cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prediction of On-Stride Walking for Pregnant Women

Pregnant women’s size, shape, and weight changes have significant effects on their walking stability. Traditionally, experiments are used to study the effects of subjects, but it is time consuming and expensive. This paper presents an optimization-based pregnant women walking simulation with one-stride formulation. The pregnant woman’s model with 55 degrees of freedom (DOFs) is used, including 6 global DOF’s and 49 human body DOF’s. The dynamic equations of motion are based on the recursive dynamics. Without the constraint of symmetry of the human body between two steps within one walking cycle, the study is based on bio-mechanical, human kinematic, and dynamic properties to perform the one-stride simulation, which represent the holonomic and non-holonomic constraints in walking simulation. This forms a nonlinear optimization problem. The summation of all joint actuator torques squared within one stride is the cost function. Nine determinant DOF’s are used to analyze the kinematics and three for dynamics. Three cases (non-pregnancy, 6 month, and 9 month pregnancy) are adopted for the test and investigation. The simulation results show that during the course of pregnancy, pregnant women’s bodies dynamic and kinematic properties change and thus affect their walking and stability.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
A feminist family therapy scale.

This paper reports on the development and psychometric properties of a 17-item instrument intended to reflect the degree to which family therapists conceptualize the process of family therapy from a feminist-informed perspective. Items were adapted from those generated by 37 feminist-informed family therapists in a previous study. Factor analysis results on 383 subjects reflect a unidimensional scale. The Feminist Family Therapy Scale had a Cronbach Alpha of 83 and was found to discriminate between (a) self indentified feminists and nonfeminists, (b) women and men, and (c) subjects scoring higher on Scanzoni's (1975) Sex Role Modernity Scale and those scoring lower. Additional psychometric data are reported, and possible uses of this scale are discussed.
Thermal conditioning to improve geotechnical properties of recycled asphalt pavements

A procedure for thermal conditioning was introduced to accelerate the compression and improve geotechnical properties of recycled asphalt pavements (RAP) including resilient modulus, compressibility, shear strength, and creep response. Temperature-controlled resilient modulus, one-dimensional compression, and triaxial compression tests were conducted to evaluate the use of RAP as base course or embankment fill. For base course application, increasing temperature increased the plastic strain and reduced the resilient modulus of the RAP specimens that were compacted at room temperature. However, when the specimens were compacted at elevated temperatures and tested at room temperature, significant reduction in plastic strain and increase in resilient modulus were attained. For embankment fill applications, compaction and compression at elevated temperatures increased the shear strength and reduced the compressibility and creep strain of the RAP specimens tested at room temperature. Compaction and compression of the RAP specimens at elevated temperatures induced thermal conditioning and improved geotechnical properties. To improve performance of structural fills containing RAP, construction is recommended during warmest months of the year.
An application of lexical semantics to knowledge acquisition from corpora

In this paper, we describe a program of research designed to explore how a lexical semantic theory may be exploited for extracting information from corpora suitable for use in Information Retrieval applications. Unlike with purely statistical collocational analyses, the framework of a semantic theory allows the automatic construction of predictions about semantic relationships among words appearing in collocational systems. We illustrate the approach for the acquisition of lexical information for several classes of nominals.
Gauge-invariance of the second kind and current and field commutation rules

A conserved and relativistically invariant operator is postulated to induce gauge transformations of the second kind of charged fields and massless vector fields in mutual interaction. Commutation rules between the charged field and current and between vector field variables on a spacelike surface follow from the action of this unitary operation on the fields. The electromagnetic and the Yang-Mills isospin gauge transformations are studied.
Paediatric unilateral implantation in an era of routine simultaneous bilateral implantation.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines (NICE, 2009) recommend simultaneous bilateral implants for children who have a severe-to-profound deafness, defined as hearing o...
Reaction of polysiloxanes and iron 2-ethylhexoate

Abstract Iron 2-ethylhexoate is a salt of ferric iron and 2-ethylhexanoic acid. It is incorporated into silicone elastomeric formulations to provide high temperature stability by counteracting oxidative embrittlement. Though metallic salts are commonly used, the reaction of the salt with the siloxane is poorly understood. In this paper, the incorporation of iron 2-ethylhexoate as thermal stabilizer in the elastomer is studied with dynamic mechanical spectroscopy, FT -i.r. spectroscopy and 29 Si n.m.r. The reaction involves conversion of the ferric salt to ferric silicate, volatilization of small, cyclic siloxanes, and reaction of the salt to hexanoic acid with partial conversion to anhydride.
Methane from cattle waste: Effects of temperature, hydraulic retention time, and influent substrate concentration on kinetic parameter (k)

The effects of temperature (35 and 55 degrees C), influent volatile solids (VS) concentration (S(0) = 43, 64, 82, 100, and 128 kg VS/m(3)) and hydraulic retention time (HRT = 4, 5, 8, 10, 15, and 25 days) on methane (CH(4)) production from cattle waste were evaluated using 3-dm(3) laboratoryscale fermentors. The highest CH(4) production rate achieved was 6.11 m(3) CH(4) m(-3) fermentor day(-1) at 55 degrees C, four days HRT, and S(0) = 100 kg VS/m(3). Batch fermentations showed an ultimate CH(4) yield (B(0)) of 0.42 m(3) CH(4)/kg VS fed. The maximum loading rates for unstressed fermentation were 7 kg VS m(-3) day(-1) at 35 degrees C and 20 kg VS m(-3) day(-1) at 55 degrees C. The kinetic parameter (K, an increasing K indicates inhibition of fermentation) increased exponentially as S(0) increased, and was described by: K = 0.8 + 0.0016 e(0.06S(0) ). Temperature had no significant effect on K for S(0) between 40 and 100 kg VS/m(3). The above equation predicted published K values for cattle waste within a mean standard error of 7%.
Computer-Based Monitoring as a Tool for Antimicrobial De-Escalation:

Purpose: Multiple studies have found an association between the prompt initiation of empirically-appropriate antimicrobial therapy and improved patient outcomes. Such empiric-antimicrobial therapy is often broad; how- ever, once the patient's infectious syndrome, microbiology, and susceptibilities are more defined, it is important to refine antimicrobial therapy. Despite the potential benefits of an "antimicrobial de-escalation" approach, it may be difficult to enforce in clinical practice. Mayo Clinic's Computer-Based Antimicrobial Monitoring System (CBAM) is a medical-informatics tool that was used to assist in this endeavor. This study evaluates the hypothe- sis that CBAM can enhance the de-escalation of vancomycin and broad-spectrum combination antimicrobial ther- apy. Methods: Hospitalized patients at the Mayo Clinic were screened from January through June 2006 using rule- based algorithms incorporated by CBAM. Interventions were performed by physicians and pharmacists as perti- nent. These patients were compared with a historical group of patients obtained by CBAM reporting capabilities. De-escalation rates and mean duration of antimicrobial therapy were compared between groups. Results: Vancomycin de-escalation rates significantly improved from 33% to 68% with intervention (P = 0.001). In addition, the average duration of therapy was decreased from 10.4 ± 7.3 days to 7.7 ± 2.4 days among patients who underwent vancomycin de-escalation per recommendation (P = 0.014). Conclusions: Utilizing the Mayo Clinic's CBAM system to identify potential patients for de-escalation is a unique approach and was successful at improving adherence to vancomycin de-escalation.
Impacts of various TOC distributions on hydrocarbon generation

Abstract This study used numerical basin modeling methods to examine how various total organic carbon content (TOC) distributions in formations, with a fixed average TOC, impact the overall oil and gas generation ability. Different geological and geochemical conditions, such as thickness and burial depth of the source formation, thermal gradient, organic richness, degree of spread, and types of kerogen are considered in this investigation. The results show that there is a significant impact on the overall oil and gas generation capability, especially when the source rocks are in the peak generation windows. The magnitudes of oil and gas generation rates can vary by up to 5–10 times in some cases. The general rules are that the more dispersion of TOC in the formation, or the thicker the formation and the greater the thermal gradient, the larger the difference of generation rates between the distributions which favor hydrocarbon generation. Therefore, in addition to the average TOC richness, the TOC distribution in a source rock formation must also be considered when the petroleum potential of a basin is evaluated.
Discovery of transport and reaction properties in distributed systems

In distributed systems, transport phenomena coupled with chemical or metabolic reactions are functions of space. A computational method is outlined to acquire unknown system properties in distributed systems by problem inversion. Physical and chemical properties are estimated simultaneously. The finite-volume discretization method formulated in generalized curvilinear coordinates applied to inversion problem of arbitrarily complex geometries. The direct solution approach of the reacting transport problem through inexpensive acquisition of sensitivity information is presented. An inexact trust region method improves the convergence rate of the large-scale transport and kinetic inversion problem (TKIP). The case studies demonstrate a novel computational approach for quantifying unknown transport properties, as well as reaction or metabolic constants. Solutions to technological challenges is presented in computational fluid mechanics and biotransport using mathematical programming techniques for inversion of distributed systems. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006
Dosimetric characteristics of a double wall 125I source for interstitial brachytherapy.

Recently, a newly designed encapsulated source of 125I has become commercially available for use in permanent and temporary interstitial brachytherapy. The 125I sources in current use come in two different configurations: the Model 6711 source (Medi Physics/Amersham) for permanent implants has radioactive iodine adsorbed on the surface of a silver wire, and the Model 6702 (Medi Physics/Amersham) source for temporary implants has radioactive iodine absorbed in three spherical resin balls. Both of these iodine sources are encapsulated in a thin‐walled shell (0.05‐mm thick) made of titanium. The newly designed 125I source (Best Industries Model 2300 series) contains radioactive iodine adsorbed on a tungsten wire that is encapsulated by two walls of titanium. This double‐walled 125I source offers the following potential advantages: (i) Because it contains radioactive iodine on the ends as well as the circular surface of the tungsten wire, it can produce a more isotropic dose distribution than the sources in current use; (ii) because it is available in a wider range of source strengths, it is suitable for both temporary and permanent implantation; (iii) because it has a tungstenradiographic marker, source localization is considerably easier than the 125I Model 6702 source that has no radiographic marker; and (iv) because it uses a double‐walled encapsulation the risk of radioactive contamination due to source rupture is considerably reduced. In this work, dose distributions produced by the new design 125I source (Model 2300) for interstitial brachytherapy have been measured using LiF TLD’s in a Solid Water phantom. Dosimetriccharacteristics of the new 125I sources are compared with those of the currently available 125I sources. Radial dose function for the Model 2300 source is found to be similar to that for the 6702 source, as expected by the lack of silvercharacteristic x rays in the photonspectrum from the 2300 source. Using the calibration of source strength based upon the 6702 standard, the dose‐rate constant for the 2300 source was determined to be 0.86 cGy h−1 U −1 [equal to 1.10 cGy h−1 mCi−1 (app)]. From the measured two‐dimensional dose distributions around the source, the anisotropy function for the new source was determined as a function of radial distance and angle. The dose distribution produced by the Model 2300 source was considerably more isotropic than those produced by the 6711 and 6702 sources.
Endogenous DNA polymerase activity in fractionated rat liver chromatin

Chromatin isolated from adult rat liver was fractionated into template active and inactive components by controlled shearing and glycerol gradient centrifugation. The fractionated chromatin was assayed for DNA-dependent DNA polymerase (DNA mucleotidyl transferase EC 2.7.7.7) activity with and without exogenous activated DNA serving as template. With endogenous chromatin as template, it was found that 90% of the endogenous chromatin bound DNA polymerase activity was located in the transcriptionally active fraction of chromatin, while the distribution of DNA polymerase assayed with exogenous activated DNA was found to be 65% in the transcriptionally active and 35% in the inactive fractions. However, when DNA polymerase was solubilized from these fractions by salt extraction, enzyme activity was found to be equally distributed, suggesting that the difference in endogenous DNA polymerase activity observed between eu- and heterochromatin is due to the restricted template found in repressed fractions.
Congenital abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract

Knowledge of a few basics of gastrointestinal mbryology makes it easy to understand the varied ypes of congenital malformations that occur in his system. At about the fourth week of developent, the primordial gut is closed at both the ranial and caudal ends by the oropharyngeal and loacal membranes. The primordial gut forms as he flat, trilaminar embryonic disc goes through the rocess of median and horizontal plane infolding, ulling a portion of the yolk sac along with it. At this point, there are simultaneous events that urther differentiate this originally featureless tube nto their final, familiar forms. Formation of the racheal bud along with infolding and fusion of the racheoesphageal folds separate the trachea from he esophagus. There is asymmetric enlargement nd rotation of the distal part of the foregut to form he embryonic stomach. The duodenum forms rom a combination of the distal-most foregut and roximal midgut, is pulled along with rotation of he stomach, and goes through a normal period of emporary obliteration because of proliferation of ts epithelial cells. The jejunum, ileum, and a large ortion of the colon are derived from the midgut. uring the period of rapid growth of the midgut, here is a normal herniation of bowel into the roximal portion of the umbilical cord. This occurs t the sixth week of development and lasts until bout the tenth week when the intestines return to he embryonic abdomen. As the intestines return to he abdominal cavity, they undergo a 180° counerclockwise rotation. In the normal situation, roation and posterior positioning of most of the uodenum and all of the ascending colon leads to bsorption of their mesenteries such that these tructures become retroperitoneal. Finally, the disal colon and rectum are derived from the hindgut. he urorectal septum separates the urinary tract
Results of telerobotic hand controller study using force information and rate control

To increase quantified information about the effectiveness and subjective workload of force information relayed through manipulator input control devices, a space related task was performed by eight subjects with kinesthetic force feedback and/or local force accommodation through three different input control devices (i.e., hand controllers) operating in rate control mode. Task completion time, manipulator work, and subjective responses were measured. Results indicated a difference among the hand controllers. For the Honeywell six degree-of-freedom hand controller, the overall task completion times were shortest, the amount of work exerted was the least, and was the most preferred by test subjects. Neither force accommodation with or without reflection resulted in shorter task completion times or reduced work although those conditions were better than no force information for some aspects. Comparisons of results from previous studies are discussed.
Temperature effect on the synthesis of Au-Pt bimetallic nanoparticles.

Pt−Au bimetallic nanoparticles have been synthesized by the polyol method and stabilized with poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), modifying the temperature of synthesis. Interesting structure changes were observed in the nanoparticles as the temperature was varied. At lower temperatures no bimetallic nanoparticles were detected, but as the temperature increased bimetallic nanoparticles started to appear, commonly obtaining core−shell nanoparticles, always covered by the polymer. This originates the modification of the optical response of the system in the UV−visible region. An absorption peak centered at 520 nm at low temperatures was observed (100−110 °C); at higher temperatures (130−170 °C) there were non detectable absorption peaks, and finally at the two highest temperatures (180−190 °C) the reappearance of an absorption feature centered at 510 nm was noticed. These UV−visible results indirectly imply the composition of the surface of the particle. The structure of the particles has been determined using tr...
Potato peel dietary fiber composition: effects of peeling and extrusion cooking processes

Potato peels are a potential source of dietary fiber. The abrasion peeling method used by chip manufacturers results in more starch and less dietary fiber than the steam peeling procedure used for production of dehydrated potatoes. The objective of this study was to identify differences in dietary fiber composition between these types of peels and the effects of extrusion on fiber. Peels were extruded in a twin screw extruder at barrel temperatures of 110 or 150 °C and feed moistures of 30% or 35%. Extrusion cooking reduced starch content and increased total dietary fiber in steam peels. Total dietary fiber in abrasion peels was not affected by extrusion. Extrusion increased soluble nonstarch polysaccharides in both types of peels. More glucose was recovered from insoluble fiber of extruded steam peels than from abrasion peels, suggesting that resistant starch may have been formed. Lignin increased in extruded steam peels but decreased in extruded abrasion peels. Keywords: Dietary fiber; starch; peeling; ...
A Notation and System for 3-D Constructions

A linguistic model and its implementation for the description of three-dimensional compositions, primarily as they occur in building construction are presented. The model, while it also provides for irregular compositions, it facilitates the derivation of standard orthogonal arrangements by the use of the junction operator, which does not require the explicit definition of positioning coordinates for each element in the composition.This paper presents a linguistic model for the generation of three-dimensional structures. The model aims at satisfying the above two requirements. It is generative and therefore process oriented and it derives the description of a structure based on the definition of a usually few basic elements. While it also poses claims for generality, it is primarily based on the compositional patterns and practices encountered in building construction. Some of the principles it incorporates build upon previous work done by the author for the implementation of SIPLAN, an experimental site planning oriented language for two-dimensional spatial arrangements.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol affects consummatory but not appetitive sequence of interspecific aggression in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) were tested 1 h after intraperitoneal injections of 5 mg/kg delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for effects of aggressive behavior toward mice. The drug was found to increase latency of attack. Delta-9-THC had no effect on the appetitive sequence of aggression (approach, sniff, chase), but severely inhibited consummatory activity (biting). The results provide further evidence that acute administration of delta-9-THC produces a diminution of aggressive activity.
The Spectrum of Informed Consent in Emergency Psychiatric Research

Study objective I evaluate the variation in requirements for informed consent in studies evaluating chemical tranquilization of agitated patients. Methods A computer-assisted literature search of the National Library of Medicine was performed. Additional use of the references listed in the articles identified with the search yielded 144 citations. Studies performed outside the United States were excluded, as were studies performed before the current US Food and Drug Administration regulations came into effect. Research not yet published but presented at national meetings was included, as was one study currently under way but otherwise meeting the inclusion criteria. Authors were contacted for further clarification in cases in which information was ambiguous or unavailable in print. Results Twelve studies were identified, and the approach to informed consent varied widely. The primary method of enrollment was informed consent in 7 studies. Three studies used a waiver of informed consent, but in these cases the federal regulations underlying these waivers varied. One study implied that neither consent nor a waiver of consent was needed. In one case, the primary method for consent was not specified. Conclusion There is poor agreement about the application of current regulations about informed consent in emergency psychiatric research. Regulations are understood in such a variety of ways that they are effectively irrelevant. There needs to be much greater clarity about the use of waivers of informed consent in emergency research in general and emergency psychiatry in particular.
The effect of diet on gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larval midgut pH, and its relationship with larval susceptibility to a baculovirus

Abstract The midgut p H of gypsy moth ( Lymantria dispar ) larvae was significantly lower when larvae were fed acidic folicage. At 30 min after the start of a feeding bout, larvae feeding on bigtooth aspen (foliage p H = 6.04) had average midgut p H levels of 10.16, while larvae feeding on red oak foliage (foliage p H = 3.84) had average midgut p H levels of 9.36. Midgut p H was also significantly reduced when larvae were fed acidic artificial diets. At 30 min, average midgut p H levels were 9.80 and 9.42 for larvae fed diets buffered at p H 7 and 4, respectively. Larval susceptibility to the gypsy moth nuclear polyhedrosis virus was also significantly reduced when larvae consumed virus on highly acidic foliage and acidic artificial diets. Diet p H may affect virus activity by changing midgut p H and altering the rate and location of virion release in the midgut lumen.
New mathematical model for interpreting pH-stat digestion profiles: impact of lipid droplet characteristics on in vitro digestibility.

The pH-stat method is commonly used to characterize the in vitro digestibility of lipids under simulated small intestine conditions. This method measures the fraction of free fatty acids (FFA) released from triacylglycerols over time. A new mathematical model has been developed to characterize the FFA versus time profiles generated by the pH-stat method, which can be used to quantify the influence of physicochemical parameters on the rate (k) and extent (ϕmax) of lipid digestion. In this model, k is the amount of FFA produced per unit time per unit surface area, whereas ϕmax is the maximum fraction of digestible FFAs released. This model is used to quantify the influence of lipid droplet characteristics (size, concentration, composition, and emulsifier type) on the digestion of emulsified lipids. The rate (k) of lipid digestion increased with decreasing lipid content (from 2.5 to 0.5 wt %), increasing droplet diameter (from d = 200−15000 nm), and decreasing fatty acid molecular weight (MCT versus corn oil...
Effects of Zidovudine on B Lymphocyte Activation

Abstract B cell dysfunction associated with HIV infection includes polyclonal B cell activation and hypergammaglobulinemia. There is also an elevated frequency of B cell malignancies, especially non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, in HIV infection. It is believed that chronic polyclonal activation of B cells might increase the chances for the occurrence of a genetic accident, resulting in tumorigenesis. Long-term zidovudine use in people with HIV infection has been reported to be associated with a particularly high incidence of B cell lymphoma. This may be due to an increase in life span associated with antiretroviral treatment, placing treated individuals at risk for developing lymphoma for a greater period of time. However, zidovudine could be directly contributing to lymphoma-genesis in HIV-infected individuals, perhaps by enhancing B cell activation, since B cell hyperactivation and elevated levels of IL-6, a B cell stimulatory cytokine, are seen in HIV infection. Also, people treated with zidovudine may inherently be at higher risk for developing lymphoma because of the relatively greater degree of immune impairment seen in those that receive treatment with this drug. To examine if exposure to zidovudine resulted in enhanced B cell activation, we determined whether or not the presence of zidovudine enhanced B cell activation or IL-6 production in vitro or in vivo . Exposure to zidovudine in vitro did not enhance spontaneous immunoglobulin or IL-6 secretion by cells from HIV-infected (or uninfected) subjects and did not enhance B cell activation induced by EBV or affect the ability of T cells to regulate EBV-activated B cells. Neither serum immunoglobulin or IL-6 levels, nor the expression of cell surface activation markers on circulating B cells, were seen to increase following zidovudine treatment. These results indicate that zidovudine does not induce B cell activation in vivo or in vitro, suggesting that zidovudine treatment does not contribute to lymphomagenesis by enhancing B cell hyperstimulation.
Impact of a future H 2 -based road transportation sector on the composition and chemistry of the atmosphere – Part 2: Stratospheric ozone

Abstract. The prospective future adoption of molecular hydrogen (H2) to power the road transportation sector could greatly improve tropospheric air quality but also raises the question of whether the adoption would have adverse effects on the stratospheric ozone. The possibility of undesirable impacts must be fully evaluated to guide future policy decisions. Here we evaluate the possible impact of a future (2050) H2-based road transportation sector on stratospheric composition and chemistry, especially on the stratospheric ozone, with the MOZART (Model for OZone And Related chemical Tracers) model. Since future growth is highly uncertain, we evaluate the impact of two world evolution scenarios, one based on an IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) high-emitting scenario (A1FI) and the other on an IPCC low-emitting scenario (B1), as well as two technological options: H2 fuel cells and H2 internal combustion engines. We assume a H2 leakage rate of 2.5% and a complete market penetration of H2 vehicles in 2050. The model simulations show that a H2-based road transportation sector would reduce stratospheric ozone concentrations as a result of perturbed catalytic ozone destruction cycles. The magnitude of the impact depends on which growth scenario evolves and which H2 technology option is applied. For the evolution growth scenario, stratospheric ozone decreases more in the H2 fuel cell scenarios than in the H2 internal combustion engine scenarios because of the NOx emissions in the latter case. If the same technological option is applied, the impact is larger in the A1FI emission scenario. The largest impact, a 0.54% decrease in annual average global mean stratospheric column ozone, is found with a H2 fuel cell type road transportation sector in the A1FI scenario; whereas the smallest impact, a 0.04% increase in stratospheric ozone, is found with applications of H2 internal combustion engine vehicles in the B1 scenario. The impacts of the other two scenarios fall between the above two boundary scenarios. However, the magnitude of these changes is much smaller than the increases in 2050 stratospheric ozone projected, as stratospheric ozone is expected to recover due to the limits in ozone depleting substance emissions imposed in the Montreal Protocol.
Reaction of carbohydrates with ammonia as studied by paper chromatography

Abstract The reaction on paper between reducing sugars and ammonia has been studied. The reaction products were separated by developing the paper chromatogram with an ammonia-containing solvent. In all cases there were obtained three ninhydrin-, as well as p-anisidine-, reactive spots, the relative intensities of which depended on the reaction time, on the concentration of ammonia, and on the presence or absence of catalysts. These spots are provisionally identified as hexose-ammonia, hexose-1-amine, and dihexosamine. The value of paper chromatography in study reactions involving labile intermediates is discussed.
The use of discrete harmonics in direct multi-scale embedding of polycrystal plasticity

Abstract We describe an approach for directly embedding polycrystal plasticity models in component scale calculations, with an emphasis on computational tractability. Previously, we have employed adaptive sampling to mitigate the computational cost of direct embedding, achieving two or more orders of magnitude in wall-clock speedup compared to more traditional approaches. However, in our previous work the crystal orientation distribution function (crystallographic texture) was not allowed to evolve significantly. Here we discuss an approach that allows for evolving texture by employing discrete harmonics, effectively decoupling considerations related to accuracy of integrals in the homogenization from those related to adequate representation of the evolving texture. We discuss the basic behaviors and convergence of the new polycrystal plasticity framework. Specific applications focus on the deformation of titanium, including the effects of twinning. Overall, the discrete harmonic based framework offers an attractive path forward for computationally efficient multi-scale embedding of polycrystal plasticity.
Nucleotide sequence of DNA controlling expression of genes for maltosaccharide utilization in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Abstract An analysis of previous data indicated that four structural genes concerned with maltosaccharide utilization in Streptococcus pneumoniae are organized in two operons that are transcribed in opposite directions from a central control region. This region contains two strong promoters subject to repression by a regulatory gene product in the absence of maltose. The nucleotide sequence of the 554-bp control region DNA and adjacent portions of the malX and malM structural genes was determined. Unique reading frames and initiation codons allowed identification of the oppositely oriented structural genes. Putative ribosome binding sites and −10 and −35 RNA-polymerase-binding sites, as well as AT-rich regions farther upstream, were observed proximal to both the X and M genes. The similarity of these sequences to sites found in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis indicated the conservation of control signals in bacteria, both Gram-negative and Gram-positive. A pair of 17-bp hyphenated repeat sequences in the control region may represent repressor binding sites. Two down promoter mutations, V11 and 69, were shown to be deletions in the control region. The V11 mutation, which affected only the MP operon, deleted the promoter adjacent to the M gene. Mutation 69, which reduced both X and M gene functions, deleted the entire segment between the promoters so that they now overlap at their −35 binding sites. As a consequence of this deletion, the AT-rich regions proximal to the promoters were lost. This suggests that the AT-rich regions are important for promoter strength.
The local dinucleotide preference of APOBEC3G can be altered from 5′-CC to 5′-TC by a single amino acid substitution

Abstract APOBEC3A and APOBEC3G are DNA cytosine deaminases with biological functions in foreign DNA and retrovirus restriction, respectively. APOBEC3A has an intrinsic preference for cytosine preceded by thymine (5′-TC) in single-stranded DNA substrates, whereas APOBEC3G prefers the target cytosine to be preceded by another cytosine (5′-CC). To determine the amino acids responsible for these strong dinucleotide preferences, we analyzed a series of chimeras in which putative DNA binding loop regions of APOBEC3G were replaced with the corresponding regions from APOBEC3A. Loop 3 replacement enhanced APOBEC3G catalytic activity but did not alter its intrinsic 5′-CC dinucleotide substrate preference. Loop 7 replacement caused APOBEC3G to become APOBEC3A-like and strongly prefer 5′-TC substrates. Simultaneous loop 3/7 replacement resulted in a hyperactive APOBEC3G variant that also preferred 5′-TC dinucleotides. Single amino acid exchanges revealed D317 as a critical determinant of dinucleotide substrate specificity. Multi-copy explicitly solvated all-atom molecular dynamics simulations suggested a model in which D317 acts as a helix-capping residue by constraining the mobility of loop 7, forming a novel binding pocket that favorably accommodates cytosine. All catalytically active APOBEC3G variants, regardless of dinucleotide preference, retained human immunodeficiency virus type 1 restriction activity. These data support a model in which the loop 7 region governs the selection of local dinucleotide substrates for deamination but is unlikely to be part of the higher level targeting mechanisms that direct these enzymes to biological substrates such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 cDNA.
WHEN WILL AN AIRLINE STAND ITS GROUND? AN ANALYSIS OF FARE WARS

The research presented in this paper focuses on the recent onset of price wars in the airline industry while accommodating multimarket contact, multiple products, and a dispersed price distribution. An important innovation in this study is in developing a price war definition using a rank dominance criterion. A second innovation is the extension of a probit model to a bivariate probit, which assesses the behavior of multimarket firms after a price war occurs. In particular, a carrier may choose to stay and fight when a price war erupts or may simply leave a route. Carriers will engage in fare wars when market shares change, higher elasticity customers patron the route, and load factors drop. Carriers will leave routes after a fare war when offering service to another carrier's hub but will remain steadfast in their own spheres of influence.
Cortico-basal ganglia circuitry: a review of key research and implications for functional connectivity studies of mood and anxiety disorders

There is considerable evidence that dysfunction of the cortico-basal ganglia circuits may be associated with several mood and anxiety disorders. However, it is unclear whether circuit abnormalities contribute directly either to the neurobiology of these conditions or to the manifestation of symptoms. Understanding the role of these pathways in psychiatric illness has been limited by an incomplete characterization of normal function. In recent years, studies using animal models and human functional imaging have greatly expanded the literature describing normal cortico-basal ganglia circuit function. In this paper, recent key studies of circuit function using human and animal models are reviewed and integrated with findings from other studies conducted over the previous decades. The literature suggests several hypotheses of cortico-basal ganglia circuitry function in mood and anxiety disorders that warrant further exploration. Hypotheses are proposed herein based upon the cortico-basal ganglia mechanisms of: (1) feedforward and feedback control, (2) circuit integration and (3) emotional control. These are presented as models of circuit function, which may be particularly relevant to future investigations using neuroimaging and functional connectivity analyses.
Bookshelf on Prostitution

Prostitution was an important social, religious, and economic factor in the ancient world. An insight into this phenomenon is essential for understanding biblical texts.
Stimulatory actions of thyrotropin and dibutyryl cyclic AMP on transcription and translation in the regulation of thyroidal protein synthesis.

Abstract When beef thyroid cells were incubated with thyrotropin and then tested for protein synthesizing activity, the stimulatory effect of thyrotropin appeared in two distinct phases: first, an immediate stimulation which continued as long as thyrotropin was present, but died away promptly after withdrawal of the added thyrotropin; and second, a delayed stimulation with a lag period of 1 to 2 h, which persisted after thyrotropin withdrawal. The fast and the delayed effects each stimulated protein synthesis by about 25%, so that after 4 h of thyrotropin treatment, total stimulation amounted to 50% above basal levels of activity. The fast thyrotropin effect was not affected by actinomycin D or cordycepin, and hence is evidently not dependent upon induced RNA synthesis. In contrast, the delayed thyrotropin effect was completely prevented by actinomycin D or cordycepin. These findings suggest that the fast effect of thyrotropin occurs at the translational level to provide for acute adjustments in thyroglobulin production by regulating the rate of translation of existing mRNA. The delayed thyrotropin effect, by initiating certain transcriptional reactions could be the means for selectively inducing the production of specific enzymes or proteins. Both the fast and delayed effects of thyrotropin were faithfully reproduced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP. This finding seems to be the first in vitro demonstration of a cyclic AMP induced transcriptional response to a hormone in mammalian cells.
Leadership Style, Regime Type, and Foreign Policy Crisis Behavior: A Contingent Monadic Peace?

While a substantial body of theory suggests that democracies should behave peacefully toward all states (monadically), most empirical evidence indicates they are only pacific in their relations with fellow democracies (dyadically). A new theoretical synthesis suggests that the missing link between democratic constraints and pacific monadic behavior is leaders' perceptions of, and responses to, these constraints. Research on political leadership indicates that, contrary to conventional wisdom, leaders respond in systematically different ways to domestic constraints: “constraint respecters” internalize constraints in their environments, while “constraint challengers” view such constraints as obstacles to be surmounted. An analysis of 154 foreign policy crises provides strong support for this contingent monadic thesis: democracies led by constraint respecters stand out as extraordinarily pacific in their crisis responses, while democracies led by constraint challengers and autocracies led by both types of leaders are demonstrably more aggressive.
Cracking particles: A simplified meshfree method for arbitrary evolving cracks

A new approach for modelling discrete cracks in meshfree methods is described. In this method, the crack can be arbitrarily oriented, but its growth is represented discretely by activation of crack surfaces at individual particles, so no representation of the crack's topology is needed. The crack is modelled by a local enrichment of the test and trial functions with a sign function (a variant of the Heaviside step function), so that the discontinuities are along the direction of the crack. The discontinuity consists of cylindrical planes centred at the particles in three dimensions, lines centred at the particles in two dimensions. The model is applied to several 2D problems and compared to experimental data. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PEAK-SPREADING: HOW MUCH?

Abstract The Nationwide Personal Transportation Study (NPTS) data for 1977 and 1983 show very little evidence of peak-travel-period elongation, so that spreading is a poor explanation of the absence of worsening congestion. The peak-spreading that occurred was limited to the smaller metropolitan areas, where the scope for location adjustments by households and firms to relieve congestion was much less than in the larger policentric metropolitan areas. Blue-collar and sales workers had more off-peak commutes than other occupations (e.g., professionals), suggesting that institutionalized (i.e., compulsory) alternative work schedules are more effective than voluntary spontaneous actions. This view is reinforced by confirmation of the well-known household and family restrictions on flexible working hours.
Using Bromine Gas To Enhance Mercury Removal from Flue Gas of Coal-Fired Power Plants

Bromine gas was evaluated for converting elemental mercury (Hg0) to oxidized mercury, a form that can readily be captured by the existing air pollution control device. The gas-phase oxidation rates of Hg0 by Br2 decreased with increasing temperatures. SO2, CO, HCl, and H2O had insignificant effect, while NO exhibited a reverse course of effect on the Hg0 oxidation: promotion at low NO concentrations and inhibition at high NO concentrations. A reaction mechanism involving the formation of van der Waals clusters is proposed to accountfor NO's reverse effect. The apparent gas-phase oxidation rate constant, obtained under conditions simulating a flue gas without flyash, was 3.61 x 10(-17) cm3 x molecule(-1) x s(-1) at 410 K corresponding to a 50% Hg0 oxidation using 52 ppm Br2 in a reaction time of 15 s. Flyash in flue gas significantly promoted the oxidation of Hg0 by Br2, and the unburned carbon component played a major role in the promotion primarily through the rapid adsorption of Br2 which effectively removed Hg0 from the gas phase. At a typical flue gas temperature, SO2 slightly inhibited the flyash-induced Hg0 removal. Conversely, NO slightly promoted the flyash induced Hg0 removal by Br2. Norit Darco-Hg-LH and Darco-Hg powder activated carbons, which have been demonstrated in field tests, were inferred for estimating the flyash induced Hg0 oxidation by Br2. Approximately 60% of Hg0 is estimated to be oxidized with the addition of 0.4 ppm of gaseous Br2 into full scale power plant flue gas.
Simulation of radar signal on wind turbine

This paper describes the radar signal features of a typical wind turbine and the simulation of the wind turbine signal based on a high resolution Doppler radar. The simulated signal is under-sampled with lower PRF to match an air traffic control (ATC) radar. The simulated signal is compared to the ATC radar data collected at two different sites. Remarkable similarities of the signal features are identified. These features may help to improve the primary radar detection and tracking performance in the future.
Integer quantum Hall transition: An alternative approach and exact results

We introduce and analyze a class of model systems to study transitions in the integer quantum Hall effect (IQHE). Even without disorder our model exhibits an IQHE transition as a control parameter is varied. We find that the transition is in the two-dimensional Ising universality class and compute all associated exponents and critical transport properties. The fixed point has time-reversal, particle-hole, and parity invariance. We then consider the effect of quenched disorder on the IQHE transition and find the following. (i) Randomness in the control parameter (which breaks all the above symmetries) translates into bond randomness in the Ising model and is hence marginally irrelevant. The transition may equally well be viewed as a quantum percolation of edge states localized on equipotentials. The absence of random-phase factors for the edge states is responsible for the nongeneric (Ising) critical properties. (ii) For a random magnetic field (which preserves particle-hole symmetry in every realization) the model exhibits an exactly solvable fixed line, described in terms of a product of a Luttinger liquid and an SU(n) spin chain. While exponents vary continuously along the fixed line, the longitudinal conductivity is constant due to a general conformal sum rule for Kac-Moody algebras (derived here), and is computed exactly. We also obtain a closed expression for the extended zero-energy wave function for every realization of disorder and compute its exact multifractal spectrum f(\ensuremath{\alpha}) and the exponents of all participation ratios. One point on the fixed line corresponds to a recently proposed model by Gade and Wegner. (iii) The model in the presence of a random on-site potential scales to a strong disorder regime, which is argued to be described by a symplectic nonlinear-sigma-model fixed point. (iv) We find a plausible global phase diagram in which all forms of disorder are simultaneously considered. In this generic case, the presence of random-phase factors in the edge-state description indicates that the transition is described by a Chalker-Coddington model, with a so far analytically inaccessible fixed point.
Chemical and textural properties of muds from different depths in ponds

Proportions of clay and silt increase and those of sand and gravel decrease with depth in fish ponds. Highest concentrations of nitrogen and organic matter and lowest concentrations of phosphorus were found in muds from deeper waters. Cation exchange capacity of muds increased with depth while pH of muds decreased with depth. Relationships between water depth and characteristics of muds should be considered to reduce bias when sampling pond muds.
Alternate spintronic analog of the electro-optic modulator

There is significant current interest in spintronic devices fashioned after a spin analog of the electro-optic modulator proposed by Datta and Das [Appl. Phys. Lett. 56, 665 (1990)]. In their modulator, the “modulation” of the spin-polarized current is carried out by tuning the Rashba spin-orbit interaction with a gate voltage. Here, we propose an analogous modulator where the modulation is carried out by tuning the Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction instead, using a split gate. Additionally, the magnetization of the source and drain contacts in our device is transverse to the channel, whereas in the Datta-Das device, it is along the channel. Therefore, in the present modulator, there is no magnetic field in the channel unlike in the case of the Datta-Das modulator. This can considerably enhance modulator performance.