cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Machine learning assisted prediction of exhaust gas temperature of a heavy-duty natural gas spark ignition engine

Abstract Exhaust gas temperature is a key parameter for optimizing engine performance and emissions. Of particular interest is forecasting the exhaust gas temperature in a diesel engine converted to spark ignition natural gas operation, as the combustion process in this engine is significantly different from the one in a conventional engine. The goal was to assess four different machine learning algorithms namely the artificial neural network, random forest, support vector regression, and gradient boosting regression trees, with respect to a physical 1D CFD model and relative to one another, when predicting the exhaust temperature. The spark timing, equivalence ratio, and engine speed were model inputs. First, the artificial neural network predicted the exhaust temperature more accurately than the physical model, because of the complex premixed combustion phenomena inside a conventional diesel chamber. When compared relative to one another, all machine learning models predicted the exhaust gas temperature with acceptable error while also capturing its relationship with the three model inputs. The gradient boosting regression trees predicted the best, but it usually requires high quality noise-free data. The random forest had the least accuracy, but it required the least amount of calibration. The support vector regression had the smallest error, but it required the highest computational resources. The artificial neural network algorithm was the most appropriate, but it required effort in tuning its hyperparameters. Overall, the results showed that well-trained machine learning models can complement more complex physical model while also helping with optimizing the engine performance, emissions, and life.
Domain Dynamics and Magnetic Noise

In this chapter, we will discuss the sources of electrical noise encountered when employing magnetic materials in device applications. This will include magnetic contributions to the 1/ƒ noise floor in magnetic sensors, magnetic noise due to domain switching and other magnetic instabilities, and also recording media noise. In addition to examples of efforts to reduce all of these types of noise in practical applications, this chapter will describe the use of noise measurements as a tool to better understand magnetic materials and devices.
A novel terahertz time-domain spectroscopic endoscope based on a single photoconductive antenna chip

The common terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) based on photoconductive antenna (PCA) needs two separate PCA chips. One PCA works as an emitter, and the other works as a receiver. For a reflection-type measurement, the technique called 'attenuated total reflection' usually is needed to enhance the reflection sensitivity. These make the system bulk and complicated for the reflection-type measurement. In this paper, we propose a novel THz-TDS endoscope that is specifically designed for reflection-type measurement. This THz-TDS endoscope is benefited from an integrated photoconductive antenna (we call it iPCA), which integrates the emitter and receiver on a single antenna chip. Therefore, the dimension of the endoscope can be shrunk as much as possible for practical usage. We present the design and working principle of this THz-TDS endoscope in details. It may open a promising way for the THz-TDS application in biomedical fields.
Survival of patients with de-novo metastatic breast cancer: analysis of data from a large breast cancer-specific private practice, a university-based cancer center and review of the literature

Approximately 6 % of patients with breast cancer are diagnosed with de-novo distant metastases. We set out to look at two cohorts of patients seen at breast cancer-specific practices, compare the results to other reports and larger databases, and see how advances in treatment have impacted overall survival (OS). The records from a large breast cancer oncology private practice and a second data set from the University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (UM/SCCC) tumor database were, retrospectively, reviewed to identify patients with de-novo metastases. We included those patients identified to have metastatic disease within 3 months of diagnosis of a breast primary cancer. Patients diagnosed between 1996 and 2006 were chosen for our study population. The OS for the private practice was 41.0 months (46.0 for ER positive and 26.0 for ER negative) and 36.0 months for UM/SCCC (52 months for ER positive and 36 months for ER negative). ER negativity and CNS- or visceral-dominant disease were associated with a significantly worse prognosis within the private practice. Dominant site was associated with a significantly worse prognosis within the UM/SCCC database but with a trend also for ER negativity. Age and ethnicity did not contribute significantly to the survival of patients within either cohort. The median survival in both cohorts and most other reported series was larger than that seen in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program and the National Cancer Database. The median OS among patients with de-novo metastatic breast cancer treated within two breast-specific oncology practices was over 3 years, which appears better than larger, more inclusive databases and publications from earlier decades.
Direct-detection APD-based optical CDMA using orthogonal signalings

Direct-detection optical, code-division multiple-access (CDMA) communication systems with avalanche photodiode (APD) photodetectors are investigated. Chernoff upper bound, modified Chernoff upper bound, and Gaussian approximation of the probability of bit error (pbe) are presented for general APDs and (0, 1)-valued optical signature sequences. Multiple-user interference, shot-noise, and receiver thermal noise effects on the pbe are studied in detail. Equal-weight orthogonal signaling formats that do not require dynamic estimation of the receiver threshold are studied. The results suggest that orthogonal signaling schemes are preferable to the on-off orthogonal signaling schemes. It is also shown that prime codes are much better than the optical orthogonal codes for optical code-division multiplexing. >
The citrus reentry problem: research on its causes and effects, and approaches to its minimization.

The “reentry problems” arises from agricultural workers becoming ill as a result of entering and working in a field some time after a pesticide application has been made to a crop plant. Although sulfur, with its capacity to cause eye irritations, may be claimed to have caused the first reentry problem in agriculture, the problem as currently evaluated is limited to the use of cholinesterase (ChE)-inhibiting organophosphorus (OP) pesticides. The definition of the problem in the future will likely extend to other compounds and other biological effects, such as conjuntivitis and dermatitis. Table I lists the reported cases of post-treatment illnesses to farm workers in California, where most of the incidents in the United States have occurred. A few isolated incidents have been reported from some of the cotton-and tobacco-growing states in this country; there are no documented reports yet from any other country. It is evident from this table that the problem is not a new one and that it appeared hand-in-hand with the introduction of OP pesticides to agriculture. The use of OP pesticides has increased greatly and will probably continue to increase as the use of organochlorine pesticides becomes more restricted. Production and usage of OP pesticides in the United States are expected to continue at a high level for the forseeable future, even though other approaches to pest controls such as biological control techniques, pheromones, and new classes of pesticides will be added to pest-control methods. More intensive farming methods, including OP pesticides, are being introduced to many other countries, and the same problems experienced in the United States will probably be experienced by these other users. Although foods, fibers, and feedstuffs were grown successfully in the United States prior to the introduction of synthetic pesticides in the late 1940s, expectations have changed regarding both quality and quantity of agricultural production as a result of the effectiveness of chemical pest control. Increasing world population requires greater productivity and it is, therefore, unrealistic to halt the use of OP compounds as a solution to the reentry problem (task group 1974).
Working Twice as Hard to Get Half as Far: Race, Work Ethic, and America’s Deserving Poor

Attitudes toward racialized and redistributive policies like welfare are often thought of as a function of both principled ideological positions and the underlying racial attitudes a person holds. Kinder and Sanders (1996) look at racial resentment as one explanation, while Sniderman and his colleagues look to principled conservatism and authoritarianism as viable alternatives, claiming that racial resentment is merely proxying a legitimate race-neutral commitment to equality of opportunity. This article engages this debate through an experimental design which tests whether “hard work” is rewarded in a color-blind manner. The experimental design also affords scholars the opportunity to separate the effects of the two components of racial resentment: principled values and racial animus. The results show that American norms and implicit racism serve to uniquely privilege whites in a variety of ways.
Rare Earth Elements: What and Where They Are

REE are often misunderstood, beginning from the grouping of the relevant elements to the etymological misconception, that REE are rare or the fact that REE are ‘more abundant than gold’. Thus REE can get the impetus of being very abundant, which is only part of the truth. As well the allegation “The term rare earth is actually a misnomer” [33], p 3 shows a cursory view of these metals. This view is for most purposes probably good enough, like the need for a 5-min-overview of the REE. The problem here lies in a possible wrong perception which finally gets to a seemingly hard fact because ‘everybody says so’. In order to get a scientific plausible picture, several definitions are given at the beginning.
Characteristic exponents and strange attractors

Iterates of maps in the familyf(x,y)=(y+1−Ax 2,Bx) (see [1]) are investigated. Characteristic exponents $$C_p = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{n \to \infty } (1/n)\log \left\| {df^n (p)} \right\|$$ are estimated numerically. Further numerical investigations indicate that finiteC p >0 corresponds to a strange attractor. WhenC values are calculated forB fixed andA in an interval, one finds dispersed amongC>0 values many small subintervals for which 0>C. On each such subinterval there appear to be attractors of periodk, 2k, 4k, ... the period doubling asA increases. Many different values ofk have been observed. A theorem is proved forA>0, 1>B > 0 describing an explicit compact setK (depending onA andB) such that all non-divergent asymptotic behavior takes place inK.
PubMed, The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune as Tools for Teaching Genetics

An elementary course in human heredity for students not planning to major in the sciences can be based on current scientific literature and on the popular media. Examinations are constructed from questions on recent abstracts obtained from PubMed. The course is designed to promote writing skills in the sciences, and students write two papers in the course of a quarter. In the first paper, students trace the primary source of media reports on genetics and attempt to evaluate the reporter's translation. In a second paper, students write popular articles on the basis of current primary sources.
TESTICULAR CANCER ASSOCIATED WITH EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE AND OIL AND NATURAL GAS EXTRACTION

A hospital-based case-control study, involving review of the medical records of 347 patients with histologically confirmed germ-cell tumours of the testis and 347 randomly selected controls with other disorders, demonstrated a significant association between this cancer and work in the agricultural industry. The odds ratio for present farming occupation was 6.27 (95% confidence limits 1.83, 21.49; p less than 0.05). Work in the crude petroleum and natural gas extraction industry also conferred excess risk for this cancer (odds ratio 2.29; CL 1.03, 5.11).
Solid Papillary Carcinoma of the Breast: A Pathologically and Clinically Distinct Breast Tumor

Solid papillary carcinomas are tumors morphologically characterized by round, well-defined nodules composed of low-grade ductal cells separated by fibrovascular cores. These tumors are rare and affect predominantly older women. Although they are considered in situ carcinomas, debate and uncertainty still exist regarding their true nature, because immunohistochemistry for myoepithelial cells has shown absence of myoepithelial cell layer along the epithelial-stromal interface of the tumor in many cases. Clinically, these tumors present as a palpable, centrally located mass or as bloody nipple discharge. Pathologically, solid papillary carcinomas exhibit low-grade features, and often the tumors display neuroendocrine and mucinous differentiation. In the majority of cases an associated invasive carcinoma is present, with colloid and neuroendocrine carcinomas being the most common. The pathologic differential diagnosis is broad and ranges from benign to malignant lesions. The treatment for solid papillary carcinomas is surgical excision. When invasive carcinoma is not present, the prognosis is excellent.
The TagAdvisor: Luring the Lurkers to Review Web Items

The increasing popularity and widespread use of online review sites over the past decade has motivated businesses of all types to possess an expansive arsenal of user feedback (preferably positive) in order to mark their reputation and presence in the Web. Though a significant proportion of purchasing decisions today are driven by average numeric scores (e.g., movie rating in IMDB), detailed reviews are critical for activities such as buying an expensive digital SLR camera, reserving a vacation package, etc. Since writing a detailed review for a product (or, a service) is usually time-consuming and may not offer any incentive, the number of useful reviews available in the Web is far from many. The corpus of reviews available at our disposal for making informed decisions also suffers from spam and misleading content, typographical and grammatical errors, etc. In this paper, we address the problem of how to engage the lurkers (i.e., people who read reviews but never take time and effort to write one) to participate and write online reviews by systematically simplifying the reviewing task. Given a user and an item that she wants to review, the task is to identify the top-$k$ meaningful phrases (i.e., tags) from the set of all tags (i.e., available user feedback for items) that, when advised, would help her review an item easily. We refer to it as the TagAdvisor problem, and formulate it as a general-constrained optimization goal. Our framework is centered around three measures - relevance (i.e., how well the result set of tags describes an item to a user), coverage (i.e., how well the result set of tags covers the different aspects of an item), and polarity (i.e., how well sentiment is attached to the result set of tags) in order to help a user review an item satisfactorily. By adopting different definitions of coverage, we identify two concrete problem instances that enable a wide range of real-world scenarios. We show that these problems are NP-hard and develop practical algorithms with theoretical bounds to solve them efficiently. We conduct detailed experiments on synthetic and real data crawled from the web to validate the utility of our problem and effectiveness of our solutions.
A computer simulation of a multiple track rail network with simultaneous graphical display

A computer simulation of a multiple track railway network having optimal dispatching capabilities is presented. Given the initial state of the system i.e. the initial terminal of all trains along with their starting times, and their respective destination, an optimal routing scenario is produced. A train is represented as a row in three data matrices which record the arrival, leaving, and delay times at designated points of the system. The optimization criterion is expressed as a function of these matrices. There is no restriction on the number of tracks. A graphical display showing the current state of the system is presented while the simulation is performed and a printed summary is produced at its conclusion. This project is a continuation of previous work by the author in part. The ultimate goal is to produce a real time planning tool for the dispatching function. Subsequent efforts will be directed towards the incorporation of user friendly driver menus for facilitating routine changes in the data base.
Evaluating media-enhancement and source authority on the internet: the Knowledge Integration Environment

Access to the internet increases variability in media and source authority for students who generally rely on teachers and textbooks. Some internet sources are more credible than others (e.g., a New York Times article on the web vs. a private citizen's homepage). Some sources are impressively produced with graphics and media-enhancements, while others are unadorned text. We explore the question of how source authority and media-enhancement impact students' interpretation of evidence as they conduct a Knowledge Integration Environment project as part of integrated science instruction in a culturally diverse high school.
Gamma-ray bursters

Current theoretical models developed to explain the observational data (from spaceborne detectors) on gamma-ray bursters are summarized and illustrated with drawings, diagrams, graphs, and photographic images. Although the data are fragmentary and often flawed by instrument defects, models involving neutron stars with strong magnetic fields are generally favored, and it is assumed that most observed bursters lie within the Galaxy. The neutron-star origin of the bursts is suggested by their intensity and rapid variability (implying a very compact high-energy source) and the presence in some burster spectra of a line at 420 keV which is explained by the combination of electron-positron annihilation and gravitational reddening. Consideration is also given to optical flashes observed to occur about once per year in the direction of gamma bursters, and the need for further searches for lower-energy emissions from bursters is stressed.
Tender Violence: Domestic Visions in an Age of U.S. Imperialism

Laura Wexler presents an incisive analysis of how the first American female photojournalists contributed to a "doctrine vision" that reinforced the imperialism and racism of America around the dawn of the 20th century. These women photographers, white and middle class, constructed images of war disguised as peace through a mechanism Wexler calls the "averted eye", which had its origins in the private domain of family photography. Wexler examines the work of Frances Benjamin Johnston, Gertrude Kasebier, Alice Austen, the Gerhard sisters and Jessie Tarbox Beals. The book includes over 150 photographs taken between 1898 and 1904, such as photos Johnston took aboard Admiral Dewey's flagship as it returned home from conquering Manila, Austen's photos of immigrants at Ellis Island, and Beal's images of the St Louis World's Fair of 1904. In a groundbreaking approach to the study of photography, Wexler raises up these images as "texts" to be analyzed alongside other texts of the period for what they say about the discourses of power. This study is relevant not only to the fields of history of photography and gender studies, but also to our growing understanding of US imperialism during this period.
Hard-to-answer questions about code

To build new tools and programming languages that make it easier for professional software developers to create, debug, and understand code, it is helpful to better understand the questions that developers ask during coding activities. We surveyed professional software developers and asked them to list hard-to-answer questions that they had recently asked about code. 179 respondents reported 371 questions. We then clustered these questions into 21 categories and 94 distinct questions. The most frequently reported categories dealt with intent and rationale -- what does this code do, what is it intended to do, and why was it done this way? Many questions described very specific situations -- e.g., what does the code do when an error occurs, how to refactor without breaking callers, or the implications of a specific change on security. These questions revealed opportunities for both existing research tools to help developers and for developing new languages and tools that make answering these questions easier.
Analysis of ignition and flame spreading in the Space Shuttle head-end star grain

A model to analyze the unsteady, multidimensional, turbulent flow in the head-end, star slot section of a solid rocket motor (SRM) during ignition transients is presented. This paper examines the complex interactions between the expanding igniter plume, the flow field within the star slot, the heat transfer to the solid propellant, ignition of the propellant, and subsequent flame spreading across the surface of the grain in the slot. The analysis provides a description of the ignition transient sequence from the onset of igniter flow to complete ignition of the head-end star slot region of the SRM.
When operating is considered futile: Difficult decisions in the neonatal intensive care unit

CME INFORMATION Through joint sponsorship with the American College of Surgeons, the quarterly Ethics articles published by SURGERY will now offer the reader the option of earning 1 CME credit per article. These articles can be used to earn credit for three years from the time of publication. To receive a CME certificate, participants must read the article and successfully complete a short post-test and evaluation form based on the Ethics article. Additional information, the article in its entirety, the test/evaluation, and certificate are located on the American College of Surgeons website: http://www.facs.org/education/SURGERYerhicsarticles.html. The system requirements are as follows: Adobe ® Reader 7.0 or above installed; Internet Explorer ® 6 and above; Firefox ® 1.0 and above or Safari™ 2.0 and above. Accreditation Statement This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of the American College of Surgeons and SURGERY. The American College of Surgeons is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ The American College of Surgeons designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Disclosure Information In accordance with ACCME regulations, the American College of Surgeons, as the accredited provider of this journal CME, must ensure that anyone in a position to control the content of the educational activity has disclosed all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. The editor and author(s) of this article were required to complete disclosures and any reported conflicts have been managed to our satisfaction. However, if you perceive a bias within the article, please advise us of the circumstances on the evaluation form. The requirement for disclosure is not intended to imply any impropriety of such relationships, but simply to identify such relationships through full disclosure, and to allow readers to form their own judgments regarding the material. Disclosure of Significant Relationships with Relevant Commercial Companies/Organizations: Nicole K. Yamada has no significant relationships to disclose. Ira J. Kodner has no significant relationships to disclose. Douglas E. Brown has no significant relationships to disclose.
Successive tests of short-term retention

Retention of individual trigrams was studied for six successive tests with counterbalancing of the retention interval of the previous test. Recall after an 18-sec retention interval was found to become progressively worse in line with findings by Keppel and Underwood. Intrusions during the sixth test were found to display a recency effect.
Conformation analyses of D-(−)-quinic acid and some of its derivatives by nuclear magnetic resonance

Abstract D -(−)-Quinic acid, eight monoacyl esters, three diacyl esters, and 5-dehydroquinic acid have been examined by NMR spectroscopy and shown to exist in solution in a chair conformation with the carboxyl equatorial. The efiects of this conformation on chemical and physical properties are discussed.
The role of leptin and hypothalamicneuropeptides in energy homeostasis: Update on leptin in obesity

Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone the serum levels of which reflect the amount of energy stored in adipose tissue as well as short-term energy imbalance. Serum levels of many cytokines and hormones also influence circulating leptin levels. Leptin binding to specific receptors in the hypothalamus results in altered expression of orexigenic and anorexigenic neuropeptides that regulate neuroendocrine function and energy homeostasis, and recent experimental evidence suggests that leptin plays an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity and eating disorders. Research that followed the discovery of leptin is significantly broadening our understanding of the mechanisms underlying energy homeostasis, the elucidation of which is expected to result soon in the development of new therapeutic approaches for obesity and eating disorders.
ACR Appropriateness Criteria® on Suspected Spine Trauma

The evaluation of patients with suspected spine trauma is controversial. This document addresses several pertinent issues: (1) which patients need imaging, (2) how much imaging is necessary, and (3) exactly what sort of imaging is to be performed. This subject is important, because conservative estimates indicate that more than 1 million blunt trauma patients, who have the potential for sustaining spine injuries, are seen annually in emergency departments in the United States. Adult patients who satisfy any of several "low-risk" criteria for cervical spine injury need no imaging. Patients who do not fall into this category should undergo thin-section computed tomographic examinations that includes sagittal and coronal multiplanar reconstructed images. For those patients who cannot be examined using computed tomography, 3-view radiographic examinations of the cervical vertebrae may be performed to provide preliminary assessments of the likelihood of injury until computed tomography can be performed. Thoracic and lumbar computed tomographic images may be obtained from data collected for thorax-abdomen-pelvis studies. Radiography is recommended for children under 14 years of age. Reconstructed computed tomographic images may be used from thorax-abdomen-pelvis studies of children, if they have been obtained. Magnetic resonance imaging should be the primary modality for evaluating possible spinal cord injury or compression as well as ligamentous injuries in acute cervical spine trauma. Flexion and extension radiography is best reserved for follow-up of symptomatic patients, after neck pain has subsided.
Modulation of matrix metalloproteinase activity in human saphenous vein grafts using adenovirus-mediated gene transfer☆

Abstract Background: Neointima formation after human saphenous vein grafting (hSVG) involves several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs). This study assessed the feasibility of modulating MMP activity in hSVGs by adenovirus-mediated gene transfer. Methods: First, 1 × 10 9 plaque-forming units (pfu) of replication-deficient recombinant adenoviruses encoding either β-galactosidase (Ad βgal), MMP-3 (AdMMP-3), or TIMP-1 (AdTIMP-1) were added into the lumen of hSVGs for 1 hour. After incubation at 37° C for 24 hours, specimens were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, in situ zymography, and X-gal staining. Results: By X-gal staining Ad β gal-infected hSVGs stained positively in the intima and occasionally in the media. Immunohistochemistry of AdMMP-3- and AdTIMP-1-infected hSVGs localized these proteins to the intima. In situ zymography showed increased MMP activity in the intima of AdMMP-3-infected hSVGs relative to AdTIMP-1- or Ad β gal-infected vessels. Conclusions: MMP-3 and TIMP activity can be regulated in hSVGs by replication-deficient recombinant adenoviruses. We have previously demonstrated that MMP-3 or TIMP-1 transduction, or both, inhibit SMC migration in an in vitro reconstituted vessel wall. Modulation of MMP activity may thus afford high patency rates in genetically engineered hSVGs. However, adenovirus-mediated gene delivery is limited to the vessel's intima; strategies to infect medial smooth muscle cells need to be developed. (Surgery 1998;124:129-36)
The width of the lattice distortion and the localization energy for a strong-coupled piezoelectric polaron

Abstract It is shown that the width of the lattice distortion for a strong-coupled piezoelectric polaron is proportional to a −3 2 piezo . The well-known functional form of the localization energy follows from this result.
Re-exploration for "unresectable" colonic cancer.

A group of 52 patients undergoing reexploration for colonic cancer during the period 1957–1969 at Memorial Hospital is examined in detail. More than 60 per cent of the patients underwent curative resection upon exploration, with a five-year deteminate survival of 36 per cent. Eight patients underwent resections considered palliative for reasons detailed above. Twelve patients were explored and found to have disease precluding even palliative resection.
The startle and orienting reactions in man. A study of their characteristics and habituation.

Abstract (1) Electromyographic (EMG) responses induced by short bursts of white noise have been studied in 8 human subjects. The stimuli were either of a fixed intensity with the intervals varying randomly, or at fixed intervals with 3 different intensities in random succession. Each subject was submitted to several sequences of about 30 min each, consisting of a series of 50 to 150 stimuli. (2) EMG responses consisted of ‘early’ and ‘late’ components which can be considered as the EMG manifestation of the startle response and the orienting response, respectively. (3) The amplitude of the startle reaction shows a clear positive correlation with the intensity of the stimulus; no such correlation was found for the oreinting reaction. (4) A significant correlation seems to exist between the amplitude of the startle reaction and the ‘frequency’ of the EEG measured during the 1 sec period just preceding the tone stimulus. (5) The amplitude of the orienting reaction displays a fair correlation with that of the startle; however each component may be present at times independently of the other. (6) During some sequences of stimuli, it has been possible to observe a habituation of both the startle and the orienting responses. However the occurrence of habituation seems to be strongly correlated with the variability of the EEG recorded during the sequence: that is, habituation can be observed if the distribution of EEG ‘frequencies’ displays a small dispersion around its modal value. (7) It is suggested that startle and orienting reactions, while corresponding to 2 different psychomotor activities, may be engendered by a common neuronal structure, probably located in the bulbar reticular formation. (8) The results obtained would favor the hypothesis that habituation of the motor responses may be the manifestation of a decrementing process occurring principally in the lower nervous centers, including spinal neurons, implicated in the observed responses. Modulating influences, coming from higher structures, may interfere with this process by introducing superimposed ‘noise’.
Vibrational Relaxation in Atactic Polystyrene: A Calculation of the Frequency Correlation Functions of Ring Stretching Modes and Their Variation with Temperature

Time correlation functions and their variation with temperature have been calculated for the modes observed near 1601 and 1583 cm-1 in the infrared spectra of atactic polystyrene. The correlation functions deviate from the Kubo−Rothschild model describing the fast modulation limit but can be modeled by simply assuming that there is a fast relaxation process characterized by a single relaxation time that is inhomogeneously broadened. It is noted that as long as the relaxations associated with inhomogeneous broadening are all relatively slow processes (in terms of vibrational relaxations), then their only contribution to the band profile would be through a Gaussian term that modifies the simple Kubo−Rothschild expression. The factors that contribute to this inhomogeneous broadening are discussed. Dynamic heterogeneity presumably plays a significant role, but in addition the 1583 cm-1 band appears to be influenced by an anharmonic coupling to lower frequency modes that provides an additional mechanism of rel...
Survey on programming language facilities for numerical computation

New programming languages are still appearing and old ones are being modernized. Even in the numerical areas there is little information to guide the language designer as to what the users like or need. This survey is collect some such information. Facilities are described in functional terms and there is no intention to describe syntax or even the details of semantics. There is little discussion of "general purpose" language facilities unless there is some special aspect of this facility relevant to numerical computation. It is recognized that there are normally many ways to provide a given capability within a particular programming language design.
The mutagenic effect of N-nitrosomethylurea on the dumpy locus in Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract N -Nitrosomethylurea was used to induce mutational events at the dumpy locus of Drosophila melanogaster . The results show that a 0.1% concentration of the agent induces a mutation frequency of 1.8%, which is comparable to that found for ICR-170 or ethyl methanesulfonate. The mutant spectrum of F 1 dumpy mutants induced by N -nitrosomethylurea does not differ appreciably from the spectrum obtained following the application of ICR-170. It does differ from the spectrum of mutants for X-ray mutagenesis, which induces a class of variegated dumpy mutants not found for ICR-170 or N -nitrosomethylurea. The percentage of mutant somatic tissue within each induced dumpy mutant was calculated by the identification and isolation of mosaic (fractional) mutants and complete (whole body) mutants. Like ICR-170 mutagenesis, phenotypically mosaic mutants predominate in the progency counts produced by postmeiotic sperm. In contrast, phenotypically complete mutants predominate in progeny counts produced by postmeiotic sperm following X-ray mutagenesis. Approx. 25% of the fertile F 1 dumpy mutants transmitted a dumpy phenotype to the F 2 generation. This is similar to the 25% transmittance obtained for ICR-170 but it is considerably less than the 72% transmittance established for X-ray induced mutants. In addition, the transmission test showed that the fertile F 1 mutants, irrespective of their somatic mutant expression, may possess any one of three types of gonads; completely normal, completely mutant, or fractionally mutant. A translocation test, employed to detect chromosomal breakage showed a 0.5% frequency of translocations between the second and the third chromosomes. This low frequency of breakage, in conjunction with the absence of the variegated dumpy class, suggests that the mode of action of this agent is based on a molecular alteration of the genetic material within the dumpy locus rather than on breakage events involving the addition, rearrangement, or deletion of large pieces of the chromosome bearing the dumpy locus. N -Nitrosomethylurea induces a high incidence of sterility in the premeiotic progeny broods. The ability of N -nitrosomethylurea to react chemically with the DNA polymer by means of the diazonium radical and the effect that this would have on meiosis is proposed as the major mechanism leading to male sterility. The induced sterility cannot be attributed to the small amount of breakage induced by the mutagen.
Class III Myosin Motor Activity Correlates with Localization in Actin Protrusions

Class III myosins (myo3A and myo3B) contain a N-terminal kinase domain, central motor domain, and an isoform specific C-terminal tail. Myo3A contains a longer tail and has an actin-binding motif at the C-terminus that is not present in the shorter tail of myo3B. Modifications to the myo3A gene result in late onset human deafness (DFNB30), suggesting myo3B may be able to compensate for myo3A only early in life. Thus, it is critical to understand differences in the motor properties of myo3A and myo3B. We investigated the in vitro motility of myo3A and myo3B, each with the kinase domain removed and containing two IQ domains and a C-terminal GFP fusion (myo3AΔK.GFP and myo3BΔK.GFP). The sliding velocity measured in the in vitro motility assay was ∼20% faster in myo3AΔK.GFP (76 nm/sec) compared to myo3BΔK.GFP (62 nm/sec). The sliding velocity correlated well with the maximum actin-activated ATPase activity (kcat = 1.0 sec−1 and 0.7 sec−1, respectively). Interestingly, myo3B.ΔK.GFP contained a 25-fold weaker actin affinity compared to myo3A.ΔK.GFP as assessed by the actin-dependence of the ATPase activity (KATPase = 3 and 76 µM, respectively). We transfected N-terminally GFP tagged myo3A.ΔK containing the full length tail domain into COS7 cells and examined the efficiency of localizing to the filopodia tips by examining the tip to cell body ratio. Since the tail actin binding motif is required for localization to filopodia tips, we generated a chimera that contained the myo3B motor and the actin binding motif of the myo3A tail. The tip localization efficiency was approximately 17% (p<0.05) reduced in myo3B compared to myo3A. Thus myo3B is a slightly slower motor with a weaker actin affinity compared to myo3A, which may explain why it is unable to compensate for the loss of myo3A in DFNB30.
Student self-assessment of knowledge and application of legal concepts in a community pharmacy simulation

Abstract Background The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) lists the topic of pharmacists’ responsibilities and limits under the law as an area essential to the development of pharmacists. The use of active learning techniques such as role-play and simulation in pharmacy education is encouraged; however, these have rarely been used to reinforce students’ knowledge and application of legal concepts. Objectives To assess students’ confidence in knowledge and application of pharmacy laws; their ability to properly supervise support staff and to evaluate the influence of inattentive behavior upon pharmacy practice responsibilities. Methods Students role-played as pharmacists, technicians, and interns in a series of ten-minute community pharmacy simulations. Pharmacists oversaw typical operations and were presented with situations that challenged their knowledge of pharmacy law while background activities competed for their attention. Students completed pre- and post-assessments on their confidence in knowledge of legal requirements and their ability to recognize violations. Students in the pharmacist role completed an additional questionnaire concerning simulation events. All students completed a reflective writing assignment. Faculty observers evaluated student performance. Results Positive and negative changes from baseline occurred in students’ confidence of knowledge and recognizing violations. Students’ awareness of the impact of inattentive behavior upon pharmacy practice increased. Students’ ratings of their attention to detail and ability to multi-task decreased. Conclusion The assessment methods in this study provided students insight into their strengths and weaknesses regarding knowledge and application of legal concepts in pharmacy. This information gives students an opportunity to address deficient knowledge areas before entering pharmacy practice.
Linear-eddy modeling of turbulent transport. II: Application to shear layer mixing

Abstract The linear-eddy modeling approach involves the representation of a spatially developing flow by a simulation of the time development along a transverse line moving with the mean flow. Scalar quantities evolve by Fickian (molecular) diffusion and by randomly occurring spatial rearrangements, representing turbulent convection. A formulation introduced previously, the block-inversion model, is adapted here for application to turbulent planar shear layer mixing. Predictions of the mixing and chemical reaction rate dependence on Reynolds, Schmidt, and Damkohler numbers, and of the spatially resolved probability density function (pdf) of the concentration field, are consistent with measurements and suggest a simple parameter dependence governing mixing and reaction. The mixed fluid peak of the simulated pdf occurs at a concentration that does not depend on spatial location, as found experimentally. The simulations suggest a simple explanation for the difference between this behavior and observations in the thermal mixing layer in grid turbulence.
Research note On output control in the servomechanism sense

A technique is described which employs the matrix generalized inverse to identify a control which will force the output to follow a prescribed path. Illustrative examples are included.
Mode I Crack Initiation in Orthotropic Viscoelastic Plates Under Biaxial Loading

The subcritical propagation of a crack in orthotropic viscoelastic plate under time-constant biaxial external loading is investigated on the basis of generalization of the Leonov–Panasyuk–Dugdale crack model to the case of orthotropic materials satisfying a strength condition of arbitrary form. The crack is directed along one of the anisotropy axes with external loads applied parallel and perpendicularly to this axis. To find the rheological characteristics of the composite material, we apply the method of operator continued fractions. The relationships used to determine the duration of incubation and transition periods of crack propagation are deduced on the basis of the Volterra principle and the solution of the corresponding elastic problem. The influence of the biaxiality of external loading on the safe loading and subcritical crack growth is analyzed within the framework of the critical crack opening displacement criterion.
Transient expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene in barley cell cultures and immature embryos through microprojectile bombardment

Transient expression of chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene has been detected in cultured barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Heartland) cells and freshly isolated immature zygotic embryos (cv. Ellice) following the introduction of the gene by microprojectile bombardment. The DNA expression vector used to introduce the CAT gene, pCaMVI1CN, is a pUC8 derivative and consisted of a CaMV35S promoter, a fragment of alcohol dehydrogenase intron1, a CAT coding region and NOS polyadenylation region. The inclusion of the Adh1 intron1 was essential for the expression of CAT activity in cultured cells as well as immature zygotic embryos. Expression of CAT activity, which was dependent upon the DNA concentration used, could be detected as early as 20 h after bombardment. The results also suggested that the recipient cells have to be in an active state of cell division in order for the introduced gene to be expressed since mature zygotic as well as somatic embryos failed to reveal any gene expression. The effect of other parameters which influence the expression of the introduced gene as well as the potential of this novel technology for cereal transformation are also discussed.
Protecting the Voices of Our Research Appropriately Verifying Qualitative Data

Although discussion of composition research methods over the last 10 years has culminated in Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) guidelines, these guidelines do not include procedures for verifying qualitative data. Such procedures would entail having a third party check to some degree that the researcher spent the time claimed at the site and that the subjects did what was described and said what was quoted in the published research. This commentary reviews federal policies on research misconduct and government and professional association responses to data faking, noting the additional danger of incompetent investigations of research misconduct. Arguing that the discipline should take appropriate measures to verify qualitative data, I recommend a two-tiered approach.
Clinical considerations in the reduction of secondary brain injury

Craniocerebral trauma renders the brain vulnerable to a variety of secondary insults that must be prevented or promptly corrected before irreversible neurologic damage occurs. These secondary insults can include hypoxia, ischemia, or both, which result in significant cell loss. The trauma-induced state of vulnerability appears to be due to cellular ionic and metabolic alterations that make up the basic physiologic sequelae after brain injury. We discuss clinical aspects regarding these potentially devastating injuries in an effort to enhance their recognition and aid in their management.
Identification of Verticillium Wilt Resistance in U.S. Potato Breeding Programs

Verticillium wilt (VW), caused mainly by the soil-borne fungus V. dahliae, is a persistent and serious problem in potato production. Host-plant resistance offers an attractive control strategy, but most major cultivars are susceptible to VW. Resistance to VW was evaluated in 14 advanced clones from U.S. potato breeding programs and 11 cultivars. The two objectives of this study were to 1) determine the extent to which VW resistance exists in advanced selections in U.S. potato breeding programs and 2) test a selection strategy based on multiple measures of resistance. The three measures of resistance used in this study were symptom expression in the field, colonization of stem sap, and numbers of propagules in senescent stems. Resistant clones had low scores, but susceptible clones were highly variable for all three measures. An effective selection strategy utilizing all three measures of assessment can be used to separate true resistance from tolerance as follows: first, identify clones with low symptom expression, then measure sap colonization, and finish by establishing propagule levels in senescent stems. Based on this approach, breeders will be able to identify VW resistant, and not just VW tolerant, germplasm for future breeding efforts.
Queue-dependent servers

A Markovian queue with number of servers depending upon queue length is discussed. Whenever the queue in front of the first server reaches a certain length, the system starts another server. There are costs associated with the opening of a new server and the waiting of the customers. A relationship among the costs, traffic intensity and the queue size is obtained.