cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interface Yang–Mills, supersymmetry, and Janus

Abstract We consider theories consisting of a planar interface with N = 4 super-Yang–Mills on either side and varying gauge coupling across the interface. The interface does not carry any independent degrees of freedom, but is allowed to support local gauge invariant operators, included with independent interface couplings. In general, both conformal symmetry and supersymmetry will be broken, but for special arrangements of the interface couplings, these symmetries may be restored. We provide a systematic classification of all allowed interface supersymmetries. We find new theories preserving eight and four Poincare supersymmetries, which get extended to sixteen and eight supersymmetries in the conformal limit, respectively with SU ( 2 ) × SU ( 2 ) , SO ( 2 ) × SU ( 2 ) internal symmetry. The Lagrangians for these theories are explicitly constructed. We also recover the theory with two Poincare supersymmetries and SU ( 3 ) internal symmetry proposed earlier as a candidate CFT dual to super-Janus. Since our new interface theories have only operators from the supergravity multiplet turned on, dual supergravity solutions are expected to exist. We speculate on the possible relation between the interface theory with maximal supersymmetry and the near-horizon limit of the D3–D5 system.
Photoelectronic Imaging For Diagnostic Radiology and the Digital Computer

A digital image processing facility is being installed at the University of Arizona to serve the needs of clinical practice and research for improved imaging and diagnosis from radiology. In addition, this facility will support similar needs from other image generating services throughout diagnostic medicine that use ultrasonic devices, gamma cameras, and thermography. Attention is drawn to the structure of this system and its design for dealing with the most severe problems facing diagnostic radiology. These include the input of radiological images to a digital computer, storage, and display. Possible solutions are discussed in terms of utility, performance, economics, and acceptance by the diagnostic radiologist.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Use of an Electrified Center Board in the Study of Chicks on the Visual Cliff

An electrified grid was used with chicks to reduce latencies and no-response trials on the visual cliff. No significant difference in percentages of deep and shallow side descents was found between the shocked and non-shocked groups. The shocked group had significantly lower latencies and it had no no-descent trials. It was concluded that some improvement in the efficiency of experimentation with the chick might be achieved by the application of a shock stimulus.
Childhood amnesia and distinctions between forms of memory: a comment on Wood, Brown, and Felton.

Recently, Wood and his colleagues (1989) presented a case of childhood amnesia as evidence against the distinction between declarative and procedural memory that has sometimes been applied to human amnesia. Their argument was based on the observation that their patient showed some progress in school over the years, i.e., acquired some declarative knowledge, despite severely impaired day-to-day memory ability. We briefly review their case, together with a carefully studied second case of childhood amnesia not mentioned by Wood et al. Their argument is wrong in several ways. First, the utility of the declarative/procedural distinction for amnesia, or the utility of any other distinction between memory systems, depends on whether or not one kind of memory is impaired selectively, not on the severity of the impairment. In particular there is no requirement that one kind of memory be totally absent. Second, they have not provided the data necessary to support their argument; namely, data showing that the amount of declarative knowledge accumulated during years in school was better than would have been expected given the capacity for moment-to-moment or day-to-day memory. Indeed, the patient's moment-to-moment memory ability is better than represented, and the patient's progress in school was abnormally slow. Third, it is not clear that academic achievement scores provide a direct measure of declarative memory abilities (skill learning and recovery of function may also have contributed). We conclude that the evidence from childhood amnesia is fully consistent with the proposal that amnesia reflects a selective impairment in the formation of long-term declarative memory.
Cereal germplasm resources.

The role of cereal germplasm banks is to collect, maintain, preserve, and distribute seeds representing the genetic diversity of crop species. While germplasm resources have traditionally been used in breeding efforts to improve a crop plant, they have also proved useful in both applied and basic
Selection for increased longevity in Drosophila melanogaster: A reply to Lints

An important tool in the genetic analysis of longevity and aging in Drosophila melanogaster is the use of strains selected directly for late-age reproduction and indirectly for extended longevity. Following some initial failures to select for extended longevity, there are now a number of laboratories which have successfully selected for long life, using the techniques of late-age reproduction as well as selection for stress resistance. Baret and Lints [Gerontology 1993;39:252–259] have recently cast doubt on the reality of a number of these selected strains, including our own, suggesting that the difference in longevity between the long-lived and normal-lived strains disappears when the data are examined as a function of the number of days after the beginning of the selection experiment instead of as a function of the number of generations. With regard to our selected lines, they based their analysis on a subset of the published data dealing with these strains, and which covered 21 generations, or 40 months, of selection. We now present data for over 70 generations, or 155 months, of selection and maintenance. The Baret-Lints hypothesis makes two strong predictions, namely that (1) the longevity difference between the several strains should disappear when the data are replotted according to their fashion, and (2) there should be no other significant biological difference between the strains. Our data falsifies both of these predictions. The Baret-Lints hypothesis is flawed and should be disregarded. We also show that (1) the variations about the mean for six different genetically isolated strains of different longevities may be attributed to temporal alterations in the laboratory environment and (2) these variations do not obscure the genetic determinism of longevity.
The embolised fibroid uterus

SummaryEmbolisation of the uterine arteries, used for many types of pelvic haemorrhage, recently has been successfully applied to women suffering from myomata uterus. As a side effect of embolisation, myomata shrink more than 50% of their pre-embolisation size, measured by ultrasound. The embolised uterus has not been described elsewhere. Various clinical conditions gave rise to the possibility of viewing the effect of embolisation upon the uterus. Pathologic effects of embolisation of uterine arteries for control of menorrhagia associated with myomata are described, immediately and several months after the procedure.
Web page genre classification

In this paper we present an automatic genre-based Web page classification system. Unlike subject or topic based classifications, genre-based classifications focus on functional purposes and classify web pages into categories such as online shopping, technical paper, or discussion forum. Until now, the genre classifications are not well developed due to the subjectivities and difficulties to define the genre, the features, and even the categories. In this paper, we define five top-level genre categories, each of which has several subcategories, and develop new methods to extract 31 features from Web pages to identify the categories. We analyze not only the contents of the Web pages, but also the URLs, HTML tags, Java scripts, and VB scripts. We developed a genre classification system that achieved average accuracy of 93%. In addition, we combined this genre classification with our subject-based classification to produce a comprehensive Web page classification system.
Superoxide enhances interleukin 1β–mediated transcription of the hepatocyte-inducible nitric oxide synthase gene ☆ ☆☆

Abstract Background & Aims: Exposure to oxidative stress, as in states of shock, ischemia-reperfusion injury, or sepsis, commonly initiates a complex cellular cascade of interlocking redox modulatory systems that detoxify electrophiles. In interleukin 1β (IL-1β)-treated rat hepatocytes, we have previously demonstrated that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression, steady-state iNOS messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, and NO synthesis are increased by oxidative stress induced by superoxide. The effect of hepatocellular redox state upon iNOS gene transcription has not been previously studied. Methods: Using rat hepatocytes in primary culture, iNOS gene transcription was induced by IL-1β. Oxidative stress was mediated by 1,2,3-benzenetriol (BZT), an autocatalytic source of superoxide. Nuclear run-on assays and transient transfection assays using the rat hepatocyte iNOS full-length promoter and deletion constructs were designed to isolate a cis-acting regulatory element. Specificity was confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis. Gel shift analysis determined the presence of a corresponding trans-acting regulatory factor. Results: In IL-1β–treated cells, BZT increased iNOS gene transcription without altering mRNA half-life. An antioxidant-responsive element (ARE) was found in the iNOS promoter at base pair –1347, which conferred redox sensitivity. Gel shift analysis identified a corresponding nuclear protein capable of binding to ARE in IL-1β– and BZT-treated rat hepatocytes. Conclusions: An ARE in the rat hepatocyte iNOS promoter confers redox sensitivity and augments IL-1β–mediated iNOS gene and protein expression in the setting of superoxide treatment. GASTROENTEROLOGY 2000;118:608-618
Publius and Political Imagination

The Federalist is commonly read as an exemplar of political realism. However, alongside Publius' arguments against the enthusiastic imagination— its tendency to inflame the passions, betray the intellect, and subvert political authority—are formative appeals to the imagination's role in reconstituting the public authority shaken during the postrevolutionary years. This essay explores three central aspects of Publius' restorative appeal to the imagination: the appeal to the public veneration required for sustaining political authority across time; the strategies for shifting citizen loyalty from the state and local level to that of a newly energized federal government; and the rhetorical elicitation of the public's imagination in aestheticized portrayals of Providential nationality. These aspects of Publius' argument make up the core of The Federalist's aesthetics of (self) rule. In each instance, Publius invokes the imagination as a heteronomic support to navigate familiar dilemmas of democratic self-auth...
Mechanisms of association between obesity and chronic pain in the elderly.

Chronic pain is more common in the elderly and impairs functioning and quality of life. Though obesity, defined by body mass index (BMI), has been associated with pain prevalence among older adults, the mechanism of this association remains unclear. We examined components of the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, a marker of inflammation, and the presence of painful comorbidities as possible mediators of this association. Participants were 407 individuals age • 70 in the Einstein Aging Study. Chronic pain and pain over the last 3 months were defined using the Total Pain Index (TPI). Insulin resistance was modeled as fasting insulin, HOMA and QUICKI. High sensitivity C-reactive protein was used as a marker of inflammation. Cross-sectional logistic regression models were constructed to assess the associations of these factors with prevalent pain, adjusted for other known pain correlates. Prevalence of chronic pain was 52%. Of the clinical components of metabolic syndrome, central obesity was significantly associated with pain (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.36-3.01). After adjustment for insulin resistance, inflammation, and pain-related comorbidities, central obesity predicted higher TPI scores (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.04-2.33) and nearly doubled the risk of chronic pain (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.05-2.75). Central obesity is the metabolic syndrome component showing the strongest independent association with pain, and the relationship is not explained by markers of insulin resistance or inflammation, nor by the presence of osteoarthritis or neuropathy.
Religion, Relationships and Reproduction: Correlates of Desire for a Child Among Mothers Living with HIV

Despite challenges facing HIV-positive women in the U.S., some maintain strong desires and intentions for motherhood. We explore correlates of desire for another child—particularly current parenting experiences (number of children, parenting efficacy, parenting satisfaction, parenting practices, parental distress, and child-related quality of life), age, spirituality/religiosity, stress, coping, hopelessness, partner’s desire for a child, social support, and stigma—among a sample of HIV-positive mothers (n = 96) in Alabama. Partner’s desire for a child, participation in private religious practices, avoidant coping, and parity were significantly associated with desire for a child in multivariate models. Such findings indicate a need for reproductive counseling and education that is sensitive to the role of religious norms and values in fertility decision-making and suggest opportunities for partnership with faith-based organizations. Further studies examining the impact of relationship dynamics on childbearing desires among U.S. women living with HIV/AIDS are also needed.
On Generating Walsh Spectrograms

A simple method for generating a class of time-sequency-amplitude plots called Walsh spectrograms is presented. A Fortran computer program which enables one to generate such spectrograms readily is provided. Illustrative examples related to generating spectro-grams associated with pulse-code modulation and speech data are included.
Caspase-9 and Apaf-1 are expressed and functionally active in human neuroblastoma tumor cell lines with 1p36 LOH and amplified MYCN.

Important roles have been suggested for caspase-8, caspase-9 and Apaf-1 in controlling tumor development and their sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. Methylation and deletion of Apaf-1 and CASP8 results in the loss of their expression in melanoma and neuroblastoma, respectively, while CASP9 localization to 1p36.1 suggests it is a good candidate tumor suppressor. The status of CASP9 and Apaf-1 expression in numerous neuroblastoma cell lines with/without amplified MYCN and chromosome 1p36 loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) was therefore examined to test the hypothesis that one or both of these genes are tumor suppressors in neuroblastoma. Although CASP9 is included in the region encompassing 1p36 LOH in all neuroblastoma cell lines examined, the remaining CASP9 allele(s) express a functional caspase-9 enzyme. Apaf-1 is also expressed in all neuroblastoma tumor cell lines examined. Thus, the CASP9 or Apaf-1 genes do not appear to function as tumor suppressors in MYCN amplified neuroblastomas. However, ∼20% of the neuroblastoma cell lines with methylated CASP8 alleles are also highly resistant to staurosporine (STS)- and radiation-induced cell death, presumably because cytochrome c is not released from mitochondria. This suggests that a second, smaller sub-group of MYCN amplified neuroblastoma tumors exists with defect(s) in apoptotic signaling components upstream of caspase-9 and Apaf-1. Since no consistent differences in Bcl-2, Bcl-xL or Bax expression were seen in the STS- and radiation-resistant neuroblastomas, it suggests that a unique mitochondrial signaling factor(s) is responsible for the defect in cytochrome c release in this sub-group of tumors.
Cubist Consequentialism: The Pros and Cons of an Agent–Patient Template for Morality

Gray, Young, and Waytz (this issue) make a compelling case for why mind perception is a vital component of moral judgment. The agent–patient dyad is a useful tool that helps identify and organize t...
Fluoride-cation interactions in the formation and stability of apatites

Abstract The effect of fluoride, F - , on the formation and stability of the apatites, with and without the simultaneous presence of some cations M* (M* = Al 3+ , Mg 2+ , Sr 2+ or Zn 2+ ) in the solution were investigated. The preliminary findings were: (a) the cations, M*, when present in low levels in solution, had negative effects on the properties of apatite e.g., caused lower crystallinity, lower Ca/P ratios, higher HPO 4 /PO 4 , and higher extent of dissolution in an acid buffer; (b) when only F - ions were present in the precipitation solution, F in the apatite formed had positive effect: greater crystallinity, higher Ca/P, lower HPO 4 /PO 4 , lower extent of dissolution; and (c) the simultaneous presence of F with the cations, M*, minimized their negative effects and suppressed the formation of Mg-substituted β-TCP. These preliminary results suggest that in biological systems, the simultaneous presence of F - ions with aluminum, magnesium, strontium or zinc ions will minimize the otherwise negative effects of these cations on the formation and stability of the biological apatites (enamel, dentin, bone mineral).
915-80 Investigation of Nitric Oxide Release from Human Coronary Arteries with Substance P

Substance P (SP) may be a more useful endothelium-dependent vasodilator in studying coronary vascular function in atherosclerosis, because unlike acetylcholine (ACH). SP has no direct smooth muscle constricting effects. Because dilation has been reported with SP in pts with constriction with ACH, we investigated whether SP causes dilation by releasing nitric oxide (NO) from the human coronary vasculature. The effect of L-NMMA (L-N G monomethyl arginine), a specific inhibitor of NO synthesis, was studied on the coronary vascular effects of SP. The specificity of L-NMMA was tested using the endothelium-independent dilator, sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Fifteen pts with angiographically normal epicardial coronary arteries ( l 20% stenosis) had intracoronary SP (5,10,20 pmol/min) and SNP (40 μ g/min) given before and after L-NMMA (64 μmol/min). Coronary blood flow was measured by Doppler flow wire and diameter by quantitative angiography. Results At baseline, a peak 17 ± 18% (mean ± SO, P l 0.01) increase in distal coronary artery diameter, and a 20 ± 18% (p l 0.01) decrease in coronary vascular resistance (CVR) indicated epicardial and microvascular dilation with SP. At rest, L-NMMA caused a 22 ± 27% increase in CVR and a 13 ± 13% reduction in CA diameter, indicating tonic basal release of NO from coronary epicardial and microvessels. L-NMMA also suppressed the dilatory effects of SP (p l 0.01): after L-NMMA, SP produced an insignificant change in diameter (+1 ± 15%) and CVR was 42% higher compared to control. SNP produced a 19 ± 17% increase in epicardial CA diameter and a 55 ± 20% reduction in CVR at baseline that was not significantly altered by L-NMMA, suggesting that the effects of L-NMMA on the responses to SP are specifically due to inhibition of NO production. Conclusion Human coronary epicardial and microvascular dilation with SP is due, at least partly, to release of NO. Disease-induced differences in responses to endothelium-dependent dilators may be explained by a variation in the extent to which specific receptors on the endothelial surface are affected by pathologic conditions.
Target dependence of the effective sticking probability in muon-catalyzed d-t fusion.

A mechanism is described which could explain the recently observed density (\ensuremath{\varphi}) and tritium-fraction (${C}_{t}$) dependence of the muon-loss probability in muon-catalyzed d-t fusion. The effect is due to a hypothetical side path in the main catalysis cycle. It is proposed that the lifetime of a bottleneck state in the side path is controlled by ionization resulting from tritium radiolysis. The predicted dependence on \ensuremath{\varphi} \ensuremath{\surd}${C}_{t}$ then agrees with the experiment.
Origins of adult pigmentation: diversity in pigment stem cell lineages and implications for pattern evolution

Summary Teleosts comprise about half of all vertebrate species and exhibit an extraordinary diversity of adult pigment patterns that function in shoaling, camouflage, and mate choice and have played important roles in speciation. Here, we review studies that have identified several distinct neural crest lineages, with distinct genetic requirements, that give rise to adult pigment cells in fishes. These lineages include post-embryonic, peripheral nerve-associated stem cells that generate black melanophores and iridescent iridophores, cells derived directly from embryonic neural crest cells that generate yellow-orange xanthophores, and bipotent stem cells that generate both melanophores and xanthophores. This complexity in adult chromatophore lineages has implications for our understanding of adult traits, melanoma, and the evolutionary diversification of pigment cell lineages and patterns.
Characterization of thin metallurgical coating systems by repetitive inclined impact test in dry condition

Abstract This study evaluates the effectiveness of a non-lubricated repetitive inclined impact test to differentiate the fatigue behavior of thin tribological coatings. Three coatings were studied. One is W-diamond-like carbon (DLC) and the other two are Cr-DLC made from different deposition recipes. These coatings display unique impact failure curves. The impact failure curve, analogous to the ‘ S – N ’ curve (a semi-log plot of load vs. number of cycles to failure), exhibits a high-load and a low-load linear segment with steep and gentle slope, respectively. The typical wear events that lead to failure of the coating, characterized by exposure of the substrate, are (1) formation of partial ring cracks at the trailing edge of the impact crater, (2) thinning of the top coating due to sliding wear, (3) formation of through-thickness shear cracks in the top layer, (4) delamination of the top layer from the interlayer, (5) formation of through-thickness cracks in the interlayer, (6) delamination of the interlayer from the substrate. The wear evolutions of the coatings, which correlate with the failure curves, differ in terms of the duration, and absence or presence of these wear events.
Two-frequency imaging of microwave impulsive flares near the solar limb

VLA observations of two impulsive microwave and hard X-ray flares close to the solar limb on November 21 and 22, 1981 are presently interpreted in terms of an inhomogeneous flare volume, with the magnetic field strength and orientation varying with position both transverse to, and along, the line-of-sight. The 15 GHz radiation of the flares on both days may be due to electrons of E = 300 keV in weak nonthermal tail; the absence of 4.9 GHz radiation from these sources is attributed to absorption along the ray path from the flare to the earth, on the basis of the fact that thermal bremsstrahlung and gyrosynchrotron radiation mechanisms generate more low than high frequency radiation.
Null tests of time-reversal invariance.

It has been proved1 that there exists no null test of time-reversal invariance (TRI) in nuclear and particle physics in any reaction with two particles in and two particles out. That is, there is no single experimental observable that is required to be zero by TRI. This follows from the fact that TRI equates a reaction observable to an observable in the inverse reaction, so the difference (or sum) of the two is zero. Even in elastic scattering, which is its own inverse reaction, two different observables are related by TRI; e.g., polarization and analyzing power, so that Ay − Py = 0. Because of this requirement to compare two experimental observables, one of which is often difficult to measure with precision (say 1%), it is easy to understand why such tests of T-symmetry have rarely attained the 1% level of experimental accuracy. In strong contrast, since null tests of parity conservation are available, e.g. Az = 0 from P-symmetry, the weak-interaction parity non-conserving contribution to Az in pp scattering has been determined to the truly remarkable accuracy of 2.2 × 10−8 (ref. 2). Thus, it is clear that a comparable null test of T-symmetry would permit an improvement in experimental precision of several orders of magnitude.
Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Prognostic and Predictive Marker

The role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as a marker for disease progression in metastatic cancer is controversial. The current review will serve to summarize the evidence on CTCs as a marker of disease progression in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The immunohistochemistry(IHC)-based CellSearch® is the only FDA-approved isolation technique for quantifying CTCs in patients with metastatic breast cancer. We searched PubMed and Web of Knowledge for clinical studies that assessed the prognostic and predictive value of CTCs using IHC-based isolation. The patient outcomes reported include median and Cox-proportional hazard ratios for overall-survival (OS) and progression-free-survival (PFS). All studies reported shorter OS for CTC-positive patients versus CTC-negative. A subset of the selected trials reported significant lower median PFS for CTC-positive patients. The reported trials support the utility of CTC enumeration for patient prognosis. But further studies are required to determine the utility of CTC enumeration for guiding patient therapy. There are three clinical trials ongoing to test this hypothesis. These studies, and others, will further establish the role of CTCs in clinical practice.
On the Simultaneous Optimization of Server and Work Allocations in Production Line Systems with Variable Processing Times

The allocation of servers and the allocation of work are two important decision variables in designing production line systems. Previous studies of each variable in isolation have found that throughput is maximized by using an allocation that gives preferential treatment to interior stations especially center stations over the two end stations. In this paper we study the simultaneous optimization of server and work allocations and obtain some surprising results of a different nature. One key finding is the L-phenomenon, whereby the throughput is maximized by assigning all extra servers over one per station to just one of the end stations and then adjusting the work allocation so that this station has by far the greatest amount of work per server. Another key finding is the multiple-server phenomenon, whereby extra servers add far more throughput per server than the initial one-per-station servers. Both findings have important implications for the design of some production line systems in ways that will greatly improve their efficiency. Similar conclusions are drawn when lower and/or upper bounds are imposed on the number of servers per station and the number of stations is included as a decision variable.
A generalized thermal modeling for laser drilling process—II. Numerical simulation and results

Abstract Once the fluid configuration and the associated velocity field are obtained in a given time step using the VOF method which tracks the free surface, the energy equation is solved as an advection-diffusion equation using the control volume finite difference method. The energy equation rigorously models the phase-change both ways and tracks down the phase front as well. This paper discusses the verification of the phase-change model in cylindrical coordinates with the available results in the literature for a two-region freezing problem and its subsequent incorporation into the laser drilling model making the phase-change submodel robust in many respects. Numerical material removal rates are compared with experimental ones and found to be in good agreement. Contour plots of solid, fluid, pressure and temperature are provided at different times during the drilling process.
Sharp weighted-norm inequalities for functions with compact support in RN∖{0}

Abstract In this paper we study a class of Caffarelli–Kohn–Nirenberg inequalities without restricting the pertinent parameters. In particular, we determine the values of the corresponding optimal constants and the functions that achieve them, i.e., minimizers of a suitable functional. By studying a corresponding Euler–Lagrange equation, we also determine infinitely many sign-changing solutions at higher energy levels in addition to the found ground-state solutions.
Protective and Risk Factors Associated with Adolescent Boys’ Early Sexual Debut and Risky Sexual Behaviors

Protective and risk factors associated with rates of early sexual debut and risky sexual behaviors for a sample of low-income adolescent boys were examined using bioecological theory framed by a resiliency perspective. Protective processes examined include a close mother–son and father–son relationship, parental monitoring and family routines, as well as the adolescent boy’s academic achievement, expectations, and school recognition. The risk factors assessed were delinquent behaviors, if the adolescent was born to a teenage mother, family structure, monthly family income, risky neighborhood environments, family of origin welfare receipt, and maternal education. Waves one (1999) and two (2001) of Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study were used (N = 528; Wave 1 ages 10–14 years). Associations between early sexual debut and risky sexual behaviors with individual, family, school, and neighborhood protective and risk factors were addressed through a series of d-probit and Ordinary Least Squares multiple regression techniques. When protective and risk factors were addressed independently, academic achievement and parental monitoring protected adolescent boys from early sexual debut and risky sexual behaviors while drug and alcohol use and school problems placed them at risk for these behaviors. However, when the model is assessed together, early parental monitoring and academic achievement were shown to protect boys’ early sexual debut and risky sexual behaviors by reducing their delinquent behaviors, specifically early drug and alcohol use and school problems.
Peer Review of Chat Reference Transcripts: Approaches and Strategies

NCknows is a collaborative statewide chat-based reference service, launched in North Carolina in February 2004. The authors were contracted by the State Library of North Carolina as program evaluators for the NCknows project. This article reports on one component of the overarching evaluation effort: an analysis of the transcripts of NCknows chat sessions. This analysis was performed as a peer review, where NCknows librarians critiqued transcripts from the service. This study has three main findings: (1) The quality of reference service being provided by NCknows is high overall. (2) NCknows librarians are more engaged with users than are 24/7 staff members, but they are no more skilled in research or use of information sources. (3) Public librarians provide superior service, but academic librarians provide superior referrals. The implications of these findings for staffing chat reference services are discussed, with respect to librarians' credentials and the participating libraries' service philosophies.
Cadmium metal embrittlement of Zircaloy-2

EFFECTS of chemical environments upon the mechanical properties of zirconium alloys are of great interest because such alloys are used to contain fissionable fuel in water-cooled nuclear reactors. Particular interest attaches to stress corrosion cracking or liquid metal embrittlement because both of these phenomena are known to produce non-ductile fractures in otherwise ductile materials. Rosenbaum et al. reported iodine stress corrosion cracking of Zircaloy-2 some years ago1,2, and this phenomenon has been extensively investigated by others3–5. Zircaloy-2 is an alloy of zirconium containing by weight about 1.5% tin, 0.15% iron, 0.1% chromium, 0.05% nickel and 0.12% oxygen. Cox has reported embrittilement of Zircaloy by mercury or liquid caesium at room temperature3. However, the phenomenon of liquid metal embrittlement is known to be favoured by low temperatures6, and Zircaloy nuclear fuel cladding operates in the vicinity of 300 °C.
Microcontroller signal density stress prediction framework

Studies of electronic component stress have typically focused on temperature, humidity, and voltage stress. There has been relatively little emphasis on clock signal frequency stress. This study investigated effects of clock frequency stress on a high performance microcontroller used to control the on-off frequency of LEDs on a printed circuit board. Based on the design specification, several frequency levels between 0 and the terminal clock frequency were selected. Thermal profile samples for each stress level were collected using an infrared camera. The data were then divided into two groups for model development and evaluation. Artificial neural network and statistical regression approaches were used to model thermal profiles for each stress level. Objectives were to (1) explore impact of clock frequency stress on IC functionality, (2) observe heating rate differences under clock frequency stress over time; and (3) predict stress levels using the two approaches. Results indicate that the average prediction error is about 7.9% for the neural network approach and about 23.8% for the statistical regression approach. Future directions include thermal profile modeling using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and development of robust hybrid analytic and experimental models for microcontroller lifetime prediction.
Mathematical Modeling and Computational Simulation of a New Biomedical Instrument Design

Endo surgiclip instrument is the biomedical instrument that can be applied for endoscopic surgery to assist surgeons in homeostasis and secure mucosal gap surfaces during surgical operations. Since some clinic feedbacks show the surgiclip drop-off incidents which can potentially sever organ and tissue, the improvement of endo surgiclip instrument has been made in these years. Since few research papers were involved in the study of endo surgiclip instrument performance via mathematical modeling and computational simulation, currently some instrumental modifications are mainly based on clinic lab tests which prolong the improvement cycle and increase additional manufacturing cost. This paper introduces a new biomedical surgiclip instrument based on mathematical modeling, computer-aided simulation, and prototype testing. The analytic methodology proposed in this paper can help engineers in biomedical industry develop and improve biomedical instrument. Compared to the current conventional surgiclip instruments, this new surgiclip instrument can properly assist surgeon in surgical procedure with less operational force and no surgiclip drop-off incident. The prototype has also been built and tested. Both computational simulation and prototype testing show close results which validate the feasibility of this newly developed endo surgiclip instrument and the methodologies of mathematical modeling based computational simulation proposed in this paper.
Altered behavior of neonatal northern watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) exposed to maternally transferred mercury.

Little is known about effects of maternally transferred contaminants in snakes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate sublethal effects of maternally transferred mercury (Hg) on neonatal northern watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon). We captured 31 gravid females along a historically Hg-contaminated river. Following birth, we measured litter Hg concentrations and assessed locomotor performance, foraging ability (i.e., number of prey eaten, latency to first strike, strike efficiency, and handling time), and learning (i.e., change in foraging measures over time) in their offspring (n ¼ 609). Mercury concentrations in offspring negatively correlated with motivation to feed and strike efficiency. Over time, strike efficiency and latency to strike decreased for all snakes in the study. However, offspring from contaminated areas maintained consistently lower efficiencies than reference individuals. This study is the first to examine sublethal behavioral effects of maternally transferred contaminants in snakes and suggests that maternally transferred Hg negatively affects offspring behavior.
Transforming growth factor-beta 1 responsiveness of the rat osteocalcin gene is mediated by an activator protein-1 binding site.

Osteocalcin (OC), a bone specific protein expressed during differentiation and mineralization of the bone extracellular matrix, is down-regulated upon treatment with transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1. To address the potential role of OC gene expression in relation to TGF-beta 1 regulation of bone formation and resorption, we examined the transcriptional activity of the rat OC promoter after TGF-beta 1 treatment. 5' deletion analysis of rat OC promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase constructs demonstrated that TGF-beta 1 treatment repressed chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity by 2.4-fold in transient transfections of ROS 17/2.8 cells. A 29-bp region between -162 and -134 identified as the TGF-beta 1 response domain, conferred TGF-beta 1 responsiveness to the -108 to +24 rat OC basal promoter in an orientation dependent manner. Mutation of an activator protein-1/cAMP-response element-like motif (- 146 to -139) abolished TGF-beta 1 responsiveness of the construct. In vitro gel-mobility shift...
Perinatal observations in forty-eight neurologically impaired term infants.

Objective: Our goal was to review the perinatal characteristics of 48 singleton term infants with central nervous system neurologic impairment. Study Design: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for maternal characteristics, prenatal and intrapartum care patterns, neonatal course, and long-term outcome. Those patients without evidence of an obvious acute asphyxial event, traumatic delivery, or preterm birth were excluded. The study population was then subclassified according to the admission fetal heart rate pattern. Results: Of these 48 term infants the admission fetal heart rate pattern was nonreactive in 33 (69%) and reactive in 15 (31 %). Maternal characteristics, prenatal care, and long-term outcome were statistically similar between the two groups. However, the nonreactive group exhibited significantly more characteristics consistent with a prior asphyxial event: thick "old" meconium, "fixed" nonreactive baseline fetal heart rate, meconium-stained skin, and meconium aspiration syndrome. In contrast, in the reactive group a fetal heart rate pattern developed that was consistent with Hon's theory for intrapartum asphyxia and manifested by a prolonged tachycardia in association with persistent nonreactivity, diminished fetal heart rate variability, and fetal heart rate decelerations. Conclusions: Among fetuses later found to be neurologically impaired, a persistent nonreactive fetal heart rate tracing obtained from admission to delivery appears to be evidence of prior neurologic injury.
Neuron development from trypsin-dissociated cells of differentiated spinal cord of the chick embryo.

Abstract Embryonic chick spinal cord in advanced stages of differentiation was dissociated into its constituent cells by trypsin digestion followed by mechanical separation. The dispersed cells, singly or in clusters, when seeded on or in blood plasma clots, developed typical nerve fibers up to several millimeters in length. This technique lends itself readily to studies of single neurons, as well as their reactions to controllable influences of the medium and of other cell types.
Electric field controlled magnetic hysteresis loops in a Metglas®/PMN–PT heterostructure

An electric field tunable magnetic hysteresis loop was studied in a multiferroic heterostructure consisting of a 25??m thick Metglas? ribbon affixed to a lead magnesium niobate?lead titanate (PMN?PT) crystal. This multiferroic heterostructure exhibits a considerably strong converse magnetoelectric effect, CME = ?80%, where CME = [M(E) ? M(0)]/M(0), and a converse magnetoelectric coupling constant, A = 23?Oe?cm?kV?1, in the vicinity of the saturation electric polarization. This work systematically demonstrates the tunability of magnetic parameters including magnetization, coercivity, remanence and squareness, under the application of an electric field of 0?8?kV?cm?1. Additionally, the physical mechanism of the CME is discussed. These results provide useful resources for the design of a new generation of electrically controlled devices.
Mortality of brain tumors among asbestos insulation workers in the United States and Canada.

Death resulting from brain tumors among workers in the petrochemical industry have called attention to the possibility that these neoplasms may be the result of occupational exposure to carcinogens. We have examined the experience of a cohort of 17,800 insulation workers known to be at significant increased risk of cancer at a number of sites (lung, mesothelioma, gastrointestinal, oral cavity, pharyngeal, larynx, renal) to ascertain whether their asbestos exposure also increased their risk of brain tumors. From 1967 to 1979, there were 24 deaths from primary brain tumors in this cohort, somewhat more than were anticipated (18.0 such deaths were expected based on U.S. general population data, and 20.5 if smoking was taken into account). The excess was not "statistically significant" at the 5% level although this does not rule out the possibility of an etiological association. It was of interest that the observed excess was concentrated (about twice expected) among insulators in the younger ages (those under 50) and during the early period after onset of work (15-24 years), in contrast with age distribution and latency in other asbestos-associated neoplasms. This may have relevance to theoretical concerns about questions of initiation and promotion in the etiology of cancer, particularly with regard to brain tumors.
Library Technical Services Face New Changes of Technology: A Student Survey of Electronic Course Reserve

ABSTRACT The digitization of library materials has had a tremendous impact on libraries. By using the Internet, readers can access digital library materials from any place in the world. The BMCC Library started several programs to provide more digital materials to its patrons in the forms of electronic books, periodicals, full-text materials, and webpage links to other databases. A test program began in spring 2002 for course reserves, and electronic archiving was about to start in fall 2001. This paper describes a survey conducted to measure the response to the implementation of ERes for digitizing course reserves.
Chromatographc studies on aminoacyl-acceptor RNA using paper sheets of diethylaminoethyl-cellulose

Abstract Conditions for the chromatography of amino acyl-acceptor RNA on paper sheets of DEAE-cellulose have been explored further. Amino acid-specific RNA's can be separated using this type of chromatography. It was found that significant amounts of RNA are bound to the paper so that (I) salt solutions were ineffective eluents of RNA, and (2) urea combined with salt was effective. Results suggest that non-electrostatic forces play a significant role in the adsorption of RNA to substituted cellulose.
Exploiting geometric relationships for object modeling and recognition

The tasks of navigation and exploration require a robot to acquire and utilize knowledge about its environment. The robot''s sensor data often noisy or incomplete must be augmented with additional constraints to derive a reasonable environmental description. Models of generic objects and their geometric relationships can provide such constraints. This paper describes an application of geometric reasoning that uses generic object and relationship models to merge images from three points of view and hypothesize missing elements of the scene. 1.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Auger electron spectroscopic analysis of barium fluoride surfaces exposed to selenium vapor

(111)-oriented BaF2 substrates were exposed to selenium vapor in an atmospheric pressure hydrogen ambient at three temperatures: 592, 629 and 696° C. Auger electron spectroscopy analysis of exposed surfaces showed formation of BaSe patches, BaSe layers, and BaSe3/BaSe composite layers at these three temperatures, respectively. We speculate that BaSe reaction layers form epitaxially on BaF2 since cations in both materials have the same sublattice structure and the materials have a relatively small, 6 percent, lattice parameter mismatch. Such structure-preserving substrate surface reactions can occur during IV-VI semiconductor epitaxy on BaF2 and can play an important role in early stages of semiconductor growth.
The Annual Cycle in the Tropical Pacific Ocean Based on Assimilated Ocean Data from 1983 to 1992

An analysis of the tropical Pacific Ocean from January 1983 to December 1992 is used to describe the annual cycle, with the main focus on subsurface temperature variations. Some analysis of ocean-current variations are also considered. Monthly mean fields are generated by assimilation of surface and subsurface temperature observations from ships and buoys. Comparisons with observations show that the analysis reasonably describes large-scale ocean thermal variations. Ocean currents are not assimilated and do not compare as well with observations. However, the ocean-current variations in the analysis are qualitatively similar to the known variations given by others. The authors use harmonic analysis to separate the mean annual cycle and estimate its contribution to total variance. The analysis shows that in most regions the annual cycle of subsurface thermal variations is larger than surface variations and that these variations are associated with changes in the depth of the thermocline. The annual cycle accounts for most of the total surface variance poleward of about 10{degrees} latitude but accounts for much less surface and subsurface total variance near the equator. Large subsurface annual cycles occur near 10{degrees}N associated with shifts of the intertropical convergence zone and along the equator associated with the annual cyclemore » of equatorial wind stress. The hemispherically asymmetric depths of the 20{degrees}C isotherms indicate that the large Southern Hemisphere warm pool, which extends to near the equator, may play an important role in thermal variations on the equator. 51 refs., 18 figs., 1 tab.« less