cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wittgenstein y la creencia religiosa

En la primera parte del presente articulo esbozare algunas diferencias entre la creencia ordinaria y la creencia religiosa que pondran en evidencia el enorme abismo gramatical que las separa. En la segunda parte discutire la naturaleza de la comprension religiosa, apelando al ?ver-como? como un concepto central dentro de ella.
Impact of fuel price on vehicle miles traveled (VMT): do the poor respond in the same way as the rich?

The effects of fuel price on travel demand for different income groups reveal the choices and constraints they are faced with. The first purpose of this study is to understand these underlying choices and constraints by examining the variation of fuel price elasticity of vehicle miles travelled (VMT) across income groups. On the other hand, the rebound effect—increase in VMT as a result of improvement in fuel efficiency may offset the negative effect of fuel price on VMT. The second purpose of this study is to compare the relative magnitudes of the fuel price elasticity of VMT and the rebound effect. A system of structural equations with VMT and fuel efficiency (MPG, miles per gallon) as endogenous variables is estimated for households at different income levels from 2009 National Household Travel Survey. Higher income households show greater fuel price elasticity than lower income households. Fuel price elasticities are found to be −0.41 and −0.35 for the two highest income groups, while an elasticity of −0.24 for the lowest income group is identified. The rebound effect is found to be only significant for the lowest income households as 0.7. These findings suggest the potential ability of using fuel price as a tool to affect VMT. The study results also suggest possible negative consequences faced by lower income households given an increase in fuel price and call for more studies in this area.
Synthesis and characterization of some ZnS-based thin film phosphors for electroluminescent device applications

ZnS:Mn, ZnGaS:Mn and ZnS:CuCl2 phosphor thin films for alternating-current thin-film electroluminescent (ACTFEL) devices were prepared by thermal evaporation from two and three sources, respectively. Films are polycrystalline, strongly oriented and stoichiometric or nearly stoichiometric with high optical transmission in the visible part of the spectrum. The band gap of ZnS:Mn, ZnGaS:Mn and ZnS:CuCl2 films was found to be 3.63, 3.86 and 3.56 eV, respectively. The sheet resistance of the ZnS:Mn and ZnGaS:Mn films was greater than 100 MΩ. The resistivity of ZnS:CuCl2 films was between 1.5–80 Ω cm. Photoluminescent (PL) and electroluminescent (EL) characteristics were also studied. The results indicate that after the optimization the investigated phosphor thin films will be suitable for ACTFEL device applications.
Brief Communication: An Historical Note on the Origins of Probabilistic Indexing

The motivation behind ''Probabilistic Indexing'' was to replace two-valued thinking about information retrieval with probabilistic notions. This involved a new view of the information retrieval problem - viewing it as problem of inference and prediction, and introducing probabilistically weighted indexes and probabilistically ranked output. These ideas were first formulated and written up in August 1958.
Mesoscale simulations of curvature inducing protein partitioning in the presence of mean curvature gradients

Theoretical and experimental data predict that curvature inducing proteins segregate to regions of high background membrane curvature. The migration of curvature inducing proteins on the membrane depends on the bending rigidity of the membrane and the protein's instantaneous curvature field. This protein surface migration was investigated with a Monte Carlo curvilinear membrane model based on the Helfrich Hamiltonian.
Estimating parking lot footprints in the Upper Great Lakes Region of the USA

Abstract The primary objective of this paper is to quantify the areal footprint of parking lots across a four state region including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin located in the Upper Great Lakes Basin. Parking lots are virtually everywhere in urban and suburban environments, are often larger than the building footprints they serve yet they are largely unregulated on a regional scale. We focus on a method that estimates parking lot coverage over the four state region and use independent studies to estimate model parameters and validate our model. In total, we estimate that the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin allocate 1260 km2 of their land to parking lots, with the lower bound of the estimate at 976 km2 and the upper bound at 1745 km2. This accounts for approximately 4.97% of urban land use and over 43 million parking spaces whereas the number of adults over 18 years old in these four states amounted to just over 25 million. The estimated number of spaces per vehicle in each state ranges from 2.49 in Indiana to 2.95 in Michigan. Within the four states studied, states that had a higher proportion of their urban land devoted to parking lots were states where urban sprawl was more prevalent.
Dynamic behavior and stiffness tuning in solenoid-based Ni-Mn-Ga transducers

Ferromagnetic shape memory nickel-manganese-gallium (Ni-Mn-Ga) has shown tremendous promise as an actuator material due to its large strain and high bandwidth. However, current Ni-Mn-Ga devices are electromagnet based as this configuration allows for an externally applied force perpendicular to the applied field, and are therefore bulky, energy inefficient, and narrowband. We investigate the dynamic response of Ni-Mn-Ga driven by a solenoid transducer in which the magnetic field is aligned collinearly with the loading stress. The work focusses on the quasistatic and dynamic testing of a Ni 50 Mn 28.7 Ga 21.3 sample which is believed to have an internal stress field which plays the role of the restoring force necessary for reversible strains. This sample is shown to exhibit reversible compressive strains of -0.41% with no external forces applied. Several experimental apparatus are used in order to verify these results. The measurements demonstrate a 231% change in stiffness with applied dc magnetic fields.
Optimal Ordering Policies for Inventory Systems with Emergency Ordering

This paper considers dynamic single- and multi-product inventory problems in which the demands in each period are independent and identically distributed random variables. The problems considered have the following common characteristics. At the beginning of each period two order quantities are determined for each product. A “normal order” quantity with a constant positive lead time of λn periods and an “emergency order” quantity with a lead time of λe periods, where λe = λn - 1. The ordering decisions are based on linear procurement costs for both methods of ordering and convex holding and penalty costs. The emergency ordering costs are assumed to be higher than the normal ordering costs. In addition, future costs are discounted.
Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detection of theophylline via electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polythiophenes

A facile approach to tailor-made, highly selective, and robust ultrathin sensor film for theophylline detection was demonstrated by an electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymer (E-MIP) film of a terthiophene derivative. The method involved direct electropolymerization of the H-bond complexing terthiophene monomer. A key enabling step in sensor fabrication is the use of an electrochemically mediated washing step of the template. The formation of the E-MIP film was monitored by in situ electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (EC-SPR) spectroscopy, allowing real-time observation of the simultaneous changes in electrochemical and optical properties of the film. Surface characterization techniques for the electropolymerized films include atomic force microscopy (AFM), ellipsometry, static contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). A linear calibration curve (R = 0.994) of the E-MIP/SPR sensor for theophylline detection was obtained with a 10−50 μM−1 r...
SU‐E‐T‐126: IMRT and Rapid Arc Commissioning of Truebeam Linear Accelerator Using Gafchromic EBT3 Film

Purpose: The study is to establish confidence limits (CLs) for both IMRT and RapidArc (RA) of all five photon energies (6X, 10X, 15X, 6XFFF, 10XFFF) of a TrueBeam system based on TG119 Guideline. Methods: Both IMRT and RA plans were created in solid water phantom. The test plans were representative of normal clinical treatment sites including AP/PA fields, bands, multiple target, prostate, head & neck, easy and hard C‐shape. A high dose point in the PTV and a low dose point in the critical organ were measured with ion chamber. The percentage difference was defined as [(measured dose — plan dose)/Prescription dose]. Planar dose distributions were also measured in the high and low dose regions with EBT3 films. The confidence limit was set to have 95% of the measured data fall within the tolerance. It was defined as (mean + 1.96 σ) for point dose measurement and [(100‐mean) + 1.96 σ] for passing gamma criteria of 3%/3mm. Results: The CLs of high dose point in the target were 0.031 (range, 0.024 — 0.038) in the IMRT plans and 0.031 (range, 0.016 — 0.043) in the RA plans. The CLs of low point dose in the avoidance structures were 0.028 (range, 0.024 —0.039) in the IMRT plans and 0.029 (range, 0.017 — 0.047) in the RA plans. The CLs of passing 3%/3mm gamma criteria in the high dose region were 6.28 (range, 1.4 — 8.6) in the IMRT plans and 4.84 (range, 1.5 — 8.8) in the RA plans. The CLs in the low dose region were 5.04 (range, 1.2 — 7.4) and 4.2 (range, 1.8 — 8.3) in the IMRT plans. Conclusion: We have established the CLs values to access the overall accuracy to ensure the high precision of IMRT and RA delivery. They were all within the values published in TG1 19.
Flow variability and the biophysical vitality of river systems

Abstract We illustrate the fundamental importance of fluctuations in natural water flows to the long-term sustainability and productivity of riverine ecosystems and their riparian areas. Natural flows are characterized by temporal and spatial heterogeneity in the magnitude, frequency, duration, timing, rate of change, and predictability of discharge. These characteristics, for a specific river or a collection of rivers within a defined region, shape species life histories over evolutionary (millennial) time scales as well as structure the ecological processes and productivity of aquatic and riparian communities. Extreme events – uncommon floods or droughts – are especially important in that they either reset or alter physical and chemical conditions underpinning the long-term development of biotic communities. We present the theoretical rationale for maintaining flow variability to sustain ecological communities and processes, and illustrate the importance of flow variability in two case studies – one from a semi-arid savanna river in South Africa and the other from a temperate rainforest river in North America. We then discuss the scientific challenges of determining the discharge patterns needed for environmental sustainability in a world where rivers, increasingly harnessed for human uses, are experiencing substantially altered flow characteristics relative to their natural states.
Communicating with intent: A study of social awareness and children's writing

This research examined relationships between children's social awareness (ability to understand and negotiate intergroup relationships) and their narrative and persuasive writing. Forty 5th grade students wrote a short fictional narrative and a persuasive letter to their principal. Writing samples were coded for quality, form, and social awareness. Students also completed a questionnaire assessing their capacity to understand and negotiate social relationships. Scores from literacy assessments in vocabulary, reading, and reading comprehension were also obtained. Results suggest that children's quality of writing depends on both literacy and social skills. There was a positive relationship between social awareness and quality of writing in persuasive letters, controlling for vocabulary and demographic characteristics. In narratives, the positive effect was moderated by students' reading skill. The magnitude of the social awareness effect was stronger in the narratives of children who were below average readers, controlling for background characteristics. The paper highlights the educational importance of teaching both social and literacy skills in the classroom.
Multi-robot active SLAM with relative entropy optimization

This paper presents a new approach for Active Simultaneous Localization and Mapping that uses the Relative Entropy(RE) optimization method to select trajectories which minimize both the localization error and the corresponding uncertainty bounds. To that end we construct a planning cost function which includes, besides the state and control cost, a term that encapsulates the uncertainty of the state. This term is the trace of the state covariance matrix produced by the estimator, in this case an Extended Kalman Filter. The role of the RE method is to iteratively guide the selection of the trajectories towards the ones minimizing the aforementioned cost. Once the method has converged, the result is a near-optimal path in terms of achieving the pre-defined goal in the state space while also improving the localization error and the total uncertainty. In essence the method integrates motion planning with robot localization. To evaluate the approach we consider scenarios with single and multiple robots navigating in presence of obstacles and various conditions of landmark densities. The results show a behavior consistent with our expectations.
New density data for unfused and fused sheep bones, and a preliminary discussion on the modelling of taphonomic bias in archaeofaunal age profiles

The analysis of mortality profiles forms an important part of zooarchaeological analysis. It has long been assumed that the bones of immature animals are more prone to taphonomic destruction than those of mature animals, potentially distorting mortality profiles. This study measures the DPD (a proxy for taphonomic strength) of the postcranial skeletons of 91 modern sheep of known age. The data produced are used to demonstrate that the DPD of unfused bones is indeed generally lower than that of their fused equivalents, although considerable inter-individual variation exists. It is further suggested that bone density increases throughout the life of an animal and occurs independently of the fusion of its bones. Consequently, taphonomic bias is partly dependant on the age structure and not the fusion status of the deposited assemblage. Relative levels of bias can only be assessed if this age structure is constant for all elements being considered (e.g. if the material were deposited as entire carcasses). Finally, because potential age-related bias is not equal for all elements, the degree of bias associated with a particular fusion group may partly depend on the numbers of certain elements within that group.
Is Social Psychology Really Different

Gergen (1976), outlines a number of problems that make it difficult to apply general social psychological the ories, or to assess their validity unequivocally. These dif ficulties are not unique to social psychology, however. The application of general scientific principles has never been a simple matter, not even in the well-established physical sci ences. Moreover, there are formidable difficulties in asses sing general theoretical propositions in every field of in quiry, since empirical procedures will inevitably depend on assumptions about local field conditions, the adequacy of meas urement techniques, and the like. As a consequence, if re sults are inconsistent with theoretical expectations, there will always be some uncertainty as to where the problem lies. Social psychologists should not assume that their difficulties are totally unlike those encountered in other fields of sci entific inquiry. The problems raised by Gergen do not, con sequently, rule out the possible development and application of...
Addition of POSS−T8 to the Si(100) Surface

The interaction of the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) T8, (HSiO3/2)8 with the Si(100) surface has been studied using a cluster model, represented by the single dimer Si9H12 to represent the surface. Hartree−Fock (HF), density functional theory (DFT), and multi-configuration self-consistent field (MCSCF) wavefunctions have been used to optimize the geometries of stationary points on the potential energy surface. The HF and MCSCF wavefunctions are augmented by second-order perturbation theory for improved relative energies. The POSS reacts with the Si(100) surface saturating dangling bonds on the surface, yielding two possible addition products. One of these forms a Si−Si bond between the POSS and the dimer at the same time that a hydrogen atom is transferred from the POSS to the adjacent silicon atom of the same dimer, with no structural modification of the cage. The other product involves the opening of the POSS cage with the corresponding formation of a pair of Si−Si and Si−O bonds with the ...
A year in the physical oceanography of the Chukchi Sea: Moored measurements from autumn 1990–1991

Abstract Year-long time-series of temperature, salinity and velocity from 12 locations throughout the Chukchi Sea from September 1990 to October 1991 document physical transformations and significant seasonal changes in the throughflow from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean for one year. In most of the Chukchi, the flow field responds rapidly to the local wind, with high spatial coherence over the basin scale—effectively the ocean takes on the lengthscales of the wind forcing. Although weekly transport variability is very large (ca. - 2 to + 3 Sv ), the mean flow is northwards, opposed by the mean wind (which is southward), but presumably forced by a sea-level slope between the Pacific and the Arctic, which these data suggest may have significant variability on long (order a year) timescales. The high flow variability yields a significant range of residence times for waters in the Chukchi (i.e. one to six months for half the transit) with the larger values applicable in winter. Temperature and salinity (TS) records show a strong annual cycle of freezing, salinization, freshening and warming, with sizable interannual variability. The largest seasonal variability is seen in the east, where warm, fresh waters escape from the buoyant, coastally trapped Alaskan Coastal Current into the interior Chukchi. In the west, the seasonally present Siberian Coastal Current provides a source of cold, fresh waters and a flow field less linked to the local wind. Cold, dense polynya waters are observed near Cape Lisburne and occasional upwelling events bring lower Arctic Ocean halocline waters to the head of Barrow Canyon. For about half the year, at least at depth, the entire Chukchi is condensed into a small region of TS-space at the freezing temperature, suggesting ventilation occurs to near-bottom, driven by cooling and brine rejection in autumn/winter and by storm-mixing all year. In 1990–1991, the ca. 0.8 Sv annual mean inflow through Bering Strait exits the Chukchi in four outflows—via Long Strait, Herald Valley, the Central Channel, and Barrow Canyon—each outflow being comparable (order 0.1–0.3 Sv) and showing significant changes in volume and water properties (and hence equilibrium depth in the Arctic Ocean) throughout the year. The clearest seasonal cycle in properties and flow is in Herald Valley, where the outflow is only weakly related to the local wind. In this one year, the outflows ventilate above and below (but not in) the Arctic halocline mode of 33.1 psu. A volumetric comparison with Bering Strait indicates significant cooling during transit through the Chukchi, but remarkably little change in salinity, at least in the denser waters. This suggests that, with the exception of (in this year small) polynya events, the salinity cycle in the Chukchi can be considered as being set by the input through Bering Strait and thus, since density is dominated by salinity at these temperatures, Bering Strait salinities are a reasonable predictor of ventilation of the Arctic Ocean.
Influence of future climate and emissions on regional air quality in California

[1] Using a chemical transport model simulating ozone concentrations in central California, we evaluate the effects of variables associated with future changes in climate and ozone precursor emissions, including (1) increasing temperature; (2) increasing atmospheric water vapor; (3) increasing biogenic VOC emissions due to temperature; (4) projected decreases in anthropogenic NOx, VOC, and CO emissions in California for 2050; and (5) the influence of changing ozone, CO, and methane at the western boundary. Climatic changes expected for temperature, atmospheric water vapor, and biogenic VOC emissions each individually cause a 1–5% increase in the daily peak ozone. Projected reductions in anthropogenic emissions of 10–50% in NOx and 50–70% in VOCs and CO have the greatest single effect, reducing ozone by 8–15% in urban areas. Changes to the chemical boundary conditions lead to ozone increases of 6% in the San Francisco Bay area and along the west coast but only 1–2% inland. Simulations combining climate effects predict that ozone will increase 3–10% in various regions of California. This increase is partly offset by projected future emissions reductions, and a combined climate and emissions simulation yields ozone reductions of 3–9% in the Central Valley and almost no net change in the San Francisco Bay area. We find that different portions of the model domain have widely varying sensitivity to climate parameters. In particular, the San Francisco Bay region is more strongly influenced by temperature changes than inland regions, indicating that air quality in this region may worsen under future climate regimes.
Polymerization initiation and transient spectrometric studies of water-soluble and -insoluble tert-butyl aroylperbenzoates

Abstract Similar lifetimes of the S1 state (λmax ∼ 590 nm, τ S 1 −7.55 to 9.11 ps in acetonitrile) of the tert-butyl aroylperbenzoates (BAPs), water-insoluble (1 and 2) and water-soluble (3) having the perester moiety para (1 and 3) and meta (2) to the benzophenone carbonyl group, were obtained by ultrafast pump-probe techniques. The lifetime of the T1 state of 2 (λmax ∼ 510 nm, τ T 1 > 1.2 ns) was, however, found to be at least four times higher than those of 1 and 3 (λmax ∼ 560 nm, τ T 1 ∼ 0.3 ns). The effectiveness of 1–3 as photoinitiators for the polymerization of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NVP) and lauryl acrylate (LAC) was compared. Perester 2 is a better thermal and photoinitiator for NVP polymerization than either 1 or 3. The photopolymerization of LAC initiated by either 1 or 2 is an efficient process.
Synthesis of New, Pyrene-Containing, Metal-Chelating Lipids and Sensing of Cupric Ions

The syntheses of several saturated, pyrene-containing, metal-chelating lipids are described. These lipids are capable of strongly binding to transition metal ions employing the metal-chelating headgroup. The excimer-to-monomer ratio of the pyrene groups changes with addition of cupric ions to the liposomes. Three other transition metal ions (Zn2+, Ni2+, and Hg2+) did not cause any appreciable changes in the excimer-to-monomer ratio.
Exploring the student experience in low-cost intrinsic motivation course conversions

The low-cost intrinsic motivation (IM) course conversion project aims to promote the adoption of education innovations, lowering the costs of these innovations by promoting students' intrinsic motivation to learn and to invest in their own education. We have piloted and scaled the IM course conversion of a large enrollment, sophomore-level engineering course. As part of a broader evaluation, we interviewed 31 students to better understand how the IM course conversion affected students' motivations to learn. During these interviews, students described their experiences in the course as a story from the beginning to the end of the semester. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed with an open coding scheme focused on motivational and affective statements. Preliminary analysis indicates that strategic choices, positive team dynamics, and productive failures in the learning process all contribute to promoting students' intrinsic motivation to learn in both pilot and full scale IM course conversions.
Caritas in Veritate: Updating Catholic Social Teachings for Macromarketing and Business Strategy:

In an effort to assess the latest thinking in the Roman Catholic Church on economic matters, this communications note briefly highlights the recent publication of a new encyclical by Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth). Core ethical values, consistent with previous examples of Catholic Social Teaching (CST), are retained. However, some important nuances are added to previous treatments and certain points of emphasis are shifted to account for recent global developments. Key areas that relate to abiding marketing issues are spelled out and some brief commentary on matters of importance to macromarketing is offered.
Cloning of a Novel Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Expressed in Penis and Lower Urinary Tract

The neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is the main NOS isoform in the urogenital tract catalyzing the synthesis of nitric oxide, the mediator of penile erection and presumably an important factor in the control of urinary voiding. We have cloned from the rat penile corpora cavernosa a cDNA coding for a novel nNOS differing from the cerebellar nNOS by the presence of a 102 nucleotides stretch and other features. This new species is the only nNOS mRNA expressed in the rat penis, urethra, prostate, and skeletal muscle, coexists with the cerebellar nNOS in the pelvic plexus and bladder, and is detectable in the cerebellum. The novel insert is present in human penile RNA and is transcribed from intron 16. The features and distribution of the penile nNOS suggest that it is may be regulated differentially from the cerebellar nNOS.
What counts as success? punctuated patterns of use in a persistent chat environment

This paper presents a case study of a globally distributed work group's use of an online environment called "Loops." Loops is a web-based persistent chat system whose aim is to support collaboration amongst corporate work groups. We describe the ways in which the group turned the system's features to its own ends, and the unusual usage rhythm that corresponded with the team's varying needs for communication as it moved through its work cycle. We conclude with a discussion of design implications, and a suggestion that "community" may not always be the best way to think about groups' use of online systems.
Molecular alterations in the neostriatum of human cocaine addicts

Molecular changes in the neostriatum of human subjects who died with a history of cocaine abuse were revealed in discrete cell populations by means of the techniques of in situ hybridization histochemistry and in vitro receptor binding and autoradiography. Cocaine subjects had a history of repeated cocaine use and had cocaine and/or cocaine metabolites on board at the time of death. These subjects were compared to control subjects that had both a negative history and toxicology of cocaine use. Selective alterations in mRNA levels of striatal neuropeptides were detected in cocaine subjects compared to control subjects, especially for the opioid peptides. Marked reductions in the levels of enkephalin mRNA and mu opiate receptor binding were found in the caudate and putamen, concomitant with elevations in levels of dynorphin mRNA and kappa opiate receptor binding in the putamen and caudate, respectively. Dopamine uptake site binding was reduced in the caudate and putamen of cocaine subjects. The greater magnitude of changes in the dorsolateral striatum (caudate and putamen) as opposed to the ventromedial striatum (nucleus accumbens) suggests that cocaine abuse preferentially alters the biosynthetic activity of striatal systems associated with sensorimotor functioning. Additionally, an imbalance in the activity of the two major striatal output pathways in cocaine users is implicated because peptide mRNA levels were reduced in enkephalinergic striatopallidal neurons and increased in dynorphinergic striatonigral neurons. Another imbalance, that of reductions of transmitter mRNA and receptor expression associated with euphoria (enkephalin and mu opiate receptors), together with elevations in mRNAs of transmitter systems associated with dysphoria (dynorphin and kappa opiate receptors), suggests a model of dysphoria and craving in the human cocaine addict brain.
Masking with minimal contours: Selective inhibition with low spatial frequencies

Paracontrast and metacontrast magnitudes were measured in a target identification task. A particular class of illusory contours is described that did not mask in the paracontrast condition but did show a large metacontrast magnitude. The discontinuity in the masking function is interpreted in terms of the Fourier decomposition of the visual scene that is performed by cells selectively responsive to discrete bands of spatial frequencies. The class of contours that we describe can only mask through inhibition generated by their low spatial frequencies. These results are consistent with recent models of masking based on two independent modes of inhibition—within sustained visual channels, and between sustained and transient visual channels.
A novel stereoselective synthesis of the ring AB podocarpate system

Abstract A new way of stereoselectively synthesizing rings A and B of podocarpate has been developed; the correct stereochemistry at C4 is obtained during a cyclization linking C2 to C3.
Effects of carbon dioxide on coccidian oocysts from 6 host species.

SYNOPSIS Activation of sporozoites in oocysts of Eimeria acervulina (chicken), E. intricata (sheep), and E. scabra (swine) occurred after pretreatment in aqueous 0.02 M cysteine hydrochloride under an atmosphere of CO2, followed by incubation in a trypsin-bile mixture. Sporozoites of E. stiedae (rabbit), E. bilamellata (squirrel), and Isospora canis (dog) became activated when incubated in trypsin and bile with or without prior CO2-pretreatment of oocysts; however, when CO2-pretreatment was used, activation of these species in trypsin and bile was greatly enhanced. For E. acervulina, 12% of the oocysts were activated after 4 hr CO2-pretreatment and 10 hr incubation in trypsin and bile at 43 C; higher temperatures or longer pretreatment times did not cause greater activation. Eimeria intricata oocysts became activated after 1 hr pretreatment and 10 hr incubation in trypsin and bile at 37, 39 or 41 C, respectively. The highest activation (31%) occurred after 20 hr pretreatment and 10 hr incubation in trypsin and bile at 41 C. Ninety percent of E. scabra oocysts contained active sporozoites after 1 hr CO2-pretreatment and 10 hr incubation in trypsin and bile at 37 C. At 39 or 41 C, 100% activation occurred with this species after similar pretreatment and treatment periods. With E. bilamellata, 64% activation occurred in nonpretreated oocysts incubated 10 hr in trypsin and bile at 41 C, whereas 100% activation occurred if oocysts were pretreated with CO2 for 1 hr before treatment with trypsin and bile. Thirty-one, 35, and 36% of CO2-pretreated E. stiedae oocysts were activated after 1 hr incubation in trypsin and bile at 37, 39 or 41 C, respectively, whereas 1, 2, and 20% activation occurred in nonpretreated oocysts incubated at the same temperatures. Sporozoites in 99-100% of I. canis oocysts were activated after 10 hr treatment in trypsin and bile with or without 1 hr CO2-pretreatment at 23, 37, 39 or 41 C.
Ambiguous Influences Affecting Insertion Loss of Microwave Printed Circuit Boards [Application Notes]

Software design programs often assist RF/ microwave engineers in creating high-frequency printed circuit boards (PCBs). A multitude of commercial software tools are available, from electromagnetic (EM) simulation programs to circuit layout and complete system simulators. Both engineers and software tools try to forecast the effects of various circuit- and material-based parameters, but some factors may be overlooked or simply not well enough understood to be properly accounted for in a software simulation of a PCB design. This article intends to help RF/microwave PCB designers better understand the different influences affecting high-frequency PCB loss performance, such as copper roughness, solder mask, plated finishes, and circuit configurations, and how to more accurately predict their effects on final PCB insertion-loss (IL) performance.
An Analysis of Optimal Advertising Under Uncertainty

We examine the firm's optimal advertising behavior under conditions of uncertainty. For the static one-period model, we show that the firm's attitude toward risk may be responsible for the potential divergence between advertising decisions under uncertainty and those under deterministic conditions. For the dynamic multi-period model, the ultimate impact of uncertainty on advertising is further complicated when the sales response function contains an unknown parameter, and the firm wishes to gain more information about it through experimentation. We demonstrate that whether it is optimal for the firm to experiment at an advertising rate higher, equal to, or lower than the myopic one-period level would depend on the specification of the response function. Finally, we offer some empirical evidence for our assumption of a quadratic sales response function, using time-series data of twelve major brands of cigarettes.
The NDH State in Comparative Perspective

Abstract This essay addresses the place of the NDH state within fascist Europe. It treats such issues as its relationship to generic fascism, the comparative degree of mobilisation, the relationship to religion, the place of the NDH state in the history of mass atrocity, its definition as a ‘regime type’, its role within the spectrum of revolutionary civil war, and its relationship to the issue of Balkan fascism.
Realizing student success at Hispanic‐serving institutions

This chapter highlights the role of Hispanic-Serving Institutions in promoting the academic success of minority students and discusses successful strategies used by several Hispanic-Serving community colleges.
Measurement of the specific refractivities of CF4 and C2F6

The refractivities of CF4 and C2F6 have been determined with a two‐beam interferometer. The values obtained fall within 1% of the values computed from the atomic refractivities of carlem and fluorine. (AIP)
Group sequential testing in dental clinical trials with longitudinal data on multiple outcome variables.

In this article, methods are proposed for design and analysis of clinical trials that gather longitudinal data on multiple outcome variables. A valid test of the null hypothesis of no treatment group differences can be obtained for any choice of a working alternative hypothesis and a working covariance matrix for the outcome variables. Increased power can be achieved by accurate modeling of the true treatment effect and covariance structure. Implementation of the procedure is simple using existing software for generalized estimating equations. The procedure is an extension of the ‘derived variable’ technique (univariate analysis applied to a linear combination of the outcome variables) and also of O’Brien’s generalized least squares test. The procedure is extended to allow sequential testing using an arbitrary division of the total type I error rate among repeated hypothesis tests. The methods are illustrated by the design of a study on the safety of dental amalgam fillings, which served as the motivation...
Directing sequence-specific proteolysis to new targets. The influence of loop size and target sequence on selective proteolysis by tissue-type plasminogen activator and urokinase-type plasminogen activator.

We have previously used substrate phage display to identify peptide sequences that are efficiently and selectively cleaved by tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) or urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA). We demonstrate that this information can be used to direct selective proteolysis to new protein targets. Sequences that were labile to selective cleavage by t-PA or u-PA when in the context of a peptide were introduced into the 43–52 (or Ω) loop of staphylococcal nuclease. Both t-PA and u-PA hydrolyze the engineered proteins at the inserted target sequences, and Km values for protein cleavage were reduced up to 200-fold relative to values for cleavage of analogous sequences within 15 residue peptides. Variation of loop size surrounding a target sequence affects the efficiency of t-PA approximately 5-fold more strongly than that of trypsin, suggesting that cleavage by t-PA is more dependent on target site mobility. Cleavage of proteins by t-PA and u-PA is sequence selective. u-PA is 47-fold more active than t-PA for cleavage of a sequence known to be u-PA selective within small peptide substrates, whereas t-PA is 230-fold more active toward a t-PA-selective sequence.
A method to determine experimental uncertainties from phase equilibria data of quaternary systems of hydrocarbons + water

Abstract This paper focuses on the determination of experimental uncertainties based on an error analysis of experimental three-phase equilibria data. An objective function is minimized such that all material balance and physical constraints are satisfied. This function is defined in terms of the optimized phase compositions and variable experimental uncertainties of the experiments. To test the procedure, we used three-phase compositions measured in our laboratory from a quaternary system of propane (C3), n-pentane (C5), n-octane (C8), and water (H2O) at three different pressures and temperatures. We also analyzed published three-phase equilibria data for a quaternary system of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and water (H2O). Unbiased maximum experimental uncertainties were estimated for all these cases. These uncertainties ranged from 0.0004 to 0.01 mole fraction units. With the largest experimental uncertainty, the phase molar fractions determined from raw experimental data could be up to 9% different from those determined with optimized, self-consistent compositions.
Neutral sphingomyelinase-3 mediates TNF-stimulated oxidant activity in skeletal muscle

Abstract Aims Sphingolipid and oxidant signaling affect glucose uptake, atrophy, and force production of skeletal muscle similarly and both are stimulated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF), suggesting a connection between systems. Sphingolipid signaling is initiated by neutral sphingomyelinase (nSMase), a family of agonist-activated effector enzymes. Northern blot analyses suggest that nSMase3 may be a striated muscle-specific nSMase. The present study tested the hypothesis that nSMase3 protein is expressed in skeletal muscle and functions to regulate TNF-stimulated oxidant production. Results We demonstrate constitutive nSMase activity in skeletal muscles of healthy mice and humans and in differentiated C2C12 myotubes. nSMase3 ( Smpd4 gene) mRNA is highly expressed in muscle. An nSMase3 protein doublet (88 and 85 kD) is derived from alternative mRNA splicing of exon 11. The proteins partition differently. The full-length 88 kD isoform (nSMase3a) fractionates with membrane proteins that are resistant to detergent extraction; the 85 kD isoform lacking exon 11 (nSMase3b) is more readily extracted and fractionates with detergent soluble membrane proteins; neither variant is detected in the cytosol. By immunofluorescence microscopy, nSMase3 resides in both internal and sarcolemmal membranes. Finally, myotube nSMase activity and cytosolic oxidant activity are stimulated by TNF. Both if these responses are inhibited by nSMase3 knockdown. Innovation These findings identify nSMase3 as an intermediate that links TNF receptor activation, sphingolipid signaling, and skeletal muscle oxidant production. Conclusion Our data show that nSMase3 acts as a signaling nSMase in skeletal muscle that is essential for TNF-stimulated oxidant activity.
Influence of selenium deficiency on glutathione disulfide metabolism in isolated perfused rat heart

Abstract Selenium deficiency causes a fall in rat cardiac glutathione peroxidase activity. As a consequence, isolated perfused selenium-deficient heart does not release increased amounts of GSSG when hydroperoxide is infused. However, the total amount of glutathione measured as intracellular GSH, intracellular GSSG and GSSG released from the heart when hydroperoxide is infused does not equal the total glutathione measured in these pools in untreated hearts (Xia, Y., Hill, K.E. and Burk, R.F. (1985) J. Nutr. 115, 733–742). GSSG can react with protein sulfhydryl groups to form glutathione-protein mixed disulfides (PrS-SG). PrS-SG were measured in perfused selenium-deficient and control hearts infused with t-butylhydroperoxide and were found to account for the previously unmeasured glutathione. The ability of the selenium-deficient heart to transport GSSG was also examined. GSSG was produced non-enzymatically by infusing diamide. The diamide-treated selenium-deficient heart formed GSSG and released it at the same rate as similarly-treated control heart. Thus although selenium deficiency decreases GSSG formation by glutathione peroxidase, it does not affect cardiac GSSG transport.
Gender does not influence epsilon-aminocaproic acid concentrations in adults undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.

Epsilon-aminocaproic acid (e-ACA) is administered to cardiac surgery patients to reduce blood transfusions. Highly water-soluble drugs, such as e-ACA, often have larger distribution volumes in males than in females. We hypothesized that e-ACA concentrations using this dosing scheme would differ by gender because of differences in body composition and weight-adjusted volumes of distribution. Ten men and 10 women undergoing elective coronary artery surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) received a 50 mg/kg e-ACA initial dose over 20 min and a2 5 mg ·k g 21 ·h 21 e-ACA maintenance infusion for 4 h. The area under the e-ACA arterial concentration versus time curves was compared by using analysis of variance. Measured e-ACA concentrations were smaller than predicted by the published model, but the area under the concentration versus time curves was not significantly different between men and women. Combining the present concentration data with that previously published, our updated two-compartment model included the following estimated population pharmacokinetic values: V1 (11.8 L pre-CPB, 14.9 L during and after CPB), V2 (12.0 L pre-CPB, 15.0 L during and after CPB), Cl1 (0.125 L/min pre-CPB, 0.037 L/min during CPB, 0.156 L/min after CPB), Cl2 (0.155 L/min pre-CPB, 0.013 L/min during CPB, 0.193 L/min after CPB). (Anesth Analg 2001;92:1384 ‐90)
Regional fibrosis after intraperitoneal administration of mafosfamide

Mafosfamide is a cyclophosphamide analog which, unlike cyclophosphamide, does not require enzymatic activation and does not cause urinary tract toxicity. Administration of mafosfamide intraperitoneally, but not intravenously, causes a delayed, dose-dependent fibrotic peritoneal reaction associated with an increased incidence of delayed mortality. This phenomenon might complicate interpretation of in vivo laboratory studies of activity and toxicity in which the intraperitoneal route of administration is utilized. Further, this toxic effect presents a problem for the clinical development of this agent for regional therapies such as intraperitoneal installation.
Evaluation of tree bark as a passive atmospheric sampler for flame retardants, PCBs, and organochlorine pesticides.

To investigate the relationship between the levels of persistent organic pollutants in tree bark (a passive sampler) and those in air and precipitation, tree bark and air and precipitation samples were collected during the same time period at the five U.S. Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) sites located in Great Lakes basin. The concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, Dechlorane Plus, decabromodiphenyl ethane, polychlorinated biphenyls, DDTs, and chlordanes were measured in these samples. Overall, the pollutant concentrations in tree bark are significantly related to the concentrations of these compounds in the air and precipitation collected where the tree was growing. Generally, the highest tree bark and air pollutant concentrations were observed at urban sites, and the lowest concentrations were observed at remote sites. The overall correlation between bark and atmospheric and precipitation concentrations for all the compounds measured in this study was highly significant (P < 0.0001) over 3-4 orders of magnitude. In addition, bark-air partition coefficients, measured for all the chemical categories in this study, were about 10 6 , which was in good agreement with previously estimated bark-air partition coefficients for corresponding pollutant groups.
Contribution of Filopodia to Cell Migration: A Mechanical Link between Protrusion and Contraction

Numerous F-actin containing structures are involved in regulating protrusion of membrane at the leading edge of motile cells. We have investigated the structure and dynamics of filopodia as they relate to events at the leading edge and the function of the trailing actin networks. We have found that although filopodia contain parallel bundles of actin, they contain a surprisingly nonuniform spatial and temporal distribution of actin binding proteins. Along the length of the actin filaments in a single filopodium, the most distal portion contains primarily T-plastin, while the proximal portion is primarily bound by alpha-actinin and coronin. Some filopodia are stationary, but lateral filopodia move with respect to the leading edge. They appear to form a mechanical link between the actin polymerization network at the front of the cell and the myosin motor activity in the cell body. The direction of lateral filopodial movement is associated with the direction of cell migration. When lateral filopodia initiate from and move toward only one side of a cell, the cell will turn opposite to the direction of filopodial flow. Therefore, this filopodia-myosin II system allows actin polymerization driven protrusion forces and myosin II mediated contractile force to be mechanically coordinated.
Assessing direct analysis in real-time-mass spectrometry (DART-MS) for the rapid identification of additives in food packaging

The ambient ionization technique direct analysis in real time (DART) was characterized and evaluated for the screening of food packaging for the presence of packaging additives using a benchtop mass spectrometer (MS). Approximate optimum conditions were determined for 13 common food-packaging additives, including plasticizers, anti-oxidants, colorants, grease-proofers, and ultraviolet light stabilizers. Method sensitivity and linearity were evaluated using solutions and characterized polymer samples. Additionally, the response of a model additive (di-ethyl-hexyl-phthalate) was examined across a range of sample positions, DART, and MS conditions (temperature, voltage and helium flow). Under optimal conditions, molecular ion (M+H+) was the major ion for most additives. Additive responses were highly sensitive to sample and DART source orientation, as well as to DART flow rates, temperatures, and MS inlet voltages, respectively. DART-MS response was neither consistently linear nor quantitative in this setting, and sensitivity varied by additive. All additives studied were rapidly identified in multiple food-packaging materials by DART-MS/MS, suggesting this technique can be used to screen food packaging rapidly. However, method sensitivity and quantitation requires further study and improvement.