cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An investigation of the acceleration induced burning rate increase of nonmetallized composite propellants

A model is developed which correlates the experimentally observed burning rates of composite nonmetallized propellants subjected to acceleration fields normal to the burning surface. The model attributes the increased burning rates to additional energy transfer to the propellant surface from the combustion of ammonium perchlorate particles retained on the propellant surface by the acceleration forces. A method for predicting, with limited experimental data, the burning rate of a propellant as a function of pressure and acceleration is described.
Complexity in Group Work

It has been almost a year since the 2005 Atlanta American Counseling Association Convention, which featured Irvin Yalom as keynote speaker. Along with more than a thousand opening session attendees...
Analysis and measurement of the modal-noise probability distribution for a step-index optical fiber

With a sufficiently narrow source spectrum, and either fiber movement or source frequency shift, a changing speckle pattern exists at a multimode-fiber output plane that results in modal noise. Daino and co-workers [Electron. Lett. 15, 755 (1979)] have obtained the noise probability density function (PDF) for a fiber of arbitrary refractive-index profile in the limiting cases in which the number of speckles seen by the detector is either very small or very large. We show that, in the special case of a step-index fiber, the PDF is a gamma distribution of argument M′, where M′ is the number of degrees of freedom in the speckle pattern. We report measurements of the PDF that show good agreement with calculated gamma distributions.
Integrating Fundamental Principles Underlying Somatic Practices into the Dance Technique Class.

Summary Integrating somatic practices into the dance technique class by bringing awareness to the bodily processes of breathing, sensing, connecting, and initiating can help students reconnect the mind with the body within the context of the classroom environment. Dance educators do not always have the resources to implement separate somatics courses within their curriculums or to incorporate this body of knowledge into their technique classes. This article introduces the fundamental principles central to many somatic practices (The Alexander Technique, the Feldenkrais Method, Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis, Body-Mind Centering, and Ideokinesis) and provides a model for integrating these ideas into the dance technique class. The exploratory movement activities provided allow the dance student to re-learn how the exteroceptive and proprioceptive systems work together and can be used to detect and correct movement problems.
Opaque minerals in the matrix of the Bishunpur (LL3.1) chondrite: constraints on the chondrule formation environment

The chemistry and mineralogy of a group of opaque mineral assemblages in the matrix of the Bishunpur LL3.1 ordinary chondrite provide insight into the nebular environment in which they formed. The assemblages consist of a kamacite (Fe,Ni) core that is rimmed by troilite (FeS) and fayalite (Fe2Si04). Accessory phases in the rims include silica (Si02), chromite (FeCr204), whitlockite (Ca3(P04)2), maricite (FeNaP04), magnetite (Fe304), and tetrataenite (FeNi). We suggest that the metal melted in and equilibrated with an igneous chondrule under high- temperature, reducing conditions. In this environment the molten alloys incorporated varied amounts of Si, Ni, P, Cr, and Co, depending on the oxygen fugacity and temperature of the melt. Some of the metal was subsequently expelled from the chondrule interiors into the surrounding nebular gas. As the temperature dropped, the alloy solidified and volatile elements corroded the metal. The main reaction products were troilite and fayalite. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations are used to constrain the conditions under which these two phases can form simultaneously in the solar nebula. Kinetic factors are used to place a lower limit on the formation temperature. We determine that the metal corroded between 1173 and 1261 K at a total pressure in the range of 1025.0 to 1024.1 bars and a dust/gas ratio of 302 to 355 x relative to solar composition. These conditions are consistent with our model that the metal corroded in a dust- rich region of the solar nebula that was cooling after a chondrule formation event.
Solving large-scale linear programs by interior-point methods under the Matlab ∗ Environment †

In this paper, we describe our implementation of a primal-dual infeasible-interior-point algorithm for large-scale linear programming under the MATLAB environment. The resulting software is called LIPSOL — Linear-programming Interior-Point SOLvers. LIPSOL is designed to take the advantages of MATLAB's sparse-matrix functions and external interface facilities, and of existing Fortran sparse Cholesky codes. Under the MATLAB environment, LIPSOL inherits a high degree of simplicity and versatility in comparison to its counterparts in Fortran or C language. More importantly, our extensive computational results demonstrate that LIPSOL also attains an impressive performance comparable with that of efficient Fortran or C codes in solving large-scale problems. In addition, we discuss in detail a technique for overcoming numerical instability in Cholesky factorization at the end-stage of iterations in interior-point algorithms.
Reaction of H2S and S2 with Metal/Oxide Surfaces: Band-Gap Size and Chemical Reactivity

The adsorption and dissociation of H2S and S2 on a series of oxide (Al2O3, Cr2O3, Cr3O4, Cu2O, ZnO) and metal/oxide (Cu/Al2O3, Cu/ZnO) surfaces have been studied using synchrotron-based high-resolution photoemission. H2S and S2 mainly interact with the metal centers of the oxides. At 300 K, H2S undergoes complete decomposition. The rate of decomposition on Al2O3 is much lower than those found on Cr3O4, Cr2O3, ZnO, and Cu2O. For these systems, the smaller the band gap in the oxide, the bigger its reactivity toward S-containing molecules. The results of ab initio SCF calculations for the adsorption of H2S, HS, and S on clusters that resemble the (0001) face of α-Al2O3, α-Cr2O3, and ZnO show that the S-containing species interact stronger with Cr or Zn than with Al centers. These theoretical results and the trends seen in the experimental data indicate that the reactivity of an oxide mainly depends on how well its bands mix with the orbitals of H2S or HS. The electrostatic interactions between the dipole of ...
A mnemonic role for vasopressin: The evidence for and against ☆

This review critically evaluates the animal and human research concerning vasopressin's putative mnemonic role. Weaknesses in the interpretations of the early animal experiments as well as the implications of the later inconsistent findings are discussed. It is concluded that both the initial enthusiasm and the subsequent skepticism concerning this hypothesized role were premature. This conclusion applies equally to the human research. A review of these studies reveals that almost all of the negative reports involved cognitively-impaired individuals. The relatively few studies that have been conducted concerning vasopressin's effects in unimpaired human subjects are consistent with the hypothesis that vasopressin does affect cognition, though both the mechanism of action and the specific cognitive processes which are altered have yet to be elucidated.
Revisiting Dred Scott: Prudence, Providence, and the Limits of Constitutional Statesmanship

Abstract After the Dred Scott decision in 1857, Abraham Lincoln embarked on a public campaign to prevent the expansion of slavery in the federal territories. Lincoln's opposition to Dred Scott was, however, bound up with a certain theoretical orientation that is often rejected in the general milieu of modern constitutional theory. Within the context of two recent revisionist accounts of slavery and American constitutionalism, I argue that our retrospective evaluations of the sixteenth president's statesmanship must enter into a deeper engagement with Lincoln's attachment to natural law and his theological interpretation of the Civil War.
Genetics of smoking and depression

Smoking and depression are significant public health problems with multiple etiological dimensions and outcomes. Although each condition is important by itself, they are important because they often potentiate each other. Consequently, it is also essential to understand the nature their relationship. This representative review focuses on the genetic etiology of the relationship in the context of reviewing first the epidemiology of depression and smoking, and then by exploring behavioral and molecular genetic studies, and other psychiatric and medical comorbidities. At this point, epidemiological evidence for a relationship between depression and smoking/nicotine dependence is compelling. Although behavioral genetic results differ somewhat by gender and in accordance with specific definitions of depression and smoking variables, recent studies show converging evidence for common genetic factors underlying the relationship, often in addition to non-shared environmental factors. The search for underlying genes and genetic mechanisms is at an early stage, but shows promising candidate genes and genetic approaches for future studies.
Nano-patterned standards for improving the quantitative capability of laser scanning confocal microscopy for materials characterization

We explore novel means for estimating the sizes of features that lie below the diffraction limits for laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) for non-destructive, quantitative materials characterization. We first employ electron beam lithography to fabricate calibration standards consisting of hollow, nanometer-scale features as small as 70 nm in diameter etched in a poly(methyl methacrylate) photoresist. In addition to a range of feature sizes (D), we have designed these standards to also explore resolution limits through various feature-to-feature spacings. Fluorescence mode LSCM imaging of the features (i.e., saturated with fluorescent dye), and measurements via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) enable us to correlate the fluorescence intensity with the size of the sub-resolution features. Finally, we leverage this calibration for more quantitative interpretation of LSCM images of polycrystalline NaX zeolite membranes.
Biological Oxidation of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by a Methanotrophic Bacterium

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), proposed as alternatives to the ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), have been considered recalcitrant to biological degradation. We report the aerobic degradation by a methanotrophic bacterium of three out of five HCFCs and one out of three hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) tested. The ability of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b to degrade these compounds depended on the degree and position of halogen substitution. Gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and ion chromatography were used to verify the transformation of the HCFCs and HFCs. The stoichiometric release of free chloride and fluoride ions indicated complete mineralization by the reaction. The wide dissemination and abundance of methanotrophs in the environment suggest that these organisms may provide a natural sink for some the CFC replacement compounds.
Inhibition by Trypsin Inhibitors of Dissociation of Embryonic Tissue by Trypsin

TRYPSIN is used extensively for dissociation of tissues and in the preparation of suspensions of living cells1. The cell-dissociating effect of this enzyme has been attributed to tryptic degradation of cell binding materials1; however, theoretically, other possibilities exist and the question whether the characteristic enzymatic properties of trypsin are actually involved in cell separation seems not to have been adequately tested, though such information would be of some general interest. Furthermore, since trypsin attacks selectively peptide linkages adjacent to lysyl and arginyl residues, clarification of the relationship between its cell-dissociating activity and its lytic properties would be useful in considerations of the mechanism of cell binding. Trypsin inhibitors offer a direct approach to this matter. It was reported that trypsin inactivated by diisopropylflurophosphate (DFP) did not dissociate adult rat liver cells2. In the work recorded here, the effects of soybean and ovomucoid trypsin inhibitors on the dissociation by trypsin of embryonic tissue were examined. The interaction between these inhibitors and trypsin is considered to be specific and stoichiometric3–5 at concentrations equimolar to and higher than that of the enzyme, the inhibitors rapidly and completely abolish its tryptic activity. According to available results3,5, the molecular weights of trypsin and trypsin inhibitors used in this investigation were of the following order of magnitude: trypsin—24,000; soybean trypsin inhibitor—24,000; ovomucoid trypsin inhibitor—28,000.
Reactions of Au+ and Au− with benzene and fluorine-substituted benzenes

Abstract Reactions of gold anions and cations generated by laser desorption/ionization were studied in the FTICR spectrometer. Au− associated with C6F6 to give the novel Au−(C6F6) complex, whose binding energy was estimated to be 24 ± 4 kcal mol−1 from analysis of the radiative association (RA) kinetics. Au+ associated with C6F5H to give Au+(C6F5H), with binding energy estimated to be 31 kcal mol−1. Au+ reacted with C6H6 to form the well known Au+(C6H6) and Au+(C6H6)2 complexes. The observation of rapid charge transfer from Au+(C6H6) to C6H6 was interpreted as showing that benzene binds more strongly to neutral Au than to Au+. The neutral Au–C6H6 bond is accordingly concluded to be stronger than about 70 kcal mol−1.
Systolic anterior motion of the mitral chordae tendineae: Prevalence and clinical and Doppler-echocardiographic features

The objective of this investigation was to determine the prevalence and clinical associations of systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral chordae (chordal SAM) in patients without evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Although SAM of the mitral valve is thought to be a specific marker of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, little is known about the clinical significance of chordal SAM either as an isolated echocardiographic finding (ICSAM) or in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). A retrospective search of the clinical echocardiographic database was made to identify studies demonstrating chordal SAM with no other echocardiographic features of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The prevalence of chordal SAM was also ascertained in a group of 97 normal control subjects. Clinical, demographic, and two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic characteristics were compared between patients with and without MVP. Chordal SAM was identified in 3.9 percent of clinical studies but was rarely seen in normal volunteers (1 percent). Of the 57 patients with chordal SAM, 21 had systemic or cardiovascular conditions other than MVP associated with SAM (including 7 with aortic insufficiency and 8 with secondary concentric left ventricular hypertrophy), 18 (32 percent) had MVP, and 19 (33 percent) had no associated cardiovascular or systemic condition. These 19 patients with ICSAM were similar to patients with MVP and SAM with respect to age (44 +/- 8 vs 41 +/- 17 years), blood pressure, left ventricular wall thickness, ejection fraction, left atrial size, degree of mitral insufficiency, and left ventricular outflow tract velocity. Indications for the echocardiographic studies were similar between the two groups (chest pain, syncope, arrhythmia, cardiac source of embolus, and suspected MVP), but more patients in the ICSAM group were men (16 of 19 vs 8 of 18; p < 0.05). In conclusion, patients with ICSAM and CSAM associated with MVP are virtually indistinguishable by clinical, demographic, or Doppler-echocardiographic features. The syndrome of ICSAM deserves further study as a potentially clinically significant echocardiographic variant of the floppy mitral valve/MVP syndrome.
Effect of a study map intended to support informed consent in transplant research.

Context—Research participants' informed consent is integral to the protection of human subjects; studies exploring the enhancement of standard informed consent processes have had mixed success in increasing patients' understanding of complex research protocols.Objective—To determine the effect of a “study map,” a flow diagram of a research protocol, on research participants' understanding of research purpose and procedures.Design—This study was an experimental posttest-only design using 30 research participants enrolling in a study of decision making and recovery among living kidney donors. Participants were randomly assigned to the standard care group (verbal description with consent documents) or the experimental group (standard of care plus study map). An instrument measured perceived and objective understanding, and the differences between groups were determined by an independent t test.Discussion—The high level of comprehension in the control group made detecting improvements in understanding difficu...
A new alpha‐glucosidase inhibitor (Bay‐m‐1099) reduces insulin requirements with meals in insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus

Retardation of meal carbohydrate absorption by inhibition of starch degradation improves glucose tolerance in normal and diabetic humans. To determine the effects of Bay-m-1099, a new alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, on insulin requirements and prandial glucose tolerance in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), plasma glucose, triglyceride, and free insulin concentrations were measured after ingestion of a standard breakfast, lunch, and dinner in nine patients with IDDM in a single-blind, randomized, crossover design. A 20% reduction in insulin was given 30 minutes before the meals when the subjects received Bay-m-1099 (50 mg). This resulted in the AUC for plasma insulin to be significantly less with Bay-m-1099 (AUC, 8.2 +/- 1.3 vs. 12.8 +/- 1.6 microU/ml/min with placebo; P less than 0.01). Despite this reduction in plasma insulin levels, postprandial plasma glucose concentrations were reduced for the breakfast (73 +/- 15 vs. 112 +/- 14 mg/dl/min with placebo; P less than 0.01) and dinner (23 +/- 8 vs. 4 +/- 1 mg/dl/min with placebo; P less than 0.05) meal with Bay-m-1099. Bay-m-1099 did not affect postprandial plasma triglycerides and was well tolerated, the major side effect being flatulence (4/9) and mild diarrhea (4/9). We conclude that inhibition of intestinal alpha-glucosidases by Bay-m-1099 in IDDM reduces meal insulin requirements by at least 20% and that such an agent could be useful in the management of diabetes mellitus by reducing hyperinsulinemia.
Improved stop-flow apparatus to measure permeability of human red cells and ghosts

Abstract An improved stop-flow apparatus has been designed and constructed to measure the permeability characteristics of human red cells, which can be inferred from the time course of red cell volume changes following a sudden change in cellular environment produced by a rapid mixing device. The improved apparatus is directly coupled to a computer which automates thesubtraction and averaging procedures that have been developed to minimize the noise generated in the system by the cessation of red cell forward motion when the flow is suddenly stopped. Real time data acquisition also makes it possible to increase the number of data points by an order of magnitude, thus improving accuracy significantly. The apparatus has been tested by measurements of the human red cel hydraulic permeability coefficient. Data are presented to validate the subtraction procedure. Experiments have also been carried out on red cell ghosts which indicate that the hydraulic conductivity of the ghost is similar to that of the undisturbed red cell.
High spin resonances in 28Si+28Si scattering

Abstract Angle integrated cross sections for elastic and inelastic scattering of 28 Si+ 28 Si show structure as a function of energy similar to that previously observed in single-angle excitation functions. Angular distributions for the elastic scattering are well described by pure [ P L (cos θ )] 2 shapes with a sequence anngular momenta which closely follows that of the grazing partial wave.
Ecologically Functional Floodplains: Connectivity, Flow Regime, and Scale1

This paper proposes a conceptual model that captures key attributes of ecologically functional flood- plains, encompassing three basic elements: (1) hydrologic connectivity between the river and the floodplain, (2) a variable hydrograph that reflects seasonal precipitation patterns and retains a range of both high and low flow events, and (3) sufficient spatial scale to encompass dynamic processes and for floodplain benefits to accrue to a meaningful level. Although floodplains support high levels of biodiversity and some of the most productive eco- systems on Earth, they are also among the most converted and threatened ecosystems and therefore have recently become the focus of conservation and restoration programs across the United States and globally. These efforts seek to conserve or restore complex, highly variable ecosystems and often must simultaneously address both land and water management. Thus, such efforts must overcome considerable scientific, technical, and socio- economic challenges. In addition to proposing a scientific conceptual model, this paper also includes three case studies that illustrate methods for addressing these technical and socioeconomic challenges within projects that seek to promote ecologically functional floodplains through river-floodplain reconnection and⁄or restoration of key components of hydrological variability.
Numerical Exploitation of Equivariance

Linear operators in equations describing physical problems on a symmetric domain often are also equivariant, which means that they commute with its symmetries, i.e., with the group of orthogonal transformations which leave the domain invariant. Under suitable discretizations the resulting system matrices are also equivariant with respect to a group of permutations. Methods for exploiting this equivariance in the numerical solution of linear systems of equations and eigenvalue problems via symmetry reduction are described. A very significant reduction in computational expense can be obtained in this way. The basic ideas underlying this method and its analysis involve group representation theory. The symmetry reduction method is complicated somewhat by the presence of nodes or elements which remain fixed under some of the symmetries. Two methods (regularization and projection) for handling such situations are described. The former increases the number of unknowns in the symmetry reduced system, the latter does not but needs more overhead. Some examples are given to illustrate this situation. Our methods circumvent the explicit use of symmetry adapted bases, but our methods can also be used to automatically generate such bases if they are needed for some other purpose. A software package has been posted on the internet.
Let’s Make a Deal: Development and Validation of the Ex Post I-Deals Scale

Idiosyncratic deals (or i-deals) are mutually beneficial, personalized agreements of a nonstandard nature that are negotiated between individual employees and their employers. This article outlines the development of a 16-item measure of i-deals negotiated by job incumbents. Across four studies, the authors developed a reliable scale with a multidimensional factor structure that replicated across three separate samples. Study 1 was aimed at verifying that they had appropriately specified the domains across which i-deals are negotiated. In Study 2, the authors developed a measure of i-deals and confirmed its reliability and factor structure. Studies 3 and 4 provided further evidence for the psychometric properties of the i-deals measure and examined antecedents and outcomes of i-deals. Overall, the results indicate that employees negotiate i-deals across four content domains (i.e., schedule flexibility, location flexibility, task and work responsibilities, and financial incentives) and that i-deals have im...
Volume Properties of Ground-State Nuclear Matter

An approximation developed by one of the authors for treating macroscopic bound systems in the ground state is applied to a homogeneous system of nuclear matter using a simple separable potential. More extensive numerical results are given for the density, energy density, chemical potential, effective potential, momentum distribution, pressure, and density correlation function. In addition, we discuss an ambiguity in the calculation of the pressure arising directly from the approximation. This ambiguity and its effect on the nuclear parameters at the physically meaningful point of zero pressure is treated in detail. In particular, three different expressions for the pressure are derived which lead to zero-pressure values of -14.4, -17.0, and -17.5 MeV for the binding energy/particle and 0.87, 0.95, and 1.01 F for the interparticle spacing. A numerical examination of the density correlation function suggests, as expected, that correlations of more than two particles are rare at nuclear densities.
First Report of Iris yellow spot virus in Onion in Hawaii

Onion (Allium spp.) production in Hawaii is mostly comprised of green onion and the locally prized sweet bulb onions (Allium cepa L.) that include short- and medium-day cultivars. Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV; family Bunyaviridae, genus Tospovirus) is an important constraint to bulb and seed onion production in many onion-growing regions of the continental United States and the world (3). In June 2010, straw-colored, diamond-shaped lesions with occasional green islands were observed on leaves of sweet onion ‘Linda Vista’ in an insecticide trial on Maui for onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) control. Collapse and lodging occurred when lesions on leaves were severe. Seven bulbs with green leaves exhibiting lesions were collected from this onion field in the Pulehu Region of the lower Kula District on Maui. Leaf samples that included a lesion or were within 1 cm of a lesion were found to be positive in indirect ELISA with IYSV-specific polyclonal antisera (2). A405nm readings after 1 h ranged from 0.263 to 2.067 f...
Bioaccumulation of selenate, selenite, and seleno-DL-methionine by the brine fly larvae Ephydra cinerea Jones

High concentrations of selenium threaten waterfowl at California San Joaquin Valley agricultural wastewater evaporation ponds. This study evaluates and compares two routes of Se exposure and uptake by third instar Ephydra cinerea (brine fly) larvae. A 48-h static bioconcentration bioassay provided information on the larval uptake of selenate, selenite, and seleno-DL-methionine (SeMet) at Se waterborne concentrations ranging from 10.0–20,000 ug/L. At equivalent concentration levels, SeMet was bioconcentrated to a greater extent than selenite, which was bioconcentrated more than selenate. Forty-eight-hour static bioconcentration vs. biomagnification bioassays allowed for comparisons of the two routes of exposure of selenate, selenite, and SeMet. Biomagnification was determined to be the primary Se uptake pathway, exemplified most notably in the selenite treatment. Measured agar-based food unit Se levels presented evidence that the uptake of selenite, and especially SeMet, by microbial populations was transferred to E. cinerea larvae as they scavenged for bacteria and yeast, etc. in the diet matrix. As a primary dietary item of waterfowl at evaporation ponds, E. cinerea in seleniferous waters presents a potentially high hazard.
A direct flexibility method

We present a Direct Flexibility Method (DFM) for the solution of finite element equations. This method is based on a decomposition of the finite element model into substructures, which may reduce to individual elements. Substructures are preprocessed by the Direct Stiffness Method (DSM) to generate free-free flexibility matrices for floating substructures. The interface problem is solved for the interface forces and the solution recovered over substructure interiors. The DFM shares with the DSM the advantages of being automatic, maintaining locality and sparseness, efficiently handling continuum elements, and requiring only the availability of element stiffness libraries. The new method appears to be advantageous for specific applications. These include: massively parallel processing, inverse problems, treatment of rigid members and inclusions, and use of underintegrated elements without spurious-mode stabilization.
Health promotion behavior in low income black and Latino women.

Health promotion behaviors were examined in a sample of low-income, Black and Latino women. Latino women were more likely ban Black women to eat a daily brealdast; sleep 7-8 hours per night and abstain from alcohol and tobacco use. Black women were more likely to be eating vegetables on a regular basis and exercising at least once per week. The results suggest that low income Latino women may need to increase their consumption of vegetables and frequency of exercise. Among Black women, a wider range of healthy lifestyle behaviors such as sleeping eight hours per night, eating a daily breakfast and decreasing alcohol and tobacco consumption may need to be emphasized.
Apoptosis in testis germ cells: developmental changes in gonadotropin dependence and localization to selective tubule stages

Recent studies have demonstrated apoptotic DNA fragmentation in the testis of immature rats deprived of gonadotropins. However, the exact cell type undergoing apoptosis during testis development and the age differences of gonadotropin dependence of testis cell apoptosis are unclear. The present study used gel fractionation and in situ methods to quantitate developmental changes of testis cell DNA fragmentation and to localize the specific cell type affected in developing rats with and without treatment with a GnRH antagonist. Apoptotic DNA fragmentation in whole testis was measured in rats between 8-70 days of age. A gradual increase (1.8- to 2.0-fold) in testis apoptotic DNA fragmentation was seen in rats between 16-28 days of age, compared with 8-day-old animals, followed by a decrease in adult animals. To study gonadotropin dependence of testicular apoptosis, serum FSH and, to a lesser extent, LH were suppressed by treatment with a long-acting GnRH antagonist (azaline-B, 250 micrograms/kg body wt, two injections at 2-day intervals). Pretreatment with the GnRH antagonist increased apoptotic DNA fragmentation in rats between 16-32 days of age but not in younger and adult animals demonstrating an age-related change in gonadotropin dependence. To identify the exact testis cell type undergoing apoptosis, in situ analysis of DNA fragmentation was performed. In rats at 16-24 days of age, spermatocytes in selected tubules were found to have increased DNA fragmentation. In contrast, neither Leydig cells nor Sertoli cells were affected. In 32-day-old and adult animals, increased DNA fragmentation was seen in early primary spermatocytes of some tubules. Treatment with GnRH antagonist increased the number of cells with DNA fragmentation as well as percentage of tubules affected. In animals between 16-32 days of age, meiotic spermatocytes were labeled, whereas early spermatids were also labeled in 24- and 32-day-old animals. In adult animals, the level of apoptotic DNA fragmentation was not affected by GnRH antagonist treatment. However, DNA isolated from specific stages of the seminiferous tubules of adult animals showed stage-specific changes of apoptotic DNA fragmentation with 2-fold higher levels found in stages I and XII-XIV compared with stage VIII. In situ analysis of adult testis demonstrated that spermatocytes were the major cell type affected. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that at least three factors determine the onset of apoptosis of the male germ cells: 1) the developmental stage of the animal; 2) serum levels of gonadotropins, especially FSH; and 3) specific stage of the seminiferous epithelial cycle. The present approach provides the basis for future analysis of the role of gonadotropins and other factors in the regulation of testis cell degeneration in normal and pathological states.
Spark plasma sintering of a nanocrystalline Al-Cu-Mg-Fe-Ni-Sc alloy

The microstructure and aging behavior of a nanocrystalline Al-Cu-Mg-Fe-Ni-Sc alloy was studied. The nanocrystalline powders were produced by milling at liquid nitrogen temperature and then consolidated using spark plasma sintering (SPS). The microstructure after SPS consisted of a bimodal aluminum grain structure (coarse-grained and fine-grained regions), along with Al9FeNi and Al2CuMg particles dispersed throughout. The microstructure observed in the as-consolidated sample is rationalized on the basis of high current densities that are generated during sintering. Solution treatment and aging of the SPS Al-Cu-Mg-Fe-Ni-Sc sample resulted in softening instead of hardening. This observation can be explained by the reduced amount of Cu, Mg, and Si in solid solution available to form S′ Al2CuMg due to the precipitation of Al7FeCu2 and Si-rich particles, and by the fact that rodlike S′ Al2CuMg particles could only precipitate out in the coarse-grained regions, greatly decreasing their influence on the hardness. This lack of precipitation in the fine-grained region is argued to represent a new physical observation and is rationalized on the basis of physical and thermodynamic effects. The nanocrystalline SPS Al-Cu-Mg-Fe-Ni-Sc sample was also extremely thermally stable, retaining a fine-grained structure even after solution treatment at 530°C for 5 h. The observed thermal stability is rationalized on the basis of solute drag and Zener pinning caused by the impurities introduced during the cryomilling process.
Simulation results on extensions of the theil-sen regression estimator

The efficiency of the the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression estimator can be very poor when the error term is normal but heteroscedastic. When the error term is nonnormal, the problem is exacerbated. Several estimators have been found to have high small-sample efficiency cmpared to the OLS estimator when the error term is heteroscedastic, and little efficiency is lost when in fact the error term is normal and homoscedastic. One of these is the Theil-Sen estimator with one regressor. The goal in this paper is to consider four extensions of this estimator to two regressors, one of which is found to have practical advantages over the other three. Moreover, its small-sample efficiency is found to be considerable compared to the OLS estimator, and the number of elemental subsets required to compute it isequal to the number of elemental subsets required when there is onlyone predictor.
Multiple Modes for Coordination of Phenazine to Molybdenum: Ring Fusion Promotes Access to η4-Coordination, Oxidative Addition of Dihydrogen and Hydrogenation of Aromatic Nitrogen Compounds

Mo(PMe(3))(6) reacts with phenazine (PhzH) to give (eta(6)-C(6)-PhzH)Mo(PMe(3))(3), (mu-eta(6),eta(6)-PhzH)[Mo(PMe(3))(3)](2) and (eta(4)-C(4)-PhzH)(2)Mo(PMe(3))(2), each of which displays previously unknown coordination modes for phenazine. Both mononuclear (eta(6)-C(6)-PhzH)Mo(PMe(3))(3) and dinuclear (mu-eta(6),eta(6)-PhzH)[Mo(PMe(3))(3)](2) react with H(2) at room temperature to give the respective dihydride complexes, (eta(4)-C(4)-PhzH)Mo(PMe(3))(3)H(2) and (mu-eta(6),eta(4)-PhzH)[Mo(PMe(3))(3)][Mo(PMe(3))(3)H(2)]. A comparison of (eta(6)-C(6)-PhzH)Mo(PMe(3))(3) with the anthracene (AnH) and acridine (AcrH) counterparts, (eta(6)-AnH)Mo(PMe(3))(3) and (eta(6)-C(6)-AcrH)Mo(PMe(3))(3), indicates that oxidative addition of H(2) is promoted by incorporation of nitrogen substituents into the central ring. Furthermore, comparison of (eta(6)-C(6)-PhzH)Mo(PMe(3))(3) with the quinoxaline (QoxH) analogue, (eta(6)-C(6)-QoxH)Mo(PMe(3))(3), indicates that ring fusion also promotes oxidative addition of H(2). The mononitrogen quinoline (QH) and acridine compounds, (eta(6)-C(6)-QH)Mo(PMe(3))(3) and (eta(6)-C(6)-AcrH)Mo(PMe(3))(3), which respectively possess two and three fused six-membered rings, exhibit a similar trend, with the former being inert towards H(2), while the latter reacts rapidly to yield (eta(4)-C(4)-AcrH)Mo(PMe(3))(3)H(2). Ring fusion also promotes hydrogenation of the heterocyclic ligand, with (eta(6)-C(6)-AcrH)Mo(PMe(3))(3) releasing 9,10-dihydroacridine upon treatment with H(2) in benzene at 95 degrees C. Furthermore, catalytic hydrogenation of acridine to a mixture of 9,10-dihydroacridine and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine may be achieved by treatment of (eta(6)-C(6)-AcrH)Mo(PMe(3))(3) with acridine and H(2) at 95 degrees C.
Cocaine Abuse in Later Life: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVE To raise awareness about the growing trend of cocaine abuse in later years as an underdiagnosed, undertreated, and comorbid condition in older individuals. Three cases of cocaine use in patients over the age of 50 years in the Malcolm Randall Veterans Medical Center, Gainesville, Florida, within a 10-day span in 2013 are presented. DATA SOURCES PubMed was searched using combinations of keywords, including cocaine, addiction, elderly, and aging, to find articles published between 1986 and 2013. STUDY SELECTION In total, 37 articles were selected for inclusion on the basis of their relevance to the objective and importance to the representation of cocaine abuse, including international guidelines for addiction. DATA EXTRACTION Each article was reviewed for eligibility. Final decisions were made following full-text review. RESULTS Cocaine addiction remains a high-morbidity chronic-relapsing illness with few treatment options. A review of the literature shows that late-life cocaine use is sparsely recognized. Of particular interest are the clinical presentations in which a higher index for detection is warranted. The high rate of medical comorbidity associated with cocaine use, especially cerebrovascular deficits, presents special treatment and social challenges. CONCLUSIONS As the number of older individuals admitted for substance use continues to climb, clinicians must adapt to the changing demographics by increasing screening, early detection, and treatment options for older persons.
Metastability in the Mgal2O4‐Al2O3 System

Aluminum oxide must take a spinel form (γ-Al2O3) at increased temperatures in order for extensive solid solution to form between MgAl2O4 and α-Al2O3. The solvus line between MgAl2O4 and Al2O3 has been defined at 79.6 wt% Al2O3 at 1500°C, 83.0 wt% Al2O3 at 1600°C, and 86.5 wt% Al2O3 at 1700°C. A metastable region has been defined at temperatures up to 1700°C which could have significant implications for material processing and properties. Additionally, initial processing could have major implications on final chemistry.
Theoretical modeling and evaluation of the axial resolution of the adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope.

We present axial resolution calculated using a mathemati- cal model of the adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO). The peak intensity and the width of the axial intensity re- sponse are computed with the residual Zernike coefficients after the aberrations are corrected using adaptive optics for eight subjects and compared with the axial resolution of a diffraction-limited eye. The AOSLO currently uses a confocal pinhole that is 80 mm, or 3.48 times the width of the Airy disk radius of the collection optics, and projects to 7.41 mm on the retina. For this pinhole, the axial resolution of a diffraction-limited system is 114 mm and the computed axial resolu- tion varies between 120 and 146 mm for the human subjects included in this study. The results of this analysis indicate that to improve axial resolution, it is best to reduce the pinhole size. The resulting reduction in detected light may demand, however, a more sophisticated adap- tive optics system. The study also shows that imaging systems with large pinholes are relatively insensitive to misalignment in the lateral positioning of the confocal pinhole. However, when small pinholes are used to maximize resolution, alignment becomes critical. © 2004
Development of an antifungal denture adhesive film for oral candidiasis utilizing hot melt extrusion technology.

Objectives: The overall goal of this research was to produce a stable hot-melt extruded ‘Antifungal Denture Adhesive film’ (ADA) system for the treatment of oral candidiasis. Methods: The ADA systems with hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and/or polyethylene oxide (PEO) containing clotrimazole (10%) or nystatin (10%) were extruded utilizing a lab scale twin-screw hot-melt extruder. Rolls of the antifungal-containing films were collected and subsequently die-cut into shapes adapted for a maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) denture. Results: Differential scanning calorimeter and powder X-ray diffraction results indicated that the crystallinity of both APIs was changed to amorphous phase after hot-melt extrusion. The ADA system, containing blends of HPC and PEO, enhanced the effectiveness of the antimicrobials a maximum of fivefold toward the inhibition of cell adherence of Candida albicans to mammalian cells/Vero cells. Remarkably, a combination of the two polymers without drug also demonstrated a 38% decrease in cell adhesion to the fungi due to the viscosity and the flexibility of the polymers. Drug-release profiles indicated that both drug concentrations were above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for C. albicans within 10 min and was maintained for over 10 h. In addition, based on the IC50 and MIC values, it was observed that the antifungal activities of both drugs were increased significantly in the ADA systems. Conclusions: Based on these findings, the ADA system may be used for primary, prophylaxis or adjunct treatment of oral or pharyngeal candidiasis via controlled release of the antifungal agent from the polymer matrix.
A commutativity theorem for power-associative rings

Let R be a power-associative ring with identity and let I be an ideal of R such that R / I is a finite field and x ≡ y (mod I ) implies x 2 = y 2 or both x and y commute with all elements of I . It is proven that R must then be commutative. Examples are given to show that R need not be commutative if various parts of the hypothesis are dropped or if “ x 2 = y 2 ” is replaced by “ x k = y k ” for any integer k > 2.
The narrow fracture approximation by channeled flow

Abstract The singular problem of non-stationary Darcy flow in a region containing a narrow channel of width O ( ϵ ) and high permeability O ( 1 ϵ ) is shown to be well approximated by a problem with flow concentrated on a weighted Sobolev space over a lower-dimensional interface. The convergence of the solution as ϵ → 0 is proved for both the stationary case and the corresponding initial-boundary-value problem. The structure of the limiting problems is dependent on the rate of taper of the channel at its extremities.
Body size, longevity, and growth rate in Lake Pannon melanopsid gastropods and their predecessors

We investigate potential microevolutionary mechanisms of phenotypic change in a lineage of brackish-water gastropods from Lake Pannon. The lineage exhibits a threefold increase in body size and a pronounced increase in shell shouldering over a roughly 2.5-Myr interval. We use the stable oxygen isotope profiles of 13 shells to address the question of whether large size is due to more rapid growth or to greater longevity.Results indicate that larger individuals have significantly greater longevity. Growth rates in large snails are comparable to those of their smaller-bodied ancestors.Potentially relevant selective advantages of large size include escape from predators, avoidance of resource competition, and increased fecundity. We argue that the first two advantages may have accrued to larger individuals but are not likely to have driven the trend because selection for them would favor more rapid growth rates. Fecundity selection, on the other hand, is readily envisioned in a stable, predictable environment in which the need for early reproduction is relaxed. The evolution of large body size in Lake Pannon molluscs may be comparable to evolution on many islands, where reduced pressure from competition and predation lead to characteristic changes in body size.
Emissions and ambient distributions of Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOC) in a ponderosa pine ecosystem: interpretation of PTR-MS mass spectra

Abstract. Two proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry systems were deployed at the Bio-hydro-atmosphere interactions of Energy, Aerosols, Carbon, H2O, Organics and Nitrogen-Southern Rocky Mountain 2008 field campaign (BEACHON-SRM08; July to September, 2008) at the Manitou Forest Observatory in a ponderosa pine woodland near Woodland Park, Colorado USA. The two PTR-MS systems simultaneously measured BVOC emissions and ambient distributions of their oxidation products. Here, we present mass spectral analysis in a wide range of masses (m/z 40+ to 210+) to assess our understanding of BVOC emissions and their photochemical processing inside of the forest canopy. The biogenic terpenoids, 2-methyl-3-butene-2-ol (MBO, 50.2%) and several monoterpenes (MT, 33.5%) were identified as the dominant BVOC emissions from a transmission corrected mass spectrum (PTR-MS), averaged over the daytime (11 a.m. to 3 p.m., local time) of three days. To assess contributions of oxidation products of local BVOC, we calculate an oxidation product spectrum with the OH- and ozone-initiated oxidation product distribution mass spectra of two major BVOC emissions at the ecosystem (MBO and β-pinene) that were observed from laboratory oxidation experiments. The majority (~76%) of the total signal in the transmission corrected PTR-MS spectra could be explained by identified compounds. The remainder are attributed to oxidation products of BVOC emitted from nearby ecosystems and transported to the site, and oxidation products of unidentified BVOC emitted from the ponderosa pine ecosystem.
An approach for online repair and yield enhancement of VLSI/WSI redundant memories

A novel approach to yield enhancement of VLSI/WSI memories by row/column repair is presented. This approach is based on an online technique which executes concurrently with the testing process. The proposed repair approach consists of a divide-and-conquer strategy in which the overall fault pattern is divided into partitions. This is based on two practical considerations: the occurrence of faulty clusters and the practice of dividing a large memory into smaller subarrays (partitions) for speeding up the process of finding the overall repair-solution. >
Improving Yields of High Performance 65 nm Chips with Sputtering Top Surface of Dual Stress Liner

This paper presents a simple, effective, and economical method to improve the yield of high performance 65 nm SOI CMOS technology using dual stress nitride liner (DSL) for performance enhancement. Sputtering is used to reduce the complexity caused by DSL boundaries to smooth/trim the top surface of the DSL, which results into a significant yield increase. The perfect yield of 36 Mb 0.65 mum2 SRAM is increased by 25%. The yield for dual-core microprocessors is increased by 33% and for single-core microprocessors by 75%. Yield improvement is explained and sputtering effects on DSL stress and device performance are discussed. This method is in qualification process for product manufacturing.