cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Campaign allocations under probabilistic voting

We develop a probabilistic voting model where candidates compete by advertising in different media markets. Ads are viewed by everyone within a market and cannot be targeted to subgroups such as one candidate’s partisans. Candidates estimate the distribution of voter preference intensities in a market, and campaign ads then shift this distribution. Individuals with any intensity vote with some probability for each candidate. We derive comparative static implications of changes in a variety of factors on the advertising decisions of each candidate. Using campaign advertising data from 2002, we find these results to be consistent with actual campaign allocation behavior.
Reporting and Nonreporting of Observed Crimes: Moral Judgments of the Act and Actor1

In two studies, subjects judged the morality of reporting and failing to report serious and nonserious crimes. Subjects also judged the general moral level and the likability of reporters and nonreporters. In accordance with predictions, the seriousness of the crime and whether it was reported differentially affected the judgments. Reporting a crime was seen as a more morally right action than fading to report it, and this difference increased with the severity of the crime. Reporters of nonserious crimes were perceived as the most moral, while non-reporters of serious crimes were seen as the least moral individuals relative to the other conditions. There were indications in the data that for certain nonserious crimes reporters were less liked than nonreporters. The results are discussed in terms of attribution theory and the effects of perceived standards for reporting crimes and other rule infractions as these standards vary with the seriousness of the act.
Cells transformed by temperature-sensitive mutants of avian sarcoma virus cause tumors in vivo at permissive and nonpermissive temperatures

Abstract Chick embryo (CE) fibroblasts and normal rat kidney (NRK) cells transformed by temperature-sensitive ( ts ) mutants of avian sarcoma virus (NY68, LA23, LA24, LA25, LA29, LA31, GI201, GI202, GI251, GI253) induce tumors on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of chick eggs at temperatures that correspond to the permissive and nonpermissive temperatures used to induce conditional expression of the "transformed" phenotype in these cells when cultured in vitro. Chick embryo cells infected with transformation-defective mutants of ASV (td101, td108) or RAV-50 were nontumorigenic under the same conditions, as were nontransformed CE and NRK cells. This indicates that the CAM is not an unusually susceptible substrate for cell growth and that the ability of ts ASV-transformed cells to form tumors at nonpermissive temperatures reflects their true tumorigenicity. In contrast, a ts mutant chemically transformed rat liver cell line, ts-223, only formed tumors on the CAM under permissive conditions. The wild-type parent cells (W-8) of this mutant produced tumors at both permissive and nonpermissive temperatures. Direct implantation of microprobe thermometers into tumors caused by ts ASV-transformed cells at nonpermissive temperatures confirmed that tumor formation occurred in a stable temperature environment and was not due to temperature fluctuations which might have created semi-permissive or permissive conditions for tumor growth. Cells isolated from tumors formed at nonpermissive temperatures and recultured in vitro displayed temperature-dependent hexose transport and colony formation in agar similar to the original parent cell inoculum. Similarly, virus recovered from tumors at nonpermissive temperatures retained the ts mutation.
Absolute configuration at the tricarballylic acid moieties of fumonisin B1 and AAL toxin TA

The configuration at the chiral centers of the tricarballylic acid moieties of fumonisin B1 and AAL toxin TA are shown to be R, which is opposite to that recently suggested by others for the same natural products.
Disaster Risk Reduction Efforts in the Greater Horn of Africa

This article assesses the current state of disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA), and focuses on interventions and policies to mitigate hydrometeorological risks. The research analyzes, as main case study, the program “Regional Climate Prediction and Risk Reduction in the Greater Horn of Africa” funded by the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID OFDA) in the early 2000 that targeted risk preparedness. The research method combines a desk review of relevant documents and research papers with surveys and interviews directed to key proponents of DRR across the GHA. Results highlight current strengths and weaknesses in the way DRR is implemented in the GHA. Significant improvements in the climate-forecasting capabilities in the GHA since the 2000s are acknowledged, but the practice of DRR remains technology driven and impacts on the ground are limited. The key findings highlight the significant communication gaps that exist between the producers of climate information and their end users, the communities at risk. The article urges the establishment of bridges that connect climate experts, policymakers, and representatives of the local communities, and for the implementation of a feedback loop from forecast users to their producers, in order to strengthen risk resilience across the GHA.
The relationship between beliefs about depression and coping strategies: Gender differences

Objective. Leventhal's common-sense model of illness representation provides a conceptual framework for exploring the relationship between beliefs about depressive illness and use of coping strategies. We explored this relationship among depressed patients both across genders and in terms of gender differences. Design. Depressed primary care patients prescribed antidepressants provided self-report measures of beliefs about depression, emotional reaction to depression, beliefs about medications and coping strategies used. Baseline data from a longitudinal study is presented. Method. Primary data analyses were conducted using canonical correlation analysis, a multivariate statistical method akin to principal component and regression analyses. It allows for parsimonious description of the association between two multivariate sets of variables (in this case, beliefs about depression and coping strategies) by identifying pairs of linear combinations that account for the majority of the between association from the two sets of variables. Results. The sample consisted of 189 depressed primary care patients (70.4% female). Results indicated that emotional reaction to depression is a major factor in determining coping strategies. Greater emotional reaction to depression was associated with maladaptive coping for men and women, while women showed additional relationships between greater perceived control over depression and more adaptive coping techniques as well as between perception of consequences of depression and problem solving. Conclusions. The present research provides preliminary evidence that beliefs about depression are related to coping styles. Further, men and women may differ in the way in which their perceptions about depression influence coping styles adopted.
Novel intracavity pixelated lasing projection system

A high efficiency, narrow spectral linewidth lasing pixel device that implements a low-voltage spatially patterned variable loss element placed inside an optically pumped high-gain laser cavity is experimentally studied. The output properties of this system make it potentially useful for digital projection displays. Coupling and grey-scale control of an intracavity pixelated laser projected system is studied experimentally and by numerical simulation. Results indicate that pixel independence can be maintained in high Fresnel number resonators.
Growth Machine Attitudes and Community Development in Two Racially Diverse Rural Mississippi Delta Communities: A Monolithic Approach in Acomplex Region

Residents and identified community leaders from two rural Mississippi Delta communities were studied to determine the extent to which diverse groups of this region advocate the same needs of, perceived attitudes toward, and approaches within community development. Five assumptions concerning community development in the racially diverse Mississippi Delta, a region argued to have a patronage approach to economic development and social opportunities, were empirically examined through cross-tabulations, exploratory factor analysis, and independent sample T-tests. Virtually no differences were found across race, gender, income, owning additional property (other than a house) in the region, and leaders versus non-leaders in their needs, attitudes and approaches. All groups adhere to a monolithic "growth machine" approach which seems to perpetuate a patronage system in the region. To keep political and economic elites from dominating the community development agenda, more emphasis needs to be placed on local co...
Toxicity of nickel to microorganisms in soil: Influence of some physicochemical characteristics

Abstract The tolerance to nickel (Ni) in soil varied among a variety of eubacteria, actinomycetes, yeasts, and filamentous fungi. The incorporation of 12% montmorillonite and, to a lesser extent, of 12% kaolinite reduced the toxicity of Ni to mycelial extension of filamentous fungi. The ability of the clays to protect against Ni toxicity was probably related to their cation exchange capacity (CEC). The toxicity of Ni to mycelial extension of filamentous fungi was also reduced when the pH of a naturally acidic (pH 4·9) soil was raised to a neutral pH. The toxicity of 0 to 1000 ppm Ni to eubacteria, actinomycetes, and yeasts was completely eliminated in a naturally alkaline soil (pH 7·7) containing a montmorillonite-type clay and a CEC of 16 meq 100 g−1, whereas the same concentrations of Ni were toxic in a naturally acidic soil that lacked montmorillonite-type clays and had a CEC of only 8 meq 100 g−1.
Electron microscopy and small angle x-ray studies of amorphous polymers

Abstract The small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) from polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, and polyethylene terephthalate seem inconsistent, both in the magnitude of the SAXS intensity and in its variation with scattering angle, with nodular features as representative of the bulk polymers. Rather than nodules, the SAXS data indicate the presence of thermal density fluctuations frozen-in at the glass transitions, together with a small concentration of large heterogeneities (hundreds to thousands of angstroms in size). Electron microscopy (EM) of amorphous polycarbonate provides further support for the suggestion that nodular features are not representative of the bulk material. The only structure seen in bright field is the “salt and pepper” background common to all materials. In dark field, very small structures (<30 A in size) occupying small volume fractions were observed. These results are at variance with previously reported EM observations of nodular features in polycarbonate. It is suggested that...
The Role of Whole-Pelvic Irradiation in the Treatment of Early-Stage Uterine Carcinosarcoma

Thirty-eight patients with Stage I and II uterine carcinosarcoma were treated by surgery with and without whole-pelvic irradiation (WPI) at our institution from 1975 to 1993. Ten patients (8 Stage I and 2 Stage II) were treated with surgery alone, while 28 patients (20 Stage I and 8 Stage II) received WPI in addition to surgery. With a median follow-up of 75 months (range 25-220 months), a trend toward a decreased rate of pelvic recurrence in those receiving WPI (6/28, 21%) compared to those treated with surgery alone (5/10, 50%) was observed (P = 0.09). There was no difference in the rate of distant recurrence between those receiving WPI (12/28, 43%) and those who did not (4/10, 40%) (P = 0.9). There was also no difference in the 2- and 5-year Kaplan-Meier survival estimates for the patients receiving WPI (79 and 59%, respectively) compared to those who did not receive WPI (60 and 60%, respectively) (P = 0.84). In this small series, the addition of whole-pelvic irradiation to primary surgery did not improve survival; however, a trend toward improved pelvic control was observed, suggesting a possible benefit for pelvic irradiation that should be studied in future trials.
5-[18F]Fluoroalkyl pyrimidine nucleosides: probes for positron emission tomography imaging of herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene expression

Abstract Introduction The preliminary in vivo evaluation of novel 5-[ 18 F]fluoroalkyl-2′-deoxyuridines ([ 18 F]FPrDU, [ 18 F]FBuDU, [ 18 F]FPeDU; [ 18 F] 1a−c , respectively) and 2′-fluoro-2′-deoxy-5-[ 18 F]fluoroalkyl-1-β-d-arabinofuranosyl uracils ([ 18 F]FFPrAU, [ 18 F]FFBuAU, [ 18 F]FFPeAU; [ 18 F] 1d−f , respectively) as probes for imaging herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1- tk ) gene expression is described. Methods [ 18 F] 1a−f were successfully synthesized by a rapid and efficient two-step one-pot nucleophilic fluorination reaction using 5- O -mesylate precursors and [ 18 F]F − . For in vivo studies, tumor xenografts were grown in nude mice by implanting RG2 cells stably expressing HSV1- tk (RG2TK+) and wild-type cells (RG2). Results Biodistribution studies at 2 h pi revealed that the uptake of [ 18 F] 1a−b and [ 18 F] 1d−e in RG2TK+ tumors was not significantly different from control tumors. However, [ 18 F] 1c and [ 18 F] 1f had an average 1.6- and 1.7-fold higher uptake in RG2TK+ tumors than control RG2 tumors. Blood activity curves for [ 18 F] 1c and [ 18 F] 1f highlight rapid clearance of radioactivity in the blood. Dynamic small animal PET (A-PET) imaging studies of tumor-bearing mice with [ 18 F] 1c and [ 18 F] 1f showed higher initial uptake (3.5- and 1.4-fold, respectively) in RG2TK+ tumors than in control tumors, with continued washout of activity from both tumors over time. Conclusions Biological evaluations suggest that [ 18 F] 1c and [ 18 F] 1f may have limited potential for imaging HSV1- tk gene expression due to fast washout of activity from the blood, thus significantly decreasing sensitivity and specificity of tracer accumulation in HSV1- tk -expressing tumors.
Experimental transient performance of a heat pump equipped with a distillation column

A series of experiments were conducted on a heat pump equipped with a distillation column. The system was operated with R32 and with a 30/70% by mass mixture of R32/134a to examine the difference between the transient performance trends with a pure fluid (R32), and those with a zeotropic mixture (R32/134a). Additionally, the effects of varying heat transfer fluid mass flow, compressor speed, and accumulator sump heat input were examined. Each test was 1 h in duration. The heat pump capacities did not generally achieve steady state during the R32/134a tests. Steady state was generally achieved during the R32 tests. As a percentage of the final (end-of-test) capacity, the rate of capacity increase was greater during the R32/134a tests than during those conducted with the pure fluid. The R32/134a tests exhibited capacity oscillations early in each transient that were not present during the R32 tests. The results show that circulating refrigerant mass and composition are the primary controlling factors with regard to transient capacity.
An Empirical Derivation of the Dimensions Along Which Characteristics of Jobs are Perceived

Subjects' judgments about the similarity of 20 stimulus jobs were analyzed with a metric multidimensional scaling algorithm (Common Space Analysis) in order to identify the dimensions along which i...
Transcriptional Regulation of the Human CYP1B1 Gene: EVIDENCE FOR INVOLVEMENT OF AN ARYL HYDROCARBON RECEPTOR RESPONSE ELEMENT IN CONSTITUTIVE EXPRESSION

The cytochrome P450 1B1 gene (CYP1B1) is expressed constitutively and is inducible by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7 but not in the human hepatoma cell line HepG2. Genomic DNA isolated from both cell lines was digested with the methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme isoschizomers MspI and HpaII, and subjected to Southern analysis with a probe for the CYP1B1 promoter/enhancer region. Although differences were observed in methylation patterns for the CYP1B1 gene from MCF-7 and HepG2 cells, treatment with the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine (10 microM for 6 days) did not activate CYP1B1 mRNA expression in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, treatment with the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (100 nM for 24 h) did not activate CYP1B1 mRNA expression in HepG2 cells. Comparative analysis of the constitutive expression of luciferase/1B1 reporter constructs containing a series of deletions in the 5' enhancer region indicated that in MCF-7 cells the region from -987 to -732 (relative to the transcription start site) was necessary for maximal levels of activity. Mutation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor response elements (dioxin response elements) in this region showed that the dioxin response elements located at -833 is essential for constitutive gene expression in MCF-7 cells. In HepG2 cells, reporter gene activity was at least equal or greater than the activity observed in MCF-7 cells, which is in marked contrast to the expression of the native CYP1B1 gene. Taken together these findings indicate that the observed cell-specific differences in CYP1B1 constitutive expression are not mediated by DNA promoter/enhancer methylation, but are likely due to either 1) inaccessibility of the 5'-enhancer region in HepG2 cells to transcriptional activators due to a higher order chromatin structure that does not involve histone acetylation, or 2) the action of a repressor protein at cis-elements located outside of the -2296 to +25 region examined with the CYP1B1 reporter constructs. Furthermore, at least one of the dioxin response elements in the enhancer region is required for constitutive expression of CYP1B1.
Field study of GPR attenuation rates in natural and contaminated silt

GPR is considered ineffectual in penetrating silty soils. Capillary tension appears to move the interstitial water dielectric relaxation frequency near the GPR range. If hydrocarbons relieve the tension, then GPR attenuation rates should decrease. We profiled these rates across a partly contaminated quartz silt diamicton at an inactive fuel terminal in Haines, Alaska. We calculated the rates from the signal amplitude decay within a series of 400-MHz moveout surveys recorded along a single transect. We sampled the hydrocarbon content along the transect and on the wall of a trench we excavated beside it, along with water content, density and resistivity. The silt was saturated and generally at 50-80 ohm-m. The ground impedance loading brought the antenna pulse center frequency down to near 200 MHz. The rates ranged from 5 to 8 dB/m in the contaminated zone and about 10 to 15 dB/m in the uncontaminated zone. The resistivities account for the contamination rates, but a dielectric relaxation centered near 1-2 GHz, using a simple mixing model, is required to account for those in the uncontaminated zone. Hydrocarbon soil analysis suggests that the threshold level for the attenuation effect is not higher than about 1000 ppm. We suggest GPR offset surveys for assessing contamination zones.
A Science for Survival: Values and Conservation Biology

Practice of conservation biology that does not actively and continuously question the values that shape it is self-defeating: Conservation biology is inescapably normative. Advocacy for the preservation of biodiversity is part of the scientific practice of conservation biology. If the editorial policy of or the publications in Conservation Biology direct the discipline toward an “objective, value-free” approach, then they do not educate and transform society but rather narrow the focus to the “object of knowledge” (be this species, gene pools, landscapes, or ecosystems). To pretend that the acquisition of “positive knowledge" alone will avert mass extinctions is misguided. Conservation biologists should reflect on the constitutive values (especially contextual, but also methodological and bias) underlying their research programs and policy recommendations. Such reflection is itself an inherent element of scientific objectivity and takes into account the social nature of scientific knowledge. Without openly acknowledging such a perspective, conservation biology could become merely a subdiscipline of biology, intellectually and functionally sterile and incapable of averting an anthropogenic mass extinction.
Attitudes toward Career Counseling: The Role of Public and Self-Stigma.

Although many students struggle with career-related issues in college, comparatively few engage the career services offered by their academic institutions for help with their difficulties. In addition, there is little research on the factors influencing students' decisions to engage in counseling for career-related issues, making it difficult to develop programs to enhance students' use of career counseling services. The present study examines the relationships between the stigma associated with help seeking and attitudes toward engaging in career counseling. Participants were 509 college students who completed measures of stigma and attitudes toward career counseling. Structural equation modeling results indicated that public and personal stigmas were linked to self-stigma, which in turn was linked to attitudes toward seeking career counseling. Sixty percent of the variance in self-stigma and 42% of the variance in attitudes was accounted for in the model.
New fast integrated mobility spectrometer for real-time measurement of aerosol size distribution: II. Design, calibration, and performance characterization

Abstract A Fast Integrated Mobility Spectrometer (FIMS) has been developed for sub-second aerosol size distribution measurements based on the description presented in the preceding paper (Paper I). The performance of FIMS was characterized using DMA classified aerosols in the size range 15–170 nm. An excellent agreement was observed between the mean particle diameter measured by FIMS and the DMA centroid diameter. Comparison of particle concentrations measured by FIMS and a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) shows that counting efficiency of FIMS is 100% for particles larger than 20 nm, and higher than that of the CPC for particles with diameters less than 15 nm. Experimentally determined FIMS mobility resolution ranged from 5 to 14 for particle diameters between 22 to 170 nm, and agreed with theoretical predictions made using FIMS transfer theory, though there was some deviation observed at particle sizes that correspond to high theoretical mobility resolution.
Efficient evaluation of the area under the normal curve

The task of evaluating the cumulative distribution of a normally distributed random variable is considered. A brief introduction into this problem is given and several possible approximations are presented as APL functions. Many of these functions have been written in two versions. The first version is written in the original APL style. the companion function using an APL2 coding style is also included in the paper for purposes of comparison. Both versions have been tested using simple data vectors of varying lengths and run under APL on an IBM 3090 with and without a Vector Facility. The results are compared among the algorithms, between the coding styles, and with and without hardware support for vector processing.
Area-Averaged Void Fraction Analysis of Flow Boiling in a Microscale Branching Channel Network

Area-averaged void fraction images of convective boiling in a branching channel heat sink were acquired with a high speed high resolution camera at a rate of 1,000 frames per second for one second. Data sets are limited by the buffer size of the camera. Test conditions include a flow rate of 30 g/min, 30 W of energy added, and a subcooling of approximately 11°C. Time-varying area-based void fraction data were estimated using an image processing algorithm designed to minimize noise. Conditions for upstream bubble growth are reported as are liquid momentum, evaporation momentum, and surface tension forces for two extreme mass fluxes through the channels. Mass fluxes vary for each branching level as well as with the amount of vapor present in the heat sink. The heat sink is 38.1 mm in diameter with a radial branching flow pattern. The ratio of daughter-to-mother branching lengths is equal to 1.4, which is in contrast to a previous investigation in which the length scale ratio was 0.70.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Increased response to ketamine following treatment at long intervals: implications for intermittent use.

Background Ketamine has been used for many years as a dissociative anesthetic; however, there is evidence of increasing abuse, especially at dance clubs and raves. In addition, there is increasing interest in the use of subanesthetic doses of ketamine for the treatment of pain and depression, as well as for clinical research on schizophrenia. Despite growing use, relatively little is known about the consequences of repeated administration of low doses of ketamine. Methods To determine the changes in response to repeated administration, ketamine (20 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal [IP]) was administered once weekly to laboratory rats and the locomotor response was assessed following each injection. Results Repeated administration of ketamine led to an escalation in the stimulant effects of the drug, characteristic of behavioral sensitization. The development of sensitization was greater when ketamine was repeatedly administered in the presence of distinct environmental cues. Conclusions Intermittent administration of ketamine at weekly intervals leads to the development of locomotor sensitization. These results suggest caution in the repeated use of ketamine for recreational or clinical purposes.
Parameters that bias the measurement of airborne concentration within a respirator.

This paper describes the theoretical basis upon which a test system has been set up to evaluate the sampling error associated with in-facepiece sampling on half-mask respirators. The in-facepiece sampling technique evaluated in this study is the one currently used in the U.S. to conduct quantitative facepiece fit testing. An experimental design was developed to study the sampling bias associated with in-facepiece sampling when selected parameters of the man/respirator system were varied. The results indicated that significant errors can be made in estimating concentration within a respirator when the current in-facepiece sampling technique is employed. Sampling bias was determined when in-facepiece samples were collected only during the inhalation phase of the respiratory cycles. They were found to range from greater than −99% to greater than +98%. The mean sampling bias was −17 ± 38%. When measured in-facepiece concentrations were used to calculate a fit factor the resulting range was 44 to 4728 even tho...
Disability, Technology, and Compromises With Reality

Because of New York City's proximity to water, edifices were built with one step as a barrier to potential flooding. The increase in the disability population made it evident that this step formed a barrier to people who could not negotiate level changes, especially those in wheelchairs and motorized scooters. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that new construction be accessible to people with disabilities and that older buildings be altered when such accessibility is “readily achievable.” The problem is that except for people with disabilities filing legal complaints when the ADA is violated, there is no other enforcement mechanism. Also, New York City's narrow streets allow too little space for compliant ramps. This article describes how disability activists and government representatives created a model for accessibility that allowed for informal agreements and solutions that, although not always strictly compliant with the law, served the actual needs of the disability population.
Is Music Therapy an Effective Intervention for Dementia?A Meta-Analytic Review of Literature.

A recent qualitative review of literature in the area of music/ music therapy and dementias published since 1985 suggested that music/music therapy is an effective intervention for maintaining and improving active involvement, social, emotional and cognitive skills, and for decreasing behavioral problems of individuals with dementias (Brotons, Koger, & Pickett-Cooper, 1997). The present analysis sought to update and quantify this relationship, and investigate the extent to which methodological variables influenced treatment effectiveness. Twenty-one empirical studies, with a total of 336 subjects suffering from symptoms of dementia, were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, the effect of music/music therapy was found to be highly significant. A homogeneity analysis determined that the effect sizes were not consistent across studies; thus, a series of moderating variable analyses were conducted. We were unable to determine the source of variability between studies by analyzing type of therapeutic intervention (active or passive), music (live or taped), therapist's training (trained music therapist vs. other professional), dependent variable (behavioral, cognitive, or social), or length of treatment. Although the published literature demonstrates that music/music therapy is an effective method overall for treating symptoms of dementia, systematic variation of treatment protocols is necessary to identify the underlying mechanisms and delineate the most effective techniques.
Arnold’s Problem

Feel like writing a review for The Mathematical Intelligencer? You are welcome to submit an unsolicited review of a book of your choice; or, if you would welcome being assigned a book to review, please write us, telling us your expertise and your predilections.
Intensive insulin therapy for the critically ill hospitalized patient-do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Intensive insulin therapy for the critically ill hospitalized patient—do the benefits outweigh the risks?
Low temperature raman evidence for two crystalline phases of methylcyclohexane

Abstract Comparison of the lattice mode region of the low-temperature Raman spectrum of MCH and MCH-d14 under various cooling rates shows that there are two crystalline modifications. The molecular mode region frequencies however, remain invariant to cooling rate suggesting a single molecular conformation for both crystalline phases.
Coherent, cw, pseudo-random-code-modulated lidar for path-resolved optical remote sensing

An innovative, coherent, cw lidar has been developed that allows path resolved measurements of the received intensity from a continuous wave laser beam backscattered from atmospheric aerosols. The use of a cw transmitter allows for a relatively simple and compact system and minimizes problems with frequency stability of the source. In order to achieve path resolved measurements, the cw laser transmitter is optically, di-phase modulated with a pseudo random code. This allows, with proper signal processing, for separation of the signals created by light scattered from different parts of the path. The range resolution that can be achieved is controlled by the basic pulse width of the pseudo random code and can easily be changed. The current system has a 150-meter full width-half maximum range bin size. The maximum range that can be probed depends on the aerosol backscatter coefficient, transmitter power and the size of the transmit/receive optics. The current system can work out to about 800 meters and needs only 100 milliseconds of data. Potential applications include optical remote sensing of winds, turbulence, chemical species (using DIAL) and perhaps temperature and pressure.
Electron correlation and relativity of the 5f electrons in the U-Zr alloy system

Abstract We address a recently communicated conception that spin–orbit interaction and strong electron correlations are important for the metal fuel U–Zr system. Here, we show that (i) relativistic effects only marginally correct the uranium metal equation-of-state and (ii) addition of onsite Coulomb repulsion leads to an unphysical magnetic ground state of the body-centered cubic (γ) phase and a grossly overestimated equilibrium volume. Consequently, LSDA + U is deemed unsuitable for describing the electronic structure of the U–Zr system.
Increased tyrosine phosphorylation mediates the cooling-induced contraction and increased vascular reactivity of Raynaud's disease.

Objective Increased levels of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) are mechanistically associated with increased contractile responsiveness to cooling. This study tests the hypothesis that increased PTK activity mediates the increased vascular reactivity to agonists and cooling associated with primary Raynaud's disease (RD). Methods The response of dermal arterioles isolated from control (n = 29) and RD (n = 29) subjects to contractile and dilatory agents at 37°C and 31°C was characterized using the microvessel perfusion technique. Fluorescence immunohistochemistry was used to measure tyrosine phosphorylation. Results At 37°C, arteries from RD patients exhibited similar sensitivity to the specific α2-adrenergic agonist UK 14,304, to serotonin, and to angiotensin II. At 31°C, however, the response to all 3 agonists was greater in the arterioles from the RD patients than in those from the control subjects. Agonist-induced contraction at both temperatures was reversed by cumulative addition of the PTK inhibitors genistein (1–30 μM) and tyrphostin 47 (0.1–10 μM). All arterioles from control subjects relaxed slightly in response to cooling, whereas more than half of those from RD patients contracted. This cooling-induced contraction was reversed by the cumulative addition of genistein. The 3 agonists elicited large increases in tyrosine phosphorylation only in arterial segments from RD patients at 31°C. Cooling from 37°C to 31°C elicited a large increase in tyrosine phosphorylation in arterioles from RD patients, but not those from control subjects. All increases in tyrosine phosphorylation could be prevented by genistein. Conclusion Increased tyrosine phosphorylation mediates cooling-induced contraction and the increased vascular reactivity of skin arterioles from individuals with RD.
Efficacy of Panretinal Photocoagulation in Preventing Neovascular Glaucoma Following Ischemic Central Retinal Vein Obstruction

Ninety-three percent of eyes that develop neovascular glaucoma (NVG) following central retinal vein obstruction (CRVO) have an ischemic index greater than 50%. An ischemic index (percentage of retinal capillary nonperfusion) of 50% represents approximately 10 disc areas of retinal ischemia as determined by computer analysis of standard 30 degrees fluorescein angiograms. The difficulties of following patients clinically and angiographically at frequent intervals over extended periods of time, and the tendency for iris neovascularization (NVI) to develop and to progress rapidly to NVG with painful loss of vision emphasizes the importance of early recognition and treatment of high-risk eyes. In this prospective study (1976--81), 100 consecutive eyes with an ischemic CRVO pattern (average ischemic index 82%) received early argon laser panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) and none developed NVG unless another ischemic event occurred following treatment. Prophylactic PRP in high-risk ischemic CRVO eyes appears to eliminate virtually the devastating complications of NVG.
Specifying a Human Performance Technology Knowledgebase Originally published in 1995, PIQ 8.2

The mission of human performance technologists, to assure high levels of human performance in organizations, is well established, and usually accomplished through design and implementation of two major products: performance systems and instructional systems. The speed of change in the environments in which HPT is practiced, however, requires frequent analysis of what knowledge and skills are required of HP technologists in pursuit of this goal. This article works backward from results and the products that obtained them, to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that form the critical human performance technology knowledgebase. The author uses an example from our “universal” neighborhood to illustrate seven basic categories of variables influencing organizational performance, and provides examples and non examples of five essential principles of psychology that can help guide HPT practitioners' efforts to design and implement effective systems.
Evidence for a newly discovered cellular anti-HIV-1 phenotype

Animal cells have developed many ways to suppress viral replication, and viruses have evolved diverse strategies to resist these. Here we provide evidence that the virion infectivity factor protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) functions to counteract a newly discovered activity in human cells that otherwise inhibits virus replication. This anti-viral phenotype is shown by human T cells, the principal in vivo targets for HIV-1, and, based on our present understanding of virion infectivity factor action, is presumed to act by interfering with a late step(s) in the virus life cycle. These observations indicate that the inhibition of virion infectivity factor function in vivo may prevent HIV-1 replication by 'unmasking' an innate anti-viral phenotype.
Transfusion in head and neck free flap patients: practice patterns and a comparative analysis by flap type.

ObjectiveTo characterize patterns of utilization and outcomes following transfusion in head and neck patients undergoing free flap reconstruction.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingTertiary academic medical center.Subjects and MethodsTwo hundred eighty-two head and neck patients undergoing free flap reconstruction from 2011 to 2013. Outcome parameters included post-transfusion hematocrit increase, length of stay (LOS), flap survival, and perioperative complications.ResultsOf all head and neck free flap patients, 48.9% received blood transfusions. Average pretransfusion hametocrit (Hct) was 24.7% ± 0.2% with 2.5 ± 0.1 units of blood transfused. Transfused patients were more likely to have been taken back to the operating room. Rates of transfusion were similar between flap types, although anterolateral thigh (ALT) and fibular free flap (FFF) patients had higher transfusion requirements compared to radial forearm free flap (RFFF) patients. Further, FFF patients trended toward receiving transfu...
Benjamin Franklin: A Biography

Scientist, entrepreneur, printer, philosopher, politician and autobiographer, Benjamin Franklin dominated his age. In this biography, Ronald Clark explores the large role that science played in Franklin's life and his pivotal stance during the Revolution and at the Constitutional Convention. Rather than exploding the picture that Franklin drew of himself, Clark has filled in the myth with new research so that Franklin emerges more vibrant, contradictory and spirited. The author has also written biographies of Einstein, Darwin, Lenin and Freud.
Reproductive morphology of Brittanichthys axelrodi (Teleostei: Characidae), a miniature inseminating fish from South America

Light and electron microscopy were used to investigate the morphology of reproductive characters in a characid fish, Brittanichthys axelrodi. Spermatozoa were found in ovaries of females, thereby confirming insemination in this species. Bony hooks can be found on the fourth unbranched ray and branched rays 1–4 of the anal fin and the unique sigmoidally-curved ray of the caudal fin in mature males. Testes have three distinct regions: an anterior spermatogenic region, an aspermatogenic middle region lined with a simple squamous epithelium and used for storage of mature spermatozoa, and a posterior region of coiled chambers lined with a high simple cuboidal epithelium. The most posterior region appears to be instrumental in the formation and storage of spermatozeugmata, unencapsulated sperm packets. Thus far, this tripartite testis morphology is unique among characids. The mature spermatozoon has an elongate nucleus (∼5 μm in length). A striated rootlet originates at the anterior end of the distal centriole and continues to the anterior tip of the cell. The striated rootlet wraps around the entire ventral area of the anterior part of the nucleus and appears to continue around the anterior tip of the nucleus and down the dorsal side as electron-dense material. Several large, spherical mitochondria (∼0.6 μm in diameter) with lamellar cristae overlap the posterior end of the nucleus and continue beyond together with the cytoplasmic collar that contains the flagellum which lacks axonemal fins. Each spermatozeugma is lanceolate in shape when sectioned mid-sagitally, with the core staining positively for mucopolysaccharides. In both sexes, the gonopore opens posterior to the anus, with the urinary pore having a separate opening posterior to the gonopore. Bands of skeletal muscle were found in the area of the male gonopore. These morphological features are likely linked to the reproductive mode of insemination, a trait that is so far as known, relatively rare among teleost fishes, but is proving increasingly frequent among certain groups of characid fishes. J. Morphol, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Photoperiodic control of antler cycles in deer. IV. Effects of constant light:dark ratios on circannual rhythms

Yearling sika deer, when exposed to constant unequal photoperiods since the autumnal equinox, replace their antlers the next spring and at irregular intervals thereafter. On equatorial light cycles (12L: 12D) they retain their original antlers indefinitely. The changeover occurs between constant day lengths of 12 3/4 and 13 hours. Since yearlings held on 6L:6D:6L:6D are able to replace their antlers on schedule, the failure to do so on 12L:12D is not due to light:dark parity, but to the 12-hour durations of the days and/or nights.
The Role Of Hospital Physicists In Performance Specifications

The concept of the radiological consumer writing specifications for x-ray equipment prior to purchase is both very new and well established. It is new in that many medical centers, who are now employing full time professional physicists and engineers to evaluate their existing equipment, are quite logically beginning to generate pre purchase specifications. However, at least one federal agency, the Veterans Administration, has for years required that all x-ray equipment purchased for their hospitals meet a long list of fairly demanding qyccifications. These requirements, published as Federal Specifications GG-X-635' , are an example of the kind of thing which a customer can demand and the industry can provide. If anything, the VA specifications err in the direction of being too specific and detailed, and most hospitals would be foolishi to adopt them in a wholesale manner. For example, they require that the MA meter shall have double or triple scales, that the unit fit in a room of between 9 and 10-1/2 feet, that an electrical steroscopic shift be available, etc. Obviously, also, any set of specifications must be upgraded to allow for new technologies as they come along. However, the VA has demonstrated that the x-ray industry can meet these standards of quality. By contrast, it has been our experience that, in the absence of any hospital based program of quality evaluation, even brand new x-ray installations can be seriously deficient in some way or other. For example, we have not only suffered from installation errors in such areas as TV systems, KV calibration, or tube protection circuits, but also from faults of design wherein the equipment could not possibly meet performance standards as good as those in GG-X-635. For example, we have a generator used in tomographic examinations at low KVP, where the KVP changes by 10 when switching MA stations. Other examples include timers with incorrect resistors values used in the design, KVP values which change by as much as 10 KVP during a given exposure (see figure 1) and between successive angiographic exposures, and phototimers that simply do not work. I emphasize that these faults were apparently not due to faulty installation or failure of components, but represent designed limitations in the original equipment.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Numerical Parametric Study of the Capillary Plasma Source for Electrothermal Chemical Guns

This work expands upon previous research into developing a numerical model of a capillary plasma source for application to electrothermal chemical guns. The capillary model is comprised of a kinetic model simulating polyethylene ablation coupled to a one dimensional time-dependent hydrodynamic model to determine the capillary outflow parameters. As input the simulation requires the capillary internal radius, length, and applied electrical current. Previous work found that best agreement with experimentally measured ablated mass could be achieved with the application of a backflux parameter, representing the percentage of the ablated material that was allowed to return to the polyethylene surface and form a film. Using the model, a parameter study is conducted to determine the effects that varying the peak electrical current, internal capillary radius and backflux parameter have on the plasma temperature, peak outflow pressure, and total ablated mass. A sinusoidal electrical current is assumed in the present work, with the peak current and discharge time taken over a range typically encountered in electrothermal chemical gun application. Analysis of the dependence of total ablated mass and peak capillary pressure on the deposited electrical energy yield insight into non- linearities in the capillary energy equation.
Fluid-structure interaction analysis of flow-induced deformation in a two-phase, neo-hookean marine egg

Coupled computational fluid dynamics and finite element analyses were used to determine the material properties of the egg and jelly layer of the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata. Prior experimental shear flow results were used to provide material parameters for these simulations. A Neo-Hookean model was used to model the hyperelastic behaviors of the jelly layer and egg. A simple compressive simulation was then performed, to compare the maximum von Mises stresses within eggs, with and without jelly layers. Results of this study showed that (1) shear moduli range from 100 to 160 Pa, and 40 to 140 Pa for an egg without a jelly layer, and jelly layer itself, respectively; and (2) the presence of the jelly layer significantly reduces maximum von Mises stress in an egg undergoing compression. DOI: 10.1115/1.2345443
Toxicity of 6-hydroxydopamine and dopamine for dopaminergic neurons in culture

Toxicity of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and dopamine were studied in cultures of dissociated fetal rat mesencephalic cells. To assess survival and function of dopaminergic cells we quantified the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells and measured dopamine uptake. Non-dopaminergic cells were monitored by counting the number of cells visible with phase-contrast microscopy and measuring GABA uptake. 6-OHDA, in contrast to MPP+, which selectively destroyed dopaminergic neurons, was found to be a non-selective neurotoxin in this culture system. Between 10 and 100 microM, dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic cells were destroyed. At concentrations higher than 100 microM, i.e., concentrations frequently used to lesion catecholaminergic neurons in vivo, 6-OHDA resulted in structural fixation and loss of viability of dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic cells. Dopamine produced the same actions at slightly higher concentrations. One hundred to 300 microM was toxic for all cell types, and concentrations above 300 microM resulted in fixation. The findings suggest that 6-OHDA cannot be considered a selective toxin for catecholaminergic neurons in vitro. The demonstrated toxicity of dopamine tends to support speculations that processes related to dopamine metabolism may play a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.