cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical prediction of fluid flow and heat transfer in a circular tube with longitudinal fins interrupted in the streamwise direction

Numerical calculations have been made for the performance prediction of laminar flow through circular tubes with longitudinal fins interrupted in the streamwise direction by arranging them either in a staggered or an in-line manner. Calculations are made for three-dimensional parabolic flow. Due to the repetitive nature of the geometry in the axial direction, the flow exhibits periodically repeating behavior after some initial development length. Calculations have been made for various values of the axial length parameter and two Prandtl numbers for two different fin geometries. Results indicate that in the periodic fully developed regime, for a Prandtl number of 0.7, a tube with staggered arrangement of fins produces less heat transfer enhancement than a tube with continuous fins. A tube with in-line arrangement of fins gives about as much heat transfer augmentation as the tubes with either continuous or staggered fins but with a much less pressure drop penalty. Local quantities such as the axial velocity profiles and the variation of centerline axial velocity give a good physical understanding of the governing phenomena.
Immune responses and protection obtained by oral immunization with rotavirus VP4 and VP7 DNA vaccines encapsulated in microparticles.

Protective immune responses in mice were obtained after oral immunization with rotavirus DNA vaccines encapsulated in poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) microparticles. The DNA vaccines used encoded outer capsid proteins VP4 and VP7; proteins that are the basis for rotavirus serotyping and the generation of virus neutralizing antibodies. One dose of vaccine was given to BALB/c mice by oral gavage (75 microg DNA/mouse). Rotavirus-specific serum antibodies and intestinal IgA antibodies were detectable by 6 weeks postimmunization. After challenge with homologous murine rotavirus at 12 weeks postimmunization, fecal rotavirus antigen was reduced significantly in immunized mice compared with controls. Protective immunity also was generated by oral delivery of unencapsulated VP 7 DNA vaccine but to a lesser degree. These results demonstrate that the oral route is effective for generating protective immune responses with rotavirus DNA vaccines targeting neutralization antigens.
Application of Chemical and Thermal Analysis Methods for Studying Cellulose Ester Plastics

Cellulose acetate, developed about 100 years ago as a versatile, semisynthetic plastic material, is used in a variety of applications and is perhaps best known as the basis of photographic film stock. Objects made wholly or partly from cellulose acetate are an important part of modern and contemporary cultural heritage, particularly in museum collections. Given the potential instability of the material, however, it is imperative to understand the aging mechanisms and deterioration pathways of cellulose ester plastics to mitigate decomposition and formulate guidelines for storage, exhibition, and conservation. One important aspect of this process is the ability to fully characterize the plastic, because variations in composition affect its aging properties and ultimate stability. In this Account, we assess the potential of a range of analytical techniques for plastics made from cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate, and cellulose butyrate. Comprehensive characterization of cellulose ester plastics is best achieved by applying several complementary analytical techniques. Fourier-transform IR (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy provide rapid means for basic characterization of plastic objects, which can be useful for quick, noninvasive screening of museum collections with portable instruments. Pyrolysis GC/MS is capable of differentiating the main types of cellulose ester polymers but also permits a richly detailed compositional analysis of additives. Thermal analysis techniques provide a wealth of compositional information and thermal behavior. Thermogravimetry (TG) allows for quantitative analysis of thermally stable volatile additives, and weight-difference curves offer a novel means for assessing oxidative stability. The mechanical response to temperature, such as the glass transition, can be measured with dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), but results from other thermal analysis techniques such as TG, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic load thermomechanical analysis (DLTMA) are often required to more accurately interpret the results. The analytical results from this study form the basis for in-depth studies of works of art fabricated from cellulose acetate. These objects, which are particularly at risk when stored in tightly sealed containers (as is often the case with photographic film), warrant particular attention for conservation given their susceptibility toward sudden onset of deterioration.
An ab initio study of non-peptide glucagon receptor antagonists

Abstract The aim of this study is to describe the structure of two series of non-peptide antagonists of glucagon and to relate it to their activity. Ab initio calculations were performed on pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines and mercaptobenzimidazoles. The compound in each series with the highest binding affinity was compared with the rest of the compounds. Geometrical features that seem to be necessary for the binding to the glucagon receptor and for inhibitory activity were identified. It was observed that substitution on the phenyl ring in the pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline series had little effect on the binding affinity. In addition, the aromatic–aromatic interaction between one of the compounds and aromatic residues on the receptor were investigated. The Mg +2 binding to different sites of one of the compounds was studied. At LMP2/6-31G*//HF/6-31G* level of calculations, the Mg +2 shows the highest affinity for a nitrogen.
INTRAVENOUS IMMUNE SERUM GLOBULIN (IVIG) FOR PROPHYLAXIS AND TREATMENT OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV)) INFECTIONE IN THE COTTON RAT

INTRAVENOUS IMMUNE SERUM GLOBULIN (IVIG) FOR PROPHYLAXIS AND TREATMENT OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV)) INFECTIONE IN THE COTTON RAT
Increasing returns and the share economy

Abstract Under imperfect competition, profit maximization by firms results in the market price exceeding the marginal cost of production; Weitzman terms this “excess supply” Weitzman wishes to replicate in the cost function (in terms of labor) the properties of the revenue function (in terms of output), thus generating “excess demand” for labor. A revenue-sharing scheme will achieve this if and only if there are decreasing returns to scale. Hence increasing returns apparently play no role in Weitzman's analysis.
SU-FF-J-09: Comparison of Auto-Contouring with Manual Contouring: A First Step Towards Automated 4D Treatment Planning

Purpose: Four-dimensional (4D) radiotherapy is the explicit inclusion of the temporal changes in anatomy during the imaging, planning and delivery of radiotherapy. One key component of 4D radiotherapy planning, is the ability to auto contour the individual respiratory phase CT datasets (up to ten in total) comprising a 4D computed tomography (CT) scan. A tool that can be used to automatically generate such contours (based on contours manually drawn on a single CT phase) is deformable image registration. The purpose of the current study was to compare automatically generated contours with manually drawn contours. Method and Materials: Two out of ten patient 4D CT data sets have completed this study. The 4D CT scans consisted of a series of ten 3D CT image sets acquired at different respiratory phases. Large deformable diffeomorphic image registration was performed to map each CT set from the peak-inhale respiration phase to the CT image sets corresponding with subsequent respiration phases. The calculated displacement vector fields were used to deform contours defined on the peak-inhale CT automatically to the other respiratory phase CT image sets. Auto-contouring was performed on each of the ten 3D image sets via automated scripts. Treatment planning system, Pinnacle version 7.7 was interfaced with automated scripts to view the resulting images and to obtain the volumetric and displacement information. Results: Deformation with respiration was observed for the lung tumor and normal tissues. This deformation was verified by examining the mapping of high contrast objects, such as the lungs and cord, between image sets. Conclusion: An automated system is established to auto - contour the ROI's starting form the ROI's in the inhale phase to the other phases of the respiratory motion using Pinnacle Treatment planning system. Auto-contoured organs and the GTV in the Thorax agree with the manually drawn ROI's.
0037 Associations of stress, anxiety, and resiliency in police work

Objectives Police work is an occupation replete with stress. The present study examined associations between specific police stressors (overall, administrative pressure, physical threat, and lack of support) and anxiety symptoms, and whether these associations were modified by hardiness, a dimension of resiliency. Method The Spielberger Police Stress Survey, Beck Anxiety Scale, and Dispositional Resilience scale were utilised in this study. A total of 373 police officers with complete data from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study were included. Linear regression and analysis of covariance were used to examine mean anxiety levels across quartiles of stress. Associations were adjusted for age, sex, race, alcohol, smoking, and anxiety medication, and stratified by hardiness scores. Results The mean age of officers was 41.4 years and 27% were female. Adjusted mean anxiety symptoms increased significantly with increasing stress quartiles overall (4.23, 4.99, 6.74 and 9.95 for quartiles 1–4, respectively, p Conclusions Specific types of stress in police work are significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety. Further research is needed for individual and organisational factors which protect officers from anxiety and for policies to reduce work stress.
Can decompressive surgery improve outcome in patients with metastatic epidural spinal-cord compression?

Can decompressive surgery improve outcome in patients with metastatic epidural spinal-cord compression?
Multiple Cotunneling in Large Quantum Dot Arrays

We investigate the effects of inelastic cotunneling on the electronic transport properties of gold nanoparticle multilayers and thick films at low applied bias, inside the Coulomb-blockade regime. We find that the zero-bias conductance, g(0)(T), in all systems exhibits Efros-Shklovskii-type variable range hopping transport. The resulting typical hopping distance, corresponding to the number of tunnel junctions participating in cotunneling events, is shown to be directly related to the power-law exponent in the measured current-voltage characteristics. We discuss the implications of these findings in light of models on cotunneling and hopping transport in mesoscopic, granular conductors.
Inflation and inflation uncertainty: evidence from the Caribbean region

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend the literature on the relationship between inflation and inflation uncertainty by examining three Caribbean countries: the Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica.Design/methodology/approach – ARMA‐GARCH models are used to estimate inflation uncertainty along with Granger‐causality tests to infer the relationship between inflation and inflation uncertainty.Findings – The results reveal that both the Bahamas and Jamaica exhibit a high degree of volatility persistence in response to inflationary shocks, while Barbados has a much lower persistence measure. Granger‐causality tests indicate that an increase in inflation has been a positive impact on inflation uncertainty for each country. However, an increase in inflation uncertainty yields a decrease in inflation in the case of Jamaica. In summary, the results for the Bahamas and Barbados support the Friedman‐Ball hypothesis, whereas the results for Jamaica support Holland's stabilization‐motive hypothesis.Research limi...
Mending Mother Nature: Alpha, Beta and Omega Pills

Une position conservatrice peut-elle proner une pilule qui empecherait tout avortement accidentel? A partir de cette question qui met en difficulte la position conservatrice sur l'avortement, l'A. reprend la discussion ethique du caractere personnel ou pas du foetus. L'A. dans sa discussion renvoie a l'article de V. A. Montmarquet "Messing with Mother Nature: Fleck and the omega Pill" (ibid., 41, 407-419) lui-meme une discussion de L. Fleck: "Abortion, deformed Fetuses and omega Pill" (ibid., 36, p. 271-283).
Stress induced gene expression requires programmed recovery from translational repression

Active repression of protein synthesis protects cells against protein malfolding during endoplasmic reticulum stress, nutrient deprivation and oxidative stress. However, long-term adaptation to these conditions requires synthesis of new stress-induced proteins. Phosphorylation of the alpha-subunit of translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2alpha) represses translation in diverse stressful conditions. GADD34 is a stress-inducible regulatory subunit of a holophosphatase complex that dephosphorylates eIF2alpha, and has been hypothesized to play a role in translational recovery. Here, we report that GADD34 expression correlated temporally with eIF2alpha dephosphorylation late in the stress response. Inactivation of both alleles of GADD34 prevented eIF2alpha dephosphorylation and blocked the recovery of protein synthesis, normally observed late in the stress response. Furthermore, defective recovery of protein synthesis markedly impaired translation of stress-induced proteins and interfered with programmed activation of stress-induced genes in the GADD34 mutant cells. These observations indicate that GADD34 controls a programmed shift from translational repression to stress-induced gene expression, and reconciles the apparent contradiction between the translational and transcriptional arms of cellular stress responses.
Perspectives on Tenure: Tenured versus Nontenured Tenure-Track Faculty.

Abstract In this survey of 1,306 professors at 307 AACSB-accredited schools in 48 states and Canada, the authors examined a broad range of respondent opinions on tenure-related issues. Both tenured and nontenured tenure-track university professors at business schools accredited by the International Association for Management Education (AACSB) agreed that tenure is necessary. Survey results indicate that mean ratings for 13 of the 20 tenure issues investigated differ significantly between tenured and nontenured tenure-track faculty members.
Determination of total (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity of isolated or cultured cells.

Abstract The aim of this work was to determine if the total (Na++K+)-ATPase of the plasma membrane of a cell population could be assayed without cell homogenization and partial purification of the enzyme. Several types of intact cells that were placed in an assay medium containing MgATP, Na+, and K+ hydrolyzed little or none of the added ATP. When the cells were pretreated with the ionophore alamethicin and then placed in the assay medium, they exhibited an ouabain-sensitive (Na++K+)-ATPase activity that increased and reached a limiting value with increasing alamethicin concentration. Since alamethicin did not increase the activity of the purified membrane-bound (Na++K+)-ATPase, its effects on the intact cells are probably due to the formation of large channels within the plasma membrane that allow the free access of the components of the assay medium to the intracellular domains of (Na++K+)-ATPase. Utilizing whole cells treated with alamethicin, total (Na++K+)-ATPase activity was determined in clonal pheochromocytoma cells (PC 12), neuroblastoma × glioma hybrid cells (NG 108-15), and myocytes isolated from adult and neonatal rat hearts. With the use of this whole-cell assay, the ouabain sensitivities of the enzymes in adult and neonatal rat heart myocytes were determined and found to be the same as those that have been determined with the use of partially purified enzymes.
The Facts of the Matter: A Discussion of Norton’s Material Theory of Induction*

In a recent essay, John Norton proposes a material theory of induction, according to which all justification for inductive inference ultimately stems from the particular facts of the case at hand. Despite being sympathetic to the pluralistic spirit of this proposal, I argue that central controversies among leading theories of inductive inference turn not on material facts but upon normative judgments regarding the proper standards and aims of induction. Thus, a pluralistic approach to induction can be successfully developed only given an explanation of how the choice of such aims and standards depends on features of particular cases.
Biochemical Polymorphism and Systematics in the Genus Peromyscus. VI. The Boylii Species Group

An analysis of electrophoretic variation in proteins encoded by 21 genetic loci in 275 individuals belonging to the Peromyscus boylii species group yielded the following systematic conclusions. Populations of P. boylii rowleyi and P. b. levipes in four Mexican states and four states in the southwestern United States, separated by up to 3000 kilometers, share common alleles at virtually all loci, and thus show no evidence of representing more than one species. P. (b.) attwateri from Arkansas differs from P. boylii in allelic composition at several loci, and in all probability represents a distinct species, as suggested by other authors on the basis of morphology and karyotype. P. stephani from the Gulf of California is very similar genically to P. boylii, and, on the basis of this and other evidence, should be removed from the subgenus Haplomylomys and placed in the boylii species group of the subgenus Peromyscus. Populations referable to P. pectoralis from Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, Ranger, Texas, and Big Bend, Texas, show considerable allelic differences from one another but form a single cluster in a dendrogram of biochemical similarities. The nature of the allelic differences suggests that two or more species currently are classified as P. pectoralis.
Methylation and processing of ribosomal RNA in HeLa cells

Abstract The methylation of RNA in HeLa cells has been studied. After incorporation of radioactive methyl-labeled methionine, the cells were fractionated into cytoplasmic, nuclear, and nucleolar fractions. Methylation of high molecular weight RNA is shown to be exclusively in the 45 s ribosomal RNA precursor and takes place in the nucleolus. The methylation of the 45 s RNA apparently occurs close to the growing point of newly synthesized RNA as evidenced by the existence of methylated, partially completed molecules after very short pulse labeling. The methyl-labeled RNA was chased with non-radioactive methionine and the progression of the ribosomal RNA precursors was followed through the cell fractions. The data support the previously published hypothesis that nucleolar 45 s RNA is the precursor to cytoplasmic 18 s RNA and 32 s nucleolar RNA. The 32 s RNA is converted to 28 s RNA, which is then found in the nucleoplasm and is the apparent precursor to cytoplasmic 28 s RNA.
Both the Catalytic and Regulatory Domains of Protein Kinase C Chimeras Modulate the Proliferative Properties of NIH 3T3 Cells

Protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes exhibit important differences in terms of their regulation and biological functions. Not only may some PKC isoforms be active and others not for a given response, but the actions of different isoforms may even be antagonistic. In NIH 3T3 cells, for example, PKCδ arrests cell growth whereas PKCe stimulates it. To probe the contribution of the regulatory and the catalytic domains of PKC isozymes to isozyme-specific responses, we prepared chimeras between the regulatory and the catalytic domains of PKCα, -δ, and -e. These chimeras, which preserve the overall structure of the native PKC enzymes, were stably expressed in mouse fibroblasts. A major objective was to characterize the growth properties of the cells that overexpress the various PKC constructs. Our data demonstrate that both the regulatory and the catalytic domains play roles in cell proliferation. The regulatory domain of PKCe enhanced cell growth in the absence or presence of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), and, in the presence of PMA, all chimeras with the PKCe regulatory domain also gave rise to colonies in soft agar; the role of the catalytic domain of PKCe was evident in the PMA-treated cells that overexpressed the PKC chimera containing the δ regulatory and the e catalytic domains (PKCδ/e). The important contribution of the PKCe catalytic domain to the growth of PKCδ/e-expressing cells was also evident in terms of a significantly increased saturation density in the presence of PMA, their formation of foci upon PMA treatment, and the induction of anchorage-independent growth. Aside from the growth-promoting effect of PKCe, we have shown that most chimeras with PKCα and -δ regulatory domains inhibit cell growth. These results underscore the complex contributions of the regulatory and catalytic domains to the overall behavior of PKC.
Improved survivability for SONET SHRs

Abstract Recently, a special type of Markov model called parametric state reward Markov model (SRMM/p) [H.C. Cankaya, V.S.S. Nair, in: IEEE Proceedings of GLOBECOM 97, vol. 1, IEEE Computer Soc. Press, Silver Spring, MD, 1997, pp. 252–256] and a set of survivability metrics comprising reliability, availability, and restorability have been proposed for the evaluation of self-healing SONET mesh networks [H.C. Cankaya, V.S.S, Nair, in: Proceedings of ISCIS 'XII, vol. 1, Bogazici University, Bogazici University Press, 1997, pp. 269–276]. The SRMM/p accommodates multiple consecutive link failures and uses topology-free approximation in order to calculate the average performance loss due to a failure. The SRMM/p is equally applicable to the analysis of self-healing SONET rings by considering a ring as a special case of a mesh topology [H.C. Cankaya, V.S.S. Nair, in: IEEE Proceedings of GLOBECOM '98, vol. 4, IEEE Computer Soc. Press, Silver Spring, MD, 1998, pp. 2276–2281]. Further, the topological uniformity and simplicity of rings allow one to include more detailed features of the network in the model so that the analysis will be more accurate. For this purpose, we propose an improved approach to the survivability analysis of self-healing SONET rings which employs a probability-tree based evaluation of the probability of various system states resulting from all possible combinations of node and link failures. The corresponding tree-construction and traversal algorithms are presented. Survivability of rings with distinctive demand patterns are studied with the improved analysis and compared experimentally. One limitation to the model is the high run-time complexity caused mainly by the disparity between transition rates amongst various states in the SRMM/p [H.C. Cankaya, V.S.S. Nair, ACM Comput. Commun. Rev. 28 (4) (1998) 268–277]. In this paper, we also present an approach to circumvent this problem by state aggregation method and compare the results in terms of run-time complexity and accuracy by conducting an experimental study.
Optical model for the propagation of light during transscleral cyclophotocoagulation

A number of recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of transscleral Nd:YAG and diode cyclophotocoagulation in the reduction of intraocular pressure. The choice of an appropriate wavelength for this treatment modality has been based on a tradeoff of maximal transmission through the superficial layers of conjunctiva and sclera, and maximal absorption in the ciliary body. A UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer was used to determine the optical properties of the conjunctiva, sclera, and the ciliary body. These optical properties were used in a Monte Carlo Model to examine the fluence and the resulting rate of heat generation in each layer for the wavelengths of Nd:YAG (1064 nm), semiconductor diode (850 nm), Ruby (693 nm), Krypton yellow (568 nm), and Argon (514 nm) lasers. The results provided a basis for a theoretical prediction of the extent of thermal damage in the ciliary body as a result of transsclerral cyclophotocoagulation. Key Words: transscleral cyclophotocoagulation, Monte Carlo Model, rate of heat generation, Nd:YAG laser, Argon laser, Krypton laser, Ruby laser, semiconductor diode laser.
Fatty acids of migrating birds

Abstract 1. 1. Fatty acid analyses were made of seventy-two specimens representing twenty-four species and eight families of birds 2. 2. Eighteen fatty acids were identified with oleate (36 per cent) and palmitate (21 per cent) being the most abundant. 3. 3. The passeriforms contained mostly 16 and 18 carbon acids of which 31 per cent were saturated. 4. 4. Two hummingbirds contained 40 per cent saturated acids and were high in stearic and unsaturated 20–22 carbon acids.
“You belly-guilty bag”: Insulting epithets in Old English

This article examines the epithets used as insults in Old English, building on Jucker and Taavitsainen (2000). Such epithets were found by examining all uses of the second person pronouns þu and þin in the Dictionary of Old English corpus. Epithets that accompany these pronouns occur in four main contexts, namely saints’ lives, complaints between body and soul, addresses to devils, and addresses to sinners. Nearly all insulting epithets in Old English are highly conventional, both in their use of well-established words from the Old English lexicon and in their reuse of typical epithets, from context to context. Such conventional epithets are typical of insults in other languages and are well motivated by the purpose of insults to demean the target. Yet there remain a handful of epithets that show much originality and creativity. These are mainly used in addresses to devils and complaints between the body and soul, most likely as a means of lampooning and ridiculing the devils and the body before a Christian audience.
Steam-assisted gravity drainage in oil sand reservoirs using a combination of vertical and horizontal wells

Abstract New algorithms are presented for steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) in oil sand reservoirs using vertical injectors-producers and vertical injectors-horizontal producers. A vertical-well algorith was developed and extended to account for steam chamber confinement due to adjacent vertical wells. The production rates in the vertical-well processes were found to be significantly lower than in the horizontal-well processes, owing to the near-well congestion phenomenon. This observation was consistent with the results of physical model studies conducted by other investigators. A new model for the SAGD process using vertical injectors and horizontal producers was also developed and the results were compared with those of SAGD with a horizontal-well pair. The oil production from the vertical-horizontal combination approaches ∼40% of that from the horizontal-well pair. The oil/steam ratios of the vertical-horizontal combination and the horizontal-well pair are comparable. Thus SAGD with a combination of vertical and horizontal wells has been demonstrated to be a viable scheme for the development of oil sand reservoirs.
Proton transport behavior through the influenza A M2 channel: insights from molecular simulation.

The structural properties of the influenza A virus M2 transmembrane channel in dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer for each of the four protonation states of the proton-gating His-37 tetrad and their effects on proton transport for this low-pH activated, highly proton-selective channel are studied by classical molecular dynamics with the multistate empirical valence-bond (MS-EVB) methodology. The excess proton permeation free energy profile and maximum ion conductance calculated from the MS-EVB simulation data combined with the Poisson-Nernst-Planck theory indicates that the triply protonated His-37 state is the most likely open state via a significant side-chain conformational change of the His-37 tetrad. This proposed open state of M2 has a calculated proton permeation free energy barrier of 7 kcal/mol and a maximum conductance of 53 pS compared to the experimental value of 6 pS. By contrast, the maximum conductance for Na+ is calculated to be four orders of magnitude lower, in reasonable agreement with the experimentally observed proton selectivity. The pH value to activate the channel opening is estimated to be 5.5 from dielectric continuum theory, which is also consistent with experimental results. This study further reveals that the Ala-29 residue region is the primary binding site for the antiflu drug amantadine (AMT), probably because that domain is relatively spacious and hydrophobic. The presence of AMT is calculated to reduce the proton conductance by 99.8% due to a significant dehydration penalty of the excess proton in the vicinity of the channel-bound AMT.
The cyclometallation of 2,6-diphenylphenoxide (OAr-2,6Ph2) ligands at niobium(V) and tantalum(V) metal centres: The solid state structures of the monocyclometallated compounds Ta(OC6H3Ph-C6H4)(OAr-2,6Ph2)2(R) (R = CH3, n-C4H9) and Nb(OC6H3Ph-C6H4)(OAr-2,6Ph2)2(Cl)

Abstract The dimethyl compounds M(OAr-2,6Ph2)3(CH3)2 (M = Nb, Ta; OAr-2,6Ph2 = 2,6-diphenylphenoxide) undergo the thermal loss of methane in hydrocarbon solvents to generate the monocylometallated compounds M(OC6H3Ph-C6H4)(OAr-2,6Ph2)2(CH3) (M = Nb, 1 ; Ta, 2). Kinetic studies show the reactions to be first-order with activation parameters ΔH‡ = 25.3±0.8 kcal mol−1 and ΔS‡ = −15±5 cal mol−1 K−1 for the tantalum compound. The use of the labelled compound Ta(OAr-2,6Ph2)3(CD3)2 shows no change in the rate of metallation and also the absence of a methylidene intermediate for the reaction. Attempts to generate a bis(n-butyl) compound by treatment of Ta(OAr-2,6Ph2)3Cl2 with LiBun (2 equivs) led instead to the immediate formation of the metallated compound Ta(OC6H3Ph-C6H4)(OAr-2,6Ph2)2(Bun) (3) along with butane. Thermolysis of the bis(p-methylbenzyl) compound Ta(OAr-2,6Ph2)3(CH2C6H4-4Me)2 also leads to a monocyclometallated compound (4) and p-xylene. However, attempts to obtain a corresponding niobium bis(p-methylbenzyl) compound by treatment of Nb(OAr-2,6Ph2)3Cl2 with Mg(CH2C6H4-4Me)2 led instead directly to the monocyclometallated derivatives Nb(OC6H3Ph-C6H4)(OAr-2,6Ph2)2(Cl) (5) and Nb(OC6H3Ph-C6H4)(OAr-2,6Ph2)2(CH2C6H4-4Me) (6). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of 2, 3 and 5 show the molecules to be similar in the solid state. A trigonal bipyramidal environment about the metal atom is observed with trans,axial oxygen atoms. The new MC(aryl) bond is chelated to an oxygen atom in one of the axial positions. Crystal data for TaC64H50O3; 2·3/2C6H6 at −155°C: a = 13.497(3), b = 17.033(6), c = 10.744(2) A, α = 94.76(1), β = 96.34(1), γ = 79.80(1)°, Z = 2, dcalc = 1.444 g cm−3 in space group P 1 ; for TaC64H53O3; 3·C6H6 at −130°C: a = 18.202(5), b = 17.930(3), c = 15.282(3) A, β = 96.05(2)°, Z = 4, dcalc = 1.408 g cm−3 in space group P21/c; for NbC54H38ClO3; 5 at 20°C: a = 18.830(4), b = 11.2856(9), c = 20.725(5) A, β = 102.8(1)°, Z = 4, dcalc = 1.335 g cm−1 in space group P21/c.
Structural Integrity of Hydrogen Storage Tanks at Pre-Stressing and Operating Pressures

With the fuel prices reaching record highs and ever-increasing tighter environmental policies, hydrogen-powered vehicles have great potential to substantially increase overall fuel economy, reduce vehicle emissions, and decrease dependence on foreign oil imports. While hydrogen fuel is exciting for automotive industries due to its potentials of significant technical and economic advantages, design and manufacture safe and reliable hydrogen tanks is recognized as the number one priority in hydrogen technology development and deployment. Real life testing of tank performance is extremely useful, but very time consuming, expensive, and lacks a rigorous scientific basis, which prohibits the development of a more reliable hydrogen tank. However, very few testing and simulation results can be found in public literature. This paper focused on the development of an efficient finite element analysis (FEA) tool to provide a more economical alternative for hydrogen tank analysis, though it may not be an all-out replacement for physical testing. A FEA model has been developed for the hydrogen tank with 6061-T6 aluminum liner and carbon-fiber/epoxy shell to investigate the tank integrity at pre-stresses of 45.5 MPa, 70 MPa, and 105 MPa and operating pressures of 35 MPa, 70 MPa, and 105 MPa. The residual stresses induced by different pre-stresses are at the equivalent level in the middle section but vary significantly in other tank sections. Residual stress magnitudes may saturate at a certain pre-stress level. In contrast, the residual strains in the middle section increases with pre-stress. The simulation results indicate that the optimal pre-stress level depends on the specific operating pressure to enhance tank integrity. A certain area of the neck and the top and bottom domes also experiences peak stress and strain at pre-stressing and regular operating pressures. The research findings may help manufacturing industries to build safety into manufacturing practices of hydrogen storage infrastructures.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Weight optimization methods in space radiation shield design

An empirical relation between proton range and material density is used to examine relations between shield weight, geometry, and material composition for shielding against a space proton environment. The optimum material resulting in minimum shield weight usually lies at the extremes of either the lightest or heaviest materials. Aluminum, which has special prominence in the space program, appears universally suboptimal as a radiation shielding material. Assuming square-box geometry (rectangular prisms with two square faces), the optimum shape for the shielded objects is found to be a cube, although moderate deviations from a cube result in only a small weight penalty.
The clinical dimension of baby games.

Our longitudinal studies of infants blind from birth included interpersonal games as an area in which reciprocity between the baby and his partners could be examined in fine detail. Observations of games were recorded, along with all other data, in descriptive narratives by the observers in their twice-monthly home visits. Oncemonthly film documentation also included "games" sequences. The games included a large number of the traditional nursery games and a number of games which appeared to have no tradition and were inventions of the parents themselves. It was not until I completed the data sorting and constructed individual profiles for a study of human attachments that a "games story" emerged. I then saw that there was a remarkable correspondence between the characteristics of the invented games and the characteristics of parent-child interaction derived from all other observations in the area of human attachment. In many cases the conflictual elements in the parents' relationship to the blind infant, the defenses or the failure of defenses against negative and forbidden impulses, could be read as fairly through the games profile as through the human attachment profile derived from all other sources of study. This is not to say, of course, that the baby games provided as much information as the larger study, but rather that the baby games were equivalent, in some ways, to a projective test in revealing the main lines of harmony and conflict in parent-child relationships. The children are blind, but our findings should not be interpreted as "blind baby and parent games," rather as "baby games" in which parents at play reveal to the clinician some aspects of their conflicted parenthood. We can read the adaptive defenses
Disagreeing on Whether Agreement Is Persuasive: Perceptions of Expert Group Decisions

While expert groups often make recommendations on a range of non-controversial as well as controversial issues, little is known about how the level of expert consensus—the level of expert agreement—influences perceptions of the recommendations. This research illustrates that for non-controversial issues expert groups that exhibit high levels of agreement are more persuasive than expert groups that exhibit low levels of agreement. This effect is mediated by the perceived entitativity—the perceived cohesiveness or unification of the group—of the expert group. But for controversial issues, this effect is moderated by the perceivers’ implicit assumptions about the group composition. When perceivers are provided no information about a group supporting the Affordable Care Act—a highly controversial piece of U.S. legislation that is divided by political party throughout the country—higher levels of agreement are less persuasive than lower levels of agreement because participants assume there were more democrats and fewer republicans in the group. But when explicitly told that the group was half republicans and half democrats, higher levels of agreement are more persuasive.
Admissibility of MLE for simultaneous estimation in negative binomial problems

Abstract We consider the problem of estimating θ = (θ 1 ,…,θ p ) under the weighted squared error loss when the observations x i , i = 1, 2, …, p are independently from negative binomial distributions NB ( r i , θ i ). There has been considerable interest in providing the Stein type estimators for negative binomial parameter θ. Hwang has shown that the UMVUE is inadmissible when p ≥ 3 under certain weighted squared error loss. It is therefore natural to ask about the admissibility of the MLE estimator. In this paper we address this problem and prove that, under the weighted squared error loss, where the weights are positive and bounded, the MLE is admissible for all p through a stepwise Bayes argument.
Intersexuality and the diagnosis of gender identity disorder

Problems of gender identity development are the core concern in the psychosocial management of medical conditions involving ambiguous genitalia. This report discusses the difficulties encountered in applying the DSM category and criteria of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) to such patients. Data on prevalence, age of onset or presentation, sex ratio, and associated or predictive factors also suggest marked differences between intersex patients with gender identity problems and nonintersex patients with GID. Patients with intersexuality or similar medical conditions should be excluded from the GID diagnosis.
Radiative stabilization of trimethylsilyl adduct ions

Ketones and phenol react with trimethylsilyl ions to form adduct ions by radiatively or collisionally stabilized addition reactions, in contrast to aliphatic alcohols and ethers, which react with trimethylsilyl ions to form adduct ions by a rapid two-step process. Secondorder rate constants for the addition of trimethylsilyl ions to acetone were independent of pressure from 3×10−7 to 50×10−7 tort at room temperature; consequently, the adduct ions, [M+73]+, are formed primarily by radiatively stabilized addition in these ion cyclotron resonance experiments.
Comments on Antony John Kunnan's “DIF in Native Language and Gender Groups in an ESL Placement Test”: The Limits of Biased Item Analysis

Differential item functioning (DIF) occurs when some special ability comes into play in answering an item on an examination other than the one that the item was intended to test. A typical example of this is when the examinees' native languages enable them to identify the correct answer to a question on a vocabulary test because there is a cognate in L1 with meaning similar to the word being tested. In this situation, it is common to say that the item is "biased" towards speakers of a particular language. A more neutral preferred term these days is DIF, but both terms will be used interchangeably here. Being able to detect DIF and to eliminate test items that exhibit it is important, especially when test results contribute to important decisions such as admission to school, licensing, job qualification, and promotion. We would like to know that the decisions we make are based on sound data that represent actual measurements of the quality that we are intending to measure. Antony John Kunnan's brief report in the TESOL Quarterly (Vol. 24, No. 4, Winter 1990) is admirable in what is intended, but the fact that statistical and subjective procedures for identifying DIF cannot be relied upon dilutes the significance of his conclusions and of the conclusions of nearly all studies which investigate the causes of DIF. There is nothing wrong with Kunnan's method of identifying biased items, which relies on selecting items which lie outside the 95% confidence interval. In fact, most statistical tests of significance
Further characterization of a photosystem-II particle isolated from spinach chloroplasts by triton treatment: the reaction-center components.

Abstract Re-examination of the chlorophyll a b ratio in the Photosystem-II reaction-center particle isolated from spinach chloroplasts by Triton treatment yielded a value of 28±2. The Photosystem-II article (as well as the Photosystem-I particle, TSF-1) is enriched in manganese (chlorophyll/Mn, 10 and 10–20, respectively). Heat treatment does not release the manganese from the Photosystem-II reaction-center particle as readily as from native chloroplasts. The fluorescence-induction phenomena of the Photosystem-II particles have been correlated with their photochemical properties in the presence of secondary electron acceptors and (or) donors which further confirm the Photosystem-II character of the particle. C550 and P680, which are currently considered to be the primary electron acceptor and donor, respectively, of Photosystem II, have been detected in the Photosystem-II reaction-center particle by light-induced difference spectra at 77 °K. The presence of P680 has further been corroborated by a free-radical signal revealed by low-temperature EPR spectroscopy. The Photosystem-II particle contains no detectable P700 or bound iron-sulfur proteins. The photobleaching of both C550 and P680 is practically irreversible at 77 °K. The Photosystem-II reaction-center particle is enriched in P680, C550 as well as cytochrome b 559 approximately 10-fold relative to the unfractionated chloroplasts.
Electrocardiogram interpretation training and competency assessment in emergency medicine residency programs.

Objectives: To determine the type of electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation instruction in emergency medicine (EM) residency programs, the use and perceived value of teaching modalities and resources, and the methods used to assess competency of ECG interpretation. Methods: An interactive survey instrument was posted on the Internet using SurveySuite, Inc., software and e-mailed to program directors (PDs) of all 125 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–approved U.S. EM residency programs. Responses are reported in total numbers and percentages. Results: Ninety-nine of 125 PDs completed the online survey (response rate, 79.2%). Emergency department instruction (99%), case-based lectures (98%), and didactic lectures (98%) were most commonly used to teach interpretation of ECGs, followed by computer-based instruction (34%) and ECG laboratory (12%). The majority of programs (53%) spent more than eight hours on formal ECG lectures per year, while 11% spent less than three hours. Observation during clinical time (99%), lecture time (76%), and hypothetical cases (57%) were the most common ways to determine competency in reading ECGs, while clinical observation and hypothetical cases were perceived as the most valuable. The most commonly used resource was personal or departmental ECG files (91%), and this had the highest perceived value. The majority of PDs were comfortable with residents’ abilities to read ECGs by the third year (96%) and fourth year (91%) of residency. Conclusions: These data suggest that EM PDs believe that EM residency is adequately preparing graduates to interpret ECGs. This goal is achieved through a variety of methods. Key words: ECG interpretation; resident training; skills assessment. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2004; 11:982–984.
Pancreatic Tumor Motion and Required Margins to Account for Motion

Prior to the gating study all patients had fiducial markers placed for treatment alignment. Respiratory gating provided degree of tumor motion throughout the respiratory cycle broken down into ten bins, displacements were recorded in the anterior-posterior (AP), left to right (LR) and superior-inferior (SI) directions. Pancreatic tumors can have significant motion, if respiratory gating is not available at the time of radiation planning we recommend margins of 1.8 cm in SI, 1.0 cm in AP, and 0.6 cm in LR dimensions to account for respiratory motion of tumors.
Synthesis of some 2‐alkyl‐4‐quinolone and 2‐alkyl‐4‐methoxyquinoline alkaloids

Acid-catalyzed condensation of a series of 3-oxoalkanoic acid esters with aniline affords the corresponding 2-alkyl-4-quinolones in good yield. Treatment of these compounds with methyl iodide affords 2-alkyl-4-methoxyquinolines and 2-alkyl-N-methylquinolones. Three of the compounds are naturally-occurring alkaloids which are synthesized here for the first time.
Regional Survey and the Boom-and-bust Countryside: Re-reading the Archaeological Evidence for Episodic Abandonment in the Late Roman Corinthia

This paper reexamines the archaeological evidence for three episodes of rural abandonment and resettlement in the countrysides of Late Roman Greece (200–700 CE): an abandoned Late Hellenistic-Early Roman countryside (second century BCE to third century CE), a decline in the third to early fourth centuries CE, and the Dark Age beginning in the seventh century CE. The first and third episodes of abandonment, especially, have sharply defined Late Antiquity (250–700 CE) as a healthy period of new rural settlement and economic resurgence, and the entire pattern has been described in the terms of “boom-and-bust” demographic and economic cycles. Closer readings of the archaeological data can contribute to more sensitive pictures of continuity and change in settlement and connectivity in the late antique Corinthian countryside and other regions in Greece.
Review: Evaluation of the reliability and validity of GraphClick as a data extraction program

Data extraction programs are used to obtain approximations of raw data from published graphs. Quantitative syntheses of single-subject data require that researchers have access to valid and reliable data extraction programs. We analyzed the reliability and validity of a data extraction program, GraphClick. Three independent coders extracted data from 191 graphs from the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) and 15 graphs of hypothetical data. Results showed that GraphClick is both reliable and valid with nearly perfect correlations for all analyses. Suggestions are included for researchers and authors to improve the accuracy of data extraction techniques.
Two methods for solving integral equations

The objective of this work is to introduce two efficient strategies that produce the accurate solutions to linear and nonlinear Volterra and Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. For illustration, several linear, nonlinear, and integro-differential examples have been tested and the results showed improvements over existing techniques.