cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microstructural, strength, and creep characterization of Sylramic™, Sylramic™-iBN and super Sylramic™-iBN SiC fibers

Abstract The chemical composition, microstructure, strength, and thermal stability of polymer-derived Sylramic™ SiC fibers fabricated by Dow Corning and COI Ceramics, Inc., and nitrogen-treated Sylramic™ SiC fibers, referred to as Sylramic™-iBN and Super Sylramic™-iBN SiC fibers, were investigated and compared. The baseline Sylramic™ SiC fibers fabricated by both vendors as well as the nitrogen-treated Sylramic™ SiC fibers are composed mostly of β-SiC (∼97 wt%) with small amounts of TiB2 (∼2 wt%), amorphous carbon (∼1 wt%) and trace amounts of B4C. Most of the amorphous carbon is segregated at the core/interior of the fibers. Both baseline and nitrogen-treated Sylramic™ SiC fibers have similar grain size and pore size distribution, except for a thin layer of in-situ grown crystalline BN (30–70 nm) on the surface of Sylramic™-iBN and Super Sylramic™-iBN fibers. Wide variation in strength within a batch as well as between batches is observed in both baseline and nitrogen-treated Sylramic™ SiC fibers but both types of fibers are microstructurally stable at temperatures to 1800 °C in argon and nitrogen environments compared to Nicalon™-S and Tyranno®-SA SiC fibers. Under the same creep condition, Super Sylramic™-iBN fibers show better creep resistance compared to Sylramic™, Sylramic™-iBN, Hi-Nicalon™-S, and Tyranno®-SA fibers. Possible reasons for strength variability and the mechanism of in-situ BN formation on Sylramic™ SiC fibers are discussed.
Mixed Signals Continue for Michigan Local Governments’ Fiscal Health, While Future Outlooks Worsen

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of their jurisdictions’ fiscal conditions and the actions they plan to take in the coming year given their financial situations. The findings are based on responses from 10 statewide survey waves of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) conducted annually each spring from 2009 through 2019.
How Informative Is the Text of Securities Complaints

Much of the research in law and finance reduces long, complex texts down to a small number of variables. Examples include the coding of corporate charters as an entrenchment index or characterizing dense securities complaints by using variables that capture the amount at issue, the statutes alleged to have been violated, and the presence of an SEC investigation. Legal scholars have often voiced concerns that this type of dimensionality reduction loses much of the nuance and detail that is embedded in legal text. This paper assesses this worry by applying text analysis and machine learning to a corpus of more than five thousand complaints filed in private securities class actions that collectively contain over 90 million words. This analysis demonstrates the richness of the information embedded in these complaints by answering three related questions. First, does the text provide indications of the eventual outcomes in the cases? Second, do text-based variables out perform non-text variables in predicting outcomes? And, finally, does text analysis outperform market participants when used as a basis for picking securities? The evidence suggests that the answer to all three of these questions is yes and these findings have several implications. First, the results suggest that there is meaningful information embedded in text and, relatedly, that excessive reduction of dimensions may produce omitted variable bias. Second, evidence of abnormal returns is consistent with the understanding that it takes time for market participants to absorb complex information. Finally, the ability to predict first-filed complaints more readily than consolidated complaints suggests that the goal of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act to reduce the race to the courthouse and improve the quality of initial complaints has not been fully realized.
P85 iCooks: A Virtual Cooking School and Nutrition Education Program Delivered to SNAP-Ed Youth Participants in Arkansas

Objective To implement a virtual cooking school to promote healthy eating and teach youth basic cooking and food safety skills. Use of Theory or Research Studies show cooking-related programs combined with nutrition education have the potential to improve children's diet quality and are associated with more positive food choices. Target Audience Students in SNAP-Ed eligible schools. Program Description The University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, SNAP-Ed Program conducted a virtual cooking school to reach SNAP-Ed youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. The iCooks cooking school was offered to students in the Lonoke School Systems, and 11 families with a combined total of 24 youth in grades 3-12 participated in the program. The iCooks cooking school consisted of 5 lessons delivered weekly. Each lesson included a demonstration video of the recipe, instruction, healthy eating and food safety information. Ingredients to prepare the recipes at home were provided to participants. The lessons also included a physical activity component and an eating together as a family activity. A private Facebook group was created for participants to post pictures of themselves cooking, comment on recipes, and share what they learned. Evaluation Methods A pre/post survey for students was used to evaluate knowledge gained and changes in eating habits. Parents were surveyed to assess the effectiveness of the program. Results One hundred percent of participants increased knowledge about how to prepare healthy foods; 100% indicated they could now make food safely to avoid foodborne illness; 84% were willing to try food in new and interesting ways; 89% were willing to taste new foods they had not tried before; 89% indicated they paid more attention to how many fruits and vegetables they ate daily; and 100% indicated they learned the importance of healthy eating habits. Conclusion iCooks, a virtual cooking school and nutrition education program, has been successful in increasing students’ knowledge of healthy meal preparation, improving food safety skills, and increasing awareness of their daily fruit and vegetable intake.
The exponential tracking and disturbance rejection for the unstable Burgers' equation with general references and disturbances

In solving the problem of asymptotic tracking and disturbance rejection, it has been long always assumed that the reference to be tracked and the disturbance to be rejected must be generated by an exosystem such as a finite dimensional exosystem with pure imaginary eigenvalues. The objective of this paper is to solve such a tracking problem for the unstable Burgers' equation without this assumption. Our treatment of this problem is straightforward. Using the method of variable transform, the tracking problem is split into two separate problems: a simple Neumann boundary stabilization problem and a dynamical Neumann boundary regulator problem. Unlike the existing literature where the regulator problem is always kept independent, the stabilization problem here is simplified to an independent linear diffusion equation by moving the instability term and the nonlinear term to the dynamical regulator problem, whereas the dynamical regulator problem does depend on the stabilization problem. Thus we can first easily handle the stabilization problem and then solve the dynamical regulator problem by using the fundamental theory of partial differential equations. The boundary feedforward controller is explicitly constructed by using the reference, the disturbance and the solution of the stabilization problem while the boundary feedback controller is easily designed for the linear diffusion equation without using a complex method such as the backstepping method. It is proved that, under the designed feedback and feedforward controllers, the tracking error converges to zero exponentially. This theoretical result is confirmed by a numerical example.
Exceptional landscape-wide cyanobacteria bloom in Okavango Delta, Botswana in 2020 coincided with a mass elephant die-off event

Abstract In 2020, nearly 400 elephants died within the Okavango Delta region in Botswana, creating the worst-ever elephant mass die-off event in history. This catastrophic event was widely blamed on toxic cyanobacterial blooms after lab results showed the presence of toxin-forming cyanobacteria in inland waters of the Delta. However, it did not explain why we saw this mass die-off of elephants in 2020 and not in previous years. We conducted a landscape-wide time-series analysis using freely available European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 and NASA's Landsat-8 satellite data. We used existing bio-optical models, Normalized Difference Chlorophyll Index and Green Line Height, as proxies for chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin (cyanobacteria) concentrations. We found that 2020 was an exceptional year for cyanobacteria blooms in the Okavango Delta region compared to the past three years (2017–2019). Bloom phenology indicated that the cyanobacteria blooms initiated in September-October 2019, experienced an exponential growth reaching peak in January-February 2020, and eventually senescing in June 2020. This being a notoriously data-scarce region of the world, we did not have any means to perform site-specific validation of the models. Although magnitude and timeline of the blooms coincided with the timeline of elephant death reports, our study do not confirm it to be the trigger. For the first time, we show the widespread nature of these blooms across the landscape, which may have increased the toxin exposure for elephants. We theorize that 2020 might have been the first year for such a mass die-off event, but it will certainly not be the last because warming trends under changing climate are creating increasingly suitable conditions for these blooms to be pervasive and ubiquitous. Through this preliminary study, we demonstrate the critical need for frequent and comprehensive monitoring of toxic cyanobacterial blooms in the Delta to avoid another such event in the future.
You Can Come under the Tarp, but First... The Bank of America-Merrill Lynch Merger Was a Failure of Corporate Governance

In response to the financial credit crisis in the fall of 2008, Congress, the U.S. Treasury, and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors took unprecedented action to prevent both large and small financial institutions from insolvency. Ultimately, the Troubled Asset Relief Program was created to inject various banks with the cash necessary to prevent the banks' insolvency and the threat that bank failures posed to the nation's economy. In the midst of that crisis, Bank of America agreed to acquire Merrill Lynch. Each institution, in their individual capacity, received TARP funds from the Treasury several weeks after entering into the merger agreement. But, as Merrill Lynch suffered drastic losses in the fourth quarter of 2008, Bank of America eventually received even more money from the Treasury after consummating the merger in January 2009. What subsequent SEC filings, news reports, and state and congressional investigations reveal is that the Government pressured Bank of America management and directors to close the deal despite Bank of America's reluctance to do so and Bank of America having a strong legal argument in support of its desire to walk away from the deal. Bank of America's submission to the Government demonstrates that corporate governance, short of best [Vol. 9
Walrasian Economics: Concluding comments: Walras's ideas in modern economics

This book has told the story thus far of the past influence of Walras's mature comprehensive model and his written pledges sketch. The latter gave rise to the virtual line of general equilibrium research that dominated the agenda of economists working in that field for more than forty years in the twentieth century, and aspects of that line of research continue to be pursued in some modern theorizing. The constructions and functioning of the mature comprehensive model have a secure place in the history of general equilibrium modeling as providing its beginning and as furnishing ideas that have been used throughout its history. In that model, Walras developed a non-virtual model in which economic decisions are made in private markets by entrepreneurs, suppliers of economic resources, consumers, and savers, and in which the markets are purely competitive. It has four major characteristics. First, the markets in it are interrelated, so the values of the economic variables are mutually determined and the impact of a change in a parameter is manifested throughout the economic system. Second, irrevocable transactions, production, consumption, savings, and investment occur in disequilibrium. Third, when the economy is in disequilibrium it moves toward an equilibrium position. Fourth, that position is on a path of growth. The position changes as the economy grows, or possibly contracts, tracing out a path through time.
Daily movement patterns and predicted 10-yr risk for a first atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) event using the pooled cohort risk equations among US adults.

Objective Examine the association between movement patterns and predicted risk of a first atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) event. Methods Data from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used (40–79 yrs; N = 2421). Participants wore an ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer to create four movement pattern groups; Group 1: ≥ 150 min/wk of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and light-intensity physical activity (LIPA) ≥ sedentary behavior (SB); Group 2: ≥ 150 min/wk of MVPA and LIPA < SB; Group 3: < 150 min/wk of MVPA and LIPA ≥ SED; and Group 4: < 150 min/wk of MVPA and LIPA < SB. 10-yr risk for a first ASCVD event was estimated using the pooled cohort equations. Results After adjusting for age, gender, race–ethnicity and obesity, Group 2 (β = − 0.28; p = 0.44) was not significantly different than Group 1, but Groups 3 (β = 1.09; p = 0.01) and 4 (β = 1.44; p < 0.001) had a higher pooled risk score. Conclusions Those in the least desirable movement pattern (Group 4) had the highest pooled risk score. Given the similar risk scores for Groups 1 and 2, future research is needed to determine if sufficient MVPA can counteract the potential consequences associated with an imbalanced LIPA:SB ratio (i.e., LIPA < SB).
Chapter 9 Mechanisms of Oxygen Precipitation: Some Quantitative Aspects

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a study on some quantitative aspects of mechanisms of oxygen precipitation. The SiO2 precipitate formation process includes two aspects, that of nucleation and that of growth. The first systematic effort to model the SiO2 precipitate nucleation process reports that, in some Czochralski (CZ) crystals, the process may be described on a homogeneous nucleation basis. However, the complexities associated with Oi precipitation in apparently normal CZ Si materials are seemingly beyond the description of the classical nucleation theory just on a homogeneous or heterogeneous basis. A large number of complexities have been observed in association with the creation of the defect-free zone (DFZ) and the wafer bulk intrinsic gettering (IG) gettering sites, all directly related to the SiO2 precipitate nucleation and growth behaviors. A brief summary of the responsible experimental factors and the associated complexities are presented in the chapter. The chapter presents a discussion on the factors and their effects on both the SiO2 precipitate nucleation and growth aspects, thereby, explaining some of the outstanding features mentioned. In most experimental results, the role of precipitate nucleation is not distinguished from that of precipitate growth.
Pharmacometrics in Pain Management

© American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists 2014 S. Schmidt, H. Derendorf (eds.), Applied Pharmacometrics, AAPS Advances in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Series 14, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-1304-6_18 Y. Wang () · P. Ji · J. Liu · H. Zhu Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Room 2106, Building 51, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, USA e-mail: yaning.wang@fda.hhs.gov 18.1 Background
Vagal stimulation of rat exocrine pancreatic secretion occurs via multiple mediators

Abstract Background: The vagus nerve contains cholinergic and noncholinergic neurons that interact with peptidergic neurons of the enteric nervous system, which stain immunohistochemically for cholecystokinin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, and gastrin-releasing peptide. Methods: The role of these pancreatic exocrine secretagogues during electrical vagal stimulation was studied using specific inhibitors in urethane-anesthetized rats. Results: The pancreatic secretory response to vagal stimulation was blocked significantly by each of the following: the ganglionic blocker hexamethonium (100% inhibition); the muscarinic, cholinergic blocker atropine (85% inhibition); the specific cholecystokinin A-receptor antagonist L-364,718 (84% inhibition); a gastrin-releasingpeptide-receptor blocker (91 % inhibition); and a vasoactive intestinal polypeptide polyclonal antibody (89% inhibition). The response was not altered by a monoclonal antibody to somatostatin. A subthreshold dose of cholecystokinin octapeptide augmented the response to electrical vagal stimulation. Conclusions: Suppression of tonic somatostatin release is not the final common event. The findings that subthreshold cholecystokinin augments vagal stimulation, together with marked inhibition by each antagonist used, are consistent with the hypothesis that potentiating interactions among several agonists mediate the vagal response in anesthetized rats. However, this study does not exclude acetylcholine as the final common mediator. Studies in conscious animals are needed to determine the physiological significance of these observations.
Exclusion of infectious diseases from sheep and goat farms.

Sheep and goat producers who are unable to maintain strictly closed herds are at continual risk of introducing new infectious diseases. This article discusses the theoretical techniques of disease exclusion, such as limiting importation to semen and embryos, testing of incoming animals and herds of origin, and prophylactic treatment or vaccination of purchased or returning animals. Special infectious diseases of small ruminants and methods of preventing their introduction to a herd also are considered
The Genetics of Catalase in Drosophila Melanogaster: Isolation and Characterization of Acatalasemic Mutants

Activated oxygen species have been demonstrated to be the important agents in oxygen toxicity by disrupting the structural and functional integrity of cells through lipid peroxidation events, DNA damage and protein inactivation. The biological consequences of free radical damage have long been hypothesized to be a causal agent in many aging-related diseases. Catalase (H2O2:H2O2 oxidoreductase; EC 1.15.1.1) is one of several enzymes involved in the scavenging of oxygen free radicals and free radical derivatives. The structural gene for catalase in Drosophila melanogaster has been localized to region 75D1-76A on chromosome 3L by dosage responses to segmental aneuploidy. This study reports the isolation of a stable deficiency, Df(3L)CatDH104(75C1-2;75F1), that uncovers the catalase locus and the subsequent isolation of six acatalasemic mutants. All catalase mutants are viable under standard culture conditions and recessive lethal mutations within the 75Cl-F1 interval have been shown not to affect catalase activity. Two catalase mutations are amorphic while four are hypomorphic alleles of the Cat+ locus. The lack of intergenic complementation between the six catalase mutations strongly suggests that there is only one functional gene in Drosophila. One acatalesemic mutation was mapped to position 3-47.0 which resides within the catalase dosage sensitive region. While complete loss of catalase activity confers a severe viability effect, residual levels are sufficient to restore viability to wild type levels. These results suggest a threshold effect for viability and offer an explanation for the general lack of phenotypic effects associated with the known mammalian acatalasemics.
The Value Relevance of Dividends, Book Value and Earnings

This paper compares the value relevance of book value and dividends versus book value and reported earnings. Our work is motivated by recent research including Ohlson (1995), Feltham and Ohlson (1995), Bernard (1995), Burgstahler and Dichev (1997), Collins, Maydew and Weiss (1997), Barth, Beaver and Landsman (1998) and Hand and Landsman (1999). We justify modeling price in terms of book value and dividends in two ways. First, using Modigliani and Miller's (1959) argument, dividends may have a stronger correlation with permanent earnings than reported earnings. Second, we derive a model of price in terms of book value and dividends from basic analytical relationships. Three sets of findings are reported. First, overall, the variables, book value and dividends, have almost the same explanatory power as book value and reported earnings. Second, for firms with transitory earnings, dividends have greater explanatory power than earnings but book value and earnings have about the same explanatory power as book value and dividends. Most important, when earnings are transitory and book value is a poor indicator of value, dividends have the greatest explanatory power of the three variables. The value relevance of dividends is confirmed further in statistical tests using holdout samples.
A common precursor to two major crab neurosecretory peptides

Abstract The biosynthesis of proteins by the X-organ sinus gland (XOSG) neurosecretory system of the crab, Cardisoma carnifex was studied using the pulse-chase technique. Analysis of radioactive proteins following 2D-PAGE showed that during pulse incubations of 3 hr showed a shift in labeling from the 14Kd forms to 3 separate 6Kd proteins. Two of the 6Kd proteins were identified as crustacean hyperglycemic peptides (CHH). Similarity in protein labeling using [3H]leucine and [35S]cysteine suggest a second major peptide group, the H peptide, known to lack cysteine, is also contained within the 14Kd precursor. Peptide mapping of the 14Kd proteins and of unlabeled CHH and peptide H provide substantive evidence for this biosynthetic scheme. Thus, both the CHH and H peptide groups, which together constitute >90% of the XOSG peptide content, in this species, arise from a common 14Kd precursor molecule.
Measles virus RNA.

Abstract RNA has been isolated from measles virions which sediments with a coefficient of 52.2 S when compared with 50 S RNA from SV 5 virions.
Inhalation of oxygen and 1:100 epinephrine hydrochloride plus five per cent glycerin for the relief of asthmatic attacks☆

Abstract 1.1. Epinephrine hydrochloride solution 1:100 is modified by the addition of 5 per cent glycerin, which often presents irritation and dryness of the throat. 2.2. Irritation and dryness of the throat occurred 82 per cent less frequently among the patients who used 5 per cent glycerinized 1:100 epinephrine hydrochloride than when epinephrine hydrochloride 1:100 alone was used.
Two-prong inhibitors for human carbonic anhydrase II.

The enzyme inhibitors are usually designed by taking into consideration the overall dimensions of the enzyme's active site pockets. This conventional approach often fails to produce desirable affinities of inhibitors for their cognate enzymes. To circumvent such constraints, we contemplated enhancing the binding affinities of inhibitors by attaching tether groups, which would interact with the surface exposed amino acid residues. This strategy has been tested for the inhibition of human carbonic anhydrase II. Benzenesulfonamide serves as a weak inhibitor for the enzyme, but when it is conjugated to iminodiacetate−Cu2+ (which interacts with the surface-exposed His residues) via a spacer group, its binding affinity is enhanced by about 2 orders of magnitude. This “two-prong” approach is expected to serve as a general strategy for converting weak inhibitors of enzymes into tight-binding inhibitors.
Application of case-crossover and case-time-control study designs in analyses of time-varying predictors of T-cell homeostasis failure.

Purpose To evaluate the association of sexual behavior and recreational drug exposures with T-cell homeostasis failure (TCHF), which corresponds to the onset of a rapid decline in an individual's T lymphocyte count, which occurs on average approximately 1.75 years prior to an initial diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Methods A case–crossover design and a case–time–control design, both nested within the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study of 4954 homosexual and bisexual men initiated in 1983. Results In the case–crossover analysis, use of both recreational drugs and hashish were found to be protective against TCHF (odds ratios ≤ 0.41), based on comparisons with four earlier control periods. However, a significant decreasing trend in the prevalence of these exposures was observed over time, thus motivating the implementation of the case–time–control design. Using the latter approach, the associations of drug use (odds ratio = 0.53; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.22, 1.28) and hashish use (odds ratio = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.20, 1.05) with TCHF were no longer statistically significant. Conclusions The difference in inferences between these approaches demonstrates the importance of evaluating temporal trends in exposures when using a case–crossover design.
Protein synthesis and urokinase mRNA metabolism.

Expression of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) is under tight regulation by hormones, cytokines and growth factors under physiological conditions. Treatment of lung epithelial (Beas2B) cells with translation inhibitors induces uPA mRNA expression, as well as early response genes. To understand the specific expression and regulation of uPA mRNA, we treated Beas2B cells with cycloheximide (CycD), anisomycin, emitine and puromycin in a time-dependent manner and measured uPA mRNA expression by Northern blotting. All these agents induced uPA mRNA by two- to seven-fold within 3 h after treatment in Beas2B cells. CycD, emitine, puromycin and anisomycin also enhanced uPA mRNA half-life by three- to five-fold in Beas2B cells treated with DRB, an inhibitor of transcription. However, run-on-transcription experiments indicated that these agents failed to induce uPA mRNA transcription indicating that they augment uPA mRNA mainly due to increased stability. Using gel mobility shift, we identified an uPA mRNA binding protein (uPA mRNABp) that selectively binds to uPA mRNA [Gyetko MR, Todd III RF, Wilkinson CC, Sitrin RG: The urokinase receptor is required for human monocyte chemotaxis In vitro. J Clin Invest 93: 1380–1387, 1994]. Binding of both cytoplasmic and nuclear uPA mRNABp to uPA mRNA was abolished after treatment with translation inhibitors, which coincides with the maximal expression of uPA mRNA. We also found a similar decline in HuR and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (hnRNPC) which are known to stabilize uPA mRNA both in the nuclear and cytosolic compartments. These results strongly suggest that increased uPA mRNA stability induced by translational inhibitors involves the interaction of uPA mRNA with a degrading protein factor rather than increased interaction of proteins that are known to stabilize uPA mRNA. These data also strongly suggests that down-regulation of the uPA-uPA mRNABp interaction by translational inhibitors rather than the translocation of uPA mRNABp contributes to increased uPA mRNA stability. This pathway may regulate uPA-mediated functions of the lung epithelium in the context of inflammation or neoplasia. (Mol Cell Biochem 271: 13–22, 2005)
Electroneutrality breakdown and specific ion effects in nanoconfined aqueous electrolytes observed by NMR

It is generally believed that charge neutrality is maintained in electrolytes nanoconfined by uncharged surfaces. Here, the authors show that electroneutrality breakdown is substantial in nanoconfined aqueous electrolytes, and it depends on ion-specific interfacial interactions and ion–ion correlations.
Partial purification and characterization of two peptidases from Neurospora crassa.

Abstract Two peptidases from Neurospora crassa have been partially purified and characterized with respect to substrate specificity, requirements for activity, and molecular size. Both enzymes appear to be dipeptidases (EC 3.4.13). One enzyme catalyzes the preferential hydrolysis of certain methionyl dipeptides. The second enzyme hydrolyses only dipeptides containing proline carboxy-terminal residues. In this paper these enzymes are referred to as methionyl dipeptidase and imidodipeptidase, respectively. Of the substrates tested, methionylalanine and methionylserine are most rapidly hydrolyzed by methionyl dipeptidase, and methionylprolinesi the preferred substrate for imidodipeptidase. The possibility that these enzymes may function in the removal of HN2-terminal methionine from newly initiated N. crassa proteins is discussed.
A comparison of past small dam removals in highly sediment-impacted systems in the U.S.

Abstract The ability to predict the effects of dam removal in highly sediment-filled systems is increasingly important as the number of such dam removal cases continues to grow. The cost and potential impacts of dam removal are site-specific and can vary substantially depending on local conditions. Of specific concern in sediment-impacted removals is the volume and rate of reservoir deposit erosion. The complexity and potential accuracy of modeling methods used to forecast the effects of such dam removals vary substantially. Current methods range from predictions based on simple analysis of pre-dam channel geometry to sophisticated data-intensive, three-dimensional numerical models. In the work presented here, we utilize data collected from past dam removals to develop an additional tool for predicting the rate and volume of sediment deposit erosion. Through the analysis of sediment, discharge, deposit, removal timeline, channel, and watershed data, in conjunction with post-removal monitoring data from a wide range of dam removal projects, some significant trends in the evolution of reservoir deposits following dam removal can be seen. Results indicate that parameters such as median grain size, level of cohesion, spatial variability of the deposit, and removal timeline are among the most influential factors in determining the rate and volume of sediment erosion. By comparing local conditions of dams and reservoirs slated for removal with those of past removals, we hope that predictions of the rate and volume of sediment deposit erosion can be usefully constrained.
NONDISPERSIVE LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION OF Zn(II), Cu(II), Co(II), AND Cd(II) FROM DILUTE SOLUTION WITH DEHPA IN A HOLLOW-FIBER MEMBRANE MODULE

The ability to concentrate dilute aqueous solutions containing metals is desirable both from the standpoint of waste volume reduction and increased ease of concentration measurement. The first challenge in designing a liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) system to concentrate metals is to find an organic system that can be used to simultaneously remove a number of metals. The goal of this work was to find a LLE system that extracts zinc, copper, cadmium and cobalt simultaneously. In the LLE extraction experiments, nearly 100% extraction of all four metals (Zn(II), Cu(II), Cd(II) and Co(II) at about 25 ppm initially) was achieved when all of them were extracted simultaneously using 0.3 mol/L DEHPA in n-heptane. The extraction order observed as the pH of the aqueous solution increased was Zn(II) > Co(II) > Cu(II) > Cd(II). Based on these results, a polysulfone Hollow Fiber Contained Liquid Membrane (HFCLM) system was designed and operated to study the nonequilibrium extraction of all four metals via nondispersive...
Mechanical Properties of Feedstock Material for Fused Deposition of Ceramics

A scientific methodology to characterize the critical mechanical properties of feedstock material for fused deposition of ceramics has been developed. A detailed discussion of the methodology of mechanical characterization and results for lead zirconate titanate (PZT) fused deposition of ceramics (FDC) feedstock is presented. The effect of storage time, temperature and crosshead displacement rates on the mechanical properties of the PZT FDC feedstock was studied. The modulus and the failure stress increase with displacement rate. The modulus and failure stress decrease with temperature indicating the necessity for cooling filaments prior to entrance to liquefier. The modulus also decreases with storage time in 50% RH while failure strain increases with storage time in 50% RH.
Increased CCAAT Enhancer-binding Protein ϵ (C/EBPϵ) Expression and Premature Apoptosis in Myeloid Cells Expressing Gfi-1 N382S Mutant Associated with Severe Congenital Neutropenia

Granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) stimulates the activation of multiple signaling pathways, leading to alterations in the activities of transcription factors. Gfi-1 is a zinc finger transcriptional repressor that is required for granulopoiesis. How Gfi-1 acts in myeloid cells is poorly understood. We show here that the expression of Gfi-1 was up-regulated during G-CSF-induced granulocytic differentiation in myeloid 32D cells. Truncation of the carboxyl terminus of the G-CSF receptor, as seen in patients with acute myeloid leukemia evolving from severe congenital neutropenia, disrupted Gfi-1 up-regulation by G-CSF. Ectopic expression of a dominant negative Gfi-1 mutant, N382S, which was associated with severe congenital neutropenia, resulted in premature apoptosis and reduced proliferation of cells induced to differentiate with G-CSF. The expression of neutrophil elastase (NE) and CCAAT enhancer-binding protein ϵ (C/EBPϵ) was significantly increased in 32D cells expressing N382S. In contrast, overexpression of wild type Gfi-1 abolished G-CSF-induced up-regulation of C/EBPϵ but had no apparent effect on NE up-regulation by G-CSF. Notably, G-CSF-dependent proliferation and survival were inhibited upon overexpression of C/EBPϵ but not NE. These data indicate that Gfi-1 down-regulates C/EBPϵ expression and suggest that increased expression of C/EBPϵ as a consequence of loss of Gfi-1 function may be deleterious to the proliferation and survival of early myeloid cells.
Values, stress, and coping among practicing family physicians.

OBJECTIVE To determine the types of values, sources of stress, and methods of coping in a sample of community-based practicing family physicians who were determined as healthy and satisfied with their careers. DESIGN Qualitative study, combining an interview guide approach with a standardized open-ended interview. SETTING Offices of practicing physicians in Ohio. PARTICIPANTS A purposeful sample of 10 central Ohio family physicians, ranging in age from their mid-30s to mid-60s; 8 were married; 2 were African American; 3 practiced in a rural environment; 3 worked in a solo practice, 5 in a partnership, and 2 in a group practice. The sample was identified by a knowledgeable informant, using a criterion of success in coping with occupational stress and satisfaction with the practice of medicine. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Patterns and themes common to the interviews. RESULTS Primary values presented by the sample included caring, diversity, control, family, and spirituality. Sources of stress involved overload, the nature of today's medical environment, and demanding patients. Coping strategies consisted of problem solving, developing a positive perspective, stress monitoring, support, and "time for self." Stress was often produced when a conflict existed between the person and the work environment. Stress was also created when the manifestation of values was unhealthy and unbalanced. CONCLUSIONS Research participants described various learned strategies that enabled them to cope more effectively with stress. These were often developed after personal struggle with work or family. Results suggested that assessing the developmental processes in physician stress and coping is important.
Pharmacodynamics and tolerance of oral sustained release ritodrine

A new oral sustained release formulation of ritodrine was tested for patient tolerance in this open study. The doses tested were 120 mg/day, 240 mg/day, and 360 mg/day. No objective toxicity was seen at any level. Doses of 120 mg/day and 240 mg/day were well-tolerated. Of the subjects who received the 360 mg/day dose, most tolerated it well.
A low power, low noise 3nV/√Hz 200fA/√Hz, rapid settling instrumentation amplifier with sub-ppm nonlinearity, 0.2µV/°C max offset drift, 150dB CMRR in 5-to-36V supply

An instrumentation amplifier with 3nV/√Hz and 200fA/√Hz RTI noise, 20MHz bandwidth, 40V/μs slew rate, consumes 2mA from a ±2.5V to ±18V supply range. Its high gain CMRR of greater than 150dB and its unity gain error of less than 0.01% extend over temperatures from -55°C to 150°C. It has a sub-ppm load independent gain nonlinearity (THD <; -125dBc) for its full output range, from DC to 2 kHz. Vosi distribution is within ±25μV, drifting less than 0.2μV/°C from -55°C to 150°C. Settling time is less than 0.6μs to 10ppm of a 10V output step. The amplifier is designed in an SOI complementary bipolar process with a die size of 3.3mm2.
Martensitic transformation path of NiTi

We present the structural evolution mechanism during the NiTi martensitic transformation and show the origins of this behavior in electronic and phononic anomalies. By employing highly precise all-electron density-functional theory calculations, we establish a barrierless transformation path for equiatomic NiTi consisting of a basal shear composed of bilayer $⟨100⟩{011}$ stacking faults to the B2 phase followed by another basal shear which causes a relaxation of the structure's monoclinic angle and results in the $\text{B}1{9}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ phase. This path is traced to evolving Fermi-surface nesting regions, which drive the structural transformation between the austenitic and martensitic phases.
Distributed BACI: a toolkit for distributed applications

We have built a distributed Ben-Ari Concurrent Interpreter (distributed BACI), which provides easy-to-use commands to implement distributed algorithms. In distributed BACI, a send process, receive process, and interpreter process combine to provide the distributed system functionality necessary to implement distributed algorithms. In this paper, we introduce the distributed BACI toolkit, illustrate the toolkit with a distributed mutual exclusion algorithm, and discuss how the toolkit is implemented. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An anatomical and electrophysiological study of synapse elimination at the developing frog neuromuscular junction.

Abstract Synapse elimination was examined in the developing frog cutaneous pectoris muscle using histological and electrophysiological techniques. Morphological synapse elimination occurred in two phases. The first phase, which began at the time of metamorphosis and continued until the second to third postmetamorphic week, was characterized by a rapid decline in the number of endplates receiving ⩾3 synaptic inputs. However, 50% of the muscle fibers still remained dually innervated. This dual innervation decreased with a much slower time course; approximately 20% of the muscle fibers were dually innervated in 1- to 2-year-old frogs. During the first phase of synapse elimination no difference was noted between the distribution of acetylcholine receptors or acetylcholinesterase activity associated with the terminal arborizations formed by separate axons at one synaptic site. However, terminal arborizations formed by small diameter axons and consisting of varicosities separated by thin interconnectives became apparent during this period. Such varicose arborizations responded to nerve stimulation and released acetylcholine in proportion to their terminal length as did the nonvaricose arborizations. In addition, the number of morphological and physiological inputs at one endplate site was well correlated throughout the first phase of synapse elimination.
Inhibition of Gibberellic Acid-induced Elongation in Avena Stem Segments by a Substituted Pyrimidine

Avena stem segments, which respond with high amplitude, specificity, and sensitivity to gibberellic acid, were used to study the inhibition of gibberellin-induced elongation by the growth retardant alpha-cyclopropyl-alpha-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-pyrimidine methanol (EL-531). It was found that EL-531 strongly inhibits gibberellic acid-induced elongation in this system at a concentration of 1 mm. From a double-reciprocal plot of elongation and gibberellic acid concentration, it seems that EL-531 and gibberellic acid do not compete reversibly for the same site of action. Also, because EL-531 effectively inhibits elongation in internodal tissue dissected away from the node and leaf sheath, it cannot be acting primarily by inhibiting the synthesis or transport of the leaf sheath factor(s). Because EL-531 causes lateral expansion of the stem segments as well as increased diameters of epidermal cells, in a manner very similar to the effects of colchicine, it is suggested that EL-531 inhibits gibberellic acid-induced elongation by somehow interfering with the orientation of the products of cell wall synthesis.
Simulation Of Clutter Rejection Signal Processing For Mid-Infrared Surveillance Systems

With most wide field of view surveillance systems, extensive clutter rejection signal processing is needed to suppress false alarms. At long range the objects sought appear to be point sources, and spatial discrimination can be used to reject extended sources (clutter) and to ensure a low false alarm rate. In this work a variety of one-dimensional signal processing techniques have been evaluated using high resolution (0.15 mrad) noise data gathered with a scanning IR data collection sensor operating in the 4.0 - 4.8 pm spectral band. The recorded noise contains segments with strong clutter from back-lit clouds and segments from uniformly radiant sky with no clutter. These segments were separated in the simulation. Two ordinary bandpass filters and a spatial filter matched by a least-mean-square (LMS) technique to the detector output from a point source were evaluated. A digital computer was used to pass the noise data through algorithms representing the filters and through two types of threshold algorithms, one having a fixed threshold, the other a threshold that adapts to changes in the noise level. Except in one case, the LMS filter performed better than the bandpass filters with both threshold algorithms. No significant degradation in the performance of an adaptive threshold sensor (151 samples long) was observed due to the use of an LMS filter (7 samples long) at a false alarm rate of one in 1.6 x l0 pixels. A one-dimensional LMS filter and adaptive threshold sensor were shown to be an effective clutter rejection combination at least for sensors with an NEI exceeding 1 x 10-13 W/cm2.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Capital mobility and the current account

Abstract This paper analyzes the effect of unanticipated changes in the terms of trade on consumption expenditures and the current account in a small open economy. Simple formulas are obtained for the covariances of changes in consumption expenditures, the current account and the expected current account with changes in the terms of trade. It is shown that, if investment is uncorrelated with the terms of trade, a necessary condition for unanticipated changes in the terms of trade to be correlated with changes in consumption expenditures and the expected current account is that the real expected return on foreign bonds differs from the real expected return on domestic bonds.
Are pediatric concussion patients compliant with discharge instructions

BACKGROUND: Concussions are commonly diagnosed in pediatric patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). The primary objective of this study was to evaluate compliance with ED discharge instructions for concussion management. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted from November 2011 to November 2012 in a pediatric ED at a regional Level 1 trauma center, serving 35,000 pediatric patients per year. Subjects were aged 8 years to 17 years and were discharged from the ED with a diagnosis of concussion. Exclusion criteria included recent (past 3 months) diagnosis of head injury, hospital admission, intracranial injury, skull fracture, suspected nonaccidental trauma, or preexisting neurologic condition. Subjects were administered a baseline survey in the ED and were given standardized discharge instructions for concussion by the treating physician. Telephone follow-up surveys were conducted at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after ED visit. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients were enrolled. The majority (67%) of concussions were sports related. Among sports-related concussions, soccer (30%), football (11%), lacrosse (8%), and basketball (8%) injuries were most common. More than one third (39%) reported return to play (RTP) on the day of the injury. Physician follow-up was equivalent for sport and nonsport concussions (2 weeks, 58%; 4 weeks, 64%). Sports-related concussion patients were more likely to follow up with a trainer (2 weeks, 25% vs. 10%, p = 0.06; 4 weeks, 29% vs. 8%, p CONCLUSION: Pediatric patients discharged from the ED are mostly compliant with concussion instructions. However, a significant number of patients RTP on the day of injury, while experiencing symptoms or without medical clearance. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Care management, level IV. Epidemiologic study, level III. Language: en
Competitive Effects on Technology Diffusion

This article takes as its central concern the diffusion of high technology innovation among business organizations. A set of propositions is developed that focuses on the competitive factors influe...
A SANS study of the structure of plasticized PVC

Abstract The structure and crystallinity of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) has been examined using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and a deuterated plasticizer. The scattering curve, which shows a prominent peak at a Bragg spacing of ∼ 11 nm, has been interpreted using a two-phase model where the phases are assumed to be plasticized amorphous material and unplasticized, probably crystalline, material. The volume fraction of the PVC that was unplasticized was obtained from the SANS invariant. The value found, 0.29, was relatively insensitive to the assumed amorphous density and consistent with the dependance of the scattering peak height on the fraction of the plasticizer that was deuterated.
Modal decomposition method for stationary response of non‐classically damped systems

The stationary response of multi-degree-of-freedom non-classically damped linear systems subjected to stationary input excitation is studied. A modal decomposition procedure based on the complex eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the system is used to derive general expressions for the spectral moments of response. These expressions are in terms of cross-modal spectral moments and explicitly account for the correlation between modal responses; thus, they are applicable to structures characterized with significant non-classical damping as well as structures with closely spaced frequencies. Closed form solutions are presented for the important case of response to white-noise input. Various quantities of response of general engineering interest can be obtained in terms of these spectral moments. These include mean zero-crossing rate and mean, variance and distribution of peak response over a specified duration. Examples point out several instances where non-classical damping effects become significant and illustrate the marked improvement of the results of this study over conventional analysis based on classical damping approximations.