cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Co-Evolution of Sexual Desire, Narcissistic Vulnerability, and Adaptations for Reproductive Advantage

According to evolutionary psychologists humans possess a variety of "sexual ornaments," physical as well as psychological traits that have evolved as adaptations for reproductive advantage. These sexual ornaments serve as sexually selected indicators of fitness that are automatically assessed, inspire attentional adhesion, and evoke sexual desire in those searching for a mate. Mate choice is therefore determined by the relative presence or absence of these sexually selected indicators of fitness in comparison to the competition. Mate value of self and others is assessed through social comparison according to these sexually selected indicators of fitness. Narcissistic equilibrium is to a significant extent regulated by one's self-perceived survival and reproductive fitness. Implications for psychoanalytic theory of concepts and research findings from the field of evolutionary psychology are discussed.
Use of phosphorus-32 labeled polyphosphoric acid for synthesis of labeled purine and pyrimidine 5′-ribonucleotides

Phosphorus-32 labeled polyphosphoric acid was used to phosphorylate the 2′,3′-O-isopropylidene derivaties of purine and pyrimidine ribonucleosides. The reaction mixture, which contained isopropylidene ribonucleoside 5′-phosphates, was subjected to selective hydrolysis, which removed the isopropylidene protecting group. The polyphosphate chains remained intact. Chromatography revealed the presence of ribonucleoside 5′-mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, and higher phosphates. The distribution of radioactive label was established by liquid scintillation counting and enzyme assay. The triply labeled adenosine triphosphate prepared in this manner proved to be enzymically active and gave a positive firefly bioluminescence response.
Synthesis and characterization of azidoalkyl-functionalized gold nanoparticles as scaffolds for “click”-chemistry derivatization

We demonstrate how water-soluble gold nanoparticles prepared by the citrate reduction method can be functionalized with 11-azidoundecane-1-thiol in a single-step procedure, which combines phase transfer and ligand exchange. The advantages of our method include high reproducibility, low cost of gold nanoparticle production, and rapid and clean ligand exchange, with minimal intermediate steps and none of the laborious efforts. The resulting azido-functionalized nanoparticles were characterized by 1H NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy, and visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Acute chest syndrome of sickle cell disease: radiographic and clinical analysis of 70 cases.

Background. Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is a pulmonary illness with fever, chest pain, leukocytosis and new pulmonary opacity in a patient with sickle cell disease. It is a common reason for hospitalization in sickle cell patients, and a significant cause of mortality. The etiology of ACS is unclear. Lung or bone infarction and infection, among other possible causes, have been proposed. Objective. We reviewed the chest radiographs and medical records of 41 patients with 70 episodes of ACS and correlated the clinical and radiographic courses in an attempt to better characterize and understand the syndrome. Results. In 87 % of episodes, no identifiable etiology of ACS was found. This group of patients had a median age of 14 years and showed dramatic clinical and radiographic improvement within 24 h of therapy. In the remainder of episodes (13 %), an identifiable etiology was found, usually bacterial pneumonia. These patients were younger than the group without an identifiable etiology (median age 2 years) and had a prolonged radiographic course of illness. Conclusion. The chest radiographs of children with ACS without an identifiable etiology have an extremely typical appearance and evolution. Only in cases which do not have this typical pattern should infection be suspected as the underlying cause.
Risk factors for early anthracycline clinical cardiotoxicity in children: the pediatric oncology group experience

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate risk factors for clinical cardiotoxicity from anthracycline chemotherapy in children with cancer and to estimate the relative risk associated with each factor singly and with different combinations of risk factors. Patients and Methods: The study population consisted of 6493 children with cancer who had received anthracycline chemotherapy on Pediatric Oncology Group protocols during the period from 1974 to 1990. Cardiotoxicity, defined as congestive heart failure not due to other causes, abnormal measurements of cardiac function that prompted the discontinuation of therapy, or sudden death from presumed cardiac causes, was determined by a review of protocol records. Results: Cardiotoxicity was confirmed in 106 patients (1.6%): 58 had congestive heart failure, 43 had changes in measures of cardiac function that prompted the discontinuation of therapy and five died suddenly from presumed cardiac causes. In a multivariate analysis, factors contributing to the relative risk (RR) of toxicity were a cumulative dose of anthracycline≥550 mg/m 2 of body-surface area (RR=5.2), a maximal dose of 50 mg/m 2 (RR=2.8), female sex (RR=1.9), black race (RR=1.7), the presence of trisomy 21 (RR=3.4) and exposure to amsacrine (RR=2.6). The relative risk of early clinical cardiotoxicity increased with increasing numbers of risk factors and was projected to exceed 405 when all six statistically significant risk factors were present. Conclusion: Early clinical cardiotoxicity in children treated with anthracycline is rare. A high maximal dose, or cumulative dose of anthracycline, female sex, black race, the presence of trisomy 21 and treatment with amsacrine increase the risk for anthracycline-associated cardiotoxicity. The cumulative effect of multiple risk factors can be estimated as the product of the relative risks associated with each.
Photographic observations of Mars at New Mexico State University in 1960–61

Abstract Routine three-color photography of Mars at the 1960–61 approach revealed the presence of a number of canals at this sesson, as well as the continued existence of the large dark area near the Thoth. Blue clearings were asymmetrically distributed about opposition, although the strongest degree of clearing apparently occurred at opposition. Blue cloud activity reached a maximum concurrently with the maximum extent of the polar haze caps in blue and ultraviolet, shortly after Martian vernal equinox. A persistent blue cloud streak paralleling the Gigas canal was found to rotate with the surface.
Antisperm vaccine for contraception.

Problem This study is a review of antisperm contraceptive vaccine (CV) development with the main focus on research going on in our laboratory. Method of study Various methods of proteomics and genomics, hybridoma technology, substractive libraries, differential display method, and phage display technology were used to obtain sperm-specific genes and proteins. The present study will primarily focus on the sequences obtained by using the phage display technology and their role in CV development and human immunoinfertility. Result Four novel peptides, delineated by using the phage display technology, were found to be involved in human immunoinfertility. The vaccine based on one of these peptides, designated as YLP12, caused a reversible contraception in female mice. Conclusions The vaccine targeting sperm is a feasible and exciting approach to contraception. The phage display technology is a powerful tool to delineate sperm-specific peptide sequences that can be used for the CV development and in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility mediated through antisperm antibodies.
Simple theory for the atomic-force microscope with a comparison of theoretical and experimental images of graphite.

On propose une theorie dans laquelle les interactions atome-atome sont modelisees a l'aide de la matrice de la constante de force qui est valable dans l'approximation harmonique. Les interactions echantillon-atome de decharge sont modelisees par un potentiel de Lennard-Jones. Les images des atomes de decharge sont similaires aux images theoriques anterieures calculees a partir d'un modele d'echantillon rigide. Les images asymetriques produites par l'experience pourraient etre reproduites theoriquement avec les atomes de decharge double
On Godunov-Type Schemes for Magnetohydrodynamics

In the light of recent analytical results on the MHD Riemann problem, Godunov-type numerical schemes for magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) are revisited. As the first step, a model system that exactly preserves the MHD hyperbolic singularities is considered. For this model, analytical results on shock waves are summarized and critical problems occurring in developing shock-capturing methods are identified. Using the results, we propose a new way to define fluxes on cell interfaces. It consists of two solvers, one on the well-posed Riemann problem and another on the evolution of Alfven waves. Numerical experiments show that the new scheme is more efficient in calculating large-time solutions.
Regression of oxygen consumption on heart rate during supported and unsupported deep water running in healthy mixed gender subjects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption (VO2) during the performance of unsupported and supported deep water running (DWR) in young healthy males and females. A second purpose was to compare regression of predicted VO2 on heart rate between the two methods of support (i.e., unsupported vs vest supported). Thirty‐three college‐aged students (18 males and 15 females), aged 19 to 28 years, volunteered for this study. Each subject completed practice sessions until satisfactory DWR performance was attained. Subjects returned for a VO2peak test in the water on a subsequent day. The test involved the performance of a DWR graded exercise test at a metronome cadence of 72 strides‐min−1 with a cadence increase of 12 strides min”1 in each subsequent 3 minute stage. Heart rate and VO2 were monitored continuously throughout the test. Statistical analysis of the difference in physiological stimulus between supported and unsupported DWR in female and male s...
Surface Modification on Acoustic Wave Biosensors for Enhanced Specificity

Changes in mass loading on the surface of acoustic biosensors result in output frequency shifts which provide precise measurements of analytes. Therefore, to detect a particular biomarker, the sensor delay path must be judiciously designed to maximize sensitivity and specificity. B-cell lymphoma 2 protein (Bcl-2) found in urine is under investigation as a biomarker for non-invasive early detection of ovarian cancer. In this study, surface chemistry and biofunctionalization approaches were evaluated for their effectiveness in presenting antibodies for Bcl-2 capture while minimizing non-specific protein adsorption. The optimal combination of sequentially adsorbing protein A/G, anti-Bcl-2 IgG and Pluronic F127 onto a hydrophobic surface provided the greatest signal-to-noise ratio and enabled the reliable detection of Bcl-2 concentrations below that previously identified for early stage ovarian cancer as characterized by a modified ELISA method. Finally, the optimal surface modification was applied to a prototype acoustic device and the frequency shift for a range of Bcl-2 concentration was quantified to demonstrate the effectiveness in surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based detection applications. The surface functionalization approaches demonstrated here to specifically and sensitively detect Bcl-2 in a working ultrasonic MEMS biosensor prototype can easily be modified to detect additional biomarkers and enhance other acoustic biosensors.
Transition state ring sizes in H-transfers in closed shell aliphatic cations

Abstract We use theory to determine the relative rates of 4-, 5- and 6-membered ring H-transfers in closed shell cations, a comparison not possible experimentally due to interference from competing processes. H-transfers of increasing ring size were characterized by ab initio, density functional and/or RRKM studies of CH3N+H CH2, NH2CH N+HCH3, NH2CH2N+H CH2, NH2CH2CH2N+H CH2, N+H2 CHCH2NHCH3 and CH3NHCH2NH+ CH2. The critical energies for these reactions decreased and the rates thereof increased dramatically with increasing H-transfer ring size. Transition state ring strain and avoiding orbital symmetry constraints together produce the same sequence of reaction rates (6 > 5 > 4 membered ring preference) and critical energies (4 > 5 > 6 membered ring order) in open and closed shell organic cations. Twisting around double bonds during H-transfers breaks conjugation and allows the reactions to bypass orbital symmetry constraints.
Arthritis Associated with Recurrent Erythema Multiforme Responding to Oral Acyclovir

Erythema multiforme is a skin condition frequently associated with herpes simplex virus and has a tendency to recur. Oral acyclovir has been successful in suppression of the disease. Here we report a patient who had recurrent erythema multiforme associated with recurrent polyarthritis that responded to oral acyclovir suppression therapy.
In vitro contractile responses of vasa deferentia from spontaneously diabetic BB rats

1. The effects of diabetes of 6 months' duration on autonomic function of the vas deferens were examined in spontaneously diabetic BB rats and diabetes-resistant BB rats. 2. Diabetes caused significant decreases in rat and testes weights, but had no effects on the weights of vasa deferentia compared to diabetes-resistant controls. 3. The contractile responses of vasa deferentia to nerve stimulation and to carbachol were increased compared to controls. However, the contractile responses of vasa deferentia from diabetic BB rats to ATP, phenylephrine, and 120 mM KCl were unaltered. 4. The increased responses to carbachol were associated with increases in the muscarinic receptor density, but no changes were detected in the number of dihydropyridine binding sites. 5. The data indicate that, in contrast to vasa deferentia from streptozotocin-diabetic rats which exhibit decreases in responsiveness to nerve stimulation and a non-specific supersensitivity to contractile agents, vasa deferentia from diabetic BB rats have no changes in sensitivity, and increased contractile responses to only nerve stimulation and carbachol. These differences in urogenital sensitivity to diabetes may be related to the insulin treatment which diabetic BB rats require to keep them alive.
Charter Schools: Do They Work for Troubled Students?.

Five years ago, the author examined the extent and quality of education to students with disabilities in Texas's public charter schools. Many schools were designated "at-risk" because of the percentage of enrolled students who met the state's at-risk criteria. Students with learning disabilities and behavioral disorders made up the majority of those in special education. The author reviews findings from the early research and presents updated, comparative data concerning the status of students with special needs in today's charter schools.
The many faces of amnesia

Results from studies of retrograde amnesia provide much of the evidence for theories of memory consolidation. Retrograde amnesia gradients are often interpreted as revealing the time needed for the formation of long-term memories. The rapid forgetting observed after many amnestic treatments, including protein synthesis inhibitors, and the parallel decay seen in long-term potentiation experiments are presumed to reveal the duration of short-term memory processing. However, there is clear and consistent evidence that the time courses obtained in these amnesia experiments are highly variable within and across experiments and treatments. The evidence is inconsistent with identification of basic temporal properties of memory consolidation. Alternative views include modulation of memory and emphasize the roles that hormones and neurotransmitters have in regulating memory formation. Of related interest, converging lines of evidence suggest that inhibitors of protein synthesis and of other biochemical processes act on modulators of memory formation rather than on mechanisms of memory formation. Based on these findings, memory consolidation and reconsolidation studies might better be identified as memory modulation and "remodulation" studies. Beyond a missing and perhaps unattainable time constant of memory consolidation, some current views of memory consolidation assume that memories, once formed, are generally unmodifiable. It is this perspective that appears to have led to the recent interest in memory reconsolidation. But the view adopted here is that memories are continually malleable, being updated by new experiences and, at the same time, altering the memories of later experiences. Studies of memory remodulation offer promise of understanding the neurobiological bases by which new memories are altered by prior experiences and by which old memories are altered by new experiences.
Immunosuppression in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) induced by environmental exposure to cadmium

Immune effects of exposure of bluegill ( Lepomis macrochirus ) to low levels of cadmium (Cd) were determined by rosette assays. Fish were exposed to Cd in the aquarium water (20μg Cd 1 -1 for 33 days) and lymphocytes then were separated from peripheral blood and from spleens. Cells forming rosettes against SRBC-TNP were found in samples from both Cd-treated and control fish. However, significantly fewer rosette forming cells characterised Cd-treated fish. A reduction in numbers of antigen binding lymphocytes suggests that low level exposure of bluegill to cadmium induces immunosuppression.
TE scattering from a perfectly conducting wedge loaded by a slot

An integral equation from whose solution the electromagnetic scattering from a conducting wedge loaded by a slot can be determined is formulated and solved numerically. Efficient techniques for summing the Green's function series present in such equations are considered. The aperture field, given in terms of an equivalent magnetic surface current and the resulting farzone scattered fields are determined and presented. Results are given for a variety of configurations and are compared with data available in the literature.
Older worker, different actor? Linking age and emotional labor strategies

In this study, we examine how the age of service employees influences the emotional labor process. We integrate research on socioemotional selectivity theory and emotional labor to develop hypotheses concerning the relationships between age and specific emotional labor strategies (deep acting, surface acting, and expressing naturally-felt emotions). Consistent with our expectations, we found that age was positively related to the use of deep acting and the expression of naturally-felt emotions, and negatively related to surface acting. Further, we found that trait positive affect partially-mediated some of the age-strategy relationships.
A refrigerated gas target apparatus for 180° electron scattering

Abstract A gas target system for use with 180° electron scattering experiments is described. The target gas is cooled to 77°K and maintained at about 4.4 atm with 6 μm havar foils separating the gas from the vacuum of the main target chamber. A gas transfer feature using liquid helium trapping is employed. The successful use of this apparatus in experiments with 20Ne, 3He, and 4He is discussed. Salient features of an improved gas target design, now being tested, are also given.
Developmental Sentence Scoring as a Method of Measuring Second Language Acquisition.

(DSS) is an instrument or procedure for estimating a child's language development in his native language. The developers of the instrument state that it is based upon a developmental scale of syntax acquisition, and that it "gives weighted scores to a developmental order of pronouns, verbs, negatives, conjunctions, yes-no questions and whquestions. The mean score per sentence estimates the child's ability to formulate sentences with a high grammatical 'load'."'
Replication and Tissue Tropism of the Alphavirus Sindbis in the Mosquito Aedes albopictus

We have examined the replication and tissue distribution of the alphavirus Sindbis in the mosquito Aedes albopictus. Parenteral inoculation of virus resulted in an acute infection accompanied by rapid virus replication and a persistent infection, during which total virus production was reduced. Acute and persistent phase virus RNA synthesis, virus production, and organ-specific distribution of infection were determined over an 18-day incubation period. Organs were classified as refractory (ovarioles, Malpighian tubules), cleared (head ganglia), transient (salivary glands, anterior midgut, posterior midgut, and thoracic muscle), or persistent (fat bodies-hemolymph, hindgut, and tracheole-associated cells) according to the onset, peak, and duration of Sindbis virus antigens within that particular organ. Virus was identified in respiratory tissue by immunological and ultrastructural methods. This represents a novel tropism for an alphavirus. These findings demonstrate that the cells of mature insect organs respond differently to virus infection. Correlations among virus replication, virus RNA synthesis, and organ-specific clearing of a pantropic infection were observed. We suggest that the underlying temporal and spatial kinetics that characterize this virus-invertebrate interaction may reflect a mechanism for the modulation of the arbovirus titer seen in the mosquito host.
Continent urinary diversion and low-rectal anastomosis in patients undergoing exenterative procedures for recurrent gynecologic malignancies.

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to review the complications associated with continent urinary diversion and associated procedures in patients with gynecologic malignancies. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent construction of a continent urinary conduit between October 1991 and October 1998 on the Gynecology Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Results. Thirty-three patients were identified, of whom 22 underwent total pelvic exenteration, 8 underwent anterior exenteration, and 3 underwent urinary diversion procedures only. Complications associated with the urinary diversion procedure included ureteral strictures (2), pouch leakage (2), mild hydronephrosis, (6), pyelopnephritis (2), nocturnal incontinence (5), and difficulty with self-catherization (2). Additional procedures performed concomitantly with continent urinary diversion and exenteration included pelvic reconstruction (18), low-rectal anastomosis (13), and intraoperative radiation therapy (9). The most significant morbidity was seen in patients undergoing concomitant low-rectal anastomosis, in whom the rate of anastomotic leaks was 54% (7 of 13 patients). Conclusions. Continent urinary diversion can successfully be accomplished at the time of exenteration in patients with recurrent gynecologic malignancies. The rate of major complications related to the urinary diversion is small and most complications can be managed nonsurgically. The greater than 50% rate of anastomotic leaks in patients undergoing concomitant low-rectal anastamosis suggests that such anastomosis should not be undertaken in this group of patients.
An investigation of the fracture and fatigue crack growth behavior of forged damage-tolerant niobium aluminide intermetallics

The results of a recent study of the effects of ternary alloying with Ti on the fatigue and fracture behavior of a new class of forged damage-tolerant niobium aluminide (Nb3Al-xTi) intermetallics are presented in this article. The alloys studied have the following nominal compositions: Nb-15Al-10Ti (10Ti alloy), Nb-15Al-25Ti (25Ti alloy), and Nb-15Al-40Ti (40Ti alloy). All compositions are quoted in atomic percentages unless stated otherwise. The 10Ti and 25Ti alloys exhibit fracture toughness levels between 10 and 20 MPa√m at room temperature. Fracture in these alloys occurs by brittle cleavage fracture modes. In contrast, a ductile dimpled fracture mode is observed at room-temperature for the alloy containing 40 at. pct Ti. The 40Ti alloy also exhibits exceptional combinations of room-temperature strength (695 to 904 MPa), ductility (4 to 30 pct), fracture toughness (40 to 100 MPa√m), and fatigue crack growth resistance (comparable to Ti-6Al-4V, monolithic Nb, and inconnel 718). The implications of the results are discussed for potential structural applications of the 40Ti alloy in the intermediate-temperature (∼700 °C to 750 °C) regime.
Are Student Perceptions of the Instructor Muted in Online Classes

This paper presents a comparison and analysis of some of the summative course evaluation data for a 200-level course offered in fall 2002 and spring 2003 in both traditional and online formats. The data suggest that students' perceptions of the instructor are muted in the online format, resulting in more evaluation responses of "neither agree nor disagree" in questions evaluating the instructor in the online courses. Instructors in online courses should be aware of this effect, and structure their summative evaluations in a way which will yield useful data. Online instructors may need to rethink the types of questions asked in summative evaluations, or at the very least the ways in which these questions are phrased. It may be useful to monitor this trend in online courses to see if there is any impact on overall course evaluations, which could carry over into tenure and promotion decisions
USABILITY OF HUMAN FACTORS STANDARDS

Adherence to human factors/ergonomics standards is critical to a good design project. No other resource can provide a designer with specifications based on sound science than a good standards book or info-guide. However, designers usually come up with ideas to solve problems and leave the manufacturing and technical specifications to the engineers. Although they may be aware of the basic user needs, designers rarely look at standards to justify their design thinking and validate their design processes. The two studies reported in this paper investigated the awareness of, accessibility, and usability of human factors/ergonomics standards among college students and their professors in design-oriented programs, as well as among practicing designers. The results are drawn from data obtained through an online survey and a focus group study. Although the participants’ awareness of relevant standards was good, the accessibility of the standards was problematic. The Internet is the dominant means of accessing hum...
A study of glucose and xylose oxidation catalyzed by the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase of rat liver cytosol

Abstract Purified glucose-6- P dehydrogenase from the rat liver soluble fraction catalyzes a slow oxidation of d -glucose and d -xylose when high concentrations of both enzyme protein and of substrate are present. The glucose and xylose dehydrogenase activity could not be separated from the glucose-6- P dehydrogenase activity by ion-exchange chromatography, polyacrylamide disc-gel electrophoresis, or isoelectric focusing. The three activities were affected identically during thermal denaturation studies and by use of the steroid inhibitors dehydroepiandrosterone and progesterone. Both NAD and NADP served as coenzyme with the glucose and xylose substrates, but NADP had the lower K m value. The addition of bicarbonate activated the NADP-dependent glucose and xylose oxidations about 10- and 3-fold, respectively. Phosphate stimulated NADP-dependent glucose oxidation about 2.5-fold but had little effect upon xylose oxidation. Bicarbonate activated NAD-dependent glucose oxidation about 2-fold while NAD-dependent xylose oxidation was unaffected under our assay conditions. Both bicarbonate and phosphate are competitive inhibitors of the glucose-6- P oxidation. Bicarbonate inhibition of rat hepatic cytosol glucose-6- P dehydrogenase activity appears to be insufficient in magnitude at physiological bicarbonate levels to represent a significant metabolic control of this activity in rat liver.
Luminal dopamine modulates canine ileal water and electrolyte transport

Previous studies have suggested that dopamine stimulates active ileal ion absorption viaα 2-adrenergic or dopaminergic receptor activation. Identification of a dopamine 1a receptor on rat enterocytes located in intestinal crypts prompted this investigation of the effect of luminally administered dopamine on water and ion transport in the canine ileum. Absorption studies (n=27) were performed in dogs with 25-cm ileal Thiry-Vella fistulas. Perfusion with [14C PEG was used to calculate absorption of water and electrolytes from the Thiry-Vella fistula. Experiments consisted of three 1-hr periods: basal, luminal drug infusion at 10−4 M, and recovery. Agonists used included dopamine (DOP: α-adrenergic, D1 and D2 receptor) and SKF 38393 (D1 receptor). Antagonists used included terazosin (TZ:α 1) and yohimbine (YOH:α 2). DOP caused significant increases in water and electrolyte absorption. TZ and YOH prevented the dopamine-induced proabsorptive response. Luminal DOP may serve as a proabsorptive modulator of ileal transport, acting viaα 1,α 2, and dopaminergic receptors. The development of more potent proabsorptive dopamine analogs, which maintain the ability to broadly activate mucosal receptors, may be useful in such clinical situations as diabetic diarrhea, short gut syndrome, or following small bowel transplantation.
Third-body parameters from whole light and velocity curves

Eclipsing binaries can improve multiple system statistics via the light-time effect and radial velocity shifts. Here an algorithm operates on data of mixed type to exploit these opportunities. Main reasons for enhanced reliability are that (1) combined light and velocity curves give better timewise coverage than either type alone, (2) properly weighted solutions impersonally balance light and velocity information, and (3) the entire theory is within the computer model, so observations are used directly without corrections. A brief history of mixed whole-curve solutions is given and the relative importance of light-time and radial velocity input for third-body parameters is discussed and quantified. Period sifting by power spectral analysis is essentially indispensable in preliminary work. Applications are to the Algol-type system DM Persei and the detached system VV Orionis. An assumption of coplanarity for DM Per's inner and outer orbits is tested and quantified by dynamical experiments. Derived third-body parameters for DM Per are mainly reasonable and self-consistent. For comparison with whole-curve results, we also investigated DM Per's ephemeris in terms of eclipse timings and found whole-curve solutions to give smaller standard errors in reference epoch (T0), binary orbit period (P), and dP/dt, over a similar baseline in time. An astonishing outcome is lack of evidence that can pass reasonable validity tests for VV Ori's well-accepted third star with P ≈ 120 days. Estimates of third light do indicate a third star, but the correct period cannot now be established, so the star cannot be identified as the one heretofore recognized from radial velocity evidence. The much cited 120 day period appears to be an artifact of the window function for VV Ori's historical velocity observations.
Radio Frequency Systems for Present and Future Accelerators

In order to bunch, accelerate and store charged particle beams it is necessary to install one or more “accelerating” gaps on the circumference of the machine. These gaps are usually part of a resonant structure driven by a source of radio frequency power. The frequency, phase and amplitude of the voltage appearing at the gap(s) is controlled by servo loops that use programmed inputs as well as error signals derived from the particle beam itself in many instances.
Perceived discrimination is associated with reduced breast and cervical cancer screening: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

Abstract Background: Racial disparities in breast and cervical cancer screening have been documented in African American, Hispanic, and Asian populations. Perceived discrimination may contribute to this disparity. The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between perceived everyday racial/ethnic and other discrimination and receipt of breast and cervical cancer screening in a multiethnic population of women. Methods: We analyzed data from 3,258 women participating in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a multiethnic/racial, longitudinal cohort study of the natural history of the menopausal transition conducted at seven U.S. sites. Participants completed a validated measure of perceived discrimination and reasons for believing that they were treated differently, along with Pap smears, clinical breast exams (CBE), and mammography at each follow-up period. We used multiple logistic regression for the binary outcomes of having a Pap smear, CBE, or mammogram in each of the two ...
Sand acoustics: The effective density fluid model, Pierce/Carey expressions, and inferences for porous media modeling.

Recently, Pierce and Carey [JASA‐EL 124, EL308–EL312 (2008)], presented a low‐frequency analysis of sound propagation in sand/silty sediments. Here, equivalent expressions are presented using a low frequency expansion of an unconsolidated version of Biot porous medium theory (i.e., the effective density fluid model (EDFM)). The resulting expression for attenuation allows identfication of the nondimensional parameter in the Pierce/Carey result in terms of physical parameters. One of the important aspects of the Pierce/Carey derivation is that they show how to account for the inertial effects due to the relative grain/fluid density. The agreement between the Pierce/Carrey and EDFM low‐frequency attenuation expressions motivates further frequency and relative grain/fluid density analyses of attenuation and sound speed. The general inference of these analyses is that any model that ignores inertial effects due to differences in grain and fluid density is missing a key piece of physics that makes it incomplete. Wood’s equation is one such model and since the Buckingham model uses Wood’s equation, it is another example. The point being that the use of the mass density to handle inertia in a porous medium is a low‐frequency approximation. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]
Atomic-scale visualization of surfaces with x rays

A solution to the phase problem for the case of surface crystallography is presented. By oversampling a surface diffraction pattern along the continuous crystal-truncation rods, we can iteratively recover the phases of the complex structure factors of an unknown surface atomic geometry. Simple Fourier inversion of these structure factors directly yields a three-dimensional map of the electron density in the surface region with {approx}A resolution. This model-independent determination of atomic positions can then be used as a starting point for quantitative refinement using conventional means.
Comparison of Quality of Life of Patients on Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis, Hemodialysis, and After Transplantation

Preliminary findings regarding quality of life of 458 renal patients treated by in-center hemodialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), or transplantation indicate more favorable adjustment for CAPD patients when compared with center hemodialysis patients. Patients with a successful transplant show the highest overall adjustment when compared with both groups of dialysis patients.
Stochastic optimization problems with nondifferentiable cost functionals

In this paper, we examine a class of stochastic optimization problems characterized by nondifferentiability of the objective function. It is shown that, in many cases, the expected value of the objective function is differentiable and, thus, the resulting optimization problem can be solved by using classical analytical or numerical methods. The results are subsequently applied to the solution of a problem of economic resource allocation.
Real time digital simulation (RTDS) of a novel battery-integrated PV system for high penetration application

In this paper, a photovoltaic (PV) system with energy storage elements (ESEs) is built in Real Time Digital Power System Simulator (RTDS) which is the partial work of future hardware-in-the-loop study of high-penetration multiple PV systems. Cascaded-multilevel inverter is applied as the power electronics interface among the PV array, batteries and grid. The H-bridges are modeled in RTDS small time-step environment while other power circuits and control system are realized in the large time-step main network. Interface transformer is used to connect the different time-step sub-networks. Difficulties of the system implementation in RTDS are discussed and solutions are provided. Finally, RTDS simulation results are given out and compared with Matlab/Simulink+PSIM results to verify the model.
The Exception Is the Rule: Underestimating and Overspending on Exceptional Expenses

Purchases fall along a continuum from ordinary (common or frequent) to exceptional (unusual or infrequent), with many of the largest expenses (e.g., electronics, celebrations) being the most exceptional. Across seven studies, we show that, while people are fairly adept at budgeting and predicting how much they will spend on ordinary items, they both underestimate their spending on exceptional purchases overall and overspend on each individual purchase. Based on the principles of mental accounting and choice bracketing, we show that this discrepancy arises in part because consumers categorize exceptional expenses too narrowly, construing each as a unique occurrence and consequently overspending across a series of discretely exceptional expenses. We conclude by proposing an intervention that diminishes this tendency by helping consumers consider their spending on exceptional items as part of a larger set of purchases.
A preliminary investigation of local cone-beam tomography for MV CT imaging of tumor volumes in radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is one of the most important procedures for treating cancer. When delivering the treatment, it is critically important that the position and orientation of the tumor volume and radiation sensitive structures that surround it are consistent with those assumed when designing the treatment plan. In this work, we investigate the potential of cone-beam local tomography for imaging tumor volumes using projection data that correspond to X-rays passing only through or near the tumor volume. The effect of projection truncation on the Feldkamp cone-beam reconstruction algorithm is also investigated.
Effects of chronic insulin and cortisol administration on lactational performance and mammary metabolism in rats.

Abstract One unit of insulin was administered once daily subcutaneously to rats between days 5 and 17 of lactation. Insulin affected lactational performance by increasing milk production and decreasing milk fat percentage. Hexokinase isozymes also were investigated, but no changes in the ratio of type II to type I or alterations in the contributions of soluble type II and particulate type II to total type II activity were observed. In vitro tissue slice incubation studies using acetate-1-carbon 14 and uniformly labeled glucose-carbon 14 also indicated decreased fat synthesis. These findings are in contrast to studies with cows indicating that chronic insulin administration induced mammary hyperhpogenesis and, thus, indicate a significant species difference in insulin action. Mammary tissue deoxyribonucleic acid and protein were increased in insulin injected as compared to control animals. Simultaneous administration of .5mg hydrocortisone acetate amplified results suggesting that insulin and cortisol act in a complementary fashion. Effects of insulin and Cortisol were not attributed to specific enzyme changes but rather to a general increase in synthetic capacity as indicated by greater numbers of mammary cells (deoxyribonucleic acid), cell hypertrophy, increased milk yields, and increased in vitro metabolic activity.
Methodology for extracting activity from functional calcium imaging data

Functional calcium imaging is a widespread technique used to measure the activity of multiple cells at a time. Because the activity traces from this data collection technique are noisy, we have developed a new method for extraction of activity episodes from the fluorescence traces. While Gaussian filters are commonly used for smoothing data, this technique alters the frequency of the activity episodes, so instead Butterworth filters are employed. We plotted the spectrograms of individual traces and visually determined the cutoff frequency that would remove the high-frequency noise. After smoothing (Figure ​(Figure1A),1A), we identify local minima by taking a modified first derivative and then calculating the second derivative from this trace (Figure ​(Figure1B).1B). Local minima are then selected as activity episodes based on their corresponding first derivative values (Figure ​(Figure1C).1C). These activity locations are then used in the calculations for frequency of activity episodes. This method has several advantages for use with calcium data: (1) it is independent of the amplitude of the bursts; (2) the function is robust to drift in the trace; (3) the parameters are easily changed to adapt to ground truth data under differing experimental conditions. Figure 1 Steps in extraction of activity episodes. Calculated frequency (34 kHz) is displayed in the figure heading. A. Sample trace (blue) and smoothed result of first Butterworth filter (red). B. Modified first derivative (black) and subsequent negated second ...
Selecting Books that Children Will Want to Read.

What kinds of books do children want to read? And how can a teacher find those books? The author provides some ideas for interesting new books in the categories of graphic novels, humorous adventures, poetry, and books about math.
Robust adaptive control of linear discrete-time systems with rapidly-varying parameters

In this paper an indirect adaptive regulator is constructed for single-input single-output linear time-varying discrete-time systems. The plant parameters are modeled as a linear combination of known bounded functions which may be fast varying with unknown slowly-varying coefficients that are confined to a convex set. The unknown coefficients are estimated using a gradient type estimator with a projection operation. It is assumed that the system is uniformly N-step reachable, where N is an integer greater than or equal to the system dimension. It is then shown that the resulting closed-loop system is globally stable for a sufficiently small rate of the unknown variations. This adaptive regulator is also shown to be robust to disturbances and/or small model errors. >
Quantitative SPECT: Basic theoretical considerations

Quantitative single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) requires that the reconstructed cross sectional images have accurate intensity values. The major problem with accurate reconstruction is attenuation. Several methods have been proposed to correct for attenuation, but none are entirely satisfactory. This report will review some of the basic concepts of reconstruction, and discuss the problems that are introduced by attenuation.
Edge-Reconfigurable Optical Networks (ERONs): Rationale, Network Design, and Evaluation

To bridge the gap between the current practice of setting up expensive, dedicated, lightpath connections (i.e., static topologies), and the distant future vision of inexpensive access to dynamically switched end-to-end lightpaths, we propose a medium term solution in the form of edge-reconfigurable optical networks (ERONs). An ERON is an overlay-control network created by installing readily available MEMS optical switches, and implementing a GMPLS control plane at sites interconnected by static lightpaths. The switches and control software are deployed at the edge of the network and operated by the organization-user (i.e., outside the network provider's control), hence the term ldquoedge-reconfigurablerdquo. By providing dynamic, automated control of end-to-end lightpaths, ERONs enable the sharing of expensive network resources among multiple users and applications that require sporadic access to these resources. We develop an algorithm for creating an ERON from an existing topology of static lightpaths. We also present simulation results that quantify the benefits of ERONs, in terms of the number of lightpaths that are needed when compared to a static configuration of independent and dedicated circuits.
Deform PF-MT: Particle Filter With Mode Tracker for Tracking Nonaffine Contour Deformations

We propose algorithms for tracking the boundary contour of a deforming object from an image sequence, when the nonaffine (local) deformation over consecutive frames is large and there is overlapping clutter, occlusions, low contrast, or outlier imagery. When the object is arbitrarily deforming, each, or at least most, contour points can move independently. Contour deformation then forms an infinite (in practice, very large), dimensional space. Direct application of particle filters (PF) for large dimensional problems is impractically expensive. However, in most real problems, at any given time, most of the contour deformation occurs in a small number of dimensions (?effective basis space?) while the residual deformation in the rest of the state space (?residual space?) is small. This property enables us to apply the particle filtering with mode tracking (PF-MT) idea that was proposed for such large dimensional problems in recent work. Since most contour deformation is low spatial frequency, we propose to use the space of deformation at a subsampled set of locations as the effective basis space. The resulting algorithm is called deform PF-MT. It requires significant modifications compared to the original PF-MT because the space of contours is a non-Euclidean infinite dimensional space.
Mouse galactokinase: isolation, characterization, and location on chromosome 11.

Elevated galactose levels can be caused by several enzyme defects, one of which is galactokinase. Galactokinase deficiency causes congenital cataracts during infancy and presenile cataracts in the adult population. We have isolated the mouse cDNA for galactokinase, which shares extensive amino acid sequence homology, 88% identity, with a recently cloned human galactokinase, it is expressed in all tissues examined. In an interspecific backcross analysis galactokinase maps to the distal region of mouse chromosome U, a region that is homologous to human chromosome 17q22-25. The availability of the mouse gene provides an opportunity to make a knockout model for galactokinase deficiency.