cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An assessment of classroom technology usage in business

While the intangible costs of learning and acquiring classroom technologies are still the major impediment to widespread adoption of classroom technologies, the extent to which the classroom technologies are used has become an important aspect in evaluating the educational quality of business schools. This study provides an initial assessment of the usage patterns of various classroom technologies in three business disciplines.
CMB cluster lensing: Cosmography with the longest lever arm

We discuss combining gravitational lensing of galaxies and the cosmic microwave background by clusters to measure cosmographic distance ratios, and hence dark energy parameters. Advantages to using the cosmic microwave background as the second source plane, instead of galaxies, include a well-determined source distance, a longer lever arm for distance ratios, typically up to an order of magnitude higher sensitivity to dark energy parameters, and a decreased sensitivity to photometric redshift accuracy of the lens and galaxy sources. Disadvantages include higher statistical errors, potential systematic errors, and the need for disparate surveys that overlap on the sky. Ongoing and planned surveys, such as the South Pole Telescope in conjunction with the Dark Energy Survey, can potentially reach the statistical sensitivity to make interesting consistency tests of the standard cosmological constant model. Future measurements that reach 1% or better precision in the convergences can provide sharp tests for future supernovae distance measurements.
Guidelines for contingency approach to planning

Abstract In an earlier article the author discussed the contingency approach to planning as a flexible managerial tool making it possible to find a good fit between the planning process and the organization. In the present article the contingency approach is applied to the product life cycle to show how the different steps in the planning process can be varied as the situation changes. The contingency approach to planning can be used in a similar fashion for a product line, a product division, or the entire organization.
Travel/activity analysis: Pattern recognition, classification and interpretation

This paper presents a methodology for the analysis of travel/activity patterns based on a classification procedure in which the set of measurements that define human movement is represented by a pattern vector. Transformation techniques are then applied to the pattern vectors to develop a taxonomy for the pattern space. Subsequent inversion of the transformed patterns yields representative activity patterns that can be related to socioeconomic and urban form characteristics. Pattern recognition theory is demonstrated to be an effective means by which complex travel/activity patterns can be transformed into a structurally simpler space for purposes of planning and analysis.
An Analysis of Piles in Marine Clay Under Cyclic Axial Loading

A finite element procedure based on the Biot's theory for the dynamics of porous media is developed to analyse nonlinear soil-structure interaction problems including pile foundations. The method is verified by back predicting field behaviour of cyclic axially loaded instrumented pile segments, tested in a saturated marine clay near Sabine Pass, Texas in collaboration with Earth Technology Corporation (ERTEC), Long Beach and Houston. A new and advanced anisotropic hardening constitutive model is developed based on laboratory tests on undisturbed samples from the site. For the preliminary analysis presented here a simplified, associative version of the model is used.
Photochemical homolysis of the manganesemanganese bond in decacarbonyldimanganese

Abstract Photolysis (λ 3500) A) of Mn2 (CO)10 in tetrahydrofuran produces paramagnetic species which appears to be Mn(CO)5 ;it reverts to Mn2(CO)10 on storage and reacts with iodine to give Mn(CO)5 I.
Genetic Rounds: A Doctor's Encounters in the Field that Revolutionized Medicine

Genetic Rounds: A Doctor's Encounters in the Field that Revolutionized Medicine is Robert Marion's reflection on 30 years as a clinical geneticist, 30 years that have seen incredible changes in our understanding of the molecular bases of genetic diseases as well as early steps toward the “holy grail”— therapy for genetic disorders. Along the way have been triumphs and disappointments, of both a scientific and of a human nature. Marion chronicles all of this in a straightforward, and often poignant, collection of true stories. Particularly compelling are several stories that describe the pain and pathos of life for some individuals with genetic disorders; the father with Marfan syndrome, so scarred by the emotional trauma of a childhood filled with teasing about his appearance that he chooses not to confide knowledge of his condition with his blind wife for fear that she will not want to have a child with him; or the only family that came to his clinic in the Bronx on September 11, 2001, there not because they needed medical advice but because they needed one human being that they could count on to listen to them and understand their most basic fears and anxieties, one person on whom they could count for help and support.The triumphs are also well documented and will ring true to clinicians; it is difficult to describe the feeling that something is not quite right with one's patient, or the heady epiphany when a difficult diagnosis becomes clear. These triumphant stories, though, are told with a becoming sense of humility at the wonder of human development. Marion sums this up with a statement with which most clinical geneticists can identify: “dumb luck and hunches, and a little bit of knowledge of weird, rare facts are pretty much all that keep me in business.” This is clearly not true, but he expresses an emotion recognizable by every person fortunate enough to spend a lifetime in clinical genetics.This book is plainly written and should be widely accessible to both medical and nonmedical readers. Researchers in the field of genetics and medicine will gain insight into the human cost of the conditions that they study. The young student reading this book may find in its mix of science and humanism the seeds of a vocation as a geneticist or genetic counselor. We clinicians will be reminded of our own triumphs, and failures, and we might even pick up some clinical pearls that will aid us in the future. Finally, I believe that I will hand this book to my mother the next time she asks me to explain what it is that I actually do for a living.
Monophyly of Heterandriini (Teleostei: Poeciliidae) revisited: a critical review of the data

The systematics and taxonomy of poeciliid fishes (guppies and allies) remain poorly understood despite the relative importance of these species as model systems in the biological sciences. This study focuses on testing the monophyly of the nominal poeciliine tribe Heterandriini and the genus Heterandria, through examination of the morphological characters on which the current classification is based. These characters include aspects of body shape (morphometrics), scale and fin-ray counts (meristics), pigmentation, the cephalic laterosensory system, and osteological features of the neurocranium, oral jaws and suspensorium, branchial basket, pectoral girdle, and the gonopodium and its supports. A Maximum Parsimony analysis was conducted of 150 characters coded for 56 poeciliid and outgroup species, including 22 of 45 heterandriin species (from the accounted in Parenti & Rauchenberger, 1989), or seven of nine heterandriin species (from the accounted in Lucinda & Reis, 2005). Multistate characters were analyzed as both unordered and ordered, and iterative a posteriori weighting was used to improve tree resolution. Tree topologies obtained from these analyses support the monophyly of the Middle American species of "Heterandria," which based on available phylogenetic information, are herein reassigned to the genus Pseudoxiphophorus. None of the characters used in previous studies to characterize the nominal taxon Heterandriini are found to be unambiguously diagnostic. Some of these characters are shared with species in other poeciliid tribes, and others are reversed within the Heterandriini. These results support the hypothesis that Pseudoxiphophorus is monophyletic, and that this clade is not the closest relative of H. formosa (the type species) from southeastern North America. Available morphological data are not sufficient to assess the phylogenetic relationships of H. formosa with respect to other members of the Heterandriini. The results further suggest that most tribe-level taxa of the Poeciliinae are not monophyletic, and that further work remains to resolve the evolutionary relationships of this group.
On a model of neuronal spike trains

Abstract Stochastic models of neuronal firing have been proposed previously, in which neuronal firings are determined by the interaction between two renewal processes. This paper proposes a stochastic model of neuronal firing taking account of a threshold level and derives the interval density between two successive firing events.
Production of transgenic maize from bombarded type II callus: effect of gold particle size and callus morphology on transformation efficiency.

Here we present a routine and efficient protocol for year-round production of fertile transgenic maize plants. Type II callus derived from maize Hi II immature zygotic embryos was transformed using the PDS 1000/He biolistic gun and selected on bialaphos. In an effort to improve the transformation protocol, the effects of gold particle size and callus morphology on transformation efficiency were investigated. Reducing gold particle size from 1.0 μm or 0.6 μm resulted in a significant increase in the rate of recovery of bialaphos-resistant clones from Type II callus. The average transformation efficiency of pre-embryogenic, early embryogenic and late embryogenic callus did not vary significantly. Rates of transformation, regeneration and fertility achieved for Type II callus are summarized and compared to those achieved for greenhouse- and field-derived immature zygotic embryos.
Reactivity of pyridoxal 5-phosphate residues of cystathionase.

Abstract 1. 1.|The pyridoxal-5-P residues of the enzyme cystathionase from rat liver show different reactivity towards chemical reagents such as cycloserine and sodium borohydride. Although the enzyme contains three molecules of pyridoxal-5-P per 150 000 molecular weight, only one of the pyridoxal-5-P chromophores reacts with cycloserine at pH values near neutrality. 2. 2.|The dissociation of this reactive pyridoxal-5-P molecule from the protein surface leads to complete loss of catalytic activity, but cystathionase activity is regained by addition of pyridoxal-5-P. The experimental evidence presented in this paper indicates that at least two steps are involved in the process of reconstitution of cystathionase activity. 3. 3.|The differential reactivity of the pyridoxal-5-P residues of cystathionase and the possibility that some of the molecules of pyridoxal-5-P play a subsidiary role, such as maintenance of the quaternary structure of the protein, are discussed in this paper.
Phase Behavior of Binary Blends of High Molecular Weight Diblock Copolymers with a Low Molecular Weight Triblock

Binary blends of four different high molecular weight poly(styrene-b-isoprene) (SI) diblock copolymers with a lower molecular weight poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene) (SIS) triblock copolymer were prepared, and their morphology was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering. All the neat block copolymers have nearly symmetric composition and exhibit the lamellar morphology. The SI diblock copolymers had number-average molecular weights, Mn, in the range 4.4 × 105−1.3 × 106 g/mol and volume fractions of poly(styrene), ΦPS, in the range 0.43−0.49, and the SIS triblock had a molecular weight of Mn ∼ 6.2 × 104 g/mol with ΦPS = 0.41. The high molecular weight diblock copolymers are very strongly segregating, with interaction parameter values, χN, in the range 470−1410. A morphological phase diagram in the parameter space of molecular weight ratio (R = Mndiblock/1/2Mntriblock) and blend composition was constructed, with R values in the range between 14 and 43, wh...
Late mortality in females after endovascular aneurysm repair

Abstract Background Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture is an adverse arterial remodeling event with high mortality risk. Because females have increased rupture risk with smaller AAAs ( Methods We retrospectively analyzed all patients that underwent EVAR for infrarenal AAA from June, 2009–June, 2013. We excluded patients that were male, treated emergently or for iliac artery aneurysm, and that received renal and/or mesenteric artery stenting. Patients did not meet anatomic criteria if preoperative AAA diameter was Results Thirty-six of 162 elective EVAR patients (22.2%) were female (mean follow-up, 37.2 mo). Twenty patients (55.6%) met AAA size and/or growth criteria, whereas 16 (44.4%) did not meet criteria. Despite comparable demographics, comorbidities, and complications, patients that did not meet criteria had higher late mortality (37.5% versus 5%; P = 0.03) with a trend toward increased reoperation rate (25% versus . 5%; P = 0.48). Meeting size and/or growth criteria decreased odds of late death (odds ratio, 0.09; 95% confidence intervals, 0.01–0.83). Conclusions There is increased late mortality in females receiving elective EVAR at our institution for small and/or slow-growing AAAs. This late mortality may limit the benefits of EVAR for this population.
Successful Treatment of Cerebral Blastomycosis with Voriconazole

Blastomycosis can occasionally involve the central nervous system (CNS). Amphotericin B deoxycholate is considered the drug of choice for the treatment of CNS blastomycosis. Significant toxicity may be associated with its use. We describe a case of cerebral blastomycoma that was successfully treated with voriconazole.
Wire-based ureteral stents: impact on tensile strength and compression.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the performance of coil-based ureteral stents in terms of tensile strength and the radial compression force. Methods Three Cook Resonance (RES) metallic coil stents and three coil-reinforced Applied Medical Silhouette (SIL) ureteral stents were tested. An MTS MicroBionix Testing System using Testworks II software, vibration isolation table, and 5-N load cell were used to measure tensile and compressive strength. Stents were placed in hydraulic grips spaced 24 cm apart and stretched at a rate of 5 mm/s for 1 second under uniaxial tension. Extrinsic compression was exerted in 0.2-mm increments to maximum compression. The Young’s modulus, E, was calculated for each trial using the engineering stress. Comparisons were made with the Cook C-flex, which in previous studies was shown to be stiffer and more resistant to compression than other traditional polymer stents. Results The RES and SIL stents demonstrated tensile strengths of 936 ± 485 kPa and 770 ± 82 kPa, respectively ( P = 0.02). The elastic modulus required to cause extrinsic compression was lower for the RES (63,248 ± 3218 Pa) than for the SIL (105,664 ± 11,529 Pa) ( P P Conclusions Both the Cook Resonance and Applied Medical Silhouette stents are more resistant to extrinsic stent compression than ureteral stents that are not coil-reinforced. The Cook Resonance has a higher tensile strength, whereas the Applied Medical Silhouette is more resistant to extrinsic compression.
Hazenite, KNaMg2(PO4)2·14H2O, a new biologically related phosphate mineral, from Mono Lake, California, U.S.A.

ab S tract A new biologically related, struvite-type phosphate mineral, hazenite, ideally KNaMg 2(PO4)2⋅14H2O, has been found in and/or on completely dried-out or decomposed cyanobacteria on porous calciumcarbonate (mainly calcite and aragonite) substrates in Mono Lake, California. The mineral occurs as radiating clusters of prismatic crystals and is colorless, transparent with white streak and vitreous luster. It is brittle, with the Mohs hardness of 2∼2.5; cleavage is good on {001} and no twinning was observed. The measured and calculated densities are 1.91(3) and 1.88(2) g/cm 3 , respectively. Hazenite is biaxial (+), with nα =1.494(1), nβ = 1.498(1), nγ = 1.503(1), 2Vmeas = 41(2)°, 2Vcalc = 42°, X = b, Y = c, Z = a, and does not fluoresce under long- or short-wave ultraviolet rays. The dispersion is strong with r < v. It is soluble in water. The electron microprobe analysis yielded an empirical formula of K0.97(Na0.96Ca0.02)Mg2.07[(P0.98S0.02)O4]2⋅13.90H2O. Hazenite is orthorhombic with space group Pmnb and unit-cell parameters a = 6.9349(4) A, b = 25.174(2) A, c = 11.2195(8) A, and V = 1958.7(3) A 3 . There are many structural similarities between hazenite and struvite, as also revealed by their Raman spectra. The hazenite structure contains six symmetrically independent non-hydrogen cation sites, two for Mg 2+ (Mg1 and Mg2), two for P 5+ (P1 and P2), one for Na + , and one for K + . It can be viewed as three types of layers stacking along the b-axis, in a repeating sequence of ABCBABCB…, where layer A consists of Mg1(H2O)6 octahedra and NaO6 trigonal prisms, layer B of P1O4 and P2O4 tetrahedra, and layer C of Mg2(H2O)6 octahedra and very irregular KO6 polyhedra. These layers are linked together by hydrogen bonds, plus the K-O bonds between layers B and C (K-O5-P2). Interestingly, the combination of layers B and C in hazenite exhibits a configuration analogous to the struvite-(K) structure. Hazenite is believed to form in high pH environments through the involvement of cyanobacterial activities. To our knowledge, hazenite is the first struvite-type compound that contains two structurally distinct monovalent cations (K and Na), pointing to an exclusive role of biological activity in the mineralization process.
On the Theory of Dynamic Programming---A Warehousing Problem

In a recent report, [Charnes, A., W. W. Cooper. Generalizations of the warehousing model. O. N. R. Research Memorandum, No. 34, 1955, Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie Institute of Technology.], Charnes and Cooper present a solution by means of linear programming techniques of one version of what is called the “warehouse problem”. The purpose of this note is to indicate how problems of this general nature may be approached by means of the functional equation technique of the theory of dynamic programming, and thereby reduced to a very simple and straight-forward computational problem.
Denitrification in a Tallgrass Prairie Landscape

We characterized factors controlling denitrification and quantified rates of N gas production by this process in a tallgrass prairie landscape in central Kansas. The experimental design included three land use classes (unburned, annually burned, and an- nually burned and grazed) in factorial combination with three slope positions (summit, back-slope, toe-slope), plus a cultivated site in a toe-slope position (10 sites total). Deni- trification was measured using an acetylene-based soil core technique four times in 1987, once in early 1988, and six times in 1989. Cores were incubated under field-moist conditions and after amendment with water or water plus nitrate. Microbial biomass and nitrification and denitrification enzyme activities were also measured. Denitrification was higher (P < .05) in unburned sites than in burned, burned and grazed, and cultivated sites in both 1987/1988 and 1989. The cultivated site consistently had low rates of denitrification relative to the native prairie sites, even when water and nitrate were added. Levels of microbial biomass C and nitrification and denitrification enzyme activities were an order of magnitude lower in the cultivated site than in the native prairie sites. Denitrification rates were highest in the early spring of 1987 and were low at all other times. Although temporal patterns of activity were generally related to patterns of soil moisture, water additions did not stimulate activity in ungrazed prairie soils. Water plus nitrate additions consistently gave significant increases in activity. The results are consistent with previous research that has found that unburned prairie is wetter and has higher concentrations of NO3- in soil solution than burned sites. In certain years, denitrification may be significant to site fertility, landscape water quality, and atmospheric chemistry in the tallgrass prairie region.
Exogenous Lipoid Pneumonia (Fire-eater's Lung)

Figure (Panel A) Computed tomography scan pleural effusions with drowned lung appearance o and dense bibasilar atelectasis; (Panel B) A b multiple vacuolated macrophages in increased n bronchoalveolar lavage aspirate strongly positi macrophages. Funding: None. Conflict of Interest: None. Authorship: Both authors had complete access to data and contributed equally in writing the manuscript. Requests for reprints should be addressed to Amir Y. Shaikh, MD, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 281 East Hartford Avenue, Uxbridge, MA 01569. E-mail address: Amir.Shaikh@umassmemorial.org
The Strip Method for Counting Nerve Fibers or other Microscopic Units

A comparison of complete counts of nerve fibers by the strip method with the photographic method showed a minimum difference of 0.3% and a maximum of 2.9%. The preparations counted were selected for clarity and discreteness of fibers to avoid introducing an error (ambiguity of fibers) which is not pertinent to any particular method of counting. Agreement of counts with estimates radicated the feasibility of estimates when the greatest accuracy is not required.
Value of Imaging Part I:: Perspectives for the Academic Radiologist

With payers and policymakers increasingly scrutinizing the value of medical imaging, opportunities abound for radiologists and radiology health services researchers to meaningfully and rigorously demonstrate value. Part one of this two-part series on the value of imaging explores the concept of value in health care from the perspective of multiple stakeholders and discusses the opportunities and challenges for radiologists and health service researchers to demonstrate value. The current absence of meaningful national value metrics also presents an opportunity for radiologists to take the lead on the discussions of these metrics that may serve as the basis for future value-based payments. As both practitioners and investigators, radiologists should consider the perspectives of multiple stakeholders in all they do-interdisciplinary support and cooperation are essential to the success of value-focused imaging research and initiatives that improve patient outcomes. Radiology departments that align their cultures, infrastructures, and incentives to support these initiatives will greatly increase their chances of being successful in these endeavors.
Dietary glycine and renal denervation prevents cyclosporin A-induced hydroxyl radical production in rat kidney.

Cyclosporin A (CsA) nephrotoxicity is associated with renal hypoxia and increases in free radicals in the urine. This study was designed to elucidate the mechanism of radical production caused by CsA. Pretreatment of rats with CsA (25 mg/kg, i.g.) for 5 days decreased glomerular filtration rates by 65%, an effect largely prevented by both dietary glycine (5%) or renal denervation. CsA dissolved in olive oil produced a 6-line α-(4-pyridyl 1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone (4-POBN)/free radical signal in the urine, which partitioned predominantly into the aqueous phase after chloroform extraction (i.e., it is water soluble). Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is attacked by the hydroxyl radical to produce a methyl radical; administration of CsA with [12C]DMSO produced two radical species in urine, one with hyperfine coupling constants similar to the 4-POBN/methyl radical adduct found in aqueous solution. CsA given with [13C]DMSO produced a 12-line spectrum, confirming the formation of hydroxyl radicals. The methyl radical produced by the hydroxyl radical represented 62% of radicals detected in urine but only 15% in bile. Therefore, hydroxyl radicals are produced largely in the kidney. Free radicals in urine were increased about 5-fold by CsA, an effect completely blocked by the inhibitory neurotransmitter, glycine, or by renal denervation. CsA infusion for 30 min increased efferent renal nerve activity 2-fold, and dietary glycine (5%) totally blocked this phenomenon. Taken together, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that CsA increases hydroxyl radical formation by increasing renal nerve activity resulting in vasoconstriction and hypoxia-reoxygenation. Glycine blunts the effect of CsA on the renal nerve, which explains, in part, prevention of nephrotoxicity.
Deliberation and disagreement Problem solving, prediction, and positive dissensus

Consensus plays an ambiguous role in deliberative democracy. While it formed the horizon of early deliberative theories, many now denounce it as an empirically unachievable outcome, a logically impossible stopping rule, and a normatively undesirable ideal. Deliberative disagreement, by contrast, is celebrated not just as an empirically unavoidable outcome but also as a democratically sound and normatively desirable goal of deliberation. Majority rule has generally displaced unanimity as the ideal way of bringing deliberation to a close. This article offers an epistemic perspective on this question of consensus versus disagreement. For ensuring the production of better decisions, we argue, the normative appeal of consensus varies depending on the deliberative task – whether it entails problem solving or prediction. We argue that in pure problem-solving contexts, consensus retains a strong normative appeal and forms the ideal deliberative outcome of deliberation. In contrast, on predictive tasks, consensus ...
Enhanced pro-apoptotic and anti-adipogenic effects of genistein plus guggulsterone in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Genistein (G), an isoflavone, and guggulsterone (GS), the active substance in guggulipid, have been reported to possess therapeutic effects for obesity. In the present study, we investigated the effects of combinations of G plus GS on apoptosis and adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. In mature adipocytes, G and GS individually caused apoptosis, but combination of G plus GS significantly increased apoptosis, more than either compound alone. Furthermore, G plus GS caused a greater increase in procaspase-3 cleavage, Bax expression, cytochrome c release, and proteolytic cleavage of PARP than either compound alone. In maturing preadipocytes G and GS each suppressed lipid accumulation, but the combination potentiated the inhibition of lipid accumulation. These results suggest that combination of genistein and guggulsterone may exert anti-obesity effects by inhibiting adipogenesis and inducing apoptosis in adipocytes.
A high-speed IDDQ sensor implementation

This paper presents an effective IDDQ sensor design implemented using a 0.35 /spl mu/m process. A straightforward feedback scheme minimizes the effect of process variations. Independent structures permit one to monitor the basic characteristics of the IDDQ sensor, i.e., resolution and speed, and to carry out a 20k-gate floppy-disk controller IDDQ test separately. Simulation and test results show accuracy better than /spl plusmn/10 /spl mu/A at 50 MHz in a 1 mA IDDQ measurement range.
Manufacturing systems planning

Abstract The major objective of this paper is to provide the reader with a fundamental understanding of the integrated planning, design and control of manufacturing systems. A framework is presented which captures the essence of this integrated perspective.
A relatively large NMR shielding anisotropy: Hydrogen in zirconium chloride monohydride

Abstract The shielding tensor of 1 H in ZrClH 1.0 was determined in the rigid-lattice temperature region utilizing multiple-pulse NMR to remove static dipolar interactions. The tensor was found to be axially symmetric, with an anisotropy of 102.5 ± 3 ppm. Implications of this value in the two-dimensional metal structure of ZrClH 1.0 are discussed.
Topical Tacrolimus in the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis

OBJECTIVE:To review the efficacy of topical tacrolimus in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD).DATA SOURCES:Searches of MEDLINE (1966–October 2000), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–October 2000), and ScienceDirect (1994–October 2000) were performed using the key search terms tacrolimus, FK506, and atopic dermatitis.DATA SYNTHESIS:Since patients with AD have defects in cell-mediated immunity, the immunosuppressant properties of the macrolides (cyclosporine and tacrolimus) may prove to be beneficial in the treatment of AD. Topical tacrolimus has been frequently studied in the treatment of AD because it was found to have better skin penetration and higher potentency than topically applied cyclosporine. Studies evaluating the use of topical tacrolimus are presented and provide evidence that topical tacrolimus is effective in the treatment of AD with no evidence thus far of systemic adverse effects.CONCLUSIONS:There is a fair amount of documentation of the efficacy and safety of topical tacroli...
PROBABILISTIC DELAMINATION ONSET ANALYSIS OF NONLINEAR VISCOELASTIC COLUMNS WITH LARGE DEFORMATIONS

A large deflection analysis of nonhomogeneous linearly elastic or viscoelastic columns with initial curvature and with variable areas subjected to axial loads is formulated. Column end shortening due to both curvature and compressive loads is taken into account and the governing coupled nonlinear differential equations are solved numerically. The linear elastic-viscoelastic integral transform analogy is analytically extended to this nonlinear problem and applies to the formulation of the governing equations, but cannot be used in the solution process due to their inherent nonlinearities. The effects of end shortening on elastic and viscoelastic columns are discussed. Probabilistic column survivability due to creep buckling and material failure (delamination) are examined in detail.
GEOTROPISM AND MUSCLE TENSION IN HELIX.

1. The snail Helix aspersa Muller, is negatively geotropic during the daytime, but positive or indifferent at night. 2. The precision of geotropic orientation is a function of the gravity component acting on the body. 3. The rate of geotropic locomotion is also determined by the gravity component (sine of the angle of inclination). 4. The rate of upward movement is increased 1.51 times at 45 degrees inclination by loading the snail with one-half its weight. No such increase is seen in loaded snails creeping on a horizontal surface. 5. Moderate centrifugation results in orientation and locomotion towards the center of rotation. 6. A response analogous to the homostrophic reflex occurs when a backward pull to right or to left is exerted on the shell. Bilaterally equal tension applied to the shell causes locomotion along a path parallel and opposite to the direction of the pull. 7. All the observations go to show that the stimulus for geotropic orientation and locomotion is tension of the body muscles produced by the downward pull of gravity, and that the stimulus is received by the proprioreceptors of these muscles. Otolith apparatus and analogous organs, when present, may assist in the response, but they do not seem to be requisite in all cases. Since the precision of orientation and the rate of locomotion are functions of the gravity component acting on the body, the muscle tension theory of the geotropic reactions accords fully with Loeb's tropism doctrine for animals.
Fringe Rate Demodulator For Fiber Optic Interferometric Sensors

Fiber optic interferometric sensors can be extremely sensitive. A sensor that operates in the 1 to 10K radian regime has been developed at the Naval Postgraduate School. Present demodulators operate over a 10 microradian to .1 radian range. Therefore a different approach to demodulation is required for this sensor. A fringe rate scheme is described here. The output of an optical shaft encoder driven by a pendulum resembles the fringe pattern produced by a fiber optic interferometric sensor in response to a sinusoidal perturbation. The HEDS 6000 shaft encoder used in this project provides both in-phase and quadrature waveforms --both are required for demodulation. This simulates the two waveforms provided by an interferometer with a 3X3 coupler. The well behaved outputs of the shaft encoder were used to test the fringe rate demodulator circuit. The cicuitry that reconstructs the analog signal from the in-phase and quadrature signals must do two things: convert the interferometric fringe rate to a proportional voltage level and determine whether this level should remain positive or be inverted. A frequency-to-voltage converter chip (SK9209) accomplishes the first task. Since the chip is based on a charge pump/RC integrator there are some trade-offs for noise vs. slew-rate. A possible solution is a digital frequency-to-voltage circuit, i.e. a digital counter and a D/A converter. The up/down decision can be made by determining which waveform (in-phase or quadrature) is leading. This is accomplished by a JK flip-flop and edge detector circuitry. The flip-flop output controls a switch which is the converting element in a voltage follower/inverting amplifier. The output of the circit is a waveform which indicates particle velocity.
Koordination von Nektarsammlung und -verarbeitung

Eine wichtiger Grundsatz bei der Organisation des Nektar-sammelns von Honigbienenvolkern ist die Arbeitsteilung zwischen den Sammlerinnen — Bienen, die auserhalb des Stockes den Nektar sammeln — und den Nektarabnehmerinnen — etwas jungeren Bienen, die im Stock den Nektar weiterverarbeiten. Sie tun dies entweder dadurch, das sie ihn an hungrige Stockgenossinnen weitergeben, oder dadurch, das sie ihn zum spateren Verbrauch in Zellen einlagern (Abbildung 6.1). Durch diese Spezialisierung der Bienen auf verschiedene Bereiche der gesamten Nektarversorgung erhoht das Bienenvolk zweifellos die Effizienz seines Energieeintrags. Wenn beispielsweise eine Sammlerin eine reiche Nektarquelle gefunden hat, kann sie sich darauf konzentrieren, diese — bevor sie wieder versiegt — auszubeuten, anstatt ihre Arbeitskraft zwischen Sammeln und Verarbeiten aufteilen zu mussen. Gleichzeitig schafft diese Arbeitsteilung aber auch ein Abstimmungsproblem innerhalb des Bienenvolkes, weil die Nektarsammel- und die Nektarverarbeitungsrate im Gleichgewicht gehalten werden mussen, wenn der Gesamtprozes reibungslos ablaufen soll. Ubersteigt die Sammelrate die Verarbeitungsrate, dann entstehen nach der Ruckkehr der Sammlerinnen zum Stock Verzogerungen bei der Ubergabe der Nektarladungen. Im umgekehrten Fall, wenn also die Verarbeitungsrate — oder genauer gesagt, die Verarbeitungskapazitat — die Sammelrate ubersteigt, bleiben die Nektarabnehmerinnen unterbeschaftigt.
Brief Report: Intellectual and Academic Functioning in Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease

Objective Examine the intellectual and academic functioning in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods Using a cross-sectional design, children with CKD (n = 30) were compared to matched controls (n = 41) on measures of intelligence, achievement, and rates of learning disabilities (LD) variously defined. Results Children with CKD were at higher risk for grade retention (p < .001) and absenteeism (p < .01), and evidenced mild impairments on measures of intelligence (p < .001), math (p < .01), reading (p < .05), and satisfied criteria for a low achievement definition of LD (p < .01) more frequently than control group participants. Renal function was a significant predictor (p < .02) of intellectual and academic scores in the CKD group. Conclusions Educational and psychosocial supports are critical for children with CKD, and it may be important to monitor their cognitive functioning and academic progress over time.
Ocean acidification hotspots: Spatiotemporal dynamics of the seawater CO2 system of eastern Pacific coral reefs

Seawater CO 2 system dynamics were assessed from eastern Pacific reef sites in Panama over 5 consecutive years (2003―2008) and twice in the Galapagos Islands (2003 and 2009). The seawater CO 2 system was highly variable in time and space, but was explained by physical forcing from meteorological (seasonal rainfall) and oceanographic (upwelling, tides) processes interacting with diurnal reef metabolism. Galapagos coral reef communities are naturally exposed to the highest ambient partial pressure of CO 2 (pCO 2 ) and lowest aragonite saturation (Ω arag ) values documented for any coral reef environment to date. During upwelling in the Galapagos, mean pCO 2 and mean Ω arag at five different sites ranged from 53.1 to 73.5 Pa and 2.27 to 2.86, respectively. Values of pCO 2 and Ω arag ranged from 21.0 to 48.7 Pa and 2.47 to 4.18, respectively, on the Saboga Reef in the seasonally upwelling Gulf of Panama, with the highest pCO 2 and lowest Ω arag values occurring during upwelling. The Uva Reef, in the nonupwelling Gulf of Chiriqui of Pacific Panama, had mean Ω arag values that were always significantly greater than those at the Saboga Reef. Diurnal changes in the seawater CO 2 system from reef metabolism on the Uva Reef were magnified at low tide and highly significant differences were measured over depths as shallow as 15 m because of the shallow thermocline that is pervasive throughout the eastern Pacific. These naturally high-CO 2 reefs persist near the Ω arag distributional threshold for coral reefs and are thus expected to be the first and most affected by ocean acidification.
LOW INCIDENCE OF CANDIDATUS LIBERIBACTER ASIATICUS IN DIAPHORINA CITRI (HEMIPTERA: PSYLLIDAE) POPULATIONS BETWEEN NOV 2005 AND JAN 2006: RELEVANCE TO MANAGEMENT OF CITRUS GREENING DISEASE IN FLORIDA

Citrus greening disease or Huanglongbing (HLB) is caused by the gram-negative bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Ca. L. asiaticus) (Garnier et al. 2000) and was confirmed in southern Florida in 2005 (Halbert 2005; Bouffard 2006). This disease is vectored by Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), which colonized the citrus-growing regions of Florida after it was discovered in 1998 (Knapp et al. 1998; Halbert 1998; Halbert et al. 2000). Diaphorina citri acquires the greening bacterium while feeding on infected phloem (Hung et al. 2004). HLB ultimately is fatal to susceptible citrus trees, so early detection and removal of infected trees is important for disease management. Unfortunately, citrus trees often are asymptomatic for years before the common signs of HLB, including yellowing and mottling of leaf veins and misshapen green-colored fruit, are noticeable (da Graga 1991). Current chemical and biological controls reduce D. citri populations (Rae et al. 1997; Hoy et al. 1999; Hoy & Nguyen 2000; Michaud 2004; Browning et al. 2006), but may not be sufficient to eliminate all HLB transmission. It will be important to understand the epidemiology of HLB to control the spread of this disease. The regions of Florida with citrus showing symptoms of HLB currently are being mapped (http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/chrp/greening/maps/ cgsit_map.pdf). However, little currently is known about infection rates and transmission
Effect of Plant Litter on Seed Predation in Three Prairie Types

Abstract We used low-density seed additions to measure seed predation in eight 8-m × 8-m experimental plots at three prairie sites in 2002 and 20 experimental plots at each site in 2003. We added plant litter to one-half of the experimental plots (treatments), but not the other half (controls). Within each treatment and control plot, we established two seed plots, one available to all consumers and one available only to invertebrates. Seed removal by invertebrates did not differ between treatments and controls for any site or in either year. All consumers, collectively, removed significantly more seed from control plots in tallgrass prairie in both years but more seed from control plots in mixed-grass and shortgrass prairies only in 2003. These patterns suggested that rodents were the primary cause of differences in seed use between control and litter-augmented plots in the three prairie types; and plant litter in central North American grasslands negatively affects seed removal by rodents, but not ants.
InGaP-based quantum well solar cells: Growth, structural design, and photovoltaic properties

Raising the efficiency ceiling of multi-junction solar cells (MJSCs) through the use of more optimal band gap configurations of next-generation MJSC is crucial for concentrator and space systems. Towards this goal, we propose two strain balanced multiple quantum well (SBMQW) structures to tune the bandgap of InGaP-based solar cells. These structures are based on InxGa1−xAs1−zPz/InyGa1−yP (x > y) and InxGa1−xP/InyGa1−yP (x > y) well/barrier combinations, lattice matched to GaAs in a p-i-n solar cell device. The bandgap of InxGa1−xAs1−zPz/InyGa1−yP can be tuned from 1.82 to 1.65 eV by adjusting the well composition and thickness, which promotes its use as an efficient subcell for next generation five and six junction photovoltaic devices. The thicknesses of wells and barriers are adjusted using a zero net stress balance model to prevent the formation of defects. Thin layers of InGaAsP wells have been grown thermodynamically stable with compositions within the miscibility gap for the bulk alloy. The growth c...
La mise en service des générateurs de vapeur

Les tranches francaises de 1 300 MWe utilisent des generateurs de vapeur de type bouilleur, nomme 68/19. Une verification experimentale sur un appareil tete de serie a ete entreprise (sur Paluel 1, V n° 4). L'auteur en presente les resultats, qui montrent un bon fonctionnement thermo-hydraulique et vibratoire du GV 68/19 et mettent en evidence l'efficacite des modifications apportees sur ce GV par rapport aux conceptions precedentes.
Cytochemical Detection of Polysaccharides and the Ultrastructure of the Cell Coat of Zoospores of Chytriomyces Aureus and Chytriomyces Hyalinus

The formation and structure of cell coats on zo6spores of Chytriomyces aureus and C. hyalinus are described from an ultrastructural and cytochemical study. After zoospore initials are cleaved, but before organelles are organized into the arrangement found in free-swimming zoospores, dictyosomal vesicles deposit a cell coat on the outer surface of the plasma membrane. In free-swimming zoospores, the cell coat covers all of the zoospore except the flagellar sheath. The inner layer of the cell coat is homogeneously dense and is covered with an outer layer of helically arranged spines. Both layers of the cell coat stain with the silver methenamine technique for polysaccharides, as do glycogen and fibril-containing vesicles in the cytoplasm. Sodium bisulfite and hydrogen peroxide controls confirm the polysaccharide specificity of the reaction in glycogen deposits, vesicles, and the outer layer of the cell coat. Use of the sulfhydryl blocking agent, iodoacetate, demonstrates sulfhydryl-containing compounds in the inner layer of the cell coat.
Serum Lipid Changes and Therapeutic Effects of Various Oils in Infantile Eczema

In a previous communication1 the iodine number of the serum fatty acids was reported to be abnormally low in infantile eczema during the active phase of the disease. Additional data have confirmed the original findings. The average iodine number of the serum fatty acid in 21 determinations on 11 cases of infantile eczema was 82, while that of 21 determinations on 11 normal infants in the same age group was 114. The magnitude of the difference between these 2 groups is similar to that between rats suffering from unsaturated fatty acids deficiency and normal rats.2In December, 1931, oils especially rich in unsaturated fatty acids were given to 2 infants suffering with severe eczema, with good clinical results. Twelve additional cases treated in like manner since that time have shown a similar response. This paper reports changes in the iodine number of the serum fatty acids in 4 cases which could be kept under close observation over a period of months while receiving treatment. All 4 received the same diet ...
[Analysis on the hemagglutinin genetic characteristics of 2009 novel influenza A (H1N1) virus in Changsha, Hunan province].

2009年4月21日,美国疾病预防控制中心(CDC)检出2名儿童感染新甲型H1N1流感病毒~[1],该病毒属于正黏病毒科(orthomyxoviridae),甲型流感病毒属(influenza virus A),单股负链RNA病毒,由大小不等的8个独立片段组成,共编码11种蛋白,主要通过飞沫或气溶胶经呼吸道传播,极易造成流行。
Failure of vaginal wall cytologic smears to predict abortion

To re-evaluate a previous study of vaginal cytology in the prediction of abortion, serial lateral wall smears were obtained from another group of 1,000 pregnant women. We determined karyopyknotic indices (KI), scored navicular cell formation, wrinkling, and clumping (NWC), and looked for trichomoniasis and moniliasis. The abortion rate for the entire group was 9.6 per cent, but it rose to 20 per cent in those with the most unfavorable smears and dropped to 7 per cent in those whose smears showed marked gestational effects. Smears were judged to be favorable in 44 per cent of those who aborted. Despite obvious trends toward higher abortion rates with rising KI and diminishing NWC scores, we conclude that a vaginal wall smear is not a reliable predictor of abortion for an individual patient. This repetition of our 1965 study convinces us that routine colpocytograms do not yield useful information commensurate with the effort of interpretation.
ELID Grinding and Polishing

Abstract This chapter introduces and reviews abrasive processes assisted by EL ectrolytic I n-process D ressing (ELID) technique. This in situ dressing method is used for metal-bond wheels and is relatively new. As illustrated by the examples given below, the introduction of this technique has been highly successful when fine grain wheels were efficiently used to obtain very low surface roughness, and when hard ceramics had to be machined using a very small grain cutting depth in order to avoid failure by cracking. The basic system, principles, and characteristics of ELID abrasion mechanisms are introduced first. The success and wide application of ELID principles to ceramic grinding is explained. Fourteen applications of the ELID principle to modern abrasive processes are documented to illustrate the scope of application.
Acquired Cultural Circuits

Reading, writing, calculation as well as literary, musical, visual, and performing arts are subsumed under this topic. However, these evolved at vastly different times in human evolution with the more ancient musical (several 100,000 years ago) and visual arts (~40,000 years ago) preceding the others and writing and reading being the most recent (~3000 years ago).
Unravelling the Myth of big data and artificial intelligence in sustainable natural resource development

Natural Resources businesses span one or more of the following verticals: Explore & Discover, Develop, Extract & Transport, Market & Trade. Natural Gas (NG) is a key component of the Natural Resources industry, which contributes both directly and indirectly to sustain and support the day to day energy needs of humans. Various forums drive key initiatives to maintain the sustainability of natural resources for decades to come. The recent evolution of advanced Information Technology (IT) fields, termed as ‘Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (BD&AI),’ fortify these initiatives by providing anytime, anywhere access of data (for example in remote offshore assets or facilities) from a vast corpus base, in addition to enabling natural human interaction. In this paper we intend to explore the key primitives of BD&AI and cite the method of real-world implementation in the Natural Gas industry to further enable sustainable development.