cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV)-induced conditioned taste avoidance in the F344/N and LEW rat strains.

Abstract The inbred Fischer (F344) and Lewis (LEW) rats, while originally developed as animal models for cancer and tissue transplantation research, have since been used to study genetic differences in a variety of physiological and behavioral endpoints. In this context, LEW rats show greater sensitivity to the aversive effects of cocaine as compared to F344 rats in a conditioned taste avoidance procedure. Like cocaine, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV; “bath salts”) acts as a dopamine transport blocker and possesses aversive properties, making it a good candidate for assessing whether the aforementioned strain differences with cocaine would generalize to drugs with similar biochemical action. Accordingly, male F344 and LEW rats were exposed to a novel saccharin solution followed by injections of one of four doses of MDPV in a taste avoidance procedure. Over the four saccharin/MDPV pairings during conditioning, core body temperatures were also assessed. Similar to previous research, MDPV induced robust dose-dependent taste avoidance, although no effect of strain was observed. MDPV also produced hyperthermia that was independent of strain and unrelated to the conditioned taste avoidance. These findings argue for a complex influence of multiple (and likely interacting) monoaminergic systems mediating MDPV-induced taste avoidance in the two strains and suggest different mechanisms of avoidance learning for cocaine and MDPV.
Parallel linear congruential generators with Sophie-Germain moduli

Monte Carlo simulations are thought to be very easy to parallelize; however, the quality of these parallel Monte Carlo computations depends greatly on the quality of the parallel random number generators used. Linear congruential generators (LCGs), the most common number-theoretic pseudorandom number generators, with both power-of-two and prime moduli are used in many popular implementations of pseudorandom number generators. Recently, one of the authors of this paper [M. Mascagni, Parallel linear congruential generators with prime moduli, Parallel Comput. 24 (1998) 923-936] developed an explicit parameterization of prime modulus LCGs for use in parallel computations. This approach was based on an explicit enumeration of all the primitive roots modulo the prime modulus for use as unique multipliers in each parallel LCG. In that paper, only Mersenne prime moduli were considered because of the existence of a fast modular multiplication algorithm for primes close to powers-of-two. In the current paper, we investigate the nature of the trade-off implicitly made in the choice of Mersenne primes by comparing them to parameterized Sophie-Germain prime modulus LCGs. While the choice of Mersenne primes trades off initialization time for generation time, the choice of Sophie-Germain primes not only largely reduces initialization time but also provides competitive generation time when an appropriately chosen Sophie-Germain primes are used. The resulting Sophie-Germain prime modulus LCGs have been tested, and incorporated into the Scalable Parallel Random Number Generators SPRNG library [SPRNG. Scalable parallel random number generators, http://sprng.fsu.edu], a widely used random number generation suite for parallel, distributed, and grid-based Monte Carlo computations [M. Mascagni, A. Srinivasan, Computational infrastructure for parallel, distributed, and grid-based Monte Carlo computations, Lect. Notes Comput. Sci. 2907 (2004) 39-52].
Connections Between Pedagogical and Epistemological Constructivism: Questions for Teaching and Research in Chemistry

The rich and ongoing debate about constructivism in chemistry education includes questions about the relationship, for better or worse, between applications of the theory in pedagogy and in epistemology. This paper presents an examination of the potential to use connections of epistemological and pedagogical constructivism to one another. It examines connections linked to the content, processes, and premises of science with a goal of prompting further research in these areas.
Designing and Controlling the Outsourced Supply Chain

All organizations outsource. They differ only in the scope and extent of what they procure as goods and services from outside entities. These choices drive an organization's financial performance and long-term competitive viability, and establish the tenor of day-to-day operations. Outsourcing can solve many problems, but is also fraught with hidden costs and risks. This monograph examines outsourcing from a lifecycle perspective. This means tracing the full arc from the germination of the idea to outsource, to the assessment of options, to the installation of control mechanisms, to grappling with conflicts that inevitably arise over time, all the way to the sunset of the chosen strategy. The analysis is highly attentive to the details of operational execution, especially regarding how human resources participate in these decision processes and are impacted by the choices made. The lifecycle discussion applies regardless of the type of business process considered for outsourcing. This has standalone value, but also serves as a preamble to the topic from which this monograph derives its title: outsourcing in the endeavor of stewarding a product from concept to market and then operating the resulting supply chain. Specifically, this monograph looks deeply at the outsourcing of manufacturing, product design, materials procurement, and logistics. This monograph also presents the phenomenon of offshoring in order to dispel the common confusion between outsourcing and offshoring. Both can be pursued simultaneously ("offshore outsourcing"), and this monograph makes clear which benefits and risks are due to offshoring and which are due to outsourcing. This monograph targets scholars and practitioners at once, guided by a belief that both communities will benefit from a treatment of outsourcing that ties together ideas from theory and extensive industrial evidence. Highlights include extended case studies featuring Amazon, Apple, Boeing, Cisco, Foxconn, Menu Foods, Nike, and Toysrus.com, with significant supporting appearances by more than fifty other firms from diverse industries and countries.
Osmoregulation by six species of fiddler crabs (Uca) from the Mississippi delta area in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Six species of fiddler crabs (Ocypodidae: Uca) were collected for osmoregulation studies from 25 locations near the delta of the Mississippi River in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Three of the species are classified as members of the Celuca subgenus, Uca spinicarpa, Uca panacea and Uca pugilator, while the remaining three are in the Minuca subgenus, Uca minax, Uca longisignalis and Uca rapax. In the field, U. minax, U. spinicarpa and, occasionally, U. longisignalis are found in freshwater habitats (FW; 0–299 mosM). Two Minuca species, U. longisignalis and U. rapax, are typically collected in brackish water habitats (BW; 300–629 mosM). On the other hand, U. panacea and U. pugilator are most abundant in eurysaline habitats (EH; >630 mosM). In the laboratory, populations of each species were challenged with media ranging from 30 to 3450 mosM (1–110‰). The FW species, U. spinicarpa and U. minax, did not tolerate osmotic concentrations >2100 mosM. The EH species, U. panacea and U. pugilator, however, tolerate concentrations >2800 mosM. The BW species, U. longisignalis and U. rapax, succumb to osmolalities between 2100 and 2800 mosM. Each species keeps its hemolymph concentration fairly constant in 30–1400 mosM solutions. The [ISO], isosmotic medium concentration (in mosM), is calculated for each taxon: U. minax, 659; U. spinicarpa, 682; U. longisignalis, 693; U. rapax, 769; U. pugilator, 816; and U. panacea, 822. In media with >1600 mosM, each species expresses different osmoregulating capabilities. The FW species, U. spinicarpa and U. minax, cannot control hemolymph osmolality above 1500 mosM while the BW-EH species, U. panacea, U. pugilator and U. rapax, regulate hemolymph values in media up to 2300 mosM. Within the FW/BW species U. longisignalis, the ability to osmoregulate corresponds with site of collection. Specimens from FW populations do not regulate as well as those from BW if challenged with hypertonic media. If adapted to a 1800 mosM in the laboratory, survivorship for U. longisignalis shifts to the right and the [ISO] increases to 832 mosM. This suggests that this species adapts to acute hypertonic conditions by tolerating elevated internal osmolality. Generally, these observations extend our knowledge about the physiological capabilities of fiddler crabs from different salinity populations across the northern Gulf of Mexico.
From Elysian Fields to the Guillotine?: The Dynamics of Presidential and Prime Ministerial Approval in Fifth Republic France

This article develops an integrative framework for explaining variation in monthly presidential and prime ministerial approval in Fifth Republic France. Melding theories of executive approval in th...
Weighing Regulatory Costs in Rural Lending

system and its regulatory environment raises new questions about the ability of rural banks to serve agriculture's future credit needs. Rural banks face stiff competition from other lenders in the agricultural credit market. Each lender is subject to regulation, but the degree of regulation varies widely. Thus, a changing regulatory milieu could alter the competitive environment in agricultural lending. On one hand, regulatory change could offer new market opportunities to agricultural banks in rural communities. On the other hand, the changing market environment may strengthen the position of competing agricultural lenders.
The Axiom System IΣ0 Manages to Simultaneously Obey and Evade the Herbrandized Version of the Second Incompleteness Theorem

In 1981, Paris and Wilkie [J. Paris and A. Wilkie, ''@D"0 Sets and Induction'', 1981 Jadswin Conference Proceedings, (Leeds University Press) pp. 237-248] indicated it was an open question whether I@S"0 would satisfy the Second Incompleteness Theorem for Herbrand deduction. We will show that I@S"0 will both obey and defy the Herbrandized version of the Second Incompleteness Theorem, depending on which of several equivalent definitions of I@S"0 one examines.
MR and CT diagnosis of carotid pseudoaneurysm in children following surgical resection of craniopharyngioma

We report the cases of two children who underwent CT, MR, MRA and angiography in the diagnosis of postoperative aneurysmal dilatation of the supraclinoid carotid arteries following surgical resection of craniopharyngioma. Craniopharyngiomas are relatively common lesions, accounting for 6–7% of brain tumors in children. They are histologically benign, causing symptoms by their growth within the sella and suprasellar cistern with compression of adjacent structures, especially the pituitary gland, hypothalamus and optic nerves, chiasm, and tracts. Complete surgical resection, particularly of large tumors, is complicated by the fact that the lesions are usually found within the circle of Willis, with displacement and adherence to the adventitia of these vessels [1, 2]. Recent reports in the neurosurgical literature have described aneurysmal dilatation of the supraclinoid internal carotid arteries following aggressive surgical resection of craniopharyngioma [3, 4].
Evaluation of 20 archival prostate tumor specimens by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Abstract Analysis of 20 primary prostatic tumors (local Gleason grades ranging from 1 to 4) was performed on archival material obtained from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks. Alpha satellite probes specific for the pericentric regions of chromosomes 12, 17, X, and Y were used in fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays for the examination of aneusomies for these chromosomes. Eighty percent of specimens ( 16 20 ) showed significant loss of chromosome 17 and 55% ( 11 20 specimens) also showed significant loss of chromosome 12; all specimens that lost chromosome 12 lost chromosome 17. Gain of the X chromosome was observed in 40% ( 8 20 ) of specimens, all but one of which also showed loss of chromosome 17. While the specimens showing gain of the X chromosome may represent polyploid cells, only one specimen also showed significant gain of chromosomes 12 and 17, suggesting that both of these chromosomes may be lost in hyperdiploid prostate cancers. Loss of the Y chromosome was not statistically significant. This study thus indicates that loss of chromosome 17 is a frequent and likely early event in prostatic cancer.
U.S. Dairy Industry Supply Control: Managing the Cooperatives Working Together Program

Bouma has recently been appointed to the National Milk Producers Federation's (NMPF) Board of Directors. "When my local cooperative appointed me to the NMPF board I was humbled. Now I have a lot of getting ready to do." Members of the NMPF board are also members of the Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) Committee. The committee is in charge of the CWT program, a major industry-funded effort to manage the U.S. milk supply by reducing herd numbers and subsidizing the export of dairy products. Courtney Phillips has just started her second summer internship at the Bouma Dairy Farm. She has been given the assignment of providing key information to help Mr. Bouma get ready for his role on the CWT Committee. "Courtney may like to work outside, but she is a 4.0 student in agribusiness. Through her research this summer, I can gain an understanding of both the background issues and the current operations of CWT. As a member of the board, Fd like to determine the effectiveness of CWT and also how it might be improved."
A Diagnosis of Dismobility—Giving Mobility Clinical Visibility: A Mobility Working Group Recommendation

Slow gait limits independence, decreases quality of life, and is associated with an increased risk of disability, hospitalization, placement in long-term care,1,2 and accelerated clinical progression of many chronic diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and dementia. Slow gait speed is also a predictor of all-cause mortality.3 Measuring gait speed is simple, quick, reproducible, inexpensive, and feasible in clinical settings. These characteristics have led to the recommendation that gait speed be considered a vital sign for the care of older patients.
Effect of erythropoietin on proliferating stem cells in erythropoietically depressed mouse spleens.

Abstract When exogenous erythropoietin is administered to polycythemic mice, they respond with a wave of red cell maturation. This activity is initiated by the interaction of the hormone with (erythroid) stem cells, resulting in their entry into the differentiating compartment of the erythron. The functional state of erythroid progenitors at the time of their response was analyzed by radioisotope incorporation. Stem cell activation coincided with 3H-TdR incorporation, thus suggesting that the cells become sensitive to erythropoietin during the period of DNA replication. The observation that stem cells are cycling at the time of activation is further evidenced by the inhibitory effect of colchicine. Administration of this drug lowers the level of 55Fe incorporation in spleens of stimulated mice, presumably by blocking stem cells in mitosis and thereby preventing their response to erythropoietin.
Vibration-based damage detection in composite wingbox structures by HHT

Abstract A dynamic-based damage detection method for large structural systems using the Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) has been proposed in this article. The proposed method has been verified numerically by implementing the scheme on a model of wingbox. In the implementation process, the following steps have been identified as being important: (1) axis-symmetry signal extension methods in order to solve the end effect problem of empirical mode decomposition (EMD), (2) finite element modelling for the purpose of establishing the base line, (3) a feature index vector for structural damage detection. The obtained results show that the damage feature index vector is more sensitive to small damage. Finally, the effect of noise is considered. Examination of the results confirms that the proposed damage detection method is very robust.
The role of the magnetosphere in satellite and radio-star scintillation

A theory is developed to account for the scintillation phenomenon observed in equatorial regions when using communications satellites in the SHF band. The same theory is also used qualitatively to explain strong scintillations in the VHF band. Instead of confining irregularities to a narrow interval of height in the F-region and assuming that they are strong, the alternative hypothesis is used that the irregularities are weak but extend from the F-region upwards into the magnetosphere. It is suggested that the irregularities are field-aligned and extend at least up to an L-shell of 1.3 and possibly up to 2 or more.
Implementation of federal chapter 2 block grants to education in South Carolina

Abstract Results of a study concerning the implementation of Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) of 1981 are reported in this paper. Following presentation of descriptive information concerning demographic and educational developments in the state, the Chapter 2 formula is described and ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ arising out of the new program are identified. Detailed analysis of Chapter 2 implementation is provided with the aid of an in-depth study of ten school districts.
Noradrenergic-induced expression of c-fos in rat cortex: Neuronal localization

beta Adrenoceptors in the rat forebrain have been shown to exist predominantly on astrocytes. Studies were undertaken to determine whether the cellular localization of c-fos expression caused by the activation of brain beta receptors would have a similar cellular localization. Double label light and electron microscopic immunohistochemical experiments with a glial (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP) and neuronal marker (neurofilament protein, NFP) were undertaken in rats treated with the adrenergic drug, yohimbine. These studies revealed a predominantly neuronal localization of Fos protein in the cerebral cortex. The latter results indicate that neurons are the postsynaptic noradrenergic target cells in which this immediate early gene is expressed in response to the stimulation of beta adrenoceptors. The possible relation of these findings to the glial localization of these receptors is discussed.
Exact Solution of a Model of Two-Dimensional Ferroelectrics in an Arbitrary External Electric Field

We generalize the recent solution of a model of two-dimensional ferroelectrics to include the addition of an arbitrary horizontal and an arbitrary vertical electric field and show that the general problem when all six vertex configurations have different energies, and when arbitrary horizontal and vertical electric fields are present is mathematically equivalent to the above problem.
Ontogenetic changes in respiratory pathways in various tissues of apple fruit

Decarboxylation of glucose-1 and glucose-614C was slow during the early part of ontogeny of the fruit and increased considerably 130 days after anthesis. Decarboxylation of glucose did not follow the total respiratory pattern indicating that at least a portion of CO2 is generated from substrates other than glucose in the apple. Low C6/C1 ratios indicated that the pentose phosphate pathway is operative in all three tissues (skin, flesh, and core) of the fruit throughout its life. Ontogenetic changes developed later in the skin than in the flesh and core tissues, suggesting the relatively younger state of skin tissue.
Patchen's Evil Book

Under the pressure of events in the late spring of 1940, the poet Kenneth Patchen, then living in Greenwich Village, set aside his projected epic, "The Hunted City," and began working hard on a multilayered visionary narrative about the new war, much of it in the form of a daybook. He called it The Journal of Albion Moonlight. At the time, Patchen enjoyed a rising reputation as one of the most outspoken and inventive of the young writers who were just breaking free of the Great Depression. His first books of poems were published by Random House and James Laughlin's fledgling New Directions, already the imprint of the best advanced writing. He was noticed in the Pulitzer Prize voting for 1939. Amos Wilder devoted a chapter to Patchen's work, along with chapters on Conrad Aiken, Hart Crane, Robinson Jeffers, D. H. Lawrence, William Butler Yeats, and T. S. Eliot, in his important study The Spiritual Aspects of the New Poetry (1940). Patchen was "a man who reads newspapers and has nightmares," as Anais Nin remarked after seeing early drafts of The Journal of Albion Moonlight (63). The news and nightmares of those days, when Nazi Germany was running wild, had to do with barbarians at the gates and the sickening descent of the US into the moral condition of war. Patchen was, as he remained, an uncompromising pacifist of a kind not entirely exotic at the end of the 1930s, when heroic memories of Randolph Bourne were stirring, Mohandas Gandhi regularly published exhortations to nonviolence in American magazines, student activists swore to defy militarism, and A. J. Muste, just returned from his excursion among the Trotskyists, was reinvigorating the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Patchen was also a man of uncomfortable conscience who felt himself to be personally implicated in the disorders of his time. He could not establish any degree of psychic distance from what he called the cesspool of history.
On the optimal and best sustainable taxes in an open economy

Abstract We study a representative agent, open economy in which government-provided services that enter the domestic production function must be financed with distortionary taxes, and focus on the optimal size of government and the associated optimal tax rate. If the government can precommit its actions, it maximizes individual welfare by announcing and implementing a constant tax rate, which we refer to as the ‘first-best’ tax rate. This tax rate is time inconsistent, and under discretion the government implements a tax that maximizes each period's output — which may be higher or lower than the first-best rate, depending on whether the elasticity of substitution in production between private and public inputs is below or above one. In this paper we characterize the best sequence of tax rates that can be sustained through trigger strategies. This best sustainable sequence of tax rates is constant, and lies between the first-best and discretionary extremes.
Ewing Sarcoma Metastatic to the Iris

Purpose To report a case of Ewing sarcoma metastatic to the iris. Methods A 19-year-old woman with metastatic Ewing sarcoma of the femur developed a diffuse, fluffy iris mass with a pseudohypopyon in the left eye. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy confirmed iris metastasis, and external beam radiotherapy was given to the affected eye. Results The iris mass responded initially to external beam radiotherapy and ongoing chemotherapy with vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, etoposide, and ifosfamide but recurred 5 months later. Subsequent radiotherapy with an iodine 125 plaque achieved further resolution of the iris tumor. Conclusions Ewing sarcoma can rarely metastasize to the iris. The diagnosis can be confirmed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Plaque radiotherapy is a therapeutic alternative.
Convergent and concurrent validity of the Contemplation Ladder and URICA scales

This study examined the convergent and concurrent validity of the Contemplation Ladder and the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA). Intake data of participants recruited into two concurrent studies were analyzed. One group (n=77) had no plans to quit smoking within the next 6 months, while a second group (n=106) had definite plans to quit. The groups did not differ on any demographic variables except employment status. Contemplation Ladder scores for the entire sample (n=183) correlated positively with the URICA Contemplation and Action subscale scores but negatively with Precontemplation subscale scores. The Contemplation Ladder also correlated positively with the URICA Composite score. Additionally, participants seeking to quit within the next 6 months had significantly higher Contemplation Ladder and URICA Contemplation, Action, and Composite scores, but lower Precontemplation scores than participants not seeking to quit. Controlling for employment status did not change the pattern of results. Our findings provide support for the convergent and concurrent validity of these two measures and suggest that the single-item Contemplation Ladder may be a practical alternative to the URICA in certain situations.
A new fast hybrid adaptive grid generation technique for arbitrary two-dimensional domains

This paper describes a new fast hybrid adaptive grid generation technique for arbitrary two-dimensional domains. This technique is based on a Cartesian background grid with square elements and quadtree decomposition. A new algorithm is introduced for the distribution of boundary points based on the curvature of the domain boundaries. The quadtree decomposition is governed either by the distribution of the boundary points or by a size function when a solution-based adaptive grid is desired. The resulting grid is quaddominant and ready for the application of finite element, multi-grid, or line-relaxation methods. All the internal angles in the final grid have a lower bound of 45° and an upper bound of 135°. Although our main interest is in grid generation for unsteady flow simulations, the technique presented in this paper can be employed in many other fields. Several application examples are provided to illustrate the main features of this new approach. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The State of the States: Fiscal Crisis in the 1990s

Our first purpose is to tell the story of the development of the fiscal crisis of the states and to examine why it has taken on a new economic and political importance. Then, on the basis of that analysis, we argue that progressive forces have an opportunity now to affect both immediate responses to the crisis and the longer run economic role of government. Our examination of the fiscal crisis of the states leads to some particular proposals for a progressive response — a response based on principles of democracy and equality.
Choline kinase overexpression increases invasiveness and drug resistance of human breast cancer cells

A direct correlation exists between increased choline kinase (Chk) expression, and the resulting increase of phosphocholine levels, and histological tumor grade. To better understand the function of Chk and choline phospholipid metabolism in breast cancer we have stably overexpressed one of the two isoforms of Chk-alpha known to be upregulated in malignant cells, in non-invasive MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Dynamic tracking of cell invasion and cell metabolism were studied with a magnetic resonance (MR) compatible cell perfusion assay. The MR based invasion assay demonstrated that MCF-7 cells overexpressing Chk-alpha (MCF-7-Chk) exhibited an increase of invasion relative to control MCF-7 cells (0.84 vs 0.3). Proton MR spectroscopy studies showed significantly higher phosphocholine and elevated triglyceride signals in Chk overexpressing clones compared to control cells. A test of drug resistance in MCF-7-Chk cells revealed that these cells had an increased resistance to 5-fluorouracil and higher expression of thymidylate synthase compared to control MCF-7 cells. To further characterize increased drug resistance in these cells, we performed rhodamine-123 efflux studies to evaluate drug efflux pumps. MCF-7-Chk cells effluxed twice as much rhodamine-123 compared to MCF-7 cells. Chk-alpha overexpression resulted in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells acquiring an increasingly aggressive phenotype, supporting the role of Chk-alpha in mediating invasion and drug resistance, and the use of phosphocholine as a biomarker of aggressive breast cancers.
The adsorption of hydrogen, digermane, and disilane on Ge(111): a multiple internal reflection infrared spectroscopy study

Abstract The adsorption of hydrogen, digennane, and disilane on the Ge(111) surface has been investigated using multiple internal reflection infrared Spectroscopy (MIRIRS). Adsorption of atomic hydrogen on Ge(111) leads to the production of GeH3, GeH2, and GeH at low temperatures (⩽, 150K), and strictly a monohydride at higher temperatures (⩾ 400K). Atomic H occupies primarily a single GeH adsorption site at 500K, whereas a range of monohydride adsorption sites exists at lower temperatures. At temperatures below 300K, GeH production dominates H atom exposure, with minor production of the higher hydrides, while dissociative adsorption of Ge2H6 favors formation of GeH2 and GeH3. Similar behavior is observed for disilane adsorption, with formation of SiH3 and SiH2 below 300K and SiH above this temperature. Molecular adsorption of Ge2H6and Si2H6 occurs for adsorption below 150K. Molecular and dissociative adsorption are competitive processes at 110–140K. Decomposition of all surface hydrides occurs by 600K.
The Automatic Recognition of Human Faces from Profile Silhouettes

A pattern recognition system is described which is capable of identifying human faces from their full profile silhouettes. Each silhouette is preprocessed to remove noise, smooth edges, and extract the front edge. The processed silhouettes are then represented by a 12-dimensional feature vector, the components of which are obtained by a circular autocorrelation function. Using a weighted k-nearest neighbor decision rule it is shown that a recognition accuracy of 90 percent is attainable in a ten-class problem. An adaptive training procedure is also described which is used for setting up the authority files. This training procedure appears to identify those feature vectors representing a class which are either most important, from an information content point of view, or are observed most often. Finally, a comparison is made between the recognition accuracy obtained using circular autocorrelation features and moment invariant features. It is shown that the former outperforms, in this problem, the latter. The system is also compared to human observers with the result that the system performs no worse than the human observers.
ERCS08: A FORTRAN program equipped with a Windows graphics user interface that calculates ECPSSR cross sections for the removal of atomic electrons

ERCS08 is a program for computing the atomic electron removal cross sections. It is written in FORTRAN in order to make it more portable and easier to customize by a large community of physicists, but it also comes with a separate windows graphics user interface control application ERCS08w that makes it easy to quickly prepare the input file, run the program, as well as view and analyze the output. The calculations are based on the ECPSSR theory for direct (Coulomb) ionization and non-radiative electron capture. With versatility in mind, the program allows for selective inclusion or exclusion of individual contributions to the cross sections from effects such as projectile energy loss, Coulomb deflection of the projectile, perturbation of electron's stationary state (polarization and binding), as well as relativity. This makes it straightforward to assess the importance of each effect in a given collision regime. The control application also makes it easy to setup for calculations in inverse kinematics (i.e. ionization of projectile ions by target atoms or ions).
Vortex shedding analysis by finite elements

Abstract Despite the rapid progress in numerical fluid dynamics, vortex shedding simulation is still a complicated process requiring its representation by empirical models. The applicability of these models is often restricted, by their inherent non-linearity, to simple beams. The complexities of most structural systems demand an improved generalization of the suggested models and a more representative method of analysis. In this paper, the finite element method in conjunction with Scanlan’s vortex shedding empirical model (used extensively for long-span bridges) is employed to formulate a plane frame element. Based on simple assumptions conforming with the attributes of flow-induced vibrations, the proposed approach is extended further to encompass a space frame element. The developed elements are then used to analyze elementary structures subjected to vortex shedding instability. The vortex shedding oscillatory response is determined by assembling and solving the constituent nonlinear equations of motion using a direct integration scheme and an iterative process. The results verify the validity of the proposed finite element procedure, which should prove to be a flexible means of vortex shedding analysis for more complex structure types.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS ANALYSIS

In order to provide a deeper understanding of the workings of principal components, four data sets were constructed by taking linear combinations of values of two uncorrelated variables to form the X-variates for the principal component analysis. These examples are believed useful for aiding researchers in the interpretation of data and they highlight some of the properties and limitations of principal components analyses.
Determination of coenzyme A levels in Pyrococcus furiosus and other Archaea: implications for a general role for coenzyme A in thermophiles

Physiologically significant levels of intracellular coenzyme A were identified in Pyrococcus furiosus, Thermococcus litoralis, and Sulfolobus solfataricus, suggesting a role for CoA as an important low molecular mass thiol in the thermophilic Archaea. In P. furiosus, cells grown in the presence of sulfur showed significantly higher levels of oxidized CoA compared with those grown in the absence of S0. T. litoralis showed strikingly similar CoA levels, although with low disulfide levels in both the presence and absence of S0. S. solfataricus showed similarly high levels of CoA thiol, with correspondingly low levels of the CoA disulfide. These results are consistent with the identification of a coenzyme A disulfide reductase (CoADR) in P. furiosus and horikoshii as well as the presence of CoADR homologues in the genomes of S. solfataricus and T. kodakaraensis.
Hydrolysis of chlorpyrifos in aqueous and colloidal systems

Hydrolysis of chlorpyrifos [O,O-diethyl O-(3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridyl) phosphorothioate] to TCP (3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol) is an important degradation process influencing the fate of chlorpyrifos in aquatic environments. The effects of water chemistry and suspended colloids (smectites, humic acid, and river sediment) on the hydrolysis of chlorpyrifos were investigated in this study. Chlorpyrifos was incubated in various aqueous and colloidal systems at 23 ′ 2 °C for up to 100 days, and aqueous phase concentrations of chlorpyrifos and TCP were determined using solid phase extraction-high performance liquid chromatography (SPE-HPLC). Chlorpyrifos degraded in the aqueous solutions with half-lives ranging from 27 to 158 days, depending on the initial concentration of chlorpyrifos and the chemistry of the aqueous solutions. The rate of degradation was slower in systems containing low concentrations of suspended colloids (1 g L - 1 in 0.01 M CaCl 2 ) than in the control (0.01 M CaCl 2 , with no colloids), and negligible hydrolysis of chlorpyrifos was found for concentrated colloidal systems (20 g L - 1 in 0.01 M CaCl 2 ). Total recoveries of chlorpyrifos for the concentrated colloidal systems ranged from 78% to 97%, with a tendency to decrease with incubation time. The study indicates that the formation of chlorpyrifos-colloid complexes inhibits the hydrolysis of chlorpyrifos in aqueous systems and that chlorpyrifos-colloid complexes may act as a buffer by slowly releasing chlorpyrifos to the aqueous phase.
Abstract 4447: Generation of a conditional S194A mutant RalA allele in mice

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA The Ras family of small-GTPases represent the most frequently mutated oncogene in human cancer. Oncogenic Ras activates RalGEFs, which converts the Ras like small GTPases RalA and RalB to their active GTP-bound state to promote tumorigenesis. Despite being highly related, RalA generally tends to be more important in tumor growth while RalB has been implicated in metastasis. In regard to a mechanism underlying these functional differences, we note that RalA, but not RalB, is phosphorylated by the mitotic kinase AuroraA at Serine 194, and this phosphorylation is necessary for Ras-driven tumorigenesis. This phosphorylation has been found to result in an accumulation of RalA in mitochondrial fractions and an increase in mitochondrial fission and segregation during cytokinesis. Despite these encouraging observations, the role of this seemingly critical phosphorylation event in an actual in vivo setting was completely unknown. Thus, to determine the physiological consequence of this phosphorylation in vivo, we generated a mouse with a Cre-inducible S194A conditional Rala allele. We now report that these mice express wild-type RalA in the absence of Cre, but upon Cre-mediated recombination, convert wild-type exon 5 of Rala to one encoding the S194A mutant version. We propose to next investigate the consequences of blocking this critical posttranslational modification on normal development and on oncogenic Kras-driven tumorigenesis. Citation Format: Matthew S. Crowe, Christopher M. Counter. Generation of a conditional S194A mutant RalA allele in mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4447. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4447
Electron‐beam‐induced fracture of polymers

When a notched polymeric material is stressed, the notch opens into a wide crack tip, exposing a region of high stress concentration. The consequences of electron bombardment of the tip of such a stressed material under vacuum are explored here for the first time. Evidence is presented for electron-induced crack growth at stress far below that needed for crack growth due to stress alone. The electron current densities used in these experiments are sufficiently small that thermal heating of the zone near the crack tip is minimal. To provide information on the phenomena involved, we present simultaneous measurements of electron current, gas pressure, and sample load in response to periodic bombardment of the sample. Experiments involving the bombardment of un-notched polymers under stress are also described. Fractography of the unique structures obtained by fracture due to the combination of electron bombardment and stress are presented and interpreted in terms of a crosslinking mechanism.
Inducible aggression and intraspecific competition for space in a marine bryozoan, Membranipora membranacea

We experimentally investigated the causes and consequences of stolon production in the marine bryozoan Membranipora membranacea. Inducible stolons appear to mediate contests for space among conspecifics by slowing the growth of adjacent competitors. However, because stolons are produced in some but not all competitive interactions, we examined whether environmental factors such as food and hydrodynamic regime regulate their production. Furthermore, because stolons are ephemeral, persisting for only 24 h, we removed stolons to determine whether stolon production affected the outcome of competitive contests. Removing stolons from large colonies reduced their ability to surround a small neighbor, but increased their growth rate. Control colonies, producing their full complement of stolons, grew more slowly than colonies with stolons removed, suggesting that there is a tradeoff between stolon production and growth. The rate of stolon production was higher in colonies grown under lower food conditions. The likelihood that waterborne chemical or hydrodynamic cues induce stolon formation is diminished by our finding that the frequency of stolon production was unaffected by the relative positions of two interacting colonies in unidirectional flow.
Cell shape regulation through mechanosensory feedback control.

Cells undergo controlled changes in morphology in response to intracellular and extracellular signals. These changes require a means for sensing and interpreting the signalling cues, for generating...
Calcium Selective Polymeric Membranes for Microfabricated Sensor Arrays

Abstract The potentiometric and impedance characteristics of various selective Ca2+ polymeric membranes are described and interpreted by theory and experiments for Ca2+ microfabricated sensor arrays. These are designed for further biomedical applications with an emphasis on potential in situ applications. The polymeric materials used in the present studies consist of either carboxylated PVC or aliphatic polyurethane. Both materials showed good adherence properties to the polyimide-coated Kapton substrate used in planar sensor fabrication. The impedance analysis, performed in the frequency range from 65,000 Hz to 0.1 Hz, revealed the bulk geometrical response at high frequencies. Measured Rbulk corresponds to the unperturbed bulk resistance. That, in turn, depends on mobilities and concentrations of Ca2+ complex and mobile sites. Decreases in Rbulk correlated well with sensor behavior during the preconditioning (hydration) period. Studies of blood interactions with these sensors proved that the main sensor...
Experimental aerogenic Burkholderia mallei (glanders) infection in the BALB/c mouse.

The object of this study was to develop and characterize experimental Burkholderia mallei aerosol infection in BALB/c mice. Sixty-five mice were infected with 5000 [approx. 2.5 median lethal doses (MLD)] B. mallei strain ATCC 23344(T) bacteria by the aerosol route. Bacterial counts within lung, liver, spleen, brain, kidney and blood over 14 days were determined and histopathological and immunocytochemical profiles were assessed. Mortality due to B. mallei infection occurred between days 4 and 10 post-infection. Bacterial numbers were consistently higher in the lungs than in other tissues, reaching a maximum of approximately 1.0 x 10(6) c.f.u. ml(-1) at 5 days post-infection. Bacterial counts in liver and spleen tissue remained approximately equal, reaching a maximum of approximately 1.0 x 10(4) c.f.u. ml(-1) at day 4 post-infection. By day 14 post-infection, bacterial counts were in the range 1.0 x 10(3)-1.0 x 10(4) c.f.u. ml(-1) for all tissues. Infection of the lungs by B. mallei resulted in foci of acute inflammation and necrosis. As infection progressed, the inflammatory process became subacute or chronic; this was associated with the development of extensive consolidation. Lesions in liver and spleen tissue were typical of those that might be expected in bacteraemia or bacterial toxaemia. These results suggest that the BALB/c mouse is susceptible to B. mallei when delivered by the aerosol route and that this represents a model system of acute human glanders that is suitable for research into the pathogenesis of and vaccines against this disease.
On inhomogeneous spherical space forms

Abstract Although much is known about minimal isometric immersions into spheres of homogeneous spherical space forms, up to very recently, [5], there were no results in the literature about such immersions in the dominant case of inhomogeneous space forms. For a large class of these, the pq -space forms, we extend the results of [5] to a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of such an immersion of a given degree. This condition depends only upon the degree and the fundamental group of the space form and is given in terms of an explicitly computable function. We are thus able to construct the first known minimal isometric immersion of an inhomogeneous lens space into a sphere. Moreover, we give a global lower bound for the degree of a minimal isometric immersion of a pq -space form into a sphere. In doing so, we discover several additional conditions for the existence of such an immersion relating the degree of the immersion and the order of the fundamental group.
The Diagnosis and Natural History of Multiple System Atrophy, Cerebellar Type

The objective of this study was to identify key features differentiating multiple system atrophy cerebellar type (MSA-C) from idiopathic late-onset cerebellar ataxia (ILOCA). We reviewed records of patients seen in the Massachusetts General Hospital Ataxia Unit between 1992 and 2013 with consensus criteria diagnoses of MSA-C or ILOCA. Twelve patients had definite MSA-C, 53 had possible/probable MSA-C, and 12 had ILOCA. Autonomic features, specifically urinary urgency, frequency, and incontinence with erectile dysfunction in males, differentiated MSA-C from ILOCA throughout the disease course (p = 0.005). Orthostatic hypotension developed later and differentiated MSA-C from ILOCA (p < 0.01). REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) occurred early in possible/probable MSA-C (p < 0.01). Late MSA-C included pathologic laughing and crying (PLC, p < 0.01), bradykinesia (p = 0.01), and corticospinal findings (p = 0.01). MRI distinguished MSA-C from ILOCA by atrophy of the brainstem (p < 0.01) and middle cerebellar peduncles (MCP, p = 0.02). MSA-C progressed faster than ILOCA: by 6 years, MSA-C walker dependency was 100 % and ILOCA 33 %. MSA-C survival was 8.4 ± 2.5 years. Mean length of ILOCA illness to date is 15.9 ± 6.4 years. A sporadic onset, insidiously developing cerebellar syndrome in midlife, with autonomic features of otherwise unexplained bladder dysfunction with or without erectile dysfunction in males, and atrophy of the cerebellum, brainstem, and MCP points strongly to MSA-C. RBD and postural hypotension confirm the diagnosis. Extrapyramidal findings, corticospinal tract signs, and PLC are helpful but not necessary for diagnosis. Clarity in early MSA-C diagnosis can prevent unnecessary investigations and facilitate therapeutic trials.
Closed porosity aluminosilicate for electronic packaging applications

The electrical properties of sol-gel prepared aluminosilicate films were investigated for suitability in electronic applications. The aluminosilicate films exhibited apparent closed porosity and a dielectric constant as low as [approx]5 with processing temperatures from 373 K to 873 K. The porosity was inaccessible to nitrogen at 77 K, helium at 293 K, and water vapor at 293 K. Both bulk and thin-film samples were analyzed for hydroxyl and carbon contents to elucidate the relative dependence of the measured electrical properties on processing conditions. Experiments indicate it is possible to vary the porosity in bulk material in ways which should improve electrical properties.
A theoretical model of the antecedents and outcomes of employee engagement

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical model that links the major antecedents, outcomes, and moderators of employee engagement. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses the first part of Dubin's two-part, eight-step theory-building methodology, and builds on existing research and empirical studies on engagement. In particular, the following five steps of the Dubin's methodology are addressed in this study: units (or concepts) of the theory, laws of interaction among the units, boundaries of the theory, system states of the theory, and propositions of the theory. Findings – The proposed theoretical model of employee engagement identifies job design and characteristics, supervisor and co-worker relationships, workplace environment, and HRD practices as the major antecedents to employee engagement. The paper also proposes that job demands and individual characteristics act as moderators to the relationships between job design and characteristics, supervisor and co-worker relatio...