cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Establishment of an indicator system for schistosomiasis transmission risk assessment after transmission interruption in Hubei Province based on the Delphi method

OBJECTIVE To establish an indicator system for assessment of schistosomiasis transmission risk after transmission interruption in Hubei Province, so as to provide insights into the precise control of schistosomiasis. METHODS The indicator system was preliminarily established based on data collection, literature review, expert interviews. Two rounds of expert consultation were performed. The indicator system was screened based on the importance, operability, sensitivity and comprehensive score of the indicators, and the weights of each indicator were calculated. The credibility of the Delphi method was evaluated by calculating the active coefficient of the experts, degree of expert authority and coordination levels of experts' opinions. RESULTS An indicator system for assessment of schistosomiasis transmission risk was preliminarily established, including 3 primary indicators, 12 secondary indicators and 44 tertiary indicators. A Delphi consultation was performed among 17 experts participating in schistosomiasis control, management and research. Following two rounds of consultation, a risk assessment indicator system was finally constructed, including 3 primary indicators, 10 secondary indicators and 35 tertiary indicators. Among the primary indicators, the variable with the highest normalized weight was the current status of schistosomiasis (0.420 2), followed by social factors (0.397 3) and natural environments (0.182 5). Among the secondary indicators, those with high combined weights included risk monitoring (0.142 3), current snail status (0.140 1), and current prevalence of human and livestock infections (0.137 8). Among the tertiary indicators, those with high combined weights included the positive rate of wild feces (0.049 8), the prevalence of snail infections (0.047 4), and the area of snail habitats submerged by floods (0.046 8). During the two-round consultation, the active coefficients of the experts were 85.00% and 100.00%, the degree of expert authority was both 0.75 and greater, and the coordination levels of experts' opinions were 0.405 to 0.521 and 0.592 to 0.695 (all P values < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS An indicator system for assessment of schistosomiasis transmission risk is successfully established after transmission interruption in Hubei Province based on the Delphi method, which provides insights into the identification of the schistosomiasis transmission risk and the targets for schistosomiasis control in Hubei Province.
Understanding Nonlinear Phononic Processes with TwoDimensional Spectroscopy

Two-dimensional (2D) THz spectroscopy can reveal information about nonlinear energy transfer in solids. Experimental power dependent measurements can help determine the order of nonlinear mechanism. We used first-principles calculations to calculate anharmonic coupling constants for vibrational modes in beta-barium borate and compared with the recorded nonlinear 2D spectrum.
Problematizing Epistemology in Computer Games Research

Epistemic frame theory has guided research using epistemic games, which are computer games focused on rich professional enculturation. Among other things, this theory characterizes communities of practice in terms of their epistemologies, which encompass the standards communities use to justify claims or actions. By drawing on contemporary perspectives in the subfield of research focused on epistemic cognition, this piece argues in favor of disambiguating enacted and professed epistemic cognition in epistemic frame theory, as well as attending to more nuances of the contexts of players' actions. These factors affect how we model communities of practice in games, how we assess players' capabilities, and what types of data we might include in our analyses of players' activity. By integrating with the epistemic cognition scholarship, games researchers could enrich their own work, while also leveraging some unique advantages of game-based learning to support broader goals in the scholarly community.
Suppression of DC and Twin-Image Terms

The intensity distribution on a hologram contains four terms $$ \begin{array}{lll} {I_{\text{H}}} = {\left| {{E_{\text{R}}} + {E_{\text{O}}}} \right|^2} = {\left| {{E_{\text{R}}}} \right|^2} + {\left| {{E_{\text{O}}}} \right|^2} + {E_{\text{R}}}^{*}{E_{\text{O}}} + {E_{\text{R}}}{E_{\text{O}}}^{*} \hfill \\ \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \; \equiv {I_{\text{R}}} + {I_{\text{O}}} + {\mathcal{E}_{\text{O}}} + {\mathcal{E}_{\text{O}}}^{*}. \hfill \\ \end{array} $$ (7.1) Of these, normally only one of the last two terms yields the desired holographic image, while the other terms – the zero-order and twin-image terms – only contribute to blurring and interference of the image. This is especially true in in-line configurations where all four terms are superposed on top of each other, but even in off-axis configurations they can limit the number of usable pixels and cause degradation of images. It is therefore a major consideration in any holography system design and there have been developed a fairly large number of techniques addressing the “dc and twin-image problem.” Some of these remove the DC term only, while others can suppress the twin image as well.
A New Approach for Biometric Template Storage and Remote Authentication

In this paper, we propose a new remote biometric based authentication scheme, which is designed for distributed systems with a central database for the storage of the biometric data. For our scheme, we consider the recently introduced security notions of Identity and Transaction privacy and present a different storage mechanism for biometrics resulting in a reduced database storage cost. Besides, the components of the system do not need to store any biometric template in cleartext or in encrypted form, which affects the social acceptance of the system positively. Finally, we compare our results with existing schemes satisfying the current security notions and achieve improved computational complexity.
Trade Secrets and Information Access in Environmental Law

Exposure to chemical risks is widespread, as trillions of pounds of chemical substances are released annually. Only a small number have been well characterized for potential toxicity, though many are thought to pose health risks. Secrecy is pervasive in chemicals regulation, in part because agencies have deferred to claims that chemical ingredients are covered by the law of trade secrecy. The resulting deficit of data impedes health and ecological research, distorts market responses and suppresses innovation incentives. This chapter argues that secrecy is out of place in environmental regulation: information that describes environmental externalities is not “trade” or “commercial or financial” information within the meaning of trade secret law and discharging pollutants without sufficient research abandons secrecy entitlements that might otherwise attach. Property law does not legitimate harming third parties or avoiding duties to them; also, secrecy reverses the appropriate relationship between property and resources by hiding social costs and blocking efficient allocation. The better rule would be “no secret exposures,” giving firms the choice to avoid exposures, invest in research to prove that their products are reasonably safe, or resort to the patent system or other legitimate strategies.
Gravimetric Determination of Amylase-Treated Neutral Detergent Fiber in Feeds with Refluxing in Beakers or Crucibles: Collaborative Study

As an important constituent of animal feeds, fiber represents the portion of feeds that is bulky and difficult to digest. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) method, developed over 30 years ago, is the method of choice for measuring total fiber in forages and other feeds. Several modifications that were made to improve its general applicability to all feeds and others developed in individual laboratories often resulted in variability among laboratories in measuring NDF. The amylase-treated NDF (aNDF) method, therefore, was developed as an accurate and precise method of measuring total insoluble fiber in feeds. A collaborative study was conducted to evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of the aNDF method over the full range of animal feed materials. Twelve laboratories representing research, feed company, regulatory, and commercial feed testing laboratories analyzed 11 materials as blind duplicates. The materials represented feed matrixes, including animal products; high-protein, high-fat, and high-pectin feeds; oil seeds; grains; heated by-product feeds; and legume and grass hays and silages. Materials selected varied in chemical composition and contained 0-90% aNDF, 1-16% ash, 1-20% crude fat, 1-40% crude protein, and 0-50% starch. Correcting results for changes in blanks and reporting results as ash-free aNDF organic matter (aNDFom) improved the repeatability and reproducibility of results when aNDF was 10% fat. However, standard deviations of repeatability and reproducibility for feeds with >10% fat were similar to those of other materials. It is recommended that the aNDF method be accepted for Official First Action status.
Truss Analysis by Stiffness Considerations

A general method of analysis, particularly advantageous for redundant structures, is developed in detail for the pin-connected truss. The proposed method enables deflections, member forces, and reactions to be determined for any arbitrary set of applied loads.
Lipid requirement for cell cycling. The effect of selective inhibition of lipid synthesis.

Abstract Tissue culture cells require lipid which must be provided exogenously or synthesized via endogenous pathways. The exogenous supplies can be largely removed by growing cells in medium containing delipidized serum. Pathways for synthesis of lipid can then be blocked at three steps: (1) fatty acids by removal of biotin, an essential coenzyme; (2) phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin by deleting choline from the growth medium; and (3) cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase with 25-hydroxycholesterol. Sustained proliferation is prevented when lipid synthesis is blocked at any one of these steps. Cell proliferation resumes upon restoring synthesis with biotin, choline, or mevalonate (the product of the HMG-CoA reductase reaction) or by providing the lipid end products oleic acid or cholesterol. Using a combined cytophotometric-autoradiographic analysis to determine cell cycle distributions we have demonstrated that prereplicative (G1) cell cycle arrests develop in parallel with the proliferative inhibition. Each of the G1 arrests can be reversed by restoring the synthetic pathways or their lipid products. These observations suggest a causal relationship between the supply of lipids and passage through G1.
Subspace clustering for microarray data analysis:multiple criteria and significance assessment

As one of the latest breakthroughs in experimental molecular biology, microarray technology provides a powerful tool for monitoring the expression patterns of thousands of genes simultaneously, producing huge amounts of valuable gene expression data. Gene expression data are organized as matrices --- tables where rows represent genes, columns represent various samples such as tissues or experimental conditions, and a cell number indicates the expression level of a particular gene in a particular sample.
The comparison of morphological and molecular data in phylogenetic systematics

Analytical methods facilitating the use of molecular and morphological characters as complementary sources of phylogenetic information are explored. Separation of phyloge-netically useful information from misleading patterns of character variation is most effective when the methods of “taxonomic congruence” and “character congruence” are used together. Statistical approaches for implementing both methods are described and illustrated with an example from the phylogeny of salamanders.
η5-Imidazolato Complexes of Ruthenium

The imidazolato complexes [Cp*Ru(μ-η1:η1-Ph2C3HN2)]3, Cp*Ru(η5-Ph2C3HN2), and Cp*Ru(η5-Me2C3HN2) have been prepared and characterized. The latter complexes represent the first structural documentation of the η5-imidazolato ligand coordination mode to any metal. [Cp*Ru(μ-η1:η1-Ph2C3HN2)]3 converts to Cp*Ru(η5-Ph2C3HN2) upon heating in tetrahydrofuran, demonstrating that the η5-imidazolato ligand is thermodynamically preferred over the μ-η1:η1-ligand in the Cp*Ru(II) system.
The knowledge brokers: venture capitalists, tacit knowledge and regional development

This article reviews the role of knowledge in economic development and the actors through which it is created and transferred. Unpacking the often oversimplified dichotomy between tacit and explicit knowledge, the contribution of firms, communities of practice and regions to the creation of knowledge is considered. While acknowledging the importance of global knowledge flows, it is argued that regional processes of Marshallian interaction and observation retain their relevance even within the decidedly global financial and internet industries. This argument is supported empirically through an analysis of the spatial structure of the knowledge used by venture capitalists during the development of the internet industry. The ability to create and access knowledge proves key for venture capitalists throughout their work, but particularly in (1) selecting promising industries, (2) finding and evaluating firms, and (3) assisting portfolio companies. Cet article etudie le role du savoir dans l'expansion economique, ainsi que les acteurs qui permettent de le creer et le transmettre. En demelant la dichotomie souvent simplifiee a outrance entre savoirs tacite et explicite, il examine l'apport des entreprises, communautes de pratiques et regions dans la creation du savoir. Tout en reconnaissant l'importance des flux internationaux de connaissances, il soutient que les processus regionaux d'observation et d'interaction marshallienne restent pertinents meme pour les secteurs de l'Internet et de la finance resolument planetaires. Cet argument est etaye empiriquement par l'analyse de la structure spatiale du savoir utilise par les speculateurs capitalistes pendant l'essor des activites de l'Internet. L'aptitude a creer du savoir et a y acceder est essentielle pour eux quel que soit leur travail, mais surtout pour reperer les secteurs prometteurs, trouver et evaluer des entreprises, et aider les societes de capital-risque.
Pain and pressure in the human pulp

Abstract The rich innervation of the pulp loses its mystery and the uniqueness of its sensation only to pain when the gate theory is applied to it. In the intact tooth, with its protective shell of enamel and dentine, there is a low level of ongoing neural activity probably related to blood flow and cardiac systole. Most of the receptors in the pulp remain quiescent, and the ongoing small fiber activity is insufficient to cause summation at the gate. When the dentine and/or the pulp is exposed by decay or dental manipulations, or when the pulp becomes diseased by some process, a wide variety of nerve fibers are stimulated, none of which are necessarily “pain” fibers per se, but the result of the interaction of the various spinal systems and the central systems is pain. The rich innervation of the pulp has a definite functional significance because the system would not otherwise work.
On the statistics of scintillating signals

Abstract The statistics that best describe optical and radio signals that have been scattered by random refractive-index irregularities have presented an open question for some time. Different models have been used close to the medium (log-normal) and far from it (Rician), and signal behavior in the intermediate zone has been particularly difficult to characterize. In this work, we address experimentally the problem of a general and systematic description in all Fresnel-zone regimes and for all strengths of scatter. We make use of multifrequency, phase-coherent radio signals transmitted through the ionosphere to obtain a bivariate representation of complex-signal statistics and then form conclusions based on chi-square tests of four hypotheses against histograms of intensity and phase. We find that neither the log-normal nor the Gaussian generalization of Rician statistics provides a generally valid and complete description of scintillation but that a two-component model based upon them does. We suggest, further, that equal or superior efficacy might be achieved from a simpler model based on the Nakagami distribution for intensity and the normal distribution for phase. At present no such model exists that can also account for correlation between intensity and phase, which is a salient feature of our observations.
A whole cell BIAcore assay to evaluate P1-mediated adherence of Streptococcus mutans to human salivary agglutinin and inhibition by specific antibodies

Researchers now recognize the utility of surface plasmon resonance technology to evaluate interactions of microbial pathogens with host components. The surface adhesin and candidate vaccine antigen P1 of Streptococcus mutans, the main causative agent of dental caries, interacts with a high molecular weight glycoprotein called salivary agglutinin, or gp340, in the salivary pellicle. We optimized a BIAcore assay to measure P1-mediated Ca(2+) dependent binding of S. mutans whole cells to this physiological ligand immobilized on a Pioneer F1 sensor chip. Regeneration conditions allowed cells to be eluted from the sensor chip permitting multiple reuse of the agglutinin-coated surface. An isogenic P1-deficient S. mutans mutant did not bind to immobilized agglutinin demonstrating specificity of the detected interaction. Glutaraldehyde-fixation of bacterial cells showed the assay measured a whole cell-ligand interaction and was not an artifact of solubilized or leached proteins. Adherence inhibition assays demonstrated varying degrees of disruption of the S. mutans-agglutinin interaction by anti-P1 monoclonal antibodies recognizing different epitopes, whereas a polyclonal reagent demonstrated more complete inhibition. This report describes an improved method to assess salivary agglutinin-mediated adherence of S. mutans in vitro under physiological-like conditions and to evaluate the effectiveness of antibodies of differing specificities to inhibit binding.
A procedure for using pattern classification techniques to obtain a voiced/Unvoiced classifier

A classifier to make the voiced/unvoiced (V/UV) decision in speech analysis which performs with an error rate of less than half of a percent is presented. The decision making process is viewed as a pattern recognition problem in which a number of features can be used to make the classification. Training is accomplished using a nonparametric, nonstatistical technique. In order to obtain a classifier which would make the correct decision for a variety of speakers and to determine which of the features under consideration should be used, a procedure for interleaving the contributions of the feature and speaker sets was developed. This procedure is presented in terms of the notions of covering and satisfaction. The failure of a classifier to cover a set of speakers indicates that more training information from those speakers is necessary to define the classifier. The failure of the classifier to satisfy a set of speakers indicates that the performance of the classifier could be improved by the use of more features in making the V/UV decision. In the training procedure, covering and satisfaction were attained on successively larger sets of speakers, with the result that a classifier was obtained which could correctly make the V/UV decision for all of the speakers used in testing, including those not used in the training process.
Similar survival with breast conservation therapy or mastectomy in the management of young women with early-stage breast cancer.

Purpose To evaluate survival outcomes of young women with early-stage breast cancer treated with breast conservation therapy (BCT) or mastectomy, using a large, population-based database. Methods and Materials Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, information was obtained for all female patients, ages 20 to 39 years old, diagnosed with T1–2 N0–1 M0 breast cancer between 1990 and 2007, who underwent either BCT (lumpectomy and radiation treatment) or mastectomy. Multivariable and matched pair analyses were performed to compare overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) of patients undergoing BCT and mastectomy. Results A total of 14,764 women were identified, of whom 45% received BCT and 55% received mastectomy. Median follow-up was 5.7 years (range, 0.5–17.9 years). After we accounted for all patient and tumor characteristics, multivariable analysis found that BCT resulted in OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83–1.04; p = 0.16) and CSS (HR, 0.93; CI, 0.83–1.05; p = 0.26) similar to that of mastectomy. Matched pair analysis, including 4,644 BCT and mastectomy patients, confirmed no difference in OS or CSS: the 5-, 10-, and15-year OS rates for BCT and mastectomy were 92.5%, 83.5%, and 77.0% and 91.9%, 83.6%, and 79.1%, respectively ( p = 0.99), and the 5-, 10-, and 15-year CSS rates for BCT and mastectomy were 93.3%, 85.5%, and 79.9% and 92.5%, 85.5%, and 81.9%, respectively ( p = 0.88). Conclusions Our analysis of this population-based database suggests that young women with early-stage breast cancer have similar survival rates whether treated with BCT or mastectomy. These patients should be counseled appropriately regarding their treatment options and should not choose a mastectomy based on the assumption of improved survival.
Using ab initio “data” to accurately determine the fourth density virial coefficient of helium

Abstract We combine accurate ab initio calculations of the second and third density virial coefficients, B(T) and C(T), of 4He with measurements of its (p–ρ–T) behavior to determine the fourth density virial coefficient D(T). The measurements were made with a two-sinker, magnetic-suspension densimeter at pressures up to 38 MPa. The measurements on isotherms from T = 223 K to T = 323 K were previously published; new measurements from T = 323 K to T = 500 K are presented here. On each isotherm, a regression of the virial expansion was constrained to the ab initio values of B(T) and C(T); the regression determined D(T) as well as two apparatus-dependent parameters that compensated for systematic errors in the measurements. The percentage uncertainties of D(T) ranged from 2.6% at T = 223 K to 9.5% at T = 400 K to 24.7% at T = 500 K, where these uncertainties are expanded uncertainties with coverage factor of k = 2 corresponding to a 95% confidence interval. These uncertainties are 1/6th of the uncertainty obtained without the ab initio values of B(T) and C(T). The apparatus-dependent parameters can be used to calibrate the densimeter, and this will reduce the uncertainty of other measurements made with this two-sinker densimeter. The new values of D(T) will find applications in accurate gas metrology, such as a primary pressure standard based on the refractive index of helium.
Effect of fat content and corn sweeteners on selected sensory attributes and shelf stability of vanilla ice cream

Vanilla ice creams (10%, 13% and 16% fat) were prepared by substituting a 50:50 blend of two corn sweeteners (high fructose corn sweetener-90, and high maltose corn sweetener) for sucrose. Physical tests were conducted on the firmness and melting rate of the ice cream. The corn sweetener blend (CSB), along with increased fat levels, caused a significant (p<0·05) decrease in firmness. Sensory evaluation showed that the CSB caused a decline in sweetness, but produced a smooth texture in the ice cream. Heat shocking caused changes in all of the ice creams, but the CSB with increments of fat maintained a smoother product.
Collaborative Assistance in a Highly Prescribed School Reform Model: The Case of Success for All

This article focuses on how the Success for All Foundation (SFAF)—the nonprofit intermediary organization that promotes Success for All—works with educators in schools to increase capacity for learning and instruction. Success for All is a comprehensive school reform model that primarily centers on early literacy intervention. Building on research on intermediary organizations and situated learning, we examine how SFAF structures professional development and the types of relationships the organization cultivates with practitioners. At a glance, although much of the theory, strategy, and tools driving the SFAF's approach to school reform seem technically oriented and highly prescribed, our investigation indicates that the deeper process of creating knowledge for school improvement is a collaborative, situated endeavor. Moreover, the study reveals that the process of learning and professional development within the program is a result of the ongoing, dynamic interplay among the SFAF, local conditions, and t...
Influence of Supplemental Acetate on Bioremediation for Dissolved Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The influence of supplemental acetate on in situ bioremediation for the removal of dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in groundwater was evaluated in laboratory sand columns. Sand columns, inoculated with a soil enrichment culture, were fed with dissolved PAHs (9 mg/L naphthalene, 0.8 mg/L phenanthrene, 0.09 mg/L pyrene), nutrients, and hydrogen peroxide to sustain aerobic microbial growth. Pore water PAH concentration profiles were obtained during the study. Determinations of viable biomass, carbohydrate, and PAH sorption capacity were obtained at the conclusion of the experimental runs. Pore water profiles indicated that PAH biodegradation capability became more quickly established after 45 days in sand columns amended with acetate versus the unamended control. The endpoint pore water PAH concentration profiles were similar for both acetate-amended and unamended columns. Higher biomass in acetate-amended columns increased the overall sorption capacity of the sand medium for PAHs by 24–47%...
Trials and tribulations of conducting medication trials: pediatric bipolar disorder as prototype.

“In reality, it is the interpretation of symptomatology that leads to accurate diagnosis, rather than the short-term training and inter-rater reliability attained by conducting semi-structured research diagnostic interviews.”
Fragment Length Polymorphisms Among Independent Isolates of Epstein-Barr Virus from Immunocompromised and Normal Hosts

DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA were used as a molecular epidemiological tool to study multiple isolates of virus from the same and different individuals. We studied 35 EBV isolates: 19 from seven immunocompromised children and 16 from seven college students with mononucleosis. Analysis of the fragment length polymorphisms in this collection of isolates permitted several conclusions. Sites of polymorphism were most often encountered in regions with repetitive DNA. Epidemiologically unrelated patients harbored viruses that could be readily distinguished; by contrast, two infants and their mothers harbored similar viruses. Isolates from different sites in the same patient were similar. Variations between different clinical isolates of EBV mimic those found between different laboratory strains of the virus. Fragment length polymorphisms thus provide a useful marker for studying transmission and pathogenesis of EBV infections.
Active Wavefront Control Challenges Of The Nasa Large Deployable Reflector (LDR)

The 20-m Large Deployable Reflector will have a segmented primary mirror. Achieving diffraction-limited performance at 50 microns requires correction for the errors of tilt and piston of the primary mirror. This correction can be obtained in two ways, the use of an active primary or a correction at a demagnified pupil of the primary. A critical requirement is the means for measurement of the wavefront error and maintaining phasing during the observation of objects that may be too faint for determining the error. Absolute phasing can only be determined using a cooperative source. Maintenance of phasing can be done with an on-board source. A number of options are being explored as discussed below. The many issues concerning the assessment and control of an active segmented mirror will be addressed with an early construction of the Precision Segmented Reflector testbed.
High-Pressure Afterglow in Nitrogen

A MOST remarkable afterglow in nitrogen has been observed at pressures higher than 10 mm. This afterglow has certain properties which would scarcely be looked for in an afterglow at high pressures. The most striking of these is the relatively strong excitation of the Vegard-Kaplan intercombination bands, which originate on the A3Σ -metastable state of nitrogen. Their intensity relative to the usually strong second-positive bands is as high as the intensity in the night-sky afterglow which I reported several years ago1. The remarkable nature of this phenomenon will be realized when it is pointed out that the weak night-sky glow was produced at pressures of approximately 0.01 mm. by means of a very feeble exciting discharge, while this strong new glow is produced at about 1,000 times that pressure by means of a very strong exciting discharge. In fact, the relative intensity of these bands has been increasing steadily with pressure in the range so far studied. This is an anomalous result in view of the metastability of the A3Σ level. Moreover, the high-pressure afterglow is more intense and has a longer life than similar glows at lower pressures.
Direct and inverse problems in radiation of sound from discrete random sources on two coaxial rings

An analytical model consisting of two ring sources of sound is developed to study the direct radiation in terms of correlation, coherence, and phase and also to aid in solving the inverse‐radiation problem of determining the noise source in terms of farfield measurements. The rings consist of discrete sources which are either monopoles or quadrupoles with Gaussian autocorrelations. Only adjacent sources, both within and between the rings, are correlated. Results show that from the farfield information one can determine when the sources are compact or noncompact with respect to the acoustic wavelength and distinguish between the types of sources. In addition, from the inverse‐radiation approach one can recover the center of mass, the location and separation distance of the ring, and the respective diameters.
Validation of a model for static and dynamic recrystallization in metals

Abstract In this paper, modifications are proposed to a phenomenological plasticity model to account for the evolution of recrystallization and the resultant softening behavior. The novel model includes internal state variables representing dislocation density and the spacing between geometrically necessary subgrain boundaries. In order to capture both single and multiple peak recrystallization, the model tracks the evolution of recrystallized volume fractions for multiple cycles of recrystallization, and has a set of state variables for each volume fraction. A rule of mixtures is used to determine the average stress. The model is capable of capturing static recrystallization as well as both single and multiple peak dynamic recrystallization. Material parameters are fit to data from monotonic compression tests on copper for a wide range of temperatures and strain rates. The model is then validated by using the same parameter set to predict multiple-stage response in which samples are compressed, held at temperature for various lengths of time, and then compressed further. The model predicts both the static recrystallization that occurs between loading stages as well as the dynamic recrystallization occurring during the second loading stage.
Deuterium-tritium operation of the tokamak fusion test reactor (TFTR)

Summary form only diven, as follows. The TFTR has operated since 1982 with the objectives of studying the plasma physics of large tokamaks, gaining experience in the solution of engineering problems associated with large fusion systems, and demonstrating fusion energy production from the burning, on a pulsed basis, of deuterium and tritium in a magnetically confined toroidal plasma system. The first magnetic fusion experiments to study plasmas using nearly equal concentrations of deuterium and tritium were achieved by TFTR in late 1993 and have been routinely carried on since. The injection of /spl sim/25 MW of tritium and /spl sim/14 MW of deuterium neutral beams into a TFTR plasma has yielded over 10 MW of fusion power at a corresponding central fusion power density of /spl sim/2 MW m/sup -3/. Safe, reliable operation of the TFTR systems in D-T has been demonstrated; D-T experiments on TFTR will continue over a broader range of parameters and higher power levels. This paper describes the experimental results of TFTR along with the technical systems and operating routines that provide the backbone of the TFTR experimental program. Discussed are the plasma confinement and heating systems along with the D-T hardware associated with tritium handling.
The Effects of Particle Size, Different Corn Stover Components, and Gas Residence Time on Torrefaction of Corn Stover

Large scale biofuel production will be possible only if significant quantities of biomass feedstock can be stored, transported, and processed in an economic and sustainable manner. Torrefaction has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of transportation, storage, and downstream processing through the improvement of physical and chemical characteristics of biomass. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of particle size, plant components, and gas residence time on the production of torrefied corn (Zea mays) stover. Different particle sizes included 0.85 mm and 20 mm. Different stover components included ground corn stover, whole corn stalk, stalk shell and pith, and corn cob shell. Three different purge gas residence times were employed to assess the effects of interaction of volatiles and torrefied biomass. Elemental analyses were performed on all of the samples, and the data obtained was used to estimate the energy contents and energy yields of different torrefied biomass samples. Particle density, elemental composition, and fiber composition of raw biomass fractions were also determined. Stalk pith torrefied at 280 °C and stalk shell torrefied at 250 °C had highest and lowest dry matter loss, of about 44% and 13%, respectively. Stalk pith torrefied at 250 °C had lowest energy density of about 18–18.5 MJ/kg, while cob shell torrefied at 280 °C had the highest energy density of about 21.5 MJ/kg. The lowest energy yield, at 59%, was recorded for stalk pith torrefied at 280 °C, whereas cob and stalk shell torrefied at 250 °C had highest energy yield at 85%. These differences were a consequence of the differences in particle densities, hemicellulose quantities, and chemical properties of the original biomass samples. Gas residence time did not have a significant effect on the aforementioned parameters.
Distribution of gonadrotropin releasing hormone agonist binding sites in the rat central nervous system

Specific binding sites for gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) in the central nervous system of the rat were studied with in vitro autoradiography and with radioligand assays. The results show that GnRH binding sites are present in the lamina glomerulosa and plexiformis externa, the nucleus olfactorius anterior pars externa, and the frontal cortex at the sulcus rhinalis. In the septum, only a few GnRH binding sites are detected in the lateral and dorsal portions of the nucleus septi lateralis. In addition, a small number of GnRH receptors are seen in the mediobasal hypothalamus and amygdala while substantial binding is apparent in the interpeduncular nucleus, central gray and superior collicle. In the hippocampal formation the GnRH agonists bind to the dorsal and ventral subiculum as well as to receptors in the areas CA1 through CA4. The highest concentration of GnRH receptors is found in the parasubiculum. Competitive binding assays with membrane preparations from the hippocampus and interpeduncular nucleus indicate that the binding of the GnRH agonists is reversible and has a binding affinity of 1 X 10(9) M-1. Injections of radioactive GnRH agonist Buserelin into the lateral ventricle results in selective and reversible labeling of the hippocampal areas CA1 through CA4 as well as the interpeduncular nucleus, central gray and the parasubiculum. The results of the present study indicate that GnRH binds to specific receptors in select areas of the central nervous system of the rat where the peptide may regulate sensory, behavioral and endocrine events.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fluid Phase Separation Processes in Submarine Hydrothermal Systems

Mineral-fluid equilibria play a key role in governing the chemical evolution of modern submarine hydrothermal systems (Seyfried et al. 1999, 2004; Foustoukos and Seyfried 2005). Seawater circulating through high permeability zones of the upper oceanic crust, reaches areas close to the brittle-ductile boundary, where high temperature and pressure conditions enhance water/rock interactions, characterized by formation of hydrous alteration minerals and compositional changes in seawater chemistry, particularly enrichment of dissolved volatiles and transition metals (Fig. 1⇓) (Kelley et al. 2002; German and Von Damm 2003). The buoyant hydrothermal fluids ultimately vent at the seafloor with exit temperatures reaching values higher than 350 °C. Mixing between ambient seawater and hydrothermal vent fluid induces metal sulfide precipitation, accounting for the common reference to the vent fluids as “black smokers.” The large spatial compositional variability observed even between adjacent black smoker vent fluids, however, is mainly the result of phase separation and boiling processes intrinsic to the NaCl-H2O system at elevated temperature and pressure conditions (Bischoff and Pitzer 1985; Bischoff and Rosenbauer 1987; Butterfield et al. 1994; Von Damm 1995, 2000; Berndt and Seyfried 1997; Lilley et al. 2003). Although this compositional variability is best indicated by the wide range of dissolved chloride concentrations of vent fluids that greatly deviate from seawater values (Von Damm et al. 1997; Von Damm 2000, 2004; Seyfried et al. 2003), confirming evidence of phase separation processes can also be traced to the distribution and abundance of dissolved volatiles and other aqueous species known to fractionate between vapor and liquid when seawater phase separation and segregation occurs (Oosting and Von Damm 1996; Berndt and Seyfried 1997; Fornari et al. 1998; Butterfield et al. 1999; Lilley et al. 2003; Von …
Does COBRA reduce the probability that job separators return to work

This study examines a decade of individual-level US employment and insurance information to investigate whether federally mandated Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) regulation affects post-separation employment activity. The empirical approach addresses the possibility that COBRA enrollment is endogenous with respect to post-separation employment outcomes. The main finding is that, although COBRA enrollees are 5 percentage points less likely to become re-employed, this relationship is not causal. Rather, individuals with lower probabilities of becoming re-employed tend to enroll in COBRA. The reason appears to be because, when compared to subjects who voluntarily leave for other jobs, subjects who separate for other reasons not only are less likely to become re-employed, but they also are approximately 23% more likely to enroll in COBRA.
Two independent evaluations of ten amalgam alloys

Two independent research groups evaluated marginal failure and conducted creep tests on 10 commercial amalgam alloys. Correlation data determined that both laboratory tests and clinical results were essentially the same between the two studies. The 2-year clinical results indicate that five alloys, Cupralloy, Dispersalloy, Indiloy, Phasealloy, and Tytin give best results. Creep correlated with the rate of marginal failure within a study when all alloys were assessed; however, for the seven gamma-2-free alloys, there was no significant relationship between in vivo and in vitro data. Since creep tests did not predict marginal failure of the gamma-2-free alloys, the results of clinical studies should be the guide to selection of the better amalgam alloys.
Marital Status, Marital History, Body Weight, and Obesity

Marital status and marital history are associated with health. Marital history can be represented by the marital trajectory components of timing, transitions, sequence, and duration. We examined whether marital trajectory components add insights beyond marital status in predicting body weight in a retrospective analysis of 3,011 adults. Marital status findings revealed that married men were heavier than separated/divorced men, and never married women were heavier and more often obese than married women. Marital history findings showed that after adjusting for marital status, trajectory measures of age at first marriage, second marriage or second divorce, experiencing widowhood, and duration of separation/divorce were not clearly associated with body weight or obesity. Body weight and obesity appear to be associated with current marital status but not marital history.
Infections in VLBW infants: studies from the NICHD Neonatal Research Network.

Infection is a serious complication among very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units. This article reviews studies from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network including infection data from observational studies and randomized controlled trials. Blood culture-proven early-onset sepsis (≤ 72 hours) was found in less than 2% of VLBW infants, but was associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. A change in pathogens causing early-onset sepsis among Network patients has been observed over the past decade, with a significant reduction in early-onset group B streptococcal infections, but also a significant increase in early-onset Escherichia coli infections. This change is particularly worrisome, because of the high death rate associated with gram-negative infections, including E coli. Late-onset (> 72 hours) sepsis developed in almost a quarter of infants. The vast majority of infections were caused by gram-positive agents, especially coagulase-negative staphylococci. The risk of late-onset sepsis was inversely related to birth weight and gestational age. Infants with late-onset sepsis were at increased risk for a number of neonatal morbidities, for prolonged hospitalization, and for death. The percentage of deaths attributed to infection increased with increasing postnatal age. The increasing survival of extremely immature infants has resulted in a cohort of infants at prolonged risk for acquired infection. Successful strategies to reduce infections among VLBW infants would improve survival, reduce neonatal morbidity, and reduce the high medical and social costs of VLBW infant care.
Measurement of p-nitrophenol in the urine of residents whose homes were contaminated with methyl parathion

During the last several years, illegal commercial application of methyl parathion (MP) in domestic settings in several U.S. Southeastern and Midwestern States has affected largely inner-city residents. As part of a multiagency response involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and state and local health departments, our laboratory developed a rapid, high-throughput, selective method for quantifying p-nitrophenol (PNP), a biomarker of MP exposure, using isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We measured PNP in approximately 16,000 samples collected from residents of seven different states. Using this method, we were able to receive sample batches from each state; prepare, analyze, and quantify the samples for PNP; verify the results; and report the data to the health departments and ATSDR in about 48 hr. These data indicate that many residents had urinary PNP concentrations well in excess of those of the general U.S. population. In fact, their urinary PNP concentrations were more consistent with those seen in occupational settings or in poisoning cases. Although these data, when coupled with other MP metabolite data, suggest that many residents with the highest concentrations of urinary PNP had significant exposure to MP, they do not unequivocally rule out exposure to PNP resulting from environmental degradation of MP. Even with their limitations, these data were used with the assumption that all PNP was derived from MP exposure, which enabled the U.S. EPA and ATSDR to develop a comprehensive, biologically driven response that was protective of human health, especially susceptible populations, and included clinical evaluations, outreach activities, community education, integrated pest management, and decontamination of homes.
Segregation of niobium solute in nickel toward grain boundaries and free surfaces

The spatial redistribution of niobium atoms near the (100) and (111) free surfaces and selected grain boundaries (GBs) of pure nickel has been considered in the low niobium concentration limit. There is one key difference between the situation for placing a niobium atom at a free surface and at a GB. At the free surface, an energetic compromise is required between having space for the large niobium atom and being able to place that atom at a position of high electron density. For a GB, no such compromise is required. An extremely interesting feature is the presence of a region around the third layer of (111) and the fourth layer of (100) free surfaces where the substitutional internal energy reverses its sign. The authors’ simulations show a significant depletion in concentration of niobium immediately at free surfaces. However, under the first two or three layers of pure nickel, there exists a niobium-enriched region with a strongly temperature-dependent concentration. This predicted nonmonotonic distribution of niobium in the surface region may be important for many applications and calls for experimental confirmation. In contrast, at the grain boundaries, the concentration of niobium, which is pertinent to GB oxidation embrittlement, is predicted to be much higher than in the bulk. It monotonically decreases with the distance from the GB until reaching the bulk value. The calculation of the free energy uses atomistic potentials based on ab initio quantum mechanical calculations, includes lattice relaxation around niobium atoms by using molecular dynamics (with 1440 or 2880 atoms in the modeling cell), and includes vibrational entropy phenomenologically within the local harmonic approximation. The entire approach is ab initio based and does not require any empirical information.