cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Base Moment for a Class of Linear Systems

Contributions of the second and higher modes to the overturning moment at the base of any classical linear system whose fundamental mode is given by a straight line are shown to vanish identically. A necessary and sufficient condition for a nonuniform shear beam to exhibit a linear first mode is obtained. In particular, it is shown that a shear beam with uniform cross section and mass density will have a linear fundamental mode shape if and only if the shearing stiffness is distributed parabolically. For such a beam, the higher mode shapes are given by odd degree Legendre polynomials.
Synthesis, characterization and application of electrode materials

It has been known that significant advances in electrochemistry really depend on improvements in the sensitivity, selectivity, convenience, and/or economy of working electrodes, especially through the development of new working electrode materials. The advancement of solid state chemistry and materials science makes it possible to provide the materials which may be required as satisfactory electrode materials. The combination of solid state techniques with electrochemistry expands the applications of solid state materials and leads to the improvement of electrocatalysis. The study of Ru-Ti{sub 4}O{sub 7} and Pt-Ti{sub 4}O{sub 7} microelectrode arrays as introduced in paper 1 and paper 4, respectively, focuses on their synthesis and characterization. The synthesis is described by high temperature techniques for Ru or Pt microelectrode arrays within a conductive Ti{sub 4}O{sub 7} ceramic matrix. The characterization is based on the data obtained by x-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, voltammetry and amperometry. These microelectrode arrays show significant enhancement in current densities in comparison to solid Ru and Pt electrodes. Electrocatalysis at pyrochlore oxide Bi{sub 2}Ru{sub 2}O{sub 7.3} and Bi{sub 2}Ir{sub 2}O{sub 7} electrodes are described in paper 2 and paper 3, respectively. Details are reported for the synthesis and characterization of composite Bi{sub 2}Ru{sub 2}O{sub 7.3} electrodes. Voltammetric data are examined for evidence that oxidation can occur with transfer of oxygen to the oxidation products in the potential region corresponding to anodic discharge of H{sub 2}O with simultaneous evolution of O{sub 2}. Paper 3 includes electrocatalytic activities of composite Bi{sub 2}Ir{sub 2}O{sub 7} disk electrodes for the oxidation of I{sup -} and the reduction of IO{sub 3}{sup -}.
An assessment of pain and return to normal activity: Laparoscopic herniorrhaphy vs open tension-free Lichtenstein repair

Background: Laparoscopic herniorrhaphy is controversial and deserves critical evaluation. Methods: In a randomized prospective study transabdominal preperitoneal laparoscopic herniorrhaphy (n= 24) was compared in patients to the tension-free Lichtenstein repair (n= 29) utilizing validated and reliable pain and activity assessment tools. The Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) was used to compare preoperative normal activity to postoperative activity. A Pain-O-Meter (visual analogue scale plus affective and sensory pain descriptors) assessed intensity of pain. The total pain assessment score and SIP were compared across time (postoperative day 1–42). Analgesic medication was used as a covariate. Results: The total pain score was less for laparoscopic herniorrhaphy but this did not reach statistical significance. Similarly, the SIP showed modest improvement for laparoscopic herniorrhaphy. No differences between groups were noted for morphine equivalents of administered analgesics or length of hospitalization. Conclusion: Further investigation of laparoscopic herniorrhaphy is warranted.
Forest Service Experimental Forests and Long-term Data Sets: Stories of Their Meaning to Station Directors

As Forest Service Research and Development worked to prepare this book reporting important results from long-term research conducted on U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges, the station directors added a chapter to highlight additional accounts of long-term research, its benefits to land managers and policy makers, and lessons learned from the first century of research on Experimental Forests and Ranges. The Northern Research Station described research on tree care and the opening it created to urban natural resource research. The Pacific Southwest Research Station described a series of studies on the relationships among logging, landslides, and water quality that began in 1963 and continues through the present. The International Institute of Tropical Forestry described pioneering work in measuring tree growth in tropical forests. The Pacific Northwest Research Station showed how conclusions vary with the length of an environmental record, and the ways in which their research has contributed to understanding old-growth forests. The Southern Research Station highlighted the contributions of the Coweeta EFR to the science of forest ecosystem hydrology. The Rocky Mountain Research Station showed how data from even a single plot measured over many decades can enhance our understanding of forests and environmental change. Lessons learned include the importance of data quality, sampling intensity and consistency, scale, scientific creativity, and manipulative research. These stories also show us that sites on which long-term data have been collected can serve as settings for important conversations about important social and management questions.
The effect of spouses' educational classes held for primiparous women referring to Hajar hospital on their quality of life and pregnancy outcomes.

ABSTRACT Background: With regard to the importance of quality of life in pregnant women, the present study aimed to determine the effect of spouses’ educational classes held for primaparous women referring to Hajar hospital on women’s quality of life and pregnancy outcomes. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial was conducted from September 2011 to June 2012 in the clinic of the Hajar university center in Shahrekord. Eligible primiparous women who registered for physiologic delivery educational classes were randomly assigned to study (n = 31) and control (n = 27) groups. In the control group, eight physiologic delivery educational sessions were held. In the study group, in addition to attendance of pregnant women, their husbands also attended the third and the eighth sessions of these classes. Women’s quality of life was investigated with SF36 questionnaire and pregnancy outcomes after delivery were investigated. Data were analyzed by t‑test and Chi‑square test. Results: Before intervention, there was no significant difference between scores of quality of life and demographic characteristics (P > 0.05). After intervention, there was a significant difference only in the dimensions of mental health, hugging time, kissing, and breast feeding between the study and control groups (P 0.05). Conclusions : Educational classes held for the pregnant women’s husbands during pregnancy can be efficient in promotion of pregnant women’s quality of life, especially in improving their mental health. Key words: Iran, pregnancy outcome, prenatal education, quality of life, spouses
Intracellular replication of mycoplasmavirus MVL51.

Abstract The intracellular replication of MVL51, a group L1 mycoplasmavirus, was investigated. The single-stranded parental DNA was found to enter the cell and become converted to double-stranded DNA. This replicated to yield additional double-stranded DNA molecules. The parental viral DNA was found to leave the replication complex and become associated with large molecular weight DNA not involved with viral replication. Progeny viral DNA formed from the double-stranded DNA and an intracellular accumulation of virus chromosome size DNA was observed. The interpretation of this data and a suggested model for the viral replication are discussed and compared to viral DNA replication models for other single-stranded DNA viruses.
Examining Adolescent Academic Achievement: A Cross-Cultural Review:

Adolescence is a pivotal developmental stage for establishing patterns of behaviors that can last a lifetime. Adolescents’ choices have a significant impact on future opportunities. Education can have tremendous influence on the overall success of an individual. For example, a quality education can affect employability, which indirectly influences economic status; therefore, influencing access to health care and community resources. This literature review will examine the effect of family, peers, and teachers as it relates to adolescent motivation to achieve academically. The authors have investigated adolescent academic motivation from a cross-cultural prospective, exploring four diverse ethnic groups: European Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans. The research indicates that though developmentally, adolescents share common characteristics, unique dynamics are considered by counselors when addressing academic motivation within ethnic groups.
EFFECT OF PHYSICIAN PAYMENT DISCLOSURE LAWS ON PRESCRIBING

To the Editor: With the enactment of the Physician Payments Sunshine Provision of the Affordable Care Act, pharmaceutical manufacturers are now required to disclose certain types of payments—e.g. payments for consulting, honoraria, gifts, and travel—made to physicians.1 This law is based on the premise that transparency in these kinds of transactions is of public importance and that disclosure requirements can act as a deterrent against quid pro quo exchanges; physicians will be reluctant to accept large payments from pharmaceutical firms if payments are publicly known and perceived as financial compensation for prescribing certain therapies.2,3 To predict possible deterrence effects of the federal sunshine law, we studied the experience of two states, Maine and West Virginia, that previously implemented similar disclosure laws. We focused on the effect of the laws on the prescribing of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), two therapeutic classes in which marketing plays an important role in physicians' choice of treatment because the members within each class are pharmacologically similar to each other and highly substitutable. We hypothesized that, to the degree that physicians were influenced by industry payments to overprescribe branded therapies—and disclosure deterred doctors from accepting these payments—the disclosure laws would lead physicians to decrease prescribing of branded statins and SSRIs. We also looked at whether any switching from branded therapies to generics that we observed was associated with decreases in out-of-pocket costs for patients or decreases in overall prescription expenditures.
Differential host utilization by two parasites in a population of ponderosa pine

We compared phloem characteristics of individual Pinus ponderosa attacked by the dwarf-mistletoe Arceuthobium vaginatum (Viscaceae) or by the beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae (Scolytidae) or by neither species. We quantified total nonstructural carbohydrates and a broad range of chemical elements for these three categories of trees. There were significant differences between trees parasitized by Arceuthobium, trees parasitized by Dendroctonus, and non-infected trees. Discriminant function analysis of trees attacked by either Arceuthobium or Dendroctonus correctly predicted group membership for 59 of 60 trees tested. Some of the differences detected may be induced, but many probably are not. Given that the accumulation of certain elements and compounds is under genetic control, and that both parasites often cause severe reductions in fitness, including death of their host, our results suggest that the two parasites may generate diversifying selection in ponderosa pine populations.
Unusual Polybrominated Polypyrazolylborates and Their Copper(I) Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Activity

Five new homoscorpionate ligands were prepared and structurally characterized as their Tl complexes, three of which, Tl[TpBr,Ph,Br] (1) (Tp = hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate, Tl[TpBr,p-Tοl,Br] (2), and Tl[TpBr,p-ClPh,Br] (3), are unique in being the first examples of an “atypical” B−N bond to the most sterically hindered pyrazole nitrogen. They contain bromine atoms on the central and outer carbons of the pyrazole ring, with all aryl substituents in the 5-position of the ligand, forming a protective pocket around the B−H bond. These complexes display a rather high B−H stretch frequency (above 2 600 cm-1) in the IR region. Two other ligands, Tl[Tpp-ClPh,4Br] (4) and Tl[TpPh,Me,Br] (5), containing no outer bromine substituents, have normal B−N bonding to the least-hindered nitrogen. These new ligands have been employed to prepare the series of complexes TpxCu(NCMe) (6−10), for which X-ray studies of two of them (7 and 10) have shown that the atypical or normal geometry of the ligands is maintained when complexed...
Toxic responses of the lung to inhaled pollutants: benefits and limitations of lung-disease models.

The widely accepted notion that certain individuals are more susceptible to air pollutants than others has been revitalized by recent epidemiology that strongly suggests that the elderly, particularly those with underlying cardiopulmonary diseases (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), infection), and children with asthma are more susceptible to the adverse outcomes associated with ambient particulate matter (PM). Pulmonary toxicologists have adopted 'susceptibility' as an issue that can be approached experimentally and have begun to develop as well as study more relevant animal models. These models may have specific genetic traits or cardiopulmonary impairments analogous to human diseases. The goal is to identify potential susceptibility characteristics and elucidate whether responsiveness is due to impair compensation or some unique mechanisms. Several rodent models have been used with PM: pulmonary vasculitis, bronchitis, COPD, allergic asthma, infectious lung diseases, systemic hypertension, and congestive heart disease. Transgenic and knockout mice are of growing interest but have seen limited use in air pollutants studies, with primary interest being directed to specific mechanistic questions. No model should be used without careful consideration of its strengths and limitations. However, when interpreted in the context of field and epidemiology findings, they may reveal generic susceptibility attributes or useful biomarkers.
First-trimester midgut herniation: A high-frequency transvaginal sonographic study

The application of high-frequency transvaginal sonography offers new opportunities in scanning for malformations during the first trimester of pregnancy. Scanning of the anterior abdominal wall and the umbilical cord insertion at this gestational age is feasible. A cross-sectional study of 61 embryos-fetuses from 7 to 12 weeks of gestation was performed to observe the physiologic midgut hernia. This herniation was detected in 64% of the cases at 8 weeks, in 100% during weeks 9 and 10, and in 25% at 11 weeks' gestation. None of the fetuses studied at 12 weeks had a midgut herniation. Vaginal sonography of the well-dated fetus at 12 weeks can confirm the final development of the anterior abdominal wall.
Progress Study of 590 Consecutive Nonsurgical Cases of Coronary Disease Followed 5-9 Years I. Arterographic Correlations

The clinical progress was studied in a series of 590 consecutive nonsurgical patients with coronary disease documented by selective coronary arteriography. All had 50% or more obstruction in at least one major artery. Patients who were operated on within 5 years were excluded. Observations of the survivors ranged from 5 to 9 years. During the total observation period 263 patients died; only 19 deaths were not due to coronary disease. The 5-year cardiac mortality rate was 34.4% for the entire population, 14.6% for patients with one-vessel involvement, 37.8% for patients with two-vessel involvement, 53.8% for patients with three-vessel involvement, and 56.8% for those with at least 50% narrowing of the left main coronary artery. In patients with single-vessel disease the presence or absence of additional lesions causing less than 50% narrowing was of significant prognostic influence.
Posterior stabilization of cervical spine injuries using the Roy-Camille plates: a long-term follow-up

Posterior cervical spine fixation has undergone tremendous advancement in recent years. The purpose of this study is to present our experience with the Roy-Camille instrumentation for posterior cervical stabilization after injury in a long-term follow-up. From 1985 to 1995, 76 patients with a lower cervical spine traumatic lesion were treated in a single institution by posterior plate stabilization using the Roy-Camille plates (R-C plates). Fifty-four men and 22 women with a mean age of 43.2 years were involved. In 59 patients the injuries were due to a road traffic accident, in 14 cases the fall from a high was responsible, while in two cases the injuries were due to sport activities. There were four bilateral dislocations, nine unilateral dislocations, 56 fracture dislocations, five fracture separations of a lateral mass and two burst fractures. Neurological lesions were present in 65 patients (9 ASIA A, 16 ASIA B, 22 ASIA C, 18 ASIA D and 11 ASIA E). All patients had minimum follow-up of 7 years. Fifty-nine patients were followed up for a mean period of 21 years (14–27 years). Stability was obtained in all but two cases. Reoperation was done in two cases: in one for the correction of the lost reduction and in a second for the reinsertion of a screw irritating a nerve root. No case in the ASIA A group showed neurological improvement, a fact observed in the other groups. The R-C plates were used in the last quarter of the last century. This technique showed good short-time results, and we have shown good results in a long-term follow-up as well. The literature referred to this technique was favorable, as far as the biomechanical behavior and also clinical application concern. The question about this plating system abundance still remains unanswered.
Performance of roughness correction models for retrieval of Sea Surface Salinity from air- and satellite-borne L-band radiometers

The recent and imminent launch of the SMOS and Aquarius satellites carrying microwave L-band radiometers provides an opportunity to map Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) globally with an expected error < 0.2 psu. However, the accuracy of retrieved SSS depends critically on brightness temperature (Tb) corrections for sea surface roughness (SSR) effects. This paper assesses the performance of representative roughness correction models when compared with published data, and applied to recently-acquired airborne L-band radiometer data. One type of model currently being used to process SMOS data combines a wind-driven gravity wave spectrum that describes SSR, with an electromagnetic (EM) model that determines microwave emissivity, to predict the Tb roughness increment relative to the flat sea response. We find that selection of both the spectral and emissivity models strongly influences the resulting (∼1 K) Tb errors. We conclude that more accurate modeling of short wavelength spectral components and their EM influence is needed, to reduce these errors to acceptable levels.
Turbo codes for the multiple access channel with correlated senders

We consider an AWGN multiple access channel in which two correlated senders send information to a common receiver. In order to reduce the required transmission power, each one of the senders is encoded independently using a standard turbo code. The correlation model is not assumed to be known at the encoder. The decoder consists of two turbo decoders, each associated to a different sender, which exchange extrinsic information to exploit the correlation existing between the senders. The resulting performance is close to the theoretical limits obtained when separation between source and channel coding is assumed. This occurs even when the correlation between senders and the noise variance are unknown at the decoder site, since they can be estimated jointly with the decoding process with little performance degradation.
Ontology Formalization of Product Semantics for Product Lifecycle Management

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is a concept that takes into account that the development of a product is influenced by knowledge from various stakeholders throughout its lifecycle. Computing environments in the PLM framework are expected to have several independent information resources. This requires a meaningful formal representation of product data semantics throughout the product’s lifecycle. This paper presents an ontological approach to formalize product semantics into a Product Semantic Representation Language (PSRL). Building blocks to develop the explicit, extensible and comprehensive PSRL are described. The PSRL is open and based on standard W3L OWL constructs. The extensibility is demonstrated by considering an example product. The representation and the method of its development is expected to support several applications in the context of PLM. The use of OWL will enable the provision of the application software and information resources as Web services in the context of the Semantic Web.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
MiR-223 regulates the differentiation of immature neurons

Background Small non-coding microRNA RNA molecules can regulate stem cell function. The role of microRNAs in neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs) differentiation is not entirely clear.
Predictors of Arrhythmic Death and Cardiac Arrest in the ESVEM Trial

Background The purpose of this study was to determine if the presenting ventricular arrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation/cardiac arrest) predicted the type of arrhythmia recurrence in patients treated with antiarrhythmic drugs. Methods and Results In the previously reported Electrophysiologic Study Versus Electrocardiographic Monitoring (ESVEM) trial, there were 486 patients who were randomized to antiarrhythmic drug testing guided by electrophysiological study or by ambulatory ECG monitoring. Use of a defibrillator (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, ICD) without stored electrograms among 81 patients precluded determination of the type of arrhythmia recurrence; thus these patients were censored at the time of ICD implantation. Of the 486 patients, 381 presented with ventricular tachycardia and 105 with cardiac arrest. Over a 6-year follow-up period, 285 of the 486 patients had an arrhythmia recurrence; of these, 97 had an arrhythmic death or cardiac arrest as a first recurrence. In the current analysis, all 129 arrhythmic deaths/cardiac arrests that occurred any time during follow-up were evaluated as end points. Conclusions Although univariate analysis suggested that there was an association between the presenting arrhythmia and outcome, multivariate analysis failed to substantiate the predictive value of the presenting arrhythmia. Left ventricular ejection fraction was the single most important predictor of arrhythmic death or cardiac arrest. This information may be an important factor in deciding whether to advise ICD therapy.
Comparative Studies on Related Free‐Living and Pathogenic Amebae With Special Reference to Acanthamoeba*

Comparative studies were conducted on the structure, nutrition, protein composition, immunology, and effect on cell cultures of Acanthamoeba sp. (Lilly A-1 strain), A. castellanii (Singh and Neff strains), A. astronyxis, A. comandoni, A. polyphaga, A. terricola, Hartmannella vermiformis, and Naegleria gruberi. Lilly A-1 strain of Acanthamoeba received special attention owing to its pathogenicity for experimental animals. Distinct differences were noted in structure, nutrition, and antigenic composition of Acanthamoeba spp. and Hartmannella, and it was concluded that their recognition as separate genera is justified. With the exception of A. terricola, all species of Acanthamoeba could be differentiated by cyst structure. Cysts of A. terricola closely resembled those of A. castellanii Singh strain, and close antigenic relationships between these 2 species were demonstrated by gel diffusion and immunoelectrophoresis (IEP); it was concluded that the 2 amebae belong in the same species. The pathogenic Acanthamoeba sp, Lilly strain differed from the nonpathogenic A. castellanii Singh strain (a) cyst structure; (b) protein distribution patterns (on disc electrophoresis);(c)soluble and particulate antigens (on gel diffusion, IEP, complement fixation, and immobilization tests); (d) capacity to induce cell-free plaques and other cytopathic effect (CPE) in mammalian monlayer cell cultures; (e) elimination of a phospholipase, responsible for some of the CPE, into the culture medium. Acanthamoeba sp. Lilly strain, which liberated more phospholipase, produced more CPE. Acanthamoeba sp. Lilly strain differed also from other species of this genus in cyst structure and antigenic composition. It was concluded, therefore, that, following the recommendation of Singh & Das, it ought to be placed in a separate species, Acanthamoeba culbertsoni.
Point-to-plane registration of terrestrial laser scans

Abstract The registration of pairs of Terrestrial Laser Scanning data (TLS) is an integral precursor to 3D data analysis. Of specific interest in this research work is the class of approaches that is considered to be fine registration and which does not require any targets or tie points. This paper presents a pairwise fine registration approach called P2P that is formulated using the General Least Squares adjustment model. Given some initial registration parameters, the proposed P2P approach utilizes the scanned points and estimated planar features of both scans, along with their stochastic properties. These quantities are used to determine the optimum registration parameters in the least squares sense. The proposed P2P approach was tested on both simulated and real TLS data, and experimental results showed it to be four times more accurate than the registration approach of Chen and Medioni (1991) .
Computer Simulations of Organic Reactions in Solution

Quantum and statistical mechanics have been used to determine energy profiles for the SN2 reaction of Cl- + CH3Cl in the gas phase, in aqueous solution, and in liquid DMF. The energy profile in the gas phase has the characteristic double-well form featuring unsymmetrical ion-dipole complexes as minima and a symmetrical transition state. Hydration causes the reaction surface to become almost unimodal and increases the barrier significantly. The reaction profile in DMF is intermediate between those for the gas phase and aqueous solution. The ion-dipole complexes are still free energy minima in DMF. Thus, the reaction in DMF involves initial formation of the complex before the rate-determining step. The computed results are shown to be in good accord with experimental free energies of activation. The same technique has been applied to the addition reaction of OH- + H2C = O in the gas phase and aqueous solution. Ab initio 6-31 + G* calculations indicate that the reaction proceeds essentially without activation in the gas phase. Hydration introduces a substantial energy barrier. The transition state in water has been located at a C-O separation of roughly 2 A. A key finding for both reactions is that the activation barriers induced by hydration result primarily from change in strengths rather than in numbers of solute-water hydrogen bonds along the reaction paths.
A dynamic scale-similarity model for dynamo simulations in a rotating plane layer

We test a dynamic version of the scale-similarity model in plane-layer dynamo simulations. Previous work has shown that the scale-similarity model reproduces the spatial pattern of the SGS heat flux, even near the boundaries, when a correction is added for the commutation error. However, the average amplitude of the SGS terms deviates from the estimate inferred from a fully resolved calculation. In this study, we attempt to improve the average amplitude of the SGS terms by applying the dynamic scheme of Germano et al. (1991) to the scale-similarity model. This procedure yields estimates for the coefficients in the SGS model, which we evaluate as a function of vertical position in the plane layer. The resulting SGS heat flux is compared with the value determined from a resolved dynamo solution on a finer grid. The results show that the dynamic scheme improves the amplitude of the SGS heat flux. Furthermore, the results show that the coefficients for each SGS term in the dynamo simulation (heat flux, moment...
Seasonal marking efficacy of Dupont oil blue A dye on steam-rolled oat groat baits for valley pocket gophers

Abstract We examined if Valley pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) exhibited a seasonal preference for consuming steamed-rolled oat (SRO) groat bait treated with 1.6% Dupont oil blue A (fat-marking dye). Field tests were conducted in California alfalfa fields during winter, summer, and fall, and in walnut orchards during winter and summer. Five treatment units (TUs) were established each with ∼60 burrows for each season and habitat studied during 1997–1999. SRO groat marker bait (4 g ) was placed inside each active burrow. All bait sites were re-opened about 96 h later and examined for the presence (all or some) or absence of bait. The average bait site disturbance after 4 days of baiting was 78.2%. Traps were used to capture gophers up to 5 days after baiting. Valley pocket gophers (n=744) were examined for the presence of blue dye in their cheek pouches, skin/fur, and fat. We expected that if gophers moved the bait, their cheek pouches and fur would be marked; if they consumed bait, their fat would be marked. In alfalfa, 54.2%, 46.8%, and 65.7%, of gophers were marked (trapping on days 5–9) by blue dye in one or more of their cheek pouches, skin, fur, or subcutaneous fat in the winter, summer, or fall, respectively. In orchards, 57.1% of gophers were marked in winter and 53.4% in summer. Of those that were marked, all (100%) had their fat dyed blue, followed by skin/fur (34.4% males : 43.7% females ) and cheek pouches (5.7% males : 10.1% females ) . ANOVA results indicated no difference in seasonal marking efficacy in either alfalfa or orchards (F=3.59, P=0.0598 and F=0.12, P=0.7384, respectively). The usefulness of 1.6% Dupont oil blue A dye as a marking agent for Valley pocket gophers was not demonstrated overall or for any season in either habitat. Therefore, a better marker for this gopher is needed. Some factors that may have influenced these results were discussed including: (1) baiting methodology (∼66% of the bait sites were devoid of bait at the end of the study), (2) species specific dye properties, (3) bait acceptance (i.e. aversion to the dye), or (4) availability of alternative foods.
Void nucleation effects on shear localization in porous plastic solids

The influence of void nucleation occurring during the deformation history on shear localization is investigated by employing a constitutive model of a rate independent porous plastic solid. Both plastic strain controlled and stress controlled nucleation processes are simulated. Two deformation histories are considered, one corresponding to uniaxial tension and the other to plane strain tension. The enhanced triaxiality at the center of a neck is simulated by application of Bridgman's solution for the stress and deformation state at the minimum section of a necked bar. The destabilizing effect that arises when void nucleation is stress controlled and nucleation occurs over a narrow range of stress is illustrated. Results are also presented employing parameter values representative of spheroidized carbon steels employed in a recent experimental study carried out by Fisher [23] and the predictions of the model are discussed in light of the experimental observations.
Locus of Interference on the Stroop Test

On the Stroop test subjects are presented with a random sequence of color names printed in random colors of ink. They are asked to go through the list twice, once reading the words aloud and once naming the ink colors. In this experiment 36 college students were also asked to go through the lists using their fingers to make push button responses. With verbal responses naming the ink colors took nearly twice as long as reading the words, thus replicating the usual Stroop test results. With either the left hand or the right there was no difference between the time required by the subjects to respond to the words and to the ink colors. The disappearance of the Stroop effect with finger responses suggests strongly that the interference normally shown on the Stroop test occurs primarily in the processing of the verbal response.
Evolution of edge pedestal transport between edge-localized modes in DIII-D

Evolution of measured profiles of densities, temperatures, and velocities in the edge pedestal region between successive ELM (edge-localized mode) events are analyzed and interpreted in terms of the constraints imposed by particle, momentum and energy balance in order to gain insights regarding the underlying evolution of transport processes in the edge pedestal between ELMs in a series of DIII-D [J. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] discharges. The data from successive inter-ELM periods during an otherwise steady-state phase of the discharges were combined into a composite inter-ELM period for the purpose of increasing the number of data points in the analysis. Variation of diffusive and non-diffusive (pinch) particle, momentum, and energy transport over the inter-ELM period are interpreted using the GTEDGE code for discharges with plasma currents from 0.5 to 1.5 MA and inter-ELM periods from 50 to 220 ms. Diffusive transport is dominant for ρ < 0.925, while non-diffusive and diffusive transport are very large and nearly balancing in the sharp gradient region 0.925 < ρ < 1.0. During the inter-ELM period, diffusive transport increases slightly more than non-diffusive transport, increasing total outward transport. Both diffusive and non-diffusive transport have a strong inverse correlation with plasma current.
Orexin A decreases lipid peroxidation and apoptosis in a novel hypothalamic cell model

Current data support the idea that hypothalamic neuropeptide orexin A (OxA; hypocretin 1) mediates resistance to high fat diet-induced obesity. We previously demonstrated that OxA elevates spontaneous physical activity (SPA), that rodents with high SPA have higher endogenous orexin sensitivity, and that OxA-induced SPA contributes to obesity resistance in rodents. Recent reports show that OxA can confer neuroprotection against ischemic damage, and may decrease lipid peroxidation. This is noteworthy as independent lines of evidence indicate that diets high in saturated fats can decrease SPA, increase hypothalamic apoptosis, and lead to obesity. Together data suggest OxA may protect against obesity both by inducing SPA and by modulation of anti-apoptotic mechanisms. While OxA effects on SPA are well characterized, little is known about the short- and long-term effects of hypothalamic OxA signaling on intracellular neuronal metabolic status, or the physiological relevance of such signaling to SPA. To address this issue, we evaluated the neuroprotective effects of OxA in a novel immortalized primary embryonic rat hypothalamic cell line. We demonstrate for the first time that OxA increases cell viability during hydrogen peroxide challenge, decreases hydrogen peroxide-induced lipid peroxidative stress, and decreases caspase 3/7 induced apoptosis in an in vitro hypothalamic model. Our data support the hypothesis that OxA may promote obesity resistance both by increasing SPA, and by influencing survival of OxA-responsive hypothalamic neurons. Further identification of the individual mediators of the anti-apoptotic and peroxidative effects of OxA on target neurons could lead to therapies designed to maintain elevated SPA and increase obesity resistance.
Multinational Corporate Pricing Strategy in the Developing Countries: A Reply

I am grateful to Professors Pedro Belli and Harsharanjeet Singh Jagpal for their comments, which provide a welcome opportunity to clarify some points in my paper.1 I will first discuss the issues raised by Professor Jagpal, and subsequently those raised by Professor Belli.
Dynamics of Trade in the Ancient Mesopotamian “World System”

Maritime trade in the Arabian Gulf connected Mesopotamia with societies in the Gulf and with the Indus during the Bronze Age. This article explores the Gulf trade in light of shifting consumption patterns and of various political forces at work within and between regions, in order to define the socioeconomic place of the trade in center-periphery relations. Through time the consumption of certain commodities, notably copper and grain, became deeply embedded in the changing political economies of Mesopotamian and Gulf societies, and the trade formed a basic economic dimension of center-periphery relations in western Asia. At the same time, other forces—political, military, and cultural—configured center—periphery relations in western Asia as deeply as the economic ones, and provided the context within which the trade occurred. Using the Gulf trade as an example, the article offers a framework for considering the political and cultural, as well as economic, character of ancient center-periphery systems.
The photolysis of pentafluoroacetone

The photolysis of pentafluoroacetone has been investigated in the 3130 A region, from room temperature to 360°C. The ΦCO varies from 0.7 to 0.9 over this range, and the decomposition is represented by CF2HCOCF3 → CF2H + CO + CF3. The disproportionation/combination ratio for CF3 and CF2H (→ CF3H + CF2) radicals is found to be 0.09. Arrhenius parameters for hydrogen atom abstraction from the ketone are log10A = 12.7 (units are mole−1 cc sec−1) and E = 14.3 kcal mole−1 for CF2H, and log10A = 12.1 and E = 11.8, for CF3 radicals. At low pressures HF elimination reactions are observed from the vibrationally excited fluoroethanes, C2F5H* and C2F4H2*, formed in the system. A rough estimate of the activation energy for the process C2F5H → C2F4 + HF of 60–65 kcal mole−1 is made.
Calculation of nonzero-temperature Casimir forces in the time domain

We show how to compute Casimir forces at nonzero temperatures with time-domain electromagnetic simulations, for example, using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Compared to our previous zero-temperature time-domain method, only a small modification is required, but we explain that some care is required to properly capture the zero-frequency contribution. We validate the method against analytical and numerical frequency-domain calculations, and show a surprising high-temperature disappearance of a nonmonotonic behavior previously demonstrated in a pistonlike geometry.
Chronic lung diseases

Chronic lung diseases often have high morbidity and mortality rate and have posed a serious threat to human health. The incidence of many chronic lung diseases such as asthma has been on the rise in the past decade, which causes serious economic burden. Despite many efforts which employed traditional experimental approaches to elucidate the mechanisms of the diseases have been made, little is known about the pathogenesis of complex lung diseases. Systems biology approaches which aim to integrate and analyze information gathered from multiple sources offer a great opportunity to examine complex human diseases from a new angle. Many attempts have been made using high-throughput technologies such as microarrays to study chronic lung diseases; although compared with the full-fledged systems biology approach, research strategies employed in most of these investigations still have much room to improve, promising findings have already emerged from these efforts, which demonstrates the potential of implementing systems biology in pulmonary biomedical research.
Time Dependence of Test Fuel Power Coupling During Transient Reactor Test Facility Irradiation Experiments

Studies have been conducted at the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) to determine the variation during transient irradiation experiments of the ratio of axial midplane test fuel power to reac...
Epsilon Nielsen fixed point theory

Let be a map of a compact, connected Riemannian manifold, with or without boundary. For sufficiently small, we introduce an -Nielsen number that is a lower bound for the number of fixed points of all self-maps of that are -homotopic to . We prove that there is always a map that is -homotopic to such that has exactly fixed points. We describe procedures for calculating for maps of -manifolds.
Room-temperature deposition and initial stages of cobalt silicide interface formation on A Si(111) √3 × √3 surface

Abstract Understanding and control of metal-semiconductor interfaces are crucial for continued development of microelectronics. In this study, MeV He + ion channeling was used to investigate the initial growth of cobalt silicide on heavily B-doped Si(111) √3 × √3 surfaces at room temperature. The variation of the Si surface peak upon deposition of Co (up to ~ 3 ML) indicates a reaction of Co with the Si surface while the Co normalized yield shows the shadowing of Co atoms by Si atoms. The results imply the formation of a coherent 2 /Si(111) interface. Subsequent depositions of Co (> 4 ML) do not react with the Si substrate. Monte Carlo simulations of these results and a growth mechanism for CoSi 2 formation are also discussed.
Present status of laser neurosurgery

A three-fold approach to the status of laser neurosurgery was taken: 1) Questionnaire to Program Directors for neurosurgery training in the United States and Canada; 2) an analysis of titles in the preliminary neurosurgery program of the Fifth International Congress of Neurosurgery; 3) A literature survey convering the last 3 years of publication. The results showed increasing interest in the use of lasers in neurosurgery, especially for neoplasmas in brain and spinal canal. The CO2 laser still dominates the field but Neodymium YAG is also finding wide use. The author comments on directions that laser neurosurgery may take in the future. Special emphasis is made on new applications combining advanced technologies, including CAT scanning, untrasonography, stereotaxic techniques, and computer control.
Microbial dehalogenases: enzymes recruited to convert xenobiotic substrates

Microbial dehalogenases are involved in the biodegradation of many important chlorinated pollutants. Some recent studies of haloalkane dehalogenase, dichloromethane dehalogenase, tetrachlorohydroquinone dehalogenase and perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene reductive dehalogenases have addressed the issue of recruitment and adaptation of proteins to dehalogenate novel substrates.
Revealing cell-surface intramolecular interactions in the BlaR1 protein of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by NMR spectroscopy.

In methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, β-lactam antibiotic resistance is mediated by the transmembrane protein BlaR1. The antibiotic sensor domain BlaRS and the L2 loop of BlaR1 are on the membrane surface. We used NMR to investigate interactions between BlaRS and a water-soluble peptide from L2. This peptide binds BlaRS proximal to the antibiotic acylation site as an amphipathic helix. Acylation of BlaRS by penicillin G does not disrupt binding. These results suggest a signal transduction mechanism whereby the L2 helix, partially embedded in the membrane, propagates conformational changes caused by BlaRS acylation through the membrane via transmembrane segments, leading to antibiotic resistance.
Peroxynitrite Elevation in Exhaled Breath Condensate of COPD and Its Inhibition by Fudosteine

Background Peroxynitrite formed by the reaction of nitric oxide and superoxide is a powerful oxidant/nitrosant. Nitrative stress is implicated in COPD pathogenesis, but PN has not been detected due to a short half-life ( Method PN was measured using oxidation of 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (DCDHF) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) collected in high pH and sputum cells. The PN scavenging effect was also evaluated by the same system as PN-induced bovine serum albumin (BSA) nitration. Results The mean (± SD) PN levels in EBC of COPD patients (7.9 ± 3.0 nmol/L; n = 10) were significantly higher than those of healthy volunteers (2.0 ± 1.1 nmol/L; p Conclusion This noninvasive PN measurement in EBC may be useful for monitoring airway nitrative stress in COPD. Furthermore, FDS has the potential to inhibit PN-induced events in lung by its scavenging effect.
Surgical treatment of the short bowel syndrome

Long-term survival after massive intestinal resection is now possible with parenteral nutritional support. The expense, morbidity, and inconvenience of this therapy, however, has led to continued interest in alternatives for the treatment of the short bowel syndrome. The goals of surgical therapy in the short bowel syndrome are to increase the area of absorption, slow intestinal transit, and reduce gastric hyperacidity. Selected patients with dilated bowel segments benefit from intestinal tapering or lengthening. Growing neomucosa to increase surface area is not yet clinically efficacious. The results of transplantation remain unsatisfactory despite recent advances in immunosuppression. Antiperistaltic segments, colon interposition, and intestinal valves may benefit patients with sufficient absorptive area but rapid intestinal transit. Recirculating loops are associated with prohibitive morbidity and mortality. Intestinal pacing is currently being investigated. Surgical treatment of the short bowel syndrome is not sufficiently safe and effective to recommend its routine use. Operations should be performed only on selected patients to achieve specific goals. Adjunct procedures should not be carried out at the initial intestinal resection. Most important is continued emphasis on the prevention of intestinal resection and conservation of the intestine when massive resection is necessary.
Understanding fatty acid synthesis in developing maize embryos using metabolic flux analysis

The efficiency with which developing maize embryos convert substrates into seed storage reserves was determined to be 57-71%, by incubating developing maize embryos with uniformly labeled 14C substrates and measuring their conversion to CO2 and biomass products. To map the pattern of metabolic fluxes underlying this efficiency, maize embryos were labeled to isotopic steady state using a combination of labeled 13C-substrates. Intermediary metabolic fluxes were estimated by computer-aided modeling of the central metabolic network using the labeling data collected by NMR and GC-MS and the biomass composition. The resultant flux map reveals that even though 36% of the entering carbon goes through the oxidative pentose-phosphate pathway, this does not fully meet the NADPH demands for fatty acid synthesis. Metabolic flux analysis and enzyme activities highlight the importance of plastidic NADP-dependent malic enzyme, which provides one-third of the carbon and NADPH required for fatty acid synthesis in developing maize embryos.
The experimental nature of engineering and it's implications for management

We live in a world in which little appears to be stable but the very presence of change itself. Engineers must invariably be counted among the agents of change, if only because the size and complexity of their projects or the sheer number of products manufactured affect our natural and social ecosystems. Engineers have the particular talent of accomplishing a task with only partial knowledge of nature's laws and society's whims, but this attribute also imposes grave responsibilities, particularly when the side effects of their efforts arc difficult to foresee. Thus, whenever further exploration must be bypassed for the sake of moving ahead on a project, engineers should proceed as if they were conducting a critical experiment involving human beings.