cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of container type on pH and alkalinity stability

Abstract Errors in pH measurement of 0.1-0.2 units can be propagate large errors in the predicted aqueous speciation. When accurate on-site analyses are impossible to obtain, changes in pH and alkalinity between the time of sampling and after transport to a laboratory must be minimized in many sampling programs. Several container and cap combinations were evaluated for their ability to preserve the pH and alkalinity of test waters that were out of equilibrium with atmospheric carbon dioxide over time periods representative of mail or other surface transport. Provided that no air bubbles were present when the sample bottle was filled and sealed, polyvinyl chloride bottles with caps having a conical polyethylene insert yielded the most satisfactory results. High density linear polyethylene bottles were also generally satisfactory. Cap design was observed to be very important. Guidelines for analysis and preservation are given, and if followed, laboratory measurements can be reliably substituted for field measurements in many instances.
Role of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in the discriminative stimulus properties of the atypical antipsychotic clozapine in rats

The purpose of the present study was to assess the role of dopamine D 1 and D 2 receptors in the discriminative stimulus properties of the atypical antipsychotic clozapine (CLZ). Two groups of rats were trained to discriminate either a moderate dose of clozapine (5.0 mg/kg) from vehicle or a high dose of clozapine (10.0 mg/kg) from vehicle in a two-lever drug discrimination paradigm. Generalization testing with clozapine yielded an ED 50 of 0.9 mg/kg (95% confidence limits = 0.5-2.0 mg/kg) for the 5.0 CLZ group and 2.0 mg/kg (95% confidence limits = 1.4-2.8 mg/kg) for the 10.0 CLZ group. Substitution testing with the D 1 antagonist SCH 23390 and the D 2 dopamine antagonist haloperidol failed to produce clozapine-appropriate responding for either of the clozapine training doses. The antipsychotic drug thioridazine (which binds to a number of neurotransmitters in addition to dopamine) produced partial substitution (64.5% drug lever responding) in the 5.0 CLZ group at the 5.0 mg/kg dose. These results suggest that antagonism of D 1 and D 2 dopamine receptors alone is not sufficient to produce clozapine-appropriate responding, even with the higher training dose of 10.0 mg/kg.
The Blessings and Curses of Intestinal Inflammation

The intestinal immune system has to strike a delicate balance between initiating inflammatory responses against invading bacterial pathogens and avoiding their induction against microbiota colonizing the lumen. Adequate inflammatory responses against bacterial invasion result in the lumenal secretion of antimicrobial peptides, as well as the release of cytokines in tissue that recruit and activate phagocytes. However, pathogens have evolved to utilize these environmental changes in the inflamed intestine to promote colonization. This review focuses on the costs and benefits of intestinal inflammation and the fine interplay between the host, its microbiota, and enteric pathogens.
A course in laboratory and stockroom management

This course is designed especially for preservice chemistry or physical science teacher and addresses many other factors than chemical safety.
New data on coherent K - d interactions at 12 GeV/ c

Abstract The coherent deuteron reactions K − d → K − π + π − d and K − d → K 0 π − π 0 d have been studied at 12 GeV/ c in the SLAC 82 inch deuterium bubble chamber. The cross section for the first reaction is 312 ± 30 μ b and for the second 270 ± 50 μ b. Resonance signals or enhancements observed are K 890 ∗ , K 1420 ∗ , d ∗ , and Q; no clear L-meson signal is seen. In the K ππ system, components with spin ⩾ 2 only occur in events with d ∗ production. Helicities in the s -and t -channels are not conserved in K ππ production.
Bilateral hemifacial spasm: A report of five cases and a literature review†

We describe five patients with bilateral hemifacial spasm evaluated in a Movement Disorders Clinic to illustrate the clinical characteristics and to draw attention to the differential diagnosis of this condition. All patients had unilateral onset followed by bilateral, asymmetric, and asynchronous facial contractions. The mean age of the patients (4 women and 1 man) was 70.6 years (range, 54-81 yrs), and the mean duration of symptoms was 17 years (range, 2-30 yrs). The facial twitching started in the left eyelid in all cases and the opposite side of the face began to twitch on the average 8.4 years (range, 0.2-15 yrs) later. Imaging studies revealed tortuous vertebrobasilar arteries in three patients. Four patients were successfully treated with botulinum toxin injections. Bilateral hemifacial spasm is a rare, peripherally induced disorder that must be differentiated from tics, dystonia including blepharospasm and other cranial dystonia, and other facial dyskinesias. Botulinum toxin injection appears to be the treatment of choice.
Declaration-free type checking

Conventional Milner-style polymorphic type checkers automatically infer types of functions and simple composite objects such as tuples. Types of recursive data structures (e.g. lists) have to be defined by the programmer through an abstract data type definition. In this paper, we show how abstract data types, involving type union and recursion, can be automatically inferred by a type checker. The language for describing such types is that of regular trees, a generalization of regular expressions to denote sets of tree structured terms. Inference of these types is reducible to the problem of solving simultaneous inclusion inequations over regular trees. We present algorithms to solve such inequations. Using these techniques, programs without any type definitions and type annotations for functions can be type checked.
Brain-derived fibroblast growth factor: A study of its inactivation

Brain fibroblast growth factor has been identified as a component of myelin basic protein. Its activity is destroyed when treated with a variety of solvents including dilute acid, organic solvents and solutions of guanidine hydrochloride. These conditions do not alter the encephalitogenic properties of myelin basic protein.
Lattice Boltzmann DNS of decaying compressible isotropic turbulence with temperature fluctuations

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of low Mach number decaying isotropic turbulence with randomly distributed initial temperature field is performed using the hybrid thermal lattice Boltzmann method (HTLBM). The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of temperature fluctuations on turbulence: specifically, the interaction between kinetic and thermal energy modes and the small-scale flow structure. The results indicate that pressure plays a crucial role in the energy exchange between kinetic and thermal modes. Unlike dissipation, which generates one-way energy transfer from kinetic to thermal modes, pressure can lead to a two-way energy transfer. On average, pressure work transfers energy from thermal to kinetic modes in our computations. The analysis of velocity-gradient structure shows that, as in isothermal flow, the vorticity vector aligns with the intermediate eigenvector of the strain-rate tensor. However, the alignments among vorticity vector, pressure gradient, density gradient and temp...
Standards, Efficiency, and the Evolution of Web Design

I recently created a presentation using HTML5 based on a tutorial put together by Marcin Wichary (http://slides.html5rocks.com). The example presentation is part proof-of-concept, part instructiona...
Degradation of a collagen–chondroitin-6-sulfate matrix by collagenase and by chondroitinase

Highly porous, type I collagen-chondroitin-6-sulfate (collagen-GAG) scaffolds, produced by freeze-drying techniques, have proven to be of value as implants to facilitate the regeneration of certain tissues. The objective of this project was to evaluate changes in the microstructure and mechanical properties of selected collagen-GAG scaffolds as they degrade in an in vitro model system. Environmental scanning electron microscopy and video imaging demonstrated that collagenase degradation caused strut erosion through the creation of 1-3 microm diameter micropits within a 2-h period, leading to eventual removal of strut material and strut breakage. Loss of microstructural topography may have been due to gelatinization when collagen was cleaved by collagenase. Chondroitinase degradation of GAG resulted in swelling of the struts, causing the pores to become smaller and rounder. The compressive modulus of the collagen-GAG matrix decreased when degraded by collagenase, but remained unchanged when degraded by chondroitinase. Carbodiimide-cross-linked matrices were found to have a higher cross-link density, a higher compressive stiffness and a greater resistance to collagenase and chondroitinase, compared to non-cross-linked controls and matrices that were cross-linked by the dehydrothermal process. This investigation provides information that can be used to design collagen-GAG scaffolds with desired compressive stiffness and degradation rate to collagenase and chondroitinase.
Insulin values of normal pancreatic and pancreatic adenomas tissue extracts in children.

Abstract Tissues of four pancreatic adenomas of children with clinical hyper-insulinemia and relative hyperinsulinemia, and normal pancreatic tissue were studied. Tissues were extracted and immunoreactive insulin levels measured per gram of dry tissue. Comparisons of findings in two newborn babies with inverted rate glucose/insulin and two children of 11 and 14 yr of age with hyper-insulinemia are reported. Results indicate relative comparable insulin values in adenoma pancreatic tissue in both age groups per gram of tissue, although larger amounts of circulating immunoreactive insulin were found in older children with true hyperinsulinemia. High insulin concentrations were found in one case. These high levels may be related to the severity or type of cell adenoma.
THE EFFECT OF LONGITUDINAL ARREST PATTERNS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROBBERY TRENDS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL

Although the current resurgence of ecological deterrence research has addressed many of the methodological and theoretical problems of earlier studies, the question concerning the appropriate level of aggregation for such models has not been resolved. In this paper, we argue that there is strong evidence in the criminological literature that the neighborhood is the most meaningful level of aggregation for such studies. However, in an analysis of robbery incidents and arrests over 100 weeks in five Oklahoma City neighborhoods we did not find any significant support for the deterrent effect of arrests on subsequent illegal behavior. We propose that the lack of such a relationship reflects periods of short-term equilibrium in the local community, during which the levels of crime and arrests are relatively stabilized.
Isolation, characterization and protection studies in mice of a streptomycin-dependent mutant of Streptococcus suis type 1/2.

An avirulent, streptomycin-dependent (Str-D) mutant ofStreptococcus suis type 1/2 was produced and characterized by its antimicrobial susceptibility, growth kinetics, biochemical reactions and reversion rate. Homologous and heterologous vaccine trials in mice resulted in complete protection against challenge withS. suis types 1 and 1/2 and partial protection against challenge withS. suis type 2.
Expression, isolation, and characterization of the hepatitis C virus ATPase/RNA helicase.

Abstract The genome of the hepatitis C virus directs the synthesis of a single polyprotein, which is proteolytically cleaved into at least nine functional proteins. The amino-terminal portion of the polyprotein forms the structural proteins, while the carboxy-terminal region constitutes a variety of viral enzymes. The nonstructural 3 (NS3) protein, consisting of amino acids 1027–1657 of the polyprotein, is believed to be a multifunctional protein with an amino-terminal serine protease domain, which is involved in polyprotein processing, and a carboxy-terminal ATPase/RNA helicase domain, presumably involved in viral replication. We have assembled an expression vector which directs the synthesis of residues 1207–1612 of the polyprotein with an amino-terminal polyhistidine purification tag. This portion of the NS3 protein contains the putative ATPase/helicase domain. The protein has been purified to yield 30–50 mg of enzymatically active protein per liter of culture. The purified NS3 protein has both NTPase and RNA helicase activities. ATP is the preferred substrate for the NTPase; GTP is also utilized; however, UTP is a very poor substrate and CTP is not utilized. The RNA helicase activity is dependent on ATP and divalent cation. Either manganese or magnesium can serve as the divalent cation.
Effect of temperature on toxicity and knockdown activity of cis-permethrin, esfenvalerate and λ-cyhalothrin in the cabbage looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

The time required for two symptoms of poisoning, ataxia and prostration (i.e., knockdown), to occur in third-instar cabbage loopers, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), treated topically with cis -permethrin, esfenvalerate, and λ-cyhalothrin was determined at 15.6, 26.7, and 37.8°C. The toxicity of the pyrethroids also was examined at the three temperatures. ci8-Permethrin and λ-cyhalothrin had negative temperature coefficients of toxicity between 15.6 and 37.8°C, whereas esfenvalerate was equally toxic at both temperatures. The onset of ataxia and prostration in larvae treated with these pyrethroids occurred more rapidly as the temperature increased, thus was positively correlated with temperature. λ-Cyhalothrin was the most toxic pyrethroid; however, cis -permethrin was generally the most effective in producing ataxia and prostration in treated larvae.
How to integrate predictions in outcomes in planning clinical care.

Background: The CKD population is becoming increasingly elderly with multiple comorbidities. For this reason, accurate predictive information related to the progression into ESRD, mortality, and functional decline is critical to allow for optimal shared decision making (SDM). Summary: This review will assess the current literature on the methodologies for the estimation of prognosis and prognostic tools developed for CKD. A practical clinical approach is discussed that involves the estimation of prognosis and integration of prognosis into SDM. Key Message: There are validated, easy-to-use prognostic tools that help clinicians engage in effective shared decision making with their CKD patients and family.
The Relationship between the Coarse-Mesh Finite Difference and the Coarse-Mesh Diffusion Synthetic Acceleration Methods

The coarse-mesh finite difference (CMFD) and the coarse-mesh diffusion synthetic acceleration (CMDSA) methods are widely used, independently developed methods for accelerating the iterative converg...
Identifying Potent, Selective Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Inhibitors from a Library of Au(I) Complexes

Therapeutic inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase activity is a compelling yet challenging approach to the treatment of human disease. Toward this end, a library of 40 gold complexes with the general formula R(3)P-Au-Cl was screened to identify novel inhibitors of PTP activity. The most promising inhibitor obtained for the lymphoid tyrosine phosphatase LYP, (2-pyridine)(Ph(2))P-Au-Cl, is one of the most potent and selective LYP inhibitors identified to date with an IC(50) of 1.5 +/- 0.3 microM, 10-fold selectivity for LYP over PTP-PEST, HePTP, and CD45 in vitro, and activity in cellular studies as well.
Shedding light on Toll signaling through live imaging.

The Toll receptor propagates the ventralizing signal designating dorsal/ventral cell fate in the Drosophila embryo. The application of live-imaging approaches to this classical developmental signaling pathway is yielding some surprising new insights into Toll receptor signaling. In addition to it's previously known plasma membrane localization, Toll is present in Rab5+ early endosomes. Dominant, constitutively active forms of Toll preferentially partition into endosomes. Blocking endocytosis locally prevents Toll from signaling suggesting that endocytosis is required for Toll to signal. Augmenting endocytosis increases Toll signaling. Both interventions alter the shape of the Dorsal gradient globally indicating an important role of endocytosis in fixing spatial information for the Dorsal gradient.
A Meta-Analysis of Research on Formal Computer-Mediated Support Groups: Examining Group Characteristics and Health Outcomes

This article reports a meta-analysis of 28 studies examining the health-related outcomes associated with participation in a formal computer-mediated support group (CMSG) intervention. In particular, health outcomes related to social support were assessed and four group-level characteristics of CMSGs were tested as potential moderators of intervention effectiveness. The results show that participating in a CMSG intervention—comprised of educational and group communication components—led to increased social support, decreased depression, increased quality of life, and increased self-efficacy to manage one’s health condition. Changes in health outcomes were moderated by group size, the nature of the communication channels available, and the duration of the CMSG intervention.
Configurational assignment of several 1,4-substituted adamantanes☆

Abstract The configurations of several 1,4- (= 2,5-) disubstituted adamantanes have been determined by means of X-ray diffraction. Since these compounds have rigid skeletons and since there is almost no difference in stability or steric requirements between the geometric isomers, these epimers are expected to be very useful for stereochemical studies.
Metacognitive Experiences in Consumer Judgment and Decision Making

Human reasoning is accompanied by metacognitive experiences, most notably the ease or difficulty of recall and thought generation and the fluency with which new information can be processed. These experiences are informative in their own right. They can serve as a basis of judgment in addition to, or at the expense of, declarative information and can qualify the conclusions drawn from recalled content. What exactly people conclude from a given metacognitive experience depends on the naive theory of mental processes they bring to bear, rendering the outcomes highly variable. The obtained judgments cannot be predicted on the basis of accessible declarative information alone; we cannot understand human judgment without taking into account the interplay of declarative and experiential information.
Renal Failure: Emergency Evaluation and Management

Patients with altered renal function are frequently encountered in the emergency department (ED) and emergency physicians often play an important role in the evaluation and management of renal disease. Early recognition, diagnosis, prevention of further iatrogenic injury, and management of renal disease have important implications for long-term morbidity and mortality. This article reviews basic renal physiology, discusses the differential diagnosis and approach to therapy, as well as strategies to prevent further renal injury, for adult patients who present to the ED with renal injury or failure.
Public Opinion on Nonwhite Underrepresentation and Racial Identity Politics in Brazil

Brazil has an “African-origin” population that is proportionally more than four times larger that of African Americans in the United States, but white Brazilians mostly dominate electoral politics. How do ordinary citizens explain this phenomenon? Drawing on a large-sample survey of public opinion in the state of Rio de Janeiro, this article explores perceived explanations for nonwhite underrepresentation in the political arena. It also examines attitudes toward a particular black candidate, Benedita da Silva, to discern the state of negro identity politics. Most Brazilians in Rio de Janeiro cite racial prejudice to explain nonwhite exclusion, although whites do this less than nonwhites. Indicators of a racial undercurrent in political preferences suggest the importance of allegiances based on perceived common racial origins. Class is robustly associated with voting preferences, suggesting that, in contrast to the United States, class differences among nonwhites in Brazil could attenuate the success of negro identity politics.
Inhibition of induced angiogenesis in a human microvascular endothelial cell line by ET-18-OCH3.

Alkyl-lysophospholipids are a group of anticancer compounds that have previously been shown to have the unique feature of being selectively toxic to neoplastic tissues. One of these compounds ET-18-OCH3, has been used for purging bone marrow of cancer cells in phase I clinical trials. Tumor-induced angiogenesis has been directly correlated with tumor growth and metastasis. In this study, we examined the effect ET-18-OCH3 has on a human microvascular endothelial cell line (HMEC-1), including the following functions: angiogenesis, cell-adhesion molecule expression, and cell-junction integrity. We found that ET-18-OCH3 (in vitro) reversibly inhibited induced angiogenesis at levels that did not affect viability. At lower concentrations, ET-18-OCH3 down-regulated the expression of cell-adhesion molecules and affected the integrity of cell-to-cell junctions., This observation demonstrates this versatile family of compounds to have additional targets of action.
Enhanced photoreactivity of acenaphthylene in water: a product and mechanism study

Abstract Acenaphthylene undergoes direct photolysis in dilute aqueous solutions at concentrations as low as 5 × 10 −7 M. The reactivity observed for acenaphthylene in water greatly exceeds that observed in organic solvents. The major products from direct photolysis in aerated aqueous solutions at concentrations above 5 × 10 −5 M are the cis and trans dimers of acenaphthylene. Triplet-sensitized dimerization in water produces a large excess of cis dimer (cis/trans = 14); however, direct photolysis initially produces a small excess of cis dimer (cis/trans = 1.5) and upon further conversion the ratio changes to favor the trans dimer (cis/trans = 0.6). The origin of the trans dimer is assigned to photolysis of crystalline acenaphthylene which is though to form as a coprecipitate with cis dimer during photolysis. The origin of the cis dimer is assigned to dimerization from the triplet manifold. The increased efficiency of acenaphthylene photolysis is attributed to a hydrophobic effect and partly to an enhanced efficiency of dimerization in crystalline acenaphthylene.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RATE AND OUTPUT RELATED VARIATIONS IN THE A2-OS INTERVAL.

Abstract The mitral opening snap commonly occurs in mixed mitral lesions and not infrequently in pure mitral insufficiency. The reduction in the A 2 -OS interval with lowered diastolic filling time and increased output is related to the mitral valve gradient and, indirectly, to the size of the mitral orifice. A marked reduction in the A 2 -OS interval with increasing rate and exercise appears to suggest dominant mitral stenosis. This observation is of value in relating clinical and catheterization observations. A comparison is made with the index of Wells.
Virtual office hours using TechTalk, a Web-based mathematical collaboration tool

This paper reports on the use of TechTalk, a web based chat environment designed for scientific and mathematical collaboration, in mathematics instruction. Techtalk provides internet access to shared Maple and MATLAB sessions and the ability to conduct a multiway conversation. Using this feature an instructor is able to answer questions on Maple/MATLAB outside of the classroom and outside of conventional, face-to-face office hours.
A numerical model for prediction of the air-core shape of hydrocyclone flow

Hydrocyclones are used extensively for solid particles separation and classification in the minerals processing industry. By means of the tangential fluid feeding and solid particle, a strong rotational movement takes place inside the equipment, that charged a centrifugal field. Because of this field, the solid particles are suspended in the fluid and tend to move towards the walls. As well, by the high tangential velocity of the fluid in the central part of the device, the pressure decreases until a values smaller than atmospheric pressure. A low pressure region is starting, causing the formation of an air-core in the central line. In spite of the simple geometry and operation, explaining the detailed mechanisms of the work is extremely complicated. One difficulty in finding the actual flow of the hydrocyclones is the necessity of specifying the form and location of the air-core surface. In the usual models applied to an hydrocyclone, the interface that bounds the air-core is modeled as a fixed cylindrical surface, that greatly simplifies the problem. This simplification avoids the necessity of the calculation of an unknowing boundary that modifies the domain, where the field equations must be solved. Nevertheless, such a simplification can produce bad results. Many research works have studied theoretical models to approximate the air-core radius. In this work, it is considered the air-liquid interface being a Young-Laplace type. With an iterating process the air-core radius is updated, in order to minimize the error in the Young-Laplace jump condition. The results obtained for velocity field are compared with those obtained expemerimentally in a previous paper, where it is possible to get satisfactory answers.
Three-dimensional gadolinium-enhanced MR venographic evaluation of patency of central veins in the thorax: initial experience.

PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) venography for evaluation of thoracic central veins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study included 15 patients who underwent 3D gadolinium-enhanced subtraction MR venography with a spoiled gradient-echo sequence before and at multiple times after intravenous administration of 30-40 mL of contrast material. Maximum intensity projection and multiplanar reconstruction images were used to categorize central veins as patent, occluded, or narrowed. Results were compared with findings (in 12 patients) at conventional venography (n = 3), attempted central venous catheter placement (n = 3), or surgery (n = 6). Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to determine if patient care was affected by MR venographic findings. RESULTS: By using MR venograms, an appropriate vessel could be identified for successful placement of a catheter, indwelling venous access device, or arteriovenous hemodialysis graft ...
Nonsteroid Immune Modulators and Bone Disease

Glucocorticoids have been the main agents for preventing organ rejection,but unfortunately they possess serious side effects. Newer immunosuppressive agents have therefore been introduced to overcome these effects and have had a dramatic impact on reducing the incidence of organ rejection, enhancing donor organ acceptance, and hence patient survival posttransplantation. However, calcineurin inhibitors (CIs), such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus, also have serious effects causing rapid and severe bone loss in animal models and humans. The mechanism accounting for this action is unclear at present, but the role of T lymphocyte action via RANKL seems to be of essence in triggering bone loss. The mechanism is complex and in vitro studies often produce results that are opposite to those seen in vivo. In addition to acute, rapid, and severe bone loss (ARSBL), the clinical picture shows an extremely high incidence of fractures at all sites, and depends upon the organ transplanted, preexisting bone disease, interval before transplantation, and the dose and duration of multiple immunosuppressive drugs. Other immune-modifying drugs, such as azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, and sirolimus, which are used in conjunction with glucocorticoids and CIs have not been shown to promote bone loss experimentally or clinically. With the exception of glucocorticoids, all of the agents discussed here demand further investigation with regard to their effects on bone health in the clinical setting.
Piezo actuated vibratory feeding with vibration control

This research investigated the effect of decoupling the motion of a conventional vibratory feeder in order to develop a one-axis vibratory sliding mode for feeding tiny delicate parts that could ultimately be adapted to two axes. This research investigated a new type of vibratory drive by employing a piezoelectric actuator. In a decoupled design, the action of the horizontal and vertical vibration would be separately controlled to achieve a desired part trajectory and consequently the feed rate of the part. A computer control scheme was used to develop voltage input waveforms to control these actuators to produce movements that cause the parts to move forward relative to the track and overcome backsliding and other inefficient feeding motions. There are two advantages to this type of design. First, it can handle the parts in a more controlled manner by keeping them in constant contact with the track while maintaining a high conveying speed. This results in good protection for fragile parts. Secondly, this...
Selective area heteroepitaxy of low dimensionala -plane andc -plane InGaN nanostructures using pulsed MOCVD

High density a -plane and c -plane InGaN nanostructures have been developed by nanoscale selective area epitaxial growth using pulsed MOCVD. SiO2 was used as a mask with nanopatterning through an anodic aluminum oxide template. The lateral dimensions of the pattern were controlled and varied from 30 nm to 180 nm by changing the anodization voltage and the electrolyte. Different substrates such as a -plane GaN on r -plane sapphire, r -plane sapphire and c -plane sapphire were used to develop InGaN nanostructures in a - and c - crystallographic directions respectively. Under identical growth conditions, InGaN nanostructures of various shapes were obtained on different substrates with differences in emission wavelength. The shape of the nanostructures on different substrates is discussed with respect to the stability and growth rates of various planes. However, the difference in emission wavelength is attributed to the In incorporation in the nanostructures. The optical properties of the nanostructures were studied by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Metabolic clearance rate and blood production rate of testosterone and androst-4-ene-3,17-dione under basal conditions, ACTH and HCG stimulation. Comparison with urinary production rate of testosterone.

Metabolic clearance rate, plasma concentration and blood production rate of testosterone and androstenedione, interconversion between blood testosterone and blood androstenedione, and urinary testosterone production rate have been studied in 2 normal adult male subjects under basal conditions, ACTH and HCG stimulation, and in 2 normal adult female subjects under basal conditions and ACTH stimulation. Under basal conditions blood testosterone production rate was 6.4 and 5.5 mg/day, blood androstenedione production rate 2.1 and 2.1 mg/day and urinary testosterone production rate 7.6 and 4.3 mg/day in the 2 male subjects; in the 2 female subjects these values were 0.37 and 0.27 mg/day, 2.7 and 3.6 mg/day and 0.8 and 0.9 mg/day, respectively. Under ACTH stimulation blood testosterone production rate decreased in the 2 male subjects and plasma testosterone concentration also decreased in 6 normal males studied. On the other hand, blood production rate of testosterone in females and of androstenedione in males ...
Generalized Procedure for Improved Accuracy of Thermal Contact Resistance Measurements for Materials With Arbitrary Temperature-Dependent Thermal Conductivity

Thermal contact resistance (TCR) is most commonly measured using one-dimensional steady-state calorimetric techniques. In these experimental methods, a temperature gradient is applied across two contacting beams and the temperature drop at the interface is inferred from the temperature profiles of the rods that are measured at discrete points. During data analysis, thermal conductivity of the beams is typically taken to be an average value over the temperature range imposed during the experiment. Here, a generalized theory is presented that accounts for temperature-dependent changes in thermal conductivity. The procedure presented enables accurate measurement of TCR for contacting materials whose thermal conductivity is any arbitrary function of temperature. For example, it is shown that the standard technique yields TCR values that are about 15% below the actual value for two specific examples of copper and silicon contacts. On the other hand, the generalized technique predicts TCR values that are within...
Parametric survival analysis and taxonomy of hazard functions for the generalized gamma distribution

The widely used Cox proportional hazards regression model for the analysis of censored survival data has limited utility when either hazard functions themselves are of primary interest, or when relative times instead of relative hazards are the relevant measures of association. Parametric regression models are an attractive option in situations such as this, although the choice of a particular model from the available families of distributions can be problematic. The generalized gamma (GG) distribution is an extensive family that contains nearly all of the most commonly used distributions, including the exponential, Weibull, log normal and gamma. More importantly, the GG family includes all four of the most common types of hazard function: monotonically increasing and decreasing, as well as bathtub and arc-shaped hazards. We present here a taxonomy of the hazard functions of the GG family, which includes various special distributions and allows depiction of effects of exposures on hazard functions. We applied the proposed taxonomy to study survival after a diagnosis of clinical AIDS during different eras of HIV therapy, where proportionality of hazard functions was clearly not fulfilled and flexibility in estimating hazards with very different shapes was needed. Comparisons of survival after AIDS in different eras of therapy are presented in terms of both relative times and relative hazards. Standard errors for these and other derived quantities are computed using the delta method and checked using the bootstrap. Description of standard statistical software (Stata, SAS and S-Plus) for the computations is included and available at http://statepi.jhsph.edu/software.
Acceptance Speech on Receipt of Financial Engineer of the Year Award

At its annual meeting on October 12, 2000, the International Association of Financial Engineers presented the Financial Engineer of the Year Award to Emanuel Derman. We are pleased to reprint here both the text of Derman9s remarks in accepting the award, and also a longer presentation in which he discusses the role of a “quant” and of theoretical modeling in general on Wall Street. Like so many other things, being a “financial engineer” turns out to be a little different in practice than in theory. As a social science, financial economics must be cognizant of the social along with the science aspects of our discipline. Derman9s description of the environment in which he does his work provides a thoughful, amusing, and even poetic view of the field of financial engineering.
A hands‐on finite element modeling experience in a multidisciplinary project‐based freshman course

Computational methods are being widely used in engineering analysis, design, and research. In order to prepare the students for engineering practice or graduate school, the undergraduate engineering curriculum needs to provide sufficient exposure to computational methods during the 4-year undergraduate education. This paper summarizes the introduction of freshman students to finite element modeling as a part of a hands-on multidisciplinary project-based course. The project focuses on improving students' understanding of structural behavior through experimental and computational methods. The goals of implementing finite element modeling in this project are to enhance the mechanics understanding of students, to increase the students' interest in engineering, and to introduce computational methods to undergraduate students at an early stage during their undergraduate education. The incorporation of finite element modeling in the project provides a powerful tool to visualize the theoretical concepts that are new to the freshman level students such as stress and strain and help to improve their understanding of the experimental observations made in the laboratory setting. The student evaluations show that the finite element modeling part of the project is intellectually stimulating and leads to development of new knowledge and skills. The exposure of freshman students to finite element modeling through a project-based course is expected to help their development as engineers and increase their preparedness for engineering practice or graduate school after graduation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21: 294–299, 2013
The deterrent effect of bird song in territory defense

Using the responses of territory owners to playback to infer the territorial function of acoustic signals is common practice. However, difficulties with interpreting the results of such experiments have obscured our understanding of territorial signalling. For instance, a stronger response to playback is often interpreted as more aggressive, but there is no consensus as to whether this should be in response to the least or most threatening simulated intruder. Rather than following a gradual increase or decrease, the relationship between signal intensity and response strength may instead describe a peaked curve. We manipulated banded wren (Thryophilus pleurostictus) songs to simulate low-, median-, and high-performance singers and used these songs as stimuli in playback experiments. Banded wrens were less likely to approach the high-performance stimulus compared with the low- and median-performance stimuli. However, the birds that did approach the high-performance stimulus sang more than those that approached the low-performance stimulus. In addition, birds were more likely to match the songs when exposed to the median- and high-performance stimuli compared with the low-performance stimuli, and song matching predicted approach behavior. These results are in accordance with theoretical models of aggressive encounters in which low-performance opponents are challenged without further assessment. Median- and high-performance opponents, however, may require further assessment, and the latter may be perceived as too intimidating for approach.
Comparative effects of lidocaine, esmolol, and nitroglycerin in modifying the hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation

Abstract Study Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of lidocaine, esmolol, and nitroglycerin in modifying the hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation. Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Setting: University-affiliated VA medical center. Patients: 40 ASA physical status I and II patients undergoing elective surgery with general endotracheal anesthesia. Interventions: Anesthesia was induced with thiopental sodium 5 mg/kg, and intubation was facilitated with vecuronium 0.15 mg/kg. Isoflurane (0.5% to 1%) and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen were used for maintenance of anesthesia. In addition, patients received one of the following four study drugs intravenously (IV) prior to laryngoscopy: Group 1 (control) = saline 5 ml; Group 2=lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg; Group 3=esmolol 1.4 mg/kg; Group 4=nitroglycerin 2 μg/kg. Measurements and Main Results: Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded every minute for 20 minutes following induction of anesthesia. Following laryngoscopy and intubation, MAP increased significantly in all four treatment groups (control 49% ± 19%, lidocaine 55% ± 26%, esmolol 25% ± 11%, nitroglycerin 45% ± 21%) compared with preinduction baseline values. In the esmolol-pretreated patients, the increase in HR was significantly lower (20% ± 3%) compared with the nitroglycerin (37% ± 8%), lidocaine (52% ± 8%), and control (29% ± 4%) groups. Conclusions: Lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg IV and nitroglycerin 2 μg/kg IV were ineffective in controlling the acute hemodynamic response following laryngoscopy and intubation. Esmolol 1.4 mg/kg IV was significantly more effective than either lidocaine or nitroglycerin in controlling the HR response to laryngoscopy and intubation ( p
Multiway Clustering for Creating Biomedical Term Sets

We present an EM-based clustering method that can be used for constructing or augmenting ontologies such as MeSH. Our algorithm simultaneously clusters verbs and nouns using both verb-noun and noun-noun co-occurrence pairs. This strategy provides greater coverage of words than using either set of pairs alone, since not all words appear in both datasets. We demonstrate it on data extracted from Medline and evaluate the results using MeSH and Wordnet.
Histodifferentiation and ultrastructure of oral squamous cell carcinoma in HMT rats

Seven oral squamous cell carcinomas developed in HMT rats were studied with light and electron microscopy. Two carcinomas in extra-oral sites were also described. Histodifferentiation of oral squamous cell carcinomas ranged from well-differentiated to poorly-differentiated, comparable to that of the same disease in humans. Ultrastructural features characteristic of human oral carcinomas were observed in the HMT rat carcinomas.
Adaptive NN stabilization of uncertain nonholonomic mechanical systems

In this paper, an adaptive neural network (NN) controller is proposed for the stabilization of dynamic nonholonomic mechanic systems with unknown inertia parameters and disturbances. First, to facilitate the control design, the nonholonomic kinematic subsystem is transformed into a skew-symmetric form and the properties of the overall systems are discussed. Then, an adaptive NN controller is presented to guarantee the outputs of the dynamic subsystem (the inputs for the kinematic subsystem) to track the given auxiliary signals which are designed for the stabilization of kinematic subsystem. Neural networks are used to parameterize the unknown system functions and their weights are adaptively tuned. A robust term is added to suppress the approximation errors as well as the bounded unknown disturbances. The stability of the closed-loop system is proved using Lyapunov direct method. The effectiveness of the proposed control is validated through simulation on the control of a differential-drive mobile robot.
Attitudes and Preferences of ESL Students to Error Correction

This article presents the findings of a survey of ESL students' attitudes toward and preferences for the correction of spoken errors by native speaker friends. The 418 subjects reported generally positive attitudes toward error correction and claimed to prefer even more correction than their friends did. They saw correcting errors as facilitating—even being necessary—for the improvement of their oral English.
Switching in sequential tree networks

Recursive analytical expressions for speedup and solution time for a multilevel tree sequentially processing a divisible load under cut through switching are developed. Such cut through switching is shown to be more efficient than store and forward switching. Aerospace applications include sensor networks, radar, and satellite imagery processing.
Structural Dimensions of University Departments and their Context: The Case of West Germany

This study applies the Aston methodology for measuring formal organizational structures to a sample of 35 West German university departments. Three structural dimensions are developed, namely academic control, bureaucratic control, and nonworkflow proportion, and they differ considerably from the original Aston findings. The structural dimensions and many structural and contextual variables show score levels which differ across scientific fields. It is demonstrated that these differences can be explained by the varying levels of paradigm development represented by the departments analysed.
The effects of hydration on growth of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus

Maintenance of biochemical gradients, membrane fluidity, and sustained periods of activity are key physiological and behavioral functions of water for animals living in desiccating environments. Water stress may reduce the organism's ability to maintain these functions and as such, may reduce an organism's growth. However, few studies have examined this potential effect. The effects of altered hydration state of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus L. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) on individual growth were studied under laboratory conditions. Crickets were permitted access to water for three different durations each day, resulting in significant differences in hydration state (32% greater hydration for maximum than minimum duration of water availability). Growth was 59% and 72% greater in dry mass and length, respectively, between the lowest and highest hydration state treatments. These findings may be representative for a variety of animal species and environments and could have important ecological implications.
Robust Peak Recognition in Intracranial Pressure Signals

Background: The waveform morphology of intracranial pressure pulses (ICP) is an essential indicator for monitoring, and forecasting critical intracranial and cerebrovascular pathophysiological variations. While current ICP pulse analysis frameworks offer satisfying results on most of the pulses, we observed that the performance of several of them deteriorates significantly on abnormal, or simply more challenging pulses. Methods: This paper provides two contributions to this problem. First, it introduces MOCAIP++, a generic ICP pulse processing framework that generalizes MOCAIP (Morphological Clustering and Analysis of ICP Pulse). Its strength is to integrate several peak recognition methods to describe ICP morphology, and to exploit different ICP features to improve peak recognition. Second, it investigates the effect of incorporating, automatically identified, challenging pulses into the training set of peak recognition models. Results: Experiments on a large dataset of ICP signals, as well as on a representative collection of sampled challenging ICP pulses, demonstrate that both contributions are complementary and significantly improve peak recognition performance in clinical conditions. Conclusion: The proposed framework allows to extract more reliable statistics about the ICP waveform morphology on challenging pulses to investigate the predictive power of these pulses on the condition of the patient.