cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MetaTest: evaluation of metadata from generation to use

We are studying metadata from its initial generation to its use in accessing desired educational resources. With a testbed of lesson plans and activities, we are comparing the manually and automatically generated metadata for their retrieval effectiveness (i.e. ability to retrieve the most relevant resources); conducting a subjective evaluation of manually and automatically generated metadata as representations of the resource as judged by subject matter experts, and; conducting studies of users' search and navigation behavior when accessing the digital library. These evaluations successfully combine what we believe are necessary foci on how and whether metadata affects the user and system performance.
Regulation of Energy Balance and Body Weight by the Brain: A Distributed System Prone to Disruption

Energy balance refers to the physiological mechanisms that are reciprocally linked to ensure that adequate energy is available for cellular processes required for survival and reproduction. As the term implies, there are two arms of this balance, each equally important in maintaining energy homeostasis: energy intake (i.e., food intake) and energy expenditure (e.g., physical activity, metabolism, and core body temperature regulation). Any internal or external perturbations to the physiological mechanisms governing either energy intake or expenditure will almost undoubtedly affect the other arm of the system and result in a disruption in the energy balance system as a whole. The coordinated regulation of energy balance is therefore ultimately controlled by the central nervous system (CNS). Given the reciprocal link between energy intake and expenditure, and the fundamental requirement to maintain adequate energy for survival and reproduction, the CNS control of energy balance is one that is multi-determined. Multiple internal signals, neural receptors, and regions of the brain operate with a degree of redundancy to ensure that enough energy exists to sustain life. This review will discuss some of the classic internal signals, physiological mechanisms, the distinct nuclei within the brain, as well as the brain’s response to environmental stimuli, that together play an essential role in energy balance regulation.
Developing link-based particle number emission models for diesel transit buses using engine and vehicle parameters

To better assess health impacts from diesel transportation sources, particle number emissions can be modeled on a road network using traffic operating parameters. In this work, real-time particle number emissions rates from two diesel transit buses were aggregated to the roadway link-level and modeled using engine parameters and then vehicle parameters. Modern statistical methods were used to identify appropriate predictor variables in the presence of multicollinearity, and controlled for correlated emission measurements made on the same day and testing route. Factor analysis helped to reduce the number of potential engine parameters to engine load, engine speed, and exhaust temperature. These parameters were incorporated in a linear mixed model that was shown to explain the variation attributable to link-characteristics. Vehicle specific power and speed were identified as two surrogate vehicle travel variables that can be used in the absence of engine parameters, although with a loss in predictive power compared to the engine parameter model. If vehicle speed is the only operating input available, including road grades in the model can significantly improve particle number emission estimates even for links with mild grade. Although the data used are specific to the buses tested, the approach can be applied to modeling emissions from other vehicle models with different engine types, exhaust systems, and engine retrofit technologies.
Nature and culture in the prewar Lithuanian consciousness

From the numerous nature descriptions present in Lithuanian literature in all its genres, it would seem that nature must hold a special place in the Lithuanian consciousness.1 Some incisive literary histories, such as Czeslaw Milosz' The History of Polish Literature, find that Lithuanian literature excels at nature description, and that this genre of writing has been especially well developed. However, while a cursory glance might suggest that it would be useful to examine the role of nature alone in Lithuanian prose fiction, nature is best treated in tandem with its binary opposition culture, as has been remarked by Claude Levi Strauss and structural anthropologists, literary analysts and cultural historians in his wake. The nature/culture opposition has been accepted as one of the most fundamental structural elements in a society's perception of itself; thus a study of the early years of Lithuanian prose fiction can be expected to reveal not only how the opposition operates in literature, one form of art, but also it can yield some vital clues as to the opposition's function and relevance in the society in general. Analyzing impressionist and expressionist prose of the period of independence (1918-1940), Janina 2ekaite verbalizes die conclusion traditionally favored by Lithuanian criticism: nature and the countryside have always been sources of spiritual tranquillity for Lithuanians.2 Romantic and nonromantic literary currents could come and go, but the hero's or heroine's relationship to nature remained constant: he or she continued to regard nature as the space in which consolation and refuge from the vicissitudes of life could be found. Perhaps in an agrarian society, which Lithuania remained until Soviet
Winter precipitation on the US Pacific coast and El Niño–southern oscillation events

Winter precipitation increases as much as seven times from south to north along the US Pacific coast. For 1948–95, nine coastal grid points are used to identify spatial and temporal winter precipitation variations and to assess atmospheric circulation influences on precipitation variability. A strong negative correlation to the northwest of each precipitation grid point is revealed by one-point correlation maps of precipitation at a given coastal grid point and 700 hPa geopotential heights at 288 grid points. The strength of the correlation decreases from north to south, and the northernmost precipitation grid point displays a correlation pattern nearly opposite that of the southernmost precipitation grid point. El Nino events are related to greater than average precipitation south of 43°N along the US Pacific coast. The largest negative height anomalies during an El Nino year are centred over the North Pacific Ocean west of Oregon. La Nina events display an asymmetric pattern relative to El Nino, with below-normal rainfall along the California coast south of 41°N and above-normal precipitation along coastal Oregon and Washington. La Nina years have negative 700 hPa geopotential height anomalies over the Gulf of Alaska. These characteristics delimit the region between 41 and 43°N as the transition zone defining El Nino–southern oscillation influences along the US Pacific coast. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
A probabilistic approach to reference resolution in multimodal user interfaces

Multimodal user interfaces allow users to interact with computers through multiple modalities, such as speech, gesture, and gaze. To be effective, multimodal user interfaces must correctly identify all objects which users refer to in their inputs. To systematically resolve different types of references, we have developed a probabilistic approach that uses a graph-matching algorithm. Our approach identifies the most probable referents by optimizing the satisfaction of semantic, temporal, and contextual constraints simultaneously. Our preliminary user study results indicate that our approach can successfully resolve a wide variety of referring expressions, ranging from simple to complex and from precise to ambiguous ones.
Richard Roose and the use of Parliamentary Attainder in the Reign of Henry VIII

In the past decade scholars such as Stanford Lehmberg. G. R. Elton, and J. G. Bellamy have increased our understanding of the use of parliamentary attainder in the reign of Henry VIII. Traditionally attainder had been used to punish fugitives in flight, a form of parliamentary outlawry, or to affirm and supplement prior convictions achieved through the common law or the law of arms in order to extend the crown's rights to forfeited estates. At common law a traitor's forfeiture was limited to lands in fee simple, and by the law of arms his lands were totally immune to forfeiture. Passage of an act of attainder, however, enabled the king to seize any or all of a traitor's land, whether held in fee simple, fee tail, or to the use of the traitor. In the crucial decade of the 1530s attainder assumed a new role, condemning and ordering the execution of offenders solely by authority of parliament, without any prior judicial proceedings and despite an absence of obstacles which might have made a trial impossible. Lehmberg emphasizes the significance of this transformation in his detailed study of attainder in the reign of Henry VIII and suggests that the ‘pivotal act’ was the attainder of Elizabeth Barton and her followers in 1534. Certainly Barton's attainder was the first of many utilized by Henry's government to enforce the Reformation, and it did so without recourse to the common law. Lehmberg is mistaken, however, in his belief that this was the first attainder of the reign to attaint an individual without prior common law proceedings, for that distinction belongs to the attainder of Richard Roose in 1531.
Court Ordered Incompetence: Conversational Organization in Involuntary Commitment Hearings

This study analyzes the organization of discourse in involuntary mental hospitalization hearings. I examine conversation between attorneys and witnesses as they collaborate to produce evidence upon which determinations of grave disability are based. Patients' courtroom talk is frequently cited as evidence of their interactional competence or incompetence. My analysis suggests that, while this talk is typically considered to be patients' individual production, it is interactional activity consisting of conversational practice that makes documents of competence or incompetence visible.
Adrenomedullin-like immunoreactivity in the nervous system of the starfish Marthasterias glacialis

The nervous system of the starfish Marthasterias glacialis was investigated immunocytochemically using an antiserum specific for adrenomedullin (AM), a new regulatory peptide. Immunoreactivity was only found in nerves of the basiepithelial plexus of cardiac and pyloric stomachs and pyloric caeca, while the radial nerve cords and the other digestive organs were negative. The strongest AM-like immunoreactivity was located in the current-producing areas of the cardiac stomach. The distribution of this peptide suggests different functions in echinoderms involving regulation of muscle movement and neurotransmission. The presence of an AM-like substance in echinoderms points to an early phylogenetic origin for this regulatory system.
Molecular mobility and oxygen permeability in amorphous β-lactoglobulin films

Abstract An understanding of the solid-state matrix mobility that underlies macromolecular behavior is important to exploit edible film technology effectively. This study used phosphorescence of erythrosin B to monitor molecular mobility in amorphous thin films (∼40 μm) of β -lactoglobulin as a function of temperature. Emission peak energy and bandwidth were determined by fitting emission spectra to a log-normal bandwidth function; peak emission energy gradually decreased with temperature indicating that the matrix dipolar relaxation rate increased with temperature. Phosphorescence lifetimes were determined from stretched exponential analyses of emission decays in air and in nitrogen; lifetimes were interpreted in terms of the rate constants associated with the various processes that contribute to de-excitation of the probe's excited triplet state. The lifetime in nitrogen decreased gradually at low and more steeply at high temperature indicating that matrix collisions increased with temperature. The lifetime was identical in air and in nitrogen at −20 °C but was lower in air at all higher temperatures indicating that oxygen quenching of the triplet state was activated at higher temperatures. The oxygen-quenching rate, which reflects oxygen permeability, was directly proportional to the matrix collision rate over the entire temperature interval from −20 to 120 °C.
The isolation effect and mechanisms in short- and long-term memory

The duration of tachistoscopic exposure (2.5, 10, and 20 sec) for 10-item lists was manipualted in an attempt to emphasize either short-term (STM) or long-term (LTM) memory. A Duration by Isolation interaction was hypothesized such that overall performance for isolated and unisolated lists would not differ in STM but that the overall performance for isolated lists would be superior to unisolated lists in LTM. The hypothesis was not supported. Performance for isolated lists was found to be superior for all three duration conditions. This result was explained in terms of an effective shortening of the encoded list caused by the presence of an isolated item.
BEYOND COPYRIGHT AND TECHNOLOGY: What Open Access Can Tell Us about Precarity, Authority, Innovation, and Automation in the University Today

In this interview, we discuss what open access can teach us about the state of the university, as well as practices in scholarly publishing. In particular the focus is on issues of labor and precarity, the question of how open access enables or blocks other innovations in scholarship, the way open access might be changing practices of scholarship, and the role of technology and automation in the creation, evaluation, and circulation of scholarly work. [open access; precarity; labor practices; scholarly publishing; collaboration; automation; technology]
The effect of thyroid hormones on gluconeogenesis and forearm metabolism in man

The present study was designed to examine the effects of excess T3 on total body glucose production and forearm exchange of glucose, amino acids, and other metabolites. Five healthy male volunteers were studied after an overnight fast, before and 7 days after the administration of 150 micrograms/day T3. Glucose production (milligrams per kg/min) was measured using a primed continuous infusion of [3-3H]glucose and gluconeogenic index (micromoles per kg/min) was measured by following the conversion of infused [14C]alanine to [14C]glucose. Blood flow across the forearm was measured using capacitance plethysmography and forearm release of substrates was determined by the Fick principle. After T3 administration, there was a 3.7-fold rise in T3 from 150 +/- 15 to 530 +/- 12 ng/dl (P less than 0.001), with no change in insulin (12 +/- 1 microU/ml pre-T3 vs. 13 +/- 2 microU/ml post-T3) and glucagon (79 +/- 5 pre-T3 vs. 84 +/- 7 pg/ml post-T3). T3 administration resulted in an increase in plasma glucose (from 83 +/- 5 to 98 +/- 5 mg/dl; P less than 0.05), net glucose uptake by the forearm (from 250 +/- 90 to 712 +/- 60 nmol/100 ml forearm tissue X min; P less than 0.005) and glucose production (1.7 +/- 0.09 to 2.2 +/- 0.08 mg/kg X min; P less than 0.005), without a change in glucose clearance (2.1 +/- 0.02 vs. 2.0 +/- 0.02 ml/kg X min); the rate of conversion of [14C]alanine to [14C]glucose increased by 30% (0.56 +/- 0.03 to 0.74 +/- 0.03 mumol/ kg X min P less than 0.005). These values were associated with a 25% increase in blood lactate to 712 +/- 69 mumol/liter (P less than 0.05) and a 131% increase in lactate release across the forearm to 434 +/- 90 (P less than 0.005). Forearm release of alanine (96 +/- 29 nmol/100 ml forearm tissue X min) and glutamine (151 +/- 41 nmol/100 ml forearm tissue X min) increased by 90% (P less than 0.005 and P = 0.04, respectively), with no change in their concentrations. Forearm release of branched chain amino acids did not change, while those of their ketoacids, alpha-ketoisocaproate (KIC) and alpha-ketoisovalerate (KIV), doubled (to 64 +/- 9 mumol/liter for KIC and 39 +/- 6 mumol/liter for KIV; P less than 0.05). These were associated with a 45% increase in the branched chain amino acid levels and a 46% rise in both KIC and KIV levels to 41 +/- 9 and 28 +/- 7 mumol/liter, respectively (P less than 0.05). There was a concurrent significant (P less than 0.05) change in the arterial levels of phenylalanine (-32%), tyrosine (-29%), threonine (-20%), glycine (-20%), and serine (-15%), without any change in their efflux across the forearm. The data indicate that a pharmacologically induced rise in T3, to levels comparable to those seen in hyperthyroidism, results in enhanced glucose production, with an increase in glucose uptake by the forearm. The former can be partially accounted for by an increase in hepatic gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, or possibly increased renal glucose production...
Hypernuclear currents in a relativistic mean-field theory

Hypernuclei are studied in the mean-field approximation to an extended \ensuremath{\sigma}-\ensuremath{\omega} (Walecka) model. The baryon current in systems with one \ensuremath{\Lambda} hyperon added to a closed-shell core of nucleons is calculated by treating the linear response of the core to the \ensuremath{\Lambda} in a local density approximation. The core is modified through the mixing of positive- and negative-energy nucleon wave functions and the result is a significant nucleonic contribution to the baryon current. This relativistic effect could be directly observable in measurements of the magnetic moments of hypernuclei with a deeply bound \ensuremath{\Lambda}.
Uptake and metabolism of cortisol and corticosterone by rat cerebral cortex in vivo

Abstract The uptake and in vivo metabolism of 3 H-cortisol and 3 H-corticosterone by cerebral cortex of intact and adrenalectomized rats was investigated. Each steroid was administered by ventriculocisternal perfusion. Significant quantities of both corticoids were retained by the cortex after the perfusion; however, more corticosterone than cortisol was removed from the perfusion system. Cortisone and cortisol-21-acetate were detected in the perfusate or the brain (or both) as conversion products of cortisol metabolism whereas 11-dehydrocorticosterone was the sole metabolite detected in the collected perfusate and the brain after perfusion with corticosterone. Adrenalectomy did not appear to affect the pattern of steroid metabolism.
Randomized double-blind study of the Reliefband as an adjunct to standard antiemetics in patients receiving moderately-high to highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

Goals Our goal was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the Reliefband as an adjunct to standard antiemetics in patients receiving moderately-high to highly emetogenic chemotherapy.
A note on subsidy-free prices and scope economies

The necessary admissible range of subsidy-free prices is bounded from above by the incremental scope economy measure for the service – the difference between total scope economies and the scope economies associated with the complement of the service. These incremental scope economy measures provide an alternative, though no less computationally burdensome, approach for deriving sufficient (necessary) conditions for subsidy-free prices.
Tracing Axons of Peripheral Nerves in Rats: A Potential Technique to Study the Equine Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve

To study the fascicular anatomy of peripheral nerves, three different groups of retrograde axonal tracers were evaluated: fluorophores, horseradish peroxidase conjugated to subunit B of cholera toxin (CT-HRP), and adeno-associated virus (AAV). The hindlimb nerves in rats served as a model to identify the most efficient tracer in regard to labeling axons within peripheral nerves. The rat's tibial and common peroneal nerves were injected with the different tracers and the sciatic nerve was subsequently examined for evidence of labeled axons. The CT-HRP clearly provided the best results in this rat model. Subsequently, CT-HRP was injected into the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) of two horses in order to identify the location and distribution pattern of the RLN axons within the course of the cervical vagus nerve trunk. No labeling could be observed in either of the two horses.
OPTOELECTRONIC PROPERTIES OF EUTECTIC-METAL-BONDED (EMB) GAAS-ALGAAS STRUCTURES ON SI SUBSTRATES

Abstract Device-quality GaAsAlGaAs thin-film hetero-structures have been obtained on Si substrates using a novel approach called eutectic-metal-bonding (EMB). The optoelectronic material properties of the thin-films have been evaluated by a variety of techniques including, Raman spectroscopy, room temperature photoluminescence (PL), and cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging. Transient PL measurement indicates that the minority-carrier lifetime in an EMB GaAs-on-Si thin-film is about 40 times higher than that in state-of-the-art hetero-epitaxial GaAs-on-Si layer. The PL characteristics of the EMB GaAs-on-Si structures have been used to obtain the long-wavelength dispersion values for GaAs thin-film structures. The minority carrier device quality of these thin-films have been evaluated using dark log I – V measurements on n + − p GaAs diodes, spectral-response characterization and solar cell performance data.
Functorial implicit operations

Two forms of Keisler's characterization of functorial predicates are established for implicity definable infinitary operations. In particular, functorial and implicity definable ⇒ explicitly definable.
Asymptotic normality of the kernel estimate of a probability density function under association

The sole purpose of this paper is to establish asymptotic normality of the usual kernel estimate of the marginal probability density function of a strictly stationary sequence of associated random variables. In much of the discussions and derivations, the term association is used to include both positively and negatively associated random variables. The method of proof follows the familiar pattern for dependent situations of using large and small blocks. A result made available in the literature recently is instrumental in the derivations.
Scalp Topography of Auditory Evoked Responses Elicited by Binaural Beat Illusions

Auditory binaural beat (BB) illusions are elicited when two sinusoidal sounds with slightly differing frequencies are presented separately to each ear. Neural processing of BBs can be explored using auditory evoked potentials (AEP). In this study BB AEP topography is investigated using eight bipolar channels with 9 electrodes (Fz, Cz, Pz, Oz, A1, A2, T3, T4 and Neck) and a ground placed on the forehead. Young adults with normal hearing were recorded with the BB paradigm using 400 Hz, 50 ms beats with a repetition rate of 1 Hz. The Electroencephalogram (EEG) was acquired at 5Ksps and - references, Neck and Avg ((A2+A1)/2), were generated offline. Results demonstrated that while the Avg reference montage showed higher peak amplitudes for all electrodes, the A1 and A2 earlobe electrodes exhibited significant activity for the first BB peak (100 ms) when referenced to the Neck. Additionally, the Neck reference revealed several differences between scalp regions: a maximum amplitude at Cz for the second peak (180 ms), a polarity reversal for early peaks and substantial suppression of late peaks at T3 and T4. These results suggest lateral generators for the first BB peak and deep central/rostral generators for the late BB peaks.
INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FAT AND PROTEIN IN BROILER RATIONS ON LIVE WEIGHT, DRESSING PERCENTAGE AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF CARCASSES.

Abstract McNally and Spicknall (1950) reported a linear relationship between the specific gravity and fat content of broiler legs. Dansky and Hill (1952) indicated that birds fed a high energy ration deposited more fat on the carcass than did birds on a ration of moderate amount of energy content. Information on the effect of feeding different levels of fat and protein in broiler rations on dressing percentages and fat deposition of the carcass is lacking. Greater fat deposition which results from feeding high energy rations could prove to be of economic importance to poultry processors and manufacturers of poultry meat products because of lower dressing yields and greater cooking loss of the carcass. To determine the influence of different levels of added fat (bleached tallow 2 ) and protein in broiler diets on these factors, 15 different rations formulated to give C:P ratios ranging from 35.7 to 50.1 were fed to broilers from…
Computer science in the conceptual age

University CS departments are incorporating game design and development to prepare their students for the game industry's expectations.
Peripheral Phenomena in a Woman With Calcinosis, Raynaud Phenomenon, Esophageal Dysmotility, Sclerodactyly, and Telangiectasia (CREST) Syndrome–Associated Pulmonary Hypertension

An 84-year-old woman with a history of CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia) variant scleroderma and gastroesophageal reflux disease presented with progressive shortness of breath over 2 months. Her previous surgeries included a bilateral sympathotomy for …
Separation of aniline from aqueous solutions using emulsion liquid membranes.

An emulsion liquid membrane process is developed to separate aniline from dilute aqueous solution. Aniline (amino-benzene) is a carcinogenic chemical common in industry and industrial wastewater. Due to aniline's high boiling point (183°C) and low concentration in wastewater, more traditional methods of separation such as distillation are very energy intensive. This emulsion process is offered as a low energy alternative. All separations occur in a Rushton stirred tank. The membrane phase consists of kerosene and the surfactant sorbitan monooleate (span 80). Hydrogen chloride solution is the internal phase. This study also examines the effects of HCl concentration, aniline concentration, and the amount of emulsion on separation. Up to 99.5% of the aniline is removed from solutions containing 5000 ppm in as little as 4 min depending on process conditions. Leakage is minimal and swelling is only about 3% after 5 min of processing. Approximately 98% of the membrane phase (both kerosene and span 80) is successfully recovered and recycled by using heat and/or adding 2-propanol for demulsification.
Building reactive copper centers in human carbonic anhydrase II

Reengineering metalloproteins to generate new biologically relevant metal centers is an effective a way to test our understanding of the structural and mechanistic features that steer chemical transformations in biological systems. Here, we report thermodynamic data characterizing the formation of two type-2 copper sites in carbonic anhydrase and experimental evidence showing one of these new, copper centers has characteristics similar to a variety of well-characterized copper centers in synthetic models and enzymatic systems. Human carbonic anhydrase II is known to bind two Cu(2+) ions; these binding events were explored using modern isothermal titration calorimetry techniques that have become a proven method to accurately measure metal-binding thermodynamic parameters. The two Cu(2+)-binding events have different affinities (K a approximately 5 × 10(12) and 1 × 10(10)), and both are enthalpically driven processes. Reconstituting these Cu(2+) sites under a range of conditions has allowed us to assign the Cu(2+)-binding event to the three-histidine, native, metal-binding site. Our initial efforts to characterize these Cu(2+) sites have yielded data that show distinctive (and noncoupled) EPR signals associated with each copper-binding site and that this reconstituted enzyme can activate hydrogen peroxide to catalyze the oxidation of 2-aminophenol.
Giving up the Single Life: Leadership Motivations for Interorganizational Restructuring in Nonprofit Organizations

This paper addresses a gap in our understanding of why leaders of nonprofit organizations pursue interorganizational restructuring (defined as mergers and similar arrangements). It draws on several theories that explain interorganizational relations as adaptive responses to environmental conditions. The study analyzes four examples of interorganizational restructuring involving 11 nonprofit human service organizations. The research finds that theories emphasizing single-factor motivations (such as the need for resources, power, legitimacy, or greater efficiency) are incomplete; a multiple-factors approach suggested by Oliver's (1991) integrated theory of interorganizational relations provides a more satisfactory basis for theory development. Researchers can use this work to develop a more complete understanding of interorganizational restructuring as a phenomenon; practitioners can use it to inform strategy development.
Enhanced cutaneous gene delivery following intradermal injection of naked DNA in a high ionic strength solution.

Intradermal injection of naked DNA results in gene transfer to skin cells, but the efficiency of this gene transfer method is relatively low and variable. We have systematically optimized several parameters to obtain reproducible, high-level gene transfer to the mouse skin. Older mice (7 weeks) showed a significant decrease in gene expression compared with younger mice (4–5 weeks old). The composition of the solvent vehicle (electrolyte versus nonelectrolyte) strongly affected gene expression in the skin. A higher level of gene expression was achieved when naked DNA was dissolved in isotonic phosphate buffered saline solution compared with isotonic dextrose solution. Finally, transfection efficiency in older mice was greatly improved by increasing the ionic strength of the solvent vehicle. The improved transfection efficiency was due to an enhanced DNA uptake by the skin cells. Gene transfer was most evident in the subdermal smooth muscle cells and epidermal cells. With the optimized conditions, gene transfer mediated by intradermal injection of naked DNA was comparable in efficiency to electroporation. However, cellular distributions of the gene transfer of the two methods were different.
INHIBITION OF BIOPROSTHETIC (BHV) CALCIFICATION (CALL) WITH COVALENTLY BOUND AMINOPROPANEHYDROXYDIPHOSPHONATE (APD)

CALC is the principal failure mode of BHV fabricated from glutaraldehyde pretreated porcine aortic valves or bovine pericardium. Covalent binding of APD to residual glutaraldehyde in pericardial BHV was studied as an approach for the inhibition of CALC. BHV were preincubated in APD (0.14M) at various pH's with and without sodium borohydride (NaBH4) reduction. The bound APD was determined using C14 APD and the CALC was studied with 21 day rat subdermal implants of BHV. APD incorporation was pH dependent with more rapid uptake at higher pH (Table). APD completely inhibited CALC when binding was >30ng/mg, while controls exhibited CALC comparable to several years of clinical implantation. NaBH4 reduction significantly stabilized (p<.001) APD bound to BHV subjected to in vitro incubations (pH 7.4, 37C). In conclusion, APD pretreatment of BHV significantly inhibits CALC and may also be useful with controlled release drug delivery to prevent CALC. Our data suggest that incubation in APD at pH 11.0 for 1 hour during surgical preparation for BHV implant may be all the pretreatment that is necessary to prevent BHV CALC.
Optical correlation of functions distorted as f(x′)=>f(xa)

Reference EPFL-ARTICLE-158605doi:10.1016/0030-4018(77)90289-9View record in Web of Science Record created on 2010-11-25, modified on 2017-05-10
Comparison of Soft Magnetic Alloys for High Temperature Magnetic Bearings

Magnetic bearings are a prime technology that will lead the next generation of gas turbines into the 21st century. Before magnetic bearings can be utilized, fundamental properties of materials used to fabricate these components must be known at the intended operating temperatures and stress levels found in gas turbine applications. This paper presents results of recent work carried out on the development of a radial magnetic bearing for a high temperature gas turbine application. Mechanical and magnetic data on proposed soft magnetic materials intended for use in the magnetic bearing design are presented at both room and operating temperature (550C). The effect which long-term exposure to high temperature has on these properties is included. The use of this data for the development of the radial bearing is explained along with the proposed design of a magnetic bearing.© 2000 ASME
Effects of presleep procedures and cognitive style on dream content.

The REM period dream reports of two groups of Ss with different kinds of presleep experiences were examined with respect to laboratory references, overt references to E, pleasantness and unpleasant...
Re-epithelialization in cornea organ culture after chemical burns and excimer laser treatment

Objective To describe the epithelial healing rates observed in freshly cultured rabbit corneas chemically burned with high-concentration hydrochloric acid(HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and subsequently treated with phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). Methods We obtained 126 fresh corneoscleral rims from cadaveric New Zealand white rabbits. Each cornea was exposed to 4-mm cellulose sponges soaked in a solution of topical 0.9% isotonic sodium chloride solution, 2M HCl, or 0.5M NaOH. A transepithelial PTK (6-mm zone; 100-µm ablation depth) was then performed using the excimer laser (150-mJ/cm 2 energy pulse; 20 nanosecond duration; and 10-Hz frequency). Corneas were placed in tissue culture, and 1 cornea from each group was taken out of culture each day after treatment. Re-epithelialization was monitored by means of fluorescein staining, slitlamp photography, and histopathological analysis. Results Corneas treated with HCl and NaOH exhibited immediate epithelial defects that slowly healed over time. In PTK-treated corneas, the re-epithelialization rate was accelerated compared with that of controls ( P = .003 for the HCl group, and P Conclusion Corneal damage caused by HCl and NaOH may be modulated in vitro by PTK in this rabbit model. Clinical Relevance After corneal chemical damage, 193-nm excimer laser PTK accelerates epithelial wound healing.
Odd-skipped related 2 (Osr2) encodes a key intrinsic regulator of secondary palate growth and morphogenesis

Development of the mammalian secondary palate involves multiple steps of highly regulated morphogenetic processes that are frequently disturbed during human development, resulting in the common birth defect of cleft palate. Neither the molecular processes governing normal palatogenesis nor the causes of cleft palate is well understood. In an expression screen to identify new transcription factors regulating palate development, we previously isolated the odd-skipped related 2 (Osr2) gene, encoding a zinc-finger protein homologous to the Drosophila odd-skipped gene product, and showed that Osr2 mRNA expression is specifically activated in the nascent palatal mesenchyme at the onset of palatal outgrowth. We report that a targeted null mutation in Osr2 impairs palatal shelf growth and causes delay in palatal shelf elevation, resulting in cleft palate. Whereas palatal outgrowth initiates normally in the Osr2 mutant embryos, a significant reduction in palatal mesenchyme proliferation occurs specifically in the medial halves of the downward growing palatal shelves at E13.5, which results in retarded, mediolaterally symmetric palatal shelves before palatal shelf elevation. The developmental timing of palatal growth retardation correlates exactly with the spatiotemporal pattern of Osr1 gene expression during palate development. Furthermore, we show that the Osr2 mutants exhibit altered gene expression patterns, including those of Osr1, Pax9 and Tgfb3, during palate development. These data identify Osr2 as a key intrinsic regulator of palatal growth and patterning.
Setting priorities for data accuracy improvements in satisficing decision-making scenarios: A guiding theory

This study introduces a mathematical-statistical theory that illustrates the effect of input errors on the accuracy of dichotomous decisions which are implemented through logical conjunction and disjunction of selected criteria. Decision-making instances in this category are often labeled ''satisficing.'' Mainly, our theory provides criteria for ranking the effect of errors in different inputs on decision accuracy. This ranking can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of resource allocation decisions in data quality management settings. All other things being equal, inputs in which errors exhibit a higher negative effect on the output would naturally earn higher priority.
Outsourcing Expert Services by State Transportation Departments: A Look at Effects on Cost, Quality, and Changing Employment Levels

Privatization has increasingly become a policy option for government agencies struggling to meet rising demands for services but with fewer resources. In the transportation arena, many state depart...
Arsenic in natural gas : analysis and characterization of pipeline solids by 1H NMR and other methods

Abstract Natural gas from the Abo gas field in New Mexico is known to contain arsenic in the form of tertiary alkylarsines. Deposition of alkylarsine sulfides near the pressure regulation equipment in the transmission lines may cause serious operational problems. 'H NMR spectra of CDCl3 solutions of the pure compounds, trimethylarsine sulfide (TMAS), dimethylethylarsine sulfide (DMEAS) and methyldiethylarsine sulfide (MDEAS) were measured. The signlet resonance of the CH3- group bonded to As is well separated in the three compounds: TMAS (1.83 ppm), DMEAS (1.74 ppm) and MDEAS (1.66 ppm). Based on this, a method for the analysis of the pipeline solids has been developed. Analysis of two samples indicate that the pipeline solids have the following composition, DMEAS (42.8–46.0%), TMAS (35.4–36.3%), MDEAS (4.7–10.9%). The identification of the arsenic compounds obtained by the 'H NMR method has been confirmed by GC-MS analysis of the pipeline solids. A study of the reaction, in the gas phase, between TMA and...
Identifying neuron communities during a reach and grasp task using an unsupervised clustering analysis

Recent advances in brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) have allowed for high density recordings using microelectrode arrays. However, these large datasets present a challenge in how to practically identify features of interest and discard non-task-related neurons. Thus, we apply a previously reported unsupervised clustering analysis to neural data acquired from a non-human primate as it performed a center-out reach-and-grasp task. Although neurons were recorded from multiple arrays across motor and premotor areas, neurons were found to cluster into only two groups which differ by their mean firing rate. No spatial distribution of neurons was evident in different groups, either across arrays or at different depths. Using a Kalman filter to decode arm, hand, and finger kinematics, we find that using neurons from only one of the groups resulted in higher decoding accuracy (r=0.73) than using randomly selected neurons (r=0.68). This suggests that the proposed method can be used to prune the input space and identify an optimal population of neurons for BMI tasks.
Personalized medicine in psychiatry: problems and promises

The central theme of personalized medicine is the premise that an individual’s unique physiologic characteristics play a significant role in both disease vulnerability and in response to specific therapies. The major goals of personalized medicine are therefore to predict an individual’s susceptibility to developing an illness, achieve accurate diagnosis, and optimize the most efficient and favorable response to treatment. The goal of achieving personalized medicine in psychiatry is a laudable one, because its attainment should be associated with a marked reduction in morbidity and mortality. In this review, we summarize an illustrative selection of studies that are laying the foundation towards personalizing medicine in major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. In addition, we present emerging applications that are likely to advance personalized medicine in psychiatry, with an emphasis on novel biomarkers and neuroimaging.
Micromechanics simulations of the viscoelastic properties of highly filled composites by the material point method (MPM)

Viscoelastic properties of the highly filled plastic-bonded explosive PBX-9501 were studied by two-dimensional dynamic material point method (MPM) simulations utilizing plasticized polymer binder and crystalline HMX constituent properties taken from experiment. The upper bound for the composite properties was estimated from iso-displacement boundary conditions, whereas the lower bound was estimated from iso-stress boundary conditions. A homogenized or 'dirty' binder approach was utilized to handle the multiple length scales involved in MPM simulations of highly filled composites with a broad distribution of filler particle sizes. Multiple time scale challenges were addressed by conducting a series of simulations in which the speed of sound of the composite was systematically varied by adjusting material point masses. This approach was used to predict the homogenized time dependent shear modulus of PBX-9501 from nanoseconds to milliseconds yielding good agreement with experimental data.
Early life stress and novelty seeking behavior in adolescent monkeys

Recent evidence suggests that early exposure to mild stress promotes the development of novelty seeking behavior. Here we test this hypothesis in squirrel monkeys and investigate whether novelty seeking behavior is associated with differences in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA), the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA), the norepinephrine metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethylene glycol (MHPG), and the neuropeptide corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF). Monkeys were randomized early in life to either mild intermittent stress (IS) or no stress (NS) conditions, and subsequently presented with opportunities to interact with a familiar or novel object in a test box that was connected to each monkey's home cage. To further minimize the potentially stressful nature of the test situation, monkeys were acclimated to the test procedures prior to study initiation. Post-test plasma levels of cortisol in IS and NS monkeys did not differ significantly from baseline levels measured in undisturbed conditions. During testing, more IS than NS monkeys voluntarily left the home cage, and IS monkeys spent more time in the test box compared to NS monkeys. More IS than NS monkeys engaged in object exploration in the test box, and IS monkeys preferred to interact with the novel vs. familiar object. Novelty seeking was not associated with differences in 5HIAA, HVA, MHPG, or CRF, but correlated with differences in object exploration observed in a different test situation at an earlier age. These trait-like differences in novelty seeking appear to reflect mild early stress-induced adaptations that enhance curiosity and resilience.
X-ray Crystal Structure of the Bacterial Conjugation Factor PsiB, a Negative Regulator of RecA

During bacterial conjugation, genetic material from one cell is transferred to another as single-stranded DNA. The introduction of single-stranded DNA into the recipient cell would ordinarily trigger a potentially deleterious transcriptional response called SOS, which is initiated by RecA protein filaments formed on the DNA. During F plasmid conjugation, however, the SOS response is suppressed by PsiB, an F-plasmid-encoded protein that binds and sequesters free RecA to prevent filament formation. Among the many characterized RecA modulator proteins, PsiB is unique in using sequestration as an inhibitory mechanism. We describe the crystal structure of PsiB from the Escherichia coli F plasmid. The stucture of PsiB is surprisingly similar to CapZ, a eukaryotic actin filament capping protein. Structure-directed neutralization of electronegative surfaces on PsiB abrogates RecA inhibition whereas neutralization of an electropositive surface element enhances PsiB inhibition of RecA. Together, these studies provide a first molecular view of PsiB and highlight its use as a reagent in studies of RecA activity.
Imprecise control of energy intake : Absence of a reduction in food intake following overfeeding in young adults

The objective was to examine the extent to which overfeeding reduces spontaneous food intake in humans. Twelve normal-weight adults participated in the three stage study. During the 14 day baseline period and 21 day recovery period, food intake was consumed ad libitum, beyond a minimum 5 MJ (1200 kcal) basal diet. During the 13 day period of overfeeding, each subject consumed 35% more energy than they consumed at baseline. Overfeeding resulted in a weight gain of 2.3±0.37 kg, (p<0.0001), approximately half the weight gain was determined to be fat (1.2±0.19 kg, p<0.0001) by underwater densitometry. Following overfeeding, mean daily caloric intake was not significantly suppressed returning immediately to baseline values. Despite normal energy intake, participants lost 1.3±0.24 kg of body weight (p<0.0001), of which 0.75±0.15 kg (p<0.0001) was fat. These results indicated that (1) the physiological control of eating behavior in humans is not the major mechanism responsible for the recovery of body weight following a period of overfeeding and (2) an increase in energy expenditure of 1.28 MJ (307 kcal)/day or about 14% was required to account for the weight loss following overfeeding.
Plasma thyroxine levels of mammals: desert and mountain.

Abstract Plasma thyroxine levels were measured in twelve species of desert mammals ranging in altitude from the desert floor to montane forest regions. Rodent species from the low desert had lower circulating thyroxine levels than those species found at 1800 m elevation. Total thyroxine plasma levels were significantly related to metabolic rate and ecologic distribution. The low T 4 values of species restricted to the desert floor may play a role in adaptation to summer heat and to the scarcity of food and water.
Superdistribution: Objects As Property on the Electronic Frontier

Chapter 1. Information Revolution. Computers, Communications, and Mankind. Invisible Plumbing. Breadth Versus Depth. The Electronic Frontier. The Largest Upheaval of All. Taming the Electronic Frontier. Indigenous Encounters on the Electronic Frontier. 2. Structure of Production. The Tale of the Wooden Pencil. Structure of Production. Social Binding Forces. Commercial Exchange Transactions. The Lair of the Software Werewolf. Pencils as the Fruit of the Pencil Tree. Indian Pottery. Electronic Pencils. Software ICs. Summary. 3. Software Crisis. The Good News: There is a Silver Bullet. The Bad News: Silver Bullets are Paradigm Shifts, Not Tools. The Copernican Revolution. Software Complexity. Software Industrial Revolution. The Intangibility Imperative. Process-Centric Versus Product-Centric. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Software Industrial Revolution. Essence Versus Accidents of Software Engineering. The Four Obstacles. Robust Economics for Information- Age Goods. Summary. 4. Software Architecture. What, If Anything, is an Object. Heterogeneity. Compositional Architectures. System 12. Fabrication and Assembly. Specialization of Labor. Process Versus Product. Encapsulation and the Law of Proximity. Programming Languages and Operating Systems. A Richer Set of Architectural Distinctions. Five Architectural Levels by Example. Technical Definitions. Process-level Objects. Task-level Objects. Chip-level Objects. Block- and Gate-level Objects. Programming Language Comparison. Summary. 5. Industrial Revolution. Specification, Testing, and Language. Specification and Testing Tools. Armory Practice. Thomas Jefferson. Eli Whitney. Roswell Lee. Revolutions Dont Happen Overnight. The Heroes of the Industrial Revolution. Software Engineering. Specification and Testing Tools. What is a Stack. Assertion Checking. White-Box Testing. Black-Box Testing. Black-Box Specification/Testing. Classes and Inheritance. 6. Out of the Crisis. Out of the Crisis.