cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ideology of the Normal: Desire, Ethics, and Kierkegaardian Critique

According to recent scholarship within queer theory, heterosexuality maintains itself as a class by employing its epistemological authority for identifying and defining homosexuals. Heterosexuality is thus an ideological abstraction that privileges those with social and material advantages, rather than an accurate description of the actual, and thus heteronormative descriptions of sexuality correspond to Charles W. Mills’ description of ideal-as-idealized theory. Since ideological arguments cannot be overturned simply by appeals to rational debate, to what can we turn to subvert the sense of entitlement and rightness that heteronormativity provides? Recent feminist philosophers have stressed the distinction between guilt as emotional self-assessment and existential guilt. Taking up Kierkegaard’s existential account of guilt, I claim that in order to advance a non-ideal theory of desire, which grounds critique in actual conditions, it is important to consider the nature of subjective attachments to exclusive, idealized conceptions of the ‘normal.’
Transonic Turbine Cascade Measurements for a Variable Speed Power Turbine Blade at Low to Moderate Reynolds Numbers: Aerodynamic Loss Surveys

The influence of low to moderate Reynolds number and low to moderate turbulence level on aerodynamic losses is investigated in an incidence tolerant turbine blade cascade for a variable speed power turbine. This work complements midspan heat transfer and blade loading measurements which are acquired in the same cascade at the same conditions. The aerodynamic loss measurements are acquired to quantify the influence of Reynolds number and turbulence level on blade loss buckets over the wide range of incidence angles for the variable speed turbine. Eight discrete incidence angles are investigated ranging from +5.8° to −51.2°. Noting that the design inlet angle of the blade is 34.2° these incidence angles correspond to inlet angles ranging from +40° to −17°. Exit loss surveys, presented in terms of local total pressure loss and secondary velocities have been acquired at four exit chord Reynolds numbers ranging from 50,000 to 568,000. These measurements were acquired at both low (∼0.4%) and moderate (∼4.0%) inlet turbulence intensities. The total pressure losses are also presented in terms of cross passage averaged loss and turning angle. The resulting loss buckets for passage averaged losses are plotted at varied Reynolds numbers and turbulence condition. The exit loss data quantify the impact of Reynolds number and incidence angle on aerodynamic losses. Generally, these data document the substantial deterioration of performance with decreasing Reynolds number.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Low birth weight subsequent to induced abortion

Abstract In the fall of 1972, interviews were conducted with 948 Yugoslavian women whose first pregnancies had been terminated by induced abortion (222) or delivery (726) during 1968–1969. Subjects were identified from records of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic of Skopje University, Macedonia. Subsequent pregnancies were studied to determine the relative effects of first-pregnancy abortion or delivery on incidences of adverse outcomes. No significant differences were found between first-pregnancy aborters and deliverers for subsequent conception rates, spontaneous abortions, or low-birth-weight rates. The data suggest that while induced abortion of the first pregnancy did not protect against the greater risk of low birth weight for a primiparous birth, neither did it increase that risk. The high proportion of women who denied their abortion raises questions about results of retrospective abortion studies which depend on patient recall.
A Multi-Agency Nutrient Dataset Used to Estimate Loads, Improve Monitoring Design, and Calibrate Regional Nutrient SPARROW Models.

Saad, David A., Gregory E. Schwarz, Dale M. Robertson, and Nathaniel L. Booth, 2011. A Multi-Agency Nutrient Dataset Used to Estimate Loads, Improve Monitoring Design, and Calibrate Regional Nutrient SPARROW Models. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(5):933-949. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688. 2011.00575.x Abstract: Stream-loading information was compiled from federal, state, and local agencies, and selected universities as part of an effort to develop regional SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models to help describe the distribution, sources, and transport of nutrients in streams throughout much of the United States. After screening, 2,739 sites, sampled by 73 agencies, were identified as having suitable data for calculating long-term mean annual nutrient loads required for SPARROW model calibration. These sites had a wide range in nutrient concentrations, loads, and yields, and environmental characteristics in their basins. An analysis of the accuracy in load estimates relative to site attributes indicated that accuracy in loads improve with increases in the number of observations, the proportion of uncensored data, and the variability in flow on observation days, whereas accuracy declines with increases in the root mean square error of the water-quality model, the flow-bias ratio, the number of days between samples, the variability in daily streamflow for the prediction period, and if the load estimate has been detrended. Based on compiled data, all areas of the country had recent declines in the number of sites with sufficient water-quality data to compute accurate annual loads and support regional modeling analyses. These declines were caused by decreases in the number of sites being sampled and data not being entered in readily accessible databases.
Fluorescence in situ hybridization identifies high risk Barrett's patients likely to develop esophageal adenocarcinoma

Summary Barrett's esophagus (BE) with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) defines a group of individuals at high risk of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been shown to be useful for the detection of dysplasia and EA in endoscopic brushing specimens from BE patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether FISH in combination with histological findings would further identify more rapid progressors to EA. This is a retrospective cohort study of high-risk patients, having a history of biopsy-confirmed HGD without EA, with an endoscopic brushing specimen analyzed by FISH while undergoing endoscopic surveillance and treatment between April 2003 and October 2010. Brushing specimens were assessed by FISH probes targeting 8q24 (MYC), 9p21 (CDKN2A), 17q12 (ERBB2), and 20q13 (ZNF217) and evaluated for the presence of polysomy, defined as multiple chromosomal gains (displaying ≥ 3 signals for ≥ 2 probes). Specimens containing ≥ 4 cells exhibiting polysomy were considered polysomic. HGD was confirmed by at least two experienced gastrointestinal pathologists. Of 245 patients in this study, 93 (38.0%) had a polysomic FISH result and 152 (62.0%) had a non-polysomic FISH result. Median follow-up was 3.6 years (interquartile range [IQR] 2–5 years). Patients with a polysomic FISH result had a significantly higher risk of developing EA within 2 years (14.2%) compared with patients with a non-polysomic FISH result (1.4%, P < 0.001). These findings suggest that a polysomic FISH result in BE patients with simultaneous HGD identifies patients at a higher risk for developing EA compared with those with non-polysomy.
>Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet: Religious Revival and Cultural Identity

Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet: Religious Revival and Cultural Identity. Melvyn C. Goldstein and Matthew T. Kapstein. eds. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. 207 pp.
Curriculum Mapping as a Strategic Planning Tool

ABSTRACTCurriculum mapping is a procedure for documenting and visualizing student learning at the programmatic level. The process allows libraries the opportunity to record where information literacy skills are taught across the curriculum in order to locate gaps and redundancies within a library instruction program. It also allows for alignment of the library's learning outcomes with the learning outcomes important to the institution. This paper presents a review of the history of curriculum mapping, followed by a case study of how Loyola Marymount University (LMU) used the process to support information literacy in a new core curriculum.
Habitat type and ambient temperature contribute to bill morphology

Avian bills are iconic structures for the study of ecology and evolution, with hypotheses about the morphological structure of bills dating back to Darwin. Several ecological and physiological hypotheses have been developed to explain the evolution of the morphology of bill shape. Here, we test some of these hypotheses such as the role of habitat, ambient temperature, body size, intraspecific competition, and ecological release on the evolution of bill morphology. Bill morphology and tarsus length were measured from museum specimens of yellow warblers, and grouped by habitat type, sex, and subspecies. We calculated the mean maximum daily temperature for the month of July, the hottest month for breeding specimens at each collecting location. Analysis of covariance models predicted total bill surface area as a function of sex, habitat type, body size, and temperature, and model selection techniques were used to select the best model. Habitat, mangrove forests compared with inland habitats, and climate had the largest effects on bill size. Coastal wetland habitats and island populations of yellow warblers had similar bill morphology, both of which are larger than mainland inland populations. Temperate but not tropical subspecies exhibited sexual dimorphism in bill morphology. Overall, this study provides evidence that multiple environmental factors, such as temperature and habitat, contribute to the evolution of bill morphology.
An energy harvesting wearable ring platform for gestureinput on surfaces

This paper presents a remote gesture input solution for interacting indirectly with user interfaces on mobile and wearable devices. The proposed solution uses a wearable ring platform worn on users index finger. The ring detects and interprets various gestures performed on any available surface, and wirelessly transmits the gestures to the remote device. The ring opportunistically harvests energy from an NFC-enabled phone for perpetual operation without explicit charging. We use a finger-tendon pressure-based solution to detect touch, and a light-weight audio based solution for detecting finger motion on a surface. The two level energy efficient classification algorithms identify 23 unique gestures that include tapping, swipes, scrolling, and strokes for hand written text entry. The classification algorithms have an average accuracy of 73% with no explicit user training. Our implementation supports 10 hours of interactions on a surface at 2 Hz gesture frequency. The prototype was built with off-the-shelf components has a size similar to a large ring.
Circadian Involvement in Termination of the Refractory Period in Two Sparrows

Endogenous daily rhythmicity is involved in the short-day photoperiodic response of breaking the refractory period in both white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows. Under a modified "coincidence model," short-day photoperiodic induction occurs when light is noncoincident with a specific phase of an internal rhythm.
The primary and secondary electron acceptors in bacterial photosynthesis: I. A chronological account of their identification by EPR

A chronological account is presented of the work that led to the identification of the primary and secondary acceptors in photosynthetic reaction centers ofRb. sphaeroides. Both acceptors when reduced give rise to broad EPR signals centered atg = 1.82. When the iron is removed from the reaction center, the EPR line, narrowed by approximately two orders of magnitude, is characteristic of a ubisemiquinone. The broad signal in native reaction centers (RCs) is, therefore, ascribed to an unpaired electron being localized on the ubisemiquinone interacting magnetically with the high spin Fe2+. These findings are consistent with the structure of the RC, as determined a decade later by X-ray diffraction.
Effect of synovial fluid on boundary lubrication of articular cartilage.

Summary Objectives The lubrication of articulating cartilage surfaces in joints occurs through several distinct modes. In the boundary mode of lubrication, load is supported by surface-to-surface contact, a feature that makes this mode particularly important for maintenance of the normally pristine articular surface. A boundary mode of lubrication is indicated by a kinetic friction coefficient being invariant with factors that influence formation of a fluid film, including sliding velocity and axial load. The objectives of this study were to (1) implement and extend an in vitro articular cartilage-on-cartilage lubrication test to elucidate the dependence of the friction properties on sliding velocity, axial load, and time, and establish conditions where a boundary mode of lubrication is dominant, and (2) determine the effects of synovial fluid (SF) on boundary lubrication using this test. Methods Fresh bovine osteochondral samples were analyzed in an annulus-on-disk rotational configuration, maintaining apposed articular surfaces in contact, to determine static ( μ static and μ static , N eq ) and kinetic (〈 μ kinetic 〉 and 〈 μ kinetic , N eq 〉 ) friction coefficients, each normalized to the instantaneous and equilibrium ( N eq ) normal loads, respectively. Results With increasing pre-sliding durations, μ static and μ static , N eq were similar, and increased up to 0.43±0.03 in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and 0.19±0.01 in SF, whereas 〈 μ kinetic 〉 and 〈 μ kinetic , N eq 〉 were steady. Over a range of sliding velocities of 0.1–1mm/s and compression levels of 18% and 24%, 〈 μ kinetic 〉 was 0.072±0.010 in PBS and 0.014±0.003 in SF, and 〈 μ kinetic , N eq 〉 was 0.093±0.005 in PBS and 0.018±0.002 in SF. Conclusions A boundary mode of lubrication was achieved in a cartilage-on-cartilage test configuration. SF functioned as an effective friction-lowering boundary lubricant for native articular cartilage surfaces.
Source Country Differences in the Spatial Distribution of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States

Statistical analysis of foreign direct investment in the United States reveals source country differences in interstate location. We relate these differences to the knowledge foreign investors have of the United States. Regression analysis indicates a significant concentration of foreign investment from individual countries in larger states and in border states. Worldwide investment in the United States does not show these preferences. Investment from Japan and Canada accounted for most of the interstate dispersal of foreign employment in the 1980s.
Trust in scientific experts on obesity: implications for awareness and behavior change.

Objective: To explore the relationship between public trust in scientific experts on obesity and public attention to nutrition recommendations, to investigate trust as a predictor of weight-related behaviors, and to identify the sociodemographic characteristics associated with high and low trust in scientific experts on obesity. Research Methods and Procedures: This analysis used survey data from two sources: 1) a 2005 Harvard School of Public Health Obesity Survey (N = 2033), and 2) the 2004 General Social Survey (N = 2812). Five outcome measures were used. Three were used to explore trust as a predictor of attention and weight-related behaviors. Two were used to identify the sociodemographic predictors of trust. Logistic regression analysis was used to model the outcome variables. Results: Trust in scientific experts was the strongest predictor of public attention to nutritional recommendations from scientific experts, but it was not directly related to weight-related behaviors. Public attention was significantly associated with two weight-related behaviors: tracking fruit and vegetable intake and exercise. Women and more educated individuals had significantly higher odds of trusting scientific experts. Characteristics associated with distrust in scientific experts included Hispanic race and older age (over 50). Discussion: Public health experts should work toward building trust as an important step in stemming the obesity epidemic. Further, more research is necessary to better understand the factors driving trust in scientific experts on obesity. A deeper insight in this area will certainly be of great benefit to obesity-related risk communication and potentially lead to positive behavior change.
Energy Relations in Cladophora Glomerata from Lake Erie

Abstract Photosynthesis and respiration measurements were made at lake temperatures with Cladophora glomerata collected from the eastern basin of Lake Erie. Although water temperatures varied from 10°C in May to almost 25°C in July, neither photosynthesis nor respiration showed any general increase in rates, even though there were wide daily fluctuations. Starch levels were low during the period of rapid growth but then increased until the time of sloughing. These data suggest that photosynthesis and respiration in Cladophora temperature-adapt and that a negative energy balance is not the cause of the mid-summer die-off.
Formulating strategic direction for a gated residential community

Purpose – Over the past two decades, a growing number of Americans have decided to live in gated residential communities. Academic research and case studies tend to focus on explaining this growth phenomenon from a range of perspectives, yet surprisingly little has been written about the preservation and growth of existing gated communities. In response to this gap in the literature, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of strategic planning as a means of addressing issues that pertain to sustaining and growing gated residential communities.Design/methodology/approach – This paper applies principles of strategic management to the process of planning for residential preservation and growth. The residential context is a golf‐focused gated community located in the mountains of western North Carolina. It uses focus groups as a qualitative means of identifying important strategic issues. These issues serve as the basis for designing a survey for community residents. The survey results provide qua...
Foundational explorations for a normative theory of political economy

I set out an individualistic and pragmatic choice framework for a normative theory of political economy, and argue that, given pluralism with respect to individual ends, a consensus on any political or economic institution presupposes that it is perceived to serve as a public means to private ends. Concerning the crucial question of the distribution of the benefits that political and economic cooperation can make possible, I argue that the various models typically employed—those pertaining to competitive market interaction, decision making under uncertainty, bargaining theory, and social choice theory—fail to provide for a stable consensus, i.e., one that is resistant to non-compliance and renegotiation. Since, however, such instabilities are mutually disadvantageous, these approaches fail to establish how rational individuals can capture all the gains that cooperation makes possible. Appealing to a modified version of the social-psychological construction that Rawls introduces in chapter 8 ofA Theory of Justice I argue that stability is a function of a perceived sense of mutual concern. I conclude by arguing that Rawls own egalitarian/efficiency principle gives natural expression to such a concern, and thus can serve as the object of a stable consensus.
Administration of IGF-I affects the GH axis and adolescent growth in normal monkeys

The present study examined the effects of IGF-I on serum concentrations of IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and GH and assessed how treatment with estradiol and IGF-I would stimulate adolescent growth in monkeys with normal pituitary function. In study I, ovariectomized, juvenile female rhesus monkeys (21 months of age; n = 6) received a bolus injection of IGF-I (1 mg/kg s.c.) and serum samples were collected periodically through 48 h. The consequential elevation in serum IGF-I resulted in a parallel increase in serum IGFBP-3 at 1 and 3 h after treatment with values returning to baseline by 7 h. In contrast, the elevation in serum IGF-I resulted in a significant decline in serum GH within 3 h of treatment. These data confirm that an elevation in IGF-I increases IGFBP-3 while simultaneously acting in a negative feedback capacity to inhibit GH. In study II, ovariectomized, juvenile female rhesus monkeys served either as controls (Con, n = 6) or received a constant s.c. infusion of IGF-I (300 micrograms/day; Igf, n = 6) from 13 through 32 months of age. At approximately 26 months, females entered an estradiol-treatment protocol in which they received alternating blocks of 3 weeks of estradiol followed by 3 weeks of no estradiol. As found in study I, the elevation in serum IGF-I resulted in a significant increase in serum IGFBP-3 throughout the study in Igf compared with Con females. Estradiol administration significantly increased serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels in both groups. Although the nano-molar ratio of IGF-I to IGFBP-3 was consistently higher in Igf females, the magnitude of the change in IGF-I:IGFBP-3 following estradiol treatment was similar between groups. Finally, the age-dependent increase in serum GH was dampened in Igf compared with Con females and the increase in response to estradiol was less in Igf females. Although total growth in crown-rump length was similar in both groups, Igf females grew more prior to estradiol replacement while Con females grew more once estradiol treatment was initiated. In addition, skeletal maturity was advanced more quickly in Igf females once estradiol treatment had been initiated. These data suggest that, in female monkeys with normal pituitary function, IGF-I administration inhibits endogenous GH secretion but is capable of stimulating crown-rump growth. Although IGF-I increased serum levels of IGFBP-3, the increase was not proportional to the increase in serum IGF-I achieved by the treatment. These data would suggest that IGF-I may regulate the release of this binding protein but that GH may be required to maintain equi-molar proportions of IGF-I to IGFBP-3. In addition, the observation that serum concentrations of IGF-I were increased further in IGF-I-treated females by the administration of estradiol without a change in serum GH, suggests that estradiol has a direct effect on IGF-I synthesis and release independent of GH.
Molecular dynamics of the bromochlorofluoromethanes in a right circularly polarized field

The liquid state molecular dynamics of the chiral bromochloro-fluoromethanes have been investigated with computer simulation under the influence of an external right circularly polarized field of force. The field promotes the existence direct in the laboratory frame of time cross correlation functions which have a different symmetry for the enantiomer and racemic mixture. This may be used to measure cross correlation functions indirectly through the experimental observation of laboratory frame differences between the dynamical properties of the enantiomer and racemic mixture in a right circularly polarized field.
High-Q FDSOI varactors for wireless radiation sensing

A high-Q radiation-sensitive varactor design based on fully-depeleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) for telemetric readout systems is described. A multi-finger device design is evaluated, and the design parameters for maximizing tuning range and quality factor are simulated. Varactors with L g = 300 nm and t SOI = 20 nm are found to provide 2.5∶1 capacitance tuning range and Q > 100 at ƒ = 1 GHz.
Performance status and outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting in persons aged 80 to 93 years.

Although coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) effectively eliminates or diminishes symptoms of myocardial ischemia, the overall performance status and functional outcome in elderly patients undergoing CABG is poorly documented. Therefore, 86 consecutive patients aged 80 to 93 years undergoing isolated CABG were reviewed. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative characteristics and pre- and postoperative performance status (Karnofsky score) were examined. Forty patients (47%) were women, and most patients had highly symptomatic coronary artery disease with class III or IV angina in 94% and unstable angina in 90%. Significant co-morbid disease was present in 49% of patients, and cardiac catheterization revealed left main or 3-vessel disease in 74% of patients. The rate of significant in-hospital complications was 29%, with infection in 14%, stroke in 9%, and respiratory failure in 8% being most frequent. Median performance status (Karnofsky score) improved from 20 to 70% (p = 0.0001) with 89% of hospital survivors being discharged home. Factors associated with failure to achieve a successful functional outcome at discharge were presence of 1 or more preoperative co-morbid conditions (p = 0.048), preoperative myocardial infarction within 7 days of operation (p < 0.01), and postoperative low cardiac output (p < 0.01). Survival at 30 days, 6 months, and 3 years were 90,78, and 64%, respectively. These data demonstrate that CABG can be offered to selected elderly patients with acceptable morbidity and mortality, marked improvement in performance status, and an acceptable quality of life.
Dietary Intake of Methionine, Cysteine, and Protein and Urinary Arsenic Excretion in Bangladesh

BackgroundIn Bangladesh, millions of people are exposed to arsenic in drinking water; arsenic is associated with increased risk of cancer. Once ingested, arsenic is metabolized via methylation and ...
POLYFUNCTIONAL DINITROPHENYL HAPTENS AS REAGENTS FOR ELICITATION OF IMMEDIATE TYPE ALLERGIC SKIN RESPONSES

Dinitrophenyl derivatives of differing molecular weights and degrees of substitution have been contrasted with respect to their ability to elicit immediate type allergic responses and their capacity to induce antibody formation in the guinea pig. In contradistinction to dinitrophenyl-proteins, bis-DNP-lysine and DNP-polylysines (including a 100,000 molecular weight derivative) failed to induce antibody detectable by guinea pig passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. Dinitrophenyl-polylysines evoked urticarial responses non-specifically, but after succinylation were about as effective as dinitrophenyl-proteins in eliciting specific cutaneous reactions. An important factor influencing the effectiveness of bis-DNP-lysine in evoking specific wheal-and-erythema responses is antibody affinity for the dinitrophenyl-lysyl determinant.
Measurement of Response Sets

Summary.-This report presents defensible procedures tor measuring Acquiescence and Social Desirability along with scales to measure these variables. Such scales are only slightly related; each is related to both test and non-test behavior. Such scales should be useful: (1) as marker variables in personality research, (2) as "response set" conrrols when studying the predictive validity of content variance of inventories, and (3) as measures of reliable characteristics of individuals. Recent p~iblications suggest an intense interest in the measurement and empirical significance of "response sets," particularly Acquiescence (Acq) and Social Desirability (SD). Although various scales have been devised for measuring such sets (Bass, 1956; Fricke, 1956; Edwards, 1957; Hanley, 1957), the rationale supporting these scales involves an assu~npcion which has not received adequate attention and which, in practice it would be most difficult to satisfy. In measuring Acq the rationale has been expressed by Webster (1958), ". . . if one scores a large number (say 200) of randomly selected true-false personality test items 'true,' the total score t will then be found to have rather good reliability, and in addition it will on logical grounds and operational grounds be a measure of 'tendency to answer true' on the test yielding scores t." For such a procedure to be jusrlfied, the "random selection" of items would have to be such that all testees were eqr~al on all factors (other than Acq) measured by the items. This writer has been unable to identify a universe of items from which such a sample of items could be selected. The purpose of this paper is to present alternative procedures for devising scales to measure Acq and SD along with data for the evaluation of such scales.
Thermalization of positronium in helium

A new Age-Momentum Correlation apparatus has been built for the purpose of studying Positronium-Gas scattering. This apparatus uses a HPGe detector to perform time-resolved Doppler Broadening Studies on positronium in a gas environment. With this information, the thermalization process can be studied by observing the energy as a function of time. Modelling the rate of thermalization can then be used to extract a momentum transfer cross-section. Improved data rate and energy resolution over previous measurements that used Doppler broadening methods have been obtained. More importantly, the simultaneous acquisition of both time and energy spectra allow for systematic checks that were not available to previous experiments. Preliminary results are presented. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Dose Dense Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate, Fluorouracil is Feasible at 14-Day Intervals: A Pilot Study of Every-14-Day Dosing as Adjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer

Purpose Cyclophosphamide/methotrexate/fluorouracil (CMF) is a proven adjuvant option for patients with early-stage breast cancer. Randomized trials with other regimens demonstrate that dose-dense (DD) scheduling can offer greater efficacy. We investigated the feasibility of administering CMF using a DD schedule.
Lack of prion accumulation in lymphoid tissues of PRNP ARQ/ARR sheep intracranially inoculated with the agent of scrapie

Sheep scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that can be transmitted horizontally. The prion protein gene (PRNP) profoundly influences the susceptibility of sheep to the scrapie agent and the tissue levels and distribution of PrPSc in affected sheep. The purpose of this study was to compare the survival time and PrPSc tissue distribution in sheep with highly resistant and highly susceptible PRNP genotypes after intracranial inoculation of the agent of scrapie. Five sheep each of genotype VRQ/VRQ, VRQ/ARR or ARQ/ARR were inoculated. Sheep were euthanized when clinical signs of scrapie became severe. Clinical signs, microscopic lesions, and western blot profiles were uniform across genotypes and consistent with manifestations of classical scrapie. Mean survival time differences were associated with the 171 polymorphic site with VRQ/VRQ sheep surviving 18 months, whereas VRQ/ARR and ARQ/ARR sheep survived 60 and 56 months, respectively. Labeling of PrPSc by immunohistochemistry revealed similar accumulations in central nervous system tissues regardless of host genotype. Immunoreactivity for PrPSc in lymphoid tissue was consistently abundant in VRQ/VRQ, present but confined to tonsil or retropharyngeal lymph node in 4/5 VRQ/ARR, and totally absent in ARQ/ARR sheep. The results of this study demonstrate the susceptibility of sheep with the ARQ/ARR genotype to scrapie by the intracranial inoculation route with PrPSc accumulation in CNS tissues, but prolonged incubation times and lack of PrPSc in lymphoid tissue.
SOME BASIC ASPECTS OF THE GERMAN DEBT SETTLEMENT

BY THE END of this year, after about twenty years of default, Germany is expected to make her first payments under a plan settling her whole prewar and postwar indebtedness. The settlement plan, based on recommendations of the Conference on German External Debts (London, February-August, 1952),' may prove, if everything goes well, to be an important landmark on the road toward restoring confidence in international lending. In keeping with its policy of rehabilitating and strengthening the new Federal Republic of Germany and with a view to integrating it economically with the Western world, the United States has taken a strong interest in the preparation and conclusion of the debt settlement, and has made magnanimous concessions on vital issues that have made the settlement possible. The London recommendations2 have been incorporated into an Intergovernmental Agreement signed on February 27, 1953,3 by the Federal Republic of Germany and eighteen creditor governments, including the three Western occupying powers, with other
On a test of equality of several exponential survival distributions

The exact distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic for testing the equality of p one-parameter exponential populations is obtained in a computational form. Tables of 5% and 1% significance points are given for p =3(1)6. An asymptotic expansion in terms of a beta distribution is also given.
Polarizing light microscopy of intestine and its relationship to mechanical behaviour

The polarizing optical microscope has been used to observe morphologically the effect of stress on rat and bovine intestine. Collagen fibres about 6 micrometers in diameter were found to be biaxially oriented at approximately +30 degrees and -30 degrees to the longitudinal direction. The fibres are arranged in layers with the fibres in each layer densely packed in parallel undulating arrays. The undulations give rise to the extinction pattern observed in the polarizing optical microscope. The initial response to stress is straightening of the fibres. Gradual straightening of the fibres is related to the increasing stiffness of the tissue observed in the stress--strain relationship. Once the fibres ares straightened, the biaxial orientation of the fibres produces higher strength in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction. This organization of intestinal collagen fibres has not been reported previously and is not observed in other biaxial tissues such as skin and aorta. Thus, intestine is a unique tissue for studying the relationship of mechanical behaviour to structure and organization of collagen.
MicroRNAs and their roles in mammalian stem cells.

Discovered in Caenorhabditis elegans in 1993, microRNAs (miRNAs) make up a novel class of tiny, ~21–24 nucleotide, non-coding RNA species. Since its identification as a key component of a broadly conserved mechanism that regulates gene expression post-transcriptionally, the miRNA pathway has emerged as one of the most extensively investigated pathways of the past decade. Because of their potential to regulate a large number of protein-encoding genes, miRNAs have been implicated in numerous biological processes, including development, stem cell regulation and human diseases. In this Commentary, we focus on miRNAs and their roles in mammalian stem cells. Following an introduction to the miRNA biogenesis pathway with an emphasis on its regulatory features, we then discuss what is currently known about the roles that miRNAs have in the differentiation and maintenance of embryonic and somatic stem cells of diverse origins. In particular, their roles in stem cell differentiation have been well documented. Insights from these studies provide a paradigm for the function of miRNAs in facilitating cellular transitions during differentiation. By contrast, the roles that miRNAs have in the maintenance of stem cells are less well understood. However, with recent advances, their role as a rheostat that fine-tunes stem cell self-renewal has begun to emerge. Finally, we discuss future studies that will hopefully lead to a comprehensive understanding of the miRNA pathway in stem cells.
A discrete mass transportation problem for infinitely many sites, and general representant systems for infinite families

A discrete mass transportation problem, studied by Kellerer, is extended to the case of infinitely many sites. An application to general representant systems is given, which generalizes M. Hall's extension of P. Hall's theorem to the case of infinite families of sets.
Lower rim mono-functionalization of resorcinarenes

A versatile, scaleable, one step synthesis of a lower rim mono-functionalized resorcinarene is described.
Development of a High-Efficiency Cascaded Thermoelectric Module

This paper describes progress toward the development of a cascaded thermoelectric module capable of an efficiency of 10 percent. The integration of the module with an isotope heat source to provide a long-life high-efficiency space power system is discussed. The basic concept chosen to meet the efficiency objective consists of SiGe elements metallurgically bonded to an interstage plate which in turn serves as the hot plate for a PbTe stage. The PbTe stage uses segmented elements contained in a gas-filled hermetically sealed enclosure. The fabrication techniques developed to minimize extraneous temperature drops between the two stages and attain a mechanically stable module are described. The design leads to an efficiency in excess of 10 percent with the module operated between 1840 and 400°F. Performance testing of a 20-watt module is discussed and the results compared to the design values.
Role of initial conditions in unstably stratified hydrogen-air mixing zones

Abstract Characterization of the transient development of flammability zones from hydrogen leakage is often investigated through computational fluid dynamics simulation in order to predict the onset of hazardous ignition conditions. Without explicit consideration given to the effect of the initial conditions however, the generality of these efforts to predict the time-dependent mixing may suffer. In the present work, simulations of unstably-stratified hydrogen and air with various initial conditions allow the quantification of sensitivity of hydrogen dispersion to initial conditions. Development of turbulent mixing between a binary hydrogen-air system and propagation of flammability zones is studied using third-order accurate implicit large-eddy simulation. We find large wavelengths in the initial conditions contribute to faster propagation of the fuel first-arrival boundary and lower flammability envelope–important when considering accidental ignition. The results provide data necessary for predictive mix models of flammability zones propagation within enclosures.
Interpretation of small-angle light-scattering maxima of single-oriented microparticles

He–Ne laser scattering intensity distributions to approximately 10° have been obtained for a class of single-oriented semiopaque pollen species 20 to 100 μm in size. Because of the three-dimensional structure of the particle, pattern centrosymmetry fails initially at low scattering angles where particle diffraction intensity dominates. Thus the flat-particle assumption used to interpret randomly oriented particle scattering is not strictly applicable to oriented particles. Nevertheless, Fraunhofer diffraction from the flat particle is on the average a good approximation to the position and shape of at least the first several intensity maxima.
Paediatric asthma and obesity

Summary None of the explanations proposed for the increase in paediatric asthma have been adequate. It is becoming apparent that the cause of the increase in asthma must be multi-factorial. Increasing attention has been focused on the role of lifestyle in the development of asthma. Lifestyle changes that have occurred in children are those in diet and decreased physical activity, with obesity being the product of these changes. The increase in asthma, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle have occurred together. However, a temporal relationship between asthma, obesity and decreased physical activity has not been determined in the paediatric literature. Limited data suggest that decreased physical activity could be playing a role in the aetiology of asthma independent of obesity. Furthermore, there has been substantial research on the benefits of exercise programmes for paediatric patients with asthma. Longitudinal trials monitoring physical activity, obesity and the development of asthma are needed.
Precision energy measurement of γ rays from short-lived activities

Abstract In the precision energy measurement using Ge(Li) detectors of a γ ray emitted following a short-lived β activity there are several problems encountered which are not usually of consequence. We consider two of them. First, when using the mixed source technique, the counting rate and the fraction of counts due to the short lived activity will decrease during the counting cycle and any count rate dependence of the system gain will lead to an error. Second, short lifetimes are usually accompanied by large β-energies and the associated Doppler effects must be considered. As an example, the energy of the γ ray from the first-excited state of 11 B was determined after formation via the β − -decay of 13.8 s 11 Be. The result is (2124.473±0.027) keV.
RTS and 1/f Noise in Flash Memory

This work investigates the RTS noise in Flash memory from the perspective of a single cell. In this study, RTS noise in a cell is measured in the frequency domain instead of time domain to increase the efficient identification of individual RTS traps over a broader range of trap lifetime, from seconds to mus in comparison to the conventional time domain approach which typically identifies traps with ms lifetimes at shortest. By converting the frequency domain parameters back to their time domain counterparts, the trap location in the tunneling oxide can be characterized. This work also revisits the relationship between RTS and 1/f noise of flash cells and investigates the change of RTS noise after P/E cycling.
Magnetic effects associated with chemical changes in igneous rocks

Experimental evidence and theory indicate that chemical changes occur in many igneous rocks at sufficiently low temperatures to significantly affect the remanent magnetization. Some chemical changes lead to self-reversals of magnetization that are not reproducible in laboratory experiments. Such self-reversals appear to be very rare in subaerially-erupted basalts, but they probably are much more common in some other rock types, such as granites and diorites. The stability of the natural remanent magnetization in igneous rocks can be decreased, left unaltered, or increased by chemical changes. In addition, chemical changes will usually affect the intensity of magnetization in a rock; the intensity can increase, decrease, or (rarely) be left unaltered by a chemical change. Such changes are important to consider in the development of improved techniques for obtaining reliable estimates of the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field in the past and in correctly interpreting marine magnetic anomalies. Finally, experiments and theory are presented which suggest that many of the chemical changes in igneous rocks will only occasionally produce significant changes in the direction of the magnetization.
Microbial transformation of heterocyclic molecules in deep subsurface sediments.

Recently attempts have been made to establish the presence and to determine the metabolic versatility of microorganisms in the terrestrial deep subsurface at the Savannah River Plant, Aiken, SC, USA. Sediment samples obtained at 20 different depths of up to 526 m were examined to determine carbon mineralization under aerobic, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic conditions. The evolution of14CO2 from radiolabelled glucose was observed under aerobic conditions in all sediments, whereas pyridine was transformed in 50% of the 20 sediments and indole was metabolized in 85% of the sediments. Glucose mineralization in certain sediments was comparable to that in the surface environment. Sulfate was reduced in only five sediments, and two were carbon limited. Methane production was detected in ten sediments amended with formate only after long-term incubations. The transformation of indole and pyridine was only rarely observed under sulfate-reducing conditions and was never detected in methanogenic incubations. This study provides information concerning the metabolic capability of both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms in the deep subsurface and may prove useful in determining the feasibility of microbial decontamination of such environments.
Systematic desensitization treatment of a recurring nightmare and related insomia

Abstract A case of a recurring nightmare and related insomia was treated by systematic desensitization using Brevital as the relaxing agent. A portion of the nightmare was treated as a simple phobia. The nightmare and insomnia disappeared after 11 treatment sessions. Four weekly interviews following the termination of treatment and subsequent 6-month and 2-yr assessment interviews revealed no evidence of the recurrence of the nightmare or insomnia.
Application of the selective atom diffraction method to the cation distribution in high Tc bismuth cuprates

Abstract The bismuth distribution over the cation planes in the 2212 BiSrCaCuO superconductor has been determined with synchrotron radiation anomalous scattering at the Bi absorption edge. The expressions used are based on the differential structure factor , which is expressed directly in terms of the parameters of the anomalous scatterers. Analysis of 154 pairs of reflections at wavelengths of 0.9243 and 0.9600 A lead to a 5(1)% bismuth occupancy of the Sr sites and a 6(1)% occupancy of the Ca sites in the 2212 BiSrCaCuO phase. Subsequent refinement of the conventional X-ray data on the same sample indicate a deficiency of Sr in the SrO planes. The results correspond to the stoichiometry Bi 2.15 Sr 1.92 Ca 0.75 Cu 2 O 8.1 , and an average valency of 2.21(4) for the Cu atoms, and indicate that cation vacancies significantly contribute to the hole concentration in the copper-oxygen planes. Experiments on a Pb-doped sample of the Ca-containing 2201 phase at 0.9 × 513 and 0.9624 A show the lead atoms to substitute for bismuth. No evidence is found for preferential location of Pb at the Sr sites.
Terrorism research and the diffusion of ideas

The diffusion of ideas about contemporary terrorism is analyzed using a sociology of science methodology. One of the most common means of creating understandings of a phenomenon is the development and diffusion of ideas that influence the positions adopted by a wide range of actors, including government bureaucrats and decision makers, legislative and corporate bodies, and the public. How did terrorism researchers interact with these actors to construct, maintain, and modify the development and perception of contemporary terrorism? How were the ideas diffused and what impact did they have on policymakers? Did the invisible college of terrorism researchers function as an epistemic community? These questions are analyzed using an integrated research strategy that employs a number of techniques and data sources such as bibliometrics, content analysis, and citation analysis of selected terrorism research publications, biographies, and conferences, and on-line tracing of researchers’ affiliations, participations, and collaborations.
Synthesis and critical study of sampled-data control systems

In the last few years, there have been few papers1?9 which discuss methods of analysis and synthesis of sampled-data control systems. In this paper it is shown that the z-transform method is the best as applied to the design of such systems. The z-transform method yields information only on the response of the system at sampling instants. Certain methods have been introduced which modify the z-transform method to obtain information on the system's behavior between sampling instants. All these proposed methods are mainly directed for analysis purposes. However, none is applied for design procedures which can be consolidated with the z-transform method. In this work, the modified1 z-transform method is further extended and applied for synthesis procedures. It is believed that the method chosen is best applicable for the design of sampled-data control systems. Both the frequency-response and the root-locus approach with the use of this modified z-transform method are discussed. Furthermore, the effect of pole and zero location on the transient response of sampled-data systems is investigated, and certain information on the response obtained.