cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lower Court Popular Constitutionalism

Scholars of popular constitutionalism have persuasively argued that an array of nonjudicial actors — social movements, the federal political branches, state and local political entities — play an important role in shaping constitutional meaning. But to date, the accounts of such scholars have largely focused on the ways that constitutional doctrine at the Supreme Court level — rather than throughout the federal judiciary — can be shaped by such popular constitutional influences. In this Essay, Professor Katie Eyer draws on the events following the Obama Administration’s February 2011 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) announcement — and the history of gay equality litigation that preceded it — to develop a theory of the lower federal courts as participants in the popular constitutionalism dialogue. Tracing the approach of the lower federal courts to gay claims for heightened scrutiny in the period both preceding, and following the Obama Administration's announcement, Eyer shows that — unlike the Court itself — the lower courts have typically demanded authoritative doctrinal guidance before meaningfully shifting their constitutional approach. However, it appears that such guidance need not be provided by the Supreme Court itself, but may in some circumstances derive from authoritative popular constitutional actors, such as the President or Congress.The Essay concludes by drawing on existing scholarship regarding lower court constitutional adjudication (and the role culture that surrounds lower court constitutional adjudication) to explain this history and to sketch a broader theory of the lower courts as potential receptive sites for popular constitutional influences. As this section describes, the history of lower court adjudication in the gay equality context is deeply consonant with what a broader theory of lower court popular constitutionalism would suggest, given the differing institutional roles ascribed to the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts as constitutional adjudicators.
Classroom-based assessment in an object-oriented programming course

We discuss the use of Primary Trait Analysis (PTA) [4] as an assessment tool in the computer science curriculum. In the Fall 2000 semester, we used this methodology to assess student learning in a junior-level object-oriented programming class. We give an assessment plan that evolved from the PTA developed for that course. The assessment plan includes a list of the primary traits of a successful student along with a scoring rubric for each trait. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology.
Panacea's Glass: Mobile Cloud Framework for Communication in Mass Casualty Disaster Triage

When working with critical-care patients, doctors and nurses need a hands-free way to stay updated on the current status of incoming patients and their needed-care levels. This need to stay updated on new patients is even more critical in a natural disaster scenario where a large volume of patients with varying states of injuries need to be treated by a limited medical staff. Using Google Glass, we can open up new possibilities for mobile healthcare communication allowing for cloud-based coordination with other medical personnel even in a disaster scenario. In this paper, we present our 'Panacea Glass', a mobile cloud framework that allows triage personnel who require hands free communication capabilities along with situational-awareness of patient care coverage. We implement this framework within a WebRTC-based 'Responder Theater Application' with features such as video chat application on Google Glass devices, and use of virtual beacon tracking devices. Lastly, we show experiments conducted in determining optimal settings of the application, as well as its utility within an actual 'Lake Simulation'.
Risk factors for acute gangrenous cholecystitis in emergency general surgery patients.

Abstract Background Acute gangrenous cholecystitis (AGC) is a medical emergency that carries high morbidity. The objective of this study is to define risk factors for this disease. Methods A retrospective review of patients who underwent cholecystectomy while admitted to the Acute Care Surgery Service from January 2009 to April 2014 was performed. Specimen reports were evaluated to identify patients with AGC and cholecystitis without necrosis (CN). Preoperative factors as well as outcomes were compared between the groups. Results A total of 483 patents underwent cholecystectomy. Four hundred fifty-nine patients were found to have CN and 24 patients were found to have AGC. Pre-existent factors such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome predicted AGC on a logistic regression. Patients with AGS were also more commonly older, male, and had a higher preoperative bilirubin. Mortality was significantly higher in patients with AGC (12.5% vs .9%, P = .003). Conclusions AGC carries an increased mortality rate compared with CN. Older patients with diabetes, coronary artery disease, and elevated bilirubin should be suspected of having AGC.
Educational Justice: Closing Gaps or Paying Debts?

The question of our educational obligations to disadvantaged students has typically been conceptualized using the language of achievement gaps: how and to what extent should we ameliorate gaps between students in terms of their attainment of certain valuable outcomes that are correlated with education? Recently, some have argued that the language of achievement gaps is misconceived and problematic, and that we should instead conceptualize our obligations to students as an education debt that is owed to certain disadvantaged students as descendants of historic and structural injustices. Underlying this argument is a deeper conviction that the moral requirement to bring about a fair patterned distribution of educational outcomes is constrained by an obligation to rectify historical injustices. By conceptualizing the issue as a debt, rather than a gap (the argument goes), we can keep the priority of historical obligations squarely on the table. In this article, I defend the conceptual framework of achievement gaps in primary and secondary education by arguing that patterned principles of educational justice are not constrained by any claims and obligations that arise in virtue of historic injustices.
GENETIC STRUCTURE OF TWO SPECIES OF WATERSTRIDERS (GERRIDAE: HEMIPTERA) WITH DIFFERING DEGREES OF WINGLESSNESS.

The Gerridae (Hemiptera: Insecta) is a worldwide family whose constituent species exhibit dramatic interand intraspecific variation in the degree of winglessness (Brinkhurst, 1960; Vepsaliiinen, 1978; Calabrese, 1979). At one extreme, the family contains species which are fully winged in all populations and during all seasons, while several species consist almost exclusively of wingless morphs over large geographical ranges and during all seasons. Many species exhibit the intermediate case of wing-polymorphism: the occurrence of various combinations of fully winged, partially winged and/or wingless morphs in the same population at the same time. Various wing-polymorphic species show differing patterns of spatial and/or temporal changes in morph ratios and patterns may vary both interand intraspecifically. The dramatic differences in frequency of winged morphs pose intriguing questions regarding the evolutionary forces responsible for degree of winglessness and the relationship between degree of winglessness and genetic structure of waterstrider species. One might expect genetic structure to be strongly influenced by degree of winglessness via reduction of flight dispersal ability and consequent reduced gene flow. Thus, species composed almost exclusively of wingless individuals should exhibit patterns of marked genetic differ-
Establishment of callus and cell suspension cultures of raspberry ( Rubus idaeus cv. Royalty)

Callus cultures were initiated from leaf sections of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) cv. Royalty. Explants from younger leaves produced significantly more calli than those from older leaves. Anderson's salt mixture was more efficient for callus induction than the Murashige-Skoog medium. The best propagation and growth of calli was observed on Anderson's medium supplemented with 9 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 4.9 μM indolebutyric acid and 4.9 μM 6-(dimethylallylamino)-purine. During a 28-day period, the fresh weight of calli increased approximately five times. The same medium without agar was used for establishing cell suspension cultures. Fresh weight of cells increased four times and dry weight approximately doubled during 10 days of culture.
Development and Implementation of a Medication Adherence Training Instrument for Persons Living With HIV: The MATI.

Recent advances in the medical management of HIV offer the potential for increased longevity, improved quality of life, and the treatment of HIV as a chronic, rather than terminal, illness. The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has required the necessity of strict adherence to complex medication regimens. As a vital factor in the successful outcome of HAART therapy, adherence-focused treatment represents a teaching opportunity for practitioners involved in the care and management of persons who are HIV positive. Scores of articles have been published regarding nonadherence, and numerous strategies have been employed to encourage adherence. Despite these efforts, medication adherence continues to present problems for patients and health care providers. This article discusses prior and existing adherence interventions for people living with HIV and outlines the rationale related to the development of a structured protocol, the Medication Adherence Training Instrument (MATI), for the evaluation and enhancement of HIV medication adherence by health care providers. The key components to the MATI throughout all sessions are to provide information, enhance motivation, and assess current levels of adherence and HIV-related knowledge.
Nature of the negative ellipticity of human fetal hemoglobin in the 280 nm region.

Abstract The uv circular dichroism (CD) spectra of aquomet hemoglobins A and F were followed to monitor their R→T conformational change. Titration studies with inositol hexaphosphate (IHP) for both adult and fetal hemoglobin showed identical total ellipticity changes although HbF was found to possess an inherently negative ultraviolet CD spectrum. By monitoring changes in the protein portion of the molecule, a dissociation constant for IHP of 16 μM was obtained for HbF. Chemical modification of HbF was found to leave the negative ellipticity unperturbed relative to native HbF. The results suggest that the negative ellipticity seen for stripped aquomet HbF is not due to a T conformation, but rather to an amino acid substitution in the γ chain of HbF.
Effect of the Teaching Kids to Cope (TKC) program on outcomes of depression and coping among rural adolescents.

PROBLEM Incidence of depressive symptoms and lack of sufficient adaptive coping skills in adolescents. METHODS A randomized controlled study to test the effectiveness of a group-administered, cognitive-behavioral interventions method, TKC©, on rural adolescents (N = 89). Outcomes were measured by changes in the scores on an Adolescent Depression Scale and the Coping Response Inventory pre/post intervention, at 6 and at 12 months. FINDINGS Results indicated improvement in depressive symptomatology and certain coping skills. Students in the intervention reported a higher use of cognitive problem-solving coping strategies. CONCLUSIONS The role of a psychiatric nurse in the school system providing short-term psychoeducation interventions is a practical and effective mental health practice.
Art fakes and the statute of limitations

A purchaser of fine art often relies on the vendor's representations as to the authorship and provenance of the work. Occasionally the new owner later makes the unpleasant discovery that the treasured work is a fake. The aggrieved purchaser then may demand that eh vendor make good on its assurances concerning the work. If the vendor declines to do so, the purchaser may seek legal redress against the vendor. At that point, the purchaser may find an unexpected barrier to success in the lawsuit. An otherwise sound claim may fail by reason of the statute of limitations -- the legal rule that a lawsuit must commence in a timely fashion. The rule may operate with dismaying rigor to art purchases, given the difficulty in distinguishing an authentic work from an imitation. This paper reviews the effects of statute of limitations claims in litigation involving artworks that do not live up to their promised authenticity. After a brief general introduction to limitations issues generally, the paper examines their varying application to claims regarding fake art.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Impact of Test-Taking Behaviors on WISC-IV Spanish Domain Scores in Its Standardization Sample.

The use of individually administered measures of intelligence and other cognitive abilities requires clinicians to monitor a client’s test behaviors, given the need for a client to be engaged fully...
Prospective strategies for cholinergic interventions in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Pomara, Nunzio, Curtis A. Bagne, Michael Stanley, and George G. Yarbrough: Prospective strategies for chollnergic interventions in Alzheimer's disease. Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. & Biol. Psychiat. 1986, 10 (3–5): 553–569. 1. 1. The cholinergic hypothesis of memory dysfunction has guided most of the recent proposals for treating the primary symptoms of AD. The efficacy of these treatments has been severely limited. This review examines two major lines of evidence which suggest that the chollnergic hypothesis may have to be expanded and revised. 2. 2. The chollnergic hypothesis focuses on pre-synaptic defects. It assumes cholinoceptive neurons would function normally with adequate stimulation. Evidence Is not sufficient to support this assumption. In addition, dissociations have been demonstrated between muscarinic receptor number and functional response of cholinoceptive neurons. Various measures are proposed to investigate the functional integrity of muscarinic receptors in AD patients. 3. 3. AD often has been characterized as a disorder produced by generalized cholinergic hypoactivity. Evidence for Cortisol hypersecretion, abnormal dexamethasone suppression, and the occurrence of depressive symptoms, motoric dysfunction and sleep abnormalities in AD patients is more consistent with regional cholinergic hyperactivity than generalized hypoactivity. Resolution of these discrepancies could shed new light on the pathophysiology and treatment strategies for AD. 4. 4. Cholinoceptive neurons could be hypersensitive, subsensitive or have unaltered responsivity. These options would have very different treatment implications. 5. 5. New developments in outcome assessment which are capable of discriminating varieties of differential response to treatment can spur treatment development and improve quality of care for patients with complex disorders such as AD.
Renormalization group and local order in strong turbulence

Abstract We present an overview of the renormalization group (RNG) method for hydrodynamic turbulence. The method yields both scaling relations and the amplitudes of inertial-range correlation functions. This makes the RNG an effective tool for turbulence modelling and simulations. The physical basis for the RNG analysis is discussed in terms of locally ordered, nearly force-free flow structures recently found in direct simulations of turbulent flows.
27 Nuclear protein import mediates phenylephrine-induced hypertrophy in adult and human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) represent an essential source of cardiomyocytes for cardiac regeneration. Nuclear protein import (NPI) is critical in regulating cell differentiation and hypertrophy. The aim of this study was to determine if exposure of adult and hESC-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CM) to hypertrophic factor phenylephrine (PE) affects hypertrophy by altering NPI in comparison with adult failing rat and human cardiomyocytes. hESC-CM were generated by exposure of H7 hESCs to ActivinA and BMP-4. Failing cardiomyocytes were obtained from explanted human hearts at the time of transplant and from a rat model of myocardial infarction-induced hypertrophy and failure. hESC-CM and adult rat CM were exposed to PE for 48 h. The effects of P38 MAPK inhibitor, HDAC inhibitor, exportin-1 (CRM-1) inhibitor, and GSK-3β inhibitor were investigated by automated microscopy. Cell and nuclear sizes were increased in PE treated-adult rat cardiomyocytes (by 141±12.7% p
Studies on the identification, biosynthesis and metabolism of a cyanogenic glucoside in Nandina domestica Thunb.☆

Abstract The occurrence of a new cyanogenic glucoside, p-glucosyloxymandelonitrile, in young shoots of Nandina domestica Thunb. is reported. The amount of the cyanogen varies from 10–20 per cent of the dry weight in young shoots. The administration of 14C labelled [14C]tyrosine shows that this amino acid is effectively incorporated into the aldehyde and nitrile moieties. Though no intermediates have been established, experimental evidence indicates that the CαCβ bond of tyrosine remains intact during conversion. The nitrile moiety is further metabolized and is incorporated into the amide carbon of asparagine.
The Treatment of Human Pulmonary Tuberculosis With Cycloserine:* Progress Report**

The discovery that streptomycin is an efficient antituberculosis drug revolutionized the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and has generated considerable optimism in regard to the outcome of this disease. Together with INH (isoniazid) or PAS (para-aminosalicylic acid) , it has been instrumental in saving innumerable lives. By promptly clearing the sputum of tubercle bacilli, it has made prolonged hospitalization unnecessary and has lessened the number of subjects who would otherwise have become infected by contact with the patient. The chronic toxicity of streptomycin for the eighth nerve made the discovery of isoniazid doubly welcome, because the drug was not very toxic and because it proved efFective in streptomycin-resistant cases. However, the rapid development of resistance by the tubercle bacilli to both streptomycin and INH has limited the usefulness of the drugs for a goodly proportion of cases. PAS, with its mild antituberculosis effects and its ability to delay the development of resistance to the other antimicrobial agents, extended the usefulness of both streptomycin and INH. The eventual emergence of resistance to the antimicrobial agents, despite the use of PAS, and the development of eighth nerve involvement, despite the use of reduced doses of streptomycin, left a hiatus in the treatment of tuberculosis for which there was no effective remedy. With the passage of time there has been an ever-increasing number of patients in sanatoria who have reached a limit of improvement with present antimicrobial therapy, and who, although they may retrogress upon discontinuance of treatment, do not continue to improve with it. For these reasons we were happy to have the opportunity to try the new antibiotic, cycloserine, in the treatment of a group of chronic cases who had reached a status quo with the other antimicrobial agents. A preliminary report on the use of cycloserine in the treatment of human pulmonary tuberculosis has been given elsewhere.1’ 2 TJp to that time cycloserine had been used on 37 cases, eight of whom were acute, previously untreated, and 29 chronic and clinically resistant to other antimicrobial
The Human Response in the Creation and Formation of Faith: A Narrative Analysis of John 12:20-50 and its Application to the Doctrine of Justification

One area of lingering tension between Lutherans and Roman Catholics on the doctrine of justification relates to the necessity, or even the possibility, of a human response in one's justification. In this article, I argue that the Gospel of John can address this lingering tension and, in doing so, acts as a counter balance to the Pauline corpus. Through narrative and inner-textual analysis, the article claims that John 12:20-50 informs the reader that Christ, the light of the world which allows humanity to see where to walk, has been sent into the world by God the Father. In this critical passage, the point at which the light of Christ is to be taken out of the world, one discovers that John corroborates Catholic concerns that the gift of God's grace, God's light, empowers and requires a human response. Such a response, however, must not be understood as independent of God's gift of grace, or light, both in its origin and continuing efficaciousness.
Review of combinatorial optimization: packing and covering

This book is based on a series of ten lectures given by Cornuejols at a CBMS-NSF regional conference in 1999. It is a monograph on the polyhedral combinatorics of packing and covering problems. The fundamental approach is to formulate a combinatorial optimization problem as an integer linear programming problem and then determine conditions under which the feasible region of the linear programming (LP) relaxation of the problem has integral vertices. In such cases, the problem can be solved efficiently by simply solving the LP relaxation.
Segregation of silicon carbide by settling and particle pushing in cast aluminum-silicon-carbide particle composite

Abstract Some effects of remelting and isothermal holding, unidirectional solidification, multidirectional solidification and rapid solidification on particle segregation and the dendritic structure of an A1357-15vol.%SiC particle composite were studied. Significant segregation of silicon carbide particles occurred owing to settling of the silicon carbide during isothermal hold; countergravity unidirectional solidification led to the SiC particles being pushed by the growing dendrites against gravity. Owing to the pushing of the silicon carbide partciles by the growing dendrites, the final distribution of silicon carbide was influenced by the rate of solidification; the best distribution was obtained under fast cooling rates during multidirectional cooling.
Mechanical components of motor enzyme function

Motor enzymes use energy from ATP dephosphorylation to generate movement by a mechanical cycle, moving and pushing in one direction while attached to their cytoskeletal substrate, and recovering by moving relative to their substrate to a new attachment site. Mainstream models assert that movement while attached to the substrate results from preexisting strain in the attached motor. The additional underlying ideas can be described in terms of three components for strain amplification: a rotating lever arm, multiple attached states, and elastic compliance. These components determine how energy is recovered during the mechanical cycle and stored in a strained motor. They may coexist in a real motor; the challenge is to determine the contributions of each component. Because these components can generate similar relationships between strain energy and strain, standard measurements of motor function do not discriminate easily between these components. However, important information could be is provided by observations that suggest weak coupling between chemical and mechanical cycles, observations of negative force and movement events in single motor experiments, and the discovery that two motors that move in opposite directions have very similar structures. In models incorporating changes in conformation between attached states, these observations are only explained easily if the conformational changes are tightly coupled to changes in the strength of motor-substrate binding.
Analysis of laterally loaded pile groups in multilayered elastic soil

Abstract The paper presents a semi-analytical method of calculating the response of a pile group. The approach is based on tying the displacement at any point of the soil mass around a pile or group of piles to the displacements experienced by the piles themselves. This is done by multiplying the pile displacements by decay functions. Application of the principle of minimum potential energy and calculus of variations to the resulting displacement field formulation leads to the differential equations for the soil and piles. Solution of these differential equations using finite differences and the method of eigenvectors leads to the desired displacement field in the soil and deflection profiles of the piles. The method produces displacement fields that are very close to those produced by the finite element method at a fraction of the cost. To illustrate the ease of application of the method, it is then used to prepare pile group efficiency charts for some typical soil modulus profiles.
Application of cross-flow microfiltration with rapid backpulsing to wastewater treatment

Abstract Cross-flow microfiltration with rapid backpulsing was investigated for the removal of suspended solids and dispersed oil from an aqueous stream. Laboratory experiments performed on clay suspensions demonstrate that rapid backpulsing can maintain the permeate flux at a level which is more than 10-fold over the long-term flux in the absence of backpulsing, without any reduction in the permeate quality. Experiments with dilute oil-in-water dispersions show that rapid backpulsing can increase the permeate flux by up to 25 times; however, the enhanced performance in this case cannot be maintained over the life of the membrane and is highly dependent on the degree of membrane use. An economic analysis shows that cross-flow microfiltration without backpulsing is not economically feasible when compared to conventional treatment methods, but that operation with backpulsing at the enhanced permeate flux levels observed for the clay experiments will result in lower costs of treated water than for conventional methods, for facilities with capacities of up to 6000 m3 d−1.
N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4) has differential efficacy for causing central noradrenergic lesions in two different rat strains: comparison between Long-Evans and Sprague-Dawley rats.

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that Long-Evans (LE) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat strains were equally sensitive to the noradrenergic neurotoxin N -(2-chloroethyl)- N -ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4) with respect to central lesions of locus coeruleus (LC) terminals as measured by immunohistochemical localization of dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH). Analysis of DβH immunoreactivity was made by both qualitative and quantitative methods. Intraperitoneal injections of 50 mg/kg DSP-4 caused a dramatic reduction of noradrenergic terminals in the neocortex, hippocampus and cerebellum of SD, but not LE rats as compared to saline-injected controls. This finding indicates that LE rats are less sensitive than SD rats to the neurotoxic effects of DSP-4 in the central nervous system.
Solar ellipticity fluctuations yield no evidence of g -modes

Although there have been several claims for the detection of solar g-modes with periods between 2 and 10 hours1–3 and although the present sensitivity of the Princeton Solar Distortion Telescope should allow these low frequency modes to be observed, solar oblateness data from the summers of 1983 and 1984 show no evidence of such oscillations with periods between 1 and 5 hours. In about 250 days (nearly 1,000 hours) of observations, we find no evidence for significant spectral power associated with g-modes. In particular, there is no evidence of a 160.01-min period solar oscillation.
Barriers to Male Transmission of Mitochondrial DNA in Sperm Development

Summary Across the eukaryotic phylogeny, offspring usually inherit their mitochondrial genome from only one of two parents: in animals, the female. Although mechanisms that eliminate paternally derived mitochondria from the zygote have been sought, the developmental stage at which paternal transmission of mitochondrial DNA is restricted is unknown in most animals. Here, we show that the mitochondria of mature Drosophila sperm lack DNA, and we uncover two processes that eliminate mitochondrial DNA during spermatogenesis. Visualization of mitochondrial DNA nucleoids revealed their abrupt disappearance from developing spermatids in a process requiring the mitochondrial nuclease, Endonuclease G. In Endonuclease G mutants, persisting nucleoids are swept out of spermatids by a cellular remodeling process that trims and shapes spermatid tails. Our results show that mitochondrial DNA is eliminated during spermatogenesis, thereby removing the capacity of sperm to transmit the mitochondrial genome to the next generation.
The Impact of Legal Inequality on Relational Power in Planned Lesbian Families

Lesbian families have the potential to create families unmarked by the inequalities of power often found in cross-sex relationships. Yet, based on interviews with 27 women with children in such relationships, we find that living in a state that legally restricts the rights of nonbirth parents to child contact if the couple relationship dissolves severely undermines this possibility. Nonbirth parents engaged in three fear-induced strategies that were at odds with these couples’ desire for equitable partnership: acquiescing to the birth mother’s wishes; making themselves financially, emotionally, and legally indispensable; and using communities to police partners’ behavior and ensure accountability. As a result, the potential for such families to model egalitarian family forms that would help destabilize established gender patterns is diminished. We conclude by pointing to the importance of galvanizing to remove the remaining laws prohibiting second-parent adoption and by discussing strategies for social ch...
Femtosecond Laser-Induced Nanostructure-Covered Large Scale Wave Formation on Metals

Using femtosecond laser irradiation, we create a unique large-scale-wave surface structure densely covered by nanostructures. The formation mechanism of this structure is also discussed in this work.
Printer graphics for clustering

One model for clusters in multivariate data is that the data are sampled from a density with many modes, one mode for each cluster. Methods of estimating multivariate densities may therefore be converted to clustering techniques, and clustering techniques may be helpful in estimating multivariate densities. Graphical techniques for representing clusters are closely related to multivariate histograms. Block histograms in two dimensions are constructed by finding a rectangle of minimum area containing a fixed number of points, deleting this rectangle and the points it contains, then finding another rectangle of minimum area containing a fixed number of points and so on. These histograms are simple visual representations of a density estimate in two dimensions. Analogous block histograms in many dimensions are useful but more difficult to represent graphically. A different approach represents each point by a box drawn in three or more dimensions. If the points are first ordered by some other clustering techn...
Biophysical Mechanisms Underlying Outer Hair Cell Loss Associated with a Shortened Tectorial Membrane

The tectorial membrane (TM) connects to the stereociliary bundles of outer hair cells (OHCs). Humans with an autosomal dominant C1509G mutation in alpha-tectorin, a protein constituent of the TM, are born with a partial hearing loss that worsens over time. The Tecta(C1509/+) transgenic mouse with the same point mutation has partial hearing loss secondary to a shortened TM that only contacts the first row of OHCs. As well, Tecta(C1509G/+) mice have increased expression of the OHC electromotility protein, prestin. We sought to determine whether these changes impact OHC survival. Distortion product otoacoustic emission thresholds in a quiet environment did not change to 6 months of age. However, noise exposure produced acute threshold shifts that fully recovered in Tecta (+/+) mice but only partially recovered in Tecta(C1509G/+) mice. While Tecta(+/+) mice lost OHCs primarily at the base and within all three rows, Tecta(C1509G/+) mice lost most of their OHCs in a more apical region of the cochlea and nearly completely within the first row. In order to estimate the impact of a shorter TM on the forces faced by the stereocilia within the first OHC row, both the wild type and the heterozygous conditions were simulated in a computational model. These analyses predicted that the shear force on the stereocilia is ~50% higher in the heterozygous condition. We then measured electrically induced movements of the reticular lamina in situ and found that while they decreased to the noise floor in prestin null mice, they were increased by 4.58 dB in Tecta(C1509G/+) mice compared to Tecta(+/+) mice. The increased movements were associated with a fourfold increase in OHC death as measured by vital dye staining. Together, these findings indicate that uncoupling the TM from some OHCs leads to partial hearing loss and places the remaining coupled OHCs at higher risk. Both the mechanics of the malformed TM and the increased prestin-related movements of the organ of Corti contribute to this higher risk profile.
Child abuse fracture through physiologic periosteal reaction

Because infants from 1 to 6 months of age often normally show symmetric diaphyseal periosteal reaction, careful analysis of the reaction at a midshaft fracture site is needed to date the fracture, especially in a child-abuse evaluation. We present a case of an acute fracture through such physiologic reaction.
An infrared sensitive Ge-Te heterojunction

A new Ge-Te heterojunction device is described. Its small-signal-level resistance under IR excitation can be smaller than its dark resistance by a factor of at least 1000 at 77 K.
A heterotic standard model

Within the context of the E_8 x E_8 heterotic superstring compactified on a smooth Calabi-Yau threefold with an SU(4) gauge instanton, we show the existence of simple, realistic N=1 supersymmetric vacua that are compatible with low energy particle physics. The observable sector of these vacua has gauge group SU(3)_C x SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y x U(1)_{B-L}, three families of quarks and leptons, each with an additional right-handed neutrino, two Higgs-Higgs conjugate pairs, a small number of uncharged moduli and no exotic matter. The hidden sector contains non-Abelian gauge fields and moduli. In the strong coupling case there is no exotic matter, whereas for weak coupling there are a small number of additional matter multiplets in the hidden sector. The construction exploits a mechanism for "splitting" multiplets. The minimal nature and rarity of these vacua suggest the possible theoretical and experimental relevance of spontaneously broken U(1)_{B-L} gauge symmetry and two Higgs-Higgs conjugate pairs. The U(1)_{B-L} symmetry helps to naturally suppress the rate of nucleon decay.
On the Indium Precipitation in Silicon

Indium precipitation in Si after ion implantation and rapid thermal annealing was studied using plan-view and cross-sectional TEM and SIMS analysis. The precipitates were found to be single crystalline with the bulk In body-centered tetragonal lattice based on periodicity data in two dimensions. The orientation relationship between the precipitate and Si lattice has been derived to be: $$\matrix{ {[011]Si\,\parallel \,[111]In} \hfill \cr {(100)Si\,\,\parallel \,(011)In} \hfill \cr } $$
Panel flutter optimization by gradient projection

A gradient projection optimal control algorithm incorporating conjugate gradient directions of search is described and applied to several minimum weight panel design problems subject to a flutter speed constraint. New numerical solutions are obtained for both simply-supported and clamped homogeneous panels of infinite span for various levels of inplane loading and minimum thickness. The minimum thickness inequality constraint is enforced by a simple transformation of variables.
Computer Generated Pyrolysis Modeling: On-the-Fly Generation of Species, Reactions, and Rates

The development of an integrated system for the computer generation of kinetic models is described. Required input is the structure of the reactants, the reaction rules, and the parameters of a structure/property kinetics correlation. The algorithm transforms this information into reactant/product relationships, i.e., the reaction network, species properties, rate constants, and the FORTRAN code corresponding to the governing species' balance equations, and offers a solution capability. Graph theory is exploited to represent the constituent atoms of a molecule to allow determination of species' uniqueness, implement chemical reactions, and identify reaction products. Special attention was devoted to improved algorithm efficiencies, the handling of ring systems, and on-the-fly'' quantum chemical calculations. This general approach is described in using ethane and cyclohexane pyrolysis case studies. The increase in the number of equations and number of components for ethane pyrolysis was exponential with the carbon number of allowed species.
Preference ordering under a pigovian emulative system

More than two decades ago Kenneth Arrow sharpened the theory o f social choice by distinguishing between individual tastes and values [2, p. 18]. In principle, he pointed out that the preference ordering by values of the individual, being inclusive o f all his desires, is primarily relevant for social choice and for the achievement o f a social maximum. Along with Arrow, and in an invidious system, it may also be argued that the preference ordering based on social values of emulat ion is primarily determinate for the choice and the satisfaction of the individual. The effects of social values of emulation, or, more generally, effects of interdependence or externalities, on the preference ordering and on the demand of an individual have been well explored in the literature [18, 14, 8, 13, 5~ 10, 17, 11,9 , 3, 6, 7]. Previously, however, such effects have been treated almost always as giving rise to a nonfunctional component o f demand. What has not been treated in greater depth is the question: what happens if social values of emulat ion completely dominate the preference ordering of the individual? The objective of this paper is four-fold. First, we shall give a more precise meaning to social values of emulation, and thus identify reference-group-taking as the mechanism by which distinction is sought (Section I). Second, we present a static model of the preference ordering according to social values of emulat ion (Section II). Third, we introduce a particular way of looking at dynamic changes of an individual 's preferences in the context of the emulative system (Section III). Fourth , we discuss some implications of this model upon the theory of consumer choice and on welfare economics (Section IV).
Structural and magnetic properties of Fe impurities in YBa2Cu3O7−δ

Abstract Samples having the general composition YBa 2 (Cu 1−x Fe x ) 3 O 7−δ have been investigated using x-ray and neutron diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy and bulk property measurements. X-ray and neutron data show that samples having x ≥ 0.04 are tetragonal. Neutron diffraction shows that this structure is very similar to that found for undoped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ when the oxygen concentration is low, although, in the present case, the total oxygen content is found to be ≥7 for all concentrations. Contrary to the common statement that Fe substitutes onto the Cu sites, it is found from neutron diffraction that the Cu1 site is not occupied, and that Fe appears to have a substantial substitution for Ba. Both Mossbauer spectroscopy and heat capacity measurements show the presence of magnetic transitions at temperatures well below the superconducting transition temperature, with evidence for a large variation in magnetic transition temperatures.
Lysophosphatidic acid induces chemotaxis in MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells

Abstract Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive lipid that has pleiotropic effects on a variety of cell types and enhances the migration of endothelial and cancer cells, but it is not known if this lipid can alter osteoblast motility. We performed transwell migration assays using MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells and found LPA to be a potent chemotactic agent. Quantitative time-lapse video analysis of osteoblast migration after wounds were introduced into cell monolayers indicated that LPA stimulated both migration velocity and the average migration distance per cell. LPA also elicited substantial changes in cell shape and actin cytoskeletal structure; lipid-treated cells contained fewer stress fibers and displayed long membrane processes that were enriched in F-actin. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that MC3T3-E1 cells express all four known LPA-specific G-protein-coupled receptors (LPA1–LPA4) with a relative mRNA abundance of LPA1 > LPA4 > LPA2 ≫ LPA3. LPA-induced changes in osteoblast motility and morphology were antagonized by both pertussis toxin and Ki16425, a subtype-specific blocker of LPA1 and LPA3 receptor function. Cell migration in many cell types is linked to changes in intracellular Ca2+. Ki16425 also inhibited LPA-induced Ca2+ signaling in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting a link between LPA-induced Ca2+ transients and osteoblast chemotaxis. Our data show that LPA stimulates MC3T3-E1 osteoblast motility via a mechanism that is linked primarily to the G-protein-coupled receptor LPA1.
An RNA foldability metric; implications for the design of rapidly foldable RNA sequences.

Abstract Evidence is presented suggesting, for the first time, that the protein foldability metric σ = (Tθ − Tf) / Tθ, where Tθ and Tf are, respectively, the collapse and folding transition temperatures, could be used also to measure the foldability of RNA sequences. These results provide further evidence of similarities between the folding energy landscapes of proteins and RNA. The importance of σ is discussed in the context of the in silico design of rapidly foldable RNA sequences.
Crystalline phase of Y2O3:Eu particles generated in a substrate-free flame process

Abstract In this study, factors affecting the crystal structure of flame-synthesized Y 2 O 3 :Eu particles were investigated, especially the particle size effect and its interaction with Eu doping concentration. Polydisperse Y 2 O 3 :Eu (size range 200 nm to 3 μm) powder samples with Eu doping concentrations from 2.5 mol% to 25 mol% were generated in either H 2 /air or H 2 /O 2 substrate-free flames. The crystal structure of the powder samples was determined by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), which was complemented by photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Single particle crystal structure was determined by single particle selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and for the first time, by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). H 2 /air flames resulted in cubic phase Y 2 O 3 :Eu particles with hollow morphology and irregular shapes. Particles from H 2 /O 2 flames had dense and spherical morphology; samples with lower Eu doping concentrations had mixed cubic/monoclinic phases; samples with the highest Eu doping concentrations were phase-pure monoclinic. For samples generated from H 2 /O 2 flames, a particle size effect and its interaction with Eu doping concentration were found: particles smaller than a critical diameter had the monoclinic phase, and this critical diameter increased with increasing Eu doping concentration. These findings suggest that the formation of monoclinic Y 2 O 3 :Eu is inevitable when extremely hot substrate-free flames are used, because typical flame-synthesized Y 2 O 3 :Eu particle sizes are well below the critical diameter. However, it may be possible to generate particles with dense, spherical morphology and the desired cubic structure by using a moderately high flame temperature that enables fast sintering without melting the particles.
Officer Attitudes and Management Influences on Police Work Productivity

Police officers are afforded a high degree of discretion in the exercise of their authority, and the control of this discretion is an important issue. While it is assumed that individual officer attitudes and preferences shape their discretionary activity, these officers are also members of a paramilitary organization with leaders appointed over them. The present study explored the influence of both officer attitudes and supervisor influences to explain variation in officer traffic citation issuing rates. Hierarchical linear modeling was used with a sample of 312 patrol officers and 60 supervisors from 21 municipal police agencies. The results revealed that both officer occupational attitudes and supervisor influences (through informal rewards and behavior modeling) significantly influenced the degree to which officers issued traffic citations. The findings emphasize the need for both the supervision of officers and the shaping of officer attitudes in the control of officer discretion.
Nonlinear interferometric vibrational imaging of molecular species

Vibrationally-sensitive spectroscopic techniques are becoming important clinical tools for real-time, in vivo diagnostics. The molecular information made available with these techniques can provide early diagnostic signs of disease, often before morphological changes occur. We model and experimentally demonstrate a new technique for measuring optical spectroscopy signals using interferometric ranging. This new technique, nonlinear interferometric vibrational imaging (NIVI), uses principles from coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT) to achieve cross-sectional imaging of the distribution of specific molecular species within a sample. Two CARS signals are generated, one from a known reference molecular species and a second from the unknown molecules in a sample. These coherent signals are interfered with each other using an interferometer setup. The intensity envelope of the interference signal provides a measure of the concentration of selected bonds present in the sample focal volume. The interference fringes themselves can provide phase information that will allow for the exact reconstruction of the vibrational characteristics of the molecules in the sample focal volume. Theoretical background to CARS interferometry is presented, the experimental laser systems are described, and a depth-resolved scan line of a benzene filled cuvette is demonstrated. The experimental results show close resemblance to the theoretical models. The advantages of NIVI over existing vibrational imaging systems and its clinical implications are discussed.
Use of poly (methyl methacrylate) in the study of fracture of randomly damaged surfaces: I. Experimental approach

Abstract Experimental approach and statistical theory are applied to broaden knowledge of materials failure by fracture, from initial service surface conditions and during damage accumulation, using PMMA beams with repeated random surfaces, which were developed by computer controlled laser ablation, and then bent to fracture. The Central Limit Theorem was used to simulate dynamic degradation. Replicas allowed the study of probability of failure location (PFL) versus parameters of the surface topography. Results show that, depending on the auto correlation length (ACL), even at early stages of degradation, there is high correlation of PFL with RMS and average roughness, and two other proposed parameters. This correlation shows an asymptotic limit behavior that agrees with fracture mechanics results for brittle materials. As important, a Sensitivity Transitional Region (STR), dependent on the ACL, was observed, below which the PFL is uncorrelated to the parameters studied; The STR's dependence on temperature is currently being studied.