cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrophoretic mobility of high-molecular-weight, double-stranded DNA on agarose gels.

Abstract A new theoretical model for the migration of high-molecular-weight, double-stranded DNA on agarose gels is presented. This leads to the prediction that under certain conditions of electrophoresis, a linear relationship will exist between the molecular weight of a DNA molecule, raised to the ( −2 3 ) power, and its electrophoretic mobility. Agarose gel electrophoresis of the fragments of bacteriophage λ DNA produced by several restriction endonucleases confirms this relationship, and establishes some of the limits on its linearity. For this work, a polyacrylamide slab gel apparatus was modified for use with agarose gels. This apparatus has several advantages over others commercially available for agarose gel electrophoresis, including the abilities to run a larger number of samples at one time, to use lower-concentration gels, and to maintain better temperature stability across the width of the gel. The validation of the relationship developed here between molecular weight and electrophoretic mobility should make this a useful method for determining the molecular weights of DNA fragments.
Micro Flows: Fundamentals and Simulation

Basic Concepts and Technologies * Governing Equations and Slip Models * Shear-Driven and Separated Micro Flows * Pressure-Driven Micro Flows: Slip Flow Regime * Pressure-Driven Flows: Transition and Free- Molecular Regimes * Thermal Effects in Micro Scales * Prototype Applications of Gas Micro Flows * Electrokinetically-Driven Liquid Micro Flows * Numerical Methods for Continuous Simulation * Numerical Methods for Atomistic Simulation
Self-assembly of three-dimensional metal islands: Nonstrained versus strained islands

A theoretical model for the Volmer-Weber growth of three-dimensional metal islands is proposed, with a dipolar island edge-edge interaction. The existence of such an island edge effect makes the island shape dependent on island size. Furthermore, it induces a stable island size against coarsening, leading to self-assembled islands of uniform size. The dependence of the stable island size on total film coverage is shown to be different for nonstrained versus strained islands, in the regime of strong island-island interaction.
Factors influencing diisopropyl fluorophosphate-induced hypothermia and hyperthermia in the rat

Abstract Exposing rats to the anticholinesterase (anti-ChE) diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) causes a transient period of hypothermia followed by a period of hyperthermia lasting approximately 48 h. Because a fever is a predominant thermoregulatory response in humans exposed to anti-ChE pesticides, the hyperthermic response in the rat may be important to understanding the central neural mechanisms of anti-ChEs. The purpose of the present study was to assess the dependence of DFP-induced thermoregulatory changes on basal behavioral and autonomic activity in the rat. Core temperature (Tc), heart rate (HR), and motor activity (MA) were monitored via radiotelemetry in unrestrained rats 24 h prior to and 72 h after administration of the peanut oil vehicle or 1.5 mg/kg DFP. Mean Tc decreased by ∼4°C by 4 h after DFP, returned to baseline by 27 h, and then remained ∼ 0.8 °C above control daytime levels during the second day after DFP injection. Correlations of DFP-induced hypothermia and hyperthermia with baseline Tc, HR, and MA were performed. The baseline Tc was inversely correlated with the magnitude of DFP-induced hyperthermia (r2 = 0.6). DFP-induced hyperthermia was also inversely correlated with baseline HR and MA. The minimum core temperature during DFP-induced hypothermia was directly correlated with the baseline Tc. The inverse pattern between baseline Tc and DFP-induced hyperthermia is similar to that of rats administered endotoxin and other pyrogenic agents. Sixty percent of the variation in DFP-induced hyperthermia, a toxic response seen > 48 h after exposure, can be explained by individual differences in baseline Tc. This relationship may be important in understanding the thermoregulatory and metabolic effects of anti-ChE agents.
Repeating units of xenopus laevis oocyte-type 5S DNA are heterogeneous in length

The restriction enzymes Hind III and Hae III cleave Xenopus laevis 5S DNA at one and three sites, respectively, in each repeating unit of approximately 700 base pairs. The cleavage sites for both enzymes have been located within the repeating unit by denaturation mapping of the restriction fragments. The Hind III products and one of the Hae III fragments are variable in length, indicating heterogeneity in the length of the repeating unit in 5S DNA. This length heterogeneity is confined to the major A + T-rich spacer region. Repeating units differ from each other by discrete quanta of approximately 15 base pairs. The A + T-rich spacer has been shown to consist largely of tandem subrepeats of just this size (Brownlee, Cartwright, and Brown, 1974). We suggest that the repeat-length heterogeneity is due to variable numbers of these subrepeats in the spacer regions of the major repeating units.
Connecting the Dots: Revealing the Invisible Hand for Sharing Information

9/11 reinforced a fundamental truth: sharing meaningful and accurate information in a timely manner to counter terrorist threats is a national imperative. Since the attacks, the implementation of numerous reforms has improved the sharing of information among critical officials. Underlying these reforms is a transformative principle: that the nation must change from a need-to-know governance model to one predicated on a need-to-share. This essay argues this choice is a false dichotomy, and points to a third model where need-to-know and need-to-share co-exist and are interdependent. This third model recognizes that our challenge is seeking equilibrium between need-to-know and need-to-share to produce a flexible, adaptable marketplace for sharing information.
Break of Logic Symmetry by Self-conflicting Agents: Descriptive vs. Prescriptive Rules

Classical axiomatic uncertainty theories (probability theory and others) model reasoning of rational agents. These theories are prescriptive, i.e., prescribe how a rational agent should reason about uncertainties. In particular, it is prescribed that (1) uncertainty P of any sentencep is evaluated by a single scalar P(p) value, (2) the truth-value of any tautology (por-p) is true, and (3) the truth-value of any contradiction (pnland-p) is false for every proposition p. However, real agents can be quite irrational in many aspects and do not follow rational prescriptions. In this paper, we build a logic of irrational and conflicting agents called I-agent logic of uncertainty (IALU) as a vector logic of evaluations of sentences. This logic does not prescribe rules on how an agent should reason rationally, but describe rules on how agents reason irrationally. This is a descriptive not prescriptive theory in contrast with the classical logic and the probability theories. This provides a new possibility to better understand and model uncertainties associated with social conflict phenomena. We show that the fuzzy logic has a potential to become a scalar version of a descriptive logic of irrational agents because it satisfies several necessary conditions of IALU
Physiological changes during recovery from a primate dorsal column lesion

The evoked potential (EP) over primary somatosensory cortex (SI) was monitored before and after a complete lesion of the primate dorsal column (DC) pathway on one side. The EP was elicited by electrocutaneous or mechanical stimulation of either foot, and was recorded from the contralateral cortical surface for periods of up to 3 months after the lesion. The amplitudes of the three major peaks (P20, N50, and P90) of the cortical somatosensory EP were significantly reduced following interruption of the contralateral DC. Over weeks following the lesion, there was a significant increase in amplitude of the P90 component of the EP that was not evident in the other peaks. The postlesion increases in P90 amplitude were correlated with improved performance on a task that required grasping with either foot, suggesting that behavioral recovery from a DC lesion results in part from neural plasticity, as opposed to a simple relearning of the task.
The Longevity of Cultured Human Cells

: Research in aging is now becoming firmly rooted in the scientific method. If it receives the support it deserves, it may produce the next major advance in biology. This article summarizes some of the biological aspects of the field including hypotheses, the aging of cultured human cells, the inverse relationship between donor age and cell longevity, the senescence of cultured normal cells derived from different animal species, the latent period of explanted cells versus donor age, progeria and Werner's syndrome, and the future of gerontological research. Life expectancy at birth has increased in recent years, but at age 65–70 it has remained virtually fixed. The human lifespan will not be changed significantly until the underlying biological causes of senescence are slowed or stopped. Since support for research in this field is almost non-existent, it is more important to concentrate our efforts on increasing research support for gerontology than on increasing the mean lifespan of man. Without the former, the latter will never be improved.
Formation of the cytotoxic aldehyde acrolein during in vitro degradation of cyclophosphamide.

CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE (I), the widely used antitumour agent synthesized by Arnold and Bourseaux1, has to be biologically converted into an active compound for it to be effective in vivo1–7. This activation takes place preferentially in the liver4, more specifically in its microsomes in the presence of NADPH and oxygen6 by means of the mixed function oxidase system7,8. Brock and Hohorst7 assumed that the cyclophosphamide ring opened by N-dealkylation or O-dealkylation to give primary active metabolites. Norpoth et al.9 favoured O-dealkylation as the mechanism leading to the production of the active transformation product.
Expansion and deletion of triplet repeat sequences in Escherichia coli occur on the leading strand of DNA replication.

Expansions and deletions of triplet repeat sequences that cause human hereditary neurological diseases were previously suggested to be mediated by the formation of DNA hairpins on the lagging strand during replication. The replication properties of CTG·CAG, CGG·CCG, and TTC·GAA repeats were studied inEscherichia coli using an in vivo phagemid system as a model for continuous leading strand synthesis. The repeats were substantially deleted when the CTG, CGG, and GAA repeats were the templates for rolling circle replication from the f1 phage origin. The deletions may be mediated by hairpins formed by these repeat tracts. The distributions of the deletion products of the CTG·CAG and CGG·CCG tracts indicated that hairpins of discrete sizes mediate deletions during complementary strand synthesis. Deletions during rolling circle synthesis are caused by larger hairpins of specific sizes. Thus, most deletion products were of defined lengths, suggesting a preference for specific hairpin intermediates. Small expansions of the CTG·CAG and CGG·CCG repeats were also observed, presumably due to the formation of CTG and CGG hairpins on the nascent complementary strand. Since rolling circle replication has been established in vitro as a model for leading strand synthesis, we conclude that triplet repeat instability can also occur on the leading strand of DNA replication.
Role of dynamic modulation on stability of multilayer Newtonian and viscoelastic flows down an inclined plane

Abstract In this study, we have theoretically investigated the effect of parallel superposition of modulation on the stability of two layer Newtonian and viscoelastic flows down an inclined plane and it has been demonstrated that dynamic modulation can be used to influence the interfacial stability of Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids down an inclined plane. In general, for small and O(1) Reynolds numbers, the effect of dynamic modulation on the interfacial stability of viscoelastic flows is much more pronounced, however, relatively large modulation amplitudes are required to achieve significant stabilization/destabilization. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the influence of dynamic modulation on the stability of the interfacial mode is relatively insensitive to the inclination angle and the disturbance wavenumber. In addition, it has been shown that for Newtonian flows one cannot establish a relationship between the most effective modulation frequencies and the inertial time scales of the flow (i.e. 1/Re1, 1/Re2 or 1/(|Re1−Re2|) or the frequency of the most dangerous interfacial mode in absence of modulations. Similarly, for viscoelastic flows at small and O(1) Re, no clear connection between the most stabilizing or destabilizing modulation frequencies and the fluid time scales have been established (i.e. 1/We1, 1/We2 or 1/|We1−We2|). Finally, it has been shown that the mechanism of purely elastic and inertial interfacial instabilities in multilayer flows down an inclined plane is unchanged in the presence of dynamic modulation.
Conceptualizing ‘Justice’ in Detectives' Decision Making

Abstract ‘Justice’ is commonly defined as rightfulness or fairness, in a wide range of contexts. What constitutes ‘justice’ in detectives' decision making in criminal investigations can begin to be explored only after one is able to place certain values on various degrees of power, freedom and equality. Also this exploration of ‘justice’ in police decision making must be pursued in association with an interrogation of the occupational culture shaped and influenced by both the police organizational structure and the social economic order. This article offers an analysis of police discretionary powers in reference to ‘justice’ in order to attempt to achieve a clearer understanding of policing specifically as it translates to protecting privileged positions and its impact on detectives' decision makings in the investigation of criminal cases.
Statics and dynamics of discrete nonlinear lattice structures

The dynamics of an impure sine-Gordon chain is studied in a linearized approximation using the Matsubara locator expansion method, demonstrating a low-frequency damping peak. In the weak-pinning regime the results follow from the localization of phonons rather than from the accomodation of the chain to the impurity wells.
Some Implications for Home-School Linkages.

The purpose of this study was to examine the needs of parents of gifted children in order to identify possibilities for home‐school linkages. Parents (N=98) responded to a nine‐item questionnaire which focused on issues related to family and school relationships. Results indicated a need for improved home‐school interaction, especially in the areas of early identification and programming, parent‐teacher communication and overall awareness of the special needs of gifted children and their families.
Effect of degree of crosslinking on the tearing energy

Much recent work has been carried out on the tear behavior of elastomers, both filled and unfilled, especially by workers at the Natural Rubber Producer's Research Association. By use of a criterion for tearing involving the concept of the tearing energy, the effects of variables such as test temperature, test rate, specimen geometry, and chemical nature of the elastomer have been investigated. The one variable which has not yet been studied is the specific effect of changes in the degree of crosslinking on tear behavior. By use of data published in the literature on the smooth tear behavior of unfilled SBR vulcanizates, it is shown that these data can all be superposed onto a common response curve when the proper normalizations are applied.
Application of Crossbar Relays to the Control of a Buncher Ring

The high-current beam research at Livermore requires the capability of bunching the 700-A, 6-MeV electron beam of the Astron electron accelerator. The mass of the particles in the beam are modulated by an RF cavity and then transported around a 30-ft-diam.ring to produce bunching. The ring uses a set of eight bending magnets, a set of eight focusing magnets, and eight defocusing magnets. Each set of magnets is series connected and excited from a single power supply. To provide the necessary field trimming, a three-decade set of digitally actuated resistors is connected across each magnet.
Computerized auditory cognitive training to improve cognition and functional outcomes in patients with heart failure: Results of a pilot study.

Abstract Objectives Feasibility and efficacy of computerized auditory cognitive training (ACT) was examined among patients with heart failure (HF). Background Individuals with HF have four times increased risk of cognitive impairment, yet cognitive intervention studies are sparse. Methods A pilot randomized controlled design was used. Results The ACT group (n = 9) and control group (n = 8) had similar baseline characteristics. Seven participants (78%) completed ≥18 hours of ACT. Medium effect sizes were observed for improved cognition as indicated by auditory processing speed (d = 0.78), speech processing (d = 0.88), and working memory (d = 0.44–0.50). Small effect sizes were found for improved functional outcomes including HF selfcare (d = 0.34), Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (d = 0.32), Six-Minute Walk Test (d = 0.38) and Short-Form-36 (d = 0.22) relative to controls. Conclusion Results indicated ACT is feasible among persons with HF. Despite a small sample size, ACT showed potential for improved speed of processing and working memory and improved functional outcomes, and warrants further exploration.
TC99M MCP-1 imaging of chronic rejection in rat cardiac allografts.

Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 (MCP-1) is a chemokine important to the recruitment of perivascular monocytes in transplanted organs. Its expression is associated with the development of chronic rejection as manifested by graft coronary artery disease (GCAD) following cardiac transplantation. This study assesses whether radiolabelled MCP-1 binds to its receptors in chronic cardiac allografts and thereby provides a potential imaging modality to assess GCAD. Methods: Allogeneic (PVG-.ACI, n59) and syngeneic (ACI.ACI, n59) rat heterotopic heart transplants were performed. Allograft recipients were treated with 7.5mg/kg/day of oral Cyclosporin A for ten days until tolerance was achieved. After 90 days, animals were infused intravenously with Tc99m MCP-1 and sacrificed after one hour. Radioactivity of heart tissues was measured in scintillation well counters and expressed as a ratio to that of uptake in the overall blood pool. Autoradiographs were imaged by exposing 50-micron desiccated sections on a phosphoimager overnight. Additional sections were fixed in 10% formalin prior to paraffin embedding and cutting into 5-micron sections for elastin von Gieson staining. Hearts were scored for luminal narrowing and intima to media ratio (I/M) with computerized image analysis. Results: Allografts exhibited significantly more luminal narrowing (22.5610.7% vs. 2.664.6%, p5.0005) and higher I/M (0.17360.151 vs. 0.01560.029, p5.0088) than isografts. The ratio of heart tissue well counts to that of the blood pool demonstrated 1.44 times greater Tc99m MCP-1 uptake in allografts (1.04) compared to isograft controls (0.72) (p50.03). The figure shows representative autoradiograph images of native, isograft, and allograft cross sections. Conclusion: Tc99m bound MCP-1 is higher in allografts vs. isografts which is consistent with a greater degree of vasculopathy. These data provide a foundation for the development of a potentially noninvasive imaging assay of chronic rejection after heart transplantation.
The relative contribution of assisted reproductive technologies and ovulation induction to multiple births in the United States 5 years after the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology/American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommendation to limit the number of embryos transferred

Objective To examine the effect of the 1998 Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology/American Society for Reproductive Medicine (SART/ASRM) Practice Committee recommendation to limit the number of embryos transferred on high order multiple births (HOMB) due to assisted reproduction technology (ART) and ovulation induction (OI) in the United States. Setting None. Design Analysis of U.S. natality files, and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ASRM/SART registry reports. Setting None. Patient(s) None. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Number and ratio of twin, triplet, and quadruplet or higher order (quadruplet/+) multiple births. Percentage of HOMB due to ART, OI, natural conception, and unexplained. Result(s) Between 1998 and 2003, the number of twin births (number of live-born infants in twin deliveries) in the United States increased 17%, and the number of HOMB was unchanged. Since 1998, total births due to ART increased 67%, twin births increased 65%, triplet births deceased 8%, and quadruplet/+ births decreased 35%. The ratio of twin, triplet, and quadruplet/+ births to total ART births decreased 2%, 45%, and 61% respectively. In 2003, the estimated percentages of multiple births due to ART and OI were twins 16% and 21%, triplets 45% and 37%, and quadruplets/+ 30% and 62%, respectively. Conclusion(s) Following publication of the SART/ASRM recommended limits on number of embryos transferred, the ratio of HOMB births to total ART births decreased substantially; however, U.S. HOMB did not decrease due to a 67% increase in total ART births and an increase in triplet births from OI.
Honeynets: an educational resource for IT security

Similar to the "Tar Baby" from Uncle Remus [1], a Honeynet is a system designed to attract troublemakers lurking about on the Internet. Honeynets are a creation of the IT security world intended to draw the attention of hackers, identify the tools in their toolkit, and learn their modus operandi. Our thesis is that Honeynets can be deployed safely in an educational environment to provide students with real-time security education. Honeynets provide vital information on current security threats, attacker tools, and attacker mentality. When implemented properly, Honeynets can also provide IT students with experience in a wide range of skills, helping to focus those skills on network and information security. Furthermore, the research that comes from Honeynets can be shared with IT security professionals to help raise awareness and increase security throughout the world. In a society where technology changes rapidly, the inability to provide IT students with the most current tools and information can quickly become a major detriment to IT education. Due to communication delays and the difficulty in keeping educators current in technology, IT students often receive outdated information. A Honeynet experiment is underway in the IT Security Lab of a higher education institution focused on educating IT engineers. The conclusion of current research is that Honeynets can indeed be an effective educational resource and tool to help solve the dynamically changing challenges in security education.
Wide-spread genetic variability and the paradox of effective population size in the gag, Mycteroperca microlepis , along the West Florida Shelf

Wide-ranging marine species are often described as having a low effective population size (N e) to census size (N) ratio. This genetic phenomenon is typically attributed to large variation among individuals in reproductive success because of the high mortality rates and unpredictable environments associated with larval dispersal. In this study, we examined patterns of genetic variation in gag (Mycteroperca microlepis) on the West Florida Shelf across year classes of post-settlement juveniles and spawning adults. With no significant genetic differentiation among year classes despite varying recruitment dynamics, little evidence for chaotic genetic patchiness, and no truncation of adult genetic diversity in subsequent juvenile cohorts, there was little support for large variation among individual in reproductive success contributing to a low N e/N ratio. In fact, the consistent lack of significant differences in annual recruitment classes indicated that reproductive success among individuals was resistant to skewing. Among the various evolutionary forces that may be affecting N e, changes to demography due to fishing pressure are posited as a likely mechanism affecting current levels of genetic variation.
A Framework for Distributed VLSI Simulation on a Network of Workstations

A distributed framework for logic simulation is presented. Switch-level simulation has been mapped to a distributed platform using a network of workstations on an Ethernet bus. Model parallelism is used with preprocessing to partition the circuit to be simulated among the processors. The simulation algorithm is decoupled from the communication layers to ensure easy portability. We have proposed a high level pipelining scheme with multiple buffers to overcome the effects of a low bandwidth network. Speedups of up to 4.1 with 5 processors have been obtained for medium sized ISCAS benchmark circuits. The speedups achieved using distributed simulation are very close to that obtained by the same switch-level simulator imple mented on a shared memory parallel machine. Novel techniques to improve the performance of distributed simulation have also been implemented on a shared memory parallel machine.
Evaluation of Embedded Intelligent Real‐time Systems*

Over the past two decades, questions have surfaced about the effectiveness and contribution of intelligent systems to decision makers in a variety of settings. This paper focuses on the evaluation challenges associated with intelligent real-time software systems that are embedded in larger host systems. With the proliferation of such systems in operational settings such as aerospace, medical, manufacturing, and transportation systems, increased attention to evaluations of such systems, and to resulting software safety, is warranted. This paper describes one such evaluation and proposes a set of evaluation criteria for embedded intelligent real-time systems (EIRTS). Implications of the evaluation and the evaluation criteria are discussed.
Adsorption of cyanine dyes on gold nanoparticles and formation of J-aggregates in the nanoparticle assembly.

This paper describes the results of an investigation of the interparticle interactions and reactivities in the assembly of gold nanoparticles mediated by cyanine dyes. The combination of the positively charged indolenine cyanine dyes and the negatively charged gold nanoparticles is shown to form a J-aggregate bridged assembly of nanoparticles, in addition to hydrophobic interparticle and electrostatic dye−particle interactions. Such interparticle interactions and reactivities are studied by probing the absorption of J-aggregates and fluorescence from the dyes and the surface plasmon resonance absorption from the nanoparticles. The J-aggregation of the dyes adsorbed on the nanoparticles is shown to play an important role in the assembly of nanoparticles. The spectral evolution of the J-band of the dyes and the surface plasmon resonance band of the nanoparticles was found to be sensitive to the nature of the charge and the structure of the dyes. The fluorescence quenching for the dyes was shown to be quanti...
Association between prior experiences of discrimination and patients' attitudes towards health care providers collecting information about race and ethnicity

BACKGROUND Previously, we reported a high level of comfort among Californians for collecting race/ethnicity information by health care providers (HCPs). However, minorities were less comfortable providing race/ethnicity information and were more worried than non-Hispanic whites about the potential misuse of this information.
Functional analysis by site-directed mutagenesis of individual amino acid residues in the flavin domain of Neurospora crassa nitrate reductase.

Nitrate reductase of Neurospora crassa is a complex multi-redox protein composed of two identical subunits, each of which contains three distinct domains, an amino-terminal domain that contains a molybdopterin cofactor, a central heme-containing domain, and a carboxy-terminal domain which binds a flavin and a pyridine nucleotide cofactor. The flavin domain of nitrate reductase appears to have structural and functional similarity to ferredoxin NADPH reductase (FNR). Using the crystal structure of FNR and amino acid identities in numerous nitrate reductases as guides, site-directed mutagenesis was used to replace specific amino acids suspected to be involved in the binding of the flavin or pyridine nucleotide cofactors and thus important for the catalytic function of the flavin domain. Each mutant flavin domain protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and analyzed for NADPH: ferricyanide reductase activity. The effect of each amino acid substitution upon the activity of the complete nitrate reductase reaction was also examined by transforming each manipulated gene into a nit-3 − null mutant of N. crassa. Our results identify amino acid residues which are critical for function of the flavin domain of nitrate reductase and appear to be important for the binding of the flavin or the pyridine nucleotide cofactors.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in professional sports: retrospective and prospective views

AbstractPrimary objective: The purposes of this paper are to review: (1) the history of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in sports, (2) the similarities and differences between historic and current definitions of CTE, (3) recent epidemiology and cohort studies of CTE and (4) controversies regarding the current CTE positions.Research design: Not applicable.Methods and procedures: Selective review of published articles relevant to CTE.Main outcome and results: The current definitions of CTE have evolved from its original definition and now rely heavily on the post-mortem detection of hyperphosphorylated tau for diagnosis. As of 2013, there is a blended cohort of 110 professional athletes diagnosed with CTE. It is being assumed that concussions and/or sub-concussive impacts in contact sports are the sole cause of CTE.Conclusions: There are multiple causes of abnormal tau protein deposition in the human brain and the pathogenesis of CTE may not be related solely to concussion and/or sub-concussive injur...
Information Search and Shopping Intentions Through Internet for Apparel Products

This study was designed to identify variables related to Internet information search and shopping intentions for apparel products among computer users residing in major metropolitan cities across t...
Kinking of a Crack Under Dynamic Loading Conditions

A method is presented to analyze elastodynamic stress intensity factors at the tip of a branch which emanates at velocity v and under an angle κπ from the tip of a semi-infinite crack, when the faces of the semi-infinite crack are subjected to impulsive normal pressures. By taking advantage of self-similarity, the system of governing equations is reduced to a set of two Laplace's equations in half-plane regions. The solutions to these equations, which are coupled along the real axes of the half-planes, are obtained by using complex function theory together with summations over Chebychev polynomials. For small values of κ the Mode I and Mode II stress intensity factors and the corresponding flux of energy into the crack tip have been computed.
Paradox of the many-state catastrophe of fundamental limits and the three-state conjecture

The calculation of the fundamental limits of nonlinear susceptibilities posits that when a quantum system has a nonlinear response at the fundamental limit, only three energy eigenstates contribute to the first and second hyperpolarizability. This is called the three-level ansatz and is the only unproven assumption in the theory of fundamental limits. In light of the observation that the measured nonlinear response of a majority of molecules falls far short of these limits, the three-level ansatz warrants closer scrutiny. All calculations that are based on direct solution of the Schr\"odinger equation, including systems of arbitrarily placed electrons and nuclei in external electromagnetic fields and interacting electrons in an arbitrary potential, whose configuration space is sampled using numerical optimization techniques, yield intrinsic hyperpolarizabilities less than 0.709 and intrinsic second hyperpolarizabilities less than 0.6. In this work, we show that relaxing the three-level ansatz and allowing an arbitrary number of states to contribute leads to divergence of the optimized intrinsic hyperpolarizability in the limit of an infinite number of states, what we call the many-state catastrophe. This is not surprising given that the divergent systems are most likely not derivable from the Schr\"odinger equation, yet obey the sum rules. The sums rules are the second ingredient in limit theory and apply also to systems with more general Hamiltonians. These ``exotic Hamiltonians'' may not model any real systems found in nature. Indeed, a class of transition moments and energies that come form the sum rules do not have a corresponding Hamiltonian that is expressible in differential form. In this work, we show that the three-level ansatz acts as a constraint that excludes many of the nonphysical Hamiltonians and prevents the intrinsic hyperpolarizability from diverging. We argue that this implies that the true fundamental limit is smaller than previously calculated. Since the three-level ansatz does not lead to the largest possible nonlinear response, contrary to its assertion, we propose the intriguing possibility that the three-level ansatz is true for any system that obeys the Schr\"odinger equation, yet this assertion may be unprovable.
Serologic survey for infectious canine hepatitis virus in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) from Alaska, 1973 to 1987.

Serum antibody prevalence of infectious canine hepatitis virus was 12% (90 of 725) for grizzly bears (Vrsus arctos) from Alaska (USA) during the period 1973 to 1987. Prevalence was highest on Kodiak Island at 29% (37 of 127). Prevalence of exposure at individual collection areas did not change significantly over time. There were no significant sex-specific differences in prevalence. Prevalence was directly related to age, but it was 0% for bears <2-yr-old. Young bears which are exposed to the virus may develop clinical disease and die as a result of the infection. This disease may be a factor affecting grizzly bear population dynamics.
End-to-end performance of the TESAR ATR system

The TESAR [Tactical Endurance Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)] system uses four algorithms in its three-stage algorithmic approach to the detection and identification of targets in continuous real-time, 1-ft-resolution, strip SAR image data. The first stage employs a multitarget detector with a built-in natural/cultural false-alarm mitigator. The second stage provides target hypotheses for the candidate targets and refines their angular pose. The third stage, consisting of two template-based algorithms, produces final target-identification decisions. This paper reviews the end- to-end ATR performance achieved by the TESAR system in preparation for a 1998 field demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, MD. The discussion includes an overview of the algorithm suite, the system's unique capabilities, and its overall performance against eight ground targets.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
EMS Helicopter Crashes: What Influences Fatal Outcome?

Study objective In recent years, air transport of patients has been associated with disproportionate increases in crashes and deaths. We identify factors related to fatal outcome in air medical helicopter crashes and suggest preventive measures. Methods This was a retrospective study using National Transportation Safety Board records for helicopter emergency medical services (EMS) crashes between January 1, 1983, and April 30, 2005. The main outcome measure was the percentage of air medical crashes resulting in 1 or more deaths. Results There were 182 helicopter EMS crashes during the 22.3-year study period; 39% were fatal. One hundred eighty-four occupants died: 45% of the 44 patients and 32% of the 513 crewmembers. Fifty-six percent of crashes in darkness were fatal compared with 24% of crashes not in darkness. Seventy-seven percent of crashes in instrument meteorological conditions were fatal compared with 31% in visual conditions. Thirty-nine percent of all deaths occurred in crashes with postcrash fires; 76% of crashes with postcrash fire were fatal compared with 29% of other crashes. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that controlling for other factors, the odds of fatal outcome was increased by postcrash fire (odds ratio [OR] 16.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.0 to 51.5], bad weather (OR 8.0; 95% CI 2.4 to 26.0), and darkness (OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.3 to 7.9). Conclusion Fatalities after helicopter EMS crashes are associated especially with postcrash fire and with crashes that occur in darkness or bad weather and can be addressed with improved crashworthiness and measures to reduce flights in hazardous conditions. Further studies will be necessary to determine which changes will decrease the fatal crash rate and which are cost effective.
Synthesis of Potent and Orally Efficacious 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Inhibitor HSD-016

Cortisol and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling pathway has been linked to the development of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. In vivo, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) catalyzes the conversion of inactive cortisone to its active form, cortisol. Existing clinical data have supported 11β-HSD1 as a valid therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. In our research program, (R)-1,1,1-trifluoro-2-(3-((R)-4-(4-fluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-2-methylpiperazin-1-ylsulfonyl)phenyl)propan-2-ol (HSD-016) was discovered to be a potent, selective, and efficacious 11β-HSD1 inhibitor and advanced as a clinical candidate. Herein, a reliable and scalable synthesis of HSD-016 is described. Key transformations include an asymmetric synthesis of a chiral tertiary alcohol via Sharpless dihydroxylation, epoxide formation, and subsequent mild reduction. This route ensured multikilogram quantities of HSD-016 necessary for clinical studies.
Studies Directed to the Total Synthesis of ET 743 and Analogues Thereof: An Expeditious Route to the ABFGH Subunit

[reaction: see text] In model studies directed to the total synthesis of Et743, a strategic S-C bond formation in systems 26 and 27 was demonstrated. It was further shown that Pictet-Spengler cyclization leading to spiro product 33 exhibits very high stereoselection.
Measuring and modelling carbon dioxide and water vapour exchange over a temperate broad‐leaved forest during the 1995 summer drought

Forests in the south-eastern United States experienced a prolonged dry spell and above-normal temperatures during the 1995 growing season. During this episode, nearly continuous, eddy covariance measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapour fluxes were acquired over a temperate, hardwood forest. These data are used to examine how environmental factors and accumulating soil moisture deficits affected the diurnal pattern and magnitude of canopy-scale carbon dioxide and water vapour fluxes. The field data are also used to test an integrative leaf-to-canopy scaling model (CANOAK), which uses micrometeorological and physiological theory, to calculate mass and energy fluxes. When soil moisture was ample in the spring, peak rates of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NE) occurred around midday and exceeded 20 μmol m ‐2 s ‐1 . Rates of NE were near optimal when air temperature ranged between 22 and 25°C. The accumulation of soil moisture deficits and a co-occurrence of high temperatures caused peak rates of daytime carbon dioxide uptake to occur earlier in the morning. High air temperatures and soil moisture deficits were also correlated with a dramatic reduction in the magnitude of NE. On average, the magnitude of NE decreased from 20 to 7 μmol m ‐2 s ‐1 as air temperature increased from 24 to 30°C and the soil dried. The CANAOK model yielded accurate estimates of canopyscale carbon dioxide and water vapour fluxes when the forest had an ample supply of soil moisture. During the drought and heat spell, a cumulative drought index was needed to adjust the proportionality constant of the stomatal conductance model to yield accurate estimates of canopy CO2 exchange. The adoption of the drought index also enabled the CANOAK model to give improved estimates of evaporation until midday. On the other hand, the scheme failed to yield accurate estimates of evaporation during the afternoon.
Rapidly progressive familial parkinsonism with central hypoventilation, depression and weight loss (Perry syndrome)—A literature review

Autosomal dominant parkinsonism, hypoventilation, depression and weight loss (Perry syndrome) has been reported in only seven families worldwide. It is a rapidly progressive disease leading to death from respiratory insufficiency within a few years. Parkinsonism is usually mild, with bradykinesia, rigidity, rest and postural tremor, and axial signs. Response to levodopa is poor although transient response has been occasionally observed. The early signs include parkinsonism, depression and weight loss, whereas hypoventilation is a late feature. Neuropathology shows severe neuronal loss in the substantia nigra, less prominent neuronal loss in the locus coeruleus, and no or few Lewy bodies. In this review, we also propose diagnostic criteria for this condition.
Self-induced roll oscillations of low-aspect-ratio rectangular wings

Experimental investigation of small aspect ratio rectangular wings mounted on a free-to-roll sting balance indicated that self-induced roll oscillations are possible when the aspect ratio of such wings is less than 0.5. The oscillations are probably driven by the periodic changes in the location and strength of the side edge vortices, as it has been shown for the 'wing rock' motion of delta wings, where similar changes in the leading edge vortex strength and position cause the roll oscillations. During the roll oscillation cycle the roll angle, normal force, and the side force were recorded and presented for three wings with aspect ratios of 0.25, 0.35, and 0.47. This data indicates that the lift loss during roll oscillations of rectangular wings is less than what was measured for similar delta wings. Also, the flow field of such slender rectangular wings at high angles of attack is more complicated due to the additional leading edge vortex, when compared with the flow field over slender delta wings.
On the occurrence of a mollusc fauna in the Red Crag pebble bed from Mason's Pit, Great Blakenham, Suffolk

An indigenous mollusc fauna dominated by Mya arenaria has been discovered in the Red Crag pebble bed at Great Blakenham and is described here. It is the first time a fauna has been recorded from this location at this horizon.
Load-based schedulability analysis of certifiable mixed-criticality systems

Many safety-critical embedded systems are subject to certification requirements. However, only a subset of the functionality of the system may be safety-critical and hence subject to certification; the rest of the functionality is non safety-critical and does not need to be certified. Certification requirements in such mixed-criticality systems give rise to some interesting scheduling problems, that cannot be satisfactorily addressed using techniques from conventional scheduling theory. In prior work, we have proposed a priority-based algorithm for scheduling such mixed-criticality systems on preemptive uniprocessor platforms. In this paper, we derive a sufficient schedulability condition for efficiently determining whether a given mixed-criticality system can be successfully scheduled by this algorithm. We show that this algorithm (and the associated schedulability test) is strictly superior to prior algorithms that have been used for scheduling mixed-criticality systems needing certification.
Newborn screening: After the thrill is gone.

Abstract Expanded newborn screening for inborn errors of metabolism by tandem mass spectrometry has raised the stakes for specialists in metabolic medicine. New disorders and a broader clinical spectrum of disease call for new paradigms in approaching inborn errors of metabolism. The Society for Inherited Disorders has been at the forefront of advances in newborn screening for many years and faces new challenges in meeting new needs.
Decreasing Operating Room Environmental Pathogen Contamination through Improved Cleaning Practice

Objective. Potential transmission of organisms from the environment to patients is a concern, especially in enclosed settings, such as operating rooms, in which there are multiple and frequent contacts between patients, provider’s hands, and environmental surfaces. Therefore, adequate disinfection of operating rooms is essential. We aimed to determine the change in both the thoroughness of environmental cleaning and the proportion of environmental surfaces within operating rooms from which pathogenic organisms were recovered.Design. Prospective environmental study using feedback with UV markers and environmental cultures.Setting. A 1,500-bed county teaching hospital.Participants. Environmental service personnel, hospital administration, and medical and nursing leadershipResults. The proportion of UV markers removed (cleaned) increased from 0.47 (284 of 600 markers; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42–0.53) at baseline to 0.82 (634 of 777 markers; 95% CI, 0.77–0.85) during the last month of observations ()....
Graduate studies in acoustics and noise control in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University

The acoustics community at Purdue University will be described with special emphasis on the graduate program in Mechanical Engineering (ME). Purdue is home to around 30 faculty who study various aspects of acoustics and related disciplines, and so, there are many classes to choose from as graduate students structure their plans of study to complement their research activities and to broaden their understanding of the various aspects of acoustics. In Mechanical Engineering, the primary emphasis is on understanding noise generation, noise propagation, and the impact of noise on people, as well as development of noise control strategies, experimental techniques, and noise and noise impact prediction tools. The ME acoustics research is conducted at the Ray W. Herrick Laboratories, which houses several large acoustics chambers that are designed to facilitate testing of a wide array mechanical systems, reflecting the Laboratories’ long history of industry-relevant research. Complementing the acoustics research, Purdue has vibrations, dynamics, and electromechanical systems research programs and is home to a collaborative group of engineering and psychology professors who study human perception and its integration into engineering design. There are also very strong ties between ME acoustics faculty and faculty in Biomedical Engineering and Speech Language and Hearing Sciences.