cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Current Polarity on Tribological Behavior of Copper-Aluminum Electrical Interface

Wear and friction in sliding electrical contacts is affected by a multitude of factors such as contact load, current density, sliding speed, sliding distance and materials in contact [1], [2]. Very limited studies have been done to investigate the effect of current polarity on wear and coefficient of friction. In the present study, the authors investigate the effect of current polarity on the frictional response and wear of copper-aluminum interface. Copper wire mounted on a fixture is slid on aluminum flat under different current levels. Large scale melting at the interface was observed when slider (copper) was maintained as anode. Observations of the slider and flat surface made under microscope reveal material transfer of aluminum on copper even at low current levels of 60 Amperes. The results of the study can be used in the light of applying different coatings or surface design for anode and cathode in order to minimize their wear or degradation.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Automated Structural Health Monitoring of Bolted Joints in Railroad Switches

Current switch bolt inspection on rail systems is a labor intensive and sometimes unreliable approach to maintaining the switch integrity. Recent rail accidents in the United Kingdom (Potters Bar in 2002 and Grayrigg in 2007) underscore the need for routine inspections of the switch mechanisms. From the Grayrigg report of 23 February 2007 the main causes of the accident were found to be the loosening and, as a result, the initiation and growth of cracks, and, eventually, rupture of the bolts of the switch bars, especially the one maintaining the switch rails at a correct distance apart. Such findings also resulted from the 2002 crash report but unfortunately frequent visual inspections were not forthcoming. In this paper, an effective method for monitoring the loosening of the switch bolts is described. As the loosening of the bolts further causes the crack formation in the bolted joints, it seems valid to say that the early detection of loosening of bolted joints in railroad switches will be of great importance in eliminating the need for frequent visual inspection by totally automating inspection of the switches’ mechanical condition. The first part of the present paper focuses on the use of smart materials and structures for the health monitoring of bolted joints in railroad switches. It is shown that using the piezoelectric transducers and the impedance-based structural health monitoring technique, the loosening of the bolted joints are detectable. The accuracy in loosening detection is as high as 25 ft-lbs which corresponds to merely 1/10th of a bolt turn. Being able to detect the loosening of the bolted joints in railroad switches, the concept of self-healing bolted joints is applied in the next part in order to automatically retighten the loosened bolts to their prescribed functional conditions.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
A characterization of the minimizer of a function

This paper is intended to give a characterization of the minimum point of a function in terms of the gradient of the function at some other point using some concepts from differential geometry. The function is assumed to have continuous partial derivatives up to and including order four. It is also assumed to have a positive-definite Hessian matrix onR n and a unique minimum point.
Maize Nutrient Accumulation and Partitioning in Response to Plant Density and Nitrogen Rate: I. Macronutrients

Understanding nutrient balances in changing cropping systems is critical to appropriately adjust agronomic recommendations and inform breeding efforts to increase nutrient efficiencies. Research to determine the season-long P, K, and S uptake and partitioning dynamics in maize (Zea mays L.) as affected by low, medium, and high plant density (PD) and N rate factors and their interactions was conducted over four site-years in Indiana. Plant nutrient contents at maturity responded predominantly to N rate. Relative nutrient contents at silking compared with those at maturity were 47% for P, 100% for K, and 58% for S. Concentrations of P, K, and S varied less in leaf vs. stem (vegetative stage) and in ear vs. shoot (reproductive stage). Equivalent stoichiometric ratios were documented for N and S partitioning in leaf, stem, and ear components. The PD and N rate treatments did not modify P, K, and S nutrient partitioning to plant components during vegetative or reproductive periods (except for an N rate effect on leaf vs. stem P partitioning). Near silking, relative nutrient partitioning to the ear followed the order P > S > K. This mimicked the nutrient harvest indices observed at maturity, suggesting genetic modulation. Ratios of N to P, K, and S in wholeplant tissues were influenced by N content changes in response to N rate but not by PD. As the season progressed, PD and N rates changed the absolute P, K, and S quantities (primarily reflecting biomass responses) but had little influence on nutrient ratios.
Patterns of Egg Load in the Walnut Fly Rhagoletis juglandis (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Nature and Their Possible Significance for Distribution of Sexes

In a field study of the tephritid fly Rhagoletis juglandis Cresson on its host Juglans major (Torrey) Heller, the density of both sexes on host foliage remained more or less constant throughout the season. The density of each sex on fruit, by contrast, increased steadily over the course of several weeks. The density of males on fruit increased much more sharply than that of females. Associated with the temporal increase in relative fly density on fruit was an increase in the mean number of eggs in a female's ovaries (i.e., egg load). This pattern in egg load was not caused by an increase in the mean egg load of individuals carrying eggs (which remained more or less constant over the season), but rather by an increase in the number of individuals that carried any eggs at all (i.e., the number of reproductively mature individuals). Late in the season, mean egg load of females in the foliage was lower than that of females on fruit for each of 2 yr, but the difference was not statistically significant. Within a given location (fruit versus foliage), egg load was associated with female activity. Females attempting to oviposit on fruit and females found in mating pairs on foliage had high mean egg loads, whereas females feeding on foliage and females dragging their ovipositor (indicative of recent clutch deposition) on fruit had low mean egg loads. We discuss how results for this species conform to a generally held scenario for the distribution of frugivorous tephritid flies in time and space.
An Electrical Circuit and Computer System Analogy

This paper is concerned with the demonstration of an analogy between classical electrical circuits and computer systems with executing programs. The analogy is based on a Markov process framework for the mathematical formulation. The transition weights represent a set of measure one although they are not necessarily probabilities in the stochastic sense. Examples are included to show the analogies at a level that should be easily understood by an electrical engineer.
Herbicide tolerance by vernonia grown in the temperate zone

Abstract Vernonia galamensis (Cass.) Less., a plant of semi-arid, equatorial origin, has significant quantities of epoxy fatty acids in its seed oil. This vernolic fatty acid has potential use in alkyd resin and oil-based paints and coatings formulations with low volatile organic compound emission. Improved agronomic practices are needed to commercialize vernonia in the temperate zones. Vernonia must be planted in the spring in temperate latitudes because it is not frost tolerant. Thus, it must compete with aggressive summer annual weeds during its germination and early vegetative growth period. Once established, vernonia is vigorous and can compete against weeds, but weed control is very critical when the vernonia plants are young. To avoid the high cost of hand weeding, identification and registration of appropriate pre- plant incorporated (PPI), pre-emergence (PRE), or early post-emergence (POST) herbicides are necessary. Two years of herbicide studies in the field and greenhouse have identified the reaction of vernonia to PPI, PRE, POST, and layby (LAY) herbicides in terms of tolerance and non-tolerance. Information about non-tolerant herbicides is essential since vernonia, in some cases, may pose a threat as a new crop weed. Based on the conditions of these experiments, herbicide compounds that appear to be excellent candidates for registration include, PPI: trifluralin, benefin, ethalfluralin, and pendimethalin; PRE: pendimethalin, DCPA, metolachlor, napropamide; POST: fluazifop, pronamide, and sethoxydim; LAY: pendimethalin and DCPA. Rates and timing of application are very important for some materials. A potential, but less likely, herbicide includes PRE: propachlor. Materials that have little or no potential as herbicides for vernonia production include the following: PPI: EPTC; PRE: metribuzin, oryzalin, atrazine, and diuron; POST: clopyralid, bromoxynil, dicamba, oxyfluorfen, 2,4-D, and 2,4-DB. In addition to crop tolerance, the usefulness of a given herbicide will also depend on weed species that are competitors at a specific crop location.
Lewis acid enhancement by juxtaposition with an onium ion: the case of a mercury stibonium complex

While diarylmercury derivatives (Ar2Hg) are usually not Lewis acidic, we have recently observed that bis(μ-1,8-naphthalenediyl)mercury(II)(bisphenylstibonium(V)) ([2]+), a compound that possesses a Ar2Hg moiety flanked on one of its sides by a stibonium unit, readily binds bromide or iodide ligands at the mercury center. To further investigate this behavior and understand its origin, we now report a series of results dealing with the coordination chemistry of [2]+. In particular, we show that this cation interacts with neutral donor ligands such as THF and DMAP to afford [2-THF]+ and [2-DMAP3]+, respectively, which have been isolated as [PF6]− salts. 1H and 199Hg NMR titration experiments carried out in DMSO-d6 indicate that the mercury center of [2]+ engages heavy halide anions to afford the corresponding complexes 2-Cl, 2-Br and 2-I whose stability constants are equal to 1890 (±10) M−1, 500 (±10) M−1, and 145 (±5) M−1, respectively. In the case of chloride, binding of a second halide ligand at antimony is observed leading to [2-Cl2]− which has been characterized as a [nBu4N]+ salt. Results obtained from titrating [2]+ against F− also indicate the formation of a complex, albeit with antimony as the primary anion binding site. Although the short Hg–Sb distances observed in these complexes (3.04–3.09 A) remains essentially invariant, NBO calculations show a distinct strengthening of a 6s(Hg)→σ*(Sb–C) donor–acceptor interaction upon coordination of a halide to the mercury center. These NBO results also reveal weak 5d(Hg)→σ*(Sb–C) dative interactions which, as suggested by Hg L3 and Sb K-edge XANES measurements, are too weak to induce a measurable oxidation of the mercury center. In turn, we conclude that the enhanced Lewis acidity of the diarylmercury unit of [2]+ results from the presence of the stibonium moiety which provides a Coulombic pull for the coordination of Lewis bases while also drawing electron density away from the mercury atom via relatively weak orbital interactions.
Discharge Characteristics of a Simiulated Solar Cell Array

Measurements of the transient characteristics associated with the discharge of a simulated solar array are presented. A capacitively coupled probe is used to measure the discharge current, and antennas are used to measure the electromagnetic radiation. Discharges were observed at low surface voltages (< 3 kV) and several modes of discharge were observed. The maximum discharge current is found to be 0.2 A. This value is several orders of magnitude higher than that reported by previous measurements. Experimental evidence suggests that the inverted voltage gradient is a very likely triggering mechanism for solar array discharges.
A demonstration of one‐atom detection

Resonance ionization spectroscopy, a photoionization method in which all of a given quantum selected species are converted to ion pairs, has been used to develop a detector for a single atom. We have demonstrated the detection of one atom by using a pulsed dye laser to photoionize Cs to saturation and a proportional counter for the detection of single electrons. Some current applications, e.g., the slow transport and chemical reactions of atoms, are briefly discussed. Future applications may include the detection of rare events such as quarks, solar neutrinos, and superheavy elements.
Living with an intelligent thermostat: advanced control for heating and cooling systems

In order to better understand the opportunities and challenges of an intelligent system in the home, we studied the lived experience of a thermostat, the Nest. The Nest utilizes machine learning, sensing, and networking technology, as well as eco-feedback features. To date, we have conducted six interviews and one diary study. Our findings show that improved interfaces through web and mobile applications changed the interactions between users and their home system. Intelligibility and accuracy of the machine learning and sensing technology influenced the way participants perceive and adapt to the system. The convenient control over the system combined with limitations of the technology may have prevented the desired energy savings. These findings assert that thoughtful, continuous involvement from users is critical to the desired system performance and the success of interventions to promote sustainable choices. We suggest that an intelligent system in the home requires improved intelligibility and a better way in which users can provide deliberate input to the system.
Independent comparison of CogState computerized testing and a standard cognitive battery with neuroimaging

Background Inexpensive, non-invasive tools for assessing Alzheimer-type pathophysiologies are needed. Computerized cognitive assessments are prime candidates.
Nanoscratch Behavior of Sputtered Metal Films on PAMAM Dendrimer Monolayers

Striking differences have been observed in the deformation modes associated with 2mN constant load nanoscratch events on ultrathin Cr layers deposited on SiOx with and without a dendrimer interlayer. In the absence of the dendrimer distinct ridge formation along the wear track indicative of plowing and wedge formation are observed. By contrast, dendrimer monolayer-mediated films exhibit ridgeless scratches apparently formed in a nearly pure cutting mode. In addition, the width of the scratch trench in the sample without dendrimer is larger than the one with dendrimer.
Secure Transmission Model for Structured Data

Data transfer process is becoming more vulnerable to malicious attack; concerns over privacy of data have led to great interest. This paper proposes a new transmission model for securing structured data in form of document over sensitive networks. The document is subdivided into various parts using document segmentation algorithm to obtain privacy of the content & simple mathematical operations are then used to secure these segments for transmission over network. A mechanism is provided to reconstruct the document from the various segments.
Systematic mapping of the monkey inferior colliculus reveals enhanced low frequency sound representation

We investigated the functional architecture of the inferior colliculus (IC) in rhesus monkeys. We systematically mapped multiunit responses to tonal stimuli and noise in the IC and surrounding tissue of six rhesus macaques, collecting data at evenly placed locations and recording nonresponsive locations to define boundaries. The results show a modest tonotopically organized region (17 of 100 recording penetration locations in 4 of 6 monkeys) surrounded by a large mass of tissue that, although vigorously responsive, showed no clear topographic arrangement (68 of 100 penetration locations). Rather, most cells in these recordings responded best to frequencies at the low end of the macaque auditory range. The remaining 15 (of 100) locations exhibited auditory responses that were not sensitive to sound frequency. Potential anatomical correlates of functionally defined regions and implications for midbrain auditory prosthetic devices are discussed.
Open vs laparoscopic repair of congenital duodenal obstructions: a concurrent series.

Objective: The advantages of using laparoscopy for repair of congenital duodenal obstructions (CDO) are unclear because of scant data about complications and outcomes. Nitinol U-clips (Medtronic Surgical, Minneapolis, Minn) were developed to assist in the creation of vascular anastomoses in small vessels. Because of their ability to approximate tissue tightly with little tissue damage, we have begun to use these U-clips for laparoscopic repair of CDO. In this report, we investigate the impact of laparoscopic U-clip repair of CDO compared to the traditional open repair.
Is there more insect folivory in warmer temperate climates? A latitudinal comparison of insect folivory in eastern North America

P>1. It is generally believed that warmer climate forests suffer more herbivory, as a proportion of leaf area, than cooler climate forests. However, standardized studies using the same methodology have rarely been performed. 2. We carried out a study on scattered forest-edge populations of four widespread tree species (Quercus alba, Acer rubrum, Fagus grandifolia and Liquidambar styraciflua) spanning 17 degrees of latitude in North America. 3. We sampled early summer sun leaves (12 weeks after bud break) at each latitude in 2 years. Total insect folivory damage was estimated from the percentage area damaged in fresh leaves on forest edges, using a scanner-linked software. 4. The percentage area damage per leaf of all four species in both years shows a significant latitudinal trend, with less damage in lower latitude areas of eastern North America. This is contrary to what would generally be expected according to current ecological thinking. Among the four studied species, only A. rubrum showed a significant difference between the 2 years. 5. Synthesis. The observation of an inverse latitudinal trend may have wider implications for the study of community functioning, suggesting that strength of 'biotic' interaction between plants and herbivores might actually be no less important, or in fact more important, in cool temperate climates compared with warm temperate climates.
Normal forms for underactuated mechanical systems with symmetry

We introduce cascade normal forms for underactuated mechanical systems that are convenient for control design. These normal forms include three classes of cascade systems, namely, nonlinear systems in strict feedback form, feedforward form, and nontriangular quadratic form (to be defined). In each case, the transformation to cascade systems is provided in closed-form. We apply our results to the Acrobot, the rotating pendulum, and the cart-pole system.
Evaluating the Returns to Postharvest Research in the Florida Citrus-Processing Subsector

Widely used econometric techniques for evaluation of returns to research are often limited to macrolevel analysis because the data required are either unavailable or difficult to measure at the micro, or subsector, level. A translog cost function and corresponding share equations are estimated in order to measure the returns to postharvest Florida citrus-processing research. Estimation of this system also allows computation of input substitution elasticities and evaluation of the effects of research and development on an input's share in total cost. It is shown that expenditures allocated to citrus-processing research have a high rate of return.
The Role of FDG-PET/CT in Cervical Cancer: Diagnosis, Staging, Radiation Treatment Planning and Follow-Up

Routine screening has lead to significant improvement in the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in industrialized nations. Current International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians staging is based mainly on clinical examination, with anatomic conventional imaging modalities, such as CT and MR imaging, also being routinely used. Metabolic imaging using 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose(FDG)-PET provides highly specific, noninvasive pretreatment staging and prognostic information regarding post-therapy, and can detect asymptomatic, potentially curable locoregional recurrences. FDG-PET/CT can also optimize the use of advanced radiation treatment planning techniques, such as image-guided intensity modulated radiation therapy, for cervical cancer and may be of value in the development of additional novel approaches, such as stereotactic body radiation therapy.
Boolean Derivatives With Application to Edge Detection for Imaging Systems

This paper introduces a new concept of Boolean derivatives as a fusion of partial derivatives of Boolean functions (PDBFs). Three efficient algorithms for the calculation of PDBFs are presented. It is shown that Boolean function derivatives are useful for the application of identifying the location of edge pixels in binary images. The same concept is extended to the development of a new edge detection algorithm for grayscale images, which yields competitive results, compared with those of traditional methods. Furthermore, a new measure is introduced to automatically determine the parameter values used in the thresholding portion of the binarization procedure. Through computer simulations, demonstrations of Boolean derivatives and the effectiveness of the presented edge detection algorithm, compared with traditional edge detection algorithms, are shown using several synthetic and natural test images. In order to make quantitative comparisons, two quantitative measures are used: one based on the recovery of the original image from the output edge map and the Pratt's figure of merit.
Embryonic cerebral cortical progenitors are resistant to apoptosis, but increase expression of suicide receptor DISC-complex genes and suppress autophagy following ethanol exposure

Background: In utero exposure to ethanol can result in severe fetal brain defects. Previous studies showed that ethanol induces apoptosis in differentiated cortical neurons. However, we know little about ethanol's effects on proliferating embryonic cortical progenitors. This study investigated the impact of ethanol exposure on the Fas/Apo-1/CD95 suicide receptor pathway, and on the survival of proliferating cortical neuroepithelial progenitors. Methods: Murine embryonic-derived primary cortical neuroepithelial cells were maintained as neurosphere cultures and exposed to a dose range of ethanol for periods ranging from 1 to 5 days. Programmed cell death was measured by 4 independent means (Annexin-V staining, caspase activation, DNA fragmentation, and autophagic vacuole formation). Surface Fas/Apo-1 suicide receptor expression was measured by flow cytometry. Expression of Fas/Apo-1-associated DISC-complex genes was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Ethanol exposure did not substantially increase apoptosis, necrosis, or surface Fas/Apo-1 expression. Moreover, ethanol significantly decreased caspase activation and autophagic activity. Finally, ethanol exposure induced mRNA expression of genes that constitute the death receptor complex. Conclusions: This study provides surprising evidence that ethanol does not induce either programmed cell death or necrosis of immature progenitors during neurogenesis, although ethanol may render neural progenitors susceptible to future apoptotic insults. Furthermore, our novel observation that ethanol suppresses autophagy is consistent with a hypothesis that ethanol promotes premature neural progenitor maturation. Taken together with our previous data regarding the role of the Fas/Apo-1 receptor in neural development, we conclude that ethanol disrupts basic proliferation and differentiation machinery rather than initiating cell death per se.
Comparison of the Retentive Property and Dentinal Crazing Ability of Retention Pins and Machinist's Taps

A comparison was made of the dentinal crazing formation and pull-out strength of conventional retention pins and modified machinist's taps. Modified machinist's taps produced less dentinal crazing in wet, fresh, and dried dentin than the conventional retention pins. Modified taps have sufficient pull-out strength to retain restorations on teeth with fresh dentin, in clinical situations.
Physical Mechanisms of Ion-Induced Stuck Bits in the Hyundai 16M $\,\times\,$ 4 SDRAM

It was previously thought that stuck bits in the Hyundai 16M times 4 SDRAM were caused by micro-dose. It is argued here that the correct mechanism is micro (i.e., from a single particle hit) displacement damage, which creates a leakage current that drains the storage capacitor.
Influence of acute infection on the plasma lipids and the course of eczema

Abstract 1. 1. Rats placed on a diet free of certain unsaturated fatty acids develop in the early stages scaliness of the skin and in the later stages necrosis of the tail. Returning the essential acids to the food leads to immediate improvement in the skin condition. 2. 2. Infants with eczema may be given plenty of fats (corn or linseed oil) rich in unsaturated fatty acids, and some of these children show improvement. 3. 3. Examination of the plasma lipids of the rats with scaliness of the skin and the infants with eczema reveals that the unsaturated fatty acids are below the average level in the majority of the cases. After the ingestion of the acids, the serum unsaturated fatty acids usually increase to within the normal range. 4. 4. The conclusion has been reached that the low unsaturation of the serum fatty acids in infantile eczema is one of the important causes of the disease. 5. 5. In order to find out the result of a further reduction in unsaturated fatty acids, such as occurs in acute respiratory infections in infants, we subjected nine infants with eczema to periods of careful observation in the hospital. During these periods all infants had an attack of an acute disease. The skin changes were watched closely, and periodic determinations of the plasma lipids were made. 6. 6. The acute infections were accompanied by a short period of improvement in the skin condition at the onset of the disease, but this was followed by a rather rapid aggravation in the eczema. The height of the infection usually marked the peak of the flare-up in the condition of the skin, and this was also the time when the degree of unsaturation of the serum fatty acids was lowest. 7. 7. The assumption, therefore, is that the acute respiratory diseases cause the eczema to become worse through the medium of depressing the serum unsaturated fatty acids to low levels, and that improvement in the skin condition takes place during the convalescent period because there is a corresponding gradual return of the unsaturation of the fatty acids. 8. 8. In some instances the eczema responded much better to therapy after full recovery from the acute illness than before its onset. 9. 9. This has brought up the question of the influence of other factors, such as the fever, on the skin condition and infers that more studies must be carried out before definite conclusions can be drawn.
Iris Recognition Using Signal-Level Fusion of Frames From Video

We take advantage of the temporal continuity in an iris video to improve matching performance using signal-level fusion. From multiple frames of a frontal iris video, we create a single average image. For comparison, we reimplement three score-level fusion methods (Ma, Krichen, and Schmid). We find that our signal-level fusion of N images performs better than Ma's or Krichen's score-level fusion methods of N Hamming distance scores. Our signal-level fusion performs comparably to Schmid's log-likelihood method of score-level fusion, and our method achieves this performance using less computation time. We compare our signal fusion method with another new method: a multigallery, multiprobe method involving score-level fusion of N 2 Hamming distances. The multigallery, multiprobe score fusion has slightly better recognition performance, while the signal fusion has significant advantages in memory and computation requirements. No published prior work has shown any advantage of the use of video over still images in iris biometrics.
Influence of viscosity function simplification on non-newtonian velocity and shear-rate profiles in rectangular ducts

Abstract The velocity, shear-rate, variable viscosity, and variable power-law index profiles are calculated for non-Newtonian fluids using the finite difference method. The calculations are carried out for an actual viscosity function obtained by a curve fit through measured data and for the corresponding power law model, the simplest and most often used form for non-Newtonian viscosity function approximation. The obtained results are compared between themselves and with reference results of Newtonian flow. The objective was to determine the influence of an experimental non-Newtonian viscosity function and its simplification on the above profiles. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the influence of viscosity function simplification is very weak on the velocity profile, somewhat stronger on the shear-rate profile, while the corresponding differences of viscosity and local power-law index profiles are remarkable. Some other characteristic results along with appropriate ananlysis are presented.
The effects of leadership involvement and the importance of the task on subordinates' performance

Abstract The present study manipulated two variables, leadership involvement in subordinates' discussion of a problem and the importance of the subordinate's task as perceived by the subordinate, and assessed their impact on two measures (quantity and quality) of productivity and a set of affective questionnaire items. Undergraduate students led by graduate student leaders (whose involvement varied over four levels) discussed problems in their curriculum and individually suggested solutions to these problems. The results showed that: (1) individuals led by a more involved leader produced more than individuals led by a less involved leader; (2) a task rated as very important resulted in increases in both the quantity and the quality of performance; (3) a significant interaction between the two variables indicated that the poorest quality performance was evidenced when the leader was involved and the task was of low importance; and (4) both variables had an impact on affective responses (e.g., self-reports of satisfaction) in the expected direction. The findings were discussed with respect to the appropriate strategies for optimal performance.
Oxidized cholesterol is a potent inducer of hypertension and endothelial dysfunction (LB445)

This study examined how hypertension related genes respond to dietary stress in the spontaneously hypertensive stroke prone rat (SHRSP) model. Weanling male SHRSP rats (n = 62) were fed a normo-cal...
Changes needed in agricultural policy for female-headed farm families in tropical Africa

Abstract The decline in per-capita agricultural production has been reversed somewhat in tropical Africa by the structural adjustment programs which have increased producer prices, liberalized marketing and devalued currencies. But the 30% of smallholder farm households which are female-headed will not be assisted much due to their special constraints of shortages of labor and credit, lack of extension visits and appropriate labor-saving technologies. For these households, the authors argue, improved extension services, credit for agricultural inputs, small ruminant animals and poultry, labor-saving devices and craft inputs will be necessary to increase their incomes and levels of living.
Dynamic and steady shear rheological properties of a polydisperse polystyrene

Non-Newtonian viscosity, storage, and loss moduli of a polydisperse polystyrene are measured. Molecular weight distribution of the polystyrene is measured by gel permeation chromatography. The rheological model of Carreau is modified with molecular-weight-dependent relaxation times to obtain rheological functions of the polydisperse polystyrene. It is found that five parameters in the model can satisfactorily describe the rheological functions measured.
Physical Mechanisms for Laser-Plasma Parametric Instabilities

During the past year, there has been a profusion of theoretical results concerning parametric instabilities, anomalous back-scattering, and other nonlinear interactions expected to occur at the large laser intensities needed to achieve fusion. It is often difficult for the experimentalist to gain an intuitive grasp of the important physical mechanisms involved. Fortunately, most of these phenomena are generalized parametric instabilities which can be explained, both qualitatively and quantitatively, by simple physical descriptions involving the ponderomotive force.
Does cleanliness influence moral judgments? Response effort moderates the effect of cleanliness priming on moral judgments.

Whether cleanliness influences moral judgments has recently become a topic of debate in the psychological literature. After the initial report that activating the notion of physical purity can result in less severe moral judgments (Schnall, Benton, & Harvey, 2008), a direct replication (Johnson, Cheung, & Donnellan, 2014a) with much larger sample sizes failed to yield similar findings. The current paper examines the possibility that only nonconscious activation of the cleanliness concept, as achieved in participants with low response effort on priming materials, can produce the expected effect. An online replication (Study 1, N = 214) provided evidence that, when participants exerted low (yet still acceptable) levels of response effort to the experimental material, cleanliness priming led to more lenient moral judgments than neutral priming. An online experiment (Study 2, N = 440; replicated in Study 2a, N = 436) manipulating participants’ effort on the priming task (low versus high) supported the hypothesized mechanism. Specifically, respondents in the low response effort group were instructed to complete the priming task as quickly as possible without too much attention, and the cleanliness priming resulted in less extreme moral judgments than the neutral condition as expected. In contrast, respondents in the high response effort group were instructed to perform to the best of their ability on the priming task, with a nonsignificant difference on moral ratings between cleanliness and neutral conditions. In addition to helping resolve the controversy regarding the cleanliness hypothesis, the current paper calls into attention the role of response effort in the execution and replication of priming studies.
An Overview of Alternating Electric Fields Therapy (NovoTTF Therapy) for the Treatment of Malignant Glioma.

As with many cancer treatments, tumor treating fields (TTFields) target rapidly dividing tumor cells. During mitosis, TTFields-exposed cells exhibit uncontrolled membrane blebbing at the onset of anaphase, resulting in aberrant mitotic exit. Based on these criteria, at least two protein complexes have been proposed as TTFields’ molecular targets, including α/β-tubulin and the septin 2, 6, 7 heterotrimer. After aberrant mitotic exit, cells exhibited abnormal nuclei and signs of cellular stress, including decreased cellular proliferation and p53 dependence, and exhibit the hallmarks of immunogenic cell death, suggesting that TTFields treatment may induce an antitumor immune response. Clinical trials lead to Food and Drug Administration approval for their treatment of recurrent glioblastoma. Detailed modeling of TTFields within the brain suggests that the location of the tumor may affect treatment efficacy. These observations have a profound impact on the use of TTFields in the clinic, including what co-therapies may be best applied to boost its efficacy.
Application of Capture–Recapture to Addressing Questions in Evolutionary Ecology

Capture–recapture (CR) is one of the most commonly used methods in quantitative ecology. Until recently, much of the emphasis of CR was on the estimation of abundance and vital rates, especially survival rates. Here, I discuss several important advances that have enhanced ecologists’ ability to address questions in evolutionary ecology. Generalizations of CR methodology to include group and covariate effects have allowed direct, empirical modeling of the influence of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on demographic rates. Advances in sampling design and software now allow CR modeling to address questions such as dispersal and natal fidelity, tradeoffs between reproductive effort and survival, senescence, and variability in demographic rates in relation to individual traits, among others. Furthermore, complex ecological and evolutionary questions seem to be especially amenable to a paradigm of multiple alternative (vs. single null) hypotheses, which is consistent both with information-theoretic and Bayesian approaches to inference.
Urban Assemblages: How Actor-Network Theory Changes Urban Studies. Ignacio Farías and Thomas Bender

Geography, like any discipline, is prone to fads. This is not to say that such fads are necessarily devoid of substance; rather, it is to point out the extent to which we are quick to latch on to i...
Approximate Riemann Solvers, Godunov Schemes and Contact Discontinuities

This presentation divides logically into three parts. In Part I we briefly review the one-dimensional (1D) 3-state approximate Riemann solver (HLL) of [A. Harten, P. D. Lax and B. Van Leer, On upstream differencing and Godunov-type schemes for hyperbolic conservation laws, SIAM Rev., 25 (1983), pp. 35–61], and its implementation (HLLE) of [B. Einfeldt, On Godunov-type methods for gas dynamics, SIAM J. Numer. Anal, 25 (1988), pp. 294–318]. We propose here a two-dimensional (2D) 9-state approximate Riemann solver and a corresponding 2D Godunov scheme. The result of applying this to some 2D shock interaction problems studied in [C. W. Schulz-rinne, J. P. Collins, and H. M. Glaz, Numerical solution of the Riemann problem for two-dimensional gas dynamics, SIAM J. Sci. Comput., 14 (1993), pp. 1394–1414] are shown.
Crisis and catastrophe management in the context of recently reported natural disasters (hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes): What imaging professionals need to know, especially in regard to nuclear material safeguarding

1265 Learning Objectives Plan for problems both likely and unlikely. This is a team effort. Imaging and Therapy Professionals must be able to assist in such critical situations. The best approach is prevention. A highly coordinated approach with multiple areas of redundancy is required to best cope with a crisis. Nuclear materials can be found in most all Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Therapy Departments. In Radiation Therapy (and in some Pathology Departments), lethal amounts are often present. Both current and spent (waste) materials require special handling, such as supervised storage, use and disposal. Tulane University Hospital in New Orleans had regulated Nuclear Imaging and Therapeutic materials in multiple locations and floors of our complex. Flooding occurred during Hurricane Katrina on our first floor. Issues of breakage or leaking - contamination - had to be addressed during our recovery and rebuilding phase. Adding to our problems, many of the recovery workers had little training or knowledge in handling nuclear materials. Other Hospitals have faced similar or worse issues in recent years. Some problems could have been prevented with a better pre-disaster plan. The Northeast US has also learned this after Hurricane Sandy. Planning is done both to prepare for suspect future events and to provide a team approach for optimal outcome when the unexpected occurs. Planning is never a 1 time event. Plan what to do if the structural integrity of your building is compromised by natural or man made event. Serious consequences of unshielded nuclear materials can be avoided. Special consideration must be given to recovery workers who might be insufficiently trained in handling nuclear materials, especially for therapy sources and agents. Planning is required to ensure that all nuclear materials remain safe and shielded during a catastrophe. Unsealed and unshielded sources can be life threatening otherwise.
Co-prime comb signals for active sonar

This paper presents an active sonar waveform that achieves range-Doppler performance similar to a uniform frequency comb, but uses far fewer tones to do so. The trade-off for this reduction in occupied bandwidth is a larger bandwidth extent. Co-prime comb signals consist of tones at non-uniformly spaced frequencies according to a 2-level nested co-prime array structure. Specialized non-matched filter processing enables recovery of an ambiguity surface similar to that of a uniform comb, but using fewer tonal components. This reduction in occupied bandwidth offers potential benefits such as sharing, interference avoidance, and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) improvements in both peak- and total-power-limited scenarios.
Development of N-methyl-(2-arylquinolin-4-yl)oxypropanamides as leads to PET radioligands for translocator protein (18 kDa).

Translocator protein (18 kDa), known as TSPO, is a recognized biomarker of neuroinflammation. Radioligands with PET accurately quantify TSPO in neuroinflammatory conditions. However, the existence of three human TSPO genotypes that show differential affinity to almost all useful TSPO PET radioligands hampers such studies. There is an unmet need for genotype-insensitive, high-affinity, and moderately lipophilic TSPO ligands that may serve as leads for PET radioligand development. To address this need, we varied the known high-affinity TSPO ligand (l)-N,N-diethyl-2-methyl-3-(2-phenylquinolin-4-yl)propanamide in its aryl scaffold, side chain tether, and pendant substituted amido group while retaining an N-methyl group as a site for labeling with carbon-11. From this effort, oxygen-tethered N-methyl-aryloxypropanamides emerged as new high-affinity TSPO ligands with attenuated lipophilicity, including one example with attractive properties for PET radioligand development, namely N-methyl-N-phenyl-2-{[2-(pyridi...
Duodenal nutrient exposure elicits nutrient-specific gut motility and vagal afferent signals in rat

Volume and chemical characteristics of meals in the gut have been proposed to generate vagal afferent signals that mediate the negative feedback control of ingestion and gastric emptying. Furthermo...
Abstract 3626: Quantitative analysis of microRNAs by in situ hybridization reveals prognostic value of miRNAs in melanoma and breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Introduction: Most miRNA measurement methods require total RNA extraction which destroys spatial information and makes standardization a challenge. In situ hybridization (ISH) however, allows the direct assessment of miRNA expression levels in tissue and importantly allows for the evaluation of expression in malignant cells as well as stromal cells. We have developed and validated a novel method for the quantitative analysis of miRNA expression by ISH on formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue microarrays (TMAs) using miR-21, miR-92a, miR-34a, miR-221, miR-205, and Let-7a. Methods: In order to quantitatively measure miRNA expression by ISH, DIG labeled LNA modified miRNA probes were employed and multiplexed with DAPI and cytokeratin or S100/GP100 immunofluorescence to apply the AQUA technology. This co-localization based, quantitative approach allows for the measurement of miRNA expression in subcellular compartments. The assay allows standardization of miRNA measurement and potential for rapid large cohort assessment. We also assessed protein targets of each miRNA by AQUA to investigate the hypothesized inverse relationship between miRNAs and target proteins. Results: In hundreds of tissue samples a broad dynamic range and a variable expression pattern specific to each miRNA was observed. Specificity of the assay was validated with anti-miR and miRNA mimic transfected cell lines, miR-21 knock out mouse tissue, and blocking oligo experiments. The assays were performed on near serial sections and were found to have high reproducibility with R*2>0.8. miR-221 and miR-205 were found to be prognostic in breast cancer and melanoma respectively (p<0.05). Finally, the inverse relationship between miRNAs and putative targets were not seen in the large population cohorts. Conclusions: This specific and reproducible method for the quantitative analysis of miRNA expression provides proof of concept for the use of miRNAs as tissue biomarkers using quantitative ISH. Future studies will further determine the prognostic value of miR-221 and miR-205, and the relationship between miRNAs and target protein expression. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3626. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3626
Simultaneous determination of four vitamin E isomers in vegetable oil by normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Objective:To establish a method for simultaneous determination of 4 vitamin E isomers by Normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.Methods:The separation of four vitamin E isomers was carried out by Waters Sunfire column(4.6 mm × 250 mm,5μm),using n-hexane:methyl t-butyl ether:2-methyl cyclopropane = 92:8:0.8 as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.2 ml/min.The column temperature was set at 25℃ and the fluorescence detector was applied.Results:The calibration showed good linearity for 4 vitamin E isomers in the range of 0.5 μg/ml ～100 μg/ml.The detection limits of four vitamin E isomers were 0.1 μg/ml and the average recovery was in the range of 92% ～98%.Conclusion:The method was simple,sensitive,accurate and suitable for rapid analysis of 4 vitamin E isomers in vegetable oil.
Amplification of Orthologous Genes Using Degenerate Primers

This chapter describes the use of degenerate primers for PCR amplification of orthologous DNA from related species. While several methods for designing degenerate primers have been described, an important consideration is to base the design on a short region of highly conserved amino acids. Here, we present the use of a degenerate primer design strategy called Consensus-degenerate hybrid oligonucleotide primer (CODEHOP). This strategy is very useful when there is low conservation in the multiple alignments of sequences across species. We demonstrate the use of CODEHOP to amplify the entire coding region of the flightin gene from multiple Drosophila species.
Couples’ depression and relationship satisfaction: examining the moderating effects of demand/withdraw communication patterns

This study used systemic perspectives and actor and partner interdependence model to examine actor and partner effects of depression on couples’ relationship satisfaction in sixty-three clinical couples. We also examined if a demand/withdraw communication pattern served a unique communication context that modified the impacts of depression on relationship satisfaction. Couples participated in a treatment-as-usual situation. The results showed that male depression had a negative impact on female relationship satisfaction. Males and females had different perceptions of male demand/female withdraw behaviours and it created different influences on each partner's depression in relation to relationship satisfaction. Practitioner points Depression is an interpersonal event that therapists must always assess while providing intervention in relational issues Females’ relationship satisfaction is influenced by males’ depression and couple-based therapy can be beneficial for treating men's depression and women's relational well-being Couples therapists need to intervene in demand/withdraw behaviours at different levels corresponding to which gender is executing demand/withdraw behaviours