cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF CLEARANCE IN MECHANICAL SYSTEMS: EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION

Abstract The performance of servosystems with gears (e.g. machine tool drive systems) depends on the clearance or backlash between the gear teeth. Too little and the gears cannot accommodate lubrication and manufacturing errors. Too much and the system accuracy and stability degrade. Therefore, to ensure that a machine system with gears is operating within specifications, the backlash magnitude should be checked frequently. A technique to estimate the backlash automatically is required. The objective of this paper is to evaluate experimentally a clearance detection technique, previously published by the authors, to detect backlash in a servosystem with gears. The technique estimates the backlash by computing the speed variations induced into the primary gear speed by the gear tooth impacts caused by exciting the system sinusoidally. It is shown that a low-cost conventional tachometer is sufficient to measure the induced speed variations. The estimates are shown to represent accurately the actual backlash for ranges 100% of the recommended backlash setting. In addition, by exciting the system with a sinusoid having a DC offset, it is shown that, in a simple one step automatic procedure, the backlash can be averaged over all the gear tooth combinations or computed for individual gear tooth pairs. The results, along with the previously developed theory, indicate that this clearance detection can be inexpensively applied to many machine systems.
Color shift improvement in a broadband cholesteric liquid crystal polarizer through computational simulations

Color shift on off-axis angles is key issue of the cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) polarizer. In this paper, color shift issues on various azimuthal and viewing angles of back light unit assembled with CLC polarizers are analyzed by optical simulation. We found that smaller NZ value of quarter-wave plate (QWP) of our samples will compensate the color shift issue more efficiently. Although abnormal dispersion type QWP gives the best performance at the on-axis viewing angles, at large viewing angle its color shift is depending on azimuthal angle and bandwidth of CLC polarizers. Besides, a single layer type CLC polarizer of gradient pitch over a shorter bandwidth has better color coordinate property also be performed.
Hardware Implementation of Denoising Algorithms for Nanopore Sensing

Effective biosensors continue to be a research area of great interest for both defense and medical applications. In particular, silicon pores with diameters in the range of micro/nano-meters have demonstrated the ability to detect an array of analytes. Typically, these sensors make use of the Coulter counter set-up where a drop in current across the chamber is observed when a biomaterial passes. The duration and amplitude of this drop is indicative of the biomaterial's size and shape.In order to effectively use such sensors, however, robust denoising and classification algorithms must also be developed. Recently, Non-Positive Go Decomposition (NpGoDec) was shown to be an effective denoising method for biological data, correctly classifying simulated controlled data for Immunoglobulin G biomolecule with 96 percent accuracy.In this work, a research team for Arizona State University programmed the NpGoDec algorithm onto a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) for on-chip, biosensor processing. There are several benefits to such a system. First, denoising the signal on an FPGA reduces processing time by avoiding the transmission of the raw data into off-line processing software such as MATLAB and brings biological sensing one step closer to real time. In addition, performing much of the signal processing work on the FPGA moves the sensor closer to being a portable device. The system is carefully investigated for accuracy and processing time as compared to the original, simulated signal. Our approach also enables the integration of a classifier onto an FPGA, which will allow the system to quickly identify the biomaterials passing through a nanopore.
Sexual Relationship Power as a Mediator Between Dating Violence and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among College Women

This study examined relationship power as a possible mediator of the relationship between dating violence and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The proposed mediation model was based on the theory of gender and power as well as previous research on intimate partner violence and STI risk. Survey results from a sample of 290 single, undergraduate women indicated that 85% experienced at least one form of dating violence victimization in the past year, 5.9% tested positive for an STI, and 5.2% received treatment for an STI. Results revealed that women with lower levels of sexual relationship power had higher rates of dating violence victimization and STIs; also, sexual relationship power partially mediated the relationship between dating violence victimization and STIs. Future dating violence and STI-prevention interventions targeting young women may want to use an empowerment approach to decrease their likelihood of dating violence victimization and STI risk.
Mechanism of calcium release from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum

Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release at the terminal cisternae of skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum was demonstrated using heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Ca2+ release was observed at 10 μm Ca2+ in the presence of 1.25mm free Mg2+ and was sensitive to low concentrations of ruthenium red and was partially inhibited by valinomycin. These results suggest that the Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release is electrogenic and that an inside negative membrane potential created by the Ca2+ flux opens a second channel that releases Ca2+. Results in support of this formulation were obtained by applying a Cl− gradient or K+ gradient to sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles to initiate Ca2+ release. Based on experiments the following hypothesis for the excitation-contraction coupling of skeletal muscle was formulated. On excitation, small amounts of Ca2+ enter from the transverse tubule and interact with a Ca2+ receptor at the terminal cisternae and cause Ca2+ release (Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release). This Ca2+ flux generates an inside negative membrane potential which opens voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (membrane potential-dependent Ca2+ release) in amounts sufficient for contraction.
Effects of pH and competing anions on the speciation of arsenic in fixed ionic strength solutions by solid phase extraction cartridges

Abstract Anion exchange resins (AERs) separate As(V) and As(III) in solution by retaining As(V) and allowing As(III) to pass through. Anion exchange resins offer several advantages including cost, portability, and ease of use. The use of AERs for the instantaneous speciation of As minimizes the effects of preservatives on As species analysis. The aims of this study were to: (1) Examine the effects of pH and competing anions on the efficacy of solid phase extraction cartridges (SPECs) for speciation of As in a 0.01 mol L−1 NaNO3 background electrolyte. (2) Identify optimal conditions (e.g. flow rates) for As speciation. (3) Calculate method detection limits (MDLs) from spiked background electrolyte and percent recoveries of As species from spiked extracts of mine wastes. The most effective SPEC retained As(V) through a range of environmentally relevant pH values (4–8). The mass loading capacity for As(V) was reduced in the background electrolyte (0.006 mg) compared with As(V) in deionized H2O (0.75 mg). Some retention (10–20%) of As(III) occurred on pre-wetted cartridges. Approximately 98% of spiked As(III) passed through dry cartridges. The recommended flow rate (0.5 mL min−1) was increased to 5 mL min−1 without significant effect on As(V) retention. The presence of anions decreased the retention of As(V) with sulfate and phosphate having the greatest impact. MDLs were 0.004 mg L−1 for both inorganic species. Spike recoveries in 0.01 M NaNO3 mine waste extracts averaged 94% for As(III) and 107% for As(V).
Phase-Multiplied Photoelastic and Series Interferometer Arrangement for Full-Field Stress Measurement in Single Crystals

A compact, phase-multiplied, circular polariscope and series interferometer arrangement is developed for high-resolution, full-field stress measurement in single crystals with weak piezo-optical coefficients. We present a general stress-optic law, derived from anisotropic piezo-optical constitutive relations, which provides the theoretical framework for obtaining stress field components from measured optical isoclinic, isochromatic and isopachic phase maps. A new phase image processing technique is also developed, which combines data obtained from different interference configurations for the successful removal of low-modulation zones within isoclinic and isopachic phase maps. The validity and accuracy of the proposed interferometer arrangement and stress measurement methodology are demonstrated through a compression test of a c-cut single crystal sapphire plate loaded by a cylindrical indenter.
Exploring the Impacts of Key Economic Indicators and Economic Recessions in the Restaurant Industry

The purpose of this study is to investigate the major economic variables associated with sales at full-service restaurants. The study also examines if there is any cyclical movement in the full-service restaurant segment in conjunction with economic recession periods. A Pearson correlation analysis and a 5-year moving average method were used to identify the relationships between full-service restaurant sales and key economic indicators, as well as the existence of a business cycle in the full-service restaurant industry for the past 4 decades, respectively. The results of this study revealed that gross domestic product is positively correlated with the sales of full-service restaurants. The 5-year moving average of sales generated at full-service restaurants indicates that the sales at full-service restaurants show a pattern of a business cycle almost every 10 years.
The influence of acyl chain-length asymmetry on the phase transition parameters of phosphatidylcholine dispersions.

Abstract The influence of acyl chain-length asymmetry on the thermodynamic parameters ( T m , Δ H , and Δ S ) associated with the reversible main phase transition of aqueous dispersions prepared from saturated diacyl phosphatidylcholines was studied by high-resolution differential scanning calorimetry. Two series of saturated diacyl phosphatidylcholines, grouped according to their molecular weights of 678 and 706, with a total number of 25 molecular species were examined. The normalized acyl chain-length difference between the sn -1 and sn -2 acyl chains for a given phospholipid molecule in the gel-state bilayer is expressed quantitatively by the structural parameter ΔC/CL, and the values of ΔC/CL for the two series of lipids under study vary considerably from 0.04 to 0.67. When the value of ΔC/CL is within the range of 0.09–0.40, it was shown that the thermodynamic parameters are, to a first approximation, a linear function of ΔC/CL with a negative slope. In addition, the experimental T m values and the predicted T m values put forward by Huang (Biochemistry (1991) 30, 26–30) are in very good agreement. Beyond the point of ΔC/CL= 0.41, the influence of acyl chain-length asymmetry on the thermodynamic parameters deviates significantly from a linear function. In fact, within the range of ΔC/CL values of 0.42–0.67, the thermodynamic parameters in the T m (or Δ H ) vs. ΔC/CL plot were shown to be bell-shaped with the maximal T m (or Δ H ) at ΔC/CL= 0.57. These results are discussed in terms of changes in the acyl chain packing modes of various phosphatidylcholine molecules within the gel-state bilayer in excess water.
Basic pinning mechanisms in high-Tc superconductors

Abstract The elemental pinning forces between a vortex line and a very small defect with dimension of 2 R d , where ξ R d ⪡ λ , are studied. After the core of a vortex line moves away from this kind of defect, the corresponding vortex line will be compressed. Meanwhile the surrounding supercurrent associated with the core may not be interrupted seriously by the very small defect because of the Josephson-type coupling effect. It is found that in some cases the pinning force due to the compression of the vortex line is comparable to, or even larger than, the one due to the condensation energy.
The number of two-way tables satisfying certain additivity axioms

Abstract An expression is given for the number of ways of ranking the cells of an r by c factorial design so as to satisfy independence. For selected values of r and c, estimates are given of the number of rankings that satisfy both independence and double cancellation, and also of the number of rankings allowing an additive representation. These results may be used in at least two ways: first, in evaluating the probability of the satisfaction of certain measurement axioms by chance; and second, in placing a lower bound on the amount of information necessary to establish the ordering of the cells of a factorial design when it is known that these axioms are satisfied.
A Call Auction’s Impact on Price Formation and Order Routing: Evidence from the NASDAQ Stock Market

Electronic call auctions are used globally to open and close equity market trading; as such, they are a critically important facility that needs to be better understood. The paper focuses on the impact NASDAQ’s calls (introduced in 2004) have had on bid-ask spreads, price volatility, and order routing in the continuous market that follows daily openings and which precedes daily closings. NASDAQ’s closing call has significantly reduced both spreads and volatility for all market capitalization groups. Its opening call similarly reduced spreads, while a generally similar, though somewhat weaker, pattern of volatility reduction was realized. Although the pattern of trading volume has, for the most part, not been significantly affected, our findings, comprehensively viewed, suggest that the calls have had a positive spillover effect on the dynamic behavior of price formation in NASDAQ’s continuous market.
Effect of fish oil on atherosclerosis and lipoprotein metabolism

This review primarily covers work on the effects of dietary n-3 fatty acids on lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis that has been done in a nonhuman primate model, the African green monkey, and puts it in context with work of others using humans and other experimental animals. Detection of effects of n-3 fatty acids in the monkey model was facilitated by a considerable enrichment of dietary fat with fish oil (about 20% of dietary calories came from menhaden oil in the fish oil group or about 5 g/1000 cal of n-3 fatty acids). This group was compared with a group fed lard isocalorically substituted for fish oil, such that the percentage of saturated fatty acids was essentially equivalent in the 2 dietary groups. Cholesterol concentrations in whole plasma, LDL and HDL were about 1/3 lower in the fish oil group, as was apo A-I concentration, but apo B concentration was not different. The fish oil group had plasma LDL particles that were smaller, contained fewer cholesteryl ester molecules and had lower cholesteryl ester transition temperatures due to a relative enrichment of n-3 fatty acids in the CE fraction. In addition, hepatic cholesterol and cholesteryl ester concentrations were significantly lower in the animals fed fish oil. Liver perfusion was used to show that hepatic secretion of cholesterol and triglyceride was lower in the fish oil group, although the number of cholesterol and triglyceride enriched apo B-containing particles secreted was not different. We also demonstrated a lower plasma LCAT reactivity for the plasma phospholipids of the animals fed fish oil. Taken together, these findings clearly demonstrate important effects of n-3 fatty acids on cholesterol metabolism in a primate model that have not been previously recognized. In addition, the monkeys fed fish oil had less atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries and in the aorta. Thus, these findings indicate that, in addition to the many other effects of fish oil in eicosanoid production, fish oil effects on cholesterol metabolism, per se, can have an important role in limiting atherosclerosis.
20 Years Experience Burning Heavy Fuels in Heavy Duty Gas Turbines

This paper covers the early experience of the author’s company in burning residual oils in their gas turbines and the problems that occurred. The laboratory invesgations and field tests that resulted in a fuel processing system that permitted satisfactory operation on a wide range of liquid fuels are described. The operating experiences, where residual fuels were successfully burned in a large number of units, are described. The most recent operating experience with residual and crude oils and heavy distillates is also covered. A list of the various installations with dates and hours of operation is included and it is concluded that heavy duty gas turbines burning heavy fuels will be established as the up-to-date source of economical power in many applications.Copyright © 1973 by ASME
The Kayapó: Out of the Forest

The Kayapo: Out of the Forest. 1989. Granada: Disappearing World Series. Produced and directed by Mike Beckham. with anthropologist Terry Turner. 52 minutes, color. Purchase $99.00 (video); rental $90.00 from Films Incorporated, 5547 N. Ravenswood, Chicago, IL 60640-1199 (800/323- 4222 ext.43).
A theory of multiaxial plasticity based on integral dislocation dynamics

Abstract A macroscopic theory of isotropic plastic flow under multiaxial stress states is developed from considerations of thermally activated dislocation motion on discrete randomly-oriented slip planes. The resulting equations are in agreement with classical plasticity theory. Yielding is volume-preserving, pressure-independent, and the principal stress and principal strain axes coincide. The flow surface is constructed on the basis of constant power dissipation of plastic flow, and has a variable shape and orthogonal strain vector. For most materials, the predicted flow surface resembles the Trescu yield surface at low temperatures and approaches the von Mises yield surface as its high temperature limit. Other applications are discussed.
Sicca Complex and Cholangiostatic Jaundice in Two Members of a Family Probably Caused by Thiabendazole

Abstract An entire family (father, mother, and three daughters) were given thiabendazole because one of the children had acquired pinworm infestation. The mother and one daughter (non-infested) developed a sicca complex (keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia) accompanied by cholangiostatic jaundice. Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease and presents many immune mechanism aberrancies. An association between autoimmune liver disease and sicca complex has been reported. Labeled mitochondrial antibodies bound to the parotid duct have been noted in patients with autoimmune cholangiostatic jaundice and such antibodies may be similar to the antibody against salivary duct found in Sjogren's syndrome. It is suggested that in these two patients, thiabendazole may have acted as a hapten and by binding to the body protein induced the production of autoantibodies which may have acted against the biliary epithelium, the salivary duct epithelium, and the lacrimal gland ducts.
A Comparison Study of Methods for Measuring Retention in HIV Medical Care

The purpose of this study was to compare multiple measures of retention in HIV medical care by determining their ability to predict viral suppression. Patients who sought care between 2003 and 2011 were eligible. Visit constancy, gaps-in-care, and HRSA measure were the measures compared. Multiple logistic regressions and area under the curve statistics were employed to determine which measure most accurately discerned between patients with or without viral suppression. There were 850 patients included in the study. The mean follow-up time among the cohort was 5.6 years and less than half were consistently retained in care. All three measures had similar area under the curves, but only visit constancy and gaps in care were significantly associated with viral suppression. Retention in care should be defined consistently across studies and interventions should be set in place to increase the number of optimal retainers.
Market Microstructure Empirical Regularities: Behavior of the Bid‐Ask Spread and Closing Prices

A substantial number of last reported transactions for stocks trading on the New York Stock Exchange occur inside the quoted closing bid-ask spread. The tendency to close inside the spread results in price change magnitudes much smaller than those predicted from binomial models. Moreover, although the change magnitude is biased by the underlying trend of the market, the distribution of next day price change relatives is largely unaffected. The result is a systematic regularity between the location of today's close and tomorrow's close relative to the bid-ask spread.
Effect of almond and anis oils on mouse liver alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase and heart lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes

The effects of short-term intraperitoneal injection of diluted almond or anis oil on heart lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes, liver alcohol dehydrogenase and subcellular aldehyde dehydrogenase were studied in the female mouse. Hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase was induced from control by administration of almond oil 3.2 g/kg/d for 7 days, or anis oil 1.6 g/kg/d for 7 days. Treatment with almond but not anis oil inhibited both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial liver aldehyde dehydrogenase. The mitochondrial isoenzyme with an apparently low Km was also inhibited by the almond oil trial. No significant changes occurred in heart lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes by the treatments used. The enzymatic inhibition kinetics were found to be non-competitive. The apparent Km for almond-treated mouse aldehyde dehydrogenase was greater than the controls. This indicates lower substrate affinity for almond oil than for acetaldehyde. The results suggest adverse hepatic metabolic interaction between almond oil and alcohol.
Combined posterior and medial plate fixation of complex proximal ulna fractures.

Olecranon fracture dislocations often create complex fractures of the proximal ulna including fragmented coronoid fractures. Olecranon fracture dislocations can occur in an anterior or a posterior direction. In an anterior olecranon (transolecranon) fracture dislocation, the radius and ulna both dislocate anteriorly, the forearm relationships remain intact and the coronoid fracture is usually simple. Posterior olecranon fracture dislocations and varus posteromedial rotational injuries can have greater coronoid fragmentation. Coronoid fragmentation can be difficult to repair with a posterior plate and screws alone. The recently recognised fractures of the anteromedial facet of the coronoid are typically secured with a medial plate and screws, usually acting as a buttress plate. Recently, we have begun treating complex proximal ulna fractures – particularly those with fragmentation of the coronoid – with combined posterior and medial plating of the proximal ulna.
Structure of lysine adducts with 16α-hydroxyestrone and cortisol

Recent studies indicate that steroids containing a vicinal hydroxyketone moiety can react with proteins both in vitro and in vivo to form covalent addition products. This reaction is non-enzymatic and occurs via the Heyns rearrangement of an initial Schiff base adduct between the steroid carbonyl and the epsilon-amino group of lysine residues. The present study describes the synthesis, isolation, and structural analysis of model adducts prepared by the incubation of 16 alpha-hydroxyesterone or cortisol with NaCNBH3 and lysine derivatives blocked in the N alpha-position. The product formed from the reaction of 16 alpha-hydroxyesterone and lysine was found to have the structure predicted for a reduced Schiff base between these molecules. A stable, cortisol-lysine adduct was similarly synthesized and isolated. This conjugate was found not to be the expected reduced Schiff base but rather a C-20 cyano amine. This compound most likely was formed by the nucleophilic addition of cyanide during the course of the incubation. The observation that the cortisol-lysine Schiff base is not reducible with NaCNBH3 accounts for the observation that the incorporation rate of glucocorticoids into proteins is not increased by the presence of NaCNBH3.
On-beam synchrony in the cerebellum as the mechanism for the timing and coordination of movement

In trained reaching rats, we recorded simple spikes of pairs of Purkinje cells that, with respect to each other, were either aligned on a beam of shared parallel fibers or instead were located off beam. Rates of simple spike firing in both on-beam and off-beam Purkinje cell pairs commonly showed great variety in depth of modulation during reaching behavior. But with respect to timing, on-beam Purkinje cell pairs had simple spikes that were tightly time-locked to each other (either delayed or simultaneous) and to movement, despite the variability in rate. By contrast, off-beam Purkinje cell pairs had simple spikes that were not time-locked to each other, neither delayed nor simultaneous. We discuss the implications of these observations for the cerebellar role in timing and coordinating movement.
Identifying Airway Obstructions Using Photoplethysmography (PPG)

Objective. Central and obstructive apneas are sources of morbidity and mortality associated with primary patient conditions as well as secondary to medical care such as sedation/analgesia in post-operative patients. This research investigates the predictive value of the respirophasic variation in the noninvasive photoplethysmography (PPG) waveform signal in detecting airway obstruction. Methods. PPG data from 20 consenting healthy adults (12 male, 8 female) undergoing anesthesia were collected directly after surgery and before transfer to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Features of the PPG waveform were calculated and used in a neural network to classify normal and obstructive events. Results. During the postoperative period studied, the neural network classifier yielded an average (±standard deviation) 75.4 (±3.7)% sensitivity, 91.6 (±2.3)% specificity, 84.7 (±3.5)% positive predictive value, 85.9 (±1.8)% negative predictive value, and an overall accuracy of 85.4 (±2.0)%. Conclusions. The accuracy of this method shows promise for use in real-time monitoring situations.
Body Regard as a Moderator of the Relation between Emotion Dysregulation and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

Despite research documenting a strong association between emotion dysregulation and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), the moderators of this association have received little attention. Thus, it remains unclear why some individuals with heightened emotion dysregulation engage in NSSI and others do not. Body regard (i.e., how one perceives, experiences, and cares for the body) may be one such moderator, explaining the risk for NSSI among some individuals with emotion dysregulation. The current study used structural equation modeling within a sample of 398 undergraduates (26% reporting NSSI, mean frequency = 25.16, SD = 40.5) to test the interactive effect of emotion dysregulation and body regard on NSSI frequency when controlling for negative affect and borderline personality disorder symptoms. The interaction model provided a strong fit to the data and showed that emotion regulation was associated with NSSI only when low levels of body regard were present. Results suggest that body regard may be important to understanding who engages in NSSI within the context of emotion dysregulation. Possible mechanisms underlying the interaction between body regard and emotion dysregulation are discussed along with treatment and prevention implications.
Cloning and expression of the murine Elf-1 cDNA

The Ets family of transcription factors has been implicated in the etiology of several types of cancer. We cloned and characterized the gene encoding the murine homologue of one Ets family member, Elf-1 (mElf-1), in order to gain insight into its cellular physiology. We examined mElf-1 mRNA expression in normal mouse tissues and in several murine and human cell lines. Expression of mElf-1, although highest in lymphocytes, was observed in a number of hematopoietic cell lineages, including the myeloid, macrophages and erythroid lineages, and was lowest in the murine fibroblast cell line, NIH3T3. Analysis of human and fetal tissue mRNAs confirmed that mElf-1 is expressed in a variety of cell lineages, principally in hematopoietic cells. Western blot analysis using antiserum generated to a synthetic C-terminal peptide of mElf-1, and extracts prepared from cell lines that expressed the mElf-1 mRNA identified multiple mElf-1 species that migrated near the 97-kDa molecular weight marker. Site selection analysis indicated that the binding site preferred by mElf-1 is very similar to that of the Drosophila melanogaster homologue, E74, and to that of Fli-1, another Ets family member. We conclude that the expression of mElf-1 is not restricted to the lymphoid lineage, and suggest that Elf-1 may regulate the transcription of a broad spectrum of genes.
The Quality and Distribution of Teachers under the No Child Left Behind Act

The heart of accountability under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is an attempt to change the existing incentives in schools with the ultimate objective that all students meet a proficiency standard. Existing research indicates that nothing is more important to high achieve­ ment as having effective teachers, implying that the impact of new incentives on teachers will be central to any consideration of the accountability statutes. Tracing the impacts of NCLB on the stock and distribution of teachers is, none­ theless, a difficult and uncertain task. The belief that the quality of teachers matters a great deal to the quality of education received by students has actually proven hard to substantiate, and the reasons for this difficulty are key to assessing the impacts of No Child Left Behind. A substantial body of research going back to the Coleman et al. (1966) report has attempted to link commonly used measures of teacher quality-such as experience, degree level, and state teacher certification-to student outcomes. Surprisingly, except for perhaps the first few years of classroom experience, no robust connection has appeared; for example, Hanushek and Rivkin (2006) review various studies attempting to identify characteristics of effective teachers. One
ON THE VERTICAL STRUCTURE OF THE PROTOLUNAR DISK

The vertical structure of a post-impact, pre-lunar disk is examined. We adopt the equations introduced by Thompson & Stevenson for a silicate disk in two-phase equilibrium (vapor plus liquid) and derive an analytical solution to the system. This largely reproduces their low-gas mass fraction, x 1, profiles of the disk but is also employed to examine higher x cases. The latter are generally gravitationally stable and are used to develop a stratified disk model consisting of a gravitationally unstable magma layer surrounded by a stable, primarily vapor atmosphere. Initially, the atmosphere contains the majority of the disk mass, while the surface density of the magma layer is determined by requiring its viscous energy dissipation supply the disk's radiation budget. The magma layer viscously spreads on a ~50 yr timescale during which vapor continuously condenses into droplets that settle to the layer, maintaining its surface density and dissipation rate. Material flowing outward, past the Roche boundary, can become incorporated into accreting moonlets, and this supply persists until the vapor reservoir is depleted in ~250 yr.
Implementations of partial document ranking using inverted files

Abstract Most commercial text retrieval systems employ inverted files to improve retrieval speed. This paper concerns with the implementations of document ranking based on inverted files. Three heuristic methods for implementing the tf × idf weighting strategy, where tf stands for term frequency and idf stands for inverse document frequency, are studied. The basic idea of the heuristic methods is to process the query terms in an order so that as many top documents as possible can be identified without processing all of the query terms. The first heuristic was proposed by Smeaton and van Rijsbergen and it serves as the basis for comparison with the other two heuristic methods proposed in this paper. These three heuristics are evaluated and compared by experimental runs based on the number of disk accesses required for partial document ranking , in which the returned documents contain some, but not necessarily all, of the requested number of top documents. The results show that the proposed heuristic methods perform better than the method proposed by Smeaton and van Rijsbergen in terms of retrieval accuracy , which is used to indicate the percentage of top documents obtained after a number of disk accesses. For total document ranking , in which all of the requested number of top documents are guaranteed to be returned, no optimization techniques studied so far can lead to substantial performance gain. To realize the advantage of the proposed heuristics, two methods for estimating the retrieval accuracy are studied. Their accuracies and processing costs are compared. All the experimental runs are based on four test collections made available with the SMART system.
Reading a population code: a multi-scale neural model for representing binocular disparity

Although binocular neurons in the primary visual cortex are sensitive to retinal disparity, their activity does not constitute an unambiguous disparity signal. A multi-spatial-scale neural model for disparity computation is developed to examine how population activity might be interpreted to overcome ambiguities at the single neuron level. The model incorporates a front end that encodes disparity by a family of complex cell-like energy units and a second stage that reads the population activity. Disparity is recovered by matching the population response to a set of canonical templates, derived from the mean response to white noise stimuli at a range of disparities. Model predictions are qualitatively consistent with a variety of psychophysical results in the literature, including the effects of spatial frequency on stereoacuity and bias in perceived depths, and the effect of standing disparity on increment thresholds. Model predictions are also consistent with data on qualitative appearance of complex stimuli, including depth averaging, transparency, and corrugation. The model also accounts for the non-linear interaction of disparities in compound grating stimuli. These results show that a template-match approach reduces ambiguities in individual and pooled neuronal responses, and allows for a broader range of percepts, consistent with psychophysics, than other models. Thus, the pattern of neural population activity across spatial scales is a better candidate for the neural correlate of depth perception than the activity of single neurons or the pooled activity of multiple neurons.
Hyperfine structure of the metastable P 3 2 state of alkaline-earth-metal atoms as an accurate probe of nuclear magnetic octupole moments

Measuring the hyperfine structure (HFS) of long-lived ${^{3}P}_{2}$ states of divalent atoms may offer the opportunity of extracting relatively unexplored nuclear magnetic octupole and electric hexadecapole moments. Here, using relativistic many-body methods of atomic structure and the nuclear shell model, we evaluate the effect of these higher nuclear moments on the hyperfine structure. We find that the sensitivity of HFS interval measurements in $^{87}\text{S}\text{r}$ needed to reveal the perturbation caused by the nuclear octupole moment is on the order of kHz. The results of similar analyses for $^{9}\text{B}\text{e}$, $^{25}\text{M}\text{g}$, and $^{43}\text{C}\text{a}$ are also reported.
Myocardial injury in infants with congenital heart disease: Evaluation by creatine kinase MB isoenzyme analysis

Total creatine kinase (CK) and the myocardial isoenzyme CK MB activity were prospectively determined in 282 children hospitalized for cardiac catheterization and evaluation for suspected congenital cardiac abnormalities and compared with a hospitalized control group of children without such abnormalities. The percent CK MB and CK MB activity were abnormally elevated in symptomatic children with a large left to right shunt due either to a large ventricular septal defect (n = 22; p less than 0.001) or to complete atrioventricular canal (n = 10; p less than 0.001). Serum CK MB activity and percent CK MB were significantly related to the size of the shunt and the age of presentation with clinical symptoms of congestive heart failure in infants with a ventricular septal defect. CK MB activity was abnormally elevated in infants with symptomatic coarctation of the aorta, either with or without a ventricular septal defect (n = 15; p less than 0.001), and in infants with symptomatic aortic stenosis (n = 4; p less than 0.02). In contrast, CK MB activity was normal in asymptomatic children with coarctation of the aorta (n = 14) or aortic stenosis (n = 8) despite comparable systolic pressure gradients. CK MB activity and percent CK MB were abnormally elevated in those children with the cyanotic congenital cardiac abnormalities of either transposition of the great arteries (n = 32; p less than 0.001) or right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (n = 31; p less than 0.001). These results suggest that children with congenital cardiac abnormalities may have significant myocardial cell injury and release of CK MB that may be detected by the determination of serum CK MB activity. Cell injury may be secondary to arterial desaturation or acute pressure-volume overload, or both, as manifested by clinical symptoms of heart failure and measured hemodynamic variables.
Two new species of pancratioid Amaryllidaceae from Peru and Ecuador

Eucharis plicata andPamianthe parviflora are described from Peru and Ecuador respectively. Additionally, questions are raised concerning the separation of the generaPamianthe Stapf andParamongaia Velarde.
Phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate plays a role in the activation and subcellular localization of mechanistic target of rapamycin 1

The kinase complex mechanistic target of rapamycin 1 (mTORC1) plays an important role in controlling growth and metabolism. We report here that the stepwise formation of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI(3)P) and phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (PI(3,5)P(2)) regulates the cell type-specific activation and localization of mTORC1. PI(3)P formation depends on the class II phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) PI3K-C2α, as well as the class III PI3K Vps34, while PI(3,5)P(2) requires the phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate-5-kinase PIKFYVE. In this paper, we show that PIKFYVE and PI3K-C2α are necessary for activation of mTORC1 and its translocation to the plasma membrane in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, the mTORC1 component Raptor directly interacts with PI(3,5)P(2). Together these results suggest that PI(3,5)P(2) is an essential mTORC1 regulator that defines the localization of the complex.
A staging system for forelimb regeneration in the axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum†

A staging system has been devised for normal regeneration from the upper arm in the mature axolotl. It consists of seven externally definable stages: (1) Wound healing (WH); (2) Dedifferentiation (DD); (3) Early bud (EB); (4) Medium bud (MB); (5) Late bud (LB); (6) Palette (Pal), and (7) Digital outgrowth (DO). Serial histological sections of 38 regenerating limbs were used to correlate gross stages with microscopic events in the regenerative process.
The Effect of Layoff on Police Authoritarianism

Researchers generally agree with the idea of the police personality; however, there exists disagreement as to whether it is primarily attributable to predispositional traits or on-the-job socializa...
Expression of the autoimmune Fcgr2b NZW allele fails to be upregulated in germinal center B cells and is associated with increased IgG production.

Expression of the autoimmune Fcgr2b NZW allele fails to be upregulated in germinal center B cells and is associated with increased IgG production
Investigation of simultaneous fluorine and carbon incorporation in a silicon oxide dielectric layer grown by PECVD

In this work, technological conditions for SiOFC layers formation by PECVD method using TEOS (Tetra-ethyl ortho-silicate) and C"2F"6 chemistry were identified, and the effect of simultaneous fluorine (F) and carbon (C) incorporation into SiO"2 network was studied. Optical and structural properties of the deposited layers as a function of RF (Radio Frequency) power and gas flow were investigated by ellipsometric, XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy), and FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) methods. It was found that RF power and gas flow have complex impact on SiOFC layers: C in the films was observed only at low C"2F"6 flow, and decreased when the flow increased; increased RF power increases amount of F, simultaneously decreasing C content; both dopants, F and C, substitute O in SiO"2 network; presence of terminal bonds creates high-order rings in the oxide network that serve as nano-voids; increased RF power converts di-fluoride tetrahedra into mono-fluoride units, and substantially decreases OH content of the films. These changes led to a decreasing of film density, refractive index and dielectric constant.
Factor analysis of spectroelectrochemical reduction of FAD reveals the pKa of the reduced state and the reduction pathway

The free flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor is known to exhibit a pH-dependent midpoint potential involving a simultaneous two-electron transfer step (n = 2). Uv-vis spectroelectrochemical reductions of FAD at constant pH, ranging from 5 to 9, were recorded and analyzed by factor analysis. Principal factor analysis was used to determine the number of species present at each pH. The results indicate that only two composite forms of FAD are present: the oxidized and the reduced forms. Window factor analysis was used to extract the concentration profiles of the controlling species. The oxidized form was found to be a single pH-independent species, whereas the reduced form consists of two species. The pH-dependent spectroscopic changes of reduced FAD were best modeled by a single proton transfer step involving two different ionization states with an apparent pKa = 6.3. This value compares favorably with those obtained from NMR and from midpoint potential measurements. At pH 6, the reduction of FAD was found to be first order, whereas at pH 9 the reduction is zero order; these observations are explained in terms of the reaction pathway involving xanthine oxidase, its substrate, and the pH. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Risk Factors for Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes

We studied the telation between sociodemographic, medical, and life-style factors and preterm (prior to 37 completed weeks of gestation) premature rupture of the membranes (preterm PROM) in a large cross-sectional data base. The 307 preterm PROM cases and 488 spontaneous preterm deliveries not complicated by premature rupture of the membranes (preterm NONPROM) were compared with 2,252 randomly selected term controls. Using multiple logistic regression, we derived maximum likelihood estimates of adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Excess risk of preterm PROM was associated with primiparity (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.1), low educational attainment (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.7-3.1), in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.8), a history of prior stillbirth (OR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-4.4), cervical incompetence (OR = 6.5, 95% CI 3.4-12.6), and antepartum hemorrhage (OR = 3.8, 95% CI 2.9-5.0). Black race was associated with a 1.7-fold increased risk of preterm NONPROM (OR = 1.7...
Extended disease-free interval of 6 years in a recurrent glioblastoma multiforme patient treated with G207 oncolytic viral therapy.

BACKGROUND Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a relentless primary central nervous system malignancy that remains resistant to conventional therapy despite major advances in clinical neurooncology. This report details the case of a patient who had failed conventional treatment for recurrent GBM and was ultimately treated with a genetically engineered herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 vector, G207. METHODS Case report detailing the outcomes of one patient enrolled into the gene therapy arm of the Neurovir G207 protocol whereby stereotactic injection of 120 µL G207 viral suspension containing 1×10(7) plaque-forming units (or active viral particles) was made into the enhancing region of the tumor. RESULTS In this patient, despite aggressive surgical resection, adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, tumor progression occurred. However, with G207 oncolytic therapy and brief exposures to second and third treatments, this patient had an extended survival time of 7.5 years and a 6-year apparent disease-free interval, an extraordinarily unusual finding in the pretemozolomide era. CONCLUSION With minimal adjunctive chemotherapy, including one course of temozolomide, one course of procarbazine, and four cycles of irinotecan, the patient survived over 7 years before the next recurrence. Addition of G207 to this patient's traditional therapy may have been the critical treatment producing her prolonged survival. This report demonstrates the potential for long-term response to a one-time treatment with oncolytic HSV and encourages continued research on oncolytic viral therapy for GBM.
Applications of Algebraic Reynolds Stress Turbulence Models Part 2: Transonic Shock-Separated Afterbody

The ability of the three-dimensional Navier – Stokes method PAB3D code to simulate the effect of Reynolds number variation using nonlinear explicit algebraic Reynolds stress turbulence modeling was assessed. Surface pressure coef cient distributions and integrated drag predictions on an axisymmetric nozzle afterbody were compared with experimental data at Reynolds numbers from 10 to 130 3 10. There was generally good agreement of surface static pressure coef cients between the computational  uid dynamics (CFD) and measurement. The change in pressure coef cient distributions with varying Reynolds number was similar to the experimental data trends, though the CFD slightly overpredicted the effect. The computational sensitivity of viscous modeling and turbulence modeling are shown. Integrated afterbody pressure drag was typically slightly lower than the experimental data. The change in afterbody pressure drag with Reynolds number was small, both experimentally and computationally, even though the shape of the distribution was somewhat modi ed with the Reynolds number.