cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
9 – Penetrometer Measurements

Publisher Summary This chapter teaches how to measure mechanical impedance using penetrometer measurements. It first defines a penetrometer and then looks at different kinds of instruments and their uses. It considers the type of tests that are done with penetrometers and what factors affect the measurements, and then looks specifically at the cone penetrometer. A penetrometer is any device forced into the soil to measure resistance to vertical penetration. The earliest soil penetrometers were fists, thumbs, fingernails, pointed sticks, and metal rods. They are still used for qualitative measurements. Two types of tests are done, when making penetration-resistance measurements: a static test and a dynamic test. In a static penetration test, the penetrometer is pushed steadily into the soil. A static penetration test is exemplified by the use of the cone penetrometer, and is discussed in detail in the chapter. In a dynamic penetration test, the penetrometer is driven into the soil by a hammer or falling weight. A dynamic penetration test is done with a spray-tainer or spra-tainer. The spra-tainer is a thin-walled can of 12-ounce size (341 grams) manufactured to dispense products such as shaving cream and bug spray under pressure.
Chapter 4 – The Social Welfare Function in Policy Analysis

Chapter 4 begins with two attempts to apply the social welfare function: Atkinson's formulation of social welfare as a function of individuals' incomes which he calculates using government survey data on personal income and Jorgenson's parameterization of consumers' utility functions from econometric estimates of their expenditures. The chapter concludes with Dardanoni's analysis of the connection between social welfare and social mobility.
Optimal Volt/VAR control in distribution systems with prosumer DERs

Abstract This paper proposes an optimal Volt/VAR control method for distribution systems with proliferated prosumer distributed energy resources (P-DERs) with generation and consumption capabilities. The proposed method is developed based on a comprehensive mutual agreement between distribution system operator (DSO) and P-DERs to optimize the power loss and the cost of adjusting grid's voltage control assets by solving a multi-objective Volt/VAR control (MO-VVC) problem. In this paper, the proposed MO-VVC reduces the power loss by adjusting capacitor banks switches, tap position of on-load tap changer transformers, voltage regulators’ taps, and active and reactive power set-points of P-DERs. Three new sensitivity-based evolutionary algorithms are proposed to find the optimal solutions more accurately with reduced computational time. In addition, a payment system is proposed to calculate the financial benefits of participating parties. The performance of the proposed method is validated using the simulation results of the modified IEEE 34-bus test feeder with several P-DERs.
Degradation of Commercial Lithium-Ion Cells as a Function of Chemistry and Cycling Conditions

Energy storage systems with Li-ion batteries are increasingly deployed to maintain a robust and resilient grid and facilitate the integration of renewable energy resources. However, appropriate selection of cells for different applications is difficult due to limited public data comparing the most commonly used off-the-shelf Li-ion chemistries under the same operating conditions. This article details a multi-year cycling study of commercial LiFePO4 (LFP), LiNixCoyAl1-x-yO2 (NCA), and LiNixMnyCo1-x-yO2 (NMC) cells, varying the discharge rate, depth of discharge (DOD), and environment temperature. The capacity and discharge energy retention, as well as the round-trip efficiency, were compared. Even when operated within manufacturer specifications, the range of cycling conditions had a profound effect on cell degradation, with time to reach 80% capacity varying by thousands of hours and cycle counts among cells of each chemistry. The degradation of cells in this study was compared to that of similar cells in previous studies to identify universal trends and to provide a standard deviation for performance. All cycling files have been made publicly available at batteryarchive.org, a recently developed repository for visualization and comparison of battery data, to facilitate future experimental and modeling efforts.
Industry or Academia: Where Are the Innovators?

Where are the innovators? The answer to this question is complex; as an immediate response, one might answer, "It depends!" To begin with, it is appropriate to define two words that frequently cross each other in such discussions? innovation and research. Innovation has two common definitions: 1) a new idea, device, or method and 2) the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods. In contrast, research is defined as the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions.
The Number of Native Hawaiians and Part-Hawaiians in Hawaiʻi, 1778 to 1900: Demographic Estimates by Age

Earlier work provided an estimate of 683,200 for the 1778 population of Hawaiʻi in 1778, the year of first European contact and decennial estimates of the number of Native Hawaiians from 1780 to 1900. In this brief paper, this work is extended to Part-Hawaiians with an estimate for 1778 and decennial estimates from 1780 to 1900. Comparisons are made in terms of the historical demographic dynamics of the Native and Part-Hawaiian populations along with some references to their current demographic situations. Suggestions are made for future research into these two populations.
Stargazer: A Deep Learning Approach for Estimating the Performance of Edge- Based Clustering Applications

As a solution to the sensor data deluge, edge computing processes sensor data by means of local devices. Many of these devices are resource-scarce in terms of the available processing capabilities and battery power. To achieve the required design trade-offs of edge applications, developers must be able to understand the performance and resource utilization of data processing algorithms. An increasing number of edge-based applications use machine learning (ML) as their key functionality. However, the performance and resource utilization of ML algorithms remain poorly understood, thus hindering the system design of edge-based ML applications. In addition, developers often cannot access real-world edge-based test beds during the design phase. To address this problem, we present an approach for estimating the performance of edge-based ML applications, with a particular application to clustering. To that end, we first comprehensively evaluate the performance and resource utilization of widely used clustering algorithms deployed in a representative edge environment. Second, we identify which properties of these algorithms are correlated with their performance and resource utilization. Finally, we apply our findings to create Stargazer, a Deep Neural Network that given a clustering algorithm's computational load and input data size, estimates how this algorithm would perform and utilize resources in an edge-based application. Our tool provides viable decision-making support for addressing the multifaceted design challenges of edge-based ML applications.
Extending High-Level Synthesis for Task-Parallel Programs

C/C++/OpenCL-based high-level synthesis (HLS) becomes more and more popular for field-programmable gate array (FPGA) accelerators in many application domains in recent years, thanks to its competitive quality of results (QoR) and short development cycles compared with the traditional register-transfer level design approach. Yet, limited by the sequential C semantics, it remains challenging to adopt the same highly productive high-level programming approach in many other application domains, where coarse-grained tasks run in parallel and communicate with each other at a fine-grained level. While current HLS tools do support task-parallel programs, the productivity is greatly limited in the code development cycle due to the poor programmability, in the correctness verification cycle due to restricted software simulation, and in the QoR tuning cycle due to slow code generation. Such limited productivity often defeats the purpose of HLS and hinder programmers from adopting HLS for task-parallel FPGA accelerators.In this paper, we extend the HLS C++ language and present a fully automated framework with programmer-friendly interfaces, unconstrained software simulation, and fast hierarchical code generation to overcome these limitations and demonstrate how task-parallel programs can be productively supported in HLS. Experimental results based on a wide range of real-world task-parallel programs show that, on average, the lines of kernel and host code are reduced by 22% and 51%, respectively, which considerably improves the programmability. The correctness verification and the iterative QoR tuning cycles are both greatly shortened by 3.2× and 6.8×, respectively. Our work is open-source at https://github.com/UCLA-VAST/tapa/.
Exploring Tai Chi Exercise and Mind-Body Breathing in Patients with COPD in a Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial

In this pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial, participants with moderate to severe COPD were randomized to a 12-week tai chi or MBB intervention. Participants were assessed at baseline, 12...
Acute Epstein-Barr virus infection presenting as Guillain-Barre syndrome

Abstract An 18-year-old man presented with 5-days of a lower extremity rash, sore throat, rapidly progressive bilateral facial numbness and paresthesias in his distal extremities. His neurological examination acutely deteriorated to include moderate bilateral facial weakness in a lower motor neuron pattern, mild flaccid dysarthria, mild bilateral interossei weakness, and diffuse hyporeflexia. In addition to neurological examination, EMG results of acute demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy were suggestive of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Infectious laboratory testing demonstrated acute infection of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) with relatively low EBV DNA quantitative values. The patient subsequently developed fever and cervical lymphadenopathy during his hospital course. Contrasting typical GBS, which presents weeks after an acute infection, the patient’s presenting symptom of EBV infection was GBS. GBS as a presenting symptom of EBV has not previously been described. This case may represent a unique mechanism for the pathogenesis of GBS in acute infections as opposed to the traditional post-infectious antibody-mediated process.
An Explosophore-Based Approach Towards the Prediction of Energetic Material Sensitivity Properties

Accurate prediction of the sensitivity properties of high-energy materials (HEMs) and the study of their decomposition mechanisms are two major focuses within energetics research. Due to the hazards associated with the synthesis and handling of energetic materials, predictive models for HEM sensitivity are of great importance in enabling the safe and efficient development of future HEMs. Traditional predictive modeling of HEM decomposition via machine learning algorithms generally displays limited interpretability, while mechanistic studies of HEMs typically focus on small subsets of structurally analogous compounds lacking generalizability. This study aims to bridge the gap between predictive modeling and computational mechanistic analysis of HEMs, with the goal of providing chemically interpretable models for HEM sensitivity property prediction. Herein, we disclose the use of multivariate linear regression (MLR) modeling for the prediction of the decomposition temperature and impact sensitivity of HEMs. We report an explosophore-based approach to sensitivity property prediction featuring an ensemble of quantum mechanical parameters and computational workflows that enable rapid parameterization and modeling of energetic functional groups. We then employ these methods to accurately predict sensitivity properties of nitrogen-rich tetrazole and azide HEMs. These statistical MLR models are readily interpreted based on the principles of physical organic chemistry, producing structure-property relationships to guide the rational design of new HEMs. Furthermore, we extend our explosophore-based approach to predict the sensitivity properties of HEMs containing multiple, non-equivalent energetic functional groups through the identification of molecular triggers for the bulk decomposition of HEMs. Finally, we showcase the viability of our methods towards ab initio virtual screening of HEMs through predictive modeling of external test sets of tetrazole HEMs using structures and parameters generated exclusively in silico.
Heat capacities and thermodynamics of formation of e-Keggin MAl12 Selenates (M = Al(III), Ga(III), or Ge(IV))

Abstract We report enthalpies of formation from the elements and oxides, Δ f H ° = −(22,673.44 ± 30.19) kJ · mol - 1 and Δ f,ox H = −(869.68 ± 28.75) kJ · mol - 1 , for [GeO4Al12(OH)24(H2O)12](SeO4)4·12H2O(cr) (GeAl12) measured using high temperature oxide-melt solution calorimetry. This material is the selenate salt of the germanium-substituted polynuclear Al 13 7 + ion in the e-Keggin structure. We also report heat capacities from temperatures of (2 to 300) K on this GeAl12 selenate and its other heterometal substituted forms, Na[AlO4Al12(OH)24(H2O)12](SeO4)4·12H2O(cr) (AlAl12) and Na[GaO4Al12(OH)24(H2O)12](SeO4)4·12H2O(cr) (GaAl12), measured using a Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS). These measurements were used to calculate entropies and subsequently free energies of formation for these three materials. All three MAl12 selenates, where M = Al(III), Ga(III), or Ge(IV), have similar heat capacities from temperatures (2 to 300) K and similar characteristic Debye temperatures, ΘD, suggesting similar lattice vibrational densities of states.
Patterns of Interaction in Mixed Forest Stand Dynamics

Foresters have long been interested in mixed forest stand dynamics. Traditionally, their view of the problem has reflected a utilitarian philosophy: at the time of stand establishment, which combination of two species will give the greatest total yield over a fixed time interval? Nelson (1964) reviewed some of the controversy surrounding this question in the writings of early European foresters, described a mathematical model for plant competition studies developed by Wit (1960) and others, and suggested it as an aid to answering the above question. Swindel (1970) elaborated on this model.
The International Politics of a New Latino America: The Foreign Policy Preferences of Latinos and the National Interest*

As the culture and society of the United States is being transformed with an influx of Latino immigration and the entrenchment of traditional Latin American migration sources, we are left with many unanswered questions regarding the course of American Politics. Foremost among them, and neglected to this point, are the impacts of a greater Latino population on America's external foreign relations. Samuel Huntington (2004) holds that the proliferation of Latinos will degrade the traditional national interest of America and thus harm the state's national security. The realities of Latino preferences have been completely unexplored and we have been left with snap judgments about the complex preference formations among the Latino population. It is important that we understand Latino preferences as a whole; especially in light of the Bush Doctrine, which shapes American military commitments after 9/11. What preferences does the Latino population hold for U.S. combat operations? Do Latinos express the traditional foreign policy preferences of other American groups or is a new multicultural path emerging? The final important question regards what impact the Bush Doctrine will have on Latin American-U.S. relations. This article finds strong Latino support for typical U.S. foreign policies and high levels of patriotism exhibited by the population, suggesting that Latinos will support the national interest of the United States. There is nothing to fear because, as I argue, Latinos support the national security goals of the United States of America.
Malleability of Students’ Perceptions of an Affect-Sensitive Tutor and Its Influence on Learning

We evaluated an affect-sensitive version of AutoTutor, a dialogue based ITS that simulates human tutors. While the original AutoTutor is sensitive to students’ cognitive states, the affect-sensitive tutor (Supportive tutor) also responds to students’ affective states (boredom, confusion, and frustration) with empathetic, encouraging, and motivational dialogue moves that are accompanied by appropriate emotional expressions. We conducted an experiment that compared the Supportive and Regular (non-affective) tutors over two 30-minute learning sessions with respect to perceived effectiveness, fidelity of cognitive and emotional feedback, engagement, and enjoyment. The results indicated that, irrespective of tutor, students’ ratings of engagement, enjoyment, and perceived learning decreased across sessions, but these ratings were not correlated with actual learning gains. In contrast, students’ perceptions of how closely the computer tutors resembled human tutors increased across learning sessions, was related to the quality of tutor feedback, the increase was greater for the Supportive tutor, and was a powerful predictor of learning. Implications of our findings for the design of affect-sensitive ITSs are discussed.
Hanlon and Stanley's Conjecture and the Milnor Fibre of a Braid Arrangement

Let {\cal A} be a real arrangement of hyperplanes. Let B e B(q) be Varchenko's quantum bilinear form of {\cal A}, introduced [15], specialized so that all hyperplanes have weight q. B(q) is nonsingular for all complex q except certain roots of unity. Here, we examine the kernel of B at roots of unity in relation to the topology of the hyperplane singularity. We use Varchenko's work [16] to relate B(q) to a Salvetti complex for the Milnor fibration of {\cal A}. This paper's main result is specific to the arrangement of reflecting hyperplanes associated with the A_n − 1 root system. We use a geometric property of the Milnor fibre to resolve a conjecture due to Hanlon and Stanley regarding the {\Fraktur C}_n-module structure of the kernel of B(q) at certain roots of unity.
Decision-Aiding and Optimization for Vertical Navigation of Long-Haul Aircraft

Most decisions made in the cockpit are related to safety, and have therefore been proceduralized in order to reduce risk. There are very few which are made on the basis of a value metric such as economic cost. One which can be shown to be value based, however, is the selection of a flight profile. Fuel consumption and flight time both have a substantial effect on aircraft operating cost, but they cannot be minimized simultaneously. In addition, winds, turbulence, and performance x,ary widely with altitude and time. These factors make it important and difficult for pilots to (a) evaluate the outcomes associated with a particular trajectory before it is flown and (b) decide among possible trajectories. The two elements of this problem considered here are (1) determining, what constitutes optimality, and (2) finding optimal trajectories. Pilots and dispatchers from major U.S. airlines were surveyed to determine which attributes of the outcome of a flight they considered the most important. Avoiding turbulence-for passenger comfort topped the list of items which were not safety related. Pilots' decision making about the selection of flight profile on the basis of flight time, fuel burn, and exposure to turbulence was then observed. Of the several behavioral and prescriptive decision models invoked to explain the pilots' choices, utility maximization is shown to best reproduce the pilots' decisions. After considering more traditional methods for optimizing trajectories, a novel method is developed using a genetic algorithm (GA) operating on a discrete representation of the trajectory search space. The representation is a sequence of command altitudes, and was chosen to be compatible with the constraints imposed by Air Traffic Control, and with the training given to pilots. Since trajectory evaluation for the GA is performed holistically, a wide class of objective functions can be optimized easily. Also, using the GA it is possible to compare the costs associated with different airspace design and air traffic management policies. A decision aid is proposed which would combine the pilot's notion of optimility with the GA-based optimization, provide the pilot with a number of alternative pareto-optimal trajectories, and allow him to consider un-modelled attributes and constraints in choosing among them. A solution to the problem of displaying alternatives in a multi-attribute decision space is also presented.
Narcissism, psychopathy and Five‐Factor Model in sexual assault perpetration

Perpetration of sexual aggression by college men has been well documented and results in a variety of negative outcomes for victims. Although most theory and research on sexual aggression among college students have focused on the role of attitudes and life experiences, recent research with college men suggests that personality traits play a larger role in perpetration in college samples than was once believed. A large (N = 235) sample of college men self-reported levels of narcissism, psychopathy, Five-Factor Model (FFM) and sexual assault perpetration. Both the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders-II Personality Questionnaire were used to assess narcissism. Men who scored highly on self-report measures of psychopathic and narcissistic traits and low on self-report measures of the FFM dimensions of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were more likely to report perpetration and reported more frequent perpetration. All of the aforementioned variables distinguished between perpetrators and non-perpetrators; however, FFM domains did not explain significant variance after controlling for narcissism and psychopathy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Buried mine detection using gamma rays produced by neutrons

The energies of gamma rays produced by either fast or captured neutrons are unique to each element. The elements in the explosive of a buried mine are carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. This paper analyzes data taken on buried explosive simulants. The gamma detector was a high purity germanium crystal with excellent energy resolution and the neutrons were produced by a compact deuterium-tritium accelerator, which generated 14 MeV neutrons. The gamma rays from the explosive must be separated from the large soil background. The utility for explosive detection of each element is separately analyzed in detail. Issues of normalization and gain shifts are also addressed.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Using the Virtual Heart Model to validate the mode-switch pacemaker operation

Artificial pacemakers are one of the most widely-used implantable devices today, with millions implanted worldwide. The main purpose of an artificial pacemaker is to treat bradycardia, or slow heart beats, by pacing the atrium and ventricles at a faster rate. While the basic functionality of the device is fairly simple, there are many documented cases of death and injury due to device malfunctions. The frequency of malfunctions due to firmware problems will only increase as the pacemaker operations become more complex in an attempt to expand the use of the device. One reason these malfunctions arise is that there is currently no methodology for formal validation and verification of medical device software, as there are in the safety-critical domains of avionics and industrial control automation. We have developed a timed-automata based Virtual Heart Model (VHM) to act as platform for medical device software validation and verification. Through a case study involving multiple arrhythmias, this investigation shows how the VHM can be used with closed-loop operation of a pacemaker to validate the necessity and functionality of the complex mode-switch pacemaker operation. We demonstrate the correct pacemaker operation, to switch from one rhythm management mode to another, in patients with supraventricular tachycardias. 1
Vibrational Study of the Polymer Electrolyte Poly(ethylene oxide)6:LiAsF6

A vibrational study of the polymer electrolyte compound poly(ethylene oxide)6:LiAsF6 is reported. A symmetry-based factor group correlation method is applied to interpret the observed bands. The Raman and infrared spectra of the compound are consistent with the reported crystal structure. The ν1 mode, which appears at 685 cm-1, identifies the anions as being “spectroscopically free”. Multiple bands in the ν3 spectral region are interpreted as resulting from the dynamical coupling of the four AsF6- anions in the unit cell. The ρ(CH2) region shows multiple bands that arise from the complex conformations of the polymer backbone.
Risk Factors for Multiple Intracranial Aneurysms

OBJECTIVE: Risk factors that predispose to the formation of multiple intracranial aneurysms, which are present in up to 34% of patients with intracranial aneurysms, are not well defined. In this study, we examined the association between known risk factors for cerebrovascular disease and presence of multiple intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records and results of conventional angiography in all patients with a diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms admitted to the Johns Hopkins University hospital between January 1990 and June 1997. We determined the independent association between various cerebrovascular risk factors and the presence of multiple aneurysms using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 419 patients admitted with intracranial aneurysms (298 ruptured and 121 unruptured), 127 (30%) had multiple intracranial aneurysms. In univariate analysis, female gender (odds ratio [OR] = 1.9; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 1.1-3.3) and cigarette smoking at any time (OR = 1.8; 95% Cl, 1.1-3.0) were significantly associated with presence of multiple aneurysms. In the multivariate analysis, cigarette smoking at any time (OR = 1.7; 95% Cl, 1.1-2.8) and female gender (OR = 2.1; 95% Cl 1.2-3.5) remained significantly associated with multiple aneurysms. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and alcohol and illicit drug use were not significantly associated with presence of multiple aneurysms. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking and female gender seem to increase the risk for multiple aneurysms in patients predisposed to intracranial aneurysm formation. Further studies are required to investigate the mechanism underlying the association between cigarette smoking and intracranial aneurysm formation.
Damage Detection in Composite Structures with Wavenumber Array Data Processing

Guided ultrasonic waves (GUW) have the potential to be an efficient and cost-effective method for rapid damage detection and quantification of large structures. Attractive features include sensitivity to a variety of damage types and the capability of traveling relatively long distances. They have proven to be an efficient approach for crack detection and localization in isotropic materials. However, techniques must be pushed beyond isotropic materials in order to be valid for composite aircraft components. This paper presents our study on GUW propagation and interaction with delamination damage in composite structures using wavenumber array data processing, together with advanced wave propagation simulations. Parallel elastodynamic finite integration technique (EFIT) is used for the example simulations. Multi-dimensional Fourier transform is used to convert time-space wavefield data into frequency-wavenumber domain. Wave propagation in the wavenumber-frequency domain shows clear distinction among the guided wave modes that are present. This allows for extracting a guided wave mode through filtering and reconstruction techniques. Presence of delamination causes spectral change accordingly. Results from 3D CFRP guided wave simulations with delamination damage in flat-plate specimens are used for wave interaction with structural defect study.
Multilayer assembly of nanowire arrays for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Vertically ordered nanostructures synthesized directly on transparent conducting oxide have shown great promise for overcoming the limitations of current dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) based on random networks of nanoparticles. However, the synthesis of such structures with a high internal surface area has been challenging. Here we demonstrate a convenient approach that involves alternate cycles of nanowire growth and self-assembled monolayer coating processes for synthesizing multilayer assemblies of ZnO nanowire arrays and using the assemblies for fabrication of DSCs. The assembled multilayer ZnO nanowire arrays possess an internal surface area that is more than 5 times larger than what one can possibly obtain with single-layer nanowire arrays. DSCs fabricated using such multilayer arrays yield a power conversion efficiency of 7%, which is comparable to that of TiO2 nanoparticle-based DSCs. The ordered structure with a high internal surface area opens up opportunities for further improvement of DSCs.
Atmospheric-pressure helium inductively coupled plasmas for elemental mass spectrometry

Analytical and fundamental characteristics of helium inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (He ICPMS) were explored for atmospheric-pressure plasmas generated in a 13-mm He ICP torch with the use of a prototype ICPMS equipped with an analogue detector. Four sets of operating conditions were identified for the detection of four categories of elements at levels lower than or similar to those of the Ar ICPMS. In general, detection limits of He ICPMS were improved by two to four orders of magnitude for metals, compared to results from our previous study with the same torch. For the easy-to-atomize elements (Li, Na, K, Ga, Rb, In, Cs, Tl, Pb, and Bi), the detection limits ranged from 0.1 to 7 pg/mL at 500-600 W forward power. Detection limits of the fourth-period transition metals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu), i.e., elements subject to the spectral interferences in Ar ICPMS, were 4 to 100 pg/mL at a power level of 560-700 W. The detection limits of hard-to-atomize elements (Ti, V, Sr, Y, Rh, Pr, Tm, Th) ranged from 4 to 90 pg/mL at 800 W. For hard-to-ionize elements (As, Se, Br, Sn Sb, I), detection limits of 0.05 to 1 ng/mL were obtained at 820 W. Ion kinetic energies were measured under two diverse sets of operating conditions. At 600 W, the ion kinetic energies were very low (2.6-6.6 eV for mass range 39-209 amu), indicating the absence of a secondary discharge at the sampler tip of the MS interface. The gaskinetic temperature estimated in this measurement was 600 K for the 600-W He ICP. In contrast, very high ion kinetic energies (31-66 eV for mass range 51-232 amu) were obtained at 800 W. The estimated plasma potential and gas kinetic temperature were 22 V and 3500 K, respectively. Ion kinetic energies of polyatomic ions were slightly lower than those of atomic ions at the same mass, suggesting that polyatomic ions were formed in the low-temperature zones of the He ICP.
New antimicrobial agents as therapy for resistant gram-positive cocci

Vancomycin- and methicillin-resistant gram-pos- itive cocci have emerged as an increasingly problematic cause of hospital-acquired infections. We conducted a literature review of newer antibiotics with activity against vancomycin-resistant and methicillin-resistant gram-posi- tive cocci. Quinupristin/dalfopristin, linezolid, daptomycin, and tigecycline have in vitro activity for methicillin- resistant staphylococci and are superior to vancomycin for vancomycin-resistant isolates. Dalbavancin, telavancin, and oritavancin are new glycopeptides that have superior pharmacodynamic properties compared to vancomycin. We review the antibacterial spectrum, clinical indications and contraindications, pharmacologic properties, and ad- verse events associated with each of these agents. Dapto- mycin has rapid bactericidal activity for Staphylococcus aureus and is approved for use in bacteremia and right- sided endocarditis. Linezolid is comparable to vancomycin in patients with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) pneumonia and has pharmacoeconomic advantages given its oral formulation. Quinupristin/dalfopristin is the drug of choice for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium infections but has no activity against Enterococcus faecalis. Tigecycline has activity against both enterococcus species and MRSA; it is also active against Enterobacteriaceae and anaerobes which allows for use in intra-abdominal and diabetic foot infections. A review of numerous in vitro and animal model studies shows that interaction between these newer agents and other antistaphylococcal agents for S. aureus are usually indifferent (additive).
Lateral abdominal wall reconstruction.

Lateral abdominal wall defects, while rare, present a more challenging problem than commonly encountered ventral defects due to the complexity of the anatomy, physiologic forces, and impact of muscle denervation. The lateral abdominal wall encompasses a large surface area ranging from the costal margin superiorly to the iliac crest inferiorly and from the linea semilunaris anteriorly to the paraspinous musculature posteriorly. The ratio of muscle to fascia/aponeurosis is much higher, which makes repair through muscle tissue versus fascia less secure. Furthermore, these defects are subject to asymmetric forces caused by the independent contraction of anterior and posterior muscle units, which lead to unbalanced strain and hernia progression. These features necessitate the use of wide underlay mesh load bearing repairs supported by the static pillars of the abdominal wall. Management can be further complicated when defects extend beyond the defined boundaries, requiring surgical repair to be adapted based on the border structures involved. Primary fascial coaptation may not be as easily accomplished, and therefore careful planning is important to ensure stable coverage of exposed mesh.
Preparation of the proteolipid apoprotein from bovine heart, liver and kidney.

Abstract Proteolipid apoproteins have been prepared from heart, kidney, and liver by dialysis in chloroform/methanol against chloroform/methanol, acidified chloroform/ methanol, and chloroform/methanol in succession. They are free of lipids (
Influence of Incandescent Light on Reproductive and Physiological Responses of Bovine Bulls

Abstract Two Jersey, four Holstein, two Guernsey, and two Hereford bulls were divided at random into two groups to evaluate the effects of 14 hr of super-imposed incandescent light on semen characteristics and various blood constituents. Both initial progressive motility and concentration of sperm declined appreciably during the 20 wk following the first of May. However, the decline was significantly less for bulls exposed to supplementary artificial light. Methylene blue reduction time for ejaculates from light-treated bulls remained constant, whereas that for controls increased during the experimental period. There was no change in the volume of semen per ejaculate for either group during the experimental period. The percentage of abnormal sperm increased throughout the experimental period for both treated and control groups. There were no signifificant changes in either group, in hemoglobin, hematocrit, erythrocyte count, and leucocyte count. Protein-bound iodine was significantly (P
Correlations between sound velocity and related properties of glacio-marine sediments: Barents sea

Statistical analysis of laboratory-measured compressional wave (sound) velocity, porosity, wet bulk density, and selected textural parameters of surface sediments from the Barents Sea reveals that clay content and mean grain size are the best indices to sound velocity. These parameters are followed closely by porosity and wet bulk density, while sand content provides the weakest index. Although Barents Sea surface sediments are characterized by fairly high variability, the results of the present study are in general agreement with studies of similar sediment types in other continental shelf environments.
Clues to the development of mechanism-based inactivators of 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: comparison of steroidal and nonsteroidal Michael acceptors and epoxides

A series of steroidal and nonsteroidal Michael acceptors that represent reaction products for 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase were synthesized and evaluated as potential enzyme-generated inactivators. Introduction of exocyclic olefins either at C-2 or C-6 produced inhibitors with high affinity for the enzyme (0.05 to 5.0 microM). However, despite this affinity, none of these compounds produced time-dependent inactivation of the enzyme. By contrast, analogs based on 1-phenyl-2-propen-1-one were stoichiometric inactivators of the enzyme and ease of turnover of the parent latent Michael acceptor depended on the presence of an electron-withdrawing substituent at the para position. A series of steroidal and nonsteroidal epoxides in which the oxiranyl oxygen could be substituted for the 3-ketone (the acceptor carbonyl of a steroid substrate) were also synthesized and evaluated as potential mechanism-based inactivators. Steroidal 2 alpha,3 alpha-, and 3 alpha,4 alpha-epoxides as well as 3 alpha- and 3 beta-spiroepoxides did not bind to the enzyme and were unable to cause enzyme inactivation in either the presence or absence of pyridine nucleotide. In contrast, nitrostyrene oxides produced time-dependent inactivation, the rate of which was governed by the presence of an electron withdrawing group at the para position. These data indicate that the design of mechanism-based inactivators for 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase requires the incorporation of electron-withdrawing groups adjacent to the latent enzyme-activated group and, as a result, the turnover and/or reactivity of these compounds is increased. Moreover, these compounds can be modeled on nonsteroids.
Gene Therapy for Human Genetic Disease

In our view, gene therapy may ameliorate some human genetic diseases in the future. For this reason, we believe that research directed at the development of techniques for gene therapy should continue. For the foreseeable future, however, we oppose any further attempts at gene therapy in human patients because (i) our understanding of such basic processes as gene regulation and genetic recombination in human cells is inadequate; (ii) our understanding of the details of the relation between the molecular defect and the disease state is rudimentary for essentially all genetic diseases; and (iii) we have no information on the short-range and long-term side effects of gene therapy. We therefore propose that a sustained effort be made to formulate a complete set of ethicoscientific criteria to guide the development and clinical application of gene therapy techniques. Such an endeavor could go a long way toward ensuring that gene therapy is used in humans only in those instances where it will prove beneficial, and toward preventing its misuse through premature application. Two recent papers have provided new demonstrations of directed genetic modification of mammalian cells. Munyon et al. (44) restored the ability to synthesize the enzyme thymidine kinase to thymidine kinase-deficient mouse cells by infection with ultraviolet-irradiated herpes simplex virus. In their experiments the DNA from herpes simplex virus, which contains a gene coding for thymidine kinase, may have formed a hereditable association with the mouse cells. Merril et al. (45) reported that treatment of fibroblasts from patients with galactosemia with exogenous DNA caused increased activity of a missing enzyme, alpha-D-galactose-l-phosphate uridyltransferase. They also provided some evidence that the change persisted after subculturing the treated cells. If this latter report can be confirmed, the feasibility of directed genetic modification of human cells would be clearly demonstrated, considerably enhancing the technical prospects for gene therapy.
Functional activity of murine intestinal mucosal cells is regulated by the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor.

Abstract To determine whether the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1r) plays a role in the regulation of intestinal functional activity, we analyzed the distribution of the GLP-1r in mouse tissues and tested if tissues expressing the receptor respond to exendin-4 and exendin (9–39) amide, a GLP-1r agonist and antagonist respectively. In ileum, Glp1r mRNA level was two fold higher in extracts from epithelial cells than non-epithelial tissues. By immunohistochemistry, the receptor was localized to the mucosal cell layer of villi of ileum and colon, to the myenteric and submucosal plexus and to Paneth cells. Intravenous administration of exendin-4 to CD-1 mice induced expression of the immediate early gene c-fos in mucosal cells but not in cells of the enteric plexuses or in L cells of ileum. The induction of c-fos was inhibited by the voltage-gated sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin. Exendin-4 also increased c-fos expression in ileal segments in vitro, suggesting that this action of the analog was independent of an extrinsic input. The induction of c-fos expression by exendin-4 was inhibited by exendin (9–39) amide, indicating that the action of exendin-4 was mediated by activation of the receptor. Our findings indicate that the GLP-1r is involved in ileal enterocyte and Paneth cell function, that the GLP-1 analog activates c-fos expression in the absence of an extrinsic input and that some of the actions of the receptor is/are mediated by voltage-gated Na channels.
Ejecta Emplacement on the Martian Satellites

Abstract Ejecta features on the martian satellites are compared to models of ballistic emplacement and downslope motion. The asymmetric distribution of ejecta around the large crater Stickney on Phobos appears most easily explained if the crater were formed when Phobos was only slightly farther from Mars than at present (due to tidal evolution), where rotational and tidal effects allow spreading of low velocity material several kilometers to the east of the crater, but which do not allow a large fraction of the crater's ejecta to be launched into temporary Mars orbit. An additional condition needed to explain the distribution of Stickney's ejecta is that the crater excavation occurred in a gravity-dominated regime. The distribution of Stickney's ejecta is not closely related to the patterns of grooves nor to potential long-distance downslope motion. On Deimos, ejecta from a large impact near the south pole also appear to have been produced by cratering largely in the gravity regime. The morphology of older craters, evidence of ejecta ponding, and crater density data indicate that the ejecta from this large impact have been subject to significant redistribution downslope. This crater is much larger relative to Deimos than Stickney is to Phobos; the resulting greater ejecta cover and possibly much greater seismic shaking on Deimos may help explain the strikingly different appearances of the martian moons.
Morphology and properties of poly(vinyl chloride)–poly(butadiene‐co‐acrylonitrile) blends

The objective of this research was to study the structure-property relationships of two poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)–poly(butadiene-co-acrylonitrile) (BAN) blends which exhibit differences in blend compatibility. Studies were carried out utilizing differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical testing, stress–strain, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and infrared dichroism experiments at different temperatures. The BAN 31/PVC (BAN containing 31% acrylonitrile) system is considered to be nearly compatible as evidenced by Tg shifts, stress–strain results, orientation characteristics, and TEM micrographs. Similar experiments indicate that the BAN 44/PVC system is incompatible, and contains a mixed phase of BAN 44-PVC and a pure BAN 44 phase. The extent of heterogeneity in the compatible BAN 31/PVC system, however, plays an important role in the orientation characteristics of the blends.
Mechanism and function of poleward flux in Xenopus extract meiotic spindles

In Xenopus extract meiotic spindles, microtubules slide continuously towards their minus ends, a process called poleward flux. This article discusses recent progress in determining the mechanism of poleward flux, and its functions in spindle organization and generating force on chromosomes. Bipolar organization is required for flux and inhibition of the mitotic kinesin Eg5 inhibits flux, suggesting the sliding force for flux is generated by Eg5 pushing anti-parallel microtubules apart. An important function of flux in spindle organization may be to transport minus ends nucleated at chromatin towards the pole. By pulling microtubules through attachment sites at kinetochores, flux may generate poleward force on metaphase chromosomes.
Toward an active network architecture

Active networks allows users to inject customized programs into the nodes of the network. In this paper, we describe our vision of an active network architecture, outline our approach to its design, and survey the technologies that can be brought to bear on its implementation. In the course of this presentation we identify a number of research questions to be addressed and propose that the research community mount a joint effort to develop and deploy a wide area ActiveNet.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Depth profiles of Ag/Si(111) thin-film interface regions

The metal/semiconductor interface region of in situ deposited Ag thin films prepared on a Si(111) substrate has been investigated using AES sputter depth profiling in conjunction with proton-induced x-ray emission (PIXE). Interface regions have been modeled with the interface analysis program LOGIT, developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Values for the parameters obtained from this model indicate that the rate of ion beam sputtering through samples prepared without simultaneous low-energy ion activation tended to be noticeably greater than the rate of sputtering through samples prepared with simultaneous ion activation. Further, we found that one effect of the ion beam is temporarily to shift the fractional Ag surface coverage to higher values. The likely mechanism for this shift is sputter redeposition by the ion beam of Ag atoms from large nucleated Ag islands, transporting them to open areas between islands. These results support conclusions from an earlier study, which found that the effect of low-energy simultaneous ion beam activation during thin-film deposition was to shift the mode of growth of Ag on an Si(111) substrate from an SK (layer-plus-island) to an FM (layer) growth mode, to a degree dependent on the conditions of simultaneous ion co-bombardment.
Low-temperature absorption equilibrium and chemisorption in the LaNi5(Activated)H2 system

Abstract Absorption isotherms for activated LaNi 5 H 2 have been determined in detail at 273 and 195 K. The variation of the two-phase plateau pressure with temperature has been measured from 174 to 273 K and extrapolates well with higher temperature data determined elsewhere; these data yield ΔH α β = −15.0 kJ/mol of H. Hysteresis loops have been examined in the two-phase coexistence region. Excess hydrogen sorption has been determined as a function of the equilibrium hydrogen pressures by differences between sorption by activated and unactivated (low surface area) samples. The enthalpy for the excess sorption has been found to be approximately −30 kJ/mol of H and becomes less exothermic with extent of sorption. The amounts of the excess sorbed hydrogen are larger than anticipated from the measured surface area (BET, krypton, 77.4 K) in order for excess sorption to correspond to chemisorption; nonetheless, arguments are presented to suggest this correspondence.