cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medical Devices, Design and Modification of

The design of medical devices is generally a complex and demanding process, often with high potential risk to patients if the device does not function as envisioned. The initial challenge is to correctly capture clinical requirements and to manipulate and to translate these requirements into a technically competent and reliable device that can and will be used effectively in the clinical environment. Successful medical device design includes active consideration of the human factors aspects of user needs and an adequate system safety and risk analysis. Instructions for use including installation and service and manufacturing must also be considered throughout the design cycle. Modification of existing designs whether by the original manufacturer or by the device owner, or a third party, requires particular care so that carefully made decisions during the initial design cycle are not undone by a hastily conceived fix or upgrade. The reuse of devices labeled by the manufacturer as single use only is one example of a “modification” that has received considerable attention and FDA scrutiny. The design process is subject to FDA regulation under the Design Controls section of the Quality Systems Regulations. Compliance with these regulations requires broad knowledge of them by everyone on the design team. Keywords: design; design controls; human factors; FDA regulation; device modifications
Convergence acceleration of method of moments solution for antenna and scattering problems

This paper illustrated the application of Levinpsilas transform in solving a system of equations arising in the method of moments solution. Numerical examples include the computation of charge on a conducting strip, current distribution on a thin wire antenna and scattering from a nanowire. Since the method is iterative, it does not require inversion of a matrix in the solution of the system of equations that result in a method of moments formulation. As a result, the degree of accuracy of the solution can be controlled by specifying a convergence factor.
Some aspects on the development of the natural sciences and their importance for modern society and for our global environment

A brief review is given of the development of modern sciences from the early 1800s to the establishment of modern quantum theory around 1925 leading to modern theoretical chemical physics. Special attention is given to the interplay between mathematics, p
Non-sterile electroweak-scale right-handed neutrinos and the dual nature of the 125-GeV scalar

Abstract Can, and under which conditions, the 125-GeV SM-like scalar with the signal strengths for its decays into W + W − , ZZ, γγ, b b ¯ and τ τ ¯ being consistent with experiments be accommodated in models that go beyond the Standard Model? Is it truly what it appears to be, namely the SM Higgs boson, or could it be quite different? A minimal extension of the original electroweak-scale right-handed neutrino model, in which right-handed neutrinos naturally obtain electroweak-scale masses, shows a scalar spectrum which includes either the 125-GeV SM-like scalar or a scalar which is quite unlike that of the Standard Model, both of which possess signal strengths compatible with experiment. In other words, the 125-GeV scalar could be an impostor.
Effective operators in shell-model calculations

After a brief review of the properties of the nucleon-nucleon interaction and of basic shell-model theory, the microscopic theory for determining effective interactions and operators for use in shell-model calculations is given. Difficulties in applying the usual formalism are discussed. Finally, a new large-basis, no-core shell-model approach is presented, which is able to handle these difficulties.
Comparison of Multiple Objective Genetic Algorithms for Parallel Machine Scheduling Problems

Many multiple objective genetic algorithms have been developed to approximate the efficient frontier of solutions for multiple objective optimization problems. However, only a limited number of comparison studies have been performed on practical problems. One of the reasons for this may be the lack of commonly accepted measures to compare the solution quality of sets of approximately optimal solutions. In this paper, we perform an extensive set of experiments to quantitatively compare the solutions of two competing algorithms for a bi-criteria parallel machine-scheduling problem.
The Ancient Mediterranean Values of "Honour and Shame" as a Hermeneutical Lens of Reading the Book of Job

The book of Job is here read through the ancient Near Eastern values of honour and shame and also in relationship to its placing within Wisdom literature. This article points out the fact that the book of Job goes beyond focus of wisdom whose primary concern is navigating life successfully. For Job, it is the concern of what Gustavo Guttierez calls disinterested faith that puts God's honour at the centre of his struggles.
X-point model for magnetic susceptibility of A-15 compounds

Abstract The X-point linear chain model for electronic structure of A-15 compounds is shown to lead to a weakly temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility χ(T) = 3micro 2 β N(0) tanh ( ω / T ) is serious disagreement with experiment.
Production of refractories from graphite metallurgical waste products

Comparative investigations of natural graphite and that obtained from metallurgical waste showed the prospective use of the latter for making graphitic refractories for which it is necessary to speed up the organization of the industrial production of graphite for GSMO.
Innovative mouse models for metastatic disease

Metastasis is a dreaded complication of many malignancies. As a result, the scientific community has been challenged to develop new and innovative approaches to understand the disease progression and to design better therapies. Recently, we developed an approach in which we are able to tract, manipulate and alter metastatic patterns in vivo. These studies lay the groundwork for exploring and developing new therapeutic approaches.
A comparative analysis of plasticity of thermal limits in porcelain crabs across latitudinal and intertidal zone clines

Abstract The effect of thermal acclimation on cardiac thermal performance limits was examined in congeneric species of porcelain crabs (genus Petrolisthes) from temperate and subtropical habitats. In vivo heart rate was monitored using impedance electrodes during thermal ramps (0.1 °C/min) where temperature either increased or decreased from an intermediate temperature to thermal extremes. Arrhenius plots were used to define upper and lower critical temperatures of cardiac function (CTmax and CTmin, respectively). Across species and acclimation conditions, CTmax ranged from approximately 28.4 to 41.7 °C and CTmin from approximately −1.3 to 11.3 °C. Thermal acclimation had the greatest effect on CTmax in species from the coolest thermal microhabitat and the smallest effect on CTmax in species from the hottest thermal microhabitat. The opposite effect was observed on CTmin. The ecological consequences of these results are counterintuitive, as the most heat-tolerant species are predicted to be most susceptible to global warming. The results of this study will form the foundation of future studies designed to elucidate the mechanistic bases of thermal plasticity and eurythermy in porcelain crabs.
Is the Driving Experience of Older Women Changing?: Safety and Mobility Consequences over Time

Older women currently have travel patterns substantially different from those of older men even when they are licensed to drive. These differences have different safety and mobility implications for older women in the future—if they persist—but equally important consequences if they do not. This paper shows that women drivers at all ages drive less often and for fewer miles than men of comparable ages; as a result, in the next three decades most women will enter their retirement years with substantially less driving experience than their licensing status might indicate. The differences in travel patterns and driving experiences between women and men are likely to persist, and policy makers must address both their safety and mobility consequences. There is a significant need to conduct the kind of safety and mobility research that will inform intelligent policy development and planning strategies for what has been called the feminization of aging.
A modified glass reactor for the preparation of linear and star-branched block copolymers via living anionic polymerization

A modular high-vacuum system for large-scale anionic polymerization reactions was designed that utilizes mechanical agitation in place of magnetic stirring, Teflon Rotoflo stopcocks in place of glass breakseals, and spherical o-ring joints in place of direct glass seals. A standard reactor body was used, and depending upon reactor design, it was fitted with appropriate reactant ampules, volumetric charging cylinders, etc., to facilitate polymerization, blocking reactions, and linking reactions with minimal effort. To demonstrate the efficacy of the system a number of linear and three-arm star-block copolymers comprised of oligostyrene outer blocks and polybutadiene inner blocks were synthesized. The block copolymers were characterized by narrow molecular weight dispersity, and the star polymers showed greater than 95% linking efficiency. The polybutadiene blocks contained approximately 40% 1,2-enchainment and were exhaustively hydrogenated using H 2 and a nickel octoate/triethyl aluminum catalyst.
The Effect of Feeding Various Levels of Calcium and Phosphorus on the Performance and Absorption of Chlortetracyline of Caged Layers

Abstract IT IS APPARENT that the presence of certain calcium and phosphorus salts inhibit the efficacy of broad-spectrum antibiotic activity (Price et al., 1957a, b, 1959; Stokstad et al., 1959; Peterson, 1960; and Boyd et al., 1960). Deleterious effects on egg production following deletion of dietary calcium and phosphorus have been reported. Deobald et al. (1936) reported that egg production had virtually ceased by the fourteenth day after the removal of calcium supplement. O’Rourke et al. (1954) stated that a ration containing 0.19 percent phosphorus did not support hatchability and egg production. Patterson et al. (1960) obtained a slight but consistent detrimental effect on egg production and shell strength by feeding a low-calcium diet for five days to laying birds. Donovan et al. (1960) observed that egg production was lowered about 10 percent by feeding a diet containing 0.119 percent calcium during a five-day period; however, the detrimental effect was quickly …
The comparative activities of delta1, 4 pregnadiene-21-ol-3, 20-dione acetate and desoxycorticosterone acetate in the rat.

UNSATURATION of the 1:2 linkage of the cortical steroids has been reported to modify their pharmacologies properties. Thus the compounds Δ1,4 Pregnadiene-17α,21-diol-3,11–20-trione and Δ1,4-Pregnadiene- 11β,17α,21-triol-3,20-dione, respectively analogues of cortisone and hydrocortisone (Herzog et al., 1955), have greater adrenocortical, antirheumatic and anti-inflammatory activities (Bunin et al., 1955) though their side reactions are not correspondingly increased. This observation indicates that partial dissociation of pharmacological activities may result from minor changes in the structure of the steroid nucleus. The present study is an investigation of the effects of a like nuclear change in desoxycorticosterone (DCA). For this, we have compared the activities of Δ1,4-Pregnadiene-21-ol-3,20-dione Acetate (PODA)3 with those of DCA (Δ4-Pregnene-21-ol-3,20-dione) in adrenalectomized rats and in rats under the conditions used for the production of “DCA-hypertensive disease” (Selye et al., 1943; Masson et ...
Self-management of a chronic illness: An exploratory study on the role of spirituality among older African American women.

ABSTRACT Living with a chronic illness is an experience characterized by changes in self-management behavior. Few studies have addressed the role of spirituality in the self-management of a chronic illness among older African American women. The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand the role of spirituality in the self-management of chronic illness. Data from a sample of 10 African American women were collected from semi-structured interviews and analyzed for common themes through narrative analysis. Four themes emerge from the linkage of spirituality and self-management. Understanding this experience will assist public health providers in creating culturally appropriate health education interventions.
Honeycomb-structured computational interconnects and their scalable extension to spherical domains

The present paper is part of a larger effort to redesign, from the ground up, the best possible interconnect topologies for switchless multiprocessor computer systems. We focus here specifically on honeycomb graphs and their extension to problems on the sphere, as motivated by the design of special-purpose computational clusters for global weather forecasting. Eight families of efficient tiled layouts have been discovered which make such interconnects trivial to scale to large cluster sizes while incorporating no long wires. In the resulting switchless interconnect designs, the physical proximity of the cells created (in the PDE discretization of the physical domain) and the logical proximity of the nodes to which these cells are assigned (in the computational cluster) coincide perfectly, so all communication between physically adjacent cells during the PDE simulation require communication over just a single hop in the computational cluster.
'Piracy' On the High Seas: An Analysis of Bratton's Sea Ethic

In "Thinking Like a Mackerel," Susan Power Bratton attempts to develop a sea ethic based on the writings of Rachel Carson. This article critically evaluates Bratton's position using an analysis of a contemporary problem on the high seas as a basis: the theft of the Patagonian tooth fish in the Southern Ocean. Various possibilities for providing philosophical and legal bases for the protection of the sea realm are explored.
DECREASED RENAL EXPRESSION OF THE PUTATIVE CALCIUM OXALATE INHIBITOR TAMM-HORSFALL PROTEIN IN THE ETHYLENE GLYCOL RAT MODEL OF CALCIUM OXALATE UROLITHIASIS.

Purpose: Tamm-Horsfall protein is believed to inhibit calcium oxalate crystallization, aggregation or adhesion to the renal epithelium. We determined whether ethylene glycol induced urolithiasis changes the expression of renal and urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein. For comparison the expression of another calcium oxalate inhibitor, osteopontin, was also analyzed.Materials and Methods: Male rats were treated with 0.75% ethylene glycol plus an AIN-76 diet (Dyets, Bethlehem Pennsylvania) (ethylene glycol group) or standard rat chow and water (control group) for up to 8 weeks (6 per group for 8 weeks and 3 per group for 3 days to 6 weeks). Kidneys and urine (8 weeks only) were harvested and analyzed by Northern and Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry.Results: Tamm-Horsfall protein message and protein (membrane bound form) were decreased, while those of osteopontin were increased in the kidneys of rats treated with ethylene glycol for 8 weeks. As judged by immunochemistry Tamm-Horsfall protein and oste...
RGD-Dependent Vacuolation and Lumen Formation Observed during Endothelial Cell Morphogenesis in Three-Dimensional Fibrin Matrices Involves the αvβ3 and α5β1 Integrins

Recent data have revealed the involvement of the α v β 3 integrin in angiogenesis. However, few studies to date have provided a convincing role for this receptor in in vitro assays of endothelial cell morphogenesis where defined steps can be examined. Here, we present data showing that two integrins, α v β 3 and α 5 β 1 , regulate human endothelial cell vacuolation and lumen formation in three-dimensional fibrin matrices. Cells resuspended in fibrin formed intracellular vacuoles that coalesced into lumenal structures. These morphogenic events were completely inhibited by the simultaneous addition of anti-α v β 3 and anti-α 5 integrin antibodies. Complete blockade was also accomplished with a combination of the cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp (cRGD) peptide and anti-α 5 integrin antibodies. No blockade was observed with the control Arg-Gly-Glu (RGE) peptide alone or in combination with control antibodies. Finally, we were able to demonstrate regression of vacuoles and lumens several hours after the addition of cRGD peptides combined with anti-α 5 integrin antibodies. These effects were not observed with control peptides alone or in combination with control antibodies. We report here the novel involvement of both the α v β 3 and α 5 β 1 integrins in vacuolation and lumen formation in a fibrin matrix, implicating a role for multiple integrins in endothelial cell morphogenesis.
The language of low back pain: factor structure of the McGill pain questionnaire.

Abstract Low back pain patients' responses to the McGill Pain Questionnaire were factor analyzed using a method of factor extraction which, relative to the procedures employed in previous investigations, minimized distortion of the factor solution. Four factors were found which accounted for 51% of the total variance. Three of the factors were composed solely of sensory, affective and evaluate descriptor subclasses, respectively. The fourth was defined by both sensory and affective subclasses. The results provided strong support for the continued use of the sensory, affective and evaluate pain rating indices. Suggestions regarding replication of the present study and use of pain language factor scales for predictive purposes were discussed.
The relationship of head movements to semicircular canal size in cetaceans

The semicircular canals measure head rotations, providing information critical for maintaining equilibrium. The canals of cetaceans (including whales, dolphins and porpoises) are extraordinarily small, making them unique exceptions to the allometric relationship shared by all other vertebrates between canal size and animal mass. Most modern cetaceans have shorter and less flexible necks than those of their ancestors, an adaptation hypothesized to have led to exaggerated head movements during locomotion. These movements are thought to have necessitated a decrease in the size and sensitivity of the canals, increasing their operating range to accommodate increased head motion. We tested whether the size of the semicircular canals in cetaceans is related to their head movements by comparing the rotational head velocities, frequencies and accelerations of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and a terrestrial relative, cattle (Bos taurus), using an array of three orthogonal head-fixed miniaturized rotational ratemeters. We collected data during typical locomotion (swimming; trotting) and during behaviors with enhanced head movements (rapid spiraling underwater; bucking). Cattle head movements always exceeded those of dolphins. Maximum head velocities were 528 deg. s(-1) in dolphins and 534 deg. s(-1) in cattle; maximum head frequencies were 2.86 Hz in dolphins and 3.45 Hz in cattle; and maximum head accelerations were 5253 deg. s(-2) in dolphins and 10,880 deg. s(-2) in cattle. These results indicate that accentuated head movements cannot explain the reduced size and sensitivity of cetacean semicircular canals. The evolutionary cause for their reduced canal size remains uncertain.
Long-term fault slip rates, distributed deformation rates, and forecast of seismicity in the western United States from joint fitting of community geologic, geodetic, and stress direction data sets

[1] The long-term average velocity field of the western United States is computed with a kinematic finite element code. Community data sets include fault traces, geologic offset rates, geodetic velocities, principal stress directions, and Euler poles. There is an irreducible minimum amount of distributed permanent deformation, which accommodates one third of Pacific–North America relative motion in California. Much of this may be due to slip on faults not included in the model. All data sets are fit at a common RMS level of 1.8 datum standard deviations. Experiments with alternate weights, fault sets, and Euler poles define a suite of acceptable community models. In pseudoprospective tests, fault offset rates are compared to 126 additional published rates not used in the computation: 44% are consistent; another 48% have discrepancies under 1 mm a−1, and 8% have larger discrepancies. Updated models are then computed. Novel predictions include dextral slip at 2–3 mm a−1 in the Brothers fault zone, two alternative solutions for the Mendocino triple junction, slower slip on some trains of the San Andreas fault than in recent hazard models, and clockwise rotation of some domains in the eastern California shear zone. Long-term seismicity is computed by assigning each fault and finite element the seismicity parameters (coupled thickness, corner magnitude, and spectral slope) of the most comparable type of plate boundary. This long-term seismicity forecast is retrospectively compared to instrumental seismicity. The western United States has been 37% below its long-term average seismicity during 1977–2008, primarily because of (temporary) reduced activity in the Cascadia subduction zone and San Andreas fault system.
Aerobic Capacity After Traumatic Brain Injury: Comparison With a Nondisabled Cohort

Abstract Mossberg KA, Ayala D, Baker T, Heard J, Masel B. Aerobic capacity after traumatic brain injury: comparison with a nondisabled cohort. Objective To compare aerobic capacity of people recovering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) with an age- and sex-matched group of nondisabled sedentary people. Design Descriptive comparative study of peak and submaximal physiologic responses. Setting Residential postacute treatment center. Participants Convenience sample of 13 people with TBI and 13 age- and sex-matched nondisabled subjects. All subjects could walk 5.3kph (3.3mph), follow 2-step commands, and comply with testing using the gas collection apparatus. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Subjects performed a graded maximal treadmill test during which heart rate, minute ventilation (Ve), oxygen consumption (Vo 2 ), carbon dioxide production, and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were measured every minute until exhaustion. Ventilatory equivalents for oxygen (Ve/Vo 2 ) and oxygen pulse were calculated. Results Subjects recovering from TBI had significantly lower peak responses for heart rate, Vo 2 , Ve, and oxygen pulse TBI ( P 2 were similar. There were significant differences in submaximal responses for Ve/Vo 2 and oxygen pulse. Conclusions Patients with TBI were significantly more deconditioned than a comparable group of sedentary people without disability. Participation in cardiorespiratory fitness programs after TBI should be encouraged to prevent secondary disability.
Shamanism and the Evolutionary Origins of Spirituality and Healing

Although the term â€œshamanicâ€ is used to refer to a diverse range of phenomena, it nonetheless reflects something empirical. Cross-cultural research illustrates that the concept of the shaman reflects the existence of similar spiritual healing practices found in pre-modern foraging and simple horticultural and pastoral societies around the world (Winkelman, 1992; 2000). This cross-cultural concept of the shaman was initially proposed by the renowned scholar of comparative religion, Mircea Eliade (1964). However, his various characterizations of shamans were in part responsible for subsequent confusion regarding their exact nature and function. While offering very general characterizations of the shaman as someone who entered a state of â€œecstasyâ€ to interact with â€œspiritsâ€ on behalf of the community, Eliade also cited many additional specific concepts of the shaman which some subsequent researchers neglected in their applications of this term. This paper presents the findings of cross-cultural and cross-species research that provides a basis for describing shamanism, its relationships to human nature, and its deep evolutionary origins. Shamanism has its bases in innate aspects of human cognition, engaging the use of altered states of consciousness to integrate information across several levels of the brain to produce visual symbolism exemplified in visionary experiences. The deeper evolutionary roots of shamanism are found in the capacities for ritual, which provide the most important communication and integrative processes in lower animal species. The evolution of shamanism can be deduced from these bases and the similarities of shamanic practices to the rituals of chimpanzees. Drumming, group vocalization, and other displays were the foundations from which the uniquely human mimetic capacity evolved and provided a basis for shamanism.
Yoffe-type moving crack in a functionally graded piezoelectric material

In this paper, the problem of a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) with a constantvelocity Yoffetype moving crack is considered. The strip is assumed to be under an antiplane mechani...
Dense-fluid shear viscosity via nonequilibrium molecular dynamics

A novel fluid-transport calculation by computer simulation, via nonequilibrium molecular dynamics, of laboratory methods of transport measurement is described. Shear viscosity of soft-sphere (${r}^{\ensuremath{-}12}$ potential) and Lennard-Jones particles (${r}^{\ensuremath{-}12}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ potential) has been obtained from molecular dynamic modeling of Couette flow. Soft-sphere deviations from Enskog theory are similar to those found for hard spheres by Alder, Gass, and Wainwright, using time-correlations of equilibrium molecular dynamic system fluctuations. For the Lennard-Jones shear viscosity near the triple-point region, there is agreement between the equilibrium calculation of Levesque, Verlet, and Kurkijarvi and the nonequilibrium results using 108 atoms in a cube. However, systems two and three cubes wide give lower results, which, when extrapolated with inverse width, yield close agreement with the experimental argon shear viscosity. Comparison of the Lennard-Jones shear viscosity with experimental argon data along the saturated vapor-pressure line of argon confirms our successful simulation of macroscopic viscous flow with few-particle nonequilibrium molecular dynamic systems. A new result of the nonequilibrium molecular dynamics is the characterization of nonequilibrium distribution functions, which might provide the basis for a perturbation theory of transport. Since momentum transport is primarily accomplished by the repulsive potential core for high temperatures, the Lennard-Jones shear viscosity must behave like the soft-sphere system for high temperatures [viscosity divided by ${(\mathrm{t}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{p}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{r}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{u}\mathrm{r}\mathrm{e})}^{\frac{2}{3}}$ is a function of density divided by ${(\mathrm{temperature})}^{\mathrm{\textonequarter{}}}$]. In fact, the calculated excess shear viscosity (that part above the zero-density temperature dependence) has been successfully correlated in terms of the 12th-power scaling variables for temperatures as low as the critical value (along the freezing line). The utilization of soft-sphere scaling variables yields relatively simple functions for describing both the excess shear viscosity and the thermal-conductivity behavior throughout the fluid phase. The introduction of these scaling variables also clearly reveals two features: (i) weak temperature dependence, and (ii) the sign of the temperature derivative at constant density (negative for shear viscosity and positive for thermal conductivity). While both of these features have been experimentally observed in simple fluid experimental data, their cause has not been previously traced to the dominance of the core potential. Thus, the soft-sphere scaling variables should be useful for correlating experimental data.
Sliding mode observers for nonlinear models with unbounded noise and measurement uncertainties

This work extends the applicability of variable structure observers designed for nonlinear systems in two ways. First, it is proved that these observers using a boundary-layer scheme can be applied to system models described by Ito differential equations, resulting in almost sure and mean square exponential estimation error. Second, the use of variable structure observers is extended to nonlinear measurement models containing disturbance effects. Also, a novel approach for obtaining the required parameters in the observer design is provided. Finally, two examples are given to illustrate the application and favorable convergence properties of these generalizations.
When personal history repeats itself: Decomposing memories for recurring events

Retrospective reports of personal events constitute the principal data source for much applied social science research. Such reports are known to be subject to biases and errors of inference. In health surveys, for example, events associated with chronic conditions are particularly likely to be under-reported (Jabine, 1987). In this series of studies we apply perspectives and tools from psychological studies of memory to the problem of understanding and improving reports of past untilization of health care. In two studies we found that subjects report using different strategies to answer questions about how often they have seen a doctor over the past 12 months, depending on the type of doctor's visit and its frequency. A third study, in which subjects' recall was checked against medical records, provided evidence that individual health events within a group of recurring, similar events are much less likely than non-recurring events to be recalled. In Experiment 4 we tested the efficacy of cognitively oriented intervention techniques designed to (1) help subjects decompose their molar memories of groups of similar events into individual events and (2) place all remembered health events into a personal timeline. The intervention more than doubled the proportion of recurring events on the medical record that was recalled. In addition, the proportion of events that could be dated, and the accuracy of dates provided, both rose.
Effects of Suspended Sediment on the Reproductive Success of the Tricolor Shiner, a Crevice-Spawning Minnow

Abstract Excessive sedimentation of rivers and creeks has been linked to increasing levels of imperilment in the diverse fish fauna of the southeastern United States. In particular, benthic-spawning fishes have decreased in both numbers and range. The tricolor shiner Cyprinella trichroistia is a crevice-spawning minnow that is widespread in the eastern Mobile River drainage above the Fall Line. While they are less sensitive to perturbation than the federally threatened blue shiner C. caerulea, tricolor shiners have decreased in numbers and range during the past few decades. This experiment examined the effects of 0 (control), 100, 300, and 600 mg/L initial concentrations of suspended sediment on the reproductive success of the tricolor shiner. Increasing levels of suspended sediment caused decreasing levels of reproductive success (fewer spawns and fewer eggs laid when spawning occurred). Increasing levels of suspended sediment also delayed the onset of spawning, resulting in distinct frequency distributi...
Substance P analogs displace sigma binding differentially in the brain and spinal cord of the adult mouse.

We have previously observed similarities in the behavioral effects produced by the NH2-terminus of the undecapeptide substance P (SP) and by 1,3-di(2-tolyl)-guanidine (DTG) in the adult mouse. The present series of experiments indicate differences in the rank-order of potency of sigma ligands [DTG; haloperidol (HAL)], SP analogs [SP; SP(1-7); SP(5-11); [D-Pro2, D-Phe7]-SP(1-7) (D-SP(1-7))] and miscellaneous compounds [morphine (MOR), naloxone (NAL)] at competing for [3H]-DTG binding sites in the mouse brain and spinal cordin vitro: Brain; DTG = HAL ≫ SP = MOR = NAL ≫ SP(1-7) ≫ D-SP(1-7) ≫ SP(5-11): Spinal cord; DTG = HAL ≫ SP(1-7) = MOR = NAL ≫ SP ≫ D-SP(1-7) = SP(5-11). The observed difference in the rank-order potencies of the displacing ligands at these same binding sites supports the notion of two distinct populations of sigma binding sites in these tissues in the adult mouse. Given the low (micromolar) potency of SP analogs at displacing [3H]-DTG binding in the present series of experiments, it is unlikely that the similar behavioral effects we have previously observed elicited by SP(1-7) and DTG in the adult mouse are a result of a direct action of SP(1-7) at the sigma binding site.
A new model to facilitate palpation of the level of the transverse processes of the thoracic spine

Study Design Nonexperimental, normative research design. Objectives To test a proposed model to locate the level of the transverse processes (TPs) of the thoracic spine through surface palpation. Background Palpation of the TPs of the thoracic spine is challenging because of their depth relative to the more superficial structures of the spine. Many clinicians use the more superficial spinous processes (SPs) of the thoracic spine to orient themselves for palpation of the TPs. In 1979, Mitchell described a “rule of threes,” which attempted to predict the location of the level of the thoracic TPs relative to their corresponding SPs. We previously conducted a pilot study to investigate the validity of the rule of threes and concluded that it is not an accurate predictor of the level of the location of the TPs of the thoracic spine. Based on that previous work, we hypothesized that a more accurate model for predicting the level of the TPs would be that they are generally at the level of the SP of the adjacent ...
Academic Senate members' knowledge of federal requirements for the protection of human subjects in research.

Although federal protective requirements for human subjects in research exist, it is unknown how knowledgeable individual investigators are about these requirements. The present study was undertaken to determine how much investigators know about legal requirements and what their attitudes are about those. Analysis showed that, although respondents were aware of general requirements, they were not knowledgeable about specific ones. This suggests that programs designed to inform people of research requirements should focus upon specific ones.
Cost and performance model for redox flow batteries

Abstract A cost model is developed for all vanadium and iron–vanadium redox flow batteries. Electrochemical performance modeling is done to estimate stack performance at various power densities as a function of state of charge and operating conditions. This is supplemented with a shunt current model and a pumping loss model to estimate actual system efficiency. The operating parameters such as power density, flow rates and design parameters such as electrode aspect ratio and flow frame channel dimensions are adjusted to maximize efficiency and minimize capital costs. Detailed cost estimates are obtained from various vendors to calculate cost estimates for present, near-term and optimistic scenarios. The most cost-effective chemistries with optimum operating conditions for power or energy intensive applications are determined, providing a roadmap for battery management systems development for redox flow batteries. The main drivers for cost reduction for various chemistries are identified as a function of the energy to power ratio of the storage system. Levelized cost analysis further guide suitability of various chemistries for different applications.
Parliamentary Control of Nationalized Industry in France.

In controlling nationalized industries parliament plays the role of the traditional lion under the throne. It lies quietly most of the time but can rise suddenly and wrathfully to smite offenders. It has little day-to-day influence, the major decisions being made by the managers of the industries, or by the government; but occasionally its importance is capital. This conclusion emerges from a study of the methods used by parliament to control the nationalized industries. Since these industries are fundamental to the French economy, in reality this is a study of the ways and means by which parliament controls major segments of the national economy-in every industrial state a controversial and highly significant issue.' Theoretically parliament is the fountainhead of controls over the nationalized industries. It creates them by statute; it votes their budgets; it approves the activities of the responsible ministers; and its creates organizations for supervising the industries. In reality, parliament usually only ratifies actions recommended by the government, as one would expect in a parliamentary system. The government, in turn, is usually recommending actions which high civil servants in the ministries or administrators in the nationalized industries have recommended. Our concern here, however, is with the actions which parliament initiates, or with those in which major changes are made in the government's proposals, so that we can see how the elected representatives actually make use of their potentially enormous powers and responsibilities. So significant is the role of parliament, in fact, that the nationalized enterprises have appointed contact men who can, so to speak, lobby in the corridors of parliament for the industries.2 The statutes creating the broad operating structure were written by the immediate post-war governments, many of them being ratified by the first Constituent Assembly in 1945-1946. Partly these statutes were punitive measures against collaborators-most notably the nationalization of the Renault automobile works-but much more they were the result of a doctrinal enthusiasm for "returning to the nation," in the words of the National Council of the
When is umbilical cord separation delayed

Des publications recentes ont fait etat d'un rapport entre un retard de la chute du cordon et un syndrome d'infections recidivantes a pyogenes avec anomalies leucocytaires. Une etude prospective sur l'âge de la chute du cordon a ete realisee sur des enfants normaux. Elle est frequente apres la 3eme semaine avec les methodes d'hygiene actuelle (notamment application de colorant triple) et il n'apparait indique d'entreprendre une etude des fonctions des neutrophiles que s'il y a a la fois retard de la chute du cordon et infection ombilicale et autre
Effect of ethanol and ethanol withdrawal on 3H-muscimol binding and behaviour in the rat: a pilot study.

: Effect of acute and chronic exposure to and withdrawal from ethanol on 3H-muscimol binding in the forebrains and cerebelli and on withdrawal behaviour was investigated in 30 rats. Chronic exposure to and withdrawal from ethanol produced a significant reduction in the number of muscimol binding sites in the cerebelli. A negative correlation was observed between the number of muscimol binding sites in the forebrain and cerebellum in the chronic ethanol and withdrawal groups. Relatively high correlations were found between the number of muscimol binding sites and audiogenic seizure scores during withdrawal from ethanol. Since impaired GABAergic function is associated with increased susceptibility to seizures, there may be a causal relationship between the observed changes in muscimol binding and ethanol-induced audiogenic withdrawal seizures.
The distribution of peritubular matrix in human coronal dentin.

Thin semi-serial ground sections of coronal dentin were examined radiographically. The bulk of the coronal dentin was characterized by the majority of the tubules having a distinct peritubular zone. With the exception of the tubules running from the tip of the cusp to the pulp cornu, the bulk of peritubular matrix forming the walls of the tubules was disposed eccentrically. The matrix was thicker on the cervical sides of the tubule than it was on the incisal sides. In a relatively narrow layer of the coronal dentin between the bulk of the dentin and the predentindentin border area the thickness of the peritubular matrix varied considerably. It was extremely narrow or absent in some tubules and reached its greatest thickness in others. The tubules in the predentin border area showed little or no evidence of peritubular matrix. The area of dentin beneath the central developmental groove differed somewhat from the bulk of the dentin. Many of the tubules at all levels of this area showed little radiographic evidence of peritubular matrix. Obliterated tubules were seen in some of the sections taken immediately above the predentin-dentin border area in the region of the pulp cornu and were always seen at the junction of the mantle dentin and the circumpulpal dentin beneath the central developmental groove.
Short- and long-term hemodynamic effects of captopril in patients with pulmonary hypertension and selected connective tissue disease.

To assess the pulmonary and systemic hemodynamic effects of oral captopril in patients with connective tissue disease and pulmonary hypertension, we performed right heart catheterization in eight patients with diffuse systemic sclerosis, the CREST syndrome, or mixed connective tissue diseases prior to and immediately following administration of captopril (dose range 12.5 to 50.0 mg, short-term study). Four of these patients underwent repeat right heart catheterization after three to six months of oral captopril therapy (long-term study). In the short-term study, oral captopril produced a significant decrease in mean pulmonary vascular resistance from 6.2 ± 3.6 to 4.6 ± 3.8 units (p (Chest 1992; 192:1407-12)
Does phylogenetic inertia explain the evolution of ineffective antipredator behavior in a sunfish-salamander system?

The streamside salamander, Ambystoma barbouri, exhibits ineffective antipredator behavior (high emergence rate from refuge, and high activity while out of refuge) and thus suffers heavy predation in stream pools with sunfish. A. barbouri evolved relatively recently from an ancestor that closely resembled a sister species, A. texanum, which breeds in fishless, ephemeral ponds. Sunfish thus represent a relatively new selection pressure for A. barbouri. Phylogenetic inertia predicts that (1) A. texanum should be very poor at coping with fish and (2) because it has only recently been exposed to fish, A. barbouri should still be poor at avoiding fish, but due to its recent exposure to fish, A. barbouri should be better than A. texanum at coping with sunfish. Experimental results provided mixed support for these predictions. As predicted, A. texanum suffered heavy sunfish predation. Compared to A. texanum, A. barbouri showed a greater tendency to initiate alarm moves that enhanced escape success from fish. However, in both the presence and absence of fish, A. barbouri showed higher emergence rates from refuge and higher movement while out of refuge than A. texanum. These behaviors tend to increase exposure to sunfish, i.e., for these key behaviors, A. barbouri apparently evolved in the wrong direction as far as fish predation is concerned. Due to these offsetting effects (increased exposure to fish, increased escape success), A. barbouri is no better at surviving with sunfish than A. texanum. A possible explanation for the high activity of A. barbouri is its use of highly ephemeral habitats (relative to A. texanum) that favor the evolution of higher activity, feeding, and developmental rates for A. barbouri relative to A. texanum.
On Computing the First Higher-Order Alexander Modules of Knots

Cochran defined the nth-order integral Alexander module of a knot in the three-sphere as the first homology group of the knot’s (n + 1)st iterated abelian cover. The case n = 0 gives the classical Alexander module (and polynomial). After a localization, one can obtain a finitely presented module over a principal ideal domain, from which one can extract a higher-order Alexander polynomial. We present an algorithm to compute the first-order Alexander module for any knot. As applications, we show that these higher-order Alexander polynomials provide a better bound on the knot genus than does the classical Alexander polynomial, and that they distinguish mutant knots. Included in this algorithm is a solution to the word problem in finitely presented -modules.
Transition probability and collision broadening of the 1.3-μm transition of atomic iodine

We have made direct absorption measurements of the transition probability and collision broadening of the 1.3-μm 2P1/2 → 2P3/2 transition of atomic iodine. Atomic iodine was generated in heated iodine vapor, and the spectrum was obtained with a Fourier-transform spectrometer. A transition probability was measured that corresponds to a 2P1/2 radiative lifetime of 125 msec. Broadening coefficients of 1.4, 1.7, 3.1, and 1.3 MHz/Torr at 1000 K were found for argon, oxygen, molecular iodine, and atomic iodine, respectively. The intensity of the (2, 4) forbidden electric-quadrupole line was measured and yielded the ratio of electric-quadrupole to magnetic-dipole transition probability of 2.7 × 10−3. Molecular absorption spectra of IO and SiI were seen in high-temperature spectra of a quartz cell containing an I2/O2 mixture.
Theoretical study of the CiOi and IsiCiOi defects in Si

Abstract The I Si C i O i (C4) defect consists of a Si self-interstitial trapped at the interstitial carbon–oxygen C i O i pair (C3). The C4 defect is characterized by two infrared absorption lines at 940 and 1024 cm −1 . The former is C-related and the latter is O-related. The intensity of these lines begins to drop above 150 °C and they disappear around 200 °C. In this work, we present the results of first-principles calculations of the configurations, binding energies, vibrational spectra, and estimated gap levels of C3 and C4.
Gross karyotypic change and evolution in North American cyprinid fishes

SUMMARY We have examined karyotypes of five Bpecies from five genera of cyprinid fishes endemic to the central and southeastern United States: Oampostoma anomalum, Hybognathus hayi, Hybopsis aestivalis, Phena­ cobius mirabilis, and Pimephales vigilax. All five have a diploid chromo­ some number of 50. Variation in chromosome arm number among the five species is slight, and may be due to measurement error or technique diffi­ culties. The karyotypes of 40 North American cyprinids are now known. All but five species have 50 (diploid) chromosomes. Variation in chromo­ some · arm number also appears :millimal; one-armed chromosomes (centromeres subterminal to terminal) normally comprise only a small fraction of the karyotype, and each species has roughly the same number of chromosomes with median and submedian centromeres. The con­ servatism of gross chromosomal evolution among these fishes is not in accord with recent hypotheses which suggest that progressive evolution of organisms may depend to a large degree on gene rearrangement brought about by gross chromosomal restructuring. Cyprinids are a highly speciose group in North America, and there is relatively strong morpho­ logical differentiation among species. The present data suggest that gross chromosomal restructuring may play only a minor role in the speciation and evolution of these fishes.
Atmospheric Pressure OMCVD Growth of GaAs Using Triethylarsenic and Alkylgallium Organometallic Precursors

Triethylarsenic was successfully used as a substitute for arsine in the atmospheric pressure OMCVD growth of GaAs epilayers. N-type GaAs films were produced at V/III ratios of 14–45 and growth temperatures of 560–590°C. The highest quality epilayers obtained were grown at temperatures of 560–570°C and V/III ratios of 23–27, with the best films exhibiting net carrier concentrations and 77K mobilities of −1015cm−3 and −14,000cm2/V-s, respectively. All of the films grown using Et3As were found to be contaminated with carbon, which appears to result from an inherent decomposition mechanism of the Et3As reagent.