are consistent with previous histological observations.
A Technique for Sexing Channel Catfish

Abstract A simple, accurate technique has been devised to sex externally channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, regardless of body size or state of gonadal maturation. Male catfish have a single urogenital opening; females have two openings partitioned by a septum—an anterior genital pore, and a posterior urinary pore. In male fish, a single probe can be inserted into the urinary bladder through the urogenital pore. Female fish are differentiated from males by the insertion of two probes, one into the urinary bladder through the urinary pore and the second into the oviduct through the genital pore.
Surface Impedance near the Cyclotron Edge for Helicons in Potassium

An extension of the theory of the anomalous skin effect given by Reuter and Sondheimer to include a magnetic field is used to calculate the surface impedance of a semi-infinite free-electron metal. The magnetic field and the helicon propagation are directed perpendicular to the metal surface. Parameters appropriate to potassium are used in the numerical calculations. Near the cyclotron absorption (Kjeldaas) edge the assumptions of perfectly specular ($p=1$) and completely diffuse ($p=0$) reflection of the electrons at the metal surface lead to significantly different results for the surface impedance. The theory is compared with Taylor's experimental work on potassium. The data for the surface reactance agree well with the theory for $p=0$, the data for the surface resistance do not show satisfactory agreement with the theory for $p=0$ or $p=1$. Possible explanations for this incomplete agreement are presented.
Torsion balance experiments: A low-energy frontier of particle physics

Abstract We review recent mechanical experiments that test some of the most basic principles of physics including the weak and strong forms of the Equivalence Principle, the gravitational inverse-square law, and Lorentz invariance. The very high sensitivity of these tests allows one to place interesting constraints on string-theory inspired conjectures about new Yukawa forces from the exchange of very light scalar, pseudoscalar or vector particles, large extra dimensions, the chameleon mechanism, non-commutative spacetime geometry, and Planck-scale Lorentz violation.
Fundamental considerations in dynamic fracture

Abstract Recently posed questions regarding crack propagation under dynamic transient loads in the form of stress waves are reviewed. Particular attention is devoted to limitations in the accuracies of currently employed experimental methods, notably those based on photoelasticity and on the method of caustics. These limitations are discussed in light of highly transient stress wave conditions at the running crack tip and address also the certainty with which crack tip locations and crack tip speeds can be determined. The problem of representing crack speed behavior in terms of a K-ν relation is discussed and the belief that instantaneous crack speed depends on the past history of the crack tip stress field is supported. A rational view is presented as to why the limiting crack speed is less than the theoretically predicted value.
Minds and Managers: On the Dual Nature Of Human Information Processing And Management

In this paper we present a concept of dual human information processing as an aid to understanding the decision styles and decision strategies of managers. Several threads of thought are woven together: neurological studies of “split-brain” persons, Jung's typology of personality, and philosophical explanations of human duality. The resulting framework differentiates a range of left- to right-hemisphere-dominant decision styles and integrates four decision strategies expressed as approaches to the person and the environment.
Lymphoma-associated skin cancer: Incidence, natural history, and clinical management

The link between immunosuppression and skin cancer has been well described. The two most common situations involving immunosuppression-associated skin cancer are solid organ transplantation and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Patients with lymphoma are more likely to have development of a secondary malignancy, with skin cancer being the most common. The most common types of skin cancer in patients with NHL/CLL include melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma. Many skin cancers demonstrate increased aggressiveness in patients with NHL/CLL and are associated with higher recurrence rates, increased regional metastasis, and death secondary to skin cancer metastases. This review delineates the current research regarding the relationship between NHL/CLL and cutaneous malignancy. Immunosuppressed patients with skin cancer should be treated promptly and aggressively to decrease recurrence and metastases. Regular skin self-examinations, dermatologic examinations, sun-protective habits, and education may prove beneficial in this high-risk patient population.
Interface modification of ITO thin films: organic photovoltaic cells

Abstract In this paper we review our recent studies of the surface characterization of commercially available indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin films, using photoelectron spectroscopies (XPS and UPS) and electrochemistry of chemisorbed probe molecules such as ferrocene dicarboxylic acid (Fc(COOH)2). The modification of these ITO films through chemisorption of carboxylic acid-substituted small molecules, such as Fc(COOH)2, 3-thiophene acetic acid (3-TAA), and the subsequent modification of these interfaces with electrochemically grown conducting polymer (CP) films is also introduced. We report preliminary results of our studies changes in performance of vacuum deposited organic photovoltaic (PV) cells as a result of these ITO substrate modification steps. The surfaces of as-received ITO films, and those cleaned by various solution and plasma-etching processes, are unavoidably hydrolyzed to In(OH)3-like and InOOH-like surface species, which leaves the ITO surface with at most 40–50% of the electronically active sites available for electron transfer reactions. Modification of the ITO surface with electroactive small molecules such as Fc(COOH)2 and 3-TAA provides for better wettability of organic layers to the polar ITO surface and enhanced electrical contact (lower series resistance, RS) between the ITO anode, spin-cast or electrodeposited PEDOT:PSS layers and copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) layers in multilayer (CuPc/C60/BCP) excitonic PV cells. Improvements in PV J/V (current/voltage) responses are noted mainly through increases in short-circuit photocurrent and lowered series resistances (RS) when electroactive small molecules are chemisorbed to the ITO surface, prior to spin-casting of conducting polymer, PEDOT:PSS, layers.
Feasibility Evaluation of a Downhole Steam Generator

A discussion is presented of a downhole steam generator (DHSG); benefits and features are described. The work was done under the management of Sandia Laboratories as part of the U.S. DOE's Project Deep Steam. The effort began with a comparison of alternate ways of generating steam downhole. The most economical was found to be the indirect system, where heat from low-pressure (approximately 5-atm (500-kPal))combustion of fuel oil and air is transferred to high pressure water. A feasibility test unit was constructed and tested extensively; results are described. Comparative economic analyses indicate that the DHSG is competitive with conventional systems even at moderate depths. Below 2,500 ft (762 m) it is a clear choice. 3 refs.
Time–Temperature Analysis, Tension and Compression in PBXs

Time–temperature principles are applied to a wide range of mechanical properties data for two highly-filled polymer composites. Compressive and tensile properties were measured for plastic-bonded explosives (PBX) 9501 and 9502, spanning a wide range of strain rates and temperatures. Stress–strain parameters were determined and carried forward in a time–temperature analysis. For PBX 9501, best-fit constants were −8.0 and −10.0 K per decade of strain rate, for compression and tension, respectively. For PBX 9502, the best-fit constant for all data was −8.0 K/rate decade. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) data for both formulations adhere to the same or similar time–temperature shift factors.
Research Integrity and Everyday Practice of Science

Science traditionally is taught as a linear process based on logic and carried out by objective researchers following the scientific method. Practice of science is a far more nuanced enterprise, one in which intuition and passion become just as important as objectivity and logic. Whether the activity is committing to study a particular research problem, drawing conclusions about a hypothesis under investigation, choosing whether to count results as data or experimental noise, or deciding what information to present in a research paper, ethical challenges inevitably will arise because of the ambiguities inherent in practice. Unless these ambiguities are acknowledged and their sources understood explicitly, responsible conduct of science education will not adequately prepare the individuals receiving the training for the kinds of decisions essential to research integrity that they will have to make as scientists.
Almost disturbance decoupling with global asymptotic stability for nonlinear systems with disturbance-affected unstable zero dynamics

The problem of global almost disturbance decoupling problem with stability for nonlinear system is revisited and is shown to be solvable for a class of nonlinear systems whose zero dynamics contains a chain of integrators affected by disturbance. This result complements some recent work on the topic, where unstable zero dynamics is not allowed to be affected by the disturbances.
The role of social and self‐conscious emotions in the regulation of business‐to‐business relationships in salesperson‐customer interactions

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to go beyond the received view, which is solely rational and economic minded, and to introduce the concept of self‐regulation of behavior by salespersons and customers as essential mechanisms for initiating, maintaining, and resolving business‐to‐business exchanges.Design/methodology/approach – By reviewing emerging research, this paper examines the role of positive and negative social and self‐conscious emotions in salesperson‐customer interactions and how salespersons and customers cope with the response of these emotions so as to better function and adapt to their own, their organizations, and the interpersonal needs of their relationships and to do so mindful of the requisites of co‐workers and the common good.Findings – Four positive emotions were singled‐out as essential to salesperson‐customer relations: pride, attachment, empathy, and emotional wisdom. Six negative emotions were highlighted as key processes in salesperson‐customer relations: guilt, shame, embarra...
Photoinduced Copolymerization and Cycloaddition of 2,3-Dimethyl-1,3-butadiene and Acrylonitrile

The spontaneous photochemical copolymerization of 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene (DMB) and acrylonitrile was investigated at room temperature. The accompanying cycloaddition was also studied. The free radical copolymerization proceeded slowly at several monomer concentrations under UV irradiation. Higher yields of copolymer were observed in the presence of benzophenone as sensitizer, but the cycloadduct yield was almost unaffected. Maximum copolymer yield was obtained at 1:1 feed ratio. The cycloadducts consisted mostly of cyclobutane adducts as well as the Diels−Alder adduct, and the maximum yield of cycloadduct was obtained at approximately 75 mol % DMB in the feed. A mechanism involving the singlet and triplet excited states of DMB is proposed, in which the initiating species is proposed to be the 6-cyano-2-hexene-1,6-diradical, formed by reaction of the triplet excited s-trans DMB with acrylonitrile.
Using Amazon's Mechanical Turk website to measure accuracy of body size estimation and body dissatisfaction

This study investigated Amazon.com's website Mechanical Turk (MTurk) as a research tool for measuring body size estimation and dissatisfaction. 160 U.S. participants completed the BIAS-BD figural drawing scale and demographic questions posted on the MTurk website. The BIAS-BD consists of 17 drawings of various male and female body sizes based on anthropometric data corresponding to a range of 60% below to 140% above the average U.S. adult. Respondents selected a drawing that best reflected their current size and ideal size. Results revealed that respondents overestimated their body size by 6% and desired an ideal size 9.2% smaller than their perceived size. Findings are compared with three previous studies using the BIAS-BD scale. A general correspondence in findings between the four studies was found. We conclude that the MTurk can serve as a viable method for collecting data on the perceptual and attitudinal aspects of body image quickly and inexpensively.
Structural analogues of pyrroline 5-carboxylate specifically inhibit its uptake into cells

Pyrroline 5-carboxylate, a naturally occurring intermediate, is a potent activator of redox-dependent metabolic pathways. This effect of pyrroline 5-carboxylate is due, at least in part, to the special mechanism mediating its entry into cells. Using Chinese hamster ovary cells we recently characterized the cellular uptake of pyrroline 5-carboxylate as a process transferring oxidizing potentialpari passu with cell entry, a process consistent with group translocation. We sought to identify specific inhibitors to probe this unique uptake mechanism, to blockade the metabolic effects of pyrroline 5-carboxylate, and to provide strategies to identify the putative carrier protein. Because pyrroline 5-carboxylate, a ring structure with a tertiary nitrogen, is in spontaneous equilibrium with glutamic-γ-semialdehyde, an openchain structure, we tested analogues of both. Most open-chain aldehydes at 10mm had little effect on the uptake of pyrroline 5-carboxylate. Although succinic semialdehyde did inhibit, its effect was nonspecific in that the uptake of α(methylamino) isobutyric acid was inhibited as much as the uptake of pyrroline 5-carboxylate. In contrast, pyrroline 2-carboxylate and other cyclic compounds with teriary nitrogens, e.g., pyridines, were specific inhibitors of pyrroline 5-carboxylate uptake. Respective potencies of pyridine derivatives depended on the nature and location of constituent groups. Kinetics studies showed that these inhibitors were competitive with pyrroline 5-carboxylate and the most potent inhibitor, 2,6-pyridinedicarboxaldehyde, exhibited aK12 of 0.27±0.05mm. In the face of their effect on P5C uptake, the most potent of thse analogues, 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxaldehyde, did not inhibit the activity of pyrroline 5-carboxylate to proline. Nevertheless, the analogues markedly inhibited the stimulatory effect of P5C on the pentose phosphate shunt. Importantly, not only did 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde protect the pyrroline 5-carboxylate uptake mechanism from the inhibitory effects of a sulfhydryl-reactive agent, but also its inhibitory effect became irreversible in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride. These inhibitors may help discriminate events mediated by the transport carrier from those mediated by intracellular metabolism and may provide a method for identifying and characterizing the putative carrier for P5C.
Cleaning assessment of disinfectant cleaning wipes on an external surface of a medical device contaminated with artificial blood or Streptococcus pneumoniae

Background Improperly cleaned, disinfected, or sterilized reusable medical devices are a critical cause of health care-associated infections. More effective studies are required to address the improvement of cleaning and disinfection instructions, as well as selection of cleaning and disinfecting agents, for surfaces of reusable devices and equipment. Methods Six commercially available disinfectant cleaning wipes were evaluated for their effectiveness to remove a coagulated blood test soil or Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria from the surface of a reusable medical device. Liquid aliquots of the coagulated blood or bacteria were dried onto the surface of the device and removed with the wipes. Effectiveness of the wipes was assessed by 3 methods: residual protein debris by o-phthaldialdehyde analysis, bacterial survival by adenosine triphosphate measurement, and force required to remove the dried debris by force measurement. Results A sodium hypochlorite wipe was most effective in removing protein debris from the device surface. All tested wipes were equivalent in disinfecting bacterial contamination from the device surface. Conclusion The active ingredient, wipe design, and wipe wetness are important factors to consider when selecting a disinfectant cleaning wipe. Additionally, achieving conditions that effectively clean, disinfect, and/or inactivate surface bacterial contamination is critical to preventing the spread of health care-associated infections.
Stimulation of Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase by G Protein-coupled α2-Adrenergic Receptors Does Not Require Agonist-elicited Endocytosis

Agonist-elicited receptor sequestration is strikingly different for the α2A-versus α2B-adrenergic receptor (α2-AR) subtypes; the α2B-AR undergoes rapid and extensive disappearance from the HEK 293 cell surface, whereas the α2A-AR does not (Daunt, D. A., Hurt, C., Hein, L., Kallio, J., Feng, F., and Kobilka, B. K. (1997)Mol. Pharmacol. 51, 711–720; Eason, M. G., and Liggett, S. B. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 25473–25479). Since recent reports suggest that endocytosis is required for some G protein-coupled receptors to stimulate the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade (Daaka, Y., Luttrell, L. M., Ahn, S., Della Rocca, G. J., Ferguson, S. S., Caron, M. G., and Lefkowitz, R. J. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 685–688; Luttrell, L. M., Daaka, Y., Della Rocca, G. J., and Lefkowitz, R. J. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 31648–31656; Ignatova, E. G., Belcheva, M. M., Bohn, L. M., Neuman, M. C., and Coscia, C. J. (1999)J. Neurosci. 19, 56–63), we evaluated the differential ability of these two subtypes to activate MAP kinase. We observed no correlation between subtype-dependent agonist-elicited receptor redistribution and receptor activation of the MAP kinase cascade. Furthermore, incubation of cells with K+-depleted medium eliminated α2B-AR internalization but did not eliminate MAP kinase activation, suggesting that receptor internalization is not a general prerequisite for activation of the MAP kinase cascade via Gi-coupled receptors. We also noted that neither dominant negative dynamin (K44A) nor concanavalin A treatment dramatically altered MAP kinase activation or receptor redistribution, indicating that these experimental tools do not universally block G protein-coupled receptor internalization.
Epidermal intercellular staining with fluorescein-conjugated phytohemagglutinins.

Fluorescein-conjugated phytohemagglutinins, Concanavalin A and Phytohemagglutinin P were used to stain frozen-cut sections of human skin to determine the presence and distribution of carbohydrate-containing substances in the epidermis. An intercellular staining pattern was observed which appeared identical to that found in various forms of pemphigus. The intercellular staining could be inhibited, or abolished, by α-methyl-D-mannopyranoside or α-methyI-D-glucopyranoside in the case of Concanavalin A, and by N-acetyl-D-galactosamine in the case of Phytohemagglutinin P, but not by a variety of other monosaccharides tested. A similar pattern of staining could be produced in vivo in mouse and guinea-pig skin by intradermal injection of fluorescein-conjugated Concanavalin A. Staining with fluorescein isothiocyanate alone produced a staining pattern which was a negative image of that seen with the fluorescein-conjugated phytohemagglutinins, namely cytoplasmic staining, but absent intercellular staining.
The Mayo Lung Project for Early Detection and Localization of Bronchogenic Carcinoma: A Status Report

The Mayo Lung Project (MLP) is a screening program designed to detect bronchogenic carcinoma at a curable stage. Screening tests include chest roentgenograms, three-day "pooled" sputum cytology studies, and lung-health questionnaires. These are being applied every four months to a study population of outpatients who have a high probability of developing lung cancer. Initial patient acceptance of the screening program has been excellent. Small asymptomatic lung cancers have been detected both roentgenographically and cytologically. The two procedures have complemented each other with little overlap. Chest roentgenography has proved most useful in diagnosing peripherally situated cancers, whereas sputum cytology studies have been most effective in identifying early squamous cancer involving major airways. At present, more cancers have been detected roentgenographically than cytologically, but the cytologically detected cases appear to have a better prognosis. Roentgenographically occult cancers have been localized with regularity, although the localization process is complicated. Theoretically, vigorous application of radiologic and cytologic screening, combined with optimum use of localizing procedures and treatment, could increase the five-year survival rate among lung cancer patients to nearly 50 percent. However, the actual survivorship attained will ultimately be determined by currently imponderable factors such as patient acceptance of longterm screening, frequency of multicentric respiratory cancers, and incidence of noncancerous smoking-related diseases, especially chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and ischemic heart disease.
Squeezed state of light

In this tutorial article the authors provide a discussion of squeezed states of light from an elementary point of view. An outline of the topics considered is provided in the contents list below. Following the presentation of topics 1-3, which are of a general nature, they discuss two kinds of nonclassical light: quadrature-squeezed light (topics 4-6) and photon-number-squeezed light (topics 7-9). In the last part of the article they provide a listing of early nonclassical light experiments and consider a number of applications (and potential applications) of squeezed light. Finally, they provide a survey of the available general literature.
Using Art as Language in Large Group Dialogues: The TRECsm Model

In an effort to combat racism, antiracist activists often use the structure of dialogue groups for interracial and transcultural discussions. The assumption that spoken English is an equally access...
Semantics driven dynamic partial-order reduction of MPI-based parallel programs

Most distributed parallel programs in the high performance computing (HPC) arena are written using the MPI library. There is growing interest in using model checking for debugging these MPI programs. In this context, partial-order reduction has considerable potential for containing state explosion, given the distributed memory nature of MPI programs. This potential is largely unmet. In this paper, we first define the formal semantics for a non-trivial subset of MPI. We then prove independence theorems based on theformal semantics, paving the way to a semantically clear and general partial-order reduction approach for MPI. Our work describes, for the first time, the exact dependencies between MPI non-blocking send operations and their tests for completion, namely wait and test. We also offer a cleaner solution than in previous works for MPI wildcard receives,a proper handling of which requires knowledge of the future course of computations. We show that Flanagan and Godefroid's dynamic patial-order reduction algorithm offers a natural way to handle the need for future information. Our initial experimental results are encouraging.
THE ACTION OF DRUGS ON RESPIRATION : I. THE MORPHINE SERIES.

1. A method is described for recording intrathoracic pressure in cats without opening the pleural cavity; active expiratory movements were elicited by inhalation of a constant CO2-air mixture for a given time and a study was made of the action of drugs on inspiration and expiration. 2. Morphine and heroine were found to exert a selective depressant action on the central expiratory mechanism, and the slower rate, with relatively unaltered depth, seemed to be due at least partly to the slower rate of emptying the lungs. Codeine had no depressant action on the respiration of decerebrated cats. 3. Larger doses of morphine or heroine had no further depressant effect on rate or depth of breathing after expiration was made passive, unless circulatory depression appeared, and failure of circulation seemed to be the cause of respiratory depression, rather than the reverse relation. In decerebrated animals large doses of morphine and moderate doses of codeine stimulated the spinal cord, and expiration became active, with a faster rate of breathing. The characteristic action of morphine and heroine on the respiration of the cat is apparently limited to a depression of active expiration.
Evaluation of the molecular and cellular basis for the modulation of thyroid C-cell hormones by aging and food restriction

Male F344 rats fed ad libitum or maintained on 60% of the ad libitum food intake were sacrificed at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age. The thyroids were removed for the analysis of the C-cell hormones, calcitonin, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and somatostatin. In the animals fed ad libitum, the peptide content of all three hormones and their mRNA pools increased significantly with age. The increases were markedly suppressed by food restriction. Similarly, the rate of mRNA synthesis of the hormones increased with age and was attenuated by food restriction. Calcitonin and CGRP containing cells increased in number with age in the ad libitum fed animals. In the food restricted animals the numbers of calcitonin positive cells were consistently but not significantly lower than those of ad libitum fed animals at similar ages. In the case of CGRP containing cells, their numbers were significantly lower in the food restricted than in the ad libitum fed animals from 18 months of age. Our findings indicate that aging and food restriction modulate the levels of the thyroidal C-cell hormones at the levels of cell proliferation and possibly gene transcription.
Applications of Algebraic Geometry to Systems Theory: The McMillan Degree and Kronecker Indices of Transfer Functions as Topological and Holomorphic System Invariants

It is shown that every rational transfer function determines a mapping from the sphere $S^2 $ into the Grassman manifold $G^m (\mathcal{C}^{m + p} )$. Based on this embedding, it is proved that the McMillan degree of a multivariable rational transfer function can be defined using mixed algebro- geometric and algebro- topological methods. The pullback of the map from $S^2 $ into $G^m (\mathcal{C}^{m + p} )$ associates a vector bundle on $S^2 $ with each such transfer function. The Grothendieck invariants of this bundle are shown to be feedback invariants of the transfer function. A complete systems theoretic interpretation of these invariants is obtained by relating the pullback bundle to the kernel bundle of a pencil of matrices associated with a minimal realization of the rational transfer function.
Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Oligodendrocyte Progenitors Aid in Functional Recovery of Sensory Pathways following Contusive Spinal Cord Injury

Background Transplantations of human stem cell derivatives have been widely investigated in rodent models for the potential restoration of function of neural pathways after spinal cord injury (SCI). Studies have already demonstrated cells survival following transplantation in SCI. We sought to evaluate survival and potential therapeutic effects of transplanted human embryonic stem (hES) cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in a contusive injury in rats. Bioluminescence imaging was utilized to verify survivability of cells up to 4 weeks, and somatosensory evoked potential (SSEPs) were recorded at the cortex to monitor function of sensory pathways throughout the 6-week recovery period.
Clearing the TRAIL for Cancer Therapy

The death receptor ligand TRAIL has shown remarkable promise as an anticancer agent. However, TRAIL signaling also activates NF-κB, which induces the antiapoptotic regulators Mcl-1 and cIAP2, thus compromising its efficacy. In this issue of Cancer Cell , El-Deiry and colleagues explore pathways that disrupt TRAIL-induced survival signaling and show that the Myc oncoprotein and the Raf kinase inhibitor Sorafenib sensitize otherwise TRAIL-resistant colon cancer cells by effectively reducing NF-κB-mediated transcription of Mcl-1 . These findings suggest that combining TRAIL with agents that disrupt NF-κB regulation or binding or those that directly destabilize or disable Mcl-1 will have therapeutic benefit.