cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A cross-sectional study of the nasal and fecal microbiota of sows from different health status within six commercial swine farms

Background Cull sows are a unique population on swine farms, often representing poor producing or compromised animals, and even though recent studies have reported that the microbiome is associated with susceptibility to diseases, the microbiome of the cull sow population has not been explored. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether there were differences in fecal and upper respiratory tract microbiota composition for groups of sows of different health status (healthy, cull, and compromised/ clinical sows) and from different farms (1 to 6). Methods Six swine farms were visited once. Thirty individual fecal samples and nasal swabs were obtained at each farm and pooled by five across health status and farm. Samples underwent 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and nasal and fecal microbiota were analyzed using QIIME2 v.2021.4. Results Overall, the diversity of the nasal microbiota was lower than the fecal microbiota (p < 0.01). No significant differences were found in fecal or nasal alpha diversity by sow's health status or by farm. There were significant differences in nasal microbial composition by farm and health status (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05), and in fecal microbiota by farm (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05), but not by health status. Lastly, at the L7 level, there was one differentially abundant taxa across farms for each nasal and fecal pooled samples. Discussion This study provided baseline information for nasal and fecal microbiota of sows under field conditions, and results suggest that farm of origin can affect microbial diversity and composition. Furthermore, sow's health status may have an impact on the nasal microbiota composition.
Reimagine workspace for better productivity during WFH

COVID-19 has brought a significant change in work culture, many skilled workers lost their jobs while those who could survive had to struggle inculcating cognitive & leadership skills which would make them eligible to stand still in the corporate world. Before COVID-19, workplace and rest place was different and each space was enjoyed to the fullest by the people. This segregation between the workplace and the habitable place was much needed but this pandemic coined these two places into one. This pandemic led corporate organizations to allow employees to work from home. The shift of work culture is seen during this pandemic. Social distancing and isolation are mainly observed which led employees to work remotely. Disturbances at home affected work productivity which ultimately resulted in depression and mental illness among the working-age group. Before covid-19 people had a social life, change of environment helped people stay active and have a healthy life. Sudden isolation leads people to suffer psychological disorders as a whole day is spent indoors. A habitable space where people reside plays a significant role in maintaining mental & physical well-being, which includes soothing color scheme, aesthetically appealing interiors, the amount of sunlight the comes in, etc. furthermore design of the workplace at home plays a vital role in provoking creativity and helps employees function effectively with higher productivity. This research paper aims to focus on designing a workplace at home for better productivity of an employee while emphasizing reimagining, developing, and coming up with solutions to cater to the depression and thus uplifting and boosting the creativity with the help of specific materials.
Coordinating a research program with a cadre of students.

H OW DO faculty manage to fulfill their obligations to teach and mentor students with a wide diversity of research interests and yet do their own research in order to publish scholarly work? I considered this question when implementing a program of research on the relationship between temperament and behavior in preschool-age children and the development of nursing intervention for parents. A plan for collaborative research with master’s level graduate students conducting temperament studies similar to mine seemed to be one way to meet these academic obligations so that all persons involved would benefit from the plan. Several years ago, I had conducted some pilot studies and was ready to explore the phenomenon of temperament in a series of projects. In order to progress my own research and assist graduate students in their research, those graduate students working on their theses under my guidance would use the instruments from my research to allow for both comparisons between and pooling among data sets. The goal for the faculty person is to find interested and ambitious students to mentor; the goal for the student is to participate in a senior faculty’s research and complete a research project. In this arrangement both individuals gain as the student may have less stress through involvement in an ongoing project, and the researcher gains from the addition of extra data as well as the opportunity to introduce students to research in a manner that may be less stressful than conducting an independent study. Additionally, students may have the opportunity to conduct secondary analyses of the
REVIEW - Koch, Erin. Free Market Tuberculosis: Managing Epidemics in Post-Soviet Georgia. xiv + 231 pp. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2013.

REVIEW - Koch, Erin. Free Market Tuberculosis: Managing Epidemics in Post-Soviet Georgia. xiv + 231 pp. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2013.
Public Assistance and Private Support of Immigrants

This study addresses receiving AFDC and private support (both monetary and nonmonetary) and their interrelationship among immigrant families with dependent children. Building upon social capital theory, our theoretical framework emphasizes the role of community social capital and hypothesizes links between social capital and the receipt of public and private support, and the complementary nature of AFDC and private support for immigrant families. The latter hypothesis stands in contrast to existing economic theory which argues for a "crowding out" hypothesis under which AFDC support reduces private support and leads immigrant families to assimilate into a welfare culture. In a methodological step forward from the literature, we develop measures of both the quantity and quality of community social capital, coethnic contact and coethnic economic activity at the county level, to test our hypotheses. There are two sets of major findings. The first demonstrate the effects of community social capital on the receipt of AFDC and private support. The second show no displacement of private monetary support by AFDC for immigrants and that the complementary relationship between AFDC and private non-monetary support is stronger for immigrants than for natives, thereby challenging the crowding out hypothesis and welfare assimilation. Our findings reveal the importance of including the quality of community social capital and considering nonmonetary forms of private support in the analysis. An important policy implication is that policy makers do not need to fear that receipt of ADFC will lead immigrant families with children to adopt the American welfare culture since our results show that AFDC complements private support among immigrants, much more strongly than among natives.
Lossy Text Compression Techniques

Most text documents contain a large amount of redundancy. Data compression can be used to minimize this redundancy and increase transmission efficiency or save storage space. Several text compression algorithms have been introduced for lossless text compression used in critical application areas. For non-critical applications, we could use lossy text compression to improve compression efficiency. In this paper, we propose three different source models for character-based lossy text compression: Dropped Vowels (DOV), Letter Mapping (LMP), and Replacement of Characters (ROC). The working principles and transformation methods associated with these methods are presented. Compression ratios obtained are included and compared. Comparisons of performance with those of the Huffman Coding and Arithmetic Coding algorithm are also made. Finally, some ideas for further improving the performance already obtained are proposed.
College expectations in high school mitigate weight gain over early adulthood: Findings from a national study of American youth

Objective Research conducted on school-based interventions suggests that school connectedness protects against a variety of risk behaviors, including substance abuse, delinquency and sedentary behavior. The line of research is extended by examining the link between college expectations and early adult weight gain using nationally representative panel data from thirty cohorts of American high school seniors followed prospectively to age 30 in the Monitoring the Future Study (1986-2009). Design and Methods Growth mixture models identified two latent classes of trajectories of body mass index (BMI) from age 19 to 30: a persistently overweight class (BMI ≥ 25) and a second class exhibiting more moderate growth in BMI to age 30. Results Compared to those who did not expect to graduate from college, students fully expecting to graduate from college had 34% lower odds of being in the persistently overweight class (adjusted odds ratio = 0.66, 95% confidence interval = 0.54, 0.81), controlling for academic performance and socioeconomic status. Conclusions Successful prevention of obesity early in the life course is based on a multifactorial approach incorporating strategies that address the contexts in which adolescents are embedded. The school setting may be one avenue where successful educational attachment could have positive consequences for subsequent weight gain in early adulthood.
Automatic processing of multimodality data for functional PET analysis

A simple database-backed software system using information recovered automatically from image file headers allows considerable reductions in the manual content of functional PET image analysis. Programs using this information to create deterministic directory and file names gain autonomous file access, enabling automatic processing. Abstraction from file names and other computer-related restrictions allows control of the system through a user interface based upon more relevant subject and study details. A simple and flexible approach to automating the retrieval and routine analysis of image files is presented. Using information extracted from image file headers, files are stored using a consistent naming convention and organizational hierarchy that can be extended to diverse files, strengthening the association between images and their associated data files. Further processing is implemented through a graphical user interface, improving the speed and accuracy of complex procedures and reducing the need for advanced computer skills for researchers.
Influence of Job Fit, Perceived Support, and Organizational Identification in the Sales Force: An Analysis of Antecedents and Outcomes

Abstract Controlling turnover is an important issue for all organizations. But, the situation is especially relevant for professional salespeople where turnover and the costs associated with replacing salespeople are both high. While previous research has examined antecedents related to salesforce turnover, sparse research exists examining how the level of support salespeople perceive they receive from their sales manager and the organization are related to their intention to leave. In addition, the degree to which salespersons identity and fit with the organization’s goals and values also have been studied infrequently. The results indicate that perceived support, job fit, and organizational identification are important variables related to salesforce turnover.
Effects of age and shear rate on the rheological properties of human yellow bone marrow

Bone marrow is the niche for stem cells and is within close proximity to bone lining cells. Forces experienced by these cells guide their differentiation and proliferation. As these forces are dependent on the viscosity of the medium, the knowledge about the viscosity of marrow is essential to modeling the mechanical environment of bone. This study sought to examine the effects of age on the rheological properties of human yellow bone marrow. Samples were harvested from the femurs of male donors ranging from 22 to 82 years of age (N=19) and subjected to stress and frequency sweeps to determine viscosity and dynamic moduli, respectively. The viscosity of bone marrow at physiologically plausible shear rates ranged from 44 to 142 mPa·s. The coefficients of variation ranged up to 0.40 within subjects and 0.14 between subjects. Regressions of viscosity values against age did not generate a strong level of significance; therefore, earlier reported changes in the composition of marrow with age did not translate into variation in viscosity of marrow. Since age does not seem to offer a governing effect, the observed variation within and between donors may stem from other factors (genetic, nutrition, etc.). The wide range of variation in the viscosity of marrow within subject, between subjects and with age implies that the fluid shear experienced by cells resident in marrow may also vary substantially.
Reductive Dehalogenation of Aqueous-Phase Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in an Electrochemical Reactor

This work describes the reductive dehalogenation of carbon tetrachloride (CT) in a novel liquid-phase electrochemical reactor. The reactor consists of a cylindrical porous copper cathode with a concentric carbon-cloth anode wrapped around the cathode. The results show that CT destruction can be achieved, even in low conductivity solutions (i.e., deionized water), reaching 80% conversion of CT with a residence time of 10 min when a cathode potential of −0.4 V (versus a standard hydrogen electrode) is used. A mathematical model was formulated to simulate reactor performance. The model accounted for CT reductive dechlorination, hydrogen evolution on the cathode surface, and CT mass-transfer limitations. The equilibrium potential for CT reduction on the cathode surface was the only adjustable parameter. The model adequately represented experimental data under high-conductivity (2.2 S/m) and low-conductivity (0.05 S/m) conditions. The model results and experimental observations suggest that the entire cathode ...
Direct translumbar inferior vena cava ports for long-term central venous access in patients with cancer

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the indications, complications, and long-term results of translumbar port placements to the inferior vena cava for long-term central venous access in a single tertiary center. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included all patients with cancer who underwent translumbar port placement from January 2000 to July 2012; 31 patients (all women) with an average age of 53.1 years ± 11.1 (range, 30–77 y) were included in the study. Of these patients, 26 (81%) had breast cancer, 3 had lung cancer, 1 had ovarian cancer, and 1 had rectal cancer. Indications included central venous occlusion in 9 patients (29%) and bilateral mastectomy and lymph node dissection in 22 patients (71%). Results All procedures were technically successful. The overall 30-day complication rate was 9.7% (n = 3). Average catheter use was 14.1 months ± 21 (range, 0.75–108 mo). Thirteen (41.9%) ports were removed because they were no longer needed; 4 (12.9%) ports required removal for port malfunction; 12 (38.7%) patients died with their ports still in place; 2 (6.5%) ports remain in use. Three (9.7%) ports required delayed secondary intervention to remain functional. One patient had a systemic infection attributed to the port, resulting in an overall infection rate of 0.08 per 1,000 catheter days. Conclusions Translumbar inferior vena cava port placement is a technically feasible and safe alternative method for long-term central venous access.
Directed drug distribution: adding controlled brain activity to a drug.

Environmental factors can alter the state of an organism so as to influence the response to drugs. This fact is widely recognized even though the responsible mechanisms are difficult to understand and control. The capacity of environmental influences to alter local drug pharmacokinetics is rarely considered. Drug localization and resulting action within the brain are influenced by vascular blood flow factors, local concentration ‘differences in competing neurohumours, and receptor density. These are all frequently asymmetrically represented in the brain and drug effects are correspondingly laterality dependent. Attention to regional brain pharmacokinetics and the influence of environment on regional blood flow, local neurohumor concentration, and receptor density represents an untapped opportunity to enhance the desired effect of a centrally active drug at its site of action without enhancing general systemic toxicity. Combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy may result in superior therapeutic responses...
Interfacial adhesion in immiscible polymer blends compatibilized with block copolymers

The physical and chemical parameters which determine the effectiveness of a diblock copolymer, when used to compatibilize immiscible polymers, are discussed. Individual factors that have been identified as contributing to emulsification and interfacial adhesion in thermoplastic polymer blends, include : the entropic swelling of the block copolymer segments; the enthalpic interaction between the matrix polymers and the block copolymer segments; the block copolymer molecular weight relative to that of the matrix polymers; the block copolymer concentration or interface areal chain density; and the interaction between discrete particles. To illustrate such effects, we extend our earlier transmission electron microscopic study of interfacial reinforcement in blends of statistical styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers and polystyrene by poly(methyl methacrylate-b-styrene).
Flow cytometric analysis of cytokinetics of L3-acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma.

Cell kinetic differences have been described between acute lymphoblastic leukemia with L1 and L2 morphology. We now report cytokinetic and DNA ploidy findings of the rare L3 B-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Flow cytometry analysis of nineteen samples was performed by simultaneous DNA-RNA staining with acridine orange. RNA and DNA indices and cell cycle distributions were calculated. The RNA-index of the G0/G1 cells was 17.9 ± 8.7 and the number of cells in S phase and S + G2M were 21 ± 10.6 and 28.0 ± 13.9 percent respectively. DNA aneuploidy was found in 6/19 (31.6%) and in two cases multiple aneuploid cell lines were observed. DNA aneuploidy and multiple abnormal stemlines adversly affected survival (p 0.05). The cytokinetic data are significantly different (S phase and RNA-I; p < 0.001) than previously reported for the L1 and L2 ALL. Abnormal DNA stemlines were found in cases with no detected cytogenetic abnormalities. This study confirms that L3 ALL is characterized by significantly increased proliferation and provides a means for a flow cytometric identification of this subtype as compared to L1 and L2 ALL.
D-1 dopamine receptor stimulaiton elevates plasma prolactin levels

SKF 38393, a D-1 dopamine receptor agonist, produced dose-dependent elevations in plasma prolactin concentrations. Following the administration of SCH 23390, a D-1 antagonist, plasma prolactin concentrations tended to decrease; and low doses of SCH 23390 completely prevented the SKF 38393-induced elevations in plasma prolactin. These observations suggest that D-1 receptor stimulation can promote prolactin secretion.
Playing with admissibility spectra

Jensen showed that any countable sequenceA ofA-admissibles is the initial part of the admissibility spectrum of a realR. His construction generalizes straightforwardly to Σ n -admissibles. This adaptation makes admissibles not inA R-inadmissible. We strengthen Jensen’s theorem by requiring that Σ n (A)-admissibles not inA be Σ m (R)-admissible or Σ m (R)-non-projectible, form <n.
Seed germination tests of the parasitic perennial Viscum album (Viscaceae) from fragmented habitats at the northern edge of its range

Background and aims - Despite being a rather common species throughout Europe, little is known about the effects of habitat change on the fitness of Viscum album. We expected to find a reduction in fitness in V. album populations growing in fragmented habitats resulting from a loss of genetic diversity through increased inbreeding. Methods - We studied seed germination as a measure of fitness among sixteen Belgian V. album popula tions varying in size and degree of isolation to investigate the fitness consequences of habitat fragmenta tion. Populations were sampled from two landscapes differing in their degree of habitat fragmentation and V. album population characteristics. We also compared germination percentages of three populations at three different temperatures (5, 20, 30?C) to examine the potential effects of climate change on V. album regeneration in northern Europe. Key results - Germination percentages (at 20?C) were high (69-100%) and we found no evidence of relationships between germination and population size, density, or area. There was no direct relationship between germination percentage and population isolation within study regions, but connectivity among populations appears to be important. Samples from the more fragmented habitat showed a negative correla tion between germination percentage and the proportion of females, suggesting reduced mate availability and pollination resulting from increased isolation of populations. There was no significant difference in mean germination percentages among the three temperature treatments, bui the high temperature samples (30?C) exhibited the highest variation in germination success. Conclusion - Our results suggest that V. album has evolved high germination success to compensate for limited success in establishing on a host plant. Successful germination under a wide range of environmental conditions is expected to increase the likelihood of establishing on host plants, possibly helping V. album respond to changes in climate.
Negative Communication Behaviors During Family Problem Solving: Cohesion as a Moderator in a Growth Curve Analysis

Using archived data a multilevel model examined change in negative communication behaviors of three family members (mother, father and preadolescent) across four sequential family problem solving sessions in the home. The sample included 756 problem-solving sessions, nested within 189 individuals, within 63 families. Basic tenets of family therapy were used to examine the effect of the occasions of measurement, revealing that communication was less negative when the adolescent selected the problem. The individual level analysis was guided by a conflict structure perspective that found adolescents (in general) showed more negative communication behaviors than parents. At the family level, scores on the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III) were significantly related to changes in negative communication behaviors. A significant interaction between FACES III scores and negative communication behaviors showed negativity increased across sessions in families that scored lower on the FAC...
Stereoselective synthesis of L-oliose trisaccharide via iterative alkynol cycloisomerization and acid-catalyzed glycosylation.

The synthesis of an all-α l-oliose diastereomer of digitoxin provides valuable insights into the generality and protective-group dependence of acid-catalyzed glycosylations of glycals to 2-deoxycarbohydrates.
Sexually Dimorphic Neurons of the Terminalia of Drosophila Melanogaster: II. Sex-Specific Axonal Arborizations in the Central Nervous System

In order to understand how the peripheral nervous system in male and female flies differ, I have determined the projection pattern of sensory neurons that innervate the sex-specific adult terminalia, the genitalia and analia, of Drosophila melanogaster. In the adult male and female fly, mechanosensory bristles arranged on the external terminalia are innervated by sensory neurons that arborize in the abdominal ganglion. The distribution of axonal arbors differs between males and females. In males, sensory neurons terminate in a greater variety of patterns over a larger area of neuropil than those in females. Mutations in a sex-determining gene (transformer-2, tra-2,) which regulates the development of secondary sexual characteristics in somatic tissues, cause female flies to be transformed into phenotypic males. The sensory neurons of the terminalia are also transformed leading them to arborize appropriately for male neurons.
Noise-band factor analysis of cancer Fourier transform infrared evanescent-wave fiber optical (FTIR-FEW) spectra

The goal of this study is to test the feasibility of using noise factor/eigenvector bands as general clinical analytical tools for diagnoses. We developed a new technique, Noise Band Factor Cluster Analysis (NBFCA), to diagnose benign tumors via their Fourier transform IR fiber optic evanescent wave spectral data for the first time. The middle IR region of human normal skin tissue and benign and melanoma tumors, were analyzed using this new diagnostic technique. Our results are not in full-agreement with pathological classifications hence there is a possibility that our approaches could complement or improve these traditional classification schemes. Moreover, the use of NBFCA make it much easier to delineate class boundaries hence this method provides results with much higher certainty.
Evolving neural networks for geometric game-tree pruning

Abstract Game-tree search is the engine behind many computer game opponents. Traditional game-tree search algorithms decide which move to make based on simulating actions, evaluating future board states, and then applying the evaluations to estimate optimal play by all players. Yet the limiting factor of such algorithms is that the search space increases exponentially with the number of actions taken (i.e. the depth of the search). More recent research in game-tree search has revealed that even more important than evaluating future board states is effective pruning of the search space. Accordingly, this paper discusses Geometric Game-Tree Pruning (GGTP), a novel evolutionary method that learns to prune game trees based on geometric properties of the game board. The experiment compares Cake, a minimax-based game-tree search algorithm, with HyperNEAT-Cake, the original Cake algorithm combined with an indirectly encoded, evolved GGTP algorithm. The results show that HyperNEAT-Cake wins significantly more games than regular Cake playing against itself.
Biotinylation of biotinidase following incubation with biocytin.

Abstract Human serum biotinidase, purified to homogeneity (1920 units/mg protein), was incubated with biocytin prior to electrophoresis and transblotting with avidin-peroxidase. Avidin reacted with biotinidase maximally when incubated at pH 7.5–9, less at pH 7 and none below pH 7. No avidin reactivity occurred when biotinidase was incubated with biotin or in the absence of biocytin. Inclusion of the nucleophilic acceptors, ethanolamine or hydroxylamine, to the incubation mixture with biocytin and biotinidase resulted in loss of avidin reactivity. High concentrations of mercaptoethanol also prevented avidin reactivity. These results suggest that biotinidase can be biotinylated in the presence of biocytin at neutral to alkaline pH probably through a thioester bond formed with a cysteine residue in the active site of the enzyme. Biotinidase may then function as a biotinylating enzyme when incubated with appropriate nucleophilic acceptors.
Optimization of space structures by neural dynamics

Abstract A nonlinear neural dynamics model is presented as a new structural optimization technique and applied to minimum weight design of space trusses subjected to stress and displacement constraints under multiple loading conditions. A pseudo-objective function is formulated for the optimization problem in the form of a Lyapunov function to ensure the global convergence and the stability of the neural dynamic system by adopting an exterior penalty function method. The topology of the neural dynamics model consists of one variable layer and multi-constraint layers. The number of constraint layers corresponds to the number of loading conditions in the structural optimization problem. Design sensitivity coefficients calculated by the adjoint variable method are included in the inhibitory connections from the constraint layers to the variable layer. Optimum weights and design solutions are presented for four example structures and compared with those reported in the literature.
Calculation of mixed phases in continuum mechanics

Abstract A general procedure is developed to calculate a phase transformation consistently. The differential forms of the equations constraining a binary mixture to be in equilibrium are inverted to obtain volume and internal energy as independent variables. The set of finite difference equations may be incorporated into a general purpose continuum mechanics program.
Suppression of dark current radiation in step-and-shoot intensity modulated radiation therapy by the initial pulse-forming network

The effect of the initial pulse forming network (IPFN) on the suppression of dark current is investigated for a Siemens Primus accelerator. The dark current produces a spurious radiation, which is referred to as dark current radiation (DCR) in this study. In the step-and-shoot delivery of an intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), the DCR could be of some concern for whole body dose along with leakage radiation through collimator jaws or multileaf collimator. By adjusting the IPFN-to-PFN ratio to >0.8, the DCR can be measured with an ion chamber during the "PAUSE" state of the accelerator in the IMRT mode. For 15 MV x rays, the magnitude of the DCR is approximately equal to 0.7% of the dose at dmax for a 10 x 10 cm2 field. The DCR has a similar central axis depth dose as a 15 MV beam as determined from a water phantom scan. When the IPFN-to-PFN ratio is lowered to <0.8, no DCR is detected. For low energy x rays (6 MV), no DCR is detected regardless of the IPFN-to-PFN ratio. Although the DCR is studied only for the Siemens Primus model accelerator, the same precaution applies to other models of modern accelerators from other vendors. Due to the large number of field segments used in a step-and-shoot IMRT, it is imperative therefore, that dark current evaluation be part of machine commissioning and annual calibration for high-energy photon beams. Should DCR be detected, the medical physicist should work with a service engineer to rectify the problem. In view of DCR and whole body dose, low-energy photon beams are advisable for IMRT.
Factors affecting language use outside the ESL classroom: Student perspectives

Abstract Policies governing language use in and out of the ESL classroom are controversial. While some scholars claim that an English-only policy is necessary to maximize language development, others argue that native language (L1) use is an inevitable part of teaching and learning. This debate continues in intensive English programs, particularly regarding policies governing language use within school precincts but outside of the classroom. English-learning institutions implement various language policies, but few are informed by empirical research that reflects learner perspectives. Accordingly, many policies are enforced in ways that undermine the positive environment needed to maximize language learning. Unfortunately, the literature says very little to help us understand why students speak their L1 outside the classroom. Thus, the study described in this article was designed to gather student perspectives about their L1 use outside the classroom. Data were collected in an intensive English program through student interviews (N = 6) and focus groups (N = 4). Analyses identified a variety of sociocultural, linguistic, individual, and psychological factors that affect students' language use outside the classroom. The article concludes with the discussion of recommendations regarding the development of language use plans and self-regulation as means of facilitating language development.
Thin Shell Model for Proton Conduction in PEM Fuel Cell Cathodes

A mathematical model is presented for proton conduction in the thin ionomer layer that covers the carbon supported catalyst in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The cathode proton resistance (R H+ , cath ) has been previously measured in a H 2 /N 2 cell using ac impedance as a function of ionomer-to-carbon mass ratio (I/C) m , ionomer equivalent weight, and relative humidities (RH). After considering the effect of roughness and ionomer absorption in the carbon support, the model favorably agrees with the experimental results. It shows that the cathode proton resistivity is indeed an intrinsic property, which for a given type of carbon support depends on the volumetric ionomer-to-carbon ratio, which accounts for the RH-induced ionomer swelling. Further analysis indicates that the roughness and porosity of the carbon particles play a significant role for the proton conduction. The amount of ionomer absorbed into the pores and the roughness factor of the carbon particles can be extracted from a comparison of the model and data.
Wavelength demultiplexing heterojunction phototransistor

Experimental and theoretical results on a wavelength demultiplexing receiver composed of an AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction phototransistor (HPT) integrated within a resonant cavity are reported. A high quality factor cavity was formed using a very thin In0.05Ga0.95As active absorption layer in the collector depletion region of the HPT. Crosstalk attenuations of 15dB for dual and 12dB for triple wavelength demultiplexing were demonstrated. The individual HPTs had an optical gain of 500 at the resonant modes. Theoretical calculations predict crosstalk attenuation levels as high as 40 dB with high reflection mirrors on both ends of the cavity.
Paucity of sinus node dysfunction following repair of sinus venosus defects in children.

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The Minnesota Tube: Its Use and Care in Bleeding Esophageal and Gastric Varices

A variety of treatments are available for bleeding esophageal varices. Treatments include pharmacologic (propanolol, somatostatin, octreotide, vasopressin, and nitroglycerin), endoscopic (injection sclerotherapy and banding), vascular (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt), surgical (portovariceal disconnection and portosystemic shunts), and tamponade (via use of the Minnesota tube). This article will focus on use and care of the Minnesota tube, including numerous suggestions from the literature. Tamponade for treatment of esophageal varices may be accompanied by numerous complications, some of which are major or lethal. For this reason, extreme caution should be used when implementing this method. While hemostasis is not achievable via tamponade in 8-50% of patients and 50% of patients rebleed, use of tamponade may achieve stabilization of a patient so that sclerotherapy or surgery becomes a treatment option.
On the possibility of gravitational induced semi-classical vacuum decay

Abstract The stability of the vacuum state for a scalar field in curved spacetime with ξRφ 2 coupling is considered. It is shown that for negative ξ and zero cosmological constant, it is not possible for a massive free scalar field to tunnel out of the gf =0 vacuum via any O(4) bounce solutions, despite the presence of an apparently unbounded potential caused by gravity in the matter field equation. The comparison of this system with those in the literature is discussed.
Timeshare brand affiliation impacts

Over the past two decades, internationally branded hotel companies have continued their expansion efforts into the vacation ownership/timeshare resort industry. This act of adding timeshare resorts to the parent company?s already existing hotel and resort collection entailed strategic decisions that ranged from: market share, portfolio risk management and crossover financial gains. To address the association of this latter relationship, the authors surveyed vacation ownership consumers? overall satisfaction with their timeshare resort interval purchase. This was associated with the likelihood of using the parent company?s traditional lodging products for business and leisure purposes. The results indicate that crossover gains do accrue from sustained consumer loyalty as portrayed by increased usage of traditional lodging providers for business and leisure purposes.
Spectral properties of integral operators with nonnegative kernels

Abstract This paper is concerned with spectral properties of an integral operator with a nonnegative continous kernel. Various conditions are given for the existence of a positive eigenvalue of maximum modulus, its simplicity, and the existence of a corresponding positive eigenfunction. Other results describe the distribution of secondary eigenvalues. The operators considered include those with stochastic kernels and those with irreducible kernels. In addition to new results, simple new proofs are given for fundamental properties of operators with positive kernels. The analysis involves collectively compact operator approximation theory, transpose operators, the spectral mapping theorem, and an extremal characterization of the spectral radius.
Inactivation without facilitation of calcium conductance in caesium-loaded neurones of Aplysia.

THE concentration of cytoplasmic free calcium (Ca) ion regulates a variety of cellular processes1–4, including hormone secretion, histamine secretion, neurotransmitter release, mitosis and muscle contraction. For some of these processes the activating signal is a rapid influx of Ca ions across the plasma membrane during an action potential. One way of controlling the magnitude of such processes would be a regulation of the amount of Ca influx during each action potential. A mechanism capable of this type of control has recently been ascribed to the Ca conductance system of molluscan neurones. It is called ‘Ca facilitation’, and is an increase in the inward Ca current (ICa) observed when a test voltage-clamp pulse is preceded by a depolarised, conditioning prepulse5–8. Ca facilitation could cause an enhanced Ca influx during a repetitive train of action potentials. An opposing process, Ca inactivation, has also been described in excitable tissue9–13. Ca inactivation, like Na inactivation, is a decrease in inward current caused by a depolarising prepulse. Thus, facilitation would cause an increase and inactivation a decrease in ICa during repetitive voltage-clamp pulses. Facilitation of ICa has not been observed directly under voltage-clamp because inward ICa is usually accompanied by a large, outward K current (IK) (ref. 14). We have eliminated IK by using a new technique to replace intracellular potassium with caesium, and report here that ICa inactivates without evidence of facilitation.
Stable isotopes in the study of human nutrition

Abstract Although stable isotopes were discovered early in this century, their application to biomedical problems was impractical until the 1930s when they became available at enriched levels. The classic work of Rittenberg and Schoenheimer (J Biol Chem 1937;121:235-53) firmly established the utility of stable isotopes in biochemistry and nutrition. Even today their methods remain viable tools by which to probe metabolic events which are important in human development. We employ stable isotopes at the Children's Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) to study problems in human nutrition which cannot be addressed by any other technique. Stable isotopically-labeled compounds offer several technical advantages over radioactive tracers; several isotopomers may be used simultaneously in a single study and the metabolism of oxygen- and nitrogen-labeled nutrients may be monitored. More importantly, we now can study metabolism in human populations where radioisotopic tracers are not permitted, e.g., in pregnant or lactating women. A mandate of the CNRC is to evaluate the nutrient requirements of women and children from the time of conception through adolescence. We have used deuterium oxide and 13 C-labeled fatty acids to examine the transfer of nutrients during lactation and to measure the synthesis and secretion of cholesterol and fatty acids into human milk. Stable isotopically-labeled amino acids have been employed to measure the synthesis of specific proteins involved in lipid transport and storage. Deuterium oxide and 18 O-labeled water have been used to measure total milk production during lactation and to measure energy expenditure in infants. The diversity of problems addressed in CNRC studies illustrates the wide utility afforded by stable isotope usage.
Speech visualization based on Auditory Model for hearing impaired

This paper describes a novel speech visualization method that creates a readable pattern based on auditory model. The auditory model extracts the critical information of the speech signal and presents more robust than a system based on conventional acoustic processing techniques (MFCC). Firstly, speech signal undergoes a series of preprocessing course. Secondly, we make use of auditory model for speech feature extracting. Finally, we utilize plot display algorithm to generate a speech plot. The auditory feature of speech signal is displayed on the CRT by plot patterns and the deaf can utilize their own brain to identify different speech for training their oral ability effectively. The aim of this paper is to reduce speech multidimensionality in order to obtain a simple and accurate image for speech visualization.
Endocrine studies in aging.

THE relation of glandular physiology to the aging process has been the basis of considerable theoretical speculation. The role of gonadal failure in senescence has for years been given prime consideration, but very few causal relationships have actually been established. The anterior pituitary, and more recently the adrenal cortex, have also received attention, but little is as yet known concerning the influence of hormones on the degenerative processes which accompany senility. The present investigation was concerned with three objectives: One was to measure the mean values for the output of pituitary, gonadal, and adrenal cortical hormones in a group of old men and women, to determine possible sex differences, and to compare the values of the -aged group with those encountered in young subjects. The second was to search for possible interrelationships between the changes in output of the three hormones as the aging process progressed. The third was to determine whether any correlation could be establish...
Evaluating the impacts of migration in the biofilm anode using the model PCBIOFILM

Abstract Microbial electrochemical cells depend on the reaction by anode-respiring bacteria (ARB). The ARB reaction generates multiple e − and H + , which take diverging paths, creating a charge imbalance. An electric field must migrate ions to restore electrical neutrality. Here, the model proton condition in bioflim (PCBIOFILM) expands for evaluating the impact of migration on the biofilm anode: the expansion makes the proton condition (PC) work in tandem with the electrical-neutrality condition, which is a novel methodological advancement. The analysis with PCBIOFILM examines relevant scenarios of phosphate- and carbonate-buffered biofilm anodes using established parameters. The analysis demonstrates how: (1) the proton condition (PC) maintains electrical neutrality by achieving charge balance; (2) migration influences the biofilm anode more than non-ARB biofilms; (3) migration increases the overall current density, but by less than 15 percent; and (4) PCBIOFILM without migration accurately captures large-scale trends in biofilm anodes.
The stereochemistry of the reaction of tetrachloroethylene with p-toluene-thiolate reagent☆

Abstract : Sodium p-toluenethiolate reacts with tetrachloroethylene in refluxing ethanol to give trans-1,2-bis (p-tolylthio)- 1,2dichloroethylene. The structure is assigned on the basis of crystallographic and supporting data. (Author)
SEQUENTIAL RANK TESTS. I. MONTE CARLO STUDIES OF THE TWO-SAMPLE PROCEDURE.

Monte Carlo studies of a sequential, two-sample, rank-sum test developed earlier by Wilcoxon, Rhodes and Bradley are reported. Ranking is accomplished within groups of observations in the sequential procedures and the theory is based on a model suggested by Lehmann. Design parameters are α and β, probabilities of Type I or Type II errors, m and n, the numbers of X- and Y-observations in a group of observations, and k 1, the power in the Lehmann model wherein the alternative hypothesis states that the cdf of the Y-population is G(u) = F k 1 (U), F(u) being the cdf of the X-population. Studies are made for designs with (α = β = .05, m = n = 2(1)5, k k = 1.5, 2.33, 4 and 9. Data appropriate to the Lehmann model are generated and studies are also made when G(u – μ y ) = F(u). Average sample numbers and powers of tests are estimated. The effects of truncation are examined. It is concluded that the Monte Carlo results substantiate the use of the usual Wald theory of sequential analysis and that the use of the s...