cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Rare Earths on Structural Transformation of Heavy Rail Steel

Clean heavy rail steel was prepared by the process of vacuum induction furnace smelting, forge work and rolling. Effects of Rare earths (RE) on phase transformation and microstructure of heavy rail steel were investigated by thermal simulation machine, metallographic microscope and scanning electronic microscope. Thermal simulate tests indicate that, RE can move the C curve of pearlite transformation to lower right, prolong the incubation period of pearlite and improve the stability of undercooled austenite. The minimum incubation period of pearlite transformation is increased from 24s to 30s by RE. Furthermore, RE can decrease the critical cooling rate of pearlite transformation from 1°C•s-1 to 0.5°C•s-1 and the critical cooling rate of quenching from 15°C•s-1 to 13°C•s-1. Additionally, RE can fine the annealing and anormalizing pearlite notably. The pearlite laminae distance of heavy rail steel added RE is decreased by 12.9% (annealing) and 13.3% (normalizing), respectively.
Interaction between the intestinal microbiota and host in Clostridium difficile colonization resistance.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has become one of the most prevalent and costly nosocomial infections. In spite of the importance of CDI, our knowledge of the pathogenesis of this infection is still rudimentary. Although previous use of antibiotics is generally considered to be the sine qua non of CDI, the mechanisms by which antibiotics render the host susceptible to C. difficile are not well defined. In this review, we will explore what is known about how the indigenous microbiota acts in concert with the host to prevent colonization and virulence of C. difficile and how antibiotic administration disturbs host–microbiota homeostasis, leading to CDI.
Address terms in the organization of turns at talk: The case of pivotal turn extensions ☆

Abstract This paper provides an overview of address terms in the organization of turns and turn taking, and devotes particular attention to their use at one turn constructional juncture where the speaker's retention of the floor is uncertain: following grammatical completion points. It demonstrates that, and how, address terms can serve as a resource for extending turns at talk at this juncture. Address terms operate as turn constructional pivots, simultaneously completing the prior syntactic unit and initiating the next unit. Auditory and acoustic analysis reveals the intonational seamlessness of the pivotal address term's junctures with adjacent talk. The paper also examines the turn extensions achieved in this way and offers an account of what they accomplish, focusing on their recurrent use to support vulnerable claims. This study highlights the utility of address terms for purposes other than addressing per se, and more generally the incremental and interactive realization of turns at talk in ordinary conversation.
Outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement in moderate risk patients: implications for determination of equipoise in the transcatheter era.

Objective To determine the contemporary outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in a moderate surgical risk population. Methods We studied 502 consecutive adults who had undergone isolated SAVR from January 2002 to June 2011 for severe aortic valve stenosis with a Society of Thoracic Surgery predicted risk of mortality of 4% to 8%. We included concomitant coronary artery bypass and aortic annular enlargement but not other concomitant procedures. The updated Valve Academic Research Consortium definitions were used, as appropriate. Results The median age was 80 years (range, 49-96), 323 (64.3%) had New York Heart Association class III-IV symptoms, and 101 (20.1%) had undergone previous coronary artery bypass grafting. The mean predicted risk of mortality was 5.6%. Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 270 (53.8%). Re-exploration for bleeding occurred in 29 (5.8%), stroke in 9 (1.8%), and vascular complications in 2 (0.4%). In the cohort, 14 early deaths (2.8%) occurred. During follow-up (1174 days), 175 patients died. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, the significant independent predictors of mid-term death included chronic pulmonary disease (hazard ratio, 2.00, 95% confidence interval, 1.41-2.84; P P = .029), and atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio, 1.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-2.65; P = .008). Conclusions SAVR in moderate-risk patients is currently performed with one half of the early predicted risk (2.8%) and a low likelihood of complications, including a 1.8% incidence of stroke. Patients counseled for randomization to transcatheter aortic valve insertion should be informed of the excellent early to mid-term outcomes of SAVR, particularly those without pulmonary impairment, peripheral vascular disease, or atrial fibrillation.
NITRIC OXIDE MODULATION OF MICROVASCULAR RESPONSES IN THE DEOXYCORTICOSTERONE ACETATE-SALT HYPERTENSIVE RAT. 115

Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that arteriolar dilations mediated by stimulation of endogenously release nitric oxide release are depressed during an established stage of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). In the present study, we assessed the response of small arterioles in the cremaster muscle of DOCA-Salt hypertensive rats to stimulation of endogenous NO release and the effects of NO blockade or constrictor sensitivity to topically applied norepinephrine. Microvascular responses were assessed during an early stage (1 week after induction) and late stage (4 weeks after induction) of hypertension using intravital microscopy. Exposure to increasing concentrations of acetylcholine(10-10 - 10-5 M) produced a dose-dependent dilation of arterioles (16 ± 1 μm). This dilation was abolished in the presence of a 10-4 M bath concentration of Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a specific antagonist of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. L-NAME also produced reductions in resting arteriolar diameters that were attenuated in DOCA-Salt rats. These result suggest that basal and stimulated release of endogenous NO in the microcirculation of DOCA-Salt rats is attenuated.Funded by a grant from the American Heart Association.
Directional immobilization of heparin onto beaded supports.

Heparin was immobilized in a defined orientation on Sepharose, agarose, and polyacrylamide supports by coupling through its reducing end. This is expected to mimic the attachment of heparin to the protein core in the naturally occurring proteoglycan and impart better ligand binding efficiency by exposing all the binding sites available in the naturally occurring heparin. The coupling chemistry was accomplished by modifying heparin at its reducing end to introduce reactive functionality that can react with appropriately functionalized supports. Three reducing end modified heparins were synthesized and characterized: 2,6-diaminopyridinyl heparin, containing a reactive amino group at the reducing end; omega-hydrazido-adipyl-azo heparin, containing a hydrazido group at the reducing end; and heparin lactone, containing a reactive ester functionality at the reducing end. These heparin derivatives were then reacted with the supports to give directionally immobilized heparin using different coupling chemistries: coupling of reducing end modified heparins to amine-containing supports (i.e., omega-aminohexyl Sepharose and omega-aminobutyl agarose), hydrazide-containing supports (i.e., Emphaze hydrazide), and activated carboxy-containing supports (i.e., activated 6-aminohexanoic acid Sepharose, Emphaze azlactone). The heparinized matrices were prepared and analyzed for their heparin content and protamine binding capacity.
The ontogeny of drug metabolism enzymes and implications for adverse drug events

Profound changes in drug metabolizing enzyme (DME) expression occurs during development that impacts the risk of adverse drug events in the fetus and child. A review of our current knowledge suggests individual hepatic DME ontogeny can be categorized into one of three groups. Some enzymes, e.g., CYP3A7, are expressed at their highest level during the first trimester and either remain at high concentrations or decrease during gestation, but are silenced or expressed at low levels within one to two years after birth. SULT1A1 is an example of the second group of DME. These enzymes are expressed at relatively constant levels throughout gestation and minimal changes are observed postnatally. ADH1C is typical of the third DME group that are not expressed or are expressed at low levels in the fetus, usually during the second or third trimester. Substantial increases in enzyme levels are observed within the first one to two years after birth. Combined with our knowledge of other physiological factors during early life stages, knowledge regarding DME ontogeny has permitted the development of robust physiological based pharmacokinetic models and an improved capability to predict drug disposition in pediatric patients. This review will provide an overview of DME developmental expression patterns and discuss some implications of the data with regards to drug therapy. Common themes emerging from our current knowledge also will be discussed. Finally, the review will highlight gaps in knowledge that will be important to advance this field.
Chitinase Gene Expression in Transgenic Plants: A Molecular Approach to Understanding Plant Defence Responses

Recent studies suggest that the production of enzymes capable of degrading the cell walls of invading phytopathogenic fungi may be an important component of the defence response of plants. In this chapter, we summarize recent progress on the isolation and characterization of chitinolytic enzymes from higher plants. Emphasis is placed on experiments designed to study the regulation of chitinase gene expression in response to ethylene treatment or pathogen ingress and on determining the role of this enzyme in plant defence. The production of transgenic plants with enhanced resistance to attack by the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani is discussed.
Futures Prices and Inflation Information

This study examines the timing and speed with which inflation futures prices absorb inflation information. Results of the study show that inflation futures prices already reflect the expected inflation. Moreover, 71% of unexpected inflation has been reflected in futures prices about 25 business days prior to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) announcement, which usually coincides with the end of the CPI measurement period. Reaction to the remaining 29% occurs on and shortly after the CPI announcement date, especially on day 0 and day 2. The inflation risk premium that investors are willing to pay to avoid uncertain inflation is estimated to be 1.41% per annum.
Non-orthogonal atomic orbitals

Abstract The procedure of Raffenetti and Ruedenberg for defining non-orthogonal atomic orbitals is generalized to provide minimum-kinetic-energy atomic orbitals for use in applications of pseudopotential theory in atoms and molecules.
IL-12 gene-deficient C57BL/6 mice are susceptible to Leishmania donovani but have diminished hepatic immunopathology.

To determine the in vivo role of IL-12 in the development of protective immunity in visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani, we examined the course of L. donovani infection in IL-12-deficient C57BL / 6 (IL-12– / –) mice. IL-12– / – mice displayed significantly higher parasite burdens in their livers and spleens than wild-type C57BL / 6 mice throughout the course of infection. Despite high parasite burdens, the onset of hepatosplenomegaly was significantly delayed in L. donovani-infected IL-12– / –. Moreover, livers and spleens from IL-12– / – mice displayed significantly less inflammation and poorly formed granulomatous lesions than those from IL-12+ / + mice throughout the course of infection. Antigen-stimulated splenocytes from IL-12– / – mice produced significantly less IFN-γ but more IL-4 than IL-12+ / + mice. These findings indicate that although endogenous IL-12 is critical for the development of protective immunity to L. donovani, it is also responsible for inducing the significant immunopathology associated with visceral leishmaniasis.
The nurturing neighborhood : the Brownsville Boys Club and Jewish community in urban America, 1940-1990

Drawing heavily on the reminiscences of the Brownsville boys themselves, and skillfully integrating these with material from newspapers, books, and commentary of the time, Sorin creates an original and compelling picture of the communal and individual vitality that allowed an unusual and heartening social achievement.
Adaptive mammographic image feature enhancement using wavelet-based multiresolution analysis

This paper presents a novel and computationally efficient approach to an adaptive mammographic image feature enhancement using wavelet-based multiresolution analysis. Upon wavelet decomposition applied to a given mammographic image, we integrate the information of the tree-structured zerocrossings of wavelet coefficients and the information of the low-pass filtered subimage to enhance the desired image features. A discrete wavelet transform with pyramidal structure has been employed to speed up the computation for wavelet decomposition and reconstruction. The spatio-frequency localization property of the wavelet transform is exploited based on the spatial coherence of image and the principle of human psychovisual mechanism. Preliminary results show that the proposed approach is able to adaptively enhance local edge features, suppress noise, and improve global visualization of mammographic image features. This wavelet-based multiresolution analysis is therefore promising for computerized mass screening of mammograms.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Photoassociative frequency shift in a quantum degenerate gas

A light-induced frequency shift is observed in single-photon photoassociative spectra of magnetically trapped, quantum degenerate ${}^{7}\mathrm{Li}.$ The shift is a manifestation of the coupling between the threshold continuum scattering states and discrete bound levels in the excited-state molecular potential induced by the photoassociation laser. The frequency shift is observed to be linear in the laser intensity with a measured proportionality constant that is in good agreement with theoretical predictions. This phenomenon has important implications for a scheme to alter the interactions between atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate using photoassociation resonances.
Adenocarcinoma arising in a sigmoid diverticulum: Report of a case

A case of adenocarcinoma arising in a sigmoid diverticulum is presented. A patient who had colonic diverticulosis was found to have one diverticular lumen distended by tumor mass. Microscopically, this was seen to be adenocarcinoma arising from the diverticular mucosa. Apparently, this is the first reported case of adenocarcinoma arising in an intact diverticulum of the colon.
A CONTRIBUTION TO STRUCTURAL VEGETATION MAPPING

(1957). A CONTRIBUTION TO STRUCTURAL VEGETATION MAPPING. Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Vol. 47, No. 4, pp. 363-369.
Academic Freedom: Constitutional Myths and Practical Realities.

Academic Freedom is a sacrosanct value on American university campuses. Virtually all research institutions, public and private, have explicitly adopted some form of the American Association of University Professors’ 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure or the organization’s the 1915 Declaration of Principles on Academic Freedom & Tenure. Because of the near universal acceptance of the principle of academic freedom, there is a common belief that the United States Constitution recognizes academic freedom and, more importantly, confers “special rights” on the persons and institutions of academia. Yet, despite its almost universal acceptance by faculty and administrators and despite its constant use as a constitutional theory whenever faculty and/or administrators dislike a government program, academic freedom is a constitutional myth. The rights of individual academics or of academic institutions are no greater than the rights of individual non-academics or of non-academic agencies or institutions. Put another way, from a constitutional standpoint, there is nothing special about the academic setting. Academic Freedom is no greater, and no lesser, than the constitutional rights of non-academics or ordinary state agencies. Nevertheless, academic freedom must be respected as a practical reality. There are important public policy reasons why university professors should have wide latitude in their research, writing, and teaching efforts. At the same time, institutions should be given a large amount of discretion in determining the scope of their missions. In other words, while academic freedom is not a federal constitutional value, it should be an important public policy consideration and, perhaps, even a state constitutional value. The purpose of this Article is twofold. First, it seeks to demonstrate that academic freedom is a constitutional myth. Institutional academic freedom, the idea that institutions of higher education have a federal constitutional right to be free from outside control, is simply incompatible with constitutional realities. Moreover, professors do not have an individual constitutional right to academic freedom. In short, the rights of professors and the institutions that employ them are no greater than the rights of non-academic employees and non-academic organizations. Second, it attempts to explain why respect for academic freedom is a practical reality.
Protonation studies on isomeric tetrafluoro-2,11-dithia[3·3]cyclophanes, tetrafluoro[2·2]metaparacyclophane and their corresponding non-fluorinated analogs. Comparison with fluorinated and non-fluorinated[2·2]cyclophanes: A stable ion and semi-empirical (AM1, PM3) investigation

Protonation of tetrafluoro-2,11-dithia [3·3]paracyclophane and tetrafluoro-2,11-dithia [3·3]metaparacyclophane in high-acidity super acid media, namely FSO3H.SbF5 (1:1) ‘magic acid’–SO2CIF, gave their corresponding acidic disulfonium ions. Additional ring protonation to give a disulfonium–monoarenium trication was not observed. With the non-fluorinated 2,11-dithia [3·3] cyclophanes, the disulfonium ions can be ring protonated in equilibrium to give a dynamic disulfonium–monoarenium trication. Tetrafluoro [2·2]-metaparacyclophane is monoprotonated at the meta ring and gives a complex mixture of conformational isomers. Multinuclear magnetic resonance data on the cyclophane precursors and their derived cations are compared and analysed. The energies, conformations and charge distributions of the isometric fluorinated and non-fluorinated [2·2] - and dithia [3·3] cyclophanes were calculated by the AM1 and PM3 methods, respectively. In all but one case the cyclophane arenium ions predicted by theory to be energetically most favoured are those observed in solution under stable ion conditions. In agreement with experiment, the instabilities of S,S,C-cyclophane trications are also theoretically predicted.
Optical quality micromachining of glass with focused laser-produced metal plasma etching in the atmosphere.

Recent results are reported about the optical quality surface finish obtained on glass substrates with focused laser beam produced metal plasma etching in the atmosphere. The bombardment of high-speed, high-temperature electrons from an underdense plasma on the surface of glass substrates appears to play a dominant role in this process. The effective laser fluence window for this high-quality glass machining on common microscope slides is relatively narrow. With a Corning microslide 2947, and by use of carbon steel as the plasma source, we obtained parameters between 3.5 and 4.5 J/cm2. Above the upper limit, laser-induced optical breakdown occurs in the glass material and leads to the formation of microcracks. Below the lower limit, the process was found to be ineffective. In these experiments highly defined, clean, sharp-edged, 50 × 50 micropit arrays of 15.0-µm diameter with a depth of 3.2 µm and a center-to-center separation of 18.0 µm were fabricated on Corning microslide 2947 glass substrates.
Music Education for All

School music programs are changing. For years the music education profession has emphasized large ensemble experiences for reasons that include quality of music making, sense of community, and individual and collective pride for many of the students involved. As a high school saxophonist, I valued that experience, but other high school students—both in my time and now—have equally rewarding music-making experiences outside of school. Who are these people? What do their experiences tell us? This article includes the stories of three adult music makers, whose pathways did not include school music experiences past their elementary years. As adults they all create music, and two of them are active performers. Why was there no place for them in school music programs? Is there a place for them now?
Stenting for ischemic heart disease.

This article examines current indications to intracoronary stenting for percutaneous cardiac revascularization. The data sources are a review of the published English literature, with focus on clinical and randomized trials of coronary artery stenting. Stents reduce the need for emergency bypass surgery in the setting of acute or threatened vessel closure after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). In selected cases, when deployed electively in large native vessels with focal stenosis, clinical and angiographic recurrence are significantly reduced. Preliminary studies have also suggested a potential role in the treatment of saphenous vein graft lesions and restenotic lesions, and in improving on suboptimal results in lesions refractory to balloon dilatation. To prevent stent thrombosis, adjunctive antiplatelet therapy has been shown to be more efficacious than anticoagulation, and optimal stent apposition to the vessel wall appears to be critical. A recent exponential increase in the use of coronary stents has revolutionized the contemporary practice of interventional cardiology. Although technical factors and feasibility have been well refined and shown, evidence-based practice is lacking for many patient subsets.
Bridging the gap: Membrane contact sites in signaling, metabolism, and organelle dynamics

Regions of close apposition between two organelles, often referred to as membrane contact sites (MCSs), mostly form between the endoplasmic reticulum and a second organelle, although contacts between mitochondria and other organelles have also begun to be characterized. Although these contact sites have been noted since cells first began to be visualized with electron microscopy, the functions of most of these domains long remained unclear. The last few years have witnessed a dramatic increase in our understanding of MCSs, revealing the critical roles they play in intracellular signaling, metabolism, the trafficking of metabolites, and organelle inheritance, division, and transport.
MicroRNA Dissects Out Dangerous Pancreatic Cysts from All the Rest

Malignant transformation of pancreatic cysts occurs in only a fraction of patients. The diagnostic dilemma is identifying which cysts pose a cancerous threat. Cyst fluid has been analyzed in a variety of ways to answer this question but the microRNA (miRNA) profile of the fluid may finally hold the answer. Clin Cancer Res; 18(17); 4482–4. ©2012 AACR .
Genetic and Morphologic Variation in the Davis Mountains Cottontail (Sylvilagus robustus)

The Davis Mountains cottontail, Sylvilagus robustus, is an endemic species of the Trans-Pecos area of Texas. Although S. robustus previously was believed to be extirpated from the Chisos Mountains, we confirmed existence of a population. We examined intrapopulation and interpopulation variation in S. robustus, as well as the genetic relationship to the eastern cottontail (S. floridanus) using partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b and control region genes. Six morphometric traits relating to overall size and six cranial characters considered diagnostic for the two subspecies were used to confirm identification of specimens. Our morphological analysis suggested that specimens from the Chisos and Davis Mountains were S. robustus; however, low levels of genetic divergence between S. robustus and S. floridanus appeared inconsistent with species-level recognition for S. robustus.
New Concepts in Vehicle Interior Design Using ASPECT

The ASPECT (Automotive Seat and Package Evaluation and Comparison Tools) program developed a new physical manikin for seat measurement and new techniques for integrating the seat measurements into the vehicle design process. This paper presents an overview of new concepts in vehicle interior design that have resulted from the ASPECT program and other studies of vehicle occupant posture and position conducted at UMTRI. The new methods result from an integration of revised versions of the SAE seat position and eyellipse models with the new tools developed in ASPECT. Measures of seat and vehicle interior geometry are input to statistical posture and position prediction tools that can be applied to any specified user population or individual occupant anthropometry.
Calorimetric determination of the enthalpy change for the alpha-helix to coil transition of an alanine peptide in water.

Abstract The enthalpy change (delta H) accompanying the alpha-helix to random coil transition in water has been determined calorimetrically for a 50-residue peptide of defined sequence that contains primarily alanine. The enthalpy of helix formation is one of the basic parameters needed to predict thermal unfolding curves for peptide helices and it provides a starting point for analysis of the peptide hydrogen bond. The experimental uncertainty in delta H reflects the fact that the transition curve is too broad to measure in its entirety, which precludes fitting the baselines directly. A lower limit for delta H of unfolding, 0.9 kcal/mol per residue, is given by assuming that the change in heat capacity (delta Cp) is zero, and allowing the baseline to intersect the transition curve at the lowest measured Cp value. Use of the van't Hoff equation plus least-squares fitting to determine a more probable baseline gives delta H = 1.3 kcal/mol per residue. Earlier studies of poly(L-lysine) and poly(L-glutamate) have given 1.1 kcal/mol per residue. Those investigations, along with our present result, suggest that the side chain has little effect on delta H. The possibility that the peptide hydrogen bond shows a correspondingly large delta H, and the implications for protein stability, are discussed.
Pedagogy for Prisoners: An Approach to Peer Health Education for Inmates:

There are public health benefits in prisoner health education, given that inmates are predominantly from an underclass that is overrepresented in all categories of disease and health disadvantage. ...
Kin presence drives philopatry and social aggregation in juvenile Desert Night Lizards (Xantusia vigilis)

Kin selection is a powerful concept in evolutionary biology that can explain both cooperative and competitive behavior. Most social behavior associated with kin selection depends on prior dispersal decisions by juveniles, which can choose to either disperse away from kin or remain at the natal site. A useful way to investigate the role of kin in social behavior is to experimentally manipulate kin environment and resolve a direct causal relationship between kin presence, dispersal strategy, and subsequent social behavior. I used a cross-fostering experiment to manipulate the relatedness of the social environment in both the laboratory and the field and test for the effects of kin on juvenile dispersal and social aggregation in the Desert Night Lizard (Xantusia vigilis). I found that kin presence actively promotes both philopatry and winter aggregation, which is consistent with the predictions of kin cooperation and suggests that kin sociality in this species is not simply a by-product of limited dispersal. In combination with kin effects known in other species, these results suggest a generality of positive associations with kin, the potential dominance of cooperative over competitive mechanisms, and the increased prominence that cooperation may have in the future theoretical study of kin selection.
LEAFY COTYLEDON1-LIKE Defines a Class of Regulators Essential for Embryo Development

Arabidopsis LEAFY COTYLEDON1 (LEC1) is a critical regulator required for normal development during the early and late phases of embryogenesis that is sufficient to induce embryonic development in vegetative cells. LEC1 encodes a HAP3 subunit of the CCAAT binding transcription factor. We show that the 10 Arabidopsis HAP3 (AHAP3) subunits can be divided into two classes based on sequence identity in their central, conserved B domain. LEC1 and its most closely related subunit, LEC1-LIKE (L1L), constitute LEC1-type AHAP3 subunits, whereas the remaining AHAP3 subunits are designated non-LEC1-type. Similar to LEC1, L1L is expressed primarily during seed development. However, suppression of L1L gene expression induced defects in embryo development that differed from those of lec1 mutants, suggesting that LEC1 and L1L play unique roles in embryogenesis. We show that L1L expressed under the control of DNA sequences flanking the LEC1 gene suppressed genetically the lec1 mutation, suggesting that the LEC1-type B domains of L1L and LEC1 are critical for their function in embryogenesis. Our results also suggest that LEC1-type HAP3 subunits arose from a common origin uniquely in plants. Thus, L1L, an essential regulator of embryo development, defines a unique class of plant HAP3 subunits.
Examining Household Asthma Management Behavior Through a Microeconomic Framework

National guidelines on the effective management of pediatric asthma have been promoted for over 20 years, yet asthma-related morbidity among low-income children remains disproportionately high. To date, household and clinical interventions designed to remediate these differences have been informed largely by a health behavior framework. However, these programs have not resulted in consistent sustained improvements in targeted populations. The continued funding and implementation of programs based on the health behavior framework leads us to question if traditional behavioral models are sufficient to understand and promote adaptation of positive health management behaviors. We introduce the application of the microeconomic framework to investigate potential mechanisms that can lead to positive management behaviors to improve asthma-related morbidity. We provide examples from the literature on health production, preferences, trade-offs and time horizons to illustrate how economic constructs can potentially ...
A numerical study of pulsatile blood flow in an eccentric catheterized artery using a fast algorithm

The pulsatile blood flow in an eccentric catheterized artery is studied numerically by making use of an extended version of the fast algorithm of Borges and Daripa (J. Comp. Phys., 2001). The mathematical model involves the usual assumptions that the arterial segment is straight, the arterial wall is rigid and impermeable, blood is an incompressible Newtonian fluid, and the flow is fully developed. The flow rate (flux) is considered as a periodic function of time (prescribed). The axial pressure gradient and velocity distribution in the eccentric catheterized artery are obtained as solutions of the problem. Through the computed results on axial pressure gradient, the increases in mean pressure gradient and frictional resistance in the artery due to catheterization are estimated. These estimates can be used to correct the error involved in the measured pressure gradients using catheters.
Downloading from the Internet

Millions of people use the Internet to communicate through instant messaging, e-mail, chat, discussion groups, and newsgroups. They also conduct research, shop, read news, listen to music and radio, transfer files, and even watch TV on their personal computer. To be successful in a profession today, individuals need to be able to download from the Internet efficiently. Downloading means the transfer of a file to the user's computer. By understanding the fundamentals of downloading from the Web, they will understand the types of files that can be downloaded, the security issues in downloading, and the legal aspects of downloading from the Web. This chapter will explain downloading with attendant details. Keywords: commercial software; file transfer protocol (FTP); file type; legal aspects; public domain software; secure transfer; security issues; shareware
Delay/Doppler radar altimeter: better measurement precision

A delay/Doppler radar altimeter (DDA) has many advantages over a conventional spaceborne radar altimeter. This paper presents new results that quantify the measurement precision improvements of a DDA when observing the ocean surface. The improvement is established through simulation, and is explained in terms of the increased amount of incoherent averaging available to the DDA.
Intracellular transduction using cell-penetrating peptides

Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), TATp, in particular, has been used widely for intracellular delivery of various agents ranging from small molecules to proteins, peptides, range of pharmaceutical nanocarriers and imaging agents. This review highlights the mechanisms of CPP-mediated delivery and summarizes numerous examples illustrating the potential of CPPs in the fields of biology and medicine.
Minimax Probability Machine

When constructing a classifier, the probability of correct classification of future data points should be maximized. In the current paper this desideratum is translated in a very direct way into an optimization problem, which is solved using methods from convex optimization. We also show how to exploit Mercer kernels in this setting to obtain nonlinear decision boundaries. A worst-case bound on the probability of misclassification of future data is obtained explicitly.
The use of Huygens' equivalence principle for solving 3-D volume integral equation of scattering

A three-dimensional (3-D) version of the nested equivalent principle algorithm (NEPAL) is presented. In 3-D, a scatterer is first decomposed into N subscatterers. Then, spherical wave functions are used to represent the scattered field of the subscatterers. Subscatterers are divided into different levels of groups in a nested manner. For example, each group consists of eight subgroups, and each subgroup contains eight sub-subgroups, and so on. For each subgroup, the scattering solution is first solved and the number of subscatterers of the subgroup is then reduced by replacing the interior subscatterers with boundary subscatterers using Huygens' equivalence principle. As a result, when the subgroups are combined to form a higher level group, the group will have a smaller number of subscatterers. This process is repeated for each level, and in the last level, the number of subscatterers is proportional to that of boundary size of the scatterers. This algorithm has a computational complexity of O(N/sup 2/) in three dimensions for all excitations and has the advantage of solving large scattering problems for multiple excitations. This is in contrast to Gaussian elimination which has a computational complexity of O(N/sup 3/). >
STUDIES ON HUMAN ANTIBODIES VIII. PROPERTIES AND ASSOCIATION CONSTANTS OF HUMAN ANTIBODIES TO BLOOD GROUP A SUBSTANCE PURIFIED WITH INSOLUBLE SPECIFIC ADSORBENTS AND FRACTIONALLY ELUTED WITH MONO- AND OLIGOSACCHARIDE

Human antibodies to blood group A substance were purified by absorption on columns of insoluble polyleucyl hog blood group A + H substance and eluted first with N-acetylgalactosamine and then with an A active reduced pentasaccharide AR(L)0.52. The gammaM and gammaG antibodies in these eluates were separated by density gradient centrifugation. The antibodies were studied for their relative capacities to be inhibited by various blood group A active oligosaccharides. Antibodies eluted by the N-acetylgalactosamine could be inhibited by N-acetylgalactosamine, as well as by lower concentrations of A active tri- and pentasaccharides, while those eluted by the pentasaccharide AR(L)0.52 could only be inhibited by the two oligosaccharides, but not by N-acetylgalactosamine, indicating that the N-acetylgalactosamine eluate had more antibodies with smaller size combining sites than the AR(L)0.52 eluate. Measurements by equilibrium dialysis gave values ranging from 2 x 10(3) to 1 x 10(5)M(-1) and the values obtained with the AR(L)0.52 eluate were somewhat higher than those with the GalNAc eluate. Only one of three anti-A sera had gammaM anti-A in the AR(L)0.52 eluate, while all three had gammaM in the N-acetylgalactosamine eluate. Data on the precipitating, hemagglutinating, complement fixing, hemolytic properties of the eluted antibodies, and of their content of kappa and lambda light chains are given.
Social and perceptual processes in the installation The Trade

Through a discussion of the installation piece, The Trade / Oro por Baratijas, we address the theoretical issues behind the development of ecologically based compositional work. We discuss whether ecologically based music can be studied using linguistic tools. The concepts of potentiality and actuality are situated within the perspective of individual–environment interactions. A process that describes the relationship between an individual and his specific social context is proposed: the personal environment. Consistency is discussed in relation to environmental sound listening processes and ecological modelling work. The first part of the paper concludes by suggesting that form-creation is dynamically determined by a process of mutual adaptation between listener and environment. The second part focuses on compositional methods and contextual elements as they are used in The Trade. This work has been developed through a multilevel approach where visual and sonic materials stem from social and historical issues. The organisational processes of the sound piece are based on the micro-temporal and spectral properties suggested by the visual elements in the installation. The meso-temporal dynamic is organised through ecologically constrained events. The macro-structural shape and the sources used in the piece make reference to a specific historical context, i.e. the conquest of the American continent by the European armies during the first half of the sixteenth century.
The Evidence before One’s Eyes: A Case Report on Schizo-Obsessive Disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder is still considered primarily an anxiety disorder, though historically there has always been a question of whether obsessive-compulsive symptoms may be more properly considered psychotic in nature, the so-called schizo-obsessive disorder or subtype. A case is presented here of a middle-aged man with debilitating obsessive-compulsive symptoms of sudden onset in his late teens. Given the nature of onset and symptomatology, and the failure of prior therapies, the case was approached as a primary psychotic disorder. The neuroleptic-naive patient had remarkable response to low-dose antipsychotic medication, as well as to psychodynamic psychotherapy modeled along the lines of neuroplasticity. The case illustrates the blurred distinctions among anxiety, mood, and psychotic disorders and the improved outcomes when the proper underlying disorder is addressed.
Diagnosing multiple faults

Diagnostic tasks require determining the difierences between a model of an artifact and the artifact itself. The difierences between the manifested behavior of the artifact and the predicted behavior of the model guide the search for the difierences between the artifact and its model. The diagnostic procedure presented in this paper is model-based, inferring the behavior of the composite device from knowledge of the structure and function of the individual components comprising the device. The system (GDE | General Diagnostic Engine) has been implemented and tested on many examples in the domain of troubleshooting digital circuits. This research makes several novel contributions: First, the system diagnoses failures due to multiple faults. Second, failure candidates are represented and manipulated in terms of minimal sets of violated assumptions, resulting in an e‐cient diagnostic procedure. Third, the diagnostic procedure is incremental, exploiting the iterative nature of diagnosis. Fourth, a clear separation is drawn between diagnosis and behavior prediction, resulting in a domain (and inference procedure) independent diagnostic procedure. Fifth, GDE combines modelbased prediction with sequential diagnosis to propose measurements to localize the faults. The normally required conditional probabilities are computed from the structure of the device and models of its components. This capability results from a novel way of incorporating probabilities and information theory into the context mechanism provided by AssumptionBased Truth Maintenance.
Development and applications of fluorogenic probes for mercury(II) based on vinyl ether oxymercuration.

Mercury is a major threat to the environment and to human health. It is highly desirable to develop a user-friendly kit for on-site mercury detection. Such a method must be able to detect mercury below the threshold levels for drinking water, 1−2 ppb. We developed a fluorescence method based on the oxymercuration of vinyl ethers to detect mercury in dental and environmental samples. Chloride ions interfered with the oxymercuration reaction, but the addition of AgNO3 solved this problem. Fine electronic and structural tuning led to the development of a more responsive probe that was less sensitive to chloride ion interference. This second-generation probe could detect 1 ppb mercury ions in water.
Modeling and evaluating electricity options markets with intelligent agents

Under deregulation, the formation of electricity markets is a topic of great interest in the power industry and in financial institutions worldwide. Using derivative financial instruments (including options) becomes important for hedging against uncertainty and managing risk-limiting exposure to adverse market conditions. Black and Scholes' equation is often used to value options, but its validity is questionable due to assumptions that may not hold for electricity, most notably the assumption of log-normally distributed prices for the underlying commodity. In this research, a put options market for electricity is modeled. Adaptive agents trade in this market to maximize profit. They are not forced to use an explicit economic or financial model (e.g., Black-Scholes) in their valuation. A genetic algorithm (GA) is used to find alternate valuations that are used to generate buy and sell signals. The results show that it is possible to evolve profitable valuations for use with buying and selling options in this simple model. Reasons for and implications of this finding (e.g., that Black-Scholes may not be a good method for pricing electricity derivatives) are discussed.
Multilevel inverters: a survey of topologies, controls, and applications

Multilevel inverter technology has emerged recently as a very important alternative in the area of high-power medium-voltage energy control. This paper presents the most important topologies like diode-clamped inverter (neutral-point clamped), capacitor-clamped (flying capacitor), and cascaded multicell with separate DC sources. Emerging topologies like asymmetric hybrid cells and soft-switched multilevel inverters are also discussed. This paper also presents the most relevant control and modulation methods developed for this family of converters: multilevel sinusoidal pulsewidth modulation, multilevel selective harmonic elimination, and space-vector modulation. Special attention is dedicated to the latest and more relevant applications of these converters such as laminators, conveyor belts, and unified power-flow controllers. The need of an active front end at the input side for those inverters supplying regenerative loads is also discussed, and the circuit topology options are also presented. Finally, the peripherally developing areas such as high-voltage high-power devices and optical sensors and other opportunities for future development are addressed.
Progress towards polar-drive ignition for the NIF

The University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) performs direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research. LLE's Omega Laser Facility is used to study direct-drive ICF ignition concepts, developing an understanding of the underlying physics that feeds into the design of ignition targets for the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The baseline symmetric-illumination, direct-drive?ignition target design consists of a 1.5?MJ multiple-picket laser pulse that generates four shock waves (similar to the NIF baseline indirect-drive design) and is predicted to produce a one-dimensional (1D) gain of 48. LLE has developed the polar-drive (PD) illumination concept (for NIF beams in the x-ray?drive configuration) to allow the pursuit of direct-drive ignition without significant reconfiguration of the beam paths on the NIF. Some less-invasive changes in the NIF infrastructure will be required, including new phase plates, polarization rotators, and a PD-specific beam-smoothing front end. A suite of PD ignition designs with implosion velocities from 3.5 to 4.3???107?cm?s?1 are predicted to have significant 2D gains (Collins et al 2012 Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 57 155). Verification of the physics basis of these simulations is a major thrust of direct-drive implosion experiments on both OMEGA and the NIF. Many physics issues are being examined with symmetric beam irradiation on OMEGA, varying the implosion parameters over a wide region of design space. Cryogenic deuterium?tritium target experiments with symmetric irradiation have produced areal densities of ?0.3?g?cm?2, ion temperatures over 3?keV, and neutron yields in excess of 20% of the ?clean? 1D predicted value. The inferred Lawson criterion figure of merit (Betti R. et al 2010 Phys. Plasmas 17 058102) has increased from 1.7?atm?s (IAEA 2010) to 2.6?atm?s.
Feeding a Warming World

The agricultural sector faces massive growth in demand for its products - in the teeth of significant impacts from climate change. However, the challenges present significant investment opportunities.