cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Girls Try, Boys Aim High: Exposing Difference in Implied Ability, Activity, and Agency of Girls Versus Boys in Language on McDonald’s Happy Meal Boxes

The present research investigates subtle yet powerful differences in the language present on cultural artifacts marketed for girls and boys. Through a content analysis of the verbs written on the girl-oriented and boy-oriented sides of all 56 McDonald’s Happy Meal boxes distributed between 2011 and 2019 in the United States, I uncover stark differences in the implied ability, activity, and agency levels of boys versus girls. The mixed methods nature of my exploration allows for statistical testing coupled with analysis of the language in context, revealing pervasive, nuanced differences that bolster our understanding of the complexity of the messages being relayed to children about what is appropriate and expected for boys versus girls. Central findings include the subtle, yet pervasive implication that girls are less active, less powerful, and in need of more detailed instruction and help, and they draw on a narrower set of skills as compared to boys. Through differential language, boys are also challenged at a qualitatively different level than girls and are assumed to have greater levels of ability (e.g., girls “try” and boys “aim high”). Girls’ agency is directly questioned, implying a lack of general confidence in the child’s ability to succeed, which is not the case for boys. Such subtle messages perpetuate insidious gender stereotypes and reinforce inequities in power and privilege.
Thought experiment: a hidden signal and an etioreceptor

A pioneer in the study of the effect of light on plant development, Wilhelm Pfeffer (1845–1920), outlined both modes of plant development in darkness and in light– today known as skoto- and photo- morphogenesis, respectively. By exploring the current understanding of these pathways in Arabidopsis, we speculate on the possible mechanisms of cell and organ elongation in darkness. We present a thought experiment, which highlights the need for a yet unknown (hidden) external signal, we call aleph (ℵ), and its possible sensor “etioreceptor”. Here we propose for the first time that this system is required for growth and developmental patterning to continue in localized spacetime under minimal growth environments, particularly in the absence of light. If true, this mechanism may have played a fundamental role in organism’s survival during Darwinian (adaptive) evolution (“survival of the fittest”). We present our working model whereby the hidden signal acting through its etioreceptor, increases auxin biosynthesis to facilitate organ expansion, and suggest a function for this system in the auxin biosynthesis pathway.
A pragmatic view of community-engaged research: Case studies of multi-sectoral public health partnerships

Esistono vari approcci alla ricerca collaborativa, come la ricerca partecipativa basata sulla comunita, la ricerca-azione partecipativa, la Community- Engaged Research. Questi e altri paradigmi vengono utilizzati in base alla loro adeguatezza rispetto agli obiettivi di progetti specifici. In questo articolo si discutono tre progetti di salute pubblica che hanno utilizzato differenti modalita di collaborazione con i diversi partner di progetto in due contesti urbani negli Stati Uniti. Queste riguardano l’accesso e la fruizione dell’assistenza sanitaria presso ospedali pubblici e privati, problemi di salute e di sicurezza sul lavoro tra i lavoratori del settore alberghiero. Questi progetti hanno implicato la collaborazione con stakeholders di diversi settori e vari metodi di raccolta dati. Si analizza dunque il prezioso materiale raccolto, le intuizioni e le sfide per un rigoroso studio di progettazione e la validita dei risultati raggiunti grazie al coinvolgimento di diversi partner, e si avanzano suggerimenti per portare avanti simili ricerche collaborative. There are various approaches to collaborative research, such as Community- Based Participatory Research, Participatory Action Research, Community- Engaged Research. These and other paradigms are used based on their suitability to the objectives of specific projects. We discuss three public health projects that employed different ways to partner with diverse stakeholders in two urban settings in the USA. They involved health care access and utilization at private and public hospitals, occupational health and safety issues among resort hospitality workers. These projects involved collaboration with stakeholders from different sectors and data collection methods. We discuss the valuable access and insights as well as challenges to rigorous study design and validity of findings presented by engaging with diverse partners, and provide recommendations for carrying such collaborative research forward.
Elionor’s Last Days

The last chapter deals with Queen Elionor’s final years, her worsening health problems centering on increasing obesity and kidney problems, her personal problems with her husband, Prince Joan, and Princess Elionor, and a growing melancholy, and burning desire to see and probably die in her Sicilian homeland. With her death on April 20, 1375 at Lerida, the queen’s corpse would have to wait for almost two decades to be buried near her husband at Poblet. The last section of this work deals with the queens will which did its duty to both of her families and showed her respect for her respect and affection for her officials and servants.
The Evidence of Aspirin Use in Prevention of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (APOs): Should It Be Continued Long Term After an APO?

Aspirin is one of the only proven therapeutic options for the prevention of preeclampsia, an important adverse pregnancy outcome with detrimental short- and long-term consequences to a woman’s health. The goal of this review is to provide information about the current recommendations for the use of aspirin to prevent preeclampsia and whether there is evidence for postpartum continuation. Preeclampsia is linked to the development of future cardiovascular disease and adverse outcomes in women including stroke, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure. This is likely due to vascular dysfunction and inflammation as their shared pathophysiology. By decreasing vasoconstriction, aspirin targets these pathways, inhibiting cyclooxygenase-1 activity and thereby the synthesis of thromboxane A2. Low-dose aspirin use during pregnancy has been shown to decrease the frequency of preeclampsia and other adverse pregnancy outcomes such as fetal growth restriction and preterm birth. Since adverse pregnancy outcomes and preeclampsia in particular significantly increase the risk for future cardiovascular disease, low-dose aspirin could have the potential to decrease onset and severity of adverse cardiac outcomes in young women. Improving cardiovascular indicators in reproductive-aged women, a demographic that unlike other populations (older, male) has experienced recent substantial increases in cardiovascular disease, has important public health implications.
Conversational Partner’s Perception of Subtle Display Use for Monitoring Notifications

We examine whether the gaze direction of a user reveals the use of a subtle display during a face-to-face conversation with a partner who is not initially aware of the display. We measure twelve participants’ perceptions of a casual conversational partner’s engagement between a control condition of no notification and notifications displayed behind the participant’s head at 0, 10, and 20 degrees to the right of the conversational partner’s line of sight. No differences in reported conversational engagement were found. However, once the presence of the display was revealed, engagement scores went down over all conditions compared to the prior uninformed variant of the experiment. Still, no difference was found between the control and the subtle display conditions, and informed participants were only 40% accurate on average in detecting the use of the display. In a second study comparing subtle display user engagement with smartwatch user engagement, six participants rated a conversational partner more distracted when the partner used a smartwatch to monitor notifications than when the partner used a display secretly mounted behind the participant’s head. Participants in both studies did not realize the presence of the display until it was revealed. These results suggest that eye movement when using a subtle display detracts less from the conversational experience than the use of a smartwatch.
Iron oxidation is regulated by the two-component system, RegSR, and plays a role in photolithoheterotrophic growth in Rhodopseudomonas palustris

Abstract Purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNSB) are metabolically versatile organisms generate energy through both aerobic and anaerobic respiration as well as anoxygenic photosynthesis. In many PNSB, the redox-sensing, two-component system RegBA is a global regulator of energy generating and consuming pathways, such as photosynthesis, carbon fixation, and nitrogen fixation, when cells are shifted from an aerobic to an anaerobic environment. However, in the PNSB Rhodopseudomonas palustris, the role of the RegBA homolog, RegSR, was unclear since global regulation of these same pathways involves the oxygen-sensing signal transduction system, FixJL-K, in R. palustris. Using RNA-seq analysis, we found that RegSR plays a role in regulating the operon pioABC, which encodes genes required for Fe(II) oxidation. We found that transcript levels of pioABC under photoheterotrophic conditions was dependent on the oxidation state of the carbon substrate and whether the cells were fixing nitrogen. We also found that R. palustris can carry out photolithoheterotrophic growth using Fe(II) oxidation when grown with the oxidized carbon substrate, malate, requiring regSR and pioABC. We present a model in which RegSR regulates pioABC in response to a cellular redox signal, allowing R. palustris to use Fe(II) oxidation to access more electrons when there is an increased cellular demand for reducing equivalents. Significance Mixotrophy is thought to be widespread in aquatic environments, yet little is understood about how mixotrophy affects biogeochemical cycles. Fe(II)-oxidizing anoxygenic phototrophs likely play an important role in iron cycling since they are thought to have thrived in the anoxic, iron-rich oceans of early Earth and can be found in both freshwater and marine environments. Although Fe(II) oxidation by anoxygenic phototrophs is largely studied in the context of photoautotrophic growth, these organisms can also grow photoheterotrophically. We present the first evidence linking photolithoheterotrophic growth using Fe(II) to the pathway required for photoautotrophic Fe(II) oxidation in an anoxygenic phototroph. Understanding this metabolism will be important for understanding how mixotrophic metabolism contributes to iron cycling in anoxic environments.
The Kids Aren't Alright: An Argument to Use the Nation Building Model in the Development of Native Juvenile Justice Systems to Combat the Effects of Failed Assimilative Policies

Digitized from a Special Collections copy at the Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library, James E. Rogers College of Law, The University of Arizona.
Mantodea: (Praying Mantids)

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses classification, neurophysiology, and behavior of mantids. There are more than 1800 species of praying mantids worldwide, most of which are tropical. They are related to cockroaches, grasshoppers, crickets, stick insects, and termites; most modern systematists recognize that mantids have sufficiently distinctive morphological characteristics to warrant taxonomic separation from these groups. The most obvious morphological features of mantids are a highly mobile head, elongated prothorax, and the raptorial front legs attached to the prothorax. The forelegs are folded when the animal is at rest. Based upon morphological and molecular evidence to date, the closest relatives of mantids appear to be Blattodea (cockroaches) and Isoptera (termites), both of which have much earlier origins in the fossil record. There are currently 8 families and 28 subfamilies in this suborder. Mantids are capable of integrating much detailed information from their environment and have exhibited an astonishingly sophisticated array of responses to stimuli. The population biology of temperate mantids is chiefly influenced by food, temperature, and rainfall. Even under the best weather conditions, most individuals within a cohort starve soon after hatching in the spring, and if the weather during the growing season is unusually cool or dry, maturation can be delayed until it is too late to complete the life cycle and lay eggs to overwinter.
Synthesis of Surfactant-Templated Mesoporous Materials from Homogeneous Solutions

Mesoporous is defined as 20{le}d{le}500{angstrom}. Mesoporous materials with narrow pore size distributions may be useful as hosts, supports, catalysts, or separation media for small molecules. An ensemble of organic molecules to create a larger template has been used to synthesize ordered mesoporous materials. The silicon alkoxide precursors TEOS and TMOS were examined. Cosolvents were used to control pore size and the structure of the mesophase. Effects of anions (salts) on mesophase formation were examined. Properties of mesophases made from homogeneous solutions are discussed.
An Improved Suite of Object Oriented Software Measures

In the pursuit of ever increasing productivity, the need to be able to measure specific aspects of software is generally agreed upon. As object oriented programming languages are becoming more and more widely used, metrics specifically designed for object oriented software are required. In recent years there has been an explosion of new, object oriented software metrics proposed in the literature. Unfortunately, many or most of these proposed metrics have not been validated to measure what they claim to measure. In fact, an analysis of many of these metrics shows that they do not satisfy basic properties of measurement theory, and thus their application has to be suspect. In this paper ten improved metrics are proposed and are validated using measurement theory.
Learning to Understand Information on the Internet: AnExample-Based Approach

The explosive growth of the Web has made intelligent software assistants increasingly necessary for ordinary computer users. Both traditional approaches—search engines, hierarchical indices—and intelligent software agents require significant amounts of human effort to keep up with the Web. As an alternative, we investigate the problem of automatically learning to interact with information sources on the Internet. We report on ShopBot and ILA , two implemented agents that learn to use such resources. ShopBot learns how to extract information from online vendors using only minimal knowledge about product domains. Given the home pages of several online stores, ShopBot autonomously learns how to shop at those vendors. After its learning is complete, ShopBot is able to speedily visit over a dozen software stores and CD vendors, extract product information, and summarize the results for the user. ILA learns to translate information from Internet sources into its own internal concepts. ILA builds a model of an information source that specifies the translation between the source‘s output and ILA ‘s model of the world. ILA is capable of leveraging a small amount of knowledge about a domain to learn models of many information sources. We show that ILA ‘s learning is fast and accurate, requiring only a small number of queries per information source.
Pricing, Ethics of

Is it unethical to sell a good or service at too high a price? Is it illegal to lie, coerce or abuse the trust of one's trading partner? Is it appropriate to take advantage of market power to determine price? Ethical reasoning demands that parties treat one another with respect, providing full disclosure of relevant information, and not taking undue advantage. Keywords: pricing; coercion; monopoly; competitive pricing; market pricing
Evaluation of an IUL Flash & Go Automated Colony Counter

An IUL Flash & Go automated colony counter was used to enumerate E. coli (ATCC 700728) colonies and its performance was compared with manual counting on spiral plates. A total of 85 plates were analyzed. Linear regression analysis and the log differences between the manual and automated counts were determined. The results were analyzed to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the colony counter. A correlation coefficient of 0.969, a slope of 0.932 and intercept of 0.25 all indicate a strong, linear relationship. The mean log value difference between the manual and Flash & Go count methods was -0.035. Of the 85 plates counted, 95% of the plates were within 0.15 log 10 difference between the manual and Flash & Go automated counts. These results demonstrate that the Flash & Go automated colony counter is an effective, accurate and time saving alternative to the standard method of manual counting.
Giant Cysts and Cysts with Multiple Central Bodies in Azotobacter vinelandii

Cyst germination in Azotobacter vinelandii ATCC 12837 was studied by using phase contrast and electron microscopy. Germination in this organism was accompanied by the formation of large cyst forms of two different types: giant cysts and cysts containing multiple central bodies. Previously, these two types have been reported only when yeast extract was added to the encystment medium. In this study, we observed giant cysts and cysts with multiple central bodies in nitrogen-free liquid medium. The germination of “normal” cysts is often preceded by enlargement to the giant form and division of the central body to produce cysts with multiple central bodies. Structures similar in appearance to ribosomal aggregates were observed only in cysts undergoing pregermination transformations.
Transcriptional Regulation of the Human TLR9 Gene

To clarify the molecular basis of human TLR9 (hTLR9) gene expression, the activity of the hTLR9 gene promoter was characterized using the human myeloma cell line RPMI 8226. Reporter gene analysis and EMSA demonstrated that hTLR9 gene transcription was regulated via four cis-acting elements, cAMP response element, 5'-PU box, 3'-PU box, and a C/EBP site, that interacted with the CREB1, Ets2, Elf1, Elk1, and C/EBPalpha transcription factors. Other members of the C/EBP family, such as C/EBPbeta, C/EBPdelta, and C/EBPepsilon, were also important for TLR9 gene transcription. CpG DNA-mediated suppression of TLR9 gene transcription led to decreased binding of the trans-acting factors to their corresponding cis-acting elements. It appeared that suppression was mediated via c-Jun and NF-kappaB p65 and that cooperation among CREB1, Ets2, Elf1, Elk1, and C/EBPalpha culminated in maximal transcription of the TLR9 gene. These findings will help to elucidate the mechanism of TLR9 gene regulation and to provide insight into the process by which TLR9 evolved in the mammalian immune system.
Unveiling the Checkered Fortunes of the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire has been predominantly viewed as the 'Sick Man of Europe.' The question arises, however, how this perceived inefficiency can be reconciled with the long existence and prosperity of the Empire. I argue that the Ottoman system could have been efficient subject to constraints. More specifically, I explore the role of the technology of predation and the adherence to the law in determining relative changes in the social order and the power of the Sultan, which in turn led to the relative decline of the Empire.
In vivo induction of gliadin-mediated enterocyte damage in rats by the mannosidase inhibitor, swainsonine: A possible animal model for celiac disease

Abstract Simultaneous feeding of gliadin and swainsonine, an inhibitor of α-d-mannosidases, in rats disturbed enterocytic maturation as shown by a marked loss of activities of alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyltransferase. Morphologically, simultaneous treatment with gliadin and swainsonine caused destruction and decreased density of microvilli, as shown by electron microscopy. Neither gliadin nor swainsonine when given alone had significant effects on enterocytic enzyme activities or enterocytic morphology. Binding of enterocytic glycoproteins to both gliadin-Sepharose and concanavalin A-Sepharose was significantly increased in rats treated with swainsonine. Because swainsonine causes the formation of hybrid-type oligosaccharides with a high binding affinity to mannose-specific lectins, the observed alterations of enterocytic maturation and morphology are presumably caused by the increased binding of gliadin to enterocytic glycoproteins. A possible analogy in the etiology of celiac disease is discussed.
The proliferative immune response to autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cells. I. Studies with HLA haplotype loss variants demonstrate a role for MHC-linked genes.

Abstract The human Epstein-Barr virus transformed lymphoblastoid cell line (EBV-LCL) 721 and MHC haplotype loss variants derived from it were utilized to dissect the functional role of MHC genes in the proliferative response of autologous T lymphocytes to EBV-LCL. LCL-721 is heterozygous at all phenotypically defined MHC loci. One type of LCL-721 variant expresses only determinants encoded by the maternal (m) haplotype and the other expresses determinants encoded by the paternal (p) haplotype. Autologous (individual A) primary proliferative responses are strong to each type of haplotype deletant. The strong tertiary responses to the priming haplotype in comparison to the relatively weak responses to the reciprocal haplotype indicate that MHC linked genes encoded by each haplotype are important in the autologous response to EBV-LCL. Similar specific tertiary responses are observed when peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from the donor's mother are used as responding cells. Allogeneic responses were also studied by priming PBLs from unrelated donors with the haplotype deletants. Quantitative comparisons of the proliferation by primed allogeneic and autologous lymphocytes stimulated by irradiated PBLs from donor A and her mother, and by LCL-721 and its variants, show that some of the tertiary responses involve specific recognition of EBV-LCL while other detect recognition of alloantigens.
Is frontalis activity a reliable indicator of the activity in other skeletal muscles

Multichannel integrated action-potential recordings (called electromyometrograms or EMMGs) from 10 individuals with various functional symptoms and disorders were selected for statistical examination to obtain evidence bearing on the topic in question. Each EMMG recorded the action-potential levels from four regions simultaneously via four channels of integrating differential amplifiers. The subjects sat quietly, awake and alert, with eyes open and head erect. Electrodes were placed over antagonistic muscle groups in the following regions: (1) forehead, (2) jaw-throat, (3) right forearm, (4) left leg. Successive 1-minute action-potential levels from each of these regions were used to calculate within-subject correlations (r) and predictabilities (r 2 andR 2) among the different regions. Mean and median correlations (r) and predictabilities (r 2 andR 2) for each of the following pairs of regions were found to be weak: (1) forehead and jaw-throat, (2) forehead and forearm, (3) forehead and leg, (4) jaw-throat and forearm, (5) jaw-throat and leg, (6) forearm and leg. The findings support the statement that the frontalis or any of the other regions measured are poor indicators of the amount of activity elsewhere in the skeletal musculature of awake and alert individuals. When combined with basic principles of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, the findings also support the statement that there is probably no portion of the skeletal musculature that can be used to quantify the activity in other portions.
Amplified spontaneous emission and recoverable photodegradation in a robust dye-doped polymer

Optically pumped lasing action and recoverable photodegradation in the common organic dye 1-amino-2-methylanthraquinone (Disperse Orange 11) is presented. The dye was incorporated into polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) rods and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) was studied under second harmonic Nd:YAG laser excitation in a transverse pumping configuration. Gain and conversion efficiency is found to be comparable to other laser dyes with the stimulated emission centered at the attractive wavelength of 650nm. Photodegradation of the dye-doped-polymer is found to be superior and uniquely fully reversible.
Examining the credibility of macroeconomic forecasts: Null of cointegration approach

In this study we examine the accuracy of forecasts of a select group of major macroeconomic variables, representing both the real and the financial sector of the economy. The theoretical foundations are similar to the one used to study exchange rate expectations, i.e. a verification of consistency and rationality in forecast formation. The empirical measure of accuracy is consistency in the expectation formation process, a precursor to rational forecasts. Here we examine the cointegration properties of the actual and forecast series (at multiple horizons) using the modern null of cointegration approach. A very reliable and continuos data set, the ASA-NBER survey is used. We find evidence of short (long) term expectational consistency (inconsistency) i.e. bandwagon effects and a mean reversion tendency in case of real variables, while the forecasts of financial variables are inconsistent across all forecast horizons.
Late deglaciation of the central Labrador coast and its implications for the age of glacial lakes Naskaupi and McLean and for prehistory

The age of the marine limit and associated deglaciation has been estimated from relative sea-level curves for the Hopedale and Nain areas of the central Labrador coast as approximately 7600 ± 200 and 8500 ± 200 yr ago, respectively. These ages indicate that the ice margin remained on the coast for up to 3000 yr longer than previously estimated. Because the central coast is due east of glacial lakes Naskaupi and McLean, the earliest the lakes could have formed was <8500 ± 200 yr ago, with their largest phases being fully established only after 7600 ± 200 yr ago. This suggests that the age of the lakes, and associated deglaciation of the central Labrador-Ungava region, is younger by at least 1500 yr than previously estimated. A late-glacial marine-based ice mass in Ungava Bay that dammed the lakes collapsed ca. 7000 yr ago. Within this time frame, therefore, the glacial lakes only existed for <500 yr. The persistence of the Laurentide Ice Sheet margin on the central Labrador coast until 7600 yr ago probably restricted the northward movement of early prehistoric people into northern Labrador.
Opioid modulation of ventral pallidal inputs.

While the ventral pallidum (VP) is known to be important in relaying information between the nucleus accumbens and target structures, it has become clear that substantial information processing occurs within the VP. We evaluated the possibility that opioid modulation of other transmitters contained in VP afferents is involved in this process. Initially, we demonstrated that opioids hyperpolarized VP neurons in vitro and suppressed spontaneous firing in vivo. The ability of opioids to modulate other transmitters was determined using microiontophoretically applied ligands and extracellular recordings of VP neurons from chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats. With neurons that responded to iontophoresed opioid agonists, the ejection current was reduced to a level that was below that necessary to alter spontaneous firing. This "subthreshold" current was used to determine the ability of mu opioid receptor (microR) agonists to alter VP responses to endogenous (released by electrical activation of afferents) and exogenous (iontophoretically applied) transmitters. microR agonists decreased the variability and enhanced the acuity (e.g., "signal-to-noise" relationship) of VP responses to activation of glutamatergic inputs from the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. By contrast, microR agonists attenuated both the slow excitatory responses to substance P and GABA-induced inhibitions that resulted from activating the nucleus accumbens. Subthreshold opioids also attenuated inhibitory responses to stimulating midbrain dopaminergic cells. These results suggest that a consequence of opioid transmission in the VP is to negate the influence of some afferents (e.g., midbrain dopamine and accumbal GABA and substance P) while selectively potentiating the efficacy of others (e.g., cortical and amygdaloid glutamate). Interpreted in the context of opiate abuse, microR opioids in the VP may serve to diminish the influence of reinforcement (ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens) in the transduction of cognition (prefrontal cortex) and affect (amygdala) into behavior. This may contribute to drug craving that occurs even in the absence of reward.
Compressive Failure of Sandwich Beams with Debonded Face-Sheets:

Axial compression tests were performed on debonded sandwich composites made of graphite/epoxy face-sheets and aramid fiber honeycomb core. The sandwich beams were manufactured using a vacuum bagging process. The face-sheet and the sandwich beam were cocured. Delamination between one of the face-sheets and the core was introduced by using a Teflon® layer during the curing process. Axial compression tests were performed to determine the ultimate load carrying capacity of the debonded beams. Flatwise tension tests and Double Cantilever Beam tests were performed to determine, respectively, the strength and fracture toughness of the face-sheet/core interface. From the test results semi-empirical formulas were derived for the fracture toughness and ultimate compressive load carrying capacity in terms of the core density, core thickness, face-sheet thickness and debond length. Four different failure modes and their relation to the structural properties were identified. Linear buckling analysis was found to be in...
Steering Control of an Active Tether Through Mass Matrix Control

The smaller the robot the easier it is for it to access voids in a collapsed structure. Yet, small size brings a host of problems due to resource constraints. One of the primary constraints on small robots is limited motive power to surmount obstacles and rough terrain. We are developing a small reconfigurable robotic system with various add-on modules to provide bulk motive force adaptable for different scenarios. The difficulty in adding modules with unsteerable motive force to generic host robots stems from directing the energy in the proper direction in a general way. This paper investigates modulating the non-isotropic Cartesian mass matrix of a robot, in contact with the ground, to passively steer the acceleration resulting from a motive force module. A robot in contact with the ground in a statically stable configuration is a parallel chain mechanism. We dynamically model the robot itself as an augmented object supported by multiple serial chain mechanisms to ground. In this paper, we develop the Cartesian mass matrix of the TerminatorBot robot by summing the dynamics component of each individual serial chain using the operational space formulation. A map is built of the resulting Cartesian acceleration vectors as a function of the robot's configuration. Desired acceleration vectors are mapped backwards from Cartesian space to configuration space, allowing the controller to assume a stance for the robot that will result in the desired motion.
The use of interleaving for reducing noisy reference loss in trellis-coded modulation systems

The use of interleaving/deinterleaving in trellis-coded modulation systems to reduce the SNR loss due to imperfect carrier demodulation references is demonstrated. Both the discrete carrier (phase-locked loop) and the suppressed carrier (Costas loop) cases are considered, and the differences between the two are clearly demonstrated by numerical results. The special case of convolutional codes is also treated and illustrated with an example of practical interest. >
Fundamental Technical Elements of Freeze-fracture/Freeze-etch in Biological Electron Microscopy

Freeze-fracture/freeze-etch describes a process whereby specimens, typically biological or nanomaterial in nature, are frozen, fractured, and replicated to generate a carbon/platinum “cast” intended for examination by transmission electron microscopy. Specimens are subjected to ultrarapid freezing rates, often in the presence of cryoprotective agents to limit ice crystal formation, with subsequent fracturing of the specimen at liquid nitrogen cooled temperatures under high vacuum. The resultant fractured surface is replicated and stabilized by evaporation of carbon and platinum from an angle that confers surface three-dimensional detail to the cast. This technique has proved particularly enlightening for the investigation of cell membranes and their specializations and has contributed considerably to the understanding of cellular form to related cell function. In this report, we survey the instrument requirements and technical protocol for performing freeze-fracture, the associated nomenclature and characteristics of fracture planes, variations on the conventional procedure, and criteria for interpretation of freeze-fracture images. This technique has been widely used for ultrastructural investigation in many areas of cell biology and holds promise as an emerging imaging technique for molecular, nanotechnology, and materials science studies.
A Monte Carlo study of Si/SiGe MITATT diodes for terahertz power generation

Abstract This paper analyzes the design tradeoffs between Si and SiGe MITATT diodes using a Monte Carlo method. The narrow bandgap material Si 0.7 Ge 0.3 improves the charge confinement in the avalanche generation region and therefore increases the RF power generation efficiency. A SiGe MITATT diode operating at 200 GHz can produce 42 mW of RF power which is 63% higher than that from a Si MITATT diode. Beyond 300 GHz, the superior thermal properties of Si allow the Si MITATT diode to be driven at higher DC power level. Therefore, 2.3 mW can be generated from the Si MITATT diode at 400 GHz but only 1.5 mW from the SiGe MITATT diode.
A case illustrating the importance of adequate model criticism

A case is discussed where a failure to adequately criticize an ARIMA model led to erroneous inferences about the process underlying the data. A follow-up analysis, which permitted model criticism, suggested a different interpretation. The case is suggested for classroom presentation.
Celestial dynamics and astrometry in expanding universe

The mathematical concept of the Newtonian limit of Einstein's field equations in the expanding Friedmann universe is formulated. The geodesic equations of motion of planets and light are derived and compared.
Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension: A Pharmacotherapeutic Review

Pulmonary hypertension in children is a disorder associated with increased pulmonary vascular resistance and arterial pressure, decreased cardiac output, and right-sided cardiac dysfunction that is caused by numerous etiologies. Although treatment will vary with underlying cause, pharmacological treatment has historically included inhaled nitric oxide and prostacyclin analogues. Over the past several years new agents have been added to the treatment armamentarium, including phosphodiesterase V inhibitors (eg sildenafil) and endothelin antagonists (eg bosentan). Further, more agents are currently under investigation for pulmonary hypertension in children including immunosuppressives and other endothelin antagonist entities. Limitations to treatment include the availability of appropriate, robust pediatric pharmacological data and constraints with dosage forms.
Electroexcitation form factors and fixed-multipolarity sum rules

Abstract Sum rules are derived for form factors describing the longitudinal isoscalar electroexcitation of nuclear levels with definite multipolarity. The sum-rule limits are not constant numbers but functions of the momentum transfer. Their behavior for small and large momentum transfers is discussed. An application is also presented for the excitation of the first-excited state of 6Li by inelastically scattered electrons.
Biotransformation of benzo[a]pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic analogs by several green algae and other algal species under gold and white light

This laboratory has shown that the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), by a freshwater green alga, Selenastrum capricornutum, under gold light proceeds through a dioxygenase pathway with subsequent conjugation and excretion. This study was undertaken to determine: (1) the effects of different light sources on the enzymatic or photochemical processes involved in the biotransformation of BaP over a dose range of 5-1200 mg/l; (2) the phototoxicity of carcinogenic PAHs and mutagenic quinones to a green alga; (3) the ability of other algal systems to metabolize BaP. Cultures were exposed to different doses of BaP for 2 days at 23 degrees C under gold, white or UV-A fluorescent light on a diurnal cycle of 16 h light, 8 h dark. Under gold light, metabolites of BaP produced by Selenastrum capricornutum were the dihydrodiols of which the 11,12-dihydrodiol was the major metabolite. Under white light, at low doses, the major metabolite was the 9,10-dihydrodiol. With increasing dose, the ratio of dihydrodiols to quinones decreased to less than two. With increasing light energy output, from gold to white to UV-A in the PAH absorbing region, BaP quinone production increased. Of other carcinogenic PAHs studied, only 7H-dibenz[c,g]carbazole was as phototoxic as BaP while 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, dibenz[a,j]acridine and non-carcinogenic PAHs, anthracene and pyrene, were not phototoxic. The 3,6-quinone of BaP was found to be highly phototoxic while quinones that included menadione, danthron, phenanthrene-quinone and hydroquinone were not. The data suggest that the phototoxicity of BaP is due to photochemical production of quinones; the 3,6-quinone of BaP is phototoxic and is probably the result of the production of short lived cyclic reactive intermediates by the interaction of light with the quinone. Lastly, only the green algae, Selenastrum capricornutum, Scenedesmus acutus and Ankistrodesmus braunii almost completely metabolized BaP to dihydrodiols. The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the yellow alga Ochromonas malhamensis, the blue green algae Anabaena flosaquae and euglenoid Euglena gracilis did not metabolize BaP to any extent. The data indicate that algae are important in their ability to degrade PAHs but the degradation is dependent on the dose of light energy emitted and absorbed, the dose of PAHs to which the algae are exposed, the phototoxicity of PAHs and their metabolite(s) and the species and strain of algae involved. All of these factors will be important in assessing the degradation and detoxification pathways of recalcitrant PAHs by algae.
In situ observations of the real-time stress-evolution and delamination of thin Ta films on Si(100)

Abstract Polycrystalline sputtered Ta coatings on Si(100) substrates were thermally tested for 1 h at 585 °C, while their stress evolution and eventual delamination were observed in situ and in real-time using a recently developed synchrotron X-ray white beam technique. Films deposited at ‘low’ (0.26–0.67 Pa), ‘intermediate’ (0.80–0.93 Pa), and ‘high’ (1.06–2.00 Pa) Ar pressures exhibited severe, moderate, and no blistering, respectively. These results were explained by the attendant stress data, which indicated the development of high, moderate, and low maximum compressive stress in the low, intermediate, and high-pressure coatings, respectively. Additionally, the structure of the films was probed before and after thermal testing using X-ray diffraction in both grazing incidence and θ −2 θ scanning geometries. It was determined that all coatings made a complete conversion to orthorhombic Ta 2 O 5 after the 1 h thermal test, regardless of their deposition pressure.
MEMS-Based Probes for Velocity and Pressure Measurements in Unsteady and Turbulent Flowfields

Abstract : This report presents our work in the development of fast-response, high-accuracy multi-sensor pressure probes of miniature size for velocity and pressure measurement in unsteady and turbulent flowfields, with emphasis on MEMS-based pressure probes. The fabrication and calibration (theoretical and experimental) of miniature (order of 1mm to 2mm in diameter) 5-sensor hemispherical-tip probes, are discussed. The first stages of the development process have been to fabricate a sensitive MEMS pressure sensor and to develop calibration algorithms and environments for fast-response probes. The work resulted in a prototype MEMS-based 5 sensor probe, several embedded-sensor, fast response 5-sensor probes, and high accuracy steady and unsteady probe calibration and data-reduction algorithms. The work has produced a new type of flow-diagnostics probes that are anticipated to prove valuable to the fluid mechanics community. They are significantly more rugged than hot-wires and much less dependent on repetitive and tedious calibration; provide much larger measurable flow angularity; and although they are not there yet, we soon expect them to be able to match or exceed a hot-wire's spatial resolution capabilities and compete with a hot-wire's frequency response.
Theoretical calculation of magneto-transport properties in semiconductor devices and comparison to experimental data

Negative bend resistance is a signature of ballistic transport in low-dimension semiconductor devices. We calculate the bend resistance in 4-terminal devices using R-matrix theory. R-matrix theory is a technique first introduced in nuclear physics and recently shown to be a useful tool for calculating transport properties of solid-state devices. We have improved upon the existing implementations of R-matrix theory in device physics by applying a variational basis function approach that dramatically improves the rate of convergence of transmission coefficients. We have also developed a method for calculating transmission coefficients of a device in a nonzero magnetic field. We calculate bend resistance in 4-terminal devices.
The Effects of Methoxyflurane on Ventilation in Man

Minute volume, tidal volume, respiratory frequency, end-tidal carbon dioxide, and ventilatory response to carbon dioxide inhalation were studied during anesthesia at three different concentrations of end-tidal methoxyflurane, 0.19, 0.37, and 0.82 per cent, in 12 unpremedicated patients prior to surgery. Minute volume rose during light anesthesia and fell with increasing concentrations. Tidal volume decreased progressively from 0.49 liters awake, to 0.22 liters at the highest concentration, while respiratory rate rose from 11 to 22 per minute. End-tidal carbon dioxide rose progressively from 38.6 torr while awake, to 43.4 torr during deep anesthesia. More striking was the change in slope of the carbon dioxide response curve, which decreased progressively with increasing depth of anesthesia from 56 per cent of the control response in light anesthesia, through 28 to 9 per cent during deep anesthesia. An estimate of MAC for methoxyflurane in this study was 0.17 per cent, which agrees with previous reports despite employment of different criteria.
Retinohypothalamic projection and suprachiasmatic nucleus of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus

The distribution of retinohypothalamic projections and the organization of the suprachiasmatic region of the hypothalamus was investigated in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Retinohypothalamic projections (RHT) were studied by two anterograde tracing methods, and hypothalamic organization was investigated immunohistochemically with antisera against a number of substances known to be present in the mammalian suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN): bombesin (BBS), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT), neuropeptide Y (NPY), neurotensin (NT), somatostatin (SS), substance P (SP), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), and arginine vasopressin (AVP). Observations from these experiments were analysed within the framework of a cytoarchitectural study using Nissl-stained material. From this study, we have identified an area in the anterior hypothalamus which we believe is an avian homologue of the mammalian SCN. This area contains a nucleus located in close apposition to the optic chiasm between the dorsal supraoptic decussation (DSD) and the ventral lateral geniculate body (GLv) for much of its rostrocaudal extent. The central portion of this nucleus contains neurons that exhibit GAD- and BBS-like immunoreactivity and is the terminal field for the RHT. For this reason, we term this nucleus the visual SCN. It also contains axon plexuses exhibiting 5HT-like, SP-like, and NPY-like immunoreactivity and is bordered ventrally by AVP-like, SP-like, and NT-like immunoreactive cells and medially by VIP-like and SS-like immunoreactive cells. Although it is not established that these cell groups together compose a single suprachiasmatic nucleus, the organization in the avian brain of a nuclear complex with a retinorecipient area surrounded by nonvisual components would be very similar to that of the mammalian SCN.
An Accurate Compact Treatment of Pressure for Colocated Variables

We propose a new scheme for the pressure treatment in computations of incompressible flow using a colocated grid arrangement. To avoid oscillations associated with the sparse non-compact stencil, we introduce a compact fourth-order equivalent of this stencil and study its advantages over the classical second-order averaging procedure.
Three‐dimensional 87Rb imaging of isolated pig hearts: Effects of regional ischemia

The aim of this work was to investigate whether 1) Rb uptake is reduced in ischemic myocardium, and 2) 87Rb three-dimensional (3D) imaging can detect the ischemic area. Hearts of domestic pigs (n = 8, 20-30 kg) were perfused retrogradely with Krebs-Henseleit buffer in a 7-T, 40-cm horizontal bore magnet interfaced with Bruker MSLX spectrometer. Control (C) and ischemic (I) (45 min ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD)) hearts were loaded with Rb+ by perfusion with a Rb(+)-containing solution (2-4.7 mM, 30-100% of K+ substitution) for 35 min and 87Rb (C) or 31P (ischemic area in I) spectra were acquired. After mechanical arrest with 0.6-0.9 mM lidocaine, 87Rb images (7 min each, 1 cm3 resolution) were acquired (30-40 min) in the presence of Rb(+)-containing perfusate. Subsequently, the hearts were stained with Evans blue (EB) and samples taken for measurements of Rb+ content. In the Group C, distribution of Rb+ in the left ventricle and the intensities of the 3D 87Rb images were uniform. In the ischemic area (Group I), verified by the lack of EB staining and changes in 31P spectra, the images showed a reduced intensity, which corresponded to decreased Rb+ content (33 +/- 11% of the normal). Thus, 87Rb imaging reveals damaged cells detecting reduced Rb+ content in the ischemic area.
Computational characterization of energetic materials

Abstract We present an overview, focusing primarily upon the past ten years, of our work relating to the design, characterization and evaluation of new and proposed energetic compounds. Our approach has been entirely computational, at ab initio and density functional levels. Several areas are discussed in some detail: (a) assessment of thermodynamic and kinetic stabilities; (b) investigation of factors affecting impact/shock sensitivities; (c) calculation of gas, liquid and solid phase heats of formation; (d) determination of thermodynamic/kinetic data and reaction mechanisms for decomposition and combustion processes; and (e) evaluation of possible synthetic pathways.
Quadrupolar Analysis of Storage and Release of Elastic Energy in the Earth

The reservoir of elastic energy in the crust and mantle of the Earth has been assumed to be too small to be important for most geophysical processes. But here we report that we have calculated the global quadrupolar mechanical energy stored in the Earth to be ∼1032 erg and that it may play an important role in various processes in the crust and mantle, including polar wandering and seismic activity.