cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methamphetamine enhances sexual behavior in female rats.

The present study evaluated the effects of methamphetamine (MA) on sexual behavior in female rats. In Experiment 1, ovariectomized, hormone-primed rats were injected with MA (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline prior to a test for mate choice wherein females could mate with two males simultaneously. Female rats treated with saline returned to their preferred mate faster after receiving intromissions and visited their preferred mate at a higher rate than their non-preferred mate. In contrast, MA-treated female rats spent a similar amount of time with their preferred and non-preferred mate and failed to return to their preferred mate faster than to their non-preferred mate following intromissions. Two weeks later, the females received the same drug treatment but were tested for partner preference wherein females could spend time near a male or female stimulus rat. All subjects spent more time near the male stimulus than the female stimulus. However, the MA-treated rats visited the male stimulus more frequently and spent less time near the female stimulus than the saline-treated rats. Similar to Experiment 1, female rats in Experiment 2 were tested for mate choice and then two weeks later tested for partner preference; however, females received three daily injections of MA (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. Females treated chronically with MA returned to both males faster following intromissions than females treated with saline, independent of preference (i.e., preferred mate and non-preferred mate). Furthermore, MA-treated rats were more likely to leave either male (i.e., preferred or non-preferred mate) than saline-treated rats after receiving sexual stimulation. Although MA-treated subjects spent more time near the male stimulus than the female stimulus, they spent less time near either when compared to saline-treated subjects. The present results demonstrate that MA affects sexual behavior in female rats partly by increasing locomotion and partly by directly affecting sexual behavior.
Validation Study of Genetic Associations with Coronary Artery Disease on Chromosome 3q13‐21 and Potential Effect Modification by Smoking

The CATHGEN study reported associations of chromosome 3q13-21 genes (KALRN, MYLK, CDGAP, and GATA2) with early-onset coronary artery disease (CAD). This study attempted to independently validate those associations. Eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were examined (rs10934490, rs16834817, rs6810298, rs9289231, rs12637456, rs1444768, rs1444754, rs4234218, rs2335052, rs3803, rs2713604) in patients (N = 1618) from the Intermountain Heart Collaborative Study (IHCS). Given the higher smoking prevalence in CATHGEN than IHCS (41% vs. 11% in controls, 74% vs. 29% in cases), smoking stratification and genotype-smoking interactions were evaluated. Suggestive association was found for GATA2 (rs2713604, p = 0.057, OR = 1.2). Among smokers, associations were found in CDGAP (rs10934490, p = 0.019, OR = 1.6) and KALRN (rs12637456, p = 0.011, OR = 2.0) and suggestive association was found in MYLK (rs16834871, p = 0.051, OR = 1.8, adjusting for gender). No SNP association was found among non-smokers, but smoking/SNP interactions were detected for CDGAP (rs10934491, p = 0.017) and KALRN (rs12637456, p = 0.010). Similar differences in SNP effects by smoking status were observed on re-analysis of CATHGEN. CAD associations were suggestive for GATA2 and among smokers significant post hoc associations were found in KALRN, MYLK, and CDGAP. Genetic risk conferred by some of these genes may be modified by smoking. Future CAD association studies of these and other genes should evaluate effect modification by smoking.
Non-abelian traveling wave solutions for massless QCD2

Abstract The field equations for quantum chromodynamics in 1 + 1 dimensions (QCD 2 ) with massless fermions are shown to admit classical non-abelian traveling wave solutions. In this case, the field equations reduce to the linear Frenet-Serret equations for a curve in the three-space corresponding to an SU(2) subalgebra of the SU( N ) gauge group.
Treatment of hyperthyroidism associated with thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenomas with iopanoic acid.

TSH-secreting tumors comprise less than 2% of all pituitary adenomas. All patients present with hyperthyroidism with a detectable TSH level, and a majority have macroadenomas. Oral cholecystographic agents (e.g. iopanoic acid) potently inhibit the activation of T4 to the more potent T3. They have been used successfully to treat primary thyroidal hyperthyroidism and thyroxine overdose. However, they have not been employed in the treatment of central hyperthyroidism. We report, herein, the first two patients with thyrotropinomas, in whom iopanoic acid (Telepaque) has been used perioperatively to safely and rapidly achieve euthyroidism. In case 1, free T3 index improved from a value of 634 to 175 (normal range 78–162) after 3 d of therapy with iopanoic acid. In case 2, free T3 by dialysis improved from 697 pg/dl (10.7 pmol/liter) to 195 pg/dl (3.0 pmol/liter) (normal range 210–440 pg/dl; 3.2–6.7 pmol/liter) after 7 d of therapy with iopanoic acid.
Effect of resistance exercise and growth hormone on bone density in older men.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether 16 weeks of heavy resistance exercise training combined with daily growth hormone administration (GH) increases bone mineral density in 64–75-year-old men greater than resistance exercise training without GH supplementation. DESIGN Eighteen healthy, elderly men (67 ± 1 year) followed a 16-week progressive resistance training programme (75–90% maximum strength, 5–10 repetitions/set, 4 sets/day, 4 days/week) after double-blind, random assignment to either a GH (12.5 or 18 μg/kg/day, equivalent to 25 or 36 mU/kg/day, n = 7) or placebo (n = 11) group. MEASUREMENTS Before and at the end of 16 weeks of resistance exercise with or without GH administration, body composition, whole body and regional bone mineral density (BMD) were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum osteocalcin and IGF-I were determined by radioimmunoassay before, during and at the end of treatment. RESULTS Increments in fat-free mass and training-specific maximum voluntary muscle strength were similar in both groups after training. Serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and osteocalcin levels were increased (P < 0.05) after exercise training plus GH. In comparison to initial measures, bone mineral density (g/cm2) of the proximal femur (Ward's triangle) was increased (P < 0.05) after 16 weeks of exercise training plus placebo treatment. Sixteen weeks of exercise training plus GH treatment did not increase whole body, spine or hip (femoral neck, trochanter, Ward's triangle) bone mineral density more than exercise plus placebo treatment. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that in these older men with normal bone mineral density, short-term resistance exercise training increased regional bone mineral density, but the addition of daily GH administration did not enhance whole body or regional bone mineral density despite GH-induced increments in serum IGF-I and osteocalcin. This implies that GH administration during a 16-week resistance exercise training programme may increase bone turnover without increasing bone mineral accumulation.
Host-to-Parasite Gene Transfer in Flowering Plants: Phylogenetic Evidence from Malpighiales

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between sexually unrelated species has recently been documented for higher plants, but mechanistic explanations for HGTs have remained speculative. We show that a parasitic relationship may facilitate HGT between flowering plants. The endophytic parasites Rafflesiaceae are placed in the diverse order Malpighiales. Our multigene phylogenetic analyses of Malpighiales show that mitochrodrial ( matR ) and nuclear loci (18 S ribosomal DNA and PHYC ) place Rafflesiaceae in Malpighiales, perhaps near Ochnaceae/Clusiaceae. Mitochondrial nad1B-C , however, groups them within Vitaceae, near their obligate host Tetrastigma . These discordant phylogenetic hypotheses strongly suggest that part of the mitochondrial genome in Rafflesiaceae was acquired via HGT from their hosts.
Exogenous substrate effects on endogenous lipid metabolism in the working rat heart.

Abstract 1. 1. The possible regulation of endogenous lipid utilization by exogenous substrates was studied in a more physiological perfused working rat heart preparation. 2. 2. Rat hearts were isotopically prelabeled in vivo with [14C]palmitic acid and perfused in a closed recirculated system with bicarbonate buffer containing (a) no added substrates, (b) 5.5 mM glucose and/or (c) 0.7 mM or 1.3 mM palmitate. Content and 14C-labeling of triglycerides and phospholipids, 14CO2 production, and tissue lipase activity of perfused heart homogenates were determined. 3. 3. In hearts perfused with buffer containing no substrate, or with added glucose, triglyceride content and 14C-labeling decreased 65% or more relative to initial values. This decrement in triglyceride labeling was recovered as 14CO2. Exogenous palmitate decreased net triglyceride flux to 35% or less, with a concomitant reduction in 14CO2 production. Heart phospholipids showed less change as compared with the triglyceride component. Tissue lipase activity increased in hearts perfused with or without glucose, but was unchanged relative to initial values with exogenous palmitate present. 4. 4. Direct evidence has been obtained for a regulatory role of exogenous-substrates on endogenous triglyceride fatty acid mobilization and oxidation in the working rat heart.
Interactions between the developmental program and cell cycle regulation of Aspergillus nidulans

Abstract Aspergillus nidulans is a multicellular fungus being used to study developmental regulation and cell cycle regulation. Genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying both processes have been characterized. Two types of observations suggest that there is significant interaction between cell cycle and developmental regulatory mechanisms. First, A. nidulans development involves the formation of specialized cell types that contain different, but specific, numbers of nuclei that are differentially regulated for cell cycle progression. Second, mutations directly affecting nuclear division can have major affects on cell differentiation during development. In this essay we describe these interactions and point out potential mechanisms for the cross talk between morphogenesis and the cell cycle that are tractable for future experimental investigation.
Toward Transparency: Competing discourses of teacher educators and teachers

This self-study emerged within the context of a school-based professional development project that established collaboration between two teacher educators and a group of elementary public school teachers. We launched the Book in a Bag project as a way to promote curriculum integration in classrooms and at the same time to provide a venue for research. Within the two contexts of university and public schools, certain knowledge and practices were privileged, largely as a result of the distinct stewardships each assumes. When tensions arose in the course of the project, we employed self-study methodology. We identified competing discourses of teachers, teacher educators, and partnership, noting paradoxes that focused on discourse-bound knowledge, discourse-driven motivation, and discourse-limited aspirations. Self-study served to deepen our understanding of our own practices and ourselves as teacher educators with an eye to future relationships with teachers.
A method of analysis of low peclet number thermal entry region problems with axial conduction

Abstract A straightforward finite integral transform technique is used to solve low Peclet number thermal entry region heat transfer problem for laminar flow inside a circular tube by including the effects of axial conduction in both the upstream and the downstream directions. The local Nusselt number for uniform wall heat flux condition, determined by using the lowest order analysis of the presented method, comparies favorably with the exact results.
Flexible Circuits and Architectures for Ultralow Power

Subthreshold digital circuits minimize energy per operation and are thus ideal for ultralow-power (ULP) applications with low performance requirements. However, a large range of ULP applications continue to face performance constraints at certain times that exceed the capabilities of subthreshold operation. In this paper, we give two different examples to show that designing flexibility into ULP systems across the architecture and circuit levels can meet both the ULP requirements and the performance demands. Specifically, we first present a method that expands on ultradynamic voltage scaling (UDVS) to combine multiple supply voltages with component level power switches to provide more efficient operation at any energy-delay point and low overhead switching between points. This system supports operation across the space from maximum performance, when necessary, to minimum energy, when possible. It thus combines the benefits of single-V DD, multi-V DD, and dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) while improving on them all. Second, we propose that reconfigurable subthreshold circuits can increase applicability for ULP embedded systems. Since ULP devices conventionally require custom circuit design but the manufacturing volume for many ULP applications is low, a subthreshold field programmable gate array (FPGA) offers a cost-effective custom solution with hardware flexibility that makes it applicable across a wide range of applications. We describe the design of a subthreshold FPGA to support ULP operation and identify key challenges to this effort.
Genetic and physical mapping of the late region of bacteriophage T7 DNA by use of cloned fragments of T7 DNA.

Abstract Specific fragments of bacteriophage T7 DNA that account for about 99% of the total molecule have been cloned in the plasmid pBR322. This set of plasmids was used to map individual point mutations of T7, by measuring recombination between T7 mutants and cloned fragments of wild-type T7 DNA. Cloned fragments that complement mutants defective in one or more of genes 2, 3.5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 18 were also obtained. All but one of the plasmids that provide T7 functions carry a promoter for T7 RNA polymerase, a feature that is probably needed for efficient expression from the plasmid during infection. However, the promoter need not be immediately ahead of the gene; the polymerase can apparently transcribe around the entire plasmid DNA before transcribing the T7 gene. The major protein of the T7 phage head is among those that can be provided from a plasmid, indicating that substantial amounts of plasmid-specified proteins can be made. Using a combination of nucleotide sequence and cloning information the locations of 41 known or potential genes in T7 DNA have now been identified, at least 34 of which are known to specify a protein. T7 genes appear to be closely packed but essentially non-overlapping. The only places left in T7 DNA where undiscovered T7 genes are likely to lie are between genes 6 and 8, and to one or both sides of gene 19. The physical and genetic locations of the promoters and termination site for T7 RNA polymerase have also been defined. Certain fragments of T7 DNA cannot be cloned intact, and the lethality of at least some such fragments appears to be due to weak promoters for Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (in the T7 DNA) linked to T7 genes that are lethal if expressed. Separating the promoter from the lethal gene allows the intact gene to be cloned, but only in the silent orientation, where the predominant transcription from promoters in the pBR322 DNA crosses the inserted T7 DNA in the opposite direction from transcription in wild-type T7 DNA.
Imprisoned Elders: The Experience Of One Institution

This study examines the characteristics and institutional experience of inmate elders from one medium security institution. It also features a stratified random sample of inmates aged 49 and under ...
Strain rate dependent orthotropic properties of pristine and impulsively loaded porcine temporomandibular joint disk

The purpose of this study was to characterize the tensile stress-strain behavior of the porcine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disk with respect to collagen orientation and strain rate dependency. The apparent elastic modulus, ultimate tensile strength, and strain at maximum stress were measured at three elongation rates (0.5, 50, and 500 mm/min) for dumbbell-shaped samples oriented along either anteroposterior or mediolateral axes of the disks. In order to study the effects of impact-induced fissuring on the mechanical behavior, the same properties were measured along each orientation at an elongation rate of 500 mm/min for disks subjected to impulsive loads of 0.5 N. s. The results suggested a strongly orthotropic nature to the healthy pristine disk. The values for the apparent modulus and ultimate strength were 10-fold higher along the anteroposterior axis (p 0.05). The results demonstrated the importance of choosing an orthotropic model for the TMJ disk to conduct finite element modeling, to develop failure criteria, and to construct tissue-engineered replacements. Impact-induced fissuring requires further study to determine if the TMJ disk is orthotropic with respect to fatigue.
Real-time control software for optical interferometers: the RICST testbed

RICST, the Realtime Interferometer Control System Testbed, is a testbed at NASA's JPL where teams are developing a common electronics and software foundation that will form the core of the control system for JPL's various interferometer projects. Important technologies being developed and demonstrated on the RICST testbed include hard real-time multiprocessing, generic interferometer software and hardware architecture, easy reconfigurability, abstract constructs for easy implementation of control loops and servos, and highly configurable telemetry streams. The basic hardware and software architecture developed by RICST can be applied to virtually any interferometer based on the combiner-collector architecture. The RICST project began in May 1996 and has been delivering control system 'increments' every few months since that time. Each increment adds new end-to-end functionality. White-light fringe tracking has been demonstrated in the lab already; the delivery of a fully operational testbed is scheduled for the end of April. Future enhancements will add support for a wide array of calibration, sequencing, and other support functions. RICST deliveries include support software, such as a graphical user interface and a prototype spacecraft bus interface, as well as the embedded software needed to run the instrument. The RICST program will make final deliveries to its various customers in 2000, after which the RICST testbed facility will continue on in support of the SIM mission.
Effect of redox potential of the heme on the peroxidase activity of cytochrome b562

Abstract Measurements of peroxidase activities of two site-specific mutants and wild type cytochrome b 562 suggest that the enzymatic activity correlates with the redox potential of the metal center. A lower value of the Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ redox potential seems to be important for promoting peroxidase activity of the hemeprotein possibly by stabilization of the high-valent redox intermediate involved in the catalytic function. The results provide an approach towards rational tuning of enzyme function when ‘grafted’ into a new protein environment.
Constructing a Resurgent Russia

Russia's Foreign Policy: Change and Continuity in National Identity. By Andrei P. Tsygankov Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2006. 217 pp., $65.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-7425-2649-6), $24.95 paper (ISBN: 0-7425-2650-X). Andrei Tsygankov, a political scientist at San Francisco State University, sets out two modest goals in Russia's Foreign Policy: Change and Continuity in National Identity : “to assist fellow academics in their teaching needs and to suggest a plausible interpretation of Russia's foreign policy” (p. xxiv). He succeeds admirably in both. Tsygankov argues that one constant in Russian foreign policy since the time of Peter the Great has been the construction of a national identity in relation to Europe and the West. As a result, he suggests that a constructivist approach, with its focus on cultural contexts and meanings, provides a more comprehensive basis for explaining Russian foreign policy than either the realist or the liberal schools of international relations. Realism's tendency to take national interests as given, and its focus on power and capabilities, limit its ability to explain such major changes as Mikhail Gorbachev's “new thinking” in foreign policy. For its part, liberalism relies on a linear, progressive view of international relations that is premised on the ascendancy of Western political values—a perspective that cannot account for recent conservative shifts in foreign policymaking. Constructivism takes into account both international influences and local conditions that impact foreign policy formation. For Russia, the most important international influence has been the role of Europe …
THE RED-TAILED HAWK, BUTEO JAMAICENSIS, A NATIVE DEFINITIVE HOST OF FRENKELIA MICROTI (APICOMPLEXA) IN NORTH AMERICA

Oral inoculation of prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, with coccidian sporocysts isolated from the feces of a red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, in Kansas, USA, resulted in formation of Frenkelia microti (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) tissue cysts in the brains of the voles. Five additional isolates of morphologically similar sporocysts collected from red-tailed hawks or other Buteo spp. in Kansas failed to result in detectable infections in rodents. These results are the first to verify that red-tailed hawks are natural definitive hosts in North America for F. microti.
Intracellular Precursor Interleukin (IL)-1α, but Not Mature IL-1α, Is Able to Regulate Human Endothelial Cell Migration in Vitro

The human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) has a finite lifespan in vitro, and senescent HUVEC contain elevated levels of the negative growth regulator interleukin (IL)-1alpha. IL-1alpha is translated as a signal peptide sequence-less cytosolic 31-kDa precursor (IL-1alpha p), which undergoes proteolytic activation to release the mature carboxyl terminus 17-kDa protein (IL-1alpha m). Both the IL-1alpha p and IL-1alpha m proteins are biologically active as exogenous cytokines. Interestingly, only IL-1alpha p contains a nuclear localization sequence between residues 79 and 85. To further study the role of intracellular IL-1alpha in the regulation of human endothelial cell function, a spontaneous HUVEC transformant was stably transfected with IL-1alpha p, IL-1alpha m, and the IL-1alpha p K82N mutant, which attenuates the nuclear traffic of IL-1alpha p. Interestingly, the IL-1alpha p transfectants were found to have a lower migratory potential than either IL-1alpha m or IL-1alpha p K82N transfectants, and the addition of the IL-1 receptor antagonist did not alter the migration of these cells. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that only the IL-1alpha p transfectants exhibited prominent staining for beta-catenin-associated cell-to-cell contacts, as well as pronounced vimentin intermediate filaments and actin cytoskeleton staining. These data suggest that IL-1alpha p, and not IL-1alpha m, may function as an intracellular regulator of the migratory capacity of the human endothelial cell and that the nuclear localization sequence present within IL-1alpha p may be involved in regulating this function.
Glucose infusion improves endogenous protein synthesis efficiency in multiple trauma victims.

Metabolic costs of excessive nutritional support in stressed patients have been increasingly recognized. The decreased endogenous protein synthesis efficiency (PSE) following major injury has been attributed to the predominant need of amino acid precursors for gluconeogenesis. The present study tested the hypothesis that provision of glucose alone, not to exceed the resting energy expenditure (REE), for the first 4 to 5 days after trauma would be enough to restore PSE and stimulate the injured body to accept full nutrition. Eight severely injured, adult, hypermetabolic, and highly catabolic patients admitted to the Trauma Intensive Care Unit (TICU) served as our subjects. Integrated measurements of whole body fuel-substrate kinetics were obtained for energy metabolism (indirect calorimetry), protein kinetics (primed constant infusion of 15N-glycine), and glucose kinetics (labeled glucose infusions). Two studies were conducted on each same subject, one in the early flow phase of injury (48 to 60 hours after trauma) and a second after 4 to 5 days of hypertonic glucose (4.1 +/- 0.5 mg/kg/min; 80% REE calories) infusion with electrolytes, trace elements, and minerals. Significant (P less than .05) increases in PSE (14%, 65% +/- 2% to 74% +/- 2%), plasma growth hormone and insulin levels, and respiratory quotient (RQ) (31%, 0.74 +/- 0.03 to 0.97 +/- 0.04), and decreases in endogenous glucose appearance rate (55%, 3.1 +/- 0.5 to 1.4 +/- 0.1 mg/kg/min), and negative N balance (48%, 219 +/- 26 to 114 +/- 15 mgN/kg/d) were observed. The results suggest that hypertonic glucose infusion alone may be sufficient for physiological adaptation in the immediate posttrauma days. This therapy restores normal PSE, which should protect the labile protein pool.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Standing Humbly Before Nature

Humility is a virtue that is helpful in a persons relationship with nature. A humble person sees value in nature and acts accordingly with the proper respect. In this paper, humility is discussed in three aspects. First, humility entails an overcoming of self-absorption. Second, humility involves coming into contact with a larger, more complex reality. Third, humility allows a person to develop a sense of perspective on herself and the world.
High‐Resolution Electron Microscopy of Silicon Carbide‐Whisker‐Reinforced Alumina Composite Interfaces in Specimens Subjected to Elevated Temperatures

Interfaces of silicon carbide-whisker-reinforced alumina (SiC(w)/Al[sub 2]O[sub 3]) composites were examined using high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). HREM specimens were prepared from the bulk of samples that were previously tested for fracture toughness at 25, 1,000, 1,200, or 1,400 C, in ambient air. The test temperature history served as an independent variable. It was found that the as-received material did not possess a distinct interfacial layer and that the test temperature history (which included a 30 C/min heating and cooling rate, a 30-min soak prior to specimen loading, and a typical test duration of 5-10 min) did not appreciably change the interface thickness at any of the elevated test temperatures.
A Simple and Rapid Method of Preparing Antigenic Streptolysin.

In 1932 Todd' reported that he had been able to prepare filterable, antigenic streptococcic hemolysin. The medium used for the production of the streptolysin consisted of a horse meat infusion, peptone, yeast extract broth which was sterilized by filtering and by autoclaving at 115 C. for 5 minutes. Later, Todd and Hewitt2 modified the original medium, by substituting a buffer and certain growth-stimulating factors for the yeast extract. Swift and Hodge3 eliminated the need for filtration by sterilizing the meat infusion peptone broth in an Arnold sterilizer on 3 successive days and then adding the required amount of sterile buffer solution. All 3 of these methods are time consuming and occasionally do not yield a satisfactory medium. During the past 2 years we have been interested in the streptolysins produced by the minute beta hemolytic streptococci which are members of Lancefield's groups F and G beta hemolytic streptococci. In the course of our studies, we found that it was frequently impossible to demonstrate streptolysin in cultures of the group F strains when they were tested by the methods outlined by Todd, and Swift and Hodge. It was for this reason that we cast about for a more suitable mode of producing streptolysin.
Mössbauer line structure in “non-magnetic” CuFe and CuNiFe alloys

Abstract The high temperature 57 Fe Mossbauer effect “doublet” line structure in Cu-rich CuFe and CuNiFe alloys (and the related AuFe) is reinterpreted as being magnetic in origin, rather than arising from quadrupole interactions.
Synthesis, Structure, Biological Activity, and DNA Binding of Platinum(II) Complexes of the Type trans-[PtCl(2)(NH(3))L] (L = Planar Nitrogen Base). Effect of L and Cis/Trans Isomerism on Sequence Specificity and Unwinding Properties Observed in Globally Platinated DNA.

In order to establish fundamental structural requirements for the antitumor activation of the trans-platinum geometry, complexes of the general formulas [PtCl2(NH3)L] (L = planar N donor) have been...
Efficient electromechanical (E/M) impedance measuring method for active sensor structural health monitoring

Electro-mechanical impedance method is emerging as an important and powerful technique for structural health monitoring. The E/M impedance method utilizes as its main apparatus an impedance analyzer that reads the in-situ E/M impedance of the piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) attached to the monitored structure. Present-day impedance analyzer equipments (e.g. HP4194) are bulky, heavy and expensive laboratory equipment that cannot be carried into the field for on-site structural health monitoring. To address this issue, several investigators have explored means of miniaturizing the impedance analyzer making the impedance analyzer more compact and field-portable. In this paper we present an improved algorithm for efficient measurement of the E/M impedance using PWAS transducers. Instead of using a sine wave as the excitation signal to the PWAS and slowly changing its frequency, our method utilizes a chirp signal which is abundant in frequency components. By applying Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to both the input and response signals, the impedance spectrum of the PWAS is acquired. The algorithm was implemented and tested in a real-time system, which consists of excitation signal generation module, voltage and current measurement module and digital signal acquisition module. The size and the implementation of the overall system using either a laptop or a digital signal processor (DSP) are also discussed. Finally, practical results are presented and comparatively examined.
The Performance of Typically Developing 2 1/2-Year-Olds on Dynamic Display AAC Technologies with Different System Layouts and Language Organizations

The current generation of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies is largely based on conceptual models of adults who are not disabled (J. Light & P. Lindsay, 1991). As a resu...
Arginine and urea metabolism in the south american land snail, Strophocheilus oblongus

Abstract 1. 1. Using 14C-labeled bicarbonate, l -ornithine and l -citrulline, the South American land snail Strophocheilus oblongus was shown to be capable of arginine biosynthesis de novo. 2. 2. The relative rates of incorporation of bicarbonate-14C into arginine, aspartate and glutamate by hepatopancreas tissue in vitro indicates that the amount of arginine synthesized is nutritionally significant in this species. 3. 3. Three enzymes of the arginine pathway, ornithine transcarbamylase, argininosuccinate synthetase and argininosuccinate lyase, are present in most tissues of S. oblongus. 4. 4. The tissues also contain arginase activity and injected l -arginine-(guanidino-14C) is converted to urea-14C in vivo. 5. 5. A major portion of urea-14C injected into individual snails is released as carbon dioxide-14C and ureolytic activity was detected in hepatopancreas and also kidney. 6. 6. These findings are discussed relative to the ability of S. oblongus to acculate blood urea for osmotic water retention.
Quantifying Multiple Types of Uncertainty in Physics-Based Simulation Using Bayesian Model Averaging

Given experimental data measured from an engineering system, response predictions by a stochastic simulation model involve both parametric uncertainty and random errors. Also, model form uncertainty arises when two or more simulation models predict the responses of an engineering system because it is beyond capability to identify the best approximating model among the considered model set. In this research, a methodology is developed to quantify model probability using measured deviations between experimental data and model predictions of the data under a Bayesian statistical framework. Model averaging is used to combine the predictions of a system response by a model set into a single prediction. Then, a nonlinear spring-mass system is used to demonstrate the process for implementing model averaging. Finally, the methodology is applied to the engineering benefits of a laser peening process, and a confidence band for a residual stress field is established to indicate the reliability of the composite prediction of the stress field.
Molecular orientation of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene induced by various sliding motions

Wear and wear debris of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in joint replacements have been recognized as one of the major contributors to the failure of orthopedic implants. The detailed wear mechanism of polyethylene under biomechanic motions is not well understood. In simulation wear bench tests, it was found that unidirectional sliding produces the least amount of wear, reciprocating motion increases wear significantly, and cross-shear motion (similar to hip and knee joint motion in the human body) produces the highest amount of wear. Conventional wear theories are inadequate to explain this observation. This study utilizes resonant absorption of linearly polarized soft X-rays at a synchrotron radiation beam line to measure the molecular orientation of a UHMWPE surface layer subjected to different wear motions. Carbon-K-edge partial-electron-yield X-ray absorption measurements were done on the worn UHMWPE samples. X-ray absorption measurements show conclusively that the molecular chains of UHMWPE align preferentially parallel to the direction of sliding. Examination under various wear motions showed that unidirectional shear produced the maximum chain orientation, whereas cross-shear wear motions produced the least amount of orientation. When polymeric chains align, the surface layer tends to be more brittle and hard, thus resisting wear. When they do not align, loose chains may be subjected to both Mode I and Mode II fracture, hence increasing the wear rate. This molecular alignment observation may offer an explanation of why different wear motions have different wear characteristics.
Cancer Risk Assessment by Rural and Appalachian Family Medicine Physicians.

: Context:Challenges to the identification of hereditary cancer in primary care may be more pronounced in rural Appalachia, a medically underserved region. Purpose: To examine primary care physicians’ identification of hereditary cancers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was mailed to family physicians in the midwestern and southeastern United States, stratified by rural/non-rural and Appalachian/non-Appalachian practice location (n = 176). Identification of hereditary breast-ovarian cancer (BRCA1/2), hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC), and other hereditary cancers was assessed. Findings: Less than half of physicians (45%) reported having patients with cancer genetic testing. Most (70%) correctly identified the BRCA1/2-relevant scenario; 49% correctly identified the HNPCC-relevant scenario. Factor analysis of psychosocial variables revealed 2 factors: Confidence (knowledge, comfort, confidence) and importance (responsible, important, effective, need) of identifying hereditary cancer. Greater confidence was associated with use of 3 generation pedigree in taking family history. Greater knowledge and access to genetic services were associated with use of genetic testing. More recent graduation year, greater knowledge, and greater confidence were associated with identifying the BRCA1/2-relevant scenario. Greater knowledge and confidence were associated with identifying the HNPCC-relevant scenario. Conclusions: Though rural Appalachian physicians do not differ in ability to identify high risk individuals, access barriers may exist for genetic testing. Interventions are needed to boost physician confidence in identifying hereditary cancer and to improve availability and awareness of availability of genetic services.
Endoscopic Ultrasound and Computed Tomography Predictors of Pancreatic Cancer Resectability

Introduction This study investigates the ability of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and computed tomography (CT) to predict a margin negative (R0) resection and the need for venous resection in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).
Foliage penetration data collections and investigations utilizing the P-3 UWB SAR

To quantify the agility of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system using an automatic target recognition (ATR) system to detect targets obscured by foliage, an ultra-wideband, UHF- band, polarimetric SAR was constructed by ERIM under ARPA funding and installed on a Navy P-3 aircraft controlled by the Naval Air Warfare Center. The system was implemented as an upgrade to the existing X-, L-, and C-band SAR system already on this aircraft. A series of experiments funded by ARPA and Wright Laboratory were undertaken in 1995 to investigate foliage penetration (FOPEN). In this paper, the data and ground truth collected and their utility for investigations of FOPEN phenomenology and ATR algorithms will be presented. These data are being placed into a database for distribution to ATR algorithm developers. The characteristics of the P-3 UWB SAR will be discussed. The image formation technique used will be presented, along with the RFI suppression techniques used. Of particular interest will be the technique used for the required motion compensation. Results from recent investigations using the P-3 UWB SAR data will be discussed.
Statistical Studies of the Meteorltic Falls of the World: 4. Their Classificational Distribution1

The classificational distribution of the 1,258 meteoritic falls of the world recorded in Coulson's “A Catalogue of Meteorites” (1940)2 is studied. The essence of the paper is contained in 2 tables entitled respectively, “Classes of Meteorites and Representative Falls” and “The Classificational Distribution of the Meteoritic Falls of the World.” The system of classification employed is the Rose-Tschermak-Brezina system, with the several modifications described.
Giant Radiation-Induced Thoracic Malignant Schwannoma

Schwannomas growing to large sizes in the thoracic cavity are rare. We report such a case in a patient with a history of Hodgkin’s lymphoma and radiotherapy more than two decades before, an example of a radiation-induced malignant schwannoma with a bad prognosis. doi:10.402 1/ jmc 55w
Long-term synaptic depression in the mammalian brain

A generally accepted hypothesis in neurobiology has been that at the cellular level, memories are stored, at least in part, as long-term alterations in the strength of synaptic tranmission. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to persistent, use-dependent mechanisms that increase synaptic strength, which are collectively referred to as long-term potentiation (LTP). This review shall examine the opposite phenomenon, use-dependent decreases in synaptic strength, or long-term depression (LTD). LTD is a broad term that is used to describe synaptic depression according to several different learning rules and in a wide variety of brain structures.
Enthalpic effects on interfacial adhesion of immiscible polymers compatibilized with block copolymers

Abstract The influence of enthalpic interactions on interfacial adhesion between immiscible polymer matrices and reinforcing block copolymer segments has been studied using the transmission electron microscopic (TEM) methodology of Creton et al. We examined the behaviour of four statistical styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymers, each having different acrylonitrile (AN) content, blended with polystyrene (PS) as the minor component, and reinforced by three poly(methyl methacrylate-b-styrene) (PMMA-b-PS) block copolymers of differing molar masses, viz. 20000, 65000 and 680000 g mol−1. These observations were compared with similar experiments on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blended with PS and reinforced by PMMA-b-PS. Emulsification was observed with all three PMMA-b-PS copolymers. Crazes were formed in the SAN matrices and a statistical evaluation of interfacial failures was performed on the discrete PS domains that lay within the crazes. For the two block copolymers of higher molar mass, optimal reinforcement of the interfaces was observed independent of the SAN composition. With the 20000 block copolymer, however, the pattern of the interfacial failure depended strongly on the SAN composition. Specifically, it was observed that the fraction of the discrete particles that suffered interfacial failure, and led to the creation of large voids in the crazes in these blends, increased with increased AN content of the SAN matrix. Thus, we found that the fraction of discrete PS particles that produce large voids in crazes of blends containing SAN33 is always higher than in blends containing SAN15, when reinforced with the 20000 PMMA-b-PS. We infer that the critical molar mass required of a mechanically reinforcing copolymer depends on the short-range (attractive and repulsive) interactions between the blend components in the interfacial region. The TEM method could not, however, distinguish between reinforced and neat PMMA/PS blends, all of which showed strong adhesion. This is attributed to the comparatively diffuse interface in the PMMA/PS system, a consequence of the relatively weak repulsion between these two polymers.
Nanoparticles in Medicine: Therapeutic Applications and Developments

Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter generally in the 1-100 nm dimension range. The application of nanotechnology to medicine, known as nanomedicine, concerns the use of precisely engineered materials at this length scale to develop novel therapeutic and diagnostic modalities. Nanomaterials have unique physicochemical properties, such as ultra small size, large surface area to mass ratio, and high reactivity, which are different from bulk materials of the same composition. These properties can be used to overcome some of the limitations found in traditional therapeutic and diagnostic agents.
A Multi-level Examination of College and Its Influence on Ecumenical Worldview Development

This multi-level, longitudinal study investigated the ecumenical worldview development of 13,932 students enrolled in one of 126 institutions. Results indicated that the final hierarchical linear model, consisting of institution-and-student-level predictors as well as slopes explaining the relationships among some of these predictors, explained 39.98% of variance in Time 2 ecumenical worldview. Specifically, differences in ecumenical development trajectories for men and women could be partially explained by the average amount of religious struggle reported by students. Implications for college impact researchers and student development scholars are discussed.
A comparison of serum L-aspartate: 2-oxoglutamate aminotransferase activity in the normal and tympanitic bovine

Abstract L-aspartate: 2-oxoglutamate aminotransferase (Transaminase) activity was determined in 4 tympanitic and 4 normal bovine. Two tympanitic and 2 normal bovine were fed control diets while 2 normal and 2 tympanitic bovine received the same ration plus 900 mg. per day of 1-methyl-2-mercaptoimidazole (Tapazole). Transaminase activity was 34 and 38 mU for the normal bovine on the standard ration and the normals on the standard ration plus Tapazole, respectively. The activity was 40 and 46 mU for the tympanitic bovine on the standard ration and on the standard ration plus Tapazole, respectively. Possible mechanisms are discussed.
Palatability of Feed Containing Different Concentrations of Erythromycin Thiocyanate to Chinook Salmon

Abstract The feeding behavior of juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) was observed to determine the palatability of feed containing the antibiotic erythromycin thiocyanate. Individual fish in aquaria were offered feed pellets containing 0, 6.7, 10.0, or 12.0 μg erythromycin/mg feed. Compared with fish offered a diet without erythromycin, fish offered pellets with antibiotic took a significantly longer time to strike each pellet, ejected individual pellets more often, took a longer time to consume each pellet, and consumed fewer total pellets. The high rejection rate of the diets containing 10.0 and 12.0 μg erythromycin/mg was attributed to the unpalatability of the drug at these concentrations. Fish took more time to strike the drug-treated versus the antibiotic-free (control) pellets even during the first feeding trial, indicating that both smell and taste may play roles in determining feed consumption behavior. The effectiveness of feeding erythromycin thiocyanate to juvenile chinook salmo...
Deh Kidz in Jamaica: An Evaluation Report about a Community Organization Serving Children and Adolescents

This report details the evaluation of a community organization serving children and adolescents in Jamaica. The short-term goal of this study was to offer recommendations to the community organization. The long-term goal is to enhance services in order to improve child and adolescent outcomes in Jamaica. This study highlighted present trends for child and adolescent services in this community organization and provides an analysis that seeks to enhance those same services in the future. Recommendations include suggestions for increasing social programs, for increasing the impact of social programs on this inner-city community, and for exploring an approach to programming that benefits children and adolescents from this community.
Opening the Black Box of Intellectual Autonomy

Michele Lamont’s How Professors Think is a compelling, nuanced, and richly observed empirical study of the inner workings of academic peer review panels—the forums convened by major funding agencies to assess research grant and fellowship proposals. Based on more than eighty recorded interviews with panelists from five organizations and extensive firsthand observations of three interdisciplinary panels, the book offers major insights into the “evaluative cultures” of academic disciplines in the United States and, more broadly, the construction of scholarly excellence. As academic gatekeepers, Lamont argues, the members of peer review panels collectively play a pivotal role in the distribution of material and symbolic rewards within the U.S. university system. At a different level, How Professors Think can be read as an entry into the ongoing project of developing a sociological theory of action, especially one that takes into account the complex relationship between its two main generative aspects: practical sense and theoretical reason. Although Lamont often refers to principles of scholarly evaluation as criteria (a term that suggests relatively codified decision-making standards), she also pays close attention to the ephemeral, “emotional,” and fuzzy elements of scholarly judgment. Indeed, it is striking how many of the “evanescent” decision-making factors Lamont and her respondents refer to make use of the term sense (among others, “shared sense,” “common sense,” and “sense of self”). This focus on the practical sense of peer reviewers allows Lamont to avoid representing scholarly excellence either as an immutable or transcendental “essence,” entirely objective or impervious to socio-historical forces. Yet neither does Lamont depict academic evaluation as a simple product of academic status struggles. Instead, How Professors Think develops a sophisticated theory of scholarly judgment as a mode of collective problem-solving that obeys a set of rules specific to the academic sphere. At various points, the book also offers useful insights into the contrasting styles and “epistemic cultures” of six academic disciplines.