cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilizing Modal Testing for Monitoring the Structural Health of Wind Tunnel Facility Hardware

The 10- by 10-Foot Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel (10 × 10) is the largest and fastest wind tunnel facility at NASA’s Glenn Research Center(GRC) and is specifically designed to test supersonic propulsion components from inlets and nozzles to full-scale jet and rocket engines (10 × 10 Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel, https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/facilities/10x10/). Recently, a critical part of the wind tunnel failed and required a redesign before reintegrating into the facility. The design requirements of this new component required that clearances between large metallic components exist, which have the potential for undesirable nonlinear dynamics to occur, in particular rattling. Rattling is feared to occur when the wind tunnel is being operated in certain flow regimes that induce cyclic aero loads on the new component near its natural frequencies. This paper describes the approach taken to better understand and resolve this vibration problem using modal testing. A modal test was developed and executed by GRC’s Structural Dynamics Lab to quantify the modal parameters of the structure, namely which specific excitation frequencies caused the structure to rattle. These results were shared with facility operators as frequency ranges that should be avoided to ensure maximum lifespan of the new structure. Additional means of structural health monitoring (SHM) as well as Vortex shedding are briefly discussed in this paper.
The prostate cancer stem cell niche: Genetic drivers and therapeutic approaches

Abstract Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and it represents the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men worldwide. Conventional therapies against this disease include surgery, radiation, hormonal ablation, and chemotherapy. Despite increasing efforts, these approaches are not effective for patients with advanced and/or metastatic prostate cancer. In most cases, these therapies have an effect on the tumor bulk but fail to target the prostate cancer stem cell niche, resulting in an incomplete depletion of tumor cells. Prostate cancer stem cells are intrinsically therapy-resistant quiescent cells that reside within the tumor and are able to differentiate into mature tumor cells, inducing tumor relapse and metastasis. Therapies targeting the prostate cancer stem cell niche might therefore lead to more effective cancer treatments and could generate a more durable response and prevent tumor relapse. In this chapter, I will describe the transcription factors and genetic mechanisms that regulate the stem cell niche in prostate cancer, with a specific focus on the stem cell-specific therapeutic approaches that are currently under investigation.
Engineering Nanoscale Polarization at the SrTiO 3 /Ge Interface

The ability to manipulate electric polarization at reduced dimension has recently generated intense research interests. Here, we report the engineering of interfacial ferroelectricity by the monolithic integration of a single crystalline SrTiO3 (STO) film on a germanium Ge(001) substrate. A combination of nonlinear optical measurements, microstructural analyses, and phase-field simulations provide evidences of room-temperature ferroelectricity in the epitaxial STO ultrathin film. We show that the collective atomic displacements of Ti near the STO/Ge interface are responsible for the generation of an in-plane ferroelectric polarization. An a1/a2 domain pattern with a stable net polarization along the [110] in-plane direction is revealed.
Systematicity redux

One of the main challenges that Jerry Fodor and Zenon Pylyshyn (Cognition 28:3–71, 1988) posed for any connectionist theory of cognitive architecture is to explain the systematicity of thought without implementing a Language of Thought (LOT) architecture. The systematicity challenge presents a dilemma: if connectionism cannot explain the systematicity of thought, then it fails to offer an adequate theory of cognitive architecture; and if it explains the systematicity of thought by implementing a LOT architecture, then it fails to offer an alternative to the LOT hypothesis. Given that thought is systematic, connectionism can offer an adequate alternative to the LOT hypothesis only if it can meet the challenge. Although some critics tried to meet the challenge, others argued that it need not be met since thought is not in fact systematic; and some claimed not to even understand the claim that thought is systematic. I do not here examine attempts to answer the challenge. Instead, I defend the challenge itself by explicating the notion of systematicity in a way that I hope makes clear that thought is indeed systematic, and so that to offer an adequate alternative to the LOT hypothesis, connectionism must meet the challenge.
A Mechanism for the Rare Fluctuation that Powers Protein Conformational Change

Abstract Most functional processes of biomolecules are rare events. Key to a rare event is the rare fluctuation that enables the energy activation process, which powers the system across the activation barrier. But the physical nature of this rare fluctuation and how it enables barrier crossing are unknown. With the help of a novel metric, the reaction capacity pC, that rigorously defines the beginning and parameterizes the progress of energy activation, the rare fluctuation was identified as a special phase-space condition that is necessary and sufficient for initiating systematic energy flow from the non-reaction coordinates into the reaction coordinates. The energy activation of a prototype biomolecular isomerization reaction is dominated by kinetic energy transferring into and accumulating in the reaction coordinates, administered by inertial forces alone. The two major reaction coordinates move in precise synergy, with one acting as a gating mechanism on the other. This mechanism is enabled by the structural features of biomolecules and may the cause of their unique functions that are not possible in small molecules.
Delivery of IL-2 to the T Cell Surface Through Phosphatidylserine Permits Robust Expansion of CD8 T Cells

The phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS) is naturally maintained on the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane. Independent of apoptosis, PS is redistributed to the surface of CD8 T cells in response to TCR-mediated activation. Annexin V (AnnV) is a protein known to bind PS with high affinity and has been effectively utilized to anchor antigen to the surface of CD8 T cells. To expand these studies, we aimed to exploit TCR activation driven PS exposure as a target to deliver cytokine, namely interleukin-2 (IL-2), to the surface of CD8+ T cells. This was accomplished using a novel chimeric fusion protein of annexin V and interleukin 2 (AnnV-IL2). In vitro analysis revealed that AnnV-IL2 is able to specifically bind PS on the T cell surface following TCR stimulation. Consequently, AnnV-IL2 proved to be significantly more effective at enhancing T cell activation compared to recombinant IL-2. In vivo, AnnV-IL2 promotes robust expansion of antigen-specific cells capable of interferon gamma (IFNγ) production when administered following peptide vaccination. Importantly, upon antigen rechallenge, AnnV-IL2 treatment mice demonstrated a stronger secondary expansion, indicating durability of AnnV-IL2 mediated responses. Our data supports the use of AnnV-IL2 to modulate antigen-specific T cell immunity and demonstrates that the PS-AnnV axis is a feasible mechanism to target diverse cargo to CD8 T cells.
Trait mindfulness associations with executive function and well-being in older adults.

Objectives The current study investigated trait mindfulness associations with distinct aspects of executive function. We also aimed to characterize relationships between trait mindfulness with measures of psychological risk and resilience within adults aged 55-87 years. Method In this cross-sectional study, 121 adults completed neuropsychological measures of working memory, mental set-shifting, and inhibition, as well as a battery of well-validated psychological self-report measures. The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) measured trait mindfulness. Results Trait mindfulness was associated with greater age, years of education and self-efficacy, and less perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and subjective cognitive concerns. Hierarchal multiple regression analyses showed that trait mindfulness was a significant predictor of inhibitory control, even after adjusting for age, education, and global cognition in the model. Trait mindfulness was not significantly associated with working memory or mental set-shifting. Follow-up analyses using the PROCESS macro revealed that trait mindfulness mediated the relationship between perceived stress and inhibitory control. Conclusion Trait mindfulness was associated with measures of greater well-being and mental health. Our results also indicate that trait mindfulness may provide psychological resilience by attenuating perceived stress and enhancing the capacity to intentionally suppress irrelevant information and automatic responses.
Transport Mechanisms and Reproductive Success of Fishes in the California Current

AbstractSurface marine observations are used to infer the large-scale seasonal patterns of ocean surface drift near the coast in the California Current. Reproductive strategies of the most successful coastal fishery species show a pattern of correspondence to the major features of surface transport. In the Pacific Northwest, coastal fish species having pelagic larvae tend to spawn during winter when surface wind drift is generally directed toward the coast, rather than during the more productive upwelling season. In the region of vigorous upwelling off northern California, which is characterized by strong offshore surface transport through most of the year, there is a paucity of locally spawning species with epipelagic eggs. The fishes spawning in this region have a wide range of reproductive strategies that reduce the planktonic phase of the early life history. Local coastal stocks comprise a minority of the fish biomass in the region. Rather, the fish stocks that harvest the massive productivity of this...
Navigating Residue Sensitivity in the Used Goods Marketplace

How does a previous owner’s contact with used goods affect consumer judgments of these objects? This research identifies a trait measure of sensitivity to the residue of another’s essence or taint found in a used possession. Those highly sensitive to residue respond to the transfer of contaminants from a previous owner of an object. Six samples in Study 1 show that residue sensitivity is a reliable and valid measure that is related to constructs of possession attachment and disease transfer. Still, residue sensitivity explains consumer behavior in the secondhand marketplace in ways that these existing constructs do not. Studies 2 and 3 illustrate how consumers highly sensitive to residue shift their judgments of secondhand goods according to information about the valence of a source of prior ownership. C � 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Macromechanics of Composites

Laminated fibrous composites are made by bonding together two or more laminae. These composites, frequently referred to as laminates, are different from sheet laminates made by bonding flat sheets of materials. In a laminated fibrous composite, the individual unidirectional laminae or plies are oriented in such a manner that the resulting structural component has the desired mechanical and/or physical characteristics in different directions. Thus, one exploits the inherent anisotropy of fibrous composites to design a composite material with appropriate properties.
No Sympathy for the Devil: Christian Pop Music and the Transformation of American Evangelicalism by David W. Stowe

Christian popular music, now more than 40 years old, has existed mostly in “a parallel universe” to mainstream popular culture, yet it has also crossed into that mainstream and been influenced by “...
Stk31 is dispensable for embryonic development and spermatogenesis in mice.

Increasing lines of evidence suggest that members of the Tudordomain-containing protein (TDRD) family are critical regulators ofgerminal granule assembly and transposon control (Pek et al.,2012). Our previous work has shown that serine-threonine kinase31 (STK31), also called TDRD8 due to the presence of the typicalTudor domain, is exclusively expressed in spermatogenic cells inmice (Bao et al., 2012). STK31 is localized to the cytoplasm ofspermatocytes enriched in germinal granules, also called nuageor intermitochondrial cement, and STK31 physically interacts in vivowith MIWI, the murine ortholog of PIWI, (Bao et al., 2012).TodeﬁnethephysiologicalroleofStk31,wegeneratedStk31globalknockout (KO) mice (Stk31
Mensch and Mesh

Summary This article discusses several relationships between technologies, industries, and socioeconomic institutions that are central to the emerging field of industrial ecology but as of yet have found little recognition. Special attention is given to the history of changes in the complexity of technologies and socioeconomic institutions, methods for dealing with this complexity conceptually and in the context of decision making, and interrelationships between technology and policy choice at various levels of system organization. On the basis of that discussion, new roles for systems thinking and modeling, systems engineering, and technology and industrial policy are identified to promote the development of industrial ecosystems that minimize their environmental impacts.
Stoichiometric estimates of the biochemical conversion efficiencies in tsetse metabolism.

Background The time varying flows of biomass and energy in tsetse (Glossina) can be examined through the construction of a dynamic mass-energy budget specific to these flies but such a budget depends on efficiencies of metabolic conversion which are unknown. These efficiencies of conversion determine the overall yields when food or storage tissue is converted into body tissue or into metabolic energy. A biochemical approach to the estimation of these efficiencies uses stoichiometry and a simplified description of tsetse metabolism to derive estimates of the yields, for a given amount of each substrate, of conversion product, by-products, and exchanged gases. This biochemical approach improves on estimates obtained through calorimetry because the stoichiometric calculations explicitly include the inefficiencies and costs of the reactions of conversion. However, the biochemical approach still overestimates the actual conversion efficiency because the approach ignores all the biological inefficiencies and costs such as the inefficiencies of leaky membranes and the costs of molecular transport, enzyme production, and cell growth.
Mild sleep disturbance as a vulnerability factor for inflammation-induced depressed mood in women: An experimental study

Sleep disturbance and depression are major public health burdens, particularly in women, and sleep disturbance is a well-known risk factor for depression. Systemic inflammation has been suggested as a potential mechanism of this association. This study examined whether self-reported sleep disturbance acted as a vulnerability factor for inflammation-induced depression among healthy women. Healthy women aged 18–50 (N = 67) were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or low-dose endotoxin (0.8 ng/kg). Self-reported depressed mood was repeatedly assessed over 6 h. Participants exposed to endotoxin, compared with placebo, showed greater increases in depressed mood over time according to mixed-effects model regression (X2 = 28.35, df = 6, p = 0.0001). To examine whether sleep disturbance enhances depressive responses to endotoxin, moderation was tested for sleep disturbance assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) as a binary variable using median split (PSQI global score ≥3 vs.
Lysis of the cell wall of Armillaria mellea by enzymes from forest trees

Abstract Partially purified preparations of the enzymes chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase, concentrated by ammonium sulphate precipitation, from healthy stem and root tissue of Sugar maple ( Acer saccharum ), Red oak ( Quercus rubra ), Black oak ( Q. velutina ) and White oak ( Q. alba ) lysed the hyphal walls of Armillaria mellea . The enzymes were extracted from both the phloem of the stem and of the root, but yields, especially of chitinase, were usually higher in stem tissues. The presence of enzymes in healthy trees that can lyse the hyphal walls of A. mellea suggests a protective mechanism which may account for the resistance of healthy tissues to invasion by A. mellea and possibly by other microorganisms.
Quests in a tetherless world

Wireless research activities span a wide range of disciplines: communications engineering, software engineering and computer sciences covering all aspects of communication and services including client platforms and server deployment, network protocols and infrastructure, service development and deployment and so on. Our research group at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center has initiated a number of research activities covering several aspects of the wireless research. In this paper, we highlight our work on the Bluetooth™ wireless technology and the BlueDrekar™ software stack, the WebSplitter middleware for content distribution, and we will share our vision for interconnecting trillion devices. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exploring the intersection between art, music, and technology

This talk will present the results of a collaborative learning experience between students from the visual arts and computing sciences exploring the intersection between art, music, and interactive technology. Our goal is to provide an experiential learning environment that models industry in an experimental setting; fostering innovation and advancing the students skills while exposing them to technologies from other disciplines. It is our goal that the experience will assist them in developing critical problem solving approaches to project management.
Time-resolved measurement of structural changes in lead zirconate titanate ceramics under cyclic electric fields

In order to understand the structural changes in piezoelectric materials, under dynamic electric fields, time-resolved diffraction experiments with stroboscopic data collection techniques are becoming more popular. Uses of neutron and synchrotron X-ray facilities for such experiments have been recently reported. However, implementation of stroboscopic techniques on laboratory X-ray diffractometers is necessary to develop a more comprehensive understanding of time-resolved structural changes in these materials. Here the authors report the application of a stroboscopic data collection technique on a laboratory X-ray diffractometer for in situ characterization of non-180° domain switching in La-doped Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 ceramics under dynamic electric fields. Further, the variation of macroscopic material response under dynamic fields of different amplitudes is compared with the degree of non-180° domain switching observed through time-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD).
Expression of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor in renal tissue in murine lupus nephritis

Expression of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor in renal tissue in murine lupus nephritis. Many renal diseases are associated with fibrin deposition in the glomeruli, a situation that reflects an abnormality in the balance between the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems. We recently demonstrated that normal mouse kidney contains very low levels of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), a potent anti-fibrinolytic protein, but that during endotoxemia, large amounts of PAI-1 protein and mRNA are expressed in glomerular and peritubular endothelial cells. These results raise the possibility that overexpression of PAI-1 in the glomerulus may contribute to the ongoing pathology seen in renal disease. To directly investigate this possibility, we studied PAI-1 expression in MRL/ lpr mice, using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Female MRL/ lpr mice develop early onset lupus glomerulonephritis (GN), a disease in which fibrin deposition is detected in the glomerulus and in which anti-coagulation therapy improves the prognosis. We detected very low levels of PAI-1 mRNA and antigen in the smooth muscle cells of renal vessels and in the renal papilla of 16 control mice. In contrast, PAI-1 was expressed in relatively high levels throughout the kidneys of 33 out of 34 diseased mice, both within the glomerulus and also in tubules and vessels. Moreover, the level of PAI-1 in the tissues seemed to correlate with the severity of the disease. PAI-1 expression was localized to endothelial cells, parietal epithelial cells, tubular epithelial cells and infiltrating mononuclear cells in the tubulointerstitium. None of these cells express detectable levels of PAI-1 in the normal kidney. The inappropriate expression of PAI-1 in the kidneys of mice with lupus GN suggests that this important inhibitor of fibrinolysis may play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease process.
The parvoviral capsid controls an intracellular phase of infection essential for efficient killing of stepwise-transformed human fibroblasts

Members of the rodent subgroup of the genus Parvovirus exhibit lytic replication and spread in many human tumor cells and are therefore attractive candidates for oncolytic virotherapy. However, the significant variation in tumor tropism observed for these viruses remains largely unexplained. We report here that LuIII kills BJ-ELR 'stepwise-transformed' human fibroblasts efficiently, while MVM does not. Using viral chimeras, we mapped this property to the LuIII capsid gene, VP2, which is necessary and sufficient to confer the killer phenotype on MVM. LuIII VP2 facilitates a post-entry, pre-DNA-amplification step early in the life cycle, suggesting the existence of an intracellular moiety whose efficient interaction with the incoming capsid shell is critical to infection. Thus targeting of human cancers of different tissue-type origins will require use of parvoviruses with capsids that effectively make this critical interaction.
Ring opening polymerization of 3-semifluoro- and 3-bromomethyloxetanes to poly(2,2-substituted-1,3-propylene oxide) telechelics for soft blocks in polyurethanes

Abstract The synthesis of hydroxy-terminated poly(2,2-substituted-1,3-propylene oxide) polyoxetane telechelics and co-telechelics bearing semifluorinated (–CH2OCH2(CF2)nCF3) and functional bromomethyl pendant groups is reported. Characterization utilized 1H NMR spectroscopy, temperature modulated DSC (MDCS), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Analysis of relative reactivity ratios for a 1:1 3FOx to BrOx feed indicates that in the early stages of reaction BrOx–BrOx dyad mole fraction is below the statistically predicted amount. However, a model suggests that the final telechelic dyad composition at complete reaction is not very different from a statistical copolymer. The co-telechelics have low Tgs (−33 to −39 °C) and molecular weight in a desirable range (Mw≈3–5 k). Telechelics were incorporated in polyurethanes (PUs) with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and butanediol (BD) as the hard block. Characterization of polyurethane composition and bulk properties by 1H NMR, MDSC, and GPC is described. The new polyurethanes hold promise for a ‘reaction on polymer’ approach to polyurethanes with functional soft blocks.
Planning for oil overcharge funds: the California experience

Abstract Within the next few years, states will be receiving some of the largest amounts of funds ($3–5 billion) ever released by the U.S. government to be spent on energy conservation and renewable energy programs and projects. The source of these funds is the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account (PVEA). In anticipation of these funds, a PVEA planning process was developed in California to assist the Governor and the State Legislature in allocating the PVEA money. The California Energy Commission selected the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) to evaluate energy projects proposed by state agencies and those generated from public workshops. We review the evaluation process undertaken in California and present the evaluations of 10 energy programs as examples. The lessons learned in this process should be of interest to all states planning for these anticipated funds.
The Sports Contest and Value Priorities

(1986). The Sports Contest and Value Priorities. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 65-77.
Two-dimensional phases in chemisorption systems

Abstract A discussion is given of two-dimensional phase transitions observed in chemisorption systems. The general problems encountered in experimental studies of these phenomena are reviewed. This is followed by a survey of the available data, after which some specific chemisorption systems are discussed: H/Fe(110) as an example of a lattice gas system; H/W(100) as an example of adsorbate-induced reconstruction; O/Ni(111) and H/W(110) as examples of critical-exponents studies.
Ninian Smart and the justification of religious doctrinal schemes

In Reasons and Faiths,1 Ninian Smart proposes a set of principles by which to evaluate competing religious doctrinal schemes.2 His primary interest is in comparatively appraising religious systems containing both the numinous and the mystical strands of doctrine. A strand of doctrine is an ideological theme perpetuated in a doctrinal scheme by means of propositions.3 Regarding the numinous and the mystical strands specifically, their logical characters conflict sufficiently for the propositions which perpetuate one to seem often incompatible with those which perpetuate the other. As Smart describes the situation, "there is at least considerable tension between the two strands of language when they come together" (p. 132). Since most of the world's major religions include both strands within their doctrinal schemes, Smart seeks to determine which of these is better justified in the sense of best affording a dissolution of the tension between the two strands while maintaining an active perpetuation of both. Utilizing the principles he proposes, Smart concludes that doctrinal schemes which emphasize the numinous strand over the mystical strand (hereafter called theistic schemes) are preferable to those which emphasize the mystical strand over the numinous strand (hereafter called monistic schemes). The purpose of this paper is to show that Smart's principles are inadequate to show that theistic schemes are preferable to monistic schemes.
Carbonylative polymerization of propylene oxide: a multicatalytic approach to the synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate).

We report a highly efficient method for the synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) by the carbonylative polymerization of propylene oxide. The use of compatible epoxide carbonylation and lactone polymerization catalysts allows for a one-pot reaction that eliminates the need to isolate and purify the toxic β-butyrolactone intermediate.
Host utilization is mediated by movement of pre‐feeding Phthorimaea operculella larvae in the Nicotiana tabacum agroecosystem

The distribution of insect herbivores within their hosts can be influenced by insect preference, plant characteristics, and biotic interactions such as refuge from predation. We observed significantly more Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) larvae in the lower portion of commercial tobacco plants, Nicotiana tabacum L. (Solanaceae), an occasional host, and sought to explain this distribution pattern. Phthorimaea operculella are oligophagous leaf miners of solanaceous plants, including cultivated crops. Females lay their eggs in the soil beneath N. tabacum plants rather than on the foliage, forcing newly hatched larvae to search for host tissue. We hypothesized that P. operculella larvae were establishing in the lower portion of N. tabacum plants because either they gained a performance advantage, or it was the first suitable leaf material contacted. To measure within-plant larval performance, neonates were released in cages on leaves in the upper, middle, and lower stalk positions of the plant before and after the plant flowered. Phthorimaea operculella performed significantly better on younger plants and in the top leaves. To test larval ability to move within and between plants, we removed leaves at four heights to increase the distance newly hatched larvae must travel. Larval establishment was highest on plants with no leaves removed, but larvae were able to move an average distance of over 70 cm from release point to host leaves in plants directly above the release point and adjacent plants. Phthorimaea operculella larvae appear to utilize suboptimal N. tabacum host tissue to maximize their chances of survival.
The role of polymer melt viscoelastic network behavior in lithium ion transport for PEO melt/LiClO4 SPEs: the “wet gel” model

Abstract Earlier light scattering studies revealed that melts of the electrolyte polymer poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were not homogeneous but were instead structured and behaved as elastic PEO networks. We report the results of subsequent viscometry measurements that provide a more complete picture of PEO melt structure and dynamic behavior. We find that PEO melts behave as “wet gels,” i.e., they behave as elastic PEO networks immersed in a PEO fluid that retards network motions. In addition, a preliminary light scattering examination of the role that PEO melt network dynamic behavior might play in lithium ion transport found that although the light scattering relaxation function mode structure of PEO melt/LiClO4 solutions changed significantly when the salt concentration was increased from 0 to 20 wt.% — the latter concentration being that for which maximum conductivity in the PEO/LiClO4 system has been reported — the network structure and behavior of the melt was retained. Finally, we report the results of exploratory investigations of several aspects of PEO melt behavior that provide promising directions for future studies of this interesting and important system.
Flow Characteristics of a ``Multiconfigurational'', Shear Thinning Viscoelastic Fluid with Particular Reference to the Orthogonal Rheometer

This paper deals with the flow characteristics of a class of nonsimple viscoelastic fluid models developed by Rajagopal and Srinivasa (1999). The central feature of these models is that the stress response is lastic from a changing natural configuration with the viscous dissipation occurring due to changes in the natural state. The class of models considered are characterized by three independent parameters that represent respectively the elasticity, the viscosity and the shear thinning index.
Response option configuration of online administered Likert scales

Likert scales are used to make relative and absolute judgments about measures of attitude. Despite its ubiquitous use, only few studies have investigated the effects of altering the configurations of the response options. The purpose of this experiment was to explore the effects of response option orientation and directionality in Likert scales administered online on internal consistency reliability, factorial validity, measured score, completion time, and mouse click counts. A positively stemmed 15-item 5-point Likert scale was administered to 1693 adults. Six independent groups were constructed (2 × 3 design). The response options were configured (a) vertically or horizontally and (b) unidirectional-ascending (strongly disagree to strongly agree), unidirectional-descending (strongly agree to strongly disagree), or bidirectional (mixed). Results indicated that vertically unidirectional response options should be used when absolute judgments are being made using online-administered Likert scales. When rel...
Using elevated radials with grounded towers

This paper describes a technique in which elevated horizontal radials are used in combination with a grounded quarter-wave tower to construct an AM-broadcast transmit antenna. Computer analysis indicates that the radiation efficiency of these antennas can be within one decibel of that of a conventional base-insulated 1/4-wave tower with an extensive buried-radial ground system.
Role of endoscopic ultrasonography in patients with first episode of idiopathic acute pancreatitis.

Background/Aims Acute pancreatitis (AP) evades an etiological diagnosis in up to 10 % to 30 % of patients. This group, ie. idiopathic acute pancreatitis (IAP) is prone to a high recurrence (up to 70 %). Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is promising, but there is limited data on elucidating the cause of IAP, from India. This observational study was designed to study the role of EUS after the first episode of IAP.
A high level dynamic programming algorithm for processing nonserial looped systems

Nonserial dynamic programming networks involving feedforward and feedback loops are discussed. Efficient high level computing algorithms are developed for processing them in a manner resulting in the minimum computational drain on resources. Their complexity analyses are also presented. It is shown that the space complexity for each is O(k2) while their time complexity is O ((m + n)k3).
A large volume suspended sediment sampler

A deckmounted non-submersible suspended sediment sampler is described which is capable of reliably extracting several grams of particulate matter from shallow water (0-25 m) in a brief period of time (<1 hr). The pump and filtration apparatus, which collects suspended matter by serial filtration on nylon screens and membrane filters, is relatively inexpensive, and easily accommodated by a small research vessel.
Priapism: Current concepts

The treatment options for the management of the patient with priapism have changed markedly within the past several years. When possible, the underlying cause of the priapism should be identified. Therapy should be guided by the results of aspiration of the blood-filled corpora cavernosa of the erect penis. Early intervention through pharmacologic manipulation or surgical shunting should not be delayed while trying conservative measures.
Overcoming Limitations of Off-the-Shelf Priority Schedulers in Dynamic Environments

It is common nowadays to architect and design scaled-out systems with off-the-shelf computing components operated and managed by off-the-shelf open-source tools. While web services represent the critical set of services offered at scale, big data analytics is emerging as a preferred service to be colocated with cloud web services at a lower priority raising the need for off-the-shelf priority scheduling. In this paper we report on the perils of Linux priority scheduling tools when used to differentiate between such complex services. We demonstrate that simple priority scheduling utilities such as nice and ionice can result in dramatically erratic behavior. We provide a remedy by proposing an autonomic priority scheduling algorithm that adjusts its execution parameters based on on-line measurements of the current resource usage of critical applications. Detailed experimentation with a user-space prototype of the algorithm on a Linux system using popular benchmarks such as SPEC and TPC-W illustrate the robustness and versatility of the proposed technique, as it provides consistency to the expected performance of a high-priority application when running simultaneously with multiple low priority jobs.
Hydrodehalogenation of 1- to 3-Carbon Halogenated Organic Compounds in Water Using a Palladium Catalyst and Hydrogen Gas

Supported palladium (Pd) metal catalysts along with H{sub 2} gas show significant potential as a technology which can provide rapid, on-site destruction of halogenated groundwater contaminants. Pd catalyzes the rapid hydrodehalogenation of nine 1- to 3-carbon HOCs, resulting in little or no production of halogenated intermediates. Initial transformation rates were compared for 12 HOCs using 1 w/w% Pd-on-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (Pd/Al) and metallic Pd catalysts in clean, aqueous batch systems at ambient pressure and temperature. Half-lives of 4--6 min were observed for 5--100 {micro}M aqueous concentrations of PCE, TCE, cis-, trans-, 1,1-DCE, carbon tetrachloride, and 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane at ambient temperature and pressure with 0.22 g/L of catalyst. Using Pd/Al, TCE transformed quantitatively to ethane without formation of any detectable chlorinated intermediate compounds. This implies a direct conversion of TCE to ethane at the Pd surface. Carbon tetrachloride transformed primarily to methane and ethane and minor amounts of ethylene, propane, and propylene. Chloroform is a reactive intermediate. Formation of C2 and C3 products implies a free radical mechanism. Methylene chloride, 1,1-dichloroethane, and 1,2-dichloroethane were nonreactive. Reaction mechanisms and kinetic models are postulated for TCE, carbon tetrachloride, and chloroform transformation.
Improving Undergraduate Student Satisfaction with the Consumer Behavior Course: Will Interactive Technology Help?

In this paper, we measure the impact of interactive technology on student satisfaction and find support for the hypothesis that students who find a class is more interesting because of the use of interactive technology will be more satisfied with the course. The results also support the hypothesis that if students like the course, they will be satisfied with it. However, we do not find significant links between student satisfaction and either (1) their belief that they retain more due to the use of interactive technology or (2) their enjoyment of the use of interactive technology in the course. Thus, while the use of interactive technology can increase course satisfaction by making the course more interesting, the fact that students like the technology itself does not affect course satisfaction.
Rates of transition and transversion in coding sequences since the human-rodent divergence

Protein-coding sequences of 337 human genes were compared with those of homologous genes from rodent (mouse or rat). A composite alignment containing 477,189 nucleotide positions was constructed, and 21,570 amino acid replacements were inferred. The rates of transitional and transversional silent substitutions in fourfold degenerate sites are estimated as 1.71 x 10(-9) and 1.22 x 10(-9) site -1 year -1, respectively. Rates of substitutions in replacement sites, subject to selective constraints mediated by the genetic code, are lower, but also reflect a transitional bias. The amino acid exchange rejected least often during evolution is Asp/Glu, which is fixed at 30% the rate of transversions in silent sites. The most mutable amino acids in this survey are threonine and serine; serine coded by AGY is more mutable than serine coded by TCN. A scoring matrix for evaluating amino acid similarity was derived from this study.
Applications of Focused Cardiac Ultrasound (FoCUS) in Obstetrics

Focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) is emerging as a safe, convenient, and cost-effective method to non-invasively assess complex hemodynamics. This technique has particular promise in the obstetric population, with important applications such as assessment of preload and contractility, in a range of clinical circumstances. Although outcome data remain sparse, anesthesiologists should consider incorporating FoCUS into the management of obstetric patients.
Test-Retest Reliabilities of Continuous Scores on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator:

Test-retest reliabilities of continuous scores on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator scales were examined for 64 male and 70 female college students, using an 8-wk. test-retest interval. Reliabilities...
The Diagnosis of Intussusception

The aims of this study were to identify features in the history, physical examination, and radiologic studies that were associated with the diagnosis of intussusception and to determine if there was a subset of patients being evaluated for intussusception who can be spared from undergoing a contrast enema based on a combination of historical, clinical, and radiographic findings. A retrospective cohort study at a regional children's hospital emergency department (ED) was conducted. Mean age was 1.2 years among both those with and without intussusception. Predictors of intussusception in the univariate analysis included history of vomiting (P=0.02), abdominal pain (P=0.1), and rectal bleeding (P=0.003); physical examination findings of abdominal mass (P<0.001), abdominal tenderness (P=0.02), and guiac positive stool (P=0.004); and plain radiograph finding of the absence of stool in the ascending colon (P<0.05). We were unable to develop a prediction model that would reliably identify all patients with the diagnosis of intussusception. Previously identified predictors of intussusception remain important in increasing suspicion of this important diagnosis. At this point there is no reliable prediction model that can accurately identify all patients with intussusception. A prospective study may aid in the development of a clinically more useful model.
Effect of surfactant BAS on MoS2 codeposition behaviour

Ni–MoS2 metal matrix composites were produced by electrodeposition in a Watts bath. The correlation of embedded particle ratio and operational parameters was studied. When surfactant BAS was adsorbed on the MoS2 particle surface, the conductivity of the MoS2 was significantly decreased. Thus, more Ni atoms may be deposited homogeneously over a wider area rather than on preferred conductive positions. This results in a smoother codeposition layer with lower porosity. Furthermore, strong adhesion between the codeposition layer and the substrate when using surfactant BAS may result from lower porosity of the codeposition layer.
Total Synthesis of Vinigrol

The longstanding challenge posed by the complex diterpene vinigrol has been answered for the first time. The notorious difficulty in synthesizing vinigrol stems from its unprecedented decahydro-1,5-butanonaphthalene ring system, eight contiguous stereocenters, and highly congested functionality. This Communication delineates a stereocontrolled 23-step route to vinigrol that is scalable (>5 g prepared of a late-stage intermediate), minimally reliant on protecting group chemistry, and facilitated by a number of unique and chemoselective transformations.
The Effect of Floods on Sediment Contamination in a Microtidal Coastal Lagoon: The Lagoon of Lesina, Italy

The effects on the microtidal lagoon of Lesina of runoff and the discharge of water and material from agricultural activities were investigated combining chemical analyses of pollutants [11 metals and 16 priority polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs)], determination of organic matter and grain size, and performance of innovative ecotoxicological tests. For metals, enrichment factors >3 for arsenic, nickel, and copper (Cu) were observed in the eastern zone of the lagoon, which is affected by nearby urban activities with discharge of water and domestic waste and by agricultural input with waters rich in fertilizers. Cu was correlated with no other metal, and its high concentrations (≤77 µg g(-1)) may result from the use of Cu-based fungicides in vineyards. Total PAHs (2,230 ± 3,150 ng g(-1)) displayed a wide range of concentrations with hot spots near freshwater inputs from the part of the catchment area exploited for wheat crops. Pyrolitic contamination also emerged, with higher-mass PAH congeners, such as asphalt, bitumen or coal, usually present in higher fractions as the dominant components. Ecotoxicological evaluations recorded moderate to high toxicity levels; the innovative MOT test bioassay showed good discriminatory ability because it identified a lagoon area whose inputs mainly depend on agricultural activities and which is impacted by metals rather than PAHs. Floods during periods of heavy rain and the discharge of water and material from agricultural activities may impact vulnerable systems, such as the lagoon of Lesina, where the presence of hot spots with remarkably high pollution values was observed.
Evaluation of Alternative Procedures for Setting Curve Advisory Speed

This paper examines procedures for setting curve advisory speeds, identifies issues associated with these procedures, and describes a proposed procedure that overcomes many of these issues. The proposed procedure consists of three elements: a criterion for setting the curve advisory speed, a method for determining this speed, and an engineering study method that confirms the need for an advisory speed plaque. One conclusion is that challenges associated with the use of the ball-bank indicator hinder achieving curve advisory speeds that are uniform in curves and consistent with driver expectation. The proposed procedure is shown to overcome these challenges.
Participation effect from water projects on EPI

Abstract It has been hypothesized that in addition to the direct health and amenity benefits of an improved water supply, there are other, more subtle, benefits to communities who participate in community-based water supply projects. A detailed empirical comparison of villages with and without community-based water projects in Indonesia and Togo suggests that such indirect benefits are substantial. Between 25 and 30% more children are immunized in villages with community-based water projects than in comparison villages which either have benefitted from non-participatory water projects, or have had no water project. From a comparison between the activities of villagers and workers in external agencies involved in water projects in the two countries, it is concluded that successful participatory water projects are best characterized as a partnership between the community and the external agency. Such projects require substantial inputs of time, resources, skill and persistence from both the community and the external agency. These inputs must be sustained by both parties in all phases—planning, construction and maintenance—if this partnership is to result in lasting improvements in water supply and other aspects of community life.
Program translation via abstraction and reimplementation

An abstraction-and-reimplementation paradigm is presented in which the source program is first analyzed in order to obtain a programming-language-independent abstract understanding of the computation performed by the program as a whole. The program is then reimplemented in the target language based on this understanding. The key to this approach is the abstract understanding obtained. It allows the translator to benefit from an appreciation of the global features of the source program without being distracted by what are considered irrelevant details. Knowledge-based translation via abstraction and reimplementation is described as one of the goals of the Programmer's Apprentice project. A translator which translates Cobol programs into Hibol (a very-high-level business data processing language) has been constructed. A computer which generates extremely efficient PDP-11 object code for Pascal programs has been designed. >
Predicting Pareto and exponential observables

The author considers, from a Bayesian viewpoint, the problem of predicting a future fraction of observables that lie in a set when the present and future observables are Pareto-distributed. Exact solutions as well as convenient approximations are obtained for the censored case. asymptotic results for the probability, when the underlying distribution was a simple exponential, were also obtained. In this paper we extend the exact prediction results to the translated-exponential case and show that the results are appropriate for the Pareto case as well. In the next two sections, exact and approximate results are derived for the translated exponen- tial under the typical "noninformative" prior distribution for the two parameters involved when censoring is of the type most often encountered in practice. The fourth section establishes the connection between the Pareto distribution and the