cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel modulators of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase

The nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 has an important role in regulating cell death and cellular responses to DNA repair. Pharmacological inhibitors of PARP have entered clinical testing as cytoprotective agents in cardiovascular diseases and as adjunct antitumor therapeutics. Initially, it was assumed that the regulation of PARP occurs primarily at the level of DNA breakage: recognition of DNA breaks was considered to be the primary regulator (activator) or the catalytic activity of PARP. Recent studies have provided evidence that PARP-1 activity can also be modulated by several endogenous factors, including various kinases, purines and caffeine metabolites. There is a gender difference in the contribution of PARP-1 to stroke and inflammatory responses, which is due, at least in part, to endogenous estrogen levels. Several tetracycline antibiotics are also potent PARP-1 inhibitors. In this article, we present an overview of novel PARP-1 modulators.
One-year along-beach variation in the maximum depth of erosion resulting from irregular shoreline morphology

Abstract Beach erosion and accretion occur across multiple time scales. Over long time scales (decades to millennia) the shoreface ravinement surface, which is recognized as a coarse lag deposit, forms at the shoreface toe as a result of wave- and current-induced erosion during shoreline transgression. Over short time scales (hours to days) the depth of sediment disturbance, which is recognized as coarse lamina and measured at the foreshore by devices and monitoring tracer beds, forms as a result of wave- and current-induced reworking during a tidal cycle. The maximum depth of erosion (MDOE), quantified here over 1 year, is modulated by processes that operate over a time scale that is between the drivers of short-term (e.g. tides and waves) and long-term (e.g. sea-level rise) beach erosion. The MDOE integrates the erosion that occurs over a discrete time interval and records the maximum depth of erosion that is likely principally induced by storms, which is difficult to quantify by other methods that rely on discrete observations (e.g. changes in elevation or movement of the mean high-water line). A novel technique for quantifying the MDOE, based on comparing the bedding and stratigraphy between cores collected at the same locations over a discrete time interval, is presented here and applied at Onslow Beach, NC, USA. This 12 km-long barrier island has irregular shoreline morphology, characterized by two embayments separated by a central headland. This shape is largely the result of variations in the depth of underlying rock strata and produces a steeper beachface at the headland than at the embayments. At each of the six sites examined along the barrier, the MDOE is found to increase from the backshore to the middle intertidal zone and is higher at the sites closer to the headland. These variations in the MDOE are likely due to the increase in average wave energy impacting the beachface from an offshore direction and steeper beaches (intermediate beach state) at the headland. Where the MDOE is within the beach facies, it is not associated with a coarsening, which is due to the heterolithic nature of the Onslow-beach strata. Where the MDOE is the contact between back-barrier and beach facies it is always associated with a coarsening and a gravel-rich lag deposit because in this case, the MDOE is an amalgamation of multiple erosional events, which is similar to the shoreface ravinement surface. Along-beach variation in the MDOE does not correspond with discrete observations of beach change over the same period and is likely a better indicator of erosion potential than long-term discrete observations, such as changes in surface elevation or the position of the mean high-water line.
Cholesteric, Thermotropic Polymers with Mesogenic Moieties and Flexible Spacers in the Main Chain

Abstract The synthesis of a new type of thermotropic soluble cholesteric polymer is described. The polymer contains nematogenic moieties separated by flexible spacers with an asymmetric center in the backbone. The polymer gives spontaneously characteristic Grandjean texturers when heated above its transition temperature between slide and cover slip. Selective reflection of light in the visible (λ ∼ 5000–5600A) occurs for a co-polymer containing ppl-azoxyphenol/dodecanedioic acid and (+)3-methyladipic acid units.
Application of Monte Carlo simulation to multi-area reliability evaluations

Modeling a multiarea power system within a reasonable amount of computer time mandates numerous approximations and assumptions that can lead to inaccurate results. It is shown that the Monte Carlo approach to reliability evaluation avoids these problems, providing a detailed and accurate modeling of the system with computer running times that are significantly less than those of other methods for studying multiarea systems. >
Innovative Mechanical Device for the Post-Tensioning of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Bars for Masonry Type Retrofit Applications

A mechanical device specially designed for the application of low-level post-tensioning forces to glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars has been developed at the University of Missouri-Rolla. Some of the advantageous features of this device are that it is simple to assemble and the low-level post-tensioning forces can be applied manually and safely without the need for hydraulic jacks or heavy equipment. This device has been conceived with the main objective of retrofitting masonry buildings, some of which remain in service despite large, open cracks leading to considerable instability and serviceability concerns. According to the method derived in this paper, GFRP bars are installed in artificially imposed grooves and then post-tensioned with low-level stresses with the main objective to partially close these cracks, such that the serviceability and in-plane capacity of un-reinforced masonry (URM) buildings may be regained. In this paper we describe the mechanical components of this device, along with its advantageous features and potential application for the retrofit of URM walls.
Seismic signals from tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean

[1] We examine seismic signals from tsunamis for 14 earthquakes of Mw 7.1 to 8.4 in the circum-Pacific region that generated tsunamis measured previously from tide gauges or coastal runup. Low-frequency signals of 0.5 mHz up to 2–8 mHz are observed at the expected tsunami arrival time on the horizontal components of low elevation seismic stations near coastlines for eight of the 14 earthquakes. Lower amplitude signals are observed for the other six. For two earthquakes (Mw 8.2–8.4) we observe a dispersed tsunami signal between 1 and 8 mHz, with lower frequencies arriving earlier. This dispersion is consistent with predictions from the standard model for gravity waves for the bathymetry along these source-station paths. These observations, along with earlier observations from the Indian Ocean, suggest that seismic data could be used to complement tide gauges and ocean bottom pressure recorders to indicate the arrival of a tsunami.
Ceramide generation and apoptosis in autoimmunity

Abstract Apoptotic cell death was originally distinguished from necrosis based on morphological differences and on the tendency of necrotic, but not apoptotic, cells to induce an inflammatory response. Although it is still not clear how necrotic cells trigger inflammation, this capacity may be critical in relating tissue damage to the generation of an immune response. Ceramide has received substantial interest for its modulatory role in the path of programmed cell death (apoptosis). These studies have led to new understanding of some of the underlying pathology of several diseases with imbalances in the ceramide metabolism leading to undesired cell activation, imbalance in apoptosis and inflammatory processes.
A Haplotype-Based Test of Association Using Data from Cohort and Nested Case-Control Epidemiologic Studies

Haplotype-based risk models can lead to powerful methods for detecting the association of a disease with a genomic region of interest. In population-based studies of unrelated individuals, however, the haplotype status of some subjects may not be discernible without ambiguity from available locus-specific genotype data. A score test for detecting haplotype-based association using genotype data has been developed in the context of generalized linear models for analysis of data from cross-sectional and retrospective studies. In this article, we develop a test for association using genotype data from cohort and nested case-control studies where subjects are prospectively followed until disease incidence or censoring (end of follow-up) occurs. Assuming a proportional hazard model for the haplotype effects, we derive an induced hazard function of the disease given the genotype data, and hence propose a test statistic based on the associated partial likelihood. The proposed test procedure can account for differential follow-up of subjects, can adjust for possibly time-dependent environmental co-factors and can make efficient use of valuable age-at-onset information that is available on cases. We provide an algorithm for computing the test statistic using readily available statistical software. Utilizing simulated data in the context of two genomic regions GPX1 and GPX3, we evaluate the validity of the proposed test for small sample sizes and study its power in the presence and absence of missing genotype data.
Experience with Transurethral Incision of Ureteroceles

Objectives: The value of primary transurethral ureterocele incision was investigated in the treatment of ureteroceles in infants and children. Methods: The charts
a.c. Stark shifts in resonant multiphoton ionization of nitric oxide.

Measurements of a.c. Stark shifts and broadening have been made on several two-photon resonant rovibronic levels in nitric oxide, with use of resonance multiphoton spectroscopy with a calibrated proportional-counter system. Contrary to a similar study recently published (Li, Porter, and Johnson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 1336 (1984)), a.c. Stark effects are found to be independent of pressure. However, we find that space-charge effects in ionization detectors can strongly influence observed line shape at high target gas density and high laser intensities.
Sodium nitroprusside-induced deliberate hypotension to facilitate patent ductus arteriosus ligation in dogs.

Objective— To report the use of sodium nitroprusside to induce deliberate hypotension to reduce hemorrhage and facilitate surgical ligation of complicated patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in dogs. Study Design— Retrospective study. Animals— Six dogs. Methods— Hemorrhage occurred during surgical ligation of PDA in 5 dogs. Surgical dissection and isolation of the PDA were very difficult in a sixth dog that was considered to be at increased risk for ductus rupture. Sodium nitroprusside (5 to 25 μg/kg/min intravenously) was administered to these 6 dogs to induce hypotension to reduce blood loss and facilitate surgical ligation of the PDA. Results— Sodium nitroprusside infusion reduced blood pressure (mean arterial pressure, 45 to 60 mm Hg) within 5 to 10 minutes and hemorrhage from the PDA, facilitating its surgical ligation. Recovery from surgery and anesthesia was uneventful in all 6 dogs. Conclusions— Sodium nitroprusside infusion can be used to induce deliberate hypotension in dogs to facilitate surgical ligation of PDA. Clinical Relevance— Sodium nitroprusside infusion produces hypotension within 5 to 10 minutes and is easy to control, rapidly abates, and should help to facilitate surgical ligation of PDA.
Phase separation in poly(tert-butyl acrylate)/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) thin film blends.

Phase separation in thin film blends of poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PtBA) and a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS), trisilanolphenyl-POSS (TPP), is studied as functions of annealing temperature and time, using reflected light optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the PtBA/TPP blend system confined to thin films (∼90 nm) exhibits lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior with a critical temperature of ∼70 °C and a critical composition of 60 wt % PtBA with insignificant dewetting at the phase boundary. Off-critical spinodal behavior is observed for 58 and 62 wt % PtBA blend films. Phase separation by nucleation and growth is observed for all compositions outside the window between 58 and 62 wt % PtBA. The temporal evolution of spinodal decomposition in 60 wt % PtBA blend films is explored at annealing temperatures of 75, 85, 95, and 105 °C. The morphological evolution in 60 wt % PtBA blend films is similar for all ex...
Properties of a New Chloramine Disinfectant and Detoxicant

Abstract A new chloramine disinfectant, 3-chloro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone, was assayed for toxicity in chickens. The compound did not induce detectable toxic effects in chickens when administered in drinking water (200 ppm) for an 8-week period. The compound has a significant pH dependent ability to detoxify aflatoxin B1.
The galloping chromosphere

Oscillating velocity fields can be observed on H-alpha filtergrams as a shifting pattern of intensity fluctuations known as 'the galloping chromosphere'. The characteristics of this activity are those of horizontal running waves of typical period of about 300 sec and long wavelength (about 20,000 km) that can be interpreted as acoustic-gravity waves propagating in the acoustic domain. Periods are longer in dark, structured regions, and in fibrils, and the change is quantitatively consistent with the reduction of resonance frequency in a magnetic field of 1 to 10 gauss. These easily observed fluctuations thus offer a means of estimating magnetic-field strength at specific locations in the chromosphere. Phase velocities are high, ranging upward from typical values between 50 and 100 km per sec, and tending to be lower in active regions and toward the limb.
System architecture directions for a software-defined lighting infrastructure

After years of development, cost-effective, energy-efficient, and long-lasting solid-state lighting technology is finally a viable alternative to incandescent and fluorescent lights. Unfortunately, the remarkable march of semiconductor technology into the lighting industry is almost entirely in the form of a substitute good - one kind of lighting technology that replaces another - but this, we argue, squanders a unique opportunity for lighting to enable a bevy of new applications. In this paper, we discuss applications in health, energy efficiency, entertainment, communications, indoor positioning, device configuration, and time synchronization. We then prototype several of the indoor applications to explore a software-defined lighting (SDL) architecture that could support them.Using our prototyped applications, we next take a primitive stab at demonstrating application coexistence, multiplexing multiple applications on a single lighting network. A major question raised by this effort is how to multiplex these various applications in a more principled manner on a shared lighting infrastructure whose primary role is illumination (implying that any human-perceptible flicker or flashing will be unacceptable). Looking ahead, we draw inspiration from software-defined networking's approach to sharing the network, and software-defined radios' approach to processing waveforms, to sketch the beginnings of an SDL architecture and its application programming interfaces.
Partial Theories: On Gossip, Envy and Ethnography in the Andes

Gossip is intertwined with the practice of ethnography both in the collection of evidence and in the retelling of stories about other people. Yet ethnographers have directed scant attention to goss...
Negative and iterated spacer lithography processes for low variability and ultra-dense integration

Variation in the critical dimension (CD) of a transistor is a primary concern for advanced lithography. Because variation from sources such as corner rounding or line edge roughness does not scale with CD, variability in transistor performance increases with scaling and may impact the timing or even the functionality of critical circuits such as static random access memories (SRAM) and ring oscillators. Spacer lithography is an attractive patterning method for future technology nodes, because its use of a very uniform and controllable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) step allows for the definition of very narrow lines with low variation and reduced pitch1,2. In practice, however, the possible pitch reductions are limited by the need for conventional lithography to produce negative features (e.g., trenches and holes) and increasing CD variability with iterated spacer processing. In this work, an extension to spacer lithography is presented to overcome these limitations. Negative features down to 30nm in width are fabricated using spacer-defined features. A multi-tiered hard mask process is also presented to enable eight-fold pitch reduction with no increase in CD variation. In combination, these processes enable ultra-dense circuit integration for regular layouts.
Muscular Fatigue Curves of Boys and Girls

Abstract Exponential fatigue curves for dynamic work of the forearm muscles were obtained from 200 boys arid girls ranging from 8 through 17 years of age. The fatigue parameters analyzed in relation to initial strength were fatigable strength, steady-state equilibrium strength, and relative rate of strength loss per contraction. Older children were stronger and exhibited greater fatigue. When their strength loss and steady-state levels were considered in relation to their initial strength-capacity, there were no age differences in fatigability, and sex differences were either absent or very small. At age eight, boys and girls had equal rates of strength loss per muscle contraction. Older boys, since they exerted more strength initially, tended to reach the fatigue level more rapidly than younger children. Older girls reached their fatigue level more slowly.
The role of histamine in the physiologic alterations of IgE anaphylaxis in the rabbit

The respiratory and circulatory alterations induced by intravenous histamine in the pentobarbital anesthetized rabbit were examined and compared to those alterations associated with IgE anaphylaxis following antigen challenge. Histamine induced several graded alterations including an increase in total pulmonary resistance, a decrease in dynamic compliance, an increase in breathing frequency, a decrease in tidal volume, a rise in right ventricular systolic pressure and systemic hypotension. Qualitatively similar alterations occurred during the anaphylactic response, but a quantitative comparison of the two responses revealed that the respiratory alterations in systemic anaphylaxis corresponded to relatively low equivalent histamine doses, whereas the anaphylactic circulatory alterations exceeded the maximum response obtainable with histamine. Pretreatment with H1 antihistamine competitively blocked all of the ventilatory and lung mechanical changes induced by histamine, but it inhibited only the increase in pulmonary resistance induced by antigen. The right ventricular hypertension induced by histamine was also inhibited by H1 antihistamine but the antigen-induced change in this variable was not significantly attenuated. Inhibition of the histamine-induced systemic hypotension required pretreatment with both H1 and H2 histamine antagonists. Such pretreatment, however, did not attenuate the fall in systemic arterial pressure induced by antigen. H1 antihistamine pretreatment prevented histamine- but not antigen-induced lethality. We conclude that histamine is an important mediator of the increase in pulmonary resistance but is not the major mediator of the other physiological alterations of IgE systemic anaphylaxis in the rabbit.
The distribution of expression of doublecortin (DCX) mRNA and protein in the zebra finch brain

Using in situ hybridization, we measured the distribution of expression of doublecortin (DCX), a microtubule-associated protein, in zebra finch adult and nestling (P9-11) brains. In adult brain, DCX mRNA was detected mainly in the mesopallium (M), medial striatum (MSt), septum, Area X, diencephalon, telencephalic subventricular zone (SVZ), and Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. The expression at posthatch day 9 (P9) was heavy in almost the entire telencephalon and showed heavier expression in SVZ and song regions such as the high vocal center (HVC) and the robust nucleus of arcopallium (RA). Outside of the telencephalon at P9, we found distinct label in nucleus ovoidalis (OV), nucleus spiriformis lateralis (SpL), and nucleus subpretectalis (SP) in the midbrain, almost the entire diencephalon including nucleus dorsomedialis posterior thalami (DMP), stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale (SGF) in optic tectum, and Purkinje cells in cerebellum. Most of the heavily labeled areas by in situ hybridization overlapped with immunohistochemical staining for DCX, indicating that DCX mRNA is probably translated into protein in those regions. No sex difference was found in DCX expression at P9 or in the adult except that Area X was labeled only in the adult male. The intensity of expression in the adult was significantly lower than that at P9, which suggests a particular role for DCX in early song bird brain development. If DCX is predominantly expressed in migrating neurons, as suggested from studies in mammals, the present results offer no evidence for a sex difference in neuronal migration.
Commentary: Risks of doing as the Romans do

Garattini and Chalmers (doi:10.1136/bmj.b1025) make four suggestions to improve the evaluation of drugs—involve patients in establishing research priorities, improve the transparency of drug evaluations and studies, fund independent drug evaluations, and require evidence that new drugs have added clinical value. Although controversial, many of their proposals would benefit patients. However, their suggestion to follow the Italian approach to funding independent clinical trials is unlikely to be a good idea. In 2003, Italy decided to establish a tax on the drug industry of 5% of their medicines advertising budget. This money is used by the state medicines agency, AIFA, to fund clinical research on the efficacy of orphan drugs, comparisons of drugs for the same indication, observational outcome studies, and pharmacovigilance.1 2 We …
Dynamics of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Operation

The dynamics of solid oxide fuel cell operation (SOFC) have been considered previously, but mainly through the use of one-dimensional codes applied to co-flow fuel cell systems. In this paper a cross-flow geometry is considered. The details of the model are provided, and the model is compared with some initial experimental data. For parameters typical of SOFC operation, a variety of transient cases are investigated, including representative load increase and decrease and system shutdown. Of particular note are results showing cases having reverse current over significant portions of the cell, starting from the moment of load perturbation up to the point where equilibrated conditions again provide positive current. Consideration is given as to when such reverse current conditions might most significantly impact the reliability of the cell.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
HAPLOID (2,2)-SUPERFIELDS IN 2-DIMENSIONAL SPACE-TIME

Abstract Superfields in 2-dimensional (2,2)-superspace-time which are independent of (some) half of the fermionic coordinates are discussed in a hopefully both comprehensive and comprehensible manner. An embarrassing abundance of these simplest ‘building blocks’ makes it utterly impossible to write down the ‘most general Lagrangian’. With some ad hoc but perhaps plausible restrictions, a rather general Lagrangian is found, which exhibits many of the phenomena that have been studied recently, and harbors many more. In particular, it becomes patently obvious that the (2,2)-supersymmetric 2-dimensional field theory target space geometries (many of which are suitable for (super)string propagation) are far more general than Kahler manifolds with holomorphic bundles.
Inheritance of resistance to blackmold (Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler) in two interspecific crosses of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum ×L. cheesmanii f.typicum).

Inheritance of resistance to blackmold, a disease of ripe tomato fruit caused byAlternaria alternata, was studied in two interspecific crosses. The parents, F1 and F2 generations of a cross between the susceptibleLycopersicon esculentum Mill. cultivar ‘Hunt 100’ and the resistantL. Cheesmanii f.typicum Riley accession LA 422, and the parents, F1, F2, F3, and BC1 P2 generations of a cross between the susceptibleL. Esculentum cv. ‘VF 145B-7879’ and LA 422 were evaluated. The following disease evaluation traits were used: symptom rating (a symptom severity rating based on visual evaluation of lesions), diseased fruit (the number of diseased fruits divided by the total number of fruit scored), and lesion size (a function derived from the actual lesion diameter). Generation means analysis was used to determine gene action. The data of the ‘Hunt 100’ × LA 422 cross fit an additive-dominance model for all three traits. The ‘VF 145B-7879’ × LA 422 cross data best fit a model that included the additive × additive and additive × dominance interaction components for the trait diseased fruit, whereas higher-order epistatic models would have to be invoked to fit the data for the traits symptom rating and lesion size. A minimum of one gene segregated for all three traits. Broad-sense heritability estimates ranged from 0.09 to 0.16 for all three traits, indicating that selection for improved resistance to blackmold will require selection on a family performance basis.
Magnetoelectric effect in composite materials

Composites of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials show a product property called magnetoelectricity which is absent in its constituent phases. The electric and magnetic fields are linked in the composite through the elastic stress-strain fields of the piezoelectric and magnetostrictive phases. Thus an applied magnetic field causes electric polarization or an electric field applied across the composite causes magnetization in the composite material. Such materials are potentially useful as magnetoelectric transducers. In this work, we report the results of a theoretical and experimental investigation of ME composites of PZT-CoFe2O4 and BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 with various connectivities. The magnetically induced ME effect was measured by applying an ac magnetic field of 1 kHz frequency with a variable dc magnetic bias field. The maximum values of the ME voltage coefficient, were 92.8 (V/m)(kA/m) for the 2-2 CoFe2O4-PZT4 composites and 9.55 (V/m)(kA/m) for CoFe2O4-BaTiO3 (20:80 mole %) ball mill mixed composites. Theoretical models were developed to calculate the ME voltage coefficient of 2-2 composites with different boundary conditions. Composites with 3-0 and 0-3 connectivities were modeled using a cubes model. The results show that the connectivities have a great effect on the magnetoelectric properties. An improvement of more than two orders of magnitude is possible by proper selection of materials and better process control to tailor the connectivity.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of nucleophosmin1 haploinsufficiency on hematopoietic stem cells.

Nucleophosmin1 (NPM1), located at 5q35.1, is frequently mutated, deleted, or translocated in a number of hematopoietic malignancies (1). Deletion of 5q encompassing the NPM1 locus occurs in approximately 40% of high risk MDS/AML with complex karyotypes (2), although the common 5q interstitial deletion that occurs in MDS does not include this region (3). Mice genetically engineered to harbor heterozygous loss of Npm1 (Npm1+/−) were shown to have a mild MDS-like phenotype characterized by dyserythropoiesis and dysplastic megakaryocytes with macrocytic anemia, but without significant cytopenias or alterations in lineage commitment. These mice also exhibited increased susceptibility to hematologic malignancies with age (4, 5). While these studies confirmed NPM1’s role as a tumor suppressor, they did not characterize a role for NPM1 in hematopoietic stem or progenitor cell function, a likely phenotype alteration given the propensity of NPM1 mutant mice to develop hematologic neoplasms. In order to better understand the effects of loss of a single NPM1 allele on hematopoiesis, we obtained Npm1 heterozygous deficient mice (#11744-UCD) from the Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Centre (UC Davis, CA). An embryonic stem cell clone with a single gene trap event in the Npm1 locus was used to generate the Npm1+/− line (genetic background 129/SvEvBrd X C57BL/6J).
A Lasso-type Robust Variable Selection for Time-Course Microarray Data

Lasso has been widely used for variable selection because of its sparsity, and a number of its extensions have been developed. In this article, we propose a robust variant of Lasso for the time-course multivariate response, and develop an algorithm which transforms the optimization into a sequence of ridge regressions. The proposed method enables us to effectively handle multivariate responses and employs a basis representation of the regression parameters to reduce the dimensionality. We assess the proposed method through simulation and apply it to the microarray data.
The Knowledge Production Function for University Patenting

We estimate a knowledge production function for university patenting using an individual effects negative binomial model. We control for R&D expenditures, research field and the presence of a TTO office. We distinguish between three kinds of researchers who staff labs: faculty, postdoctoral students and PhD students. We also examine whether PhDs and postdoctoral scholars contribute equally to patent activity or whether there is a differential effect depending upon visa status. We find patent counts relate positively and significantly to the number of faculty, number of PhD students and number of postdocs. Our results also suggest that not all graduate students and postdocs contribute equally to patenting but that contribution is mediated by visa status.
The effective properties of functionally graded composites—I. Extension of the mori-tanaka method to linearly varying fields

Abstract In its original form, the Mori-Tanaka method estimates constant overall properties of statistically homogeneous composite materials subjected to uniform overall stresses, strain or temperature changes, from averages of local fields in the phases. To permit applications involving large overall stress and/or temperature gradients, and functionally graded materials with a variable reinforcement density, the method is extended here to linearly variable overall and local fields. This is done for representative volumes of statistically homogeneous solids with constant overall properties, as a first step toward application of the method to statistically inhomogeneous materials with variable reinforcement density. It is shown that the linear and constant field approaches provide different estimates of overall properties for small representative volumes, but nearly identical estimates for large volumes.
Evoked potentials in cat auditory nerve: Suppression by prior tonal stimulation

Action potentials (AP) recorded from the eighth nerve of a cat to a tone pip, S1, were suppressed when preceded by a monotic or dichotic conditioning tone, Tc. The suppression increased when (1) the interval between Tc and S1 was decreased, (2) either the intensity or the duration of Tc was increased, or (3) the difference in frequency between the two stimuli was reduced. Thus the nerve action potential amplitude correlates strongly, but inversely, with the loudness enhancement effects seen in man (Galambos, Bauer, Picton, Squires & Squires,Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 1972, 52). Since Coats and Dickey (Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 1972, 52) found that the human AP can be diminished by a preceding noise without reducing the loudness of a click, the available results suggest that a central mechanism functions to compensate for the reduction in AP amplitude. The dichotic effects could be accounted for by cross-hearing, thereby providing no evidence for a role of the olivocochlear bundle in the effects observed.
Estimation of reliability and its derivatives for large time horizons in Markovian systems

A number of importances sampling methods have been previously proposed for estimating the system unreliability of highly reliable Markovian systems. These techniques are effective when the time horizon of interest is small. However, for large time horizons, these methods are no longer efficient. We describe a technique in which instead of estimating the actual measure, we estimate bounds on the measure. The bounds can be estimated efficiently, and for large time horizons, they are close to the actual measure. Similar techniques for derivative estimation are also presented.
Unexpected patterns of sensitivity to drought in three semi-arid grasslands

Global climate models forecast an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including severe droughts. Based on multi-year relationships between precipitation amount and aboveground annual net primary production (ANPP), semi-arid grasslands are projected to be among the most sensitive ecosystems to changes in precipitation. To assess sensitivity to drought, as well as variability within the shortgrass steppe biome, we imposed moderate and severe rainfall reductions for two growing seasons in three undisturbed grasslands that varied in soil type and climate. We predicted strong drought-induced reductions in ANPP at all sites and greater sensitivity to drought in sites with lower average precipitation, consistent with continental-scale patterns. Identical experimental infrastructure at each site reduced growing season rainfall events by 50 or 80%, and significantly reduced average soil moisture in both years (by 21 and 46% of control levels, respectively). Despite reductions in soil moisture, ANPP responses varied unexpectedly—from no reduction in ANPP to a 51% decrease. Although sensitivity to drought was highest in the semi-arid grassland with lowest mean annual precipitation, patterns in responses to drought across these grasslands were also strongly related to rainfall event size. When growing season rainfall patterns were dominated by many smaller events, ANPP was significantly reduced by drought but not when rainfall patterns were characterized by large rain events. This interaction between drought sensitivity and rainfall event size suggests that ANPP responses to future droughts may be reduced if growing season rainfall regimes also become more extreme.
Petrology of cogenetic silica-saturated and -oversaturated plutonic rocks in the Ruby geanticline of north-central Alaska

Felsic plutonic rocks in the northwestern portion of the Ruby geanticline of north-central Alaska occur as two distinct rock suites: (1) silica-saturated monzonite and syenite and (2) silica-oversaturated granite. K–Ar mineral ages for each suite average 107 ± 6 Ma, and both suites plot along a single Rb–Sr whole-rock isochron that yields an age of 112 ± 4 Ma and an initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.70778 ± 0.00006. Whole-rock δ18O values range from + 6.75 to + 7.30‰. The two suites cannot be related by simple fractionation, yet they appear to have a chemically and isotopically similar parental magma. Based on chemical mixing calculations, observations of magma – wall-rock interaction and xenolith abundances, we suggest a model whereby a small amount of assimilation of siliceous wall rock by a portion of an originally silica-saturated magma caused an increase in silica saturation, which led to two distinct fractionation suites. The almost exactly silica-saturated composition and extremely high Sr concentration...
A study of Benjamin's eight-facet Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) model.

The study purpose was to evaluate the cluster, or facet, version of Benjamin's (1974, 1996b) Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) in independent samples of 133 normal participants and 182 psychiatric cases. We first tested for the presence of 3 circumplexes, Focus on the Other, Focus on the Self, and Introject in the 36 items that are hypothesized to define each of them. Next, intercorrelations of 8 item-based facet scales were assessed for internal consistency, factor structure, and circular order, with the expectation that the scales would be reliable, yield 2 higher-order factors, and demonstrate a circumplex structure. Principal components analysis was applied followed by varimax rotation. Data for both normal participants and patients uniformly confirmed the presence of 4 item-level factors and 2 cluster-based factors for each circle. Alpha coefficients for facet scales were typically high, but some were as low as .50. The principal difference between the normal participants and patients was that the circumplex was incomplete in the patient data with poor differentiation of the vertical and horizontal variables. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 55: 207–215, 1999.
One- and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel analysis of the heat shock proteins of the virilis group of Drosophila.

The heat shock proteins of the virilis group of Drosophila are analyzed by one- and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel analysis. This group consists of the two closely related but distinct virilis and montana phylads. The analysis reveals that some of the heat shock proteins are highly conserved among the two phylads while others are not. The 83-, 72-, and 69-kdalton proteins comigrate in all species examined. There is, however, a noticable trend toward greater molecular weight variability in the smaller heat shock proteins. In general, the heat shock protein patterns within each phylad follow the proposed phylogenetic relationships with some exceptions. D. ezoana and D. littoralis, both members of the montana phylad, exhibit heat shock protein patterns more similar to those of the virilis phylad. The data also demonstrate that the montana phylad has almost two times the heat shock allele members that the virilis phylad has. It is also shown that F1 and F2 hybrid flies of crosses between Drosophila species having different patterns of heat shock proteins show Mendelian segregation of alleles. After several generations of inbred growth, however, the pattern of heat shock protein synthesis in reciprocal hybrids each resembles that of the paternal parent. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Social responses to commodity shortages: The 1973–1974 gasoline crisis

This paper examines social responses to the 1973–1974 gasoline crisis in the United States, using newspaper reports of automobile driver behavior in two metropolitan areas and American Automobile Association data on the adoption of rationing plans and the availability of gasoline in 48 states. From these data it is possible to identify two types of responses: individual responses by automobile drivers, which occurred in every region affected by the shortages, and collective responses in the form of rationing plans adopted by governments and gas station operators in the regions with the most severe shortages. In the latter regions the responses occurred in sequence, with individual responses emerging first and collective responses developing later.
Performance Characterization Of An Image Converter Based Streak Camera

The performance response of an electronic subnanosecond streak camera to a spatially distributed optical signal varies significantly with the image location on output screen. The variations are due mainly to the combined effects of: (i) electron-optics aberrations, (ii) camera sweep ramps and gating waveform imperfections, (iii) photocathode and phosphor quantum efficiency nonuniformities, and (iv) excessive incident intensity or power. Consequently, a dynamic full-scale characterization of the streak camera is necessary for achieving a better measurement accuracy, relative or absolute. To meet this need, we are developing a simple yet versatile technique for characterizing the large-format image-converter-tube based streak cameras that are routinely used as the prime diagnostic instruments at the nuclear test site in Nevada. A mode-locked pulsed dye laser routing through beam splitters and mirrors provides the repetitive light source of multiple pulses with known intensities and inter-pulse timing for illumination along the streak sweep axis. Meanwhile, a bar-chart test pattern at the input slit intercepting an expanded form of the light source, or a bundle of equal-length fibers fanning out into a linear line array replacing the slit, distributes the illumination along the axis perpendicular to the sweep. In one single shot, this technique enables an accurate and detailed mapping of the key performance parameters of a large-format streak camera. The obtainable parameters include quantitative temporal and spatial resolutions, descriptive dynamic range, two-dimensional sweep nonlinearity, and intensity or power dependent distortions. Experimental setup is described. Sample test data, digitization plots, and computer analysis results are presented.
Relationships between psychological factors and cardiac rhythm and electrical disturbances

Abstract The paper explores some relationships between psychological state and cardiac electrical and arrhythmic abnormalities. Prior studies of large clinic populations have disclosed an association between such disorders and hospitalizable mental illness. Conversely, some series of cardiology patients have commonly manifested severe psychological symptoms in the setting of even mild or transient cardiac symptoms. Frequently no cardiac disease was found. Careful studies of individual patients demonstrate that emotional arousal, sometimes related to a specific emotion in a given patient, can trigger episodes of serious arrhythmias. Seven patients with severe, symptomatic, intractable EKG-documented cardiac arrhythmias were interviewed. Recent changes in job status occurred in 5 patients prior to the first onset of arrhythmias. The immediate precipitants of arrhythmic crises included some emotional experiences, such as a patient's son hugging him, and some emotionally trivial experiences, such as awakening in the morning or standing up. Severe and unusual fatigue was present in 3 of the patients prior to their first arrhythmic crisis. It was concluded that important events with relatively long-term consequences in an individual's life may tonically lower the threshold to arrhythmias, and that the short-term effects of a diversity of physiological events (e.g., effort, emotional arousal, relaxation) may interact with the lowered threshold to precipitate and arrhythmic crisis.
Exploring diversity: evaluating the cost of frequency diversity in communication and routing

As the number of wireless devices increase, the frequency spectrum becomes further congested. Deployments of wireless devices in harsh radio environments (i.e. an industrial plant) also motivates the study of alternate communication protocols that offer enough diversity to overcome interference. This work explores the use of frequency diversity to address this problem and examines its effectiveness in various environmental settings. We also examine the interplay between frequency agility at the MAC layer and route diversity in the network layer and look to understand the cost-tradeoffs in the diversity of choices offered by each layer.
Increased Activity of the Respiratory Burst in Cord Blood Neutrophils: Kinetics of the NADPH Oxidase Enzyme System in Subcellular Fractions

ABSTRACT: Previous studies with neutrophils from newborn infants compared to neutrophils from healthy adults have documented increased respiratory burst activity including enhanced superoxide anion (O2-) production, nitroblue tetrazoleum dye reduction, and hexose monophosphate shunt activity. To investigate the biochemical basis for these observations, we examined oxidative metabolism in membrane-rich fractions of neutrophils. Neutrophils from cord blood of vaginally delivered term infants or healthy adults were disrupted by nitrogen cavitation and subcellular fractions collected on discontinuous sucrose density gradients. Subcellular fractions of newborn neutrophils separated in a fashion identical with samples from healthy adults. Activity of alkaline phosphatase, a plasma membrane marker, was increased 4- to 5-fold in disrupted cells free from nuclei (postnuclear supernatant) as well as plasma membrane fractions from newborn samples compared to those from healthy adults. Content of lactoferrin, a specific granule marker, was decreased in postnuclear supernatants but equivalent in specific granule fractions of newborn cells compared to those from adults. No differences were noted in myeloperoxidase content of postnuclear supernatants or any other subcellular fraction. Plasma membrane fractions from phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated cord blood neutrophils made significantly more O2-than samples from adults (newborn 32.9 ± 8.1 nmol O2- min/mg protein mean ± SEM, n = 3 versus adult 10.8 ± 4.2, n = 3; P<0.05). Plasma membrane-rich fractions were also collected by the technique of differential centrifugation and kinetic parameters of the NADPH-dependent oxidase enzyme(s) were measured for vaginally delivered newborn and adult samples. The Kmapp for NADPH for newborn fractions was significantly increased compared with adult samples (newborn 66 ± 10 μM, n = 6 versus adult 30 ± 6, n = 6; P<0.025) but not to the extent that would be associated with abnormal cell function. In contrast, Vmax of newborn membrane-rich fractions was 1.7 times that of adult samples (newborn 30.6 ± 27 nmol O2-/ min/mg protein, n = 6 versus adult 18.0 ± 4.0, n = 6; P<0.025). Plasma membrane-rich fractions from term infants delivered by cesarean section without labor had a Kmapp of 67 ± 20 μM, n = 5 which was different from adult samples (P<0.05) and a Vmax for O2-production of 14.8 ± 4.5 which was less than that measured from samples from vaginally delivered infants (P< 0.01). The Kmapp reimply a qualitative difference in the fetal oxidase enzyme system. In addition, the increased O2-production and Vmax demonstrated in samples from vaginally delivered infants as compared to infants delivered by cesarean section or healthy adults suggests an effect of parturition on the fetal neutrophil which is similar to the effect of certain compounds such as lipopolysaccharide. The increased catalytic activity of the NADPH oxidase enzyme system in neutrophils from newborns may reflect “priming” during parturition.
On the Chaotic Dynamics Analysis of Internet Traffic

In this paper, the chaotic dynamical properties of Internet traffic are analyzed based on the self-similarity characteristic of it. The phase space of the traffic time serials is reconstructed and the correlation dimension is analyzed, which indicate that the dynamical system has finite degree of freedom and a positive maximum Lyapunov exponent. The chaotic characteristic of the traffic is demonstrated and the nonlinear evolution mechanism is observed. Finally, the traffic signals are reconstructed by using fractal interpolation algorithm and gaining reasonably accurate replications.