cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hormonal regulation of rat uterine secretory protein synthesis.

Treatment of the rat uterus with estradiol results in many morphological and biochemical changes. In order to examine the biochemical mechanisms of these changes, we are interested in finding a protein which can be used as an end-point indicator or marker. Estradiol administration results in the increased synthesis and release of a 115,000 and 65,000 dalton protein into the incubation media. In this paper, we demonstrate that these proteins are actually subunits of a larger protein having a molecular weight of 180,000 daltons. This protein appears to be specific to the uterus and may be produced mainly or solely by the epithelial cells. In the normal estrous cycle, maximal production is seen at estrus with essentially no production at diestrus. In the immature rat, synthesis of the 180K dalton protein is blocked by the interaction of progesterone and estradiol. However, unlike some uterine responses, the 180K protein is increased by treatment with several antiestrogens. This protein is also present in sufficient quantities to allow for the production of monoclonal antibodies. Thus this protein has many attributes of an excellent “marker protein” and will be of value in future studies aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanism(s) of steroid hormone action in the uterus.
Sign Language: Discourse and Pragmatics

Discourse structure exists in the context of cultures and their values. Signing style is affected by minority language status, especially when hearing people are present. Modality effects on signed discourse include that conversations take place face-to-face, require the participants to be paying attention, and require an orderly system for turn taking. Information presentation is structured according to the sender's belief regarding the receiver's knowledge. Languages have procedures for determining where the focus prominence falls in a sentence and how prominence is marked phonetically. SLs show a full array of focus marking, including particles and syntactic constructions, and separate marking for emphasis.
Innate Resistance to HSV-1 Infection: Mouse Macrophage Inhibition of Viral Replication

Mice of C57BL genetic background are known to be highly resistant to acute (lethal) infection with Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1). This ability of C57BL mice to resist HSV-1 lethal infection is due, at least in part, to the efficacy with which individual cells such as macrophages inhibit viral replication intracellularly. Bone marrow, peritoneum, or spleen macrophages isolated from C57BL/6 mice and infected in vitro, consistently inhibit viral replication by restricting viral protein or DNA synthesis at an earlier point in the viral growth cycle than macrophages from susceptible DBA/2 mice. The specific point in the replicative cycle at which viral replication is inhibited is dependent on the tissue source from which the macrophages are isolated.
A Game-Theoretic Approach to Constraint Satisfaction

We shed light on the connections between different approaches to constraint satisfaction by showing that the main consistency concepts used to derive tractability results for constraint satisfaction are intimately related to certain combinatorial pebble games, called the existential -pebble games, that were originally introduced in the context of Datalog. The crucial insight relating pebble games to constraint satisfaction is that the key concept of strong -consistency is equivalent to a condition on winning strategies for the Duplicator player in the existential -pebble game. We use this insight to show that strong -consistency can be established if and only if the Duplicator wins the existential -pebble game. Moreover, whenever strong -consistency can be established, one method for doing this is to first compute the largest winning strategy for the Duplicator in the existential -pebble game and then modify the original problem by augmenting it with the constraints expressed by the largest winning strategy. This basic result makes it possible to establish deeper connections between pebble games, consistency properties, and tractability of constraint satisfaction. In particular, we use existential -pebble games to introduce the concept of -locality and show that it constitutes a new tractable case of constraint satisfaction that properly extends the well known case in which establishing strong -consistency implies global consistency.
PRISM: Software for Risk Assessment and Decision-Making in Libraries:

PRISM is a software instrument developed by the University of California to enable UC libraries to analyze and manage risks of damage and loss to their collections. PRISM is designed to use a datab...
Relationship between breakthrough pressure and contact angle for organo-silane treated coal fly ash

Abstract One method to minimize contaminant leaching from soil or industrial byproducts such as coal fly ash (CFA) is through engineered water repellency. Breakthrough pressure (BP) experiments were conducted for five CFA types modified using three organo-silane (OS) products at different mix ratios. Results confirm that CFA can be modified and made sufficiently water resistant (up to 10 m pressure head) to infiltration by using OS. Such resistance can prevent infiltration of water into CFA, thereby eliminating the environmental concern of leachate generation. The experimental results of this study show that no water infiltration occurs until a positive water head threshold is reached. This value is referred herein as the breakthrough pressure. Once the breakthrough pressure is exceeded, subsequent infiltration depends less upon pore size and more upon type of OS, type of CFA, and the mix ratio used in the OS treatment. The Washburn equation was applied to predict the BP of the OS modified CFA. The Washburn equation requires an estimate of the pore radius and three approaches were used for this purpose. BP estimates using pore diameters derived from the CFA water characteristic curve and from an assumption of tetrahedral packing were reasonably close to experimental values. In this paper we propose using a relationship that is based on a revised Washburn equation that can better predict BP experimental results. The revised relationship for BP is a Washburn relationship adjusted with two variables, one to account for linear changes in surface energy, and another to account for differences between apparent and pore contact angles (CA). The apparent CA measured on a flat surface and the prevailing CA that manifests between individual pores of a compacted matrix of particles (i.e., as calculated and labeled as the pore CA) is related linearly up to approximately 140, beyond which the relationship follows an exponential function. The proposed relationship between measured CA and BP fits well the experimental data, and also correctly reflects the expected change in behavior at the line of demarcation between hydrophilic and hydrophobic systems (i.e., the line defined by CA = 90°). It was shown that the CA and BP relationship is a function of the chemical properties of the OS and the CFA.
Spatiotemporal patterns of maize and winter wheat yields in the United States: Predictability and impact from climate oscillations

Abstract Studies have shown linkages of climate oscillations with climate extreme events, such as floods and droughts, which may induce risks in summer and winter crop productions. The goal of this study is to explore spatial and temporal variability of a summer crop (maize) and a winter crop (wheat) yields and its linkages with influential climate oscillations in the United States. The county level yield data over 1960–2016 for maize and winter wheat were aggregated into each of the 260 climate divisions in the rainfed regions of the United States, with the linear yield trend being removed. The rotated Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reveals that the first five principal components explain 79% (maize) and 72% (winter wheat) of the spatial and temporal variability of crop anomalies. The first principal component of crop yield variability is strongly associated with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The results of multiple linear regressions for predicting yield anomalies using climate indices show that, climate indices during the reproductive period of maize explained final yield better than the vegetation period (30% versus 26%), while climate indices for winter wheat during the dormant and reproductive growth periods are similar and not significant (25% versus 28%). Categorical yield forecasts using random forecast techniques show that the low (below 30th percentile) and high (above 70th percentile) yields are well predicted by climate indices. Spatially, AMO is identified as the most important predictor for maize in 46% climate divisions and for wheat in 33% climate divisions. The results from this study may contribute to understanding the risks of large-scale climate oscillations to local-scale crop production and improving crop yield predictions.
Ultrafast Measurement of Mid-Infrared Internal Exciton Transitions of Separated Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

We report ultrafast mid-infrared studies of individualized semiconducting carbon nanotubes. Transient spectra of (6,5) and (7,5) nanotubes evidence a photoinduced resonance around 200 meV, associated with intra-excitonic transitions that reflect quasi-1-D exciton formation and dynamics.
Breast conservation therapy confers survival and distant recurrence advantage over mastectomy for stage II Triple Negative Breast cancer

Abstract Introduction Recent studies suggest survival benefit of breast conservation over mastectomy. We evaluated distant recurrence (DR) rates after breast-conservation therapy (BCT) versus mastectomy in our community-based cancer institute. Methods A retrospective review of patients undergoing treatment of Stage 0–3 breast cancer from January, 2002 to December, 2011 was performed. We evaluated outcomes between those having BCT versus mastectomy. Results We reviewed 4876 patients. There was no significant difference in DR between patients undergoing BCT versus mastectomy in DCIS (n = 904; BCS 521, mastectomy 383; DR = 1/521 vs 1/383; p = 0.09), Stage I (n = 2202; BCT 1505, mastectomy 697; DR = 6/1505 vs 17/697; p = 0.98) or Stage III cancer (n = 417; BCT 87, mastectomy 330; DR = 17/87 vs 59/330; p = 0.50). There was significantly less DR in Stage II patients (n = 1353) undergoing BCT vs mastectomy (32/645 vs 64/708; p = 0.003). Subgroup analysis of Stage II TNBC (n = 198) subgroup analysis showed 104 mastectomy and 94 BCT patients. Those in the BCT group had significantly lower rates of DR (6/94 vs 16/104; p= 0.03) and significantly higher survival (81/94 vs 69/104; p = 0.007) than those undergoing mastectomy. Of Stage II TNBC patients with DR there was no difference in age, lymph node status or tumor size (p > 0.05 for all) in BCT versus mastectomy groups; there was a significant difference in radiation status (94/94 vs. 28/104; p Conclusions We found significantly less DR in Stage II patients undergoing BCT vs mastectomy. This benefit includes a survival advantage in patients with TNBC undergoing BCT. We could not identify an explanatory factor. Until the difference is understood eligible patients with TNBC should be encouraged to undergo BCT.
Health literacy among neurosurgery and other surgical subspecialties: Readability of online patient materials found with Google

Abstract Objective To both determine whether the most high-yield online patient materials for surgical specialties meet the 6th grade readability level recommended by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and American Medical Association (AMA), and to discover differences in readability across specialties. We hypothesize average readability scores will exceed an 11th grade level. Methods The top five most common procedures for each of seven surgical specialties (neurological, orthopedic, plastic, general, thoracic, pediatric, and vascular) were searched using an incognito Google query to minimize location bias. The text from the top five patient-relevant links per procedure, excluding Wikipedia, journal articles, and videos, was extracted and inserted into Readability Studio Software for analysis. Results The combined average grade level of materials (± standard deviation) was: 10.47 ± 2.51 Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), 11–12 New Dale-Chall (NDC), 10.09 ± 1.97 Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), 12 Fry Graph (FG). Thoracic, neurologic, vascular, plastic, and orthopedic were least readable (grade level 10+ by all metrics). Conclusions High readability of procedure materials for patients is not unique to neurosurgery: all specialties exceeded the recommended 6th grade level by three or more grades. Online patient education materials related to surgical subspecialties must be written more comprehensibly.
The Simulated Cardiology Clinic: A Standardized Patient Exercise Supporting Medical Students' Biomedical Knowledge and Clinical Skills Integration.

Introduction Development of cardiac disease-related diagnostic skills—including hypothesis-driven data gathering, heart sound interpretation, and ECG interpretation—is an important component of med...
Effectiveness of remdesivir with and without dexamethasone in hospitalized patients with COVID-19

ABSTRACT Rationale Remdesivir and dexamethasone reduced the severity of COVID-19 in clinical trials. However, their individual or combined effectiveness in clinical practice remains unknown. Objectives To examine the effectiveness of remdesivir with or without dexamethasone. Methods We conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study between March 4 and August 29, 2020. Eligible COVID cases were hospitalized patients treated with remdesivir with or without dexamethasone. We applied a Cox proportional hazards model with propensity score matching to estimate the effect of these treatments on clinical improvement by 28 days (discharge or a 2-point decrease in WHO severity score) and 28-day mortality. Measurements and Main Results Of 2485 COVID-19 patients admitted between March 4 and August 29, 2020, 342 received remdesivir and 157 received remdesivir plus dexamethasone. Median age was 60 years; 45% were female; 81% were non-white. Remdesivir recipients on room air or nasal cannula oxygen had a faster time to clinical improvement (median 5.0 days [IQR 4.0, 8.0], remdesivir vs. 7.0 days [IQR 5.0, 12.0], control; adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.55 [1.28; 1.87]), yet those requiring higher levels of respiratory support did not benefit. Remdesivir recipients had lower, but statistically insignificant, 28-day mortality (7.6% [23 deaths], remdesivir vs. 14.9% [45 deaths], control). Adding dexamethasone trended toward lower 28-day mortality compared to remdesivir alone (5.1% [8 deaths] vs. 9.2% [17 deaths]; aHR 0.14 [0.02; 1.03]). Conclusions Remdesivir offered a significantly faster time to clinical improvement among a cohort of predominantly non-white patients hospitalized with COVID-19, particularly with mild-moderate disease. Remdesivir plus dexamethasone may reduce mortality.
A Review of the Use of Prosodic Aspects of Speech for the Automatic Detection and Assessment of Parkinson’s Disease

Several aspects of a person’s speech can be influenced by Parkinson’s Disease (PD), namely, phonatory, articulatory, prosodic, and cognitive-linguistic aspects. Several studies in literature extract information about these aspects to automatically detect or assess PD employing corpora containing different speech tasks from patients and control subjects. In this review, we analyze the influence of PD in the prosodic aspect and the potential use of prosody-related features in automatic detection and assessment of PD. Moreover, a list of corpora identified during the review, and an analysis of their characteristics are included in this article. As a conclusion of the review, we observe that the use of only prosody-related features in automatic detectors is uncommon in contrast to other aspects such as the phonatory and articulatory. Moreover, despite the clear evidence of the influence of PD in prosody, most of the proposed objective biomarkers or measures are not employed in the clinical practice to detect PD since a high percentage of the studies in literature only show trends and do not establish normative data for PD detection.
Second-order hyperpolarizability and all-optical-switching of intensity-modulated spatial self-phase modulation in CsPbBr1.5I1.5 perovskite quantum dot

Abstract The averaged second-order hyperpolarizability of perovskite (CsPbBr1.5I1.5) quantum dots (QDs) was characterized using the intensity-dependent spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM). The radial intensity variation of the Gaussian beam displayed the diffraction profile of concentric rings at the far-field due to the coherent superposition of transverse wave vectors with characteristic spatial nonlinear phases. The number of concentric rings as a function of input-intensity revealed the nonlinear refraction coefficients of the QDs. The nonlinear refraction coefficient or the real part of third-order nonlinear susceptibility as a function of concentration of QDs characterized the averaged second-order hyperpolarizability which is the nonlinear refraction coefficient of a single perovskite QD. The vertically asymmetric diffraction ring of SSPM indicates the phase distortion of the optical field due to the heat convection. All-optical switching characteristics of perovskite QDs is attributable to the intensity-modulated SSPM. The input intensity of optical switching by the SSPM was estimated to be ~1.05 MW/m2.
Willingness of Latinx and African Americans to Participate in Nontherapeutic Trials: It Depends on Who Runs the Research.

Background: Inclusion of racial/ethnic mi­norities in cancer-related research remains inadequate, continuing to impact disparate health outcomes. Data regarding enrollment of racial/ethnic minorities in nontherapeu­tic, health-related research is sparse, and even less is known about enrollment of those with a double disparity of racial/ethnic minorities in rural settings. Objective: To examine perspectives of Latinx and African American (AA) healthy volun­teers from rural and urban settings in five southern US states and Puerto Rico regarding their trust in research and their willingness to participate in nontherapeutic research trials based on who conducts the research. Methods: This study was conducted in 2013 in rural and urban communities across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missis­sippi, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico. A 38-item questionnaire based on the Tuskegee Legacy Project Questionnaire assessed willingness, motivators, and barriers to participation in nontherapeutic cancer-related research. The sample was segmented into four subgroups by urban/rural location and race/ethnicity. Results: Of 553 participants (rural Latinx=151, urban Latinx=158, rural AA=122, urban AA=122), more than 90% had never been asked to participate in research, yet 75% of those asked agreed to participate. Most had positive views regard­ing health-related research. Trust in who conducted research varied by subgroup. Personal doctors and university hospitals were most trusted by all subgroups; for-profit and tobacco companies were least trusted. Both Latinx subgroups trusted pharmaceutical companies more than AAs; local hospitals and for-profit businesses were more trusted by AAs. Both rural subgroups trusted research by insurance companies more than their urban counterparts. Conclusions: If asked, rural and urban AA and Latinx healthy volunteers were willing to participate in health-related research, with personal doctors and university hos­pitals considered the most trusted sources to encourage/conduct research. Ethn Dis. 2021;31(2):263-272; doi:10.18865/ed.31.2.263
The role of first-year seminars and first-year college achievement for undeclared students

It is commonly stated in both literature and news outlets that undergraduate college students, who are undeclared (i.e., have not declared a major), are at a higher risk of dropping out or underperforming compared to students with declared majors. However, research supporting this belief or literature citing possible supportive interventions is scant and outdated. The small amount of research conducted thus far mostly examines the role of advising in supporting these potentially at-risk students. The present study investigated whether undeclared students at a mid-sized public research university in the USA represent a higher risk than their declared peers, as well as whether participation in a first-year seminar (FYS) minimizes these risks. Findings indicate undeclared students may be at higher risk than their declared counterparts and participation in a research-based academic FYS improved academic outcomes for these students. Results included average first-term GPAs 0.4 points higher and approximately 10% greater retention to the second year as compared to undeclared non-participants.
Preoperative left ventricular longitudinal strain predicts outcome of septal myectomy for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of longitudinal strain and its effect on outcomes in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) who underwent septal myectomy. Methods We reviewed patients with obstructive HCM who underwent septal myectomy at our clinic from 2007 to 2016. Data of those who had strain echocardiography within 6 months before isolated myectomy were analyzed. Results The median age of the 857 patients studied was 55 (interquartile range [IQR], 44-63) years, and 451 (52.6%) were male. Left ventricular ejection fraction was 71% (IQR, 67%-74%), and the resting peak outflow tract gradient was 58 (IQR, 27-85) mm Hg. The median global longitudinal strain (GLS) was −14.6% (IQR, −12.0% to −17.3%). Regional longitudinal strain was nonuniform as reflected by more normal values in apical segments and more abnormal in basal segments. Moreover, GLS correlated poorly with ejection fraction and outflow tract gradient. In 64 patients who had postoperative strain echocardiography, GLS was comparable before and after septal myectomy, but regional strain was more uniform after myectomy. Over a follow-up of 8.3 (IQR, 6.5-10.3) years, when patients were equally stratified according to GLS (cutoff, −14.64%), the group with worse GLS had significantly poorer survival compared with the better GLS group (P = .002). Left ventricular ejection fraction had no association with survival. Conclusions Left ventricular longitudinal strain is nonuniform and might be significantly reduced in patients with obstructive HCM. Septal myectomy does not impair GLS but is associated with more uniform regional strains. Most importantly, reduced GLS preoperatively is strongly and independently associated with increased all-cause mortality after septal myectomy for obstructive HCM.
Time-domain optical processing using chromatic dispersion for ultrashort pulse shaping

This research aims to extend the number of resolvable spots by utilizing a novel pulse shaping technique based solely on time domain processing through the use of linear chromatic dispersion for spectral decomposition. A potential advantage of this technique over conventional time-space approaches to pulse shaping is the large number of resolvable spots possible when using a dispersed-pulse time window.
State Representation of Children's Interests

The state's claim that it can represent children's interests plays a significant role in defining the structure of families, the relationships within families, and the development of children's interests. This paper explores three different contexts involving the state and the contested nature of how the interests of minors are represented in both national and international law: first, in restricting the abortion rights of minors, the state claims to be protecting them; second, in allowing parents to decide who will act as caretaker for their children if both parents are dead, the state defers to parents' wishes; and third, in dysfunctional countries, where the state cannot protect children and the exercise of rights in court is virtually meaningless, it is non-governmental organizations who speak on behalf of minors. In examining the state's role in speaking for children, this article serves as a critique and a defense. The state's actions and efficacy in advocating the interests of minors is context-dependent; there are contexts in which the state's stated agenda of protecting children really is primary, while in other situations, there is another agenda altogether - or the state may be altogether incapable of acting at all. The paper argues that the state may be serving its own interest when it claims to be acting in a child's best interest, as when it regulates minors' abortions; it may be according primary value to children's interests, as is the case with guardians appointed once both parents are dead; or the state may be completely unable to serve anyone's interests. Children have different needs for third party understanding of their situations, depending on the posture of state, parent, and other institutional actors. Ultimately, the paradigmatic state/parent/child triangle must include, at a minimum, civil society and other non-governmental actors.
Potential interactions between alternative therapies and warfarin

Potential and documented interactions between alternative therapy agents and warfarin are discussed. An estimated one third of adults in the United States use alternative therapies, including herbs. A major safety concern is potential interactions of alternative medicine products with prescription medications. This issue is especially important with respect to drugs with narrow therapeutic indexes, such as warfarin. Herbal products that may potentially increase the risk of bleeding or potentiate the effects of warfarin therapy include angelica root, arnica flower, anise, asafoetida, bogbean, borage seed oil, bromelain, capsicum, celery, chamomile, clove, fenugreek, feverfew, garlic, ginger ginkgo, horse chestnut, licorice root, lovage root, meadowsweet, onion, parsley, passionflower herb, poplar, quassia, red clover, rue, sweet clover, turmeric, and willow bark. Products that have been associated with documented reports of potential interactions with warfarin include coenzyme Q10, danshen, devil's claw, dong quai, ginseng, green tea, papain, and vitamin E. Interpretation of the available information on herb-warfarin interactions is difficult because nearly all of it is based on in vitro data, animal studies, or individual case reports. More study is needed to confirm and assess the clinical significance of these potential interactions. There is evidence that a wide range of alternative therapy products have the potential to interact with warfarin. Pharmacists and other health care professionals should question all patients about use of alternative therapies and report documented interactions to FDA's MedWatch program.
Assessment of Prospectively Assigned Likert Scores for Targeted Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Transrectal Ultrasound Fusion Biopsies in Patients with Suspected Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: We assess the performance of prospectively assigned magnetic resonance imaging based Likert scale scores for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer, and analyze the pre-biopsy imaging variables associated with increased cancer detection using targeted magnetic resonance imaging-transrectal ultrasound fusion biopsy.Materials and Methods: In this retrospective review of prospectively generated data including men with abnormal multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging (at least 1 Likert score 3 or greater lesion) who underwent subsequent targeted magnetic resonance imaging-transrectal ultrasound fusion biopsy, we determined the association between different imaging variables (Likert score, lesion size, lesion location, prostate volume, radiologist experience) and targeted biopsy positivity rate. We also compared the detection of clinically significant cancer according to Likert scale scores. Tumors with high volume (50% or more of any core) Gleason score 3+4 or any tumor w...
An introduction to programming multiple-processor computers

Abstract FORTRAN applications programs can be executed on multipocessor computers in either a unitasking (traditional) or multitasking form. The latter allows a single job to use more than one processor simultaneously, with a consequent reduction in elapsed time and, perhaps, the cost of the calculation. An introduction to programming in this environment is presented. The concepts of synchronization and data sharing using EVENTS and LOCKS are illustrated with examples. The strategy of strong synchronization and the use of synchronization templates are proposed. We emphasize that incorrect multitasking programs can produce irreducible results, which makes debugging more difficult.
Approach for Discovering and Handling Crisis in a Service-Oriented Environment

In an emergency situation failure to respond in a timely manner poses a significant threat. Data needed for timely response comes from various sources and sensors. These individual data streams when viewed in isolation may appear irrelevant, however, when analyzed collectively may identify potential threats. An effective and timely response also requires collaboration and information sharing among various government agencies at all levels. This collaboration information sharing among agencies can be achieved using service-oriented architecture, where agencies provide access to their information resources and applications using Web services. Each of these agencies has its own rules/policies for providing their services. It is therefore, important to verify the correctness of the emergency response processes with respect to the rules/policies of the collaborating agencies involved in the execution of such processes. In this paper we present an approach which addresses the above challenges. Specifically, the proposed approach: a) employs multi stream data mining for identification of potential threats and disambiguation of alarms; b) provides a methodology for the discovery and selection of relevant Web services; c) employs a timed automata based verification methodology for determining the correctness of emergency response processes with respect to the rules of the collaborating agencies. We provide an overview of the initial implementation of the proposed approach.
Effects of initial molecular weight on thermal degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate): Part 1—Model 1☆

Abstract The relationship between changes in degree of polymerization and conversion was obtained experimentally for three anionically polymerized PMMA samples with different initial degrees of polymerization (315, 1250 and 5690). Kinetic constants for random scission initiation and average zip length were determined by combined use of the experimental data and a theoretical model (Model 1) based on the same depropagation rate via β scission from both primary and tertiary radicals generated from random scission of backbone CC bonds. Although the theoretically calculated activation energies for global reaction based on weight loss rates agree reasonably well with the experimentally determined activation energies, the theoretical estimates show inconsistency in the predicted value of average zip length and also do not agree well with the experimentally determined weight loss rates with temperature under dynamic heating conditions. It is suspected that the assumption of the equal reactivity of the primary and tertiary radicals is incorrect.
Computer-assisted structure-activity relationships of nitrogenous cyclic compounds tested in Salmonella assays for mutagenicity

Study of the relationship between mutagenicity and molecular structure for a data set of nitrogenous cyclic compounds is reported. A computerized SAR system (ADAPT) was utilized to classify a data set of 114 nitrogenous cyclic compounds with 19 molecular descriptors. All of the descriptors represented at least 10% of the compounds in the data sets. The average correct predictability of the data base was calculated to be 89% after evaluating 100 training/prediction subsets. The actual predictive ability of the discriminants generated by the ADAPT system was demonstrated by predicting the mutagenicity of structurally similar compounds not in the data set. Weight vectors generated in the pattern recognition programs were used to predict the bacterial mutagenicity of 10 compounds which were not included in the data set. All of the compounds were predicted correctly which was actually better than the 89% calculated by the system. This displayed the ability of the system of classify compounds as mutagenic or nonmutagenic by using molecular descriptors and to predict the biological activity of untested chemicals with a high degree of confidence. This paper presents the uses of this type of SAR approach in a research laboratory.
COOPERATIVE ATTITUDE SYNCHRONIZATION FOR RIGID-BODY SPACECRAFT VIA VARYING COMMUNICATION TOPOLOGY

This paper studies the application of nonlinear cooperative control theory to the attitude synchronization problem. To this end, explicit conditions, in terms of vector nonlinear differential inequalities, is presented firstly to ensure both the Lyapunov stability and asymptotically cooperative stability for a certain class of heterogeneous nonlinear system. Then, decentralized control algorithm incorporated with standard backstepping scheme is developed to accomplish attitude synchronization for a group of spacecraft with rigid body dynamics described by unit quaternion. In particular, the proposed control system imposes the least restrictive requirement on the communication, a piecewise constant, intermittently available, and sequentially complete topology is theoretically enough to ensure the asymptotically cooperative stability. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithms.
Measuring abnormal daily trading volume for samples of NYSE/ASE and NASDAQ securities using parametric and nonparametric test statistics

We extend prior research on the empirical properties of daily trading volume and methods to detect abnormal trading volume in two ways. We compare the performance of a nonparametric test statistic with the parametric test statistic used in prior research and we study samples of NASDAQ securities as well as samples of NYSE/ASE securities. Prior research has focused exclusively on NYSE securities. We find the nonpararnetric test statistic is more powerful in detecting abnormal trading volume than the parametric test statistic in both samples of NYSE/ASE and NASDAQ securities. We also document that abnormal trading volume will be detected more often in samples of NYSE/ASE securities compared to NASDAQ securities.
Photosensitivity in the terminal abdominal ganglion of Periplaneta americana (L.)

Abstract Abdominal photosensitivity in the terminal ganglion of P. americana (L.) was first indicated after studying the phototactic activity of cockroaches whose head capsules were painted with opaque enamel. Following dark adaptation, excised abdominal nerve tissue responded to brief light stimuli of varying duration. Discharge activity was obtained from the ventral nerve cord connectives and was directly related to stimulus duration. Ganglia not darkadapted were unresponsive.
TH‐C‐T‐6C‐03: A Method for Computing Energy Spectra for Multiple Orders of Compton‐Scattered Photons

Purpose: To compute the energy spectra for the first several orders of scatter for Compton‐collided photons and to discuss the results with respect to radiation transport and radiation protection considerations. Method and Materials: We assume that a population of monoenergetic, isotropically‐emitting point sources is uniformly distributed throughout an infinite, homogenous medium, which is characterized by isotropic scattering and no absorption. With these assumptions, the Boltzmann transport equation is written as a function of energy only, and is numerically solved by the Neumann Series method, which treats the transport problem as a coupled set of integral equations — one for each order of collision. Results: The differential energy spectra (photons / cm2‐sec‐MeV versus energy) for the first five orders of scatter are shown for a variety of initial photon energies in water, and in lead. These plots share several similar characteristics. First, the collision spectra become increasingly Gaussian‐shaped with each increase in order of scatter. Second, the peak for each spectrum shifts to lower energies with each scatter. However, the magnitude of this energy shift decreases with each progressive increase in order of scatter. Finally, the shapes of the collision spectra do not depend on the scattering medium; only their scale changes according to a ratio of electron densities. Conclusion: A tool has been developed to compute the energy spectra for the first five orders of Compton‐collided photons that result after scattering from an arbitrary initial energy in a homogeneous medium of arbitrary material. These spectra illuminate properties of the Klein‐Nishina formula for Compton collisions and are useful for radiation transport problems where one needs an estimate of the expected population of scatteredphotons in the Compton energy regime. Future work will build photoelectric absorption into the model.
Determination of carbon in stainless steel and plutonium using infrared detection of carbon dioxide

Abstract Carbon in stainless steel and plutonium metal in the 3–1000 ppm range is burned at 1300°C in a stream of purified oxygen and the carbon dioxide produced is quantified by integrating the signal from an infrared detector. The relative standard deviation is 10% or better. This method is approximately five times faster than the conventional manometric method and is equally accurate and precise. Use of a platinum resistance furnace makes the method more suitable for glove boxes or shielded enclosures than methods requiring inductively heated furnaces.
The Policy Space Structure of Markovian Systems with Two Types of Service

A system with customers demanding service is observed at equally spaced points in time. Two types of service can be applied and the maximum number of customers the system can accommodate is L. The probability for an arrival of a customer per period is assumed to be λ, and the probability to finish its service in one period will be μkk = 1, 2. Different costs are imposed on the system for using a certain type of service as well as for a customer lost. The implementation of a particular service policy generates a Markov process. The policy space structure and its relationship to the variants of the system costs, probability to finish service in a unit of time, and arrivals is presented. The analysis shows that it is possible to reduce the number of policies to be considered from 2L+1 to L + 2, and a simple algorithm is proposed for choosing the optimal policy.
The doctrine of distribution

Peter Geach describes the ‘doctrine of distribution’ as the view that a term is distributed if it refers to everything that it denotes, and undistributed if it refers to only some of the things that it denotes. He argues that the notion, so explained, is incoherent. He claims that the doctrine of distribution originates from a degenerate use of the notion of ‘distributive supposition’ in medieval supposition theory sometime in the 16th century. This paper proposes instead that the doctrine of distribution occurs at least as early as the 12th century, and that it originates from a study of Aristotle's notion of a term's being ‘taken universally’, and not from the much later theory of distributive supposition. A detailed version of the doctrine found in the Port Royal Logic is articulated, and compared with a slightly different modern version. Finally, Geach's arguments for the incoherence of the doctrine are discussed and rejected.
Runway operational quality assurance

Aviation is one of the most important industries in the United States and around the world, as it is a major driving force in maintaining a good economy. Every year it becomes an increasingly essential mode of transportation for people and various high-value, lightweight goods, and that increase is expected to continue. Runways are the “bottleneck” in the air transportation process and are a major source of flight delays. To meet the demand for more air traffic, especially for major airports, the capacity of runways needs to be increased while maintaining Target Levels of Safety. The focus of this work is the arrival and landing process of aircrafts onto runways because this is where aircrafts are closest and collision risk is highest. Since this process is inherently stochastic, proposed changes to flight separation standards and runway occupancy times to increase capacity, must be accompanied by a system that monitors the throughput and safety of runways for the approach and landing process. Analysis described in this paper shows that reducing the standard deviation of the runway occupancy time and the air-traffic control buffer both improved safety. These improvements in safety then allowed the reduction in the mean to improve capacity.
Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis of the Fimbrillin Locus, fimA, of Porphyromonas gingivalis

With hybridization probes derived from the fimbrial locus of Porphyromonas gingivalis strain 381, fimA381' restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were examined at the fimbrillin locus in 39 human and animal strains of this species. The 39 strains were subdivided into nine RFLP groups (I-IX) after genomic digests were probed with the internal coding sequence of the fimA381 gene. Thirty-three strains showed one or more AluI fragments of moderate-to-high homology (≥77%) with the internal coding sequence of fimA381. These strains were distributed into the first seven RFLP groups, based solely on the size of the major hybridizing AluI fragment. Five human strains (RFLP Group VIII) had only one Alu I fragment that hybridized very poorly with this probe. One animal strain did not have homology at all (RFLP Group IX). When all AluI fragments that hybridized with fimA381 were analyzed, RFLP groups I-VIII were further differentiated into 25 distinct RFLP patterns. Hybridizations were also performed with ...
EFFECTIVE HEAT CAPACITIES FOR THE FREEZING AND THAWING OF FOOD

Based on a modified form of the freezing point depression equation we have derived a set of rigorous, broadly applicable equations for effective heat capacity during the freezing and thawing of foods and biological materials. The equations have been integrated with respect to temperature, thereby providing a set of useful equations for enthalpy during freezing and thawing. The validity and utility of the equations are demonstrated using data from the literature. Methods for adjusting the equations to account for changes in water content and fat content are presented. The enthalpy equations are useful for calculating heat-transfer loads during freezing and thawing, and the heat capacity equations can be advantageously used in differential equations for calculating freezing and thawing heat-transfer rates.
Relationship Between Hypertension, Hypertrophy, and Opening Angle of Zero-Stress State of Arteries Following Aortic Constriction

Examination of changes occurring in the zero-stress state of an organ provides a way to study cellular growth in the organ due to change of physical stresses. The zero-stress state of the aorta is not a tube. It is a sector with an opening angle that varies with the location on the aorta and changes with cellular remodeling. Blood vessel remodeling can be induced by imposing a constriction on the abdominal aorta by a metal clip (aortic banding), which causes an increase of blood pressure, hypertrophy of the aortic wall, and large change of opening angle. The correlation of the opening angle with the blood vessel wall thickness and blood pressure changes in rat's aorta due to aortic banding is presented in this report. The opening angle changes daily following the aortic banding. Blood pressure rises in vessels of the upper body, but that in the lower body decreases at first and then rises to an asymptotic value. Blood vessel wall thickness increases in rough proportion to blood pressure. Vessel diameter changes also. But the most dramatic is the course of change of the zero-stress state. Typically, the time to reach 50 percent of asymptotic hypertrophy of blood vessel wall thickness is about 3-5 days. The corresponding time for blood pressure is about 7 days. The opening angle of the zero-stress state, however, increases rapidly at first, reaches a peak in about 2 to 4 days, then decreases gradually to a reduced asymptote. The exact values of the time constants depend on the location along the aortic tree. In general, the course of change of residual strain is very different from those of the blood pressure and the blood vessel wall thickness.
Challenges in reservoir forecasting

The combination of geostatistics-based numerical geological models and finite difference flow simulation has improved our ability to predict reservoir performance. The main contribution of geostatistical modeling has been more realistic representations of reservoir heterogeneity. Our understanding of the physics of fluid flow in porous media is reasonably captured by flow simulators in common usage. Notwithstanding the increasing application and success of geostatistics and flow simulation there remain many important challenges in reservoir forecasting. This application has alerted geoscientists and physicists that geostatistical/flow models in many respects, are, engineering approximations to thereal spatial distribution andreal flow processes. This paper reviews current research directions and presents some new ideas of where reserach could be focused to improve our ability to model geological features, model flow processes, and, ultimately, improve reservoir performance predictions.
Folding of pyrimidine-enriched RNA fragments from the vicinity of the internal ribosomal entry site of Hepatitis A virus

Two RNA fragments from the region just upstream of the internal ribosome entry site of Hepatitis A virus (HAV) were studied, a 35mer (HAV-35), 5'U4C3U3C3U4C3U3C2UAU2C3U33(4), and a 23mer (HAV-23), 5(4)U4C3U3C3U4C3U33(4). Secondary structural predictions and nuclease digestion patterns obtained with genomic RNAs suggested that they link two stable Watson-Crick (WC) hairpins in the genomic RNA and do not form conventional WC secondary structure, but do fold to form a condensed, stacked 'domain'. To obtain more information, folding of HAV-23 and -35 RNA fragments was characterized using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, in H2O as a function of pH and temperature, circular dichroism as a function of NaCl concentration, pH and temperature, and square-wave voltammetry as a function of pH. The results indicate that these oligo-nucleotides form intramolecular structures that contain transient U*U base pairs at pH 7 and moderate ionic strength (100 mM NaCl). This folded structure becomes destabilized and loses the U*U base pairs above and below neutral pH, especially at ionic strengths above 0.1. All of the cytidine protons exchange relatively rapidly with solvent protons (exchange lifetimes shorter than 1 ms), so the structure contains few if any C*CH+base pairs at neutral pH, but can apparently form them at pH values below 6. We present a series of possible models in which chain folding draws the strand termini closer together, possibly serving to pull the attached WC hairpin domains together and providing a functional advantage by nucleating reversible formation of a more viable RNA substrate.