cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of perceptions of HIV risk and risky sexual practices among heterosexual cocaine- dependent individuals

Aims: Cocaine use is associated with higher prevalence of risky sexual behavior, ultimately leading to a greater risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Our ongoing study compares the perception of risk of HIV and attitudes towards condom use with actual sexual practices in heterosexual cocaine dependent (CD) individuals and non-drug using controls. Methods: To date 23 CD individuals and 18 controls have been recruited. Selfreport measures of attitudes towards sexual behaviors and perceptions of risk were measured via Sexual Risks Scale-Attitudes Towards Condom Use (SRSA), Limiting HIV Risk Behavior (LHRB), Risk Behavior Assessment (RBA), Perceived Risk HIV and Risky Sex Scale (RSS). Results: CD participants reported having sex 7.6±1.5 (mean± S.E.M.) days out of the last 30 whereas controls reported having sex 4.0±1.4 days of the last 30 (p=0.11). Also, CD participants reported having 1.6±1.0 sexual partners while controls reported having 1.0±0.0 sexual partners in the last 30 days (p=0.086). CD participants had more negative attitudes towards condom use as determined by the SRSA (p=0.047). There were no significant differences between CD participants and controls with respect to perception of risk following unprotected and protected oral, vaginal, and anal sex regardless of HIV status (all ps >0.05), with the exception of HIV negative status where CD participants (18.7±4.9) associated more risk of HIV than control participants (5.6±3.1) during unprotected vaginal sex (p=0.05). Conclusions: Despite minimal differences in perception of risk of HIV between groups, heterosexual CD participants are more likely to engage inmore sex acts withmore partners thanmatched controls. Additional data for this project includes evaluations of neural responses during a sexual discounting task. Financial support: National Institute on Drug Abuse: 5R01DA030241. This work was conducted at, and supported by the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX.
The amino acid composition of adenosine triphosphate-creatine transphosphorylase.

Abstract The full amino acid composition of adenosine triphosphate-creatine transphosphorylase has been measured by using ion-exchange chromatography. In addition, other methods were employed for the estimation of tyrosine, tryptophan, arginine, and amide ammonia. Cystine values were calculated on the assumption that the difference between total sulfur and measured methionine sulfur represents cystine sulfur.
Encainide overdose in an infant

We describe a near-fatal case of encainide toxicity in a 6-month-old infant who reportedly ingested a single 25-mg tablet. Within 30 minutes he had a wide-complex sinus tachycardia (QRS, 0.16 second) and then acutely decompensated with the development of ventricular tachycardia. Electroshock cardioversion (probably synchronized but not documented) was performed, but the ventricular tachycardia returned. Intraosseous fluids, sodium bicarbonate, and phenytoin were administered, and defibrillation was performed. The resultant wide-complex tachyarrhythmia gradually normalized. Serum encainide and metabolite concentrations obtained at the time of resuscitation (60 minutes after ingestion) exceeded the therapeutic adult range. History and blood concentration data were consistent with ingestion of as little as a single 25-mg tablet, which was nearly fatal to this child.
Issues and opportunities in accelerator mass spectrometry for stable isotopes

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has developed in the last 30 years many notable applications to the spectrometry of radioisotopes, particularly in radiocarbon dating. The instrumentation science of trace element AMS (TEAMS) that analyzes stable isotopes, also called Accelerator SIMS or MegaSIMS, while unique in many features, has also shared in many of these significant advances and has pushed TEAMS sensitivity to concentration levels surpassing many competing mass spectroscopic technologies. This review examines recent instrumentation developments, the capabilities of the new instrumentation and discernable trends for future development.
DNAase I-hypersensitive sites of chromatin

During the last few years nucleases have been found to be effective tools for the dissection of the structure of chromatic. DNAase I (or pancreatic DNAase, E.C.3.1.4.5) is an endonuclease with little DNA-sequence specificity. When eucaryotic nuclei are partially digested with DNAase I, the resultant DNA fragments form a continuum of sizes, perceived as a uniform smear on agarose gels. Nonetheless, work with DNAase I has been of continuing interest since the finding of Weintraub and Groudine (Science 193, 848-856, 1976) that active chromatin is preferentially digested by this enzyme. The data now in hand indicate that a region of the chromatin, including the region of transcription and extending many kilobases beyond it, is generally very sensitive to DNAase I for a gene in the active state. In contrast with these broad patterns of differential DNAase I sensitivity, we have recently recognized and studied specific sites in chromatin that are even more sensitive to DNAase I, now referred to as DNAase l-hypersensitive sites. Such sites were first observed when the gel blot-hybridization technique of Southern was used to analyze the consequence of a very light digestion of Drosophila nuclei by DNAase I. Using a specific recombinant plasmid probe, we observed a series of discrete bands, indicating specific cleavage of the DNA in chromatin. Control experiments showed that no such bands were observed following digestion of naked DNA with DNAase I, demonstrating that the hypersensitive sites exist as a consequence of the chromatin structure. The pattern of bands obtained from chromatin was unique for each of five cloned Drosophila loci examined, suggesting that the sites recognized by DNAase I were specifically and nonuniformly distributed along the chromatin fiber (Wu et al., Cell 76, 797-806,1979). The smear of fragments seen as the digestion pattern for the genome as a whole apparently represents the sum of thousands of discrete patterns, rather than indicating a lack of specificity in the digestion of chromatin by DNAase I. A number of such nuclease-sensitive sites have now been mapped precisely with different approaches, most frequently an indirect end-labeling technique first applied by Nedospasov and Georgiev using micrococcal nuclease (BBRC 92, 532-539, 1980) and by Wu using DNAase I (Nature 286, 854-860,198O). Nuclei are digested lightly with the nuclease to introduce an average of one cut within a region of interest, bounded but not intersected by a particular restriction site. A hypothetical case is shown in the figure (A), in which we wish to examine the region between the two Barn sites. DNA is purified from the digested chromatin Minireviews
The S‐leut anthropometric traits: Genetic analysis

Genetic analyses were conducted on 51 anthropometric measurements and on four factors derived from them by factor analysis. These variables were obtained on 784 members of a religious isolate, the S-leut. Correlations were computed between relatives, and heritabilities were estimated using information on extended families. Longitudinal measurements generally exhibited the highest heritabilities. The test for fit of a major gene model was significant for 13 of the 55 variables, the circumferential and breadth measurements giving the strongest evidence for major gene control. In another approach to establishment of genetic control, linkage analysis was performed between the anthropometric variables and blood group and serum protein polymorphisms. Several traits showed some evidence for linkage but none achieved statistical significance.
Fully automated detection of diabetic macular edema and dry age-related macular degeneration from optical coherence tomography images

We present a novel fully automated algorithm for the detection of retinal diseases via optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. Our algorithm utilizes multiscale histograms of oriented gradient descriptors as feature vectors of a support vector machine based classifier. The spectral domain OCT data sets used for cross-validation consisted of volumetric scans acquired from 45 subjects: 15 normal subjects, 15 patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and 15 patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). Our classifier correctly identified 100% of cases with AMD, 100% cases with DME, and 86.67% cases of normal subjects. This algorithm is a potentially impactful tool for the remote diagnosis of ophthalmic diseases.
Spam diffusion in a social network initiated by hacked e-mail accounts

Rumour diffusion has been widely studied in the literature. However, most prior work assumes that the rumour initiators are humans. This assumption does not hold in cyber space where some of the accounts are hacked. These hacked accounts aggressively disseminate rumours by continuously sending a large amount of messages. Our results show that when rumours are initiated by hacked accounts, the rumour diffusion dynamics are different. This work suggests that social simulations of interactions over cyber space should capture the fact that spamming accounts also participate in these interactions. The presence of these accounts can alter the simulation dynamics.
Understanding Understanding Mathematics

In this paper we look at some of the ingredients and processes involved in the understanding of mathematics. We analyze elements of mathematical knowledge, organize them in a coherent way and take note of certain classes of items that share noteworthy roles in understanding. We thus build a conceptual framework in which to talk about mathematical knowledge. We then use this representation to describe the acquisition of understanding. We also report on classroom experience with these ideas.
Current principles and practices; new research; and new technologies in disinfection, sterilization, and antisepsis.

Health care-associated infections are an important source of room disinfection reduces health care-associated infections (Donmorbidity and mortality with an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths annually in the United States. The major source of health care-associated pathogens is thought to be the patient’s endogenous flora, but an estimated 20% of pathogens are acquired via other transmission routes such as the environment, and 20% to 40% is attributed to cross-infection via the contaminated hands of health care personnel.1 This Special Edition of the American Journal of Infection Control provides concise reviews of the scientific literature and current guidelines in 3 important areas of infection control. First, the role that the contaminated room environment plays in the transmission of several important health care-associated pathogens (eg, methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp, Clostridium difficile, and Acinetobacter spp); second, an update of issues regarding skin antisepsis including hand hygiene; finally, reviews of new current issues in sterilization and disinfection of medical devices and instruments including new technologies. In the past decade, new evidence has clearly demonstrated that contaminated room surfaces are an important component in the transmission of key health care-associated pathogens. Evidence supporting this view includes that these pathogens persist in the environment for prolonged periods of time, frequent contamination occurs of the hands/gloves of health care personnel, contact with the environment is equally likely to lead to hand/glove contamination, and admission to a room previously occupied by a patient colonized or infected with one of these pathogens increases the risk the subsequent patient will develop an infection with one of these pathogens. Nine papers in this Special Issue focus on the contaminated surface environment including the role of environmental surfaces in disease transmission (Otter et al), the importance of surface contamination in C difficile transmission (Weber et al), methods for assessing the adequacy of room cleaning (Carling), best practices for surface disinfection (Havill/Boyce), new room decontamination technologies (Rutala/Weber), and whether improved
Organic and inorganic nitrogen utilization by nitrogen-stressed cyanobacteria during bloom conditions

Cyanobacterial blooms often occur in lakes that have high phosphorus (P) and low nitrogen (N) concentrations, and the growth rate of the blooms is often constrained by N. For these reasons, many researchers have suggested that regulation of both P and N is required to control eutrophication. However, because N occurs in many bioavailable forms, regulation of a particular form may be beneficial rather than regulation of all N forms. To address how N-stressed cyanobacteria respond to various N inputs, N enrichment experiments (nitrate, ammonium, urea, and alanine) were performed during N-limited cyanobacterial blooms in Maumee and Sandusky Bays of Lake Erie and in Grand Lake St. Marys (GLSM). Bioavailable N (nitrate, urea, and ammonium) concentrations were also determined. Microcystis aeruginosa dominated the Maumee Bay bloom, where the highest growth rates were in response to ammonium additions, and lowest growth rates were in response to nitrate. Urea and the amino acid alanine resulted in intermediate growth rates. Planktothrix agardhii dominated the Sandusky Bay and GLSM blooms, where nitrate, ammonium, and urea addition resulted in similar growth rates. Additions of alanine did not stimulate growth of the Planktothrix blooms. Incubations using stable isotope 15N showed the cyanobacteria had a preference for ammonium, but the other forms were also assimilated in the presence of ammonium. These results show that cyanobacterial blooms will assimilate multiple forms of N to support growth. Thus, if lake managers do decide that N abatement is necessary, then all forms of bioavailable N need to be constrained.
Small-x behavior of parton distribution functions in the next-to-leading order QCD parton model

Abstract The systematic application of the QCD-based parton model to the quantitative analysis of high energy processes requires reliable parton distributions including second-order QCD evolution effects — both for consistency and for accuracy, especially in exceptional kinematic regimes such as the small-x region. We discuss qualitative expectations and present quantitative results on the behavior of second-order evolved parton distribution in this region which is particularly important for studying physical processes at future accelerators. Direct comparisons with recently available second-order parton distributions are made in order to check consistency for future studies of high energy processes. Also presented are quantitative results on the scheme-dependence of parton distributions in the next-to-loading order approximation.
A Conserved Activation Cluster Is Required for Allosteric Communication in HtrA-Family Proteases.

Summary In E. coli , outer-membrane stress causes a transcriptional response through a signaling cascade initiated by DegS cleavage of a transmembrane antisigma factor. Each subunit of DegS, an HtrA-family protease, contains a protease domain and a PDZ domain. The trimeric protease domain is autoinhibited by the unliganded PDZ domains. Allosteric activation requires binding of unassembled outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) to the PDZ domains and protein substrate binding. Here, we identify a set of DegS residues that cluster together at subunit-subunit interfaces in the trimer, link the active sites and substrate binding sites, and are crucial for stabilizing the active enzyme conformation in response to OMP signaling. These residues are conserved across the HtrA-protease family, including orthologs linked to human disease, supporting a common mechanism of allosteric activation. Indeed, mutation of residues at homologous positions in the DegP quality-control protease also eliminates allosteric activation.
Integrated broadband hybrid silicon DFB laser array using quantum well intermixing

We present a quantum well intermixed hybrid silicon DFB laser array with gain-bandwidth >90nm. CW laser maximum output power is 4 mW/laser at 20 °C with maximum operating temperature of 60 °C
An Interpretation of Schroeters Valley and Other Lunar Sinuous Rills

Several more or less unsatisfactory theories have been proposed for the origin of lunar sinuous rills such as Schroeter's Valley. This paper presents a new explanation of the formation of these rills, namely, that they are valleys eroded by nuees ardentes. Characteristics of the rills, including form and association, are cited in support of this theory. Supporting evidence is found in the similarity of the rills to furrows eroded by nuees ardentes on the earth.
Misinterpretation of Stenosis Severity in the Presence of Serial Coronary Stenoses

Diagnosis of the functional severity of an epicardial coronary stenosis using parameters like Fractional Flow Reserve, FFR (ratio of distal to proximal pressure of a stenotic region), might be affected in the presence of an additional downstream stenosis. In order to assess this effect, we have performed an in-vitro experiment which is used to validate a computational study. Three combinations of serial stenoses were tested: 80%-64%, 80%-80% and 80%-90% area stenosis (AS). The physiological mean hyperemic flow (flow at maximal arterial dilatation) values were obtained using an in-vitro experimental set-up. These flow rates were used as steady flow inputs by time-averaging the spatially averaged flow pulse over two cardiac cycles for the computational study. FFR values were calculated at hyperemic flow using both the experimental and numerical pressure data. As the downstream severity increased from 64% AS to 80% AS, hyperemic coronary flow decreased from 136.4 ml/min to 126.4 ml/min. Flow decreased further to 90.7 ml/min with a downstream severity of 90% AS. FFR of the intermediate stenosis increased from 0.76 to 0.79 and further to 0.88 as the downstream stenosis increased from 64% to 80% with a final severity of 90% AS. Similarly, numerically obtained FFR values increased to 0.83, 0.80 and 0.92 for the corresponding cases indicating an error within 7% of the experimental values. These results indicate that the presence of a downstream stenosis might lead to a clinical misinterpretation of the upstream stenosis severity.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Intracellular processing of apo(a) in primary baboon hepatocytes

Abstract We have developed a serum-free medium for the long-term culture of highly differentiated primary baboon hepatocytes. Hepatocytes isolated from animals with defined plasma Lp(a) levels and apo(a) glycoprotein phenotypes were used to study the assembly of Lp(a). A combination of steady-state and pulse-chase labeling studies and endoglycosidase digests demonstrated that apo(a) was synthesized as a lower molecular weight precursor. After a prolonged period of time in the endoplasmic reticulum, apo(a) was converted to a mature form and secreted. A proportion of mature apo(a) also had a prolonged residence time in the trans Golgi apparatus. In all experiments, apoB coimmunoprecipitated with apo(a) from the culture medium but not from the cell lysates, supporting an extracellular association of the proteins for the formation of Lp(a). Analysis of hepatic RNA from 29 ‘null’ Lp(a) phenotype baboons revealed that one-third of the animals had detectable apo(a) transcripts, whereas the remainder had no detectable apo(a) mRNA. The baboon hepatocyte system therefore represents a valuable model to examine the effect of allelic variation at the apo(a) locus on Lp(a) assembly.
The partitioning of cations between coexisting one site-two site phases

Abstract Simplified equations are derived for the description of the partitioning of cations between coexisting one-site and two-site phases. The equations can be utilized for the analysis of data on the distribution of cations between olivine and pyroxene.
Shipboard nursing on aircraft carriers: The perceptions of twelve Navy nurses

The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of shipboard nursing on aircraft carriers. Using the principles of Husserlian phenomenology, 12 Navy nurses previously stationed aboard aircraft carriers were interviewed to explore their familiarity with being a ship‘s nurse. Shipboard nursing was best described by the following essences: (1) experiencing the best but toughest job the Navy has to offer its nurses; (2) ensuring readiness; (3) being one-of-one; (4) operating constantly in an environment of uncertainty; (5) having 2 families; and (6) making the job better for the next generation. Since the United States is currently a nation involved in wartime activities, the findings of this study are timely and give a public voice to this extraordinary experience of military nursing. Additionally, any nurse who is a sole practitioner may recognize some commonalities.
Experimental study of ferromagnetic chains composed of nanosize Fe spheres.

Chains composed of nanometer size spheres of Fe have been synthesized by a controlled reduction at ambient temperature of aqueous ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}$ with ${\mathrm{KBH}}_{4}$ in the presence of an applied magnetic field. The chains are characterized by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry. The size of the crystalline Fe spheres could be varied from 20 to 70 nm by controlling the synthesis conditions. The magnetization reversal behavior of these chains are examined and compared with the theoretical predictions of the ``chain of spheres model.'' The observed values of the coercive force ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{c}}$, variation of ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{c}}$ with particle size, relationship between the ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{c}}$ values of randomly oriented and aligned chains, remanence of randomly oriented chains, and angular dependence of ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{c}}$ in the single-domain region are all in support of a symmetric fanning mechanism for magnetization reversal. This study represents an example of fabrication of a true chain of spheres and comparison of their magnetic properties with theoretical predictions available in the literature. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Inverse Possibility Analysis Method for Possibility-Based Design Optimization

DOI: 10.2514/1.16546 Structural analysis and design optimization have recently been extended to the stochastic approach to consider variousuncertainties.However,inareaswhereitisnotpossibletoproduceaccurate statistical information forinput data, the probabilistic method is not appropriate for stochastic structural analysis and design optimization, because improper modeling of uncertainty could cause a greater degree of statistical uncertainty than those of physical uncertainty. For systems with insufficient information for input data, possibility-based (or fuzzy set) methods have recently been introduced in structural analysis and design optimization. Using possibility methods, the extended fuzzy operations are much simpler than of random variables. Possibility-based design optimization will provide more conservative designs than those from probability methods, andwill provide a system level of failure possibility automatically. This paper proposes a new formulation of possibility-based design optimization using the performance measure approach. For the inverse possibility analysis, the maximal possibility search method is proposed to improve numerical efficiency and accuracy comparing with the vertex method and the multilevel-cut method. Two mathematical examples, including a nonmonotonic response and a physical example of vehicle side impact, are used to demonstrate the proposed maximal possibility search method and possibility-based design optimization.
Insulin clearance from plasma in type I (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients: influence of glycaemic level.

: The influence of the actual glycaemic level on the kinetics of insulin disappearance from plasma was studied in 16 type I diabetic patients. Constant intravenous infusion of insulin (1-5 mU · kg-1 · min.-1) was used to achieve different levels of steady state plasma free insulin concentrations, while the blood glucose level was clamped at normoglyc-aemia, 4.1 ± 0.1 mmol/1 (mean ± S.E.M.), and mild hyperglycaemia, 8.2 ± 0.1 mmol/1. The experimentally determined data were compared using a previously validated model of first order kinetics for insulin disappearance from plasma in diabetic patients. At the physiological insulin concentration range the median clearance rate of insulin was 23 ml · kg-1 · min.-1 (range 16-26) at normoglycaemia and 23 ml · kg-1 min.-1 (19-35) at hyperglycaemia (P = 0.45). At supraphysiological levels, insulin was cleared at a lower rate at normoglycaemia than at hyperglycaemia. No correlation was observed between the insulin clearance rate and the duration of diabetes or the haemoglobin A1c level (both Spearman's rho = 0.08). In conclusion, the insulin clearance rate from plasma is independent of the actual glycaemic level and hardly influenced by the long-term glycaemic level in type I diabetic patients.
On the mechanism of dewatering colloidal aqueous solutions by freeze-thaw processes

Abstract Domestic sewage sludge of different solids content has been solidified by crystallization in a temperature gradient. From thermal analysis, it was determined that the segregated solute matrix contained approx. 50% water after freezing. The morphology of the segregated iceŗystals was reported, and the domain size of the ice crystals was correlated with the crystallization rate. It was found that the extent of sludge dewatering after directional solidification was independent of the size of the ice domains but dependent on the strength and integrity of the solute matrix during the draining step.
Fluorescence studies of spectrin and its subunits

To better understand the solution structure of spectrin, the environment of its tryptophan residues have been examined by fluorescence spectroscopy. The spectra and the extent of quenching by several quenching agents have been determined for intact spectrin and its alpha and beta subunits. The arsenal of quenchers used in the study represented both hydrophilic and hydrophobic species including anionic, cationic and neutral compounds. Effects on spectrin fluorescence of ethanol and ionic strength, which extend and/or rigidify spectrin, and of glycerol, which is commonly used in electron microscopy of the protein, have also been assessed in the presence and absence of quenchers. Most of the tryptophans of spectrin are either internally quenched or are sequestered, hindering the approach of hydrophilic quenching agents. Both the spectral shape and the extent of quenching by acrylamide indicate that some tryptophans of the beta subunit are slightly more exposed in the isolated chain than in the dimer. Similar effects on spectra and on quenching of the intact dimer and of the isolated beta chain are seen when the ionic strength is reduced. Ethanol and glycerol reduce spectrin tryptophan accessibility to 2-p-toluidinyl napthalene-6-sulfonic acid (TNS). It therefore appears that low ionic strength, alpha-beta association and neutral solute (or lowered dielectric constant) all induce a similar, but modest conformational change in the domain structure. The extent of TNS binding is not increased by lowering the ionic strength, suggesting that the expansion and/or stiffening of the molecule in low electrolyte solution does not involve exposure of significant numbers of hydrophobic sites.
Chromosomal localization of the parathyroid hormone/parathyroid hormone-related protein receptor gene to human chromosome 3p21.1-p24.2

The human PTH/PTH-related peptide (PTH/PTHrP) receptor could be involved in hereditary disorders of PTH or PTHrP action. Knowledge of the gene's chromosomal location would allow studies linking it to specific disease traits. Therefore, we mapped the human PTH/PTHrP receptor gene by polymerase chain reaction of human/rodent somatic cell hybrid panels using oligonucleotide primers designed to amplify a portion of the gene from genomic DNA. The PTH/PTHrP gene was unambiguously assigned to the short arm of human chromosome 3, in the region designated 3p21.1-p24.2. Analysis of a second chromosome 3-specific mapping panel suggests that the gene is located near the 3p21.2-p21.3 boundary. The availability of highly polymorphic markers located in this region will permit exploration of the PTH/PTHrP receptor locus in genetic linkage searches for the causes of bone, calcium, and other potential disorders.
Electrical discharges in bubbled water

Summary form only given. Electrical discharges in gas bubbles in water are investigated by applying microsecond long rectangular pulses of 6-20 kV to needle-to-plane electrodes submerged in water. Ar or O2 bubbles; 1-5 mm in diameter, are introduced through the Pt needle that serves as the negative electrode. A bubble remains on the needle through numerous discharge processes. The voltage across the electrodes and the current to the ground are measured. Electrical measurements suggest that a corona-type atmospheric-pressure discharge is ignited in the gas bubble (composed of Ar or O2 gas and water vapor) without the electrical breakdown of the entire water filled electrode gap. The discharge characteristics are investigated as a function of the applied voltage, the distance between the electrodes, the bubbled gas (Ar or O2), the size of the gas bubble, and the pH and conductivity of the water. Optical and electrical measurements are used to explore the properties of the discharge. The size of the bubble as compared to the electrode distance affects the electrical characteristics of the discharge. The liquid water-metal interface and the liquid water-gas interface both play an important role in the initiation and the development of the electrical discharge in the gas bubbles. Evidence from environmental application studies supports the strong dependence of the discharge properties, active species production, and cleaning efficiency on all the parameters mentioned above including the applied voltage, the electrode distance, bubble size, and the initial characteristics of the solution
EVALUATION OF CORSIM CAR-FOLLOWING MODEL BY USING GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM FIELD DATA

It has been recognized that CORSIM (and its constituent program, NETSIM) is one of the most widely used and effective computer programs for the simulation of traffic behavior on urban transportation networks. Its popularity is due in large part to the high level of detail incorporated into its modeling routines. However, the car-following models, used for the simulation of driver behavior in the program, have not been formally calibrated or validated. Since the model has performed well in a wide range of applications for so many years, it has always been assumed to have an implied validity. This study evaluated the NETSIM car-following models by comparing their results with field data. Car-following field data were collected using a new data collection system that incorporates new Global Positioning System and geographic information system technologies to improve the accuracy, ease, speed, and cost-effectiveness of car-following data collection activities. First, vehicle position and speed characteristics...
Non-inferential knowledge

The notion of non-inferential knowledge has figured prominently in epistemology for some time. Some philosophers, especially those who accept some foundational account of epistemic justification, have argued that there surely is some non-inferential knowledge, indeed that there must be, since there surely is plenty of inferential knowledge. And, even among those who eschew all forms of foundationalist positions, there are those who claim that some propositions are non-inferentially known.1 There have also been disputes as to which propositions, or kinds of empirical propositions, ff any, are non-inferentiaUy knowable. Some philosophers maintain that only some phenomenal propositions are thus knowable; others claim that in addition to these we can allow that some propositions concerned with one's present mental states other than phenomenal states are non-inferentially knowable; and, still others reckon some propositons about the external world and about other minds and the past as non-inferentially knowable, if not non-inferentially known. 2 Parties to these disputes generally agree that some empirical propositions are non-inferentially known, or at least non-inferentially knowable. Still, the concept of non-inferential knowledge is suspect, and it is widely supposed that it is vacuous. The reasons for this suspicion are many and varied; but, I think the primary reason is that the concept of non-inferential knowledge is assumed to be closely connected to several other epistemic concepts and each of these concepts, it is supposed, is at best suspect. Non-inferential knowledge is closely associated with foundationalisms in epistemology, with traditional notions of incorrigibility, certainty and the like, and with one or more versions of "the given." Foundationalism is generally construed as mistaken; incorrigibility and certainty (as well as allied concepts such as that of indubitability) are typically taken as empty; and all forms of "the given" are alleged to be, in Sollars' phrase, myths. Hence, non-inferential knowledge sins by association.
Circulating Growth Factor Studies in Growth Plate Versus Resting Cartilage in Vitro: Tissue Responsiveness*

We attempted to develop a system in which cartilage growth-plate responses could be examined in vitro. In vivo, rat osteochondral growth-plate width was decreased by hypophysectomy and restored toward normal by GH. Subsequently, segments of resting costal cartilage and osteochondral growth plate from hypophysectomized rats were incubated in vitro with [35S]sulfate and [3H]thymidine. Within ribs, growth plate generally had basal uptake greater than resting cartilage and a greater increase in activity on addition of normal rat serum. Across ribs 3–9, there was little change in growth plate or resting cartilage sulfate uptake, and only a modest increase in thymidine uptake caudally. Increasing concentrations of normal rat serum provided parallel stimulation for both growth plate and resting cartilage, with significant responses to as little as 1 μl (sulfate uptake) or 5 μl (thymidine uptake). Stimulation for both growth plate and resting cartilage by hypophysectomized rat serum was significantly less than by...
Relationships between Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Measure of Psychological Type and Neo Measure of Big Five Personality Factors in Polish University Students: A Preliminary Cross-Cultural Comparison

English-language versions of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Form G) measure of psychological type and the NEO-FFI measure of the Big Five personality factors were completed by 57 Polish university students fluent in the English language. The pattern of correlations between MBTI and NEO-FFI scales for the Polish sample was compared to the pattern of correlations for measures of these same constructs reported for Americans. Four of the five significant relationships between MBTI and NEO-FFI scales reported in the American sample were also recorded in the Polish sample: MBTI Extraversion-Introversion with NEO Extraversion, MBTI Sensing-Intuition and MBTI Judging-Perceiving with NEO-Openness, and MBTI Judging-Perceiving with NEO Conscientiousness. Pending replication with a larger, more representative sample, this preliminary study supports the validity of psychological type in Polish society.
GROK Secure multi-user Chat at Red Flag 2007-03

This paper describes the GROK secure chat experimental activity performed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory at USAF Red Flag 2007-03 exercises and its results.
Observatory bibliographies: not just for statistics anymore

Creating and maintaining an observatory bibliography is labor intensive, but the results can be used for more than accounting purposes. The information gathered during the curating process can be used by data discovery and research tools as well; the key is to collect sufficient metadata during the publication classification phase. The Chandra X-ray Center has taken this approach from the inception of its bibliography and we now have an interconnected web of links which lead researchers to the Chandra Data Archive from many sources. We provide links between datasets and astronomical publications to the Astrophysics Data System (ADS) so users of the ADS can directly access Chandra data associated with a publication. Those same links are used by WebChaser, the Chandra data access tool, so users can directly access articles associated with the data they are reviewing. We are expanding our exchange with the ADS to include details about the observations, proposals and bibliographic classifications related to the data in publications. This information will be used by the ADS to provide new semantic literature search capabilities. These interactions with the ADS and WebChaser have improved scientists’ ability to discover Chandra data in meaningful ways. In this paper we will cover how the Chandra bibliography has grown over the years and the many ways we have used our bibliography metadata for statistics, user services, and data discovery aids.
A PHOTOSYNTHETIC PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELL USING FLAVIN MONONUCLEOTIDE AS THE ELECTRON ACCEPTOR

— We have been developing a solar cell using the photochemistry of photosystem 1 particles and flavin mononucleotide. We have studied the effect of changing various parameters including the nature of the electron donor, its redox poise, the pH of the medium and the salt concentration. When we put all of the improvements together, we obtain 1900 μW of power (2.4 W/m2),15 mA short circuit current,and an open circuit potential of 640 mV. The maximum power conversion efficiency was 1%. Several light-dark cycles could be observed. One of the important properties of this cell is that it can store energy in the form of chemical potential.
Symptom severity assessment of allergic rhinitis: part 1.

Sheldon L. Spector, MD; Richard A. Nicklas, MD; Jean A. Chapman, MD; I. Leonard Bernstein, MD;William E. Berger, MD; Joann Blessing-Moore, MD; Mark S. Dykewicz, MD;Stanley M. Fineman, MD; Rufus E. Lee, MD; James T. Li, MD, PhD; Jay M. Portnoy, MD;Diane E. Schuller, MD; David Lang, MD; and Stephen A. Tilles, MD
Varenicline overdose in a teenager - a clinical pharmacology perspective

To the Editor:We comment here on the case report of varenicline overdosing in a teenager who ingested 30 tablets of 0.5 mg varenicline without serious adverse events and was dismissed from the hosp...
Immunoglobulin gene joints compensate for reduced on-rates imposed by somatic mutations in a VH gene

Affinity maturation in the B lymphocyte response to a protein epitope appears to be largely due to a decrease in the off-rate constant of the antibodies (Ab) resulting from somatic mutation without a significant increase in the on-rate constant. Here, we show by site-directed mutagenesis of a germline encoded single-chain Fv that somatic mutations frequently selected in the Ab response to mouse cytochrome c (CYT) at heavy (H) chain positions 31 and 58 actually cause a two and three-fold decrease, respectively, in the on-rate constant as well as a two and five-fold decrease, respectively, in the off-rate constant and together cause nearly an eight-fold decrease in the off-rate. However, additional selection for a tyrosine residue at position 96 in the V(kappa)-J(kappa) joint compensates for the decreased on-rate imposed by the somatic mutations. This allows for an increase in the affinity of Ab during the secondary response. Certain sequences at the V(H)-D-J(H) joint were also shown to maintain a normal on-rate constant in the context of the common H chain mutations and, in addition, to reduce the off-rate, thus increasing the affinity. The results support the idea that both faster on-rates and slower off-rates for B lymphocyte antigen-specific receptors are favored during the maturation of the Ab response to mouse CYT.
Evaluating Alternative National Earthquake Insurance Programs

Abstract In April, 1990, two bills to create a national earthquake insurance program were introduced in the United States Congress. The content and scope of these bills are analyzed and compared, taking into account the results of over twenty five years of investigations concerning what role the federal government should have in a national program. Both bills are still under review by committee. Progress is being made toward adoption of a national program. A critical determinant will be if Congress can first determine and then agree to an acceptable link between insurance and mitigation.
Acid etch resistance of automotive clearcoats. I: Laboratory test method development

This paper reports on the development of a laboratory test procedure for the evaluation of the environmental etch resistance of clearcoats. The test evaluates the bulk acid hydrolysis resistance of clearcoats by gravimetrically following material weight loss as a function of exposure time to a sulfuric acid solution, under conditions that simulate outdoor exposure. The bulk hydrolysis resistance of five production clearcoat technologies including acrylic melamine, acrylic melamine-silane, carbamate, acrylic urethane, and epoxy acid were evaluated. Results from the weight loss measurements were consistent with those anticipated based on the coating systems bulk chemistry and inherent hydrolysis resistance, for clearcoat systems processed under nominal processing conditions. The relative rankings from the laboratory test were found to correlate with field etch ratings. The test method is inexpensive, quantitative, and generates repeatable results that are not subject to environmental variations associated with current field etch testing.
Estimating DoA From Radio-Frequency RSSI Measurements Using an Actuated Reflector

We describe a proof-of-concept device and method to estimate the direction-of-arrival (DoA) of a radio signal by a receiver that is suitable for wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. The device estimates the DoA by identifying the peak of received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements using an actuated parabolic reflector. Automatic localization is an important requirement for deployment of wireless sensor networks. Localization from distance measurement alone is a challenging problem, but becomes easier if relative angular position measurements between pairs of radio nodes are available. Methods of DoA estimation such as phased arrays are unsuitable for wireless sensor networks due to size, cost and complexity limitations. The device and the algorithm we describe is compact and simple enough to be suitable for WSNs. Experimental results show that the error in the measured DoA has a mean smaller than 4° and standard deviation of smaller than 8°, in both indoor and outdoor environments in line of sight situations. Presence of moving objects in the vicinity of the transceivers seem to have an adverse effect of the measurement accuracy.
Growth of silicon nanostructures on graphite

Abstract Silicon nanostructures such as small clusters, superclusters, and elongated chains, with an average diameter of a few nanometers, have been synthesized by magnetron sputtering on cleaved highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) reveals that flat, defect-poor areas of the HOPG surface are covered with almost uniformly sized silicon clusters of 0.6±0.2 nm, 5.1±1.2 nm, and 15.4±3 nm diameter. Surface regions with defects such as pits and craters, descending a few layers into the graphite surface, are sparsely covered with silicon. Most of the deposited material, with an average diameter of 2 nm, is found to be attached to the monatomic step edges forming the crater rims. A simulation of the growth process, i.e. deposition of silicon atoms onto a surface with built-in defects, and subsequent surface diffusion and aggregation of the adatoms, convincingly reproduces most of the Si nanostructures observed in the STM topographs.
The Heterogeneous Course of Depressive Symptoms for the Dementia Caregiver

Caregiving may be burdensome to caregivers, negatively affecting health and impacting decisions to institutionalize patients. It is unclear how caregiver depression changes over longer periods or whether heterogeneous trajectories for caregivers are apparent. The goals of this article are to characterize the course of depressive symptoms among caregivers over time and to examine the impact of baseline patient and caregiver characteristics on these trajectories. Patients with dementia and their caregivers were followed every 6 months for up to 6 years or until death (n = 133). Growth mixture modeling identified trajectories of caregiver depression over time. Most caregivers had stable trajectories of symptoms, with a smaller subset showing evidence of wear-and-tear. Patient clinical characteristics had no impact on symptom course for caregivers. Future work should utilize a longitudinal perspective and consider that there may be heterogeneous trajectories for caregivers. Those caregivers who follow a wear-and-tear trajectory may require targeted interventions to improve outcomes.
Ammonia chemisorption on gallium arsenide clusters

Gallium arsenide clusters in the 6–16-atom size range were generated by laser vaporization in a supersonic nozzle and trapped as positive ions in Fourier transform ion-cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Measurements of the rate of attachment of ammonia revealed that all clusters larger than seven atoms were most reactive near the 11 composition ratio of gallium/arsenic. The results suggest that even at this small size the clusters begin to adopt the alternating gallium—arsenic bonding arrangement characteristic of bulk GaAs crystal surfaces where gallium—arsenic bonding activates gallium atoms for ammonia chemisorption.
Extending a global sensitivity analysis technique to models with correlated parameters

The identification and representation of uncertainty is recognized as an essential component in model applications. One important approach in the identification of uncertainty is sensitivity analysis. Sensitivity analysis evaluates how the variations in the model output can be apportioned to variations in model parameters. One of the most popular sensitivity analysis techniques is Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST). The main mechanism of FAST is to assign each parameter with a distinct integer frequency (characteristic frequency) through a periodic sampling function. Then, for a specific parameter, the variance contribution can be singled out of the model output by the characteristic frequency based on a Fourier transformation. One limitation of FAST is that it can only be applied for models with independent parameters. However, in many cases, the parameters are correlated with one another. In this study, we propose to extend FAST to models with correlated parameters. The extension is based on the reordering of the independent sample in the traditional FAST. We apply the improved FAST to linear, nonlinear, nonmonotonic and real application models. The results show that the sensitivity indices derived by FAST are in a good agreement with those from the correlation ratio sensitivity method, which is a nonparametric method for models with correlated parameters.