cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How International Reputation Matters: Revisiting Alliance Violations in Context

ABSTRACTWe investigate the role of international reputation in alliance politics by developing a signaling theory linking past alliance violations with the formation of future alliance commitments. In our theory, past violations Are useful signals of future alliance reliability conditional on whether they effectively separate reliable from unreliable alliance partners. It follows that states evaluating potential alliance partners will interpret past violations in their context when deciding to enter a new alliance, attaching less weight to violations in “harder times,” when many states are defaulting on their alliance commitments together, and more weight to violations in “easier times,” when fewer states are defaulting on their alliances. We test our theory and find that states are empirically more likely to form new alliances with states that violated in harder times compared to states that violated in easier times. The results have important implications for how scholars understand and estimate the imp...
Experimental Study of Hot Surface Ignition of Prevaporized Jet-A and Canola Methyl Ester

In order to understand the ignition characteristics of liquid biofels such as canola methyl ester (CME), a set-up was built and tested. The rectangular combustion chamber (7 cm by 7 cm by 33cm high) had a viewing window in the front. Liquid fuel was injected into a stream of hot air, vaporized and mixed and the fuel/air mixture was passed through the combustion chamber vertically upward. The combustion chamber was filled with mixtures of various equivalence ratios. A 120V dryer heating element was mounted horizontally at the center of the chamber and served as the hot surface. The power input to the hot surface, the temperatures at different locations inside the chamber and images obtained from a high speed camera were recorded simultaneously. The ignition delay, ignition energy and flame velocities were documented over a range of equivalence ratios with Jet-A and CME as fuels. The ignition delay and ignition energy reached minimum values around equivalence ratios of 1.1–1.3. The ignition delay and ignition energy values for CME were comparable to those of Jet A and the flame velocities were 30% lower. This set-up can be used to measure relative ignition characteristics of liquid biofuels and blends of biofuels and petroleum fuels.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Investigating the Impact of edTPA Professional Development on Classroom Practice and Student Teaching Experience

In an era of increased teacher accountability, teacher preparation programs across the country are faced with increasing pressure to adopt rigorous and high stakes performance-based assessments, su...
RNA-Seq Analyses Identify Frequent Allele Specific Expression and No Evidence of Genomic Imprinting in Specific Embryonic Tissues of Chicken.

Epigenetic and genetic cis-regulatory elements in diploid organisms may cause allele specific expression (ASE) – unequal expression of the two chromosomal gene copies. Genomic imprinting is an intriguing type of ASE in which some genes are expressed monoallelically from either the paternal allele or maternal allele as a result of epigenetic modifications. Imprinted genes have been identified in several animal species and are frequently associated with embryonic development and growth. Whether genomic imprinting exists in chickens remains debatable, as previous studies have reported conflicting evidence. Albeit no genomic imprinting has been reported in the chicken embryo as a whole, we interrogated the existence or absence of genomic imprinting in the 12-day-old chicken embryonic brain and liver by examining ASE in F1 reciprocal crosses of two highly inbred chicken lines (Fayoumi and Leghorn). We identified 5197 and 4638 ASE SNPs, corresponding to 18.3% and 17.3% of the genes with a detectable expression in the embryonic brain and liver, respectively. There was no evidence detected of genomic imprinting in 12-day-old embryonic brain and liver. While ruling out the possibility of imprinted Z-chromosome inactivation, our results indicated that Z-linked gene expression is partially compensated between sexes in chickens.
Biological Control of Invasive Plants in Protected Areas

Classical weed biological control is widely used in natural areas. It is based on introduction of specialised natural enemies (herbivorous insects and fungal pathogens) from the weed’s native range. It can be used safely if specialised natural enemies are selected and can be highly effective in suppressing weeds over large areas. Agents used in modern projects typically have genus or species level specificity and are safe when proper risk analysis and procedures are followed. Agents spread over large areas and can move into hard-to-reach areas. If correctly selected, agents are safe for use in areas too ecologically sensitive for chemical or mechanical control. Costs are independent of area to be treated because agents are self-reproducing, and results are self-sustaining. Biological control is most appropriate for use against widespread weeds, difficult to control with other methods that occur in critical habitats and damage biodiversity or ecosystem function. Finding suitable agents is easier against weeds distantly related to local native plants. Such targets reduce risk to native flora, facilitate agent screening, lower cost, and increase likelihood of success. Projects should be partnerships between biological control scientists and conservation biologists, and biological control activities should be done within a comprehensive restoration plan for the ecosystem. In some cases, suppression of the invasive weed may be sufficient, but sometimes additional actions, such as replanting native species or modifying ecosystem processes such as fire or flooding regimes may be essential.
Improving the Trust of Users on Social Networking Sites via Self-Construal Traits

The ability to remove trust concerns for online users is crucial for sustainable online development, especially relating to social networking sites. This study examines independent self-construal and interdependent self-construal as pertinent factors to increase trust on social networking sites. The classification of trust broken down into calculation-, familiarity-, structural assurance-, and situational normality-based trust was adopted in this study. Data was collected from 398 members of the leading social network site: Facebook. Regression analysis was adopted to test the data against the casual relationship among the four trust constructs. Data analysis indicates that the constructs of interdependent self-construal and independent selfconstrual individually, and together, can account for the increase of trust on a social networking site; however interdependent self-construal has the largest explanatory power. These results suggest that social networking sites continuously increase the degree of interdependence of users and develop new applications to engage users to stay longer for each visit. As a result of these measures, social networking sites can sustain the trust of users.
Particulate Carbon at Various Locations in the United States

Particulate elemental and organic carbon concentrations were determined on filters collected between 1972 and 1980 at ten United States’ sites representing urban, suburban, rural, and remote areas. The results showed that particulate elemental carbon is ubiquitous with mean concentrations ranging from 1.1 micrograms per cubic meter at the remote site in South Dakota to 13.3 micrograms per cubic meter in a congested area in New York City. About 80% of the elemental carbon mass consists of particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers. Particulates in this size range are responsible for most pollutant-related visibility reductions. Since it appears that elemental carbon is the only light-absorbing particulate species, the specific light-absorption coefficient for elemental carbon was calculated to be 12.7 m2/g while the specific light-scattering coefficient was 3.2 m2/g. Using these coefficients, the contributions of elemental carbon to the observed visibility reduction at the various sites are estimated. These range from 6 to 38%. Also discussed are the seasonal and diurnal variations of particulate elemental and organic carbon as well as the contribution from secondary organic particulates. In addition, an updated carbon-source apportionment, based on recent analytical developments, is presented for the Denver area.
Sequential Quadratic Programming Methods for Nonlinear Programming

Sequential quadratic programming (SQP) methods are among the most effective techniques known today for solving nonlinearly constrained optimization problems. This paper presents an overview of SQP methods based on a quasi-Newton approximation to the Hessian of the Lagrangian function (or an augmented Lagrangian function). We briefly describe some of the issues in the formulation of SQP methods, including the form of the subproblem and the choice of merit function. We conclude with a list of available SQP software.
Megestrol Acetate-Induced Symptomatic Hypogonadism in a Male Patient.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis are very sensitive and can be affected by external factors like stress, starvation, and medication. Medication-induced suppression of these axes can cause adrenal insufficiency (AI) and hypogonadism. Exogenous glucocorticoid use is the most common cause of iatrogenic AI. Our aim is to bring attention to another broadly prescribed medication, megestrol acetate (MA), as the cause of suppression of both these axes. We report a case of symptomatic hypogonadism and asymptomatic AI in a male patient secondary to MA. The patient presented with decrease in testicular size and erectile dysfunction. His total testosterone and morning cortisol levels were low, but FH, LH, and TSH were normal. His pituitary MRI was unremarkable. Upon discontinuation of MA, the patient’s testosterone and cortisol levels normalized and his symptoms resolved. Hypogonadism and AI are known adverse effects of MA, but symptomatic hypogonadism as the primary manifestation has only been reported once in previous literature. Prolonged hypogonadism can lead to sarcopenia, depression, and osteoporosis, while asymptomatic AI carries the risk of becoming overt AI. Thus, heightened awareness of the impact of MA on both these axes is necessary.
Age, Status, and Reading in the Eighteenth Century

Imagine walking through a bookstore that has no sections labeled ‘Teens,’ ‘Kids,’ ‘Fiction,’ ‘Romance,’ or ‘Thrillers,’ a bookstore that is instead divided up into sections labeled ‘Masters’ and ‘Everybody Else’—and one very small, very new room labeled ‘Children of the Aspiring Middle Class.’ Finding our way in the eighteenth-century book market is a similarly disorienting experience. In our own time, the difference between books for children and books for adults seems natural. It shapes the publishing and marketing choices of presses and the curricula of schools and universities, as well as the floor plans of libraries and bookstores, and the software through which we try to control access to the Internet. When we turn back a few centuries, however, writing, marketing, and readership look quite different, because age itself worked quite differently. While we may consider age differences to be fundamental and differences in social status to be relatively superficial, much writing up through the early eighteenth century sees social status as the fundamental difference, often imagining age itself in the likeness of social status. To this way of thinking, children are like servants and servants are like children. Subordinate status defines them both. John Locke’s enormously influential manual on how to bring up a young gentleman, Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693), is rightly recognized for eventually playing an important role in the rise of democratizing impulses in educational theory. But this fate is an ironic one. In Locke’s own time, his book was remarkable instead for the rigour with which it attacks longstanding links between gentlemen’s children and their social subordinates.
Longshot: accurate variant calling in diploid genomes using single-molecule long read sequencing

Abstract Short-read sequencing technologies such as Illumina enable the accurate detection of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and short insertion/deletion variants in human genomes but are unable to provide information about haplotypes and variants in repetitive regions of the genome. Single-molecule sequencing technologies such as Pacific Biosciences and Oxford Nanopore generate long reads (≥ 10 kb in length) that can potentially address these limitations of short reads. However, the high error rate of SMS reads makes it challenging to detect small-scale variants in diploid genomes. We introduce a variant calling method, Longshot, that leverages the haplotype information present in SMS reads to enable the accurate detection and phasing of single nucleotide variants in diploid genomes. Using whole-genome Pacific Biosciences data for multiple human individuals, we demonstrate that Longshot achieves very high accuracy for SNV detection (precision ≥0.992 and recall ≥0.96) that is significantly better than existing variant calling methods. Longshot can also call SNVs with good accuracy using whole-genome Oxford Nanopore data. Finally, we demonstrate that it enables the discovery of variants in duplicated regions of the genome that cannot be mapped using short reads. Longshot is freely available at https://github.com/pjedge/longshot.
Minimizing Medical Malpractice Exposure

Medical malpractice claims result from unexpected outcomes complicated by aggravating circumstances. “Lessons learned” from past de-identified closed claims have been published online (asmbs.org) as “Patient Safety Vignettes,” available to logged-in ASMBS members. Their value was validated by a member “Needs Assessment Survey” in early 2014, which also measured their interest in our Society’s development of a de-identified closed claims database. Two seminal reports in 2016 have documented the factors most related to bariatric claims. Several quality-of-care issues, especially postoperative and preoperative, are further clarified, especially by the vignettes, all since April 2014, augmented by “Invited Discussion” from experienced ASMBS members.
Clarice Lispector’s Interviews with Brazilian Jewish Cultural Figures

In her public life, Clarice Lispector fought to be recognized as a native Brazilian; however, in her private life, she tended to associate with people with origins like hers. Many of her interviews are with artists who were either children of immigrants or emigrants from Eastern Europe. Scholars have probed Clarice’s fiction and the interviews she gave for a view of her approach to Jewish identity, but the interviews she conducted have not yet been examined. This article discusses Clarice’s dalliance with identity politics when interviewing notable members of the cultural Brazilian Jewish community, analyzes the questions she asked, and examines how she guided the conversation.
Harnessing salinity gradient energy in coastal stormwater runoff to reduce pathogen loading

Stormwater runoff is a significant source of coastal pathogen pollution. Here, we demonstrate field-scale use of a charge-free mixing entropy battery (MEB) to tap the salinity gradient voltage between stormwater and seawater and use it to power stormwater disinfection in an UV-LED module, achieving a 2.8 log reduction in E. coli.
Nonviral gene delivery to T cells with Lipofectamine LTX.

Retroviral gene delivery is widely used in T cell therapies for hematological cancers. However, viral vectors are expensive to manufacture, integrate genes in semi-random patterns, and their transduction efficiency varies between patients. In this study, several non-viral gene delivery vehicles, promoters, and additional variables were compared to optimize non-viral transgene delivery and expression in both Jurkat and primary T cells. Transfection of Jurkat cells was maximized to a high efficiency (63.0±10.9% EGFP+ cells) by transfecting cells with Lipofectamine LTX in X-VIVOTM 15 media. However, the same method yielded a much lower transfection efficiency in primary T cells (8.1±0.8% EGFP+ ). Subsequent confocal microscopy revealed that a majority of the lipoplexes did not enter the primary T cells, which might be due to relatively low expression levels of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) detected via mRNA-sequencing. PYHIN DNA sensors (e.g., AIM2, IFI16) that can induce apoptosis or repress transcription after binding cytoplasmic DNA were also detected at high levels in primary T cells. Therefore, transfection of primary T cells appears to be limited at the level of cellular uptake or DNA sensing in the cytoplasm. Both of these factors should be considered in the development of future viral and non-viral T cell gene delivery methods. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
An Investigation of Sensory Processing in Children and Adolescents in Congregate Foster Care

Children in congregate foster care are at great risk for behavioral manifestations resultant from trauma. This pilot study explores sensory processing patterns among 41 youth living in congregate f...
The Energy Spectra of Electron Microbursts Between 200 keV and 1 MeV

This study investigates the energy spectrum of electron microbursts observed by the Focused Investigations of Relativistic Electron Burst Intensity, Range, and Dynamics II (FIREBIRD-II, henceforth ...
Lung Inflammatory Response to Environmental Dust Exposure in Mice Suggests a Link to Regional Respiratory Disease Risk.

Author(s): Burr, Abigail C; Velazquez, Jalene V; Ulu, Arzu; Kamath, Rohan; Kim, Sang Yong; Bilg, Amanpreet K; Najera, Aileen; Sultan, Iman; Botthoff, Jon K; Aronson, Emma; Nair, Meera G; Nordgren, Tara M | Abstract: PurposeThe Salton Sea, California's largest lake, is designated as an agricultural drainage reservoir. In recent years, the lake has experienced shrinkage due to reduced water sources, increasing levels of aerosolized dusts in surrounding regions. Communities surrounding the Salton Sea have increased asthma prevalence versus the rest of California; however, a connection between dust inhalation and lung health impacts has not been defined.MethodsWe used an established intranasal dust exposure murine model to study the lung inflammatory response following single or repetitive (7-day) exposure to extracts of dusts collected in regions surrounding the Salton Sea (SSDE), complemented with in vitro investigations assessing SSDE impacts on the airway epithelium.ResultsIn these investigations, single or repetitive SSDE exposure induced significant lung inflammatory cytokine release concomitant with neutrophil influx. Repetitive SSDE exposure led to significant lung eosinophil recruitment and altered expression of genes associated with allergen-mediated immune response, including Clec4e. SSDE treatment of human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) induced inflammatory cytokine production at 5- and 24-hours post-treatment. When BEAS-2B were exposed to protease activity-depleted SSDE (PDSSDE) or treated with SSDE in the context of protease-activated receptor-1 and -2 antagonism, inflammatory cytokine release was decreased. Furthermore, repetitive exposure to PDSSDE led to decreased neutrophil and eosinophilic influx and IL-6 release in mice compared to SSDE-challenged mice.ConclusionThese investigations demonstrate potent lung inflammatory responses and tissue remodeling in response to SSDE, in part due to environmental proteases found within the dusts. These studies provide the first evidence supporting a link between environmental dust exposure, protease-mediated immune activation, and respiratory disease in the Salton Sea region.
The Anticompetitiveness of a Private Information Exchange of Prices

Abstract Competitors privately sharing price intentions is universally prohibited under antitrust/competition law. In contrast, there is no common well-accepted treatment of competitors privately sharing prices. This paper is the first to show that a private exchange of prices can result in higher prices for consumers. Conditions relevant to determining when such an information exchange is anticompetitive are identified.
Children Reading and Writing: Structures and Strategies

This volume presents the results of a two-year research project which examined the development and use of reading and writing by school-aged children. The studies examined the relationships between children's reading and writing by looking at the social contexts that surrounded their understandings and uses of reading and writing; the cognitive processes that the readers and writers invoked in completing different kinds of tasks; and the products that were produced, including the ideas that were developed in reading and writing, and the ways in which these ideas were structured in presentation or recall. The results point to new understandings about children's context for literacy, and ways in which children at distinctly different phases of their schooling experiences approach reading and writing. The author contrasts ways in which children at each of the differing ages approach their reading and writing tasks, illuminating the knowledge they already have and what they have yet to learn.
On price's equation and average fitness

A number of recent discussions have argued that George Price's equationfor representing evolutionary change is a powerful and illuminatingtool, especially in the context of debates about multiple levels ofselection. Our paper dissects Price's equation in detail, and comparesit to another statistical tool: the calculation and comparison ofaverage fitnesses. The relations between Price's equation and equationsfor evolutionary change using average fitness are closer than issometimes supposed. The two approaches achieve a similar kind ofstatistical summary of one generation of change, and they achieve thisvia a similar loss of information about the underlying fitnessstructure.
Albuterol Delivery by Metered-Dose Inhaler With a Pediatric Mechanical Ventilatory Circuit Model

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine albuterol delivery by metered-dose inhaler (MDI) in an in vitro pediatric mechanical ventilatory circuit model. The influence of a spacing device, endotracheal tube (ETT) diameter and length, and air humidity was also investigated. DESIGN An albuterol MDI canister was connected to an AeroVent spacer or Airlife MDI adapter and ETT 4.0, 5.0, or 6.0 mm at commercially available and equal lengths. The ETT tip was attached to an in-line filter holder with a 1-microns type A/E glass fiber filter. Ventilator settings were fractional concentration of inspired oxygen 50%, tidal volume 250 ml, inspiratory:expiratory (I:E) ratio 1:3, rate 25 breaths/minute, temperature 35 degrees C, and a decelerating flow pattern. Ten albuterol canisters were activated two times each (total 2000 micrograms) into dry (4.0-, 5.0-, and 6.0-mm ETT) and humidified air (4.0- and 6.0-mm ETT) and repeated in triplicate. Percentage MDI output was determined by weighing the filter before and after drug administration (balance sensitivity 10 micrograms). Significant differences (p < or = 0.05) among the groups with and without a spacer and in dry and humidified air were determined by ANOVA with Scheffe's multiple comparison test. Multiple regression was used to determine significant associations between ETT diameter and length and delivery. MAIN RESULTS With the AeroVent spacer in humidified air, delivery with the 4.0- and 6.0-mm ETT was approximately 2.3% and 5%, respectively. The spacer and dry air significantly improved delivery. CONCLUSIONS In humidified air, the dose of albuterol by MDI with an AeroVent spacer should be doubled for children intubated with 6.0-mm ETT, and four puffs administered for every one puff desired for 4.0-mm ETT. The results of this investigation should prove useful in initial clinical trials of albuterol MDI in ventilator-dependent infants and children.
Chapter 32. Antiradiation Agents

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the advances in the development of antiradiation agents. The methods used for the evaluation of antiradiation drugs have been summarized. The complexities that arise in the use of whole animals as test systems are as prevalent as in other areas of pharmacology. A series of 144 N-substituted S-2-aminoethyl thiosulfates was prepared. Many members gave good protection to mice at doses of 0.07–0.1 Of the LD 50 . A comparison of the pharmacology of a series of Bunte salts with that of the related aminothiols showed that the Bunte salts were less toxic to mice but that the differences in radioprotective potency between members of each series could not be predicted accurately. The optimum spacing between the amino and thiosulfate groups was two carbon atoms. The dose-reduction factor was not increased by the concurrent administration of serotonin. S-[2-(3-ethylaminopropylamino)ethyl]-dihydrogenphosphorothioate and the related 3-methylamino compound protected mice as effectively as the related compound having no substituent on the terminal nitrogen atom. The dose-reduction factor for dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) absorbed through the tails of mice was found to be 1.35.
Occurrence of cell lytic enzymes in blue-green bacteria.

Detergent extracts of three blue-green bacteria (Agmenellum quadruplicatum strain BG1, Anacystis nidulans strain TX20, and Nostoc sp. strain MAC) contained enzymes capable of lysing suspensions of Micrococcus lysodeikticus. The enzyme preparation from A. quadruplicatum released soluble reducing fragments from purified peptidoglycan. The lytic activity exhibited a pH optimum between 6 and 7, was relatively heat stable, and was susceptible to attack by proteolytic enzymes. These results extend the range of bacterial types exhibiting cell lytic activity as well as confirm the existence of the lytic system commonly observed in “water blooms”.
Increasing the Utility of the Application Blank: Relationship Between Job Application Information and Subsequent Performance and Turnover of Salespeople

This article determines if data on the employment application form can help predict applicants who will be good performers and not likely to voluntarily terminate their employment once hired. The results of the analyses indicate a two-stage selection procedure. Step one identifies high performers; step two identifies high performers with a propensity to remain with the firm. Findings are discussed in the context of the research, and implications are provided for salesforce management.
Utilization of aquifer storage in flare gas reduction

Abstract Flaring associated gas from oil wells has resulted in concerns about CO 2 emissions and wasted energy. In this paper, an integrated flare gas reduction system that combines natural gas liquids separation and underground storage of lean gas in aquifers is studied. This flare gas reduction system takes advantage of peak natural gas demand and prices in winter. Therefore, revenues from both lean gas natural gas liquids sales would compensate for the year-long natural gas liquids separation costs. Aquifer permeability and depth are the major factors in determining the storage cost, which should be lower than the marginal revenue derived from the seasonal difference in natural gas prices. The site selection method and governing equations are presented, and a case study applying the proposed system to the Bakken oil field was performed. The results indicated that when aquifer permeability was low ( 200 mD), depth was the dominating factor and the cost increased with depth. Ranges of permeability and depth for which the storage cost is lower than the seasonal price difference of natural gas were determined. The economic estimation approach presented in this paper can be used to select appropriate storage sites and rich gas processing technologies.
The role of the pericardium in the valveless, tubular heart of the tunicate Ciona savignyi

Tunicates, small invertebrates within the phylum Chordata, possess a robust tubular heart which pumps blood through their open circulatory systems without the use of valves. This heart consists of two major components: the tubular myocardium, a flexible layer of myocardial cells that actively contracts to drive fluid down the length of the tube; and the pericardium, a stiff, outer layer of cells that surrounds the myocardium and creates a fluid-filled space between the myocardium and the pericardium. We investigated the role of the pericardium through in vivo manipulations on tunicate hearts and computational simulations of the myocardium and pericardium using the immersed boundary method. Experimental manipulations reveal that damage to the pericardium results in aneurysm-like bulging of the myocardium and major reductions in the net blood flow and percentage closure of the heart's lumen during contraction. In addition, varying the pericardium-to-myocardium (PM) diameter ratio by increasing damage severity was positively correlated with peak dye flow in the heart. Computational simulations mirror the results of varying the PM ratio experimentally. Reducing the stiffness of the myocardium in the simulations reduced mean blood flow only for simulations without a pericardium. These results indicate that the pericardium has the ability to functionally increase the stiffness of the myocardium and limit myocardial aneurysms. The pericardium's function is likely to enhance flow through the highly resistive circulatory system by acting as a support structure in the absence of connective tissue within the myocardium.
Tunable Energy Harvesting From Ambient Vibrations

Most civil structures have a low vibration response frequency range, generally one to two orders of magnitude lower than the operating frequency spectrum of most piezoelectric energy scavenging devices, which is dictated by the device’s design and the used materials. This considerably limits the levels of harvestable power under ambient vibrations. In this paper, the improvement of the energy harvesting characteristics of a bimorph cantilever lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric beam through the application of initial pre-stress loading conditions is studied. A generalized model that can take into account all the vibration modes of the beam as well as the back coupling effect is derived using the Hamiltonian principle. The model describes the effect of the pre-stress parameters on the harvestable energy levels. Results showing the variations of the natural frequency, amplitude, and efficiency of the piezoelectric device with varying preload are presented. Vibration recordings from a bridge under ambient loading are used to show variations of the harvested power with different pre-stress conditions. Increases of up to 250% in the output power levels are shown possible through the application of 8N of compressive axial loading for a system with a 15g vibrating mass. Experimental verification of the model is also performed. The time and frequency domain responses of a piezoelectric bimorph are measured and compared to theoretical results.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Micromorphological characters and generic delimitation of some New World Senecioneae (Asteraceae)

Some recent systematic investigations have placed great reliance on micromorphological floral features in generic delimitation in the Senecioneae. In order to test the taxonomic value of those features, 31 species of New World “Cacalioid” and “Senecionoid” Senecioneae were examined for five micromorphological characters: 1) configuration and distribution of the stigmatic area on the style branches, 2) stylopodial structure, 3) cellular structure of the carpopodium, 4) configuration of the anther collar, and 5) form of the endothecial cells in the anther. LM or SEM photographs were made for each character for each species. Variation was found to exist with age and geographical range for each of these characters and sometimes between florets on one capitulum. Differences in these five microcharacters were found between the “Cacalioid” and “Senecionoid” genera, but they were no more consistent than the differences in traditional characters employed in generic delimitation.
Control of Sound Radiation with Adaptive Structures

Active control of sound radiation from a vibrating simply supported rec tangular plate excited by a steady state harmonic point force disturbance is experimentally studied. A variety of test cases were studied for controlling sound radiation due to a distur bance both on and off structural resonance. Control structural inputs are achieved by three piezoceramic actuators bonded to the surface of the plate. The control approach is based upon a Filtered-X version of the adaptive LMS algorithm. Error information for the con troller was taken from two sensor formats, either microphones placed in the acoustic far- field, or polyvmylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric distributed sensors bonded to the surface of the structure. The two narrow strip PVDF sensors were positioned on the plate such that the dominant observed response was due to the odd-odd and to a lesser degree, the odd-even modes (i.e., the more efficient acoustic radiators). Results from these experi ments indicate that piezoceramic elements provi...
Surgical versus radiographic determination of para-aortic lymph node metastases before chemoradiation for locally advanced cervical carcinoma: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Study.

BACKGROUND Patients with cervical cancer who had negative para-aortic lymph nodes (PALNs) identified by pretreatment surgical staging were compared with patients who had only radiographic exclusion of PALN metastases before they received treatment with pelvic radiation and brachytherapy (RT) plus cisplatin (C)-based chemotherapy. METHODS Patients who participated in 1 of 3 Phase III Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) trials (GOG 85, GOG 120, and GOG 165) and who were assigned randomly to receive either RT plus C or RT plus C combined with 5-fluorouracil with or without hydroxyurea comprised this retrospective analysis. Patients who had negative PALN status determined by surgical sampling (mandatory in GOG 85 and GOG 120 and optional in GOG 165) were compared with patients who had negative PALN status determined radiographically (GOG 165). RESULTS Five hundred fifty-five patients underwent surgical PALN sampling (the S group), and 130 patients underwent radiographic evaluation only (the R group). Age, race, histology, and tumor grade were similar. Patients in the R group had better performance status (P < .01), less advanced stage (P = .023), and smaller tumor size (P = .004) compared with patients in the S group, although patients with stage III and IV disease in the S group had better 4-year progression-free survival (48.9% vs 36.3%) and overall survival (54.3% vs 40%) compared with patients in the R group. In multivariate analysis, the R group was associated independently with a poorer prognosis compared with the S group (for disease progression: hazard ratio [HR], 1.35, 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.01–1.81; for death: HR, 1.46, 95% CI, 1.08–1.99). CONCLUSIONS Surgical exclusion (compared with radiographic exclusion) of positive PALNs in patients with cervical cancer who received chemoradiation (RT plus C-based chemotherapy) had a significant prognostic impact. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Construct Validity of Need for Achievement and Locus of Control Scales

The purpose of the present construct validation study was to assess the internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity coefficients, and replicability of the factor structure of two previously validated measures of locus of control (LOC) and need for achievement (NACH). The scales were administered to 192 employed graduate students and 219 undergraduate students, all of whom were studying for degrees in business. Results indicated adequate internal consistency for the measures of LOC but not for those of NACH. Orthogonal or oblique rotation of the scales to the a priori number of factors did not consistently support the factor replicability of the scales. Convergent validity but not discriminant validity was shown for the measures of LOC and NACH.
Mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata) and weevil (Rhinoncomimus latipes) response to varying moisture and temperature conditions

The combined effects of herbivory and water stress on growth and reproduction of mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross) were investigated in greenhouse trials over two years, with well-watered or water-limited plants either exposed or not exposed to herbivory by the mile-a-minute weevil (Rhinoncomimus latipes Korotyaev). Moisture limitation and weevil herbivory significantly reduced the number of seeds produced by P. perfoliata, with the fewest seeds produced when both factors were present. Seed weight was reduced by moisture limitation and weevil herbivory the second year, and seed viability was reduced by herbivory both years. Plant biomass was lower both years under conditions of water limitation, with an additional effect of herbivory the second year. Well-watered plants the second year also produced substantially more weevils than water-limited plants by the end of the season. Results are consistent with field observations suggesting that years of high rainfall allow resurgence of P. perfoliata plant populations that were previously suppressed by R. latipes. An additional environmental chamber trial assessed the interaction between the weed and weevil at two different temperatures. Here, plant mortality occurred only at the higher temperature with weevil herbivory, suggesting that herbivory has a greater negative effect on P. perfoliata under warm conditions. Additional studies on temperature effects are needed for a more complete understanding of interactions between P. perfoliata and R. latipes under different abiotic conditions.
Clinical Biomechanics of the Elbow

This paper describes the biomechanics of the articulations of the elbow joint that is relevant to therapists who design rehabilitation programs for patients following injuries or surgeries to the elbow. Individual and combined joint movements required for function such as activities of daily living are discussed, including normal arthrokinematics and the components that contribute to joint stability. The strain behavior of the nerves that cross the elbow is also reviewed. Therapists will understand the complexities of the biomechanics of the elbow that is necessary to design safe and effective rehabilitation programs.
In-process density control of extruded foam PVC using wavelet packet analysis of ultrasound waves

Ultrasound waves (UT) propagating at a frequency of 2.25 MHz through the melt flow inside an extruder die were used to monitor the density of the foam extrudate. Acoustic properties of the polymer melt, manifested by the behavior of the ultrasound waves inside the die, were empirically correlated to the density of the extruded foam. Wavelet packet analysis was used to filter the ultrasound echo signals. A three layer multi-layer perceptron artificial neural network was used to correlate the response of the ultrasound sensor to the measured foam density. The density of the extruded foam was varied by varying the processing conditions over a wide practical range. The experimental work shows a strong correlation between the acoustic properties of the polymer melt inside the extrusion die and the resulting foam density. A strong correlation was obtained by using the filtered ultrasound waves using wavelet packet analysis.
Pharmacological analysis of feeding in a caterpillar: different transduction pathways for umami and saccharin?

Neonate larvae of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), modify their behavior in the presence of saccharin, monosodium glutamate (MSG), or L(+)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4) by commencing their feeding earlier. Previously published pharmacological analysis demonstrated that phagostimulatory effects of MSG and L-AP4 (which elicit umami taste sensation in humans) are reversed by adenylate cyclase activator and phosphodiesterase inhibitor. In this study, by measuring the time needed to start ingestion of foliage treated with mixtures of phagostimulants and signal transduction modulators, we show that phagostimulatory effects of l-aspartate (the third hallmark umami substance) are also abolished by both adenylate cyclase activator and phosphodiesterase inhibitor, but not by phospholipase C inhibitor. However, stimulatory effects of hemicalcium saccharin were affected only by phospholipase C inhibitor. The results suggest that codling moth neonates use different transduction pathways for perception of hemicalcium saccharin and umami.
Structured Polysilicon for Photonic Applications

Three-dimensional photonic lattices have been fabricated in the infrared using a combination of advanced silicon processes. The structures display bandgaps centered at 12µ. and 1.55µ.
Placing a 20 000-hp Motor in Service

Placing major pieces of electrical equipment in service is aided by a systematic approach to selection, specification, inspection, shipment, storage, check-out, and run-in. This paper describes the detailed planning that helped assure a successful start-up of a large electrical motor. Although a specific installation is described, it will be found that many of the procedures will be generally applicable.
Measurement of Atmospheric Hydrogen Peroxide and Hydroxymethyl Hydroperoxide with a Diffusion Scrubber and Light Emitting Diode−Liquid Core Waveguide-Based Fluorometry

We describe a new automated instrument for measuring gas- and aqueous-phase H2O2. The chemistry relies on the hematin-catalyzed oxidation of nonfluorescent thiamine to fluorescent thiochrome by H2O2; this reaction is 25-fold more selective for hydrogen peroxide than its nearest alkyl hydroperoxide congener, CH3HO2. The optical characteristics of the fluorescent product are such that it is ideally excited by newly available GaN-based light emitting diodes emitting in the near-UV. A stable long-life miniature flow-through fluorescence detector based on a transversely illuminated liquid core waveguide is thus used for this purpose. The limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) for liquid-phase H2O2 is 11 nM. A temperature-controlled high-efficiency Nafion membrane diffusion scrubber is used to collect gaseous hydrogen peroxide with near-quantitative efficiency with an S/N = 3 LOD of 13.5 pptv. The system responds to hydrogen peroxide and hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide but not to methyl hydroperoxide. The use of very in...
SU(N) grand unification with several quark-lepton generations

Procedures are given for embedding SU(5) into SU(N) such that several SU(5) generations remain as ordinary-mass fermions. Examples with an arbitrary number of generations occur already for SU(7). All models have only quarks and leptons, without quixes or quaights.
Impact of Medication Nonadherence on Coronary Heart Disease Outcomes: A Critical Review

A critical review of published literature was performed to assess the impact of medication adherence on morbidity and mortality among patients with or at risk for coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. Twenty-one original research articles that met our inclusion criteria and related medication adherence to morbidity and mortality are summarized. No clinical trials that specifically tested the impact of a complianceenhancing intervention on outcome in coronary heart disease were identified. Among 12 studies that compared hospitalization rates and mortality between adherers and nonadherers, 7 showed a significant relationship between medication adherence and outcomes. Three studies showed that adherence to placebo was associated with improved outcomes, suggesting that adherent behavior may be a marker of better prognosis or confers a protective effect on patients with coronary heart disease. Further study is necessary to determine whether adherent behavior can be taught and whether compliance-enhancing strategies improve outcomes in coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med. 1997;157:1921-1929
Reversible helical electromagnetic launchers for time acceleration waveform replication

A 750 mm barrel length × 40 mm bore diameter hollow projectile, reversible helical electromagnetic launcher (RHEML) is evaluated for its ability to produce a negative acceleration (i.e., a “jerk”). The RHEML projectile and payload weighs approximately 750 grams and will travel with velocity up to 100 m/s. A 450 kJ multiple-module capacitive pulse forming network (PFN) with the ability to provide both positive and negative voltage and current is used to power the RHEML launcher. Special precautions must be taken when designing this type of PFN and RHEML. Theoretical and practical design guidelines for this type of PFN are presented and discussed. The results of the systematic experimental approach taken to generate and evaluate the transient current waveforms is presented and analyzed. Results show the reversible HEML is able to produce a negative jerk and travel in the opposite direction.
Relationship between contraction and relaxation in human and rabbit corpus cavernosum.

Abstract Although alterations in corporeal smooth muscle tone undoubtedly play an important role in the etiology of erectile dysfunction, the relationship between the degree of corporeal smooth muscle contraction and the magnitude of the observed relaxation response has never been quantitated. Thus, in vitro studies were conducted to examine the relationship between α1-adrenergic contractility, and relaxations elicited by the clinically and physiologically relevant vasorelaxants, nitroglycerine, nitroprusside, and prostaglandin E,. Corporeal tissues strips were isolated from impotent and potent men, as well as sexually mature rabbits, and precontracted over a wide range of phenylephrine doses, prior to exposure of each tissue to the same dose of vasorelaxant. Plots of percent contraction versus percent relaxation revealed that the relationship between contraction and relaxation was accurately described by a first order linear equation, and characterized by an inverse relationship in all tissues studied, for all vasorelaxants examined. Statistical analysis indicated that the slope of the regression line was significantly greater than unity in all corporeal tissues obtained from patients with organic impotence; however, corporeal tissues obtained from patients with documented erections and from sexually mature rabbits had significantly lower slopes that were indistinguishable from unity. The existence of an inverse relationship between contraction and relaxation, even in the absence of organic disease, emphasizes the importance of the level of basal corporeal smooth muscle tone per se. These studies provide further evidence implicating heightened adrenergic tone as a significant etiologic factor in erectile dysfunction.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Pregnancy

The association of adverse pregnancy outcome with Treponema pallidum. Neisseria gonorrhoeae and herpes simplex infections is well known and specific recommendations for management have been formulated. However, other agents that are not so well known can be transmitted sexually and threaten an otherwise healthy pregnancy. These agents are discussed in order to make the nurse more aware of related maternal and fetal diseases.