cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Program in Leadership Engineering

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is planning to pioneer and establish a new undergraduate program in Leadership Engineering. The overarching program goal is graduation of a new pedigree of qualified engineers with the "soft skills", business acumen and strategic foresight, in addition to engineering prowess, to meet the needs of industry in the 21st century. Following the recommendation from James Duderstadt's "Engineering for a Changing World" [1], we propose a new paradigm for the education of the engineering leaders of the 21st century. The Duderstadt model mirrors the medical school training model that is credited with propelling advancement in medical practice during the last century, where the BS degree includes a broad-based curriculum of engineering design, project management, technology, ingenuity and innovation, along with business, communication, ethics, and social sciences. This foundation is then followed by post-graduate study, via a professional Master's degree program, in a specific discipline or concentration. The Leadership Engineering degree program is a first important, and viable, step towards that new paradigm. A large fraction of the graduates of the Leadership Engineering program are anticipated to pursue professional graduate degrees in a variety of engineering fields. Through a curriculum that provides a framework for building successful businesses, students graduating from the program may also move into the booming technology services sector or choose to start their own innovative companies. Finally, graduates of the Leadership Engineering program will be prepared to serve as leadership engineering educators in the K-12 sector, or for further graduate preparation in the expanding field of engineering education.
Effect of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester on arterial pressure and on vasodilator and vasoconstrictor responses: influence of initial vascular tone

Abstract Intravenous N ω -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) 0.3, 3 and 30 mg/kg produced a dose-dependent increase of blood pressure in urethane-anesthetized rats. Similar pressure responses occured in rats after ganglionic or adrenergic blockade, hemorrhage or acetylcholine infusion. L-NAME potentiated the pressor response to phenylephrine in pentolinium-treated rats. L-NAME increased the depressor effect of acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside and shortened the acetylcholine response. Phenylephrine potentiated the magnitude but not the duration of the acetylcholine response and had no effect on the duration or magnitude of sodium nitroprusside-induced hypotension. L-NAME potentiated the initial fall of blood pressure induced by a 5 min acetylcholine infusion but had no effect on the pressure drop at the end of infusion. These results suggest that basal production of nitric oxide (NO) is not related to vascular tone and do not support the view that acetylcholine releases NO from resistance vessels in vivo.
Conductance peak splitting in charge polarized coupled quantum dots

We report a measurement of linear conductance through a series double dot as a function of the total double dot charge and the charge difference for interdot tunnel conductances between zero and one mode. The dots are defined by ten independently tunable electrostatic gates on the surface of a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure to allow separate adjustment of dot charge and interdot conductance. For weak interdot tunneling the measured double dot conductance agrees with a transport model in which each dot is individually governed by Coulomb blockade theory. As interdot tunnel conductance increases toward one mode, the measured conductance peak positions and shapes indicate both a relaxation of the charge quantization condition for individual dots and quantum mechanical charge sharing between dots. The results are in quantitative agreement with many body charge fluctuation theory.
Valproic acid: reversibly acting drug?

Summary Valproic acid [dipropylacetic acid (DPA)] was evaluated in an alumina-gel monkey model (N= 12) by constant-rate intravenous infusion. The data indicated: (a) a statistically significant decrease in seizure frequency the first 2 days of drug Step I (45–55 μg/ml) and drug Step II (90–110 μg/ml) which was temporary, lasting 2 days only; (b) a later, more permanent decrease in seizure frequency which was not apparent until drug Step III (130–170 μg/ml); and a delayed return of the seizure frequency to predrug levels for 2 weeks after drug administration was discontinued, with no DPA detectable in plasma after the initial postdrug day. Whether DPA will behave as a reversibly acting drug was discussed.
Are Gas-core Nuclear Rockets Attainable?

Open cycle gaseous fueled nuclear rocket engines, describing method of comparing engine characteristics with predicted engine performance
SHOULD THE PARAMETERS OF A BCI TRANSLATION ALGORITHM BE CONTINUALLY ADAPTED

People with or without motor disabilities can learn to control sensorimotor rhythms (SMRs) recorded from the scalp to move a computer cursor in one or more dimensions or can use the P300 event-related potential as a control signal to make discrete selections. Data collected from individuals using an SMR-based or P300-based BCI were evaluated offline to estimate the impact on performance of continually adapting the parameters of the translation algorithm during BCI operation. The performance of the SMR-based BCI was enhanced by adaptive updating of the feature weights or adaptive normalization of the features. In contrast, P300 performance did not benefit from either of these procedures.
Genetic Programming with Epigenetic Local Search

We focus on improving genetic programming through local search of the space of program structures using an inheritable epigenetic layer that specifies active and inactive genes. We explore several genetic programming implementations that represent the different properties that epigenetics can provide, such as passive structure, phenotypic plasticity, and inheritable gene regulation. We apply these implementations to several symbolic regression and program synthesis problems. For the symbolic regression problems, the results indicate that epigenetic local search consistently improves genetic programming by producing smaller solution programs with better fitness. Furthermore, we find that incorporating epigenetic modification as a mutation step in program synthesis problems can improve the ability of genetic programming to find exact solutions. By analyzing population homology we show that the epigenetic implementations maintain diversity in silenced portions of programs which may provide protection from premature convergence.
Studies on bacterial photophosphorylation II. Effects of reagents and temperature on light-induced and dark phases of photophosphorylation inRhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores

The flashing-light technique in combination with inhibitors and temperature variation was used to study the light-induced and dark phases of photophosphorylation inR. rubrum chromatophores. The first rapid photochemical step occurs only during illumination; it is not affected by methylphenazonium methosulfate. The second slower dark process occurs both during the flash and between flashes. It is further indicated that the dark process of photophosphorylation is separated into two steps; the electron-transfer process (inhibited by 2-n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide and low temperature, and bypassed by methylphenazonium methosulfate) and the process of esterification of phosphate coupled to electron transfer (slightly inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol). It is suggested that the rate of phosphorylation under continuous illumination of high intensity is determined by the electron transport at the site of 2-n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide or antimycin A inhibition.
Measurements of some potentially hazardous organic chemicals in urban environments

Three field studies were conducted in Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Oakland, California, to better characterize the atmospheric abundance, fate and human exposure of selected organic chemicals that may be potentially hazardous. During field data collection, in-situ analysis using an instrumented mobile laboratory was performed for a total of 33 organics; a dozen of these are suspected carcinogens. The concentrations, variabilities and average daily dosages from exposure to these pollutants were determined. The diurnal behavior and the atmospheric fate of both primary and secondary pollutants were studied. Residence times for a typical polluted atmosphere were estimated. The atmospheric distributions and abundances of many species have been defined for the first time. Average daily-dose levels of all three sites for exposure to halomethanes (excluding fluorocarbons), haloethanes, chloroethylenes, chloroaromatics, aromatic hydrocarbons and secondary organics were determined to be 298, 142, 203, 21, 1880 and 257 μg d−1 respectively. Exposure levels in Los Angeles were typically the highest and those in Oakland the lowest.
The perspectives of higher education faculty on Wikipedia

Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to investigate whether higher education instructors use information from Wikipedia for teaching and research.Design/methodology/approach – This is an explorative study to identify important factors regarding user acceptance and use of emerging information resources and technologies in the academic community. A total of 201 participants around the world answered an online questionnaire administered by a commercial provider. The questionnaire consisted of 16 Likert‐scaled questions to assess participants' agreement with each question along with an optional open‐ended explanation.Findings – The findings of this project confirm that internet access was related to faculty technology use. Online resources and references were ranked the first choice by the participants when searching for familiar and unfamiliar topics. The investigator found that participants' academic ranking status, frequency of e‐mail use and academic discipline were related to their use of online datab...
Several extensions of the Abian–Brown Fixed Point Theorem and their applications to extended and generalized Nash equilibria on chain-complete posets

Abstract In this paper, we provide several extensions of the Abian–Brown Fixed Point Theorem from single-valued mappings to set-valued mappings on chain-complete posets. Then we examine some non-monetized, non-cooperative games where both the collections of the strategies and the ranges of the utilities for the players are posets. By applying the extensions of the Abian–Brown Fixed Point Theorem and by applying the order-preserving property of mappings, we prove some existence theorems of extended and generalized Nash equilibria for non-monetized, non-cooperative games on chain-complete posets.
Advanced triaxial swelling tests on preserved shale cores

Abstract New triaxial tests were developed to determine the hydrational behavior of shales by measuring the swelling pressures and strains that results from exposure of shale cores to different test fluids. Preserved cores were instrumented within the test apparatus and then exposed to a test fluid in a single-stage test or sequentially to several test fluids in a multistage test. Multistage test results show that increasing concentrations of potassium can reduce swelling pressures to zero. Multistage tests were run on cores with different water activities. Measured swelling pressures were compared with those predicted if the shale behaved as an ideal osmotic membrane. Swelling pressures from 0.98 activity shales were close to predicted values, while those from 0.92 activity shales were significantly different.
Blocked and alternating variable practice and unintended spatial variations in continuous aiming movements.

Summary.—The main goal of the study was to test a prediction of schema theory: a wider range of variable practice would result in better transfer performance compared to a narrower range of variable practice in less-studied, continuous aiming movements. Constant and variable amplitude continuous aiming movements were investigated in the preferred hand of participants of college age (N = 32; 8 men, 24 women). Participants made continuous rapid reversal movements with a lever in the horizontal plane. Groups attempted to reach a short (20°) target and a long target (either 45° or 70°) in separate constant-practice conditions, but alternated between the two targets in a variable practice condition. On the transfer test, participants alternated between unpracticed 10° and 80° targets. Four blocks of practice trials were provided in each condition, with 20 movements made in each. Movements were more accurate and consistent during constant practice compared to variable practice, with the 20°–70° group having gre...
An analytic study on the third-order dispersive partial differential equations

In this paper we propose a new approach for solving the third-order dispersive partial differential equations in one- and higher-dimensional spaces. Our approach depends mainly on Adomian decomposition method. The modified decomposition method and the noise terms phenomenon will be used for non-homogeneous problems. We demonstrate our work by testing numerical examples designed to capture the features of the proposed algorithms.
The use of thermal methods for predicting glass-former fragility

Abstract Glass-former fragility describes the changing dynamics of a supercooled liquid with temperature and so dictates the temperature of glass transition as well as the dynamics of the non-equilibrium glassy state. Fragility parameters can be calculated from either experimental relaxation time or viscosity data. Predictions of fragility can also be made using thermal methods. The objectives of this manuscript are to evaluate three thermal methods of fragility prediction and, using these methods, to predict the fragility of a number of pharmaceutical glass-formers. Using differential scanning calorimetry, fragility predictions were performed by extrapolating configurational entropy to zero and by calculating an activation enthalpy of structural relaxation at the glass transition (ΔETg) from the scanning rate dependency of the glass transition temperature, and glass transition width. On comparison with experimental Vogel–Tammann–Fulcher (VTF) fragility parameters for four glass-formers, all thermal methods were found to have reasonable predictive ability. Characterisation of pharmaceutical glass-formers by all thermal methods yielded predicted VTF D parameters in the range of 7–15. Predictions for a further 10 pharmaceutical glass-formers using only the configurational entropy method were within this range suggesting that moderately ‘fragile’ behaviour may be a common feature of such materials.
Scheduling families of jobs with setup times

Abstract We review the current state of scheduling theory concerning the processing of several families of jobs on single or parallel facilities, where a setup time may be incurred whenever there is a switch from processing a job in one family to a job in another family. We also consider cases with the group technology assumption that the jobs must be scheduled contiguously. Using available results from the literature, we classify the different problems as NP-hard, efficiently solvable or open. We refine some old results and present several new ones. In particular, we show that under the group technology assumption, even with sequence-independent setup times, minimizing the number of late jobs on a single machine is NP-hard. We investigate the complexity of single machine scheduling with interfamily setup times, when we seek to minimize the maximal cost, where the cost for each job is a nondecreasing function of its completion time. We also prove that, when scheduling on parallel machines under the group technology assumption with sequence-independent setup times, minimizing total completion times is NP-hard unless all families contain the same number of jobs.
Insect antennal development and the serrate gene in Tribolium castaneum

Abstract A theoretical model is proposed for the subdivision of the flagellum during the development of the antenna in the flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum . Data from eight mutant genes which affect antennal morphology were utilized in constructing the hypothetical model. The primary time of action of each of these genes is postulated from the model.
Crystallographic anisotropy in the decay of surface plasmons to photoelectrons

Abstract A combined photoemission and electroreflectance investigation has been performed on Ag(111) and Ag(100) in contact with an electrolyte. The optical excitation of surface plasmons was induced on both faces by electrochemically roughening the sample surfaces. Electron emission, as a result of surface plasmon excitation, was observed only on Ag(111) and not on Ag(100). This striking crystallographic anisotropy in surface plasmon decay is attributed to the difference in efficiency of excited electron transmission on both faces.
Anesthetic Management of Posterior Fossa Surgery in the Sitting Position

From the surgical aspect, the sitting position gives good surgical access to the operative site, improves venous drainage, gives a better view of facial area for monitoring evoked responses from cranial nerve stimulation and allows for better ventilation. Conversely, the sitting position can present complications such as air emboli, postural hypotension and serious cardiac arrhythmias due to surgical stimulation of cranial nerves and brainstem. This paper presents our clinical experience in 180 neurosurgical procedures on the posterior fossa in the sitting position. The standardized anesthetic technique consisted of narcotic, muscle relaxant, nitrous oxide and controlled ventilation. All patients were monitored with ECG, direct arterial and venous pressure, discontinuous blood gases, and expiratory CO2 and urinary output. Air embolism was detected via Doppler ultrasonic detector and evacuated through a right atrial catheter. Air was detected, visualized and aspirated in 45 cases for an incidence of 25%, with most episodes occurring early in the procedure. In 11 cases (6%) air was detected on closure. There were no deaths in this series. Fifty-eight patients (32%) had a 10-20 mmHg drop in blood pressure on reaching the sitting position, 19 became temporarily hypertensive (10.5%), and the remainder were normotensive. In 46 patients (25%), bradycardia developed during retraction-manipulation-stimulation of structures on or adjacent to brainstem as well as to cranial nerves. Surgical stress also accounted for the 13 patients (7%) having frequent premature ventricular extrasystoles. One case of profound hypotension and another case of virtual cardiac standstill were noted during the use of the bipolar electrocautery at or near the fifth nerve exit from brainstem. Additional hemodynamic data, the physiopathology, diagnosis and treatment of air embolism is discussed.
Privacy Preserving distributed structure learning of probabilistic graphical models

Privacy preserving structure learning of probabilistic graphical model is studied using the framework of secure multi-party computation. Both constraint and score based learning procedures are rendered the capability of privacy preserving. A data set of adolescent health is used to learn the relationships related to drinking behaviors.
Quantitative photoacoustic spectroscopy: determination of fluorescein and bromocresol green adsorbed on modified silica gel samples

A series of standards was prepared by mixing the fluorescein or bromo-cresol green adsorbed on silica gel modified with N,N-diethylaminopro-pyltriethoxysilane with varying amounts of unmodified silica. Photo-acoustic magnitude and phase values were obtained at their respective absorption maxima, 470 and 600 nm. Calibration graphs were prepared by combining the magnitude and phase into the response function. Two-component samples were prepared by mixing the different ratios of the standard samples. The concentration of the dyes in the two-component samples was determined by referring to the respective calibration graphs and solving a pair of simultaneous equations. The relative error in the determination ranged from −5.6% to 5.1% for fluorescein and −16.8% to 38% for bromocresol green when compared to their concentration determined by spectrophotometry.
Phosphorylation of rhodopsin: most rhodopsin molecules are not phosphorylated.

Abstract Phosphorylation of rod membrane proteins is a light-dependent reaction. Most rhodopsin molecules, however, are not phosphorylated. The protein that is highly phosphorylated (>3 moles phosphate per mole phosphorylated protein) appears to be a rhodopsin species that is different from the rest or is located in different parts of the rod membrane system.
Responses to Manipulability of a Play Object

Preschool children's (40 boys, 40 girls) responses to varied manipulability of a play object were tested within a free play environment. A length of simple climbing rope was presented to Ss when at...
Writedown Versus Talkback Scoring and Scoring Bias in Speech Discrimination Testing

Writedown and talkback responses to 500 Hz low-pass filtered CID W-22 words were obtained from eight listeners, and their talkback responses were scored by eight experienced and eight inexperienced...
Electrophysiological actions of diphenylhydantoin on rabbit atria. Dependence on stimulation frequency, potassium, and sodium.

Isolated rabbit left atrial preparations were perfused with Tyrode's solutions containing 1 to 10 µg/ml (4 x 10-6-4 x 10-5M) diphenylhydantoin (DPH), 2.6-5.6 mM K+, and 154-308 mM Na+. Steady-state transmembrane resting and action potentials were recorded from these preparations with glass microelectrodes at stimulation rates ranging from 0.2 to 3/sec. DPH had little or no effect on the relationship between extracellular [K+] and membrane resting potential. Action potential overshoot was generally decreased by 5 and 10 µg/ml DPH and increased by 1 µg/ml DPH at stimulation rates of 2 and 3/sec in the presence of increased [K+]. DPH and increased [K+] acted synergistically to shorten action potential duration (measured at 50% repolarization). The effect of DPH on phase 0 of the action potential (measured as action potential rise time between 10 and 50% and 50 and 90% depolarization) was markedly dependent upon drug concentration, extracellular [K+] and stimulation rate. The lowest concentration of DPH (1 µg...
Incentive-Based Formularies

While much of the nation has been following the deliberations in Congress over a Medicare drug benefit, a quiet revolution has been taking place in the way benefits are managed for the 200 million Americans who already have insurance for prescription drugs. Just 10 years ago, most insured persons were required to make a standard copayment of $5 or less for a prescription, regardless of the type of medication they purchased. Now, incentive-based formularies are standard, with the amount of copayments depending on the type of drug prescribed; the contracts among the insurer, the manufacturer, and the pharmacy; and the . . .
A Theory of Everything

A Theory of Everything Neighbors, cousins, husbands, wives are sure: it must have been there for a while. A spot of blood, an open sore, a lump inside a scar, a cough that feels too deep, an ache that doesn’t fade— more proof that ignorance is ignorant of bliss. In a ten minute visit they want to tell you everything then tell you everything again. They ask themselves what if— if only they hadn’t, if only they had.
Density‐dependent migration and human population structure in historical Massachusetts

Studies of population structure often focus on the effects of population size and migration rates on genetic variation. Few studies, however, have investigated the relationship between these two factors. The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which migration (and gene flow) is density-dependent (that is, affected by population size) for populations in historical Massachusetts. Data from 4,859 marriage records were analyzed from four populations in north-central Massachusetts during the time period 1741 to 1849. These data were placed into 29 samples defined in terms of population and time cohort. Within each cohort the overall exogamy rate was computed along with three estimates of gene flow based on marital migration: local migration (k), long-distance migration (m), and effective migration rate (me). Three samples show unusually low rates that reflect the history of settlement. Regression analyses were used with the remaining samples, and they show nonlinear density-dependent migration that is unrelated to temporal trends. Migration is highest in samples with small population sizes (less than 800) and large population sizes (greater than 1,600). Migration is lowest in medium-sized populations. Two processes are suggested to explain this curvilinear relationship of migration and population size. In small populations, the lack of suitable potential mates and/or availability of settled land leads to an increase in migration into the population. As population size increases, this migration decreases. After populations reach a certain size, migration increases again, most likely reflecting the economic pull of larger populations. These patterns could act to enhance, or counter, genetic drift, depending on the direction of density dependence.
Earthquake Mitigation Decisions and Consequences

Abstract A primary aim of recent earthquake engineering research has been to integrate analyses of social and technical systems, to take into account the potential consequences of earthquakes for society as a whole. In some cases the resulting decision frameworks treat acceptable consequences and risks as fixed objectives. This paper describes the rationale for abandoning a priori assessment of the acceptability of earthquake consequences as conceived in consequence-based engineering (CBE). Support for an alternative approach comes from behavioral and policy research including an examination of seismic retrofit decision processes for U.S. General Services Administration-owned federal buildings. Additional review of research on earthquake mitigation policy making at the local government level also supports the case. We then suggest dynamic decision structuring that would better support the integration of engineering expertise and decision makers’ preferences.
Community Attachment: The Complexity and Consequence of the Natural Environment Facet

The primary objective of this paper is to examine more closely the complex nature of the natural environment dimension of community attachment using the narratives of local community members. This work seeks to build and elaborate on previous quantitative analyses that demonstrated two distinct dimensions of community attachment––social and natural environment. The findings reveal several distinct facets of the natural environment dimension of community attachment and demonstrate both a discreet perception of the natural environment in terms of community attachment as well as one that is more embedded within the social context of a particular lifestyle. The findings further demonstrate the need to include consideration of the natural environment in the broader assessment of community attachment and bolster previous quantitative research findings.
A fast level set based algorithm for topology-independent shape modeling

Shape modeling is an important constituent of computer vision as well as computer graphics research. Shape models aid the tasks of object representation and recognition. This paper presents a new approach to shape modeling which retains some of the attractive features of existing methods, and overcomes some of their limitations. Our technique can be applied to model arbitrarily complex shapes, which include shapes with significant protrusions, and to situations where no a priori assumption about the object's topology is made. A single instance of our model, when presented with an image having more than one object of interest, has the ability to split freely to represent each object. This method is based on the ideas developed by Osher and Sethian to model propagating solid/liquid interfaces with curvature-dependent speeds. The interface (front) is a closed, nonintersecting, hypersurface flowing along its gradient field with constant speed or a speed that depends on the curvature. It is moved by solving a “Hamilton-Jacobi” type equation written for a function in which the interface is a particular level set. A speed term synthesized from the image is used to stop the interface in the vicinity of object boundaries. The resulting equation of motion is solved by employing entropy-satisfying upwind finite difference schemes. We also introduce a new algorithm for rapid advancement of the front using what we call a narrow-band update scheme. The efficacy of the scheme is demonstrated with numerical experiments on low contrast medical images.
Dynamical effects of the nanometer-sized polarized domains in Pb ( Zn 1 / 3 Nb 2 / 3 ) O 3

Results from an extensive single-crystal neutron-scattering study of the relaxor ferroelectric $\mathrm{Pb}({\mathrm{Zn}}_{1/3}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2/3}){\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (PZN) in the cubic phase reveal an anomalous ridge of inelastic scattering that extends vertically from the transverse acoustic (TA) branch near 4 meV to the transverse optic (TO) branch near 9 meV at $q\ensuremath{\sim}0.2 {\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}.$ No zone center optic mode was found. Similar results were recently reported in a sample of PZN doped with $8%$ ${\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}.$ We are able to describe the dynamics of this unusual feature using a simple coupled-mode model that assumes the optic mode linewidth ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{1}(q)$ increases sharply near $q=0.2 {\AA{}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ as $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{q}0.$ The dramatic increase in ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{1}(q)$ is believed to occur when the wavelength of the optic mode becomes comparable to the size of small polarized nanoregions (PNR) that develop in the cubic phase of PZN, far above ${T}_{c}=410 \mathrm{K}.$ The consequence is that long-wavelength optic modes cannot propagate and become overdamped. Hence the q at which the anomalous scattering is peaked provides an important measure of the size of the PNR. Below ${T}_{c},$ the intensity of this scattering diminishes. At lowest temperatures $(\ensuremath{\sim}30 \mathrm{K})$ the feature is absent, and we observe the recovery of a zone center transverse optic mode near 10.5 meV.
How do tectonic plates deform? A case study from eastern Anatolia

The theory of plate tectonics, despite all its accomplishments, still has some sizeable gaps. For instance, scientists are not sure whether to treat tectonic plates as rigid elastic slabs or more as viscous wafers overlain by a thin brittle layer. A new study of the Anatolian plate by Cavalie and Jonsson should bring researchers a step closer to settling this debate.
Response of serum Mg and K to glucose and insulin infusion in uremic dogs.

Abstract The effect of glucose and insulin infusion on serum levels of Mg and K was studied in nonuremic and uremic circumstances. Fifty cubic centimeters of 50 per cent dextrose containing 8 units regular insulin were infused intravenously into 18 dogs: Group I=intact control (7 dogs), Group II=sham-operated (5 dogs) and Group III=bilateral nephrectomy (6 dogs). Statistically significant decreases in serum K were observed in each of the groups studied. In contrast, no changes were seen for serum Mg. These observations indicate that while glucose and insulin infusion effectively ameliorates uremic hyperkalemia in the dog, no such influence is exerted on the hypermagnesemia. This divergent response observed in the present study, is consistent with the view that in transcellular shifts the mobility of K exceeds that of Mg.
Comparison of the scattering of electrons and positrons from protons at small angles

We study the ratio of the cross section for elastic positron-proton scattering to that for elastic electron-proton scattering. In first-order $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, the leading terms of this ratio for small-angle scattering are given. As could be expected, the first term in this "expansion" is the same as that obtained in Dirac theory, and the first plus the second are unchanged from the structureless-proton result. Only in the third term do we begin to find proton structure, this in the form of a sum rule over photoproduction cross sections. Use is made of an off-mass-shell analog of the Compton low-energy theorem, and as a by-product we show that the two-photon contribution to our ratio is finite in the limit of zero electron mass.
Plasma renin activities during pregnancy and parturition.

ABSTRACT Plasma renin activity was consistently elevated during the third trimester of pregnancy. The renin levels during labor were significantly elevated when compared to the third trimester values for the same women. No significant change occurred during parturition or for the first week post partum, indicating that neither the placenta nor fetus was the source of the elevated maternal plasma renin. By 6 weeks post partum, plasma renin had returned to normal. Comparison of renin activities in umbilical venous and arterial plasma demonstrated that the fetus (presumably the fetal kidneys) can produce renin and that the placenta is capable of adding or removing renin from the fetal blood.
An explicit formula of reduced membrane energy for incompressible p-Dirichlet energy

In this article, a model problem on thin-film limit of p-Dirichlet energy for incompressible deformations is studied. An explicit formula is given for the relaxation of special nonconvex functional for mappings u from a bounded domain Ω ⊂ R 2 to R 3. The formula provides the explicit reduced membrane energy from the p-Dirichlet energy for incompressible elastic materials.
Environmental policy analysis and instruments for biodiversity conservation: A review of recent economic literature

Recently, as evidenced by the United Nations’ Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and the subsequent Convention on Biological Diversity, the concern for biodiversity conservation has been increasing worldwide. The UNCED recommended the integration of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity into all national and international economic decision-making. However, it is still not clear what institutional arrangements and policy instruments provide adequate incentives to all stakeholders, and effectively promote conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, including biodiversity. Results from traditional approaches to regulation and government intervention are ambiguous. Therefore, policymakers are not yet sure what government, the private sector, or local communities can do to preserve an optimum level of biodiversity in a region. This paper provides a synthesis of recent literature dealing with the institutional environment, policy framework, and economic instruments used in policy analysis related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity resources. The major focus of the study is on the economic aspects of the biodiversity resource management problem. The paper analyzes the economic consequences of alternative policy options. It is recognized by scientists and policy-makers from all sectors that failure to properly understand the economic aspects of biodiversity resources, and failure to reflect the social value of biodiversity resources in the market arena are some of the major reasons for the present worldwide crisis. Therefore, it is useful for experts from all disciplines to understand the economic ramifications of biodiversity preservation.
Disrupted amygdala reactivity in depressed 4- to 6-year-old children.

Objective: Disrupted amygdala activity in depressed adolescents and adults while viewing facial expressions of emotion has been reported. However, few data are available to inform the developmental nature of this phenomenon, an issue that studies of the earliest known forms of depression might elucidate. The current study addressed this question by examining functional brain activity and its relationships to emotion regulation in depressed 4- to 6-year-old children and their healthy peers. Method: A total of 54 medication-naive 4- to 6-year-olds (23 depressed and 31 healthy) participated in a case-control study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Imaging data were used to compare functional brain activity in children with and without depression during emotion face processing. Results: A rightlateralized pattern of elevated amygdala, thalamus, inferior frontal gyrus, and angular gyrus activity during face processing was found in depressed 4- to 6-year-olds. In addition, relationships between increased amygdala activity during face processing and disruptions in parent-reported emotion regulation and negative affect were found. No between-group differences specific to emotion face type were identified. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the earliest evidence of alterations in functional brain activity in depression using fMRI. Results suggest that, similar to findings in older depressed groups, depression at this age is associated with disrupted amygdala functioning during face processing. The findings also raise the intriguing possibility that disrupted amygdala function is a depression-related biomarker that spans development. Additional studies will be needed to clarify whether the current findings are a precursor to or a consequence of very early childhood depression. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2013;52(7):737–746. Key Words: amygdala, depression, face processing, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), preschool depression
Epidemiology of Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease

The prevalence of dementia in subjects 65 years and older in North America is approximately 6%–10%, with Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounting for two-thirds of these cases. If milder cases are included, the prevalence rates double. Both causative and associative genes for AD have now been identified. The search for nongenetic risk factors has been less conclusive. Only age and family history of dementia are consistently associated with AD in all studies, but putative, protective agents such as estrogen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), and vitamin E are now undergoing clinical trials.
EVALUATING NATO LONG RUN DEFENSE BURDENS USING UNIT ROOT TESTS

This study evaluates NATO long run defense burdens by analyzing the time‐series properties of burden measures, namely growth of defense spending, defense share in national output, defense share in government spending, defense spending per capita, and defense share in total NATO spending for the time period 1949–2002. The study also compares the effect of using government Purchasing Power Parity conversion factors and Market Exchange Rates for defense share in total NATO expenditure conversions and the implications of NATO expansion in light of the defense burden measures of the newer NATO members.
Coincidence measurements with high energy electrons

The potential for A(e,e'x) measurements is beginning to be critically examined. Nuclear disintegration by electrons and photons shares many of the problems of interpretation found in reactions induced by hadronic projectiles. These theoretical difficulties should be viewed more as a challenge than as an obstacle. The strength of nuclear physics is the diversity of its probes and targets. In the past progress in finding the simplicities that nature has hidden in the potentially chaotic nuclear many-body system often came from the systematics of the data rather than one individual measurement. Nuclear physics differs from elementary particle physics in this respect.
Motion Planning of Multi-Limbed Robots Subject to Equilibrium Constraints: The Free-Climbing Robot Problem

This paper addresses the problem of planning the motion of a multilimbed robot in order to "free-climb" vertical rock surfaces. Freeclimbing only relies on frictional contact with the surfaces rather than on special fixtures or tools like pitons. It requires strength, but more importantly it requires deliberate reasoning: not only must the robot decide how to adjust its posture to reach the next feature without falling, it must plan an entire sequence of steps, where each one might have future consequences. In this paper, this process of reasoning is broken into manageable pieces by decomposing a freeclimbing robot's configuration space into manifolds associated with each state of contact between the robot and its environment. A multistep planning framework is presented that decides which manifolds to explore by generating a candidate sequence of hand and foot placements first. A one-step planning algorithm is then described that explores individual manifolds quickly. This algorithm extends the probabilistic roadmap approach to better handle the interaction between static equilibrium and the topology of closed kinematic chains. It is assumed throughout this paper that a set of potential contact points has been presurveyed. Validation with real hardware was done with a four-limbed robot called LEMUR (developed by the Mechanical and Robotic Technologies Group at NASA-JPL). Using the planner presented in this paper, LEMUR free-climbed an indoor, near-vertical surface covered with artificial rock features.
The biology of Toll-like receptors

In 1997, a human homologue of the Drosophila Toll protein was described, a protein later to be designated Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Since that time, additional human and murine TLR proteins have been identified. Mammalian TLR proteins appear to represent a conserved family of innate immune recognition receptors. These receptors are coupled to a signaling pathway that is conserved in mammals, insects, and plants, resulting in the activation of genes that mediate innate immune defenses. Numerous studies have now identified a wide variety of chemically-diverse bacterial products that serve as putative ligands for TLR proteins. More recent studies have identified the first endogenous protein ligands for TLR proteins. TLR signaling represents a key feature of innate immune response to pathogen invasion.
Structure and Dynamics of a Dihydrogen/Hydride Ansa Molybdenocene Complex

In contrast to [Cp(2)MoH(3)](+), which is a thermally stable trihydride complex, the ansa-bridged analogue [(eta-C(5)H(4))(2)CMe(2)MoH(H(2))](+) (1) is a thermally labile dihydrogen/hydride complex. Partial deuteration of the hydride ligands allows observation of J(H)(-)(D) = 11.9 Hz in 1-d(1) and 9.9 Hz in 1-d(2) (245 K), indicative of a dihydrogen/hydride structure. There is a slight preference for deuterium to concentrate in the dihydrogen ligand. A rapid dynamic process interchanges the hydride and dihydrogen moieties in complex 1. Low temperature (1)H NMR spectra of 1 give a single hydride resonance, which broadens at very low temperature due to rapid dipole-dipole relaxation (T(1) = 23 ms (750 MHz, 175 K) for the hydride resonance in 1). Low temperature (1)H NMR spectra of 1-d(2) allow the observation of decoalescence at 180 K into two resonances. The bound dihydrogen ligand exhibits hindered rotation with DeltaG(150) = 7.4 kcal/mol, but H atom exchange is still rapid at all accessible temperatures (down to 130 K). Density functional calculations confirm the dihydrogen/hydride structure as the ground state for the molecule and give estimates for the energy of two hydrogen exchange processes in good agreement with experiment. The presence of the C ansa bridge is shown to decrease the ability of the metallocene fragment to donate to the hydrogens, thus stabilizing the (eta(2)-H(2)) unit and modulating the barrier to H(2) rotation.
A novel optically guided ultrasound imaging system

This study investigates the potential use of combining near infrared diffuse light and ultrasound methods for early detection of small breast tumors. A novel imaging system which combines these two methods is introduced here. Preliminary evaluations using human observers have shown that detection of a few mm object in a highly specked ultrasound image is improved from guessing to 100% certainty when the optical localization information about the object is given.
Global Versus Local Methods in Nonlinear Dimensionality Reduction

Recently proposed algorithms for nonlinear dimensionality reduction fall broadly into two categories which have different advantages and disadvantages: global (Isomap [1]), and local (Locally Linear Embedding [2], Laplacian Eigenmaps [3]). We present two variants of Isomap which combine the advantages of the global approach with what have previously been exclusive advantages of local methods: computational sparsity and the ability to invert conformal maps.
Now is time for philosophers to come to the aid of their planet

Five appropriate roles of professional philosophers in environmental scholarship, policy and education are explored. Philosophers can and should function as social critics, as conceptual analysts, as “critical spectators” of science, as ethicists, and as educators. An example of the philosopher's role as social critic may be found in the analysis of the methods and presuppositions of public policy making. The philosopher as conceptual analyst can add clarity to environmental debates through analyses of such terms as “ecosystem”, “integrity”, “responsibiity” and “nature”. “Meta-Science” is exemplified in an examination of the role of values in scientific investigation and in the scientist's contributions to public policy-making. The philosopher as environmental ethicist should seek a balanced and integrated view of both the naturalness of the human condition, and of the unique human quality of moral agency. Finally, all these contributions, and more, are combined in the philosopher's function as educator—f...
Development and evaluation of an educational computer network software

Technology is having a dramatic effect on colleges and universities, producing what may be the most challenging period in the history of higher education. One form of the convergence of technology and education is distributed learning. The World Wide Web (WWW) provides alternative means for delivery of the courses and services, providing learners with an extraordinary range of options. Distance learning methods are being developed and implemented to offer educational opportunities to those who are unable or choose not to attend an educational institution on a conventional, scheduled basis. There are few, if any, studies that have attempted to evaluate the learning achieved through interactivity of students with the online contents using interactive multimedia in online environments, perhaps because of the difficulties in designing rich multimedia contents, a tight experiment for such studies and the fact that confounding variables can easily become significant. The purpose of this study would be to investigate the effectiveness of learning through interactive multimedia and present the results. This research report provides information on the design and development of an online Computational Method in Engineering Technology course. The course is interactive multimedia-based including 3D animation, simulation, video, graphics, and audio. The research considers information on the theoretical framework for designing the course, the process of developing the multimedia and developing the course. The results of the study on the effectiveness of the course is reported in the presentation. Major points of emphasis studied in this research include: 1. Discussing the need for multimedia-rich courses for teaching technology-based subjects in online environments; 2. Developing multimedia based online courses; 3. The effects of using multimedia in teaching technology-based concepts; 4. The results of the study on the effects of using multimedia in an online environment and 5. Results of student attitudes toward learning through multimedia.