cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polymer concrete: A potential construction material for desalination plants. Part I

Abstract Experiments have been conducted to determine the feasibility and techniques for impregnation and in situ polymerization of liquid monomers in preformed concrete, and the inclusion of monomers directly into the fresh concrete mix, followed by polymerization. Polymerization by both gamma radiation and chemical reaction in the presence of heat is being studied. Studies include monomer screening tests, development of process technology, and development of applications. It appears that the cost of the treatment will be reasonable. Concrete test specimens are prepared and evaluated at the Bureau of Reclamation. Brookhaven National Laboratory performs the impregnation and polymerization. All monomers evaluated to date produce improved properties, their effects in concrete varying only in degree. Improvements in properties resulting from the impregnation of concrete with methyl methacrylate followed by irradiation include the following: Compressive and tensile strength and modulus of rupture have been increased from between 256% to 290%; water permeability has been decreased to negligible values; water absorption has been decreased by as much as 95%; and resistance to abrasion, cavitation, freeze-thaw attack, and to distilled water, soluble sulfates, and acid corrosion has shown significant improvements. For high-temperature desalting plant applications, monomers which have high-temperature stability were selected for screening tests. Compressive and tensile strengths and elastic properties measurements performed to date on four monomer systems at temperatures up to 290°F indicate that 60% styrene plus 40% TMPTMA produces the best strength properties, followed by 90% diallyl phthalate plus 10% methyl methacrylate. Future tests of polymer concrete for desalination plant applications include structural and physical properties measurements following varying periods of exposure to circulating synthetic sea water brine at temperatures up to 290°F.
Stochastic lot-sizing with backlogging: computational complexity analysis

For a multi-stage stochastic programming problem, one approach is to explore a scenario tree based formulation for the problem and solve the formulation efficiently. There has been significant research progress on how to generate scenario trees in the literature. However, there is limited work on analyzing the computational complexity of the scenario-tree based formulation that considers the number of tree nodes as the input size. In this paper, we use stochastic lot-sizing problems as examples to study the computational complexity issues for the scenario-tree based formulations. We develop production path properties and a general dynamic programming framework based on these properties. The dynamic programming framework allows us to show that the optimal value function is piecewise linear and continuous, which enables us to develop polynomial time algorithms for several different problems, including those with backlogging and varying capacities under certain conditions. As special cases, we develop polynomial time algorithms that run in $${\mathcal{O}(n^2)}$$ and $${\mathcal{O}(n^2T\,{\rm log}\,n)}$$ times, respectively for stochastic uncapacitated and constant capacitated lot-sizing problems with backlogging, regardless of the scenario tree structure.
AMPA autoreceptors drive correlated spiking in olfactory bulb glomeruli

Information processing in the brain may rely on temporal correlations in spike activity between neurons. Within the olfactory bulb, correlated spiking in output mitral cells could affect the odor code by either binding or amplifying signals from individual odorant receptors. We examined the timing of spike trains in mitral cells of rat olfactory bulb slices. Depolarization of mitral cell pairs elicited spikes that were correlated on a rapid timescale (≤10 ms) for cells whose primary dendrites projected to the same glomerulus. Correlated spiking was driven by a novel mechanism that depended on electrical coupling at mitral cell primary dendrites; the specific synchronizing signal was a coupled depolarization (∼20 ms) that was mediated by dendritic AMPA autoreceptors. We suggest that glomerulus-specific correlated spiking in mitral cells helps to preserve the fidelity of odor signals that are delivered to the olfactory cortex.
Constructing de novo biosynthetic pathways for chemical synthesis inside living cells

Living organisms have evolved a vast array of catalytic functions that make them ideally suited for the production of medicinally and industrially relevant small-molecule targets. Indeed, native metabolic pathways in microbial hosts have long been exploited and optimized for the scalable production of both fine and commodity chemicals. Our increasing capacity for DNA sequencing and synthesis has revealed the molecular basis for the biosynthesis of a variety of complex and useful metabolites and allows the de novo construction of novel metabolic pathways for the production of new and exotic molecular targets in genetically tractable microbes. However, the development of commercially viable processes for these engineered pathways is currently limited by our ability to quickly identify or engineer enzymes with the correct reaction and substrate selectivity as well as the speed by which metabolic bottlenecks can be determined and corrected. Efforts to understand the relationship among sequence, structure, and function in the basic biochemical sciences can advance these goals for synthetic biology applications while also serving as an experimental platform for elucidating the in vivo specificity and function of enzymes and reconstituting complex biochemical traits for study in a living model organism. Furthermore, the continuing discovery of natural mechanisms for the regulation of metabolic pathways has revealed new principles for the design of high-flux pathways with minimized metabolic burden and has inspired the development of new tools and approaches to engineering synthetic pathways in microbial hosts for chemical production.
Developmental, tissue-specific, and sex differences in activity among three enzymes from human erythrocytes and cultured fibroblasts.

G6PD specific activity (S.A.) was significantly greater in human females than in males, both in fresh erythrocytes from newborns and in prenatal cultural lung. The sex difference in erythrocytes was nullified by 6 years of age via a reduction of G6PD S.A. in the female relative to the male. The sex difference in prenatal lung was nullified during the first month of postnatal life by an abrupt rise of G6PD S.A. in the male rather than by any postnatal change in the female. No sex difference was found for G6PD in cultured skin or for LDH and HGPRT in any of the tissues studied. Qualitative and quantitative tissue-specific and developmental differences were found among G6PD, LDH, and HGPRT in cultured skin and lung. Our data suggest (1) that cultured fibroblasts still can reflect the tissue-specific, developmental, and sex differences of their origin and (2) that sex differences for X-linked loci such as G6PD do not necessarily imply escape of the locus from X-inactivation in the female but rather may result from other unknown regulatory mechanisms in either sex.
Acculturation, parent-child acculturation differential, and chronic disease risk factors in a Mexican-American population.

Acculturation is typically defined in terms of individual responses to a dominant culture. In the present study, we examined the effects of different levels of acculturation among family members. Specifically, we looked at the health and risk behavior in Mexican-American children as related to a variety of psychosocial predictors, especially the differences in orientation toward Mexican- and Anglo-American cultures between them and their parents. Mother and child pairs (n = 106) noted their orientation toward both Anglo and Mexican cultures. Children’s dietary and sedentary behaviors, tobacco and alcohol use (and susceptibility to use), and depressive symptoms were also measured. Males were more likely to be sedentary and consume higher levels of total fat and saturated fat, whereas girls reported higher levels of depression. Anglo-oriented youth consumed lower levels of calories from fat but also more alcohol than did their Mexican-oriented counterparts. The latter was particularly the case among those children who were relatively more Anglo oriented than were their parents. Parent–child acculturation differential in terms of the differences in Mexican orientation, in comparison, predicted susceptibility to tobacco use. However, the sum of the absolute values of these two differences predicted only lifetime alcohol use, and in a counter-intuitive direction. This familial measure of acculturation shows some promise, but additional formative research is needed to operationalize this construct.
Survey study of the knowledge, attitudes, and expected behaviors of critical care clinicians regarding an influenza pandemic.

Objective.Intensive care units (ICUs) are potential high-risk areas for the transmission of respiratory viruses such as influenza. An influenza pandemic is expected to result in a dramatic surge of critically ill patients, and ICU healthcare workers (HCW) are likely to be at high risk of infection.Objective.To characterize the knowledge, attitudes, and expected behaviors of ICU HCWs concerning the risk of and response to an influenza pandemic.Design, Participants, and Setting.A survey was distributed to 292 HCWs (ie, internal medicine house staff, pulmonary and critical care fellows and faculty members, nurses, and respiratory care professionals) at 2 hospitals in Baltimore, Maryland.Results.Of the 292 HCWs, 256 (88%) completed the survey. Just over one-half of the respondents believed there is at least a 45% chance of an influenza pandemic within the next 5 years. However, only 41% reported knowing how to protect themselves during an outbreak. Despite this common belief that a pandemic is likely in the near future, 59% of those surveyed reported only minimal knowledge of the risks of and protective strategies for an influenza pandemic, and 20% reported being unlikely to report to work during a pandemic or being unsure about whether they would do so. The odds of reporting to work varied on the basis of race and responsibility for child care.Conclusions.ICU HCWs reported having minimal knowledge concerning the risk of and response to an influenza pandemic, even though more that one-half of HCWs expect that a pandemic will occur in the near future. This finding in a high-risk setting is of concern, given that lack of knowledge among HCWs may result in increased nosocomial transmission to HCWs and patients. Interventions to improve knowledge of pandemics and understanding of risks among ICU HCWs are essential.
Generalized Wannier and Bloch functions for a lattice with a substitutional impurity

Abstract It is shown how complete orthonormal sets of generalized Wannier and Bloch functions for a crystal with one substitutional impurity can be constructed from host Wannier functions and localized impurity functions.
Spatial dynamics of a gypsy moth defoliation outbreak and dependence on habitat characteristics

Forest insects cause defoliation disturbances with complex spatial dynamics. These are difficult to measure but critical for models of disturbance risk that inform forest management. Understanding of spatial dynamics has lagged behind other disturbance processes because traditional defoliation sketch map data often suffered from inadequate precision or spatial resolution. We sought to clarify the influence of underlying habitat characteristics on outbreak patterns by combining forest plots, GIS data and defoliation intensity maps modeled from Landsat imagery. We quantified dependence of defoliation on spatial patterns of host abundance, phenology, topography, and pesticide spray for a recent gypsy moth outbreak (2000–2001), in a mixed deciduous forest in western Maryland, USA. We used semivariograms and hierarchical partitioning to quantify spatial patterns and variable importance. Habitat characteristics from plot data explained 21 % of defoliation variance in 2000 from tree density, phenological asynchrony, pesticide spray status, and landform index and 34 % of the variance in 2001 from previous-year defoliation, relative abundance of non-host species, phenological asynchrony, pesticide spray status, and relative slope position. Spatial autocorrelation in residual defoliation ranged over distances of 788 m in 2000 and 461 m in 2001, corresponding well with gypsy moth larval dispersal distances (100 m to 1 km). Un-measured processes such as predation, virus and pathogen occurrence likely contribute to unexplained variance. Because the spatial dynamics of these factors are largely unknown, our results support modeling gypsy moth defoliation as a function of dependence on significant exogenous characteristics and residual spatial pattern matching.
Symmetry of the canine femur: Implications for experimental sample size requirements

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of bilateral variability in cross-sectional geometric properties of the adult canine proximal femur and to use these data to deterrmine minimum detectable treatment effects in paired and independent experimental designs. Thirteen paris of canine femora were sectioned at nine locations and 16 cross-sectional geometric properties were determined for each section location. The canine femur was found to be bilaterally symmetrical. For a given sample size, the magnitude of the detectable treatment effect was (a) smaller for diameters than for areas and area moments of inertia and (b) smaller within the middiaphysis than proximally. The data from this study can be used to estimate sample size requirements for experiments in which the treatment effect is determined by using the contralateral femur as a control. It was found that an increase from 3 to 7 animals would have a much greater effect on improving the sensitivity of an experiment than would an increase from 7 to 11 animals.
Ultraviolet-induced mutations to asparagine independence in Jensen sarcoma cells in vitro.

Abstract UV-irradiation induces an exponential increase in the frequency of mutation from asparagine requirement to asparagine non-requirement in Jensen sarcoma cells grown in vitro . The corrected mutation frequency increases from the spontaneous rate of 5.1·10 −6 per cell to 1248·10 −6 per cell with a dose of 180 erg/mm 2 of 254 nm UV A substantial increase was oberved even without correction for survivors, and no significant difference was observed in the UV sensitivity of asparagine-requiring and non-requiring Jensen clones. When Jensen cells were plated at low densities in a feeder layer of LMTK-cells inactivated by HAT medium, an increase in the cloning ability of the former was observed as compared to appropriate controls without the feeder layer, but the increase was constant over all doses of UV tested. Revertants are stable and possess measurable asparagine synthetase. It is concluded that UV is an extremely effective mutagen in this system.
Analysis of environmental sound levels in modern rodent housing rooms

Noise in animal housing facilities is an environmental variable that can affect hearing, behavior and physiology in mice. The authors measured sound levels in two rodent housing rooms (room 1 and room 2) during several 24-h periods. Room 1, which was subject to heavy personnel traffic, contained ventilated racks and static cages that housed large numbers of mice. Room 2 was accessed by only a few staff members, contained static cages only and housed fewer mice. In both rooms, background sound levels were usually about 80 dB, and transient noises caused sound levels to temporarily rise 30-40 dB above the baseline level; such peaks occurred frequently during work hours (8:30 AM to 4:30 PM) and infrequently during non-work hours. Noise peaks during work hours in room 1 occurred about two times as often as in room 2 (P = 0.01). Use of changing stations located in the rooms caused background noise to increase by about 10 dB. Loud noise and noise variability were attributed mainly to personnel activity. Attempts to reduce noise should concentrate on controlling sounds produced by in-room activities and experimenter traffic; this may reduce the variability of research outcomes and improve animal welfare.
Crisp and fuzzy cluster validity: Generalized intra-inter silhouette index

Based on a framework, that casts the problem of clustering a set of data points as a problem of clustering the associated pairwise distances, this study generalizes the silhouette measure to fuzzy partitions, in turn, proposing an outstanding tool to the validation of crisp and fuzzy clustering results.
Geometric nonlinearity in nanoscale helical coils

The mechanical properties of nanoscale helical structures have become the subjects of great research interest lately. These helical structures include natural helices like the α-helical polypeptide and man-made helices such as nanosprings or nanocoils. Based on a common belief that a nanoscale helical structure would behave like a spring, much attention is devoted to obtaining its spring-constant, or stiffness. For nanocoils, however, whether a single stiffness value exists is questionable. Very often, a nanospring structure experiences a large deformation with respect to its dimension, and its coil radius decreases when it is in tension and increases when in compression. According to the classical equation by Ancker and Goodier, the stiffness of a coil is inversely proportional to the coil radius to the third order. Thus, a single stiffness value does not exist for nanosprings: the stiffness should increase when it is in tension and decrease when in compression. To investigate the mechanical characteristics of nanoscale helical coils undergoing large deformations, nonlinear finite element analysis (both elastic and plastic) modeling was performed. Nanocoils behave linearly with single stiffness values only when their deformation, either extension or shortening, is very small. When the deformation is large, nanocoils will exhibit stiffening behavior in tension and softening behavior in compression. The stiffening and softening behavior of the nanocoils is mainly attributed to the geometric nonlinearity, which is caused by the change in the geometric configuration of the nanocoils. Geometric nonlinearity is elastic in nature, and the deformation in the nanocoils will disappear when the applied load is removed. It differs from material nonlinearity, with which plastic permanent deformation will develop in the nanocoils.
Cobalt salts: effects in cyanide and sulfide poisoning and on methemoglobinemia.

Pretreatment of mice with cobaltous chloride protects them against a potentially lethal dose of sodium cyanide or sodium sulfide. The mechanism of this protective effect is unknown but is presumed to reflect a direct chemical reaction between cobalt and cyanide or sulfide. Methemoglobinemia was not observed after protective doses of cobaltous chloride in mice. Pretreatment of mice with sodium cobaltinitrite also protects them against potentially lethal doses of sodium cyanide or sulfide. At least part of this protective mechanism, however, must be ascribed to methemoglobin formation by the injected cobaltinitrite. A comparison of cobaltinitrite-methemoglobinemia with that generated by sodium nitrite indicates that only 3 of the 6 equivalents of nitrite in each mole of cobaltinitrite are released under biological conditions to react with oxyhemoglobin. A comparison between in vivo and in vitro methemoglobinemias indicates that the major portion (75–80%) of injected sodium nitrite is apparently inactivated by processes other than reaction with oxyhemoglobin; the same is true of cobaltinitrite, but whether in vitro or in vivo only 3 nitrite equivalents per mole are released. Thus, methemoglobin formation by cobaltinitrite accounts for less than half of the cyanide inactivated in pretreated mice. In the case of sodium sulfide, however, the entire protective effect can be accounted for on the basis of methemoglobin formation and subsequent trapping of the hydrosulfide ion. Cobaltinitrite blocks methylene blue stimulation of methemoglobin reductase activity in concentrations that do not produce excessive hemolysis. This effect may be shared by cobaltous chloride, but it is observed only at concentrations that produce gross hemolysis. Indeed, hemolysis produced by 2–8 mm cobaltous chloride would appear to account for the inhibition of methemoglobin reductase activity ascribed to this salt by others.
Examination of Identity and Romantic Relationship Intimacy Associations with Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood

This study examined identity and romantic relationship intimacy associations with emerging adults' well-being. Examination of identity status differences in well-being indicated emerging adults in foreclosed and achieved identity statuses reported higher well-being levels than identity diffuse and moratorium emerging adults. Results also indicated gender moderation of identity status differences in romantic relationship intimacy. Identity diffuse and moratorium women reported more intimate relationships than diffuse and moratorium men. Further, identity diffuse, foreclosed, and achieved emerging adult women reported higher romantic relationship intimacy than identity moratorium women whereas identity foreclosed and achieved emerging adult men reported higher intimacy than identity diffuse and moratorium men. Finally, results indicated positive associations between romantic relationship intimacy and well-being. This study supports previous identity status differences in well-being and also suggests that ro...
SOLUBILIZATION OF THE GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE RECEPTOR FROM BOVINE PITUITARY PLASMA MEMBRANES

The plasma membrane receptor for GnRH in bovine anterior pituitaries has been solubilized with the cholic acid derivative detergent 3([3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]propane sulfonate. The soluble receptor in the supernatant from a 100,000 × g × 90 min centrifugation displays high affinity, saturability and specific binding to the agonist, [DAla6,NαMeLeu7, Pro9-NEt]-GnRH. The dissociation constant, KD, for the soluble receptor is 0.56±0.07 nM (mean ± SEM) and the number of sites, RO, is 85±17 fmols/mg protein. For the membranebound receptor the KD is 0.50±0.04 nM and Ro is 300±18 fmols/mg protein. The relative potencies of GnRH and the potent antagonist, [Ac-Δ3<pro1,pFDPhe2, DTrp3,6]-GnRH are similar for both the soluble and membrane-bound receptor.
The Conformity of a Soft Contact Lens on the Eye

An axisymmetric elastic shell deformation model has been created to predict the conformity of a soft contact lens when pressed against the eye. Regions of contact and gap may be predicted, and the nonuniform reaction pressure between the lens and eye may also be found. This is important for issues like abrasion and comfort. Bending, membrane and transverse shear loads within the lens are also computed. Commercial soft contact lenses and a representative eye shape are used for the examples. We find that the uniformity of loading against the eye is strongly affected by the degree to which the lens is shaped to fit the eye, and relatively unaffected by the thickness of the lens.
Expression, Cloning, and Characterization of a Candida albicans Gene, ALA1, That Confers Adherence Properties upon Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Extracellular Matrix Proteins

Adherence of Candida albicans to host tissues is a necessary step for maintenance of its commensal status and is likely a necessary step in the pathogenesis of candidiasis. The extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins are some of the host tissue and plasma proteins to which C. albicans adheres through adhesins located on the fungal cell surface. To isolate genes encoding ECM adhesins, an assay was developed based on the ability of yeast cells to adhere to magnetic beads coated with the ECM protein fibronectin, type IV collagen, or laminin. A C. albicans genomic library was constructed by cloning XbaI-partially-digested and size-selected fragments into pAUR112, an Escherichia coli-yeast low-copy-number shuttle vector. The C. albicans library was transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae YPH 499, and clones capable of adherence were selected by using ECM protein-coated magnetic beads. A plasmid containing an approximately 8-kb insert was isolated from 29 adherent clones. These clones exhibited adherence to all ECM protein-coated magnetic beads and to human buccal epithelial cells. The ALA1 gene (for agglutinin-like adhesin) was localized by subcloning it into a 5-kb XbaI fragment which retained the adherence phenotype in both orientations. The complete DNA sequence of the 5-kb insert was determined, and an open reading frame (ORF) encoding 1,419 amino acid residues was identified. Deletions from the 5' and 3' ends extending into the DNA sequence encoding the 1,419-amino-acid ORF product inactivated the adherence phenotype, suggesting that it is the coding region of the ALA1 gene. A database search identified ALA1 to be similar to the C. albicans ALS1 (for agglutinin-like sequence 1) protein and the S. cerevisiae agglutinin protein (AG alpha1), although the homology at the primary amino acid sequence level is limited to the first half of each of these proteins. ALA1 contains a central domain of six tandem repeats of 36 amino acids. We discuss the significance of various predicted ALA1 structural motifs and their relationships to function in the adherence process.
ALIGNING SCALES OF CERTIFICATION TESTS

Scores are the most visible and widely used products of a testing program. The choice of score scale has implications for test specifications, equating, and test reliability and validity, as well as for test interpretation. At the same time, the score scale should be viewed as infrastructure likely to require repair at some point. In this report we examine the issue of scale fit—how well the scale fits the intended uses of its scores—for certification tests. Two examples of scale fit are considered: one in which the test has a single threshold that separates the candidate population into pass-fail groups, and one in which the test is required to support a restricted range of multiple thresholds.
DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT ASSOCIATION OF RIPARIAN-OBLIGATE AND -ASSOCIATED BIRDS IN THE OREGON COAST RANGE

Loegering and Anthony "Distribution, abundance, and habitat association of riparian-obligate and -associated birds in the Oregon Coast Range." Northwest Science. 1999; 73(3): 168-185
Technology for a conformally shaped phosphorescent OLED display

OLED display foils fitted conformally to goggles or cockpit canopies are of considerable interest. As films integrated onto pre-existing lenses or canopies they could provide visual information while adding little weight. However, the conformal shaping of a displays to its mechanical support causes large deformation strain, in contrast to flexible displays whose bending to cylindrical shape can be managed with little strain. The deformation strain may easily exceed the critical strain of OLED materials, which then rupture and damage or destroy the OLED function. New fabrication techniques and OLED circuit architectures are required to prevent such rupture. We report an experimental phosphorescent OLED array made on a dome shaped transparent plastic substrate. The pixellated array of OLEDs was fabricated and interconnected while flat. Late in the process sequence the array was shaped to a dome. The OLEDs are protected from rupture by their placement on ITO islands. These ITO islands are sized such that the shear strain developed along them does not reach the critical value. Most of the deformation strain is taken up by the plastic substrate that is exposed between the rigid islands. The metal interconnects do undergo this large deformation and must be designed to withstand it. The substrate was shaped to a dome of 6-cm diameter at its base, with a 10-cm radius of curvature. The radial strain at the apex of the dome is 1.5%. The process produces bottom emitting phosphorescent OLEDs radiating into the hollow of the dome. OLED yields above 95% were achieved for up to 120-μm islands at area fill factors ranging from 4% to 44%.
Unbundling the State: Iraq and the ‘Recontainerization’ of Rule, Production, and Identity

This analysis investigates the ‘recontainerization’ of state power, asking how the forms of ruling authority are being eclipsed around the world by ‘denationalization’, ‘detraditionalization’, or ‘destatalization’. The government of The Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq is an excellent case study in the recontainerizing rule, production, and identity on a different political scale and pace than that characteristic of many nation-states. This odd transitional regime points toward some of the material underpinnings and mobile resistances that one finds in the recontainerization of rule in today's networks of globalist governance. It explores how various unbundled nonstatal organizations and postnational identities work through markets and multinational military interventions to displace the authority of current state structures in determining who rules whom, what is produced where, and how identities are maintained.
Numerical solution of the nonlinear Poisson–Boltzmann equation: Developing more robust and efficient methods

We present a robust and efficient numerical method for solution of the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation arising in molecular biophysics. The equation is discretized with the box method, and solution of the discrete equations is accomplished with a global inexact-Newton method, combined with linear multilevel techniques we have described in an article appearing previously in this journal. A detailed analysis of the resulting method is presented, with comparisons to other methods that have been proposed in the literature, including the classical nonlinear multigrid method, the nonlinear conjugate gradient method, and nonlinear relaxation methods such as successive overrelaxation. Both theoretical and numerical evidence suggests that this method will converge in the case of molecules for which many of the existing methods will not. In addition, for problems which the other methods are able to solve, numerical experiments show that the new method is substantially more efficient, and the superiority of this method grows with the problem size. The method is easy to implement once a linear multilevel solver is available and can also easily be used in conjunction with linear methods other than multigrid. © 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Decentralized reactive clustering for collaborative processing in sensor networks

A sensor network forms a loosely-coupled distributed environment where collaborative processing among multiple sensor nodes is essential in order to compensate for the limitation of each sensor node in its processing capability, sensing capability, and energy usage, as well as to improve the degree of fault tolerance. Due to the sheer amount of nodes deployed, collaboration is usually carried out among nodes within the same cluster. Different clustering protocols can affect the performance of network to a great extent. Most existing clustering protocols either do not adequately address the energy-constraint problem or derive clusters proactively which may not be suitable for event-driven collaborative processing in sensor networks. This paper focuses on the design of clustering protocols for collaborative processing. We propose a decentralized reactive clustering (DRC) protocol where the clustering procedure is initiated only when events are detected. It uses power control technique to minimize energy usage in forming clusters. We compare the performance of DRC with another popular clustering algorithm, LEACH. Simulation results show considerable improvement over LEACH in energy conservation and network lifetime using DRC.
Growth and Acid Production by Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria Grown in Skim Milk Containing Honey

Twelve percent nonfat dry milk containing 5% (w/w) honey, fructose, or sucrose were pasteurized and inoculated with Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrukeil subsp bulgaricus, or Bifidobacterium bifidum. Inoculated tubes were incubated at 37 °C, 24 h. Samples were collected at 0 and 24 h and examined for (a) viability of bacteria, and (b) levels of fermentation end products (lactic and acetic acids) as measured by HPLC. Honey supported growth of all 4 organisms similar to other sweeteners and was not inhibitory. Lacile acid production was similar for all, except for bifidobacteria and was not influenced by sweetener type. Although lactic acid production was enhanced (p Du lait ecreme contenant 5% de miel, de fructose ou de saccharose a ete pasteurise et inocule avec Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbruckeii subsp. bulgaricus, ou bifidobacterium bifidum. La viabilite des bacteries et les produits de la fermentation ont ete doses apres 24 heures a 37°. Les bacteries sont capables de se multiplier en presence de miel. La production d'acide lactique est identique sauf pour bifidobacterium, et n'est pas influencee par le type d'edulcorant. Bifidobacterium produit plus d'acide lactique en presence de miel.
Mesangial cell αvβ8-integrin regulates glomerular capillary integrity and repair

αvβ8-Integrin is most abundantly expressed in the kidney, brain, and female reproductive organs, and its cognate ligand is latent transforming growth factor (LTGF)-β. Kidney αvβ8-integrin localizes...
The mentor advantage: Perceived career/job experiences of proteges versus non‐proteges

Do proteges report having more positive job/career experiences than non-proteges? Do male proteges report having more favorable job/career experiences than female proteges? Do high-level proteges report having more favourable work experiences than low-level proteges? To answer these questions, mentored and non-mentored men and women in high- and low-level positions were asked to evaluate, on a survey questionnaire, their level of satisfaction, career mobility/opportunity, recognition, security and promotion rate. The extent to which these career/job experiences varied as a function of their mentored status, sex and organizational level was examined. The results of the study revealed that mentored individuals reported having more satisfaction, career mobility/opportunity, recognition and a higher promotion rate than non-mentored individuals. However, proteges' perceptions of their job/career situations were not affected by their sex or level. Whether systematic differences exist in the experience of being mentored has yet to be examined.
Water‐soluble copolymers containing N‐vinylcarbazole

Water-soluble or dispersable copolymers of N-vinylcarbazole (VCbz) with sodium N-acryloylsulfanilate (SAS), or sodium styrene-sulfonate (SSS), or N,N,N-triethyl-N-[2-(methacryloxy) ethyl]-ammonium iodide (TAI), or N,N,N-trimethyl-(p-vinylbenzyl)ammonium chloride (TVBA) were prepared by using a radical initiator. VCbz and SAS were copolymerized in N,N-dimethylacetamide. Copolymers containing more than 49% SAS were water-soluble. In the case of VCbz and SSS, copolymerization was also carried out in DMAN to yield water-soluble copolymers when the SSS content was greater than 36%. VCbz–TAI and VCbz–TVBA were similarly copolymerized in DMAN to give water-soluble polymers when the TAI content was greater than 58% or the TVBA content was 60%. In addition, a copolymer of VCbz and methyl acrylate was partially hydrolyzed with NaOH in tetrahydrofuran to yield a water-dispersable polymer.
A procedure for preparing oxazolines of highly unsaturated fatty acids to determine double bond positions by mass spectrometry.

A convenient, mild, reliable method has been developed for preparing oxazolines of fatty acids and for using these derivatives to determine double bond locations in long-chain polyunsaturated and polyconjugated fatty acids. Fatty acyl mixed anhydrides are prepared using isobutylchloroformate and then converted to their ethanolamides by treatment with ethanolamine. Ethanolamides are subsequently cyclized to the corresponding oxazolines in ≥85% yields by treatment with trifluoroacetic anhydride under mild conditions (>50° for 30–60 min). This general protocol can also be used to synthesize 4,4-dimethyloxazoline and benzoxazole derivatives of fatty acids. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of oxazoline derivatives of fatty acids yields prominent ions diagnostic of the structures of the parent fatty acids and, in the case of unsaturated fatty acids, indicating the positions of the double bonds. The utility of the method is illustrated with several fatty acids, including the conjugated 4E,6E,8E,10E,13Z,16Z,19Z-docosaheptaenoic acid.
Ten Things Faculty Should Know Before Stepping Into Administration

Every year professors leave the ranks of the faculty and become members of the administration. Yes, even jaded faculty sometimes become members of the administration and have to pursue charges and challenges previously unrecognized or unfathomed. It is to these individuals the authors have prepared a list of ten items they feel all potential college and university administrators should be aware of before making the commitment. These items should not be construed to be a roadblock, but rather advance notice that the life of an administrator is very different from that of faculty member.
An Investor’s Guide to Search Funds

The predominance of search fund research is focused on the mechanics of selection or the post mortem analysis of results. Our study seeks to expand on the evaluation of search funds and their role within an investment portfolio from an investor’s perspective. We review the background of search fund investing and then present a model for self-assessment by search fund investors and a general guide to screening, monitoring, and exiting search fund investments. We find that although participants in this study maintain that the search fund model aligns the interests of investors and entrepreneurs, honesty and ethics are still the most important considerations for investing. Most investors care about sales skills and operational experience over financial skills or deal-making ability.
Molecular Basis for Fibronectin-Mediated Adherence in the Syphilis Spirochetes

Nearly five centuries after Fracastorius named the disease syphilis, based upon the escapades of a mythical shepherd, the pathogenesis of syphilis remains a conundrum. How does one explain the propensity of the highly virulent syphilis spirochete to be found in tissues throughout the body, yet remain so dependent on the human host?
The Challenge of Preservation in a Pluralistic Society

A CRISIS MENTALITY was the driving force behind the establishment of the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota almost fifteen years ago. Over the years, prophetic voices, such as those of Louis Adamic, Marcus Lee Hanson, Joseph Roucek, and other ethnic spokesmen, had warned that the written record of the vast exodus from Europe during the period 1880 to 1924 would disappear if the custodians of our archival heritage did not redefine the task of preservation in a democratic and pluralistic society. Their voices were largely unheeded, and probably unnoticed, during a period when class bias and what has been called the blight of the assimilationist ideology reigned supreme. The result was that as a generation of pioneer settlers of urban America passed from the scene, their written records often vanished with them. The Center thus began to till soil that had only rarely been cultivated before. We approached our task during the early years with missionary fervor. If a new generation of historians was interested in writing a history from the bottom up, we were interested in building a collection from the bottom up, from union hall and parish hall, from fraternal lodge and foreign language press, from theatre hall and settlement house. We take, I think, justifiable pride in our accomplishments during these years. A number of our ethnic collections, e.g. the Finnish, Italian, Polish, Slovak, and Ukranian, are unsurpassed in size and quality. The Center is now a major repository for records of ethnic fraternal societies, as well as for records of immigrant service agencies such as the International Institutes and the various refugee resettlement organizations. Since 1964, IHRC has microfilmed files of more than two hundred foreign language newspapers published in America; the level of university support has risen steadily, as has outside financial assistance; and the Center has become a hub of research, with a steady stream of articles and books attesting to the value of its collections. We have now, however, reached the point in our history when the feverish activity of the past, prompted by our concern to rescue records threatened with destruction, must give way to a more deliberate, service-oriented, and promo-
Effects of olefin group and its position on the kinetics for intramolecular H-shift and HO2 elimination of alkenyl peroxy radicals.

Two classes of unimolecular reactions of peroxy radicals are key to autoignition, namely, intramolecular H-atom shift (which promotes autoignition) and concerted HO2 elimination (which inhibits autoignition). Olefin groups are prominent functional groups in biodiesel fuels. This paper explores the effects of the presence of an olefin group and its position on the kinetics of unimolecular reactions of peroxy radicals. CBS-QB3 calculations were carried out for 10 selected alkyl- and alkenylperoxy radicals. Transition-state theory was used to determine the temperature dependence of the high-pressure limiting rate constants, and Rice−Ramsperger−Kassel−Marcus/master equation simulations were performed to determine the pressure dependence of selected rate constants. Tunneling effects were computed using the asymmetric Eckart potential. The contribution of internal rotors to partition functions were included by using the hindered-rotor treatment.
Stability of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole injection in five infusion fluids

The stability of an intravenous dosage form of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim; Hoffmann-La Roche) was studied in five i.v. fluids at four dilutions. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole injection was diluted 1:25 v/v, 1:20 v/v, 1:15 v/v and 1:10 v/v in 5% dextrose injection, lactated Ringer's injection, 0.45% sodium chloride injection, 0.9% sodium chloride injection, and 5% dextrose and 0.45% sodium chloride injection in quadruplicate. Solutions were mixed in 150-ml glass containers and stored at 23-25 degrees C; 5-ml samples were withdrawn at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours and filtered with a 0.22-micron filter. Trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole concentrations in the filtrates were assayed with high-performance liquid chromatography, and the pH of filtrates was measured. Trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole were stable for 24 hours in all fluids and at all dilutions with one exception. Trimethoprim concentration fell more than 10% in lactated Ringer's injection at 24 hours because of precipitation in one container. There was no consistent change in pH of solutions. It is concluded that trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole admixtures are stable in glass containers of the five solutions at the dilutions studied for 12 hours at ambient room temperature.
Structure of ZnCl2 melt. Part I: Raman spectroscopy analysis driven by Ab initio methods

The structure of molten ZnCl2 is investigated using a combination of computer simulation and experimental methods. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) is used to model the structure of ZnCl2 at 600 K. The structure factors and pair distribution functions derived from AIMD show a good match with those previously measured by neutron diffraction (ND). In addition, Raman spectroscopy is used to investigate the structure of liquid ZnCl2 and identify the relative fractions of constituent structural units. To ascertain the assignment of each Raman mode, a series of ZnCl2 crystalline prototypes are modeled and the corresponding Raman modes are derived by first-principles calculations. Curve fitting of experimental Raman spectra using these mode assignments shows excellent agreement with both AIMD and ND. These results confirm the presence of significant fractions of edge-sharing tetrahedra in liquid ZnCl2. The presence of these structural motifs has significant impact on the fragility of this tetrahedral glass-fo...
Transitional cell carcinoma associated with crossed renal ectopia and previous cyclophosphamide therapy.

Abstract We report a case of transitional cell carcinoma in the renal pelvis of a crossed, nonfused, ectopic kidney that occurred 16 years after a 46-year-old patient was treated with cyclophosphamide for a nonHodgkin’s lymphoma.
Is there a dilemma in adequately training surgeons in both open and laparoscopic biliary surgery

It is apparent that no inherent dilemma exists in training surgeons in both open and laparoscopic techniques. The important point is that surgeons are trained: a solid foundation in the basic sciences, well-developed technical skills, a large clinical experience on which to base future decisions, and the insight to know when one's skills require improvement. The principles of biliary surgery should be adhered to, and in one's haste to become proficient at laparoscopic techniques, one must not abandon the most basic of these-the unequivocal identification of all structures before ligating, dividing, clipping, or otherwise sacrificing tissues.
Antithrombotic Treatment in Neonatal Cerebral Sinovenous Thrombosis

Researchers involved with the International Pediatric Stroke Study enrolled 341 neonates with cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT) from 10 countries from 2003 through 2007.
Printing and Publishing

International competition requires the estimates of consumer, producer, and welfare optimum in a general equilibrium framework to account for how agents make substitution within countries. The world flow of GDP and FDI concentrates among the three regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. Our analysis proceeds with an eye for free trade according to the classical hypothesis, and a preference for domestic adjustment according to the Keynesian hypothesis for these regions. North America and Europe did much better under the classical than under the Keynesian hypothesis. Some countries, such as China and India in Asia; the United Kingdom, France, and Germany in Europe; and the United States in North America are spotlighted for more extended analysis.
Design and Analysis of a Four-Pendulum Omnidirectional Spherical Robot

This paper presents the design, analysis, and comparison of a novel four-pendulum spherical robot. The proposed mechanism rolls omnidirectionally via four tetrahedrally-located pendulums that shift the robot's center of mass to create rolling torque. The nine dynamic equations of motion are derived via the Lagrangian and nonholonomic constraint equations, and then simulated numerically; results show successful propulsion with expected behaviors. The mechanism is then compared to existing center-of-mass designs in terms of directionality, drive torque arm, and inertia eccentricity. In these regards, the four-pendulum design is a balance of existing designs: it is omnidirectional with eccentricity and torque capability that are in the middle of the range exhibited by existing designs. In addition, the new four-pendulum mechanism has been built and tested as a successful proof-of-concept prototype.