cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ROCKET CASING BEHAVIOR PREDICTED BY LABORATORY TESTS

Yielding in rocket casings was found to be a function not only of stress state, but also of geometry. The cylindrical section of a thin-walled pressure vessel obeyed the von Mises criterion for yielding and the geometrical instability criterion for fracture. The heads of the vessel did not exhibit yielding at the level predicted by the von Mises criterion. Localized thinning also had little effect upon the overall strain and fracture level. These anomalous behaviors were predicted by laboratory flat-plate bulge tests made with various stress fields applied to the plates. The behavior is explained by the different geometrical instabilities applicable and the manner of buildup of strain throughout a large section to achieve a specific level of strain at the local area being considered.
Chemical Stability of Pentoxifylline in a Topical Cream

The chemical stability of pentoxifylline in a topical cream was studied using a previously reported stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic assay method. The concentrations of the drug were directly related to peak heights. The percent relative standard deviation based on five injections was 0.3. The simple procedure that was developed for the extraction of the drug from the cream has been reported. The excipients present in the commercially available cream base did not interfere with the assay method. The topical cream was stable for at least 62 days when stored in white opaque ointment jars (plastic) at room temperature. The physical appearance of the cream did not change during the study period.
The Hsp90-Based Protein Trafficking System and Linkage to Protein Quality Control

Through their interaction with ligand-binding folding clefts in natively folded proteins, Hsp90 and Hsp70 affect the trafficking and turnover of several hundred signalling proteins. These chaperones each contain C-terminal acceptor sites that bind proteins containing tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains. The interaction of Hsp90 with TPR domain immunophilins, such as FKBP52, accounts for Hsp90-based trafficking, and the binding of the ubiquitin E3 ligase CHIP via a TPR domain to Hsp70 mediates proteasomal degradation. The TPR domain immunophilins link via their peptidylprolyl isomerase domains to the dynamitin component of the dynein motor system for retrograde trafficking. Hsp90 stabilizes an open state of ligand binding clefts, and when Hsp90 can no longer interact because cleft opening proceeds to nascent unfolding with exposure of hydrophobic protein interior, Hsp70/CHIP-dependent ubiquitination occurs. In this way the Hsp90/Hsp70-based chaperone machinery plays a key role in the triage of damaged and aberrant proteins for degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. We use the example of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, an androgen-dependent neurodegenerative disorder caused by an aberrant androgen receptor with an expanded polyglutamine repeat, to illustrate how trafficking and protein quality control are mechanistically and spatially integrated functions of the Hsp90/Hsp70-based chaperone machinery.
Contamination Control and Etch

Clean and etch processes are used to selectively remove organic and inorganic materials from patterned and unpatterned substrate surfaces. When a process is used to remove particulates or unwanted films, it is called cleaning. When a film which was intentionally deposited or grown is removed, the process is called etching. If implemented in a liquid form, these processes are referred to as wet cleaning or etching. Processes that use gases to remove materials by momentum transfer, or by plasma or photo assisted chemical reactions are called dry cleaning or etching. This chapter discusses wet and dry clean and etch processes used in the manufacture of submicron semiconductor devices.
Use of iodine for improving phase quantification using x-ray tomography

Abstract X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been used to quantify pore structure and crack characterization in cementitious materials. However, similar contrast (greyscale values) of the hydration products in the reconstructed image volume has limited the ability to quantify these phases, and this remains a significant need to further the impact of this experimental method. The goal of this research was to improve the ability to quantify synthesized hydration products by incorporating a contrast agent to improve segmentation between the four main hydration products in portland cement; C-S-H, calcium hydroxide (CH), monosulfate (AFm), and ettringite (AFt). Pure C-S-H, CH, and AFt, and a pure and modified AFm, with iodine as a contrast agent, were synthesized for investigation by x-ray CT. Multi-energy scans were used to isolate individual phases using a synchrotron radiation facility. Using iodine as a contrast agent resulted in accurate quantification of the four main hydration products.
Geriatric brain tumor management part I: Meningioma.

Abstract Life expectancy continues to rise exponentially. The concept of frailty has emerged as a tool helping to gauge overall health status and risk of adverse events in aging patients, has shown to exhibit a linear relationship with poor survival in the elderly. Multiple pathologies have different genetic, radiographic, clinical and prognostic characteristics in the elderly, responding differently to various treatment modalities and thus present as unique clinical entities, not properly represented in large – guidelines generating studies. We present a two parts review discussing the unique features of the elderly patient harboring an intracranial neoplasm. In this Part-I, we review the management of benign meningioma in the elderly population. Meningioma is the second most common primary brain tumor. The risk of developing meningioma increases dramatically after 65 years of age. Predicting a specific meningioma’s growth pattern and clinical behavior is impossible. Clinicians must choose between GTR with associated morbidity/ mortality, SRS or a combined AHS approach, since progression rates after STR are high. Several scoring systems attempt to offer risk stratification in meningiomas (five systems presented). The most comprehensive and validated GSS (for both resection and SRS) offers the opportunity for intervention, with potentially modifiable parameters.
Integrating Practical and Epistemic Actors: Co-Constructing a Knowledge Organization System to Address Housing Insecurity in West Philadelphia

In response to colonial legacies of divisiveness and paternalism underpinning the development of knowledge organization systems (KOS) and thus impeding their appeal, accessibility, and usefulness to diverse stakeholders (Castleden, Morgan, and Lamb, 2012), this case study explores the challenges and opportunities inherent to the design of a malleable, sustainable KOS as part of an mHealth tool called Map the Gap. Map the Gap intends to reduce the burden of housing insecurity in West Philadelphia. By examining the active cultivation of communal ties between the “epistemic” and “practical” actors (Callon, 4, 2004) who substantiate Map the Gap, as well as the sociotechnical infrastructure which shapes and is shaped by such ties, the processes of collaboration underpinning functionality decisions are delineated. This paper reflects on the way KOS sociotechnical structures defy and challenge traditional academic and community models of research and development, thus requiring a unique, temporally-conscious embracement of select and dynamic collaborations. By elucidating and evaluating the considerations and practices central to Map the Gap, we seek to yield a template for cultivating healthy KOS sociotechnical structures.
Sadness in Youth: Socialization, Regulation, and Adjustment

Sadness is considered to be one of the basic human emotions and is elicited in response to experiences of loss (Ekman, Psychol Rev 99(3):550–553, 1992). The action tendencies associated with sadness are to withdraw but also to signal to others that support is needed (Campos et al., Dev Psychol 25(3):394–402, 1989). The role of social and cultural contexts is key in shaping children’s emerging sadness management skills. As such, parents are considered the earliest socializers of children’s sadness regulation, and they influence the ways in which children learn how, where, and to whom they express their sadness (Saarni, The development of emotional competence. Guilford Press, New York, 1999). A growing body of research indicates that peers are also influential in imparting norms concerning sadness expression. One proposed mediator of the relation between sadness socialization and psychosocial adjustment is children’s sadness regulation, as socialization processes facilitate or impede children’s learning of effective emotion regulation strategies. Accordingly, this chapter reviews the extant research examining parent and peer socialization of sadness and its relations to social and psychological functioning, with attention also paid to the development of sadness regulation in children and adolescents. We conclude by offering suggestions for future research directions to address gaps in the literature.
Sex as a biological variable in the rat model of diisopropylfluorophosphate-induced long-term neurotoxicity

Sex differences in response to neurotoxicant exposure that initiates epileptogenesis are understudied. We used telemetry-implanted male and female adult rats exposed to an organophosphate (OP) neurotoxicant, diisopropylflourophosphate (DFP), to test sex differences in the severity of status epilepticus (SE) and the development of spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS). Females had significantly less severe SE and decreased epileptiform spikes compared with males, although females received a higher dose of DFP than males. The estrous stages had no impact on seizure susceptibility, but rats with severe SE had a significantly prolonged diestrus. A previously demonstrated disease-modifying agent, an inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, 1400W, was tested in both sexes. None of the eight males treated with 1400W developed convulsive SRS during 4 weeks post-DFP exposure, while two of seven females developed convulsive SRS. Concerning gliosis and neurodegeneration, there were region-specific differences in the interaction between sex and SE severity. As SE severity influences epileptogenesis, and as females had significantly less severe SE, sex as a biological variable should be factored into the design of future OP nerve agent experiments while evaluating neurotoxicity and optimizing potential disease-modifying agents.
Neonatal Meningitis Mechanisms and Implications in Adult Life

Neonatal meningitis (NM) is a serious infectious disease that accounts for elevated mortality and morbidity rates in low- and middle-income countries. Despite decreased mortality rates due to the advancement in antimicrobial therapy, the incidence of morbidity has not reduced; rather a decrease in mortality increases the number of survivors after NM. Nearly half of all meningitis survivors suffer from complex neurological or neuropsychiatric sequelae later in life. Neurologists and microbiologists are continuously searching to improve the quality of life after this dreadful infection. The experimental NM demonstrated positive effects of various pharmacological approaches using antioxidants, matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) inhibitors, kynurenine metabolites inhibitors, and antidepressants in addition to antibiotics and supportive therapy. To understand the long-term complications after NM, it is necessary to have profound knowledge of the mechanisms behind its pathology. Hence, in this chapter, we aim to enumerate experimental neonatal and infant meningitis models and enlist possible mechanisms associated with behavioral alterations. We also demonstrate the links between NM, inflammatory mediators, and brain injuries in clinical studies. This chapter will also highlight currently available effective therapy to reduce neurological complications and discuss the possible treatment regimen in the future.
The Small, Inventory Free Retail Format: The Impact on Consumer-Based Brand Equity and Purchase Behavior

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of brand experience, as conceptualized by Brakus, Schmidt, and Zarantonello’s (2009), in fostering Consumer Based Brand Equity (CBBE) elements associated with the new store format and their impact on consequent purchase intentionthrough multiple retail channels. A survey sent to a national sample of female consumers regarding Nordstrom Local, a small, inventory-free retail store in the U.S., resulted in 406 usable responses. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships among variables where nine of the ten proposed hypotheses were supported. The findings of this study support that the brand experience of a small, inventory-free retail format can be effective in fostering CBBE, which has a positive impact on purchase intention. Furthermore, patronizing a small, inventory-free retail format appears to influence purchase intention consummated through the retailer’s other channels. This appears to be the first empirical study to explore the impact of the small, inventory-free retail format on consumer responses. The findings may aid industry professionals in identifying successful strategies that appeal to changing preferences of today’s consumer.
Health Benefits of Electrifying Chicago's Municipal Vehicle Fleet

Abstract Background Approximately 100 000 American citizens die prematurely each year from air pollution exposure. To lower ambient pollution and co-emitted greenhouse gases, some cities have enacted vehicle electrification policies. In this study, we aimed to simulate changes in atmospheric composition due to the electrification of Chicago's municipal vehicle fleet and quantify the corresponding health and climate benefits of this policy. Methods We simulated air quality at the neighbourhood scale (1·3 × 1·3 km) over the Chicago metropolitan area using the coupled Weather Research Forecast and Community Multiscale Air Quality Modelling System chemistry-climate model. We modified the 2014–16 National Emissions Inventory to create input emissions for baseline and electric vehicle adoption scenarios in Summer (August 2018) and Winter (January 2019) months. In the electric vehicle adoption scenario, we removed combustion products of the municipal vehicle fleet (school buses, transit buses, and refuse trucks) from the emissions data. To quantify the health effects of electric vehicle adoption, we calculated the difference in health response between the baseline and electrification scenarios by use of a suite of health response functions. Findings We found that fleet electrification reduced CO2 emissions (–1·4%) and NO2 concentrations (–1·0%) while modestly increasing O3 concentrations (+0·3%). Monthly average NO2 reductions were found in high-density areas and along interstate highways, whereas O3 increases were more prominent in the Chicagoland suburbs. Particulate matter changes were modest and spatially heterogenous. The pollutant changes resulted in both positive and negative health outcomes that were largely off setting. Interpretation The inverse relationship between O3 and NO2 is known as the “weekend effect”, in which the removal of NO2 results in an increase in O3 due to titration in volatile organic compound-limited environments. This relationship is particularly evident over the highways, where excess NO2 reduces O3 concentrations. The decision to electrify vehicles should consider air quality changes in addition to CO2 due to complicating chemical interactions within urban environments. Funding Ubben Program for Carbon and Climate Science at Northwestern University, US National Science Foundation.
The BNT162b2 vaccine is associated with lower new COVID-19 cases in nursing home residents and staff.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine on preventing the spread of COVID-19 and deaths in nursing homes (NH) is unknown. DESIGN: We used zero-inflated negative binomial mixed effects regressions to model the associations of time since the vaccine clinic ending the week of December 27, 2020 (cohort 1), January 3, 2021 (cohort 2), or January 10, 2021 (cohort 3) controlling for county rate of COVID-19, bed size, urban location, racial and ethnic census, and level of registered nurses with resident cases and deaths of COVID-19 and staff cases of COVID-19. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: All 2501 NHs who held a vaccine clinic from the first 17 states to initiate clinics as part of the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program. MAIN OUTCOME(S) AND MEASURE(S): Adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) for time in 3, 4, 5, and 6 weeks after the first vaccine clinic for resident cases and deaths of COVID-19 and staff cases of COVID-19. RESULTS: Resident and staff cases trended downward in all three cohorts following the vaccine clinics. Time following the first clinic at 5 and 6 weeks was consistently associated with fewer resident cases (IRR: 0.68 [95% CI: 0.54-0.84], IRR: 0.64 [95% CI: 0.48-0.86], respectively); resident deaths (IRR: 0.59 [95% CI: 0.45-0.77], IRR: 0.45 [95% CI: 0.31-0.65], respectively); and staff cases (IRR: 0.64 [95% CI: 0.56-0.73], IRR: 0.51 [95% CI: 0.42-0.62], respectively). Other factors associated with fewer resident and staff cases included facilities with less than 50 certified beds and high nurse staffing per resident day (>0.987). Contrary to prior research, higher Hispanic non-white resident census was associated with fewer resident cases (IRR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.31-0.56) and deaths (IRR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.12-0.27). CONCLUSIONS: The BNT162b2 vaccine is associated with decreased spread of SARS-CoV-2 in both residents and staff as well as decreased deaths among residents.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase and Methionine Synthase: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase catalyze the penultimate and ultimate steps in the biosynthesis of methionine in prokaryotes, and are required for the regeneration of the methyl group of methionine in mammals. Defects in either of these enzymes can lead to hyperhomocysteinemia. The sequences of the human methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and methionine synthase are now known, and show clear homology with their bacterial analogues. Mutations in both enzymes that are known to occur in humans and to be associated with hyperhomocysteinemia affect residues that are conserved in the bacterial enzymes. Structure/function studies on the bacterial proteins, summarized in this review, are therefore relevant to the function of the human enzymes; in particular studies on the effects of bacterial mutations analogous to those causing hyperhomocysteinemia in human may shed light on the defects associated with these mutations.
Imaging Studies from a Large Volume High Resolution Cadmium Zinc Telluride Preclinical PET System

This work presents the initial imaging studies for a large volume CZT preclinical PET system. Two full heads of the final four-headed box-shaped system have been constructed with each head composed of 24 CZT crystals; each crystal is of size 40 × 40 × 5 mm3 with sets of orthogonal anode and cathode electrode strips deposited on opposite sides of the crystals. Crystals are paired to form modules with an anode-cathode-cathode-anode configuration. Each CZT crystal has 39 anode strips and 38 electrodes. Anode strips are 100 µm wide with a 1 mm pitch, and steering electrode are 400 µm wide. The cathode side of the detector module is composed of 8 strips which are 4.9 mm wide with a pitch of 5 mm. Photons enter the crystal in an “edge-on” orientation and pass through the 5×40 mm2 edge, which results in a detection efficiency equivalent to that of 2 cm of LSO scintillator. The readout of the cathode and anode strips are supported by custom front end electronics designed around a readout ASIC. This configuration has 3,456 readout channels with an effective 1,872 anode channels and 384 cathode channels. In this work, we imaged a multi-well multi-isotope phantom composed of various activities of FDG and Co-55 ranging from 50 to 100 µCi. The CNR of a 100 µCi FDG well against background was measured to 33.48.
Longitudinal analysis of cardiac abnormalities in pediatric patients with sickle cell anemia and effect of hydroxyurea therapy

Cardiac abnormalities such as left ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular dilation, and pulmonary hypertension in sickle cell anemia have been previously described. Hydroxyurea, a disease-modifying therapy for sickle cell anemia, has been used for several decades. Longitudinal assessment of echocardiographic abnormalities in children and young adults with sickle cell anemia receiving hydroxyurea therapy is lacking. The goal of this retrospective study was to determine the prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities in children and young adults with sickle cell anemia and to examine the effects of hydroxyurea on reverse cardiac remodeling. We reviewed the records of patients with sickle cell anemia who underwent routine cardiac screening at Cohen Children's Medical Center between 2010 and 2017, followed by retrospective longitudinal analysis of echocardiograms performed on patients receiving treatment with hydroxyurea. Data on a total of 100 patients with sickle cell anemia were analyzed; 60 (60%) were being treated with hydroxyurea. Twenty-five (41.6%) of the patients on hydroxyurea had been treated for 1 year. Serial echocardiograms of patients receiving hydroxyurea were then analyzed. Left ventricular dilation and hypertrophy improved significantly with hydroxyurea treatment. In addition, the left ventricular volume and mass correlated negatively with duration of treatment with hydroxyurea. Our study provides evidence that prolonged hydroxyurea therapy may lead to reverse cardiac remodeling. Future studies should attempt to follow up this patient cohort for a longer duration.
Vertical Fiscal Gaps and Economic Performance: A Theoretical Review and an Empirical Meta-Analysis

How can policymakers reform US federalism for better economic performance? This paper focuses on vertical fiscal gaps: the proportion of subcentral government expenditure funded by central government grants and shared revenue over which subcentral governments lack autonomous control. On one hand, public finance theories show that central grants to subcentral governments can serve a useful purpose in aligning subcentral incentives to public welfare. On the other hand, political economy logic predicts that these grant programs will be a tempting target for rent-seeking politics, harming economic performance. To settle the theoretical conflict, it is necessary to investigate the evidence on the economic effects of vertical fiscal gaps in federal democracies. That evidence shows that, among federal democracies like the United States, vertical fiscal gaps lead to higher subcentral and overall government debt and spending. Moreover, in the United States, cost-sharing grants appear to promote a higher state and local tax burden, and transfers also undermine voter knowledge and public-sector efficiency. These findings are more consistent with political economy theories than with the traditional publicfinance view. Although intergovernmental transfers may sometimes be appropriate, the evidence suggests that in the United States the greater risk comes from their overuse. This paper derives policy implications for the United States.
“Then We Show Ourselves”: Resisting Immigration in Party of Five Reboot

Under the Trump administration, entertainment media has served as a means of resistance and an educational tool for audiences through storytelling. This chapter examines the recent reboot of Party of Five, which follows five Mexican siblings as they survive together after their parents were deported to Mexico. Drawing on transnational feminist studies, the authors used critical discourse analysis to explore the series and found three main discourses: (1) Community Building as Outsiders, (2) Gendered Intersections, and (3) Race and Non-Western Resistance. The show’s usage of US immigration and foreign policy serves as a backdrop and allows for complex storylines to disrupt the mainstream narrative.
Unrecognized clozapine-related constipation leading to fatal intra-abdominal sepsis – a case report

Clozapine is the preferred antipsychotic used for the treatment of resistant schizophrenia with suicidal ideation. The drug is started at a low dose and gradually increased to a target dose of 300–450 mg/day. It is well known to cause agranulocytosis and neutropenia. Several cases of fatal sepsis have been reported in neutropenic patients and emphasis is placed on monitoring for agranulocytosis; however, clozapine also causes intestinal hypomotility and constipation, which if unrecognized can lead to intestinal obstruction, bowel necrosis, and intra-abdominal sepsis. Reduced behavioral pain reactivity in schizophrenics may alter the ability to express pain, potentially leading to a delay in the presentation for medical attention. We report a case of fatal intra-abdominal sepsis secondary to an unrecognized case of clozapine-related constipation.
The Effect of Provision Points on Generic Advertising Funding

Generic advertising promotes the general qualities of a product category and, therefore, benefits all firms in the category. Recent examples of such campaigns organized through voluntary contributions by firms are found in the Life Insurance, (“It's 1998. You're Dead. What Do You Do Now?”) and Steel industries (“The New Steel. Feel the Strength.”).
Measurement: a blueprint for theory-building in MIS

Abstract This paper provides a methodology for validating measures used in MIS research. In the absence of any referent disciplines upon which to base the development of a measure, the appropriate method would be to refine the instrument through a series of validation checks. We describe a procedure that accomplishes this function. The methodology consists of combining three statistical methods, namely, principal components analysis or exploratory factor analysis, multitrait- multimethod analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. The use of these three conforms to the notion of triangulation in research methods. The user information satisfaction measure is employed to illustrate the application of our methodology. We feel that such cumulative testing gives information system researchers a valuable tool for theory-building.
Vaccination against lyme disease with recombinant Borrelia burgdorferi outer-surface protein A (rOspA) in horses.

Eight 1-year-old ponies were vaccinated with recombinant OspA (ospA gene derived from B. burgdorferi B31) with adjuvant (aluminium hydroxide). Four ponies were used as non-vaccinated controls with adjuvant. One hundred and twelve days after the first vaccination, the vaccinated and non-vaccinated ponies were challenged by exposure to B. burgdorferi-infected adults tick (Ixodes scapularis) collected from Westchester County, New York (tick infection rate ≥60%). Protection from infection was evaluated by culture for B. burgdorferi from three monthly skin biopsies taken near the site of tick bites. B. burgdorferi was not isolated from any of the vaccinated ponies. In contrast, three of four control ponies challenged by tick exposure were skin culture positive. At the time of tick exposure, vaccinated ponies had antibody to B. burgdorferi demonstrable by KELA (kinetic-ELISA), western blot and a serum growth inhibition assay. Antibodies in the challenge control ponies were only detectable by two to three months after tick exposure and remained at intermediate levels until termination of the study. By western blot analysis, antibodies to OspA first appeared in the sera of vaccinated ponies three weeks after the first vaccination. The absence of additional bands, known to develop when the animal is infected, suggests that infection was blocked after tick exposure of vaccinated ponies. Results from this study show that vaccination with recombinant OspA protected ponies against infection after experimental challenge with B. burgdorferi-infected ticks.
Development and validation of an instrument to measure Attitudes Toward Sexist/Nonsexist Language

Despite documented, negative effects of sexist language, some people still strongly oppose inclusive language. Their attitudes need study, but existing measures of attitude lack comprehensiveness or validity. This paper reports construction and validation of the 42-item Inventory of Attitudes Toward Sexist/Nonsexist Language (IASNL), which is based on a conceptual framework related to beliefs about language, recognition of sexist language, and willingness to use inclusive language. Four studies tested the IASNL's content validity (9 content experts, 329 other participants), construct validity, and reliability (31 advocates of inclusive language, 298 additional respondents). Cronbach alphas were high and validity measures were strong. Two short forms of the IASNL were also created—the IASNL-General and the IASNL-Sport. The IASNL-General is in the Appendix.
On the nonuniqueness of sediment yield at the catchment scale: The effects of soil antecedent conditions and surface shield

The understanding of reasons leading to nonuniqueness of soil erosion susceptibility is still inadequate, yet indispensable for establishing general relations between runoff volume and sediment yield. To obtain relevant insights, we performed a series of numerical simulations with a detailed hydrodynamic model using synthetic storms of varying intensity, duration, and lag time between events as representations of different hydrologic response conditions in a zero-order catchment. The design targeted to generate surface flow and “perturb” soil substrate by a first rainfall event, creating a set of initial conditions in terms of flow and deposited sediment prior to the onset of a subsequent rainfall event. Due to the differential effect of (re)detachment and (re)entrainment processes on soil particles of varying sizes, the deposited sediment mass formed shielding layer. One of the essential results is that unless the initial condition of flow and sediment is identical, the same volume of runoff can generate different total sediment yields and their variation can reach up to ∼200%. The effect is attributed to two major conflicting effects exerted by the deposited “initialization” (soil antecedent condition) sediment mass: erosion enhancement, because of supply of highly erodible sediment, and erosion impediment, because of constrain on the availability of lighter particles by heavier sediment. Consistently with this inference, long-term simulations with continuous rainfall show that a peculiar feature of sediment yield series is the existence of maximum before the steady state is reached. The two characteristic time scales, the time to peak and the time to steady state, separate three characteristic periods that correspond to flow-limited, source-limited, and steady-state regimes. These time scales are log linearly and negatively related to the spatially averaged Shields parameter: the smaller the rainfall input and the heavier a given particle is, the larger the two scales are. The results provide insights on how the existence of shield operates on erosion processes, possibly implying that accurate short-term predictions of geomorphic events from headwater areas may never become a tractable problem: the latter would require a detailed spatial characterization of particle size distribution prior to precipitation events.
CALCULATION OF ELASTIC-PLASTIC WAVE PROPAGATION ON THE CONNECTION MACHINE

This paper describes the parallel algorithms and data structures for implementing a 2-D multimaterial kernel of the wave-propagation code HULL on a Connection Machine. Computational performance is illustrated for a rod-plate impact problem with material strength described through an elastic-perfectly plastic formulation. The hydrodynamic behavior of materials is modeled via the gamma law and Mie-Gruneisen equations of state (EOS).
Translation of merD in Tn21.

All four sequenced examples of the mercury resistance (mer) operon of gram-negative bacteria have a promoter-distal reading frame, merD, whose removal has little effect on the resistance phenotype and whose translation has not previously been observed. Using merD-lacZ protein fusions, we show that merD is translated. However, Hg(II)-induced merD expression, as measured by beta-galactosidase activity and immunoblotting, is 10- to 15-fold lower than that of fusions to the gene immediately preceding it, merA. Images
Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy for Achalasia in a Thoracic Surgical Practice

Background Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a new option in the treatment of achalasia. It has typically been performed by general surgeons and gastroenterologists familiar with advanced endoscopic procedures. Our objective was to assess the initial experience and outcomes with POEM by a thoracic surgeon. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients who underwent POEM from October 2012 until December 2014. Pre- and post-POEM evaluation included upper endoscopy, high-resolution manometry, and a timed barium swallow. Results There were 35 patients (18 men and 17 women), with a median age of 53 years. Based on high-resolution manometry, there were 8 patients (23%) with type I, 21 (60%) with type II, and 5 (14%) with type III achalasia, and 1 patient had hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter. Prior therapy had been performed in 18 patients (51%). The POEM procedure was completed in all but 1 patient. On follow-up, dysphagia was improved in all patients. The Eckardt score was significantly reduced from 7 before POEM to 0 after POEM ( p Conclusions Peroral endoscopic myotomy is a safe and effective therapy for achalasia. It provides reliable and persistent palliation of dysphagia and objective improvement in esophageal emptying. Esophagitis is common but resolves with acid suppression therapy. Thoracic surgeons with an interest in esophageal diseases and experience with endoscopy are encouraged to adopt the procedure.
Minimax Quantum Tomography: Estimators and Relative Entropy Bounds

A minimax estimator has the minimum possible error ("risk") in the worst case. We construct the first minimax estimators for quantum state tomography with relative entropy risk. The minimax risk of nonadaptive tomography scales as O(1/sqrt[N])-in contrast to that of classical probability estimation, which is O(1/N)-where N is the number of copies of the quantum state used. We trace this deficiency to sampling mismatch: future observations that determine risk may come from a different sample space than the past data that determine the estimate. This makes minimax estimators very biased, and we propose a computationally tractable alternative with similar behavior in the worst case, but superior accuracy on most states.
Effects of a Novel Arginine Methyltransferase Inhibitor on T Helper Cell Cytokine Production

The protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family of enzymes catalyzes the transfer of methyl groups from S-adenosylmethionine to the guanidino nitrogen atom of peptidylarginine to form monomethylarginine or dimethylarginine. We created several less polar analogues of the specific PRMT inhibitor AMI-1, and one such compound was found to have improved PRMT inhibitory activity over the parent molecule. The newly identified PRMT inhibitor modulated T helper cell function and thus may serve as a lead for further inhibitors useful for immune-mediated disease treatment.
Knowledge‐Based Computation

The knowledge-based computation approach to artificial intelligence develops and studies intelligent systems that exploit explicitly represented knowledge. The approach addresses questions such as how knowledge should be represented in computational systems, what knowledge must be captured for a particular task and task domain, how knowledge should be organized, and how knowledge should be applied. This article introduces theoretical foundations for knowledge-based computation, presents knowledge representation principles, and samples major approaches, trends, and opportunities for knowledge-based computing. Keywords: artificial intelligence; knowledge representation; rule-based systems; case-based reasoning; Semantic Web
Efficient approaches to testing VHDL DSP models

Generation of test benches for large DSP behavioral models is a complicated, labor intensive task. Also, tests generated manually satisfy no formal definition of completeness. To address these needs, high level approaches to test bench development are employed which relieve the modeler of the details of this task. CASE tools are used to develop the test bench VHDL code, i.e., state machine behavior is specified with Ilogix Express VHDL and sensor behavior with Comdisco SPW. An intelligent interface prompts the user for high level test bench information, and inserts this information into the test bench code. The intelligent interface also allows the user to specify and control file I/O as a data source. Conceptually speaking, two approaches are being explored: (1) behavioral-the CASE tools develop complete high level models of the test bench, and (2) structural-a library of primitive components is developed so that a conventional schematic capture tool, e.g., Synopsys Graphical Environment, can be used to construct the test bench.
Pulsatile flow in the human left coronary artery bifurcation: average conditions.

The localization of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries may be governed by local hemodynamic features. In this study, the pulsatile hemodynamics of the left coronary artery bifurcation was numerically simulated using the spectral element method for realistic in vivo anatomic and physiologic conditions. The velocity profiles were found to be skewed in both the left anterior descending and the circumflex coronary arteries. Velocity skewing arose from the bifurcation as well as from the curvature of the artery over the myocardial surface. Arterial wall shear stress was significantly lower in the bifurcation region, including the side walls. The greatest oscillatory behavior was localized to the outer wall of the circumflex artery. The time-averaged mean wall shear stress varied from about 3 to 98 dynes/cm 2 in the left coronary artery system. The highly localized distribution of low and oscillatory shear stress along the walls strongly correlates with the focal locations of atheroma in the human left coronary artery.
Characterization of the B2Π state of NS in the emission from active nitrogen-sulfur flames

Abstract The emission spectrum of NS has been excited in active nitrogen-sulfur compound flames in three different ways. Photographs in low and in high dispersion, in the 34,000-20,000 cm −1 region, show some 80 new bands which are all believed to be part of a new B 2 Π → X 2 Π system. The value T 0 = 30100 cm −1 has been confirmed with N 15 and S 34 isotopes. ω ′ e = 800 cm −1 and B ′ e = 0.612 cm −1 correspond closely to the values expected from comparison with the related NO molecule.
Chemisorption bond energies of Lewis acids and bases on oxygen modified Mo(100) surfaces

Abstract The acid-base properties of three molybdenum (100) surfaces chemically modified by 1.5, 1.2, and 1.0 monolayers (ML) of atomic oxygen were investigated by thermal desorption spectroscopy using a series of molecular Lewis bases. The molecules used in this study were of three types, hard Lewis bases, ammonia and dimethylether, soft Lewis bases, phosphine, ethene and propene, and two π acids, carbon monoxide and 3,3,3-trifluoropropene. The trends in desorption energies are consistent with the expectation that the molecules would adsorb at localized, acidic surface sites. The desorption energies are correlated with proton affinities, and the 1.5 ML oxygen modified surface was found to most resemble a gas phase proton.
Closed characteristics on singular energy levels of second-order Lagrangian systems

Abstract We provide a lower bound on the number of closed characteristics on singular energy levels of second-order Lagrangian systems in the presence of saddle-focus equilibria. The hypotheses on the Lagrangian are mild, and the bound is given in terms of the number of saddle-foci and a potential function determined by the Lagrangian. The method of proof is variational, combining techniques to minimize near a saddle-focus and an analog of the method of broken geodesics.
Interpretation of gas oscillations in multicylinder fluid machinery manifolds by using lumped parameter descriptions

Abstract Fluid pressure oscillations are complicated in multicylinder positive displacement machinery manifolds because of the cylinder interactions due to (i) the kinematic arrangements between cylinders and (ii) the inter-connected manifold elements. In practice, manifolds possess irregular shapes and geometries. These are difficult to analyze by using a continuous parameters approach; however, the manifold components can be discretized easily and described by acoustic lumped parameters. Additionally, this approach is more suitable for developing design guidelines, which is the primary aim of the present paper. The multicylinder interaction problem is formulated in the frequency domain. Mass flow rates, with proper crank phase relationships, are considered excitation sources. Manifold components are described as acoustic elements. The equations of acoustic motion are solved for the eigenvalues and the natural modes of gas oscillation, and these are used to provide the forced acoustic response. The formulations are then applied to a two-cylinder compressor discharge system. The computed results compare well with measurements.
Motor competition in the prenatal ontogeny of species-typical behaviour

Abstract Facial wiping, an action pattern antecedent to grooming behaviour in adult rodents, can be elicited during the prenatal period by infusion of a lemon solution into the mouth of the fetal rat, Rattus norvegicus. In altricial species such as the rat, the wiping response to chemosensory infusion temporarily disappears during early postnatal development. The expression of facial wiping may be constrained by features of the postnatal environment, or may be suppressed through competition with incompatible motor responses. To test these alternative hypotheses, a comparative study of altricial and precocial rodent fetuses was conducted. Fetuses of two altricial species, Norway rats and Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, expressed the wiping response during the last 1–2 days of gestation. In contrast, fetal cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus, and spiny mice, Acomys cahirinus, exhibited accelerated emergence followed by prenatal disappearance of the wiping response, which is consistent with a motor competition hypothesis. The age at which the wiping response disappeared coincided with the emergence of contact righting and quadrupedal locomotor behaviour, which appear to interfere with the expression of facial wiping.
Validation of the technology acceptance model for police

Abstract The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) developed by Davis (1989) was used to develop a basic theoretical model that would explain why patrol officers embraced or rejected new computer technology. Davis identified two factors of technology acceptance: ease of use and usefulness. Items representing each factor were generated in focus groups with patrol officers, and subject matter experts (SMEs) provided evidence of content validity. Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to assess the construct factorial validity of the factor structure. The two-factor model hypothesized by Davis (1989) was not supported. The EFA, however, identified a four-factor model that indicated a good fit to the data. The four factors were labeled as ease of use, usefulness, information quality, and timeliness. The findings suggested that the new factors of information quality and timeliness were the most important components of technology acceptance by patrol officers. Policy implications and future research directions are discussed.
Localization of ATPase in the endoplasmic reticulum and golgi apparatus of barley aleurone

The cytochemical localization of adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) was studied in the aleurone layer of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Himalaya). Isolated barley aleurone layers secrete numerous enzymes having acid phosphatase activity, including ATPase. The secretion of these enzymes was stimulated by incubation of the aleurone layer in gibberellic acid (GA3). ATPase was localized using the metal-salt method in tissue incubated in CaCl2 with and without GA3. In sections of tissue incubated without GA3, cytochemical staining was confined to a narrow band of cytoplasm adjacent to the starchy endosperm and to the cell wall of the innermost tier of aleurone cells. Cytochemical staining was absent from the organelles of tissues not treated with GA3. In tissue incubated in the presence of GA3, cytochemical staining was evident throughout the cytoplasm and cell walls of the tissue. In the cell wall, electron-dense deposits were found only in digested channels. The cell-wall matrix of GA3-treated aleurone did not stain, indicating that it does not permit diffusion of enzyme. In the cytoplasm of GA3-treated aleurone, all organelles except microbodies, plastids, and spherosomes stained for ATPase activity; endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, and mitochondria showed intense deposits of stain. The ER of the aleurone is a complex system made up of flattened sheets of membrane, which may be associated with both the Golgi apparatus and the plasma membrane. The dictyosome did not stain uniformly for ATPase activity; rather there was a gradation in staining of the cisternae from thecis (lightly stained) to thetrans (heavily stained) face. Vesicles associated with dictyosome cisternae also stained intensely as did the protein bodies of GA3-treated aleurone cells.
Evidence that Tuber Respiration is the Pacemaker of Physiological Aging in Seed Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Storage temperatures greater than 4 °C (that is, heat-unit accumulation) increase respiration and accelerate physiological aging of seed tubers. The degree of apical dominance is a good indicator of physiological age (PAGE). As seed age advances, apical dominance decreases, resulting in more stems, greater tuber set, and shifts in tuber size distribution. Herein we provide evidence that tuber respiration rate may constitute the “pacemaker” of aging. Tubers exposed to a brief high-temperature age-priming treatment initially in storage, followed by holding at 4 °C for the remainder of a 190–200-day storage period, maintained a higher basal metabolic (respiration) rate throughout storage compared with tubers stored the entire season at 4 °C. Tubers thus “remembered” the age-priming treatment as reflected by their elevated respiration rate. Moreover, reducing the respiration rate of age-primed seed by subsequently storing it at 3.5 % O2 (4 °C) until planting significantly attenuated the effects of the aging treatment on apical dominance, tuber set, and size distribution. The effect of the age-priming treatment on the magnitude of the respiratory response was the same whether given at the beginning or toward the end of storage. However, moving the age-priming treatment progressively later in the storage season effectively decreased its impact on plant growth and development. These results underscore the importance of time in the aging process. Exposure of seed to a high-temperature age-priming treatment at the beginning or end of storage elevated respiration (the pacemaker) to the same extent; however, the timing of these treatments resulted in vastly different physiological ages. The longer the respiration rate of tubers remains at an elevated level, the greater their PAGE at planting. Thus, an accurate but impractical measure of PAGE may be the respiratory output from vine kill to subsequent planting. Respiration appears to be the pacemaker of PAGE and production, and storage conditions that affect respiration may “set the clock speed” that will ultimately determine the PAGE at planting.