cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review of Categorical Models for Classification Issues in Accounting and Finance

Recent studies have extensively used the logit or probit models for classification problems in accounting and finance. More than 289 articles in prestigious journals have used these or similar methods from 1989 through 1996. This paper reviews several categorical techniques and compares the performance of logit or probit with alternative procedures. Intuitive and mathematical explanations of how the models examined differ in terms of underlying assumptions and other attributes are provided. The alternative techniques are applied to two substantive research questions: predicting bankruptcy and auditors' consistency judgements. Four empirical criteria provide some evidence that the exponential generalized beta of the second kind (EGB2), lomit, and burrit (all new to the accounting and finance literature) improve the log-likelihood functions, and the explanatory power, compared with logit and other models. EGB2, lomit and burrit also provide significantly better classifications and predictions than logit and other techniques.
Extreme Sensitivity of Eddy-Currents to the Surface Conditions of Nickel

Eddy currents are used to inspect metals for small near-surface cracks and other defects. The eddy-current signal can be calculated quantitatively, at the cost of some effort, for non-magnetic metals at room temperature. Surprisingly, the same cannot be said for ferromagnetic metals [1]. Neither a quantitative nor a qualitative understanding exists for the change in the impedance when an air-core coil is placed next to an otherwise unspecified ferromagnetic metal. Nickel and iron are the ferromagnetic metals most commonly used in commercial applications. The authors are conducting an experimental/theoretical program aimed at developing a fundamental understanding of the swept-frequency impedance of coils placed next to thick plates of these elements. We start with commercially pure nickel.
Microwave-frequency vortex dynamics in YBCO grain boundaries

We report measurements and modeling of microwave-frequency vortex dynamics in YBCO grain boundaries that are modeled as long Josephson junctions by numerically solving the sine-Gordon equation. YBCO bicrystal grain boundaries with misorientation angles from 2 to 24° have been studied experimentally using microwave resonator measurement techniques. Comparison between the measured and calculated microwave impedance and the harmonic generation of the 24° grain boundaries indicates that the 24° grain boundaries are weakly coupled long Josephson junctions. The corresponding results of lower angle grain boundaries are also presented. A transition from strong-coupled single-crystal-like behavior to weak-coupled Josephson-junction-like behavior has been observed in a 10° grain boundary between 55 and 75 K. The physics of Josephson-vortex dynamics and its impact on the microwave properties of superconducting thin films are discussed.
RELEASE OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS FROM REACTORS

Publisher Summary Radionuclides produced in a reactor are principally of three types: (1) fission products, (2) neutron-activated radionuclides, and (3) actinide radionuclides. This chapter highlights some of the typical and more important radionuclides of these three types in terms of risk per μCi with respect to the values of maximum permissible concentration, in relation to the risk from 3H. It focuses on the values of relative hazard that apply only to the concentrations in air, water, and food. These factors determine the concentrations of the radionuclides to which humans are exposed and which differ from reactor to reactor. However, they must be taken into account for each reactor to determine the risk to the local population from the radionuclides discharged to the environment. Time is an important safety factor also in terms of the delay times, especially in the case of short-lived noble gases.
SAP7 — A Nonlinear Finite Element Program

SAP7 is a general purpose finite element computer program developed at the Structural Mechanics Computer Laboratory, University of Southern California. The program is based on the original SAP4(1) ‘and NONSAP(2) programs. The complete package is comprised of three individual programs interfaced together for the purpose of generating and controlling the system mesh, executing the required analysis, and evaluating the output in a graphic mode. SAP7 is capable of linear as well as nonlinear static and dynamic analyses. The nonlinearities are due both to geometry and material and their combination. An important attribute of the program lies in its modular structure which allows quick modifications and simple additions, particularly in the nonlinear a-rea where due to continuous research and development revis ions are constantly required. The program is operational on IBM, CDC, VAX, PRIME, and DATA GENERAL computers.
Tangled reality

Leonardo da Vinci was a strong advocate for using sketches to stimulate the human imagination. Sketching is often considered to be integral to the process of design, providing an open workspace for ideas. For these same reasons, children use sketching as a simple way to express visual ideas. By merging the abstraction of human drawings and the freedom of virtual reality with the tangibility of physical tokens, Tangled Reality creates a rich mixed reality workspace. Tangled Reality allows users to build virtual environments based on simple colored sketches and traverse them using physical vehicles overlayed with virtual imagery. This setup allows the user to “build” and “experience” mixed reality simulations without ever touching a standard computer interface.
Safety determinations in nuclear power licensing /a critical view/.

Nuclear power plant licensing, discussing public safety considerations by AEC and applicant responsibility in assuring freedom from undue risk
Flexible Pressure Sensors for Objective Assessment of Motor Disorders

Author(s): Amit, Moran; Chukoskie, Leanne; Skalsky, Andrew J; Garudadri, Harinath; Ng, Tse Nga
Novel Technique for C1–2 Interlaminar Arthrodesis Utilizing a Modified Sonntag Loop-Suture Graft With Posterior C1–2 Fixation

OBJECTIVE Conventional techniques for atlantoaxial fixation and fusion typically pass cables or wires underneath C1 lamina to secure the bone graft between the posterior elements of C1-2, which leads to complications such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak and neurological injury. With the evolution of fixation hardware, we propose a novel C1-2 fixation technique that avoids the morbidity and complications associated with sublaminar cables and wires. METHODS This technique entails wedging and anchoring a structural iliac crest graft between C1 and C2 for interlaminar arthrodesis and securing it using a 0-Prolene suture at the time of C1 lateral mass and C2 pars interarticularis screw fixation. RESULTS We identified 32 patients who underwent surgery for atlantoaxial with our technique. A 60% improvement in pain-related disability from preoperative baseline was demonstrated by Neck Disability Index (p < 0.001). There were no neurologic deficits. Complications included 2 patients CSF leaks related to presenting trauma, 1 patient with surgical site infection, and 1 patient with transient dysphagia. The rate of radiographic atlantoaxial fusion was 96.8% at 6 months, with no evidence of instrumentation failure, graft dislodgement, or graft related complications. CONCLUSION We demonstrate a novel technique for C1-2 arthrodesis that is a safe and effective option for atlantoaxial fusion.
Optimized synthesis of thermally stable axially modified pyrazine-acene nanoribbon with gelation properties

In this paper, we explored comprehensive synthetic approaches to axially substituted N-heteroacene based nanoribbon with 11 linearly annulated rings. Although synthetically tedious, we found that a stepwise cyclization between α-diketone and o-aromatic diamine to grow nanoribbon is more efficient than simultaneous dicylization in one step using 3,6-disubstituted-1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene. In addition, for the axial modification, pre-modification of a building block was superior to post-modification of preformed nanoribbon. The nanoribbon was characterized with UV-Vis spectroscopy, CV, DSC, and TGA. The nanoribbon showed a relatively stabilized ELUMO of −3.74 eV due to the electron-deficient nature of the core and reduced Egap of 1.55 eV as a result of intramolecular charge transfer between the core and axial thiophene. The electronic properties were also investigated with theoretical calculations at B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory/basis set. Particular attention was paid to the distribution of frontier molecular orbitals as these correlated with the measured electronic properties. The title nanoribbon exhibited remarkable thermal stability with a 424 °C decomposition temperature at 5% weight loss. The axially substituted nanoribbon showed excellent one-dimensional fibrillation properties via organogelation. The nanoribbon gelled hydrocarbon solvents and select halogenated solvents with the lowest critical gelation concentration of 1.2 mM in hexadecane. FE-SEM confirmed the existence of endless flexible one-dimensional fibers with a thickness of ca. 200 nm. Despite the large π-core, the axial functionalization imparted not only processability but also self-assembly ability while maintaining excellent thermal stability. These properties would be useful in future optoelectronic applications.
Effects of Known and Unknown Antenna Position Errors on MVDR

We assess the impact of known and unknown position errors on two variations of the Minimum Variance Distortionless Response (MVDR) algorithm specifically for measurements using multipass, swarms or constellations that involve non-rigid and varying sensor offsets. We consider this in the context of the radar systems and autonomous aircraft used by Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) for conducting measurements of snow and ice in polar regions. We find that unknown position errors affect all algorithms in a uniform way and that the performance impact is not related to known position errors. We also find that MVDR is largely unaffected by known position errors except when the number of elements is small. However, self-nulling can result in substantially worse performance than even the simple nonadaptive periodogram method.
Transmit Power Reduction ≠ Proportional Power Savings: Applicability of Transmit Power Control in Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks

This article argues that reducing transmit power at low-power RF transceivers does not lead to proportional energy savings. This is due to the fact that the baseline operations of low-power transceivers are already optimized for very low power consumption. The article then claims that typical transmit power control protocols discussed in the context of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are tested in small-scale settings, and thus do not reflect the actual real-world large-scale WSN or IoT scenarios. The article also discusses how a joint transmit power and routing scheme can help in reducing the overhearing effects on the nodes that have significantly low available energy.
What Do We Want to Tell? And to Whom Do We Wish to Tell It?: The Ethnographer’s Ethical Dilemma:

On the Run has spurred public debates about the ethics of ethnography. The controversy surrounds the fact that the sociologist/ethnographer drove a participant who was armed with a gun and the inte...
The Course of Borderline Psychopathology in Adolescents with Complex Mental Health Problems: An 18 Month Longitudinal Follow-up Study.

A persistent and significant barrier to the diagnosis and treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in adolescents is clinician reluctance to label an adolescent with a stigmatized, intractable, treatment-resistant diagnosis. The goal of the current study was to evaluate this claim by examining the 18-month longitudinal course of borderline pathology in adolescents after discharge from inpatient treatment. 556 adolescent consecutive admissions (64.6% female; ages 12–17, M = 15.29, SD = 1.46) were assessed during admission to an inpatient treatment facility. They were followed up at discharge, 6 months, 12 months and 18 months after discharge with validated self-and parent report measures of adolescent BPD features. Latent growth modeling was used to evaluate outcomes. BPD features showed a significant decline over the follow-up period with very large effect sizes (> .80) for both parent and adolescent self-report. Rates of change were steeper for adolescent report although adolescent report fell below clinical cut-off 6 months later than parent-report. However, when internalizing and externalizing psychopathology were included in latent growth models, youth-reported BPD features did not show the same level of decline, while parent-reported BPD features maintained the same level of decline. The rate of decline between parents and adolescents was correlated, and baseline levels of BPD features were predictive of rate of change. This is the first study to show that adolescent borderline pathology follows a similar course after discharge from inpatient treatment previously demonstrated for adults. Like adult BPD, adolescent BPD appears to be not as intractable and treatment resistant as previously thought, mitigating against therapeutic nihilism.
Access to after-hours primary care: a key determinant of children's medical home status.

The medical home (MH) model has been promoted by both the federal and state governments in the United States in recent years. To ascertain American children’s MH status, many studies have relied on a large set of survey items, posing a considerable burden on their parents. We aimed to identify individual survey items or domains that best predict MH status for children and use them to develop brief markers of MH status. We also examined whether the identified items differed by status of special health care needs and by racial/ethnic group. Using the 9-year data from Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we examined associations between children’s MH status and individual survey items or domains. We randomly split the data into two halves with the first half (training sample, n = 8611) used to identify promising items, and the second half (validation sample, n = 8779) used to calculate all statistical measures. After discovering significant predictors of children’s MH status, we incorporated them into several brief markers of MH status. We also conducted stratified analyses by status of special health care needs and by racial/ethnic group. Less than half (48.7%) of the 8779 study children had a MH. The accessibility domain has stronger association with children’s MH status (specificity = 0.84, sensitivity = 1, Kappa = 0.83) than other domains. The top two items with the strongest association with MH status asked about after-hours primary care access, including doctors’ office hours at night or on the weekend and children’s difficulty accessing care after hours. Both belong to the accessibility domain and are one of several reliable markers for children’s MH status. While each of the two items did not differ significantly by status of special health care needs, there were considerable disparities across racial/ethnic groups with Latino children lagging behind other children. Accessibility, especially the ability to access health care after regular office hours, appears to be the major predictor of having a MH among children. The ongoing efforts to promote the MH model need to target improving accessibility of health care after regular hours for children overall and especially for Latino children.
Abstract 008: Machine Learning For Sudden Cardiac Death Prediction: The Artherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study

Introduction: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of death in the US and has significant public health impact. However, effective risk stratification for SCD remains lacking as current ...
The Moderating Role of Race and Ethnicity in the Relationship Between Negative Family Interactions and Mental Health Among Older Adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Studies generally show that negative social interactions are detrimental to mental health for older adults. Further, empirical evidence suggests that negative interactions may function differently in relation to mental health across racial/ethnic groups given their unique life circumstances and social conditions. This study examines whether the association between negative family interactions and mental health outcomes varies by race and ethnicity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Samples of older African Americans, Caribbean Blacks, and non-Latino Whites aged 55 and older were drawn from the National Survey of American Life (N=1439). Mental health variables included depressive symptoms, any lifetime DSM-IV disorder, and number of lifetime DSM-IV disorders. Regression models were used to test the study aim. RESULTS Analyses indicated that negative interactions with family were positively associated with all three mental health outcomes. Several racial/ethnic differences emerged. The association between negative family interactions and depressive symptoms was stronger among Whites than African Americans. While negative family interactions were positively associated with number of disorders among Caribbean Blacks, negative interactions were unrelated to number of disorders among African Americans. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS This study demonstrates the racial and ethnic differences in diverse aging populations and the importance of recognizing the heterogeneity of Black American population in minority research. Clinical practice should focus on reducing negative family interactions, and future research should examine whether psychosocial resources (e.g., stress appraisals, neighborhood social cohesion, and religious practices) can attenuate the association between negative family interactions and mental health for older African Americans.
Evidence for a Major Role of Glucose in Controlling Developmnet of Necrosis in EMT6/RO Multicell, Tumor Spheroids

Multicell tumor spheroids show many features of tumors in vivo such as saturation of growth, induction of quiescent cells (Freyer and Sutherland, 1980; Bauer et al., 1981) and development of necrosis (Sutherland and Durand, 1976; Franko and Sutherland, 1979b; Carlsson et al., 1979). These effects may be attributed to limited penetration of metabolites into the spheroid due to cellular consumption and due to restricted diffusion as the spheroid increases in size (Mueller-Klieser and Sutherland, 1981b). Many investigations of cells in vitro and in experimental tumors in vivo (Vaupel, 1980) have indicated that oxygen plays a decisive role in the control of the metabolism and the viability of cancer cells. It has also been demonstrated in spheroids that the thickness of the viable rim surrounding the necrotic center depends on the oxygen concentration in the culture medium (Franko and Sutherland, 1979a). Thus, oxygen can be a critical determinant for the development of necrosis in multicell tumor spheroids. Recent measurements, however, of pO2 values in spheroids using oxygen sensitive microelectrodes (Mueller-Klieser and Sutherland, 1981b) have demonstrated that necrosis may develop at different levels of oxygen tensions as the spheroids increase in size. This indicates that additional factors other than oxygen may also be involved in the control of cell death in spheroids. The present study was undertaken to investigate the influence of oxygen and glucose concentrations in the culture medium on the thickness of the viable rim and on the oxygen tensions in EMT6/Ro spheroids.
Dedifferentiated Acinic Cell (Acinous) Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland

Otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons and surgical pathologists should be aware of the potential for acinic cell carcinomas to dedifferentiate so that adequate histologic tumor sampling can be performed. Dedifferentiated acinic cell carcinoma is a highly malignant, newly recognized parotid malignancy. Clinical clues that may help identify this more ominous lesion must be recognized.
Injection-locked VCSEL arrays for line-by-line pulse-shaping with update times of less than 1 ns

Dynamic and static optical pulse shaping with line-by-line control is shown, using a 12-channel injection-locked VCSEL linear array. With channel modulation frequencies up to 3.125 GHz, pulse shape changes within 1 ns are conclusively demonstrated.
THE ELEPHANT AND THE SCAFFOLD: RESPONSE TO KELLY OLIVER

This paper responds to Kelly Oliver's “See Topsy ‘Ride the Lightning’: The Scopic Machinery of Death” by questioning the presuppositions and implications of her discussion of the spectacle of elephant executions and their relation to Derrida's writings about animals and the death penalty. This paper proposes to reframe the approach to Derrida's reflections on the death penalty and its problematic relation to the category of the human by focusing on the double function of the concept of the scaffold in his writings. Rather than looking at it as a spectacle or as an object for visual studies, I show that the scaffold is a paradoxical concept and has a double (and duplicitous) function in the conceptual founding of human law and human rights, as it is both the architectonic philosophical principle of the rational executive function of the law and the name for the purely mechanical technological machine that carries out the death penalty. In either case, however, the scaffold serves as a nonhuman prosthetic without which the concept of a just and humane and properly “human” law is shown to be untenable.
The First Motive to Justice: Hume's Circle Argument Squared

"Justice" is Hume's most common term for respect for property. On Locke's view, the obligation to respect property is an original moral obligation imposed through a divinely instituted natural law that exists prior to and independent of human conventions. Hume expresses his disagreement with views like Locke's by calling justice an "artificial virtue"Â—meaning by this that it is only "by means of an artifice or contrivance" that it produces the moral approbation that constitutes it as a virtue (T 3.2.1.1; SBN 477).1 In his discussion of justice in A Treatise of Human Nature3.2.1-4, he begins by arguing that justice (which he also calls "equity" and "honesty") is "artificial" before going on to explain the origin of the convention on which it depends and why adherence to that convention is regarded as virtuous.2 Central to his defense of his claim that justice is an artificial virtue is a line of argument that is known (at least in some circles) as his "Circle Argument." Hume applies this line of argument in Treatise 3.2.1 ("Justice, whether a natural or artificial virtue?"). The argument depends on a core thesis of his virtue-based approach to ethics: that the moral merit of an action is derived entirely from the moral merit of the virtuous "motive" of which it is a sign. (It should be emphasized that the scope of the term "motive" is very broad in Hume's usage, encompassing character traits, abilities, dispositions, and recurring passions as well as occurrent desires.) The virtue of the motive is, in turn, discerned by the moral sense, by means of sentiments of moral approbation that are typically elicited, in part or in whole, through sympathy
Ataxin-1 with an expanded glutamine tract alters nuclear matrix-associated structures

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is one of several neurodegenerative disorders caused by an expansion of a polyglutamine tract. It is characterized by ataxia, progressive motor deterioration, and loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells. To understand the pathogenesis of SCA1, we examined the subcellular localization of wild-type human ataxin-1 (the protein encoded by the SCA1 gene) and mutant ataxin-1 in the Purkinje cells of transgenic mice. We found that ataxin-1 localizes to the nuclei of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Normal ataxin-1 localizes to several nuclear structures approximately 0.5 microm across, whereas the expanded ataxin-1 localizes to a single approximately 2-microm structure, before the onset of ataxia. Mutant ataxin-1 localizes to a single nuclear structure in affected neurons of SCA1 patients. Similarly, COS-1 cells transfected with wild-type or mutant ataxin-1 show a similar pattern of nuclear localization; with expanded ataxin-1 occurring in larger structures that are fewer in number than those of normal ataxin-1. Colocalization studies show that mutant ataxin-1 causes a specific redistribution of the nuclear matrix-associated domain containing promyelocytic leukaemia protein. Nuclear matrix preparations demonstrate that ataxin-1 associates with the nuclear matrix in Purkinje and COS cells. We therefore propose that a critical aspect of SCA1 pathogenesis involves the disruption of a nuclear matrix-associated domain.
An investigation of hydraulic actuator performance trade-offs using a generic model

The effect of the variation of parameters of system elements on the overall performance of a generic model of a hydraulic actuation system for a robot is investigated. Specifically, an examination is made of the effects on actuator performance of two issues: intrinsic compliance i.e. the physical compliance within the actuator itself, and independent control of the actuator valve areas (e.g. supply and return areas for hydraulic fluid chamber) versus control of actuator valves with fixed area relationships. Increasing intrinsic compliance in the actuator degrades response to controller commands but improves the ability of the actuator to tolerate disturbances. Independent control of valve areas provides better response to commands and better rejection of disturbances than control with valves that have fixed area relationships. The performance information provided by the model permits behavior-based design of hydraulic actuation systems. >
Purification of NAD-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from porcine heart.

Abstract An NAD+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (threo- d s-isocitrate:NAD+ oxidoreductase (decarboxylating), EC 1.1.1.41) has been purified more than 500-fold from porcine hearts. Disc gel electrophoresis reveals that protein with NAD+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase activity accounts for 80% of the total protein; one major and two minor activity bands are observed. As compared to the NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase isolated from the same species and organ, the NAD+-dependent enzyme differs in molecular weight, isoelectric point and reaction to antisera prepared against the purified NADP+ enzyme.
Antiangiogenic cancer gene therapy by adeno-associated virus 2-mediated stable expression of the soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 receptor

Antiangiogenic gene transfer has the potential to be more efficacious than protein-based therapies or pharmacotherapies for the control of solid tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. For a sustained antiangiogenic effect, a vector capable of long-term expression without vector-associated immunity or toxicity is advantageous. The present study evaluated the potential of a recombinant adeno-associated virus-2 (rAAV) encoding the human soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase receptor 1 (sFlt-1), which functions by both sequestering vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and forming inactive heterodimers with other membrane-spanning VEGF receptors, in vitro and in vivo. Results indicated significant growth inhibitory activity of the transgenic factor in a human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation assay in vitro and protection against the growth of an angiogenesis-dependent human ovarian cancer cell line, SKOV3.ip1, xenograft in vivo with increased disease-free survival. Stable expression of the secretory factor and transgene persistence were confirmed by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization analyses, respectively. Increased therapeutic effects on both the growth index of the implanted tumor cells and tumor-free survival also correlated with an increasing dose of the vector used. These studies indicate that rAAV-mediated sFlt-1 gene therapy may be a feasible approach for inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, particularly as an adjuvant/therapy.
A Priori Causal Models of Natural Selection

To evaluate Hume's thesis that causal claims are always empirical, I consider three kinds of causal statement: ‘e1 caused e2 ’, ‘e1 promoted e2 ’, and ‘e1 would promote e2 ’. Restricting my attention to cases in which ‘e1 occurred’ and ‘e2 occurred’ are both empirical, I argue that Hume was right about the first two, but wrong about the third. Standard causal models of natural selection that have this third form are a priori mathematical truths. Some are obvious, others less so. Empirical work on natural selection takes the form of defending causal claims of the first two types. I provide biological examples that illustrate differences among these three kinds of causal claim.
PARITY NONCONSERVATION IN HIGH-Z HELIUMLIKE IONS

Detection of parity-violating asymmetries in 1${\mathit{s}}_{1/2}$2${\mathit{p}}_{1/2}$${\mathrm{}}^{3}$${\mathit{P}}_{0}$-1${\mathit{s}}^{2}$${\mathrm{}}^{1}$${\mathit{S}}_{0}$ two-photon transitions in high-Z He-like ions is discussed. The circular polarization asymmetry of one of the two photons emitted in the two-photon decay of the 2${\mathrm{}}^{3}$${\mathit{P}}_{0}$ level in He-like uranium is of order 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$. Parity-violating asymmetries in the laser-driven processes of singly stimulated two-photon emission and anti-Stokes Raman scattering are also discussed. Further experimental and theoretical research is needed to determine if parity experiments based on these processes are feasible. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
A review of current trends in petroleum reservoir description and assessment of the impacts on oil recovery

Abstract This paper gives a general review of the problems associated with realistic representation of reservoir heterogeneities and their impacts on current trends in reservoir simulation. The basic three-phase flow equations used in reservoir engineering are summarized and some of the uncertainties associated with the properties of two-phase relative permeabilities are reviewed. Techniques for statistically generating representations of heterogeneity are discussed, and one of the most popular methods, sequential indicator simulation, is described. The approaches available for averaging both absolute and relative permeabilities in representative elements of volume are summarized, and examples are given of some of their attributes. For large reservoirs, a prediction procedure based on a synthesis from streamline solutions is sometimes attractive. The concluding section identifies topics where more research is needed for further progress in this rapidly evolving area.
Teaching glycolysis regulation to undergraduates using an electrical power generation analogy.

Biology, physiology, and allied health biochemistry textbooks cover metabolic pathways such as glycolysis; however, most do not include much discussion of how these pathways are regulated within the cell. Because the details of these complex regulatory processes can be difficult for students to
Effects of angiotensin ii on plasma antidiuretic hormone and renal water excretion

Effects of angiotensin II on plasma antidiuretic hormone and renal water excretion. The effects of intravenous (i.v.) and intracarotid (IC) angiotensin II (AII) infusion on systemic and renal hemodynamics, renal water excretion, and plasma antidiuretic hormone (ADH) levels were examined in six conscious dogs under water loaded and hydropenic conditions. In the first group of seven studies, AII in a mean dose of 12.7 ng/kg/min was administered i.v. to water loaded dogs. The infusion induced a significant increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP, 99 to 118mm Hg, P C PAH, 280 to 212 ml/min, P 2 O, NS). Furthermore, plasma ADH was suppressed maximally after water load and did not increase after i.v. AII infusion. The IC infusion of AII (mean dose 5.8 ng/kg/min) produced similar changes in hemodynamics; plasma ADH remained undetectable. When AII was administered i.v. to hydropenic animals (mean dose 8.3 ng/kg/min), MAP again increased (86 to 111mm Hg, P C PAH (291 to 223 ml/min, P 2 0, P 2 O, NS) nor plasma ADH were altered. In summary, these results provide no evidence for an effect of AII to alter water excretion or plasma ADH either in the presence or absence of prostaglandin inhibition.
Rubratoxin B and chick embryogenesis: an experimental study.

Abstract The effects of rubratoxin B were studied on the chick embryos of 1–3 days of incubation (groups A, B, and C). Rubratoxin B was dissolved in propylene glycol and injected into the air sacs of the eggs at doses ranging from 0.0005 to 0.007 mg per egg. The controls received an equal amount of propylene glycol only (0.1 ml per egg). All the embryos including controls were examined at Day 7. In all, 720 eggs were utilized for this investigation. The percentage survival of the embryos on incubation Day 7 ranged from 67 to 40 in group A, 77 to 43 in group B, and 93 to 60 in group C. The LD 50 for the embryos treated on Days 1 and 2 was 0.001 and 0.005 mg per embryo, respectively. Gross malformations such as short and twisted limbs, short and twisted neck, exencephaly, microphthalmia, everted viscera, reduced body size, and hemorrhage over the body were observed. The frequency and the types of gross abnormalities did not vary much in all the groups. The incidence of malformations in the controls was low. Microscopic examination of Day 1 treated embryos (group A) showed the various types of cardiac anomalies. These include aortic stenosis, ventricular septal defect, thin ventricular wall, atrial septal defects, and malformations of the valves. The incidence of these cardiac anomalies was low in the experimental embryos. No cardiac anomalies were observed in the control embryos. The results of the present study indicate that rubratoxin B is teratogenic to the overall development of the chick embryos including heart.
Ventral subiculum administration of the somatostatin receptor agonist MK-678 increases dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens

Somatostatin (or somatotropin-release inhibitory factor, SRIF) binding and in situ hybridisation studies have indicated a high expression of receptor subtypes throughout the rat brain and, in particular, in subregions of the hippocampus and subiculum. In vitro, somatostatin and related peptides, including seglitide (MK-678), hyperpolarise subicular neurones of the burst firing type-a response, which may have functional consequences for their output. One major projection from the subiculum is to the nucleus accumbens. The functional consequence of somatostatin receptor stimulation in the ventral subiculum has been assessed by measuring extracellular levels of dopamine in the ipsilateral nucleus accumbens. In anaesthetised rats, administration of seglitide (MK-678), a somatostatin analogue with selectivity for the SRIF-1 receptor (comprising somatostatin sst2, sst3 and sst5 subtypes) significantly increased extracellular levels of dopamine in the ipsilateral nucleus accumbens shell. The result suggests that hyperpolarisation of subicular neurones by MK-678 may lead to activation of the subiculo-accumbens projection system, and an associated increase in dopaminergic function.
A promising new technology for Parkinson's disease.

It is remarkable that, over 35 years after its introduction, levodopa remains the single most effective drug for treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Because of its progressive nature, virtually all individuals with PD eventually require levodopa and virtually all individuals with PD respond to it. However, it is not a perfect drug. Initially, the response to levodopa can be dramatic. The term “honeymoon period” is often used to describe that period of time immediately after institution of levodopa therapy because patients derive prolonged benefit from individual doses of the drug. They can miss a dose, or even several doses, and not experience any discernible deterioration in motor function.1,2 This presumably is possible because sufficient nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons still survive early in the clinical course of PD to convert the administered levodopa to dopamine (DA) and then to release, reuptake, and recycle it, thus approximating the normal synaptic milieu, which is characterized by sustained, tonic firing of dopaminergic neurons with periodic superimposed phasic bursts of activity triggered by sensory stimuli.3–5 With the passage of time, however, and continued loss of dopaminergic neurons, this “long-duration” effect of levodopa gradually fades. What then emerges is the “short-duration” response, in which clinical benefit becomes much more dependent on the plasma levodopa levels generated by individual doses of the medication which presumably, in turn, mirror the levels of levodopa and DA within the brain itself. This time-limited benefit from individual levodopa doses may lead to the appearance of a pattern of motor fluctuations in which benefit from a dose of levodopa becomes less prolonged and more unpredictable. The number of individuals with levodopa-treated PD who experience motor fluctuations grows relentlessly with the duration of treatment. Motor fluctuations are evident in approximately 30% of levodopa-treated PD patients by 3 years, in over …
The volatile oils of Ambrosia (Compositae: Ambrosieae)

This study demonstrates the occurrence of 29 oil components in 20 ragweed species and in species from related genera. The occurrence of each of the 29 volatile compounds in all species examined supports an interpretation of the complex as a natural assemblage. Evidence suggests that the oils are under genetic control. However, strong support linking oil variation and patterns of relationship hypothesized on morphological grounds was lacking, except for the tendency of morphologically less-specialized elements to have greater amounts of the components with lower retention times. This lack of correlation may be related in part to intraspecific variability.
Development of Aluminium Foam Processes and Products

Aluminum foams offer an attractive combination of attributes as engineering materials, such as low density, high rigidity, high energy absorption, and fire resistance. To date, however, metallic foams have achieved only a fraction of the market acceptance enjoyed by polymeric foams, owing largely to size limitations, poor uniformity and, above all, high unit costs. Methods utilizing casting (non-powder) metallurgy, while seemingly offering the potential of economies of scale, often suffer quality issues such as large cell sizes, poor uniformity and insufficient structural integrity. Many of these problems are associated with the rheology of the molten metal itself. While prior efforts to modify melt rheology through extrinsic additions of ceramic particles have been shown to be effective, the costly materials and processing paths used to create such suspensions have limited the economic attractiveness of such products. In this paper, aluminum foams produced through an alternative processing method will be described. The physical and mechanical properties in these fine (
Design of sense-and-avoid standards for RQ-7B shadow under loss-link

Since 2008, the demand for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) within the National Airspace System (NAS) has more than doubled. The Congressional Mandate of 2012 tasked the Secretary of Transportation to develop a comprehensive plan to safely accelerate the integration of UAS into the NAS by 2014. A major concern with integration is Sense-and-Avoid (SAA) capabilities of UAS. This paper describes the design for the standard for onboard UAS sensors which meet the Target Level of Safety (TLS) of 10-7, or 1 incident in 10,000,000 flight hours, set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) System Safety Handbook (SSH). To successfully perform SAA the RQ-7B Shadow needs a total of 5.73 seconds to detect and maneuver safely to avoid an incident with another aircraft. The hardware to satisfy these design requirements is the POP300D sensor.
The maximum principle for nonlinear nonconvex systems with set targets

Using Ekeland's variational principle ([2]) we obtain a version of Pontryagin's maximum principle for the general input-output systems in infinite dimensional systems defined in §2 below, where trajectories are supposed to hit a "large" set (see the "fat cone condition" in §5) with optimal value of a general cost functional. Unlike infinite dimensional problems where the target is a point rather than a set ([9]), ([10]), no controllability assumptions on the linearized systems are necessary.
Grain boundary stiffness based on a dislocation model

The classical Read–Shockley model for grain boundary energy is employed to derive an expression for grain boundary stiffness. The stiffness increases linearly with boundary misorientation and is maximum for asymmetric tilts with equal densities of the constituent dislocation sets. We also show that the intrinsic waviness in the boundary morphology is coupled to the stiffness.
Design of a customized virtual reality simulation for retraining upper extremities after stroke

Recent discoveries demonstrate that the brain can be remodeled after stroke, principally through new synaptic generation. Task-specific & repetitive training are critical factors in promoting this synaptic generation & are central components in rehabilitation of upper extremity (UE) motor weakness following stroke. Virtual reality (VR) based therapy have been shown to be effective at facilitating specific & consistently repetitive movements during training. In combination with robotics the nature of the training can be further tailored to fit the patient's rehabilitative needs. This paper describes the design & consideration of The Blood Cell Game, a new VR game used in UE stroke rehabilitation in the New Jersey Institute of Technology robot assisted virtual reality training system (RAVR).
In-Flight Calibration Of Solar Irradiance Measurements By Direct Comparison With Stellar Observations

The Solstice instrument aboard the upper atmosphere research satellite (UARS) is designed to correct the deficiencies of both long-term instrument drift and of intercomparison of solar data sets taken at different times by different instruments. The Solstice will make repeated measurements, spaced throughout the mission, of a number of bright early-type stars. In addition, it will determine the ratio of the solar flux to the average flux from an ensemble of stars. This ratio will be monitored throughout the UARS mission and archived.
The reliability and construct validity of the Neck Disability Index and patient specific functional scale in patients with cervical radiculopathy.

Study design Cohort study of patients with cervical radiculopathy undergoing physical therapy. Objectives Examine the test-retest reliability, construct validity, and minimum levels of detectable and clinically important change for the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) in cohort of patients with cervical radiculopathy. Summary of background data To date, no studies have investigated the psychometric properties of the NDI or PSFS in a cohort of patients with cervical radiculopathy. Methods Thirty-eight patients with cervical radiculopathy undergoing physical therapy completed the NDI and PSFS, and Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) at the baseline examination and at a follow-up. In addition, at follow-up, patients completed a 15-point global rating of change (GROC), which was used to dichotomize patients as improved or stable. Changes in the NDI and PSFS were then used to assess test-retest reliability, construct validity, and minimal levels of detectable and clinically important change. Results Test-retest reliability was moderate for the NDI (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30-0.90) and high for the PSFS (ICC = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.54-0.93). The PSFS was more responsive to change than the NDI. The minimal detectable change for the NDI was 10.2 and for the PSFS 2.1. The minimally clinically important change for the NDI was 7.0 and PSFS 2.0. Conclusions Our results suggest that the PSFS exhibits superior reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness in this cohort of patients with cervical radiculopathy compared with the NDI. Further research is needed to examine the ability of these measures to accurately reflect changes in individuals, as well as large samples of patients.
Regulation of Sex Determination in Mice by a Non-Coding Genomic Region

To identify novel genomic regions that regulate sex determination, we utilized the powerful C57BL/6J-YPOS (B6-YPOS) model of XY sex reversal where mice with autosomes from the B6 strain and a Y chromosome from a wild-derived strain, Mus domesticus poschiavinus (YPOS), show complete sex reversal. In B6-YPOS, the presence of a 55-Mb congenic region on chromosome 11 protects from sex reversal in a dose-dependent manner. Using mouse genetic backcross designs and high-density SNP arrays, we narrowed the congenic region to a 1.62-Mb genomic region on chromosome 11 that confers 80% protection from B6-YPOS sex reversal when one copy is present and complete protection when two copies are present. It was previously believed that the protective congenic region originated from the 129S1/SviMJ (129) strain. However, genomic analysis revealed that this region is not derived from 129 and most likely is derived from the semi-inbred strain POSA. We show that the small 1.62-Mb congenic region that protects against B6-YPOS sex reversal is located within the Sox9 promoter and promotes the expression of Sox9, thereby driving testis development within the B6-YPOS background. Through 30 years of backcrossing, this congenic region was maintained, as it promoted male sex determination and fertility despite the female-promoting B6-YPOS genetic background. Our findings demonstrate that long-range enhancer regions are critical to developmental processes and can be used to identify the complex interplay between genome variants, epigenetics, and developmental gene regulation.
Population dynamics and community analysis of the parasite fauna of juvenile spot, Leiostomus xanthurus (Lacepede), and Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus (Linnaeus), Sciaenidae) in two estuaries along the middle Atlantic coast of the United States

The parasite communities of juvenile spot, Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede, and Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus (Linnaeus), changed with size, season. and geographical area. A total of 21 parasitic species occurred in juvenile spot and 19 occurred in juvenile croaker from Chesapeake Bay and Pamlico Sound. More parasitic species were acquired as juveniles grew, diversified their diets, and consumed larger numbers of intermediate hosts. They were also exposed to infective larvae of parasites with direct lifecycles over long periods of time. Equibility and, thus, diversity were depressed because of large numbers of Diplomonorchis /eiostomi Hopkins, I941 that dominated the parasite communities of both species. Although spot and croaker from both estuaries shared eight and six parasites, respectively, many of these non-specific parasites (generalists) were more common in both spot and croaker from one estuary than from the other. All species occurring in both hosts have indirect life cycles suggesting that the availability of certain intermediate hosts as prey was an important determinant of infection. Estuary of residence was clearly as important as host species identity in determining parasite community structure.