cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of political event and political affliation on destination image and a longitudinal approach of image change

Abstract Political ideology as a psychographic factor is known to affect destination image and behavioral intentions. This study assessed the difference in Alabama's perceived destination image based on political affiliation. Future intentions based on political affiliation showed an increase in mean values before and after the special election. The largest increase in mean score was found in respondents with liberal tendencies (Democrats). This study also measured the perceived destination image, familiarity, and future intentions to visit the state among those who had visited and those who had not visited and compared current findings to a 2014 study to determine if there was any change over time. The current image and future intentions showed a statistically significant difference between visitors and non-visitors of Alabama. For the respondents with no intention to visit, the top reason for both 2014 and 2018 was ‘no interest’; however, ‘political reasons’ ranked fourth which did not appear in the 2014 results.
Consistent Multi-robot Object Matching via QuickMatch.

In this work, we present a novel solution and experimental verification for the multi-image object matching problem. We first review the QuickMatch algorithm for multi-image feature matching and then show how it applies to an object matching test. The presented experiment looks to match features across a large number of images and features more often and accurately than standard techniques. This experiment demonstrates the advantages of rapid multi-image matching, not only for improving system performance, but also for use in new applications, such as object discovery and localization.
Micro-innovations: Incremental Process Improvements

Micro-innovations are ideas that squeeze out efficiencies from existing processes. The approach philosophy is to reduce variability of a process so as to produce the same results every time. The outcome is a procedure or process that minimizes waste and defects while maximizes output. Micro-innovations require deep knowledge and expertise in a field. Whereas generalists need to know how things connect, a subject matter expert needs to be intimately familiar with the details and how processes can be improved. These experts can implement continuous improvement processes, an incremental approach to making change. As an energy strategist, one needs to continuously identify, reduce, and eliminate energy and carbon waste across an organization.
Jump-Type Chains and Branching Processes

Strong Markov property, renewals in Poisson process, rate kernel, embedded Markov chain, existence and explosion, compound and pseudo-Poisson processes, backward equation, invariant distribution, convergence dichotomy, mean recurrence times, Bienayme process, extinction and asymptotics, binary splitting, Brownian branching tree, genealogy and Yule tree, survival rate and distribution, diffusion approximation.
Structure evolution of single-site Pt in a metal-organic framework.

Heterogeneous single-metal-site catalyst or single-atom catalyst research has grown rapidly due to the accessibility of modern characterization techniques that can provide invaluable information at the atomic-scale. Herein, we study the structural evolution of isolated single Pt sites incorporated in a metal–organic framework containing bipyridine functional groups using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy with CO as the probe molecule. The structure and electronic properties of the isolated Pt sites are further corroborated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. We find the prerequisite of high temperature He treatment for Pt activation and CO insertion and inquire into the structural transformation of Pt site process by dynamic nuclear polarization-enhanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Mountain Meadows Massacre

In 1857, a Utah territorial militia massacred a California-bound immigrant train as part of the so-called “Utah War.” The Mountain Meadows Massacre is the most violent event in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and remains the object of intense on-going scholarly debate. This article reviews the recently published Mountain Meadows Massacre: Collected Legal Papers, which provides a comprehensive documentary history of the legal aftermath of the massacre. Among the issues documented in the collection, this review argues that the documents illustrate the vitally important shift from military to legal conflict in the 19th-century conflict between the federal government and the Church. The history they document thus provides a vivid example of the how law can replace violence as a way of mediating religious conflict.
Evaluation of the Synergistic Activity of Antibacterial and Antifungal Drugs against Candida auris using an Inkjet Printer-Assisted Method

Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen that spreads readily in healthcare settings and has caused numerous hospital outbreaks. Very few treatment options exist for C. auris infections. We evaluated the activity of all two-drug combinations of three antifungal agents (amphotericin B, caspofungin, and voriconazole) and two antibacterial agents (minocycline and rifampin) against a collection of 10 C. auris isolates using an automated, inkjet printer-assisted checkerboard array method. Three antibacterial-antifungal combinations (amphotericin B plus rifampin, amphotericin B plus minocycline, and caspofungin plus minocycline) demonstrated synergistic activity by checkerboard array against ≥90% of strains with fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) values of 0.094 to 0.5. The two amphotericin B-containing combinations were also synergistic using the time-kill synergy testing method, with up to a 4.99 log10 decrease in surviving yeast compared to either agent alone. Our results suggest that combinations of antifungal and antibacterial agents may provide a promising avenue for treatment of this multidrug-resistant pathogen.
The Exploitation of Coal as an Engine for Growth in Eastern Kentucky – An Input-Output Study

Historically, the economic problems of Appalachia have been closely linked to the problems of the coal industry, which, with its boom and bust cycles, often has intensified the conditions of poverty, unemployment, out-migration, and capital flight from the area. For more than a decade it has been national economic policy “to develop in Appalachia a self-sustaining economy capable of supporting the people with rising incomes, improving standards of living and increasing employment opportunities” [1, p. 64]. It has been widely hypothesized that this societal goal will be achieved through exogenous increases in demand for coal as the result of its substitution for other energy sources. Therefore a study was made of the impacts of the increased demand for coal on the economies of the 18 coal-producing counties in Appalachian Kentucky.
Molecular cloning of infectious ecotropic murine leukemia virus AK7 from an emv-14-positive AKXL-5 mouse and the resistance of AK7 to recognition by cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

The AKXL-5 recombinant inbred mouse strain is positive for the endogenous ecotropic murine leukemia virus emv-14, the only emv present in its germ line. emv-14 is of particular interest because spleen cells expressing emv-14 virus escape recognition by anti-AKR/Gross virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes. We report here the isolation and characterization of a replication-competent emv clone, pAK7, derived from an AKXL-5 mouse. This clone is novel in that it encodes a variant ecotropic murine leukemia virus that, when expressed in SC.Kb target cells, fails to be recognized efficiently by anti-AKR/Gross virus cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The pAK7 clone can therefore be used to further probe mechanisms of escape from cell-mediated immunity.
MB-AIM-FSI: a model based framework for exploiting gradient ascent multiagent learners in strategic interactions

Future agent applications will increasingly represent human users autonomously or semi-autonomously in strategic interactions with similar entities. Hence, there is a growing need to develop algorithmic approaches that can learn to recognize commonalities in opponent strategies and exploit such commonalities to improve strategic response. Recently a framework [9] has been proposed that aims for targeted optimality against a set of finite memory opponents. We propose an approach that aims for targeted optimality against the set of all possible multiagent learning algorithms that perform gradient search to select a single stage Nash Equilibria of a repeated game. Such opponents induce a Markov Decision Process as the learning environment and appropriate responses to such environments are learned by assuming a generative model of the environment. In the absence of a generative model, we present a framework, MB-AIM-FSI, that models the opponent online based on interactions, solves the model off-line when sufficient information has been gathered, stores the strategy in the repository and finally uses it judiciously when playing against the same or similar opponent at a later time.
How Buyer-Supplier Relationships Can Lead to Suboptimal Adoption Strategies for Disruptive Technologies

This article focuses on the antecedents of a quality adoption decision of a disruptive technology. Understanding how to make a quality adoption decision, as measured by continuance attitudes and behaviors towards the product, is of critical importance for a buying manager considering a disruptive technology. Given this challenge, a model for quality adoption decisions is proposed that considers the following precursors: interorganizational trust, mimetic competitor pressures, normative supplier pressures, efficiency motives, IT capabilities and searching efforts. This model was tested using survey results from 174 recent purchasing managers of a cloud computing service, an emerging disruptive technology. Perhaps the most unique finding is that increased normative pressures from supplying firms led to a lower quality adoption decision. Interestingly, these pressures are driven by pre-adoption levels of interorganizational trust and mimetic pressures from competitors. This finding comes in contrast to the previously held belief that strong interorganizational relationships are ideal. Instead, potential adopting managers of a disruptive technology should be driven by efficiency motives and actually aim to increase their searching efforts in order to make an optimal adoption decision. The implication from this finding suggests that relying too heavily on a strong, pre-existing interorganizational relationship can be detrimental for an adopter of a disruptive technology.
Understanding how discrete populations of hypothalamic neurons orchestrate complicated behavioral states.

A major question in systems neuroscience is how a single population of neurons can interact with the rest of the brain to orchestrate complex behavioral states. The hypothalamus contains many such discrete neuronal populations that individually regulate arousal, feeding, and drinking. For example, hypothalamic neurons that express hypocretin (Hcrt) neuropeptides can sense homeostatic and metabolic factors affecting wakefulness and orchestrate organismal arousal. Neurons that express agouti-related protein (AgRP) can sense the metabolic needs of the body and orchestrate a state of hunger. The organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) can detect the hypertonicity of blood and orchestrate a state of thirst. Each hypothalamic population is sufficient to generate complicated behavioral states through the combined efforts of distinct efferent projections. The principal challenge to understanding these brain systems is therefore to determine the individual roles of each downstream projection for each behavioral state. In recent years, the development and application of temporally precise, genetically encoded tools have greatly improved our understanding of the structure and function of these neural systems. This review will survey recent advances in our understanding of how these individual hypothalamic populations can orchestrate complicated behavioral states due to the combined efforts of individual downstream projections.
Staggered Terms for the US Senate: Origins and Irony

This article provides the first detailed study of the origins of staggered Senate terms, which typically have been interpreted as part of the framers’ intent to create an insulated, stable, and conservative Senate. I draw upon three sources of evidence—the meaning and application of “rotation” in revolutionary America, the deliberations and decisions at the Constitutional Convention, and the arguments during Ratification—to show that the origins of and intentions behind staggered terms offer little support for the dominant interpretation. Instead, staggered terms, a mechanism to promote “rotation” or turnover of membership, were added to the Constitution as a compromise to offset, not augment, the Senate's longer terms by exposing a legislative chamber with long individual tenure to more frequent electoral influence and change.
Deconstructing Arbitrary and Capricious Review

Arbitrary and capricious — or “hard look” — review is a critical and legitimizing force in a political and legal environment that is increasingly hostile to administrative government. It employs principles of judicial deference to balance the authority of courts and agencies in pursuit of rational, transparent administrative policymaking. It is thus no surprise that arbitrary and capricious review is a favorite topic of both courts and commentators. Despite this active focus on hard look review, however, a crucial point has been overlooked. Existing scholarship overwhelmingly portrays arbitrary and capricious review as one-dimensional — as applying the same standard in the same way across all manner of agency conduct. This Article rejects this one-dimensional approach and offers a new perspective that represents a potentially transformative view of arbitrary and capricious review. It reconceptualizes hard look review as a multi-dimensional expression of judicial deference and argues that arbitrariness review is both more effective and more easily justified when it is “deconstructed” — when it first divides administrative policymaking into its constituent parts, such as record building, reason giving, input scope and quality, and rationality. This shift exposes arbitrary and capricious review for what I contend it should be: a collection of more particularized inquiries into specific components of agency decision making. The deconstruction model is useful for several reasons. It provides a new and coherent theoretical framework for arbitrary and capricious review. This framework may then be used to evaluate each of the deconstructed components of agency conduct against the underlying principles of judicial deference and goals of hard look review to develop a new, dynamic view of arbitrariness review that tailors judicial deference to discreet aspects of agency decision making. Deconstruction also reveals institutional and systemic benefits to viewing hard look review as a multidimensional exercise. These in turn increase our understanding of how hard look review should be utilized in different contexts and of when courts should defer to the political branches more generally.
Comparative study of a micro-scale test for lead in blood, for use in mass screening programs.

A procedure suitable for the mass screening of children for an undue body burden of lead was tested on 170 clinic patients. Capillary finger-prick blood, collected on filter paper, was analyzed for lead with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer with the Delves cup attachment. This method of analysis had first been judged to be accurate after a laboratory evaluation in which results were compared with those obtained by a dithizone procedure. In the present study, both capillary and venous bloods were obtained from the patients. Venous bloods were also analyzed by the filter paper disk method and by an atomic absorption spectrophotometric procedure requiring a 5-ml sample. Results show that the screening method described here will reliably identify those children with a significantly supranormal blood lead. Both sample collection and laboratory analysis are easier.
Developmental stuttering: manifestations, treatment and dental implications.

Developmental stuttering (DS) is a disturbance in the normal fluency and time patterning of speech resulting in involuntary repetition, prolongation, or cessation of sound. The scientific literature has implicated the lack of strong left cerebral dominance and abnormal levels of the neurotranemitters dopamine and possibly serotonin in regions of the brain controlling the coordination of language processing and motor activity of the vocal apparatus as possible causative factors in DS. Speech-language therapy is the most common form of treatment, but antipsychotic, antide-pressant, and anxiolytic medications may be prescribed for some children and adults with persistent stuttering. These medications may cause xerostomia and adversely interact with certain antibiotics, analgesics, and sedatives routinely used in dentistry. Some people who stutter have sensory-motor and tactile-proprioceptive deficits that impede accurate and timely movements of the mandible, lips, and tongue, necessitating protection of the airway by staff during dental care.
A RELATIVISTIC ESCHATOLOGY: TIME, ETERNITY, AND ESCHATOLOGY IN LIGHT OF THE PHYSICS OF RELATIVITY

Unique epistemological challenges arise whenever one embarks on the critical and self-critical reflection of the nature of time and the end of time. I attempt to construct my preference for an eschatological distinction between time and eternity from within a middle way, avoiding both the hubris that claims complete com- prehension and the resignation that concedes readily to know noth- ing. Surveying the history of reflection on this multifaceted question of time, with its ephemeral and everlasting dimensions, I argue that the eschatological interplay between the "already" and the "not yet" has much to offer: promise for the religion-science dialogue as well as hope for humanity, especially for those on society's bleakest edges. But understandings of time, to be authentically theological, must be also informed by cosmology and the physics of relativity. My pro- posal seeks to respect the theological and scientific interpretations of the nature of time, serving the ongoing, creative interaction of these disciplines. Between physics and theology I identify four formal dif- ferences in analyzing eschatology, all grounded in the one fundamen- tal difference between extrapolation and promise. Discussion of what I term deficits in both the scientific and theological approaches leads to further examination of the complex relationship between time and eternity. I distinguish three models of such relationships, which I label the ontological, the quantitative, and the eschatological distinc- tion between time and eternity. Because of the way it embraces a multiplicity of times, especially relating to the culmination and the consummation of creation, I opt for the eschatological model. The eschatological disruption of linear chronology relates well to relativ- istic physics: This model is open, dynamic, and relational, and it may add a new aspect to the debate over the block universe.
Rural Development in Asia: Meetings with Peasants

Background and Analytical Framework Afghanistan The Initial Stages Afghanistan From Progress to Tragedy The Indian Subcontinent The Starting Point Indian Agriculture The Initial Boost The Second Step The Old and the New A Slow Awakening Into the Paddy Fields The Mosaic of Peninsular India Pakistan The World's Largest Irrigated Basin Bangladesh Towards a Possible Future The Chinese Countryside Technical Innovations and Ideology After Mao Zedong Towards a Theoretical Outline Conclusion
Special Session - Learning through Diversity: Resources and Experiences to Build Awareness and Practical Responses

This proposed special session will include "In Their Own Words," a short video that reflects information gathered in interviews with 24 engineering students and draws on qualitative data to explore themes from transcripts of these student interviews. The video and following analysis of the issues and possible solutions have proved to be powerful learning resources. In addition, two or three students from the new "Case Studies in Inclusive Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics" will follow. This new resource developed through the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning has received positive reviews in a variety of settings since its debut in May, 2005.
On the kinetics of diffusion-limited layer growth in solid-solid systems

The diffusion-limited growth of an intermediate layer between two saturated solid solutions is investigated theoretically. It is shown that conventional approaches based on Fick’s law alone can give rise to significant errors if the partial molar volumes of the diffusing species are not constant, because the contribution of bulk flow to the species fluxes is not accounted for. New expressions for layer growth rates in spherical and planar geometries are derived, subject to the condition that the mass or molar density of the new phase is uniform. These results are seen to reduce formally to the standard expressions under appropriate limiting conditions. It is concluded that the old and new approaches are complementary, each being valid under a particular set of circumstances.
Streaming graph partitioning for large distributed graphs

Extracting knowledge by performing computations on graphs is becoming increasingly challenging as graphs grow in size. A standard approach distributes the graph over a cluster of nodes, but performing computations on a distributed graph is expensive if large amount of data have to be moved. Without partitioning the graph, communication quickly becomes a limiting factor in scaling the system up. Existing graph partitioning heuristics incur high computation and communication cost on large graphs, sometimes as high as the future computation itself. Observing that the graph has to be loaded into the cluster, we ask if the partitioning can be done at the same time with a lightweight streaming algorithm.We propose natural, simple heuristics and compare their performance to hashing and METIS, a fast, offline heuristic. We show on a large collection of graph datasets that our heuristics are a significant improvement, with the best obtaining an average gain of 76%. The heuristics are scalable in the size of the graphs and the number of partitions. Using our streaming partitioning methods, we are able to speed up PageRank computations on Spark, a distributed computation system, by 18% to 39% for large social networks.
ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC MANIFESTATIONS OF VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY; A COMPUTER STUDY OF ECG-ANATOMIC CORRELATIONS IN 319 CASES.

Abstract Significant correlations were found between heart weight and QRS-amplitude measurements. The most significant were S-wave depth in the right precordial leads and R-wave height in the left precordial leads. These correlations were not seen throughout the range of heart weights, but only when the heart weight was above normal. Heart weight was also correlated with QRS duration, the position of the QRS transition zone in the precordial leads, the presence of S-T segment shifts, and the presence of left axis deviation. The administration of digitalis considerably limits the usefulness of S-T segment shift as a parameter which differentiates normal from large heart weights. Left ventricular activation time was found to be correlated with heart weight, but was more closely related to right heart thickness than left heart thickness.
Transmembrane Voltage Changes During Unipolar Stimulation of Rabbit Ventricle

Abstract This study tested the prediction of bidomain models that unipolar stimulation of anisotropic myocardium produces transmembrane voltage changes (ΔVms) of opposite signs away from the electrode on perpendicular axes. Stimulation with a strength of 0.1 to 40 mA was applied from a point electrode on the left or right ventricle of isolated perfused rabbit hearts at 37°C to 38°C stained with the potentiometric dye di-4-ANEPPS. A laser scanner system recorded Vm-sensitive fluorescence at 63 spots in an 8×8-mm region around the electrode. Cathodal stimulation in the refractory period produced regions of −ΔVm 1 to 5 mm away from the electrode on an axis oriented parallel to the fast propagation axis to within 1.8±11° ( P ≥.7 for difference versus zero, n=7). Recording spots in these regions underwent +ΔVm when anodal stimulation was used. At recording spots on the slow propagation axis, cathodal stimulation produced +ΔVm and anodal stimulation produced −ΔVm. During diastolic stimulation, early excitation occurred near the electrode for cathodal stimulation or on the fast propagation axis as far as 2.8±1 mm away from the electrode for anodal stimulation. A “dog-bone” region of +ΔVm that included tissue near and away from the electrode on the slow propagation axis occurred when cathodal stimulation was given in diastole. Regions of +ΔVm occurred away from the electrode on the fast propagation axis when anodal stimulation was given in diastole. Thus, ΔVm differs in regions along and across myocardial fibers, indicating that ΔVm depends on anisotropic bidomain properties. Sites of early excitation are those where +ΔVm occurs, indicating that membrane channel excitation depends on the distribution of ΔVm.
Adrenocortical factors in hypertension. II The significance of 16-oxygenated C-19 steroids.

Abstract One of the proposed steroid abnormalities in low renin hypertension, increased production of 16β-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone, has been evaluated and not confirmed. Double isotopic and radioimmunoassay methods were developed and their specificity evaluated. Two isomeric 16-oxygenated C-19 steroids were also measured, the 16α-hydroxy epimer and the 16-keto,17β-hydroxy derivative, and no significant elevations were observed in hypertensive patients. Plasma levels of 16-keto-5-androstene-3β, 17β-diol were also measured and found to be elevated normally in late pregnancy. The proposal that the syndromes of mineralocorticoid excess and low renin essential hypertension share a common mechanism is based on certain similarities between the two disorders, and the ability of agents which inhibit or antagonize adrenocortical secretion to lower blood pressure in the low renin hypertensive group. However, the beneficial effect of the removal or neutralization of the adrenocortical contribution need only constitute evidence for volume dependency of blood pressure in the low renin group. Evidence for the existence of an adrenocortical factor in low renin hypertension must rest on the isolation of an active substance which reproduces the effect when readministered. This criterion has not yet been met.
Obsidian Sources and Elemental Analyses of Artifacts in Southern Mesoamerica and the Northern Intermediate Area

Obsidian sources, and the proportions of those sources represented in site collections, are known poorly in the southeast mesoamerican periphery. The Honduran sources of La Esperanza and Guinope are described and “fingerprinted” chemically, and their utilization is explored in selected sites in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Although prehistoric Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans used obsidian from sources as far away as Honduras and Guatemala, most of their cutting tools were made from local materials, using informal manufacturing techniques. The analytical results indicate two sources of new types of obsidian have yet to be found; they may lie in western Nicaragua.
Immersed boundary finite elements for 3D flow simulations in twin-screw extruders

Abstract This paper presents applications of a recently proposed Immersed Boundary (IB) method to the solution of the flow around moving and complex shaped surfaces, in particular inside twin-screw extruders. Solving the flow around rotating screw elements implies significant changes in the computational topology at every time step. Using multiple meshes or adaptive methods to tackle these would require extensive meshing and interpolation work that has to be repeated each time step. Mesh generation and solution interpolation between successive grids may be costly and may introduce errors if the geometry changes significantly during the course of the computation. These drawbacks are avoided when the solution algorithm can tackle grids that do not fit the shape of immersed objects. In this work a fixed mesh is used covering both the fluid and solid regions, and the boundary of immersed objects is defined using a time dependent level-set function. The Body Conformal Enrichment (BCE) method is used to accurately impose boundary conditions on the surface of immersed bodies. The proposed algorithm enriches the finite element discretization of interface elements with additional degrees of freedom, the latter being eliminated at element level. Numerical applications are shown in which the flow inside twin-screw extruders is computed for multiple screw elements. A generalized non-Newtonian fluid is used to model molten polymer. Solutions will be shown for various rotation velocities of the screw as the viscosity depends on the shear rate.
Age estimation of faces: a review†

Accurate age estimation is important in a variety of settings, particularly those in which age is a condition for access to a product such as alcohol or tobacco. The current paper reviews data on the estimation of age, focusing on changes that occur to the ageing face, methodology and findings. The accumulated data suggest that age estimation of unfamiliar faces can be quite accurate, is sensitive to cues at the local and global level and may vary on the basis of group membership. Potential directions for future research are highlighted and findings are discussed with respect to their implications for policies regarding the solicitation of age identification. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chemical measurement and data reduction from a systems analysis perspective

Abstract Low-cost, high-performance computation is now available with many analytical instruments. Data reduction methods now employed use relatively little of the information and the computing power available from these instruments. An alternative way of analyzing chemical measurement data involves the use of concepts from system theory. System theory was developed to analyze time series data produced by very complicated processes. It is proposed here that systems analysis methods have a number of applications in the reduction of chemical data. Full use of these methods may change the way in which chemical data are collected as well.
Relationship between inhibition of interstitial cell testosterone synthesis by cytochalasin B and glucose

Abstract We examined the possibility that cytochalasin B reduced LH-stimulated testosterone synthesis of Leydig cells in part by inhibiting glucose uptake. In the presence of 5.6mM glucose cytochalasin B (0.1–50μM) inhibited LH-stimulated testosterone synthesis in a dose-dependent manner, while effects with cytochalasin D or cytochalasin E were not evident until inhibitor concentrations reached 1 or 10μM. Increasing levels of glucose (0–5mM) progressively increased LH-stimulated testosterone synthesis by interstitial cells, while cytochalasin B at 1 or 10μM inhibited testosterone synthesis in a dose-dependent manner at each glucose concentration examined. Higher concentrations of glucose (10– 50mM) partially reversed this inhibition. In the absence of glucose LH-stimulated testosterone synthesis was inhibited only when the cytochalasin B concentration reached 10μM. Cytochalasin B (0.1–5μM) inhibited [14C]-2-deoxyglucose uptake by purified Leydig cells in a dose-dependent manner, while 1 or 10μM cytochalasin D or cytochalasin E had only limited effects. These results suggest that cytochalasin B inhibits Leydig cell LH-stimulated testosterone synthesis by at least two mechanisms: by blocking glucose uptake at lower concentrations (0.1–10μM), while at higher concentrations (10–50μM) it probably blocks microfilament function.
Androgenetic Alopecia in Women

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), also known in women as female pattern hair loss, is caused by androgens in genetically susceptible women and men. The thinning begins between ages 12 and 40 years, the inheritance pattern is polygenic, and the incidence is the same as in men. In susceptible hair follicles, dihydrotestosterone binds to the androgen receptor, and the hormone-receptor complex activates the genes responsible for the gradual transformation of large terminal follicles to miniaturized follicles. Both young women and young men with AGA have higher levels of 5α reductase and androgen receptor in frontal hair follicles compared to occipital follicles. At the same time, young women have much higher levels of cytochrome p-450 aromatase in frontal follicles than men who have minimal aromatase, and women have even higher aromatase levels in occipital follicles. The diagnosis of AGA in women is supported by early age of onset, the pattern of increased thinning over the frontal/parietal scalp with greater density over the occipital scalp, retention of the frontal hairline, and the presence of miniaturized hairs. Most women with AGA have normal menses and pregnancies. Extensive hormonal testing is usually not needed unless symptoms and signs of androgen excess are present such as hirsutism, severe unresponsive cystic acne, virilization, or galactorrhea. Topical minoxidil solution is the only drug available for promoting hair growth in women with AGA. Efficacy has been shown in double-blind studies using hair counts and hair weight.
Fractographic study of transverse cracks in a fibre composite

Transverse fracture of unidirectional fibre composites was studied in a model glass/epoxy composite in which 1 mm-diameter rods had been used in place of fibres. The fracture surface resulting from transverse cracking in this model system was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The interaction of the crack with the epoxy matrix resin and the glass rods was the following: Cracks in the resin appeared to have effected a debonding at the glassmatrix interface before reaching the glass. The debonding then propagated along the interface and induced secondary cracks ahead of the primary debonding crack. The confluence of the secondary and primary cracks resulted in sharp ridges being formed on the matrix resin surface, produced by plastic deformation of the rigid epoxy resin. These appeared as a field of parabolic marks. Considering the brittleness of the resin, the amount of plastic deformation indicated by the ridges was astonishing. As the debonding continued around the glass rod, a transverse corrugated texture developed on the resin surface, again produced by plastic deformation. Finally, the cracks reentered the matrix from small patches of polymer adhering especially strongly to the glass surface. The overall fracture energy of transverse cracking of unidirectional fibre composites is suggested to consist, therefore, of the following elements in addition to crack propagation in the matrix resin: (a) the glass-resin debonding before the incoming cracks reach the glass, (b) the initiation of secondary cracks or debonds at the interface, (c) the plastic deformation in generating the ridges on the rigid resin surface, appearing both as the paraboloids and the transverse corrugation, and (d) cracking of the matrix reinitiated at the opposite side of the glass. The use of an enlarged glass reinforcement in this study provided a more direct observation of the properties of transverse crack propagation in composite materials than would have been possible with the small, roughly 10μm fibres.
Non-linear oscillations of circular plates near a critical speed resonance

Abstract The non-linear response of an axisymmetric, thin elastic circular plate subject to a constant, space-fixed transverse force and rotating near a critical speed of an asymmetric mode, is analyzed. A small-stretch, moderate-rotation plate theory of Nowinski [J. Appl. Mech. (1964) 72–78], leading to von Karman-type field equations is used. This leads to non-linear modal interactions of a pair of 1–1 internally resonant, asymmetric modes which are studied through first-order averaging. The resulting amplitude equations represent a system whose O(2) symmetry is broken by a resonant rotating force. The non-linear coupling of the modes induces steady-state solutions that have no apparent evolution from any previous linear analyses of this problem. For undamped disks, the analysis of the averaged Hamiltonian predicts two codimension-two bifurcations that give rise to three sets of doubly degenerate, one-dimensional manifolds of steady mixed wave motions. On the addition of the smallest damping, the branches of the backward travelling waves with equal modal content become isolated, and it is proved that these are the only steady motions possible. A simple experiment is used to confirm the analytical predictions.
Methodology for the Steady-State Operability Analysis of Plantwide Systems

Many plants presently incorporate mass and heat integration schemes because they can offer substantial material and energy savings. In designing such integrated processes, the designer runs the ris...
Conductivity, Superconductivity, and the Peierls Instability

We investigate the properties of a one-dimensional model of the electron-phonon system which exhibits the Peierls instability. The instability tends to suppress BCS pairing, and the resulting Peierls state below the structural transformation is semiconducting. Results of the conductivity calculation compare favorably with recent measurements on most samples of tetrathiofulvalinium tetracyanoquinodimethane but cannot explain the extraordinary conductivity peaks found in a few samples.
Effects of Running and Walking on Osteoarthritis and Hip Replacement Risk

ABSTRACTPurposeRunning and other strenuous sports activities are purported to increase osteoarthritis (OA) risk, more so than walking and less-strenuous activities. Analyses were therefore performed to test whether running, walking, and other exercise affect OA and hip replacement risk and to assess
Arterial blood pressure in dogs: Effects ofm-tyrosine alone or in combination with inhibitors of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase; relative hypotensive potencies ofl-dopa,dl-m-tyrosine, andl-m-tyrosine

Chez des chiens anesthesies, lam-tyrosine donne une reponse hypertensive a l'injection i.v. Cette reponse devient hypotensive lorsque les chiens sont traites au prealable par les inhibiteurs de la decarboxylase de l'acide amine aromatique carbidopa ou Ro 4-4602. Chez les chiens traites au prealable par le carbidopa, lal-m-tyrosine est consideree comme un agent plus puissant que le racemate. Comme agent hypotenseur lal-Dopa est moins puissante que ladl- ou lal-m-tyrosine.
Colour use by tiny predators: jumping spiders show colour biases during foraging

The evolution of many animal colours is thought to be driven by selection from visually guided predators. Yet research has largely focused on large vertebrate predators such as birds while ignoring smaller, terrestrial invertebrate predators. This is despite clear evidence that small invertebrate predators are important regulators of prey densities in a variety of ecosystems. Jumping spiders are small voracious predators that feed on a wide variety of prey in the field. They are capable of colour discrimination, but little is known about whether they attend to the colour of their prey during foraging. We examined colour biases by offering Habronattus pyrrithrix jumping spiders arrays of artificially coloured juvenile crickets. We found that field-collected H. pyrrithrix showed populationwide colour biases; across age and sex categories, attack rates were lowest on red and yellow prey (colours commonly used as warning colours) and highest on blue prey. We retested the same individuals after they were housed for several weeks in the laboratory and found that their colour biases had weakened to statistically undetectable levels. We also found that colour preferences in individual spiders were not consistent over time, suggesting that the populationwide colour biases that we observed were not simply driven by consistent preferences of a subset of individuals. Finally, we tested colour preferences in a separate group of naive, laboratory-raised spiders and found similar biases favouring blue prey, with low attack rates on red, yellow and green. Our study provides the first evidence that both experienced and naive jumping spiders show colour biases when foraging and suggests that these biases may result from both innate and learned components. We argue that more attention to such understudied predators may provide a more holistic and accurate understanding of the suite of selective pressures that drive the evolution of prey colour patterns, particularly in small invertebrates.
Modeling ideal selectivity variation in nanoporous membranes

Abstract A parallel resistance transport model has been developed to describe variations in separation ability (quality) of nanoporous carbon membranes. The model considers transport through high-selectivity, high-resistance nanopores in combination with low-selectivity, low-resistance defect pores. Although few in number or small as a percentage of membrane area, these low-selectivity pores exert a disproportionate influence on permeation. The predictive qualities of the model are demonstrated using permeation data from the literature. Using flux ratios of oxygen to nitrogen, we can predict the area fraction ( α ) of defect pores. At an area fraction of only 10 −9 defect pores, the oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio falls to near unity—indicating no selectivity for oxygen. Although developed for nanoporous carbon membranes, the approach will work for zeolitic and other forms of nanoporous membranes.
Rheology of heated mixed whey protein isolate/cross-linked waxy maize starch dispersions

Abstract Dynamic and flow rheological characteristics of heated mixed whey protein isolate (WPI) and cross-linked waxy maize starch (CWM) dispersions: 5% solids, pH=7.0, 75 mM NaCl, were examined at starch mass fractions (smf) from 0 (pure WPI) to 1 (pure CWM). The heated mixed dispersions had lower values of G ′ than the pure WPI dispersion, primarily due to the disruptive effect of CWM granules on the WPI network. The point of phase inversion (minimum G ′ value) was at about smf=0.65. Based on frequency sweep data, the mixed dispersions were classified as ‘structured liquids’. Shear stress–shear rate data on the blends showed three different behaviors: WPI dispersion-like, CWM dispersion-like, or intermediate between the two depending on the composition. Apparent viscosity–shear rate curves followed the power law model with flow behavior index ( n ) values of 0.09≤ n ≤0.16 at smf≤0.2, and 0.47≤ n ≤0.53 at smf≥0.4.
Biologically effective dose (BED) for interstitial seed implants containing a mixture of radionuclides with different half-lives.

Abstract Purpose: To develop a tool for evaluating interstitial seed implants that contain a mixture of radionuclides with different half-lives and to demonstrate its utility by examining the clinical implications of prescribing to an isodose surface for such an implant. Methods and Materials: A linear-quadratic model for continuous low dose rate irradiation was developed for permanent implants containing a mixture of radionuclides. Using a generalized equation for the biologically effective dose (BED), the effects of cell proliferation and sublethal damage repair were examined systematically for implants containing a mixture of radionuclides. A head-and-neck permanent seed implant that contained a mixture of 125 I and 103 Pd seeds was used to demonstrate the utility of the generalized BED. Results: An equation of BED for implants containing a mixture of radionuclides with different half-lives was obtained. In such an implant, the effective cell kill was shown to depend strongly on the relative dose contributions from each radionuclide type; dose delivered by radionuclides with shorter half-life always resulted in more cell kill for any given sublethal damage repair and cell proliferation rates. Application of the BED formula to an implant containing a mixture of 125 I and 103 Pd seeds demonstrates that the conventional dose prescription to an isodose surface is not unique for such an implant. When the prescription dose was based on existing clinical experience of using 125 I seeds alone, mixing 103 Pd seeds with 125 I seeds would increase the cell kill. On the other hand, if the prescription dose were based on existing clinical experience of using 103 Pd seeds alone, mixing 125 I seeds with 103 Pd seeds in the same implant would create radiobiologically "cold" spots (i.e., an increase in cell survival) at locations where a major portion of the prescription dose is contributed by the 125 I seeds. For fast-growing tumors, these "cold" spots can become significant. Conclusions: Total dose alone is no longer sufficient for a complete characterization of a permanent seed implant containing a mixture of radionuclides with different half-lives due to the presence of cell proliferation and sublethal damage repair in the protracted dose delivery. BED provides a tool for evaluating the radiobiologic effects of mixing different type of radionuclides in the same implant. When radionuclides of different half-lives are mixed in a permanent implant, using the dose prescription established from existing clinical experience of implants with the longer half-life radionuclide would help to avoid radiobiologic "cold" spots.
Second-generation SSRIs: human monoamine transporter binding profile of escitalopram and R-fluoxetine

Abstract Background: Single isomers of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors citalopram (escitalopram, S -citalopram) and fluoxetine ( R -fluoxetine) are currently under development for the treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders. Previous studies conducted in laboratory animals have revealed that the biological effects on serotonin reuptake for citalopram reside in the S enantiomer. In contrast, both enantiomers of fluoxetine contribute to its biological activity. Methods: In the present study, the potency and selectivity of escitalopram, R -fluoxetine, and all of the other currently available selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were compared for binding affinity at the human serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine transporters and several select neurotransmitter receptors using radioligand binding assays. Results: Both escitalopram and R -fluoxetine were potent inhibitors of the serotonin transporter ( K i = 1.1 and 1.4 nmol/L, respectively). Escitalopram was the most serotonin transporter-selective compound tested and was ∼30-fold more potent than R -citalopram. Conclusions: As noted previously, paroxetine and sertraline possess moderate affinity ( R -Fluoxetine, unlike the other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, possesses moderate affinity ( K i = 64 nmol/L) for the serotonin 2C receptor. Potential clinical correlates of these unique attributes of escitalopram and R -fluoxetine are discussed.