cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vacancies in ordered and disordered binary alloys treated with the cluster expansion

First-principles investigations of the thermodynamics of binary alloys using a cluster expansion have so far neglected the presence of vacancies. Here, we invoke a local cluster expansion as a perturbation to the standard binary cluster expansion to model the equilibrium vacancy concentration in a binary alloy as a function of temperature and alloy composition. We apply this approach to a first-principles investigation of the fcc ${\mathrm{Al}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Li}}_{x}$ alloy (for $x$ less than 0.3) which at $x=0.25$ exhibits $\mathrm{L}{1}_{2}$ superstructure ordering. The equilibrium vacancy concentration is predicted to be sensitive to the bulk alloy composition $x$ in the ordered $\mathrm{L}{1}_{2}$ phase, varying by more than an order of magnitude in a narrow interval of $x$ at intermediate temperatures. Both in the solid solution and in the ordered $\mathrm{L}{1}_{2}$ phase, the vacancy prefers a nearest neighbor shell rich in aluminum. In the $\mathrm{L}{1}_{2}$ ordered phase, the vacancy predominantly occupies the lithium sublattice. The type of short-range order around a vacancy should affect the mobility of the constituents of the alloy and hence its interdiffusion coefficient.
On the Fermi liquid effects in the upper critical field of NbN thin films

Abstract The temperature dependence of the upper critical field reveals that NbN is a paramagnetism limited superconductor with significant electron-electron exchange and correlation potential arising from the Fermi liquid effects, in sharp contrast to the strong spin-orbit scattering effects expected from the relatively high atomic number of Nb and the low electron density of states at the Fermi energy of NbN. The results also indicate that while the normal state resistivity of the films can be altered in a controlled manner, it does not correlate to the spin-orbit scattering rate directly.
FDA's Laser Notice 50: a step toward global harmonization

The US Food and Drug Administration, Center of Devices and Radiological Health issued Laser Notice 50 in July 2001. This Notice is a preliminary step that FDA has taken to harmonize US regulations for laser products (21 Code of Federal Regulations) with the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards for Safety of Laser Products. The paper discusses rationale for the changes and describes some of the implementation issues, including comparisons between the current standards. The impact on the regulated industry and the user community is that the same laser hazard classification scheme is used and that engineered safety features are consistentin the world markets.
More Variations than Theme: The Sovietization of Eastern European Universities

One of the characteristic features of Communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe was the principle of uniformity. From the 'little Stalins' to the ubiquitous red propaganda banners, institutions and practices across the bloc seemed to trace a single pattern imported from Moscow. Not surprisingly, higher education, which produced 'not only national histories and ideologies, but also elites' (p. 2), was integral to the policy of bringing countries into line with Moscow's goals. Yet, as John Connelly shows in Captive University, decreeing uniformity was one thing, enforcing it was another. Pre1945 traditions and relationships often trumped Communist attempts to transform higher education, Connelly argues, and uniformity did not reign across the bloc, because it could not. These findings challenge traditional views of the imposition of Communist rule, and suggest that Eastern Europe did not, as the title of a popular textbook puts it, 'return to diversity' only after Stalin's death (or, as some would argue, only after 1989). 1 Instead, diversity was there all along, in spite of the Communists' best intentions.
An experimental study of exclusive contracts

Abstract This paper reports results from a laboratory experiment based on exclusive contracts that may theoretically lead to inefficient “naked exclusion” of a potential rival. The data indicate that changes in the number of buyers in the market have no significant effect on exclusion rates but the likelihood of inefficient exclusion is decreased both when a larger fraction of signed buyers are needed to deter a rival's entry and when buyers engage in non-binding communication. These results have antitrust implications both in terms of helping to identify “at-risk” market characteristics and suggesting potential competition-enhancing strategies. A sub-game of the experiment where buyers make signing decisions can be illustrated as a coordination game with the unique feature that payoffs are affected by a separate but interested party (the incumbent seller). I find that the height of the potential function and relevant basin of attraction, especially when combined with quantal response estimation, have larger predictive power in this sub-game than several other equilibrium selection criteria.
Absolute measurement of open-field activity in mice

An automated open field which measures the absolute distance traveled by an animal is described. A previous study, using this field to measure the activity of mice, obtained a correlation of .92 between absolute distance traveled and number of squares entered as measured by an observer. That finding was confirmed in the present study (r = .91). Based upon absolute measurements we found that mice were equally active whether an observer was present or absent, and that they were significantly more active when tested in darkness. Regression analyses of both studies revealed that there were observer-dependent measurement errors which varied as a function of size of the field: with a 61 cm square field errors in measurement were essentially constant throughout the range studied; however, with a 105 cm square field the errors changed systematically as the activity of the mice increased.
Phylogenetic relationships among bacteriorhodopsins

Retinal-containing proteins of archaea comprise a single family of homologous proteins that fall into three clusters correlating with function: the proton-transporting bacteriorhodopsins, the chloride-transporting halorhodopsins and the colour-discriminating sensory rhodopsins. Statistical and phylogenetic analyses, a multiple alignment and average hydropathy and similarity plots of these protein sequences are presented. Available evidence suggests that sequence conservation generally correlates with functional significance. Little or no evidence substantiates the proposal that these proteins arose by a tandem intragenic duplication event. The bacterial rhodopsin family appears to have evolved from a common ancestor without recognizable intragenic rearrangements.
Staging upper tract urinary calculi: analysis of an ESWL center's population

A staging system for recording the distribution of calculi within the upper urinary tract is presented. The system incorporates descriptors of calculus size, location, complexity and relevant associated anatomical factors. The use of the staging system in stratifying the calculus disease in 1,491 patients treated at an ESWL center into subgroups is demonstrated. Accurate classification of stone disease extent will facilitate comparison of treatment results.
Successional development of fouling communities on open ocean aquaculture fish cages in the western Gulf of Maine, USA

Abstract Growth of fouling organisms on suspended fish cages is an impediment to aquaculture projects in coastal waters around the world. The present study characterized ecological succession of fouling communities on the netting of fish cages at an open ocean aquaculture site 10 km east of New Hampshire, USA in the western Gulf of Maine. Ecological succession can be defined as the process by which a community moves from a simple level of organization to a more complex community. Routine cleaning of the cages causes loss of organisms and initiation of ecological succession. Experimental panels of nylon net material were deployed at different times of the year and for different durations from September 2002 to September 2003 (eleven sets of 1-month panels, four sets of 3-month panels, two sets of 6-month panels, and one set of 1-year panels), with four replicates of each deployment. Panels were randomly arranged on a grid that was attached to a fish cage at a water depth of ∼ 15 m. There were substantial and significant differences in density and biomass of the total communities of most successional sequences when comparing panels deployed during May–September to those deployed during the cooler months, October–April. However, the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, dominated in density and biomass in almost every sequence, regardless of time of initiation or duration. Other species that occurred in high numbers and/or biomass were the amphipods Caprella sp. and Jassa marmorata, the molluscs Hiatella arctica and Anomia sp., the seastar Asterias vulgaris, and the anemone Metridium senile. Juveniles and adults of some species were also present in some early (1-month) successional sequences, indicating that migration may be an important process in community development. Some of the dominant species listed above were present in all successional stages (early, intermediate and late), differing only in relative abundances in the community. The consistent dominance of M. edulis, and other differences in successional patterns compared to what has been typically observed for epifaunal communities in the region, were hypothesized to be the result of a combination of factors: a lack of predators such as seastars and fish that typically consume mussels in natural communities, excessive predation by nudibranchs on those species (e.g., Tubularia sp.) normally abundant in early successional stages, year-round availability of mussel larvae, and cage cleaning protocols that do not remove all the organisms present. The introduction of predatory fishes or seastars into or onto the cages might provide some amount of control on the growth of fouling organisms.
Validation of two soil heat flux estimation techniques against observations made in an engineered urban green space

Abstract In highly developed landscapes, the soil heat flux that results from changes in land cover determines, in part, the extent to which urban climatic conditions can be modulated (e.g. retrofitting cities with new, engineered green spaces to reduce urban heat island effect). In this paper, temperature-dependent (TD) and temperature-independent (TI) soil heat flux models are validated against 6 days of measurements made in an engineered urban green space. The results suggest that the TI model (heat flux plate method) represents the observations better than the temperature-dependent one, which consistently overestimates soil heat flux at night and during the dusk-dawn period. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis reveals that the TD model is more sensitive to the selection of thermal conductivity and heat capacity values than the TI model. It can be concluded that the TI model is a more robust predictive tool, and especially in urban applications where soil properties may be highly uncertain.
Abstract 1987: The role of lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor in directing breast cancer cell behavior and subtype

The claudin-low molecular subtype of breast cancer is of particular interest for clinically the majority of these tumors are poor prognosis, triple negative, invasive ductal carcinomas. Claudin-low tumors are characterized by low gene expression of cell junction and adhesion proteins, and de-regulation of tight junction proteins is often been implicated in tumorigenesis. Herein, we sought to define the role of tricellular tight junction (tTJ) proteins in breast cancer and cancer cell behavior with a focus on lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor (LSR). LSR was expressed in epithelium, endothelium, adipose and stromal cells within the healthy breast tissue, as well as in tumor epithelium. LSR expression was significantly correlated with invasive ductal carcinomas compared to invasive lobular carcinomas, and ERα positive tumors and breast cancer cell lines. Consistent with the role of LSR in tTJs, LSR levels were significantly reduced in claudin-low breast cancer cell lines. Functional studies illustrated that that re-introduction of LSR into a claudin-low cell line suppressed the EMT phenotype and reduced individual cell migration. However, our data suggest that LSR may direct collective cell migration. Moreover, re-introduction of LSR in claudin-low breast cancer cell lines reestablished a family of TJ expression, thereby reverting claudin-low lines to other molecular subtypes. Overexpression of LSR enhanced proliferation and survival in anchorage independent conditions, suggesting that reestablishment of tight junctions is not sufficient to inhibit aggressive cell behaviors in vitro. Collectively, these data highlight an unanticipated role for the tTJ protein, LSR in directing aggressive breast cancer behavior. Citation Format: Jodie M. Fleming, Denise K. Reaves, Katerina D. Fagan-Solis, Karen Dunphy, Shannon D. Oliver. The role of lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor in directing breast cancer cell behavior and subtype. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1987. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1987
Lobulated inverted papilloma of ureter

Abstract A case of lobulated inverted papilloma of the ureter is reported. Inverted papilloma is a rare benign polypoid lesion of the urothelium and more than 90 per cent are located in the urinary bladder. To date 3 cases of inverted papilloma have been documented in the ureter.
VeA Regulates Conidiation, Gliotoxin Production, and Protease Activity in the Opportunistic Human Pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus

Invasive aspergillosis by Aspergillus fumigatus is a leading cause of infection-related mortality in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we show that veA, a major conserved regulatory gene that is unique to fungi, is necessary for normal morphogenesis in this medically relevant fungus. Although deletion of veA results in a strain with reduced conidiation, overexpression of this gene further reduced conidial production, indicating that veA has a major role as a regulator of development in A. fumigatus and that normal conidiation is only sustained in the presence of wild-type VeA levels. Furthermore, our studies revealed that veA is a positive regulator in the production of gliotoxin, a secondary metabolite known to be a virulent factor in A. fumigatus. Deletion of veA resulted in a reduction of gliotoxin production with respect to that of the wild-type control. This reduction in toxin coincided with a decrease in gliZ and gliP expression, which is necessary for gliotoxin biosynthesis. Interestingly, veA also influences protease activity in this organism. Specifically, deletion of veA resulted in a reduction of protease activity; this is the first report of a veA homolog with a role in controlling fungal hydrolytic activity. Although veA affects several cellular processes in A. fumigatus, pathogenicity studies in a neutropenic mouse infection model indicated that veA is dispensable for virulence.
The effect of spatial orientation on the perception of moving tactile stimuli

Previous studies have shown that the perception of spatial patterns, such as letters, presented to the hand is affected by the spatial orientation of the hand. The present study investigated how the perception of direction of motion across the fingerpads changes with the position of the hand in space. The moving stimuli were generated on two displays. In one condition, the displays were placed horizontally in front of the subject, with the subject’s thumb (target site) and index finger (nontarget site) placed flat on the displays. In a second condition, the displays were vertically oriented and gripped between the thumb and index finger. Using a selective-attention paradigm in which subjects are instructed to respond only to the direction of motion at the target site, performance was still affected by the direction of motion at the nontarget site. Changing the orientation of the displays changed the effectiveness of the nontarget in interfering with the identification of the target movement. Nontarget stimuli that produced no interference in the horizontal orientation did so in the vertical, and vice versa. It appears that subjects are not using the local direction of movement across the fingerpads to judge the relative direction of movement at the two sites; rather, they are using the external direction of movement.
Multiperipheral Model for the Nonforward M 2 Absorptive Part in the Double-Regge Region

The forward absorptive part in M/sup 2/ of a + b + c elastic scattenng has been related by Mueller to the inclusive single-particle spectrum for a + b yields c + X. The nonforward a + b + c 3-3 M/sup 2/ absorption part in the double-Regge region also has several physical applications. The M/sup 2/ absorptive part of this amplitude is calculated in the region of double-Regge exchange using a multiperipheral model with exponential damping in momentum transfer and Regge behavior in inclusive subenergies. The absorptive part is then extended to an analytic function in M/sup 2/. (auth)
Diagnosis of Diabetes using Hemoglobin A1c: Should Recommendations in Adults Be Extrapolated to Adolescents?

Objective To compare test performance of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) for detecting diabetes mellitus/pre-diabetes for adolescents versus adults in the United States. Study design Individuals were defined as having diabetes mellitus (fasting plasma glucose [FPG] ≥126 mg/dL; 2-hour plasma glucose (2-hr PG) ≥200 mg/dL) or pre-diabetes (100 ≤ FPG Results Few adolescents had undiagnosed diabetes mellitus (n = 4). When assessing FPG to detect diabetes, an HbA1c of 6.5% had sensitivity rates of 75.0% (30.1% to 95.4%) and 53.8% (47.4% to 60.0%) and specificity rates of 99.9% (99.5% to 100.0%) and 99.5% (99.3% to 99.6%) for adolescents and adults, respectively. Additionally, when assessing FPG to detect diabetes mellitus, an HbA1c of 5.7% had sensitivity rates of 5.0% (2.6% to 9.2%) and 23.1% (21.3% to 25.0%) and specificity rates of 98.3% (97.2% to 98.9%) and 91.1% (90.3% to 91.9%) for adolescents and adults, respectively. ROC analyses suggested that HbA1c is a poorer predictor of diabetes mellitus (area under the curve, 0.88 versus 0.93) and pre-diabetes (FPG area under the curve 0.61 versus 0.74) for adolescents compared with adults. Performance was poor regardless of whether FPG or 2-hr PG measurements were used. Conclusions Use of HbA1c for diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes in adolescents may be premature, until information from more definitive studies is available.
Finite element simulation of perforation and penetration of aluminum targets by conical-nosed steel rods

Abstract Perforation and penetration of aluminum targets by conical-nosed steel projectiles is investigated. Specifically, numerical simulations of the experimental configurations in a series of laboratory tests are conducted. The transient dynamic finite element code pronto 2 d is used to perform the numerical studies. Both the projectile and the target are modeled as elastic/plastic materials with isotropic hardening. Numerical results are obtained for various target geometries and impact velocities. Good correlations have been found when these results are compared to measured experimental data.
Ambophyllin, an office-dispensed tablet for asthma, contains triamcinolone.

Causes of Cushing's syndrome include Cushing's disease, ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone, or corticotropin-releasing hormone production, excessive adrenal hypersecretion, and exogenous glucocorticoid administration. ~ We examined two adult patients with asthma and Cushing's syndrome who were not known to be taking exogenous corticosteroids. Both were taking a proprietary pill labeled ambophyllin provided by a physician in Mexico. We analyzed an ambophyllin tablet and found it to contain triamcinolone. We present the case reports and a discussion of the implications of this information.
Some remarks on coupling of dependent random variables

In this note we investigate the coupling of a dependent random vector with an independent one, having the same marginal distributions. An upper bound of the distance in L1 between the variables with the same rank is given in terms of mixing coe,cients. We shall apply our coupling method to the uniform law of large numbers. c
Thermodynamic and kinetic characterization of Co-C bond homolysis catalyzed by coenzyme B(12)-dependent methylmalonyl-CoA mutase.

Methylmalonyl-CoA mutase is a member of the family of coenzyme B12-dependent isomerases and catalyzes the 1,2-rearrangement of methylmalonyl-CoA to succinyl-CoA. A common first step in the reactions catalyzed by coenzyme B12-dependent enzymes is cleavage of the cobalt−carbon bond of the cofactor, leading to radical-based rearrangement reactions. Comparison of the homolysis rate for the free and enzyme-bound cofactors reveals an enormous rate enhancement which is on the order of a trillion-fold. To address how this large rate acceleration is achieved, we have examined the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters associated with the homolysis reaction catalyzed by methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. Both the rate and the amount of cob(II)alamin formation have been analyzed as a function of temperature with the protiated substrate. These studies yield the following activation parameters for the homolytic reaction at 37 °C: ΔHf⧧ = 18.8 ± 0.8 kcal/mol, ΔSf⧧ = 18.2 ± 0.8 cal/(mol·K), and ΔGf⧧ = 13.1 ± 0.6 kcal/mol. Our resu...
Epitope-specific regulatory CD4 T cells reduce virus-induced illness while preserving CD8 T-cell effector function at the site of infection.

The role of epitope-specific regulatory CD4 T cells in modulating CD8 T-cell-mediated immunopathology during acute viral infection has not been well defined. In the murine model of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, CD8 T cells play an important role in both viral clearance and immunopathology. We have previously characterized two RSV epitope-specific CD4 T-cell responses with distinct phenotypic properties. One of them, the IA b M209-specific subset, constitutively expresses FoxP3 and modulates CD8 T-cell function in vitro .W e show here that the IA b M209-specific CD4 T-cell response regulates CD8 T-cell function in vivo and is associated with diminished RSV-induced illness without affecting viral clearance at the site of infection. Achieving the optimal balance of regulatory and effector T-cell function is an important consideration for designing future vaccines. A subset of CD4 T cells with regulatory function (Treg) has been shown to play an important role in modulating adaptive immune responses. Natural Tregs are characterized by the expression of FoxP3 and participate in reducing the activation of CD8 T-cell responses in peripheral lymphoid organs (11, 20, 35). This modulation can diminish the ability of adaptive immune responses to control systemic infections (4). However, the presence of natural regulatory CD4 T cells can have a beneficial effect on immune-mediated pathology, particularly at the site of infection. Tregs have been shown to limit pulmonary inflammation and lung injury induced by pneumocystis infection (29) and to modulate herpes simplex virus-induced inflammatory lesions of the eye (46). Natural Tregs also reduce the symptoms of West Nile virus infections in both humans and mice; Treg-deficient mice were more likely to develop lethal infection (25). Viral infection can also induce antigen-specific CD4 T cells that express FoxP3 (27), and their role in protective immunity and immunopathology needs more detailed investigation. T lymphocytes are key components of adaptive immunity against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Children with T-cell deficiencies have delayed virus clearance and are more susceptible to fatal RSV infection (10, 18). The absence of T cells infiltrating into lung is associated with fatal RSV infections in children without recognized underlying disease (49). In the murine model, CD8 T cells play a major role in RSV clearance, presumably through direct cytotoxicity to in
Balancing false alarms and hits in Spoken Term Detection

This paper presents methods to improve retrieval of Out-Of-Vocabulary (OOV) terms in a Spoken Term Detection (STD) system. We demonstrate that automated tagging of OOV regions helps to reduce false alarms while incorporating phonetic confusability increases the hits. Additional features that boost the probability of a hit in accordance with the number of neighboring hits for the same query and query-length normalization also improve the overall performance of the spokenterm detection system. We show that these methods can be combined effectively to provide a relative improvement of 21% in Average Term Weighted Value (ATWV) on a 100-hour corpus with 1290 OOV-only queries and 2% relative on the NIST 2006 STD task, where only 16 of the 1107 queries were OOV terms. Lastly, we present results to show that the proposed methods are general enough to work well in query-by-example based spoken-term detection, and in mismatched situations when the representation of the index being searched through and the queries are not generated by the same system.
Prokinetic Drug Therapy in Children: A Review of Current Options:

OBJECTIVE:To review the pharmacology, safety, and efficacy of the prokinetic agents metoclopramide and erythromycin in children.DATA SOURCES:English-language literature was accessed using MEDLINE (1970–June 2004) with metoclopramide, erythromycin, macrolides, gastroesophageal reflux, and gastrointestinal motility as the search terms.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Abstracts and original research articles were included. Preference was given to published controlled trials. Articles providing descriptions of pharmacology, safety, and effectiveness of metoclopramide and erythromycin for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) were also used in this review.DATA SYNTHESIS:Some authors advocate using a prokinetic agent along with acid suppression for treatment of GER in children. The 2 prokinetic agents most commonly used are erythromycin and metoclopramide. Erythromycin has numerous observational reports and controlled trials demonstrating its efficacy in improving feeding tolerance in children. Adve...
Effects of treethrow microtopography on the characteristics and genesis of Spodosols, Michigan, USA.

Summary This study examined the pedogenic effects of pit and mound microtopography, formed by tree uprooting, in a Spodosol (Haplorthods) landscape. Most soils in treethrow pits were Entic Haplorthods or Spodic Upidsamments whereas mound soils usually classified as Typic Udipsamments, suggesting that degree of profile development is: Undisturbed ≥ Pit > Mound. Given that pit and mound soils are substantially younger than pedons on “undisturbed” sites, rates of pedogenesis are thought to be: Pit > Undisturbed > Mound. Strong pedogenesis in pits was explained by: 1. greater water contents in the upper sola, which may facilitate weathering processes, 2. thicker O horizons, which may lead to increased production of organic acids, and 3. greater insulation by thick litter and snow cover, which reduces the incidence of soil freezing. In winter, mound soils may develop impermeable layers of concrete soil frost that impede infiltration of snowmelt waters, whereas pit soils remain unfrozen or acquire only a porous, granular frost layer. Thus, saturated flow of snowmelt within pits is relatively unrestricted, resulting in maximal leaching and profile differentiation.
Disinhibition of Visually Masked Stimuli

Backward-masking conditions were established for a pair of circularpatch stimuli. A third stimulus was then selected so as to mask the second when the second and the third were presented in the absence of the first. When all three stimuli were presented in serial order, the first and third were reliably detected but the second was not. Apparently, by masking the second flash, the third "disinhibited" the first.
A new reasoning scheme for efficient redundancy addition and removal

Redundancy addition and removal is a rewiring technique which, for a given target wire w/sub t/, finds a redundant alternative wire w/sub a/. The addition of w/sub a/ makes w/sub t/ redundant and, hence, removable without changing the overall circuit functionality. Incremental logic restructuring based on this technique has been used in many applications. However, in the earlier methods, the search for valid alternative wires required trial-and-error redundancy testing of a potentially large set of candidate wires. Here, we study the fundamental theory behind this technique and propose a new reasoning scheme (RAMFIRE), which directly identifies alternative wires without performing trial-and-error tests. Experimental results show speedup of up to 15 times than that of the best techniques in the literature.
The Effects of Social Rank on Reproductive Indices in Groups of Male Collared Lemmings (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus)

Long-term physiological effects of social rank were examined in groups of male collared lemmings, Dicrostonyx groenlandicus. For 9-13 weeks, adult lemmings were caged together in groups of 3, or caged singly as controls. Social ranks were assigned to each member of each triad on the basis of behavioral data. At the end of the experiment, dominant animals had significantly higher plasma testosterone levels than either the active and passive subordinates or controls. Seminal vesicles of dominant lemmings were significantly heavier than those of either subordinate group. Histological examination of the testes showed deficiencies in spermatogenesis in 7 of the 21 active subordinates. However, all 18 control males, 20 of the 21 dominant and 20 of the 21 passive subordinate males had normal spermatogenesis. No significant adrenal weight differences were found among grouped animals of different ranks. The experiment demonstrated not only long-term effects of rank on plasma testosterone concentrations but also effects of rank on spermatogenesis
Power without Influence: The Bush Administration's Foreign Policy Failure in the Middle East

The administration of President George W. Bush was deeply involved in the Middle East, but its efforts did not advance U.S. national security. In the realms of counterterrorism, democracy promotion, and nonconventional proliferation, the Bush administration failed to achieve its objectives. Although the United States did not suffer a second direct attack after September 11, 2001, the terrorism situation worsened as many other countries came under attack and a new generation of terrorists trained in Iraq. Large regional powers such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia did not become more democratic, with no new leaders subject to popular mandate. The model used in Iraq of democratization by military force is risky, costly, and not replicable. Bush's policy exacerbated the problem of nuclear proliferation, expending tremendous resources on a nonexistent program in Iraq while bolstering Iran's geopolitical position. The administration failed because it relied too heavily on military force and too little on diplomacy, d...
Electrophoretic Determination of Vanilmandelic Acid (VMA) in Urine by Direct Application to Cellulose Acetate

The VMA in urine was quantitated electrophoretically by application of urine to cellulose acetate. Separation of several hydrophenolic acids is distinct. VMA is detected at 0.1-µ.g. levels. Normal values on 400 specimens was 4.0 ± 2.0 mg./24 hr.
Thermal imaging in fuzzy condition monitoring

The procedure of monitoring the condition of processes is called condition monitoring. Condition monitoring is one of the most important part of any system which could be managed and controlled by thermal imaging system. This paper attempts to show the capability of thermal imaging in condition monitoring. According to the characteristic of thermal images, the goals of this paper are: (a) introducing a new metric as thermal condition monitoring measurement, (TCMM) (b) detecting of fault location, and (c) define a new concept of thermal image fuzzy condition monitoring system as a priority level classifier to identify type of condition and sending the correspond recommended action. The advantages of the proposed schemes are: (a) thermal imaging condition monitoring system doesn't need to access high-level knowledge about the system and, (b) using the proposed system cause to reduce number of thermal instruments and make the data send/receive protocol more reliable. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed methods on condition monitoring system and control.
Energy recovery in individuals with knee osteoarthritis

summary Objective: Pathological gaits have been shown to limit transfer between potential (PE) and kinetic (KE) energy during walking, which can increase locomotor costs. The purpose of this study was to examine whether energy exchange would be limited in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: Ground reaction forces during walking were collected from 93 subjects with symptomatic knee OA (self-selected and fast speeds) and 13 healthy controls (self-selected speed) and used to calculate their center of mass (COM) movements, PE and KE relationships, and energy recovery during a stride. Correlations and linear regressions examined the impact of energy fluctuation phase and amplitude, walking velocity, body mass, self-reported pain, and radiographic severity on recovery. Paired t-tests were run to compare energy recovery between cohorts. Results: Symptomatic knee OA subjects displayed lower energetic recovery during self-selected walking speeds than healthy controls (P ¼ 0.0018). PE and KE phase relationships explained the majority (66%) of variance in recovery. Recovery had a complex relationship with velocity and its change across speeds was significantly influenced by the self-selected walking speed of each subject. Neither radiographic OA scores nor subject self-reported measures demonstrated any relationship with energy recovery. Conclusions: Knee OA reduces effective exchange of PE and KE, potentially increasing the muscular work required to control movements of the COM. Gait retraining may return subjects to more normal patterns of energy exchange and allow them to reduce fatigue.
Reflections on "Environmental Education: Promise and Performance"

Open and intellectually honest critiques of any field of inquiry are essential. Without the opportunity for multilogue and the inclusion of diverse points of view, academic integrity becomes highly questionable. To the extent that criticism forces us to reflect upon our own values, beliefs and working paradigms, I welcome that criticism wholeheartedly. There is a demonstrated need for multiple forums for the productive testing and critiquing of our work, our assumptions, and our vision for the future, if environmental education is to grow and prosper both in its scholarship and its practice. For providing an additional forum for reflection, I thank the editors of the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education. ...
A Fatal Case of High Fever in a 42-Year-Old Woman

1. What are this patient’s most striking clinical, laboratory, and histopathologic findings? 2. How do you explain these findings? 3. What is the patient’s most likely diagnosis? 4. What is the pathogenesis of this patient’s disease? 5. What is the genetic basis of this patient’s condition? 6. What are the diagnostic modalities for susceptible individuals? 7. What is the appropriate treatment for this disease? 8. What are the complications and prognosis for this disease?
Same Science for All? Interactive association of structure in learning activities and academic attainment background on college science performance in the USA

This US study investigates interactive associations between structure in inquiry‐type learning activities and academic attainment in high school science with introductory college science performance as the outcome. Past studies of this type have tended to use smaller samples and shorter‐range methods of assessing the influence of interactions. This study used a large‐scale nationally representative sampling of science students and investigated the existence of long‐range associations between high school and college. Replicated across three different disciplinary data‐sets (biology, chemistry, and physics) totaling over 8,000 surveys, the analysis discovered an interaction between structure and attainment associated with differences in long‐range student performance. The implications for these findings in terms of theory and practise are discussed in the conclusions.
Association between Disability and Psychological Factors and Dose of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Subjects with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background The therapeutic effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on muscle strengthening and hypertrophy depends on its dose. Patients must tolerate high doses of NMES to maximize gains in muscle function. It is unknown why some patients are able to achieve high NMES dose while others are not. Disability and psychological attributes may play a role in a patient's tolerance of NMES dose. Purpose To explore if disability and psychological attributes associate with the ability to achieve high doses of NMES in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Cross-sectional study. Forty subjects with RA participated in 2 sessions of NMES intervention to the quadriceps muscles. The highest NMES dose achieved by each subject was recorded. Dose was defined as the torque produced by the NMES as a percentage of the torque produced during a maximum voluntary isometric contraction. Subjects were then grouped in high or low NMES dose. Variables investigated in this study included disability, pain coping strategies, pain acceptance, sense of mastery or control, anxiety, and depression. Correlations were sought between these factors and NMES dose. Main results In unadjusted models, disability, coping self-statements, catastrophizing, and anxiety were predictors of NMES dose. In adjusted models only disability (OR = 0.17 [95% CI: 0.04, 0.77]) and catastrophizing (OR = 0.85 [95% CI: 0.72, 0.99]) predicted NMES dose. Conclusion Patients with RA with lower disability and lower catastrophising achieve higher doses of NMES. Identifying factors associated with achieving high NMES dose may guide strategies to improve effectiveness of this intervention.
Analysis and Simulation of the Propagation Channel Complexity on Signal Fading

Radio propagation environment with scatterers restricted to the far-zone is analyzed to demonstrate how signal fading is affected by the complexity of the environment. To simulate signal fading, an approximate model based on infinite perfectly conducting (PEC) cylindrical scatterers is used and simulated. Depending on the scattering environment, the simulated data match the classical models of Extreme value, Gamma, Rayleigh, and Generalized Gamma.
Intracellular distribution and pharmacokinetics of daunorubicin in anthracycline-sensitive and -resistant HL-60 cells.

Abstract Anthracycline-sensitive (HL-60) and -resistant (HL-60/AR) cells, which do not overexpress the P-glycoprotein, each transport and distribute daunorubicin (DNR) into distinct intracellular locations, as visualized by digitized video fluorescence microscopy. At pH 7.4, the fluorescence of DNR in HL-60 cells appears distributed diffusely in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. In contrast, HL-60/AR cells show much less fluorescence in the nucleus and cytoplasm; most of the fluorescence localizes first to the Golgi apparatus and is then gradually shifted to the lysosomes and/or mitochondria. In pharmacokinetic studies, HL-60/AR cells exposed to different extracellular concentrations of [14C]DNR consistently accumulated less radioactive drug than the parent HL-60 cells. Incubation of HL-60/AR cells with sodium azide and deoxyglucose blocked the efflux of [14C]DNR and also prevented the shift of DNR fluorescence from the Golgi apparatus to the lysosomes/mitochondria. The efflux and the intracellular shift of DNR could also be inhibited by lowering the temperature to 18°C, which stops endosomal membrane fusion. When DNR was allowed to accumulate in HL-60 or HL-60/AR cells at pH 5 there was an increase in the proportion of drug fluorescence in the membranes of both HL-60 and HL-60/AR cells; a decrease in the amount of drug retained by HL-60, but not by HL-60/AR cells; and a decrease in the cytostatic effects of DNR on both HL-60 and HL-60/AR cells. These data suggest that DNR resistance is associated with a failure of DNR to pass through membranes and to bind to cytoplasmic and nuclear structures. Instead, most of the drug is taken up by the Golgi apparatus from which it is then shifted to the lysosomes or to mitochondria, or out of the cell.
Virus interactions with human signal transduction pathways

Viruses depend on their hosts at every stage of their life cycles and must therefore communicate with them via Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs). To investigate the mechanisms of communication by different viruses, we overlay reported pairwise human-virus PPIs on human signalling pathways. Of 671 pathways obtained from NCI and Reactome databases, 355 are potentially targeted by at least one virus. The majority of pathways are linked to more than one virus. We find evidence supporting the hypothesis that viruses often interact with different proteins depending on the targeted pathway. Pathway analysis indicates overrepresentation of some pathways targeted by viruses. The merged network of the most statistically significant pathways shows several centrally located proteins, which are also hub proteins. Generally, hub proteins are targeted more frequently by viruses. Numerous proteins in virus-targeted pathways are known drug targets, suggesting that these might be exploited as potential new approaches to treatments against multiple viruses.
Effect of neutron irradiation on defect evolution in Ti3SiC2 and Ti2AlC

Abstract Herein we report on the characterization of defects formed in polycrystalline Ti 3 SiC 2 and Ti 2 AlC samples exposed to neutron irradiation – up to 0.1 displacements per atom (dpa) at 350 ± 40 °C or 695 ± 25 °C, and up to 0.4 dpa at 350 ± 40 °C. Black spots are observed in both Ti 3 SiC 2 and Ti 2 AlC after irradiation to both 0.1 and 0.4 dpa at 350 °C. After irradiation to 0.1 dpa at 695 °C, small basal dislocation loops, with a Burgers vector of b = 1/2 [0001] are observed in both materials. At 9 ± 3 and 10 ± 5 nm, the loop diameters in the Ti 3 SiC 2 and Ti 2 AlC samples, respectively, were comparable. At 1 × 10 23 loops/m 3 , the dislocation loop density in Ti 2 AlC was ≈1.5 orders of magnitude greater than in Ti 3 SiC 2 , at 3 × 10 21 loops/m 3 . After irradiation at 350 °C, extensive microcracking was observed in Ti 2 AlC, but not in Ti 3 SiC 2 . The room temperature electrical resistivities increased as a function of neutron dose for all samples tested, and appear to saturate in the case of Ti 3 SiC 2 . The MAX phases are unequivocally more neutron radiation tolerant than the impurity phases TiC and Al 2 O 3 . Based on these results, Ti 3 SiC 2 appears to be a more promising MAX phase candidate for high temperature nuclear applications than Ti 2 AlC.
Control Flow Checking in Object-Based Distributed Systems

Object-based distributed systems are becoming increasingly popular since objects provide a secure and easy means of using the abstraction of shared memory. In this paper we develop a new object-based control flow checking technique called (COTM) to detect errors due to hardware faults in such systems. The proposed technique monitors objects and thread flow across objects in two stages. The first stage applies control flow checking for every object invocation. In the second stage, the legality of a terminating thread is examined. Results of fault injection experiments on several applications written in C++ and modified to incorporate the object-based checks show that the proposed technique achieves high fault coverage with low performance overhead.
Hemorrhagic Atrial Myxoma Causing a Cardioembolic Stroke: A Case Report

Identifying the etiology of an ischemic stroke is essential to the treatment and prevention of future events. Cardioembolic strokes occur in about 20% of stroke patients with atrial fibrillation being the most common cause (50%) while myxomas account for only 0.5% of cases. This case demonstrates the successful use of TTE followed by TEE in identifying the etiology of this patient’s stroke.
Conflict Assessment: Northern Kenya and Somaliland

Based on several months of fieldwork and review of secondary sources commissioned by the Danish Demining Group, this is a detailed study of conflict dynamics and the role of new developments -- including oil exploration, political devolution, and violent extremism -- in five northern Kenya counties (Marsabit, Isiolo, Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa) and portions of eastern Somaliland.
Assessment as Evidential Reasoning

Background/ContextPrinciples of evidential reasoning have often been discussed in the context of educational and psychological measurement with respect to construct validity and validity arguments....
Arduino Based Low-Cost Experimental Unmanned Aerial Flight System For Attitude Determination in Autonomous Flights

This paper presents a low-cost experimental test bed of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) which is dedicated for autonomous flight testing and control system design. An in-depth look into the integration of the hardware is presented along with the design of the software in Arduino IDE and Matlab. The ability to compare and contrast between hardware and sofware in the loop simulation is developed to demonstrate safe flight characteristics for given flight control law design.
CT‐Guided Wire Localization for Involved Axillary Lymph Nodes After Neo‐adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Initially Node‐Positive Breast Cancer

Resection of biopsy-proven involved axillary lymph nodes (iALNs) is important to reduce the false-negative rates of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with initially node-positive breast cancer. Preoperative wire localization for iALNs marked with clips placed during biopsy is a technique that may help the removal of iALNs after NAC. However, ultrasound (US)-guided localization is often difficult because the clips cannot always be reliably visible on US. Computed tomography (CT)-guided wire localization can be used; however, to date there have been no reports on CT-guided wire localization for iALNs. The aim of this study was to describe a series of patients who received CT-guided wire localization for iALN removal after NAC and to evaluate the feasibility of this technique. We retrospectively analyzed five women with initially node-positive breast cancer (age, 41-52 years) who were scheduled for SLN biopsy after NAC and received preoperative CT-guided wire localization for iALNs. CT visualized all the clips that were not identified on post-NAC US. The wire tip was deployed beyond or at the target, with the shortest distance between the wire and the index clip ranging from 0 to 2.5 mm. The total procedure time was 21-38 minutes with good patient tolerance and no complications. In four of five cases, CT wire localization aided in identification and resection of iALNs that were not identified with lymphatic mapping. Residual nodal disease was confirmed in two cases: both had residual disease in wire-localized lymph nodes in addition to SLNs. Although further studies with more cases are required, our results suggest that CT-guided wire localization for iALNs is a feasible technique that facilitates identification and removal of the iALNs as part of SLN biopsy after NAC in situations where US localization is unsuccessful.