cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Descartes and the Heart Beat: A Conservative Innovation

William Harvey’s Exercitio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis was published in 1628. It was not well received. Indeed, after its publication, Harvey informed John Aubrey, “he fell mightily in his practize, and . . . ’twas believed by the vulgar that he was crack-brained; and all the physicians were against his opinion and envyed him.”1 Nine years later, in hisDiscourse on Method, Rene Descartes was one of the first who publicly applaudedHarvey’s discovery of the circulation.2 At the same time,Descartes emphatically disagreed with the English physician in his account of cardiac motion. It had in fact been Harvey’s careful investigation of the heart beat in numerous animals that had led him, first to describe cardiacmotion as he had observed it, and from this to infer the blood’s circular course. Descartes, on the other hand, accepted the circulation but contradicted its discoverer on his first and fundamental discovery, the motion of the heart. Harvey saw the heart as a hollowmuscle, by its beat propelling the blood out through the body. Descartes found it to be a kind of bladder, containing a hidden “fire without light” bywhich entering drops of bloodwere subject to rarefaction, so that they escaped as the organ swelled and hardened. Harvey, Descartes remarked, would need some obscure faculty to induce the heart beat and another to “attract” blood into the heart.3 His own view, he was confident, was much simpler and more straightforward, following only the laws of nature, which are in fact the laws of mechanics. Harvey, it appeared, was caught up in a confused and confusing tradition; Descartes was putting forward a new and more economical approach to the phenomena. On the face of it, it is true that, of the two, Harvey was the more conservative thinker, while Descartes favored – and was a major initiator of – the new (or newly fashionable) interpretation of living things, including the human body, as machines, and no more than machines. Acknowledging this contrast on one level, however, I want to suggest that, paradoxically, some aspects of Harvey’s account, and in particular one prominent aspect of it, would in fact have struck his readers as more radical than the corresponding features of the Cartesian story. Thus Descartes’s view of the heart beat may have been acceptable to many physicians and physiologists, not only because they were attracted by the new mechanism, but also because the furnace theory allowed them to keep beliefs they had been taught to accept as fact, and which Harvey’s interpretation would force them to reject. In his discussion of differing thought styles, Ludwig Fleck suggested that there were sometimes “preideas” contained in a traditional conception that would make a new approach easier
General Principles and Indications

Chronic lymphedema continues to be a challenge in both diagnosis and management. The diagnostic dilemma remains about how to best define detailed anatomy and lymphatic function, Whereas the problem with treatment remains our inability to cure chronic lymphedema. Still, both evaluation and treatment have greatly improved in recent years. Progress in genetics, imaging studies, physical therapy, and microsurgical techniques have sparked interest in chronic lymphedema, a disease long considered to be the stepchild of medicine. This textbook is testimony to the increasing interest in the investigation and treatment of lymphatic disorders.
Generalization of Anderson's theorem for disordered superconductors

We show that at the level of BCS mean-field theory, the superconducting ${T}_{c}$ is always increased in the presence of disorder, regardless of order parameter symmetry, disorder strength, and spatial dimension. This result reflects the physics of rare events---formally analogous to the problem of Lifshitz tails in disordered semiconductors---and arises from considerations of spatially inhomogeneous solutions of the gap equation. So long as the clean-limit superconducting coherence length, ${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{0}$, is large compared to disorder correlation length, $a$, when fluctuations about mean-field theory are considered, the effects of such rare events are small (typically exponentially in ${[{\ensuremath{\xi}}_{0}/a]}^{d}$); however, when this ratio is $\ensuremath{\sim}1$, these considerations are important. The linearized gap equation is solved numerically for various disorder ensembles to illustrate this general principle.
Micromechanical modeling of I-FIT asphalt concrete specimens

Abstract Analytical and numerical micromechanical models have been previously used to understand fracture behavior of heterogeneous materials like Portland cement concrete or asphalt concrete (AC). In this study, the behavior of asphalt concrete was studied during a semi-circular bending (SCB) fracture test, Illinois Flexibility Index Test (I-FIT), using micromechanical level finite element models. The models were validated in multiple steps using the strain fields calculated with the digital image correlation (DIC) technique as well as the global scale forces measured in the same experiment. The micromechanical model was developed to evaluate the effects of microstructural features such as aggregate gradation, aggregate distribution, and void space on fracture behavior of AC. The model focused on pre-peak behavior and assumed that AC consists of aggregates and mortar. Aggregates were considered linear elastic with material constants reported in the literature, while the mortar was assumed linear viscoelastic. Mortar was defined as the combination of binder, air voids, and material passing 2.36 mm sieve. Mixture theory was utilized to characterize the mortar as viscoelastic using binder’s dynamic shear rheometer results, elastic properties of fine aggregate material, and air voids volume from the AC mix design. The validated FEM was used to perform a parametric study aimed at determining the effect of aggregate gradation and binder properties on the applied load, opening strains and stresses, and energy around the crack tip. Nine aggregate gradations and three binders were studied; ten replicates for each aggregate gradation-binder combination were considered. In order to create the replicates, a Python script that fabricates artificial aggregate gradations and randomly distributes aggregates in the I-FIT geometry was created. It was found that mortar properties, rather than air voids, binder content, or fine material, were heavily correlated to energy and applied load of the I-FIT specimen.
The Spontaneous Freezing Temperatures of Melted Snow and of Small Water Drops

The spontaneous freezing temperatures of samples of melted snow collected at hourly intervals during several storms are reported. The freezing temperatures were found to range from −8.3 to −16.8°C. In most cases the freezing temperature remained fairly constant over periods of several hours. Gross variations in the pollution of the lower atmosphere caused no obvious effect on the observed freezing temperatures. It is suggested that the observed freezing temperatures represent the temperatures of initial formation of the snow crystals. A few experiments on the freezing temperatures of small drops were made with a technique such that all drops were formed from the same bulk sample without any danger of contamination. In all cases the freezing temperatures of the drops were well below that of the bulk water. The freezing temperature decreased with decreasing drop size but there was a relatively large variation for a given drop size.
Structural, magnetic, and electron-transport properties of epitaxial Mn2PtSn films

The growth of new magnetic materials on suitable insulating substrates is an important part of the development of spin-electronics devices for memory or information processing. Epitaxial thin films of Mn2PtSn were grown on a MgO [001] substrate by magnetron co-sputtering of the constituents. Structural, magnetic, and electron-transport properties were investigated. The epitaxial Mn2PtSn film has an inverse tetragonal structure with the c-axis aligned in the plane of the MgO substrate. The lattice constants determined using XRD and TEM analysis are c = 6.124 A and a = b = 4.505 A. The orientation of Mn2PtSn c-axis which is 45° away from the a-axis of MgO has resulted in a small lattice mismatch of about 2.8%. The measured saturation magnetization is 5.3 μB/f.u., which is smaller than the first-principles calculated value of 6.4 μB/f.u. for ferromagnetic spin arrangement. Magnetization measurements determined the bulk magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant Kv of about 11.3 Merg/cm3 (1.13 MJ/m3). The electron-transport behavior is similar to that of normal magnetic metals. These results indicate that Mn2PtSn may have promising applications in spintronic devices.
Proceedings of the third workshop on Hot topics in software defined networking

We are delighted to welcome you to the third workshop on Hot Topics in Software Defined Networks (HotSDN'14). Software Defined Networking (SDN) refactors the relationship between network devices and the software that controls them. Opening up the interfaces to programming the network enables more flexible and predictable network control, and makes it easier to extend the network with new functionality. SDN is being employed in a large and growing number of experimental and production settings spanning campus networks, telcos, clouds, and online service provider networks. A variety of new applications have been developed, including network virtualization, responsive traffic engineering, dynamic access control, seamless mobility support, etc. The HotSDN workshop program covers many interesting issues in SDN, including new ideas for designing switch hardware and APIs that offer greater flexibility without compromising performance, new software platforms for better control and management of software defined networks, and novel SDN use cases. This year's Call for Papers attracted 114 submissions, up from 84 submissions last year and 72 the year before. After reviewing the submissions, the Program Committee decided that there were simply too many high-quality papers, so we added lightning talks and a poster session to the program. In the end, we accepted 16 papers for full length talks, 17 papers for lightning presentations, and 17 poster papers. We believe the result is a fun and content-filled program that provides a snapshot of the state of the art in this new and exciting field.
Rice intensification in Bangladesh improves economic and environmental welfare

Abstract Sustainable agricultural intensification (SAI) practices can help meet current and future food security needs while decreasing environmental impacts. To date, no studies have simultaneously estimated the food security and environmental implications of previously adopted rice intensification regimes. Thus, our study analyzes the food security and environmental impacts associated with two major rice intensification practices in Bangladesh: (1) planting rice in multiple seasons and (2) replacing traditional (TYV) rice with High Yielding Varieties (HYV). Bangladeshi rice production data by growing season and variety were gathered for 2012–2015 from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and farm management information were collected from the Bangladeshi Livelihood Systems survey. A partial equilibrium trade model of the global rice economy was implemented to estimate trade impacts, price effects, and producer and consumer welfare changes from rice instensification. Additionally, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to estimate the environmental impacts of both intensified and traditional rice systems. The results indicate a 12.60% increase in Bangladeshi consumption associated with historical HYV rice adoption, which equates to enough additional rice for nearly 26 million people annually. Moreover, the LCA results suggest that HYV was more input and water use efficient per kg of rice produced even with increased inputs per ha in at least one season, and in no case was TYV more efficient. Global Warming Potential associated with rice systems was substantially less across all seasons in HYV compared to TYV per kg of rice produced. These results demonstrate the importance of promoting improved seed technology adoption and multiple rice seasons as key pathways for addressing food insecurity and reducing environmental impacts from agriculture.
Outer Retinal Oxidative Stress Measured In Vivo Using QUEnch-assiSTed (QUEST) OCT.

Purpose To test the hypothesis that oxidative stress in the outer retina (OR = distance from external limiting membrane to the retinal pigment epithelium-choroid boundary) can be detected by using antioxidants (AOs) to correct an impaired light-evoked response as measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods C57BL/6J mice were maintained in the dark for ∼20 hours and studied by OCT before and after 1 hour of light exposure. OR thickness in dark or light was measured, and the light-dark difference (i.e., the photoresponse) was calculated. Subgroups of mice were given either saline or d-cis-diltiazem (an inducer of transient and nondamaging OR oxidative stress) ± methylene blue (24 hours before examination) and α-lipoic acid (1 hour before examination); one group was kept only in the dark and given only AOs. Results In uninjected or saline-injected control mice, the OR showed a similar and reproducible light-induced expansion; dark-adapted mice given AOs did not increase dark-adapted OR thickness. The d-cis-diltiazem-treated mice had no photoresponse (P > 0.05). The d-cis-diltiazem-treated mice given AOs corrected (P < 0.05) the suppressed OR photoresponse, indicating the presence of oxidative stress. Conclusions QUEnch-assiSTed (QUEST) OCT reproduced results from previous gold standard assays, showing that oxidative stress impairs the OR photoresponse and that d-cis-diltiazem produces OR oxidative stress. We envision future applications of QUEST OCT in a range of oxidative stress-based retinopathies.
The ontological politics of the spoof image in Tamil cinema

This article examines Thamizh Padam (‘Tamil Film’, dir. C. S. Amudhan), a 2010 spoof of the Tamil cinema of south India. While Thamizh Padam mocked near every aspect of mainstream Tamil cinema, its...
Spectroscopic sensing enhanced by quantum molecular coherence and by plasmonic nanoantennas

Raman scattering is a powerful instrument for spectroscopic sensing, which offers superb selectivity but typically at the expense of low signal and long collection times. In this paper we discuss mechanisms for signal enhancement that dramatically improve the performance of Raman spectroscopic systems. Several approaches, as well as their combinations are considered. One approach is to produce Raman coherence; other approaches exploit the advantages of nanosized antenna-like structures, or employ wavefront shaping of the applied laser beams. Combining these techniques in one system leads to multiplicative signal enhancement and results in an unprecedented sensitivity. In a sequence of steps toward this goal, we show that the automated feedback-based wavefront shaping algorithm is capable of improving coherent cascaded Raman scattering in crystals. In addition, we utilize the fact that specially designed nanoantennas, placed in the vicinity of the target molecule, can significantly increase the probability of exciting dipole-forbidden electronic transitions. Nanostructure-enhanced spectroscopy with shaped beams will allow for an increase in spectroscopic sensitivity and efficient detection of magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole transitions induced in molecules. The ultimate goal for developing these techniques is to achieve single-molecule sensitivity in spectroscopy, combined with atomic spatial resolution, study the layout and chemical bonds of the molecular structure and extract information relevant to chirality.
Individual differences in anticipatory mu rhythm modulation are associated with executive function and processing speed

There is increasing interest in the role of brain oscillations in the regulation and control of behavior. The current study examined the relations between specific cognitive abilities and changes in brain oscillatory activity during anticipation of, and in response to, tactile stimulation of the hand. The oscillation of interest was the sensorimotor mu rhythm (8-14 Hz) at central electrode sites. The electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded during a task in which a visuospatial cue directed adults (N = 40) that a tactile stimulus would be delivered to their left or right hand. Lateralized changes in mu power following tactile stimulation were associated with reaction time to the tactile stimulus. The extent of a contralateral anticipatory reduction in mu power during the 500 ms before the tactile stimulus was associated with performance on a separate processing speed task. Changes in ipsilateral mu power during anticipation of the tactile stimulus were associated with performance on a flanker task and were marginally correlated with performance on a card sort task. Regression analyses further indicated the specificity of these relations to anticipatory changes in mu power. In summary, mu rhythm modulation during anticipation of tactile stimulation to a specific bodily location was related to a broad measure of processing speed and to variability in the broader ability to regulate behavior in a goal-directed manner. Implications are discussed in terms of the foundational role of anticipatory attention in cognitive processes and the utility of selective attention to the body as an index of attentional control more broadly.
Computational predictions of porosities, pore size distributions, and conductivities of aerosol deposited particulate films

Abstract The structure and resulting physical properties of aerosol deposited particulate films are governed by the size distribution and morphology of the depositing particles as well as the physics governing particle deposition. While particulate film deposition processes are qualitatively understood, the link between particle characteristics and deposition physics to film properties has not been probed systematically. Here we apply a combination of Langevin dynamics deposition simulations, Monte Carlo pore size distribution calculations, and predictions of thermal conductivities to better establish such process parameter-film property relationships. We account for partial coalescence, polydispersity, and aggregate deposition. We establish that the deposition of polydisperse and aggregated particles leads to broadening of the pore size distribution function and an increase in the mode pore size. Via a non-continuum gas conductivity model, we show that aerosol deposited films can achieve porosities and thermal conductivities similar to conventional aerogels.
Modeling of the microstructural behavior of hydrided zirconium alloys

A multiphase microstructural system of two types of hydrides; f.c.c. δ and b.c.c.. e hydride precipitates within a parent h.c.p. zircaloy-4 parent matrix were modelled by a crystalline dislocation-density and a finite-element (FE) method that is specialized for large inelastic strains and nonlinear behavior. The different crystalline structure of the hydrides, the parent matrix, and the orientation relationships between the different crystalline phases have been accounted for and modeled with a validated FE approach. The effects of radial hydride factors, hydride volume fraction, hydride morphology, and hydride orientation and distribution on overall behavior were investigated. The predictions provide an understanding of why a distribution of circumferential hydrides have higher strength and ductility than a distribution of radial hydrides. Furthermore, zircaloy δ (f.c.c.) hydride systems have less ductility and strength than the zircaloy e (b.c.c.) systems.
More than Face Value: Context and Age Differences in Negative Emotion Discrimination

Age-related deficits are often observed in emotion categorization tasks that include negative emotional expressions like anger, fear, and sadness. Stimulus characteristics such as facial cue salience and gaze direction can facilitate or hinder facial emotion perception. Using two emotion discrimination tasks, the current study investigated how older and younger adults categorize emotion in faces with varying facial cue similarity and with direct or averted gaze (Task 1) and in faces that appear on actors in congruent or incongruent contexts (Task 2). When context was included, the target’s gaze direction was averted toward emotionally laden objects in the background context on half of the trials. In both tasks, younger adults generally outperformed older adults. Discrimination performance was best when cue similarity was minimal. Negative facial emotion cues were interpreted through the lens of the context in which they appear, as facial emotion judgments in both age groups were impacted by background contextual emotion cues, especially when highly confusable negative emotions were evaluated. Although the contextual emotion cues were deemed irrelevant within task instructions, these cues were nevertheless integrated into one's percept. When emotion discrimination proved difficult, older adults were more inclined than younger adults to use the additional context to support their decision, suggesting that context plays a pivotal role in older adults’ everyday evaluation of emotion in social partners.
Modernism, Ireland and the Erotics of Memory

In Modernism, Ireland and the Erotics of Memory Nicholas Miller re-examines memory and its role in modern Irish culture. Arguing that a continuous renegotiation of memory is characteristic of Irish modernist writing, Miller investigates a series of case-studies in modern Irish historical imagination. He reassesses Ireland's self-construction through external or 'foreign' discourses such as the cinema, and proposes readings of Yeats and Joyce as 'counter-memorialists'. Combining theoretical and historical approaches, Miller shows how the modernist handling of history transforms both memory and the story of the past by highlighting readers' investments in histories that are produced, specifically and concretely, through local acts of reading. This original study will attract scholars of Modernism, Irish studies, film and literary theory.
Combining approximate front end signal processing with selective reprocessing in auditory perception

When dealing with signals from complex environments, where multiple time-dependent signal signatures can interfere with each other in stochastically unpredictable ways, traditional perceptual systems tend to fall back on a strategy of always performing finely-detailed, costly analysis of the signal with a comprehensive front end set of signal processing algorithms (SPAs), whether or not the current scenario requires the extra detail. Approximate SPAs (ASPAs) - algorithms whose processing time can be limited in order to trade off precision in their outputs for reduced execution time - can playa role in producing adaptive, less-costly front ends, but their outputs tend to require context-dependent analysis for use as evidence in interpretation. This paper examines the IPUS (Integrated Processing and Understanding of Signals) architecture's ability to serve as a support framework for applying ASPAs in interpretation problems. Specifically, our work shows that it is feasible to include an approximate version of the Short-Time Fourier Transform in an IPUS-based sound-understanding testbed.
PYRIMIDINE DIMER EXCISION IN EXONUCLEASE DEFICIENT MUTANTS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

ABSTRACT The rate of pyrimidine dimer excision has been measured in Escherichia coli strains deficient in exonuclease V, exonuclease VII, and the 5′→3′ exonuclease of DNA polymerase I. The results suggest that a reduced level of the 5′→3′ exonuclease of DNA polymerase I diminishes the rate of dimer excision and that an additional deficiency in exonuclease VII causes a significantly greater reduction in the cell's ability to remove dimers.
CHAPTER 19 – Antisense Downregulation of the Apoptosis–Related Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl Proteins: A New Approach to Cancer Therapy

Members of the bcl-2 family genes are thought to be central regulators of apoptosis. Overexpression of antiapoptotic proteins, such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, contributes not only to the development of cancer but also to its resistance against a wide variety of anticancer agents. Thus, downregulation of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL can potentially be used to improve therapeutic approaches to advanced cancer. The use of antisense biotechnology to downregulate antiapoptotic bcl family members in diverse cancers in vitro and in vivo is reviewed. The effects and potential limitations of antisense strategies are also discussed in the context of a critical view of recent research in the field.
Modernism and Sexology

Arising in the mid-nineteenth century, sexology has been viewed as central to the development of sexual modernism, conceived as a sex-saturated age in which sex became, as Havelock Ellis puts it, “the central problem of life.” This essay examines several prominent trends in research exploring the relationship of sexology, modern U.S. and British society and literature, and the history of sexuality. The first trend is the deepening and expansion of a long-standing inquiry into the influence and effect of sexology on modernist literature. The second trend explores sexology's place in modern culture, suggesting that it was only one source (and sometimes not even the most important source) from which early twentieth-century British and American citizens learned about sex. The final trend involves a lively and growing debate about how to write the history of sexuality, a project in which sexology has previously played a prominent role. Some scholars have called for a queering of this endeavor, in part by departing from traditional practices of history-writing, whereas others have suggested that we can write the history of sexuality more complexly without completely abandoning recognized disciplinary practices. The essay ends by suggesting that some sexologists set the terms for a queer un-raveling of the identitarian and pathologizing legacy of sexology and that this may be the side of sexology that appealed most to some modernist writers.
Wireless LAN security and laboratory designs

For the past couple of years, increasing number of wireless local area networks (WLANs), based on the IEEE 802.11 protocols, have been deployed in various types of locations, including homes, schools, airports, business offices, government buildings, military facilities, coffee shops, book stores, as well as many other venues. One of the primary advantages offered by WLAN is its ability to provide untethered connectivity to portable devices, such as wireless laptops and PDAs. In some remote communities, WLANs are implemented as a viable last-mile technology [4], which link homes and offices in isolated locations to the global Internet. The further widespread deployment of WLANs, however, depends on whether secure networking can be achieved. In order for critical data and services to be delivered over WLANs, reasonable level of security must be guaranteed. The WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) protocol, originally proposed as the security mechanism of 802.11b WLANs, is known to be easily cracked by commonly available hacking software. Alternative security mechanisms, such as SSL, VPN, Cisco's LEAP, 802.1x, and the being-developed 802.11i protocols, provide mechanisms to enhance security in WLANs. In this paper we study the security aspects of WLANs, by starting with an overview of the WLAN technology and the respective vulnerabilities of various protocols, followed by a discussion of alternative security mechanisms that may be used to protect WLANs. At the end we present a sequence of laboratory designs, which are used as platforms on which attacks at WLANs can be simulated and studied, and alternative security solutions can be implemented and tested.
MR diffusion is sensitive to mechanical loading in human intervertebral disks ex vivo.

Purpose To use T2 and diffusion MR to determine the change in the mechanical function of human disks with increased degenerative state. Materials and Methods Spatial changes in T2 and diffusion were quantified in five cadaveric human lumbar disks under compressive loads. Regression models were used to investigate the relationship between the change in MR parameters and the disk's dynamic and viscoelastic properties. Results Compressive loading caused a significant reduction in the disk's mean diffusivity ([11.3 versus 9.7].10−4.mm2/s, P < 0.001) but little change in T2 (P < 0.05). Diffusivity and T2 were correlated with the disk's dynamic (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05) and long-term viscoelastic (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05) stiffness. Diffusivity but not T2, was correlated with its viscoelastic dampening (r2 = 0.45, P < 0.01) and instantaneous stiffness (r2 = 0.44, P < 0.05). Nucleus diffusivity was significantly higher than the annulus's (−21% to −4%, P < 0.01). MR-estimated hydration was correlated with the instantaneous viscoelastic stiffness of the nucleus (r2 = 0.35, P < 0.05) and the dynamic (r2 = 0.44, P < 0.05) and long-term viscoelastic (r2 = 0.42, P < 0.05) stiffness in the annulus. T2 correlated with diffusivity at low load (r2 = 0.66, P < 0.05), but not at high load. Conclusion The strong correlations between diffusivity and the rheological assessments of disk mechanics suggest that MR might permit quantitative assessment of disk functional status and structural integrity. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;41:654–664. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
THE TEXT IN THE THIRD DEGREE

Drawing upon David Greene's 1991 TV movie What Ever Happened To …? and Pedro Almodovar's 1991 film High Heels, this paper posits the existence of a ‘text in the third degree’ in which a remake ‘re‐dupes' not the original film, but rather, the paratext and/or cult phenomenon of the hypotext. Greene's film, which stars the Redgrave sisters, is a meditation on the cult phenomenon of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (Robert Aldrich, 1962), particularly in light of the film's recoupment among gay male audiences. Almodovar's film, though nodding politely to Sirk's Imitation of Life, actually remakes Lana Turner's personal tragedy which was shamelessly exploited in the publicity strategy of the earlier work. In both cases, the remake re‐textualizes not only a film, but more importantly, a cultural site of reception.
The Crystalline Ovarian Follicular Hormone

Due to the low concentration of estrus-producing material in ovaries, we abandoned their use several years ago in favor of the much cheaper and more concentrated source, namely, the urine of pregnant women and mares. However, with the isolation of so many different estrogenic compounds, it seemed desirable to determine the nature of the active substance in the ovary. Starting last year seriously to work on this problem we soon obtained the hormone in a crystalline condition but owing to the very low concentration in hog ovaries, have not secured enough to complete our work.Preliminary assays of the crystalline follicular hormone give the following data: (1) ovariectomized mice by the Marrian-Parkes procedure, 200,000 units and by the Butenandt procedure, 70,000 units per mg.; (2) ovariectomized rats by our usual procedure, 16,000 units per mg.; (3) immature rats by the Curtis-Doisy procedure, 5,000 units per mg. In our laboratory these results are from 4 to 8 times the values that we obtain for theelin, b...
An extension and implications of the inspection paradox

Abstract If random variables are observed until their sum first exceeds a constant then the “inspection paradox” is that XN is stochastically larger than X1. We generalize the inspection paradox, show a stochastic ordering of X1,…XN, and then interpret and consider ramifications of this stochastic ordering.
Peptidergic regulation of the Limulus midgut.

1. The morphology and innervation of the midgut (intestine) in the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus was investigated. The organization of this tissue was examined with routine histology. Radioimmunoassay, immunohistochemistry and high performance liquid chromatography were employed to detect, localize and identify peptidergic innervation of the midgut. The actions of synthetic and native proctolin-like and FMRFamide-like peptides were compared on the isolated midgut preparation. 2. Levels of proctolin and FMRFamide were determined in extracts of Limulus midgut tissue using radioimmunoassay. High levels of proctolin-like immunoreactivity (69.5 ± 11.3 ng/g) were detected, while levels of FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity (0.8 ± 0.2 ng/g) were less. Proctolin levels were equally distributed, while the levels of FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity exhibited an anterior bias. 3. Proctolin- and FMRFamide-like immunoreactivities in the Limulus midgut were localized with immunohistochemistry. Proctolin- and FMRFamide-immunoreactive elements were detected in intestinal nerve branches and individual fibers running along the surface of the midgut in whole-mount preparations. In sectioned tissue, staining for these peptides was observed throughout the midgut, typically associated with muscle bands and fibers. Only a few immunoreactive cell bodies were observed. 4. Proctolin, and several FMRFamide-like peptides produced distinct and opposing actions on the isolated Limulus midgut preparation. Proctolin elicited contracture and rhythmic contractions of this tissue, while FMRFamide and N-terminally extended analogs of FLRFamide relaxed gut tension. FMRFamide-like peptides partially reversed the excitatory actions of proctolin. 5. Proctolin- and FMRFamide-like peptides in Limulus midgut extracts were partially characterized with high performance liquid chromatography. One peak of proctolin-like activity was detected on a linear gradient of 18 to 31.5% acetonitrile. The native proctolin-like peptide produced excitatory actions on the isolated midgut preparation which were indistinguishable from those produced by synthetic proctolin. Several peaks of FMRFamide-like bioactivity (Busycon radula protractor muscle assay) were detected with a linear gradient of 5 to 30% acetonitrile. Fractions from two distinct peaks produced FMRFamide-like inhibitory effects on the isolated Limulus midgut preparation. These findings suggest a role for proctolin-like and FMRFamide-like peptides as regulators of intestinal motility in Limulus.
Bayesian learning leads to correlated equilibria in normal form games

Consider an infinitely repeated normal form game where each player is characterized by a “type” which may be unknown to the other players of the game. Impose only two conditions on the behavior of the players. First, impose the Savage (1954) axioms; i.e., each player has some beliefs about the evolution of the game and maximizes its expected payoffs at each date given those beliefs. Second, suppose that any event which has probability zero under one player's beliefs also has probability zero under the other player's beliefs. We show that under these two conditions limit points of beliefs and of the empirical distributions (i.e., sample path averages or histograms) are correlated equilibria of the “true” game (i.e., the game characterized by the true vector of types).
Selection of a mutant S1 gene during reovirus persistent infection of L cells: Role in maintenance of the persistent state

Abstract LR-7 cells, variant L cells derived from a type 3 reovirus persistently infected (p.i.) carrier culture (R. Ahmed, W. M. Canning, R. S. Kauffman, A. H. Sharpe, J. V. Hallum, and B. N. Fields, Cell 25, 325–332, 1983) were used to define the viral genes critical for maintenance of the persistent state. ,A cloned viral isolate (L/C virus) derived from the p.i. culture replicated normally in LR-7 cells, while wild-type (wt) viruses of the three reovirus serotypes replicated less efficiently. To identify the viral gene(s) permitting enhanced replication of L/C virus in LR-7 cells, viral reassortants were prepared by mixed infection of L cells with L/C virus and type 1 wt. Study of the one-step growth curves and final yields of large numbers of reassortants in both 1, cells and LR 7 cells revealed that the presence of the S1 gene from L/C virus was critical for normal viral replication in LR-7 cells. However, this phenotype was suppressed by the simultaneous presence in reassortants of both the M2 and S4 genes from the type 1 wt parent. The critical change in the S1 gene occurred by passage 13 (63 days) after initiation of the carrier culture. Although multiple mutations are present in the viral population from p.i. cultures, certain specific mutations can be identified as critical for maintenance of the persistent state.
Characterization of DXZ4 conservation in primates implies important functional roles for CTCF binding, array expression and tandem repeat organization on the X chromosome

Background Comparative sequence analysis is a powerful means with which to identify functionally relevant non-coding DNA elements through conserved nucleotide sequence. The macrosatellite DXZ4 is a polymorphic, uninterrupted, tandem array of 3-kb repeat units located exclusively on the human X chromosome. While not obviously protein coding, its chromatin organization suggests differing roles for the array on the active and inactive X chromosomes.
Prediction of Fracture Toughness via Microstructure-Level Simulations

Microstructural design is an important approach for enhancing material properties such as fracture toughness at the macroscopic scale. Tasks in this regard require systematic quantification of both microstructure and material response. We report the development of a multi-scale computational framework based on the cohesive finite element method (CFEM) for predicting fracture toughness of materials as a function of microstructure. The approach uses the J-integral to calculate the initiation/propagation fracture toughness, allowing explicit representation of realistic microstructures and fundamental fracture mechanisms. Calculations carried out concern both brittle and ductile materials and focus on the effects of constitute behavior, phase morphology, phase distribution, and size scale on fracture toughness. Based on the CFEM results, a semi-empirical model is developed to provide a quantitative relation between the propagation toughness and statistical measures of microstructure, fracture mechanisms, and constituent and interfacial properties. Both the CFEM calculations and model predictions show that microstructure and constituent properties can significantly influence the fracture behavior and combine to determine the overall fracture toughness through the activation of different fracture mechanisms. In particular, a combination of fine microstructure size scale, rounded reinforcement morphology, and appropriately balanced bonding strength and compliance can best promote desirable crack-reinforcement interactions and lead to enhanced propagation fracture toughness. The CFEM framework, phenomenological model and the relations obtained can be useful tools for the design of failure-resistant materials.© 2012 ASME
Precipitate-induced anisotropy in binary Al-Cu alloys

Abstract The goal of this work is to assess and model the influence of precipitates on plastic anisotropy in two-phase aluminium alloys. For this purpose, binary Al-Cu alloys were processed to obtain a strong crystallographic texture. Compression and tension specimens were tested in either the as-solution-heat-treated or near-peak-aged condition. A model based on kinematic hardening concepts was developed to quantitatively describe the plastic behavior of materials containing hard precipitates such as θ′ in Al-Cu alloys. This model was validated by the experimental results.
University‐district collaboration for promoting change in curriculum and classroom practices

While many educators would argue that the primary goal of research is to produce theory and knowledge, the role of the researcher as a tool for change has received recent respectability. Interest in educational research was signaled by the Cooperative Research Act of 1954, designed to improve education through the development, demonstration, and dissemination of research activities. Reinforced by the establishment of the National Institute of Education in 1970, federal funding for research and development gained considerable momentum over the past decade. The National Teacher Corps Program, funded through the Office of Education, represents one example of the federal commitment to adapt research so that it can assist in responding to the needs of public education. Research adaptation, as conceived by educators, involves utilizing the findings of basic research to address local educational problems. The Teacher Corps was well suited for a research adaptation thrust because of the federal mandate for participants from the university, school district, and community to collaborate on issues relevant to the education of low income children. University faculty could draw on their expertise and training to assist in identifying the educational problems facing local districts while the practitioners, school personnel, and community members could assist in adapting the research into practical applications. This paper describes the Teacher Corps Program, develops the concepts which are inherent in
Surgical Repair of Anatomically Corrected Malposition of the Great Arteries

Anatomically corrected malposition of the great arteries is a rare malformation in which the aorta and pulmonary artery arise from their appropriate ventricles but in an abnormal spatial relationship. This report describes 2 patients with anatomically corrected malposition who underwent closure of a ventricular septal defect and placement of a right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduit. A review of the literature indicates that surgical results have been good (92% survival) in those patients with situs solitus and atrioventricular concordance [S,D,L]. However, when there is atrioventricular discordance, that is, [S,L,D] or [I,D,L], hypoplastic right heart structures, or both conditions, the outcome after palliative procedures has been poor (29% survival). The results of surgical treatment should improve as this entity is recognized earlier and prompt surgical treatment is undertaken.
Mediation of growth hormone-enhanced expression of the cartilage phenotype in vitro by the availability of the essential amino acid valine☆

Abstract Without increasing cell number, ovine growth hormone was shown to stimulate the incorporation of 25SO4 by cultured chick embryo chondrocytes into chondroitin sulfate. Since the stimulation of sulfation by growth hormone was abolished when the amino acid concentrations in the medium were doubled, the relationship between amino acids and growth hormone in promoting the synthesis of acid mucopolysaccharides was investigated. Comparison of the incorporation of various labeled amino acids into trichloroacetic acid-soluble and insoluble material revealed that growth hormone promoted the incorporation of only valine into trichloroacetic acid-insoluble material. Furthermore, growth hormone stimulated valine incorporation into both extracellular and intracellular protein, rather than preferentially into extracellular chondromucoprotein. Growth hormone gave a 4-fold stimulation of valine incorporation into collagen without stimulating collagen synthesis. That growth hormone enhances sulfation by stimulating valine availability was further supported by the observations: (a) doubling only the valine concentration in the medium enhanced sulfation; (b) in medium with twice the normal valine concentration, sulfation failed to be further stimulated with the addition of growth hormone; and (c) in medium with all the other amino acids except valine at twice normal concentrations, growth hormone enhanced sulfation. In addition the temporal relationships and synthetic events occurring between growth hormonealtered valine availability and enhanced chondromucoprotein synthesis were studied. It was found that growth hormone-promoted valine incorporation into acid-insoluble material is a rapid effect that can be detected by 10 min after hormone addition and does not require RNA synthesis. Increased valine availability is rapidly reversed after growth hormone removal ( t 1 2 = 10 hr ). On the other hand, growth hormone- and valine-enhanced chondromucoprotein synthesis are slower responses, taking over 24 hr of treatment for a maximal stimulation, and are mediated by RNA synthesis, as indicated by actinomycin D sensitivity. Enhanced chondromucoprotein synthesis is also relatively stable after removal of growth hormone or valine ( t 1 2 = 70 hr ). The evidence suggests that the availability of a single amino acid, valine, plays a regulatory role in the synthesis of a specialized cellular product and that growth hormone acts at some level to alter the availability of this essential amino acid.
Development of a Temporally Modulated Fuel Injector With Controlled Spray Dynamics

It is now well established that combustion instability in liquid-fueled gas turbines can be controlled through the use of active fuel modulation. What is less clear is the mechanism by which this is achieved. This results from the fact that in most fuel modulation strategies not only is the instantaneous mass flow rate of fuel affected but so too are the parameters which define the post-atomization spray that takes part in the combustion. Specifically, experience with piezoelectric modulated sprays has shown that drop size, velocity, cone angle, and patternation are all affected by the modulation process. This inability to decouple changes in the fueling rate from changes in the spray distribution makes understanding of the mechanism of instability control problematic. This paper presents the results of an effort to develop an injector which can provide temporal modulation of the fuel flow rate but without concomitant changes in spray dynamics. This is achieved using an atomization strategy which is insensitive to both fuel flow rate and combustor acoustics (an over-pressured spill-return nozzle) coupled with an actuator with flat frequency response (a low-mass voice coil). The design and development of the actuator (and its control system) are described, and a combination of phase-Doppler interferometry and imaging are used to establish its performance. Results show that the system is capable of producing sprays which have little variation in cone angle or spray distribution function despite variations in mass flow rate (number density) of greater than 50% over a range of frequencies of interest for control of combustion instability (10 Hz to I kHz).
Influence of mixed-mode loading on fatigue-crack propagation

Abstract The subject of fatigue which comprises crack nucleation, crack propagation and final failure or fracture has, over the years, been the subject of numerous theoretical and experimental studies. These studies have highlighted the extrinsic influence of mixed-mode loading in governing the fatigue behavior of a wide spectrum of engineering materials and structures. In this paper we review the basic criteria and models that have been proposed and used to predict crack behavior and response for structures containing large cracks and subject to mixed-mode loading. Since the aspect of crack growth is the focus of this review, the effects or contributions from intrinsic microstructural effects are largely excluded. Specific criteria discussed are the maximum tangential stress, minimum strain-energy density and the maximum energy-release rate criteria. The use of these criteria to predict the behavior of structures is examined based on results published in the open literature. The characteristics and implications of each criterion are examined and discussed with particular relevance to threshold conditions on crack growth, direction of crack growth and crack-growth rate. The limitations of each criterion are highlighted.