cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crack initiation under far-field cyclic compression and the study of short fatigue cracks

Abstract A procedure involving crack initiation under far-field cyclic compression is used to study the fatigue behavior of small flaws which are ~0.3–0.5 mm in length and are amenable to linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) characterization. This technique enables the determination of the threshold stress intensity range at which crack growth begins for small flaws and provides insight into some closure characteristics. Cracks were propagated in notched specimens of a bainitic steel subjected to fully compressive remote cyclic loads, until complete crack arrest occurred after growth over a distance of only a fraction of a mm at a progressively decreasing velocity. Following this, physically small flaws were obtained by machining away the notch. For the loads examined, the results indicate that the extent of damage left at the tip of the crack grown (and arrested) under remote compression is not large enough to affect subsequent tensile fatigue crack growth, when closure effects are not significant (e.g. at high load ratios). At high load ratios, the growth of small linear elastic cracks is identical to that of corresponding long flaws subjected to the same stress intensity range, which corroborates the similitude concept implicit in the nominal use of LEFM. At low load ratios, however, short tensile cracks propagate substantially faster than the longer flaws and exhibit lower threshold stress intensity range levels. Such apparent differences in their growth rates seem to arise, to a large extent, from the differences in their closure behavior, as indicated clearly from various aspects of the compression method. Global measurements of closure, with their inherent uncertainties, however, cannot account completely for the anomalous behavior of short flaws and for the effect of load ratio on short crack growth. Closure of short flaws begins to develop after growth over a minimum distance of about 0.5 mm in this steel. The significance and limitations of the compression technique are discussed and possible mechanisms responsible for the differences between long and short fatigue cracks are outlined.
Signals and behavioural responses are not coupled in males: aggression affected by replacement of an evolutionarily lost colour signal

Male Sceloporus virgatus lack the blue abdominal patches which are used during aggressive encounters in other Sceloporus lizards. Herein we report that, despite having lost this signal, males have retained a behavioural response to experimentally restored blue abdominal patches. We tested two adaptive hypotheses: selection acted primarily upon signallers or selection acted upon both signallers and receivers. The first predicts that only the signal is lost and that male interactions should be affected by the restoration of blue patches. The latter predicts that both the signal and behavioural response are lost and the display of the restored blue patches should have no effect on male–male interactions. We compared the behaviour of receivers in paired encounters where one male (signaller) had blue–painted abdominal patches to a set of trials where both males had white–painted abdomens, unmanipulated abdomens or a novel–painted pattern. The receivers of the blue–painted signal were more likely to display submissive behaviour. The receivers in either the unmanipulated, white–painted or novel–painted signal trials were more likely to display neutral behaviour. These results support the hypothesis that receivers have retained a behavioural response and selection has acted primarily on the signaller.We believe this is the first documentation of males responding to an evolutionarily lost signal in conspecific males.
Controlled release from poly ( vinyl alcohol ) gels prepared by freezing-thawing processes

Abstract Reinforced poly (vinyl alcohol) hydrogels were prepared by freezing aqueous solutions of 15 wt% PVA at −20°C for eighteen hours and thawing them at room temperature for six hours. Swelling studies were run on samples that had undergone three, four, and five freezing-thawing cycles. The gels formed after five freezing-thawing cycles were comparatively stronger and more rigid than those formed with fewer cycles. Swelling studies showed that the water uptake increased with time, then slowly decreased. This was indicative of a molecular densification during the freezing-thawing process. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the degree of crystallinity decreased initially. Release studies were run on reinforced PVA hydrogels with bovine serum albumin which was incorporated before the freezing thawing treatment. Release was followed over nineteen days. The protein transport was modelled by a regular Fickian diffusion model.
LandScan USA: a high-resolution geospatial and temporal modeling approach for population distribution and dynamics

High-resolution population distribution data are critical for successfully addressing important issues ranging from socio-environmental research to public health to homeland security, since scientific analyses, operational activities, and policy decisions are significantly influenced by the number of impacted people. Dasymetric modeling has been a well-recognized approach for spatial decomposition of census data to increase the spatial resolution of population distribution. However, enhancing the temporal resolution of population distribution poses a greater challenge. In this paper, we discuss the development of LandScan USA, a multi-dimensional dasymetric modeling approach, which has allowed the creation of a very high-resolution population distribution data both over space and time. At a spatial resolution of 3 arc seconds (∼90 m), the initial LandScan USA database contains both a nighttime residential as well as a baseline daytime population distribution that incorporates movement of workers and students. Challenging research issues of disparate and misaligned spatial data and modeling to develop a database at a national scale, as well as model verification and validation approaches are illustrated and discussed. Initial analyses indicate a high degree of locational accuracy for LandScan USA distribution model and data. High-resolution population data such as LandScan USA, which describes both distribution and dynamics of human population, clearly has the potential to profoundly impact multiple domain applications of national and global priority.
Respiratory muscle fatigue during exercise: implications for performance

Heavy whole-body exercise, requiring a 10- to 15-fold increase in minute ventilation, encroaches on the capacities of the respiratory muscle system to respond. Recently, using the technique of bilateral phrenic nerve stimulation, it has been shown that heavy endurance exercise (> 85% of VO2max) lasting > 8-10 min causes diaphragmatic fatigue (15-30% reduction in transdiaphragmatic pressures when electrically stimulated at low frequencies [1-20 Hz] supramaximally). The fatigue appears to be due to an interaction of diaphragmatic work (i.e., pressure production) combined with effects related to exercise intensity (i.e., increased blood flow competition with the locomotor muscles and increased production of metabolic by-products) and requires > 60 min for recovery. Fitness (i.e., as implied from VO2max) appears to allow greater diaphragmatic work for a similar degree of fatigue. Unloading the respiratory muscles (with helium/oxygen gas or using a pressure-assist device) during heavy exercise 90-95% of VO2max has been shown to improve exercise time. This would imply that respiratory muscle fatigue may play a role in limiting human performance at the extremes of human performance or that other factors related to the respiratory system (i.e., alterations in the sensation of dyspnea or mechanical load) may play an important role.
The Arcuate Nucleus Is the Major Source for Neuropeptide Y-Innervation of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Neurons in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) immunoreactive (-ir) nerve fibers densely innervate hypophysiotropic TRH perikarya and dendrites in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). To evaluate the contribution of the arcuate nucleus (Arc) to this innervation, the effect of Arc ablation by neonatal monosodium glutamate (MSG) treatment on the density of NPY-fibers contacting TRH neurons in the PVN was investigated. After the lesioned animals and vehicle-treated controls reached adulthood, the number of contacts between NPY-ir boutons and TRH-ir perikarya in the PVN was determined in double-immunostained sections. In controls, numerous contacts between NPY-ir terminals and TRH perikarya and dendrites were observed, confirming earlier findings. MSG treatment resulted in a marked reduction of the size of the Arc and also the number of NPY-perikarya with a concomitant reduction of 82.4 +/-2.1% in the relative number of NPY terminals contacting TRH perikarya and first order dendrites in the medial parvocellular and periventricular subdivisions of the PVN. In contrast, lesioning of the ascending adrenergic bundle in the brain stem caused no statistically significant change in the number of NPY-terminals in close apposition to hypophysiotropic TRH neurons in the PVN. These data confirm earlier findings that NPY-containing axon terminals innervate TRH neurons in the PVN and further demonstrate a potentially important anatomical relationship between NPY-producing neurons in the Arc and hypophysiotropic TRH neurons.
Multi-Electronic-State Molecular Dynamics: A Wave Function Approach with Applications

An approach which allows for multi-electronic-state dynamics but which is in the spirit of classical molecular dynamics is discussed and applied to both collisional (“curve crossing”) and ultrafast optical excitation problems. The formalism seeks to allow for the possibility of quite different nuclear dynamics (e.g., bound vs dissociative) in the different electronic states. The discussion begins from a wave function formulation of the problem, and this enables one to retain interference effects if these are important, but the ultimate objective is to obtain as classical-like a description as possible while taking account of the inter-electronic state coupling. The essential approximation in the method is in the computation of these coupling terms which appear as nonclassical corrections to the classical equations of motion. The computational results are tested against accurate quantal computations, and the agreement is typically quantitative.
Surfactant and pH-Mediated Control over the Molecular Structure of Poly(phenylsilsesquioxane) Resins

Control over the macromolecular structural characteristics of poly(phenylsilsesquioxane) resin materials was obtained by combining the effects of surfactant addition with dynamic pH modification in...
Clinical importance of viability assessment in chronic ischemic heart failure

Background and hypothesis: Revascularization has provided an effective treatment of depressed left ventricular function in patients with chronically ischemic or “viable” myocardium. Assessment of viable myocardium can be achieved by several noninvasive techniques including dobutamine stress echo or radionuclides such as flurodeoxyglucose (F18DG). F18DG uptake studies are based on the assumption that enhanced glucose uptake in areas of diminished blood flow provides evidence of viable myocardium. To determine the clinical utility of viability assessment in the management of chronic ischemic left ventricular dysfunction, we reviewed the findings and short-term treatment of a series of patients referred for heart failure evaluation who had subsequent F18DG uptake scans. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 59 consecutive F18DG viability studies in a series of patients who had documented coronary artery disease and depressed left ventricular function. Single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) with F18DG was performed in the patients and these images were compared to SPECT images of resting myocardial perfusion using thallium, sestamibi, or teboroxime. Clinical decisions based on the results of these scans were obtained from chart review. Thirty-day mortality was determined from chart review or contact with the patient's physician. The patients were divided into those without and with F18DG uptake consistent with viable ischemic myocardium. Further analysis included subgroups of patients who were advised to undergo transplantation, revascularization, or to continue medical therapy. Results: Of 34 patients referred for cardiac transplantation, 18 had viable myocardium and 13 underwent revascularization. In the entire study group, 34 of 59 (58%) had evidence of viable myocardium and 29 had subsequent revascularization procedures. Thirty-day survival for all revascularization patients was 86%. Conclusion: Assessment of myocardial viability with F18DG SPECT imaging in patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction led to a clinical decision for revascularization in approximately half the patients with severe coronary disease and left ventricular dysfunction who were evaluated for myocardial viability in our institution.
A scale for the measurement of consumer satisfaction with social services.

ABSTRACT This article reports the development of a 34-item high face validity consumer satisfaction scale and three sub-scales potentially useful in a wide range of social services for assessing the extent of satisfaction with services received. The scales were found to be reliable and functionally independent with the population studied. The article further reports the use of analysis of variance in relating the consumer satisfaction scales to major program and respondent variables including race, sex, age, income, family composition, social service use patterns, etc. Race, marital status, and type of service utilized were significantly related to consumer satisfaction. Studied were 166 high social service use families in a middle size Michigan community.
Effect of body weight on free fatty acid release by adipose tissue in vitro.

Die Absonderung freier Fettsauren aus dem Fettgewebe wurde bei verschieden alten Ratten (1. Gruppe unter 100 g, 2. Gruppe 180–300 g und 3. Gruppe 380–500 g)in vitro ermittelt. Fur das Fettgewebe der Nebenhoden ergab sich in der 1. Gruppe die starkste Absonderung freier Fettsauren und deren wirksamste Forderung durch Epinephrin. Hingegen war der Gehalt an 3-Glyceriden in der 1. Gruppe am niedrigsten, in der 3. Gruppe am hochsten.
The effect of oligomeric environment on the kinetics of lactate dehydrogenase subunits

Abstract The kinetics of hybrid isozymes of beef lactate dehydrogenase have been compared with those of equivalent mixtures of H4 and M4 isozymes in order to determine the effect of oligomeric environment on kinetic properties. The substrate inhibition constants for pyruvate and lactate in hybrid isozymes are intermediate between those for H4 and M4, but the Michaelis constants and V E t values in hybrids are closer to those in H4. Further, the kinetic properties of both types of subunit appear to merge in hybrids so that the kinetics do not show any evidence of heterogeneity of Michaelis constants, as is the case for H4 and M4 mixtures. It appears that oligomeric environment has considerable influence on the kinetics of individual subunits.
Effect of finite grating, waveguide width, and end-facet geometry on resonant subwavelength grating reflectivity

Resonant subwavelength gratings (RSGs) offer narrowband high reflectivity with low-reflectivity sidebands. Analysis with the commonly used rigorous coupled-wave analysis assumes an RSG with infinite lateral extent and illumination by plane waves. This analysis is performed with a finite-difference semivectorial high-order accurate two-dimensional Helmholtz code that is able to simulate the entire finite RSG structure in the dimension of the grating vector. We study the effect of finite beam size on RSG reflectivity, resonant wavelength, and spectral response width. Independently, we study the effect of a finite RSG by varying the waveguide length and number of grating periods while fixing the beam size. We show that the placement of the waveguide end facets relative to the termination of the grating has a significant effect on the reflectivity and response width.
Recent Advances in the Treatment of Childhood Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), the most common bleeding disorder in childhood, is a benign condition that typically resolves within 6 months following diagnosis. While all would agree on drug treatment for children with severe hemorrhage, management strategies of the minimally symptomatic child with a very low platelet count can vary widely. The case for treatment is based primarily on the risk for the uncommon complication of intracranial hemorrhage or other serious bleeding. Numerous clinical studies clearly indicate that immune globulins (intravenous immune globulin [IVIg] or anti-D) and corticosteroid therapy (prednisone and megadose methylprednisolone) are effective in rapidly raising platelet counts. However, physicians must ultimately decide whether to use drug therapy for a patient with minimal symptoms and low platelet count or adopt an "observation-only" approach. With this background, three fundamental questions emerge when evaluating different clinical strategies and potential outcomes: (1) Which children with ITP need treatment? (2) Which pharmacologic agent best accomplishes the goals of drug treatment? (3) Can physicians better predict the outcome of treatments?
Some observations on the performance of CCN-Flooding

We focus on one of the earliest forwarding strategies proposed for Content-Centric Networks (CCN), namely the CCN-Flooding approach to populate the Forwarding Information Bases (FIB) and forward packets. Pure CCN-Flooding in its own right is a potentially viable, though highly deprecated, option to forward packets. But CCN-Flooding is also proposed as an integral component of alternative forwarding strategies. Thus, it cannot entirely be dismissed, and its behavior merits study. We examine the CCN-Flooding approach using a combination of several topologies and workload sets with differing characteristics. In addition to topological effects, we identify various issues that arise, such as: the difficulty of calibrating Pending Interest Table (PIT) timeouts; a PIT-induced isolation effect that negatively impacts bandwidth consumption and system response time; and the effects of adopting or not adopting FIB routes based on volatile in-network cache entries. In conclusion, we briefly compare CCN-Flooding vs. CCN-Publication when the overhead bandwidth costs of pre-populating FIBs in the latter are also taken into account.
Spatial uncertainty in harvest scheduling

Forest harvest scheduling is a complicated management exercise because of the diverse and competing uses of forest resources, such as economic productivity, recreation and flora and fauna sustainability. In an effort to ensure the long-term viability of forest resources, restrictions are typically placed on the size of harvest areas, green-up intervals and proximity between disturbed areas in the United States. In order to satisfy consumer demands and maintain spatial and temporal restrictions, forest planners rely widely on optimization models to develop harvest schedules. A problematic element of work to date, however, is that spatial information relied upon in such analysis is typically uncertain in many ways, particularly spatial location and harvest unit boundaries. This paper develops new optimization models that explicitly account for spatial uncertainty in harvest scheduling. Application results demonstrate the effectiveness of this new perspective, enabling potential spatial uncertainty impacts to be better understood in management planning.
Genetic relationship between fetal Hb levels in normal and erythropoietically stressed baboons.

Summary. Previous studies have shown that the magnitude of the fetal haemoglobin (Hb F) response to haemolytic anaemia and hypobaric hypoxia in the baboon is specific to an animal (‘high and low Hb F responders’), suggesting that the Hb F response is under genetic control. In this study Hb F levels in 55 adult (over 8 years old) and 23 juvenile unstressed baboons varied between 0·02% and 0·6% (‘resting Hb F levels’). Twenty-nine of these animals were subjected to haemolytic stress and the magnitude of their Hb F response was positively correlated with the resting Hb F levels. In addition, the resting levels of Hb F in parents were positively correlated with those of their offspring. In 11 animals, seven adults and four juveniles, subjected to haemopoietic stress the Hb F levels were increased proportionally to the number of F-cells. In juvenile animals the calculated concentration of Hb F per F-cell was markedly higher than in adult animals. These data demonstrate that the resting level of Hb F is predictive of the magnitude of the Hb F response to stress erythropoiesis. The number of F-cells and the concentration of Hb F per cell in erythropoietic stress appear to be modulated by different mechanisms.
Interest on Bank Reserves and Optimal Sweeping

This paper utilizes a profit maximizing banking model to analyze sweeping behavior. Comparative statics results indicate that sweeping responds positively to increases in bank loan rates and reserve ratios and negatively to increases in the interest rate on reserves or to exogenous increases in bank deposits or equity. Sweeping generates greater responsiveness in lending to changes in loan rates or the interest rate on reserves and lower responsiveness to exogenous changes in reserve ratios or equity. Empirical analysis of an explicit condition that we derive relating sweeping to the interest rate on reserves suggests with an unchanged reserve requirement, the Fed could eliminate sweeping by setting the interest rate on reserves to no less than 3.67 percentage points below the market loan rate. The range of interest rates on reserves that lead to zero sweeping increases sharply, however, as the required reserve ratio is reduced.
Graph similarity scoring and matching

We outline a class of graph similarity measures that uses the structural similarity of local neighborhoods to derive pairwise similarity scores for the nodes of two different graphs, and present a related similarity measure that uses a linear update to generate both node and edge similarity scores. This measure is then applied to the task of graph matching.
Psoriasis, electrocardiographic characteristics, and incidence of atrial fibrillation.

Psoriasis patients have an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease. Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with increased morbidity and risk of stroke. In this study, we assessed the association between psoriasis, electrocardiographic characteristics, and incident atrial fibrillation. Two cohorts were studied to address this question. First, the electrocardiograms of 169 subjects with psoriasis and coronary heart disease were reviewed and matched to patients without psoriasis. The Framingham risk score for atrial fibrillation was calculated to predict incident atrial fibrillation. Second, a larger cohort of 2,078 patients with psoriasis was matched to 6,234 patients without psoriasis. In the first group, psoriasis patients had no significantly different electrocardiographic characteristics, but a trend towards a decreased predicted incidence of atrial fibrillation using the Framingham risk score (12.8 vs. 14.6 % over a 10-year period, P = 0.06), suggesting that patients with psoriasis do not have a higher prevalence of risk factors for atrial fibrillation based on established risk scores. In the second group, the 5-year incidence of atrial fibrillation among patients with psoriasis was 2.5, vs. 3.3 % for matched controls (P = 0.4). The rates of atrial fibrillation per 1,000 person-years ranged from 4.8 events/1,000 person-years for mild psoriasis to 5.4 for patients with moderate/severe psoriasis. On multivariable analysis, there remained no association between mild psoriasis (adjusted HR 1.32, 95 % CI 0.91–1.89) or moderate-to-severe psoriasis (adjusted HR 1.27, 95 % CI 0.54–3.03) and incident atrial fibrillation.
Population and Progress in the Middle Ages: A Review Essay

Book reviewed in this Article: Julian L. Simon, The Great Breakthrough and Its Cause, edited by Timur Kuran Angela Hattery, Women, Work, and Family: Balancing and Weaving John I. Clarke, The Human Dichotomy: The Changing Numbers of Males and Females Giovanni Andrea Cornia and Renato Paniccia (Eds.), The Mortality Crisis in Transitional Economies Caleb E. Finch, James W. Vaupel, and Kevin Kinsella (Eds.), Cells and Surveys: Should Biological Measures Be Included in Social Science Research?
Beyond the Brilovian Critique: Traditional vs. Organic Intellectuals in Critical Accounting Research

If critical accounting's mandate is to interrogate activities that fall into that deep chasm between private and public interests, then the advent of an American Accounting Association journal, Accounting and the Public Interest, is long overdue. In meeting this mandate, critical researchers must guard against becoming wedded to ossified and out‐moded notions of public interest; they must be vigilantly self‐critical. In this spirit, this paper visits the work of a pre‐eminent public interest advocate, Abraham Briloff. Briloff's critique reigns supreme as the foremost challenge to the Accounting Establishment. Typically, his investigations focus on “The Profession,” and the audit and reporting practices of large accounting firms (the Big 8/6/5). So dominant has been the Brilovian critique that, in the U.S. today, it dwarfs all other forms of critical accounting inquiry. This paper argues that the Brilovian focus on “The Profession,” as an initial starting point, may have been adequate for its time; however...
Protein-Like Copolymers (PLCs) as Compatibilizers for Homopolymer Blends

We present the results of discontinuous molecular dynamics (DMD) computer simulations aimed at understanding the role of protein-like copolymers (PLCs) as compatibilizing agents for a polymer blend...
Confidence limits for low induced frequencies of oncogenic transformation in the presence of a background.

SummaryThe problem is addressed of assessing realistic confidence limits for oncogenic transformation rates when the incidence of transformation is small, and there is a background present. It is shown that the commonly used approximations for assessing the confidence interval on the radiation-induced transformation rate (t1) and the control rate (t2) are inadequate when only a small number of transformants are observed. Accurate techniques are described for these cases for the estimation of confidence limits of t1, t2 and also t1 − t2.
Stability of time-dependent rotational Couette flow. Part 2. Stability analysis

The stability of the flow induced by an impulsively started inner cylinder in a Couette flow apparatus is investigated by using a linear stability analysis. Two approaches are taken; one is the treatment as an initial-value problem in which the time evolution of the initially distributed small random perturbations of given wavelength is monitored by numerically integrating the unsteady perturbation equations. The other is the quasi-steady approach, in which the stability of the instantaneous velocity profile of the basic flow is analyzed. With the quasi-steady approach, two stability criteria are investigated; one is the standard zero perturbation growth rate definition of stability, and the other is the momentary stability criterion in which the evolution of the basic flow velocity field is partially taken into account. In the initial-value problem approach, the predicted critical wavelengths agree remarkably well with those found experimentally. The kinetic energy of the perturbations decreases initially, reaches a minimum, then grows exponentially. By comparing with the experimental results, it may be concluded that when the perturbation kinetic energy has grown a thousand-fold, the secondary flow pattern is clearly visible. The time of intrinsic instability (the time at which perturbations first tend to grow) is about ¼ of the time required for a thousandfold increase, when the instability disks are clearly observable. With the quasi-steady approach, the critical times for marginal stability are comparable to those found using the initial-value problem approach. The predicted critical wavelengths, however, are about 1½ to 2 times larger than those observed. Both of these points are in agreement with the findings of Mahler, Schechter & Wissler (1968) treating the stability of a fluid layer with time-dependent density gradients. The zero growth rate and the momentary stability criteria give approximately the same results.
APPLICABILITY OF HERZBERG'S MOTIVATOR‐HYGIENE THEORY IN STUDYING ACADEMIC MOTIVATION

The objective of this study was to use Herzberg's method to determine whether there were any factors in the school environment which could be identified as satisfiers or dissatisfiers, whether satisfiers and dissatisfiers could be further classified as motivators or hygiene factors, and whether there would be any relationship between the findings of this study and Herzberg's findings. Subjects were 41 community college students, 13 of whom were male, 28 of whom were female. Their ages ranged from 18 to 44. Subjects provided data by completing a questionnaire which was designed to elicit specific events to periods of time when the students felt very good or very bad about something related to their studies or to the school environment. The results of the study tended to support the hypotheses and were significantly similar to the results of Herzberg's study.
Computed NO and soot distribution in turbulent transient jets under diesel conditions

In this work, the NO submechanism from GRIMECH 3.0 and three soot models of increasing levels of complexity are employed to predict NO and soot distribution in transient turbulent diesel jets. The soot models are (a) an empirical model in which soot mass formation rate is related to the pressure, temperature, and fuel concentration; (b) a semi-empirical model in which soot nucleation, coagulation, and surface growth are modeled; and (c) a kinetic model. The first two formation models are coupled with soot oxidation models proposed by Nagle and Strickland-Constable and Fenimore and Jones whereas the third model includes soot oxidation in the reaction kinetics. Effects of soot diffusivity and radiant heat transfer are evaluated. Variables studied include the soot volume fraction and number density. NO is found to be a maximum in the high-temperature region of the jet. The empirical soot model predicts maximum soot concentration along the centerline of the jet upstream of the head vortex at all instants duri...
Abraham Morris Rudolph: an appreciation.

Dr Abraham Rudolph is one of the most distinguished pediatric cardiologists in the world. He entered pediatric cardiology (almost by accident) when the subject was still in its infancy and was present at—and indeed contributed to—most of its advances. He is best known for his studies on the pathophysiology of congenital heart diseases and for imaginative studies of fetal cardiovascular development and the transition to postnatal life.
Nix-Mediated Apoptosis Links Myocardial Fibrosis, Cardiac Remodeling, and Hypertrophy Decompensation

Background— Pathological cardiac hypertrophy inevitably remodels, leading to functional decompensation. Although modulation of apoptosis-regulating genes occurs in cardiac hypertrophy, a causal role for programmed cardiomyocyte death in left ventricular (LV) remodeling has not been established. Methods and Results— We targeted the gene for proapoptotic Nix, which is transcriptionally upregulated in pressure overload and Gq-dependent hypertrophies, in the mouse germ line or specifically in cardiomyocytes (knockout [KO]) and conditionally overexpressed it in the heart (transgenic [TG]). Conditional forced Nix expression acted synergistically with the prohypertrophic Gq transgene to increase cardiomyocyte apoptosis (0.8±0.1% in GqTG versus 7.8±0.6% in GqTG+NixTG; P P =0.042). In the reciprocal experiment, germ-line Nix ablation significantly reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis (4.8±0.2% in GqTG+ Nix KO versus 8.4±0.5% in GqTG; P =0.001), which improved percent fractional shortening (43±3% versus 27±3%; P =0.017), attenuated LV remodeling, and largely prevented lethality in the Gq peripartum model of apoptotic cardiomyopathy. Cardiac-specific (Nkx2.5-Cre) Nix KO mice subjected to transverse aortic constriction developed significantly less LV dilation by echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging, maintained concentric remodeling, and exhibited preserved LV ejection fraction (61±2% in transverse aortic constriction cardiac Nix KO versus 36±6% in transverse aortic constriction wild-type mice; P =0.003) at 9 weeks, with reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis at day 4 (1.70±0.21% versus 2.73±0.35%; P =0.032). Conclusions— Nix-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis is a major determinant of adverse remodeling in pathological hypertrophies, a finding that suggests therapeutic value for apoptosis inhibition to prevent cardiomyopathic decompensation.
Dynamic Continuous Network Design Problem: Linear Bilevel Programming and Metaheuristic Approaches

A linear bilevel programming model and two analytical solution methods (the K th-best algorithm and mixed integer programming reformulation) for the continuous network design problem are presented on the basis of the multiorigin, single-destination, user-optimal dynamic traffic assignment (UO DTA) problem. From the test problem, it is shown that the bilevel formulation is more desirable than the two known single-level models based respectively on system-optimal and UO DTA. For the multiorigin, multidestination, larger-size problem, three metaheuristics that can produce solutions beyond local optimality are employed: simulated annealing (SA), genetic algorithm (GA), and random search (RS). These metaheuristics share the same functional evaluation: a simulation-based UO DTA that propagates traffic according to Daganzo's cell transmission model. From computational results, GA outperforms the others for all three test problems in terms of solution quality, convergence speed, and processor time, whereas SA and...
The vertical distribution of tritium in water vapor in the lower troposphere

A series of 16 aircraft soundings was made during the summers of 1966 and 1967 to measure the vertical distribution of tritium in water vapor from the surface to an altitude of 5 km. Three types of tritium distributions were found. The type I soundings showed a generally increasing tritium concentration with increasing height. Type II soundings were characterized by a constant tritium concentration with increasing altitude. On type III soundings the tritium concentration gradually decreased to approximately 2.4 km and then abruptly increased. These soundings are discussed in terms of the origin of the air masses, evapotranspiration, and the water vapor mixing ratio. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1970.tb00538.x
Scattering of transverse-magnetic waves with a nonlinear film : formal field solutions in quadratures

An exact analytical study of the field solution involved in the scattering of a plane transverse-magnetic electromagnetic wave with a film having an intensity-dependent nonlinearity is presented here. By finding exact integrating factors, a formal solution expressed in terms of simple quadratures is derived. An explicit result for the reflection coefficient as a function of the incident intensity is presented for a Kerr medium.
The lateral chromatic aberration of the eye.

L'aberration chromatique longitudinale de l'œil a beaucoup ete etudiee, cependant, peu de travaux ont ete publies sur l'aberration chromatique longitudinale. Cette aberration laterale a ete calculee en utilisant le modele de l'œil reduit pour differentes excentricites et differentes longueurs d'onde. La direction percue d'un objet vu lateralement variera suivant la longueur d'onde, comme consequence de cette aberration chromatique laterale
GIS applications in meteorology, or adventures in a parallel universe

FEBRUARY 2005 AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY | n my report to the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) program in 1994, I said, “GIS is too slow and will never have value for meteorological data processing.” Despite that sage observation, GIS strategies have become increasingly popular in meteorological applications, starting with the adoption of open GIS data formats by AWIPS, and recently including the development of GIS applications at NWS River Forecast Centers and Weather Forecast Offices. GIS strategies are now being extended into the imaging stronghold of satellite meteorology and remote sensing. Key to the success of a GIS strategy is the adoption of standards for data interchange and interoperability, especially for Web applications (e.g., Open GIS Consortium, www.opengis.org). A second factor is community acceptance and adoption of common tools across disciplines (e.g., Commercial Joint Mapping Toolkit or C/JMTK, www.cjmtk.com). The GIS community is now evolving very rapidly with interfaces to Java, and, just recently, ESRI released a LINUX version of ArcEngine. Features of commercial, off-the-shelf GIS can be exploited to address traditional problems and tasks in hydrometeorology. Instead of the variety of unique data formats extant in the meteorological community today, these data are revisited as common geographic objects—either as points, lines (arcs), polygons, or
A compromise programming model for developing the cost of including carbon pools and flux into forest management

Policy makers need research based decision analysis models that include carbon sequestration and forest products in order to make policies that are both economically viable and effective. Forests and wood products have been identified as important mechanisms for carbon sequestration and storage. Policies often cover carbon sequestration but not product storage and substitution. Furthermore, many researchers have developed and published models on carbon management. However, a gap exists in operational level models that include product substitution. We developed a model to investigate optimal stand level management with competing objectives of maximizing soil expectation value, carbon storage in the forest, and carbon dioxide emission savings from product storage and substitution. Our purpose was to produce an accurate and usable analytical product for Southeastern U.S. foresters growing loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) in the presence of carbon policies. The decision variables were traditional stand level management variables: planting density, thinning timing and density, and rotation length. Over time these variables influence the proportion of wood going into pulp, chip-n-saw, and sawtimber where each of these classes has an expected use (carbon storage) life. Compromise programming was employed to solve the multiple-objective problem and to demonstrate the tradeoffs between the competing objectives. This type of model demonstrates a practical method for comparing tradeoffs associated with adjusting forest management for a carbon market. The difference in costs among objectives is important for decision makers considering climate change policies, as it represents the minimum value a rational landowner would accept to sequester a unit of carbon.
Manufacturing plant location analysis by multiple attribute decision making: part II—multi-plant strategy and plant relocation

In part I, the multiple attribute location analysis for the single-plant strategy was provided. However, practitioners recognize the necessity of multi-plant strategy and the difficulty of relocation problems. In this article, two solution approaches in a multidimensional environment are suggested for these complex location decisions. The conclusion presents a brief discussion of the selection among multiple attribute decision methods and of the case with multiple decision makers.
The geography of virtual questioning: Mapping Florida's Ask-a-Librarian service

This study examined virtual questioning in geographic context by using GIS mapping to explore digital reference question-asking in the 67 counties and school districts served by Florida's statewide consortial “Ask a Librarian” service. Two levels of geographic analysis were used. Locations of online library portals through which users asked their questions were mapped, as well as the locations where users were situated according to their IP addresses while they asked their questions. The geographic data was analyzed in conjunction with users' demographic data (youth/adult and student/non-student status of questioners), and data on the types of questions that users asked. Results found that users' IP address locations did not always match the geographic locations of library portals which they used in accessing the service, and that some library entry portals attracted more widely geographically dispersed users with different questioning patterns than other portals. Issues in methodology and implications for further geographic studies in digital reference information-seeking research are discussed.
STAT5 Interaction with the T Cell Receptor Complex and Stimulation of T Cell Proliferation

The role of STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription) proteins in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling was analyzed. STAT5 became immediately and transiently phosphorylated on tyrosine 694 in response to TCR stimulation. Expression of the protein tyrosine kinase Lck, a key signaling protein in the TCR complex, activated DNA binding of transfected STAT5A and STAT5B to specific STAT inducible elements. The role of Lck in STAT5 activation was confirmed in a Lck-deficient T cell line in which the activation of STAT5 by TCR stimulation was abolished. Expression of Lck induced specific interaction of STAT5 with the subunits of the TCR, indicating that STAT5 may be directly involved in TCR signaling. Stimulation of T cell clones and primary T cell lines also induced the association of STAT5 with the TCR complex. Inhibition of STAT5 function by expression of a dominant negative mutant STAT5 reduced antigen-stimulated proliferation of T cells. Thus, TCR stimulation appears to directly activate STAT5, which may participate in the regulation of gene transcription and T cell proliferation during immunological responses.
100 kHz Bandwidth Ultrasonic Recording System

We have developed a complete 100 kHz ultrasonic recording system. The primary components of the system are a SensComp Series 600 Instrument Grade Electrostatic Transducer, custom printed circuit board (PCB), wide-bandwidth instrumentation amplifier, linear-phase filter, fully differential 16-bit analog to digital converter (ADC) sampling at 840 kHz, 168 MHz STM32F4 32-bit microcontroller, and a direct 100 Mbps Ethernet connection. A host computer running a custom application written in C++ provides a unified computer interface that allows the user to control all aspects of the system and provides a real time spectrogram. The system is designed for general use but has been initially used to study the ultrasonic vocalizations of rodents. We demonstrate the system by recording a well-established call made by Long-Evans rats termed 50-kHz vocalizations. The system was also designed with possible physical measurements in mind, e.g., distance, temperature, humidity, and gas mixture ratios.
Local Self-Government in Zhejiang, 1909-1927:

During the late Qing and early Republican periods, local self-govemment (difang zizhi) became an omnipresent political catchword. It was a phrase used by liberal constitutionalists and centralizing authoritarians alike. For all its use and misuse, however, the term still represents one of the most highly significant political developments in early twentieth-century China. This essay surveys the course of local self-govemment in the province of Zhejiang from its late Qing inception to its destruction with the coming of Guomindang [Kuomintang] control.' In addition, it looks at larger questions such as the nature of local institutional change from the imperial era to the Nanjing [Nanking] period and the nature of elite composition and activity during a period of rapid political change.
Out of Africa: modern human origins special feature: middle and later Pleistocene hominins in Africa and Southwest Asia.

Approximately 700,000 years ago, Homo erectus in Africa was giving way to populations with larger brains accompanied by structural adjustments to the vault, cranial base, and face. Such early Middle Pleistocene hominins were not anatomically modern. Their skulls display strong supraorbital tori above projecting faces, flattened frontals, and less parietal expansion than is the case for Homo sapiens. Postcranial remains seem also to have archaic features. Subsequently, some groups evolved advanced skeletal morphology, and by ca. 200,000 years ago, individuals more similar to recent humans are present in the African record. These fossils are associated with Middle Stone Age lithic assemblages and, in some cases, Acheulean tools. Crania from Herto in Ethiopia carry defleshing cutmarks and superficial scoring that may be indicative of mortuary practices. Despite these signs of behavioral innovation, neither the Herto hominins, nor others from Late Pleistocene sites such as Klasies River in southern Africa and Skhūl/Qafzeh in Israel, can be matched in living populations. Skulls are quite robust, and it is only after ≈35,000 years ago that people with more gracile, fully modern morphology make their appearance. Not surprisingly, many questions concerning this evolutionary history have been raised. Attention has centered on systematics of the mid-Pleistocene hominins, their paleobiology, and the timing of dispersals that spread H. sapiens out of Africa and across the Old World. In this report, I discuss structural changes characterizing the skulls from different time periods, possible regional differences in morphology, and the bearing of this evidence on recognizing distinct species.
Nondestructive 3-D imaging of femtosecond laser written volumetric structures using optical coherence microscopy

Nondestructive three-dimensional imaging of femtosecond laser-written buried structures is demonstrated using optical coherence microscopy providing lateral and depth resolution on a micron scale. This high speed technique, which requires no sample preparation, enables the visualization of volumetric structural modification created deep in transparent dielectric medium with high signal/noise contrast. Images of buried void structures with dimensions as large as 190 μm in length were obtained without shadowing effects impugning the image fidelity.
Energy reserve allocation in fasting Northern Elephant Seal Pups: inter-relationships between body condition and fasting duration

Summary 1Organisms are forced to make trade-offs when allocating energy reserves during sustained periods of fasting. 2For most animals, lipid catabolism is the preferred source of energy to safeguard important protein sources. However, marine mammals also have a compounding pressure to conserve some lipid stores. The main site of lipid storage in these animals is the blubber layer, which is not only an important energy source during fasting, but is also the primary thermal barrier when at sea. 3To explain how the allocation of protein and lipid reserves during fasting are influenced by body condition (body mass and percentage lipid of total body mass), a dynamic state variable model that takes into account fitness consequences of different allocation strategies was developed. 4This model was parameterized with respect to conditions faced by weaned Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris Gill) pups. It incorporates the independent effects of body mass and protein mass (the two state variables) on survival and the costs of utilizing either lipid or protein during the postweaning fast. 5Predictions of lipid and protein allocation by the model were not significantly different from measurements on wild seals. Finally, the model showed that body lipid content and fasting duration both influence allocation of energy reserves.